Planar Surface Research Articles

Investigation of the use of topographic data derived from Pléiades imagery for high-resolution hillslope-scale morphometry

Obtaining accurate representations of the Earth surface topography is paramount in many geomorphological investigations. While regional scale studies use Digital Elevation Models (DEM) with resolution of the order of 10–100 m, in many applications resolution <5 m are mandatory to appropriately represent landforms and processes of interest. In particular, hillslopes, which cover the most of continental surfaces, have typical length of the order of 100 m. For that reason, high resolution topographic data are mandatory to correctly represent their morphology. The massive use of higher resolution topographic data has been enabled by a vast array of methodological developments, among which terrestrial and airborne Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) or uncrewed aerial vehicle-based photogrammetric approaches are the most commonly used. However, such techniques might be difficult to deploy and not cost-effective, to cover large areas in remote locations.In this study, we present an exploration of the potential of topographic data derived from Pléiades imagery for the characterizing hillslope morphology. We focus on the Gabilan Mesa area in California, where a LiDAR DEM is available and is used as a benchmark. We systematically compare Pléiades-derived topographic data with the DEM constructed from LiDAR data, starting from simple elevation analysis and then using topographic derivatives, such as slope or curvature, which are commonly used in morphometric studies. Finally, we take advantage of the high resolution of the datasets to extract and compare hillslope-scale morphometric parameters, such as length, relief, or hilltop curvature. While some particular situations, such as planar and horizontal surfaces, requires specific attention in terms of the relative differences between the two type of data, the absolute values for the metrics are in good agreement over their relevant range of utilization for hillslope-scale geomorphology.

3D compression-twist lattice metamaterials for surface reconfigurability of future architecture

Metamaterials refer to a class of materials with special properties, whose characteristics mainly come from the microstructures designed artificially. Among them, those metamaterials with tunable shape and mechanical properties under external stimuli provide a new inspiration for the design of the multifunctional structures. This work deals with the three-dimensional (3D) compression-twist lattice metamaterials, studies the surface reconfigurability under external forces, and reveals the torsion-bending coupling (TBC) effect of the special metamaterials. To explain the main characteristics of the TBC effect, the deformation mechanism of the metamaterials is analyzed. Combining the finite element method (FEM) and the spherical fitting algorithm, the relationship between the bending angle and the load of the metamaterials after deformation is analyzed and verified by experiments. Finally, a metamaterial module that could be freely transformed between planar and spherical surfaces is envisaged. A faster and greener solution is proposed for the construction of curved surfaces of engineering structures in the future, which promotes the subsequent applications of metamaterials to engineering practice.

Isolation of Secondary Metabolites From Marine Actinobacterium of Microbispora sp.T3S11 and Their Antibacterial Activities.

Introduction Marine actinobacteria are promising sources of novel bioactive compounds due to their distinct ecological niches and diverse secondary metabolite production capabilities. Among these,Microbisporasp. T3S11 is notable for its unique spore chain structure, which allows for both morphological and genetic identification. Despite its potential, little is understood about the secondary metabolites produced by this strain. In this study, we hope to fill this gap by extracting and analyzing the antibacterial activities of secondary metabolites fromMicrobisporasp. T3S11, which will be the first time its bioactive compound profile is investigated. Aim To evaluate the antibacterial activity of secondary metabolites isolated from the marine actinobacteriumMicrobisporasp. T3S11. Materials and methods The antibacterial assays were carried out on agar plates containing the appropriate media for each pathogen. Sterile filter paper disks were impregnated with secondary metabolites extracted fromMicrobisporasp. T3S11 and placed on the surface of agar plates inoculated with the appropriate pathogens. Similarly, disks containing tetracycline were used as a positive control. The plates were then incubated at the appropriate temperature for each pathogen, and the zones of inhibition around the disks were measured to determine the extracted metabolites' antibacterial activity. Result Secondary metabolites had antimicrobial activity againstStreptococcus mutans,Klebsiella pneumonia, and methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA). The inhibition ofS. mutanswas 7.5 mm and 8.5 mm at 75 μg/mL and 100 μg/mL, respectively.Klebsiella pneumoniazones measured 7 mm and 7.5 mm, while MRSA zones measured 7.6 mm and 8.5 mm at the same concentrations. Tetracycline, the standard antibiotic, had larger inhibition zones: 22 mm forS. mutansandKlebsiella pneumoniaand 16 mm for MRSA, indicating variable susceptibility. Conclusion We conclude that the secondary metabolites extracted fromMicrobisporasp. T3S11exhibits high antibacterial activity. This could be attributed to the presence of various active compounds.

