Entire Mixture Research Articles

A preliminar study on RVE homogenization for phase-field multiscale analysis

Despite the phenomenological approach presents excellent results in material behavior analysis, real-world materials are inherently heterogeneous. A material is considered heterogeneous when, at a particular observation scale, it becomes feasible to discern multiple mixture phases within it. This level of observation is commonly referred to as the microscale, where interactions between constituents occur, ultimately leading to the emergence of cracks.Modeling a material at the microscale begins with defining a Representative Volume Element (RVE), which is the smallest part of the material that is large enough to statistically represent the entire mixture. This ensures that other samples of the same size exhibit similar properties with minor variations. The analysis of the RVE leads to obtaining the effective properties of a portion of the material. That process is called homogenization.Modeling a RVE can be a challenging task, as it requires the use of highly refined meshes to accurately capture the geometric representation of all mixture components. Therefore, phase-field models present themselves as a suitable choice for this type of modeling, once due to the intrinsic features of its variational formulation, they already need refined meshes and do not present localization effects.Thus, the objective of this work is to model a heterogeneous RVE and obtain its homogenized properties. This homogenization of the material parameters is fundamental for the upscaling operation of multiscale analyses.All implementation were done in INSANE, an opensource software developed by the Engineering Structures Department (DEES) of Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG).

Investigation of the explosive atmospheres extent of hydrogen and methane gas mixtures by calculation and FLACS-CFD simulation

Explosive atmosphere is defined as a mixture of dangerous substances with air, under atmospheric conditions, in the form of gases, vapours, mist or dust in which, after ignition has occurred, combustion spreads to the entire unburned mixture. Methane-hydrogen mixtures will become more and more important for energy use in the near future. It has many positive economic and environmental benefits, while the risk of explosion is partly forgotten. It is necessary to identify hazardous areas in the interpretation of technological equipment. The applicable standard, EN IEC 60079-10-1:2020, defines the extent of the explosive atmosphere and zones for a given material, but does not cover mixtures. The objective of the study is to determine the explosive hazard areas of different mixtures of hydrogen and natural gas (methane), by adding additional possible relationships to the initial equations of the standard, and to compare them with the results of the models built in the FLACS-CFD simulation.

On the dose-response association of fine and ultrafine particles in an urban atmosphere: toxicological outcomes on bronchial cells at realistic doses of exposure at the Air Liquid Interface

Air pollution and particulate matter (PM) are the leading environmental cause of death worldwide. Exposure limits have lowered to increase the protection of human health; accordingly, it becomes increasingly important to understand the toxicological mechanisms on cellular models at low airborne PM concentrations which are relevant for actual human exposure. The use of air liquid interface (ALI) models, which mimic the interaction between airborne pollutants and lung epithelia, is also gaining importance in inhalation toxicological studies. This study reports the effects of ALI direct exposure of bronchial epithelial cells BEAS-2B to ambient PM1 (i.e. particles with aerodynamic diameter lower than 1 μm). Gene expression (HMOX, Cxcl-8, ATM, Gadd45-a and NQO1), interleukin (IL)-8 release, and DNA damage (Comet assay) were evaluated after 24 h of exposure. We report the dose-response curves of the selected toxicological outcomes, together with the concentration-response association and we show that the two curves differ for specific responses highlighting that concentration-response association may be not relevant for understanding toxicological outcomes. Noteworthy, we show that pro-oxidant effects may be driven by the deposition of freshly emitted particles, regardless of the airborne PM1 mass concentration. Furthermore, we show that reference airborne PM1 metrics, namely airborne mass concentration, may not always reflect the toxicological process triggered by the aerosol.These findings underscore the importance of considering different aerosol metrics to assess the toxicological potency of fine and ultrafine particles. To better protect human health additional metrics should be defined, than account for the properties of the entire aerosol mixture including specific as particle size (i.e. particles with aerodynamic diameter lower than 20 nm), the relevant aerosol sources (e.g., traffic combustion, secondary organic aerosol …) as well as their atmospheric processing (freshly emitted vs aged ones).

