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2023-07-25 | Climate change due to global warming can alter the salinity and pH in aquatic ecosystems. Low salinity (LS) and ocean acidification (OA) are stressors involved in osmotic regulation and can alter the antioxidant capacity of the body. In this study, we observed Na + /K + -ATPase (NKA) expression and activity in disk abalone gill tissue and changes in hemolymph osmolarity in relation to osmotic regulation over a short period (5 days). To confirm the degree of oxidative stress caused by changes in salinity and pH, changes in H 2 O 2 levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase [SOD] and catalase [CAT]) expression, and caspase-7 expression were investigated at the molecular level. The degree of DNA damage was evaluated using the comet assay. mRNA expression, activity of gill NKA, and osmolarity of the hemolymph were significantly decreased in the LS group. Nonetheless, no noteworthy distinction was observed in mRNA expression or NKA activity between the control group and OA group. Hemolymph H 2 O 2 levels and mRNA expression of SOD, CAT, and caspase-7 were significantly higher under the LS + OA condition than under single conditions of LS and OA. Further, caspase-7 mRNA expression and DNA damage increased with increasing exposure time. The group exposed to LS + OA showed the highest levels of caspase-7 expression and DNA damage. These results indicate that a combination of low salinity and pH induces more stress than a single condition does. Unmanageable ROS-mediated stress caused by environmental changes can lead to cell death and DNA damage. | Short-Term Exposure to Combined Condition of Low Salinity and pH Affects ROS-Mediated Stress in Disk Abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) | 10.1007/s12601-023-00115-0 |
2023-07-24 | A low cost imine-decorated linker, 4,4'-(hydrazine-1,2-diylidenedimethylylidene)dibenzoic acid was utilized for the preparation of copper-based metal–organic framework (MOF) denoted as Cu-L via a solvothermal technique. The synthesized MOF material has been fully characterized by different analytical techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, powder X-Ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX), nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherm analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It has been found that the coordination of Cu 2+ with L considerably reduced the band gap of the L of nearly about 1 eV, which is approximately 26% decline in total. Notably, a narrow band gap of the photocatalyst is an essential requirement for the proficient photodegradation of organic contaminants. An excellent optical properties and narrow band gap of (2.8 eV) of Cu-L ensure their suitability as a photocatalyst for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. In the presence of Cu-L photocatalyst, 84.22% degradation of MB dye was observed after 150 min under sunlight exposure. It is the first time that imine-functionalized MOF was utilized for the degradation of MB dye under sunlight irradiation. For understanding the photodegradation of MB dye by the Cu-L photocatalyst, all the plausible mechanistic studies have been carried out in detail. Both theoretical (with the help of density functional theory (DFT) calculations) as well as experimental studies have been conducted to justify the possible mechanisms for the photodegradation of MB dye by Cu-L. The current work may open a new opportunity to construct a cheap MOF-based photocatalysts for fast degradation of dye contaminants. Graphical Abstract | Imine-Decorated Copper-Based Metal-Organic Framework for the Photodegradation of Methylene Blue | 10.1007/s10895-023-03346-5 |
2023-07-24 | The type of catalyst support affects platinum activity and durability in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). In this study, Sb with 0, 4, 8 and 12% doped SnO 2 on carbon cloth (CC) support at ultra-low platinum loading (0.04 mg cm −2 ) is prepared. The results show that the modification of support and the use of Sb-doped SnO 2 improve the electrochemical activity of the prepared electrodes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicates that the doping of SnO 2 with Sb decreases the average particle size of Pt. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show that incorporating Sb and Pt nanoparticles into SnO 2 would not damage the tetragonal rutile structure. The highest electrochemical surface area (ECSA) of electrodes in the acidic environment is obtained in Sb of 4%. The highest current density of 15.5 mA cm −2 is obtained at the peak potential of 0.71 V for Pt@Sb4-SnO 2 -CC electrode in the methanol oxidation reaction while its value is 1.2 times higher than Pt@CC. The chronoamperometry analysis and CO stripping voltammetry show that this electrode has the highest tolerance to CO. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrates that the minimum charge transfer resistance of 17.6 (Ω cm 2 ) is acquired for the Pt@Sb4-SnO 2 -CC electrode. In the active DMFC test, the high power and current density of this electrode are 11 mW cm −2 and 66 mA cm −2 , respectively, at the cell voltage of 0.2 V. Graphical Abstract | Pt–Sb–SnO2 Nanostructures on Carbon Cloth Electrodes in Active Direct Methanol Fuel Cells | 10.1007/s10562-023-04419-7 |
2023-07-23 | Background Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide and disproportionally affect Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the heaviest burden of LRIs in Ethiopia, to date, no published studies have reported a comprehensive viral etiology of LRTIs among children in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to determine and estimate the etiological contribution of respiratory viruses to LRTIs in < 5 years children in Ethiopia. Methods A prospective case–control study was conducted from September 2019 to May 2022 in two major governmental hospitals, St. Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College and ALERT Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal samples and socio-demographic and clinical information were collected from children under 5 years. A one-step Multiplex real-time PCR (Allplex™ Respiratory Panel Assays 1–3) was done to detect respiratory viruses. STATA software version 17 was used for the data analysis. We computed the odds ratio (OR), the attributable fraction among exposed (AFE) and the population attributable fraction (PAF) to measure the association of the detected viruses with LRTIs. Results Overall, 210 LRTIs cases and 210 non-LRTI controls were included in the study. The likelihood of detecting one or more viruses from NP/OP was higher among cases than controls (83.8% vs. 50.3%, p = 0.004). The multivariate logistic regression showed a significantly higher detection rate for RSV A (OR: 14.6, 95% CI 4.1–52.3), RSV B (OR: 8.1, 95% CI 2.3–29.1), influenza A virus (OR: 5.8, 95% CI 1.5–22.9), and PIV 1 (OR: 4.3, 95% CI 1.1–16.4), among cases when compared with controls. The overall AFE and PAF for RSV A were (93.2% and 17.3%), RSV B (87.7% and 10.4%) and Influenza A virus (82.8% and 6.3%), respectively. The mean CT values were significantly lower for only RSV B detected in the case groups as compared with the mean CT values of RSV B detected in the control group ( p = 0.01). Conclusions RSV, Influenza A and PIV 1 viruses were significantly associated with LRTIs in < 5 years children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Therefore, we underscore the importance of developing prevention strategies for these viruses in Ethiopia and support the importance of developing and introducing an effective vaccine against these viruses. | Viral etiologies of lower respiratory tract infections in children < 5 years of age in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a prospective case–control study | 10.1186/s12985-023-02131-x |
2023-07-22 | This paper creates hydraulic binders using waste and a low energy input. Cements are produced with a bauxite refining residue (red mud-RM), blended with limestone and lime, and fused at temperatures from 600 to 1200 °C. The Saudi RM investigated has significant Al and Si but low Ca. Therefore, lime (CaO) and limestone (CaCO 3 ) are used, as a source of calcium, to harvest cementing hydrates.When calcining RM alone, reactive aluminium phases begin to form at c.300 °C. However, at c.900 °C, they turn into crystalline corundum (Al 2 O 3 ), a more stable and less reactive phase. It is hoped that the Ca provided by the lime/limestone will react with the Al in the RM during fusion, to form reactive silicates and aluminates rather than inert corundum. Both types of fusion produced calcium silicates and aluminates with cementing properties. However, lime fusion required higher temperature. Limestone fusion produces cementing phases at lower temperature than lime fusion, due to the lower decomposition temperature of CaCO 3 when compared to CaO. High temperature is required to break down CaO (melting point = 2572 °C), whereas CaCO 3 decomposes at 600 °C and disappears at 850 °C. Despite the top alkali fusion temperature being much lower than the CaO melting point, the results demonstrate that calcium was released from the lime and entered reactions forming calcium silicates and aluminates. This is probably due to the high alkali content of the RM acting as a flux and lowering the decomposition temperature of the CaO. | Alkali fusion of bauxite refining residue (red mud-RM) to produce low carbon cements | 10.1007/s42452-023-05442-4 |
2023-07-20 | Objective This study aimed to investigate the role of D-dimer in the diagnosis of lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients with rib fractures. Method Retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 499 patients with rib fractures who were admitted to the Third Hospital of Shijiazhuang between October 2020 and September 2021. These patients were divided into the DVT and the non-DVT groups. D-dimer levels were compared between the two groups at 24, 48, and 72 h after the injury. Receiver operating characteristic curves were utilized to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of dynamically monitoring changes in D-dimer for DVT. Results The D-dimer levels in the DVT group were significantly higher than those in the non-DVT group at 24, 48, and 72 h after the injury. The area under the curve values for predicting DVT based on D-dimer level at 24, 48, and 72 h after injury in patients with rib fractures were 0.788, 0.605, and 0.568, respectively. Conclusion Detecting D-dimer levels 24 h after the injury can enhance diagnostic efficacy and sensitivity for DVT, thereby reducing the rate of missed diagnoses, which is of great clinical value. | Diagnostic value of D-dimer for lower extremity deep venous thrombosis caused by rib fracture: a retrospective study | 10.1186/s13018-023-03997-x |
2023-07-19 | Introduction Accumulating clinical evidence links Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) with worse outcomes of asthma, but impact on airway function remains sparsely studied. We tested effects of Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia (CIH) – a hallmark of OSA – on airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), in a rat model of chronic allergen-induced inflammation. Methods Brown Norway rats were exposed to six weeks of CIH or normoxia (NORM) concurrent with weekly house dust mites (HDM) or saline (SAL) challenges. At endpoint, we assessed responses to seven Methacholine (Mch) doses (0, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 mg/mL) on a FlexiVent system (Scireq). Maximal (or plateau) responses (reactivity) for total respiratory system Resistance (R rs ) and Elastance (E rs ), Newtonian airway resistance (R N, a measure of central airways function) and tissue damping (G, a measure of distal airways function) were plotted. Results HDM/CIH–treated animals demonstrated the highest reactivity to Mch in R rs and E rs compared to all other groups (HDM/NORM, SAL/CIH and SAL/NORM p < 0.05 for all comparisons, for doses 5–7 for R rs , and for doses 4–7 for E rs ). The enhanced R rs response was due to an increase in G (doses 4–7, p < 0.05 for comparisons to all other groups), whereas R N was not affected by CIH. Conclusions In rats chronically challenged with HDM, concurrent CIH exposure induces AHR primarily in the distal airways, which affects the respiratory system frequency-dependent elastic properties. | Chronic intermittent hypoxia increases airway hyperresponsiveness during house dust mites exposures in rats | 10.1186/s12931-023-02493-4 |
2023-07-18 | The biorefinery using wasted sweet potatoes is an attractive way to replace fossil fuels and integrate other products. This work aimed to produce sweet potato ethanol using conventional commercial amylolytic enzymes usually applied at 60–90 °C, but at a low temperature (28–42 °C). Additionally, simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation were performed. Enzyme concentration in the hydrolysis, temperature, time, and concentration of the potassium metabisulfite solution in the fermentation yield was also studied through central composite design (CCD). Moreover, the effect of alpha-amylase addition before and after (before cooling) the pretreatment of sweet potato was evaluated. The sweet potato was characterized by moisture and total reducing sugars. When the enzymes are added simultaneously, the optimal conditions are 35 °C and 25.1 h for a minimum yield of 75 %. When alpha-amylase is added just after heating, the yield is 79.7 % in only 22 h of incubation, achieving a gain of 8.6 h. Thus, this work shows that it is possible to use enzymes generally used at higher temperatures at lower temperatures, which can help reduce the energy costs of sweet potato ethanol production. | Evaluation of Bioethanol Production from Sweet Potato at Low-temperature Hydrolysis with Conventional Amylolytic Enzymes Simultaneous with Fermentation | 10.1007/s12155-023-10639-x |
2023-07-18 | Purpose The low-frequency noise radiated by ships has a significant impact on marine animals; however, traditional ship sound-absorbing materials are not optimal for low-frequency noise control. Therefore, an acoustic metasurface suitable for low-frequency noise control is devised using a spatial folding structure, which is composed of folded channels and perforated structural units. Methods Numerical methods are used to investigate the acoustic characteristics and absorption mechanism of the metasurface, and the impact of common structural factors on the acoustic performance of the metasurface is studied. An experimental model is produced with 3D printing technology, and the structure's absorption coefficient is examined. Results A composite acoustic metasurface is designed by coupling multiple cells, and the designed metasurface structure achieves continuous broadband sound absorption in the range of 125–200 Hz. The structure exhibits subwavelength absorption characteristics and has an average absorption coefficient of 0.886 in the target frequency range, with a thickness of 1/27 of the wavelength. Conclusion Folded channels extend the propagation path of acoustic waves, lead to lower absorption frequencies, and the coupled multicell design broadens the absorption bandwidth. The proposed coupled multicell folded low-frequency acoustic metasurface structure has excellent sound absorption performance and provides new ideas for the design of marine low-frequency broadband acoustic absorbers. | Composite Acoustic Metasurfaces Based on Coiled-Up Space | 10.1007/s42417-023-01046-9 |
2023-07-18 | Background Obesity is a condition that is often associated with sleep disorders, including reduced sleep quality (SQ). Very low calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) has proven to be effective in the management of obesity and associated metabolic disorders. However, little is still known about the effects of this promising nutritional protocol on SQ. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term effect of VLCKD on SQ in women with overweight/obesity and if any changes, to identify the predictive factor that through VLCKD modified SQ. Methods Were consecutively enrolled a total of 324 subjects, who met the inclusion criteria and accepted to adhere to VLCKD. Assessment of nutritional status, including anthropometric measurements (height, weight, and waist circumference), bioelectrical impedance analysis (phase-sensitive system, 50 kHz BIA 101 RJL, Akern Bioresearch, Florence, Italy Akern), high sensitivity C reactive protein levels (hs-CRP), and SQ were carried out at baseline and after 31 days of active stage of VLCKD. SQ was evaluated using the validated questionnaire Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results In addition to the expected general improvement of anthropometric parameters and body composition, VLCKD improved significantly SQ, as demonstrated by the improvement of all parameters included in the PSQI questionnaire (p < 0.001). Both at baseline and after 31 days of active stage of VLCKD, the PSQI score was significantly associated with BMI, waist circumference, fat mass, fat free mass (p < 0.001 for all) and hs-CRP (p = 0.023). PhA was negatively associated with PSQI score only at baseline (p < 0.001). ∆% PSQI positively correlated with ∆% BMI, ∆% fat mass, ∆% hs-CRP (p < 0.001 for all) and negatively correlated with ∆% fat free mass (p < 0.001), and ∆% PhA (p = 0.031). In the multiple regression analysis ∆% fat mass represented the only predictor of changes in SQ after VLCKD. Finally, in the ROC analysis, a threshold value of ∆% fat mass > − 8.4% predicted improvement in SQ (p < 0.001). Conclusion In conclusion, VLCKD determines an improvement of SQ in women with overweight and obesity, that was mostly mediated by the reduction of fat mass related to this nutritional protocol. Graphical Abstract | Can the ketogenic diet improve our dreams? Effect of very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) on sleep quality | 10.1186/s12967-023-04280-7 |
2023-07-17 | Fungal polysaccharides have attracted wide attention because of their medical pharmaceutical and health care value. So far, many efforts have been made in strain improvement to produce polysaccharides on a large scale at low cost. Here, a novel cold plasma-induced strain improvement technology was employed to pretreat Pleurotus ostreatus CGMCC 5.374 by radio-frequency (RF) low-vacuum cold plasma (LVCP) for the purpose of obtaining a high-yield polysaccharide strain. The optimum pretreatment conditions including discharge power, treatment time, and working pressure were determined by single factor and orthogonal experiment in succession. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis was conducted to study the effects of RF-LVCP on cell metabolism and proliferation. Results showed that under the optimal condition of discharge power of 130 W, treatment time of 25 s and working pressure of 140 Pa, polysaccharide content in mycelium was increased by 3.16% after 6 days in comparison to the original strain. Transcriptome analysis showed that RF-LVCP is helpful for specific gene transcription profiles, Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathways, of which the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly involve with the up-regulation of polysaccharide transport, physiology, synthesis and metabolism, as well as the down-regulation of polysaccharide hydrolysis and macromolecular degradation. | Effects of Cold Plasma Pretreatment on the Synthesis of Polysaccharide from Pleurotus ostreatus | 10.1007/s12010-023-04662-z |
2023-07-14 | This paper examined the cyclic deformation behaviour of multiphase low-carbon steel that was subjected to austempering heat treatments at four temperatures (190 °C, 230 °C, 275 °C, and 315 °C) below the martensite start temperature ( M s = 353 °C). The tests were conducted at room temperature, under fully reversed strain-controlled conditions, with strain amplitudes in the range 0.5–1.0%. The microstructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy, and the fracture surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The steel had a bainite/martensite microstructure, with increasing bainite content for higher austempering temperatures. Irrespective of the tested conditions, it strain-hardened during the first two cycles and then, strain-softened until failure. The austempering temperature did not significantly affect the stress-based, strain-based and energy-based relationships. However, lower austempering temperatures slightly improved the fatigue performance. | Effect of austempering temperature on microstructure and cyclic deformation behaviour of multiphase low-carbon steel | 10.1007/s43452-023-00735-2 |