Antimicrobial Effect of Dental Adhesive on Cariogenic Multi-Species Biofilm

Dental caries, or tooth decay, is one of the most widespread chronic and multifactorial diseases affecting people worldwide. It is described as the localized destruction of tooth structure by acids produced from bacteria fermentation of edible carbohydrates. The disease process begins within the bacterial biofilm on the surfaces of the teeth. Streptococcus sanguinis, Sreptococcusgordonii, and Streptococcus mutans are the main organisms in the biofilm associated with health or disease conditions in the oral cavity. Streptococcus mutans is believed to be the primary cause of enamel demineralization and the development of dental caries. S. gordonii and S. sanguinis belong to a group of streptococci considered health-related commensal oral bacteria, crucial for forming a biofilm on oral hard tissues. Several types of materials with multipurpose characteristics have been incorporated into dental adhesives. Recently, the calcium salt of an acidic monomer (calcium salt of 4-methacryloxyethyl trimellitic acid, or CMET) has been included in dental adhesive and demonstrated to suppress cariogenic biofilm formation of S. mutans. However, using a single-species model may not mimic the intricate antagonistic and synergistic relations that occur in oral biofilms. Therefore, the effect on cariogenic multi-species biofilm was assessed in this study. Dental adhesive consisting of CMET and 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen calcium phosphate (MDCP) (Bio-Coat CA) was spread over the flat-bottom surface of the 96-well plate and LED light-cured. Then it was coated with sterile saliva at 37 °C for 45 min to form an acquired pellicle for microbial attachment. The multi-species bacterial suspension containing Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25715, Streptococcus sanguinis ATCC 10556, and Streptococcus gordonii ATCC 10558 was prepared and added to the saliva-coated well. Then, the plate was incubated at 37°C in a 5% CO2 atmosphere for 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h to support the biofilm formation. The number of vital bacteria in the biofilm was determined with the WST-8 Microbial Cell Counting Kit (Dojindo Molecular Technologies, USA). All tests were done in triplicate and repeated three times. For statistical analysis, Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn’s tests were employed. The results showed that at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h, dental adhesive with CMET could inhibit the biofilm formation of multi-species bacteria significantly compared with controls. The percentages of biofilm inhibition were 29.1%, 34.7%, and 33.2% at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h, respectively. Dental adhesive containing CMET displayed favorable multi-species biofilm-inhibiting effects up to 72 h of biofilm growth. It is a promising adhesive for use to prevent secondary caries at the sites of restorations.

Structural transformation behavior of oxide scale during coiling of 0.9 wt% Cr-containing high-strength steel

The phase transformation mechanism of oxide scale on the surfaces of chromium (Cr)-free carbon steel and 0.9 wt% Cr-containing steel at different coiling temperatures and cooling rates was studied using thermal simulation and electron backscattering diffraction experiments. The results showed that the eutectoid transformation of both the steel followed the “C” curve relationship. The Cr-containing steel had a larger eutectoid transformation area fraction than the Cr-free carbon steel. The nose tip temperature of the eutectoid transformation of the oxide scale on the surfaces of Cr-free carbon steel and 0.9 wt% Cr-containing steel were 420∼510 °C and 420–480 °C, respectively. For the 0.9 wt% Cr-containing steel, the proportion of Σ3 and Σ13b grain boundaries in cubic Fe3O4 increased, followed by a decrease, when the coiling temperature decreased from 610 to 410 °C. The Σ3 and Σ13b grain boundaries of the Fe3O4 low-dimensional coincident site lattice had the highest proportion for 510 °C coiling temperature. The low-dimensional coincident site lattice grain boundaries could be used to enhance crack resistance and improve the oxide scale on the steel plate surface.

