Terms Of Masses Research Articles

Comparative Analysis of Glycoform Profiles Between Biosimilar and Originator Monoclonal Antibodies by Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Glycosylation is considered as a critical quality attribute for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and needs routine monitoring during production. This study aims to compare the glycoform profiles of biosimilar and four originator mAbs using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to electrospray ionization-quadrupole time of flight-mass spectrometry (ESI/Q-TOF MS). The resultant mass spectrum showed that seven different glycoform pairs, including G0F–GN/G0, G0F–GN/G0F, G0F/G0F, G0F/G1F, G1F/G1F, G1F/G2F, and G2F/G2F were identified via intact mass analysis for all tested mAb samples. The correct identification of each glycoform pair was achieved by comparing the observed mass with its theoretical mass using high-resolution mass spectrometry data (with mass accuracies of less than 100 ppm). The most abundant paired glycoforms detected at the intact protein level are G0F/G0F and G0F/G1F, with relative abundance ranges of 38.45 – 43.43% and 19.32 – 22.20%, respectively. The obtained data demonstrated that biosimilar and originators have the same types of glycoform pairs, and the relative abundances of each pair were comparable among biosimilar and four originator mAb samples. Additionally, the reduced mass analysis revealed that five different glycans (G0F–GN, G0, G0F, G1F, and G2F) were attached to the heavy chain of the mAb, and the relative abundance of G0F ranged from 75.21 to 77.90%. The detected mass accuracies for reduced mass analysis were below 25 ppm. The results of the intact and reduced mass analyses showed that the biosimilar is similar to its originator in terms of glycoform percentages and molecular masses.

Estimation of Nuclear Mass Formulas Coefficients Using Least-Squares Method Based on Gauss-Seidel Scheme: A Comparative Study Between Three Models

This paper presents the analysis and implementation of the least-squares method based on the Gauss-Seidel scheme for solving nuclear mass formulas. The least-squares method leads to the solution of the system by iterations. The main advantages of the discussed method are simplicity and high accuracy. Moreover, the method enables us to process large data quickly in practice. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the method, implementation using the FORTRAN language is carried out. The steps of the algorithm are detailed. Using 2331 nuclear masses with Z ≥ 8 and N ≥ 8, it was shown that the performance of the liquid drop mass formula with six parameters improved in terms of root mean square (r.m.s. deviation equals 1.28 MeV), compared to the formula of liquid drop mass with six parameters without microscopic energy, deformation energy and congruence energy (r.m.s. deviation equals 2.65 MeV). The nuclear liquid drop model is revisited to make explicit the role of the microscopic corrections (shell and pairing). Deformation energy and the congruence energy estimate have been used to obtain the best fit. It is shown that the performance of the new approach is improved by a model of eight parameters, compared to the previous model of six parameters. The obtained r.m.s. result for the new liquid drop model in terms of masses is equal to 1.05 MeV.

Tri-Bi-Maximal flavor pattern deviation using equivalent class

We assume that the neutrino mass matrix Mν, in the model-independent context, is diagonalized by the Tri-Bi-Maximal (TBM) pattern. In the following, we explore the TBM mixing pattern deviation by considering different textures for the charged lepton matrix, which are classified into equivalence classes that allow us to reproduce the experimental data on neutrino oscillation. Our target is on the charged lepton matrix with the minimum number of free parameters, i.e., the maximum number of zeros of the texture that allows us to correctly reproduce the value of the reactor mixing angle θ13. We show a deviation from the TBM pattern in terms of the charged leptonic masses, which provides a prediction value for the phase factors in the charged lepton mass matrices. These are related to the “Dirac-like” CP and “Majorana-like” phase factors. For the last type of phase, we show its phenomenological implications through effective Majorana mass in the neutrinoless double-beta decay.

Multiple pendulum and nonuniform distribution of average kinetic energy.