2023-07-14 | Context How to elucidate the effect of alkali metal promoters on gold-catalyzed water-gas shift reaction i ntrinsically remains a challenging, because that the complex synergy effects such as strong metal-support interactions, interfacial effects, and charge transfer of supported metal catalysts makes people difficulty in the understanding the alkali promotion phenomenon in nature. Herein, we report a systematically study of whole water-gas shift reaction mechanism on pure and the K-modified defected-Au(211) (i.e., by removing one surface Au atom from perfect Au(211) and make one model with the Au-Au coordination number is six) by using the microkinetic modeling based on first principles. Our results indicate that the presence of K can increase the adsorption ability of oxygen-containing species via the attractive coulomb interaction, has no significant effect on the adsorption of H species, but inhibits the adsorption of CO due to the steric effect. K promoter stabilizes the water adsorption by ~0.3 eV, which results in one order increasing of whole reaction rate. Interestingly, the strong promotion effect of the K can be assigned to the significant direct space interaction between K and the adsorbate H 2 O* through the inducted electric field, which can be further confirmed by the posed negative electric field on the unpromoted D-Au(211). Microkinetic modeling results revealed that the carboxyl mechanism is the most likely to occur, redox mechanism is the next one, and the formate mechanism is the least likely to occur. For different kinds of alkali metal additives, the adsorption strength of water molecules gradually weakens from Li to Cs, but Na shows the best promoter behavior at the low temperature. By considering the effect of K contents on the reactivity of water-gas shift reaction, we found that the K with the medium coverage (~0.2~0.3 ML) has the strongest promoting effect. It is expected that the conclusion of this work can be extended to other WGSR catalytic systems like Cu(or Pt). Methods All calculations were performed by using the plane-wave based periodic method implemented in Vienna ab initio simulation package (VASP, version 5.4.4), where the ionic cores are described by the projector augmented wave (PAW) method. The exchange and correlation energies were computed using the Perdew, Burke and Ernzerhof functional with the vdw correction (PBE-D3). The transition states (TSs) were searched using the climbing image nudged elastic band (CI-NEB) method. Some electronic structure properties like work function was predicated by the DS-PAW software. Microkinetic simulation was carried out using MKMCXX software. | Theoretical insight into the promotion effect of potassium additive on the water-gas shift reaction over low-coordinated Au catalysts | 10.1007/s00894-023-05649-7 |
2023-07-14 | The measurement of low-frequency vibration signals is of great significance for the studies on the seismic monitoring of railway transportation, bridges, and civil building structures. Aiming at the problem that the existing cantilever-type FBG acceleration sensors are difficult to effectively pickup low-frequency vibration signals and that they are large in size, a double cantilever beam-based miniaturized low-frequency FBG acceleration sensor is proposed. Firstly, the vibration model of the acceleration sensor is built, and its working principle is analyzed; secondly, the effect of structural parameters of the sensor on its sensitivity and natural frequency is analyzed, and the structural parameters of the sensor are optimized by the ANSYS simulation software; finally, the real sensor is developed, and a low-frequency vibration test system is set up to test the performance of the sensor. The experiment result suggests that the natural frequency of the sensor is about 71.4 Hz; the low-frequency vibration signals can be effectively picked up in the frequency range of 0.1–2 Hz; favorable linearity is observed in the operating frequency band of 2–50 Hz; the sensitivity is about 1022.8 pm/g, and the dynamic range is 74.5 dB; the transverse interference is not higher than 4.2%, and the volume is merely 7 cm 3 , which is significantly reduced compared to similar FBG acceleration sensors. The research findings provide a reference for the development of miniaturized low-frequency FBG accelerator sensors. | A study on double-cantilever miniaturized FBG acceleration sensors for low-frequency vibration monitoring | 10.1007/s12596-023-01294-8 |
2023-07-14 | Background Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have reported single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the VRK serine/threonine kinase 2 gene ( VRK2 ) showing genome-wide significant associations with major depression, but the regulation effect of the risk SNPs on VRK2 as well as their roles in the illness are yet to be elucidated. Methods Based on the summary statistics of major depression GWAS, we conducted population genetic analyses, epigenome bioinformatics analyses, dual luciferase reporter assays, and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analyses to identify the functional SNPs regulating VRK2 ; we also carried out behavioral assessments, dendritic spine morphological analyses, and phosphorylated 4D-label-free quantitative proteomics analyses in mice with Vrk2 repression. Results We identified a SNP rs2678907 located in the 5’ upstream of VRK2 gene exhibiting large spatial overlap with enhancer regulatory marks in human neural cells and brain tissues. Using luciferase reporter gene assays and eQTL analyses, the depression risk allele of rs2678907 decreased enhancer activities and predicted lower VRK2 mRNA expression, which is consistent with the observations of reduced VRK2 level in the patients with major depression compared with controls. Notably, Vrk2 −/− mice exhibited depressive-like behaviors compared to Vrk2 +/+ mice and specifically repressing Vrk2 in the ventral hippocampus using adeno-associated virus (AAV) lead to consistent and even stronger depressive-like behaviors in mice. Compared with Vrk2 +/+ mice, the density of mushroom and thin spines in the ventral hippocampus was significantly altered in Vrk2 −/− mice, which is in line with the phosphoproteomic analyses showing dysregulated synapse-associated proteins and pathways in Vrk2 −/− mice. Conclusions Vrk2 deficiency mice showed behavioral abnormalities that mimic human depressive phenotypes, which may serve as a useful murine model for studying the pathophysiology of depression. | Reduced Vrk2 expression is associated with higher risk of depression in humans and mediates depressive-like behaviors in mice | 10.1186/s12916-023-02945-0 |
2023-07-13 | Global climate change is a cause of concern as extreme events have intensified in recent years, with increased floods and droughts also reported in the Lower Gangetic Plain (LGP). Assessments from Regional Climatic Models (RCM) cannot capture the local climate variability necessary for devising an action plan for climate risk mitigation. The present study aims to fill this gap by assessing the long-term local-scale climate variability using Modified Mann-Kendall (MMK) and Centroidal Day (CD) shifts for the Patna district, which can be extended to other districts in the LGP. The time series is split into two halves to account for changes due to urbanization in recent three to four decades. CD analysis shows a forward shift in the monsoonal and annual rainfall in recent decades. The variability in total rainfall has become more pronounced post-1985 during monsoon, postmonsoon, and winter seasons. An increase of 64.53 mm (18.9%) in surface runoff and a strong correlation between built-up area and precipitation further cement the role of urbanization in local climate change. Despite a 5.74% decrease in monsoonal rainfall, a 3.51 mm/day increase in rainfall intensity is observed during the monsoon. The implications of these variabilities have posed new challenges for the agricultural production and management of water resources and the interactions between groundwater and surface runoff. | Assessment of Spatio-temporal variability of climate in the lower Gangetic alluvial plain | 10.1007/s10661-023-11572-4 |
2023-07-13 | This paper focuses on the empirical modeling for viscosities of a hydrofluoroolefin refrigerant, R1234ze(Z), which is considered an environmentally friendly alternative to hydrofluorocarbons. The refrigerant has favorable thermophysical properties and a low global warming potential. A new fundamental equation of state (EoS) for R1234ze(Z) was developed in 2019, which aligns with the recent trends of developing accurate fundamental equations of state. However, previously published experimental viscosity data were reported using an old equation of state of the fluid. In this paper, the revised experimental viscosity data based on the latest EoS has been reported for R1234ze(Z). Additionally, the viscosity model of this fluid is presented using the extended corresponding states (ECS) and modified fluid-specific residual entropy scaling (RES) techniques. By using the adjustable parameters, the ECS and the modified fluid-specific RES transport equations can represent the experimental data within reported uncertainties. The average absolute deviations (AAD) for viscosity were found to be 1.40% and 1.65% using the ECS and the RES method, respectively. This study also highlights the importance of using the most accurate EoS when reporting experimental data, especially when formulating transport property models based on these techniques. | Application of Extended Corresponding States (ECS) and Residual Entropy Scaling (RES) Techniques for Modeling Viscosity of cis-1,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene (R1234ze(Z)) with Revised Experimental Data | 10.1007/s10765-023-03231-0 |
2023-07-12 | Background Infants born with low birth weight (LBW), i.e. less than 2500g, is considered an important factor of malnutrition in Asia. In India, research related to this issue is still neglected and limited. Evidence exists that a large number of child deaths occur in India due to maternal and child malnutrition-related complications. Moreover, it has been found that the cost of malnutrition in India results in a significant reduction of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Thus, in this current context, this study aims to explore the contribution of low birth weight to childhood undernutrition in India. Methods The study used data from the 5 th round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), a large-scale survey conducted in India. The survey collected information from 176,843 mothers and 232,920 children. The study used the last birth information (last children born 5 years preceding the survey) due to the detailed availability of maternal care information. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted to determine the percentage distribution of outcome variables. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to examine the association between LBW and undernutrition (stunting, wasting, and underweight). The study also used the Fairlie decomposition analysis to estimate the contribution of LBW to undernutrition among Indian children. Results The results show that childhood undernutrition was higher in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. The results of the logistic regression analysis show that infants born with low birth weight were more likely to be stunted (OR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.41–1.50), wasted (OR = 1.33; 95% CI: 1.27–1.37), and underweight (OR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.70–1.82) in their childhood compared to infants born without low birth weight. The findings from the decomposition analysis explained that approximately 14.8% of the difference in stunting, 10.4% in wasting, and 9.6% in underweight among children born with low birth weight after controlling for the individuals' selected characteristics. Conclusion The findings suggest that LBW has a significant contribution to malnutrition. The study suggests that policymakers should prioritize strengthening maternal and child healthcare schemes, particularly focusing on antenatal and postnatal care, as well as kangaroo mother care at the grassroots level to reduce the burden of LBW and undernourished children. | Contribution of low birth weight to childhood undernutrition in India: evidence from the national family health survey 2019–2021 | 10.1186/s12889-023-16160-2 |
2023-07-11 | The M-type GFRP foldcore was prepared by thermal pressing method and was bonded with the panel to obtain the complete foldcore sandwich structure. The influence of impact energy and impact position on the damage mode and impact dynamic response under the low-velocity impact of GFRP M-type foldcore sandwich structure is studied through experiment and numerical simulation. The results show that the impact position has a significant influence on the damage mode and impact resistance of the foldcore sandwich structure, mainly fracture damage at Base-impact while mainly tensile damage at Node-impact. The impact resistance of Node-impact is better than the Base-impact. The numerical simulation model can also predict the damage mode and the impact dynamic response well. | Research on low-velocity impact resistance and damage characteristics of M-type GFRP foldcore sandwich structure | 10.1007/s43452-023-00709-4 |
2023-07-09 | Background The development of a sustainable business model with social acceptance, makes necessary to develop new strategies to guarantee the growth, health, and well-being of farmed animals. Debaryomyces hansenii is a yeast species that can be used as a probiotic in aquaculture due to its capacity to i) promote cell proliferation and differentiation, ii) have immunostimulatory effects, iii) modulate gut microbiota, and/or iv) enhance the digestive function. To provide inside into the effects of D. hansenii on juveniles of gilthead seabream ( Sparus aurata ) condition, we integrated the evaluation of the main key performance indicators coupled with the integrative analysis of the intestine condition, through histological and microbiota state, and its transcriptomic profiling. Results After 70 days of a nutritional trial in which a diet with low levels of fishmeal (7%) was supplemented with 1.1% of D. hansenii (17.2 × 10 5 CFU), an increase of ca. 12% in somatic growth was observed together with an improvement in feed conversion in fish fed a yeast-supplemented diet. In terms of intestinal condition, this probiotic modulated gut microbiota without affecting the intestine cell organization, whereas an increase in the staining intensity of mucins rich in carboxylated and weakly sulphated glycoconjugates coupled with changes in the affinity for certain lectins were noted in goblet cells. Changes in microbiota were characterized by the reduction in abundance of several groups of Proteobacteria, especially those characterized as opportunistic groups. The microarrays-based transcriptomic analysis found 232 differential expressed genes in the anterior-mid intestine of S. aurata , that were mostly related to metabolic, antioxidant, immune, and symbiotic processes. Conclusions Dietary administration of D. hansenii enhanced somatic growth and improved feed efficiency parameters, results that were coupled to an improvement of intestinal condition as histochemical and transcriptomic tools indicated. This probiotic yeast stimulated host-microbiota interactions without altering the intestinal cell organization nor generating dysbiosis, which demonstrated its safety as a feed additive. At the transcriptomic level, D. hansenii promoted metabolic pathways, mainly protein-related, sphingolipid, and thymidylate pathways, in addition to enhance antioxidant-related intestinal mechanisms, and to regulate sentinel immune processes, potentiating the defensive capacity meanwhile maintaining the homeostatic status of the intestine. | Debaryomyces hansenii supplementation in low fish meal diets promotes growth, modulates microbiota and enhances intestinal condition in juvenile marine fish | 10.1186/s40104-023-00895-4 |
2023-07-08 | Biosorption is a good choice for removal of pollutants from water. In this study, hull cell of thermally autolyzed baker yeast, was used as a low-cost biosorbent against U(VI) pollution. The changes of biomass properties due to autolysis were analyzed using SEM, FTIR and BET techniques. Uranium (VI) biosorption capacity was evaluated and the effective parameters were examined by Placket Burman Design and the levels of significant factors (including pH, biomass concentration, initial U(VI) concentration) were further optimized using Response Surface Methodology. Based on the results obtained from the proposed quadratic model, maximum U uptake (84 mg/g) was occurred under optimum conditions including: 2.0 g biomass/L, pH value of 4.5 and 300 mg/L of initial U(VI) concentration. Furthermore, the experimental data were fitted to pseudo-first-order kinetic model (R 2 = 0.991) and Freundlich isotherm model (R 2 = 0.965). Uranium is desorbed in the presence of diluted solutions of sulfuric acid (about 70%) indicated the potential of the metal recovery. | Uranium biosorption by autolyzed residues of baker yeast: characterization and optimization | 10.1007/s13399-023-04453-w |
2023-07-07 | Highlights Convincing candidates of flexible (stretchable/compressible) electromagnetic interference shielding nanocomposites are discussed in detail from the views of fabrication, mechanical elasticity and shielding performance. Detailed summary of the relationship between deformation of materials and electromagnetic shielding performance. The future directions and challenges in developing flexible (particularly elastic) shielding nanocomposites are highlighted. Abstract With the extensive use of electronic communication technology in integrated circuit systems and wearable devices, electromagnetic interference (EMI) has increased dramatically. The shortcomings of conventional rigid EMI shielding materials include high brittleness, poor comfort, and unsuitability for conforming and deformable applications. Hitherto, flexible (particularly elastic) nanocomposites have attracted enormous interest due to their excellent deformability. However, the current flexible shielding nanocomposites present low mechanical stability and resilience, relatively poor EMI shielding performance, and limited multifunctionality. Herein, the advances in low-dimensional EMI shielding nanomaterials-based elastomers are outlined and a selection of the most remarkable examples is discussed. And the corresponding modification strategies and deformability performance are summarized. Finally, expectations for this quickly increasing sector are discussed, as well as future challenges. | Flexible Nanocomposite Conductors for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding | 10.1007/s40820-023-01122-5 |
