Nitric oxide transport in an axisymmetric stenosis

To test the hypothesis that disturbed flow can impede the transport of nitric oxide (NO) in the artery and hence induce atherogenesis, we used a lumen–wall model of an idealized arterial stenosis with NO produced at the blood vessel–wall interface to study the transport of NO in the stenosis. Blood flows in the lumen and through the arterial wall were simulated by Navier–Stokes equations and Darcy''s Law, respectively. Meanwhile, the transport of NO in the lumen and the transport of NO within the arterial wall were modelled by advection–diffusion reaction equations. Coupling of fluid dynamics at the endothelium was achieved by the Kedem–Katchalsky equations. The results showed that both the hydraulic conductivity of the endothelium and the non-Newtonian viscous behaviour of blood had little effect on the distribution of NO. However, the blood flow rate, stenosis severity, red blood cells (RBCs), RBC-free layer and NO production rate at the blood vessel–wall interface could significantly affect the transport of NO. The theoretical study revealed that the transport of NO was significantly hindered in the disturbed flow region distal to the stenosis. The reduced NO concentration in the disturbed flow region might play an important role in the localized genesis and development of atherosclerosis.     

Emissions of ammonia,nitrous oxide,methane, and carbon dioxide during storage of dairy cow manure as affected by dietary forage-to-concentrate ratio and crust formation

Sixteen 200-L barrels were used to determine the effects of dietary forage-to-concentrate (F:C) ratio on the rate of NH₃-N, N₂O, CH₄, and CO₂ emissions from dairy manure during a 77-d storage period. Manure was obtained from a companion study where cows were assigned to total mixed rations that included the following F:C ratio: 47:53, 54:46, 61:39, and 68:32 (diet dry matter basis) and housed in air-flow-controlled chambers constructed in a modified tiestall barn. On d 0 of this study, deposited manure and bedding from each emission chamber was thoroughly mixed, diluted with water (1.9 to 1 manure-to-water ratio) and loaded in barrels. In addition, on d 0, 7, 14, 28, 35, 49, 56, 63, 70, and 77 of storage, the rate of NH₃-N, N₂O, CH₄, and CO₂ emissions from each barrel were measured with a dynamic chamber and gas concentration measured with a photo-acoustic multi-gas monitor. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block with 4 replications. Dietary F:C ratio had no effect on manure dry matter, total N and total ammoniacal-N (NH₃-N + NH₄⁺-N), or pH at the time of storage (mean ± SD: 10.6 ± 0.6%, 3.0 ± 0.2%, 93.1 ± 18.1 mg/dL, and 7.8 ± 0.5, respectively). No treatment differences were observed in the overall rate of manure NH₃-N, N₂O, CH₄, and CO₂ emissions (mean ± SD over the 77-d storage period; 117 ± 25, 30 ± 7, 299 ± 62, and 15,396 ± 753 mg/hr per m², respectively). The presence of straw bedding in manure promoted the formation of a surface crust that became air dried after about 1 mo of storage, and was associated with an altered pattern in NH₃-N and N₂O emissions in particular. Whereas NH₃-N emission rate was highest on d 0 and gradually decreased until reaching negligible levels on d 35, N₂O emission rate was almost zero the first 2 wk of storage, increased sharply to peak on d 35, and decreased subsequently. The emission rate of CH₄ and CO₂ peaked simultaneously on d 7, but decreased subsequently until the end of the storage period. In this study, C:N ratio of gaseous losses was 32:1, reflecting higher volatile C loss than volatile N loss during storage. On a CO₂-equivalent basis, the most important source of non-CO₂ greenhouse gas emitted was CH₄ until formation of an air-dried crust, but N₂O thereafter. Taken together, these results suggested that the formation of an air-dried crust resulting from the straw bedding present in the manure reduced drastically NH₃-N, and CH₄ emissions, but was conducive of N₂O production and emission.     

