Er Values Research Articles

Predictive Stress Modeling of Resilient Modulus in Sandy Subgrade Soils

The mechanical properties of pavement materials are crucial to the design and performance of flexible pavements. One of the most commonly used measures of these properties is the resilient modulus (Er). Many different models were developed to predict the resilient modulus of coarse soils, which are based on the states of stresses and the physical and mechanical properties of the soil. The unconsolidated unsaturated drained cyclic triaxial tests were performed for three variously graded and three well-graded sand specimens to determine the resilient modulus, and to perform predictive modeling using the K-θ, Rahim and George, Uzan, and Universal Witczak models. Obtained Er values directly depended on the confining pressure and deviatoric stress values used during the test. The Octahedral Shear Stress (OSS) model, proposed by the authors of the paper, predicts the resilient modulus with a coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 0.85 to 0.99. The advantage of the model is the use of small-scale data tables, meaning fixed K1 and K2 regression coefficients, and it can be assigned to a specific specimen type without the need to determine them using the specific deviatoric and confining stresses.

Parameter enhancement and size reduction of metasurface reflector loaded decagon antenna for wireless applications

This paper proposes a miniaturized metasurface reflector-loaded decagon antenna for wireless applications. A metamaterial (MTM) loaded with complementary split-ring resonators is used to reduce the size of the antenna by 70 % in comparison to a conventional antenna. The proposed slotted decagon patch antenna has CSRR on the ground plane. At 0.24 λ0 × 0.24 λ0 × 0.013 λ0 (λ0 corresponds to the center frequency at f = 2.4 GHz), the antenna is extremely compact. The antenna was constructed using the FR4 substrate, which has a thickness of 1.6 mm and a εr value of 4.40. The experimentation shows that using the metasurface reflector structure considerably increased gain from 1.8 to 8.12 dB when compared to the decagon antenna without the MSR. Additionally, MSR-loaded antennas in dimensions of 5 × 5, 4 × 4, 3 × 3, and 2 × 2 have also been investigated. The metasurface reflector-loaded decagon antenna provides a bandwidth of 40 MHz (2.42–2.46 GHz). 0.48 λ0 × 0.47 λ0 × 0.013 λ0 (λ0 corresponds to the center frequency at f = 2.4 GHz) is the overall dimension of the MSR-loaded antenna. The values of simulated and measured are fairly in agreement, except for a minor deviation. It is appropriate for wireless applications to use the proposed antenna.

ZnZr1−xHfxNb2O8-yTiO2-ZnZr1−xHfxNb2O8 (0.000 [formula omitted] x [formula omitted] 0.030, 0.01 [formula omitted] y [formula omitted] 0.06): An high-Q and temperature-stable microwave dielectric ceramic through laminated co-firing technique

In order to better fulfill the requirements high-performance dielectric devices for low insertion loss, compact size, and excellent temperature stability, we propose a strategy to maximize the comprehensive regulation of microwave dielectric properties. Since TiO2 has a relatively large and positive τf value, direct addition of TiO2 has often been utilized to modify the negative τf value in previous studies. In this paper, TiO2 and the laminated co-firing technique are applied to monoclinic wolframite structural ceramics. Tri-layer architectural ZnZr1−xHfxNb2O8-yTiO2-ZnZr1−xHfxNb2O8 (0.000 ≤ x ≤ 0.030, 0.01 ≤ y ≤ 0.06) ceramics were synthesized by the laminated co-firing technique. Firstly, Hf4+ ions substituted for Zr4+ ions to significantly enhance the Q×f value of ZnZrNb2O8 system. The modulation effect of Hf4+ on the crystal structure and the influence on the dielectric constant (εr), Q×f, and τf values were reasonably demonstrated by combining several characterization approaches with complex chemical bond theory. Compared with pure ZnZrNb2O8, the ZnZr0.990Hf0.010Nb2O8 ceramic achieved a nearly 65% increase in the Q×f value without excessive deterioration of other dielectric parameters. The laminated co-firing technique was then used to further modulate its εr and τf values. Notably, the ZnZr0.990Hf0.010Nb2O8-0.05TiO2-ZnZr0.990Hf0.010Nb2O8 tri-layer architectural ceramic achieved prominent comprehensive microwave dielectric characteristics: εr = 34.34, Q×f = 53,860 GHz, and τf = + 2.29 ppm/°C, making the tri-layer architecture ceramics attractive for usage in modern microwave communications.