Pentaethylphenol (Not 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-ethylphenol) verified as the primary product of guaiacol ethanol alkylation reaction

Guaiacol ethanol alkylation (GEA), a model reaction of lignin solvolysis, has been intensively investigated. However, the product identification with gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) was wrong due to the defect of the GC-MS databases. In this work, the main product was isolated with a flash chromatography technique and analyzed with 1H NMR and was identified as ethyl fully substituted phenol (or pentaethylphenol), which is contrary to the reported 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-ethylphenol in previous literature. The NMR analysis of the entire product mixture further confirms that the product only contains ethyl substituted molecules, with no existence of isopropyl or tert-butyl substituted products. The byproducts, including ethyl partially substituted phenols, i.e., tetraethylphenol and triethylphenol, ethyl partially substituted guaiacol, 2-ethoxyphenol, and pentaethylbenzene, were also speculated based on the MS spectra. These findings rectify a long-standing error in product identification and may offer critical insights for mechanism investigations.

Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis Gaertn) drink spiked with spices-Immunomodulatory properties

Indian gooseberry juice (20% (v/v) was reconstituted with 5% ginger juice (v/v) extracted from freshly harvested rhizomes, 2% each of turmeric rhizome powder and black pepper powder (w/v), followed by raising the total soluble solids to 130Brix by adding sugar syrup. Finally, 5% acid lime juice of 2.45% of titratable citric acid was added to the entire mixture in order to impart a fruity flavour to the product. The entire mixture was homogenized at 175 Bar (2500 psi) with a speed of 235 rpm and was subsequently pasteurized at 1000C for 10 minutes. LC-MS/MS analysis detected phenolic compounds (2-galloyl glucose, 2,6-galloyl glucose), capsaicinoids, curcuminoids, gingerol and shogaol. Though cyclophosphamide significantly inhibited the relative weight of thymus from 0.193 ± 0.048 in normal mice to 0.077 ± 0.034, treatment with the herbal drink significantly increased the relative weight of thymus, showing increased T cell differentiation. Mice treated with the drink showed marginal increase in the WBC count, indicating recovery of immunity. Recovery of bone marrow cellularity in mice fed with the herbal drink was directly proportional to the concentration of the drink. Increase in a-esterase activity was also directly proportional to the concentration of herbal beverage.

Longitudinal stream synoptic (LSS) monitoring to evaluate water quality in restored streams.

Impervious surface cover increases peak flows and degrades stream health, contributing to a variety of hydrologic, water quality, and ecological symptoms, collectively known as the urban stream syndrome. Strategies to combat the urban stream syndrome often employ engineering approaches to enhance stream-floodplain reconnection, dissipate erosive forces from urban runoff, and enhance contaminant retention, but it is not always clear how effective such practices are or how to monitor for their effectiveness. In this study, we explore applications of longitudinal stream synoptic (LSS) monitoring (an approach where multiple samples are collected along stream flowpaths across both space and time) to narrow this knowledge gap. Specifically, we investigate (1) whether LSS monitoring can be used to detect changes in water chemistry along longitudinal flowpaths in response to stream-floodplain reconnection and (2) what is the scale over which restoration efforts improve stream quality. We present results for four different classes of water quality constituents (carbon, nutrients, salt ions, and metals) across five watersheds with varying degrees of stream-floodplain reconnection. Our work suggests that LSS monitoring can be used to evaluate stream restoration strategies when implemented at meter to kilometer scales. As streams flow through restoration features, concentrations of nutrients, salts, and metals significantly decline (p < 0.05) or remain unchanged. This same pattern is not evident in unrestored streams, where salt ion concentrations (e.g., Na+, Ca2+, K+) significantly increase with increasing impervious cover. When used in concert with statistical approaches like principal component analysis, we find that LSS monitoring reveals changes in entire chemical mixtures (e.g., salts, metals, and nutrients), not just individual water quality constituents. These chemical mixtures are locally responsive to restoration projects, but can be obscured at the watershed scale and overwhelmed during storm events.

Microwave-assisted Green Synthetic Approach towards Water Dispersible Luminescent PVP-coated Tb3+ and Ce3+/Tb3+-doped KZnF3 Nanocrystals

