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LISBON—Preliminary data from a phase 1 trial suggest UCART19 can serve as a bridge to transplant in adults with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).

This “universal,” donor-derived, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy produced complete responses (CRs) in 6 of 9 patients treated.

Five of the patients who were negative for minimal residual disease (MRD) proceeded to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT).

Two of the 5 patients were still alive and in MRD-negative remission at last follow-up, but 1 had relapsed and 2 died.

A total of 4 patients died in this trial—1 from a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), 1 from progressive disease, 1 from infection, and 1 from pulmonary hemorrhage.

“These early results for UCART19 are very encouraging, both in terms of manageable safety and the impressive complete molecular remission rate in these hard-to-treat adult patients with R/R B-ALL,” said principal investigator Reuben Benjamin, MBBS, PhD, a consultant hematologist at King’s College London in the UK.

Dr Benjamin presented these results, from the CALM trial, at the 44th Annual Meeting of the EBMT (abstract OS10-4*).

The CALM trial is sponsored by Servier. In 2015, Servier acquired exclusive rights from Cellectis for UCART19, which is being co-developed by Servier and Pfizer.

Patients and treatment

Dr Benjamin presented results in 9 patients with R/R B-ALL who had a median age of 23 (range, 18-49).

All patients had morphological disease or an MRD level of at least 1 x 10-3 (via flow cytometry and/or qPCR) at baseline. The median disease burden was 8% (range, 0-95).

Four patients had received 1 to 3 prior therapies, and 5 had received 4 or more prior treatments. Six patients had prior inotuzumab ozogamicin, 2 had prior blinatumomab, and 7 had prior allo-HSCT. The median time to relapse after allo-HSCT was 5.9 months (range, 4.1-11).

Patients underwent lymphodepletion with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and alemtuzumab (n=8) or fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (n=1).

They received UCART19 at 2 dose levels—6 x 106 total cells (n=6) or 6 to 8 x 107 total cells (n=3).

There were 2 DLTs, 1 at each dose level. At the lower dose, the DLT was grade 4 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) associated with grade 5 neutropenic sepsis. The patient with this DLT died at day 15 post-infusion.

At the higher dose level, the DLT was grade 4 prolonged cytopenia associated with infection and pulmonary hemorrhage. This patient died at day 82 post-infusion, 19 days after undergoing allo-HSCT.

In all, 8 patients had CRS. One patient had grade 1, 6 had grade 2, and 1 had grade 4 CRS. Seven patients had complete resolution of CRS.

Two patients had neurotoxic events, both grade 1.

Three patients had prolonged cytopenia, all grade 4. This was defined as persistent neutropenia and/or thrombocytopenia beyond day 42 after UCART19 infusion, except if the patient had >5% bone marrow blasts.

Two patients had neutropenic sepsis, grade 4 and grade 5.

Three patients had cytomegalovirus infection, all grade 2. Two patients had adenovirus infection, grade 1 and grade 3.

One patient had grade 1 acute cutaneous graft-versus-host disease.

Six of 9 patients achieved a CR, and 5 were MRD-negative by flow cytometry or qPCR. All 5 patients proceeded to allo-HSCT.

After transplant, 2 patients were still MRD-negative at 8 months, 1 patient relapsed after 6 months, and 2 patients died while MRD-negative. The deaths were due to infection and pulmonary hemorrhage.

Two other deaths were due to a DLT (neutropenic sepsis associated with CRS) and progressive disease.

Of the 5 patients who are alive, 2 are still MRD-negative after allo-HSCT. One of these patients relapsed after the first UCART19 infusion, received a second infusion, and achieved an MRD-negative CR that enabled transplant.

The remaining 3 patients who are still alive did not undergo transplant. One of these patients relapsed after achieving MRD-positive remission, and 1 relapsed after MRD-negative remission. The third patient relapsed and received a second UCART19 infusion. This patient has yet to respond to the second infusion but has minimal follow-up.

Recruitment in this study is ongoing at the higher dose level—6 to 8 x 107 total cells.

*Data in the abstract were updated in the presentation.

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Intruder Alarms

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International Journal of Photoenergy
Volume 2012, Article ID 329796, 10 pages
Research Article

The Synthesis of Anatase Nanoparticles and the Preparation of Photocatalytically Active Coatings Based on Wet Chemical Methods for Self-Cleaning Applications

1Cinkarna Celje, d.d., Kidriceva 26, 3001 Celje, Slovenia
2Laboratory for Environmental Research, University of Nova Gorica, Vipavska 13, 5001 Nova Gorica, Slovenia
3Department for Nanostructured Materials, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Received 27 January 2012; Revised 28 March 2012; Accepted 28 March 2012

Academic Editor: Stéphane Jobic

Copyright © 2012 Dejan Verhovšek et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

We report on an improved sol-gel method for the production of highly photocatalytic titanium dioxide (TiO2) anatase nanoparticles which can provide appropriate control over the final characteristics of the nanoparticles, such as particle size, crystallinity, crystal structure, morphology, and also the degree of agglomeration. The synthesized anatase nanoparticles were characterized using various techniques, such as X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and were tested in coatings for self-cleaning glass and ceramic surfaces. The coatings were prepared using a soft chemistry route and are completely transparent to visible light and exhibit a high photocatalytic effect, which was determined by contact-angle measurements. Finally, it is worth mentioning that both the sol-gel synthesis method and the coating-preparation method are based on a wet chemical process, thus presenting no risk of handling the TiO2 anatase nanoparticles in their potentially hazardous powder form at any stage of our development. Low-price, easy-to-handle, and nontoxic materials were used. Therefore, our work represents an important contribution to the development of TiO2 anatase nanoparticle coatings that provide a high photocatalytic effect and can thus be used for numerous applications.

1. Introduction

Pigmentary titanium dioxide (TiO2) exhibits a high refractive index making it a unique white pigment that is not expected to be replaced in either the long or short term. It is mostly used in the production of paints and coatings of every kind, as well as rubbers, plastics, ceramics, papers, foodstuffs, medicine, and many more [1].

With the advent of nanotechnology, the so-called “nano-” form of TiO2 has received a great deal of attention, since nanosized particles have many distinctive and enhanced physical and chemical characteristics. Nanosized TiO2 is known for its many applications, which include dye-sensitized solar cells [2], UV absorption for surface protection [3], electrochemical splitting of water [4, 5], and various applications in photocatalysis [616]. The photocatalytic effect is a well-known characteristic of the nanosized TiO2, having a large surface area capable of absorbing incident UV radiation and transforming it into electrons (e) and positive holes (h+), which migrate to the surface, resulting in chemical reactions with adsorbed pollutants and oxygen from the air [17]. The preferred crystal structure of the TiO2 photocatalyst is anatase, which can be prepared with larger surface areas than rutile, although having a slightly larger bandgap (3.2 eV) than the latter.

The sulphate production of pigmentary TiO2 is based on the hydrolysis of a titanyl sulphate solution, which results in the formation of a white precipitate, the so-called metatitanic acid, which is an agglomerate of anatase nanoparticles. In our paper we refer to an agglomerate as a particle in which the subunits are connected with each other mainly through physical bonding and can be broken when subjected to stronger attraction forces or changes in the surface charge. An aggregate, on the other hand, is a consolidated particle in which smaller crystallites are connected mainly with crystalline bridges. An aggregate cannot be broken down into individual subunits. In view of this we refer to metatitanic acid as an agglomerate, being made up of smaller subunits, aggregates, which themselves are made up of very small anatase crystallites. The crystallite mean size is about 5-6 nm, the aggregate size ranges from 40 to 100 nm, and the agglomerate size is in the order of 1-2 μm [18, 19]. Since the aggregate size is in the nanoregion, we refer to them as nanoparticles. It is very interesting that the size of the anatase nanoparticles can be easily adjusted, simply by controlling the hydrolysis reactions of titanyl sulphate solution [19]. The aggregates that form the metatitanic acid agglomerate are mainly connected through sulphate bridges. The sulphate bridges are electrostatic bonds which arise due to the negative charge of the sulphate ion [19]. When subjected to water-soluble barium salts, the barium ion, having a greater affinity for the sulphate ion, draws the sulphate ions holding agglomerates together and thus breaks them apart into individual anatase nanoparticles. Since the final suspension is acidic, the nanoparticles within it are well dispersed. The suspension is, therefore, very stable, enabling the separation of the nanoparticles from the barium sulphate precipitate which is a result of the reaction between the barium ions and the sulphate ions [19]. There has been very little or no research on determining the photocatalytic activity of anatase nanoparticles in the as-prepared suspension, nor has much research been done on its possible applications. Since metatitanic acid is an intermediate in the production of pigmentary TiO2, and thus prepared in very large amounts when the sulphate process of production is used, it would be very useful if a procedure could be developed to enable the harvesting of anatase nanoparticles directly from it. In our paper we report on such a procedure, enabling an easy and inexpensive production of a stable, acidic suspension of anatase nanoparticles, having a good photocatalytic activity and self-cleaning applications.