2023-07-07 | This technical note investigated the loss of dissolution rate during accelerated stability studies with a dry blend capsule formulation containing an amorphous salt of drug NVS-1 ( T g 76°C). After 6 m at 40°C/75%RH, dissolution of NVS-1 was ≤40% of initial value. Scanning electron microscope characterization of the undissolved capsule contents from samples stored at 50°C/75%RH for 3 weeks showed agglomeration with a distinct “melt and fuse” morphology of particles. At elevated temperature and humidity conditions, undesired sintering among the amorphous drug particles was observed. Humidity plasticizes the drug as the stability temperature ( T ) gets closer to the glass transition temperature ( T g ) of the amorphous salt (i.e., smaller T g - T ); a decreased viscosity favors viscoplastic deformation and sintering of drug particles. When moisture is adsorbed onto agglomerated drug particles, partial dissolution of the drug forms a viscous surface layer, further reducing the rate of dissolution media penetration into the bulk solid, hence the slower dissolution rate. Formulation intervention focused on the use of L-HPC and fumed silica as disintegrant and glidant and the removal of the hygroscopic crospovidone. Reformulation improved dissolution performance at short-term accelerated stability conditions of 50°C (± 75%RH); however, sintering to a lesser extent was still observed at high humidity, impacting the dissolution rate. We infer reducing the impact of moisture at high humidity conditions in a formulation with a 34% drug load is challenging. Future formulation efforts will focus on the addition of water scavengers, reducing drug load by ~50% to physically separate drug particles by water-insoluble excipients, and optimizing disintegrant levels. | Formulation Intervention to Overcome Decreased Kinetic Solubility of a Low Tg Amorphous Drug | 10.1208/s12249-023-02601-z |
2023-07-07 | Background Wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance has been considered a powerful tool for early detection and monitoring of the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 and its lineages circulating in a community. This study is aimed to investigate the complexity of SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics in Dhaka city by examining its genetic variants in wastewater. Also, the study seeks to determine a connection between the SARS-CoV-2 variations detected in clinical testing and those found in wastewater samples. Results Out of 504 samples tested in RT-qPCR, 185 (36.7%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA. The median log 10 concentration of SARS-CoV-2 N gene copies/Liter of wastewater (gc/L) was 5.2, and the median log 10 concentration of ORF1ab was 4.9. To further reveal the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2, ten samples with ORF1ab real-time RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values ranging from 28.78 to 32.13 were subjected to whole genome sequencing using nanopore technology. According to clade classification, sequences from wastewater samples were grouped into 4 clades: 20A, 20B, 21A, 21J, and the Pango lineage, B.1, B.1.1, B.1.1.25, and B.1.617.2, with coverage ranging from 94.2 to 99.8%. Of them, 70% belonged to clade 20B, followed by 10% to clade 20A, 21A, and 21J. Lineage B.1.1.25 was predominant in Bangladesh and phylogenetically related to the sequences from India, the USA, Canada, the UK, and Italy. The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) was first identified in clinical samples at the beginning of May 2021. In contrast, we found that it was circulating in the community and was detected in wastewater in September 2020. Conclusion Environmental surveillance is useful for monitoring temporal and spatial trends of existing and emerging infectious diseases and supports evidence-based public health measures. The findings of this study supported the use of wastewater-based epidemiology and provided the baseline data for the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants in the wastewater environment in Dhaka, Bangladesh. | Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater of Dhaka City, Bangladesh: approach to complement public health surveillance systems | 10.1186/s40246-023-00505-4 |
2023-07-07 | Background Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) is a major cereal crop that is grown worldwide, and it is highly dependent on sufficient N supply. The molecular mechanisms associated with nitrate uptake and assimilation are still poorly understood in wheat. In plants, NRT2 family proteins play a crucial role in NO 3 – acquisition and translocation under nitrate limited conditions. However, the biological functions of these genes in wheat are still unclear, especially their roles in NO 3 – uptake and assimilation. Results In this study, a comprehensive analysis of wheat TaNRT2 genes was conducted using bioinformatics and molecular biology methods, and 49 TaNRT2 genes were identified. A phylogenetic analysis clustered the TaNRT2 genes into three clades. The genes that clustered on the same phylogenetic branch had similar gene structures and nitrate assimilation functions. The identified genes were further mapped onto the 13 wheat chromosomes, and the results showed that a large duplication event had occurred on chromosome 6. To explore the TaNRT2 gene expression profiles in wheat, we performed transcriptome sequencing after low nitrate treatment for three days. Transcriptome analysis revealed the expression levels of all TaNRT2 genes in shoots and roots, and based on the expression profiles, three highly expressed genes ( TaNRT2-6A.2 , TaNRT2-6A.6 , and TaNRT2-6B.4 ) were selected for qPCR analysis in two different wheat cultivars (‘Mianmai367’ and ‘Nanmai660’) under nitrate-limited and normal conditions. All three genes were upregulated under nitrate-limited conditions and highly expressed in the high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) wheat ‘Mianmai367’ under low nitrate conditions. Conclusion We systematically identified 49 NRT2 genes in wheat and analysed the transcript levels of all TaNRT2s under nitrate deficient conditions and over the whole growth period. The results suggest that these genes play important roles in nitrate absorption, distribution, and accumulation. This study provides valuable information and key candidate genes for further studies on the function of TaNRT2 s in wheat. | Genome-wide systematic characterization of the NRT2 gene family and its expression profile in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) during plant growth and in response to nitrate deficiency | 10.1186/s12870-023-04333-5 |
2023-07-05 | Low carbon development of blast furnaces is one of the key technological directions in the current development of ironmaking. Owing to the differences in the physical and chemical properties of hydrogen and carbon, hydrogen-rich media entering a blast furnace will change the heat distribution, thus affecting the stability of production. Accordingly, a heat distribution model was proposed to study the temperature distribution in a blast furnace, simultaneously considering gas–solid heat exchange, slag and iron melting, and chemical reactions. The model was used to analyze the temperature distribution of a 2300 m 3 blast furnace and was verified via comparison with actual production data. Subsequently, the effects of the injection rate of hydrogen-rich media, H 2 concentration, and oxygen enrichment rate of the blast on the temperature distribution were investigated. Results indicated that the increase in the injection rate of the hydrogen-rich media decreased the amount of direct reduction and led to an increase in the furnace temperature. Furthermore, an increase in the oxygen enrichment rate led to a decrease in the furnace temperature, but could reduce the solid fuel ratio, while the change in H 2 concentration had less effect on the temperature distribution. The combination of hydrogen-rich media injection and the increase in the oxygen enrichment rate would help to adjust the temperature distribution to the same level as the conventional blast furnace conditions. | Heat distribution model under hydrogen-rich low-carbon conditions in blast furnace | 10.1007/s42243-023-01018-z |
2023-07-01 | Building is an important scenario for achieving global carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, accounting for approximately 37% of global energy-related CO 2 emissions in 2020. In the meanwhile, the construction and operation of buildings was responsible for 36% of global energy consumption, of which 30% energy was used for space heating. Therefore, this paper proposes a low-carbon building heating system that is coupled to a new semiconductor radiation heating unit and distributed rooftop photovoltaic to reduce carbon emissions. To reveal its building heating characteristics, a dynamic model of heat transfer based on semiconductor low-temperature radiant heating is first established by analyzing the heat conduction, convection, and radiation models, and the uncertainty from both the distributed rooftop photovoltaic and building heating demand is considered in the building heating operation strategy. Then, a simulation model of a low-carbon building heating system is built in MATLAB/SIMULINK for two different climate zones in China (Beijing and Wuhan). When building and using the low-carbon building heating system stable for 30 years, the payback period is 5.2–8.2 years in Beijing and 6.4–11.6 years in Wuhan. Compared with the traditional grid-powered heating system, the simulation revealed that the carbon emissions of Beijing and Wuhan during the heating season are reduced by 44.9% and 44.3%, respectively, and the corresponding building heating cost is saved by 62.1% and 57.8%. | Low-carbon building heating system coupled with semiconductor radiation heating and distributed PV: A simulation analysis in two Chinese climate zones | 10.1007/s12273-023-0987-3 |
2023-07-01 | Cracking is one of the major distresses affecting pavement’s serviceability and performance. This structural distress often observed in hot mix asphalt can be accelerated or more extensive in cold regions such as Canada. In recent decades, synthetic fibers have been commonly used to reinforce asphalt concrete. This technology has been shown to have the potential to enhance the structural properties of hot mix asphalt. However, information related to the assessment of the performance of fiber-modified asphalt mixtures at low temperatures is limited. In this study, different sizes and concentrations of three types of polymer fibers (aramids, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyacrylonitrile) are added to conventional hot asphalt mixtures to evaluate their performance at low and intermediate temperatures. A stereomicroscope is used to investigate the dispersion of fibers in the modified asphalt mixtures. The cracking resistance of fiber-reinforced and unmodified asphalt mixtures, meanwhile, is investigated using four-point beam and IDEAL-CT tests. Moreover, indirect tensile strength test results are used to evaluate the low-temperature properties of both modified and unmodified mixtures. It is found that, at the same quantity, shorter fibers have better dispersion compared to longer ones. It is also found that the type of fiber used may influence the volumetric properties of hot mix asphalt. In general, fiber-modified asphalt mixtures are found to exhibit better cracking resistance at all temperatures compared to unmodified ones; however, the improvement is observed to be more significant in modified mixtures featuring polyethylene terephthalate and a high concentration of aramid fibers. | Comparative Analysis of the Impact of Synthetic Fibers on Cracking Resistance of Asphalt Mixes | 10.1007/s42947-022-00175-w |
2023-07-01 | The properties and service life of asphalt pavement are to a large extent dependent on pavement structure. Most pavement structural designs at home and abroad commonly follow the typical structural design method; however, considering that the geographical span from east to west in Inner Mongolia is large, a single pavement structure cannot be optimal for all environments, and low-temperature fracturing may easily occur during the road service life. Ten kinds of pavement structures are analyzed in this paper. The pavement structure mechanical indices are analyzed using different soil base modulus values, different axle loads, and different internal contact conditions. A low-temperature return period was introduced to establish a Gumbel extreme temperature model. The low-temperature protection index and calculation method based on the return period for asphalt pavement is proposed, which takes Arxan City as a benchmark for calculating low-temperature protection values in Eastern Inner Mongolia. The low-temperature fracturing formula is improved to calculate low-temperature indexes for different pavement structures. Using a life cycle cost model, the economy of different pavement structures is evaluated from the aspects of initial cost, maintenance cost, and pavement residual value. By establishing a combined weight-fuzzy pavement evaluation model and combining the mechanical response, low-temperature fractures during the return period, and economy of the life cycle, a comprehensive property ranking for different pavement structures was obtained. Finally, the typical structural combination for the asphalt pavement in the Eastern Inner Mongolia is recommended to be three layers of asphalt surface + semi-rigid base or three layers of asphalt surface + asphalt treated base (ATB) + semi-rigid base. | Typical Pavement Structure Optimization in Eastern Inner Mongolia Using a Combined Weight-Fuzzy Approach | 10.1007/s42947-022-00166-x |
2023-07-01 | The effect of the properties of granulated materials (ZnO catalyst, sea salt NaCl) and plant seeds during their treatment in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma on the combustion mode and discharge power was investigated. The discharge spatial structure was investigated using optical emission spectroscopy. Electron, vibrational, and rotational temperatures of plasma averaged over the cross section of the discharge gap were determined by analyzing the intensity distribution in rotationally unresolved spectral bands (2+) N 2 and (1–) N 2 + . A transition from the DBD filamentary mode to a combination of filamentary and surface discharges was observed when the materials being treated were present and was accompanied by increases in the power dissipated in the discharge and the vibrational temperature in the near-electrode region in the vicinity of the material. | Investigation of Plasma Parameters and Electrical Characteristics of a Barrier Discharge During Plasma Treatment of Granulated Materials | 10.1007/s10812-023-01572-0 |
2023-07-01 | Effects of quenching temperature and cooling conditions (water cooling and 10% NaCl cooling) on microstructure and mechanical properties of a 0.2%Ti low alloy martensitic wear-resistant steel used for die casting ejector plate were investigated. The results show that lath martensite can be obtained after austenitizing in the range of 860–980 °C and then water cooling. With an increase in austenitizing temperature, the precipitate content gradually decreases. The precipitates are mainly composed of TiC and Ti 4 C 2 S 2 , and their total content is between 1.15wt.% and 1.64wt.%. The precipitate phase concentration by water-cooling is higher than that by 10% NaCl cooling due to the lower cooling rate of water cooling. As the austeniting temperature increases, the hardness and tensile strength of both water cooled and 10% NaCl cooled steels firstly increase and then decrease. The experimental steel exhibits the best comprehensive mechanical properties after being austenitized at 900 °C, cooled by 10% NaCl, and then tempered at 200 °C. Its hardness, ultimate tensile strength, and wear rate reach 551.4 HBW, 1,438.2 MPa, and 0.48×10 −2 mg·m −1 , respectively. | Effect of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-containing low alloy martensitic wear-resistant steel | 10.1007/s41230-023-3023-4 |
2023-07-01 | Rock salt has a self-sealing capacity, low permeability, and high thermal conductivity, making it a potential host for heat-generating nuclear waste. The feasibility of nuclear waste disposal within salt formations has been investigated mostly for small-sized canisters. Geologic disposal of larger-sized canisters originally designed for spent fuel storage and transportation has lately been examined as a cost-effective alternative. This raises questions about their long-term vertical movement due to their weight and high decay heat. Low-stress creep governs this movement; however, most salt constitutive models do not incorporate it. In this paper, the Norton and the WIPP creep models are compared with the Lux/Wolters/Lerche (LWL) model and a simpler model that combines linear and Norton creep laws (named combined creep model). The LWL and combined creep models consider pressure solution creep, though all incorporate dislocation creep. The models are first applied to creep tests under various stress levels. The LWL and the combined creep models results fit the experimental data well in both high and low stress ranges, whereas the Norton and WIPP models results only fit in higher-stress ranges. The different models are further applied for analyzing long-term canister movement. A sinking rate of $$-4.4\times 10^{-7}$$ - 4.4 × 10 - 7 mm/year was predicted using the Norton and WIPP models versus $$-2.1\times 10^{-2}$$ - 2.1 × 10 - 2 mm/year and $$-3.1\times 10^{-2}$$ - 3.1 × 10 - 2 mm/year using the LWL and the combined creep models, respectively. This comparative study confirms that creep models calibrated exclusively against high-deviatoric stress data might result in an inaccurate estimation of waste packages sinking rate in salt formations. | Long-term sinking of nuclear waste canisters in salt formations by low-stress creep at high temperature | 10.1007/s11440-023-01900-w |
2023-07-01 | We describe a state-of-the-art surface imaging and material characterization facility recently established for advanced structural, morphological, and electronic structure characterization of material surfaces in real time with nanometre spatial resolutions. Here, we discuss the basic principles of operation as well as the technical details of the low-energy electron microscopy cum photoemission electron microscopy (LEEM–PEEM) facility, which is similar to the transmission electron microscopes. We also present some of our experimental results on various material systems along with the demonstration of the high spatial resolution imaging capabilities as well as the availability of various contrast mechanisms that can be well utilized for nanomaterials research. | Material surface characterization using low-energy electron microscopy and photoemission electron microscopy | 10.1007/s12648-022-02577-9 |
2023-07-01 | Although high-power devices have experienced rapid development, they still suffer from several limitations in terms of traditional interconnecting materials. This paper describes the preparation of nano-silver paste through liquid-phase chemical reduction using PVP/12-3-12 type gemini quaternary ammonium salt as the mixed stabilizing agent. The high-thermal-conductivity multilayer graphene was mixed into the nano-silver paste to improve the interfacial heat-transfer performance of power devices. The nano-silver paste was sintered at a low temperature (270°C), and its thermal properties were tested. The experimental results show that the thermal resistance of the sintered layers of different pastes decreases linearly with an increase in the loading of multilayer graphene under no-pressure sintering. When the loading of the multilayer graphene was 1%, the silver nanoparticles were adsorbed uniformly on the graphene nanosheets owing to the van der Waals force. Further, in comparison to pure nano-silver paste, the thermal resistance decreased by 60%. This shows that the uniform dispersion of multilayer graphene in the paste and its high thermal conductivity reduced the thermal resistance of the paste sintering layer, allowing the heat generated by the insulated gate bipolar transistor power chip to dissipate rapidly, improving the heat-transfer performance at the interface. | Thermal Properties of Low-Temperature-Sintered Graphene/Nano-silver Paste for Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor Packages | 10.1007/s11664-023-10449-z |
