A novel solvent-impregnated resin containing 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid for stepwise extraction of Th(IV) and U(VI) over other coexistence ions

A new solvent-impregnated resin (SIR) was constructed using Amberlite XAD-2 and 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (3H2NA). The SIR was applied for stepwise extraction of Th(IV) and U(VI) from the coexistence ions dissolved in aqueous media at pHs of 3.0 and 7.0, respectively. The U(VI) and Th(IV) ions adsorbed on the minicolumn were consecutively eluted with 0.5 M and 4 M HCl solutions. They were then measured by Arsenazo III at their maximum absorption wavelengths. The characteristic parameters for the successful separation of these ions from the aqueous media were investigated. The SIR showed excellent reproducibility during the 800 subsequent extraction cycles.     

Evolution of vinyl chloride conversion below critical micelle concentration: A response surface analysis

Utilizing response surface methodology, the conversion of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) was monitored when the polymerization temperature, the type of surfactant, and the weight ratio of water‐to‐monomer (W/M) were taken as the emulsion polymerization variables. Because the homogeneous nucleation was found to be the dominant mechanism in VCM emulsion polymerization, irrespective of the surfactant concentration, the whole experiments have been carried out below critical micelle concentration of the used surfactants. Among all the studied variables, the polymerization temperature appeared as the most effective parameter; moreover, its interactive effect with W/M caused different trends in the alteration of final conversion being observed. Also, depending on the reaction temperature, the VCM conversion would be affected by the type of the surfactant used. Contrarily, simultaneous change in the type of surfactant and W/M revealed an insignificant effect on the evolution of VCM conversion. The optimization of final conversion of VCM was also accessible through contour plots of response surface methodology. It is worth noting that, taking a conventional approach into consideration, the alteration of VCM conversion seemed to be a monotonic function of temperature. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 21:157–165, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Processing methods for making porous bioactive glass-based scaffolds—A state-of-the-art review

Bioactive glasses exhibit the unique ability of bone bonding, thus creating a stable interface by stimulating bone cells toward mechanisms of regeneration and self-repair activated by ionic dissolution products. Therefore, 3D glass-derived scaffolds can be considered ideal porous templates to be used in bone tissue engineering strategies and regenerative medicine. This review provides a comprehensive overview of all technological aspects relevant to the fabrication of bioactive glass scaffolds, including the fundamentals of materials processing, a summary of the conventional porogen, and template-based methods and of recent additive manufacturing technologies, which are promising for large-scale production of highly reproducible and reliable implants suitable for a wide range of clinical applications.     

Graft Copolymerization of Styrene‐Maleic Anhydride Onto Poly(Vinyl Chloride) and Its Cross‐linking by Toluene Diisocyanate: Characterization,Thermal, and Mechanical Properties

In this work, styrene‐maleic anhydride (St‐MA) copolymer was successfully grafted onto poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) by means of chemical method in cyclohexanone medium. In this manner, the effects of various parameters such as total monomer content, monomers ratio, and initiator concentration on the grafting percentage (GP) and acid value (AV) were examined. The graft copolymers were characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy methods. Afterward, the cross‐linking reaction was carried out through MA hydrolysis and condensation reaction between maleic acid and produced diamines, by toluene diisocyanate (TDI) at the presence of hot water. The results showed that the GP and AV of PVC‐g‐(St‐MA) copolymers were considerably higher than those of PVC‐g‐MA and PVC‐g‐St with significant molecular weight. A gel content of 56% was attained with 1 phr TDI in PVC‐g‐(St‐MA) copolymer. The glass transition temperatures and mechanical properties of PVC‐g‐(St‐MA) samples were increased compared to pure PVC. Cross‐linked PVC‐g‐(St‐MA) showed improved mechanical properties than other samples, but the glass transition temperature of PVC backbone in this cross‐linked copolymer was disappeared due to its heavily dense structure. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:377–384, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Modern Template Design and Biological Evaluation of Cephradine-loaded Magnesium Calcium Silicate Nanocomposites as an Inhibitor for Nosocomial Bacteria in Biomedical Applications

Silicon - Magnesium calcium silicate nanostructures (MCSNS) loaded with (0.0, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 wt%) of Cephradine-drug consisting of mesoporous particles were functionally prepared by sol-gel...     