Background: Perovskite fluoride nanomaterials are an interesting research topic in material science due to their exciting properties like high-temperature superconductivity, magnetic behaviour, piezoelectric behaviour, etc. Doping of lanthanide ions into the perovskite fluoride nanomaterials makes them more promising as they have applications from biological label-ling to multicolor optical devices. Objective: This study aimed to carry out the synthesis of perovskite KZnF3 nanocrystals in an eco-friendly environment with the help of a microwave-assisted route in a shorter reaction time and at low temperatures. Moreover, it aimed to make the nanocrystals water dispersible, illuminating brighter photoluminescence, which was achieved by coating nanocrystals surface with poly(N-vi-nyl-2-pyrrolidone) and doping of different lanthanide ions (Ln= Tb3+ and Ce3+/Tb3+) respectively, into the KZnF3 nanocrystals matrix. Methods: The synthesis of nanocrystals was performed in an environment-friendly microwave-assisted way and under green conditions. For example, in the preparation of Tb3+(5mol%)-doped KZnF3 nanocrystals, 0.95 mmol of Zn(NO3)2 and 0.05 mmol of Tb(NO3)3 were dissolved in 8 mL of distilled water. Then, an 8 mL aqueous solution of KF (3 mmol) was added to it. The entire mixture was stirred well for 15 minutes. About 60 mg of PVP was added to the mixture and stirred for another 15 minutes. Then, a microwave reaction vessel was made by transferring the final reaction mixture into it and kept under microwave irradiation at 90°C temperature for 15 minutes. Finally, the product was cooled to room temperature and collected by centrifugation. Results: Both Tb3+(5mol%)-doped and Ce3+(15mol%)/Tb3+(5mol%) co-doped KZnF3 nanocrystals exhibit very strong green photoluminescence. The structural and optical properties of as-obtained nanocrystals were characterized by PXRD, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and photoluminescence spectra. Conclusion: The nanocrystals with uniform cubical morphology having ~60 nm sizes were successfully synthesized. The high photoluminescence efficiency, together with the water dispersibility of the nanocrystals, makes the material useful in many fields of optical devices and offers several biological applications. Moreover, this method could be used to make other lanthanide-doped perovskite fluoride nanocrystals.

Electrochemical Gas Separations for Green Energy Integration

Separation and purification of molecules and compounds is one of the fundamental processes of chemistry and a hugely important factor in industrialization, accounting for as much as 15% of world’s energy consumption. As the world tries to limit and reduce the effects of climate change, simultaneous development of a green chemical economy and carbon sequestration strategies are needed. Both these goals need to effectively and efficiently separate gas phase molecules to make the implementation of these technologies feasible, requiring an even higher demand for economical and green gas phase separation. The current methods of gas phase separation used in industry rely predominantly on inefficient processes, such as cryogenic distillation or temperature or pressure swing absorption. Gas phase separation by electrochemical means can offer theoretically high energy efficiency separation, as the energy supplied can operate exclusively on the molecule of interest, if proper material and design criteria are met, while traditional methods act upon the entire gas mixture. Additionally, electrochemical separations can reduce the number of steps needed as they can simultaneously separate and compress the purified gas, easing the demand for high energy processing required when using mechanical pumps. However, the effectiveness of these technologies depends largely on the operating conditions and materials that make up the electrochemical cell. Thus, a key factor driving improvement in this field relies heavily on material development, such as improved membranes/separators, catalysts, and other cell materials which can in turn give rise to novel techniques and high performance of the electrochemically driven devices. Electrochemical gas phase separations integrated with green energy are critical to reaching climate change targets, but they in turn rely on the development of novel materials at enlarged scales and implementation of these technologies at reduced costs. In this article, we discuss the principles and applications of three electrochemical gas separations: hydrogen (H2) pump, ammonia (NH3)compression, and carbon dioxide (CO2) separation.

Wharton's jelly-derived multifunctional hydrogels: New tools to promote intervertebral disc regeneration in vitro and ex vivo.

