Original Material Research Articles

Enhancing oxygen permeability and water content in silicone hydrogels through carboxylic acid and surfactant incorporation

BackgroundSilicone hydrogels are vital materials in fields like contact lenses, biomedicine, and electronic devices, prized for their unique properties including oxygen permeability and equilibrium water content (EWC). These features make them ideal for applications that require both breathability and moisture retention, enhancing their performance and comfort in various uses. Typically, enhancing the silicone content increases oxygen permeability but reduces EWC, creating a significant trade-off. MethodsThis study introduces an innovative approach using carboxylic acid and surfactant to address this challenge. The addition of carboxylic acid markedly boosts the EWC by increasing both freezable free water and bound water. Simultaneously, the surfactant enhances the connectivity within the silicone structure, mitigating the reduction in oxygen permeability and improving the material's ductility, which is often compromised by water absorption that restricts the motion of the silicone chains. Significant findingsWith these modifications, the silicone hydrogel achieves approximately 97 % transmittance at 550 nm, with oxygen permeability reaching 100.4 barrer and EWC at 58.4 %, representing improvements of 11.3 % and 61.3 %, respectively, compared to the original material. These results exceed many of the enhancements in silicone hydrogels previously reported in the literature.

Characterization and Making Techniques of Calcareous Construction Materials for Phaya Thon Zu Temple in Bagan Historical Area, Myanmar.

The calcareous materials used in constructing the Phaya Thon Zu temple at the Bagan historical sites in Myanmar are mortars, plasters, and stuccos. Among them, the mortars and plasters are a mixture of original and new materials used for recent conservation treatments. In this study, the making techniques were examined through analysis of calcareous materials by production period. All calcareous materials have a mineral composition similar to soil, except calcite. Stuccos have the most refined aggregates, homogeneous particle size, and the highest lime and organic contents. They were designed to improve ease of carving and weathering resistance, considering the unique characteristics of the stuccos. Because all calcareous materials were mixed with soil, the origin of the clay materials was analyzed. It was concluded that the mortars were produced by mixing clay and sandy soil, and the original mortars showed characteristics similar to soil. It is highly possible that sandy soil from around the Htillominlo temple was used to produce new plasters, and it is estimated that a mixture of clay soil was used for the original plasters and stuccos. A clear provenance interpretation of the original and raw materials used for each construction and the mixing ratio of clay materials need to be discussed through experiments, along with the estimated provenance area of the raw calcareous materials.

Devising a technology for obtaining glued sausage casings from intestinal raw materials using electrophoresis

The object of research is the technique for obtaining glued sausage casings, in which adhesive related structures and electrophoresis for tanning are used to glue the layers of intestinal raw materials. Devising a technique for gluing sausage casings from intestinal raw materials with the use of adhesive related structures by stitching by tanning, via intensified electrophoresis, has been substantiated. The technology of glued sausage casings from intestinal raw materials, which are classified as unclaimed residues and waste, has been proposed. The technology differs from known similar technologies by applying a technique for gluing intestinal membranes using an adhesive related construct and electrophoresis during tanning. The devised gluing technique and the device for its implementation make it possible to avoid violation of the integrity of the raw material, are universal in relation to it, and are easy to operate. The rational parameters of electrophoresis, which is used to accelerate the tanning process of the place of gluing of the layers of the intestinal membranes using an adhesive related construct, have been determined. The potential difference between the electrodes and the duration of exposure of the gluing site for gluing the original intestinal raw materials: pork belly, lamb belly, beef belly were determined. At a potential difference of 100 V, the duration of exposure of the gluing site for pork and lamb bellies is 17 minutes, and for beef bellies − 20 minutes. It is noted that the results differ in the duration of exposure of the gluing site, which is probably due to the thickness of the layer of the raw material. The proposed technology would contribute to improving the efficiency of the technology of glued sausage casings from intestinal raw materials and could be used at enterprises for the processing of agricultural products and the meat processing industry