Prognostic refinement of NSMP high-risk endometrial cancers using oestrogen receptor immunohistochemistry

BackgroundRisk-assessment of endometrial cancer (EC) is based on clinicopathological factors and molecular subgroup. It is unclear whether adding hormone receptor expression, L1CAM expression or CTNNB1 status yields prognostic refinement.MethodsParaffin-embedded tumour samples of women with high-risk EC (HR-EC) from the PORTEC-3 trial (n = 424), and a Dutch prospective clinical cohort called MST (n = 256), were used. All cases were molecularly classified. Expression of L1CAM, ER and PR were analysed by whole-slide immunohistochemistry and CTNNB1 mutations were assessed with a next-generation sequencing. Kaplan–Meier method, log-rank tests and Cox’s proportional hazard models were used for survival analysis.ResultsIn total, 648 HR-EC were included. No independent prognostic value of ER, PR, L1CAM, and CTNNB1 was found, while age, stage, and adjuvant chemotherapy had an independent impact on risk of recurrence. Subgroup-analysis showed that only in NSMP HR-EC, ER-positivity was independently associated with a reduced risk of recurrence (HR 0.33, 95%CI 0.15–0.75).ConclusionsWe confirmed the prognostic impact of the molecular classification, age, stage, and adjuvant CTRT in a large cohort of high-risk EC. ER-positivity is a strong favourable prognostic factor in NSMP HR-EC and identifies a homogeneous subgroup of NSMP tumours. Assessment of ER status in high-risk NSMP EC is feasible in clinical practice and could improve risk stratification and treatment.

Novel ultra-low loss and low-fired Li8MgxTi3O9+xF2 microwave dielectric ceramics for resonator antenna applications

Low temperature sintered Li8MgxTi3O9+xF2 microwave dielectric ceramics with x = 2−7 were developed based on a newly designed pseudo ternary phase diagram of the Li2TiO3–MgO–LiF system. Dense solid solution ceramics (of relative density >96 %) with cubic rock-salt structure, accompanied by a small amount of secondary phase MgO, were obtained in the temperature range of 800−925 °C. With increasing Mg2+ content, the value of εr decreased, whereas that of τf remained nearly constant, and the Q×f increased to a maximum at x = 5. The Li8Mg5Ti3O14F2 ceramic sintered at 875 °C exhibited superior microwave dielectric properties with εr= 16.8, Q× f= 119,700 GHz, and τf= −41.6 ppm/°C. The good compatibility with Ag electrodes highlights the promising prospects of this ceramic in low-temperature co-fired ceramic technology. Furthermore, a dielectric resonator antenna fabricated based on a Li8Mg5Ti3O14F2 ceramic exhibited an outstanding S11 of −34.7 dB and a broad bandwidth of 360 MHz at the desired resonant frequency of 5.98 GHz.

Investigation on phase structure, spectral characteristics, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of Li2Zn[Ti1-x(Co1/3Nb2/3)x]3O8 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) ceramics

