Capturing “Extraordinary” Soft‐Assembled Charge‐Like Polypeptides as a Strategy for Nanocarrier Design

The rational design of nanomedicines is a challenging task given the complex architectures required for the construction of nanosized carriers with embedded therapeutic properties and the complex interface of these materials with the biological environment. Herein, an unexpected charge‐like attraction mechanism of self‐assembly for star‐shaped polyglutamates in nonsalty aqueous solutions is identified, which matches the ubiquitous “ordinary–extraordinary” phenomenon previously described by physicists. For the first time, a bottom‐up methodology for the stabilization of these nanosized soft‐assembled star‐shaped polyglutamates is also described, enabling the translation of theoretical research into nanomaterials with applicability within the drug‐delivery field. Covalent capture of these labile assemblies provides access to unprecedented architectures to be used as nanocarriers. The enhanced in vitro and in vivo properties of these novel nanoconstructs as drug‐delivery systems highlight the potential of this approach for tumor‐localized as well as lymphotropic delivery.     

The effect of azimuthal temperature distribution on the ballooning and rupture behavior of Zircaloy-4 cladding tube under transient-heating conditions

For the purpose of investigating the effect of azimuthal temperature distribution on the ballooning and rupture behavior of Zircaloy-4 (Zry-4) cladding tube, laboratory-scale experiments on non-irradiated Zry-4 cladding tube specimens were performed under transient-heating conditions which simulate loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) conditions by using an external heating method, and the data obtained were compared to those from a previous study, where an internal heating method was used. The maximum circumferential strains of the cladding tube specimens were firstly divided by the engineering hoop stress. The divided maximum circumferential strains, ks, of the previous study, which used the internal heating method, were then corrected based on the azimuthal temperature difference (ATD) in the cladding tube specimen. The ks for the external heating method which was used in this study agreed fairly well with the corrected ks obtained in the previous study which employed the internal heating method in the burst temperature range below ～1200 K. Also, the area of rupture opening tended to increase with increasing of the value which is defined as the engineering hoop stress multiplied by the maximum circumferential strain. From the results obtained in this study, it was suggested that the maximum circumferential strain and the size of rupture opening of a cladding tube under LOCA-simulated conditions can be estimated mainly by using the engineering hoop stress, the maximum circumferential strain, and ATD in the cladding tube specimen, irrespective of heating methods.     

Modeling of a Time-Spreading OCDMA System Including Nonperfect Time Gating, Optical Thresholding, and Fully Asynchronous Signal/Interference Overlapping

We present an extended theoretical model for time-spreading optical code-division multiple-access (OCDMA) coherent systems. We have updated well-known model to evaluate multiuser interference to include arbitrary encoded/decoded chip shape, receiver transfer function, and optical thresholding before detection. Full asynchronous regime is also assumed to exploit statistical benefits over the dominant primary beat noise. The model provides clear improvements in terms of number of users and required intercodes crosstalk, leading to more feasible OCDMA systems.     

Nature in corrosion-erosion surface for [TiN/TiAlN]n nanometric multilayers growth on AISI 1045 steel

The aim of this work is to characterize the electrochemical behavior of [TiN/TiAlN]n multilayer coatings under corrosion-erosion condition. The multilayers with bilayer numbers (n) of 2, 6, 12, and 24 and/or bilayer period (Λ) of 1500 nm, 500 nm, 250 nm, 150 nm and 125 nm were deposited by magnetron sputtering technique on Si (100) and AISI 1045 steel substrates. Both, the TiN and the TiAlN structures for multilayer coatings were evaluated via X-ray diffraction analysis. Mechanical and tribological properties were evaluated via nanoindentation measurements and scratch test respectively. Silica particles were used as abrasive material on corrosion-erosion test in 0.5 M of H₂SO₄ solution at impact angles of 30° and 90° over surface. The electrochemical characterization was carried out using polarization resistance technique (Tafel), in order to observe changes in corrosion rate as a function of the bilayer number (n) or the bilayer period (Λ) and the impact angle. Corrosion rate values of 9115 μm y for uncoated steel substrate and 2615 μm y for substrate coated with n = 24 (Λ = 125 nm) under an impact angle of 30° were found. On the other hand, for an impact angle of 90° the corrosion rate exhibited 16401 μm y for uncoated steel substrate and 5331 μm y for substrate coated with n = 24 (Λ = 125 nm). This behavior was correlated with the curves of mass loss for both coated samples and the surface damage was analyzed via scanning electron microscopy images for the two different impact angles. These results indicate that TiN/TiAlN multilayer coatings deposited on AISI 1045 steel represent a practical solution for applications in corrosive-erosive environments.     