Optimized sizing of a pumping system using the Scilab software

Climate change represents, today, one of the greatest challenges regarding the availability of water resources for the cultivation of food and raw materials of plant origin that the world's population so badly needs. Sugarcane, due to its high added value to produce several products and whose accumulation of sucrose is mainly due to a perfect dosage of water, brought to light the need to obtain new irrigation strategies, thus aiming at a more sustainable, efficient and economical management of water consumption in this sector. As an alternative to this challenge, drip irrigation stood out, which allowed not only a more precise control of water dosage, but also essential nutrients for the development of sugarcane. Taking advantage of this, a sugar and alcohol plant in the interior of the state of São Paulo, whose identity will be preserved, made several investments to implement this system on its farms and one of these projects will be discussed in detail about the dimensioning of the entire piping network. which involves the pumping system, from water collection to discharge into a storage tank, responsible for supplying the dripping, using a pre-dimensioned pump and respecting the specifications defined by the client for this work. In addition, the free software Scilab was used to implement the piping and pumping sizing procedure, as an extra tool, in addition to development in Excel.

Development of the Technology of Procurement of “Ginkrosmelan” Microcapsules from Natural Origin Materials and Assessment of Quality Criteria

Development of the Technology of Procurement of “Ginkrosmelan” Microcapsules from Natural Origin Materials and Assessment of Quality Criteria

Reply to: Comment on Agnolín et al. (2024): Southernmost lepidosaur (Reptilia) assemblage from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia by Garberoglio et al. (2024)

ABSTRACT In a recent contribution Garberoglio et al. made a critical review of Agnolin et al. (2024) work, which described the southernmost lepidosaur assemblage coming from the late Cretaceous of Patagonia. In spite that Garberoglio et al. analysis has some points in favour, most of their comments were made without the original materials at hand. In any case, they arrive to very similar taxonomic conclusions to those expressed by Agnolín et al. Because of that, we still support that there existed some kind of biotic provincialism in Patagonia, far from the ‘homogeneity of terrestrial Campanian-Maastrichtian faunas’ proposed by Garberoglio et al.

How past identity shapes consumer attitudes toward upcycled product advertisements: The mediating role of outcome efficacy

Upcycling refers to transforming discarded materials into higher value products. Thus, upcycled products have two identities: past (original materials) and present identities (the upcycled product’s present value). This study examines the effects of the upcycled products’ past identity on consumer attitudes toward the company. Through four studies (N=1080), we reveal how past identity enhances these consumer attitudes and reveal the mediating role of outcome efficacy. Furthermore, these effects weaken when the upcycling process is performed step-by-step or the temporal framing is future-oriented. Overall, this study not only offers novel insights, and expands the literature on product aesthetics and products with a past identity but also provides significant practical implications for the advertising design of upcycled products.

RetSat stabilizes mitotic chromosome segregation in pluripotent stem cells

BackgroundChromosome stability is crucial for homeostasis of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) and early-stage embryonic development. Chromosomal defects may raise carcinogenic risks in regenerative medicine when using PSCs as original materials. However, the detailed mechanism regarding PSCs chromosome stability maintenance is not fully understood.MethodsMouse embryonic stem cells (line D3) and human embryonic stem cells (line H9) were cultured under standard conditions. To confirm the loading of RetSat protein on mitotic chromosomes of PSCs, immunostaining was performed in PSCs spontaneous differentiation assay and iPSC reprogramming assay from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), respectively. In addition, qPCR, immunoprecipitation, LC-MS/MS and immunoblotting were used to study the expression of RetSat, and interactions of RetSat with cohesin/condensin components. RNA sequencing and teratoma formation assay was conducted to evaluate the carcinogenic risk of mouse embryonic stem cells with RetSat deletion.ResultsWe reported a PSC high-expressing gene, RetSat, plays key roles in chromosome stabilization. We identified RetSat protein localizing onto mitotic chromosomes specifically in stemness positive cells such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We found dramatic chromosome instability, e.g. chromosome bridging, lagging and interphase micronuclei in mouse and human ESCs when down regulating RetSat. RetSat knock-out mouse ESCs upregulated cancer associated gene pathways, and displayed higher tumorigenic capacities in teratoma formation assay. Mechanistically, we confirmed that RetSat interacts with cohesin/condensin components Smc1a and Nudcd2. RetSat deletion impaired the chromosome loading dosage of Smc1a, Smc3 and Nudcd2.ConclusionsIn summary, we reported RetSat to be a key stabilizer of chromosome condensation in pluripotent stem cells. This highlights the crucial roles of RetSat in early-stage embryonic development, and potential value of RetSat as an effective biomarker for assessing the quality of pluripotent stem cells.

