Experimental Conditions Research Articles

Insights into the Therapeutic and Pharmacological Properties of Resveratrol as a Nutraceutical Antioxidant Polyphenol in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.

Resveratrol (3, 5, 4'-trihydroxystilbene) is a polyphenolic derivative with herbal origin. It has attracted considerable attention in recent decades. Many studies have revealed the benefits of Resveratrol over several human disease models, including heart and neurological diseases, nephroprotective, immune regulation, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, age-related diseases, antiviral, and anticancer in experimental and clinical conditions. Recently, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Resveratrol have been observed, and it has been shown that Resveratrol reduces inflammatory biomarkers, such as tissue degradation factor, cyclooxygenase 2, nitric oxide synthase, and interleukins. All of these activities appear to be dependent on its structural properties, such as the number and position of the hydroxyl group, which regulates oxidative stress, cell death, and inflammation. Resveratrol is well tolerated and safe even at higher pharmacological doses and desirably affects cardiovascular, neurological, and diabetic diseases. Consequently, it is plausible that Resveratrol can be regarded as a beneficial nutritional additive and a complementary drug, particularly for therapeutic applications. The present review provides an overview of currently available investigations on preventive and therapeutic characteristics and the main molecular mechanisms of Resveratrol and its potent derivatives in various diseases. Thus, this review would enhance knowledge and information about Resveratrol and encourage researchers worldwide to consider it as a pharmaceutical drug to struggle with future health crises against different human disorders.

Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium of System Comprising Green Solvents: A Holistic Review

Abstract: The design and operation of distillation columns is based on vapor-liquid equilibrium data, which is a necessity for the chemical industry. In recent years, chemical industry has embraced green chemistry and sustainable development. Furthermore, green solvents are more environmentfriendly and cleaner than conventional solvents and thus offer a good alternative. Very limited work has been reported in the literature that focuses on the generation of isobaric/isothermal vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data of systems comprising green solvents. In this paper, reported VLE data are explored for three emerging green solvents, such as cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME), γ- valerolactone (GVL), and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF). Emerging green solvents have favorable environmental, health, and safety characteristics, making them attractive alternatives for a wide range of applications. The study focuses on two critical separations; the extraction of formic acid from Power-to-X chemical processes and purification of acetic acid from chemical synthesis or fermentation processes. Both processes are integral parts of the chemical industry's sustainable development. To facilitate these separations, accurate VLE data for these green solvents with acetic acid/formic acid systems are essential. The paper reviews literature related to VLE data for systems involving these green solvents. It provides insights into the experimental conditions, equipment, analysis methods, thermodynamic models, and error-minimizing functions used in the previous studies. The researchers can refer to this information as a useful reference prior to the VLE experimentation and modeling of systems comprising these three green solvents. Moreover, the paper presents an overview of recent research on green solvents and their applications, illustrating their versatility and potential for various industrial processes. Research efforts are needed to generate VLE data for green solvent systems and support the chemical industry in transitions towards more sustainable practices.

The reROOT Coaching Program: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Its Impact on Coaching Style and Athlete Sports Development

The reROOT program teaches coaches 40 behaviors belonging to a need-supportive coaching style (including structure, involvement, and autonomy support), as defined by self-determination theory. This pilot randomized controlled trial, conducted during the COVID-19-related lockdown, evaluated the impact of this 18-hr program on coaching style (e.g., Problems in Sports Questionnaire) and on athlete motivation (Motivation Underlying Achievement Goals Questionnaire), performance (tactical, technical, physical, and psychological skills), and well-being (Satisfaction with Life Scale; Positive and Negative Affect Schedule). Twenty-three sports teams from two universities were randomized in the experimental or the wait-list control condition. Coaches in the experimental condition evaluated autonomy-supportive coaching styles more favorably than those in the control condition at the 1-year follow-up, but not 2 months after the end of the program. Athletes whose coaches participated in the program did not rate them as having a higher need-supportive coaching style, but experienced greater autonomous motivation and (potentially) performance, and under certain circumstances greater well-being and less controlled motivation 2 months after the end of the program compared with the wait-list condition. These findings suggest that the reROOT program could potentially improve readiness to rely on more autonomy-supportive skills and promote some aspects of sports development in athletes.