In this paper, a series of Li2Zn[Ti1-x(Co1/3Nb2/3)x]3O8 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) ceramics were prepared via the conventional solid-state method. The influences of (Co1/3Nb2/3)4+ complex ions on the phase composition, spectral characteristics, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties of Li2Zn[Ti1-x(Co1/3Nb2/3)x]3O8 ceramics were studied systematically. XRD analysis accompanied with Rietveld refinements showed that pure Li2ZnTi3O8 solid solution ceramics with the cubic spinel structure were obtained at x = 0.2–0.4. New Raman-active mode of about 858 cm−1 should be attributed to the vibrations of NbO6 due to the high bond energy of Nb–O bonds, exerting a certain impact on the structure and performance of Li2Zn[Ti1-x(Co1/3Nb2/3)x]3O8 ceramics. XPS results indicated that Nb5+ ion donor suppressed the deoxidation process and therefore resulted in the disappearance of Ti3+ ion and oxygen vacancy. The downward trend variation in the εr value with the increase of (Co1/3Nb2/3)4+ content could be explained by the presence of “compressed” cations and “rattling” cations effect. In addition, the Q × f of the current ceramics was closely dependent on relative density, grain size, FWHM, and oxygen vacancy. Good combined microwave dielectric properties of εr = 24.5, Q × f = 91,250 GHz, and τf = −16.8 ppm/°C were achieved for the Li2Zn[Ti0.8(Co1/3Nb2/3)0.2]3O8 ceramic sintered at 1120 °C. High quality factor gives evidence that the Li2Zn[Ti0.8(Co1/3Nb2/3)0.2]3O8 ceramic is an appealing candidate for highly selective microwave devices.

RISK ASSESSMENT, LEVELS, SPECIATION AND SEASONAL VARIATION OF HEAVY METALS (Cd and Cu) IN WATER AND PARTICLE SIZES OF SEDIMENTS FROM HUNKI OX-BOW LAKE, AWE LGA, NASARAWA STATE-NIGERIA

This research aimed at assessment of the levels, speciation, risk assessment indices and seasonal variation of heavy metals (Cd and Cu) in water and sediments from Hunki Ox-bow Lake in Awe L.G.A of Nasarawa State, using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS), during the dry and wet seasons. The mean concentration of Cd in water samples of both dry and wet seasons was higher than that of Cu, but Cu was higher than Cd on the whole (raw) sediment samples. The baseline levels of Cd and Cu in water samples (mg/L) were as follows: Cd (0.354) and Cu (0.014), which revealed that Cd level in water was higher than the WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality. The baseline levels of Cd and Cu in sediment samples (mg/kg) were as follows: Cd (7.149) and Cu (8.363) which showed that Cd and Cu were lower than Interim Sediment Quality Guidelines – High of (Cd: 10 and Cu: 270 mg/kg). However, Cd level from sediment was higher than Interim Sediment Quality Guidelines – Low of 1.5 mg/kg but that of Cu was lower (65 mg/kg). Results of the Tessier five-step sequential extraction procedure indicated that Cd was more in the first four steps of the sequential extraction (non-residual) which accounted for 84.64 - 94.52 % in both seasons. Copper dominated more of the organic matter fraction of the sediments (48.17 – 85.54 %) for both dry and wet seasons. The mean of Bioavailability Index (BI) for wet season was relatively higher than that of dry season. The mean values of Mobility Factor (MF) revealed that Cd had higher values than Cu irrespective of seasons. This indicated that Cd was more mobilizable and bioavailable to this aquatic ecosystem compared to Cu. The geo-accumulation Index (I-geo) values of Cd showed practically unpolluted (sites 1, 2 and 5 of dry season), moderately polluted (sites 3 and 4 of dry season), heavily polluted (sites 1, 2, 4 and 5 of wet season) to very heavily polluted (site 3of wet season). The I-geo values of Cu indicated practically unpolluted. In dry season generally, Contamination Factor (Cf) values for Cd were all moderate in dry season. The Cf values of Cd indicated very high contamination factor for wet season, while that of Cu was low in both seasons. In both seasons, the ecological risk index (Er) of Cd in dry season had low to moderate ecological risk, and high to serious ecological risk in wet season. The Er values of Cu were low. This study revealed that: sediments and water samples of the dry season had lower concentration of Cd and Cu than in wet season; concentrations of Cd and Cu from sediments were more of manmade sources rather than natural sources and most ecological risk indices evaluated revealed that Cd had greater ecological risk.

Ultracompact, high-extinction ratio XOR, OR, and Feynman logic gates based on plasmonic metal-insulator-metal directional couplers.

