High Transport Capacity Research Articles

Nanoparticles: As a Nano based Drug Delivery System

Nanoparticles can offer important advantages over the administration of conventional drugs in terms of high stability, high specificity, high drug transport capacity, controlled release capacity, possibility of use in different routes of administration and the ability to administer drugs both hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules. Nanoparticles are being used for various purposes, from medical treatments, use in various branches of the production industry such as solar and for energy storage, to a wide incorporation obsessed with various everyday materials such as cosmetics or dress, optical devices, catalytic, bactericidal, electronics, sensor technology, biological labelling and treatment of some cancers. Nanoparticles can be chemically or biologically synthesized. This review focuses on the need to develop nanoparticles, advantages, disadvantages, synthesis, properties, applications of nanoparticles exist in different forms. Nanoparticles are very capable in selective tumour contact cancer therapy due to their small size and modifiability. These particles consist of pure active pharmaceutical ingredients and are stabilized regularly with surfactant. Nanoparticles are tiny materials that have particle sizes in the range of 1 to 1000 nm.

Thermal performance analysis of axial-rotating oscillating heat pipe and its prediction model based on grey system theory

Oscillating heat pipes (OHP) have attracted much attention in thermal management due to its high heat transport capacity and simple structure. OHP also have the potential to transfer heat under rotational conditions, while research on OHP heat transfer performance under a system rotation is still insufficient. The thermal performance of a single closed loop OHP under a centrifugal acceleration due to an axial rotation is here experimentally investigated. This OHP is then treated as a grey system, since the complexity of the internal physical processes is very high and only a limited amount of experimental data is available. The grey system theory, which analyzes an uncertain system with small samples and poor information, is used to provide a novel path of modeling the thermal performance of two-phase systems. The results show that the heat transfer characteristics of an OHP filled with methanol improve with the increase of centrifugal acceleration and heat flux. The data are then modeled by a GM(1,1) grey model to simulate and predict the heat transfer coefficient. The errors range from 3.36% to 16.6%, and the prediction of the performance is satisfying. A case study of applying the prediction model in designing abrasive-milling tool with OHP inside to enhance heat transfer is conducted. It shows that the grey system prediction model provides a reliable guidance for the engineering application of the OHPs.

Therapeutic capability of five active compounds in typical African medicinal plants against main proteases of SARS-CoV-2 by computational approach

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a pandemic cause of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), that has claimed numerous human lives across the globe. Main protease being the active protein of SARS-CoV-2 requires urgent mitigating effect against the spread of the virus. The therapeutic roles of the active compounds present in ten typical African medicinal plants were investigated in this study. Five active compounds Curcuma longa (Curcumin and Bisdethoxy curcumin), Garcinia kola (kolaviron), Zingiber officinale (Gingerol) and Vernonia amygdalina (Artemisinin) were selected and docked against Main protease through receptor grid generation, protein ligand docking, receptor ligand complex pharmacophore and binding free energy. The results obtained revealed Curcumin had the highest binding score of −8.628 kcal/mol while artermisinin presented the least with −4.123 kcal/mol. The outcome of the pharmacokinetic prediction in this study revealed high transport capacity across the gastrointestinal tract and high blood brain barrier permeability for curcumin, bisdemethoxy curcumin, gingerol and artemisinin. The exemption is gingerol with low LD50 value (250 mg/kg), the LD50 of all active compounds ranged from 2000 to 4228 mg/kg. Adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) properties exhibited by all compounds portrayed them as non-hepatotoxic, non-cytotoxic, non-mutagenic and non-carcinogenic. The active compounds exhibited drug-likeness features against Main protease of Covid-19.

Ca-based sorbents as precursors of oxygen carriers in chemical looping combustion of sulfurous fuels

Limestone Chemical Looping Combustion process (LCL-C™) patented by Alstom Power Inc. proposes the formation of a CaSO4 oxygen carrier via sulfur retention process when supplying a Ca-based sorbent together with sulfurous fuels in the fuel reactor. In the present research work, four Ca-based sorbents, three limestones and one dolomite with different physico-chemical characteristics, have been evaluated as oxygen carrier precursors during consecutive redox cycles by thermogravimetric analysis. 5% H2 and 3000 vppm H2S (N2 to balance) and 10% O2 (N2 to balance) were selected as reducing and oxidizing gases, respectively. Additionally, an anhydrite ore has also been studied for comparison purpose. Results from SEM-EDX characterization of the sorbent particles revealed the existence of three different sulfation patterns: (1) uniform distribution, (2) core–shell structure and (3) high sulfur content with high limitation to be converted into CaSO4. All sorbents exhibited high oxygen transport capacity (Roc = 13.3–20.8%), except for the material showing pattern (3) (Roc = 2.6%). Likewise, the materials presented high reactivity with rate index values ranged between 11.0 and 18.8%/min. Therefore, the Ca-based sorbents herein assessed can be considered suitable precursors for the formation of CaSO4 based oxygen carriers to be used in CLC systems burning sulfurous fuels.