2023-07-01 | Objective Low-field MRI systems are expected to cause less RF heating in conventional interventional devices due to lower Larmor frequency. We systematically evaluate RF-induced heating of commonly used intravascular devices at the Larmor frequency of a 0.55 T system (23.66 MHz) with a focus on the effect of patient size, target organ, and device position on maximum temperature rise. Materials and methods To assess RF-induced heating, high-resolution measurements of the electric field, temperature, and transfer function were combined. Realistic device trajectories were derived from vascular models to evaluate the variation of the temperature increase as a function of the device trajectory. At a low-field RF test bench, the effects of patient size and positioning, target organ (liver and heart) and body coil type were measured for six commonly used interventional devices (two guidewires, two catheters, an applicator and a biopsy needle). Results Electric field mapping shows that the hotspots are not necessarily localized at the device tip. Of all procedures, the liver catheterizations showed the lowest heating, and a modification of the transmit body coil could further reduce the temperature increase. For common commercial needles no significant heating was measured at the needle tip. Comparable local SAR values were found in the temperature measurements and the TF-based calculations. Conclusion At low fields, interventions with shorter insertion lengths such as hepatic catheterizations result in less RF-induced heating than coronary interventions. The maximum temperature increase depends on body coil design. | RF-induced heating of interventional devices at 23.66 MHz | 10.1007/s10334-023-01099-7 |
2023-07-01 | Sets of the nonionic polymers poly( N -vinyl isobutyramide) (pNVIBAm) and poly( N -isopropyl methacrylamide) (pNIPMAm) are synthesized by radical polymerization covering the molar mass range from about 20,000 to 150,000 kg mol −1 , and their thermoresponsive and solvent-responsive behaviors in aqueous solution are studied. Both polymers feature a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) apparently of the rare so-called type II, as characteristic for their well-studied analogue poly( N -isopropyl acrylamide) (pNIPAm). Moreover, in analogy to pNIPAm, both polymers exhibit co-nonsolvency behavior in mixtures of water with several co-solvents, including short-chain alcohols as well as a range of polar aprotic solvents. While the cloud points of the aqueous solutions are a few degrees higher than those for pNIPAm and increase in the order pNIPAm < pNVIBAm < pNIPMAm, the co-nonsolvency behavior becomes less pronounced in the order pNIPAm > pNVIBAm > pNIPMAm. Exceptionally, pNIPMAm does not show co-nonsolvency in mixtures of water and N , N -dimethylformamide. Graphical Abstract | Thermoresponsive and co-nonsolvency behavior of poly(N-vinyl isobutyramide) and poly(N-isopropyl methacrylamide) as poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) analogs in aqueous media | 10.1007/s00396-023-05083-4 |
2023-07-01 | Coal tar pitch is important as a binder in the production of construction materials and as the raw material in the production of pitch coke. It is widely used, under the name of electrode pitch, as a binder in the production of electrodes and anode mass. Various modifications improve the characteristics of electrode pitch. In the present work, the practicality of modification by low-temperature thermal oxidation (up to 300°C) is considered. Specifically, experiments are conducted on the thermal oxidation of Altai Koks electrode pitch. The apparatus employed consists of a reactor, a compressor, and a heating system. The softening point, fractional composition, and yield of the oxidation products are determined. Low-temperature thermal oxidation permits the production of higher-quality electrode pitch. The duration of low-temperature thermal oxidation and the maximum temperature corresponding to increase in the softening point of the pitch are established. This outcome of oxidation is of great interest. The experiments show that the content of the α 1 fraction does not increase in the low-temperature thermal oxidation of electrode pitch. The increase in softening point is associated with increase in the α 2 fraction during oxidation. | Thermal Oxidation of Electrode Coal Pitch | 10.3103/S1068364X23700941 |
2023-07-01 | Objective Temperature controlled T 1 and T 2 relaxation times are measured on NiCl 2 and MnCl 2 solutions from the ISMRM/NIST system phantom at low magnetic field strengths of 6.5 mT, 64 mT and 550 mT. Materials and methods The T 1 and T 2 were measured of five samples with increasing concentrations of NiCl 2 and five samples with increasing concentrations of MnCl 2 . All samples were scanned at 6.5 mT, 64 mT and 550 mT, at sample temperatures ranging from 10 °C to 37 °C. Results The NiCl 2 solutions showed little change in T 1 and T 2 with magnetic field strength, and both relaxation times decreased with increasing temperature. The MnCl 2 solutions showed an increase in T 1 and a decrease in T 2 with increasing magnetic field strength, and both T 1 and T 2 increased with increasing temperature. Discussion The low field relaxation rates of the NiCl 2 and MnCl 2 arrays in the ISMRM/NIST system phantom are investigated and compared to results from clinical field strengths of 1.5 T and 3.0 T. The measurements can be used as a benchmark for MRI system functionality and stability, especially when MRI systems are taken out of the radiology suite or laboratory and into less traditional environments. | Relaxation measurements of an MRI system phantom at low magnetic field strengths | 10.1007/s10334-023-01086-y |
2023-07-01 | Fiber Metal Laminates (FML) are an emerging class of composites possessing exceptional properties and numerous applications. This study investigates the effect of Nano-Silica in E-Glass-Aluminium FML under low-velocity impact testing. The Nano-Silica is dispersed in the epoxy resin at varying concentrations as 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 weight % of the epoxy resin. Low-velocity impact tests are conducted for the Nano-Silica FML at 20 J and 30 J impact energy in a drop mass impact testing machine. All the parameters were compared between the pristine FML and Nano-Silica FML (NFML). At 20 J, the 1wt.% FML shows high impact resistance. For 30 J, 3wt.% FML offers the highest energy absorption, among all tested specimens. On comparing the different weight percentages of Nano-Silica, 1wt.% shows the highest elastic storage modulus compared to pristine FML. The glass transition temperature (Tg) from Dynamic Mechanical Analysis further confirms that 1wt.% is more effective in load bearing than other weight percentages. The cole–cole technique reveals a semi-circle curve between storage and loss modulus, which represents homogeneous samples. | Investigating the Influence of Nano-Silica on Low-Velocity Impact Behavior of Aluminium-Glass Fiber Sandwich Laminate | 10.1007/s12633-023-02391-w |
2023-07-01 | The issues regarding energy dissipation and component damage caused by the interface friction between a friction pair attract enormous attention to friction reduction. The key-enabling technique to realize friction reduction is the use of lubricants. The lubricants smooth the contact interfaces, achieving an ultralow friction contact, which is called superslippery or superlubricity. At present, superslippery and superlubricity are two isolated research topics. There is a lack of unified definition on superslippery and superlubricity from the viewpoint of tribology. Herein, this review aims at exploring the differences and relations between superslippery and superlubricity from their origin and application scenarios. Meanwhile, the challenges for developing superslippery surface and superlubricity surface are discussed. In addition, perspectives on the interactive development of these two surfaces are presented. We hope that our discussion can provide guidance for designing superslippery or superlubricity surfaces by using varies drag-reduction technologies. | Low friction of superslippery and superlubricity: A review | 10.1007/s40544-022-0659-9 |
2023-07-01 | Adsorption of ionic molecules at the solid–liquid interface depends on various interactions, particles surface properties as well as the presence of the additional substance in the analyzed systems. The waste material obtained from the supercritical fluid extraction process was used as an adsorbent. The plant-based biosorbent structure was fully characterized. Then the humic acid (constituting the common interfering substance found in the environmental samples) sorption on the hop cones was investigated in the absence and presence of Sr/Cs ions under various pH conditions. Hence, the metal cation valence can influence the interactions between the colloidal system constituents and the adsorption layer structure. Determining the mutual interactions in the complex systems is important due to the potential possibility of using the waste sorbent to remove the radioactive Cs and Sr isotopes from the aquatic environment. Due to the lack of a porous structure of the sorbent and the high surface density of the charge, the metal ions are bound directly on the particles surface. The humic acid (HA) adsorption is greatly pH dependent—the largest removal was achieved under the acidic conditions (Qads = 88.69 mg/g), while the HA sorption process at pH 9 is impeded by a large negative charge deposited at the solid–liquid interface (Qads = 7.06 mg/g). At pH 3, formation of multilayer adsorption structure contributes to the effective removal of organic impurities. The metal ions valence significantly affects the humic acid binding mechanism. Divalent Sr acts like a “bridge” increasing the number of biosorbent active sites (at pH = 3 the HA adsorption increases almost twofold from 88.69 to 156.46 mg/g in the Sr ions), whereas the Cs+ ions leads to the reduction in the HA removal efficiency ( Q ads. = 46.31 mg/g under the same conditions). | Nanostructure of humic acid adsorption layer in the presence of Cs and Sr ions on the surface of waste material obtained from residue after supercritical extraction of hops | 10.1007/s13204-022-02655-8 |
2023-07-01 | Abstract A new approach to solid-state pressure welding of Zn–22% Al aluminum–zinc alloy in vacuum at a temperature of 250°C under conditions of low-temperature superplasticity is proposed. An ultrafine equi-axial structure with an average size of both phases was obtained by annealing in an oven at 350°C followed by quenching in water. This treatment produces stable ultrafine grains of about 0.65 μm with a uniform distribution of Zn and Al grains. When welding high-height billets with pressure, barrel-like properties appear on the side surface of welded materials. It is shown that the sizing of the mold for pressure welding of cylindrical billets makes it possible to influence development of local flow and to provide the most favorable conditions of deformation by optimizing energy consumption for deformation in the zone of the welded joint. As a result of heating and precipitation, a joint superplastic deformation occurs and the main deformation is localized in the region of formation of the solid-phase joint, while most of the blanks are slightly deformed. Oxide films on the surfaces to be joined are broken by extrusion and removed by superplastic deformation in radial directions, and a new oxide-free layer appears on the surface of the workpieces to be welded. The welded area is formed due to the occurrence of metal bonds between the juvenile contacting surfaces of the welded workpieces. Mechanical tensile tests showed that the strength of the solid-phase joints was 90–95% of the ultimate strength of the base material. | Welding the Solid State of Zn–22% Al Alloy under Low-Temperature Superplasticity Conditions | 10.1134/S1063784223700044 |
2023-07-01 | A series of Mn/γ-Al 2 O 3 , Mn–Cu/γ-Al 2 O 3 , Mn–Ce/γ-Al 2 O 3 and Mn–Ce–Cu/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts were prepared by equal volume impregnation. The denitrification effects of the different catalysts were studied by activity measurement, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller surface area tests, Scanning electron microscopy, H 2 -temperature programmed reduction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The experimental results show that Ce and Cu are added to a Mn/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst as bimetallic additives, which weakens the interaction between Mn and the carrier, improves the dispersion of MnO x on the surface of the carrier, improves the specific surface area of the catalyst, and improves the reducibility. Mn–Ce–Cu/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst reaches a maximum conversion of 92% at 202 °C. Also, the addition of the auxiliary metals promotes the reaction mechanism to a certain extent, and the addition of Ce especially promotes the conversion of NO–NO 2 , which is conducive to the production of intermediate products that promote the NH 3 -SCR reaction. | Study on the effect of Ce–Cu doping on Mn/γ-Al2O3 catalyst for selective catalytic reduction in NO with NH3 | 10.1007/s10653-023-01582-z |
2023-07-01 | As an important subject of space technology, material exposure experiments provide data not only for material selection in spacecraft design but also for new materials research and development. It is usually expensive and time-consuming to carry out traditional missions of material exposure experiments on large space vehicles, such as space stations or satellites. Therefore, in this paper, a CubeSat-based platform is proposed to accelerate this type of mission cycle. Within the 3U envelope of CubeSat, a design strategy of a deployable structure is adopted to enlarge exposable surfaces. This strategy enables a reconfigurable architecture to meet the size and volume requirements during the launch stage and increase the areas to be exposed in space by up to 40%. The degradation statuses of the material samples are directly monitored by an optical camera. To ensure sufficient coverage of the visual field, a differential rotation mechanism is designed to drive petaloid double-layer sample trays. Graphic data of samples may be transmitted to the ground in a timely manner at a proper orbital altitude. Thermal and modal analyses for Material Exposure CubeSat (MEC) are also included in this paper. Finally, a 3D-printing prototype is manufactured to examine the feasibility of the differential rotation system and visual coverage of sample trays. Overall, the MEC proposed in this paper exhibits a novel platform to conduct material exposure experiments in space with the advantages of low development cost, short production cycle and portable volume. | A novel design of a deployable CubeSat for material exposure missions in low earth orbit | 10.1007/s12567-022-00470-z |
2023-07-01 | Steam channeling and bottom water fingering are unfavorable factors affecting the heavy oil thermal recovery, and plugging system is generally used to control steam channeling and bottom water fingering. In this paper, a composite hydrogel, composing silicate, small molecular organic ammonia and small molecular cationic surfactant, were developed to induce a plugging system with low viscosity (close to that of water) before solidifying, and high strength in three-dimensional network structure after solidifying. The solidifying time of the developed system can be adjusted by changing the temperature and concentration and the temperature resistance of the system was tested up to 250 ℃. After aging at 200 ℃ for 35 days, the system still has good plugging ability, and the plugging ability is related with the concentration and permeability. Experiment results show that, the residual resistance coefficient is in negative correlation with the concentration and the permeability. The heterogeneous physical simulation results show that, the composite hydrogel has favorable selectivity in plugging, and the selectivity increases with the increase of permeability difference. The results of homogeneous physical simulation experiment show that the injecting rate has no significant effects on the plugging ability. However, the results of heterogeneous physical simulation experiment show that, with the increase of injecting rate, the residual resistance coefficient of the channel with high permeability decreases gradually, while that with low permeability increases. The research results have a good guiding significance for the on-site implementation of heavy oil thermal recovery. | The new low viscosity and high-temperature resistant composite hydrogel | 10.1007/s11696-023-02764-w |
2023-07-01 | The low-reactivity mold flux with low SiO 2 content is considered suitable for the continuous casting of high-aluminum steel since it can significantly reduce the reaction between Al in steel and SiO 2 in mold flux. However, the traditional low-reactivity mold flux still presents some problems such as high viscosity and strong crystallization tendency. In this study, the co-addition of Li 2 O and B 2 O 3 in CaO–Al 2 O 3 –10wt%SiO 2 based low-reactivity mold flux was proposed to improve properties of mold flux for high-aluminum steel, and the effect of Li 2 O replacing B 2 O 3 on properties of mold flux was investigated. The viscosity of the mold flux with 2wt% Li 2 O and 6wt% B 2 O 3 reached a minimum value of 0.07 Pa·s. The break temperature and melting point showed a similar trend with the viscosity. Besides, the melt structure and precipitation of the crystalline phase were studied using Raman and X-ray diffraction spectra to better understand the evolution of viscosity. It demonstrated that with increasing Li 2 O content in the mold flux from 0 to 6wt%, the degree of polymerization of aluminate and the aluminosilicate network structure increased because of increasing Li + released by Li 2 O, indicating the added Li 2 O was preferentially associated with Al 3+ as a charge compensator. The precipitation of LiAlO 2 crystalline phase gradually increased with the replacement of B 2 O 3 by Li 2 O. Therefore, Li 2 O content should be controlled below 2wt% to avoid LiAlO 2 precipitation, which was harmful to the continuous casting of high-aluminum steels. | Influence of substituting B2O3 with Li2O on the viscosity, structure and crystalline phase of low-reactivity mold flux | 10.1007/s12613-023-2621-x |
2023-07-01 | Aims Organic carbon has been reported in deep regolithic profiles to depths of tens of metres, but the composition of the carbon compounds is unknown. Methods Residual carbon in the form of non-volatile low molecular weight compounds (LMWC) was characterised in three deep soil profiles to a depth of 19 m under farmland in south-western Australia following extraction with ethyl acetate and analysis by GC/MS. Pyrolysis and off-line thermochemolysis were used to characterise macromolecular organic carbon (MOC) to a depth of 29 m at a fourth site. Results Three compound classes occurred across the three different field locations: (1) terpenes, (2) fatty acids, amides and alcohols, and (3) plant steroids; indicating the influence of input of the past and present vegetation. Compounds related to fatty acids were the predominant residual carbon species in deep soils, and may be derived from plants and microorganisms. Biomarkers such as lignin, polysaccharides, proteins and terpenes at 0–0.1 m implied influences of vegetation, fire events and microorganisms. Pyrolysis found that polysaccharides were distributed mainly from 0 to 0.1 m, while aromatic compounds were consistently detected down to 29 m. Conclusions Carbon was stabilised in the form of aromatic compounds in deep soil, whereas other carbon sources such as cellulose, chitin, and N-containing compounds were confined to the surface soil. LMWC (Z)-docos-13-enamide and bis(6-methylheptyl) phthalate, were the main components throughout the soil profiles representing 53–81% of the LMWC, and were a greater proportion of the organic matter at depths of 18–19 m. | Organic carbon compounds associated with deep soil carbon stores | 10.1007/s11104-022-05627-7 |
