bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Slc25a39 and Slc25a40 Expression in Mice with Bile Duct Ligation or Lipopolysaccharide Treatment
Authors: Kawase Atsushi , Hatanaka Momoko , Matsuda Naoya , Shimada Hiroaki , Iwaki Masahiro
Published: August 2022

SLC25A39/40, involved in mitochondrial GSH (mGSH) import from the cytoplasm, is essential for protection against oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. We examined the effects of cholestasis, through bile duct ligation (BDL) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in mice, on Slc25a39/40 expression. Additionally, we used human clear cell renal carcinoma (KMRC-1) cells to elucidate the mechanism of regulation of SLC25A39/40 expression in the kidneys after LPS treatment. BDL resulted in a decrease in Slc25a39 mRNA in the liver and a decrease in Slc25a39/40 mRNA and protein in the kidneys. Consequently, there was a significant decrease in mGSH levels in the kidneys of BDL mice compared with those in sham mice. LPS treatment resulted in increased Slc25a40 expression in the kidneys. In KMRC-1 cells, the combination treatment of LPS-RS or FPS-ZM1 with LPS suppressed the LPS-induced increase in SLC25A40, suggesting that SLC25A40 expression could be regulated by the signaling pathway via toll-like receptor 4 and the receptor for advanced glycation end products, respectively. Our findings contribute to understanding the role of mGSH in the maintenance of the mitochondrial redox state. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates the changes in Slc25a39/40 expression in mice with cholestasis-associated renal injury and LPS-induced inflammation.
Vitamin D Signaling in Psoriasis: Pathogenesis and Therapy
Authors: Brożyna Anna A. , Slominski Radomir M. , Nedoszytko Bogusław , Zmijewski Michal A. , Slominski Andrzej T.
Published: August 2022

Psoriasis is a systemic, chronic, immune-mediated disease that affects approximately 2–3% of the world’s population. The etiology and pathophysiology of psoriasis are still unknown, but the activation of the adaptive immune system with the main role of T-cells is key in psoriasis pathogenesis. The modulation of the local neuroendocrine system with the downregulation of pro-inflammatory and the upregulation of anti-inflammatory messengers represent a promising adjuvant treatment in psoriasis therapies. Vitamin D receptors and vitamin D-mediated signaling pathways function in the skin and are essential in maintaining the skin homeostasis. The active forms of vitamin D act as powerful immunomodulators of clinical response in psoriatic patients and represent the effective and safe adjuvant treatments for psoriasis, even when high doses of vitamin D are administered. The phototherapy of psoriasis, especially UVB-based, changes the serum level of 25(OH)D, but the correlation of 25(OH)D changes and psoriasis improvement need more clinical trials, since contradictory data have been published. Vitamin D derivatives can improve the efficacy of psoriasis phototherapy without inducing adverse side effects. The anti-psoriatic treatment could include non-calcemic CYP11A1-derived vitamin D hydroxyderivatives that would act on the VDR or as inverse agonists on RORs or activate alternative nuclear receptors including AhR and LXRs. In conclusion, vitamin D signaling can play an important role in the natural history of psoriasis. Selective targeting of proper nuclear receptors could represent potential treatment options in psoriasis.
Increased Expression of Alpha-, Beta-, and Gamma-Synucleins in Brainstem Regions of a Non-Human Primate Model of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Duperrier Sandra , Bortolozzi Analia , Sgambato Véronique
Published: August 2022

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by cell loss in the substantia nigra and the presence of alpha-synuclein (α-syn)-containing neuronal Lewy bodies. While α-syn has received major interest in the pathogenesis of PD, the function of beta- and gamma-synucleins (β-syn and γ-syn, respectively) is not really known. Yet, these proteins are members of the same family and also concentrated in neuronal terminals. The current preclinical study investigated the expression levels of α-, β-, and γ-synucleins in brainstem regions involved in PD physiopathology. We analyzed synuclein expression in the substantia nigra, raphe nuclei, pedunculopontine nucleus, and locus coeruleus from control and parkinsonian (by MPTP) macaques. MPTP-intoxicated monkeys developed a more or less severe parkinsonian score and were sacrificed after a variable post-MPTP period ranging from 1 to 20 months. The expression of the three synucleins was increased in the substantia nigra after MPTP, and this increase correlates positively, although not very strongly, with cell loss and motor score and not with the time elapsed after intoxication. In the dorsal raphe nucleus, the expression of the three synucleins was also increased, but only α- and γ-Syn are linked to the motor score and associated cell loss. Finally, although no change in synuclein expression was demonstrated in the locus coeruleus after MPTP, we found increased expression levels of γ-Syn, which are only correlated with cell loss in the pedunculopontine nucleus. Altogether, our data suggest that these proteins may play a key role in brainstem regions and mesencephalic tegmentum. Given the involvement of these brain regions in non-motor symptoms of PD, these data also strengthen the relevance of the MPTP macaque model of PD, which exhibits pathological changes beyond nigral DA cell loss and α-synucleinopathy.
Cellular Redox Metabolism Is Modulated by the Distinct Localization of Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase 5A Isoforms
Authors: Cardarelli Silvia , Miele Adriana Erica , Campolo Federica , Massimi Mara , Mancini Patrizia , Biagioni Stefano , Naro Fabio , Giorgi Mauro , Saliola Michele
Published: August 2022