Multiple pendulums are investigated numerically and analytically to clarify the nonuniformity of average kinetic energies of particles. The nonuniformity is attributed to the system having holonomic constraints and it is consistent with the generalized principle of the equipartition of energy. With the use of explicit expression for Hamiltonian of a multiple pendulum, approximate expressions for temporal and statistical average of kinetic energies are obtained, where the average energies are expressed in terms of masses of particles. In a typical case, the average kinetic energy is large for particles near the end of the pendulum and small for those near the root. Moreover, the exact analytic expressions for the average kinetic energy of the particles are obtained for a double pendulum.

Optimization of Steel Jackets to Support Offshore Wind Turbines Using Evolutionary Algorithms

Abstract This paper presents an optimization tool for jacket structures to support Offshore Wind Turbines (OWTs). The tool incorporates several combinations of optimization algorithms and constraint-handling techniques (CHTs): Genetic Algorithm; Differential Evolution (DE); Tournament Selection Method; Multiple Constraint Ranking (MCR); Adaptive Penalty Method, and Helper-and-Equivalent Optimization. The objective function regards the minimization of the jacket weight; the design variables are the diameter and thickness of the tubular members. The constraints are related to natural frequencies and Ultimate Limit State criteria. The candidate solutions are evaluated by full nonlinear time-domain Finite Element coupled analyses. To assess the optimization algorithms and CHTs, a case study is presented for the standardized OWT/jacket structure from the Offshore Code Comparison Collaboration Continuation project. First, a numerical model is built and validated, in terms of masses, natural frequencies, and vibration modes; then, this model is employed to run the optimization tool for all combinations of optimization algorithms and CHTs. The results indicate that, while all methods lead to feasible optimal solutions that comply with the constraints and present considerable weight reductions, the best performer is the combination of the DE algorithm with the MCR constraint-handling technique.

Modeling the Impact of Phonon Scattering with Strain Effects on the Electrical Properties of MoS2 Field-Effect Transistors.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has distinctive electronic and mechanical properties which make it a highly prospective material for use as a channel in upcoming nanoelectronic devices. An analytical modeling framework was used to investigate the I-V characteristics of field-effect transistors based on MoS2. The study begins by developing a ballistic current equation using a circuit model with two contacts. The transmission probability, which considers both the acoustic and optical mean free path, is then derived. Next, the effect of phonon scattering on the device was examined by including transmission probabilities into the ballistic current equation. According to the findings, the presence of phonon scattering caused a decrease of 43.7% in the ballistic current of the device at room temperature when L = 10 nm. The influence of phonon scattering became more prominent as the temperature increased. In addition, this study also considers the impact of strain on the device. It is reported that applying compressive strain could increase the phonon scattering current by 13.3% at L = 10 nm at room temperature, as evaluated in terms of the electrons' effective masses. However, the phonon scattering current decreased by 13.3% under the same condition due to the existence of tensile strain. Moreover, incorporating a high-k dielectric to mitigate the impact of scattering resulted in an even greater improvement in device performance. Specifically, at L = 6 nm, the ballistic current was surpassed by 58.4%. Furthermore, the study achieved SS = 68.2 mV/dec using Al2O3 and an on-off ratio of 7.75 × 104 using HfO2. Finally, the analytical results were validated with previous works, showing comparable agreement with the existing literature.

A Screening Approach to Assess the Impact of Various Commercial Sources of Crude Marine λ-Carrageenan on the Production of Oligosaccharides with Anti-heparanase and Anti-migratory Activities.