Synthesis of acicular α-Bi2O3 microcrystals by microwave-assisted hydrothermal method

ABSTRACT

Materials based on bismuth(III) oxide are candidate to be used in optical and electronic devices because of their properties such as a variable band gap, photoconductivity, photoluminescence, high refractive index, and dielectric permittivity. These properties are dependent of several factors, e.g., present phases and crystal morphology. The microwave-assisted hydrothermal method (MAH) is a fast and efficient approach of synthesis to obtain semiconductor powders. However, the synthesis of monoclinic bismuth oxide (α-Bi₂O₃) with acicular morphology by MAH was not found in literature. In this paper, microcrystals of acicular α-Bi₂O₃ (monophasic) were successfully obtained by MAH using a synthesis temperature of 80°C for 0.5?h. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopies showed the formation of a monoclinic structure (space group P21/c) with acicular morphology that grew along the [001] direction. The temperature and time necessary to synthetize acicular microcrystals were significantly lower than those found for acicular microcrystals obtained by conventional hydrothermal method.     

Electrochemical performance of reduced graphene oxide in Spiro‐(1, 1')‐bipyrrolidinium tetrafluoroborate electrolyte

This paper investigates the relationship between structure and electrochemical performance of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) prepared via heat treatment and chemical reduction method. Structure and morphology of RGO was characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller. Electrochemical performance of RGO electrode supercapacitor was investigated in the organic electrolyte by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge and electrochemical impedance. The results show heat treatment RGO has high graphitization degree, less surface oxygen‐containing groups, good charge–discharge efficiency and stable life cycle. The chemical reduced RGO has single‐graphene structure, high specific surface area, high specific capacitance and low internal resistance. The ascorbic acid reduction RGO exhibits good comprehensive electrochemical performance: Its specific capacitance was 220.7 F g^?1, internal resistance was 3.0 Ω and charge–discharge efficiency was 97.0% after 2000 cycles of charging/discharging tests. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Functionalised hybrid Poly(ether ether ketone) containing MnO2: Investigation of operative conditions for hydrogen sorption

A composite material synthesis, based on Manganese oxide (MnO₂) anchored to a functionalized polymeric matrix, was optimized. For this investigation two different MnO₂ loadings were selected (16 and 80 wt%) in order to understand the relation between the oxide content, chemical-physical characteristic and the H₂ sorption properties. SEM, XRD were carried out and the obtained results were correlated to the H₂ sorption/desorption characterizations by Sievert apparatus.From these measurements at 50 °C/40 bar, the sample containing 16 wt% of metal oxide content has revealed a low H₂ sorption capability (0,04 wt%), while the 80 wt% sample showed a very high H₂ storage value (3 wt%). A short sorption/desorption cycles were carried out and a good reversibility was revealed.A modelling study, ab-initio Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, was carried out. The starting unit cell was MnO₂ while Mn₂₄O₄₈ was considered as a supercell. The number of H atoms was gradually increased and desorption energy was calculated. Desorption energy starts from 366 kJ/mol and decreases by increasing the number of H atoms. For the experimental H₂ sorption value (1,7 wt%) it was calculated the number of the respective H atoms (36) and the corresponding desorption energy (150 kJ/mol).     

Identification of Toxin Inhibitors Using a Magnetic Nanosensor‐Based Assay

A magnetic nanosensor‐based method is described to screen a library of drugs for potential binding to toxins. Screening is performed by measuring changes in the magnetic relaxation signal of the nanosensors (bMR nanosensors) in aqueous suspension upon addition of the toxin. The Anthrax lethal factor (ALF) is selected as a model toxin to test the ability of our bMR nanosensor‐based screening method to identify potential inhibitors of the toxin. Out of 30 molecules screened, sulindac, naproxen and fusaric acid are found to bind LF, with dissociation constants in the low micromolar range. Further biological analysis of the free molecules in solution indicate that sulindac and its metabolic products inhibited LF cytotoxicity to macrophages with IC₅₀ values in the micromolar range. Meanwhile, fusaric acid is found to be less effective at inhibiting LF cytotoxicity, while naproxen does not inhibit LF toxicity. Most importantly, when the sulindac and fusaric acid‐bMR nanosensors themselves are tested as LF inhibitors, as opposed to the corresponding free molecules, they are stronger inhibitors of LF with IC₅₀ values in the nanomolar range. Taken together, these studies show that a bMR nanosensors‐based assay can be used to screen known drugs and other small molecules for inhibitor of toxins. The method can be easily modified to screen for inhibitors of other molecular interactions and not only the selected free molecule can be study as potential inhibitors but also the bMR nanosensors themselves achieving greater inhibitory potential.     