Improving vertical solar still performance for efficient Desalination: Investigating the influence of Wick, condensate plate and device dimensions

Access to sustainable energy sources and clean water remain two of the most significant challenges in the modern world. Fortunately, desalination can be achieved using a variety of renewable energy sources, with solar energy being a notable option. There has been a noticeable increase in interest in the vertical solar still (VSS) as a popular desalination technique in recent years. The performance of VSS is examined in this article in relation to a several variables, including the wick, the wettability of the condensate plate surface, and device dimensions. According to the study's findings, selecting an appropriate wick is essential for ensuring optimum water distribution on the heat absorber surface, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the Vertical Solar Still (VSS). In comparison to gauze, cotton emerges as a superior wick, contributing to a noteworthy 5.1 % improvement in device performance. The performance of the VSS is significantly influenced by the contact angle of the condensate surface plate, a glass plate (contact angle of 5) yields 34 % more freshwater than a superhydrophobic plate (contact angle of 140). This study also shows that the dimensions of the vertical solar still (VSS) are significantly impactby the properties of the condensate plate and wick. Specifically, the most efficient VSS performance is attained when the dimensions are set at 32 cm × 30 cm.

Study on damage behavior of the outer horizontal target in the EAST lower divertor after plasma operations

The EAST lower divertor features a partially implemented flat-type structure, and visible damage has been observed, particularly at the outer horizontal target location after plasma operations. This study conducts a detailed analysis of the damage to the outer horizontal target. The findings reveal instances of plastic deformation, cracking, and even tungsten flake detachment at specific locations on the outer horizontal target. Furthermore, different degrees of recrystallization are identified in the tungsten plates after plasma operations, with a more pronounced effect closer to the surface of the tungsten plates. These observations offer pertinent insights for ongoing research into the microstructural enhancement design of tungsten materials and the enhancement of crack thresholds at the W/Cu interface.

Aeroelastic tailoring of stiffened cantilever plate using composites and structural layouts: A parametric study

Abstract This paper studies the aeroelasticity of a stiffened cantilever plate using composite material and novel structural layouts. A comprehensive parametric study is conducted to determine the influence of different design parameters on the aeroelastic boundaries. Design parameters include plate sweep angle, ply orientation, stringer cross-section and stringer sweep angle. Nastran is used to run the aeroelastic analysis, and the process is automated using ${\rm{Matla}}{{\rm{b}}^{}}$ . The structure of the plate is modelled using laminate elements whereas the stringers are modelled using the Euler-Bernoulli beam elements. The unsteady aerodynamic loads are modelled using doublet-lattice method (DLM) and the structural and aerodynamic meshes are connected using an infinite plate surface (IPS) spline. A mesh sensitivity analysis is conducted to ensure fine meshes for the aerodynamics and structure. The study’s findings demonstrate the benefits of employing forward swept (Fw) stringers since it increases flutter speed by almost 38% compared to the unswept stringers case and prevents divergence. Moreover, the static aeroelastic analysis illustrates that the utilisation of Fw swept stringers can reduce the average tip displacement and tip twist effectively. T-shaped stringers are recommended to stiffen the plate due to their lower impact on the total mass of the plate. In some configurations, the structural layout has a much higher effect on the aeroelastic instabilities when compared to the material effect (ply orientation). However, results suggest combining both for some cases to get balanced washin and washout effects.

The Influence of Machining Conditions on the Orientation of Nanocrystallites and Anisotropy of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Flexible Graphite Foils.

