CNTs in Optoelectronic Devices: New Structural and Photophysical Insights on Porphyrin‐DWCNTs Hybrid Materials

The preparation and physical characterization of diverse porphyrin‐derived double‐walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) conjugates are described. A porphyrin molecule is covalently linked and physically adsorbed to COOH‐derived DWCNTs. The photophysical properties of all porphyrin‐CNTs derivatives are studied in solution and in polymeric matrices. Definitive experimental evidence for photoinduced electron and/or energy transfer processes involving the porphyrin chromophores and the CNT wall is not obtained, but solid‐state UV‐vis absorption profiles display electronic transitions fingerprinting J‐ and H‐ type aggregates, where porphyrin molecules intermolecularly interact “head‐to‐tail” and “face‐to‐face”, respectively. In parallel, molecular modeling based on force‐field simulations is performed to understand the structure of the porphyrin‐CNTs interface and the nature of the interactions between the porphyrins and the DWCNTs. Finally, multilayered ‐ type devices are fabricated with the aim of investigating the interaction of the porphyrin‐derived DWCNTs with poly(3‐hexylthiophene)‐pyrene matrices containing small amounts of 1‐[3‐(methoxycarbonyl)propyl]‐1‐phenyl‐[6.6]C₆₁.     

TV white spaces exploitation for multimedia signal distribution

The new spectrum regulation policies for dynamic spectrum access, especially those concerning the use of the white spaces in the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) bands, arise the need for fast and reliable signal identification and classification methods. In this paper we present a two-stage identification method for signals in the white spaces, using combined energy detection and feature detection. The band of interest is divided by means of the Discrete Wavelet Packet Transformation (DWPT) in sub-bands where the signal power is calculated. Modulation classifiers taking into account the statistical parameters of the signal in the wavelet domain are used as features for identifying the modulation schemes, in this case specifically for the DVB-T broadcast standard. Finally, a signal transmission architecture based on Motion JPEG XR has been implemented in order to explore and evaluate a practical application of indoor signal distribution over white-spaces.     

Using RGB Image Processing for Designing an Alginate Edible Film

The use of edible films to coat food products is a technique that allows for an extended shelf-life. One of the most widely used polymers is calcium alginate. However, this polymer can modify the original food color and the perception by consumers. The objective was to design an alginate film based principally on color changes using a RGB color model. Edible films were prepared with sodium alginate and glycerol as plasticizer, cross-linking the polymer with calcium. Dry and hydrated states of the edible films were studied. Film thickness was directly proportional to surface concentration and increased with hydration. There is a zone in which the color does not change with alginate surface concentration and another where the color is directly proportional to it. This latter scenario is not a consequence of structural changes or the degree of hydration. Results showed a range where the color was not modified by the alginate concentration; hence, an optimal surface concentration was determined as a design parameter. Edible films made using the optimal surface concentration would not mask microbial contamination and have good physical properties (water vapor transmission and swelling) compared with other surface concentrations. In addition, it was possible to model alginate surface concentration as a function of surface color using mathematical tools (clustering, linear regression, and support vector machine), allowing one to study the optimal use of the edible films.     

Magic structures of h-passivated 110 silicon nanowires

We report a genetic algorithm approach combined with ab initio calculations to determine the structure of hydrogenated 110 Si nanowires. As the number of atoms per length increases, we find that the cross section of the nanowire evolves from chains of six-atom rings to fused pairs of such chains to hexagons bounded by {001} and {111} facets. Our calculations predict that hexagonal wires become stable starting at about 1.2 nm diameter, which is consistent with recent experimental reports of nanowires with diameters of about 3 nm.     

Phosphate removal from synthetic and real wastewater using steel slags produced in Europe

Electric arc furnace steel slags (EAF-slags) and basic oxygen furnace steel slags (BOF-slags) were used to remove phosphate from synthetic solutions and real wastewater. The main objective of this study was to establish an overview of the phosphate removal capacities of steel slags produced in Europe. The influences of parameters, including pH, and initial phosphate and calcium concentrations, on phosphate removal were studied in a series of batch experiments. Phosphate removal mechanisms were also investigated via an in-depth study. The maximum capacities of phosphate removal from synthetic solutions ranged from 0.13 to 0.28 mg P/g using EAF-slags and from 1.14 to 2.49 mg P/g using BOF-slags. Phosphate removal occurred predominantly via the precipitation of Ca-phosphate complexes (most probably hydroxyapatite) according to two consecutive reactive phases: first, dissolution of CaO-slag produced an increase in Ca²⁺ and OH⁻ ion concentrations; then the Ca²⁺ and OH⁻ ions reacted with the phosphates to form hydroxyapatite. It was found that the release of Ca²⁺ from slag was not always enough to enable hydroxyapatite precipitation. However, our results indicated that the Ca²⁺ content of wastewater represented a further source of Ca²⁺ ions that were available for hydroxyapatite precipitation, thus leading to an increase in phosphate removal efficiencies.     