2. Experimental Details

2.1. Metatitanic Acid Preparation

The metatitanic acid was prepared using the sulphate process [1] in which ilmenite is dissolved with concentrated sulphuric acid (98%, Cinkarna Celje Inc.) and then hydrolysed in the presence of anatase seeds. The anatase seeds are prepared separately by hydrolysing a titanyl sulphate solution at 80°C and are added into the dissolved ilmenite solution. The amount added was varied through 0.1–1.8% in order to produce different metatitanic types.

2.2. Preparation of a Stable Anatase Nanoparticle Suspension

A stable anatase nanoparticle suspension was prepared by mixing the metatitanic acid and a barium chloride solution (p.a., Fluka) in the molar ratio Ti : Ba ~ 30 : 1. The molar concentration of the barium chloride used in this case was 0.5 M. The concentration of barium chloride was varied between 0.25 and 1.4 M in order to prepare barium sulphate particles of varying sizes. Barium chloride was added to the metatitanic acid dropwise at room temperature while mixing at 200 rpm. The reaction mixture was stirred for around 15 minutes. Afterwards, the barium sulphate was removed by means of centrifugation (30 min at 3000 rpm). After the centrifugation a precipitate of barium sulphate was present on the bottom of the vial, while the TiO2 suspension exhibited no sedimentation, thus allowing a simple separation via decantation.

2.3. Preparation of Anatase Self-Cleaning Coating

In order to prepare a stable colloid used for the final coating application that exhibits good adhesion, mechanical stability, and also superhydrophilicity, a soft chemical method was employed. The anatase was used in the form of an acidic suspension prepared as described above. To the acidic anatase suspension (5 mL), water (40 mL), ethanol (Fluka) (40 mL), and a silica binder solution (400 μL) (made from either of the two silica sources, that is, colloidal silica Levasil (200/30%) and TEOS precursor) were added and stirred until a homogenous mixture formed [20]. The molar ratio of Ti and Si in the final suspension is 1.3 : 1. The as-prepared suspension is very stable and remains so for a period of about six months. The as-prepared suspension was used to prepare self-cleaning coatings using various techniques, such as spraying and dip coating onto various substrates. No thermal treatment of the resulting coatings at elevated temperatures was required.

The coatings prepared differ in the size of anatase nanoparticles used. NTi1 and both NTi2 and NTi3 were prepared with anatase nanoparticles synthesized with a seeding volume of 0.3 and 0.6%, respectively.

Coatings NTi4, NTi5, and NTi6 were prepared with anatase nanoparticles synthesized with a seeding volume of 1.8, 0.6%, and 0.3%, respectively, and were used to test the effect of particle size on the photocatalytic activity of the final coating. The three coating types were also thermally treated at 450°C (30 min) to achieve a good adhesion on the glass substrate.

2.4. Characterization Methods

For X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) investigations the suspensions were neutralized after the reaction, filtered, washed with distilled water, and dried at 80°C in order to acquire TiO2 powder that was used for characterization. The TiO2 powder was pressed into a pellet and the spectra recorded from 10° to 70° (2-theta angle) with a CuKα radiation ( ) using a CubiX PRO PW 3800 instrument (PANalytical). The TiO2 crystal structure was identified using the X’Pert Data Viewer software.

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies (Jeol JSM-7600F, Jeol Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) studies (Jeol JEM-2100, Jeol Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) were used to estimate their morphology and dimensions. The samples for the TEM observations were ultrasonically dispersed and placed onto lacey, carbon-coated nickel grids.

The optimum amount of barium chloride to be added was determined by using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) measurements (Zeta PALS, Brookhaven). The samples for DLS measurement were prepared by dispersing a single TiO2 suspension droplet into 50 mL of distilled water. The final sample was translucent. The sample was poured into a plastic vessel (10 mL) which was transferred to the instrument cell where it was analyzed at a fixed angle of 90° using a laser with a wavelength of 660 nm.

The zeta potential of TiO2 nanoparticles was determined by Zeta PALS (Brookhaven). The samples for zeta potential measurement were prepared by dispersing a single TiO2 suspension droplet into 50 mL of distilled water and mixing it to form a translucent suspension. The electrophoretic mobility was converted to zeta potential using a PALS Zeta Potential Analyzer software and was based on the Smoluchowski approximation.

Photocatalytic activity measurements were performed using the contact-angle method [21, 22]. The TiO2 anatase suspension was used to prepare an anatase nanoparticle layer, which was done by dip-coating microscope glass slides (  mm, Menzel-Gläser) into an anatase suspension (100 g/L) (dipping speed of 70 or 100 mm/min). Dip coating of the microscope glass slides was performed only once. The layers were used as-prepared or were additionally thermally treated (450°C, 30 min) in order to achieve better adhesion onto the glass substrate and also to improve the crystallinity of the anatase nanoparticles. Methyl stearate (p.a., Fluka)(0.2 M solution in hexane) was used as a test organic pollutant and was additionally deposited onto the anatase layers using dip coating (100 mm/min). After the addition of the methyl stearate the contact angle was measured, while the layers were illuminated with UVA (CLEO light source, 20 W, 438 mm × 26 mm, λ 355 nm, Philips) of ca. 2 mW/cm2 irradiation intensity. Real-time contact-angle measurements provided a quantitative measurement of the photocatalytic activity of different anatase samples. It was determined for anatase nanoparticles of various sizes.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Metatitanic Acid Preparation

Metatitanic acid was produced when a titanyl sulphate solution hydrolysed in the presence of a certain amount of anatase seeds. Anatase seeds are crucial for the hydrolysis of the titanyl sulphate solution, since seeding provides better control over the final hydrolysis product. These seeds can have many distinctive benefits [18, 19, 23]:(i)they promote the precipitation process;(ii)they control particle formation and ensure a narrow size distribution of the synthesised nanoparticles;(iii) they increase the reaction yield;(iv) they provide an active surface, which can greatly accelerate the crystallization process, since crystallization on a solid-solid interface is much easier than nucleation in a liquid phase;(v)they decrease the activation energy of a reaction, thus further promoting crystallization.

The inoculation of a reaction mixture with suitable seeds provides all the above-stated benefits through a process of heterogeneous nucleation. Since the seeds used in our reactions are of the same crystal structure as the final product, we call such heterogeneous nucleation a secondary nucleation.

In order to better understand the effect of seeding on the final product, we conducted experiments where we varied the quantity of seeds added to the titanyl sulphate solution. According to the literature, the variation of the seeding volume should directly affect the size of the primary aggregates (nanoparticles) [19]. The SEM results in Figures 1(a)1(e) indeed showed that larger seeding volumes tend to produce smaller anatase nanoparticles, which are composed of a smaller number of crystallites. On the other hand, smaller seeding volumes produce anatase nanoparticles composed of a larger number of crystallites. It was concluded that one can effectively control the size of the anatase nanoparticles by changing the amount of added anatase seeds. This result also demonstrates that the seeds directly control the nucleation process via secondary nucleation mechanisms.

Figure 1: SEM images of anatase nanoparticles produced by the hydrolysis of a titanyl sulphate solution when different seeding volumes were used. The quantity of seeds (regarding the TiO2 content in titanyl sulphate in wt%) was (a) 1.8%, (b) 0.9%, (c) 0.6%, (d) 0.3%, and (e) 0.1%.

The theory of heterogeneous nucleation states that the free-energy change needed for the nucleation to occur depends on the wetting angle in a liquid-solid system. In the case of secondary nucleation, the seeds of the same material as the one being crystallized are used; therefore, the affinity in the liquid-solid system is complete. This means that the contact angle becomes zero and that the free energy of nucleation is also zero. In this case no additional nuclei are formed in the supersaturated reaction medium when it is seeded [24]. This is in direct agreement with the observed results of our experiments. Since no additional nuclei were produced after the inoculation with the seeds, they are solely responsible for particle formation and thus also determine their size. As stated previously [19] the seeds added could act as centres for nucleation of the newly formed nanoparticles. It was shown that the number of nanoparticles formed is of the same order of magnitude as the number of crystals inoculated as seeds. This suggests that every nanoparticle arises from a single seed particle, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Scheme representing a possible mechanism of particle formation via secondary nucleation using seed inoculation [18].