The degeneration of intervertebral disc (IVD) is a disease of the entire joint between two vertebrae in the spine caused by loss of extracellular matrix (ECM) integrity, to date with no cure. The various regenerative approaches proposed so far have led to very limited successes. An emerging opportunity arises from the use of decellularized ECM as a scaffolding material that, directly or in combination with other materials, has greatly facilitated the advancement of tissue engineering. Here we focused on the decellularized matrix obtained from human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly (DWJ) which retains several structural and bioactive molecules very similar to those of the IVD ECM. However, being a viscous gel, DWJ has limited ability to retain ordered structural features when considered as architecture scaffold. To overcome this limitation, we produced DWJ-based multifunctional hydrogels, in the form of 3D millicylinders containing different percentages of alginate, a seaweed-derived polysaccharide, and gelatin, denatured collagen, which may impart mechanical integrity to the biologically active DWJ. The developed protocol, based on a freezing step, leads to the consolidation of the entire polymeric dispersion mixture, followed by an ionic gelation step and a freeze-drying process. Finally, a porous, stable, easily storable, and suitable matrix for ex vivo experiments was obtained. The properties of the millicylinders (Wharton's jelly millicylinders [WJMs]) were then tested in culture of degenerated IVD cells isolated from disc tissues of patients undergoing surgical discectomy. We found that WJMs with the highest percentage of DWJ were effective in supporting cell migration, restoration of the IVD phenotype (increased expression of Collagen type 2, aggrecan, Sox9 and FOXO3a), anti-inflammatory action, and stem cell activity of resident progenitor/notochordal cells (increased number of CD24 positive cells). We are confident that the DWJ-based formulations proposed here can provide adequate stimuli to the cells present in the degenerated IVD to restart the anabolic machinery.

High inspired CO2 target accuracy in mechanical ventilation and spontaneous breathing using the Additional CO2 method.

Cerebrovascular reactivity imaging (CVR) is a diagnostic method for assessment of alterations in cerebral blood flow in response to a controlled vascular stimulus. The principal utility is the capacity to evaluate the cerebrovascular reserve, thereby elucidating autoregulatory functioning. In CVR, CO2 gas challenge is the most prevalent method, which elicits a vascular response by alterations in inspired CO2 concentrations. While several systems have been proposed in the literature, only a limited number have been devised to operate in tandem with mechanical ventilation, thus constraining the majority CVR investigations to spontaneously breathing individuals. We have developed a new method, denoted Additional CO2, designed to enable CO2 challenge in ventilators. The central idea is the introduction of an additional flow of highly concentrated CO2 into the respiratory circuit, as opposed to administration of the entire gas mixture from a reservoir. By monitoring the main respiratory gas flow emanating from the ventilator, the CO2 concentration in the inspired gas can be manipulated by adjusting the proportion of additional CO2. We evaluated the efficacy of this approach in (1) a ventilator coupled with a test lung and (2) in spontaneously breathing healthy subjects. The method was evaluated by assessment of the precision in attaining target inspired CO2 levels and examination of its performance within a magnetic resonance imaging environment. Our investigations revealed that the Additional CO2 method consistently achieved a high degree of accuracy in reaching target inspired CO2 levels in both mechanical ventilation and spontaneous breathing. We anticipate that these findings will lay the groundwork for a broader implementation of CVR assessments in mechanically ventilated patients.

In situ monitoring of mechanochemical MOF formation by NMR relaxation time correlation.

In this paper, we present a new approach to monitoring mechanochemical transformations, based on a magnetic resonance (MR) method in which relaxation time correlation maps are used to track the formation of the popular metal-organic framework (MOF) materials Zn-MOF-74 and ZIF-8. The two-dimensional (2D) relaxation correlation measurement employed yields a spectrum which visually and analytically identifies different 1H environments in the sample of interest. The measurement is well-suited to analyzing solid mixtures, and liquids, in complex systems. Application in this work to monitoring MOF formation shows changes in signal amplitudes, and their MR lifetime coordinates, within the 2D plots as the reaction progresses, confirming reaction completion. This new measurement provides a simple way to analyse solid-state reactions without dissolution, and there is a logical pathway to benchtop measurement with a new generation of permanent magnet-based MR instruments. The methodology described permits measurement in an MR compatible milling container, which may be directly transferred from the shaker assembly to the MR magnet for in situ measurement of the entire reaction mixture.

Characterization and Validation of a Lyophilized Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for the Detection of Esox lucius.

In many ways, globalization is beneficial, but in one way, it promotes the spread of alien (invasive) species through international trade and transport. In different habitats, Esox lucius (northern pike) can be considered a regionally alien species, and this fish tends to establish a higher density population than desired in fresh water. Early identification of such invasive species using sensitive and quick methods is important to be able to take immediate measures and avoid environmental problems. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has emerged as the best DNA/RNA detection technique, without any expensive equipment and could be used to detect environmental DNA (eDNA). However, the reagents for amplification are not stable at ambient temperature for field applications. Therefore, this work aims to lyophilize the entire reaction mixture as a single microbead, with enzyme, and LAMP primers towards the detection of mitochondrial cytochrome B (Cyt B), a housekeeping gene in Esox lucius. Analytical and molecular techniques were performed to characterize and validate the lyophilized beads, respectively. The lyophilized beads were stored at two different temperatures, at 20 °C and 4 °C, and tested for biological activity after different time intervals. The result shows that lyophilized beads are bioactive for almost 30 days when stored at 20 °C, while beads at 4 °C did not lose their bioactivity after storage for up to one year. This study will be particularly useful for conducting on-site LAMP analyses in the field, where resources for freezing and storage are limited.

