Structural properties of nanocomposites based on resole-type phenol-formaldehyde oligomers and detonation nanodiamonds

Using the methods of infrared spectroscopy (IRS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), it was shown that short-term high-energy machining of detonation nanodiamonds (DND) leads to structural changes in the crystal structure and functional composition of the surface layer on particles. The possibility of spontaneous formation for stable colloidal systems with a narrow size distribution of mechanically activated DND in phenol-formaldehyde oligomers (PFO) was established. By molecular spectroscopy it was revealed that π → π* interactions of the aromatic rings of PFO are caused by orientational phenomena as a result of hydrogen bonds between an activated DND surface and functional groups of PFO. The effect of DND concentration on the curing reaction parameters ofpsgr the phenol-formaldehyde oligomer was determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The concentration effect of mechanically activated nanodiamonds on the physical and mechanical characteristics of a composite material based on phenol-formaldehyde binder and polyamide paper (Nomex) was studied. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48582.     

Impact of A134 and E218 Amino Acid Residues of Tropomyosin on Its Flexibility and Function

Tropomyosin (Tpm) is one of the major actin-binding proteins that play a crucial role in the regulation of muscle contraction. The flexibility of the Tpm molecule is believed to be vital for its functioning, although its role and significance are under discussion. We choose two sites of the Tpm molecule that presumably have high flexibility and stabilized them with the A134L or E218L substitutions. Applying differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), molecular dynamics (MD), co-sedimentation, trypsin digestion, and in vitro motility assay, we characterized the properties of Tpm molecules with these substitutions. The A134L mutation prevented proteolysis of Tpm molecule by trypsin, and both substitutions increased the thermal stability of Tpm and its bending stiffness estimated from MD simulation. None of these mutations affected the primary binding of Tpm to F-actin; still, both of them increased the thermal stability of the actin-Tpm complex and maximal sliding velocity of regulated thin filaments in vitro at a saturating Ca²⁺ concentration. However, the mutations differently affected the Ca²⁺ sensitivity of the sliding velocity and pulling force produced by myosin heads. The data suggest that both regions of instability are essential for correct regulation and fine-tuning of Ca²⁺-dependent interaction of myosin heads with F-actin.     

Emulsifier‐free reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer emulsion polymerization of alkyl acrylates mediated by symmetrical trithiocarbonates based on poly(acrylic acid)

Emulsifier‐free batch emulsion polymerization of n‐butyl acrylate and its semi‐batch copolymerization with 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5‐octafluoropentyl acrylate and 2,2,3,4,4,4‐hexafluorobutyl acrylate both mediated by poly(acrylic acid) containing the trithiocarbonate group in the chain was employed to produce amphiphilic triblock copolymers. The polymerization‐induced self‐assembly of these copolymers in aqueous media gave rise to spherical core–shell particles. Irrespective of the experimental conditions, the polymeric product was characterized by a bimodal molecular weight distribution. The apparent violation of the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization mechanism may be attributed to restricted accessibility of the trithiocarbonate group in the self‐assembled block copolymers for propagating radicals that enter into the particle. Mean‐field theoretical arguments were employed to explain the exclusively spherical morphology of the particles observed in the experiment. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

The Rational Use of Water Resources in the Strategy of Industry 4.0

The article substantiates that the transformation of the world economy associated with Industry 4.0 leads to a significant change in the way resources are used and affects the possibility of implementing the concept of sustainable development. In this regard, a combined analysis of the concept of new industrial development and the concept of sustainable development, as well as an assessment of the current practice of their implementation is required. In this paper, such an analysis was carried out on the example of water resources management. The paper proposes a methodology for assessing the correlation of water management and industrial development levels of regions. This includes the use of both traditional statistical approaches to the analysis of the level of development of economic systems, and elements of data mining. The neural network is constructed in order to estimate the forecasted values of the water intensity of the gross regional product when the indicators of the level of industrial development of the regions change. The results show that the most significant indicators for changing water intensity include advanced production technologies used, the share of value-added to high-tech industries, and innovative activities of organisations.

     

X-ray Radioscopic Visualization of Bubbly Flows Injected Through a Top Submerged Lance into a Liquid Metal

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B - We present an experimental study on the formation and behavior of a liquid metal bubbly flow arising from a downward gas injection through a top...     

Aqueous fullerene C60 solution suppresses herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus infections

Abstract

Fullerene C₆₀ is known as a promising therapeutic agent due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other properties, along with the lack of noticeable toxicity. In this article, we describe antiviral properties of aqueous fullerene C₆₀ dispersion (ndC₆₀) produced by biocompatible diafiltration technology and C₆₀ amino derivatives against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections. Their activity in vitro was evaluated by a plaque reduction assay using Vero and HF cells in pre- and post-treatment modes. Therapeutic efficacy of dnC₆₀ and C₆₀ derivatives was studied in DBA mice using cutaneous model of HSV-1 infection. Data obtained indicated low cytotoxicity of all used compounds for both cell lines (CC₅₀ > 1?mg/ml). The antiviral activity of dnC₆₀ in most tests exceeded the activity of both C₆₀ amino adducts and acyclovir (ACV), and it demonstrated significant therapeutic effect against HSV-1 skin infection in mice.     

High-performance and broadband photodetection of bicrystalline(GaN)1-x(ZnO)x solid solution nanowires via crystal defect engineering

Crystal defect engineering is widely used as an effective approach to regulate the optical and opto-electronic properties of semiconductor nanostructures.However,photogenerated electron-hole pair recombination centers caused by structural defects usually lead to the reduction of optoelectronic perfor-mance.In this work,a high-performance photodetector based on(GaN)1-x(ZnO)x solid solution nanowire with bicrystal structure is fabricated and it shows excellent photoresponse to ultraviolet and visible light.The highest responsivity of the photodetector is as high as 60,86 and 43 A/W under the irradiation of 365 nm,532 nm and 650 nm,respectively.The corresponding response time is as fast as 170,320 and 160 ms.Such wide spectral responses can be attributed to various intermediate energy levels induced by the introduction of various structural defects and dopants in the solid solution nanowire.Moreover,the peculiar bicrystal boundary along the axial direction of the nanowire provides two parallel and fast trans-mission channels for photo-generated carriers,reducing the recombination of photo-generated carriers.Our findings provide a valued example using crystal defect engineering to broaden the photoresponse range and improve the photodetector performance and thus can be extended to other material systems for various optoelectronic applications.