Complex Composition Research Articles

Experimental study on the influence of external fluids on the pore structure of carbonaceous shale

Shale reservoirs have complex mineral compositions and are rich in micro-scale pores. It is of great scientific and engineering significance to explore the mechanism of external fluids on the pore throat structure of shale. In this paper, pure carbonaceous shale is taken as the research object, and the mechanism of the influence of slip water and reflux fluid on the pore throat structure is analyzed by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology. Then, the sensitivity of different types of shale to external fluids is comparatively analyzed and summarized. The results show that (1) the oil slick has a certain effect on the total porosity of different types of shale. The rate of change is shown as carbonaceous shale (− 7.1%) > pure shale (− 1.6%). (b) For slickwater, the average reduction of macro- and micro/nanopores in carbonaceous shale is 90.0% and 5.0%, respectively, while the average reduction of macro- and mesopores in pure shale is 17.7% and 6.8%, respectively. (c) Total porosity of different shale types is insensitive to refluxing fluids. The average increase in macro-, meso-, and small pores of carbonaceous shale is 31.8%, 23.6%, and 20.2%, respectively; the average increase in macro- and small pores of pure shale is 17.1%.

Enhanced hyaline cartilage formation and continuous osteochondral regeneration via 3D-Printed heterogeneous hydrogel with multi-crosslinking inks

The unique gradient structure and complex composition of osteochondral tissue pose significant challenges in defect regeneration. Restoration of tissue heterogeneity while maintaining hyaline cartilage components has been a difficulty of an osteochondral tissue graft. A novel class of multi-crosslinked polysaccharide-based three-dimensional (3D) printing inks, including decellularized natural cartilage (dNC) and nano-hydroxyapatite, was designed to create a gradient scaffold with a robust interface-binding force. Herein, we report combining a dual-nozzle cross-printing technology and a gradient crosslinking method to create the scaffolds, demonstrating stable mechanical properties and heterogeneous bilayer structures. Biofunctional assessments revealed the remarkable regenerative effects of the scaffold, manifesting three orders of magnitude of mRNA upregulation during chondrogenesis and the formation of pure hyaline cartilage. Transcriptomics of the regeneration site in vivo and scaffold cell interaction tests in vitro showed that printed porous multilayer scaffolds could form the correct tissue structure for cell migration. More importantly, polysaccharides with dNC provided a hydrophilic microenvironment. The microenvironment is crucial in osteochondral regeneration because it could guide the regenerated cartilage to ensure the hyaline phenotype.

Knowledge and practices of traditional management of child malnutrition and associated pathologies in Benin

BackgroundChild malnutrition is a major public health challenge, affecting millions of children worldwide, with alarming proportions of children under five in Benin. The complexity of managing this condition is increased by its potential association with opportunistic pathologies. An interesting approach arises from the use of medicinal plants, to address child malnutrition and its associated pathologies. This study aimed to document the knowledge and practices of Beninese mothers and traditional practitioners with regard to the use of medicinal plants to treat child malnutrition and associated diseases.MethodsA total of 844 Beninese mothers and 201 traditional healers were surveyed between March 2022 and August 2023 in the communes of Karimama, Bopa and Za-Kpota in Benin. The respondents’ knowledge of child malnutrition and associated pathologies was explored. The ethnobotanical data collected from the subjects concerned the medicinal recipes used to treat child malnutrition, the medicinal plants that make them up and the methods of use. These data were analyzed using ethnobotanical indices such as the Informant Consensus Factor, the frequency of citation of medicinal recipes types and medicinal plants, and the contribution of plants to medicinal recipes.ResultsAll respondents cited a total of 82 plant species used to treat child malnutrition and associated diseases. These plants were grouped into 37 botanical families, the most common of which were Fabaceae, Malvaceae and Annonaceae. The leaves were the most commonly used part of the plant species identified. The mothers shared 122 medicinal recipes, ranging from recipes based on a single plant to more complex compositions involving five plants. The most notable plants were Moringa oleifera Lam, Phyllanthus amarus Schumach & Thonn, Senna siamea (Lam.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby, Carica papaya L. and Ocimum gratissimum L. Traditional healers provided 52 plants in 71 recipes, with Moringa oleifera featuring prominently in both single-plant and multiplant formulations.ConclusionThis study made it possible to constitute a rich base of medicinal recipes used against malnutrition and associated pathologies, with the preponderant involvement of certain plant species. It is therefore necessary to deepen research on these different identified species in order to scientifically assess their potential.