Fast Thermocycling in Custom Microfluidic Cartridge for Rapid Single-Molecule Droplet PCR.

The microfluidic droplet polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which enables simultaneous DNA amplification in numerous droplets, has led to the discovery of various applications that were previously deemed unattainable. Decades ago, it was demonstrated that the temperature holding periods at the denaturation and annealing stages in thermal cycles for PCR amplification could be essentially eliminated if a rapid change of temperature for an entire PCR mixture was achieved. Microfluidic devices facilitating the application of such fast thermocycling protocols have significantly reduced the time required for PCR. However, in microfluidic droplet PCR, ensuring successful amplification from single molecules within droplets has limited studies on accelerating assays through fast thermocycling. Our developed microfluidic cartridge, distinguished for its convenience in executing single-molecule droplet PCR with common laboratory equipment, features droplets positioned on a thin glass slide. We hypothesized that applying fast thermocycling to this cartridge would achieve single-molecule droplet PCR amplification. Indeed, the application of this fast protocol demonstrated successful amplification in just 22 min for 30 cycles (40 s/cycle). This breakthrough is noteworthy for its potential to expedite microfluidic droplet PCR assays, ensuring efficient single-molecule amplification within a remarkably short timeframe.

Cytotoxic and Antioxidant Potential of Launaea mucronata Forssk Essential Oil Growing in Northern Saudi Arabia.

Essential oils are naturally occurring multicomponent combinations of isoprenoids with distinctive odors that are produced by aromatic plants from mevalonic acid. They are extensively applied in aromatherapy for the treatment of various ailments. To investigate the potential therapeutic value of the ingredients in Launaea mucronata essential oil (EO), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was used for essential oil characterization. Then, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), β-carotene/linoleic acid, and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays were used to evaluate the antioxidants. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to estimate the cytotoxicity. Following a thorough analysis of the GC-MS chromatogram, 87 components representing 97.98% of the entire EO mixture were identified. N-eicosane (10.92%), 2E,6Z-farnesol (10.74%), and 2Z,6E-farnesyl acetone (46.35%) were determined to be the major components of the oil. When the produced EO was evaluated for its antioxidant properties, it showed a strong inhibitory effect (%) of 65.34 at a concentration of 80 μg/mL. The results (g/mL) showed a positive response against the tested cell lines for HCT-116, MCF-7, and HepG2 (8.45, 10.24, and 6.78 g/mL, respectively). A high-concentration mixture of deadly components consisting of farnesol, bisabolol, eicosane, and farnesyl acetone may be responsible for this significant cytotoxic action, which was especially noticeable in the HepG2 cell line. Molecular docking occurred between farnesol and farnesyl acetone with the target residues of topoisomerases I and II, CDK4/cyclD1, and Aurora B kinases; these showed binding free energies ranging from -4.5 to -7.4 kcal/mol, thus demonstrating their antiproliferative action. In addition, farnesol and farnesyl acetone fulfilled most of the ADME and drug-likeness properties, indicating their activity.

Enrichment and structural assignment of geometric isomers of unsaturated furan fatty acids.

Furan fatty acids (FuFAs) are valuable minor fatty acids, which are known for their excellent radical scavenging properties. Typically, the furan moiety is embedded in an otherwise saturated carboxyalkyl chain. Occasionally, these classic FuFAs are accompanied by low amounts of unsaturated furan fatty acids (uFuFAs), which additionally feature one double bond in conjugation with the furan moiety. A recent study produced evidence for the occurrence of two pairs of E-/Z-uFuFA isomers structurally related to saturated uFuFAs. Here, we present a strategy that allowed such trace compounds to be enrichedto a level suited for structure determination by NMR. Given the low amounts and the varied abundance ratio of the four uFuFA isomers, the isolation of individual compounds was not pursued. Instead, the entire isomer mixture was enriched to an amount and purity suitable for structure investigation with contemporary NMR methods. Specifically, lipid extracted from 150g latex, the richest known source of FuFAs, was subsequently fractionated by countercurrent chromatography (CCC), silver ion, and silica gel column chromatography. Analysis of the resulting mixture of four uFuFAs isomers (2.4mg in an abundance ratio of 56:23:11:9) by different NMR techniques including PSYCHE verified that the structures of the two most abundant isomers were E-9-(3-methyl-5-pentylfuran-2-yl)non-8-enoic acid and E-9-(3-methyl-5-pent-1-enylfuran-2-yl)nonanoic acid. Additionally, we introduced a computer-based method to generate an averaged chromatogram from freely selectable GC/MS runs of CCC fractions without the necessity of pooling aliquots. This method was found to besuitable to simplify subsequent enrichment steps.