3′-5′ cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are a family of evolutionarily conserved cAMP and/or cGMP hydrolyzing enzymes, components of transduction pathways regulating crucial aspects of cell life. Among them, cGMP-specific PDE5—being a regulator of vascular smooth muscle contraction—is the molecular target of several drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. Production of full-length murine PDE5A isoforms in the milk-yeast Kluyveromyces lactis showed that the quaternary assembly of MmPDE5A1 is a mixture of dimers and tetramers, while MmPDE5A2 and MmPDE5A3 only assembled as dimers. We showed that the N-terminal peptide is responsible for the tetramer assembly of MmPDE5A1, while that of the MmPDE5A2 is responsible for its mitochondrial localization. Overexpression of the three isoforms alters at different levels the cAMP/cGMP equilibrium as well as the NAD(P)+/NAD(P)H balance and induces a metabolic switch from oxidative to fermentative. In particular, the mitochondrial localization of MmPDE5A2 unveiled the existence of a cAMP-cGMP signaling cascade in this organelle, for which we propose a metabolic model that could explain the role of PDE5 in some cardiomyopathies and some of the side effects of its inhibitors.
Computationally Efficient Context-Free Named Entity Disambiguation with Wikipedia
Authors: Simos Michael Angelos , Makris Christos
Published: August 2022

The induction of the semantics of unstructured text corpora is a crucial task for modern natural language processing and artificial intelligence applications. The Named Entity Disambiguation task comprises the extraction of Named Entities and their linking to an appropriate representation from a concept ontology based on the available information. This work introduces novel methodologies, leveraging domain knowledge extraction from Wikipedia in a simple yet highly effective approach. In addition, we introduce a fuzzy logic model with a strong focus on computational efficiency. We also present a new measure, decisive in both methods for the entity linking selection and the quantification of the confidence of the produced entity links, namely the relative commonness measure. The experimental results of our approach on established datasets revealed state-of-the-art accuracy and run-time performance in the domain of fast, context-free Wikification, by relying on an offline pre-processing stage on the corpus of Wikipedia. The methods introduced can be leveraged as stand-alone NED methodologies, propitious for applications on mobile devices, or in the context of vastly reducing the complexity of deep neural network approaches as a first context-free layer.
Q4EDA: A Novel Strategy for Textual Information Retrieval Based on User Interactions with Visual Representations of Time Series
Authors: Christino Leonardo , Ferreira Martha D. , Paulovich Fernando V.
Published: August 2022

Knowing how to construct text-based Search Queries (SQs) for use in Search Engines (SEs) such as Google or Wikipedia has become a fundamental skill. Though much data are available through such SEs, most structured datasets live outside their scope. Visualization tools aid in this limitation, but no such tools come close to the sheer amount of information available through general-purpose SEs. To fill this gap, this paper presents Q4EDA, a novel framework that converts users’ visual selection queries executed on top of time series visual representations, providing valid and stable SQs to be used in general-purpose SEs and suggestions of related information. The usefulness of Q4EDA is presented and validated by users through an application linking a Gapminder’s line-chart replica with a SE populated with Wikipedia documents, showing how Q4EDA supports and enhances exploratory analysis of United Nations world indicators. Despite some limitations, Q4EDA is unique in its proposal and represents a real advance towards providing solutions for querying textual information based on user interactions with visual representations.
Initiation of Infrasonic Geosphere Waves Caused by Explosive Eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai Volcano
Authors: Dolgikh Grigory , Dolgikh Stanislav , Ovcharenko Vladimir
Published: August 2022