Sustainable conversion of agricultural waste into solid fuel (Charcoal) via gasification and pyrolysis treatment

Managing agricultural waste by burning it in the fields is a straightforward method, but leads to significant pollution. One promising alternative is to convert agricultural waste into solid fuel, such as charcoal, to support renewable energy from biomass. The quality of barbecue charcoal depends upon selecting suitable materials and employing heating methods to ensure efficient transformation. This research aims to study the charcoal conversion process from agricultural waste using two types of kilns: 1) direct heating (gasification kiln: GK) and 2) indirect heating (pyrolysis kiln: PK) designed to recirculate syngas from wood as fuel for the pyrolysis process. The study tested three types of agricultural waste materials, including coconut shells (CS), cassava rhizome (CR), and acacia wood (AW), to examine the differences in charcoal produced by the two heating methods. The tests revealed that the maximum temperatures inside the kilns were 792.45 ± 127.18 °C, 907.67 ± 37.3 °C, and 980.07 ± 110.56 °C for the GK, and 921.88 ± 57.84 °C, 801.93 ± 10.16 °C, and 937.82 ± 95.85 °C for the PK. The charcoal from the PK exhibited higher calorific values than the GK, with 7474.68 ± 36.62, 6429.04 ± 72.22, and 7268.33 ± 52.86 calories per gram. The charcoal yield was also higher in the PK, at 31.29 ± 4.39, 34.33 ± 3.39, and 17.58 ± 2.09 percent for coconut shells charcoal (CSC), cassava rhizome charcoal (CRC), and acacia wood charcoal (AWC), respectively. However, the PK required more fuel and longer ignition times. The resulting charcoal from the slow pyrolysis process in the PK is suitable as barbecue fuel due to its size, which is similar to the original material. In contrast, the charcoal from the GK, which tends to shrink or break into smaller pieces, is more suitable for grinding into briquettes. This study provides a guideline for producing high-quality barbecue charcoal, offering commercial benefits including the gasification and pyrolysis processes that improve combustion efficiency and reduce pollution by producing high-quality gas for fuel, unlike traditional kilns that emit a large amount of CO during the conversion of wood to charcoal and enabling the selection of appropriate raw materials for different heating methods to maximise the utility of the products. This approach adds value to agricultural raw materials and helps effectively manage agricultural waste (zero waste) for further utilisation and development.

The taxonomic history of Pilosella floribunda (Asteraceae), a common hybridogenous aggregate of central, northern and eastern Europe

The taxonomic history, nomenclature and application of one of the oldest species names in Pilosella are reviewed. Hieracium floribundum originally included a hybrid swarm with the participation of Pilosella lactucella, P. caespitosa, P. praealta and partly P. officinarum, and was interpreted either as a binary (P. lactucella × P. caespitosa) or triple (P. lactucella × P. caespitosa × P. praealta) hybrid. The original material of H. floribundum from Silesia, Poland includes plants of the triple hybrid which are designated as its lectotype in conformity with the usage of the species name that has been predominant during its history. The lectotype belongs to a morphotype in which the diagnostic characters of P. lactucella are dominant, and which is not typical of northern and eastern Europe. A further lectotype from the same hybrid complex is designated for H. floribundum var. subcymosum.