The physical and mechanical properties and structural condition of flexible graphite foils produced by processing natural graphite with nitric acid, hydrolysis, thermal expansion of graphite and subsequent rolling were studied. The processes of obtaining materials and changing their characteristics has been thoroughly described and demonstrated. The structural transformations of graphite in the manufacture of foils were studied by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A decrease in the average size of the coherent scattering regions (CSR) of nanocrystallites was revealed during the transition from natural graphite to thermally expanded graphite from 57.3 nm to 20.5 nm at a temperature of 900 °C. The rolling pressure ranged from 0.05 MPa to 72.5 MPa. The thickness of the flexible graphite foils varied from 0.11 mm to 0.75 mm, the density-from 0.70 to 1.75 g/cm3. It was shown that with an increase in density within these limits, the compressibility of the graphite foil decreased from 65% to 9%, the recoverability increased from 5% to 60%, and the resiliency decreased from 10% to 6%, which is explained by the structural features of nanocrystallites. The properties' anisotropy of graphite foils was studied. The tensile strength increased with increasing density from 3.0 MPa (ρ = 0.7 g/cm3) to 14.0 MPa (ρ = 1.75 g/cm3) both in the rolling direction L and across T. At the same time, the anisotropy of physical and mechanical properties increased with an increase in density along L and T to 12% with absolute values of 14.0 MPa against 12.5 MPa at a thickness of 200 μm. Expressed anisotropy was observed along L and T when studying the misorientation angles of nanocrystallites: at ρ = 0.7 g/cm3, it was from 13.4° to 14.4° (up to 5% at the same thickness); at ρ = 1.3 g/cm3-from 11.0° to 12.8° (up to 7%); at ρ = 1.75 g/cm3-from 10.9° to 12.4° (up to 11%). It was found that in graphite foils, there was an increase in the coherent scattering regions in nanocrystallites with an increase in density from 24.8 nm to 49.6 nm. The observed effect can be explained by the coagulation of nanocrystallites by enhancing the Van der Waals interaction between the surface planes of coaxial nanocrystallites, which is accompanied by an increase in microstrains. The results obtained can help discover the mechanism of deformation of porous graphite foils. The obtained results can help discover the deformation mechanism of porous graphite foils. We assume that this will help predict the material behavior under industrial operating conditions of products based flexible graphite foils.

Lethality of Simulated UV and Solar Diffuse Radiations to Detached Urediniopores of Phakopsora pachyrhizi

Asian soybean rust (ASR), caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is the most destructive disease on the crop. This work aimed to generate data to understand the detached uredospores survival during the winter fallow in Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Experiment &amp;lsquo;A&amp;rsquo;&amp;mdash;the detached urediniospores maintained and multiplied on Ativa soybean cultivar, were deposited on soybean estract-agar and kept at 25 oC temperature in closed plastic petri dishes and exposed to UV-C (100-280 nm) radiation, distant 30 cm from the plates surface for &amp;lsquo; 0&amp;rsquo;; 60; 120; 180; 240; 300; 360, 420, 480 and 560 minutes. Experiment &amp;lsquo;B&amp;rsquo;&amp;mdash;was similar to previous experiment but spores were exposed to UV-B (280-320 nm) radiation. In Experiment &amp;lsquo;C&amp;rsquo;&amp;mdash;the urediniospores were deposited into empty plastic petri dishes without lids and exposed to direct diffuse sunlight for 0; 60; 120; 180; 240; 300; 360; 420; and 300 minutes. Solar radiation was measured with a pyranometer (Spectrum Technologies, Inc.). After the exposition time, urediniospores were plated on soybean-extract agar, incubated at 25 oC under dark for 8 h and germination assessed under an optical microscope (400&amp;zwj;&amp;times;). Data were submitted to analyses of variance and regression. All experiments were repeated twice. The detached spores exposed to UV-C were killed with 496 minutes, and under UV-B radiation killed with 962.7 minutes and those submitted to direct diffusion solar radiation killed by 15.6 MJ m-2 dose, or 240 minutes exposition to 1,250 w/m2. It can be inferred that the incident solar diffused radiation in Mato Grosso, during the winter fallow, has the daily potential to kill the detached P. pachyrhizi urediniospores.

Synthesis of Au‐decorated WO3 nanoplates for simultaneous oxidation of RhB and reduction of Cr(VI) under visible light irradiation

AbstractTungsten oxide (WO3) nanoplates were synthesized by a simple chemical precipitation technique. These nanoplates were decorated by Au nanoparticles via photoreduction route. The obtained samples were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffractometry and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to investigate their morphological, structural and optical properties. The SEM images show the plate morphology with the size in the range of 50–150 nm, their thickness ≈10 nm; spherical‐like Au nanoparticles ≈20 nm were attached to the surface of the WO3 plates. These materials were applied for the simultaneous photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and Cr(VI) under visible light. Due to the efficient separation of photoinduced charge carriers and the enhanced visible light absorption ability, the photocatalytic performance of Au‐decorated WO3 nanoplates was higher. The main active species responsible for the photodegradation reactions were identified by different scavengers and a photocatalytic mechanism was proposed. This work represents that WO3 nanoplates are a promising candidate for the degradation of organic and inorganic pollutants from the industrial wastewater under sun light exposure.