The paper presents the results of processing recordings of abnormal signals, which originated during the eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano, and were registered by a laser nanobarograph and two laser strainmeters; there were three meters of sea-level variations, located in the Sea of Japan, and twelve meters of sea-level variations, located in the Pacific Ocean. Acoustic-gravity Lamb waves, generated in the atmosphere, caused disturbances of similar periods in the Earth’s crust, which were registered by laser strainmeters. Atmospheric impulse and Lamb waves during their propagation over the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan initiated meteorological tsunamis in their waters, at periods corresponding to the seiches (Eigen oscillations) of registration stations’ location areas. In the records of all sea wave recorders, we did not find signs of a classical tsunami origination, and in the records of laser strainmeters, we did not find signals corresponding to seabed displacements at the point of the volcano explosion that led to the formation of a classical tsunami.
Investigation of the Gamma-ray Shielding Performance of CuO-CdO-Bi2O3 Bentonite Ceramics
Authors: Al-Ghamdi Hanan , Elsafi Mohamed , Almuqrin Aljawhara H. , Yasmin Sabina , Sayyed M. I.
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this research is to identify the radiation shielding capability of ceramics adding CuO, CdO, and Bi2O3 with diverse wt (%). The chemical compositions of the raw ceramics were documented through Energy Dispersive X-ray “EDX” techniques. For aesthetic appeal and solidification, CuO has been chosen to be added to ceramic. Moreover, in the interest of increasing the radiation shielding ability, the high atomic number and density of both CdO and Bi2O3 were suggested for the raw ceramics. To obtain the morphological features of the prepared ceramic samples, a Scanning Electron Microscope, or SEM, was utilized. To verify the experimental results, the MCA value obtained from the Phy-X software was compared to the experimental value collected from the HPGe detector. At energies 0.06 MeV, 0.662 MeV, 1.173 MeV, and 1.333 MeV the linear and mass attenuation coefficients of the prepared ceramics have been measured using a high purity germanium “HPGe” detector as well as three different point sources. Moreover, the relationship between ln(I) and the thickness of the ceramics has been presented here, and the comparison between the LAC of the prepared ceramics with other materials has also been displayed. Bentonite ceramic containing CuO (15 mol %)-CdO (15 mol %)-Bi2O3 (20 mol %) with density 3.6 showed the lowest HVL, MFP, and TVL at all studied energies, yet pure Bentonite ceramic containing only CuO (50 mol %), having density 3.4, presented the greatest values. Hence, it can be concluded that the addition of CdO and Bi2O3 enhances the radiation shielding ability.
Archaeometric Characterization of the Industrial Production of Porcelains in the Vieillard & Co. Manufactory (Bordeaux, France, 19th Century)
Authors: Beauvoit Emmie , Cantin Nadia , Lemasson Quentin , Chapoulie Rémy , Ben Amara Ayed
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we focus on the industrial production of porcelain in the Bordeaux area (France) in the 19th century. Our main objective is to assess the evolution of production technology of the same manufactory over a period of more than 40 years. A multi-analytical approach was used to investigate glazes and bodies of thirty-four sherds of biscuit and porcelain found in an archaeological context. The microstructural, chemical, and mineralogical characterization was performed using a combination of scanning electron microscopy, coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), particles induced X-ray and gamma emission (PIXE-PIGE), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results obtained on the characterization of the ceramic production technologies and on the chemical modification over time contributes to investigate this industrial production, which is not well documented by the written archives. The examination of the biscuits, rare artifacts, showed that the porcelain bodies were produced by mixing kaolinitic clays, quartz, and potassium feldspars. The mineralogical analysis of the ceramic supports allowed hypotheses to be put forward on the temperatures of the biscuit firing (around 950 °C) and the second firing (over 1200 °C). Furthermore, the treatment of the compositional data, including both glazes and bodies, using multivariate statistical analysis, revealed different types of production corresponding to the different chronological periods of production at Bordeaux throughout the 19th century. These results will enable us to consider the possibility of authenticating non-stamped and undecorated pieces.
A Workability Characterization of Innovative Rubber Concrete as a Grouting Material
Authors: Lu Yi , Li Cong , Zhang Xiaoyu , Huang Xiangyun , Zhao Zhongyin
Published: August 2022

The aim of this study is to assess the workability of an innovative rubber concrete to fill in the gaps in a shield tunnel construction. This grouting material includes porous sand, PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) fiber, cement, and rubber. One advantage of the material is its high toughness, which is good for the postfailure stage of an earthquake event. Evaluations were carried out on the physical properties in terms of the slurry density, consistency, fluidity, bleeding rate, consolidation shrinkage rate, setting time, and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) (i.e., 3 and 28 days). The toughness index was also introduced to evaluate the performance at the postfailure stage. The results demonstrate that the toughness index will increase as the rubber content increases. It increases from 1.0 at 0% to 1.7 at 80% rubber content (28 days’ curing) and from 1.2 at 0% to 2.2 at 80% rubber content (3 days’ curing). The increase in fiber content and fiber length will also increase the toughness index as the fiber will enhance the tensile strength of the matrix. The results show that when the fiber content increases from 0% to 1%, the toughness index increases from 1 to 7 (28 days’ curing) and from 1.1 to 10 (3 days’ curing). Similarly, if the fiber content or fiber length is above the optimum level, the UCS of the material will be compromised. The optimum fiber content is 0.8%, and the optimum fiber length is 6 mm to 9 mm. This study suggests that the balance of physical properties should be considered in designing a satisfactory grouting material based on the specific purpose of the engineering practice.
Research on Bending Performance of Three-Dimensional Deep Angle Interlock Kevlar/EP Armor Material
Authors: Zheng Jianhua , Zhong Lin , Chen Hongxia , Huang Xiaomei , Cao Haijian
Published: August 2022

Three-dimensional (3D) woven composites have attracted much attention in the lightweight research of protective armor due to their high specific strength and good impact resistance. However, there are still many gaps in terms of the performance and influencing factors of three-dimensional deep-angle-interlock (3DDAI) Kevlar/EP armor materials. Therefore, in order to prepare 3DDAI Kevlar/EP armor materials with excellent ballistic resistance and mechanical properties, this paper studies the bending performance of 3DDAI Kevlar/EP armor materials and the influence of the number of stacking layers, resin content, laying method, and weft density. Finally, we compare it with the traditional two-dimensional (2D) plain laminated Kevlar/EP armor material. The results showed that when the 3DDAI Kevlar/EP armor material was subjected to bending load, the upper and bottom layers of the material had a great influence on the initial stiffness and fracture strength of the material, respectively; when the material’s warp and weft density are quite different, the utilization rate of the yarn and the strength of the material are negatively affected; the fracture energy of the 3DDAI Kevlar/EP armor material prepared by the orthogonal laying method was about 20% higher than that of the 3DDAI Kevlar/EP armor material with the unidirectional layering method; and the bending performance of the 3DDAI Kevlar/EP armor material in the weft direction was better than that of the 2D plain laminated Kevlar/EP armor material, with the 3DDAI Kevlar/EP armor material having better delamination resistance. The research results will lay the foundation for structural optimization and engineering applications of such materials.
Study of Microstructural Morphology of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy by Crystallographic Analysis and Phase Field Simulation
Authors: Xiang Hao , Van Paepegem Wim , Kestens Leo A. I.
Published: August 2022