Oligosaccharides derived from λ-carrageenan (λ-COs) are gaining interest in the cancer field. They have been recently reported to regulate heparanase (HPSE) activity, a protumor enzyme involved in cancer cell migration and invasion, making them very promising molecules for new therapeutic applications. However, one of the specific features of commercial λ-carrageenan (λ-CAR) is that they are heterogeneous mixtures of different CAR families, and are named according to the thickening-purpose final-product viscosity which does not reflect the real composition. Consequently, this can limit their use in a clinical applications. To address this issue, six commercial λ-CARs were compared and differences in their physiochemical properties were analyzed and shown. Then, a H2O2-assisted depolymerization was applied to each commercial source, and number- and weight-averaged molar masses (Mn and Mw) and sulfation degree (DS) of the λ-COs produced over time were determined. By adjusting the depolymerization time for each product, almost comparable λ-CO formulations could be obtained in terms of molar masses and DS, which ranged within previously reported values suitable for antitumor properties. However, when the anti-HPSE activity of these new λ-COs was screened, small changes that could not be attributed only to their small length or DS changes between them were found, suggesting a role of other features, such as differences in the initial mixture composition. Further structural MS and NMR analysis revealed qualitative and semi-quantitative differences between the molecular species, especially in the proportion of the anti-HPSE λ-type, other CARs types and adjuvants, and it also showed that H2O2-based hydrolysis induced sugar degradation. Finally, when the effects of λ-COs were assessed in an in vitro migration cell-based model, they seemed more related to the proportion of other CAR types in the formulation than to their λ-type-dependent anti-HPSE activity.

A Method to Estimate the Primary Mass of Ultrahigh-energy Cosmic Rays from Measurements of the Depth of the Shower Maximum and the Muon Content

The origin and mass composition of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays is one of the big open questions of modern physics. Estimating the mass of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays always involves the comparison of data with simulations using hadronic interaction models. The state-of-the-art hadronic interaction models, however, fail to agree with each other on the expected depths of the shower maxima, and on the average number of muons produced in air showers initiated by the same primary particles. Thus the interpretation of data in terms of the primary masses of cosmic rays differs depending on which hadronic interaction model is considered as a reference. Good agreement, however, can be found in the implications from hadronic interaction models in the prediction of the change of the average depth of the shower maximum and in the relative change in the number of produced muons as a function of the nuclear mass of the primary cosmic ray. Considering these, a model-independent estimation of the primary mass of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays can be given in relative terms. In this work we propose a method to estimate the primary mass of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays from the depth of the shower maximum and the number of muons produced in the shower, utilizing the similarities of modern hadronic interaction models. We discuss a geometric approach that combines the depth of the shower maximum and the number of muons produced in a shower to estimate the mass of the primary particle.

Photo- and Water-Degradation Phenomena of ZnO Bio-Blend Based on Poly(lactic acid) and Polyamide 11.

The goal of this work was to investigate the morphological and chemical-physical changes induced by adding ZnO nanoparticles to bio-based polymeric materials based on polylactic acid (PLA) and polyamide 11 (PA11). Precisely, the photo- and water-degradation phenomena of nanocomposite materials were monitored. For this purpose, the formulation and characterization of novel bio-nanocomposite blends based on PLA and PA11 at a ratio of 70/30 wt.% filled with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures at different percentages were performed. The effect of ZnO nanoparticles (≤2 wt.%) within the blends was thoroughly explored by employing thermogravimetry (TGA), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM). Adding up to 1% wt. of ZnO resulted in a higher thermal stability of the PA11/PLA blends, with a decrement lower than 8% in terms of molar masses (MMs) values being obtained during blend processing at 200 °C. ZnO promoted trans-ester-amide reactions between the two polymers, leading to the formation of PLA/PA11 copolymers. These species could work as compatibilisers at the polymer interface, improving thermal and mechanical properties. However, the addition of higher quantities of ZnO affected such properties, influencing the photo-oxidative behaviour and thus thwarting the material's application for packaging use. The PLA and blend formulations were subjected to natural aging in seawater for two weeks under natural light exposure. The 0.5% wt. ZnO sample induced polymer degradation with a decrease of 34% in the MMs compared to the neat samples.