A comparative theoretical study of CO oxidation reaction by O2 molecule over Al- or Si-decorated graphene oxide

Using density functional theory calculations, the probable CO oxidation reaction mechanisms are investigated over Al- or Si-decorated graphene oxide (GO). The equilibrium geometry and electronic structure of these metal decorated-GOs along with the O₂/CO adsorption configurations are studied in detail. The relatively large adsorption energies reveal that both Al and Si atoms can disperse on GO quite stably without clustering problem. Hence, both Al- and Si-decorated GOs are stable enough to be utilized in catalytic oxidation of CO by molecular O₂. The two possible reaction pathways proposed for the oxidation of CO with O₂ molecule are as follows: O₂ + CO → CO₂ + O_ads and CO + O_ads → CO₂. The estimated energy barriers of the first oxidation reaction on Si-decorated GOs, following the Eley–Rideal (ER) reaction, are lower than that on Al-decorated ones. This is most likely due to the larger atomic charge on the Si atom than the Al one, which tends to stabilize the corresponding transition state structure. The results of this study can be useful for better understanding the chemical properties of Al- and Si-decorated GOs, and are valuable for the development of an automobile catalytic converter in order to remove the toxic CO molecule.     

Influence of ultrasonication energy on the dispersion consistency of Al2O3–glycerol nanofluid based on viscosity data,and model development for the required ultrasonication energy density

Achieving homogenised and stable suspensions has been one of the important research topics in nanofluid investigations. Preparing nanofluids, especially from the two-step method, is often accompanied with varying degrees of agglomerations depending on some parameters. These parameters include the physical structure of the nanoparticle, the prevalent particle charge, the strength of van der Waals forces of attraction and repulsiveness strength. Amongst the methods of deagglomeration, the use of ultrasonic vibration is most popular for achieving uniform dispersion. However, there are very few works related to its effect on the thermo-physical properties of nanofluids, and above all, standardising the minimum required ultrasonication time/energy for nanofluids synthesis. In this work, the optimum energy required for uniform and initially stable nanofluid has been investigated through experimental study on the combined influence of ultrasonication time/energy, nanoparticle size, volume fraction and temperature on the viscosity of alumina–glycerol nanofluids. Three different sizes of alumina nanoparticles were synthesised with glycerol using ultrasonication-assisted two-step approach. The viscosities of the nanofluid samples were measured between temperatures of 20–70?°C for volume fractions up to 5%. Based on the present experimental results, the viscosity characteristics of the nanofluid samples were dependent on particle size, volume fraction and working temperature. Using viscometry, the optimum energy density required for preparing homogenous nanofluid was obtained for all particle sizes and volume fractions. Finally, an energy density model was derived using dimensionless analysis based on the consideration of nanoparticle binding/interaction energy in base fluid, particle size, volume fraction, temperature and other base fluid properties. The model's empirical constants were obtained using nonlinear regression based on the present experimental data.     

Development of transparent conducting copper and iron co-doped cadmium oxide films: Effect of annealing in hydrogen atmosphere

Hydrogenated (annealed in hydrogen atmosphere) cadmium oxide (CdO) thin films co-doped with iron (Fe) of different levels and fixed (2.5%) copper (Cu) amount were deposited on glass and silicon wafer substrates by thermal evaporation. The films were characterised with X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, optical spectroscopy, and dc-electrical measurements. The obtained results show important improvements in the conductivity, mobility, and carrier concentration compared to un-doped and non-hydrogenated CdO. Hydrogenated CdO doped with 2.5% Cu and 1.3% Fe improved the conductivity (2293.6 S/cm) by ~46 times, mobility (78.31 cm²/V s) by ~11 times, and carrier concentration (1.82×10²⁰ cm⁻³) by ~4 times. This suggests the possibility of using CdO:Cu:Fe–H as transparent-conducting-oxide and dilute-magnetic-semiconductor field of applications.