2023-07-01 | Fluorinated carbons (CF x )/Li primary batteries with high theoretical energy density have been applied as indispensable energy storage devices with no need for rechargeability, yet plagued by poor rate capability and narrow temperature adaptability in actual scenarios. Herein, benefiting from precise solvation engineering for synergistic coordination of anions and low-affinity solvents, the optimized cyclic ether-based electrolyte is elaborated to significantly facilitate overall reaction dynamics closely correlated to lower desolvation barrier. As a result, the excellent rate (15 C, 650 mAh g −1 ) at room-temperature and ultra-low-temperature performance dropping to −80 °C (495 mAh g −1 at average output voltage of 2.11 V) is delivered by the end of 1.5 V cut-off voltage, far superior to other organic liquid electrolytes. Furthermore, the CF x /Li cell employing the high-loading electrode (18–22 mg cm −2 ) still yields 1,683 and 1,395 Wh kg −1 in the case of −40 °C and −60 °C, respectively. In short, the novel design strategy for cyclic ethers as basic solvents is proposed to enable the CF x /Li battery with superb subzero performances, which shows great potential in practical application for extreme environments. | Weakly-solvating electrolytes enable ultralow-temperature (−80 °C) and high-power CFx/Li primary batteries | 10.1007/s11426-023-1638-0 |
2023-07-01 | The effect of thermocycling treatment (TCT) on the physical and mechanical properties of low-carbon martensitic steel 15Kh2G2NMFB is studied. The thermocycling treatment consists of 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10 cycles. Each cycle involves air quenching from 950°C and subsequent tempering at 650°C. The microstructure of the steel is studied by metallographic, electron microscope and x-ray diffraction analyses. The values of the resonance frequency are determined for each mode of TCT. High values of resonance frequency (115,900 Hz) and minimum range of the temperature coefficient of frequency are obtained after 9 and 10 cycles of TCT. | Effect of Thermocycling Treatment on Physicomechanical Properties of Low-Carbon Martensitic Steel 15Kh2G2NMFB for Parts of Precision Devices | 10.1007/s11041-023-00904-3 |
2023-07-01 | The treatment and utilization of coal gangue, one of the main solid wastes produced during coal mining, are of great significance in environmental protection and resource development. In the contemporary context of the carbon neutralization strategy, due to the property of the carbon in coal gangue, it is necessary to be cautious of the carbon effect during its treatment and utilization process. To grasp the concept of the carbon effect of coal gangue more comprehensively and systematically and provide more economic and reasonable technical strategies for the treatment and utilization of coal gangue against the background of carbon neutralization, this study systematically summarizes the research results from three aspects: the carbon emission risk of coal gangue itself, the carbon emission risk during its treatment and utilization process, and the potential effect of the application carbon sequestration. There are many types of carbon emission risks when considering coal gangue itself, such as direct carbon emissions resulting from spontaneous combustion and extended carbon emissions due to its negative pollution impacts on soil and vegetation. At present, the main utilization modes of coal gangue include fuel, building materials, filling materials, and ecological materials. Most of them have certain carbon emission risks, while some of them also have certain carbon fixation effects. Against the background of the carbon neutralization strategy, the treatment and utilization of coal gangue should focus on three aspects: its own carbon-free emissions; its carbon absorption effect and low-carbon emission in the treatment process; and taking comprehensive technical measures, such as the oxidation inhibition of coal gangue, enhancement of the ecological carbon sink function, excavation of the carbon absorption function, and nearby utilization and pollution prevention and control, to achieve high value and low-carbon release in the treatment and utilization of coal gangue. | Low-carbon utilization of coal gangue under the carbon neutralization strategy: a short review | 10.1007/s10163-023-01712-w |
2023-07-01 | Boring trepanning association (BTA) deep hole drilling is widely used in machining tube sheet of steam generator. In order to get a better service integrity, the surface quality after machining is required to be higher. In this paper, the effect mechanism of BTA deep hole drilling on the integrity and quality of the machined surface layer of low alloy steel SA508Gr.3Cl.2 for nuclear power is investigated. The results show that the gradient microstructure can be obtained by BTA drilling on the surface of the inner hole, including the recrystallized layer with grain refinement and the plastic deformation layer with high-density sub-crystal structure and grain distortion. With the increase of drilling speed and feed rate, the thickness of deformation layer increases. During the BTA deep hole drilling, the proportion of low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) increases with the increasing depth from the machined surface. The increase of drilling speed leads to the increase of recrystallization degree and the proportion of LAGBs in the machined surface. The effect of feed rate on the proportion of LAGBs is opposite. The machined surface is characterized by regular peak and valley, and there are typical surface defects mainly involving feed marks, surface tearing, and plowing grooves. With the increase of drilling speed, the surface roughness will decrease. The effect of feed rate on surface roughness is obviously lower than that of drilling speed. With the increase of drilling speed, and feed rate, the depth of hardened layer increases gradually, which is caused by dislocation strengthening and fine grain–strengthening effect during BTA drilling process. Higher drilling speed is recommended in forming a better machined surface with a strengthening layer of a certain thickness. | Effect of drilling parameters on the hole surface integrity of low alloy steel for nuclear power during BTA deep hole drilling | 10.1007/s00170-023-11530-x |
2023-07-01 | The effect of cold radial forging of steel 10Kh3G3MFS in a two-phase martensitic-ferritic state on the kinetics of formation of austenite under subsequent heating at different rates is studied. The quantitative characteristics of the stages of formation of the austenite are determined and a thermokinetic diagram of the austenitization is plotted. The parameters of the martensitic-ferritic structure and of the hardness of the steel are shown to depend on the temperature of quenching from the intercritical temperature range. The influence of preliminary radial forging on the behavior of the curves of uniaxial tension of the steel after incomplete quenching is studied and compared to the results obtained earlier for a quenched condition. | Special Features of the α → γ Transformation of Radially Forged Low-Carbon Steel in the Intercritical Temperature Range | 10.1007/s11041-023-00915-0 |
2023-07-01 | Herein, the effect of low-frequency alternating magnetic field (LAMF) of different strengths (Coil current strength of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 A) on the hot tear susceptibility (HTS) of AXJ530 (Mg-4.5Al-3Ca-0.17Sr) alloy was systematically investigated by hot tear testing and thermal analysis experiments. The hot tearing mechanism of the alloy under the effect of LAMF with different strengths was analyzed by combining the hot tearing volume, microstructure and numerical simulation results. The results show that the HTS of AXJ530 alloy first decreased and then increased with the increase of LAMF strength. When the current intensity was 10 A, the long dendrites were broken and tended to be equiaxed by forced convection, the feeding channels were optimized, and the feeding ability of the residual liquid phase was significantly enhanced, which caused the alloy to exhibit the lowest HTS at this condition. However, at the current strength of 20 A, the excessive Joule heat coarsened the microstructure, increased the vulnerable time duration and the excessive electromagnetic force increased the loading to be supported by the alloy, thus causing a significant increase in the HTS of the alloy. | Effect of Low-Frequency Alternating Magnetic Field Strength on Hot Tearing Susceptibility of AXJ530 Alloy | 10.1007/s40962-022-00911-9 |
2023-07-01 | The China low-activation martensitic (CLAM) steel has been proposed as a candidate structural material for nuclear fusion reactors. It is essential to study the influence of hydrogen charging and strain rate on the tensile behavior of CLAM steel considering its service environment. In this study, CLAM steel was investigated using tensile tests operated at room temperature before and after hydrogen charging. The results showed that the elongation loss increased significantly with the increase of the hydrogen charging current density at either a low or a high strain rate, which is related to the hydrogen content in the steel. The hydride was systematically studied, including the morphology and the thermal stability as well as the effects on mechanical properties. The possible mechanism of the formation of hydride during hydrogen charging has been analyzed based on the interaction between alloying elements and hydrogen. | Effects of Hydrogen Charging on Mechanical Properties of CLAM Steel at Different Strain Rates | 10.1007/s40195-022-01515-2 |
2023-07-01 | We present a detailed study of the thermoelectric power (S) of the Nd 1 − x Gd x Co 2 system in the concentration range of 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0. The evolution of negative to positive thermoelectric power with Gd doping is observed. We analyze the paramagnetic state thermoelectric power based on the density of states near the Fermi level and the broadening of the 3d band of the system. The complicated magnetic state thermoelectric power of the RCo 2 system is not well understood, here we provide an explanation for the low-temperature magnetic state thermoelectric power using the Nordheim-Gorter rule with two different scattering mechanisms: impurity and spin wave. We observe a minimum for the Fermi energy as a function of Gd concentration, which is linked to the exchange integrals between the electrons and the compensation of moments for the system. Overall, our results shed light on the thermoelectric behavior of the Nd 1 − x Gd x Co 2 system and provide insights into the physics of RCo 2 compounds. | Low-Temperature Thermoelectric Power Behavior of Nd1 − xGdxCo2: Insights from Impurity and Spin Wave Scattering | 10.1007/s10909-023-02965-3 |
2023-07-01 | Purpose Antibody drugs are usually formulated as highly-concentrated solutions, which would easily generate aggregates, resulting in loss of efficacy. Although low pH increases the colloidal dispersion of antibodies, acid denaturation can be an issue. Therefore, knowing the physical properties at low pH under high concentration conditions is important. Methods Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate pH-induced conformational changes of antibodies at 50 mg/ml. Experiments in pH 3 to 7 were performed for human serum IgG and recombinant rituximab. Results We detected the evident changes at pH 3 in Tyr and Trp bands, which are the sensitive markers of intermolecular interactions. Thermal transition analysis over the pH range demonstrated that the thermal transition temperature ( T m ) was highest at pH 3. Acid-treated and neutralized one showed higher T m than that of pH 7, indicating that their extent of intermolecular interactions correlated with the T m values. Onset temperature was clearly different between concentrated and diluted samples. Colloidal analyses confirmed the findings of the Raman analysis. Conclusion Our studies demonstrated the positive correlation between Raman analysis and colloidal information, validating as a method for evaluating antibody conformation associated with aggregation propensities. | Raman Spectroscopic Analysis of Highly-Concentrated Antibodies under the Acid-Treated Conditions | 10.1007/s11095-023-03526-9 |
2023-07-01 | The theoretical life of non-lubricating materials of cylinder-piston seals of a low-speed long-stroke piston compressor has been determined. A laboratory test rig is presented for carrying out resource tests, during which the theoretical resource of the tested antifriction self-lubricating materials was from 5000 to 40,000 hours. The resulting service life allows us to cover all applications of reciprocating compressors, from oil refineries to space stations. | Predicting the Service Life of Cylinder-Piston Seals of Reciprocating Compressors | 10.1007/s10556-023-01235-z |
2023-07-01 | The approach is offered and the analytical dependences are obtained which enable to predict with sufficient accuracy the lifetime of carbyne–graphene and similar low-dimensional nanostructures under the simultaneous action of temperature and force field. Ideas on atomistic of the force field influence on the fluctuation-induced atomic bond break is developed. Existence of two components of above effect is ascertained, namely (i) decrease in the energy barrier under the force action, and (ii) reduction of the energy cost for the bond break due to release of the accumulated energy of elastic deformations. On the example of carbyne–graphene nanoelement, it is shown that the effect of force field can cause a drop of lifetime by tens of orders of magnitude. This is a manifestation of the synergy effect of temperature and force field on the stability and lifetime of nanostructures. The obtained dependences are a convenient tool for predicting the lifetime of low-dimensional nanostructures, in particular, of straintronics elements. On the whole, the approach proposed may be considered as a generalization of Arrhenius’ theory of reactions in the case of force field action. | Prediction of stability and lifetime of carbyne, carbyne–graphene and similar low-dimensional nanostructures | 10.1007/s13204-022-02629-w |
2023-07-01 | Multi-pass steel weld metal is heterogeneous in nature due to spatial variations of multiple thermal cycles which leads to variations in mechanical properties. In this research, 420 MPa offshore steel was welded in the 1G, 2G, and 3G positions, and the fusion zone was divided into as-deposited weld metal (AD-WM) and reheated zone (RHZ). Subsequently, the sub-regions of the RHZ were identified, and their microstructural constituents, including martensite–austenite (MA) constituents and inclusions, were characterized and quantified. The results indicated that reheating the weld metal by the subsequent passes decides the area fraction of the RHZ in the weld metal and thus the impact toughness. The low heat input in the 2G sample led to the formation of alternate layers of AD-WM and RHZ throughout the fusion zone. The higher cooling rate led to the formation of fine acicular ferrite (AF) microstructure and thus high impact toughness (120 kJ). Increasing the heat input in the 3G and 1G samples resulted in the transformation of the AF to polygonal ferrite (PF), thereby decreasing the impact toughness. Increased number of passes in the 1G specimen led to higher area fraction of the RHZ (39.5%) than in the 3G sample (34%). Thus, the 3G sample exhibited higher low-temperature impact toughness (80 kJ) than the 1G sample (47 kJ). Thus, higher heat input and number of layers would result in multiple heating of the RHZ, which can be detrimental to the toughness. | Effect of microstructural heterogeneities on variability in low-temperature impact toughness in multi-pass weld metal of 420 MPa offshore engineering steel | 10.1007/s40194-023-01521-7 |
2023-07-01 | This research paper is a proof-of-concept based on the application of a fully integrated CAE tools to improve the quality of castings produced by the hybrid LPSC process, for which there are no viable design rules for feeding systems compared to conventional gravity casting. A case study consisting of the production of a non-conventional riser-specimen from a eutectic Al-alloy (EN AC-44300) was first modeled using ProCAST® casting simulation software to predict the flow of liquid metal during the filling stage and the active solidification of the casting under different packing pressure conditions. The physical hybrid LPSC process was later performed based on the CAE modeling and simulation results to produce the riser-specimens. The experimental /numerical comparison showed good agreement in predicting the position of the melt front in the mold cavity and the temperature in both the casting and the mold during the filling and cooling stages, respectively. The prediction of solidification defects at different packing pressure conditions also showed good agreement with the experiments. The results show that CAE simulations can provide foundry engineers with a systematic and cost-effective solution to optimize casting parameters in the hybrid LPSC process during the filling and solidification stages. | On the improvement of castings quality in hybrid low-pressure sand-casting (LPSC) process in a fully integrated CAE environment | 10.1007/s00170-023-11663-z |
2023-07-01 | In this paper, molecularly imprinted Zr-doped TiO 2 photocatalysts (MIP-ZrO 2 -TiO 2 ) were prepared by the molecularly imprinted sol–gel method for the photocatalytic degradation study of hydroquinone (HQ) as the target pollutant. For the effectiveness of the MIP-ZrO 2 -TiO 2 catalyst in degrading HQ, the effects of Zr doping ratio, imprinted molecule dosage, calcination conditions, and pollutant concentration on its photocatalytic activity were investigated. XRD, TEM, XPS, and other techniques were used to evaluate the materials, and the findings revealed that MIP-ZrO 2 -TiO 2 films with imprinted HQ were successfully produced on the ZrO 2 -TiO 2 surface. The optimal preparation conditions were n(Ti):n(Zr) = 100:8, m(HQ) = 1.5 g, 550 °C for the calcination temperature, and 2 h for the calcination duration. The optimum reaction conditions were 10 mg/L HQ concentration, 1 g/L catalyst dose, and a pH of 6.91. According to the findings of photocatalytic tests, during 30 min of UV lamp (365 nm) irradiation, the degradation rates of MIP-ZrO 2 -TiO 2 , ZrO 2 -TiO 2 , and TiO 2 for HQ were 90.58%, 83.94%, and 58.30%, respectively. The findings revealed that the doping of Zr metal and the addition of imprinted molecules improved the photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 , which can be used for the efficient treatment of low concentrations of hard-to-degrade hydroquinone. | Study on the preparation of molecularly imprinted ZrO2-TiO2 photocatalyst and the degradation performance of hydroquinone | 10.1007/s11356-023-28295-1 |
2023-07-01 | Abstract This paper reports-the results of the first-principles molecular dynamics calculations of the NaF–AlF 3 electrolyte molten salt system with a low molecular ratio (1.3). The local ion structures of the NaF–AlF 3 molten salt system mainly included four-coordination [AlF 4 ] – , five-coordination [AlF 5 ] 2– , and a few six-coordination [AlF 6 ] 3– structures. The first peak of the radial distribution function of the Al–F ion pair was the highest, and the interactions between Al and F ions were strong, which made the molten salt structure complex. The average coordination number of the Al–F ion pair was 4.53. The coordination distribution of the ion structure was that four-coordination [AlF 4 ] – and five-coordination [AlF 5 ] 2– structures accounted for more than 90%, while six-coordination [AlF 6 ] 3– structures accounted for less than 10%. The F ion type distribution was mainly terminal fluorine F t , while bridge fluorine F b and free fluorine F f accounted for less.The angular distribution of the Al–F–Al bond was 94°, 114°, and 171°. The Al–F bond has ionic properties, but because F-2 p is hybridized with Al-3 s and 3 p orbitals, Al–F ions also have covalent properties. The average Mulliken bond population of Al–F was 0.29, which is much larger than that of F–F and Na–F. Therefore, the covalent interactions between Al–F ion pairs were strong. The order of ion diffusion ability in the NaF–AlF 3 molten salt was Na + > F – > Al 3+ . The viscosity of the molten salt was 1.479 mPa s, and the ionic conductivity was 1.306 S/cm. These calculation results provide data support for the application of the NaF–AlF 3 low-temperature aluminum electrolyte system. | First-Principles Molecular Dynamics Study of a NaF–AlF3 Molten Salt with a Low Molecular Ratio | 10.1134/S0036024423070142 |