Spermiogramic parameters of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) to aqueous administration of egg lime molasses mixture

As demand for animal protein rises, raising Japanese quail holds much potentials in bridging the gap. Phytogenics has been reported to have effect on spermiogramic parameters of animals. This research was done to ascertain the spermiogramic parameters of Japanese quails to administration of aqueous solution of egg lime molasses mixture (ELM). Fresh eggs were placed in a dish, followed by 500g of molasses and 1 liter of lime juice. It was then covered for 10 days and the entire mixture was blended. Two hundred day old Japanese quails were assigned to five treatments in a Completely Randomized Design and were subdivided into 4 replicates of 10 birds each. The control (T1) having no administration of ELM, T2 had an inclusion level of 10 mL, T3: 20 mL, T4: 30 mL and T5: 40 mL, all in 500 mL of water. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. The study was carried out for 49 days. Data were collected on genitalia morphometry and fertilizing potentials. The birds administered 20 mL of ELM had significantly (p &lt;0.05) higher left epididymis weight (0.36 ± 0.05g) compared to the other groups. The inclusion of ELM in the water significantly influenced (p &lt;0.05) left epididymis volume, paired epididymis volume, left epididymis density, paired epididymis density and spermatozoa reserves in the right epididymis. Testosterone values significantly increased (p &lt;0.05) with increased ELM inclusion. It can be concluded that the administration of ELM did not alter growth parameters however birds that received 20 mL per 500 mL of water had the best reproductive parameters.

Spermiogramic parameters of Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) to aqueous administration of egg lime molasses mixture

As demand for animal protein rises, raising Japanese quail holds much potentials in bridging the gap. Phytogenics has been reported to have effect on spermiogramic parameters of animals. This research was done to ascertain the spermiogramic parameters of Japanese quails to administration of aqueous solution of egg lime molasses mixture (ELM). Fresh eggs were placed in a dish, followed by 500g of molasses and 1 liter of lime juice. It was then covered for 10 days and the entire mixture was blended. Two hundred day old Japanese quails were assigned to five treatments in a Completely Randomized Design and were subdivided into 4 replicates of 10 birds each. The control (T1) having no administration of ELM, T2 had an inclusion level of 10 mL, T3: 20 mL, T4: 30 mL and T5: 40 mL, all in 500 mL of water. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. The study was carried out for 49 days. Data were collected on genitalia morphometry and fertilizing potentials. The birds administered 20 mL of ELM had significantly (p &lt;0.05) higher left epididymis weight (0.36 ± 0.05g) compared to the other groups. The inclusion of ELM in the water significantly influenced (p &lt;0.05) left epididymis volume, paired epididymis volume, left epididymis density, paired epididymis density and spermatozoa reserves in the right epididymis. Testosterone values significantly increased (p &lt;0.05) with increased ELM inclusion. It can be concluded that the administration of ELM did not alter growth parameters however birds that received 20 mL per 500 mL of water had the best reproductive parameters.