Measuring coral disease lesions: a comparison of methodologies

The presence of stressors, particularly disease, on corals necessitates assessments of their severity in order to compare threat levels and to plan for impacts. Diseases in particular are often measured via the rate at which a lesion moves across a coral (lesion progression rate) to determine the impact of those lesions and also to compare virulence across species, regions, and disease types. Lesion progression can even be used as a field indicator for disease identification. Many different methodologies have been used to measure lesion progression rates. These may be field-based or photographic measurements, and they include linear progression rates as well as areal progression rates. All methods have pros and cons, including varying levels of accuracy and repeatability, variability with respect to colony and lesion sizes, and time and computational requirements. Additionally, not all metrics can be directly compared, and so experiments done with the intent to compare with previous work must consider methodologies used in former studies. Areal progression rates have high variability, but can provide impressive information on overall tissue loss. Overall, linear lesion progression rates provide more accurate and less variable assessments of loss, and are better used for comparisons. Using the average of multiple linear measurements may further increase precision. Measuring from photographs rather than direct field measurements provides a more permanent and repeatable record, but outside of directly planar surfaces is likely to yield inaccuracies. The emerging use of 3-D photogrammetry can overcome many of these limitations, but the methods require considerable time and computational power. The pros and cons of each methodology should be assessed during experimental design to best answer the hypotheses in question as well as consider whether comparisons to other studies are valid.

Optical force propelled by metamaterial surface waves excitation: pushing and tractor beam sources

Theoretical research on opto–mechanical interactions at sub–wavelength levels using surface waves (SWs) excitation has a great impact in both the academic knowledge and practical realm. In this letter we have revealed that the dynamic characteristics of the SWs excited along a metamaterial boundary, such as its forward or backward propagation nature, provide a direct demonstration about the direction of action of the optical force exerted on a dielectric nano–particle. In particular, by using a rigorous electromagnetic formalism based in the second Green identity, we have modeled the scattering problem of a Gaussian beam impinging on a metamaterial plane surface with a sub–wavelength localized defect. We have shown that depending on the nature of the excited SW, dielectric nano–particles placed near the surface can be pushed away or towards the localized defect. We believe that this work unveils the potential implementation of sub–wavelength defects as sources of pushing or pulling optical forces.

Nonlinear postbuckling and snap-through instability of movable simply supported BDFG porous plates rested on elastic foundations

This study presents, for the first time, a novel mathematical model that can address the nonlinear buckling, postbuckling, and snap-through of bidirectional functionally graded porous simply supported plates rested on elastic foundation and subjected to uniaxial/biaxial compressive loads. The parabolic shear deformation plate theory and the von Kármán strain nonlinearity are employed to derive governing equilibrium equations relative to neutral surface plane. The governing equations that consist of four nonlinear-coupled variable-coefficients partial differential equations are discretized by using the differential/integral quadrature method. The solution methodology depends on whether the discretized nonlinear algebraic system is homogeneous (with zero force vector) or nonhomogeneous. A homogeneous system can be formulated and solved as a nonlinear eigenvalue problem. Pseudo-arc-length continuation is implemented with a proposed iterative method to predict the load-deflection paths whether the system is homogeneous or not. Theoretical analysis and numerical results indicate that the type of porosity and position of in-plane loading have significant effects on the pitchfork-bifurcation or snap-through instability response of the bidirectional functionally graded porous plate. Parametric studies are presented to illustrate the impact of gradation indices, geometrical properties, porosity, and foundation constants on the postbuckling responses of bidirectional functionally graded porous plates. The proposed model may be used in designing nuclear, marine, aerospace, and civil structures with bi-directional functionally graded material constituents.