Identification of a glucose-insensitive variant of Gal2 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibiting a high pentose transport capacity

As abundant carbohydrates in renewable feedstocks, such as pectin-rich and lignocellulosic hydrolysates, the pentoses arabinose and xylose are regarded as important substrates for production of biofuels and chemicals by engineered microbial hosts. Their efficient transport across the cellular membrane is a prerequisite for economically viable fermentation processes. Thus, there is a need for transporter variants exhibiting a high transport rate of pentoses, especially in the presence of glucose, another major constituent of biomass-based feedstocks. Here, we describe a variant of the galactose permease Gal2 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Gal2N376Y/M435I), which is fully insensitive to competitive inhibition by glucose, but, at the same time, exhibits an improved transport capacity for xylose compared to the wildtype protein. Due to this unique property, it significantly reduces the fermentation time of a diploid industrial yeast strain engineered for efficient xylose consumption in mixed glucose/xylose media. When the N376Y/M435I mutations are introduced into a Gal2 variant resistant to glucose-induced degradation, the time necessary for the complete consumption of xylose is reduced by approximately 40%. Moreover, Gal2N376Y/M435I confers improved growth of engineered yeast on arabinose. Therefore, it is a valuable addition to the toolbox necessary for valorization of complex carbohydrate mixtures.

Morphodynamic Modelling with Uncertain Geometry Input

For morphodynamic modelling, riverbed survey data are essential as the basis for the evaluation of temporal riverbed development, mesh creation, and model calibration. To study the effects of uncertain geometry input on these issues, datasets of different spatial resolutions were analysed. As a result, cross-profile data were derived from high-resolution survey data, which are available for a river reach in the Upper Danube in Bavaria for several periods. Finally, the prediction quality of simulations based on cross-profile and high-resolution spatial data was assessed. The analysis of both datasets shows continuous riverbed erosion but of different magnitudes. However, complex riverbed geometry due to, e.g., scours, is depicted poorly by cross-profile data. In more homogenously characterised reaches, cross-profile data significantly more closely represents the riverbed geometry than the high-resolution spatial data base. Local misinterpretation of riverbed geometry by cross-profile data leads to deviations of calibration parameters in the entire study area. Consequently, these deviations in calibration outcome effect the model predictions. In this case, cross-profile calibration generally induces higher transport capacities, leading to more erosion in the study area compared to the model based on high-resolution spatial calibration. The general shape of predicted riverbed geometries is found to be similar but with local deviations, which are not limited to areas with complex river geometry.

Wood‐Inspired Binder Enabled Vertical 3D Printing of g‐C3N4/CNT Arrays for Highly Efficient Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract2D nanomaterials are very attractive for photoelectrochemical applications due to their ultra‐thin structure, excellent physicochemical properties of large surface‐area‐to‐volume ratios, and the resulting abundant active sites and high charge transport capacity. However, the application of commonly used 2D nanomaterials with disordered‐stacking is always limited by high photoelectrode tortuosity, few surface‐active sites, and low mass transfer efficiency. Herein, inspired by wood structures, a vertical 3D printing strategy is developed to rapidly build vertically aligned and hierarchically porous graphitic carbon nitride/carbon nanotube (g‐C3N4/CNT) arrays by using lignin as a binder for efficient photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution. Arising from the directional electron transport and multiple light scattering in the out‐of‐plane aligned and porous architecture, the resulting g‐C3N4/CNT arrays display an outstanding hydrogen evolution performance, with the hydrogen yield up to 4.36 µmol (cm−2 h−1) at a bias of −0.5 V versus RHE, 12.7 and 41.6 times higher than traditional thick g‐C3N4/CNT and g‐C3N4 films, respectively. Moreover, this 3D printed structure can overcome the agglomeration problem of the commonly used g‐C3N4 with powder configuration and shows desirable recyclability and stability. This facile and scalable vertical 3D printing strategy will open a new avenue to highly enhance the photoelectrochemical performance of 2D nanomaterials for sustainably production of clean energy.

