The Tunable Porous Structure of Gelatin–Bioglass Nanocomposite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications: Physicochemical,Mechanical, and In Vitro Properties

Unidirectional freeze‐casting method is used to fabricate gelatin–bioglass nanoparticles (BGNPs) scaffolds. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that sol–gel prepared BGNPs are distributed throughout the scaffold with diameters of less than 10 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetric are used to evaluate the physicochemical properties of BGNPs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs present an oriented porous structure and a homogeneous distribution of BGNPs in the gelatin matrix. The lamellar‐type structure indicates an improvement of mechanical strength and absorption capacity of the scaffolds. Increasing the concentration of BGNPs from 0 to 50 wt% have no noticeable effect on pore orientation, but decreases porosity and pore size distribution. Increase in BGNPs content improves the compressive strength. The absorption and biodegradation rate reduces with augmentation in BGNPs concentration. Bioactivity is evaluated through apatite formation after immersion of the nanocomposites in simulated body fluid and is verified by SEM–energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), an element map analysis, X‐ray powder diffractometer, and FTIR spectrum. SEM images and methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay confirm the biocompatibility of scaffolds and the supportive behavior of nanocomposites in cellular spreading. The results show that gelatin–(30 wt%)bioglass nanocomposites have incipient physicochemical and biological properties.     

Catalytic properties of dispersed iron oxides Fe2O3/MO2 (M = Zr,Ce, Ti and Si) for sulfuric acid decomposition reaction: Role of support

Supported iron oxides have been established as an important class of catalyst for high temperature sulfuric acid decomposition. With an objective to elucidate the role of support in modifying the overall catalytic properties of dispersed iron oxide catalysts, a series of supported iron oxide based catalysts, Fe₂O₃ (15 wt%)/MO₂ (M = Zr, Ce, Ti and Si), synthesized by adsorption-equilibrium method, is investigated for sulfuric acid decomposition reaction. The structure of dispersed iron oxide phases largely depended on the nature of the support oxide as revealed by the XRD and Mössbauer studies. α-Fe₂O₃ is found to be present as a major phase on ZrO₂ and CeO₂ support while ε-Fe₂O₃ was the major phase on silica supported iron oxide. On the other hand, presence of mixed oxide Fe₂TiO₅ was revealed over TiO₂ support. Strong dispersed metal oxide-support interactions inhibited the total reduction of the dispersed phase on SiO₂ and TiO₂ as compared to complete reduction of dispersed iron oxide on CeO₂ and ZrO₂ supports during temperature programmed reduction upto 1000 °C. The order of catalytic activity at a temperature of ～750 °C is observed as Fe₂O₃/SiO₂ > Fe₂TiO₅/TiO₂ > Fe₂O₃/ZrO₂ > Fe₂O₃/CeO₂, while at higher temperatures of ～900 °C the SO₂ yield is found to be comparable for all catalysts. A relationship between the rate of sulfate decomposition and catalytic activity is established through detailed TG-DTA investigations of sulfated catalyst and support. Considerable influence of the support oxide on the composition, structure, redox properties, morphology and catalytic activities of the active iron oxide dispersed phase has been observed. Thus, the support oxides operate as a critical component in the complex supported metal oxide catalysts and these findings might influence the design and development of future high temperature sulfuric acid decomposition catalysts.     

A numerical investigation of hydrogen injection into noble gas working fluids

The thermodynamic efficiency of internal combustion engines is primarily dependent on the compression ratio and specific heat ratio of the working fluid. Due to a higher specific heat ratio, using a noble gas and oxygen instead of air can increase the thermal efficiency. The lack of nitrogen in the working fluid also eliminates NOx formation. In this study, the three-dimensional turbulent injection of hydrogen into a constant volume combustion chamber has been modeled and compared to mixtures of oxygen with nitrogen, argon, and xenon at different injection velocities. The results indicate that the hydrogen jet has a longer penetration length in nitrogen compared to argon and xenon. However, smaller penetration lengths lead to more complex jet shapes and larger cone angles. Combustion in a noble gas environment results in higher temperatures and OH radical concentrations, due in part to lower specific heats and the jet characteristics. Furthermore, mixedness is investigated using mean spatial variation and mean scalar dissipation. Hydrogen in argon shows a better mixing rate compared to nitrogen and xenon due to the higher diffusivity. The results indicate that reduction in mean spatial variation can lead to a shorter ignition delay.     