Expanding the range of fortified meat products through the targeted combination of raw materials of animal and vegetable origin

ABSTRACT The problem of providing the population with a full-fledged balanced diet is currently quite acute worldwide. Therefore, one of the main tasks is to expand the range of fortified and functional food products, including those with prebiotic effects. The article presents the results of developing fortified boiled sausages, liver pates, and chopped semi-finished products, which have high consumer properties, nutritional and biological value, organoleptic characteristics, and a balanced nutritional composition. The minimum amino acid score value for the proposed boiled sausages is 95.6%, and, for liver pate – 99.6%, for chopped semi-finished products – 88.1%. The biological value of the protein of the developed products reaches 92.8%, 87.7%, and 99.7%, respectively. This is achieved through specially selected components of animal and vegetable origin. Meat and meat-plant products were developed based on an analysis of the nutritional status of North Caucasus Federal University students. The optimal formulation was determined, and the nutrient balance of the finished products was ensured using computer modelling. Using dry milk molasses with lactulose "LactuVet-1" in the formulations of fortified meat products made it possible to increase their organoleptic characteristics and enrich them with calcium (about 150 mg per 100 g of finished product) and other minerals. The developed meat products contain lactulose, g/100 g of product: boiled sausages – 0.46, chopped semi-finished products – 0.61, liver pate – 0.76. This helped to ensure the prebiotic effect of the finished product. The proposed meat products are a source of vitamin A and calcium, contain most B vitamins, macroelements potassium and magnesium, and microelements iron and zinc. The complex of tasks to reduce the deficit of the main types of nutrients, revealed during the study, can be solved by including the developed meat products in the diet of the target group of consumers.

FORTIFY THE CITY AND CREATE A CITY FROM THE FORTRESS: SOME MEDIEVAL EXAMPLES (XIV–XV CENTURIES)

An analysis of original medieval material at the level of historiographical examination sheds light, in general, on what the Serbian medieval city represented compared to other urban medieval forms, both synchronously and diachronically. Written source material of different provenance has been used. In the case of Belgrade, the data from the Life of Despot Stefan Lazarević were analysed. In the case of Smederevo, the basis was epigraphic material, and in the case of Priština, a copy of the inscription from the Priština fortification, preserved in a manuscript that is kept today in the Saint Panteleimon monastery. A particular focus was placed on the fortress of Novi in Boka, which herzog Stefan VukčićKosača transformed into an urban settlement.

Specimens in the National Herbarium of Victoria, Australia (MEL) and in Naturalis Biodiversity Center of Leiden, Netherlands (L) associated with Albertini and Schweinitz's Conspectus fungorum in Lusatiae superioris

AbstractThe fate of the fungus specimens used by Johann Baptist von Albertini and Lewis David von Schweinitz for their publication Conspectus fungorum in Lusatiae superioris has been unknown. Some 73 specimens corresponding to new taxa described in this classic mycological text were recently brought to light in the National Herbarium of Victoria (MEL) in Melbourne, Australia. Here, we document the history and provenance of these specimens and analyze them in light of archived manuscripts and correspondence. Our research confirms that the specimens at MEL can be considered original material of the names of new species described in the Conspectus. We also document several specimens that are likely original material in the Persoon fungus collection at Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands (L). Finally, we consider the potential impact of finding original material on Albertini & Schweinitz names that have been neotypified.

Mechanism of Ag-SiO2-TiO2 Nanocomposite Coating Formation on NiTi Substrate for Enhanced Functionalization

The functionality of the NiTi shape memory alloy was improved through engineering Ag-SiO2-TiO2 nanocomposite coatings. For this purpose, an anaphoretic deposition process, conducted at a constant voltage of 40 V and deposition times ranging from 1 to 10 min, was used. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis demonstrated that the deposition parameters significantly impacted the morphology of the coatings. Complementary Raman Spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses confirmed the successful formation of distinct nanocomposite layers, and revealed the details of their crystalline structure and chemical composition. After that, the adhesion between the NiTi substrate and the electrophoretically deposited ceramic coatings was improved through a post-deposition heat treatment. To prevent excessive shrinkage and cracking of the coating, tests were carried out to characterize the behavior of the coating material at elevated temperatures. The nanocomposite coatings were exposed to a temperature of 800 °C for 2 h. The annealing induced significant structural and morphological transformations, resulting in layers that were distinctly different from both the original materials and those produced solely through electrophoretic deposition. The thermal treatment resulted in the formation of a new kind of nanocomposite structure with enhanced reactivity.