Crystallization Behavior of Heterotrinuclear ZnII–LnIII–ZnII Complexes Bearing Two Tripodal Nonadentate Ligands: Possibility for Absolute Spontaneous Resolution

Crystal structures and crystallization behaviors of a series of heterotrinuclear ZnII–LnIII–ZnII complexes, [(L)ZnLnZn(L)]NO3 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb, Lu, and Y; H3L = 1,1,1-tris[(3-methoxysalicylideneamino)methyl]ethane), were examined. Because the trinuclear complex cation has two asymmetric centers (Δ and Λ) at the ZnII sites resulting from the twist of the tripodal ligand arms, it was confirmed from the single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) analysis that these complexes have homochiral structures (i.e., Λ,Λ- or Δ,Δ-enantiomer) in the solid state. Among the series of compounds, various types of spontaneous resolution were observed, which were classified by the SC-XRD analysis (using the Flack parameter) or solid-state circular dichroism spectroscopy. The latter technique was used to determine the chirality of every single crystal and that of an entire bulk mixture of microcrystals obtained in a particular crystallization process. It was found that the TbIII complex, [(L)ZnTbZn(L)]NO3·2MeOH (Zn–Tb–Zn), exclusively deposited the left-handed Λ-conglomerate in every crystallization experiment. This phenomenon may be termed “absolute spontaneous resolution.” It was also notable that only the lanthanoid(III) ions with an even number of 4f electrons (Eu, Tb, Ho, and Lu) exhibited this unusual phenomenon. It was also attempted to deposit the opposite-handed Zn–Tb–Zn Δ-conglomerate, which could not be isolated from the ambient crystallization. Seeding of a crashed single-crystal Δ-conglomerate of [(L)ZnYZn(L)]NO3·2MeOH (Zn–Y–Zn), which was isomorphic to Zn–Tb–Zn, into a saturated methanolic solution of Zn–Tb–Zn gave, for the first time, crystals of the corresponding Δ-conglomerate.

The Technical Feasibility of Digital Spatial Profiling in Immune/Inflammation Study of Thrombosis.

A comprehensive study of the distribution and role of immune/inflammatory cells in thrombosis is still lacking because traditional pathology techniques cannot accomplish the analysis of numerous protein and genetic data simultaneously. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of digital spatial profiling (DSP) to study immune/inflammation reaction in thrombosis progression. An 82-year-old male patient underwent iliofemoral thrombectomy at our institution. The white, mixed and red thrombi were fixed in formalin, dehydrated in ethanol and embedded in paraffin, which were incubated with morphology-labeled fluorescent antibodies (CD45, SYTO13) and the entire target mixture in GeoMx Whole Transcriptome Atlas panel. DSP system was applied to investigate the regions of interest from fluorescence imaging. Fluorescence imaging showed infiltration of immune/inflammation cells in white, mixed and red thrombosis. Whole genome sequencing revealed 16 genes differentially expressed. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were significantly enriched in ligand binding and uptake related signaling pathways of the scavenger receptor. The distribution of immune/inflammation cell subsets was different in white, mixed and red thrombosis. The abundance of endothelial cells, CD8 naive T cells, and macrophages in red thrombosis was significantly higher than in mixed and white thrombosis. The results showed that DSP can facilitate efficient analysis using very few thrombosis samples and provide valuable new leads, suggesting that DSP may be a viable and important new tool to study thrombosis and inflammation.

Evaluation of the cancer risk from PAHs by inhalation: Are current methods fit for purpose?

There is ample evidence from occupational studies that exposure to a mixture of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) is causally associated with an increased incidence of lung cancers. In both occupational atmospheres and ambient air, PAHs are present as a mixture of many compounds, but the composition of the mixture in ambient air differs from that in the occupational atmosphere, and varies in time and space in ambient air. Estimates of cancer risk for PAH mixtures are based upon unit risks which derive from extrapolation of occupational exposure data or animal model data, and in the case of the WHO use one compound, benzo[a]pyrene as a marker for the entire mixture, irrespective of composition. The U.S. EPA has used an animal exposure study to derive a unit risk for inhalation exposure to benzo[a]pyrene alone, and there have been a number of rankings of relative carcinogenic potency for other PAHs which many studies have used to calculate a cancer risk from the PAHs mixture, frequently incorrectly by adding the estimated relative risks of individual compounds, and applying the total “B[a]P equivalent” to the WHO unit risk, which already applies to the entire mixture. Such studies are often based upon data solely for the historic US EPA group of 16 compounds which do not include many of the apparently more potent carcinogens. There are no data for human cancer risk of individual PAHs, and conflicting evidence of additivity of PAH carcinogenicity in mixtures. This paper finds large divergences between risk estimates deriving from the WHO and U.S. EPA methods, as well as considerable sensitivity to the mixture composition, and assumed PAH relative potencies. Of the two methods, the WHO approach appears more likely to provide reliable risk estimates, but recently proposed mixture-based approaches using in vitro toxicity data may offer some advantages.