Formation of a habit plane during martensitic transformation is related to an invariant plane strain transformation, which involves dislocation glide and twins. In the current work, the Phenomenological Theory of Martensitic Transformation (PTMT) is employed to study the crystallographic features while the phase field simulation is used to study the microstructure evolution for martensitic transformation of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Results show that mechanical constraints play a key role in the microstructure evolution. It is shown that a twinned structure with very small twinned variants is geometrically difficult to form due to the lattice parameters of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. It is concluded that the predicted habit plane from the PTMT is consistent with results of the micro-elastic theory. The formation of a triangular morphology is favored geometrically and elastically.
Synthesis and Characterization of the Metal–Organic Framework CIM-80 for Organic Compounds Adsorption
Authors: Figueroa-Quintero Leidy , Ramos-Fernandez Enrique Vicente , Narciso Javier
Published: August 2022

Metal–organic frameworks (MOF) are a new type of porous materials that have great potential for adsorption of voltaic organic compounds (VOCs). These types of materials composed of metal ions and organic ligands are easy to synthesize, have high surface areas, their surface chemistry can be adjusted to the desired application, and they can also have good chemical and thermal stability. Therefore, this work focuses on the synthesis of a highly hydrophobic MOF material called CIM-80, a porous material that is made up of the Al3+ cation and the mesaconate linker. This MOF has a B.E.T. of approximately 800 m2/g and has potential applications for the adsorption of hydrophobic organic compounds. However, its synthesis is expensive and very dirty. Therefore, we have studied the synthesis conditions necessary to achieve high synthesis yields (85%) and materials with high crystallinity and accessible porosity. To achieve these results, we have used urea as a mild deprotonation reagent and modulator as an alternative to NaOH, which is traditionally used for the synthesis of this MOF. Once the synthesis of this material was controlled, its adsorption/desorption behavior of water and organic compounds such as toluene, cyclohexane and m-xylene was studied by means of vapor adsorption isotherms. The results show the hydrophobic character of the material and the greater affinity the material has toward aliphatic compounds than toward aromatic ones, with toluene being the most adsorbed compound, followed by cyclohexane and m-xylene.
Electrical and Structural Characterization of Few-Layer Graphene Sheets on Quartz
Authors: Aimaganbetov Kazybek , Almas Nurlan , Kurbanova Bayan , Muratov Dauren , Serikkanov Abay , Insepov Zinetula , Tokmoldin Nurlan
Published: August 2022

Despite the impressive performance and incredible promise for a variety of applications, the wide-scale commercialization of graphene is still behind its full potential. One of the main challenges is related to preserving graphene’s unique properties upon transfer onto practically desirable substrates. In this work, few-layer graphene sheets deposited via liquid-phase transfer from copper onto a quartz substrate have been studied using a suite of experimental techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, admittance spectroscopy, and four-point probe electrical measurements. SEM measurements suggest that the transfer of graphene from copper foil to quartz using the aqueous solution of ammonium persulfate was accompanied by unintentional etching of the entire surface of the quartz substrate and, as a result, the formation of microscopic facet structures covering the etched surface of the substrate. As revealed by Raman spectroscopy and the electrical measurements, the transfer process involving the etching of the copper foil in a 0.1 M solution of (NH4)2S2O8 resulted in its p-type doping. This was accompanied by the appearance of an electronic gap of 0.022 eV, as evidenced by the Arrhenius analysis. The observed increase in the conductance of the samples with temperature can be explained by thermally activated carrier transport, dominating the scattering processes.
Stable Numerical Identification of Sources in Non-Homogeneous Media
Authors: Conde Mones José Julio , Hernández Gracidas Carlos Arturo , Morín Castillo María Monserrat , Oliveros Oliveros José Jacobo , Juárez Valencia Lorenzo Héctor
Published: August 2022

In this work, we present a numerical algorithm to solve the inverse problem of volumetric sources from measurements on the boundary of a non-homogeneous conductive medium, which is made of conductive layers with constant conductivity in each layer. This inverse problem is ill-posed since there is more than one source that can generate the same measurement. Furthermore, the ill-posedness is due to the fact that small variations (or errors) in the measurement (input data) can produce substantial variations in the identified source location. We propose two steps to solve this inverse problem in some classes of sources: we first recover the harmonic part of the volumetric source, and, in a second step, we compute the non-harmonic part of the source. For the reconstruction of the harmonic part of the source, we follow a variational approach based on the reformulation of the inverse problem as a distributed control problem, for which the cost function incorporates a penalized term with the input data on the boundary. This cost function is minimized by a conjugate gradient algorithm in combination with a finite element discretization. We recover the non-harmonic component of the source using a priori information and an iterative algorithm for some particular classes of sources. To validate the numerical methodology, we develop synthetic examples both in circular (simple) and irregular (complex) regions. The numerical results show that the proposed methodology allows to recover the complete source and produce stable and accurate numerical solutions.
Dynamic Scheduling of Intelligent Group Maintenance Planning under Usage Availability Constraint
Authors: Chen Yi , Ma Xiaobing , Wei Fanping , Yang Li , Qiu Qingan
Published: August 2022