Directed self-assembly software for single cell deposition.

Laser direct-write (LDW) bioprinting methods offer a diverse set of tools to design experiments, fabricate tissue constructs and to cellular microenvironments all in a CAD/CAM manner. To date, we have just scratched the surface of the system’s potential and for LDW to be utilized to its fullest, there are many distinct hardware and software components that must be integrated and communicate seamlessly. In this perspective article, we detail the development of novel graphical user interface (GUI) software to improve LDW capability and functionality. The main modules in the control software correspond to cell transfer, microbead fabrication, and micromachining. The modules make the control of each of these features, and the management of printing programs that utilize one or more features, to be facile. The software also addresses problems related to construct scale-up, print speed, experimental conditions, and management of sensor data. The control software and possibilities for integrated sensor data are presented.

The Effects of Auditory, Visual, and Cognitive Distractions on Cybersickness in Virtual Reality.

Cybersickness (CS) is one of the challenges that has hindered the widespread adoption of Virtual Reality (VR). Consequently, researchers continue to explore novel means to mitigate the undesirable effects associated with this affliction, one that may require a combination of remedies as opposed to a solitary stratagem. Inspired by research probing into the use of distractions as a means to control pain, we investigated the efficacy of this countermeasure against CS, studying how the introduction of temporally time-gated distractions affects this malady during a virtual experience featuring active exploration. Downstream of this, we studied how other aspects of the VR experience are affected by this intervention. We discuss the results of a between-subjects study manipulating the presence, sensory modality, and nature of periodic and short-lived (5-12 seconds) distractor stimuli across four experimental conditions: 1) no-distractors (ND); 2) auditory distractors (AD); 3) visual distractors (VD); 4) cognitive distractors (CD). Two of these conditions (VD and AD) formed a yoked control design wherein every matched pair of 'seers' and 'hearers' was periodically exposed to distractors that were identical in terms of content, temporality, duration, and sequence. In the CD condition, each participant had to periodically perform a 2-back working memory task, the duration and temporality of which was matched to distractors presented in each matched pair of the yoked conditions. These three conditions were compared to a baseline control group featuring no distractions. Results indicated that the reported sickness levels were lower in all three distraction groups in comparison to the control group. The intervention also increased the amount of time users were able to endure the VR simulation and avoided causing detriments to spatial memory and virtual travel efficiency. Overall, it appears that it may be possible to make users less consciously aware and bothered by the symptoms of CS, thereby reducing its perceived severity.

Single-Cell RNA-Seq Debiased Clustering via Batch Effect Disentanglement.

A variety of single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) clustering methods has achieved great success in discovering cellular phenotypes. However, it remains challenging when the data confounds with batch effects brought by different experimental conditions or technologies. Namely, the data partitions would be biased toward these nonbiological factors. Meanwhile, the batch differences are not always much smaller than true biological variations, hindering the cooperation of batch integration and clustering methods. To overcome this challenge, we propose single-cell RNA-seq debiased clustering (SCDC), an end-to-end clustering method that is debiased toward batch effects by disentangling the biological and nonbiological information from scRNA-seq data during data partitioning. In six analyses, SCDC qualitatively and quantitatively outperforms both the state-of-the-art clustering and batch integration methods in handling scRNA-seq data with batch effects. Furthermore, SCDC clusters data with a linearly increasing running time with respect to cell numbers and a fixed graphics processing unit (GPU) memory consumption, making it scalable to large datasets. The code will be released on Github.