Three plasmonic logic gates including XOR, OR, and Feynman based on directional couplers operating in the optical communications band are proposed. First, a 3dB directional coupler based on metal-insulator-metal waveguides is presented and its operation principles are investigated using the coupled mode theory method. Then, XOR and OR logic gates are implemented simultaneously in one structure. The simulations performed by the finite-difference time-domain method show that the extinction ratios for the OR and XOR gates are infinite and 29.3dB, respectively. The Feynman gate is also implemented using two directional couplers placed parallel to each other. The ER values for outputs P and Q are 7.26dB and 34.23dB, respectively. The footprints of the XOR/OR and Feynman structures are less than 8µm 2 and 12µm 2, respectively. The presented gates have a high potential to be used in photonic integrated circuits.

РЕСУРСЫ БАРИТА, ЦВЕТНЫХ И БЛАГОРОДНЫХ МЕТАЛЛОВ В ХВОСТОХРАНИЛИЩЕ ТАЛМОВСКИЕ ПЕСКИ: МИНЕРАЛОГО-ГЕОХИМИЧЕСКИЕ И ГЕОФИЗИЧЕСКИЕ ДАННЫЕ

The estimation of barite resources (BaSO4) as well as resources of metals (Au, Ag, Cu, Zn, Pb) was made with the help of modern precision research methods at the Talmovskie Peskitailing dump (Salair Ridge). Processed ores at the tailings dump are characterized by a large vertical heterogeneity; primary (substantially non-oxidized) and oxidized sands are distinguished with Bacontents of 39 and 35 %, respectively. Grain-size classes lower 0.25 mm are the most productive from the point of view of barite. Such occurrence forms and typomorphic characteristics as color, morphology, grain size distribution, mineral paragenesis and inclusions are described for barite and metals. Geoelectric measurements have shown a horizontally-layered structure of the tailing dump, where the values of ER (21–50 Ohm•m) corresponds to the friable oxidized matter of low humidity (up to the depth of 70 cm), 0.1–20 Ohm•m – to primary, substantially non-oxidized matter. According to the results of electrical resistivity tomography, the volumes of both media were determined (48,000 and 53,000 cu), that, in comparison with the data on the concentrations of Ba, Pb, Cu, Zn, Au, Ag in them, made it possible to calculate the resources of metals within the studied area and, in some approximation, in the entire storage.

Analiza uticaja ugljeničnih vlakna na elektrostatička svojstva tkanina namenjenih za izradu zaštitne odeće

The paper examined the electrostatic properties of fabrics, of which three fabrics contain 1-2% carbon fibers in their raw material composition. The electrostatic properties of six fabric samples were compared, of which three fabrics were produced from 100% cotton fibers and three fabrics were produced from polyester, cotton and carbon fibers in the following ratio: sample 1: cotton 75%, polyester 24% and carbon fibers 1%, pattern 2: polyester 54%, cotton 44%, carbon fiber 2%, pattern 3: polyester 66.5%, cotton 32%, carbon fiber 1.5%. Samples 4, 5 and 6 are made of 100% cotton fibers. The surface masses of the tested samples are approximate and range from 201.7 g·m-2 to 210.5 g·m-2. The aim of the work is to compare fabrics that contain admixtures of carbon fibers in their raw material composition in a percentage ratio of 1% - 2% with fabrics that are produced from 100% cotton fibers and that have been processed for the purpose of antistatic, to establish which fabrics and to what extent provide better protection against the accumulation of electrostatic charge and which better absorb it from their surface and drain it through the fabric. The tests were carried out according to the EN ISO 1149-3 standard using the method that measures the discharge of electric charges. The results showed that fabrics containing carbon fibers showed lower values of Er (maximum electric field strength recorded on the device with the sample being tested at the measuring position) and higher values of protection factor S.

