ZnIn2S4/g-C3N4 Nanocomposite for Proficient Elimination of Hg (II) under Visible Light

Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials - The present work offers beneficial method for Hg (II) elimination from aqueous solution. ZnIn2S4/g-C3N4 nanocomposites were...     

Hypocholesterolaemic effect of yoghurt containing Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4 or Bifidobacterium longum BB536

The effect of a yoghurt supplement containing Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4 or Bifidobacterium longum BB536 on plasma lipids, lipid peroxidation and the faecal excretion of bile acids was examined in rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet. After 8 weeks, the rats in the positive control (PC) group who were fed the cholesterol-enriched diet showed significant increases in plasma total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and malondialdehyde (MDA). However, groups fed a cholesterol-enriched diet supplemented with yoghurt containing B. pseudocatenulatum G4 or B. longum BB536 had significantly lower plasma TC, LDL-C, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol, and MDA than had the PC group after 8 weeks of treatment. In addition, faecal excretion of bile acids was markedly increased in the rats fed the yoghurt containing B. pseudocatenulatum G4 or B. longum BB536 as compared to the PC and NC groups.     

Potency of Different Carbon Sources in Reduction of Microsilica to Synthesize SiC from Mechanically Activated Powder Mixtures

In the present study, the influences of three different types of carbon (carbon black, graphite, and petroleum coke) on SiC synthesis via mechanical activation and sintering were evaluated. In this regard, the phase components, morphology, and the formation mechanism were investigated. SiC nanoparticles were detected to be formed after 4 h of milling and sintering at 1450°C, regardless of the sources of carbon. The carbon types exert their effects on the morphology of the as‐synthesized particles, where carbon black leads to form rod‐like SiC particles and the other two carbon types result in semi‐spherical SiC particles. This is due to the dominant mechanism in the mentioned process. The rod‐like particles obtained from the carbon black‐containing powder were synthesized via the VSL mechanism, whereas the solid‐state reactions occurred to form the SiC particles in the graphite‐ or petroleum coke‐containing samples. In the VSL mechanism, any increase in the milling time leads to facilitate the SiC formation due to entrance of Fe debris, whereas in the other samples (graphite or petroleum coke) the procedure is reversed.     

Removal of zinc ions from aqueous solution using a cation exchange resin

The present study is concerned with the mass transfer and kinetics study of zinc ions removal from aqueous solution using a cation exchange resin packed in a rotating cylindrical basket reactor. The effect of various experimental parameters on the rate of zinc ion removal, such as initial zinc ion concentration, packed bed rotation speed and temperature has been investigated. In addition to find a suitable equilibrium isotherm and kinetic model for the zinc ion removal in a batch reactor. The experimental isotherm data were analyzed using the Langmuir, Freundlich and D–R equations. The equilibrium data fit well in the Langmuir isotherm. The experimental data were analyzed using four sorption kinetic models, pseudo-first and second-order equations, the Elovich and the intraparticle diffusion model equation, to determine the best fit equation for the biosorption of zinc ions onto purolite C-100 MH resin. Results show that the Elovich equation provides the best correlation for the biosorption process.     

Minimum-gain minimum-time deadbeat controllers

This paper considers the design of minimum-gain minimum-time deadbeat controllers (MGMTDC) for linear discrete-time systems. A new direct method for constructing the MGMTDC of minimum Frobenius norm is developed. Compared with many existing techniques, the proposed method gives analytic expressions for the constructed MGMTDC, requires less computational effort, and does not require that the transition matrix be nonsingular.     

