A model for collisional exchange in gas/liquid/solid fluidized beds

A new model is presented for numerical simulations of collisional transfer of mass, momentum and energy in gas/liquid/solid fluidized beds. The mathematical formulation uses a collision model similar to that of Bhatnagar, Gross, and Krook (BGK), in a particle distribution function transport equation, in order to approximate the rates at which collisions bring about local equilibration of particle velocities and the masses, compositions, and temperatures of liquid films on bed particles. The model is implemented in the framework of the computational-particle fluid dynamics (CPFD) numerical methodology, in which the particle phase is represented with computational parcels and the continuous phase is calculated on Eulerian finite-difference grid. Computational examples using the Barracuda^® code, a commercial CFD code owned by CPFD Software, LLC, show the ability of the model to calculate spray injection and subsequent liquid spreading in gas/solid flows.     

The influence of ionic strength and osmotic pressure on the dewatering behaviour of sewage sludge

In this work, we investigated the importance of osmotic pressure in the overall dewaterability behaviour of a biotic sludge. Biotic sludges, such as activated or digested sludge from waste water treatment, are known to be difficult to dewater, due to their high compressibility and their gel-like water retention capacity. These properties are partly attributed to the presence of surface charges, which are due to the biological nature and the presence of weakly charged extra-cellular polymeric substances. Both in filtration and centrifugation experiments, charge related effects were partly neutralised through a controlled increase in the bulk ionic strength by the addition of NaCl. It was observed that an increase in the bulk ionic strength brings about an increase in the final solid volume fraction upon constant pressure filtration or centrifugation. Increasing the ionic strength did not result in a more classical filtration behaviour, however. The results further suggested that with increasing total pressure, the relative importance of the osmotic pressure in the total resistance against compression diminishes, and that more structural effects dominate the solid stress at high pressures.     

Phase decomposition upon alteration of radiation-damaged monazite-(ce) from moss, Østfold, norway

The internal textures of crystals of moderately radiation-damaged monazite-(Ce) from Moss, Norway, indicate heavy, secondary chemical alteration. In fact, the cm-sized specimens are no longer mono-mineral monazite but rather a composite consisting of monazite-(Ce) and apatite pervaded by several generations of fractures filled with sulphides and a phase rich in Th, Y, and Si. This composite is virtually a 'pseudomorph' after primary euhedral monazite crystals whose faces are still well preserved. The chemical alteration has resulted in major reworking and decomposition of the primary crystals, with potentially uncontrolled elemental changes, including extensive release of Th from the primary monazite and local redeposition of radionuclides in fracture fillings. This seems to question the general alteration-resistance of orthophosphate phases in a low-temperature, 'wet' environment, and hence their suitability as potential host ceramics for the long-term immobilisation of radioactive waste.     

Effect of the primary heat treatment on the bond formation in cold welding of aluminum and steel by cold forging

Cold forging enables the manufacturing of high strength monolithic components. When used as joining technology it can also be extended to an enabler of multi-material product design. The contact conditions at the interface between the components during the cold forging process play a crucial role. The joining of two billets of steel and aluminum is investigated by a finite element analysis with regard to the material distribution and the effect of a primary heat treatment of both materials. These parameters affect the surface enlargement and the contact normal stress which are decisive parameters for the formation of a sound bond between aluminum and the hardly cold weldable steel. The experimental results present the effect of a primary heat treatment on the bond formation. Microscopic analyses of the bond formation allow a deeper insight into the bonding mechanism. Thus, the results lead to process design guidelines for cold welding by cold forging.     

High Mobility Group Box 1 Protein in Cerebral Thromboemboli

High-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) involved in neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation and thrombosis. NETs are regularly found in cerebral thromboemboli. We here analyzed associated HMGB1 expression in human thromboemboli retrieved via mechanical thrombectomy from 37 stroke patients with large vessel occlusion. HMGB1 was detected in all thromboemboli, accounting for 1.7% (IQR 0.6–6.2%) of the total thromboemboli area and was found to be colocalized with neutrophils and NETs and in spatial proximity to platelets. Correlation analysis revealed that the detection of HMGB1 was strongly related to the number of neutrophils (r = 0.58, p = 0.0002) and platelets (r = 0.51, p = 0.001). Our results demonstrate that HMGB1 is a substantial constituent of thromboemboli causing large vessel occlusion stroke.     

Comparative Antiseizure Analysis of Diverse Natural Coumarin Derivatives in Zebrafish

Coumarins are a well-known group of plant secondary metabolites with various pharmacological activities, including antiseizure activity. In the search for new antiseizure drugs (ASDs) to treat epilepsy, it is yet unclear which types of coumarins are particularly interesting as a systematic analysis has not been reported. The current study performed behavioral antiseizure activity screening of 18 different coumarin derivatives in the larval zebrafish pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) model using locomotor measurements. Activity was confirmed for seven compounds, which lowered seizure-like behavior as follows: oxypeucedanin 38%, oxypeucedanin hydrate 74%, notopterol 54%, nodakenetin 29%, hyuganin C 35%, daphnoretin 65%, and pimpinellin 60%. These coumarins, together with nodakenin, underwent further antiepileptiform analysis by local field potential recordings from the zebrafish opticum tectum (midbrain). All of them, except for nodakenetin, showed pronounced antiepileptiform activity, decreasing PTZ-induced elevation in power spectral density (PSD) by 83–89% for oxypeucedanin, oxypeucedanin hydrate, and notopterol, 77% for nodakenin, 26% for nodakenetin, 65% for hyuganin C, 88% for daphnoretin, and 81% for pimpinellin. These data demonstrate the potential of diverse coumarin scaffolds for ASD discovery. Finally, the structural differences between active and inactive coumarins were investigated in silico for oxypeucedanin hydrate and byacangelicin for their interaction with GABA-transaminase, a hypothetical target.     