The seeds used in the synthesis are large agglomerates of very small anatase crystallites, as shown in Figure 3(a). It is very likely that they break up when added to the titanyl sulphate solution, since their surface charge changes because of the change in the pH value.

Figure 3: (a) Bright-field TEM image of anatase seed agglomerate. Inset shows high-resolution TEM image of anatase seeds in which smaller, approximately 5 nm crystallites of anatase are clearly visible. (b) Zeta potential measurement of anatase seeds used to inoculate titanyl sulphate solution. The isoelectric point of the anatase seeds is around the pH value of 5, which is also the pH value of the seed suspension used for inoculation.

Zeta potential measurement of the anatase seeds was performed by using a diluted water suspension (~5 g/L) which was titrated with sodium hydroxide solution (1 M). The titration was done starting at an acidic pH value (~2.5) and raised to ~10.5. As seen in the diagram of zeta potential measurements in Figure 3(b), the seeds exhibit the isoelectric point (IEP) at a pH value of about 5, which is very near to the actual pH of the seed suspension that was used. The IEP measured for anatase seeds is lower than expected for anatase which is around 6 [25]. The observed difference could have arisen because of surface impurities such as anions that were adsorbed onto the TiO2 surface. Sulphate anions adsorb onto the TiO2 surface and may reduce the IEP value, as was observed in our measurements [26].

Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume that the particles in the anatase seed suspension are highly agglomerated since its pH value is near the pH value of the observed IEP. But when they are added into the acidic titanyl sulphate solution, the pH drops rapidly (below 1). Consequently the zeta potential becomes more positive, which may give rise to deagglomeration of the seed particles into smaller particles, or even individual crystallites.

The mechanism of particle formation during seeding has been researched extensively [2729]. Qian and Botsaris [29] presented the so-called “embryo coagulation secondary nucleation (ECSN)” model, which combines classical nucleation theory with colloid science. The model states that the supersaturated solution already contains a large number of embryos. When the seeds are inoculated the embryos migrate to the surface of seeds, where they gather in large numbers which then promotes the formation of clusters that are larger than the critical nucleus size. Afterwards, the formed nuclei can be swept away from the surface by shear forces which are the result of solution mixing and the consequent collisions between particles. The freed nuclei can then initiate secondary nucleation or they can remain attached to the seed and form a polycrystalline aggregate (nanoparticle). In any case, highly consolidated polycrystalline particles are formed with a narrow size distribution (Figure 1 and Figure 4(a)). A high-resolution TEM image of an individual anatase particle is shown in Figure 4(a), where individual crystallites of approximately 5 nm in size are clearly visible. From the X-ray diffractogram in Figure 4(b) it is evident that the produced particles have the anatase crystal structure. It also has to be noted that a small amount of rutile TiO2 is present. The shoulder on the right-hand side of the (101) anatase peak corresponds to (110) peak for the rutile TiO2. A small amount of rutile is present in metatitanic acid and is the consequence of production procedure.

Figure 4: (a) TEM image of an anatase nanoparticle showing its polycrystalline (aggregated) nature. The individual crystallites are approximately 5 nm in size and they are aggregated into an anatase nanoparticle. (b) X-ray powder diffractogram of the anatase nanoparticles.
3.2. Formation of a Stable Nanoparticle Suspension

The metatitanic acid that was used to carry out the experiments was made by 0.6% seed inoculation amount. As was already mentioned in Section 1, the metatitanic acid is made up of the anatase aggregates presented in Figure 4, which are connected into large agglomerates through sulphate ion bridges. In order to produce a stable suspension of anatase nanoparticles, sulphate bridges have to be removed which is possible with the addition of an appropriate amount of barium chloride. Since the barium ion bonds with the sulphate ion that holds the anatase aggregates together, it is very important to add enough of the barium chloride solution in order to remove most of the sulphate ion bridges and thus form a finely dispersed and stable suspension. The optimal addition of barium chloride solution was defined by performing DLS measurements as shown in Figure 5. If the volume added is too low, the agglomerate breakage is not sufficient and the average particle size is around 110 nm (red curve). By increasing the volume addition of barium chloride solution, the agglomerates break and the average size attained is around 50 nm, which coincides very well with the actual particle size observed by SEM (Figure 1(c)).

Figure 5: DLS measurements of nanoparticle suspensions that were made from metatitanic acid (0,6% seed quantity) and the subsequent addition of a barium chloride solution. The curves correspond to DLS measurements of nanoparticle suspensions prepared using different amounts of barium chloride solution that were added to the metatitanic acid. Namely, 400 mL of metatitanic acid suspension was mixed with 110 mL of 0,5 M solution of barium chloride, 120 mL, 130 mL, and 140 mL, respectively.

From the obtained results it can be concluded that the optimal amount of barium chloride is in the molar ratio TiO2 : Ba of approximately 30 : 1. This ratio enables the production of very stable anatase nanoparticle suspensions, which can be effectively separated from barium sulphate via various separation procedures, such as centrifugation.

The separation of barium sulphate and TiO2 nanoparticles is quantitative since TiO2 nanoparticles exhibit a high zeta potential at acidic pH values which prevents their sedimentation. The zeta potential of the TiO2 nanoparticles is shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6: The change in zeta potential for anatase nanoparticles when titrating the acidic suspension with sodium hydroxide solution. The zeta potential is large for the acidic suspension but drops when sodium hydroxide is added. The IEP seems to be at the pH value of about 6 which is in accordance with the results found in literature [25].

On the other hand, the barium sulphate particles are larger and settle when centrifugation is applied. This was also confirmed with XRD (Figure 7) analysis of the settled material which is pure barium sulphate.

Figure 7: The X-ray powder diffractogram of the material collected after the centrifugation cycle was finished. The diffractogram exhibits all the peaks for barium sulphate while no observable peaks for anatase are evident.

This is important since the method allows the production of a very stable TiO2 acidic suspension without a byproduct being present. The concentration of TiO2 in the final suspension is dependent only on the amount of metatitanic acid that is used. The transformation of the metatitanic acid into TiO2 nanoparticle suspension has a very high yield (~ 100%) since only a sufficient amount of barium chloride has to be added in order to remove the sulphate ions holding the anatase nanoparticles together in the metatitanic acid agglomerate.

It is also interesting to note that by careful addition of a barium chloride solution almost monodispersed particles of barium sulphate are formed (Figure 8). They are in the size range of 0.5 μm to 1 μm, which depends on the concentration of barium chloride used. As expected, the barium sulphate particles form according to the classical theory of nucleation, where control over the particle size can easily be achieved by controlling the solute concentration (supersaturation). If a concentrated barium chloride solution was used (Figure 8(a)), smaller particles formed since supersaturation was larger and thus more particles were formed. On the other hand, if a diluted barium chloride solution was used (Figure 8(b)), then the particles were bigger since supersaturation was lower.

Figure 8: SEM image of barium sulphate particles. (a) Barium sulphate particles formed when a concentrated solution of barium chloride was used. (b) Barium sulphate particles formed when a diluted solution of barium chloride was used.
3.3. Characterization of the Photocatalytic Activity of Anatase Nanoparticle Suspensions and Their Application as Self-Cleaning Surfaces

The photocatalytic activity of anatase nanoparticles in self-cleaning coatings was determined using contact-angle measurements. Figure 7 shows that the samples NTi1 and NTi2 decompose the methyl stearate test pollutant rapidly, since the water contact angle fell in less than one hour of UVA irradiation from initial hydrophobic value, characteristic for the fatty deposit, to the final hydrophilic value, characteristic for clean and hydroxylated TiO2. The sample coating NTi1 performed slightly better than the sample coating NTi2, which can be attributed to the fact that the layer thickness differs for the two samples. This could be due to the fact that the anatase nanoparticles differ in size since they were prepared using 0.3 and 0.6% seeding volume, respectively. However, the difference in layer thickness was not examined. The slight difference in the photocatalytic activity of the NTi1 and NTi2 coatings could also be a direct result of the fact that anatase nanoparticles differ in size. The anatase nanoparticles used for NTi1 coating are depicted in Figure 1(d), the anatase nanoparticles used for NTi2 coating in Figure 1(c). Our results indicate that the anatase nanoparticles depicted in Figure 1(d) could be slightly more photocatalytically active than the anatase nanoparticles depicted in Figure 1(c). However, raw anatase nanoparticles were not analysed for their photocatalytic activity, and therefore the difference in the photocatalytic activity for the NTi1 and NTi2 coating cannot be addressed adequately. Sample coating NTi3 performed worse even though the coatings were additionally thermally treated in order to enhance the particle crystallinity and adhesion to the substrate. Such worsening in performance can be attributed to the fact that a thermal treatment was used. It is possible that during the treatment the nanoparticles present in the coating became larger due to sintering, which lowered their specific surface and consequently the photocatalytic activity of the coating as a whole. Since anatase nanoparticles are well crystallised at the beginning, the thermal treatment does not contribute to their crystallinity and thus does not enhance it (Figure 9).