Boosting catalytic activity of niobium/tantalum-nitrogen active-sites for triiodide reduction in photovoltaics

To fabricate high-quality catalysts with abundant active sites, a series of transition-metal-modified nitrogenous carbon catalysts (Ta-NOC, Nb-NOC, and Nb/Ta-NOC) was successfully fabricated via pyrolysis and ion exchange. Owing to the high conductivity and ion transport capacity of its unique nitrogen-carbon structure, and synergistic effect of dual-metal active sites on modulating electronic structure, Nb/Ta-NOC catalyst exhibited an excellent catalytic performance and a remarkable electrochemical stability in triiodide reduction reaction (IRR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Nb/Ta-NOC catalyst achieved an ideal conversion efficiency of 8.45% for IRR in solar cells, which was higher than that of Pt electrode (7.63%). Furthermore, Nb/Ta-NOC catalyst exhibited a small overpotential of 145 mV at a current density of 10 mA·cm-2 and a Tafel slope of 77 mV dec-1 for HER. This work provided a new approach for the rational design of the active-sites-rich electrocatalysts for energy conversion applications.

Nanohole-boosted electron transport between nanomaterials and bacteria as a concept for nano\u2013bio interactions

Biofilms contribute to bacterial infection and drug resistance and are a serious threat to global human health. Antibacterial nanomaterials have attracted considerable attention, but the inhibition of biofilms remains a major challenge. Herein, we propose a nanohole-boosted electron transport (NBET) antibiofilm concept. Unlike known antibacterial mechanisms (e.g., reactive oxygen species production and cell membrane damage), nanoholes with atomic vacancies and biofilms serve as electronic donors and receptors, respectively, and thus boost the high electron transport capacity between nanomaterials and biofilms. Electron transport effectively destroys the critical components (proteins, intercellularly adhered polysaccharides and extracellular DNA) of biofilms, and the nanoholes also significantly downregulate the expression of genes related to biofilm formation. The anti-infection capacity is thoroughly verified both in vitro (human cells) and in vivo (rat ocular and mouse intestinal infection models), and the nanohole-enabled nanomaterials are found to be highly biocompatible. Importantly, compared with typical antibiotics, nanomaterials are nonresistant and thereby exhibit high potential for use in various applications. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, these findings hold promise for the use of NBET in treatments for pathogenic bacterial infection and antibiotic drug resistance.

Bioinspired textile with dual-stimuli responsive wettability for body moisture management and signal expression

A smart bioinspired loofah textile with biosafe wettability shows high directional liquid transport capacity and the ability to identify liquids with different pH values.

Performance of a flat grooved heat pipe with a localized heat load

Heat pipes are phase change heat transfer devices used in wide range of heat transport applications due to their high thermal transport capacities with low temperature differences. Heat pipes are especially preferred for electronic cooling applications and aerospace avionics to satisfy high heat transfer rate requirements. In this study, heat transfer and phase change mechanisms of working fluid are investigated and modeled using a 3-D thermal resistance network for multichannel flat grooved heat pipes. First, heat transfer and fluid flow are modeled in half of a single grooved structure due to symmetry, and is subjected to uniform heat flux. Radius of meniscus curvature and temperature distribution along the groove are calculated. Results are compared with experiments in the literature and show good agreement. The validated heat transfer and fluid flow models are extended to a multichannel model to observe performance of grooved heat pipes with localized heat sources, not covering the entire width, a vital feature for realistic simulation of operational devices. Predictions of the temperature distribution along the multichannel of the heat pipe are provided and the effect of the distribution of heat sources on the heat pipe is discussed.

ІННОВАЦІЙНІ МЕТОДИ ПІДВИЩЕННЯ ПРОДУКТИВНОСТІ ТА ШВИДКОДІЇ СИСТЕМ КОНТРЕЙЛЕРНИХ ПЕРЕВЕЗЕНЬ

The article proposes an approach to improving the structure and parameters of complexes for the organization of cargo exchange of piggyback trains using the approach of complex system optimization. The object of study - the process of piggyback transport, methods and approaches to increase its efficiency and speed. The purpose of the work is to determine the methods of improving the efficiency of piggyback transportation and their flexibility in order to adapt its parameters to the needs of customers. Synthesis of methods to increase the flexibility of the piggyback transport system while maintaining consistently high rates of carrying capacity and speed of goods delivery. Research method - system analysis and complex structural-parametric optimization. The organization of piggyback transportation is one of the elements of improving the efficiency and balance of the country's transport system. From the point of view of customer needs, the piggyback system should be flexible, while providing conditions for high transport capacity and speed. To do this, it is necessary to solve a number of problems that would allow the exchange of piggyback trains on the way, without allowing the deterioration of other parameters of the system - mainly performance and speed. The most effective approach to solving these problems is to use the methodology of directed synthesis of complex systems. The peculiarity of this methodology is that it allows you to reach the predefined parameters of a complex system. The synthesized structure of the terminal to ensure highly efficient high-speed freight exchange in the organization of piggyback transport allows piggyback freight exchange at intermediate stations of their route in a minimum time without significantly reducing the route speed and carrying capacity of the system. KEYWORDS: PIGGYBACK TRANSPORTATION, FREIGHT TERMINALS, DIRECTED SYNTHESIS OF SYSTEMS.