Environmental risk assessment of the contamination of river water and sediments from the Bor mining area, East Serbia―Secondary Cu enrichment at the reservoir site

AbstractThe study area is within the Bor copper mining region, Eastern Serbia, where wastewaters from the Bor metallurgical/smelting facilities have caused serious copper (Cu) and arsenic (As) contamination to the Timok river system. The operating conditions at smelting facilities control the pH of the river waters, resulting in highly acidic waters in 2019 than 2015. This study compares the mobility of Cu and As and risk assessment of river water contamination during both years as well as assessing the risks of riverbed sediments contamination and investigating the origins of Cu and As pollution. In the river system, As generally existed as a particulate species in the entire study area during both years and was widely removed from river waters by sorption onto the hydrous ferric oxides (HFO), whereas dissolved Cu was removed from river waters only at neutral pH conditions with hydrous aluminum oxides (HAO) and HFO at the downstream reservoir site of Timok River. Despite the similarity in Cu mobility during both years, the lower pH of river waters in 2019 than 2015 enabled dissolved Cu species to be transported farther downstream, resulting in a higher level of river water pollution. The contamination factor (CF), used to estimate levels of sediment pollution, had higher values for Cu and As compared to Zn, Pb, Co, and Ni. The CF values of Cu were the highest in sediments near the Bor metallurgical/smelting facilities and at downstream reservoir site, whereas the CF values of As were generally high in the entire research field. Additionally, the ecological risk potential (Er) values of Cu were the highest in sediments of the Bor River and Timok River, reflecting an enrichment of Cu at these sites. Finally, a clarification on the origin of Cu pollution and risks of mobilization was inferred from the sequential extraction test. The predominant Cu species in sediments of the upstream region were oxidizable and residual, hosted by copper sulfides originating from the flotation tailings, suggesting a relatively low risk of Cu release from these sediments. However, at the downstream site (especially reservoir sediments), the contribution of acid‐soluble Cu was 34.8%, suggesting a higher risk of Cu release. The highest contributions of acid‐soluble and reducible Cu (18%) at the reservoir site were promoted by the effective settlement of Cu‐sorbing HAO and HFO. The Cu contents of these two fractions were 0.86 wt%, almost three times higher than that of Cu ore in Veliki Krivelj open pit mine.

The Potential Value of Ki-67 in Prognostic Classification in Early Low-Risk Endometrial Cancer.

This study aims to determine the optimal cut-off value of Ki-67 to better predict the recurrence of early low-risk endometrial cancer (EC). Seven hundred and forty-eight patients diagnosed with low-risk EC from West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University and the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and Youden index were used to calculate the optimal cut-off value of Ki-67 expression. The clinicopathological indexes between two groups divided by cut-off value of Ki-67 were compared. The univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to investigate risk factors connected to the recurrence of early low-risk EC. The survival analysis was shown in Kaplan-Meier curve. Thirty-three patients were detected with tumor recurrence after primary surgery (4.4%); 33% was the optimal cut-off value of the Ki-67 index. A high Ki-67 was significantly associated with age (P = .002), myometrial invasion (P < .001), and the expression of P53 (P = .007). The multivariate regression analysis verified that Ki67 ≥ 33% was an independent prognostic factor for predicting recurrence. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) and the overall survival (OS) in high Ki-67 group was significantly lower than that in low Ki-67 group (P < .001 and P = .029, respectively). The prognostic values of ER, PR, and P53 in combination with Ki-67 were superior to each single predictor. The optimal cut-off value of Ki-67 for predicting recurrence is 33%, which quantitatively defines the specific value of Ki-67 that causes high-risk recurrence in early low-risk EC.

In Vivo Longitudinal Monitoring of Cardiac Remodeling in Murine Ischemia Models With Adaptive Bayesian Regularized Cardiac Strain Imaging: Validation Against Histology.