Deviation to the Tri-Bi-Maximal flavor pattern and equivalent classes

In the model-independent context, the neutrino mass matrix is assumed to be diagonalized by means of a unitary matrix that possesses the Tri-Bi-Maximal (TBM) flavor mixing pattern. We present an analysis where the TBM deviation is explored by considering different forms with texture zeros, for the charged lepton mass matrix. These last mass matrices are classified into equivalent classes. We are interested in the charged lepton mass matrices with the minimum free parameter number, i.e. the maximum number of texture zeros, that allows us to correctly reproduce the reactor mixing angle value. We show a deviation from the TBM pattern in terms of the charged lepton masses as well as the theoretical expressions and their parameter space for the mixing angles. Finally, we present the phenomenological implications of numerical values of the “Majorana-like” phase factors on the neutrinoless double-beta decay.

Monte Carlo burnup oscillations for thorium-based EPR fuel

Advanced codes and computational resources have made it possible to model large geometries with finer spatial discretisation, which are required for detailed fuel analysis and licencing. Unfortunately, these detailed models exhibit instabilities during Monte Carlo burnup calculations. Several solutions for stabilising the combined transport and depletion calculations have been developed. This study focusses on the burnup instabilities that arise specifically for thorium-based fuels and employed existing methods to test the robustness and accuracy. The methods are evaluated in terms of burnup, isotopic masses and flux plots. The results proved that various methods can be employed to stabilise the oscillations, specifically for the proposed modification of the EPR using thorium. In particular, using the stochastic implicit Euler method and reducing the time step length (maximum 11.3 days) produced stable results. Thorium-based fuel appears to be particularly sensitive to the evolution of time step length as well as Pa233 concentration.

Can Cosmological Simulations Reproduce the Spectroscopically Confirmed Galaxies Seen at z ≥ 10?

Recent photometric detections of extreme (z > 10) redshift galaxies from the JWST have been shown to be in strong tension with existing simulation models for galaxy formation and in the most acute case, in tension with ΛCDM itself. These results, however, all rest on the confirmation of these distances by spectroscopy. Recently, the JADES survey has detected the most distant galaxies with spectroscopically confirmed redshifts, with four galaxies found with redshifts between z = 10.38 and z = 13.2. In this Letter, we compare simulation predictions from four large cosmological volumes and two zoom-in protoclusters with the JADES observations to determine whether these spectroscopically confirmed galaxy detections are in tension with existing models for galaxy formation or with ΛCDM more broadly. We find that existing models for cosmological galaxy formation can generally reproduce the observations for JADES in terms of galaxy stellar masses, star formation rates, and the number density of galaxies at z > 10.

Quantitative Design of a New e-Methanol Production Process

In the context of the need to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from personal transportation, a new process for the production of e-methanol is presented. It is a CO2 hydrogenation process, powered mainly by renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic electricity, with direct capture of carbon dioxide from the ambient air. With the main objective of estimating the feasibility and the impact of such a large-scale plant, the various components are evaluated in terms of masses and quantities necessary for an annual fuel production of 500,000 tons. The main reactor is analyzed to assess the required quantities of hydrogen and CO2. The production of hydrogen from the electrolysis of water is estimated, as well as the electrical power required and supplied by a large photovoltaic plant. The size of a realistic plant and its footprint are estimated. In addition, the mass of seawater to be desalinized and split in the electrolyser is calculated. The CO2 capture system is evaluated in the form of the mass of air to be extracted from the ambient air. The parameters of the system and its subcomponents are summarized for ease of understanding of the significance and size of the processing plant.

Application of electrostatic separation and differential scanning calorimetry for microplastic analysis in river sediments