The importance of the simulated wound fluid composition and properties in the determination of the fluid handling performance of wound dressings.

Effective fluid handling by wound dressings is crucial in the management of exuding wounds through maintaining a clean, moist environment, facilitating healing by removing excess exudate and promoting tissue regeneration. In this context, the availability of reliable and clinically relevant standardised testing methods for wound dressings are critical for informed decision making by clinicians, healthcare administrators, regulatory/reimbursement bodies and product developers. The widely used standard EN 13726 specifies the use of Solution A, an aqueous protein-free salt solution, for determining fluid-handling capacity (FHC). However, a simulated wound fluid (SWF) with a more complex composition, resembling the protein, salt, and buffer concentrations found in real-world clinical exudate, would provide a more clinically relevant dressing performance assessment. This study compared selected physicochemical parameters of Solution A, an alternative, novel simulated wound fluid (SWF A), and a benchmark reference serum-containing solution (SCS) simulating chronic wound exudate. Additionally, FHC values for eight advanced bordered and non-bordered foam dressings were determined for all three test fluids, following EN 13726. Our findings demonstrate a close resemblance between SWF A and SCS. This study highlights the critical importance of selecting a physiochemically appropriate test fluid for accurate FHC testing resulting in clinically meaningful evaluation of dressing performance.

Raman spectroscopy analysis of human amniotic fluid cells from fetuses with myelomeningocele

Prenatal surgery for the treatment of spina bifida (myelomeningocele, MMC) significantly enhances the neurological prognosis of the patient. To ensure better protection of the spinal cord by large defects, the application of skin grafts produced with cells gained from the amniotic fluid is presently studied. In order to determine the most appropriate cells for this purpose, we tried to shed light on the extremely complex amniotic fluid cellular composition in healthy and MMC pregnancies. We exploited the potential of micro-Raman spectroscopy to analyse and characterize human amniotic fluid cells in total and putative (cKit/CD117-positive) stem cells of fetuses with MMC in comparison with amniotic fluid cells from healthy individuals, human fetal dermal fibroblasts and adult adipose derived stem cells. We found that (i) the differences between healthy and MMC amniocytes can be attributed to specific spectral regions involving collagen, lipids, sugars, tryptophan, aspartate, glutamate, and carotenoids, (ii) MMC amniotic fluid contains two particular cell populations which are absent or reduced in normal pregnancies, (iii) the cKit-negative healthy amniocyte subpopulation shares molecular features with human fetal fibroblasts. On the one hand we demonstrate a different amniotic fluid cellular composition in healthy and MMC pregnancies, on the other our work confirms micro-Raman spectroscopy to be a valuable tool for discriminating cell populations in unknown mixtures of cells.

Combination of ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and network pharmacology to reveal the key effective compounds and mechanism of Shengxian decoction for ameliorating doxorubicin cardiotoxicity.

Shengxian decoction, a traditional Chinese medicinal prescription, has been shown to alleviate doxorubicin-induced chronic heart failure. This study established an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry method to separate and characterize the complex chemical compositions of Shengxian decoction, and the absorbed compounds in the bio-samples of the cardiotoxicity rats with chronic heart failure after its oral delivery. Note that 116 chemical compounds were identified from Shengxian decoction in vitro, 81 more than previously detected. Based on the three-dimensional data of these compounds, 28 absorbed compounds were confirmed in vivo. Network pharmacology and molecular docking experiments indicated that timosaponin B-II, timosaponin A-III, gitogenin, and 7,8-didehydrocimigenol were recognized as the key effective compounds to exert effects against doxorubicin cardiotoxicity by acting on targets such as caspase 3, cyclin-dependent kinase 1, cyclin-dependent kinase 4, receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-2, and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 in p53 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt signaling pathways. This study developed the understanding of the composition of Shengxian decoction for the treatment of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity, as well as a feasible strategy to elucidate the effective constituents in traditional Chinese medicines.

