Non-Resonant Microwave Absorption in SmFeAs<Emphasis Type="Bold">O</Emphasis><Subscript>0.80</Subscript><Emphasis Type="Bold">F</Emphasis><Subscript>0.20</Subscript>: Line Shape and Structure Evolution with Temperature

‘Non-resonant Microwave Absorption’ (NRMA) or the ‘Low field microwave absorption’ (LFMA) measurements on high-quality polycrystalline SmFeAsO_0.80F_0.20 superconducting sample were carried as functions of temperature and microwave power. The LFMA line shape is complex with two peaks namely; broad peak 1 and narrow peak 2 akin to one reported in SmFeAsO_0.88F_0.12 as reported by Onyancha et al (Supercond. Nov. Magn. 28, 2927–2934, 2015). This unquestionably illustrates that these peaks are a common feature in F-doped SmFeAsO. The LFMA signal as a function of temperature reveals that T _c ? T _? = 1K in SmFeAsO_0.80F_0.20 compared to 4 K in SmFeAsO_0.88F_0.12 (T _? is the characteristic temperature at which the narrow peak appears as we cool down the sample below T _c); hence inferring that the narrow peak is fluorine doping dependent. Furthermore, LFMA signal evolution with microwave power does not show phase reversal (anomalous absorption) at 2.227 mW which is a stark contrast to what was observed in SmFeAsO_0.88F_0.12 as reported by Onyancha et al (Physica C: Supercond. Appl. 533:49–52, 2017). The absence of phase reversal within measured microwave power indicates presence of hysteretic Josephson junction. These findings establish few non-superconducting inclusions in SmFeAsO_0.80F_0.20 system.     

Experimental investigation of fructose 1,6-diphosphate production and simultaneous ATP regeneration by conjugated enzymes in an ultrafiltration hollow-fiber reactor

The enzymatic synthesis of fructose 1,6-diphosphate (FDP) from glucose and the enzymatic ATP regeneration were performed simultaneously in an ultrafiltration hollow-fiber reactor using both the purified enzymes and the crude cell extract of Bacillus stearothermophilus. The process consisted of the three-step synthetic reactions catalyzed by glucokinase, phosphoglucose isomerase and phosphofructokinase, and the ATP regeneration reaction catalyzed by acetate kinase. The experimental results of the yield and the recycle number agreed well with the theoretical predictions calculated using a computer program developed in our preceding study. This proved the validity of this computer program for predicting or analyzing the reactor performance.     

Theoretical investigation of fructose 1,6-diphosphate production and simultaneous ATP regeneration by conjugated enzymes in an ultrafiltration hollow-fiber reactor

The performance of an ultrafiltration hollow-fiber reactor, in which enzymatic synthesis of fructose 1,6-diphosphate (FDP) from glucose and enzymatic ATP regeneration are performed simultaneously, was analyzed theoretically. The reaction system consists of three-step synthetic reactions catalyzed by glucokinase (GK), phosphoglucose isomerase and phosphofructokinase, and the ATP regeneration reaction catalyzed by acetate kinase. Based on a simple analytical model developed previously in which the liquid flowing in a tube was assumed to be plug flow and the radial concentration gradients in the tubes and shell side space were both neglected, a computer program was developed to calculate the concentration profiles of all the components along the flow direction in the tubes and shell side space of the reactor. From the FDP concentrations at the reactor outlet calculated under various operational conditions, reactor performances such as the FDP yield and the ATP recycle number were determined. The calculation showed the interesting phenomenon that under some conditions the FDP yield was higher when GK concentration was lower.     

Hydrogen fermentation properties of undiluted cow dung

Anaerobic treatment of undiluted cow dung (15% total solids), so-called dry fermentation, produced hydrogen (743 ml-H(2)/kg-cow dung) at an optimum temperature of 60 degrees C, with butyrate and acetate formation. The hydrogen production was inhibited by the addition of NH(4)(+) in a dose-dependent manner. A bacterium with similarity to Clostridium cellulosi was detected in the fermented dung by a 16S rDNA analysis.     

Validity of generic scenarios used in derivation of exemption levels for surface contamination considering transport-specific aspects

The exemption levels for surface contamination in units of Bq cm(-2) were derived by developing a new universal dose assessment model that consists of three generic scenarios assessed by considering manually, closely and remotely handled objects. In this paper, as part of the process of verifying the validity of these generic scenarios, annual doses that arise from transport-specific aspects are calculated. The maximum annual doses are found to be lower than 10 μSv, which is the bottom line of the exemption dose criterion. The result verifies the validity of the generic scenarios used in the previous derivation of exemption levels for surface contamination.     

A thread-level parallelization of pairwise additive potential and force calculations suitable for current many-core architectures

In molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, calculations of potentials and their derivatives by coordinate, i.e., forces, in a pairwise additive manner such as the Lennard–Jones interactions and a short-range part of the Coulombic interactions form the main part of arithmetic operations. It is essential to achieve high thread-level parallelization efficiency of these pairwise additive calculations of potentials and forces to use current supercomputers with many-core architectures effectively. In this paper, we propose four new thread-level parallelization algorithms for the pairwise additive potential and force calculations. We implement the four codes in a MD calculation code based on the fast multipole method. Performance benchmarks were taken on the FX100 supercomputer and Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor. The code succeeds in achieving high thread-level parallelization efficiency with 32 threads on the FX100 and up to 60 threads on the Xeon Phi.     

Improved biopharmaceutical properties of carvedilol employing α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate-based self-emulsifying drug delivery system

The main objective of this study was to develop a self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS) of carvedilol (CAR) with improved oral absorption and hepatoprotective properties. SEDDS-CAR was prepared based on d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) and physicochemically characterized. Pharmacokinetic behaviors after the oral administration of CAR samples in rats were evaluated to clarify the possible enhancement of the oral absorption of CAR. The hepatoprotective effects of orally dosed CAR samples were assessed in a rat model of acute hepatic injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄). SEDDS-CAR showed the immediate formation of fine micelles with a mean droplet size of 84?nm when introduced in aqueous media. SEDDS-CAR improved the dissolution behavior of CAR in distilled water as evidenced by at least five-fold higher solubility than the equilibrium solubility of CAR. After the single oral administration of SEDDS-CAR (10?mg-CAR/kg) in rats, enhanced CAR exposure was observed with an increase of AUC_0–∞ showing a 2.5-fold increase compared with crystalline CAR. In CCl₄-treated rats, orally dosed SEDDS-CAR (10?mg-CAR/kg, p.o.) led to 91.8 and 91.2% reductions of ALT and AST, respectively; however, crystalline CAR was found to be less effective. From these findings, SEDDS-CAR might be an efficacious oral dosage option for enhancing the hepatoprotective potential of CAR.