Influence of CsPbBr3/TiO2 interfaces deposited with magnetron sputtering and spin-coating methods on the open voltage deficit and efficiency of all-inorganic CsPbBr3 planar solar cells

The mechanism of open voltage (Voc) deficit in all-inorganic CsPbBr3 planar solar cell has been systematically investigated by depositing the TiO2 electron transport layer with magnetron sputtering (MS) and spin-coating (SC) deposition, respectively. It was found that SC-TiO2 film reveals higher optical band gap (3.67 eV) than MS-TiO2 film (3.62 eV). However, CsPbBr3 planar solar cell based on MS-TiO2 exhibits less Voc deficit and higher photoelectric conversion efficiency (5.48%). The mechanism behind performance enhancement of MS-TiO2-based device is suitable Fermi level of MS-TiO2 and high electronic transport capacity with low charge recombination at CsPbBr3/MS-TiO2 interface. Moreover, the unencapsulated all-inorganic planar devices show a superior stability when stored in air at room temperature for two months. This work provides a novel approach to improve the performance of all-inorganic perovskite solar cell.

Efficient Metal–Organic Framework-Derived Cu–Zr Oxygen Carriers with an Enhanced Reduction Reaction Rate for Chemical Looping Air Separation

As a key to realize the chemical looping air separation (CLAS) process, CuO is a good oxygen carrier candidate because of its high oxygen transport capacity and excellent thermodynamic characterist...

Enhanced carrier separation efficiency and performance in planar-structure perovskite solar cells through an interfacial modifying layer of ultrathin mesoporous TiO2

The structure of interface between electron transport layer (ETL) and perovskite material is crucially important for a perovskite solar cell (PSC), especially for its carrier separation efficiency and hysteresis effect. Here, an ultrathin mesoporous TiO2 (thin-m-TiO2) layer is inserted to the interface between the compact TiO2 and the perovskite film in a planar PSC, serving as an interfacial modifying layer. The results show that the insertion of thin-m-TiO2 greatly improves the compactness and the grain size of perovskite films. Moreover, compared with traditional planar and mesoporous PSCs, the cells with an interfacial modifying layer exhibit improved performance. An average photoelectric conversion efficiency of 18.5% and a hysteresis coefficient as low as 4.5% are achieved. It is found that the interfacial modifying layer can not only enhance the carrier separation efficiency, but also maintain a high electron transport capacity. This work provides a feasible and facile strategy for developing high-performance PSCs.

Functional Expression of Sodium-Dependent Glucose Transporter in Amelogenesis

Glucose is an essential source of energy for mammalian cells and is transported into the cells by glucose transporters. There are 2 types of glucose transporters: one is a passive glucose transporter, GLUT (SLC2A), and the other is a sodium-dependent active glucose transporter, SGLT (SLC5A). We previously reported that the expression of GLUTs during tooth development is precisely and spatiotemporally controlled and that the glucose uptake mediated by GLUT1 plays a crucial role in early tooth morphogenesis and tooth size determination. This study aimed to clarify the localization and roles of SGLT1 and SGLT2 in murine ameloblast differentiation by using immunohistochemistry, immunoelectron microscopy, an in vitro tooth organ culture experiment, and in vivo administration of an inhibitor of SGLT1/2, phloridzin. SGLT1, which has high affinity with glucose, was immunolocalized in the early secretory ameloblasts and the ruffle-ended ameloblasts in the maturation stage. However, SGLT2, which has high glucose transport capacity, was observed in the stratum intermedium, papillary layer, and ameloblasts at the maturation stage and colocalized with Na+-K+-ATPase. The inhibition of SGLT1/2 by phloridzin in the tooth germs induced the disturbance of ameloblast differentiation and enamel matrix formation both in vitro (organ culture) and in vivo (mouse model). The expression of SGLT1 and SGLT2 was significantly upregulated in hypoxic conditions in the ameloblast-lineage cells. These findings suggest that the active glucose uptake mediated by SGLT1 and SGLT2 is strictly regulated and dependent on the intra- and extracellular microenvironments during tooth morphogenesis and that the appropriate passive and active glucose transport is an essential event in amelogenesis.