Rationalizing the selection of cleaning solution type through quantum chemical calculations

The surface water sources for water supply are contaminated with substances that cause water discoloration. These substances include soluble humic and fulvic acids, which are retained on the surface during ultrafiltration membrane treatment, forming a fouling layer that deteriorates membrane performance and reduces membrane productivity. These substances also form a mixed fouling layer with water-soluble metals and coagulants. This work proposes a theoretical justification for cleaning solutions capable of restoring the properties of ultrafiltration membranes. Quantum-chemical calculations and modeling were chosen as the method for prediction and justification. EDTA-Na, SDS, and sodium tripolyphosphate can wash away the fouling layer, but it is impossible to justify the use of mixtures of these substances theoretically. As the quantum-chemical analysis showed, each of these substances has a tendency to wash away the fouling layer. However, it is impossible to justify the use of mixtures of these substances from a theoretical point of view. The pollutants in surface waters have a complex organomineral composition. Considering this, optimal components and concentration ratios of reagents for ultrafiltration membrane cleaning cannot be determined using quantum-chemical prediction methods, so experimental studies of cleaning processes are necessary.

A novel viscoelastic microfluidic platform for nanoparticle/small extracellular vesicle separation through viscosity gradient-induced migration.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are extracellular vesicles with diameters ranging from 30 to 150 nm, harboring proteins and nucleic acids that reflect their source cells and act as vital mediators of intercellular communication. The comprehensive analysis of sEVs is hindered by the complex composition of biofluids that contain various extracellular vesicles. Conventional separation methods, such as ultracentrifugation and immunoaffinity capture, face routine challenges in operation complexity, cost, and compromised recovery rates. Microfluidic technologies, particularly viscoelastic microfluidics, offer a promising alternative for sEV separation due to its field-free nature, fast and simple operation procedure, and minimal sample consumption. In this context, we here introduce an innovative viscoelastic approach designed to exploit the viscosity gradient-induced force with size-dependent characteristics, thereby enabling the efficient separation of nano-sized particles and sEVs from larger impurities. We first seek to illustrate the underlying mechanism of the viscosity gradient-induced force, followed by experimental validation with fluorescent nanoparticles demonstrating separation results consistent with qualitative analysis. We believe that this work is the first to report such viscosity gradient-induced phenomenon in the microfluidic context. The presented approach achieves ∼80% for both target purity and recovery rate. We further demonstrate effective sEV separation using our device to showcase its efficacy in the real biological context, highlighting its potential as a versatile, label-free platform for sEV analysis in both fundamental biological research and clinical applications.

An innovative high-entropy alloy solder for high-reliability low-temperature bonding in 3D electronic packaging–based on nano InSnBiZnAg particles

To address the demand for multilevel package, a low-melting-point high entropy alloy (HEA) solder was developed. It consists of 43In28Sn14Bi9Zn6Ag micro- and nano-particles with a melting point of about 62.80 °C. We obtained 43In28Sn14Bi9Zn6Ag nanoparticles by combining ultrasonic heating interaction with a "hot shock" process. Upon reflowing at 115 °C for 5 min, a Cu/Zn/Ag ternary intermetallic compound (IMC) formed at the interface between the solder and the copper substrate, leading to a shear strength of 40 MPa. The microstructure of this joint exhibits a complex composition with at least three phases, including Bi3In5 phase, Ag5Zn8 phase, and In0.2Sn0.8 solid solution. The stable Ag5Zn8 phase not only enhances the overall strength of the alloy matrix but also impedes the diffusion of In and Bi atoms, thereby preventing the segregation of the Bi3In5 phase. The high mixing entropy and pronounced lattice distortion in this high entropy alloy hinder the diffusion of elements within the solder matrix, mitigating the issue of excessive interfacial IMC growth. Consequently, the solder joints exhibit little degradation even after a high-temperature aging test. This high-entropy alloy solder has promising potential for multi-level chip stacking in 3D packaging.