Sorption Efficacy of Weathered Basalt Rock for Metal Ions of Nuclear Importance

Background:: A safe and long-term isolation of radionuclides is crucial for efficient waste management in the nuclear fuel cycle. Clay minerals of geological origin are considered candidate barrier materials for the sequestration of nuclear waste for geological disposal applications. Objective:: The present study encompasses a systematic characterization of weathered basalt rock and the influence of its constituent clay minerals (formed mainly due to the weathering process) in the uptake of metal ions of nuclear importance, such as cesium (Cs+) and strontium (Sr2+). Methods: The structural profile of the weathered basalt has been investigated using different analytical techniques, including polarizing microscope, XRD, FTIR and EDXRF. The sorption behaviour of the rock sample for Cs+ and Sr2+ has been investigated in a comprehensive batch mode by varying the experimental conditions. The analytical findings for structure and batch sorption performance of the material have been further correlated to understand the influence of different parameters on the uptake of metal ions and the underlying mechanism. Results:: Structural analyses confirmed the presence of clay minerals viz., kaolinite, illite and montmorillonite in the sample. A comprehensive sorption performance assessment carried out in batch mode at different experimental conditions revealed that the uptake of both the metal ions was rapid and dependent on initial metal ion concentration and solution pH. The uptake of Cs+ ions was found to be higher as compared to the Sr2+ ions. EDXRF analysis confirmed the loading of Cs+ and Sr2+ on the weathered basalt. Experimental batch sorption data presented a better agreement with the theoretical Freundlich isotherm pertaining to the heterogeneous nature of the sorbent. Conclusion:: The studies highlight that the clay minerals formed by structural alteration of basalt rock upon intense weathering could be very useful in fixing the nuclear fission waste components such as Cs+ and Sr2+.

Adsorptive Sequestration of Methylene Blue Dye from Aqueous Solution Using Novel Roystonea regia fruit Pericarp: Isotherm, Kinetics, and Thermodynamics

The batch adsorptive sequestration of methylene blue from an aqueous solution using unripe Roystonea regia fruit pericarp biomass was investigated in this study. The characteristic nature of the biosorbent was studied using various analytical instruments including Fourier Transform Infra-red spectrophotometer, Scanning Electron Microscope, Energy Dispersive X-ray, X-ray diffractometer, and the Brunauer-Emmett Teller. The adsorption study was perfomed at different experimental conditions including pH, contact time, initial dye concentration, temperature, agitation speed, and biosobent dose. From the results of this study, the optimum biosorption of MB was achieved at 120 min contact time, pH 10, room temperature (298 K), 150 rpm agitation speed and dosage of 100 mg/150 mL dye solution. With 132.30 mgg-1 maximum sorption capacity, the Langmuir isotherm best describes the biosorption equilibrium data. At all initial concentrations, the biosorption kinetics of methylene blue onto the biosorbent fitted best to the pseudo-second order kinetics model, with R2 values ≥ 0.999 and qcal being similar to the qexp. The kinetics study also showed the involvement of intra-particle diffusion in the rate-determining step; although not as the sole limiting step of the sorption process. The results of the thermodynamics study showed the high feasibility, spontaneity, and exothermic nature of the biosorption of methylene blue onto the biosorbent. This study concludes that Roystnea regia fruit pericarp would make an economically viable and renewable biosorbent for practical eco-friendly sequestration of MB dye from wastewaters.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Optimization of Novel Furan-ring Fused Chalcones via Radical Cyclization of α,β-Unsaturated Ketones and Cyclic Ketone

Abstract: Novel Furan-ring Fused Chalcones (FFC) were synthesized using a radical cyclization reaction of α,β-unsaturated ketones with cyclic ketone as the model reaction to attain this goal. In this study, traditional and microwave-assisted methods for the efficient and cost-effective synthesis of furan-ring fused chalcones in mild reaction conditions are compared and optimized. The goal is to develop a reliable and adaptable synthetic technique that may be used to produce these useful chalcone derivatives quickly and effectively. The optimal experimental conditions for these reactions were carefully determined using two independent methodologies: conventional (Method A) and microwave (Method B). The results indicated that the proposed method B could be used effectively in the future to synthesize novel furans with short reaction times and acceptable yields (87-94 %), and products were purified by column chromatography and preparative thin layer chromatography (PTLC). All new compounds were characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, LC-MS, and elemental analyses.