A method with the potential for comprehensive microplastic monitoring in river sediments is presented in this study. We introduce a novel combination of electrostatic separation, density separation, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Currently, microplastic analysis in sediments is limited in terms of sample masses, processing time, and analytical robustness. This work evaluated a method to process large sample masses efficiently and still obtain robust results. Four particulate matrices, including commercial sands and river sediments, were spiked with PCL, LD-PE, and PET microplastic particles (63–200 µm). Samples with a mass of 100 g and 1,000 g (sand only) contained 75 mg of each microplastic. After electrostatic separation, the mass of sand samples was reduced by 98%. Sediment samples showed a mass reduction of 70–78%. After density separation, the total mass reduction of sediment samples was above 99%. The increased concentration of total organic carbon seems to have the highest impact on mass reduction by electrostatic separation. Nevertheless, the recovery of microplastic was independent of the particulate matrix and was polymer-specific. In 100 g samples, the average recovery rates for PCL, LD-PE, and PET were 74 ± 9%, 93 ± 9%, and 120 ± 18%, respectively. The recoveries of microplastic from 1,000 g samples were 50 ± 8%, 114 ± 9%, and 82 ± 11%, respectively. In scale up experiments, high recoveries of all microplastics were observed with a decrease in standard deviation. Moreover, the biodegradable polymer PCL could be used as an internal standard to provide quality assurance of the process. This method can overcome the current limitations of routine microplastic analysis in particulate matrices. We conclude that this method can be applied for comprehensive microplastic monitoring in highly polluted sediments. More studies on electrostatic separation and polymer-specific recovery rates in complex matrices are proposed.

Technical commentary to: Direct aerobic NSZD of a basalt vadose zone LNAPL source in Hawaii, McHugh et al., JCH #235 (2020)

The subject Paper (McHugh et al., 2020) uses carbon dioxide and net thermal signatures to derive conclusions about the rates of natural source zone depletion (NSZD), as well as the location of residual fuel in the formation. We concur that both data sets are indicators of active fuel biodegradation, however, the simplifications of McHugh et al. render its estimates of NSZD rates uncertain and likely over-estimated. We cannot infer what role this degradation capacity may play in site management because: a) the biodegradation evidence is spatially limited and cannot be linked to LNAPL source zones; b) the LNAPL source zones are so poorly understood that we have no mass constraints or balances; and c) this is a very heterogeneous site, in terms of LNAPL source locations, masses, rates, and related subsurface properties. Consequently, much McHugh et al., 2020 amounts to speculative hypotheses and estimates of NSZD that are unbounded by confirmatory data.Several of the McHugh et al. authors prepared a conceptual site model (CSM) report that can be downloaded from the EPA website: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/201907/documents/red_hill_conceptual_site_model_20190630-redacted.pdf. This CSM report incorporates the conclusions of McHugh et al., 2020 as part of a broader interpretation of a generally safe setting with regard to potential aquifer damages being caused by past and future fuel releases because of the assumed large fuel holding and assimilative capacities. Substantial impacts to the aquifer caused by recent fuel releases (May and November 2021) have contaminated drinking water and affected thousands of base residents. These aquifer impact events serve to highlight the importance of adequate technical detail in evaluations, particularly in complex settings like at the subject site. A partial synopsis of these recent fuel release events can be found at: https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2021-12-21/confused-about-the-timeline-for-the-red-hill-fuel-storage-facility-and-contaminated-water-read-this

Magnetic moments of leptons, charged lepton flavor violations and dark matter phenomenology of a minimal radiative Dirac neutrino mass model

In a simple extension of the standard model (SM), a pair of vector like lepton doublets (L1 and L2) and a SU(2)L scalar doublet (η) have been introduced to help in accommodating the discrepancy in determination of the anomalous magnetic moments of the light leptons, namely, e and μ. Moreover, to make our scenario friendly to a Dirac like neutrino and also for a consistent dark matter phenomenology, we specifically add a singlet scalar (S) and a singlet fermion (ψ) in the set-up. However, the singlet states also induce a meaningful contribution in other charged lepton processes. A discrete symmetry {mathcal{Z}}_2times {mathcal{Z}}_2^{prime } has been imposed under which all the SM particles are even while the new particles may be assumed to have odd charges. In a bottom-up approach, with a minimal particle content, we systematically explore the available parameter space in terms of couplings and masses of the new particles. Here a number of observables associated with the SM leptons have been considered, e.g., masses and mixings of neutrinos, (g − 2) anomalies of e, μ, charged lepton flavor violating (cLFV) observables and the dark matter (DM) phenomenology of a singlet-doublet dark matter. Neutrinos, promoted as the Dirac type states, acquire mass at one loop level after the discrete {mathcal{Z}}_2^{prime } symmetry gets softly broken, while the unbroken {mathcal{Z}}_2 keeps the dark matter stable. The mixing between the singlet ψ and the doublet vector lepton can be constrained to satisfy the electroweak precision observables and the spin independent (SI) direct detection (DD) cross section of the dark matter. In this analysis, potentially important LHC bounds have also been discussed.