Recyclable Nanomotors for Dynamic Enrichment and Detection of Low‐Concentration Emerging Pollutants

AbstractEmerging pollutants, known for their high toxicity, pose significant risks to human health and the environment. However, the identification of these pollutants is difficult and costly due to their low concentration and complex composition. Here, a cost‐effective and scalable identification method is demonstrated to rapidly concentrate and detect emerging pollutants at ultra‐low concentrations. The approach takes advantage of responsive autonomous propulsion R‐Fe3O4@Au@β‐CD‐EG‐PF127 (RAP) nanomotors driven by magnetism, to significantly enhance the efficiency of pollutant adsorption in large‐scale water. Owing to the fast driving capability and multi‐interaction mechanism, nanomotors can effectively capture trace concentrations of emerging pollutants, achieving a capture efficiency of over 90%, while also ensuring that all captured pollutants fall within the enhanced electromagnetic field range of the nanomotors. This leads to highly sensitive surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals with detection limits as low as 10−10 m. Contaminated nanomotors showcase significant self‐cleaning capabilities that can be activated through temperature variations, resulting in a substantial reduction in detection expenses. Even after undergoing cyclic experiments, the nanomotors consistently exhibit remarkable capture efficiency and outstanding SERS sensitivity. This work can provide a scalable and practical technical solution to eliminate and monitor the transport of emerging pollutants in the environment.

Polycaprolactone/β-Tricalcium Phosphate Composite Scaffolds with Advanced Pore Geometries Promote Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells' Osteogenic Differentiation.

Critical-sized mandibular bone defects, arising from, for example, resections after tumor surgeries, are currently treated with autogenous bone grafts. This treatment is considered very invasive and is associated with limitations such as morbidity and graft resorption. Tissue engineering approaches propose to use 3D scaffolds that combine structural features, biomaterial properties, cells, and biomolecules to create biomimetic constructs. However, mimicking the complex anatomy and composition of the mandible poses a challenge in scaffold design. In our study, we evaluated the dual effect of complex pore geometry and material composition on the osteogenic potential of 3D printed scaffolds. The scaffolds were made of polycaprolactone (PCL) alone (TCP0), or with a high concentration of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) up to 40% w/w (TCP40), with two complex pore geometries, namely a star- (S) and a diamond-like (D) shape. Scanning electron microscopy and microcomputed tomography images confirmed high fidelity during the printing process. The D-scaffolds displayed higher compressive moduli than the corresponding S-scaffolds. TCP40 scaffolds in simulated body fluid showed deposition of minerals on the surface after 28 days. Subsequently, we assessed the differentiation of seeded bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) over 28 days. The early expression of RUNX2 in the cell nuclei confirmed the commitment toward an osteogenic phenotype. Moreover, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and collagen deposition displayed an increasing trend in the D-scaffolds. Collagen type I was mainly present in the deposited extracellular matrix (ECM), confirming deposition of bone matrix. Finally, Alizarin Red staining showed successful mineralization on all the TCP40 samples, with higher values for the S-shaped scaffolds. Taken together, our study demonstrated that the complex pore architectures of scaffolds comprised TCP40 stimulated osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of hMSCs in vitro. Future research will aim to validate these findings in vivo.

Conductance Quantization in 2D Semi-Metallic Transition Metal Dichalcogenides.

Conductance quantization of 2D materials is significant for understanding the charge transport at the atomic scale, which provides a platform to manipulate the quantum states, showing promising applications for nanoelectronics and memristors. However, the conventional methods for investigating conductance quantization are only applicable to materials consisting of one element, such as metal and graphene. The experimental observation of conductance quantization in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) with complex compositions and structures remains a challenge. To address this issue, an approach is proposed to characterize the charge transport across a single atom in TMDCs by integrating in situ synthesized 1T'-WTe2 electrodes with scanning tunneling microscope break junction (STM-BJ) technique. The quantized conductance of 1T'-WTe2 is measured for the first time, and the quantum states can be modulated by stretching speed and solvent. Combined with theoretical calculations, the evolution of quantized and corresponding configurations during the break junction process is demonstrated. This work provides a facile and reliable avenue to characterize and modulate conductance quantization of 2D materials, intensively expanding the research scope of quantum effects in diverse materials.