Simulation model of carbon capture with MEA and the effect of temperature and duty on efficiency

Humans continue to rely on fossil fuels to generate electricity. In other words, fossil fuels are the world's largest energy producers. Fossil fuels produce significant carbon dioxide, mostly in areas where humans live. Although the share of carbon dioxide produced in big cities is minimal compared to the carbon dioxide production of volcanoes, the production of carbon dioxide in big cities has destructive effects. Process Simulator is utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of their simulation model by subjecting it to various experimental conditions, including liquid loading, temperature, and CO2 absorption (PPS). Comparing empirical and simulated mass transfer coefficients distinguishes this study from others. This procedure consists of two steps: Carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption in a solvent produces highly concentrated CO2 gas following solvent regeneration. A chemical adsorption process's scalability depends on accurate simulation models, typically validated using data from a pilot plant. With the aid of this study, a simulation model of a desorption column is constructed with ASPEN PLUS and 42% MEA validated. In addition, the effect of the weight percentage of 20-42 MEA in the inlet stream on the efficiency is investigated, and the influence of the MEA inlet temperature on system efficiency is examined. Then, the recommended temperature is confirmed based on the MEA's heat tolerance capacity of 303 Kelvin.

Toxicity evaluation of PAHs in the sponge Hymeniacidon heliophila: field assessment and laboratory assays - a preliminary study

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been extensively studied in the aquatic environment, although the mechanism of action and biological effects of this xenobiotic in several species, including sponges, are not yet well known. In this context, the aims of the present study were to apply the sponge Hymeniacidon heliophila as a biomonitor for PAH contamination, and to determine PAH depuration and chrysene accumulation patterns through bioassays, evaluating biomarkers in order to verify sublethal responses to exposure. The monitoring of two Southeastern Brazilian areas, Quadrado da Urca and Itaipu beach, indicated bioconcentration of PAHs in sponges. A predominantly petrogenic character was observed in the evaluated areas. Uptake of chrysene and elimination of PAHs were evaluated in H. heliophila, through the biomarkers neutral red and reduced glutathione (GSH), as well as histological evaluations. In the depuration assay, sponges from Quadrado da Urca, a contaminated site, were transferred to aquaria and collected at 24, 48, 72, 96, 168, 240 and 336 h. No significant depuration occurred during the first 96 h, and no changes were verified in the evaluated biomarkers. However, the sponges were able to depurate PAHs from 96 h to 336 h, indicating that this species may reach a healthy status if the environment is uncontaminated. An accumulation bioassay was carried up to 96 h, with sponges from Itaipu beach, in order to evaluate their ability to accumulate chrysene and show immediate effects. Accumulation was intense during 72 h, followed by a decline at 96 h. Neutral red retention time declined with chrysene accumulation, and the decrease of accumulation at 96 h seems related to GSH production. Histological structures were proven to be useful biomarkers of sponge health for experimental conditions. Thus, H. heliophila is confirmed to be an adequate bioindicator PAHs exposure.

PreVR: Variable-Distance Previews for Higher-Order Disocclusion in VR.