2023-07-01 | This study was done to investigate the effect of changing the silver deposition time as the middle layer in three-layer SnO 2 (50 nm)/Ag(t)/SnO 2 (50 nm) structures on the glass substrate using glancing angle deposition (GLAD) and DC/RF magnetron sputtering to examine the targeted layers. The optical, electrical, and thermal characteristics of the samples were studied. The results showed that the SnO 2 /Ag/SnO 2 three-layer structures have the necessary and favorable conditions for heat-insulating and energy-saving coatings on building windows. Therefore, considering a deposition time of 20 s for silver, the values of emissivity and U-factor are minimum and equal to 0.06 W/m 2 k and 1.41 W/m 2 k, respectively. As a result, heat transfer from the environment and sunlight radiation from this cover is minimized. Also, transmission at the wavelength of 550 nm for the sample with the deposition time of 20 s and 25 s is maximum and equal to 70% and 75%, respectively. | Effect of the Thin Silver Layer in SnO2/Ag/SnO2 Nano-Coatings with Low Emission for Energy Storage | 10.1007/s11664-023-10339-4 |
2023-07-01 | Zero-dimensional (0D)-Cs 3 Bi 2 I 9 , two-dimensional (2D)-Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 , and one-dimensional (1D)-Cs 3 Bi 2 Cl 9 perovskite films have been successfully grown on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates, which were used to fabricate memristors with the structure of Al/Cs 3 Bi 2 X 9 (X = I, Br, and Cl)/ITO glass. The current three types of memristors exhibited bipolar resistive switching behaviors. Both the endurance and retention time tests clearly demonstrated the excellent stability of present devices. Especially, the ON/OFF ratio of the 0D-Cs 3 Bi 2 I 9 device is close to 10 4 at the reading voltage of 0.1 V, which is nearly 100 and 1000 times larger than those of the 1D-Cs 3 Bi 2 Cl 9 device and the 2D-Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 device, respectively. The activation energy of halide vacancies in the Cs 3 Bi 2 X 9 (X = I, Br, and Cl) films was calculated using the density functional theory by considering a minimum migration path, demonstrating the dimensionality of the Cs 3 Bi 2 X 9 (X = I, Br, and Cl) film affected the formation and rupture of conductive filaments. Moreover, the short-term plasticity and long-term plasticity of biological synapse were simulated by evaluating the conductance responses of Al/Cs 3 Bi 2 X 9 (X = I, Br, and Cl)/ITO devices under various voltage pulses in detail. The duration time of long-term plasticity in all the present devices can last for up to 250 s. The 0D-Cs 3 Bi 2 I 9 device showed both the highest spike-duration-dependent plasticity and paired-pulse facilitation indexes compared to the other two devices. Additionally, the 0D-Cs 3 Bi 2 I 9 device successfully established the associative learning behavior by simulating the Pavlov’s dog experiment. | Resistive switching and artificial synaptic performances of memristor based on low-dimensional bismuth halide perovskites | 10.1007/s12274-023-5411-x |
2023-07-01 | This article reviews the general aspects of the prospects for the use of low-power nuclear plants (LPNP) as well as their scope of application and conditional classification in the context of ensuring fire safety. The potential fire hazards of low-power reactors were assessed because of their diversity and wide scope of applications, characteristics of layout solutions, various placement options, and operating conditions. An analysis of possible deviations from fire safety requirements and potential difficulties in the approval of documentation by supervisory and regulatory authorities was performed. The issues related to the insufficiency of fire safety requirements and the necessary substantiating materials are highlighted. Three main aspects of fire safety, namely, nuclear and radiation safety, human safety, and investment security, are considered. Herein, we have proposed the methods for confirming the compliance of LPNP with fire safety requirements, the main approaches to achieve the necessary levels of safety and efficiency and the use of innovative fire protection technologies. | Actual Fire Safety Issues of Low-Power Nuclear Plants | 10.1007/s10749-023-01659-w |
2023-07-01 | Since the last decade, carbon nanomaterials have had a notable impact on different fields such as bioimaging, drug delivery, artificial tissue engineering, and biosensors. This is due to their good compatibility toward a wide range of chemical to biological molecules, low toxicity, and tunable properties. Especially for biosensor technology, the characteristic features of each dimensionality of carbon-based materials may influence the performance and viability of their use. Surface area, porous network, hybridization, functionalization, synthesis route, the combination of dimensionalities, purity levels, and the mechanisms underlying carbon nanomaterial interactions influence their applications in bioanalytical chemistry. Efforts are being made to fully understand how nanomaterials can influence biological interactions, to develop commercially viable biosensors, and to gain knowledge on the biomolecular processes associated with carbon. Here, we present a comprehensive review highlighting the characteristic features of the dimensionality of carbon-based materials in biosensing. | Low-dimensionality carbon-based biosensors: the new era of emerging technologies in bioanalytical chemistry | 10.1007/s00216-023-04578-x |
2023-07-01 | Detergent products are a formulated mixture of ingredients with a washing or cleaning power. The most active compounds involved in the cleaning process are the so-called surfactants; amphiphilic compounds with polar head and an-polar teal. They have the property to lower the surface tension (ST) of water, to adsorb to the interface and to reduce the interfacial tension (IFT) between two immiscible liquid. Then, they are very good at liberating dirt and to eliminate impurities. However, owing their chemical nature, they are characterized by their high toxicity and low biodegradability causing serious risks to natural ecosystems. Therefore, an urgent need was developed for the production of environment friendly detergent. Thus, developing eco-friendly, nonirritant, low-toxic, and high-efficient surface active ingredients for detergents is an ongoing challenge in the detergent field. To know, biosurfactants (BioS) or microbial surfactants are amphiphilic compounds having the ability to reduce the surface and interfacial tension. They are characterized by their higher biodegradability, low toxicity and eco-friendly. Thus, they can be the best substitutes of chemical surfactants in detergent formulation permitting the development of eco-friendly bio-based detergent formula. With this aim, we will discuss in the first part of the presented review detergent formula and surfactants as the base ingredients; their physic-chemical properties and higher toxicity. In the second part of the review paper, BioS as emerging ingredients for detergent formulation will be presented; their classification, physic-chemical and functional properties along with their potential application in detergent formulation. | Biosurfactants as Emerging Substitutes of Their Synthetic Counterpart in Detergent Formula: Efficiency and Environmental Friendly | 10.1007/s10924-023-02778-1 |
2023-07-01 | Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) doped InGaO (IGO) thin film transistors (TFTs) have been fabricated based on solution-driven ZrO x as gate dielectrics. Compare to pure IGO TFTs, superior electrical performance of the GQDs-IGO TFTs can be achieved by adjusting the doping concentration. It has been demonstrated that GQDs-modified IGO TFTs devices with GQDs doping content of 0.3 mg·ml −1 have the optimized performances, including field-effect mobility ( μ FE ) of 22.02 cm 2 ·V –1 ·s −1 , on/off current ratio ( I on / I off ) of 7.06 × 10 7 , subthreshold swing (SS) of 0.09 V⋅dec −1 , hysteresis of 0.04 V and interfacial trap states ( D it ) of 1.03 × 10 12 cm −2 . In addition, bias stress and illumination stress tests have been performed and excellent stability has been achieved for optimized GQDs-IGO-TFTs. The GQDs-IGO TFTs device showed smaller threshold voltage shift of 0.12 and 0.04 V under positive bias stress (PBS) test and negative bias stress (NBS) test for 3600 s, respectively. And it showed smaller threshold voltage shift of 0.27 and 0.34 V for red light under the PBS and NBS test for 3600 s, respectively. Meanwhile, it showed smaller threshold voltage shift of 0.20 and 0.22 V for green light under PBS and NBS test for 3600 s, respectively. It also showed smaller threshold voltage shift of 0.17 and 0.12 V for blue under the positive bias illumination stress (PBIS) test and negative bias illumination stress (NBIS) test for 3600 s, respectively. Low-frequency noise (LFN) characteristics of GQDs-IGO/ZrO x TFTs indicated that the noise source came from the fluctuations in mobility. Finally, a low voltage resistor-loaded unipolar inverter has been built based on GQDs-IGO/ZrO x TFT, demonstrating good dynamic response behavior and a maximum gain of 7.4. These experimental results have suggested that solution-processed GQDs-IGO/ZrO x TFT may envision potential applications in low-cost and large-area electronics. Graphical Abstract 本文以溶液驱动ZrO x 为栅介质，制备了石墨烯量子点掺杂InGaO (IGO)薄膜晶体管。与未掺杂IGO TFT相比，GQDs-IGO TFT的电学性能优于未掺杂IGO TFT。 在GQDs掺杂量为0.3 mg ml–1的条件下，GQDs修饰的IGO TFTs器件的场效应迁移率(μFE)为22.02 cm2 V –1 s –1 , Ion/Ioff为7.06×10 7 ,亚阈值摆幅(SS)为0.09 V Dec –1 ,阈值电压为0.04 V,界面陷阱态(Dit)为1.03×10 12 cm –2 。此外，对优化后的GQDs-IGO-TFT进行了偏压稳定性和光照稳定性测试，结果表明，优化后的GQDs-IGO-TFT具有良好的稳定性。GQDs-IGO TFTs器件在3600 s的正偏压测试和负偏压测试中，阈值电压位移分别为0.12和0.04 V。在3600 s的正偏压光照应力(PBIS)和负偏压光照应力(NBIS)试验中，红光的阈值电压位移分别为0.27和0.34 V。同时，在3600 s的PBIS测试和NBIS测试下，绿光的阈值电压位移分别为0.20和0.22 V。在3600 s的PBIS测试和NBIS测试下，蓝光的阈值电压位移分别为0.17和0.12 V。 GQDs-IGO/ZrOx TFTs的低频噪声(LFN)特性表明，噪声源来自迁移率的涨落。最后，基于GQDs-IGO/ZrO x TFT构建了一个低电压电阻负载的单极性逆变器，具有良好的动态响应特性，最大增益为7.4。我们的实验结果表明，溶液处理GQDs-IGO/ZrO x 薄膜晶体管在低成本和大面积电子学领域具有潜在的应用前景。 | Graphene quantum dots modulated solution-derived InGaO thin-film transistors and stress stability exploration | 10.1007/s12598-023-02307-y |
2023-07-01 | In this research, the structural state and mechanical properties of nine pilot batches of HC340LA cold-rolled steel, annealed in bell-type furnaces from the steel of two melts of different compositions using Nb or Ti microalloying, were studied. From the obtained results, the uniformity and stability of the structure and properties of rolled products were significantly improved both in each pilot batch and in the transition from batch to batch compared with those of mass-produced cold-rolled steel grade HC340LA while reducing costs. Methods for further improving the efficiency of the integrated technology for the production of HC340LA rolled products according to EN 10268 were determined. | Justification of the Production Technology Efficiency for High-Strength, Low-Alloy Steels with Improved Properties and Quality at Low-Cost. Part 2. Cold-Rolled Products | 10.1007/s11015-023-01513-4 |
2023-07-01 | In this study, three types of rectangular pool fires with the same equivalent area were conducted in a simulated cargo compartment to investigate the effects of sidewall distance and ambient pressure on fire behavior. Three dimensionless distances ( $$\lambda = 0$$ λ = 0 , $$\lambda = 0.25$$ λ = 0.25 , and $$\lambda = 0.25$$ λ = 0.25 ) and three ambient pressures (50 kPa, 76 k Pa, 101 kPa) were used in the experiments. The results showed that the sidewall had a significant impact on the burning of n -heptane pool fires, with the flame height increasing as the sidewall distance decreased and lower ambient pressure intensifying this trend. The shape of the flame also directly affected the sidewall temperature, which showed a different trend in different test cases due to the combined effect of air entrainment limitation and radiation enhancement from the flame. In addition, models for calculating the burning rate and flame height were developed by modifying classical models using the dimensionless distance $$\lambda$$ λ , entrainment coefficient $${\text{EF}}$$ EF , and equivalent diameter $$D_{{{\text{eq}}}}$$ D eq . | Effects of environmental pressure and wall distance on rectangular pool fires in a full-size simulated cargo compartment | 10.1007/s10973-023-12096-2 |
2023-07-01 | Low light (LL) stress during the grain-filling stage acutely impairs the quality and quantity of starch accumulation in rice grains. Here, we observed that LL-induced poor starch biosynthesis is modulated by auxin homeostasis, which regulates the activities of major carbohydrate metabolism enzymes such as starch synthase (SS) and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) in rice. Further, during the grain-filling period under LL, the starch/sucrose ratio increased in leaves but significantly decreased in the developing spikelets. This suggests poor sucrose biosynthesis in leaves and starch in the grains of the rice under LL. A lower grain starch was found to be correlated with the depleted AGPase and SS activities in the developing rice grains under LL. Further, under LL, the endogenous auxin (IAA) level in the spikelets was found to be synchronized with the expression of a heteromeric G protein gene, RGB1. Interestingly, under LL, the expression of OsYUC11 was significantly downregulated, which subsequently resulted in reduced IAA in the developing rice spikelets, followed by poor activation of grain-filling enzymes. This resulted in lowered grain starch accumulation, grain weight, panicle number, spikelet fertility, and eventually grain yield, which was notably higher in the LL-susceptible (GR4, IR8) than in the LL-tolerant (Purnendu, Swarnaprabha) rice genotypes. Therefore, we hypothesize that depletion in auxin biosynthesis under LL stress is associated with the downregulation of RBG1 , which discourages the expression and activities of grain-filling enzymes, resulting in lower starch production, panicle formation, and grain yield in rice. | Light intensity–mediated auxin homeostasis in spikelets links carbohydrate metabolism enzymes with grain filling rate in rice | 10.1007/s00709-023-01844-8 |
2023-07-01 | Present research focused on polymeric fractions of two wheat varieties’ (DBW88 and HI1500) evaluation for molecular weight and HMW-GS composition using sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), degree of crystallinity using X-ray diffraction, microstructural assessment through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), for thermal profiling using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and secondary structure analysis employing Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy technique. Glutenin fractions were identified into high molecular weight (HMW) glutenin fractions (140 kDa to 75 kDa) and low molecular weight (LMW) glutenin fractions (45 kDa to 30 kDa) as per SDS-PAGE for both varieties. XRD results displayed amorphous nature of all extracted polymeric protein fractions. SEM results revealed dense stranded structure in gluten matrix due to the addition of polymeric wheat protein and its further subfractions with subtle variation. Thermal stability of glutenins of both varieties DBW88 (161.95 °C with 808.48 J/g) and HI1500 (160.64 °C with 785.57 J/g) were observed to be highest due to highly ordered structure, followed by HMW glutenins, gluten and LMW glutenins in case of DBW88 while LMW glutenins, gluten and HMW glutenins in case of HI1500. Highest proportion of β-sheets and β-turns was observed in HMW glutenins of DBW88 and LMW glutenins of HI1500. | Wheat polymeric proteins isolation and characterization: microstructural, thermal, configurational and spectroscopic approach | 10.1007/s00217-023-04254-5 |
2023-07-01 | Lasers with low-coherent radiation have attracted the attention since the first publications on this topic in the 1960s and up to the present time, thanks to their numerous applications. Compact lowcoherent lasers with a flow of the active medium through the pumped region can be done, using dense mixtures of solid particles and a liquid – slurry lasers. The preparation of slurry compositions based on particles like Nd :YVO 4 or Nd :YAG crystal granules meets certain difficulties associated with the use of liquids having high refractive indices, n ≈ 2. Here, we study the properties of a perspective Nd-doped slurry laser in model experiments, comparing parameters of Nd :YVO 4 and Nd :YAG slab lasers in compact plano-spherical resonators with and without a cuvette-diffuser on an immersion mixture of LiF crystal microparticles and isobutyl alcohol, n ≈ 1 . 39. At a laser diode pump power of 100 W, these lasers (without a cuvette) emit, in a quasicontinuous multimode regime, 1 ms pulses of low-coherent radiation ( ⋋ ≈ 1064 nm) with a divergence of 20 – 40 mrad and the 21 – 47 W power at the 10 Hz repetition rate. Under the same pumping conditions, we obtain a low-coherent radiation with the 1 – 6 W power and divergence up to 100 mrad in these lasers with a cuvette-diffuser. The spatial coherence of these lasers under changes in the pump current, pump spot sizes, and the state of immersion in the cuvette is estimated from the contrast C of the speckle patterns produced by the radiation. Also, we register C values in the region 0 . 02 − 0 . 04, comparable to the thermal sources contrast. The presented scheme demonstrates low-coherent Nd :YVO 4 and Nd :YAG lasers and show the feasibility of creating compact LD-pumped slurry lasers. | Formation of Low-Coherent Beams in Nd:YVO4 and Nd:YAG Lasers | 10.1007/s10946-023-10149-3 |
2023-07-01 | Bioaerosols play essential roles in the atmospheric environment and can affect human health. With a few exceptions (e.g., farm or rainforest environments), bioaerosol samples from wide-ranging environments typically have a low biomass, including bioaerosols from indoor environments (e.g., residential homes, offices, or hospitals), outdoor environments (e.g., urban or rural air). Some specialized environments (e.g., clean rooms, the Earth’s upper atmosphere, or the international space station) have an ultra-low-biomass. This review discusses the primary sources of bioaerosols and influencing factors, the recent advances in air sampling techniques and the new generation sequencing (NGS) methods used for the characterization of low-biomass bioaerosol communities, and challenges in terms of the bias introduced by different air samplers when samples are subjected to NGS analysis with a focus on ultra-low biomass. High-volume filter-based or liquid-based air samplers compatible with NGS analysis are required to improve the bioaerosol detection limits for microorganisms. A thorough understanding of the performance and outcomes of bioaerosol sampling using NGS methods and a robust protocol for aerosol sample treatment for NGS analysis are needed. Advances in NGS techniques and bioinformatic tools will contribute toward the precise high-throughput identification of the taxonomic profiles of bioaerosol communities and the determination of their functional and ecological attributes in the atmospheric environment. In particular, long-read amplicon sequencing, viability PCR, and meta-transcriptomics are promising techniques for discriminating and detecting pathogenic microorganisms that may be active and infectious in bioaerosols and, therefore, pose a threat to human health. | Perspectives on Sampling and New Generation Sequencing Methods for Low-Biomass Bioaerosols in Atmospheric Environments | 10.1007/s41745-023-00380-x |