Study on Mechanisms for Improving Quality and Whiteness of Phosphogypsum Based on Process Mineralogy Analysis

Because of its low whiteness, complex composition, radioactivity and high impurity percentage, the usage of phosphogypsum (PG) resources is limited. A theoretical foundation for upgrading and bleaching PG can be obtained by researching the presence and status of impurities in the material and its symbiotic connection with gypsum. This paper makes use of an automatic mineral phase analyzer, optical microscope, XRF, XRD and SEM-EDS. After analyzing the chemical makeup of PG, phase composition and particle size composition, the distribution law and symbiotic interaction between impurities and gypsum in various particle sizes were discovered. Using a flotation test, the process mineralogy analysis results were confirmed. According to the XRF and XRD study results, the primary impurity elements in PG are Si, P and F. Si is more abundant in PG that is between +850 μm and −37.5 μm in size. The concentrations of gypsum and quartz in PG are 82.59% and 8.73%, respectively, according to the results of XRD and process mineralogy. The monomer dissociation degree of the gypsum mineral phase is as high as 90.47%. Gibbsite and pyrite are the primary causes of the low whiteness of PG and are clearly related to the quartz mineral phase. The coupling process of “flotation + pickling” produced purified PG with a purity of 95.35%, whiteness of 70.76% and SiO2 content of 2.73%. The quality met the first-class index standards of PG in GB/T23456-2018.

RHO OF PLANTS signalling and the activating ROP GUANINE NUCLEOTIDE EXCHANGE FACTORS: specificity in cellular signal transduction in plants.

Every cell constantly receives signals from its neighbours or the environment. In plants, most signals are perceived by RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASEs (RLKs) and then transmitted into the cell. The molecular switches RHO OF PLANTS (ROP) are critical proteins for polar signal transduction and regulate multiple cell polarity processes downstream of RLKs. Many ROP-regulating proteins and scaffold proteins of the ROP complex are known. However, the spatiotemporal ROP signalling complex composition is not yet understood. Moreover, how specificity is achieved in different ROP signalling pathways within one cell still needs to be determined. This review gives an overview of recent advances in ROP signalling and how specificity by downstream scaffold proteins can be achieved. The composition of the ROP signalling complexes is discussed, focusing on the possibility of the simultaneous presence of ROP activators and inactivators within the same complex to balance ROP activity. Furthermore, this review highlights the function of plant-specific ROP GUANINE NUCLEOTIDE EXCHANGE FACTORS polarizing ROP signalling and defining the specificity of the initiated ROP signalling pathway.

WASTEWATER TREATMENT OF COAL TAR PROCESSING PROCESS FROM PHENOL

The coal tar processing process provides the chemical industry with valuable products: naphthalene, cresol, xylenols, phenol, technical oils and lubricants. The most significant product of coal tar processing is anthracene, which is a raw material for the production of carbon black. The prospects for the implementation of the coal tar processing process entail a danger to the environment and public health.Wastewater formed during the processing process has a complex chemical composition, mainly represented by organic aromatic compounds. Wastewater pollutants significantly exceed discharge standards permissible for discharge into the Centralized Wastewater Disposal System of Settlements and Urban Districts. Phenol, which has the third hazard class according to the standards of maximum permissible concentrations of harmful substances in the waters of water bodies of fishery importance, is particularly dangerous. The toxic effect of phenol leads to the suppression of biocenoses, a decrease in the number of living organisms, negatively affects human health, and can lead to death. Based on the above, in order to reduce the anthropogenic load on the environment and maintain the quality of water resources, it is necessary to carry out a set of environmental measures aimed at wastewater treatment.The article presents methods of wastewater purification from phenol, describes complex purification methods and formulates proposals for the technology of wastewater treatment of the enterprise. Spectral and quantitative chemical analysis were performed to determine the composition of wastewater. Regenerative cleaning methods are proposed. Methods for wastewater treatment have been formulated and implemented. Methods for wastewater treatment of the coal tar processing process are proposed.The aims of research are to reduce the concentration of phenol in wastewater to the standard values permissible for discharge into the Centralized Wastewater Disposal System of Settlements and Urban Districts, based on experimental data; formulate a proposal for the wastewater treatment of the coal tar processing process from phenol.Objectives of the work are to study the composition of the source wastewater; to consider methods of wastewater treatment from phenols; to carry out wastewater treatment, based on the results of the study, to propose a wastewater treatment scheme.The object of the study is the wastewater of the enterprise after the coal tar processing process.