WO3 coating improves the cyclic stability of LiNi0.9Co0.05Mn0.05 as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

In this paper, WO3 uniformly coated LiNi0.9Co0.05Mn0.05O2 cathode materials are prepared by wet coating method using ammonium metatungstate as tungsten source. The XRD, SEM, and XPS tests show that the cladding process introduced W ions into the NCM lattice, increasing the layer spacing and improving the lithium diffusion rate. The charge/discharge test results indicate that a moderate amount of WO3 coating can enhance the rate-discharge performance and increase the long cycle life. After 100 cycles at 1C (180 mAh g−1), the reversible capacity of the material containing 0.5wt% WO3 coating is 157.9 mAh g−1, while that of the original material is only 130.9 mAh g−1, which indicates that the WO3 coating protects the cathode material from HF corrosion, thus improving the stability of the structure. DFT calculations show that the dangling bonds of O on the NCM surface are highly susceptible to binding with W, which reduces the possibility of WO3 coating exfoliation.WO3 and NCM are p-type semiconductors and semi-metallic materials, respectively, which form ohmic contacts at heterogeneous interfaces thereby increasing the electronic conductivity of the materials, and due to the synergistic effect, the diffusion barrier of Li near the heterogeneous interfaces is lower than that of the pristine materials.

Sustainable industrial process design for derived CO2 adsorbent from municipal solid wastes: Scale-up, techno-economic and parametric assessment

Climate change and carbon emissions attributed to anthropogenic activities is getting alarming dimensions. On the other hand, the overwhelming progress of industrialization and urbanization contributed to an explosion in the municipal solid waste (MSW), as one of the other global challenges. However, developing a cost-effective adsorbent with appealing textural properties for CO2 capture is still one of the main challenges. Lately, carbon-based solid waste materials of biogenic origin have received a major interest to this end, owing to the renewability, availability and low-cost. Routinely, academic research mainly focuses on lab-scale development of activated carbons derived from waste materials. However, there is a significant gap concerning the industrial production of activated carbon from such materials. Accordingly, in this work, an industrial plant has been designed for producing activated carbon derived from digestate of MSWs in the industrial scale by presenting all scale-up details, engineering assumptions and process specifications. The results indicated that the plant has a potential to process 90,273 ton MSW annually, which consumes 1367.8 MWh net electricity and 20,134.4 GJ net heat, also produces 4788.10 ton CO2 adsorbent, per year. The economic assessment specified that the plant capital cost is around $14.112 million with the net price of 0.61 $/kg for produced activated carbon. Further, the sensitivity analysis and parametric study determined that the sample level in the drum is the determinative parameter on the energy consumption and net price of adsorbent. Finally, Response Surface Methodology was employed to maximize the plant profitability concerning the designing factors.

Design and characterisation of activated magnetic zeolite 4A from naturally occurring kaolin clay of Cameroonian origin for optimised dye removal by Fenton-like degradation

ABSTRACT The transformation of local clay material of Cameroonian origin into magnetic zeolite (Fe@Zeo-4A) for the degradation of acid-blue 90 in solution was investigate herein. The insertion of magnetic iron oxide particles into the zeolitic framework of Zeo-4A was achieved via hydrothermal synthesis. FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD and SEM confirmed the transformation of the clay into zeolite while EDX analysis and elemental mappings confirmed the presence of iron in the magnetic zeolite. Fe@Zeo-4A was strongly attracted to an external magnetic field. N2 adsorption-desorption studies revealed a considerable decrease in specific surface area and pore volume from the zeolite to the magnetic zeolite, suggesting the occupation of the pores of the zeolite by magnetite. The central composite design of the response surface methodology was used as optimisation approach for four parameters affecting the efficiency of degradation: solution pH, H2O2 concentration, initial dye concentration and time of stirring. ANOVA results revealed good correlation between the experimental and predicted results as well as the suitability of the linear regression model for describing the dye degradation process. An adjusted correlation coefficient of 85.17% was obtained for the dye degradation model. An optimal degradation percentage of 95.2% was obtained experimentally under optimal conditions of 7.6 for pH, 20 mg/L for dye concentration, 15.0 mol/L for [H2O2] and 15 min for time, in close agreement with a theoretical response of 96.6% predicted by the model. The magnetic zeolite was found to exhibit good stability over a wide pH range and lost only about 18% of its catalytic efficiency after five cycles of degradation experiments. Therefore, the novel magnetic zeolite-based material is an efficient Fenton catalyst for treating dye-contaminated wastewater.