Numerical analysis of a mixed-dimensional poromechanical model with frictionless contact at matrix–fracture interfaces

We present a complete numerical analysis for a general discretization of a coupled flow–mechanics model in fractured porous media, considering single-phase flows and including frictionless contact at matrix–fracture interfaces, as well as nonlinear poromechanical coupling. Fractures are described as planar surfaces, yielding the so-called mixed- or hybrid-dimensional models. Small displacements and a linear elastic behavior are considered for the matrix. The model accounts for discontinuous fluid pressures at matrix–fracture interfaces in order to cover a wide range of normal fracture conductivities. The numerical analysis is carried out in the Gradient Discretization framework (see J. Droniou, R. Eymard, T. Gallouët, C. Guichard, and R. Herbin [The gradient discretisation method, Springer, Cham, 2018]), encompassing a large family of conforming and nonconforming discretizations. The convergence result also yields, as a by-product, the existence of a weak solution to the continuous model. A numerical experiment in 2D is presented to support the obtained result, employing a Hybrid Finite Volume scheme for the flow and second-order finite elements ( P 2 \mathbb {P}_2 ) for the mechanical displacement coupled with face-wise constant ( P 0 \mathbb P_0 ) Lagrange multipliers on fractures, representing normal stresses, to discretize the contact conditions.

A conical shaped self-healing slippery film for enhanced fog harvesting in windy environment

Wind presents both advantages and disadvantages for water collection. It can bring an abundant fog resource to arid areas for water harvesting, however, some of the captured water droplets are inevitably blown away in a windy environment because of the easy-sliding property of the material surface. Herein, a conical-shaped, self-healing, liquid-infused film with tunable cone angles based on candle soot, thermoplastic poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA), and hydrophobic silicone oil has been developed using a simple template method and traditional Chinese origami. Benefiting from the inward force induced by the conical structure, the condensed droplets prefer to gather toward the top of the conical structure in windy environments rather than splashing out, which usually occurs on a plane surface. This advantage can greatly ensure the high water collection efficiency of materials in windy regions. In addition, owing to the unique photothermal property and thermoplasticity of the designed conical structure, surface scratches during application can be quickly repaired under solar illumination without extra fossil energy consumption, and long-term stable application of the materials can be guaranteed. Therefore, this study finely synergized structure design and performance enhancement and established a new paradigm for effective and reliable fog harvesting applications.

ANTICORROSIVE PROPERTIES OF SULFONATE ADDITIVES

The article is devoted to the study of the anticorrosive properties of sulfonate additives mixed with HC4&#x0D; hydrocracking base oil. The results of a study of the anticorrosive effectiveness of sulfonate additives NSSK-30, S-150,&#x0D; SSK-400 are presented. The patterns of changes in the protective properties of synthetic sulfonate additives depending&#x0D; on the value of their alkaline number have been revealed. A qualitative and quantitative assessment of the effectiveness&#x0D; of using sulfonate additives in a mixture with HC4 base oil as inhibitory compounds to protect steel from corrosion&#x0D; under the action of an electrolyte, in a climatic chamber and a salt mist chamber was carried out. It has been shown&#x0D; that the effectiveness of the protective action of inhibitory compounds increases with a decrease in the alkaline number&#x0D; of the sulfonate additive. The nature of the change in the surface of steel plates in the process of their corrosion&#x0D; destruction, accompanied by the formation of pitting, is revealed.

Abstract PR-008: Follicular fluid aids in cell adhesion, spreading and shows an age-dependent effect on DNA damage in fallopian tube epithelial cells