Biomedical perfluorohexane-loaded nanocapsules prepared by low-energy emulsification and selective solvent diffusion.

Perfluorohexane-loaded nanocapsules are interesting materials for many biomedical applications such as oxygen delivery systems or contrast agents. However, their formulation into stable colloidal systems is challenging because of their hydro- and lipophobicity, high density and high vapour pressure. In this study, perfluorohexane-loaded polymeric nanocapsules are prepared for the first time by low-energy emulsification and selective solvent diffusion. The colloidal stability of the perfluorohexane nano-emulsion templates has been improved by the incorporation of an apolar low-density oil (isopropyl myristate) in the dispersed phase, thus addressing droplet coarsening and migration phenomena. The perfluorohexane-loaded nanocapsules prepared from the nano-emulsions show sizes smaller than the corresponding emulsion templates (below 150 nm by dynamic light scattering) and exhibit good stability under storage conditions. Hyperspectral enhanced dark field microscopy revealed a layered core/shell structure and allowed also to confirm the encapsulation of perfluorohexane which was quantified by elemental microanalysis. Although isopropyl myristate has an unfavourable biocompatibility profile, cell viability is enhanced when perfluorohexane is present in the nanocapsules, which is attributed to its high oxygen transport capacity.

ITRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis of peach fruit (Prunus persica L.) at different ripening and postharvest storage stages

Abstract To better understand the global and dynamic changes in peach (Prunus persica L. cv. Xiahui 8) fruit protein expression, an efficient and reliable proteomic technique, iTRAQ, was used to investigate peach fruit proteome from day -7 to day 8 during storage period at 25 ± 1 °C. A total of 387 proteins with more than 1.2-fold abundance changes were observed. These differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) are mainly related to 17 functional categories. DEPs in day -7 were mainly responsible for sugar and carbohydrate syntheses, protein translation, expression and modification, and maintenance of osmotic balance in high ion and material transport capacities and strong redox reaction environment. Harvesting induced the increase of (small) heat shock protein. Upon harvest, the increased level of respiration rates on day 4 reached the highest level. polygalacturonase (PG), pectase lyase (PL), pectinesterase (PE), chorismate mutase (CM), peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase) and phytoene synthase (PSY) showed increased abundances and reached a peak at day 6, which significantly positive correlation with 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) protein, accelerated fruit softening and metabolism of protein, amino acid and lipid. The emergence of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (EIF5A) on day 8 signified the intensification of apoptosis. Our study facilitated a comprehensive understanding of the complex proteomic reprograming and ripening-associated mechanisms that could be used for endeavors of breeding and postharvest processing to improve peach fruit quality.

Finite-state Markov wireless channel modeling for railway tunnel environments

In recent years, high-speed railways (HSRs) have developed rapidly with a high transportation capacity and high comfort level. A tunnel is a complex high-speed rail terrain environment. It is very important to establish an accurate channel propagation model for a railway tunnel environment to improve the safety of HSR operation. In this paper, a method for finite-state Markov chain (FSMC) channel modeling with least squares fitting based on non-uniform interval division is proposed. First, a path loss model is obtained according to measured data. The communication distance between the transmitter and receiver in the tunnel is non-uniformly divided into several large non-overlapping intervals based on the path loss model. Then, the Lloyd-Max quantization method is used to determine the threshold of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the channel state quantization value and obtain the FSMC state transition probability matrix. Simulation experiments show that the proposed wireless channel model has a low mean square error (MSE) and can accurately predict the received signal power in a railway tunnel environment.

A high-performance oxygen carrier with high oxygen transport capacity and redox stability for chemical looping combustion

Oxygen carrier with high oxygen transport capacity and redox stability can greatly decrease material usage and maintain the stable system operation in chemical looping combustion. However, the trade-off between two aspects must be considered because operating the material at the high oxygen transport capacity often leads to severe sintering. Herein, we reported NiFeAlOx material as an oxygen carrier and investigated its chemical looping combustion performance. The results showed that it had an average oxygen transport capacity of 2.37 mmol/g and good stability during 20 cycles. In contrast, conventional Fe2O3 and FeAlOx material exhibited the transport capacity of 1.07 mmol/g and 0.78 mmol/g respectively. The higher transport capacity and redox stability enable the CO2 yield of 2.37 mmol/g in terms of nearly 100% capture efficiency. Through various characterization techniques, we found the high performance of this material was due to reversible exsolution and dissolution between the active compounds and the parent spinel support.