SCALE FORMATION IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY AND THE TRANSITION TOWARDS «GREEN» INHIBITORS

Hydrocarbon production in oil field conditions invariably involves the joint production of significant amounts of water. Mineral salts of various compositions can precipitate from produced water under certain conditions. In the oil and gas industry, the deposition of mineral salts on the surface and underground production equipment can cause various problems, such as deterioration of reservoir properties, reduced production and premature failure of well equipment. Scale deposition can also lead to pump malfunctions, reduced efficiency of heat exchangers, reduced quality of commercial products and increased corrosion processes. Salt deposits lead to expensive restoration work, downtime in well operations and, ultimately, to an increase in the cost of produced hydrocarbons.As a result of the geochemical processes between the injected water and the formation water and the formation rock, as well as the complex composition of the formation fluids, controlling the formation of inorganic scales becomes a challenge. In the oil and gas industry, carbonate (calcium), sulfide (iron) and sulfate (calcium, barium, strontium) deposits are most often encountered. The formation of scale deposits depends on several factors, which include, but are not limited to, temperature, pressure, solution saturation and hydrodynamic flow characteristics.There are many approaches to managing scale deposits, but the most common currently is the use of chemical reagents – scale inhibitors. Traditional scale inhibitors contain phosphorus- and nitrogen-based chemicals as their active base, which can be harmful to the environment and human health. In this regard, in the world practice of oilfield chemistry, the direction of «green» chemistry is actively developing – reagents that can effectively prevent the formation of mineral salts with minimal negative impact on the environment and humans.This review discusses various scale types, methods for their removal, scale inhibitors of various natures and the mechanism of their work. Attention is also paid to «green» inhibitors and their development.

SPTLC3 Is Essential for Complex I Activity and Contributes to Ischemic Cardiomyopathy.

Dysregulated metabolism of bioactive sphingolipids, including ceramides and sphingosine-1-phosphate, has been implicated in cardiovascular disease, although the specific species, disease contexts, and cellular roles are not completely understood. Sphingolipids are produced by the serine palmitoyltransferase enzyme, canonically composed of 2 subunits, SPTLC1 (serine palmitoyltransferase long chain base subunit 1) and SPTLC2 (serine palmitoyltransferase long chain base subunit 2). Noncanonical sphingolipids are produced by a more recently described subunit, SPTLC3 (serine palmitoyltransferase long chain base subunit 3). The noncanonical (d16) and canonical (d18) sphingolipidome profiles in cardiac tissues of patients with end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy and in mice with ischemic cardiomyopathy were analyzed by targeted lipidomics. Regulation of SPTLC3 by HIF1α under ischemic conditions was determined with chromatin immunoprecipitation. Transcriptomics, lipidomics, metabolomics, echocardiography, mitochondrial electron transport chain, mitochondrial membrane fluidity, and mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed in the cSPTLC3KO transgenic mice we generated. Furthermore, morphological and functional studies were performed on cSPTLC3KO mice subjected to permanent nonreperfused myocardial infarction. Herein, we report that SPTLC3 is induced in both human and mouse models of ischemic cardiomyopathy and leads to production of atypical sphingolipids bearing 16-carbon sphingoid bases, resulting in broad changes in cell sphingolipid composition. This induction is in part attributable to transcriptional regulation by HIF1α under ischemic conditions. Furthermore, cardiomyocyte-specific depletion of SPTLC3 in mice attenuates oxidative stress, fibrosis, and hypertrophy in chronic ischemia, and mice demonstrate improved cardiac function and increased survival along with increased ketone and glucose substrate metabolism utilization. Depletion of SPTLC3 mechanistically alters the membrane environment and subunit composition of mitochondrial complex I of the electron transport chain, decreasing its activity. Our findings suggest a novel essential role for SPTLC3 in electron transport chain function and a contribution to ischemic injury by regulating complex I activity.