Abstract Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer related death in women with a low 5-year survival rate. Ovarian cancer is rarely detected early, and likely arises from the fimbriated end of the fallopian tube epithelium (FTE). There is a correlation between ovarian cancer and ovulation whereby ovulation suppression through use of oral contraception or pregnancy reduces the risk of ovarian cancer. Despite the association of ovarian cancer with ovulation, due to the lack of early detection methods, the disease typically presents as late stage, metastatic cancer in post-menopausal women who are no longer ovulating. The goal of this study was to understand how ovulation and the process of aging interact to provide a permissive environment for ovarian cancer initiation and progression in the FTE. The process of ovulation releases follicular fluid and induces the DNA damage response pathway in the FTE, but the role of aging on FTE exposure to follicular fluid has not been tested. De-identified follicular fluid samples were collected from 14 women (7 reproductively young (29-35 years) and 7 reproductively aged (40-44 years)) undergoing ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) through the Northwestern University Reproductive Tissue Library (NU-RTL). We found that follicular fluid caused DNA damage and lipid oxidation in an age-dependent manner and cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner in FTE cells. Interestingly, follicular fluid disrupted FTE spheroid formation and instead stimulated attachment and growth on ultra-low attachment plates. Follicular fluid when coated on the surface of the ultra-low plates enhanced FTE cell adhesion, spreading and proliferation. Proteomics analysis of the follicular fluid identified vitronectin, a glycoprotein as the factor responsible for FTE cell attachment and spreading. Overall, this study demonstrated that aging contributed to lipid oxidation and DNA damage of FTE cells and identified vitronectin in the follicular fluid as a protein factor that facilitates FTE cells to detach from 3D spheroids and spread on low attachment surfaces. Citation Format: Amrita Salvi, Wenping Li, Stephanie M. Cologna, Mary Ellen Pavone, Francesca E. Duncan, Joanna E. Burdette. Follicular fluid aids in cell adhesion, spreading and shows an age-dependent effect on DNA damage in fallopian tube epithelial cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Ovarian Cancer; 2023 Oct 5-7; Boston, Massachusetts. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(5 Suppl_2):Abstract nr PR-008.

Gaussian to flat-top beam shaping in an off-axis reflective scenario by a millimeter-wave metasurface.

In this paper, we present a metallic reflectarray for shaping the emitted Gaussian beam of a 100GHz horn antenna in reflective and off-axis mode. The proposed reflectarray is a compact planar surface consisting of a 2D array of unit cells with a thin Rogers 5880 substrate. This reflectarray offers advantages over other beam shapers in millimeter-wave (MMW) imaging, as it generates a flat-top beam in off-axis reflective mode and is straightforward to fabricate. To conduct a feasibility study, we first introduce the 1D reflectarray. The phase profile of the 1D reflectarray is a linear combination of a beam shaping phase profile based on geometrical optics (GO) and a compensating phase profile. The design of the 1D reflectarray involves tailoring the dimensions of the unit cells in one direction. We calculate the scattered field from the 1D reflectarray using the finite element method (FEM) and then determine the generated beam using the Fresnel diffraction integral. Subsequently, we design the 2D reflectarray following the same approach by using a 2D version of the proposed phase profile. The full-wave simulation is employed to calculate the generated beam at a certain distance from the reflectarray. The results reveal the successful generation of a high-quality flat-top beam, showcasing the proposed reflectarray as an evolutionary solution among beam shapers.

Tritium storage and release mechanism in nuclear graphite using first-principles combined thermal desorption theory

Nuclear graphite (NG) is widely applied in nuclear facilities, and its strong interaction with tritium is an essential factor for tritium transport behavior in various reactors and the treatment of radioactive NG waste. Given that NG is a polycrystalline and porous material, interactions between tritium and NG exist in various microstructures, including graphite edges, graphene basal planes, and amorphous structures. In this study, density functional theory which is integrated in Vienna ab initio simulation package (VASP) was combined with thermal desorption theory to elucidate the underlying mechanism of hydrogen isotope storage corresponding to the experimentally observed desorption peaks in NG. The four desorption temperature peaks, ranging from low to high, were mainly attributed to hydrogen isotope desorption from the graphite basal plane surface, amorphous carbon surface, unsaturated armchair and zigzag edges, respectively. The interaction between hydrogen isotopes and carbon nanostructures provides deeper insights into the understanding of tritium enrichment on the NG surface, which is primarily attributed to the adsorption of tritium on graphite basal plane-like surfaces at relatively low temperatures. This study provides a practical method to bridge the gap between the atomic binding structure and desorption temperature peaks from a kinetic perspective, providing insights into temperature-dependent hydrogen desorption in typical carbon structures and deepening our understanding of tritium transport behaviors in advanced nuclear energy systems.