Characterization of Novel Pathogenic Variants Causing Pyridox(am)ine 5′-Phosphate Oxidase-Dependent Epilepsy

Several variants of the enzyme pyridox(am)ine 5′-phosphate oxidase (PNPO), responsible for a rare form of vitamin B₆-dependent neonatal epileptic encephalopathy known as PNPO deficiency (PNPOD), have been reported. However, only a few of them have been characterised with respect to their structural and functional properties, despite the fact that the knowledge of how variants affect the enzyme may clarify the disease mechanism and improve treatment. Here, we report the characterisation of the catalytic, allosteric and structural properties of recombinantly expressed D33V, R161C, P213S, and E50K variants, among which D33V (present in approximately 10% of affected patients) is one of the more common variants responsible for PNPOD. The D33V and E50K variants have only mildly altered catalytic properties. In particular, the E50K variant, given that it has been found on the same chromosome with other known pathogenic variants, may be considered non-pathogenic. The P213S variant has lower thermal stability and reduced capability to bind the FMN cofactor. The variant involving Arg161 (R161C) largely decreases the affinity for the pyridoxine 5′-phosphate substrate and completely abolishes the allosteric feedback inhibition exerted by the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate product.     

Influence of nitrogen uptake and heat treatment on the microstructural characteristics and corrosion performance of X190CrVMo20-4-1 steel produced by supersolidus liquid-phase sintering

Martensitic stainless steel powder exhibits a high nitrogen uptake when densified by supersolidus liquid-phase sintering in a nitrogen atmosphere, but the optimum uptake, which is beneficial to its resistance to corrosion, is unknown. In this study, the resistance of high-carbon martensitic stainless steel X190CrVMo20-4-1 densified in a nitrogen atmosphere against pitting corrosion was explored. This was to clarify the impact of nitrogen uptake in the steel matrix in the quenched and tempered condition on its corrosion resistance in an aqueous solution. Samples were subjected to potentiodynamic polarisation tests in a de-aerated, 1 wt% NaCl solution. Results revealed that the X190 steel densified in a nitrogen atmosphere at 40-kPa pressure, subjected to deep cryogenic treatment in liquid nitrogen at an austenitising temperature of 1150°C and tempered at 200°C, had the best pitting corrosion resistance with a breakdown potential of 142 ± 11 mV/SCE and a hardness of 738 ± 4 HV10. The matrix around the M₇C₃ carbides and MX carbonitrides suffered high pitting susceptibility. The implications of this study serve as a basis for the improvement of the functional properties of steels.     

The Chemistry of the Postpharyngeal Gland of Female European Beewolves

Females of the European beewolf, Philanthus triangulum, possess a large glove-shaped gland in the head, the postpharyngeal gland (PPG). They apply the content of the PPG to their prey, paralyzed honeybees, where it delays fungal infestation. Here, we describe the chemical composition of the gland by using combined GC-MS, GC-FTIR, and derivatization. The PPG of beewolves contains mainly long-chain unsaturated hydrocarbons (C23–C33), lower amounts of saturated hydrocarbons (C14–C33), and minor amounts of methyl-branched hydrocarbons (C17–C31). Additionally, the hexane-soluble gland content is comprised of small amounts of an unsaturated C25 alcohol, an unknown sesquiterpene, an octadecenylmethylester, and several long-chain saturated (C25, C27) and unsaturated (C23–C27) ketones, some of which have not yet been reported as natural products. Surprisingly, we found a dimorphism with regard to the major component of the PPG with some females having (Z)-9-pentacosene, whereas others have (Z)-9-heptacosene as their predominant component. The biological relevance of the compounds for the prevention of fungal growth on the prey and the significance of the chemical dimorphism are discussed.     

Fed-batch optimization of recombinant <Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-amylase production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> using a modified Markov chain Monte Carlo technique

A modified Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) searching procedure was developed to search for an optimal set of decision variables and optimal feed rate trajectories for recombinant α-amylase expression by Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051a. The bacterium also synthesizes proteases as undesirable products in fed-batch culture that need to be minimized. To maximize α-amylase productivity, a 14th-order fed-batch model was optimized by integrating Pontryagin’s maximum principle with the Luedeking-Piret equation. The number of iterations and simulations of the proposed searching procedure were statistically examined for accuracy and acceptability of the results. It can be concluded that the proposed searching procedure increased the parameter selection opportunity near the tail ends of redefined triangular distribution. By applying a modified MCMC searching procedure with 1,500 iterations, the predicted α-amylase productivity was improved by 18% in comparison with near-optimum experimental results. This productivity was 3.5% higher than predicted by conventional MCMC optimization.