Figure 9: Contact-angle measurements for self-cleaning coatings prepared from anatase nanoparticles presented in Figure 1(c) using a soft chemical method. Water contact angles were measured after different times of irradiation of the coatings covered by methyl stearate layer.

As one can see (Figure 10) the photocatalytic activity of the anatase nanoparticles depends greatly on the synthesis procedure, that is, on the seeding volume used for the secondary nucleation during the nanoparticle synthesis. Although the nanoparticles synthesized using the 1.8% seeding volume (NTi4 coating) are smaller in size and thus have a greater specific surface, they performed worse in comparison to the nanoparticles that were synthesized using the 0.6% seeding volume (NTi5 coating). This can be explained by the fact that the hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions during the synthesis are carried out more rapidly when using a greater seeding volume, which consequently influences the overall crystallinity of the final product. Since the hydrolysis/polycondensation reactions were very fast when the 1.8% seeding volume was used, it can be assumed that the product crystallinity is worse since the kinetics of the reaction do not allow the crystal structure to be fully developed during the synthesis. Therefore, smaller seeding volumes are necessary and provide a better nanoparticulate anatase which is suitable for self-cleaning applications. However, it seems that a smaller seeding volume of 0.3% produces a photocatalytically more active anatase than the 0.6% seeding volume since the NTi6 coating (anatase prepared with 0.3% seeding volume) performs better than the NTi5 coating (anatase prepared with 0.6% seeding volume).

Figure 10: Contact-angle measurements for different coatings prepared from anatase nanoparticles using a soft chemical method. The anatase nanoparticles were prepared using different seeding volumes during the synthesis and therefore differ in size. Water contact angles were measured after different times of irradiation of the coatings covered by methyl stearate layer.

Self-cleaning coatings were also tested in real-life environmental conditions (8-month testing period with seasonal climate changes (summer-spring)). Self-cleaning coatings were applied on a glass surface (Figure 11) and exposed to changing weather conditions over a period of 8 months. The coatings remained photocatalytically active and mechanically stable over the whole testing period.

Figure 11: Glass substrates treated with self-cleaning coating and placed in real-life conditions. One can see that the coatings exhibit the superhydrophilic effect, which is depicted clearly in image (b), where a clear distinction between the treated (superhydrophilic) and untreated (water droplets) surface is shown.

This was tested by performing swift quantitative tests for photocatalytic performance using the resazurin dye. The dye was stained onto the coated glass substrates depicted in Figure 11 which were then subjected to UV irradiation. If the TiO2 coating was to lose its activity or was even mechanically washed away due to improper and inadequate adhesion, the resazurin dye would not decompose and no observable change in colour would occur (Figure 12).

Figure 12: The resazurin decomposition test after (a) 0 min, (b) 2.5 min, (c) 5 min, (d) 7.5 min, (e) 12.5 min and (f) 20 min. As can be seen, the resazurin dye decomposes when UV illumination is applied which clearly indicates that the TiO2 layer remained active and mechanically stable.

As seen from Figure 12, the resazurin test has proven that the TiO2 coating is still present and photocatalytically active after eight months of exposure to real-life weather conditions.

Nevertheless, it has to be noted that the contact-angle measurement technique that was used does not provide an entirely accurate impression on the photocatalytic activity of the coatings since the change in contact angle can also arise from the fact that TiO2 becomes superhydrophilic when illuminated with UV light. Therefore the change in contact angle value cannot be attributed to the methyl stearate decomposition solely, but also to the fact that the layer itself changes its surface properties. A more straightforward technique to determine the photocatalytic activity of the coatings should be used as will be the case in our future research activities of self-cleaning coatings.

4. Conclusions

In summary, anatase nanoparticles were synthesized based on a well-established sulphate process for TiO2 pigment production in which metatitanic acid is produced. The metatitanic acid can easily be converted into an anatase nanoparticulate suspension by a simple precipitation reaction using a water-soluble barium salt. The anatase nanoparticle suspension was used to prepare a self-cleaning-coating colloidal solution using a soft chemical method, which allows the production of transparent and highly photocatalytically active coatings. The coatings were tested using contact-angle measurements and perform well even without thermal treatment, which enables a low-cost application on various substrates. The testing of self-cleaning coating is still in progress but shows great promise, since it exhibits good photocatalytic activity and mechanical characteristics. Furthermore, it is based on a wet/soft chemical method, which makes it suitable for large-scale production using inexpensive equipment and technology.

This work is partially financed by the European Union, European Social Fund and is based in part on the Ph.D. thesis of D. Verhovšek under Grant P-MR-07/26 by the TIA of Republic of Slovenia. The authors would also like to greatly acknowledge Cinkarna Celje Inc. which provided the raw material needed for performing the research presented in this paper. The electron microscopy was performed at the Center for Electron Microscopy at the Jožef Stefan Institute.

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Soumitra Chatterjee: The living legend India forgot

The multiple National Award winning actor, who was Satyajit Ray’s muse, remains Bengal’s hidden treasure

brunch Updated: Jul 15, 2018 01:45 IST
Ananya Ghosh
Ananya Ghosh
Hindustan Times
Soumitra Chatterjee,bengali cinema,bengali actor
Chatterjee could have been the romantic hero, but he preferred to be an actor rather than a ‘hero’(Kunal Patil)

Recently, the play Phera was presented as part of National School of Drama’s eighth Theatre Olympics in Mumbai. But very few people, apart from the Bengalis, had any idea who the old village chief on stage was. It was Soumitra Chatterjee,was a Dadasaheb Phale awardee, a holder of the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (the highest civilian award in France), and widely considered to be Satyajit Ray’s muse.

Stage vs screen

This is possibly because, unlike his contemporary matinee idols Uttam Kumar, Suchitra Sen and Supriya Choudhury, Soumitra Chatterjee never stepped out of Kolkata to act in mainstream Hindi films. His only connection with the Mumbai film industry was the role of Radhika Apte’s aged husband in Sujoy Ghosh’s critically acclaimed short film, Ahalya (2015).

Yet, Chatterjee and Satyajit Ray were frequent collaborators and have done as many as 14 films together, starting with the third part of Ray’s The Apu Trilogy, Apur Sansar (1959), a film that also marked the debut of Sharmila Tagore.

“Not many people know that he had initially rejected me for the role of Apu,” says Chatterjee. “I was doing theatre at that point and had no celluloid dreams. In fact, I had reservations about Indian cinema. To us, theatre was high art while cinema was for mass consumption. Young people in theatre often suffer from this misconception and I was no different. But when I watched Pather Panchali (1955), it totally blew my mind. I never imagined that cinema could rise to that level and was convinced that this was how the future of acting and movies would be.”

Stills from Soumitra Chatterjee’s movies (clockwise) Heerak Rajar Deshe, Sonar Kella, Kapurush and Ghare-Bhaire (behind the scenes)

Even then, he had no intention to act in films. Chatterjee’s guru and role model was Shishir Kumar Bhaduri, the doyen of Bengali theatre. He just wanted to follow in Bhaduri’s footsteps. But on the advice of a friend who was a crew member of Ray’s team, Chatterjee decided to audition for the role of Apu in the Pather Panchali sequel, Aparajito (1956). “But Satyajit Ray told me that I didn’t fit the role of college-going Apu. He needed someone much younger. So, I left that day,” he recalls.

Aparajito went to the 1957 Venice Film Festival and received the Golden Lion award, the Cinema Nuovo Award and the Critics Award. At the press conference, Ray announced its sequel Apur Sansar.

“After Aparajito, he got in touch with me and offered the role of Apu in the third part,” says Chatterjee who was then 22 years old. Later, Ray told him that the idea of making a third film in the series came to him only after he met the actor.

Kolkata and the world

Chatterjee’s association with Ray spanned over three decades. According to Chatterjee, right after their first film together, the two started to develop a keen understanding of each other. He says, “We had similar tastes and outlooks. Also, our attitude to life in general was very similar. I have not really gone into consciously analysing the nature of our association. It was a real creative collaboration. I had tremendous respect for him and I trusted him unconditionally. But it was never a comparison of talents. He was an absolute genius.”

“Actors those days would venture into Hindi films for money and fame. I was working with Ray and had international popularity, so I didn’t need to come to Bombay for that!”

