Essential (Mg,Fe, Zn and Cu) and Non-Essential (Cd and Pb) Elements in Predatory Insects (Vespa crabro and Vespa velutina): A Molecular Perspective

The recent introduction of the Asian yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina, into Europe has raised concern regarding the threat to honeybees and the competition with the European hornet, Vespa crabro. The aim of this study was to investigated essential (Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu) and non-essential (Cd and Pb) elements in these two species. Element concentrations were determined in the whole body and separately in the head, thorax and abdomen using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The changes in essential element concentration and speciation during metamorphosis were also studied using size exclusion chromatography followed by AAS and proteomic analysis. In both species, the essential elements were more concentrated in the abdomen due to the presence of fat bodies. Magnesium, Fe and Zn concentrations were significantly higher in V. crabro than in V. velutina and could have been related to the higher aerobic energy demand of the former species required to sustain foraging flight. Low concentrations of Cd and Pb were indicative of low environmental exposure. The concentration and speciation of essential elements, particularly Fe, varied among the developmental stages, indicating a modification of ligand preferences during metamorphosis. Overall, the results in the present study provide a better understanding of the hornet metal metabolism and a foundation for additional studies.     

Effects on the crystallite growth behavior of LaPO4 nanopowders and its mechanical properties

The effects of pH of the reaction solution and the concentration of phosphoric acid on the crystal growth behavior of LaPO₄ crystallites were investigated and the mechanical properties of rare-earth phosphates were compared. As a result, the concentration of phosphoric acid of 10% was beneficial to the crystal growth of LaPO₄ nanocrystalline. When the pH value of the reaction solution was 2, the size of LaPO₄ crystallites increased gradually with the increasing reaction temperature, and the smallest crystallite size of 43.27 nm was obtained after heat-treatment at 1000 °C. Simultaneously, the activation energy for crystal growth of LaPO₄ nanocrystalline was relatively lower (26.82 kJ mol⁻¹). With the decreasing radii of rare-earth ions, the hardness, Young's modulus and fracture toughness of the bulk rare-earth phosphates exhibited a reduced tendency, resulted from the increase of porosity under the same preparation process.     

Extraction and characterization of hydroxyapatite-based materials from grey triggerfish skin and black scabbardfish bones

The conversion of food industry by-products to compounds with high added value is nowadays a significant topic, for social, environmental, and economic reasons. In this paper, calcium phosphate-based materials were obtained from black scabbardfish (Aphanopus carbo) bones and grey triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) skin, which are two of the most abundant fish by-products of Madeira Island. Different calcination temperatures between 400 and 1000°C were employed. Materials obtained from calcination of bones of black scabbard fish were composed by homogeneous mixtures of hydroxyapatite (Ca₁₀(PO4)₆(OH)₂, HAp) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-Ca₃(PO₄)₂, β-TCP). Because of the high biocompatibility of HAp and the good resorbability of β-TCP, these natural biphasic materials could be very relevant in the field of biomaterials, as bone grafts. The ratio between HAp and β-TCP in the biphasic compound was dependent on the calcination temperature. Differently, the material obtained from skin of grey triggerfish contained HAp as the main phase, together with small amounts of other mineral phases, such as halite and rhenanite, which are known to enhance osteogenesis when used as bone substitutes. In both cases, the increase of calcination temperature led to an increase in the particles size with a consequent decrease in their specific surface area. These results demonstrate that from the fish by-products of the most consumed fishes in Madeira Island it is possible to obtain bioceramic materials with tunable composition and particle morphology, which could be promising materials for the biomedical field.     

Enhancement in the osteogenesis and angiogenesis of calcium phosphate cement by incorporating magnesium-containing silicates

Based on the good osteogenic and angiogenic effects of silicon and magnesium elements, three types of micro-nano magnesium-containing silicates (MS), including akermanite (Ake, Ca₂MgSi₂O₇), diopside (Dio, CaMgSi₂O₆) and forsterite (For, Mg₂SiO₄), were incorporated into calcium phosphate cement (CPC) to improve its osteogenic and angiogenic performances for clinical application. In this present work, the physicochemical properties, osteogenesis and angiogenesis of MS/CPCs (Ake/CPCs, Dio/CPCs and For/CPCs) were investigated systematically and comparatively. The results showed that all MS/CPCs had good biomineralization and significantly stimulated the osteogenic differentiation of mBMSCs and angiogenic differentiation of HUVECs, respectively. Besides, the stimulating effects were related to not only the category of MS, but also the content of MS. The For/CPCs had a good angiogenic property but their initial setting times were beyond 60 min. The Dio/CPCs showed the lowest biological performance among the three groups of MS/CPCs due to the lower ion release (Si and Mg). The Ake was the ideal modifier that could provide CPC with appropriate physicochemical properties, better osteogenesis and angiogenesis. Simultaneously, a higher addition (10 wt%) of akermanite resulted in the best potential to bone regeneration. Taken together, this research provides an effective approach to improve the overall performance of CPC, and 10Ake/CPC is of great promising prospect in bone repair.     

Thermal transport and chemical conversion in single reacting sorbent particles

The effects of particle size and carbon dioxide concentration on chemical conversion in engineered spherical particles undergoing calcium oxide looping are investigated. Particles are thermochemically cycled in a furnace under different carbon dioxide concentrations. Changes in composition due to chemical reactions are measured using thermogravimetric analysis. Gas composition at the furnace exit is evaluated with mass spectroscopy. A numerical model of thermal transport phenomena developed previously is adapted to match the physical system investigated in the present study. The model is used to elucidate effects of reacting medium characteristics on particle temperature and reaction extent. Experimental and numerical results show that (1) an increase in particle size results in a decrease in carbonation extent, and (2) the carbonation step consists of fast and slow reaction regimes. The reaction rates in the fast and slow carbonation regimes increase with increasing carbon dioxide concentration. The effect of carbon dioxide concentration and the distinction between the fast and slow regimes become more pronounced with increasing particle size.     