Effect of the Synthesis Method on Co-catalysts Based on MCM-41 for the Fischer–Tropsch Reaction

In this work, cobalt catalysts based on ordered mesoporous materials of the MCM-41 type were synthesized and characterized. The synthesis of the catalysts was performed by using different methods: impregnation; incorporation of the metal in the synthesis gel and ionic exchange of the metal by the template. Different characterization techniques were used (N₂ adsorption–desorption, XRD, TPR, SEM and XPS) to study the textural and structural properties of the samples and the metal-support interaction corresponding to each method of synthesis. These samples were tested in the CO Hydrogenation (Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis) by measuring the CO conversion and the selectivity to CO₂ and some groups of hydrocarbons chains. The results show that structural and textural properties as well as the metal-support interactions are affected by the synthesis method. According to this study, catalytic performance is related to the properties of the samples, observing that the metal support interaction highly affects the activity and selectivity of the catalysts.     

Carotenoid composition of kale as influenced by maturity,season and minimal processing

The principal carotenoids of kale were identified by chemical reactions, high‐performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and high‐performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array detection and were quantified by the last technique. In kale taken from conventional farms, the β‐carotene and lutein contents were significantly higher in the mature leaves, violaxanthin was at an unusually high level in the young leaves, and neoxanthin had practically the same concentration at both stages of maturity. In samples taken from an organic farm, the carotenoid contents were essentially the same in the young and the mature leaves. Except for β‐carotene, which did not differ with season, the carotenoid concentrations of marketed minimally processed kale were found to be significantly higher in the summer than in the winter, reflecting seasonal rather than processing effects. In minimally processed kale monitored during 5 days of storage at 7–9 °C, β‐carotene, lutein, violaxanthin and neoxanthin were reduced by 14, 27, 20 and 31% respectively. Thus minimal processing, seasonal and maturity factors were found to have an influence on the carotenoid content of kale. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Chemical exergy assessment of organic matter in a water flow

In recent years, exergy analysis has been successfully applied to natural resources assessment. The consumption of any natural resource is unavoidably joined to dispersion and degradation. Therefore, exergy analysis can be applied to study the depletion of natural resources and, particularly, to water resources. Different studies range from global fresh water resources evaluation to specific water bodies' detailed analysis.     

Improving hydrogen storage in modified carbon materials

The hydrogen adsorption capacity of different types of carbon nanofibers (Platelet, Fishbone and Ribbon) and amorphous carbon has been measured as a function of pressure and temperature. Results have showed as the more graphitic/ordered carbon materials adsorbed less hydrogen than the more amorphous ones. After that and, with the aim of improve the hydrogen adsorption capacity of these carbon materials, they were functionalizated (oxygen surface groups incorporation) and Ni-modificated. Results also showed an important increase of the H₂ adsorption capacity despite the porosity loss that took place after the treatments. Due to the advantages of functionalization and Ni-modification, both treatments were applied at the same time over the most promising carbon materials from the H₂ adsorption point of view, observing again an improvement of the hydrogen adsorption capacity. Finally, the H₂ adsorption capacity of chemically activated carbon materials increased considerably due the pore structure development and even more if activated materials were Ni-modificated.     

The Modular Architecture of Metallothioneins Facilitates Domain Rearrangements and Contributes to Their Evolvability in Metal-Accumulating Mollusks

Protein domains are independent structural and functional modules that can rearrange to create new proteins. While the evolution of multidomain proteins through the shuffling of different preexisting domains has been well documented, the evolution of domain repeat proteins and the origin of new domains are less understood. Metallothioneins (MTs) provide a good case study considering that they consist of metal-binding domain repeats, some of them with a likely de novo origin. In mollusks, for instance, most MTs are bidomain proteins that arose by lineage-specific rearrangements between six putative domains: α, β1, β2, β3, γ and δ. Some domains have been characterized in bivalves and gastropods, but nothing is known about the MTs and their domains of other Mollusca classes. To fill this gap, we investigated the metal-binding features of NpoMT1 of Nautilus pompilius (Cephalopoda class) and FcaMT1 of Falcidens caudatus (Caudofoveata class). Interestingly, whereas NpoMT1 consists of α and β1 domains and has a prototypical Cd²⁺ preference, FcaMT1 has a singular preference for Zn²⁺ ions and a distinct domain composition, including a new Caudofoveata-specific δ domain. Overall, our results suggest that the modular architecture of MTs has contributed to MT evolution during mollusk diversification, and exemplify how modularity increases MT evolvability.     

Modeling of Biodegradation in an Old Unregulated European Landfill

In this note an example of modeling of biodegradation processes of an old abandoned municipal solid waste landfill for its simulation is illustrated using the landfill dynamic simulation tool MODUELO. In this program the waste biodegradation model is based on the quantification of organic matter, its chemical composition, biodegradability, accessibility to microorganisms, and the ratio nonbiodegradable leachable organic matter to gasifiable matter. Data from a characterization campaign, presented elsewhere, were used to determine these parameters. The experimental information was completed with safety factors (to compensate for sampling uncertainty) and literature values. The degradation rates were determined, after having calibrated the hydrological model, by fitting the temporal series of pollutants’ concentration measured in the leachate and the biogas composition. The achieved fit of the simulated series compared to the measured data is reported as the result of this work. Given the limited information available, the obtained simulation model is considered an acceptable tool to study the future evolution of the landfill in different circumstances.