Adaptive Bayesian regularized cardiac strain imaging (ABR-CSI) uses raw radiofrequency signals to estimate myocardial wall contractility as a surrogate measure of relative tissue elasticity incorporating regularization in the Bayesian sense. We determined the feasibility of using ABR-CSI -derived strain for in vivo longitudinal monitoring of cardiac remodeling in a murine ischemic injury model (myocardial infarction [MI] and ischemia-reperfusion [IR]) and validated the findings against ground truth histology. We randomly stratified 30 BALB/CJ mice (17 females, 13 males, median age=10 wk) into three surgical groups (MI=10, IR=12, sham=8) and imaged pre-surgery (baseline) and 1, 2, 7 and 14 d post-surgery using a pre-clinical high-frequency ultrasound system (VisualSonics Vevo 2100). We then used ABR-CSI to estimate end-systolic and peak radial (er) and longitudinal (el) strain estimates. ABR-CSI was found to have the ability to serially monitor non-uniform cardiac remodeling associated with murine MI and IR non-invasively through temporal variation of strain estimates post-surgery. Furthermore, radial end-systole (ES) strain images and segmental strain curves exhibited improved discrimination among infarct, border and remote regions around the myocardium compared with longitudinal strain results. For example, the MI group had significantly lower (Friedman's with Bonferroni-Dunn test, p=0.002) ES er values in the anterior middle (infarcted) region at day 14 (n=9, 9.23 ± 7.39%) compared with the BL group (n=9, 44.32 ± 5.49). In contrast, anterior basal (remote region) mean ES er values did not differ significantly (non-significant Friedman's test, χ2=8.93, p=0.06) at day 14 (n=6, 33.05 ± 6.99%) compared with baseline (n=6, 34.02 ± 6.75%). Histology slides stained with Masson's trichrome (MT) together with a machine learning model (random forest classifier) were used to derive the ground truth cardiac fibrosis parameter termed histology percentage of myocardial fibrosis (PMF). Both radial and longitudinal strain were found to have strong statistically significant correlations with the PMF parameter. However, radial strain had a higher Spearman's correlation value (εresρ=-0.67, n=172, p < 0.001) compared with longitudinal strain (εlesρ=-0.60, n=172, p < 0.001). Overall, the results of this study indicate that ABR-CSI can reliably perform non-invasive detection of infarcted and remote myocardium in small animal studies.

Crystal structure and microwave dielectric properties of Li-modified BaSi2O5 ceramics

Ba1-xLixSi2O5-x/2 (x = 0–0.5) ceramics were prepared by solid-state reaction method. The occupation tendency of Li+ was well explained based on First-principle calculation and unit cell volume changes. Li+ non-equivalent substitution for Ba2+ considerably reduced the sintering temperature to 975 °C, in comparison with 1225 °C for pure BaSi2O5. Single phase solid solution with orthorhombic structure was observed with x = 0–0.1. Nevertheless, trace amounts of unexpected secondary phases Li2Si2O5 and SiO2 were detected for higher Li-containing samples. Notably, the Q×f significantly enhanced up to 58.16% from 16,134 GHz (x = 0) to 25,518 GHz (x = 0.01), which predominantly depended on the structural characteristics, such as packing fraction and bond covalence. Increase x from 0 to 0.5 led to the reduction of dielectric constant εr from 7.11 to 5.95. The resonant frequency temperature coefficient τf was directly dominated by oxygen bond valence (VO), rather than VBa and VSi. Ba0.99Li0.01Si2O4.995 ceramic sintered at 1050 °C for 4 h exhibited a high Q×f value of 25,518 GHz, and the εr and τf values were 6.94 and −29.46 ppm/°C, respectively.

Comprehensive assessment of pollution indices, sources apportionment and ecological risk mapping of heavy metals in agricultural soils of Raebareli District, Uttar Pradesh, India, employing a GIS approach

