Modeling the Destruction of an Anisotropic Composite Barrier in Interaction with Slender Strikers at an Angle

Journal of Engineering Physics and Thermophysics - A numerical investigation has been made into the interaction of slender (5–20 calibers) steel cylinder strikers with orthotropic compost...     

Influence of the Corrosion Process on Thermotechnical Characteristics of Heat Pipes of Low-Temperature Range

Journal of Engineering Physics and Thermophysics - Results of investigation into the influence of a corrosion process on thermotechnical characteristics of heat pipes of low-temperature range are...     

Magnetically Modified Waste Bark of Aegle marmelos Tree as a Promising Biosorbent for Uranium(VI) Sorption

Radiochemistry - Magnetically modified waste bark of the Aegle marmelos tree was prepared by using green synthesis method and was used in a batch system for U(VI) removal from aqueous solution. The...     

Two-step sinter-crystallization of K2O–CaO–P2O5–SiO2 (45S5-K) bioactive glass

Bioactive glasses and glass-ceramics (GCs) effectively regenerate bone tissue, however most GCs show improved mechanical properties. In this work, we developed and tested a rarely studied bioactive glass composition (24.4K₂O-26.9CaO-46.1SiO₂-2.6P₂O₅ mol%, identified as 45S5-K) with different particle sizes and heating rates to obtain a sintered GC that combines good fracture strength, low elastic modulus, and bioactivity. We analyzed the influence of the sintering processing conditions in the elastic modulus, Vickers microhardness, density, and crystal phase formation in the GC. The best GC shows improved properties compared with its parent glass. This glass achieves a good densification degree with a two-step viscous flow sintering approach and the resulting GC shows as high bioactivity as that of the standard 45S5 Bioglass®. Furthermore, the GC elastic modulus (56 GPa) is relatively low, minimizing stress shielding. Therefore, we unveiled the glass sintering behavior with concurrent crystallization of this complex bioactive glass composition and developed a potential GC for bone regeneration.     

Increasing the photocatalytic and fungicide activities of Ag3PO4 microcrystals under visible-light irradiation

The present study reports for the first time the performance of silver phosphate (Ag₃PO₄) microcrystals as photocatalyst (degradation of Rodamine B-RhB) and antifungal agent (against Candida albicans–C. albicans) under visible-light irradiation (455 nm). Ag₃PO₄ microcrystals were synthesized by a simple co-precipitation (CP) method at room temperature. The structural and electronic properties of the as-synthetized Ag₃PO₄ have been investigated before and after 4 cycles of RhB degradation under visible light using X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-Raman spectroscopy, UV–Vis spectrophotometer and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images. The antifungal activity was analyzed in planktonic cells and 48h-biofilm of C. albicans by colony forming units (CFU) counting, confocal laser and FE-SE microscopies. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software. Morphological and structural modifications of Ag₃PO₄ were observed upon recycling. After 4 recycles, the material maintained its photodegradation property; an eightfold increase in the efficiency of Ag₃PO₄ was observed in planktonic cells and a two fold increase in biofilm when irradiated under visible light. Thus, higher antifungal effectiveness against C. albicans was obtained when associated with visible-light irradiation.     

Extracellular Vesicles and Asthma—More Than Just a Co-Existence

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous structures, which are secreted by almost every cell type analyzed so far. In addition to their importance for cell-cell communication under physiological conditions, EVs are also released during pathogenesis and mechanistically contribute to this process. Here we summarize their functional relevance in asthma, one of the most common chronic non-communicable diseases. Asthma is a complex persistent inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by reversible airflow obstruction and, from a long-term perspective, airway remodeling. Overall, mechanistic studies summarized here indicate the importance of different subtypes of EVs and their variable cargoes in the functioning of the pathways underlying asthma, and show some interesting potential for the development of future therapeutic interventions. Association studies in turn demonstrate a good diagnostic potential of EVs in asthma.     

QoS metrics-in-the-loop for endowing runtime self-adaptation to robotic software architectures

Multimedia Tools and Applications - The design of robots capable of operating autonomously in changing and unstructured environments, requires using complex software architectures in which,...     

Motion of a Robot Mower with Directional Control

Russian Engineering Research - The stability of robot-mower motion in a specific direction is considered. The direction is regulated by means of an angular sensor and a programmable controller...     

Calcium deficient hydroxyapatite by precipitation: Continuous process by vortex reactor and semi-batch synthesis

Precipitation of calcium deficient hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in an environmentally benign manner by using only dilute solutions of calcium hydroxide and phosphoric acid without pH adjustment and addition of other chemicals, and water, being the only by-product was investigated by using continuous flow Vortex Reactor (VR) and Semi-Batch Reactor (SBR). The effect of hydrodynamics by changing the Reynolds number of the jets providing residence times of 8.4 ms to 4.37 s for VR, and by changing the stirrer speed between 100 rpm (Re = 2656) and 1000 rpm (Re = 26560) for SBR, on the particle size, particle size distribution, and morphology of the particles was investigated for both systems. It has been shown that it is possible to produce pure phase hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in the desired morphology by changing production system, without resorting to additives. While VR produced rod-like particles with the crystallite size around 4 nm, SBR produced spherical particles with the crystallite size of around 5 nm.     

The role of microstructural evolution during spark plasma sintering on the soft magnetic and electronic properties of a CoFe–Al2O3 soft magnetic composite

Journal of Materials Science - For transformers and inductors to meet the world’s growing demand for electrical power, more efficient soft magnetic materials with high saturation magnetic...