Quantum confinement in chalcogenides 2D nanostructures from first principles

We investigated the impact of quantum confinement on the band gap of chalcogenides 2D nanostructures by means of density functional theory. We studied six different systems: MoS2, WS2, SnS2, GaS, InSe, and HfS2 and we simulated nanosheets of increasing thickness, ranging from ultrathin films to ∼10–13 nm thick slabs, a size where the properties converge to the bulk. In some cases, the convergence of the band gap with slab thickness is rather slow, and sizeable deviations from the bulk value are still present with few nm-thick sheets. The results of the simulations were compared with the available experimental data, finding a quantitative agreement. The impact of quantum confinement can be rationalized in terms of effective masses of electrons and holes and system’s size. These results show the possibility of reliably describing quantum confinement effects on systems for which experimental data are not available.

Light sterile neutrinos and lepton-number-violating kaon decays in effective field theory

We investigate lepton-number-violating decays K∓ → π±l∓l∓ in the presence of sterile neutrinos. We consider minimal interactions with Standard-Model fields through Yukawa couplings as well as higher-dimensional operators in the framework of the neutrino-extended Standard Model Effective Field Theory. We use SU(3) chiral perturbation theory to match to mesonic interactions and compute the lepton-number-violating decay rate in terms of the neutrino masses and the Wilson coefficients of higher-dimensional operators. For neutrinos that can be produced on-shell, the decay rates are highly enhanced and higher-dimensional interactions can be probed up to very high scales around mathcal{O} (30) TeV.

Combining Functional Prototyping of 3D Printed Reactors with a Modular Reactor Setup for Continuous Emulsion Polymerization

AbstractThe potential for fast and specific process optimization by functional prototyping with 3D printed reactors was shown for a known continuous emulsion polymerization in a modular setup. Three tubular reactors, two with static mixing elements and a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) were printed from polylactic acid. Thermal imaging of the reactors allows to map the basically adiabatic progress of the redox‐started radical polymerization in a space‐resolved way. The application of static mixing elements led to a higher conversion stability and a more uniform product, as expected for a better mass transfer. Polymerization in combinations of CSTR and a tubular reactor showed further improvements of process stability and product uniformity in terms of particle size and mol masses.

Highly Accurate Relations between the Fine Structure Constant and Particle Masses, with Application to Its Cosmological Measurement

Highly accurate algebraic relations between the fine structure constant a and a wide range of particle masses are given, ranging from Δa/a = (2.1 ± 0.1)×10-7 to Δa/a = (-2.7 ± 0.3 ± 0.6)×10-8, and with a very large standard deviation, ranging to Δa/a = -5.5×10-9. The analysis is based on empirical relations that exist among some particle masses, and also on several theoretical assumptions, of which the most significant is that the electromagnetic contribution to the electron’s mass is finite, and given by f ameb, where f is a dimensionless parameter that is shown to be equal to 1.032409810 (63), and where meb is the electron’s “bare mass.” The relations for a and f are homogeneous degree zero in the particle masses. The relations for f in terms of particle masses are found by trial and error. A quadratic equation is given relating a to f and me/mp. This equation is used in the application to cosmological measurements of a, and , where it is shown that, to a few percent accuracy, δa/a ≈ -δμ/μ. This relation can serve to test the validity of measurements of a and μ.