Maintenance, particularly preventive maintenance, is a crucial measure to ensure the operational reliability, availability, and profitability of complex industrial systems such as nuclear asset, wind turbines, railway trains, etc. Powered by the continuous advancement of sensor technology, condition-based group maintenance has become available to enhance the execution efficiency and accuracy of maintenance plans. The majority of existing group maintenance plans are static, which require the prescheduling of maintenance sequences within fixed windows and, thus, cannot fully utilize real-time health information to ensure decision-making responsiveness. To address this problem, this paper proposes an intelligent group maintenance framework that is capable of dynamically and iteratively updating all component health information. A two-stage analytical maintenance model was formulated to capture the comprehensive impact of scheduled maintenance and opportunistic maintenance through failure analyses of both degradation and lifetime components. The penalty functions for advancing or postponing maintenance were calculated based on the real-time state and age information of each component in arbitrary groups, and the subsequent grouping of the time and sequence of components to be repaired were iteratively updated. A lifetime maintenance cost model was formulated and optimized under a usage availability constraint through the sequential dynamic programming of group sequences. Numerical experiments demonstrated the superior performance of the proposed approach in cost control and availability insurance compared with conventional static and periodic maintenance approaches.
Different Modes of Combustion Wave on a Lattice Burner
Authors: Novozhilov Vasily B. , Lidskii Boris V. , Posvyanskii Vladimir S.
Published: August 2022

The stabilization of a planar premixed flame front on a lattice (porous) burner is considered. The developed model captures all the important features of the phenomenon, while also admitting qualitative analytical investigation. It has been rigorously mathematically proven that there exist two different stabilization regimes: one with flame front located nearby the surface of the burner, and another with the flame front located inside the lattice. These two regimes result in qualitatively different gas temperature profiles along the flow that is monotonic and non-monotonic, respectively. The boundary between the two regimes is described in terms of dependence of the lattice solid material temperature on flow Peclet number. With similar temperature profiles, such dependencies may be both monotonic and non-monotonic. The transition between the two types of dependencies is controlled by the Arrhenius number. Conclusions of the study are supported by numerical analysis. They also compare favorably with the available experimental data. The novelty of the present approach is a fundamentally rigorous analytical analysis of the problem. The proposed analytical model, based on δ-function approximation of the chemical source term, agrees well (within 7% relative error) with the model based on the distributed description of the chemical reaction zone. The obtained results are important from both a theoretical and practical point of view. They demonstrate the existence of the two qualitatively different operating regimes for lattice burners, thus impacting design solutions for such devices. The results will be of great interest to the broader academic community, particularly in research areas where similar wave structures may emerge.
Existence and Asymptotic Behaviors of Ground States for a Fourth-Order Nonlinear Schrödinger Equations with a Potential
Authors: He Jintao , Luo Tingjian
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we study the existence and asymptotic behaviors of ground state solutions to a fourth-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation with mass-critical exponent, where the fourth-order term appears as a perturbation with ε>0. By considering a constrained variational problem, we first establish the existence of ground state solutions. Then, we prove the asymptotic behaviors of the solutions as ε→0+. The main ingredients of the proofs are some energy estimate arguments. Our results improve somewhat the ones in the existing reference.
Efficiencies of O-MBR and A/O-MBR for Organic Matter Removal from and Trihalomethane Formation Potential Reduction in Domestic Wastewater
Authors: Sriboonnak Sornsiri , Yanun Aegkapan , Induvesa Phacharapol , Pumas Chayakorn , Duangjan Kritsana , Rakruam Pharkphum , Nitayavardhana Saoharit , Sittisom Prattakorn , Wongrueng Aunnop
Published: August 2022

Lab-scale anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactor (A/O-MBR) and oxic membrane bioreactor (O-MBR) systems using a submerged polysulfone hollow-fiber membrane module with a pore size of 0.01 μm and a total surface area of 1.50 m2 were used to treat domestic wastewater. The sludge retention time (SRT) of each system was examined by setting the SRT to 10, 20, and infinity (no sludge withdrawal). The results showed that the total nitrogen removal efficiency of the A/O-MBR was more significant than that of the O-MBR at a SRT of infinity, with figures of 72.3% and 33.1% being found, respectively. The COD removal efficiencies of the A/O-MBR system with a SRT of 10 days, 20 days, and infinity were 82.4%, 84.3%, and 91.5%, respectively. The COD removal efficiencies of the O-MBR system with a SRT of 10 days, 20 days, and infinity were 79.3%, 81.5%, and 89.8%, respectively. An increase in the SRT resulted in an increase in the COD removal efficiency. The FEEM peak of the influent tended to decrease after an increase in the SRT for both systems (A/O-MBR and O-MBR). For the A/O-MBR system, the trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) was significantly reduced by 88.91% (at a SRT of infinity). The THMFP declined significantly by 85.39% for the O-MBR system at a SRT of infinity. The A/O-MBR system showed a slightly higher efficiency than the O-MBR system in terms of the COD removal and the THMFP reduction. These results indicated that the MBR process, and the A/O-MBR system, in particular, could be used as an effective wastewater treatment process for many developing countries that are troubled by the emerging contamination of water and wastewater.
Mechanical Behavior of Alpha Titanium Alloys at High Strain Rates, Elevated Temperature, and under Stress Triaxiality
Authors: Skripnyak Vladimir V. , Skripnyak Vladimir A.
Published: August 2022