Experimental and optimization of material synthesis process parameters for improving capacity of lithium‐ion battery

New methods for synthesis of active materials have been developed to improve capacity and cycle life performance of lithium‐ion batteries. Past studies have focused on routes of development of materials and new processes, which might not be economical for large‐scale production. In this regard, this study examines a widely employed carbothermal reduction technology for the synthesis of lithium‐iron phosphate (LiFePO₄/C) and investigates effects of process conditions during this synthesis on final battery performance. An experimental combined genetic programming approach is used to model the effects of crucial process conditions (sintering time, the carbon content, and the sintering temperature) on the discharge capacity of the assembled battery. Experiments are conducted to collect the discharge capacity data based on varying LiFePO₄/C synthesis conditions, and genetic programming is employed to develop a suitable functional relationship between them. The results show that the battery discharge capacity is controlled significantly by adjusting sintering temperature and carbon content, while the effect of sintering time is found to be insignificant. Further, the interaction effect of the sintering time and carbon content is much more obvious than that of the sintering time and the sintering temperature. The findings from the study pave the way for the optimum design of the synthesis process of LiFePO₄/C for a higher battery performance.     

Retention of Eucalyptol,a Natural Volatile Insecticide,in Delivery Systems Based on Hydroxypropyl‐β‐Cyclodextrin and Liposomes

Eucalyptol (Euc) is a natural monoterpene with insecticide effects. Being highly volatile and sensitive to ambient conditions, its encapsulation would enlarge its application. Euc‐loaded conventional liposomes (CL), cyclodextrin/drug inclusion complex, and drug‐in‐cyclodextrin‐in‐liposomes (DCL) are prepared to protect Euc from degradation, reduce its evaporation, and provide its controlled release. The liposomal suspension is freeze‐dried using hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (HP‐β‐CD) as cryoprotectant. The liposomes are characterized before and after freeze‐drying. The effect of Euc on the fluidity of liposomal membrane is also examined. A release study of Euc from delivery systems, in powder and reconstituted forms, is performed by multiple head extraction at 60 °C after 6 months of storage at 4 °C. CL and DCL suspensions are homogeneous, show nanometric vesicles size, spherical shape, and negative surface charge before and after freeze‐drying. Moreover, HP‐β‐CD does not affect the fluidity of liposomes. CL formulations present a weak encapsulation for Euc. The loading capacity of eucalyptol in DCL is 38 times higher than that in CL formulation. In addition, freeze‐dried DCL and HP‐β‐CD/Euc inclusion complex show a higher retention of eucalyptol than CL delivery system. Both carrier systems HP‐β‐CD/Euc and Euc‐loaded DCL decrease Euc evaporation and improve its retention. Practical Applications: Eucalyptol is a natural insecticide. It is highly volatile and poorly soluble in water. To enlarge its application, its encapsulation in three delivery systems (conventional liposomes, cyclodextrin/drug inclusion complex, combined system composed of cyclodextrin inclusion complex and liposome) is studied. In this paper it is proved that cyclodextrin/eucalyptol inclusion complex and eucalyptol‐in‐cyclodextrin‐in‐liposome are effective delivery systems for encalyptol encapsulation, retention, and release.     

Effect of nano-sized Al2O3 reinforcing particles on uniaxial and high cycle fatigue behaviors of hot-forged AZ31B magnesium alloy

The effect of hot-forging process was investigated on microstructural and mechanical properties of AZ31B alloy and AZ31B/1.5vol.%Al₂O₃ nanocomposite under static and cycling loading. The as-cast alloy and composite were firstly subjected to a homogenization heat treatment at 450 °C and then an open-die forging at 450 °C. The results indicated that the presence of reinforcing particles led to grain refinement and improvement of dynamic recrystallization. The forging process was more effective to eliminate the porosity in the cast alloy workpiece. Microhardness of the forged composite was increased by up to 80% and 16%, in comparison with those of the cast and forged alloy samples, respectively. Ultimate tensile strength and maximum tensile strain of the composite were improved by up to 45% and 23%, compared with those of the forged alloy in similar regions. These enhancements were respectively 50% and 37% in the compression test. The composite exhibited a fatigue life improvement in the region with low applied strain; however, a degradation was observed in the high applied strain region. Unlike AZ31B samples, tensile, compressive and high cycle fatigue behaviors of the composite showed less sensitivity to the applied strain, which can be attributed to the amount of porosity in the samples before and after the hot-forging.     