The paper introduces PreVR, a method for allowing the user of a VR application to preview a virtual environment (VE) around any number of corners. This way the user can gain line of sight to any part of the VE, no matter how distant or how heavily occluded it is. PreVR relies on a multiperspective visualization that implements a higher-order disocclusion effect with piecewise linear rays that bend multiple times as needed to reach the visualization target. PreVR was evaluated in a user study ($\mathrm{N}=88$) that investigates four points on the VR interface design continuum defined by the maximum disocclusion order $\delta$. In a first control condition (CC0), $\delta=0$, corresponds to conventional VR exploration with no preview capability. In a second control condition (CC1), $\delta=1$, corresponds to the prior art approach of giving the user a preview around the first corner. In a first experimental condition (EC3), $\delta=3$, so PreVR provided up to third-order disocclusion. In a second experimental condition (ECN), $\delta$ was not capped, so PreVR could provide a disocclusion effect of any order, as needed to reach any location in the VE. Participants searched for a stationary target, for a dynamic target moving on a random continuous trajectory, and for a transient dynamic target that appeared at random locations in the maze and disappeared 5s later. The study quantified VE exploration efficiency with four metrics: viewpoint translation, view direction rotation, number of teleportations, and task completion time. Results show that the previews afforded by PreVR bring a significant VE exploration efficiency advantage. ECN outperforms EC3, CC1, and CC0 for all metrics and all tasks, and EC3 frequently outperforms CC1 and CC0.

Self-Guided DMT: Exploring a Novel Paradigm of Dance Movement Therapy in Mixed Reality for Children with ASD.

Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often exhibit motor disorders. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) has shown great potential for improving the motor control ability of children with ASD. However, traditional DMT methods often lack vividness and are difficult to implement effectively. To address this issue, we propose a Mixed Reality DMT approach, utilizing interactive virtual agents. This approach offers immersive training content and multi-sensory feedback. To improve the training performance of children with ASD, we introduce a novel training paradigm featuring a self-guided mode. This paradigm enables the rapid creation of a virtual twin agent of the child with ASD using a single photo to embody oneself, which can then guide oneself during training. We conducted an experiment with the participation of 24 children diagnosed with ASD (or ASD propensity), recording their training performance under various experimental conditions. Through expert rating, behavior coding of training sessions, and statistical analysis, our findings revealed that the use of the twin agent for self-guidance resulted in noticeable improvements in the training performance of children with ASD. These improvements were particularly evident in terms of enhancing movement quality and refining overall target-related responses. Our study holds clinical potential in the field of medical treatment and rehabilitation for children with ASD.

A Mild and Eco-friendly, One-pot Synthesis of 2-hydroxy-Narylacetamides from 2-chloro-N-arylacetamides

Abstract: A mild and eco-friendly one-pot, two-step procedure has been developed for the synthesis of 2-hydroxy-N-arylacetamides from 2-chloro-N-arylacetamides. The procedure overcomes the cleavage of the amide linkage in 2-chloroacetamides, which is usually observed under reflux conditions with the hydroxide when the nucleophilic substitution of the halide is attempted. The reactions were performed by refluxing 2-chloro-N-arylacetamides with Cu(OAc)2 and DIPEA in the ethanol medium to facilitate an acetate exchange with the halogen. Subsequently, by the addition of ethanolic KOH solution to the same reaction flask, the ester linkage was selectively cleaved in the presence of the amide, taking advantage of the difference in electrophilicity. The procedure afforded good yields of the desired products, which are valuable intermediates for several biologically active molecules, in a short reaction time with ease of isolation. The experimental conditions employed are simple and offer the possibility of scaling up to higher quantities.

Near-IR-Absorbing Bis-Donor Functionalized Aza-BODIPY Derivatives: Synthesis and Photophysical Study by Using Transient Optical Spectroscopy.