The paper presents the experimental results of the mechanical behavior of Ti-5Al-2.5Sn alloy at high strain rates and elevated temperature. Flat smooth and notched specimens with notch radii of 10 mm, 5 mm, and 2.5 mm were used. The experimental studies were carried out using the high-velocity servo hydraulic test machine Instron VHS 40/50-20. The samples were heated with flat ceramic infrared emitters on average between 60 s and 160 s. The temperature control in the working part of specimens was carried out in real time using a chromel-alumel thermocouple. The digital image correlation (DIC) method was employed to investigate the evolution of local fields in the gauge section of the specimen. Data on the influence of stress triaxiality on the ductility of Ti-5Al-2.5Sn alloy were obtained under tension with strain rates ranging from 0.1 to 103 s−1 at a temperature of 673 K. It was found that, at 673 K, the ductility of Ti-5Al-2.5Sn alloy increases with the increasing strain rate for both smooth and notched specimens.
Review of Recent Progress on Advanced Photocathodes for Superconducting RF Guns
Authors: Xiang Rong , Schaber Jana
Published: August 2022

As is well known, the quality of the photocathodes is essential for the stability and reliability of photoinjector operations. Especially for superconducting radio frequency photoinjectors (SRF guns), the photocathode represents one of the most critical parts. Benefiting from the fast development of photocathode technology in recent years, several SRF guns have been successfully operated or tested for beam generation at the kHz–MHz repetition rate. In this paper, we will review the achievements as well as the open questions in the applications of photocathodes for SRF gun operation. Furthermore, we will discuss the possible improvement of photocathodes for future CW electron sources.
Nb and Mn Co-Modified Na0.5Bi4.5Ti4O15 Bismuth-Layered Ceramics for High-Frequency Transducer Applications
Authors: Fan Dongming , Niu Huiyan , Liu Kun , Sun Xinhao , Wang Husheng , Shi Kefei , Mo Wen , Jian Zhishui , Wen Li , Shen Meng , Zhao Tianlong , Fei Chunlong , Chen Yong
Published: August 2022

Lead-free environmentally friendly piezoelectrical materials with enhanced piezoelectric properties are of great significance for high-resolution ultrasound imaging applications. In this paper, Na0.5Bi4.5Ti3.86Mn0.06Nb0.08O15+y (NBT-Nb-Mn) bismuth-layer-structured ceramics were prepared by solid-phase synthesis. The crystallographic structure, micromorphology, and piezoelectrical and electromechanical properties of NBT-Nb-Mn ceramics were examined, showing their enhanced piezoelectricity (d33 = 33 pC/N) and relatively high electromechanical coupling coefficient (kt = 0.4). The purpose of this article is to describe the development of single element ultrasonic transducers based on these piezoelectric ceramics. The as-prepared high-frequency tightly focused transducer (ƒ-number = 1.13) had an electromechanical coupling coefficient of 0.48. The center frequency was determined to be 37.4 MHz and the −6 dB bandwidth to be 47.2%. According to the B-mode imaging experiment of 25 μm tungsten wires, lateral resolution of the transducer was calculated as 56 μm. Additionally, the experimental results were highly correlated to the results simulated by COMSOL software. By scanning a coin, the imaging effect of the transducer was further evaluated, demonstrating the application advantages of the prepared transducer in the field of high-sensitivity ultrasound imaging.
Three-Dimensional Printed Carbon Black/PDMS Composite Flexible Strain Sensor for Human Motion Monitoring
Authors: Lian Haishan , Xue Ming , Ma Kanglin , Mo Deyun , Wang Lei , Cui Zaifu , Chen Xiaojun
Published: August 2022

High-performance flexible strain sensors with a low cost, simple structure, and large-scale fabrication methods have a high demand in soft robotics, wearable devices, and health monitoring. Here, a direct-ink-writing-based 3D printing method, which fabricates structural layers in an efficient, layered manner, was developed to fabricate a stretchable and flexible strain sensor composed of carbon black/silicone elastomer (CB/PDMS) composites as the strain-sensing elements and electrodes. As the sensing element, the CB/PDMS composite had a sensitivity of 5.696 in the linear strain detection range of 0 to 60%, with good stability and low hysteresis. The flexible strain sensor demonstrates potential in monitoring various human motions, including large deformation motions of the human body, and muscle motions with facial micro-expressions.
The Loss of focA Gene Increases the Ability of Salmonella Enteritidis to Exit from Macrophages and Boosts Early Extraintestinal Spread for Systemic Infection in a Mouse Model
Authors: Gao Ran , Zhang Jian , Geng Haoyu , Wang Yaonan , Kang Xilong , Geng Shizhong , Jiao Xin’an , Barrow Paul
Published: August 2022

Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) can spread from the intestines to cause systemic infection, mainly involving macrophages. Intramacrophage Salmonella exits and reinfects neighboring cells, leading to severe disease. Salmonella genes involved in exiting from macrophages are not well understood or fully identified. A focA::Tn5 mutant was identified by an in vitro assay, with increased ability to exit from macrophages. A defined SEΔfocA mutant and its complemented derivative strain, SEΔfocA::focA, were constructed to confirm this phenotype. Although the lethal ability of focA mutants was similar to that of the parental SE in mice, it was isolated earlier from the liver and spleen than the parental SE. focA mutants induced higher levels of proinflammatory IL-12 and TNF-α compared with the parental SE and SEΔfocA::focA. focA mutants showed higher cytotoxicity and lower formate concentrations than SE and SEΔfocA::focA, whereas there was no change in pyroptosis, apoptosis and flagella formation ability. These current data suggest that the focA gene plays an important role in regulating intramacrophage Salmonella exiting and extraintestinal spread in mice, although the specific mechanism requires further in-depth studies.
Authigenic Gypsum Precipitation in the ARAON Mounds, East Siberian Sea
Authors: Koo Hyo Jin , Jang Jeong Kyu , Lee Dong Hun , Cho Hyen Goo
Published: August 2022

Authigenic gypsum has been observed in marine methane hydrate-bearing sediments throughout the last decade. However, changes in mineral composition and gypsum precipitation in methane emission environments have not yet been reported in the Arctic. Expeditions aboard R/V ARAON revealed several mound structures described as active seeps, which were given the name ARAON Mounds (AMs). Core sediments from the AMs provide an excellent opportunity to research authigenic mineral production in the Arctic methane environment. We identified sedimentary units and investigated the mineral composition of gravity cores from the AMs and a background site. The background core ARA09C-St13, obtained between the mound structures, contains five sedimentary units that extend from the Chukchi Rise to Chukchi Basin, and core sediments from the AMs contain three sedimentary units in the same order. The fundamental difference between AMs and the background site is the lack of dolomite and abundance of gypsum in AMs. This gypsum precipitated authigenically in situ based on its morphological features. Precipitation was more closely associated with the absence of dolomite than the location of the sulfate–methane transition according to the vertical distribution of gypsum in the sediment. Chemical weathering and gypsum overgrowth were confirmed on dolomite surfaces recovered from the AMs, suggesting that dolomite dissolution is the primary source of Ca for gypsum precipitation. Dissolution of biological carbonates and ion exclusion may provide Ca for gypsum precipitation, but this mechanism appears to be secondary, as gypsum is present only in sedimentary units containing dolomite. The main sources of sulfate were inferred to be oxidation of H2S and disproportionation of sulfide, as no sulfide other than gypsum was observed. Our findings reveal that gypsum precipitation linked to methane emission in the Arctic Ocean occurs mainly in dolomite-rich sediments, suggesting that gypsum is a suitable proxy for identifying methane hydrate zones in the Arctic Ocean.
The Effects of Soil Porosity and Mix Design of Volcanic Ash-Based Geopolymer on the Surface Strength of Highly Wind Erodible Soils
Authors: Mohebbi Hamid Reza , Javadi Akbar A. , Azizkandi Alireza Saeedi
Published: August 2022

Surface stabilization of loose, non-cohesive, and fine soils has always been a challenging task for geotechnical engineers. These soils show meager mechanical behavior and are very vulnerable to wind erosion. Many attempts have been made to combat wind erosion of soils. These attempts, including a variety of soil surface amendment methods, have faced complications in terms of financial efficacy, reduced long-term behavior at elevated temperatures, and limitations in stabilization of a wide range of soil types. The application of geopolymers for surface stabilization is a novel approach, which has its own challenges in terms of selecting an appropriate precursor type, mix design, and preparation method. This study evaluated the challenges of using volcanic ash (VA)-based geopolymer, through the 1 Phase (1P) method for stabilization of two silty and sandy soils. A series of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and penetrometer tests were performed on cylindrical specimens and soil surface-treated samples, respectively, to evaluate the resistance of treated samples with different porosities. Moreover, the rheological behavior of geopolymer paste having various binder-to-activator ratios is discussed. The available rheological characteristics of geopolymer in this study fit well with the Bingham model. It was found that, despite the minimal crust thickness formed on the topsoil, significant surface resistance is acquired. The results show notable performance of the 1P method for surface amendment of both the silty and sandy soil samples.
Origin of Historical Ba-Rich Slags Related to Pb-Ag Production from Jihlava Ore District (Czech Republic)
Authors: Kapusta Jaroslav , Dolníček Zdeněk , Sracek Ondra , Malý Karel
Published: August 2022