In Bengal, it was the time and age of Uttam Kumar, who was the undisputed king of the silver screen. But, the superstar never managed to overshadow Chatterjee. His acting prowess coupled with his dashing good looks and his off-screen personality of the boy-next-door helped him built a niche of his own.

But why did Chatterjee keep away from the Hindi film industry? “Actors, at least in those days, would venture into Hindi films for two reasons. Money and fame. I was working with Satyajit Ray and had international fame. I didn’t feel the need to come to Bombay for that,” he says. Indeed, Ray and Chatterjee were then the toast of the international festival circuit.

“Moreover the kind of roles Hindi films mostly offered back then didn’t really interest me,” says Chatterjee. “Although directors like Hrishikesh Mukherjee were making good movies, those were few and far between. But I also must admit that I was too immature then to understand the importance of money.”

The play’s the thing

Chatterjee could have easily limited himself to playing the ‘romantic lead’ in mainstream Bengali cinema, but he preferred to play with the nuances of complicated characters instead, positioning himself as an actor and rather than a ‘hero’. But his subtle and naturalistic performances, coupled with his inherent charm, soon made him a star.Today, the actor has multiple National Awards and Filmfare awards in his kitty; he has worked with Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha, Tarun Majumdar, Ajoy Kar, Raja Mitra, Goutam Ghose and Rituparno Ghosh, and continues to work with the new generation of directors.

But he never left his first love, theatre. “I was always interested in acting and initially the only option was theatre,” he says. “It was merely a hobby. When I was in college, we relocated to Kolkata, and it was then that I saw a play of Shishir Kumar Bhaduri. It had such an impact on me that I decided to make theatre my profession.”

“ I keep reinventing myself as an actor through theatre. If I had not kept myself engaged in theatre, I am sure even my film acting would have suffered ”

This is why, even at the peak of his film career, Chatterjee made regular stage appearances. “For the initial five years or so, I took a break from theatre. I had too much work in the movies and there was no time for it,” he says. “Also, we were having a bit of a problem getting the venues. But nothing could keep me away from it for too long. I realised soon that theatre is my life breath. And I have never left it since.”

In fact, he credits his acting prowess to theatre. “I keep reinventing myself as an actor through theatre. If I had not kept myself engaged in theatre, I am sure even my film acting would have suffered. I would have become stale and boring as an actor. And that was not a future I ever saw for myself,” he says.

Chatterjee is now collaborating with his daughter Poulomi Bose in her directorial debut with the Bengali play Phera, an adaptation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s The Visit. “It is an old play that I used to do long back. Now, Poulomi has shortened and contemporised it. I am, of course, playing a different character that suits my age,” says the actor who is ready to experiment even now.

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First Published: Jul 14, 2018 22:10 IST


text:
Nitish confirms India has great aspirations

The national political message from Bihar: deliver and flourish; be positive, not negative. Do the big two get it? Samar Halarnkar writes.

india Updated: May 21, 2011 17:00 IST
Samar Halarnkar
Samar Halarnkar
Hindustan Times

Nitish Kumar should have been a very unpopular man in south-western Bihar’s Kaimur region, the fertile grain bowl of what is still one of India’s poorest states. Devastated by a drought, Kaimur’s paddy fields are dry, the rice mills are closed, there’s no electricity for 22 hours every day and water is hard to come by.

Nitish — the one-man army who engineered Wednesday’s re-election triumph in Bihar — should have been equally unpopular in the north-eastern region of Purnea and the lands of the river Kosi in the east, still devastated by the floods of 2008. The local economy is in shambles and the men stream out of the villages to find work in the factories and fields of booming northern India.

Yet, the JD (U)-BJP alliance that Nitish runs did as well along the Kosi and in Kaimur and Purnea as it did in returning to power with a three-fourths majority across Bihar, one of the state’s biggest victories.

To understand the result in Purnea, Kaimur and across Bihar is to understand the unfolding revolution of aspiration and expectation reshaping India’s electoral politics; to understand how the old national political terminology of caste, religion and identity is being replaced by the vocabulary of education, jobs, roads and law and order.

Since the 1990s, India has demanded its politicians reflect what Jawaharlal Nehru in 1944 called India’s “new urges and creative tendencies”. Bihar’s results are the latest evidence. They reveal: one, that politics must, above all, meet aspirations; two, once an aspiration is met, it’s time to roll out the next; three, electorates are willing to rank their aspirations, allowing a sincere government time and space; and, four, identity remains a factor, but nowhere as important as it was even 10 years ago.

It helps when expectations hit rock bottom, as they did in Kaimur, Purnea and the Kosi region. Before 2005, they could have aspired only to live and die there with a certain respect that Lalu Prasad — his party down by 32 seats from 2005 — engendered among the lower castes and Muslims. In 15 years, Lalu addressed no other aspiration. To these stricken regions, Nitish delivered law and order, allowing the men of the flood- and drought-hit regions to migrate westward, satisfied that their womenfolk would be safe.

Bihar’s people realise that Nitish, apart from making the state safer, built roads and bridges (about 400 in the last 56 months) — sparking a modest economic revival — pushed women’s empowerment (900,000 cycles were distributed to school girls, pushing up attendance and enrollments) and urged a moribund bureaucracy to work. Nitish realises he’s only just restarted Bihar’s engine and that his people will now expect progress on immense new challenges:

n Agriculture, which employs most Biharis, is shrinking, battered by flood, drought, small landholdings and worsening poverty

n Electricity supply, which falls short of demand by about 250 mega watts every day, hampers investment and sustainable growth (Nitish’s plan: surplus power by 2015)

n Corruption, endemic through Bihar, is rising with the flood of money that Nitish has made available for infrastructure

n Land redistribution, a process that Nitish stopped when he realised it would antagonise supporters from rich and powerful castes. Caste equations aren’t yet dead.

Nitish’s drive for development has so enthused voters that they have been willing to give him time and look beyond the infirmities of the 11% growth (some of those numbers are suspect) he’s delivered between 2006 and 2009. The Congress is indeed correct is saying — Rahul Gandhi repeated it in all his 11 public meetings — that New Delhi pays Nitish’s public-works bills: As the state’s economic survey shows, 72% of Bihar’s expenditure comes from the Centre, up from 40% in 2003-04.

Bihar really doesn’t care. The days of Indira Gandhi and mai-baap largesse politics are long gone.

So, too, is the stranglehold of caste and religion, evident in ironic fashion from the BJP’s remarkable increase in seats, from 55 to 91. The exact vote shares are not yet available as I write this, but the BJP clearly rode on Nitish’s non-denominational, development message. Muslims, otherwise implacably opposed to the BJP and its pro-Hindu politics, voted in large numbers for the alliance. The party sensed Bihar’s changing mood and acquiesced to Nitish’s demand that the divisive Narendra Modi be kept out of electioneering. It’s likely the BJP has never got this many Muslim votes before.

In this age of regional aspirations, India’s two major national parties must realign their politics to stay relevant. Fortunately for the BJP, it has strong administrators in Modi and Raman Singh, Chhattisgarh’s reform-minded chief minister. But in Karnataka it has fallen back on the discredited BS Yeddyurappa and his outdated politics of caste (the BJP fears his removal will antagonise the powerful Lingayat caste), religion and nepotism above governance.

As for the Congress, with merely four seats of 243 in Bihar, it has much to think about. Removing leaders accused of corruption is a good thing, but it is an issue mired in negativity, as was the junior Gandhi’s campaign in Bihar. The new politics of aspiration isn’t about pointless criticism and stemming yesterday’s rot. It’s about today’s progress and showing India the road to tomorrow.

First Published: Nov 24, 2010 22:17 IST


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Great Referral

Laura Andrews was referred to us by a friend.At the time, we were living in Georgia and coming back to Eau Claire, WI.For approximately 5 months, Laura kept in contact with us, informing us of new listings, the market in general and asking about our preferences. When we arrived in Eau Claire, we contacted Laura and she started setting up showings for us, Laura is very personable, accommodating, and kind.She has very good knowledge of the real estate business and guided us through the process every step of the way.I can only imagine that it would not have been as easy (or fun) with any other agent.We would highly recommend Laura to any one looking for a broker.

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Hiring a comic book artist FAQ

If you’re a member and you’re looking for the Art Card page, please click here.

Getting a comic book from script to print can be a complicated undertaking, with lots of moving parts to consider. We’ve complied this article to help simplify the process and hopefully explain how the relationships between the illustrator, writer and publisher work in general without going into too much detail, but while still covering all the main talking points. Although this article is written with comic book writers being the primary audience, we do encourage comic book artists and others in the creative field to read it too.

These questions were devised and answered by Jason Piperberg (professional comic book artist), and edited and updated with additional content added by Darren Di Lieto and Jane Di Lieto. Feedback was also given by comic book artists Matt Timson, Brendan Purchase and Christine Larsen.