2023-07-01 | Objective To review the major hardware components of low-field point-of-care MRI systems which affect the overall sensitivity. Methods Designs for the following components are reviewed and analyzed: magnet, RF coils, transmit/receive switches, preamplifiers, data acquisition system, and methods for grounding and mitigating electromagnetic interference. Results High homogeneity magnets can be produced in a variety of different designs including C- and H-shaped as well as Halbach arrays. Using Litz wire for RF coil designs enables unloaded Q values of ~ 400 to be reached, with body loss representing about 35% of the total system resistance. There are a number of different schemes to tackle issues arising from the low coil bandwidth with respect to the imaging bandwidth. Finally, the effects of good RF shielding, proper electrical grounding, and effective electromagnetic interference reduction can lead to substantial increases in image signal-to-noise ratio. Discussion There are many different magnet and RF coil designs in the literature, and to enable meaningful comparisons and optimizations to be performed it would be very helpful to determine a standardized set of sensitivity measures, irrespective of design. | Tackling SNR at low-field: a review of hardware approaches for point-of-care systems | 10.1007/s10334-023-01100-3 |
2023-07-01 | Our knowledge about the interaction between human activities and the environment in the middle-late Holocene remains incomplete. Core C1 in Lake Chaohu from the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River (MLYR), eastern China, provides an opportunity to investigate vegetation and climate changes, human activities, and East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) evolution since 5100 cal. yr BP. These variables are assessed based on radiocarbon dating, pollen and charcoal records, and magnetic susceptibility ( χ lf ), median grain size and TP. Results reveal a hiatus in sedimentation between 2080 and 730 cal. yr BP in the western part of Lake Chaohu, which is common in most lakes in the MLYR. Evergreen and deciduous broadleaved mixed forest retreated gradually after 3650 cal. yr BP, and was replaced by secondary Pinus forest after at least 730 cal. yr BP. Intense agricultural activities and vegetation clearance are first detected at 2520 cal. yr BP. Human settlements expanded from the lake front wetlands (during the period 2520–2080 cal. yr BP) to remote high-altitude areas (2080–100 cal. yr BP), and then returned to the lake front to reclaim the wetlands and lake (after 400 cal. yr BP). A gradual trend of recessional EASM strength from 4300 cal. yr BP and centennial-scale variations of EASM during the period 5100–3650 cal. yr BP are revealed. The reduction of summer insolation, southward shift of the ITCZ, and El Niño Southern Oscillation may control the intensity of EASM and climate on a large regional scale. | Middle-late Holocene environment change induced by climate and human based on multi-proxy records from the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River, eastern China | 10.1007/s11430-022-1101-2 |
2023-07-01 | A low-power common-mode detector (LPCMD) with process, supply voltage and temperature (PVT)-compensation technique for the dynamic amplifier in delta-sigma modulator (DSM) is proposed. By adopting the varying supply voltages to compensate the variation of the transistors’ threshold voltage, the proposed LPCMD improves the robustness of the dynamic amplifier (DA). Additionally, the auxiliary circuit providing the varying supply voltages is realized by the low-power regulator, which has the advantage of low power and low complexity. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed LPCMD with the PVT-compensation technique, a second-order 2-bit quantization-based DSM is designed in 180 nm CMOS technology and the postlayout simulation is performed. The DSM achieves a signal-to-noise-and-distortion ratio (SNDR) and spurious-free-dynamic range (SFDR) of 93 dB and 95 dB at the sampling frequency of 204.8 kHz, respectively, with the power consumption of 11 µW, leading to a 171.6 dB SNDR-based Schreier figure-of-merit (FoM SNDR ). Furthermore, the SNDR degradation of the DSM under all process corner and temperature from − 40 to 125 ℃ is less than 3 dB. The postlayout simulation result of the DSM verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed LPCMD and PVT-compensation technique. | A Low-Power Common-Mode Detector with PVT-Compensation Technique for Dynamic Amplifier in Delta-Sigma Modulator | 10.1007/s00034-023-02316-3 |
2023-07-01 | Porous liquids (PLs), an emerging porous material with permanent cavities, have attracted extensive attention in recent years. However, the current construction methods are complicated and resulting PLs possess high viscosity values, which cannot meet the requirements of practical industrial applications. Herein, we demonstrate a generalizable and simple strategy to prepare type III PLs with low viscosity based on the rule of “like dissolves like”. Specifically, the monoglycidyl ether terminated polydimethylsiloxane (denoted by E-PDMS) is attached to the surface of Universitetet i Oslo (UiO)-66-NH 2 via covalent linkage, constructing the pore generator (UiO-66-NH 2 -E-PDMS, denoted by P-UiO-66). Then, P-UiO-66 is dispersed into different types and amounts of sterically hindered solvents (PDMS400 or PDMS6000), obtaining a series of type III PLs (denoted by P-UiO-66-PLs) with permanent cavities and low viscosities. The gas sorption-desorption test shows that P-UiO-66-PLs have an enormous potential for CO 2 /N 2 selective separation. Besides, the porosity of P-UiO-66-PLs and the CO 2 sorption mechanism are demonstrated by molecular simulation. Furthermore, the generality of the synthesis strategy is confirmed by the successful construction of PLs using two other amino-metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) (MIL-53(Al)-NH 2 and MIL-88B(Fe)-NH 2 ). Importantly, it’s worth noting that the strategy based on the rule of “like dissolves like” sheds light on the preparation of other types of PLs for task-specific applications. | A generalizable strategy based on the rule of “like dissolves like” to construct porous liquids with low viscosity for CO2 capture | 10.1007/s12274-023-5516-2 |
2023-07-01 | Objective To implement magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) on a permanent magnet 50 mT low-field system deployable as a future point-of-care (POC) unit and explore the quality of the parameter maps. Materials and methods 3D MRF was implemented on a custom-built Halbach array using a slab-selective spoiled steady-state free precession sequence with 3D Cartesian readout. Undersampled scans were acquired with different MRF flip angle patterns and reconstructed using matrix completion and matched to the simulated dictionary, taking excitation profile and coil ringing into account. MRF relaxation times were compared to that of inversion recovery (IR) and multi-echo spin echo (MESE) experiments in phantom and in vivo. Furthermore, B 0 inhomogeneities were encoded in the MRF sequence using an alternating TE pattern, and the estimated map was used to correct for image distortions in the MRF images using a model-based reconstruction. Results Phantom relaxation times measured with an optimized MRF sequence for low field were in better agreement with reference techniques than for a standard MRF sequence. In vivo muscle relaxation times measured with MRF were longer than those obtained with an IR sequence ( T 1 : 182 ± 21.5 vs 168 ± 9.89 ms) and with an MESE sequence ( T 2 : 69.8 ± 19.7 vs 46.1 ± 9.65 ms). In vivo lipid MRF relaxation times were also longer compared with IR ( T 1 : 165 ± 15.1 ms vs 127 ± 8.28 ms) and with MESE ( T 2 : 160 ± 15.0 ms vs 124 ± 4.27 ms). Integrated ΔB 0 estimation and correction resulted in parameter maps with reduced distortions. Discussion It is possible to measure volumetric relaxation times with MRF at 2.5 × 2.5 × 3.0 mm 3 resolution in a 13 min scan time on a 50 mT permanent magnet system. The measured MRF relaxation times are longer compared to those measured with reference techniques, especially for T 2 . This discrepancy can potentially be addressed by hardware, reconstruction and sequence design, but long-term reproducibility needs to be further improved. | 3D magnetic resonance fingerprinting on a low-field 50 mT point-of-care system prototype: evaluation of muscle and lipid relaxation time mapping and comparison with standard techniques | 10.1007/s10334-023-01092-0 |
2023-07-01 | Background and aims Low-dose lanthanum [La(III)] promotes photosynthesis when applied to plant roots or leaves (i.e., by activating leaf endocytosis), but its mechanism remains unclear. After phenotypic transition from skotomorphogenesis to photomorphogenesis, plants are characterized by inhibition of hypocotyl elongation, chloroplast formation, etc. This study aimed to investigate whether low-dose La(III) could induce root endocytosis to stimulate morphogenesis and promote subsequent photosynthesis of plants. Methods Low-dose (15, 30 μmol L −1 ) La(III) acted on plant roots, and cell imaging was used to observe endocytosis and Zn(II) in root cells. Technique for metallomics was used to detect nutrient contents in root cells and MS media. Real-time photomicrography was used to measure the bending angle of apical hook during skotomorphogenesis and photomorphogenesis. Twelve photosynthesis-related parameters and two growth parameters were selected to evaluate photosynthesis and growth of plants. Results Low-dose La(III) induced endocytosis in root cells, which transported nutrients to root cells from medium. The sudden increase of nutrient contents in root cells stimulated seedling morphogenesis, i.e., the bending angle of the apical hook in skotomorphogenesis and photomorphogenesis maximally changed by 29.03% and 16.62%, accompanying inhibition of hypocotyl elongation, cotyledon opening and chloroplast formation. The accelerated morphological development further caused the maximum increase in photosynthesis by 66.67%, while total dry weight and leaf area maximally increased by 73.00% and 63.16%, respectively. Conclusion Our study clarified the mechanism by which low-dose La(III) led to a sudden increase in nutrient contents in root cells by inducing endocytosis, thereby promoting seedling photomorphogenesis, plant photosynthesis and growth. | Endocytosis of root cells induced by low-dose lanthanum(III) can promote seedling photomorphogenesis and leaf photosynthesis | 10.1007/s11104-023-05999-4 |
2023-07-01 | Shrimp paste, a type of traditional Chinese food prepared from shrimp fermented with salt, contains biogenic amines (BAs). In this study, the BA content, salinity, and pH of eight commercial low-salt shrimp pastes were analyzed. In addition, the influences of various cooking conditions on the BA content of it were evaluated by HPLC. The total BA amount per product ranged between 32.39 and 1051.16 mg/kg. The salinity and pH were found significantly inversely correlated with the total BA amount. Of the cooking methods tested, after microwave heating and stir-frying, the total BA amount of shrimp paste, which showed the highest BA amount among 8 samples, declined from 1051.16 to 598.48 and 650.49 mg/kg, respectively; however, boiling or steaming showed no significant effects on the total BA amount. These results indicated possible health risk of low-salt shrimp paste whereas the risk could be reduced by choosing appropriate cooking method. | Evaluation of the biogenic amines in low-salt shrimp paste cooked under various conditions | 10.1007/s10068-023-01246-9 |
2023-07-01 | With the acceleration of urbanization and industrialization, carbon neutrality and peak carbon dioxide emissions have become common sustainability goals worldwide. However, there are few literature statistics and econometric analyses targeting carbon neutrality and peak carbon dioxide emissions, especially the publication trends, geographic distribution, citation literature, and research hotspots. To conduct an in-depth analysis of existing research fields and future perspectives in this research area, 1615 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection, between 2010 and 2020, were evaluated by using three analysis tools, under the framework of the bibliometrics method. These publications are distributed between the start-up (2010–2015) and the stable development (2016–2020) phases. Cluster analysis suggests three areas of ongoing research: energy-related carbon emissions, methane emissions, and energy biomass. Overall, future trends in this field include cumulative carbon emissions, the residential building sector, methane emission measurement, nitrogen fertilization, land degradation neutrality, and sciamachy satellite methane measurement. Finally, this paper further examines the most comprehensive coverage of nitrogen fertilization and the most recent research of the residential building sector. In view of the statistical clusters from 1615 publications, this paper provides new insights and perspectives for climate-environment-related researchers and policymakers. Specifically, countries could apply nitrogen fertilizer to crops according to the conditions of different regions. Additionally, experiences from developed countries could be learned from, including optimizing the energy supply structure of buildings and increasing the use of clean energy to reduce CO 2 emissions from buildings. | Global evaluation of carbon neutrality and peak carbon dioxide emissions: current challenges and future outlook | 10.1007/s11356-022-19764-0 |
2023-07-01 | We study metal samples taken from two batches of hot-rolled, semi-finished steel products and two batches of grade HC340LA cold-rolled steel, annealed in bell-type furnaces, produced from transitional slabs obtained by continuous casting of the developed high-strength, low-alloy, microalloyed, auto-sheet steel microalloyed with titanium (Ti) onto steel microalloyed with niobium (Nb). Based on the results obtained, for the first time, the possibility of continuous casting of the developed high-strength, low-alloy, auto-sheet steel microalloyed with Ti onto steel microalloyed with Nb is established. It is revealed that both grade S420MS hot-rolled steel according to EN 10149 and grade HC340LA cold-rolled steel, annealed in bell-type furnaces, can be simultaneously produced from transitional slabs while meeting EN 10268 requirements with reduced costs. | Justification of the Production Technology Efficiency for High-Strength, Low-Alloy Steels with Improved Properties and Quality at Low Cost. Part 3. Production of Rolled Products from Transitional Slabs | 10.1007/s11015-023-01528-x |
2023-07-01 | The paper describes the evolution of low-field MRI from the very early pioneering days in the late 70 s until today. It is not meant to give a comprehensive historical account of the development of MRI, but rather to highlight the different research environments then and now. In the early 90 s, when low-field systems below 1.5 T essentially vanished, there were just no reasonable means available to make up for the factor of roughly three in signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) between 0.5 and 1.5 T. This has drastically changed. Improvements in hardware—closed Helium-free magnets, RF receiver systems and especially much faster gradients, much more flexible sampling schemes including parallel imaging and compressed sensing and especially the use of AI at all stages of the imaging process have made low-field MRI a clinically viable supplement to conventional MRI. Ultralow-field MRI with magnets around 0.05 T are also back and constitute a bold and courageous endeavor to bring MRI to communities, which have neither the means nor the infrastructure to sustain a current standard of care MRI. | An evolution of low-field strength MRI | 10.1007/s10334-023-01104-z |
2023-07-01 | The article outlines main stages in the development of a low emission combustor (LEC) for a GTE-110M gas turbine and the results obtained in the single-burner compartment on a test bench of full parameters. A list of necessary works for preparing tests of flame tubes on a test bench as part of a gas turbine is presented. Potential risks include the following: overheating in individual sections of the metal walls of the flame tubes, excess pressure losses on the fuel lines, deviation from the given diagram of the temperature field at the turbine inlet, lack of ignition of individual flame tubes, occurrence of pressure fluctuations with high amplitudes, etc. The ways to eliminate the risks are suggested. Crucial imported components that require replacement with domestic counterparts are considered. | Scientific Problems and Advances in Development and Investigation of GTU Combustors | 10.1007/s10749-023-01655-0 |
2023-07-01 | The employment of spin polarization under an external magnetic field holds great potential for the improvements of photocatalytic performance. However, owing to the huge difference in dielectric properties between ferromagnetic oxide and polymers, the photogenerated excitons with spin states are often limited to the ferromagnetic oxide wells, which leads to unsatisfactory activity. In this paper, a single-atom Co-doped C 3 N 4 photocatalyst is successfully synthesized for photocatalytic water splitting and simultaneous oxidation of benzylamine. Under a tiny external magnetic field (24.5 mT), the hydrogen production rate could reach at 3979.0 µmol·g −1 ·h −1 , which is about 340 times that of C 3 N 4 . Experimental results and theoretical calculations indicate that the interaction of Co d and N p orbital changes the symmetry center of C 3 N 4 , resulting in an increase in dielectric constant and spin polarization. Moreover, magnetic fields further promote parallel electron spin, and the increased number of charges with the parallel spin-down state is likely to dissociate under the action of an external magnetic field. On the other hand, the Co-N bond provides a huge built-in electric field and active site for strengthening the charge transfer and surface reaction. This work not only deepens the understanding of spin polarization, but also enriches methods to accelerate electron-hole separation. | Insights into spin polarization regulated exciton dissociation and charge separation of C3N4 for efficient hydrogen evolution and simultaneous benzylamine oxidation | 10.1007/s12274-023-5574-5 |
2023-07-01 | The objective of this research is to explore the potential of financial inclusion and low-carbon architectural design strategies as solutions to improve the thermal comfort and energy efficiency of new buildings in different architectural climate conditions. The manufacture sector, which accounts for about 40% of all yearly greenhouse gas releases, has been stimulating with trying to reduce the amount of energy it consumes and the detrimental effects it has on the climate, in accordance with the standards outlined in the 2016 Paris Agreement. In this study, panel data analysis is used to examine the connection between green property financing and carbon dioxide emissions from the building sector in one hundred and five developed and developing countries. Although this analysis finds a negative correlation among the development of environmentally friendly real estate financing and firms' worldwide carbon dioxide emissions, it finds that this correlation is most robust in developing nations. A number of these countries are experiencing an unregulated and rapid population explosion, which has boosted their demand for oil, making this discovery essential for them. The difficulty in securing green funding during this crisis is slowing and even reversing gains made in past years, making it all the more important to keep this momentum going during the COVID-19 outbreak. It's critical to keep the momentum going by doing something. | Financial inclusion and low-carbon architectural design strategies: solutions for architectural climate conditions and architectural temperature on new buildings | 10.1007/s11356-023-27594-x |
2023-07-01 | Abstract The possibility of initiation of nuclear chemical processes in the Pb cathode during a glow discharge in a low-temperature deuterium-containing nonequilibrium plasma leading to a significant (at times) decrease in the isotope content of some impurity elements (specifically, Zn) and increasing others (specifically, W, Fe, Mn, and Al). Such processes can be understood by introducing the existence in nuclear matter of metastable non-nucleon excitations of internal shaking ( isu -states) formed by initiating actions on the nuclei of electrons with high (on chemical scales) kinetic energy E e ~ 3–5 eV. | Initiation of Artificial Radioactivity of Impurity Elements in a Lead Cathode under Conditions of a Glow Discharge | 10.1134/S0036024423070282 |