Enrichment of Nutmeg Essential Oil from Oil-in-Water Emulsions with PAN-Based Membranes.

This study used polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and heat-treated polyacrylonitrile (H-PAN) membranes to enrich nutmeg essential oils, which have more complex compositions compared with common oils. The oil rejection rate of the H-PAN membrane was higher than that of the PAN membrane for different oil concentrations of nutmeg essential oil-in-water emulsions. After heat treatment, the H-PAN membrane showed a smaller pore size, narrower pore size distribution, a rougher surface, higher hydrophilicity, and higher oleophobicity. According to the GC-MS results, the similarities of the essential oils enriched by the PAN and H-PAN membranes to those obtained by steam distillation (SD) were 0.988 and 0.990, respectively. In addition, these two membranes also exhibited higher essential oil rejection for Bupleuri Radix, Magnolia Officinalis Cortex, Caryophylli Flos, and Cinnamomi Cortex essential oil-in-water emulsions. This work could provide a reference for membrane technology for the non-destructive separation of oil with complex components from oil-in-water emulsions.

Genre Features of Professional Screenplays in Russia in 1910s: Theory and Practice

The article explores the genre dominants of Silver Age screenplays. Theoretical concepts of film dramaturgy are applied to the texts of A. A. Khanzhonkov’s “From the World of Mystery” (1915) and A. S. Voznesensky’s “God” (1918). The scientific novelty of the study lies in the comprehensive analysis of these screenplay texts for the first time. The relevance is justified by contemporary philology’s interest in the intermedial aspect of literature. The screenplays exhibit an orientation towards literary models: a wide range of linguistic devices (metaphors, similes, inversions), complex composition, psychological depth, and more. Cinematic expressiveness is realized through a system of modalities (real time, memories, dreams, imagination, altered consciousness, etc.), description of character movements, and “visual sound.” The study suggests that the genre of screenwriting in silent cinema fundamentally differs from subsequent eras and tends towards the epic rather than the dramatic genre. Discrepancies between directorial and literary scripts occurred early in the genre’s formation. A comprehensive examination of original realized screenplays could be key to understanding the reasons for the unsatisfactory results of writer-filmmaker interactions.

Lightweight network based features fusion for steel rolling ambient sound classification

With the intelligent development of industrial production, sound monitoring technology has been widely used to monitor the operation status of mechanical facilities, and this progress has gradually become a research hotspot in the steel manufacturing industry. However, the complex composition of sound sources and the high computational requirements of most models limit their applicability to industrial scenarios. This work presents a targeted approach for remote monitoring of rolling sound. They are using visual features of audio signals to design classification models on the self-harvested dataset for more efficient adaptation to complex production sites. An in-depth analysis of the actual sound reveals that it is characterized by high similarity, complexity, and partial synchronization. To optimize interclass and intraclass data engineering few-sample, multi-feature fusion, and data augmentation methods were combined to characterize the details fully. In addition, by leveraging the deep small convolutions of VGGNet and the randomness of stochastic pooling, local features are effectively extracted. Finally, global average pooling with final softmax layer stacking is used to classify the rolling signals to reduce the number of parameters, avoid overfitting, and perform a global analysis of the features. Experimental results on the rolling sound dataset show that the method proposed achieves an accuracy of 91.26%, with 92.66%, and 95.88% on the ESC10 and MIMII datasets, respectively. These results confirm that the method can be widely applied to sound classification for multi-category rolling processes, showing good performance and scalability.