So, should I hire a comic book artist?

If you are working independently to publish your comic or graphic novel and you want to get your book into the hands of an adoring public, absolutely, yes, you should hire an illustrator – or more specifically a comic book artist. Independent and self-published comics are a vital part of the publishing industry. A lot of new writers and artists make their mark in the independent (indy) market, which can be a natural stepping stone into the mainstream market if that’s what they want. New ideas and creative stories keep the market vitalised and interesting, plus, everyone needs to start somewhere, so stop dithering!

For those who are more inclined to work with a publisher that will hire and handle the illustrator, you may want to submit your script directly to a publishing house for consideration. If a publisher decides your story is right for their brand, it’s very likely that the they will hire the illustrator directly without the author’s input, although some do require an artist to be attached to a book before it’s pitched to them. Either way, you’re only going to know what each publisher’s requirements are by finding and following their submission guidelines, and in most cases these will be available on their websites. Continue reading

Zombies Can’t Swim

We recently received our copy of Zombies Can’t Swim, a comic by Kim Herbst. Let’s be honest here. We have a bit of a thing for zombies at hai and we know that Kim has produced some interesting fantasy-based artwork, so we just had to get this!

There’s plenty of blood, gore and action, as you would expect, and the story is very well drawn. The use of two-colour printing works well – better than if Kim had gone for plain old monotone, as it makes the artwork so much clearer. The print and binding quality is very good, and it’s bound rather than stapled as it runs to 40 pages.

No storyline spoilers here I’m afraid, although suffice it to say that if you like the undead, Zombies Can’t Swim will make a fitting addition to your collection. Head on over to Kim’s Esty store to buy a copy. You know you want to – it’s a no-brainer!

Title: Zombies Can’t Swim
Author: Kim Herbst
Illustrator: Kim Herbst
Pages: 40


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IT Manager, Enterprise Quality

The IT Manager, Enterprise Quality can be located in any J&J location in New Jersey or Pennsylvania with a preference for New Brunswick or Bridgewater, NJ as travel will be required to these locations. This role is for an IT manager within the IT BTL Enterprise Supply Chain organization, directly supporting the Enterprise Quality organization, including Quality Systems & Services (QS&S), J&J Regulatory Compliance (JJRC), and J&J Sterility Assurance (JJSA), and reporting into the Sr. Manager.

This role has a scope of business relationship management, IT project portfolio management, IT project execution, enterprise program deployment leadership, and system support oversight. Looking for a self-motivated technology leader who can quickly come up to speed on activities and responsibilities listed below:
Partner with Business and SCIT architects as appropriate to identify technology solutions, using functional expertise in the area of Quality Systems technology solutions in support of Complaints Management, Quality Event Management, Supplier Management, and Lab Management, among others. Provide relationship management support to the Enterprise Q&C organization, including Quality Systems & Services (QS&S), J&J Regulatory Compliance (JJRC) and J&J Sterility Assurance (JJSA). Provide IT leadership for Enterprise Quality Systems project activities such as technology assessment, Phase 0 activities, CAR preparation. Partner with Supply Chain Quality organizations in support of project discovery, initiation, and execution activities. Provide input to PLOs for future requirements, especially key business capabilities, and the associated value to the Product Line – as an input to shape the product strategy. Manage a breadth of projects including data and analytics, quality system application development (both internal and external), web development, and SharePoint portal development. Provide end-to-end oversight of project and service request activities. Coordinate with AS execution teams and GTS fulfillment teams to ensure seamless delivery. Acts as single point of contact to business for technology needs (service request, project intake, etc.). Manage a portfolio of investments within the Enterprise Quality project portfolio in Instantis.

Key Responsibilities
“Technology strategist” whose functional expertise spans multiple technology solutions in the Supply Chain Quality space
o Understand business processes within Supply Chain Quality
o Understand the technology strategy for business partners as defined by management
o Manage business expectations and keep business aligned to business requirements
o Quickly comes up to speed on platforms including Reporting, Data & Analytics tools (Spotfire, Tableau, etc.) and various Quality Systems (Trackwise, ETQ, TruVault, Unity, etc.)
Investment Manager
o Lead portfolio management for Enterprise Quality IT projects
o Understand priorities for business and manage associated technology investments
o Provide IT project management leadership for enterprise deployment activities
o Actively drive successful implementation and business value realization of IT projects
o Accountable for all aspects of delivery and operational IT expense
Business IT interface
o Drive key project activities such as process improvement, requirements gathering, Agile implementation and oversight of scrum teams
o Perform intake activities, determining the appropriate path forward for both project and service requests
o Understand core internal IT products and service offerings
o Ability to drive business value. A critical point of contact for IT to IT service delivery.
o Partner with Application Services and bring awareness on ADEPT and CPI Services to business
o Partner with Business and SCIT architects as appropriate to identify technology solutions
o Drives business partners towards standard solutions where possible
o Coordinates with other BU as needed
Customer Focus & Management
o Direct collaboration with customers to enable and support IT projects and programs
o Listens to business needs and provides technology service and solution options
o Acts as a partner and advocate to the business, helping to determine the appropriate path forward for
o Continuous improvement of the IT operating model
Business Process Improvement
o Identify process “pain points” and early improvement opportunities
o Build business case for improvement initiatives (e.g., impact, feasibility, and investment required)
o Create implementation plans for improvement initiatives including timeline, owner, and key milestones

A minimum of a Bachelor's degree is required; an advanced degree is an asset

A well rounded IT professional with 5+ years of relevant experience is required

IT experience is required

Process and business strategy experience is an asset

Experience and knowledge of Agile methodology is preferred

Program management and project execution experience is required

SaaS project deployment experience a plus

Resource and budget management experience required

Excellent collaboration results with key stakeholders from Business

Excellent ability to influence key business stakeholders and be a thought leader is a plus

Experience managing application (including web) development projects and teams is required

Experience in supporting IT applications for Quality business areas (Complaints, QEM, Supplier Management etc.) is strongly preferred

Experience within a regulated environment a plus

Experience with SDLC methodology and validation in support of GxP applications is required

Industry and domain expertise, technical knowledge and functional expertise of platforms and software technology is preferred

Knowledge of business process and business strategy, experience working across multiple levels of an organization, leadership skills, creating context around key business drivers is required

This position may require up to 15% domestic and international travel, depending on the location of the role

BE VITAL in your career, Be seen for the talent you bring to your work.  Explore opportunities within the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies.

Primary Location
United States-New Jersey-Somerville
Other Locations
North America-United States-New Jersey-New Brunswick, North America-United States-New Jersey-Bridgewater, North America-United States-Pennsylvania-Fort Washington, North America-United States-Pennsylvania-West Chester, North America-United States-Pennsylvania-Chesterbrook, North America-United States-New Jersey-Raritan
Ethicon Inc. (6045)
Job Function
Business Relationship Management
Requisition ID


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Port Canaveral Historic Milestones

Port Canaveral Historic Milestones (HM14IL)

Location: Port Canaveral, FL 32920 Brevard County
Country: United States of America

N 28° 24.505', W 80° 37.025'

  • 0 check ins
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1961 - Freedom 7, First space capsule recovered through the Port
1989 - Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) 136 activated
1989 - First quadramodal connection between sea, land, air and space
1992 - SPACEHAB, First FTZ 136 facility built at Port
2001 - Delta IV rocket arrived aboard the Delta Mariner floating hangar
HM NumberHM14IL
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 at 8:22pm PDT -07:00
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17R E 537506 N 3142505
Decimal Degrees28.40841667, -80.61708333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 28° 24.505', W 80° 37.025'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds28° 24' 30.30" N, 80° 37' 1.50" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)321
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 561-699 Glen Cheek Dr, Port Canaveral FL 32920, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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  1. Is this marker part of a series?
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  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
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Mzvee reveals why she featured Yemi Alade on her new song “Come and See My Moda”

Versatile and talented Lynx Entertainment songstress Mzvee, known in real life as Vera Hamenoo-Kpeda, has revealed to her loving fans why she featured Nigerian sensational singer Yemi Alade.

The “Rewind” singer MzVee, made it known in an interview with Radio Central’s Amansan Krakye on the Drive Show that, she wanted to collaborate with a great female artiste outside Ghana, and Yemi Alade was the best person to work with on her new song trending all over the country and beyond titled “Come and See my Moda”.

MzVee continued, ” we are from two different countries, and our collaboration have made it possible for people to hear from us again from Ghana and Nigeria”

When she was asked by the host the reason behind her new song, she said

” Guys of our time always want short cut, they always want the girls they are dating to do all sort of work for them, but they don’t want to marry them”.