The aim of this study was to characterize historical slags which originated during silver production from the Jihlava ore district, Czech Republic. The area was among the head producers of silver within the Lands of the Czech Crown in 13th–14th centuries. The mined ores had complex composition, being formed mostly by pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, and accessory silver-rich minerals such as silver-bearing tetrahedrite (freibergite) or pyrargyrite, with gangue represented by quartz and Mn-rich carbonates or baryte. Large volumes of slags with contrasting composition were generated during the Pb-Ag production. Altogether, two main types of slags were identified in the district. The first type is characterized by high BaO contents (up to 34.5 wt.%) and dominancy of glass, minor quartz, and accessory amounts of Ba-rich feldspar (up to 93 mol.% of Cls), metal-rich inclusions, Ba-Pb sulphates and only rare pyroxene, wollastonite and melilite. The composition of the second group belongs to fayalitic slags containing glass, Fe-rich olivine, accessory pyroxene, feldspar, quartz, and inclusions of various metallic phases. Fluxes were derived from gangue (quartz, carbonates, baryte) or local host rocks for both types of slag. The calculated viscosity indexes reflect (with minor exceptions) medium-to-high effectivity of metal separation. Smelting temperatures were estimated from a series of ternary plots; however, more reliable estimates for both types of slags were obtained only from experimental determination of melting temperature and calculations using bulk/glass compositions (~1100–1200 °C).
Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE): A Pivotal Hub in Immune Diseases
Authors: Yue Qing , Song Yu , Liu Zi , Zhang Lin , Yang Ling , Li Jinlong
Published: August 2022

As a critical molecule in the onset and sustainment of inflammatory response, the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) has a variety of ligands, such as advanced glycation end products (AGEs), S100/calcium granule protein, and high-mobility group protein 1 (HMGB1). Recently, an increasing number studies have shown that RAGE ligand binding can initiate the intracellular signal cascade, affect intracellular signal transduction, stimulate the release of cytokines, and play a vital role in the occurrence and development of immune-related diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, other RAGE signaling pathways can play crucial roles in life activities, such as inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Therefore, the strategy of targeted intervention in the RAGE signaling pathway may have significant therapeutic potential, attracting increasing attention. In this paper, through the systematic induction and analysis of RAGE-related signaling pathways and their regulatory mechanisms in immune-related diseases, we provide theoretical clues for the follow-up targeted intervention of RAGE-mediated diseases.
Fabrication of Silicon Nanowire Sensors for Highly Sensitive pH and DNA Hybridization Detection
Authors: Abd Rahman Siti Fatimah , Yusof Nor Azah , Md Arshad Mohd Khairuddin , Hashim Uda , Md Nor Mohammad Nuzaihan , Hamidon Mohd Nizar
Published: August 2022

A highly sensitive silicon nanowire (SiNW)-based sensor device was developed using electron beam lithography integrated with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The top-down fabrication approach enables the rapid fabrication of device miniaturization with uniform and strictly controlled geometric and surface properties. This study demonstrates that SiNW devices are well-aligned with different widths and numbers for pH sensing. The device consists of a single nanowire with 60 nm width, exhibiting an ideal pH responsivity (18.26 × 106 Ω/pH), with a good linear relation between the electrical response and a pH level range of 4–10. The optimized SiNW device is employed to detect specific single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA) molecules. To use the sensing area, the sensor surface was chemically modified using (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane and glutaraldehyde, yielding covalently linked nanowire ssDNA adducts. Detection of hybridized DNA works by detecting the changes in the electrical current of the ssDNA-functionalized SiNW sensor, interacting with the targeted ssDNA in a label-free way. The developed biosensor shows selectivity for the complementary target ssDNA with linear detection ranging from 1.0 × 10−12 M to 1.0 × 10−7 M and an attained detection limit of 4.131 × 10−13 M. This indicates that the use of SiNW devices is a promising approach for the applications of ion detection and biomolecules sensing and could serve as a novel biosensor for future biomedical diagnosis.
Supramolecular Self-Assembly of Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and Carbon Nanotubes: A Dissipative Particle Dynamics Simulation Study
Authors: Keshtkar Mahboube , Mehdipour Nargess , Eslami Hossein
Published: August 2022

Dissipative particle dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the self-assembly of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) as a model lipid membrane on the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The influence of surface curvature of CNTs on self-assembly was investigated by performing simulations on solutions of DPPC in water in contact with CNTs of different diameters: CNT (10, 10), CNT (14, 14), CNT (20, 20), and CNT (34, 34). DPPC solutions with a wide range of concentrations were chosen to allow for formation of lipid structures of various surface densities, ranging from a submonolayer to a well-organized monolayer and a CNT covered with a lipid monolayer immersed in a planar lipid bilayer. Our results are indicative of a sequence of phase-ordering processes for DPPC on the surface of CNTs. At low surface coverages, the majority of hydrocarbon tail groups of DPPC are in contact with the CNT surface. Increasing the surface coverage leads to the formation of hemimicellar aggregates, and at high surface coverages close to the saturation limit, an organized lipid monolayer self-assembles. An examination of the mechanism of self-assembly reveals a two-step mechanism. The first step involves densification of DPPC on the CNT surface. Here, the lipid molecules do not adopt the order of the target phase (lipid monolayer on the CNT surface). In the second step, when the lipid density on the CNT surface is above a threshold value (close to saturation), the lipid molecules reorient themselves to form an organized monolayer around the tube. Here, the DPPC molecules adopt stretched conformations normal to the surface, the end hydrocarbon groups adsorb on the surface, and the head groups occupy the outermost part of the monolayer. The saturation density and the degree of lipid ordering on the CNT surface depend on the surface curvature. The saturation density increases with increased surface curvature, and better-ordered structures are formed on less curved surfaces.