Energy Deposition around Swift Carbon-Ion Tracks in Liquid Water

Energetic carbon ions are promising projectiles used for cancer radiotherapy. A thorough knowledge of how the energy of these ions is deposited in biological media (mainly composed of liquid water) is required. This can be attained by means of detailed computer simulations, both macroscopically (relevant for appropriately delivering the dose) and at the nanoscale (important for determining the inflicted radiobiological damage). The energy lost per unit path length (i.e., the so-called stopping power) of carbon ions is here theoretically calculated within the dielectric formalism from the excitation spectrum of liquid water obtained from two complementary approaches (one relying on an optical-data model and the other exclusively on ab initio calculations). In addition, the energy carried at the nanometre scale by the generated secondary electrons around the ion’s path is simulated by means of a detailed Monte Carlo code. For this purpose, we use the ion and electron cross sections calculated by means of state-of-the art approaches suited to take into account the condensed-phase nature of the liquid water target. As a result of these simulations, the radial dose around the ion’s path is obtained, as well as the distributions of clustered events in nanometric volumes similar to the dimensions of DNA convolutions, contributing to the biological damage for carbon ions in a wide energy range, covering from the plateau to the maximum of the Bragg peak.     

Acid Rock Drainage Remediation and Element Removal Using a Peat-Humic Agent with Subsequent Thermal Treatment of the Metal–Organic Residue

A novel, alternative method for acid rock drainage (ARD) remediation and metal recovery has been developed that uses a peat-humic agent (PHA) created by mechanical, chemical, and thermobaric treatment of peat from the Krugloe deposit (Novosibirsk region, Russia). The PHA effectively neutralised moderately acidic ARD and removed potential pollutants (e.g. Fe, Al, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Ni, Co, and Hg), forming metal–organic residues. The organic matter can be removed completely from the metal–organic residues by heating them at 450–500 °C. After this treatment, the metal concentrate residues generally contained aggregates (20–350 μm in size), mainly composed of metal oxides and sulphates. Thermal decomposition of the organic matter in the PHA and metal–organic residues is an exothermic process with significant calorific value (9–15 kJ/g).     

Explaining the Formation of Online News Startups in France and the United States: A Field Analysis

This article examines the differential formation of online news startups in Toulouse, France, and Seattle, United States. While Seattle is home to many startups, in Toulouse there have been just 4—and only 1 continues publishing. Drawing on Bourdieu's field theory, we argue that amount and types of capital held by journalists in the 2 cities varied as a result of differences in journalism's position in the field of power. These differences shaped the extent of startup formation in each city and structured journalists' capacities to convert their capital into the resources needed to form startups (e.g., funding, credentials, partnerships). These findings are positioned in relation to literatures on journalism innovation and comparative media.     

Sintering and Microwave Properties of Zirconium Tin Titanate Doped with Select Oxides

Zirconium tin titanate (ZST) is often used as a dielectric resonator for the fabrication of microwave devices. Pure compositions do not sinter easily by solid state sintering; therefore, sintering ZST requires sintering aids capable of creating defects that could improve diffusion processes and/or promote liquid phase sintering. The mechanisms by which the additives influence the microstructure and, consequently, the ZSTs dielectric properties are not very clear. The effects of ZnO, Bi₂O₃, and La₂O₃, on the stoichiometry and dielectric properties of ZST sintered at different temperatures were investigated in this study.     

Methodology for WEEE assessment in Algeria

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) generated in emerging countries is increasing. This study presents a methodology to improve assessment and monitoring WEEE in Algeria. The proposed methodology is a two-step approach. The first step is the collection and collation of existing data from different national and international sources. In the second step, different assessment and forecasting methods are applied. Forecasting methods were selected from those models which provided minimum error indices. The paper considers also the availability and reliability of data in order to provide a future reliable assessment of WEEE in Algeria. The study revealed that the forecasting methods do not have a big influence on the results contrary to the inputs of the model.     

Gold nanoshell density variation with laser power for induced hyperthermia

The thermal profile effects of nanoshell density, laser power, and laser arrangement are presented for ideal cases of nanoshell-assisted photothermal therapy. A one-dimensional thermal model utilizing the P₁ approximation is used to simulate the penetration of laser radiation and subsequent heating of 1-cm slabs of nanoshell-embedded tissue exposed to a 633-nm collimated light source. It is shown that adding too many nanoshells or increasing power can cause overheating in the entry region while leaving the rear region heated only by conduction, producing an undesirable temperature differential. An opposing dual-laser approach is presented that mitigates this issue.     

Neural approach for temperature‐dependent modeling of GaN HEMTs

Gallium nitride high electron‐mobility transistors have gained much interest for high‐power and high‐temperature applications at high frequencies. Therefore, there is a need to have the dependence on the temperature included in their models. To meet this challenge, the present study presents a neural approach for extracting a multi‐bias model of a gallium nitride high electron‐mobility transistors including the dependence on the ambient temperature. Accuracy of the developed model is verified by comparing modeling results with measurements. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Polyurethanes based on 2,2‐Dinitropropane‐1,3‐diol and 2,2‐bis(azidomethyl)propane‐1,3‐diol as potential energetic binders

On the base of 2,2‐bis(azidomethyl)propane‐1,3‐diol (BAMP) and 2,2‐dinitropropane‐1,3‐diol (DNPD) four different polyurethanes were synthesized in a polyaddition reaction using hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) and diisocyanato ethane (DIE). The obtained prepolymers were mainly characterized using vibrational spectroscopy (IR) and elemental analysis. For determination of low and high temperature behavior, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used. Investigations concerning friction and impact sensitivities were carried out using a BAM drop hammer and friction tester. The energetic properties of the polymers were determined using bomb calorimetric measurements and calculated with the EXPLO5 V6.02 computer code. The obtained values were compared with the glycidyl azide polymer (GAP). The compounds turned out to be insensitive toward friction (>360 N) and less sensitive toward impact (40 J). The good physical stabilities, along with their sufficient thermal stability (170–210 °C) and moderate energetic properties renders these polymers into potential compounds for applications as binders in energetic formul;ations. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43991.     

Interleukin‐4‐Clicked Surfaces Drive M2 Macrophage Polarization

Driving macrophage (M?) polarization into the M2 phenotype provides potential against inflammatory diseases. Interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) promotes polarization into the M2‐M? phenotype, but its systemic use is constrained by dose‐limiting toxicity. Consequently, we developed IL‐4‐decorated surfaces aiming at sustained and localized activity. IL‐4 muteins were generated by genetic code expansion; Lys42 was replaced by unnatural amino acids (uAAs). Both muteins showed cell‐stimulation ability and binding affinity to IL4Rα similar to those of wt‐IL‐4. Copper‐catalyzed (CuAAC) and copper‐free strain‐promoted (SPAAC) 1,3‐dipolar azide–alkyne cycloadditions were used to site‐selectively anchor IL‐4 to agarose surfaces. These surfaces had sustained IL‐4 activity, as demonstrated by TF‐1 cell proliferation and M2, but not M1, polarization of M‐CSF‐generated human M?. The approach provides a blueprint for the engineering of cytokine‐activated surfaces profiled for sustained and spatially controlled activity.