盐冻融与干湿作用下沥青混凝土的高低温力学性能分析

制备了沥青混凝土样品,并进行了不同次数的盐冻融干湿循环试验。在此基础上,测试了沥青混凝土的高温车辙深度、动稳定度和低温抗弯拉强度,得到了车辙深度、动稳定度和抗弯拉强度随盐冻融干湿循环次和盐浓度的变化规律,研究了盐冻融与干湿作用下沥青混凝土的高低温力学性能。研究结果表明:(1)沥青混凝土60min车辙深度随盐浓度的增加和冻融循环次数的增多而呈线性增长的趋势;(2)沥青混凝土的抗高温变形能力随盐冻融干湿循环次数的增多而逐渐弱化;(3)沥青混凝土的抗弯拉强度经历9次和15次盐冻融干湿循环后分别下降22%~26.4%和42.6%~51.5%;(4)冻融干湿循环次数一定时,沥青混凝土的抗弯拉强度随盐浓度的增加而缓慢下降,并且当盐浓度达到12%时,沥青混凝土的抗弯拉强度减小就很不明显。     

Al-Tolerant Barley Mutant hvatr.g Shows the ATR-Regulated DNA Damage Response to Maleic Acid Hydrazide

ATR, a DNA damage signaling kinase, is required for cell cycle checkpoint regulation and detecting DNA damage caused by genotoxic factors including Al³⁺ ions. We analyzed the function of the HvATR gene in response to chemical clastogen-maleic acid hydrazide (MH). For this purpose, the Al-tolerant barley TILLING mutant hvatr.g was used. We described the effects of MH on the nuclear genome of hvatr.g mutant and its WT parent cv. “Sebastian”, showing that the genotoxic effect measured by TUNEL test and frequency of cells with micronuclei was much stronger in hvatr.g than in WT. MH caused a significant decrease in the mitotic activity of root cells in both genotypes, however this effect was significantly stronger in “Sebastian”. The impact of MH on the roots cell cycle, analyzed using flow cytometry, showed no differences between the mutant and WT.     

生活垃圾焚烧炉渣水稳定性试验研究

以福州红庙岭生活垃圾焚烧炉渣为试验对象,测试不同吸水时间和干湿循环次数下炉渣试件无侧限抗压强度和CBR的变化规律,揭示炉渣填料在水作用下的强度变化特征。结果表明:炉渣试件无侧限抗压强度和CBR随吸水时间和干湿循环次数的增加而增大,具有良好的水稳定性。炉渣的强度主要依靠水泥熟料和活性物质化学反应产生水化产物形成的,这使得炉渣在潮湿路基的回填、管槽周边的回填具有显著优势。     

基于红外测温的文物冷冻干燥监测技术

为了给大型、大批量文物的冷冻干燥保驾护航，以饱水木质文物为样品，结合红外温度传感器和红外热像仪，对文物的冷冻过程进行温度监控。结果表明，红外温度传感器对样品表面温度变化十分灵敏，能有效跟踪温度的动态变化过程，但测量准确性会受样品发射率、环境波动等因素的影响。红外热像仪经发射率标定后可达到较高的测量精度，利用热成像得到的图像，可直观地筛查样品表面的最高/最低温度区。经过分析，样品在靠近仓内换热器端的位置，表面温度较低，靠近仓门的位置，表面温度较高，且样品上表面温度略低于侧面温度。根据红外测温结果，预期能给出冷冻干燥设备控制的建议，降低文物冻干失败的风险，减轻文保工作者的工作负担。