Probing the Structural and Antimicrobial Study on a Sol–Gel Derived Velosef-Loaded Bioactive Calcium Magneso-Silicate Xerogel

Silicon - The nature of the opening silicate- based surface affects the chemical interaction, spectroscopic and antimicrobial efficiency. The aim of this approach was to evaluate the spectroscopic...     

Modern Template Design and Biological Evaluation of Cephradine-loaded Magnesium Calcium Silicate Nanocomposites as an Inhibitor for Nosocomial Bacteria in Biomedical Applications

Silicon - Magnesium calcium silicate nanostructures (MCSNS) loaded with (0.0, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 wt%) of Cephradine-drug consisting of mesoporous particles were functionally prepared by sol-gel...     

Pt-V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalysts supported on SiC filter for NO reduction at low temperature

The catalytic filter, V₂O₅-WO₃-TiO₂ supported on a ceramic filter, is known as a promising material for treating particulates and NO _x simultaneously at optimum temperatures around 320°C. In order to improve its catalytic activity at low temperatures, the effect of Pt addition on the catalytic filter has been investigated. Catalytic filters, Pt-V₂O₅-WO₃-TiO₂/SiC, were prepared by co-impregnation of Pt, V, and W precursors on TiO₂ coated-SiC filter by vacuum aided-dip coating. The Pt-added catalytic filter shifted the optimum working temperature from 280–330°C (for the non Pt-impregnated filter) to 180–230°C, providing N _x slip concentration less than 20 ppm for the treatment of 700 ppm NO at a face velocity of 2 cm/s with the same value over the non Pt-added catalytic filters. The promotional effect following the addition of Pt is believed to result from electrical modification of the catalyst maintaining a high electron transfer state. Ammonia oxidation was also observed to be dominant above the optimal temperature for SCR.     

Understanding the role of restructuring in flocculation: The application of a population balance model

The effect of shear on floc properties was observed through population balance to comprehend the mechanisms of flocculation, in particular the role of restructuring. Little fundamental attention has been given before to the shear influence responsible for creating compact aggregates, while the floc characteristics might differ in other conditions. It is crucial to understand how aggregates evolve to steady state, if their properties are to be ‘tailored’ to suit subsequent solid-liquid separation. From a previous experimental study (Langmuir 18(6) (2002) 1974), restructuring was observed to occur extensively in the flocculation of latex particles in couette-flow, and was proposed to be responsible for the decrease in floc size on their transition to equilibrium. On the other hand, flocs of larger primary particles were more susceptible to breakage, with densification occurring as a result of fragmentation and re-aggregation. Denser flocs were found when structural deformation dominated, particularly in the initial stage of the process, while comparatively tenuous ones were observed when formation and breakage kinetics were the governing mechanisms. The distinct manners in which aggregates of different primary particle sizes evolved with time, were replicated with a population balance that incorporated the floc structural variation; verifying that restructuring indeed played a crucial role under certain flocculation conditions.     

The effect of platinum and silver deposits in the photocatalytic oxidation of resorcinol

The effects of platinum (Pt) and silver (Ag) metallisation in the photocatalytic oxidation of resorcinol at pH 3 ± 0.5 have been investigated. The photocatalytic degradation of resorcinol was significantly improved by Pt/TiO₂, while the presence of Ag/TiO₂ enhanced the initial photocatalytic degradation rate of resorcinol slightly. Likewise, the photocatalytic mineralisation of resorcinol continued to be enhanced by Pt/TiO₂, but it was retarded when Ag/TiO₂ was used.

The function of Pt and Ag deposits on the surface of TiO₂ has been found to be markedly influenced by the interaction of resorcinol and its degradation products with the metal deposits. The presence of Pt or Ag on the surface of TiO₂ altered the distribution of degradation products of resorcinol as well as the production of photoactive species for the photocatalytic oxidation of resorcinol. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses have indicated that the contrasting effect of Pt and Ag deposits were governed by the oxidation states and the catalytic property of metal deposits. In addition to that, it has been found that the roles of metal deposits are specific and should not be generalised.     

The use of fuzzy logic and neural networks models for sensory properties prediction from process and structure parameters of knitted fabrics

In a competitive business environment, the textile industrialists intend to propose diversified products according to consumers preference. For this purpose, the integration of sensory attributes in the process parameters choice seems to be a useful alternative. This paper provides fuzzy and neural models for the prediction of sensory properties from production parameters of knitted fabrics. The prediction accuracy of these models was evaluated using both the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean relative percent error (MRPE). The results revealed the models ability to predict tactile sensory attributes based on the production parameters. The comparison of the prediction performances showed that the neural models are slightly powerful than the fuzzy models.     