2023-07-01 | The effect of soil drought in the initial stages of stress development was shown not to cause significant destruction of photosynthetic membranes of barley plant leaves, as evidenced by the absence of disturbances in the photochemical activity of photosystems (PSs) 1 and 2. A moisture deficiency in the soil causes activation of the adaptation mechanism, which consists of the redistribution of energy between PSs, which minimizes the photodamage. Non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence, which is to a greater extent its regulated component, was found to be significantly reduced in barley plant leaves during drought. This was potentially dangerous because the chloroplasts of such plants would be vulnerable to photooxidative stress under prolonged stress. Suppression of controlled energy dissipation in the photosynthetic membrane during drought may be the limiting factor determining the resistance of barley plants to such stress. | Spectral Characteristics of Barley Leaves During Adaptation of the Photosynthetic Apparatus to Drought | 10.1007/s10812-023-01575-x |
2023-07-01 | Ginger is an important perennial herb used for many purposes that has become a major spice crop across Ethiopia. Its production has been challenged primarily due to bacterial wilt disease eruption since 2012. The use of disease-free tissue culture generated seed rhizome as part of integrated management was considered as the best option to reduce this problem. However, attempts to produce large amounts of tissue culture plantlets were challenged by the lack of the major nitrogen source, ammonium nitrate. Hence, an experiment was designed to select potential alternative sources of nitrogen as a replacement of ammonium nitrate. The study evaluated three nitrogen salts at different levels in MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l BAP and 1.0 mg/l Kinetin using ginger variety Boziab. A significant, highest mean shoot number was achieved with 1.0 g/l NH 4 Cl, followed by 3.8 g/l KNO 3 , and 3 g/l urea, with 9.33, 7.33 and 7.00 mean number of shoots, respectively. Shoot growth, rooting and survival after acclimatization were affected negatively at higher levels of NH 4 Cl. The highest mean number of roots (19) was observed on a medium containing 1.0 g/l NH 4 Cl, followed by control MS media (16). Survival after acclimatization was 98% for plants derived from medium containing 4.5 and 3.8 g/l urea and KNO 3 , respectively, and 95% for plants from medium containing 1.0 g/l NH 4 Cl. These findings indicate that low cost salts can be alternative potential sources of nitrogen to enhance large scale disease free ginger production in Ethiopia. Ginger plantlets were successfully regenerated in ammonium nitrate replaced MS media. This is the first report on ginger using low-cost ammonium chloride and urea replacing ammonium nitrate as nitrogen source. | Replacement of ammonium nitrate by alternative nitrogen sources in MS medium to enhance ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) in vitro regeneration | 10.1007/s11240-023-02513-7 |
2023-07-01 | Process monitoring is essential to enable process parameter optimization, deformation prediction, and fault diagnosis in robotic milling. However, expensive costs and installation requirements limit the use of industrial sensors in machining process. This paper proposed a sensorless method to predict force-induced deformation and surface waviness. First, the tracking errors of tooltip was calculated based on the robot joint tracking errors and the robot kinematic model. Subsequently, the idle running and cutting process signals monitored by the robot controller were used to calculate the cutting force acting on tooltip based on Kalman filter and robot static model. On this base, the force-induced deformation, considering the posture error of the robot flange coordinate system, was calculated using the estimated milling force and the flexible model. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method was verified by a series of cutting experiments. | A sensorless method for predicting force-induced deformation and surface waviness in robotic milling | 10.1007/s00170-023-11559-y |
2023-07-01 | Several studies have assessed the influence of several often-ignored environmental factors on low back pain (LBP), but the effects of environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure on LBP are unclear. During the 2001–2004 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), our study was given to a representative sample of US participants older than 20 ( N = 2743). Environmental PAH exposure was calculated using urinary PAH metabolite concentrations. Weighted logistic regression was performed to assess the connection between PAH levels and LBP, with mediation analysis utilised to explore the underlying mechanism. Levels of 1-hydroxynaphthalene (1-OHNa), 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-OHNa) and total PAHs had a statistically significant positive association with LBP. The odds ratios per 1-unit increase for log-transformed levels of urinary 1-OHNa, 2-OHNa, and total PAHs with LBP were 1.01 (95% CI 1.02–1.19), 1.19 (95% CI 1.04–1.36) and 1.16 (95% CI 1.03–1.32), respectively. The results revealed a strong dose–response association between 1-OHNa, 2-OHNa, total PAHs, and LBP risk. Subgroup analysis indicated that 2&3-OHPh may increase the risk of LBP in the lower family income subgroup. Gamma-glutamyl transaminase (GGT), known as a biomarker of oxidative stress, was strongly related to PAHs. The relationship between total PAHs and LBP was mediated in part by GGT. Our study demonstrates associations between environmental PAH exposure and LBP that need more research to determine the precise effects of various PAH compounds on LBP. | Environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure is associated with low back pain | 10.1007/s10653-023-01567-y |
2023-07-01 | Testing of the reagent method of water treatment with the use of corrosion control devices was performed at the district boiler house of Kyiv city. Corrosion rate probes were installed on the straight and return pipelines of the heating network, and on the feed line. The anti-scale efficiency of the reagent was determined by measuring the change in the hardness of water before and after the heating equipment. Corrosion monitoring showed that the corrosion rate in the heating network is maintained at 0.1 mm/year. The corrosion rate on the feed line due to reagent water treatment was reduced to 0.03 mm/year in non-deaerated water. The calculation of economic efficiency has shown that the reagent method of water treatment for heating networks is by 13% cheaper than traditional approach and can serve as an alternative to the traditional one, especially regarding energy conservation. | Use of Corrosion Control Device to Control Reagent Water Treatment of Heating Networks | 10.1007/s11003-023-00745-8 |
2023-07-01 | The kinetics of localized deformation has been studied in a low-carbon steel/austenitic stainless steel composite produced by electron beam additive manufacturing. It is shown that the stress-strain curve of the bimetal is described by a parabolic law. Plastic deformation in all composite layers is localized according to the curve stages. First, a stationary dissipative system of localized plasticity foci is formed at the parabolic hardening stage with n = 0.5. At n ≤ 0.5, a high-amplitude deformation zone is observed in the transition layer, where a fracture eventually occurs in the specimen. | Study of Local Deformation in an Additively Manufactured Steel Composite | 10.1007/s11182-023-02940-1 |
2023-07-01 | Purpose Decarbonizing the heavy-duty truck (HDT) sector is a climate imperative but also a challenging element to meet China’s carbon reduction commitment. Various technological and non-technological measures are emerging. However, a comprehensive understanding is still lacking regarding the extent to which these measures can decarbonize the HDT fleet. This study aims to provide a systematic assessment of near and long-term strategies toward decarbonizing the road freight sector in China from a well-to-wheels (WTW) life cycle perspective. Methods A fleet-based dynamic model is developed to estimate the prospective greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of China’s HDT sector from 2020 to 2050. The case study considers the overall WTW life cycle GHG emissions including the fuel and energy production, distribution, and the use for vehicle operation. Relative to a base case scenario, four mitigation options are investigated: improvements in freight logistics, internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) efficiency improvements, adoption of advanced hybrid technology, and the use of alternative fuel types. The study quantifies the potential emission reduction and energy demand by deploying these measures synergistically through 2050. The implications of upstream fuel production pathways to the fleet GHG emissions are examined. Results and discussion The annual GHG emissions of China’s HDT fleet are projected to nearly double from 2020 to 2050 if no abatement technologies are implemented. Cumulative deployments of considered measures will enable the net GHG emissions to peak in 2029 and result in more than 60% emission reduction in 2050. Improving conventional vehicles through ICEV efficiency improvement and hybridization, complemented by improved logistics operations, presents important near-term opportunities to moderate the rise in GHG emissions. Meanwhile, the growing penetrations of battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks, coupled with sufficient access to lower-carbon sources, could facilitate deeper reductions in emissions in the longer term. Furthermore, low carbon synthetic fuel offers an opportunity to accelerate the decarbonization of older trucks still existing within the fleet. Conclusions There is no silver bullet to decarbonize the HDTs, whereby, on its own, each measure is inadequate to fully mitigate emissions from China’s growing freight sector. A broad mix of energy, powertrain technologies, and logistical solutions is needed to support an orderly low carbon transition for China’s HDT sector. This will require a more holistic regulatory framework, such as life cycle assessment approaches, to encourage innovations of all technologies for a sustainable freight transport future. | Assessing decarbonization pathways of China’s heavy-duty trucks in a well-to-wheels perspective | 10.1007/s11367-022-02124-y |
2023-07-01 | Objective Speech production MRI benefits from lower magnetic fields due to reduced off-resonance effects at air-tissue interfaces and from the use of dedicated receiver coils due to higher SNR and parallel imaging capability. Here we present a custom designed upper airway coil for 1 H imaging at 0.55 Tesla and evaluate its performance in comparison with a vendor-provided prototype 16-channel head/neck coil. Materials and methods Four adult volunteers were scanned with both custom speech and prototype head–neck coils. We evaluated SNR gains of each of the coils over eleven upper airway volumes-of-interest measured relative to the integrated body coil. We evaluated parallel imaging performance of both coils by computing g-factors for SENSE reconstruction of uniform and variable density Cartesian sampling schemes with R = 2, 3, and 4. Results The dedicated coil shows approximately 3.5-fold SNR efficiency compared to the head–neck coil. For R = 2 and 3, both uniform and variable density samplings have g-factor values below 1.1 in the upper airway region. For R = 4, g-factor values are higher for both trajectories. Discussion The dedicated coil configuration allows for a significant SNR gain over the head–neck coil in the articulators. This, along with favorable g values, makes the coil useful in speech production MRI. | Evaluation of a novel 8-channel RX coil for speech production MRI at 0.55 T | 10.1007/s10334-022-01036-0 |
2023-07-01 | Hypoxic mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been suggested as a promising therapy for various diseases. This study aims to determine the effect of EVs derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) under hypoxia on lower limb ischemia and the underlying mechanism. Human BMMSCs were subjected to hypoxia or normoxia followed by the isolation of EVs. Nanoparticle trafficking analysis (NTA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Western Blotting using corresponding markers were performed to confirm the EVs. The EVs from BMMSCs under hypoxia condition (Hyp-EVs) or normoxia condition (Nor-EVs) were subjected to hindlimb ischemia (HI) mice. MiR-34c expression in BMMSCs and BMMSC-EVs was detected. The role of miR-34c in regulating M2 macrophage polarization, as well as the target of miR-34c, were explored. HI mice with Hyp-EV treatment, as compared to the Nor-EV or the PBS group, had better blood flow and higher capillary density. MiR-34c expression was increased in BMMSCs, BMMSC-EVs, and the adductor muscle of HI mice. Hyp-EVs promoted the M2 macrophage polarization and anti-inflammatory cytokine production, and enhanced the blood flow and capillary density in HI mice, while the knockdown of miR-34c partly reversed these effects. PTEN is a target of miR-34c, and the PTEN silencing facilitated M2 macrophage polarization, whereas the inhibition of AKT signaling partly abolished the effect. Hyp-EVs promoted M2 macrophage polarization by delivering miR-34c via PTEN/AKT pathway, which could be a promising therapeutic strategy to ameliorate lower limb ischemia. | Extracellular vesicles derived from hypoxia-preconditioned bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate lower limb ischemia by delivering miR-34c | 10.1007/s11010-023-04666-7 |
2023-07-01 | Abstract Theoretical aspects of low-carbon steel corrosion in H 3 PO 4 solutions containing FePO 4 are considered. In the system under study, reactions of iron with the acid solution and Fe(III) salt are thermodynamically allowed. The oxidizing power of this medium, characterized by the Fe(III)/Fe(II) couple redox potential, is mainly determined by its anionic composition. Phosphate anions of a corrosive medium bind Fe(III) cations into complex compounds, reducing their oxidizing ability. In H 3 PO 4 solutions containing FePO 4 and Fe 3 (PO 4 ) 2 , the dependence of the system’s redox potential on the Fe(III) and Fe(II) cation relative content is poorly described by the Nernst equation, which is due to the nonequivalent complex formation of these cations with phosphate anions. Analysis of the effect of the studied media convection on the low-carbon steel electrode reactions allowed revealing some of their features. In a FePO 4 -containing H 3 PO 4 solution, kinetically controlled partial reactions of iron anodic ionization and H + cathodic reduction, as well as diffusion-controlled Fe(III) cation cathodic reduction, occur on the steel. The FePO 4 accelerating effect on the steel corrosion in H 3 PO 4 solution is due only to the Fe(III) reduction but does not affect the H + reduction and the iron ionization. The value of the Fe(III)-cation diffusion coefficient in the studied corrosive medium was experimentally determined from the data of cyclic voltammetry of the Pt electrode therein and the results of the studying of the cathodic reaction of a steel disk electrode at different rotation velocities. The data on the low-carbon steel corrosion in the flow of the studied media, obtained from the metal samples mass loss, are in full agreement with the results of the study of the electrode partial reactions. An accelerating effect of FePO 4 on the steel corrosion in H 3 PO 4 solutions is observed. In this environment, steel corrosion is determined by the convective factor, which is typical of processes with diffusion control. The empirical dependence of the steel corrosion rate on the medium flow intensity is described by the linear dependence k = k st + λ w 1/2 , where k st is the steel corrosion rate in a static medium, w is the rotation velocity of the propeller stirrer that creates the medium flow, λ is the empirical coefficient. | Corrosion of Low-Carbon Steel in a Flow of Phosphoric Acid Solution Containing Iron(III) Phosphate | 10.1134/S1023193523070030 |
2023-07-01 | Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are a type of adult mesenchymal stem cell that show a repair effect on ischemic tissues owing to their capacity for endothelial differentiation. MicroRNA-221/222 (miR-221/222) has been extensively studied in endothelial cells (ECs). However, the mechanism that regulates ADSCs differentiation into ECs remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of miR-221/222-overexpression/silence in ADSCs on endothelial differentiation by constructing lentiviral vectors. Differentiation capacity was assessed by measuring the expression of endothelial markers (CD31, CD34, and CD144). In addition, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake and tube-like formation were performed for evaluation of functional characterization. The PTEN/PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway was investigated using western blotting to clarify the action mechanism of this gene. The revascularization of miR-221/222-transfeted ADSCs was further verified in a rat hind limb ischemia model. The results confirmed that transfection with miR-221/222 promoted the expression of endothelial markers, LDL uptake, and tube-like formation. As expected, the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was effectively activated when ADSCs showed high expression of miR-221/222 during endothelial differentiation. Furthermore, injection of miR-221/222 transfected ADSCs significantly improved rat hindlimb ischemia, as evidenced by increased blood flow and structural integrity and reduce inflammatory infiltration. The results of this study suggest that miR-221/222 is essential for endothelial differentiation of ADSCs and provides a novel strategy for modulating vascular formation and ischemic tissue regeneration. Graphical Abstract | miR-221/222 Promote Endothelial Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells by Regulation of PTEN/PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway | 10.1007/s12010-023-04335-x |
2023-07-01 | The growing number of overweight and obese individuals is a serious medical and social problem. On the one side, calories are important for our survival and well-being, providing structural blocks and energy sources to the organism; hence, on the other side, tasty calories can be easily overused and exceed the body's energy needs, leading to rapid weight gain and obesity. For energy homeostasis, a balance has to be established between consumed calories and energy expenditure. We designed an experiment to establish a conditioned association between calorie-rich food and aversive stimulus to test if the food choice will be affected. Three months prior to the experiments, we subdivided animals into calorie-rich and low-calorie groups. In the first part of the experiment as the aversive stimulus, an electric shock was applied on the basis of the learned helplessness chamber with minor alterations. Along with calorie-rich food, we aimed to establish an aversive association with the color of the chamber. For the second part of the experiment, we tested the food and color choice of shock-exposed and shock-free animals on a calorie-rich and low-calorie diet. There are diet-based differences in food-associated avoidance behaviors and similar behaviors in color-associated avoidance. Animals prefer familiar food, hence there are differences in the amount of consumption. Animals on calorie-rich diets are more prone to depressive-like states. Acquiring rewards and avoiding aversive stimuli have a vital role in shaping responses to environmental factors such as danger, and novelty, as well as for adaptation, emotional status, and cognition. | Diet-based avoidance implications in rats in the conditional association with aversive stimuli | 10.1007/s11055-023-01443-3 |
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