AbstractIn the environment, heavy metal contamination is a well known problem due to its persistence and toxicity. Heavy metal pollution has significantly affected soil properties and functions, resulting in significantly increased land degradation as a result of anthropogenic interventions that include mining and various industrial and agriculture activities. While heavy metals pollution in soil have been studied very rarely in this District, this paper explores the current status of agricultural soil pollution by heavy metals in Raebareli. This study identifies heavy metals as well as their quantities in the soil and their spatial distribution; our study employed various pollutant indices and geographical information system (GIS) techniques. This research work evaluated the physiochemical properties, the pollution load index (PLI), contamination factor (CF) and the degree of contamination and geoaccumulation (Igeo) in sodic soils of the Raebareli District, Uttar Pradesh, India. Uchahaar site (US) has the most polluted soil, while the Bacharawa site (BS) has the least contaminated soil. The soil quality has degraded due to anthropogenic interventions at most sites. There is slight to moderate contamination by heavy metals at all sites. The Igeo values in subSites US1, US2 and US3 included high levels of Cu, Zn, Pb, Mn and Sr. SubSites BS2 and BS3 have high Sr levels and US1 has a high As level all these Subsites have high anthropogenic influences. The PLI values indicate that most of the study subSites come under a slightly polluted class, except US1 where the PLl was &gt; 3 indicating severe heavy metal pollution at this site. All the pollution indices have then been utilized for building maps using the IDW method of interpolation. The spatial projection of PLI and ecological risk index (Er) values suggest that the northern part of Raebareli has a high pollution load and ecological risk in terms of heavy metal pollution. This study provide valuable information that policymakers could use to develop an appropriate plan to control pollution within the agricultural sector.

Phase composition and microwave dielectric properties of NaSrB5+5xO9+7.5x composite ceramics

Microwave dielectric ceramics based on NaSrB5+5xO9+7.5x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.11) were synthesized following a conventional solid-state reaction route at temperatures below 850 ℃. The crystal structure, phase composition, chemical bond characteristics, and microwave dielectric performance of NaSrB5+5xO9+7.5x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.11) ceramics were systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction technique was used for sample analysis, and the results revealed that the NaSrB5+5xO9+7.5x ceramics consisted of NaSrB5O9 and SrB2O4 as the phases. The content of the non-stoichiometric B element in the NaSrB5+5xO9+7.5x ceramics exerted a significant effect on the SrB2O4 second phase content. The mass percentage of SrB2O4 decreased from 18.62% to 6.98% when the samples were sintered at 825 ℃ with x = 0.07. The εr value was primarily affected by the relative density. The Q×f value was significantly influenced by the packing fraction, the total lattice energy of the NaSrB5+5xO9+7.5x ceramics, and the FWHM values of the most intense peak at approximately 738 cm-1 in the Raman spectral profile. The optimal microwave dielectric properties were achieved for x = 0.07 sintered at 825 ℃, εr = 5.68 ± 0.03, Q×f=57,173±1100 GHz, τf=−14.83 ± 1.45 ppm/°C).

Effect of various nanofillers on the insulating properties of polyethylene composites

This work focuses on the preparation of various inorganic nanoparticles i.e. Al2O3, SiO2, TiO2 including the waste glass powder filled in high-density polyethylene (HDPE H455JA) matrix to create high-performance composites. The glass powder prepared from broken windowpane was used in this study in order to use as a guideline to find substitutes for commercial materials and also add value to waste and reduce costs. The 2 wt% of each filler was weighed and mixed with HDPE to create a composite by using a simple mold casting technique. The physical, chemical and electrical properties were investigated for all samples. The results show that the εr value of the pure HDPE and the HDPE-based composites are approximately the same in all frequencies and the εr of pure HDPE tends to decrease about 7.8% at elevated temperature, whereas the εr value of composites is less decreased at higher operating temperatures for all samples which can imply that the composites are more capable of operating at higher temperatures than pure HDPE itself. For the electrical resistivity, the ρ value gradually increases at elevated temperature for all samples and the composites show a higher ρ value than that of pure HDPE.