Crawl through Neighbors: A Simple Curve Reconstruction Algorithm

Given a planar point set sampled from an object boundary, the process of approximating the original shape is called curve reconstruction. In this paper, a novel non‐parametric curve reconstruction algorithm based on Delaunay triangulation has been proposed and it has been theoretically proved that the proposed method reconstructs the original curve under ε‐sampling. Starting from an initial Delaunay seed edge, the algorithm proceeds by finding an appropriate neighbouring point and adding an edge between them. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is capable of reconstructing curves with different features like sharp corners, outliers, multiple objects, objects with holes, etc. The proposed method also works for open curves. Based on a study by a few users, the paper also discusses an application of the proposed algorithm for reconstructing hand drawn skip stroke sketches, which will be useful in various sketch based interfaces.     

Numerical analysis of coronary artery bypass grafts: An over view

Arterial bypass grafts tend to fail after some years due to the development of intimal thickening (restenosis). Non-uniform hemodynamics following a bypass operation contributes to restenosis and bypass failure can occur due to the focal development of anastomotic intimal hyperplasia. Additionally, surgical injury aggravated by compliance mismatch between the graft and artery has been suggested as an initiating factor for progress of wall thickening along the suture line Vascular grafts that are small in diameter tend to occlude rapidly. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods have been effectively used to simulate the physical and geometrical parameters characterizing the hemodynamics of various arteries and bypass configurations. The effects of such changes on the pressure and flow characteristics as well as the wall shear stress during a cardiac cycle can be simulated. Recently, utilization of fluid and structure interactions have been used to determine fluid flow parameters and structure forces including stress and strains relationships under steady and transient conditions. In parallel to this, experimental diagnostics techniques such as Laser Doppler Anemometry, Particle Image Velocimetry, Doppler Guide wire and Magnetic Resonance Imaging have been used to provide essential information and to validate the numerical results. Moreover, clinical imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance or computed tomography have assisted considerably in gaining a detailed patient-specific picture of the blood flow and structure dynamics. This paper gives a review of recent numerical investigations of various configurations of coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG). In addition, the paper ends with a summary of the findings and the future directions.     

Glial Cell-Mediated Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder; it is the most common cause of dementia and has no treatment. It is characterized by two pathological hallmarks, the extracellular deposits of amyloid beta (Aβ) and the intraneuronal deposits of Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Yet, those two hallmarks do not explain the full pathology seen with AD, suggesting the involvement of other mechanisms. Neuroinflammation could offer another explanation for the progression of the disease. This review provides an overview of recent advances on the role of the immune cells’ microglia and astrocytes in neuroinflammation. In AD, microglia and astrocytes become reactive by several mechanisms leading to the release of proinflammatory cytokines that cause further neuronal damage. We then provide updates on neuroinflammation diagnostic markers and investigational therapeutics currently in clinical trials to target neuroinflammation.     

Enhancement of biohydrogen production from sustainable orange peel wastes using Enterobacter species isolated from domestic wastewater

Five facultative anaerobic bacterial isolates were recovered from domestic wastewater. These isolates were identified based on the 16S rRNA as Enterobacter aerogenes (one isolate), Enterobacter cloacae (two isolates), and Cronobacter sakazakii (three isolates). These isolates were examined for their potential to evolve hydrogen on a glucose medium. The most potent hydrogen‐producing isolates, E aerogenes (KY549389) and E cloacae (KY524293), were examined for their capacity to generate hydrogen, acetone, butanol, and ethanol using orange peel (OP) hydrolysate. OP powder was pretreated with n‐hexane to remove the toxicity of d ‐limonene. Different concentrations (4%, 6%, and 8% w/v) of limonene‐free OP were subjected to the boiling water (temperature of 100°C) or acid (HCl) treatments. The maximum fermentative H₂ production of 1700 and 1620 mL/L was obtained from 6% OP hydrolysate extracted with boiling water using facultative anaerobic E aerogenes (KY549389) and E cloacae (KY524293), respectively. Hydrogen production efficiency was 0.99 and 1.19 mol H₂/mol glucose for E aerogenes and E cloacae, respectively. The total fermentative acetone, butanol, and ethanol (ABE) generated by E aerogenes and E cloacae were 0.78 and 0.38 g/L including acetone (0.05 and 0.04 g/L), butanol (0.011 and 0.013 g/L), and ethanol (0.71 and 0.32 g/L), respectively. The maximum ABE productivity was 0.01 and 0.005 g/L/h generated at 60 g/L OP hydrolysate by E aerogenes and E cloacae, respectively. These strains were positive for nitrogen fixation (nitrogenase) capability estimated by the acetylene reduction assay. Application of OP hydrolysate without the addition of any nutritional components or reducing agent is considered an eco‐friendly, economical, and commercial substrate for desired biofuel production.