Proteomic Analysis Reveals Differential Expression Profiles in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Cell Lines

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, irreversible lung disorder of unknown cause. This disease is characterized by profibrotic activation of resident pulmonary fibroblasts resulting in aberrant deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. However, although much is known about the pathophysiology of IPF, the cellular and molecular processes that occur and allow aberrant fibroblast activation remain an unmet need. To explore the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) associated with aberrant activation of these fibroblasts, we used the IPF lung fibroblast cell lines LL97A (IPF-1) and LL29 (IPF-2), compared to the normal lung fibroblast cell line CCD19Lu (NL-1). Protein samples were quantified and identified using a label-free quantitative proteomic analysis approach by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). DEPs were identified after pairwise comparison, including all experimental groups. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Protein–Protein Interaction (PPI) network construction were used to interpret the proteomic data. Eighty proteins expressed exclusively in the IPF-1 and IPF-2 clusters were identified. In addition, 19 proteins were identified up-regulated in IPF-1 and 10 in IPF-2; 10 proteins were down-regulated in IPF-1 and 2 in IPF-2 when compared to the NL-1 proteome. Using the search tool for retrieval of interacting genes/proteins (STRING) software, a PPI network was constructed between the DEPs and the 80 proteins expressed exclusively in the IPF-2 and IPF-1 clusters, containing 115 nodes and 136 edges. The 10 hub proteins present in the IPP network were identified using the CytoHubba plugin of the Cytoscape software. GO and KEGG pathway analyses showed that the hub proteins were mainly related to cell adhesion, integrin binding, and hematopoietic cell lineage. Our results provide relevant information on DEPs present in IPF lung fibroblast cell lines when compared to the normal lung fibroblast cell line that could play a key role during IPF pathogenesis.     

Insight into the structural,electrical and photoresponse properties of individual Fe:SrTiO3 nanotubes

Titanates are suitable for many applications such as oxygen sensing and tunable HTS (high temperature superconducting) microwave filters. The potential advantages of the nanostructured forms have been however scarcely explored compared to other oxides. In this work, the structural and electrical properties of individual iron-doped strontium titanate nanotubes (Fe:SrTiO₃) grown by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) were assessed for the first time, showing high stability and reproducibility. This result paves the way to further development of more complex titanate-based devices, as for instance nanostructured oxygen STFO sensors. From experimental data, it was concluded that the polycrystalline form of Fe:SrTiO₃ nanotubes is the major limitation to attain high photoconductivity gains when exposed to UV-light.     

Corrections to facilitate planar imaging of particle concentration in particle-laden flows using Mie scattering, part 1: collimated laser sheets

Planar nephelometry is a laser-based technique of imaging the light scattered from particles to provide information about the local number density of these particles. In many seeded flows of practical interest, such as pulverized coal flames, particle loadings are sufficiently high for the incident laser beam to be severely attenuated. Measurements in these flows are therefore difficult, and limited data are available under these conditions. Laser attenuation experiments were conducted in suspensions of spherical particles in water at various concentrations. This is used to formulate a calibration for the effects of diffuse scattering and laser sheet extinction. A model for the distribution of light through a heavily seeded, light-scattering medium is also developed and is compared with experimental results. It is demonstrated that the scattered signal may be considered proportional to the local particle concentration multiplied by the incident laser power. The incident laser power varies as a function of the attenuation by obscurement. This correction for planar nephelometry images thus extends the technique to provide pseudoquantitative data for instantaneous particle concentration measurements.     

Nematic-to-Isotropic Phase Transition in Poly(L-Lactide) with Addition of Cyclodextrin during Abiotic Degradation Study

Poly(L-lactide) is capable of self-assembly into a nematic mesophase under the influence of temperature and mechanical stresses. Therefore, subsequent poly(L-lactide) films were obtained and characterized, showing nematic liquid crystal properties both before and after degradation. Herein, we present that, by introducing β-cyclodextrin into the polymer matrix, it is possible to obtain a chiral nematic mesophase during pressing, regardless of temperature and time. The obtained poly(L-lactide) films exhibiting liquid crystal properties were subjected to degradation tests and the influence of degradation on these properties was determined. Thermotropic phase behavior was investigated using polarized optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry. The degradation process demonstrated an influence on the liquid crystal properties of pressed polymer films. The colored planar texture of the chiral nematic mesophase, which was not observed prior to degradation in films without the addition of β-cyclodextrin, appeared after incubation in water as a result of the entrapment of degradation products in the polymer matrix. These unusual tailor-made properties, obtained in liquid crystals in (bio)degradable polymers using a simple method, demonstrate the potential for advanced photonic applications.     

Inclusion Body Myositis and Neoplasia: A Narrative Review

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is an acquired, late-onset inflammatory myopathy, with both inflammatory and degenerative pathogenesis. Although idiopathic inflammatory myopathies may be associated with malignancies, IBM is generally not considered paraneoplastic. Many studies of malignancy in inflammatory myopathies did not include IBM patients. Indeed, IBM is often diagnosed only after around 5 years from onset, while paraneoplastic myositis is generally defined as the co-occurrence of malignancy and myopathy within 1 to 3 years of each other. Nevertheless, a significant association with large granular lymphocyte leukemia has been recently described in IBM, and there are reports of cancer-associated IBM. We review the pathogenic mechanisms supposed to be involved in IBM and outline the common mechanisms in IBM and malignancy, as well as the therapeutic perspectives. The terminally differentiated, CD8+ highly cytotoxic T cells expressing NK features are central in the pathogenesis of IBM and, paradoxically, play a role in some cancers as well. Interferon gamma plays a central role, mostly during the early stages of the disease. The secondary mitochondrial dysfunction, the autophagy and cell cycle dysregulation, and the crosstalk between metabolic and mitogenic pathways could be shared by IBM and cancer. There are intermingled subcellular mechanisms in IBM and neoplasia, and probably their co-existence is underestimated. The link between IBM and cancers deserves further interest, in order to search for efficient therapies in IBM and to improve muscle function, life quality, and survival in both diseases.