A series of near-IR absorbing 2,6-diarylated BF2-chelated aza-boron-dipyrromethenes (aza-BDPs) derivatives bearing different electron donors (benzene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, phenothiazine and carbazole) were designed and synthesized. The effect of different electron donor substitutions on the photophysical properties was studied by steady-state UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectra, electrochemical, time-resolved nanosecond transient absorption (ns-TA) spectroscopy and theoretical computations. The UV-vis absorption spectra of AzaBDP-PTZ and AzaBDP-CAR (λabs=710 nm in toluene) showed a bathochromic absorption profile compared with the reference AzaBDP-Ph (λabs=685 nm in toluene), indicating the non-negligible electronic interaction at the ground state between donor and acceptor moieties. Moreover, the fluorescence is almost completely quenched for AzaBDP-PTZ/AzaBDP-CAR (fluorescence quantum yield, ΦF=0.2-0.7 % in toluene) as compared with the AzaBDP-Ph (ΦF=27 % in toluene). However, the apparent intersystem crossing ability of these compounds is poor, based on the singlet oxygen quantum yield (ΦΔ=0.3-1.5 %). The ns-TA spectral study showed typical Bodipy localized triplet state transient features, short-lived excited triplet state for AzaBDP-Ph (τT=53.2 μs) versus significantly long-lived triplet state for AzaBDP-CAR (τT=114 μs) was observed under deaerated experimental conditions. These triplet state lifetimes are much longer than that obtained with diiodoAzaBDP (intramolecular heavy atom effect, τT=1.5~7.2 μs). These information are useful for molecular structure design of triplet photosensitizers, for which longer triplet state lifetimes are usually desired. Theoretical computations displayed that the triplet state is mainly localized on the AzaBDP core, moreover, it was found that the HOMO/LUMO energy gap decreased after introducing donor moieties to the skeleton as compared with the reference.

Effects of pain on cortical homeostatic plasticity in humans: a systematic review.

Homeostatic plasticity (HP) is a negative feedback mechanism that prevents excessive facilitation or depression of cortical excitability (CE). Cortical HP responses in humans have been investigated by using 2 blocks of noninvasive brain stimulation with a no-stimulation block in between. A healthy HP response is characterized by reduced CE after 2 excitatory stimulation blocks and increased CE when using inhibitory stimulation. Conversely, impaired HP responses have been demonstrated in experimental and chronic pain conditions. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to provide an overview of the effect of pain on cortical HP in humans. Scopus, Embase, and PubMed were searched from inception until November 20, 2023. The included studies (1) compared experimental or clinical pain conditions with healthy controls, (2) induced HP using 2 blocks of stimulation with a no-stimulation interval, and (3) evaluated CE measures such as motor-evoked potentials. Four studies were included, consisting of 5 experiments and 146 participants, of whom 63 were patients with chronic pain and 48 were subjected to an experimental pain model. This systematic review found support for an HP impairment in pain compared with that in pain-free states, reflected by a lack of CE reduction after excitatory-excitatory HP induction over the primary motor cortex. Inhibitory-inhibitory HP induction did not produce a consistent HP response across studies, independent of pain or pain-free states. Standardization of HP induction protocols and outcome calculations is needed to ensure reproducibility and study comparison. Future HP studies may consider investigating sensory domains including nociception, which would further our understanding of abnormal HP regulation in pain conditions.

Development and Characterization of Enteric Polymer-based Solid Dispersion for Cholecalciferol Delivery

Background: The deficiency of vitamin D is a global concern affecting individuals of all age groups. Insufficient exposure to sunlight and disease conditions can lead to cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) deficiency. Objective: Cholecalciferol is a lipophilic crystalline molecule, and it is highly susceptible to degradation under environmental conditions, including light, temperature, and oxygen, and its degradation rate is high in the low pH range. Therefore, an enteric solid dispersion-based formulation was developed in the present study for the oral delivery of cholecalciferol. Method: Enteric polymer hydroxypropylmethylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS)-based solid dispersion was developed and characterized by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction analysis. The effect of various concentrations of cholecalciferol formulations on the viability of Caco-2 cells was determined using an MTT assay. A dissolution and stability study of the product was also performed. Result: An amorphous form of cholecalciferol in the solid dispersion was reported. The drug content of solid dispersions was in the order of 90%. The viability assay indicated that the surfactant used in the developed solid dispersion of cholecalciferol had no cytotoxic effect on Caco-2 cells. A dissolution study on enteric solid dispersion in two-stage dissolution under a biomimetic medium indicated the pHdependent release of cholecalciferol from the HPMCAS-based solid dispersion. Moreover, the stability study showed no significant changes in the cholecalciferol content in the developed formulation under storage at experimental conditions. Conclusion: The enteric solid dispersion of cholecalciferol was developed, which exhibited compatibility with Caco-2 cells, improved dissolution, and acceptable stability profile, and represented a potential option for efficient delivery of cholecalciferol.