Microwave Electro-technological Installation for Processing Vegetable-origin Organic Materials and Agricultural Crops

The research aims to conduct experimental studies of the drying schedule for processing vegetable-origin organic materials using a microwave electro-technological installation. The design and development of a microwave electro-technological installation for processing vegetable-origin organic materials and agricultural crops are based on the solution of an agreed boundary value problem of electrodynamics and heat and mass transfer. The experiments on the microwave processing of vegetable-origin organic materials using a microwave electro-technological installation allowed us to identify the preferred process conditions, which involve the work of 7 magnetrons and a rotation mechanism of vegetable-origin organic materials along their axis. The processing time is less than 15 hours; the final humidity does not exceed 7%. The temperature change is uniform. The temperature at a depth of 1/4 of the thickness of the samples differs from the temperature on the surface of the samples by 0.5–1.0°C. The differences in the calculated and experimental data on the humidity of organic materials of plant origin do not exceed 3.8%, and on temperature, it is 4.3%. The creation of a microwave installation for the simultaneous microwave processing of vegetable organic materials and agricultural crops will significantly increase the energy and economic efficiency of the installation by reducing the processing time and increasing the quality of dried material quality. Moreover, unlike the existing ones, the proposed electro-technological installation contributes to the sale of more than two products with improved qualities, thus increasing the profits at the same energy costs.

Drainage Characteristics, Capillary Barrier Effect, and Diversion Length of Flat Earthen Roof of Historical Kemaliye Houses

ABSTRACT Kemaliye houses stand out as remarkable examples of Anatolian architecture, renowned for their distinct mixed construction method and the utilization of diverse and sustainable materials. The flat earthen roof, constructed using local soils and traditional techniques, adds to the unique character of these houses. However, due to the need for roof maintenance, particularly in winter, residents have adopted modern roofing methods. In order to preserve the architectural integrity of historic houses, research into the mechanisms and performance of flat earthen roofs using local materials and original construction techniques is essential. To achieve this objective, original materials, and construction techniques were investigated with 1D infiltration laboratory tests and analyzed using numerical modelling. The results indicated the existence of a capillary barrier effect on the roofs. Additionally, water balance and diversion length of the roof is obtained through experimental study and numerical analysis. Furthermore, numerical analyses indicated that the capillary barrier effect may be reduced or weakened as a result of frost heave and the formation of desiccation cracks. Understanding these phenomena is a vital step in developing effective solutions for preserving and maintaining roofs in their original architectural form.

Redox gating-induced modulation of charge carrier density and lattice expansion in LaNiO3 thin films

Redox gating involves the use of reversible redox functionalities combined with ionic electrolytes to substantially alter the charge carrier density in functional condensed materials. This modification leads to the emergence of physical properties not observed in the original material. In our study, we focus on redox gating applied to a LaNiO3 (001) film within a field-effect device and identify a critical gate voltage of 0.7 V. Hall measurements indicate that redox gating markedly increases the charge carrier density in LaNiO3, reaching over 1014 cm−2. This increase is primarily due to the injection of electrons into LaNiO3, which offsets the existing hole carriers. These adjustments in the carrier concentration result in reversible lattice expansion in LaNiO3 when gate voltages are below 0.7 V. This expansion correlates well with theoretical models that consider adjustments to the Ni–O bond length, influenced by oxygen ligand holes. Conversely, at gate voltages above 0.7 V, there are significant changes in resistivity, lattice structure, and Ni valence, stemming from the formation of oxygen vacancies in the LaNiO3 film.