Impact of bismuth oxide on the structure,optical features and ligand field parameters of borosilicate glasses doped with nickel oxide

Understanding the impact of bismuth cations on the optical properties of borosilicate glass is significant for manipulating borate glass applications. In this paper, the influence of bismuth cations on both structural and optical properties of borosilicate glass doped with NiO was investigated. Different glass samples, containing different amounts of Bi₂O₃ and a constant amount of NiO, were prepared and studied. Infrared (IR) analysis was carried out to study the internal structure within the investigated glass samples. Optical absorption studies were performed to investigate the impact of Bi₂O₃ content on optical properties of the BiBaNiB-glasses. Astonishingly, with Bi₂O₃ addition, an absorption band at 380 nm has appeared. Moreover, this band is overlapped with the Urbach edge; which regularly produced an artificial edge-like feature at ~450 nm. A detailed deconvolution protocol has been implemented for an appropriate understanding of these spectra and unraveling the hidden Urbach edge. Optical band gap energy, linear and nonlinear refractive index for each BiBaNiB sample were calculated. Furthermore, the metallization criterion was calculated to examine the metallic or insulating nature of the BiBaNiB-glasses. The values of the nonlinear third-order susceptibility and nonlinear refractive index were increased with Bi₂O₃ doping. The BiBaNiB-glasses exhibited outstanding stability and optical band gap than the pristine glass sample, which makes it possible for practical applications.     

Glass transition and the rigid amorphous phase in semicrystalline blends of bacterial polyhydroxybutyrate PHB with low molecular mass atactic R, S-PHB-diol

The glass transition and the crystallinity of blends of isotactic bacterial PHB and low molecular mass atactic R, S-PHB-diols was investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), temperature-modulated DSC and dielectric spectroscopy. It was found that (i) T_g of crystallized blends is much lower than T_g of quenched blends, (ii) the semi-crystalline blends can only be described with a three-phase model. From the experimental results the amount of the oligomer component in the mobile amorphous as well as in the rigid amorphous phase was determined. It could be shown that the low molecular mass atactic R, S-PHB-diol is enriched in the mobile amorphous phase of the semi-crystalline blends, but 5-15% oligomer remains, however, in the rigid amorphous phase.     

Traveling wave behavior in a two-phase flow model of tumor growth

Tumor growth which undergoes complex bio-mechanical processes has been a significant focus for mathematical modeling, with particular interest in its dynamic behavior. In this paper, we consider a two-phase flow model for describing the dynamics of tumor growth. The model accounts for aggregate cell movement and mechanical interactions between tumor cells as well as cell proliferation. In suitable limits, by using the dynamical systems theory approach, tumor growth in this mechanical model is shown to occur in the form of traveling waves that can propagate either forward or backward, depending on the values of the parameters. Our results, in particular, the wave profiles of tumor cell density are more realistic and explain those obtained in a recently developed simple, experiment-based, model for studying non-spatial dynamics of tumor cells.     

Using equidistant vector-based hysteresis current regulators in DFIG wind generation systems

This paper proposes a novel equidistant vector-based hysteresis current regulator (VBHCR) in the rotor-side converter (RSC) of DFIG-based wind generation systems. The Γ-form equivalent circuit is used for the machine modelling, with the discrete formulation of the RSC output voltage. The overall vector control scheme is then explored and the control structure of the proposed equidistant VBHCR is presented. When compared to the commonly used PI current regulators, the proposed VBHCR exhibits several advantages such as very fast transient response, simple hardware implementation, satisfactory steady-state performance, and intrinsic robustness to machine parameters variations. Moreover, fixed hysteresis bands are replaced with equidistant bands in order to limit the instantaneous variations of the switching frequency and reduce the maximum switching frequency of the RSC. Detailed simulation studies are carried out for a 1.5 MW DFIG-based wind generator to examine the operation of the proposed current regulator under various operating conditions and demonstrate its superiority over the standard PI current regulator.