The enhanced multifunctional behavior in G-type antiferromagnetic BiFeO3 due to the modification by MgTiO3

We have opted for modifying/mixing the conventional BFO multiferroic by Mg-based structure MgTiO3, resulting in the given structural form as (BiFeO3)0.6 (MgTiO3)0.4. The structural distortions from the spin cycloid rhombohedral structure for pure BFO to the orthorhombic arrangement were verified, both from the POWD and Rietveld analysis of the XR-Diffraction database, specifically being transformed to the space group: Pbnm. High εr values, specifically at low-frequency regimes unclog the ceramic's high electric storage ability, which might be as the layered capacitor. Observation of saturated low tangent dielectric loss (tanδ) at higher frequency suggests the compound's applicability for microwave-related applications. It was perceived from the temperature-dependent CIS study that the sharpness of the relaxation mechanism enhances following the contraction in ImZ curves. The fall in the maxima height of the ImZ curves with temperature rise indicates the reduction in the magnitude of (jωC)−1 . The rising peak heights of the M″ curves with rising temperature evince the dominance of long-range thermal conductivities in the solid complex. The optical band gap was found to be tapered relative to the host (BiFeO3), making it a potential candidate for optoelectronics applicability. The Cole-Cole plots suggest the sample's semiconducting feature, together with some non-Debye characteristics induced by electrode-surface irregularities. Weak leakage conduction was observed from the J-E curve, together with a non-linear (non-ohmic) response. The induction of weak ferromagnetism and enhanced saturation trend in the M − H curve suggests partial suppression in the spin cycloid AFM arrangements, brought in by a factor such as bond angle depression between the adjacent ferrite ions.

Endotoxin as a Marker for Water Quality

Water quality testing is vital to protect human health. Current testing relies mainly on culture-based detection of faecal indicator organisms such as Escherichia coli (E.coli). However, bacterial cultures are a slow process, taking 24-48 h and requiring specialised laboratories and trained personnel. Access to such laboratories is often sparse in developing countries and there are many fatalities deriving from poor water quality. Endotoxin is a molecular component of Gram-negative bacterial cell walls and can be used to detect their presence in drinking water. The current study used a novel assay (BacterisK) to rapidly detect endotoxin in various water samples and correlate the results with E. coli content measured by culture methods. The data generated by the BacterisK assay are presented as an 'endotoxin risk' (ER). The ER values correlate with E. coli and thus endotoxin can be used as a marker of faecal contamination in water. Moreover, the BacterisK assay provides data in near real-time and can be used in situ allowing water quality testing at different spatial and temporal locations. We suggest that BacterisK can be used as a convenient risk assessment tool to assess water quality where results are required quickly or access to laboratories is lacking.

Expression of fascin in Invasive mammary cancer - A study at a Tertiary care centre in Southern India

Introduction and Aim: Breast cancer is the commonest malignancy in women. Most women do not die of the primary tumor but from metastasis and local invasion. Augmented motility of cancer cells corroborates with greater metastatic potential, that is brought about by actin cytoskeleton. Fascin, a cytoplasmic F-actin-bundling protein that cross-links actin filaments and its overexpression is strongly associated with metastatic progression and poor prognosis. The present study aims to determine the fascin protein expression by immunohistochemistry in invasive breast carcinoma and to correlate the same with the existing prognostic factors. Methods: Immunohistochemical expression of fascin in 100 cases of invasive mammary carcinoma was studied. Data collected was scored based on intensity and statistically analyzed using GNU-PSPP version 0.10 software. To determine significant clinico-pathological differences between fascin expression in positive and negative tumors, Pearson Chi-square test was used. Results: It was noted that 22 of the 100 cases were positive with a score of 3 or more. A significant association of nodal status with fascin (p value &lt;0.05) was noted. Higher proportion of fascin positive tumors were node negative. There was an inverse correlation between ER/PR/HER2 status and fascin positivity. The corresponding p values for ER, PR and HER2 with fascin were &lt;0.05. On the contrary 12(57.15%) of the 21 triple negative cases were fascin positive. The p value was &lt;0.001 indicating a significant correlation between molecular subtypes and fascin expression. A more of the fascin positive tumors fell in the triple negative category. Conclusion: Higher proportion of fascin positive cases in the node negative category, an inverse correlation between fascin expression and individual ER/PR, HER2 expression and larger number of fascin positive cases in the triple negative category. These findings point an association of fascin with aggressive breast carcinomas.