Determination and molecular simulation of ternary solid–liquid phase equilibrium of succinic acid + maleic acid + water from 283.15 K to 333.15 K

This study used the isothermal saturation gravimetric method to examine the solid–liquid phase equilibrium relationships composed of succinic acid + maleic acid + water spanning from 283.15 K to 333.15 K. The experimental data were utilized for the purpose of plotting the equilibrium phase diagrams of ternary systems in the studied temperature range. There were three crystalline regions in each isothermal ternary phase diagram, two saturation boundary curves, and a co-saturation point. To broaden the use of data from binary and ternary phase equilibrium measurements, Wilson and NRTL models were utilized for correlation and expectation, while relative average deviation (RAD) and root mean square deviation (RMSD) were utilized to evaluate the computational exactness. The results show that the theoretically calculated values were found to be in near agreement with the experimental values, and both models were able to obtain more precise theoretical data under different experimental conditions. In addition, molecular simulation was employed to elucidate the interaction between succinic acid, maleic acid, and water. This study provides accurate and reliable data for the separation of succinic acid and maleic acid mixture in water. These findings can be utilized to make sense of the dissolvability conduct of succinic acid and maleic acid in aqueous solution.

Industrial Production and Therapeutic Application of Botulinum Neurotoxin: The Role of C. botulinum Type A.

Botulinum neurotoxin has remarkably transitioned from a food safety hazard and biological warfare to an effective therapeutic drug. Currently, botulinum neurotoxins have seven serotypes (BoNT/A-G) in the form of protein complexes produced by Clostridium, a gram-positive and sporeforming bacteria. The conversion of toxins into useful drug substances of choice using the biotechnological process is tremendously increasing. Recent studies have shown that Botulinum neurotoxin-A (BoNT/A) has different biological activities and potencies in experimental and clinical conditions. They also indicate that the manufacturing process influences the potency and efficacy of BoNT/A drugs. Thus, this review focuses on the following criteria: detailed Fed-batch operation that includes the upstream and downstream processing of BoNT/A, the underlying mechanism behind the neurotoxic effect, and commercially available FDA-approved BoNT/A products and their therapeutic uses. Still, some research gaps exist in the mechanism for the treatment of psychiatric disorders.

An investigation on implementation of generating adversarial network-based surrogate models for prediction of turbine endwall film cooling effectiveness

Film cooling is an essential cooling technique for turbine blade, which guides coolant to cover the turbine blades surface by arranging discrete film holes on it. For the newly designed cooling units, the process of predicting film cooling effectiveness is really complex and time-consuming. For the purpose of accelerating the design procedure, the U-Net which is a very popular algorithm in the field of deep learning was improved with the basic layer structure, then it was adopted as the proxy function for the film cooling effectiveness prediction. The basic samples were generated by Latin hypercube sampling method and calculated by commercial software. The results were verified by experiment in a linear cascade. The training and testing samples were calculated at experimental conditions (inlet Mach number values 0.12). The results showed that comparing with the basic U-Net network, the novel U-Net network has a great better accuracy on the prediction of contour results. Both of the improved U-Net networks had higher prediction accuracy than original models. The correlation index reached more than 99.5% and the first order error was lower than 0.3%. The number of basic neural layers is not positively correlated with the network prediction accuracy which exists an optimal ratio. The experimental verification shows that the generating adversarial network prediction results are consistent with the experimental results. The final prediction results showed that the U-Net model can be used as a surrogate model and meets the requirements for accuracy of film cooling effectiveness prediction.