喷丸与振动光饰复合处理对GH4169高温合金疲劳性能的影响

对比研究了喷丸和喷丸与振动光饰复合处理对GH4169高温合金疲劳性能的影响,利用扫描电子显微镜、粗糙度仪、显微硬度计、X射线应力测试仪分析和测试了试样的表面形貌、表层组织、粗糙度、显微硬度、残余应力场,探讨了表面完整性与疲劳性能的内在联系及作用机制。结果表明:复合处理对GH4169高温合金疲劳性能的改善效果比单独喷丸强化处理更好;复合处理使GH4169高温合金的室温疲劳强度提高了21.6%;500℃预加热100 h处理使复合强化GH4169高温合金疲劳强度降低了6%,但仍较未喷丸处理状态提高了14.29%,即复合处理能够有效改善GH4169高温合金室温～500℃高温工况下的抗疲劳性能。     

A Novel Sprague-Dawley Rat Model Presents Improved NASH/NAFLD Symptoms with PEG Coated Vitexin Liposomes

Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a global threat to the human population, with manifestations resulting from alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) and non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD, if not treated, may progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Furthermore, inflammation leads to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Vitexin, a natural flavonoid, has been recently reported for inhibiting NAFLD. It is a lipogenesis inhibitor and activates lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation. In addition, owing to its antioxidant properties, it appeared as a hepatoprotective candidate. However, it exhibits low bioavailability and low efficacy due to its hydrophobic nature. A novel rat model for liver cirrhosis was developed by CCL4/Urethane co-administration. Vitexin encapsulated liposomes were synthesized by the ‘thin-film hydration’ method. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was coated on liposomes to enhance stability and stealth effect. The diseased rats were then treated with vitexin and PEGylated vitexin liposomes, administered intravenously and orally. Results ascertained the liposomal encapsulation of vitexin and subsequent PEG coating to be a substantial strategy for treating liver cirrhosis through oral drug delivery.     

Numerical modeling of CdS/CdTe and CdS/CdTe/ZnTe solar cells as a function of CdTe thickness

CdTe-based solar cells have long been of interest for terrestrial usage because of their high potential conversion efficiency (in the range of 18–24%) with low-cost manufacturability and concern over environmental effects. In order to conserve material and address environmental pollution concerns as well as to reduce carrier recombination loss throughout the absorber layer, efforts have been carried out to decrease the thickness of the CdTe absorption layer to 1 μm. As a result, to date, the experimental part of this study has realized cell efficiencies of 15.3% and 11.5% with 7 and 1.2-μm-thick CdTe layers, grown by close-spaced sublimation (CSS) [N. Amin, T. Isaka, T. Okamoto, A. Yamada, M. Konagai, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 38 (8) (1999) 4666; N. Amin, T. Isaka, A. Yamada, M. Konagai, Sol. Energy Matter. Sol. Cells 67 (2001) 195]. Since some problems remain with such thin 1 μm CdTe layers, possible methods to realize higher efficiency have been investigated using novel solar cell structures, with the help of numerical analyses tools. In the theory part of this study, numerical analysis with a 1-D simulation program named NSSP (Numerical Solar Cell Simulation Program) has been used to simulate these structures. We investigated the viability of CdTe thickness reduction to 1 μm together with the insertion of higher band-gap materials (i.e., ZnTe) at the back contacts to reduce carrier recombination loss there. The study shows potential results of the thickness reduction of CdTe absorption layer for a conventional CdS/CdTe/Cu-doped C structure with around 16% efficiency for cells below 3  μm CdTe. Decreases were found in spectral response that suggest from minority carrier recombination loss at the back contact interface. A higher band-gap material like ZnTe has been inserted to produce a back surface field (BSF) to inhibit the minority carrier loss at the back contact. An increase in the efficiency to about 20% has been found for a 1 μm-thin CdTe cell, which can be attributed to the increased BSF effect at the back contact of thinner CdTe-based cells.     

A Complete Experimental Investigation on The Rheological Behavior of Silver Oil Based Nanofluid

In this study, thermo‐physical properties including thermal conductivity, viscosity, density and specific heat capacity of an oil based nanofluid including silver as to be nanoparticles have been experimentally studied. The results indicate an enhancement in thermal conductivity which was depended on bulk temperature and volume fraction of utilized nanofluids. Viscosity data show a significant increment through volume fraction increasing. In addition, the specific heat capacity and density of nanofluids were studied experimentally and it was found that, all measured rheological properties of these nanofluids, were not in agreement to published correlations.