She continued,” If the guys want to show their seriousness with the girls they are dating, they must make it official by going to see their mothers for their hand in marriage.

The ‘Borkor Borkor’ hit maker made a shocking revelation that, her new song with Yemi Alade got 100,000 views on YouTube the first day the video was released.

The former pupil of St. Martin De Porres School who later studied Business Administration at Ghana Telecom University urged all the young girls who want to pursue music to the top to take their school very serious. She adviced them not to rush in life but rather to be humble and serious with their career.

MzVee debut album was released in November 2014 and has promised his loyal fans to watch out for her fourth Album ready to be launched soon with other life changing projects to push the girl child education to the top.

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Palram Harmony Green Greenhouse - 6 x 10ft

SKU: 341345
Home Delivery
Standard delivery within 14 days
Reserve & Collect
Available to order in store
Can be ordered for delivery from our customer service team in store

Product Description

Harmony greenhouse series are among our most popular models, merging practical design, aesthetics and durability. Its functional design offers simple assembly and easy daily use. The rust-resistant Aluminum frame and crystal-clear, virtually unbreakable Polycarbonate panels make Harmony greenhouses maintenance-free and highly durable, capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions for many years of gardening use

This is an Extra Choice product. Please see the Extra Choice information within customer services for more details.

Product Details

Polycarbonate, aluminium
Product & Assembly instructions
Also available in
Collection or Range name
Glazing type
Polycarbonate glazing
Door type
Roof covering
5 years
Number of doors
Assembly option
Self assembly
(H)208 x (W)185 x (D)306cm
Dimensions of base
(D)305 x (W)185cm
Additional information
Virtually unbreakable, high-impact resistant and flexible, Provide complete UV blockage, and are 100% UV protected; they do not discolor, fracture or shatter, Maintain their integrity and withstand extreme weather conditions for many years of use, Over 90% light transmission for excellent sunlight exposure, Provides a highly durable, rust-resistant and extra-rigid structure, For extra protection and safety (lock not included). Magnetic door catch included.

Order online for Home delivery

From £3.95

We offer home delivery on selected products across our ranges. Delivery for smaller items is charged at £3.95. For larger items that require 2 people to deliver them, the charge is £8.95.

Some items available from us are delivered directly from our suppliers. After placing your order, the supplier will contact you to arrange delivery.

See our home delivery FAQ

No matter how many items you want, you only pay a single delivery charge per order.

See our returns and refunds policy

Extra Choice products

These products will be labelled within the product description.

Extra Choice orders are delivered directly from our suppliers and are not included within our hassle free returns policy.

See our Extra Choice FAQs
See our Extra Choice Terms & Conditions

D.I.Y. Advice

how to felt a shed roof 04:15

Shed, garden buildings & storage How to felt a shed roof Learning to felt a shed roof is easy with our step-by-step instructions and video. Learn all you need to know with this expert Homebase guide. Read online now.

how to build a shed

Shed, garden buildings & storage How to build a shed An afternoon and this guide from Homebase is all you need to build & erect a shed. From the base to assembly, we can walk you through the process. Read it now.

how to paint a shed

Shed, garden buildings & storage How to paint a shed Improve the look of your shed simply and effectively with a quick paint & refresh. Using the Homebase guide, you can create your great escape. Read now.

Pressure washing buying guide

Garden power & hand tools Pressure washer buying guide Try our pressure washer buying guide to get the best tips on which style is best for you, the accessories and how to use it. Make the decision easy at Homebase!

Lawnmower buying guide header

Garden power & hand tools Lawnmower buying guide Find the perfect lawn mower for your garden with our buying guide. Discover whether an electric or petrol lawn mower is best suited to you & your lawn, today.

How to pressure wash a patio or decking

Patio, decking & fencing How to pressure wash a patio or decking Pick up a few top tips on how to clean up your decking or patio with a pressure washer. Find inspiration & expert advice at Homebase - visit us today.

How to lay a patio

Patio, decking & fencing How to lay a patio Discover the easiest way to lay your patio here ar Homebase. With a helping hand throughout the process have the job done in no time, try out our guide here!

how to lay decking

Patio, decking & fencing How to lay decking Discover our top tips on how to lay decking with help from Homebase. With our step-by-step process you can transform your garden and pick up the tools today.

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Black Glass Bar Table and Stools

Black Glass Bar Table and Stools

In stock
can be shipped within 12 days

Price includes VAT and delivery to Mainland UK desitinations

Black Glass Bar Table and Stools - In High Gloss White, Black, Red, Blue Or Purple

Round Glass Bar Table in Black with Chrome Central Support Leg and Black Glass Base and Choose from the colour selection a Pair of Ultra Modern Kitchen / Breakfast Bar Stools in High Gloss Black, White, Red, Blue or Purple Seat and Frame with Chrome Gas Lift Pump Mechanism Pedestal Leg / Base.

  • Black Glass Bar Table
  • Chrome Table Leg
  • Glass Base
  • Black, White, Red, Blue, Purple High Gloss Bar Stools
  • Chrome Pedestal Leg / Base
  • Gas Lift Pump Mechanism For High Adjustment

Bar Table - L 80cm / W 80cm / H 100cm

Stools - L 43cm / W 38cm / H 87cm

We also recommend

Prices include VAT and delivery to mainlaind UK destinations

Browse these categories as well: Bar stools, Homegenies Furniture


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20 Best Tips
Teaching Textbooks

The Visit to the Neurologist – Homeschool and Life Happenings

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy .

Last Friday I headed out of town for a few days to meet up with my friend Jodi, whom I haven’t seen in several years. It was a fabulously fun weekend with her (she one of the ladies that introduced me to essential oils many years ago). Catching up with her was so wonderful, especially when it feels like you have just picked up where you left off and you can be yourself above all. She’s one of those ladies I can share the good and ugly with – and that is such a gift.

This school week seems to have flown by – likely due to having decided we would take Monday off and enjoy the last beautiful day of summer at the pool. For the kids that meant hanging out with friends. For me, that meant finally sitting down and reading a bit. The pool hasn’t been the most relaxing place for me the last few months  because I have a running list of things “to do” from being on both the swim team board and the pool board (I did it to myself). But Monday I just sat down and relaxed. It was lovely.

Kaleb is really enjoying the Soaring with Spelling program and I love that he can work on quite a bit independently. He still defaults to asking for help (even when he doesn’t need it), but it’s a different approach for him and also incorporates in some vocabulary instead of spelling rules, which is good for him.

Laurianna is loving her Human Anatomy class at the community college. And you all, I have to say – I am so thankful that this girl feels free to text me without worrying about me flipping out. She and I really do have a great relationship, and the pictures I get right now – Lord, help me.

If you are in ANY way familiar with biology and human anatomy, you may recognize the above microscope image she sent me for what it is – sp*rm. And yes. I didn’t spell the word because spam comments will abound. :) She did get her first bio exam results back and she is doing great (her written wasn’t as high as she wanted, but she got an 86 on the written and a 92 on her lab). She loves her teacher and that makes me happy more than anything because she is learning and loving it overall – and already can’t wait for next semester.

In other news, the boys and I are listening to The Land of Stories via audiobook. We haven’t had a great week for read-alouds yet (even though we want to), so for now this is covering that gap.

Wednesday meant a whole lot of car riding for Laurianna and me. Rather than wait until December to see a closer neurologist, we opted to see one a few hours away and get in much sooner. Out of all the visits this year, this felt like a few things were clicking into place. We are waiting on an MRI order to rule out a few specific things, but otherwise did receive some helpful suggestions from the doctor for moving forward.

Laurianna has been doing much better the last bit (a rough day or two here and there, but nothing like last fall), so we are very happy for those great days! She is picking back up with worship team this fall and also beginning to work for a few different people (babysitting and making soap).

McKenna and I are spending time each week with another family and working on biology labs. I ordered a set of slides for the girls to use (and Kaleb too since this goes hand-in-hand with what he is studying). Above is a peek at a paramecium magnified 400x – it’s really so fascinating!).

One thing we will say – schoolwork is so much more fun if you have someone to do it with. And really, that’s true about most things in life, isn’t it? It’s always nicer when you are walking along with someone else.

Our first official “lab” of the year involves carrot pieces, distilled water, and two variables – sugar and salt. Our control was plain distilled water with a carrot slice and the other two slices were in sugar water or salt water. We formed our hypothesis and are waiting on the final results. :)

That’s it for this week. :)  What have you been up to?

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy .

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Coming soon: Grow and harvest your own food in The Little Vikings

March 2nd 2015

Coming soon to The Little Vikings: Grow your own food, harvest it and then feed it to your Little Vikings to increase their energy.

Farming is one of the latest new features to be added to The Little Vikings to make the game even more engaging. Our players will be able to create farmlands on their island and plant a variety of seeds on them. After watering the seeds they will grow into crops that can be used for all kinds of things. One of the most interesting new uses of farming is to feed your Little Vikings to restore their energy. This will make it easier to deal with the dangerous monsters that roam the island!.

Keep your eye on the news section for the latest updates to the Hooqt website and The Little Vikings. And join the developers: What would you like us to add to the game or improve upon? Visit the Hooqt forums and let us know!


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New Trillium species discovered

Disease could hit Britain's trees hard

Ten of the best snowdrop cultivars

Plant protein database helps identify plant gene functions

Dendroclimatologists record history through trees

Potato beetle could be thwarted through gene manipulation

Study explains flower petal loss

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Why We Do This

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We did a lot of research after that and find out a best hosting plan. After that, we started giving advice about hosting plans to bloggers and local web developers. Now in 2017, you have a plenty of hosting companies, but selecting the best web hosting is still a crucial part for many. HostingReviewNow.com is built to help peoples, especially bloggers to choose a right hosting for them. We know sometimes we may lose something more valuable than money if we go offline for a long time. We assure you that, we will help you with genuine test results and reviews to choose your best web hosting companies.

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How To Avoid The 7 AdWords “Rookie” Mistakes

Learning How To Promote & Profit From Google AdWords In 2018

How To Promote & Profit From Google AdWords In 2018

Avoid The 7 AdWords “Rookie” Mistakes

I have some cool stuff to help you and I wanted to send you the first video today in a FREE 3-part video series ALL designed to help you create, promote & profit from Google AdWords in 2018

I hope you enjoy (and more importantly learn a TON) from the first video in the series which you can join here:

7 Google AdWords Rookie Mistakes

In the video training, I reveal the exact process I used to build my own hugely successful Google AdWords Campaigns.

And these steps you can steal and use right away.

I remember when I started my Google AdWords journey, I had a NO IDEA what the heck I was doing… and in less than a year I was generating big time income (despite a “small budget to begin with”… I’ll explain more about that later.)

If I could do it, you definitely can too.

Enjoy the free training,

Like this post at all? Why not Pin it!

Remember to subscribe to my podcast

Here are the details again:

[FREE] AdWords Video Training Series.

Get Instant Access Here >>

7 Absolutely Killer Tips For Google AdWords & Why They Crush The Competition

How to Build an Email List FAST – 7 Simple Methods You Can Use for FREE

Download The eBook Now:

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Phil Adair

Hot Clicks Pay-Per-Click Online Marketing

Suite 12, 5th Floor, Dymocks Building

428 George Street, Sydney 2000, NSW, Australia

I’m a huge fan of connecting on social media. If you’re on these social networks, then let’s follow each other:

About Phil Adair

Phil Adair is the host of one of the most downloaded online marketing podcasts on the internet (Go here to subscribe and listen to The Online Marketing Strategies Show.)

Read his inspiring bio now.

Feel free to send Phil a message here >>


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Breakfast is served until 11am

BUFFET: indoors or on the terrace (in season)

You will find a variety of products that will allow you to concoct a balanced breakfast to start the day.

  • Sweety salty
  • Warm cold
  • Products with and without gluten
  • Regional and organic products

The Hotel Le Jura also offers you its dynamic breakfasts

ROOM SERVICE (during the opening hours of the reception):

  • Continental breakfast served in your room
  • Meal tray with one of our menus Salads
  • Fresh and hot drinks

The reception offers you a list of restaurants, recommended by our customers, in Divonne-les-Bains and its surroundings.


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Mullsjö Folkhögskola (formerly Mullsjo Folkhogskola)

Björksätervägen 12, Mullsjö, 56521  - show map

Very good 8.3/10
Score from 19 reviewers

Hostel Overview

Located by the beach of Lake Mullsjön, this property is set in the school of Mullsjö Folkhögskola. Mullsjö Train Station is a 15 minutes’ walk from the property. Free WiFi and free parking are available.

Each simply decorated room at Mullsjö Folkhögskola has a sofa bed or an armchair. There is also a private bathroom with shower. Some feature lake views.

Guests can enjoy a communal TV lounge and a well-equipped kitchen with dining area.

Central Jönköping is 26 km away, while Knaggebo Ski Resort is 15 minutes’ drive away.

Lock in a great price now and relax with our Price Guardian working for you

Hotel prices fluctuate. Book now, we will check prices each day for you and then let you know how to re-book if an even better price becomes available.
When would you like to stay at Mullsjö Folkhögskola ?

Facilities of Mullsjö Folkhögskola

WiFi everywhere

Hiking, Skiing

Common areas
Garden, Shared kitchen, Shared lounge/TV area

Facilities for disabled guests, Heating, Lift, Non-smoking rooms, Non-smoking throughout

Last updated: 17 Mar 2018 - Update now

Hotel Policies

From 15:00 hours

-10:00 hours

Cancellation / Prepayment
Cancellation, prepayment and 'book now pay later' policies vary according to room type. Please check the room conditions when selecting your room above.

Accepted credit cards
The hotel reserves the right to pre-authorise credit cards prior to arrival.

The fine print
Please note that the property has self-service check-in. After booking, you will receive payment and check-in instructions as well as an access code from Mullsjö Folkhögskola via email.
Bed linen and towels are not included. You can rent them on site or bring your own.

Setup a Price watch for Mullsjö Folkhögskola

Each day we'll check prices and send you an email for your selected dates at Mullsjö Folkhögskola. If you don't have specific dates but would like to check prices for say next weekend or say next month we can check the price too.

Traveller reviews

Very good 8.3/10
Score from 19 reviewers
Click to write a review and share your experience of Mullsjö Folkhögskola with other travellers.

Hotels Nearby

Björksätervägen 12

3 star
Distance : 0.58 KM

Distance : 1.23 KM

Bottnarydsvägen 1

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Our Customers

  • The Sebel Hawkesbury was excellent. Great friendly staff and excellent rooms. 11/10 Highly recommend this Hotel
    A Denman
  • .... reservation process was fast and smooth. Grand Hyatt hotel has met our expectations. Our flight was very late and they allowed us to have late check out at 4 pm without extra charges. Definitely we will book again with
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Hotel Marina room 3 Hotel Marina room 2

The Hotel Marina is just 10 minutes away from the A4 motorway exits of Santhia and Albiano. The hotel is well structured andfully equipped for the organization of meetings, conventions and expositions.

The Hotel Marina offers the possibility of: three large conference halls of approximately 100 square meters eachand a single large conference hall measuring 320 square meters. (All the halls have four entrances measuring 180 cm and are 3 meters in height).
Overlooking the lake is a 150 square meter covered veranda. Adjacent to the lake is our 3,000 square meter park, '50m x 60m', with two gangways measuring 15 m. each.
On the side opposite the lake (at the main entrance of the hotel) is a park and parking areaof 10,000 square meters that includes tennis courts.

Conference Halls – Technical Data

salon Giulio 11.5 m long 9.0 wide €300 +tax-per day
salon Virginia 8.5 m long 12.5 wide €300 +tax-per day
salon Andrea 12.5 m long 8.00 wide €300 +tax-per day
salon Angivi irregolare a L totale 320mq €700 +tax-per day

all the salons are 3 meters in height
The conference halls are furnished with: overhead projectors – whiteboards and bulletin boards - stationary (writing instruments and paper) – transmitter microphone -(candies and water are at your disposal)

Coffee Break: coffee, tea, fruit juices, sweet and salty snacks
euro 6,00 per person

Self Service Lunch Break: in addition to coffee, tea, fruit juices, sweet and salty snacks served at the Coffee Break we will include a banquet table dressed with:
wines (Erbaluce and local rose' wine), non-alcoholic fruit cocktails, variety of puff pastries, neopolitan pizzas, assortment of tartines, selection of quiches.
euro 15,00 per person

Our proposal for Lunch or Dinner: antipasto, starter, main course with garnishing and dessert served in round tables of 6 or 8 persons
euro 20,00 per person (beverages not included)

Conference Halls: Set-up Options and Solutions

The following are a few examples of possible set-ups for the Conference Halls:

Salon name
Ferro di cavallo
Tondi 8
Andrea (12,5x8)
Angivi(m2 320)

Blueprint layout

Ristorante Hotel Marina

HOTEL MARINA: 13886 Viverone (BI) - 10, fraz. Comuna, tel: 0161 987577, fax: 0161 98689, email: - p.iva: 01951560026