Structural Basis for the Function of the C-Terminal Proton Release Pathway in the Calcium Pump

The calcium pump (sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase, SERCA) plays a major role in calcium homeostasis in muscle cells by clearing cytosolic Ca²⁺ during muscle relaxation. Active Ca²⁺ transport by SERCA involves the structural transition from a low-Ca²⁺ affinity E2 state toward a high-Ca²⁺ affinity E1 state of the pump. This structural transition is accompanied by the countertransport of protons to stabilize the negative charge and maintain the structural integrity of the transport sites and partially compensate for the positive charges of the two Ca²⁺ ions passing through the membrane. X-ray crystallography studies have suggested that a hydrated pore located at the C-terminal domain of SERCA serves as a conduit for proton countertransport, but the existence and function of this pathway have not yet been fully characterized. We used atomistic simulations to demonstrate that in the protonated E2 state and the absence of initially bound water molecules, the C-terminal pore becomes hydrated in the nanosecond timescale. Hydration of the C-terminal pore is accompanied by the formation of water wires that connect the transport sites with the cytosol. Water wires are known as ubiquitous proton-transport devices in biological systems, thus supporting the notion that the C-terminal domain serves as a conduit for proton release. Additional simulations showed that the release of a single proton from the transport sites induces bending of transmembrane helix M5 and the interaction between residues Arg762 and Ser915. These structural changes create a physical barrier against full hydration of the pore and prevent the formation of hydrogen-bonded water wires once proton transport has occurred through this pore. Together, these findings support the notion that the C-terminal proton release pathway is a functional element of SERCA and also provide a mechanistic model for its operation in the catalytic cycle of the pump.     

Impact of gypsum on flotation of scheelite and fluorite using sodium oleate as collector

ABSTRACT

In this study, effect of calcium and gypsum on scheelite and fluorite was investigated using sodium oleate as collector. Micro-flotation and contact angle results showed that the adsorption of calcium could inhibit the hydrophobicity of scheelite and fluorite. Moreover, sulfate could enhance the inhibition. FT-IR results showed that calcium could be priori precipitated into calcium oleate and adsorb on mineral surface. The adsorption of calcium could increase the scheelite potential to IEP, while it showed limited effect on fluorite potential. However, the interaction of calcium on scheelite and fluorite in gypsum solution was more complex than that in calcium solution.     

Experimental study of crystal anisotropy based on ultra-precision cylindrical turning of single-crystal calcium fluoride

To realize ultimately efficient signal processing, it is necessary to replace electrical signal processing circuits with optical ones. The optical micro-resonator, which localizes light at a certain spot, is an essential component in optical signal processing. Single-crystal calcium fluoride (CaF₂) is the most suitable material for a highly efficient optical micro-resonator. The CaF₂ resonator can only be manufactured by ultra-precision machining processes, because its crystal anisotropy does not allow the application of chemical etching. However, the optical micro-resonator's performance depends definitely on the surface integrity.This study investigated the relationship between surface quality after ultra-precision machining and crystal anisotropy. Firstly, crack initiation was investigated on the (1 0 0), (1 1 0), and (1 1 1) planes using the micro-Vickers hardness test. Secondly, brittle-ductile transition was investigated by orthogonal cutting tests. Finally, cutting performance of cylindrical turning was evaluated, which could be a suitable method for manufacturing the CaF₂ resonator. The most difficult point in cylindrical turning of CaF₂ is that the crystalline plane and cutting direction vary continuously. In order to manufacture the CaF₂ optical micro-resonator more efficiently, analysis was conducted on crack initiation and surface quality of all crystallographic orientations from the perspective of slip system and cleavage.     

Corrosion of hot-dip-galvanised steel and zinc alloy-coated steel in ammonia and ammonium chloride

There are many potential causes of corrosion in animal buildings. Animals exhale large quantities of moisture into the air creating high relative humidity in the building if the moisture is not properly vented. High humidity increases the potential for condensation. In addition, ammonia may be found in large quantities in animal buildings. Ammonia is released from manure and urine. In addition, ammonium chloride is used as a nitrogen source in fertilisers. In this study, the atmospheric corrosion of hot-dip-galvanised steel and zinc alloy-coated steel such as zinc–aluminium and zinc–aluminium–magnesium has been studied in atmospheres containing different levels of ammonia. Investigations have also been conducted at different levels of ammonium chloride. The results are discussed in view of the mechanisms of corrosion of zinc and zinc alloy-coated steel in ammonia and ammonium chloride-containing environments.     

Preparation and characterization of calcium phosphate cement with enhanced tissue adhesion for bone defect repair

Anti-washout and tissue adhesion properties are essential for the clinical application of injectable bone materials. In this study, we prepared calcium phosphate cement (CPC) with anti-washout and tissue adhesion properties and attempted to build covalent bonds between CPC and the amino groups in bone tissue under a self-regulating pH system in the CPC (acidic to basic). The results of push-out tests demonstrated that a significant enhancement (from 6.42 ± 0.76 N to 61.5 ± 4.09 N) in tissue adhesion was obtained with the addition of 6% (w/w) oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) in CPC. The FTIR, XRD, anti-washout test, XPS, pH test, and SEM results suggested that the synergistic effect of OSA-citric acid (CA) led to the formation of a three-dimensional gel network structure in the CPC, and the Schiff base reaction between aldehyde and amino groups induced adhesion between CPC and the bone tissue. Further, the addition of less OSA had no significant negative effect on the hydration properties of CPC. Our work aims to promote the development of injectable bone material in clinical applications.