Cathodic titania nanotube arrays as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

The titanium dioxide nanotube arrays (TNAs) have been synthesized at cathode and anode via standard electrochemical method for their subsequent use as anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The TNAs fabricated at cathode have higher Ti³⁺ in comparison to TNAs at anode, which was confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectrometry. Moreover, the lattice parameters of cathodic TNAs are estimated via Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction, which also conform to Ti³⁺ doping and insertion of protons (H⁺). The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy hints an increment in the electronic conductivity of TNAs fabricated at cathode. As a result, high reversible areal–specific capacity (~385.5 µAh cm^?2 at 100 µA cm^?2) with excellent rate capability is acquired by utilizing TNAs fabricated at cathode as anode material in LIBs.     

Biopolymers for Antitumor Implantable Drug Delivery Systems: Recent Advances and Future Outlook

In spite of remarkable improvements in cancer treatments and survivorship, cancer still remains as one of the major causes of death worldwide. Although current standards of care provide encouraging results, they still cause severe systemic toxicity and also fail in preventing recurrence of the disease. In order to address these issues, biomaterial‐based implantable drug delivery systems (DDSs) have emerged as promising therapeutic platforms, which allow local administration of drugs directly to the tumor site. Owing to the unique properties of biopolymers, they have been used in a variety of ways to institute biodegradable implantable DDSs that exert precise spatiotemporal control over the release of therapeutic drug. Here, the most recent advances in biopolymer‐based DDSs for suppressing tumor growth and preventing tumor recurrence are reviewed. Novel emerging biopolymers as well as cutting‐edge polymeric microdevices deployed as implantable antitumor DDSs are discussed. Finally, a review of a new therapeutic modality within the field, which is based on implantable biopolymeric DDSs, is given.     

A simple process for the preparation of photocatalytically active bismuth aluminate nanoparticles

Various amino acids (i.e. phenylalanine, glycine, and arginine) were used in the sol–gel synthesis of Bi₂Al₄O₉ and their effects on the size, morphology and uniformity ofthe product were evaluated through characterizing the products by electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. Further vibrating sample magnetometery was used for studying the magnetism properties of Bi₂Al₄O₉ sample. The studies on the band gap of the product indicated that the product can have the potentials to act as a photocatalyst in the photo-oxidation of organic dyes under visible irradiation, and it was found that the Bi₂Al₄O₉ lead to the degradation of rhodamine B up to about 92% after 200 min, and hence possesses an effective photocatalytic activity.     

Wall Decay Coefficient Estimation in a Real-Life Drinking Water Distribution Network

Water Resources Management - Injection of chlorine as a disinfectant and the correct prediction of the residual amount in water distribution networks are key points and important principles in the...     

An effective operations permutation-based discrete harmony search approach for the flexible job shop scheduling problem with makespan criterion

The Flexible Job Shop Scheduling Problem (FJSSP) represents a challenging applicative problem for metaheuristic algorithms because it imposes the development of innovative domain-dependent search operators that have to deal both with its combined discrete and permutation nature. Emerging as an effective approach for the resolution of a broad spectrum of hard optimization problems, some few discrete declinations of the Harmony Search (HS) algorithm have been recently proposed for tackling the FJSSP. Recent advances include an investigation of an innovative and promising permutation-based proposal. Accordingly, this paper proposes an Effective Operations Permutation-based Discrete Harmony Search (EOP-DHS) approach for FJSSP with Makespan criterion. The approach adopts an integrated two-part “affectation-sequencing” representation of the solution harmony and a dedicated improvisation operator particularly adapted to the integer-valued and operations permutation-based used coding scheme. Besides, a Modified Intelligent Mutation (MIM) operator is integrated to the adopted framework in order to enhance its overall search ability. Mainly, by balancing maximum machine workload during the overall search process, MIM operator allows essentially maintaining and enhancing the reciprocal equilibrium of diversification and intensification abilities of the proposed EOP-DHS algorithm. Conducted numerical experimentations on 188 benchmarking instances validate the proposal comparatively to a representative set of previously deployed metaheuristic approaches to FJSSP with Makespan criterion. Furthermore, main contribution of the paper is extended with an experimental procedure proving the effectiveness of the adopted permutation-based HS scheme for the resolution of combinatorial optimization problems. Hard benchmarking instances of the classical Job Shop Scheduling Problem (JSSP) are thus considered for exemplification.     

Joint behavior and design procedure of a through plate connection for steel beam to hollow or concrete‐filled tubular columns

The through plate connection has a practical reliable configuration for fully restrained connections for a steel I‐beam to hollow or concrete‐filled tubular columns in seismic areas. Based on experimental programs of authors on interior planar moment connections via through plate technique, this paper presents the outcome of the studies focusing on the joint behavior and the shear transfer in the panel zone of through plate connection. Based on the conducted approved three full‐scale tests, the behavior of connection components and panel zone shear force were investigated accurately in order to provide useful information and key parameters to facilitate design calculations and proportioning the connection. The contribution of each component in the total shear capacity of the panel zone region was determined. Load transfer mechanisms were explained and by quantifying the portion of load transfer paths, the calculation approach was described for design purpose. The proposed design procedure was validated for a wide range of beam to column connections using finite element models. Verified numerical models were used to conduct parametric studies. The numerical results revealed that the proposed analysis method can predict well the induced demand in the connection components and also the design procedure is suitable and secure for all cases.     

A study of Cr(VI) and NH4+adsorption using greensand (glauconite) as a low‐cost adsorbent from aqueous solutions

This paper investigates the removal of Cr(VI) and NH⁴⁺ from aqueous solutions using greensand (glauconite). The effects of adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial Cr(VI) and NH⁴⁺ concentrations, and pH were investigated in batch experiments. The results show that these parameters influenced Cr(VI) and NH⁴⁺ removal using glauconite considerably. Pseudo‐first‐order, pseudo‐second‐order and intraparticle diffusion kinetic models were applied to explain the kinetic data, and the pseudo‐second‐order model achieved good agreement. The equilibrium isotherm data are coordinated with the Freundlich, Langmuir models, Temkin and Dubinin–Radushkevich; the Freundlich model proved most best suitable. The removal efficiency of Cr(VI) and NH₄⁺ were 12.21 mg/g (54% at pH 3) and 19.24 mg/g (77.08% at pH 7). All in all, the results showed that the adsorption process on glauconite could be used as an effective method for removing Cr(VI) and NH⁴⁺ from aqueous solutions.     

pH-responsive polymer in a core–shell magnetic structure as an efficient carrier for delivery of doxorubicin to tumor cells

A pH-responsive polymer derived from polyethyleneimine with zwitterionic function was used as a shell around super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), to introduce an efficient drug carrier for cancer drug delivery and imaging. Core–shell magnetic Fe₃O₄@FA-PEI-SUC (SUC: Succinate conjugated) nanoparticles were attained and characterized. Right chemical attachments, 61.34% modification of primary amino groups of poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) in PEI–SUC, spherical shape, core–shell structure, crystal structure of SPIONs, 18.23% polymer coating of NPs, 8% decrease in magnetization following polymer coating around SPIONs, doxorubicin loading efficiency 85.19%, two times more released amount in acidic pH, and proper toxicity results were obtained by different analysis methods.