Type Of Metal Research Articles

Morpho-Physiological Adaptations of Rice Cultivars Under Heavy Metal Stress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Soil contamination, including in rice fields, arises from a variety of natural processes and anthropogenic activities, leading to an accumulation of heavy metals. While extensive research has addressed the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in rice, only limited systematic reviews have examined their specific impact on the morpho-physiological traits of rice plants. This review aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of current studies detailing the rice cultivars, types of heavy metals investigated, study designs, sampling locations, and experimental sites while systematically analyzing the morphological and physiological responses of rice cultivars to heavy metal stress. Studies show that morphological traits generally exhibit a decline under heavy metal exposure. Physiologically, rice cultivars tend to show decreased total chlorophyll and carotenoid levels, along with increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and proline. These findings suggest that plant genotype, type of heavy metal, and intensity of stress significantly modulate the morphological and physiological responses of rice, highlighting critical areas for further research in heavy metal stress tolerance in rice cultivars.

Revolutionizing Nanovaccines: A New Era of Immunization

Infectious diseases continue to pose a significant global health threat. To combat these challenges, innovative vaccine technologies are urgently needed. Nanoparticles (NPs) have unique properties and have emerged as a promising platform for developing next-generation vaccines. Nanoparticles are revolutionizing the field of vaccine development, offering a new era of immunization. They allow the creation of more effective, stable, and easily deliverable vaccines. Various types of NPs, including lipid, polymeric, metal, and virus-like particles, can be employed to encapsulate and deliver vaccine components, such as mRNA or protein antigens. These NPs protect antigens from degradation, target them to specific immune cells, and enhance antigen presentation, leading to robust and durable immune responses. Additionally, NPs can simultaneously deliver multiple vaccine components, including antigens, and adjuvants, in a single formulation, simplifying vaccine production and administration. Nanovaccines offer a promising approach to combat food- and water-borne bacterial diseases, surpassing traditional formulations. Further research is needed to address the global burden of these infections. This review highlights the potential of NPs to revolutionize vaccine platforms. We explore their mechanisms of action, current applications, and emerging trends. The review discusses the limitations of nanovaccines, innovative solutions and the potential role of artificial intelligence in developing more effective and accessible nanovaccines to combat infectious diseases.

Stress Prediction Processes of Metal Pressure-Bearing Complex Components in Thermal Power Plants Based on Machine Learning

The real-time stress assessment of metal pressure components is one of the key factors in ensuring the safe operation of thermal power plants. To address the challenge of real-time prediction of stress in the key areas of complex special-shaped metal pressure-bearing components in a certain domestic 300 MW thermal power plant, three typical complex metal pressure-bearing components, the main steam pipe tee (MSPT), the steam drum downcomer joint (DDJ) and the header ligament (HL), were taken as research objects. The stress distribution of the three complex metal pressure-bearing components under different conditions was analyzed through the finite element method, and the stress results at the dangerous points were used as samples to establish training sample data. Subsequently, different machine learning methods were employed to train the sample data. The training results indicate that neural networks (NNs) and the Auto-Sklearn Regression (ASR) models can accurately predict the stress of the key parts of complex metal pressure-bearing components in real time. The ASR method demonstrates better performance in stress prediction of the main steam pipe tee, with a prediction accuracy of ≥96%. The NN model shows better prediction for the header ligament, with a prediction accuracy of ≥94%. These research findings provide effective support for the high-temperature lifespan assessment and safe operation of thermal power plants.

A process inspired by fractals for embedding digital codes into additively manufactured components for supply chain security

This study describes procedures for embedding digital information into additively manufactured components as well as procedures for readout and tensile testing. Embedded digital codes were printed inside ASTM E8/E8M dumbbells using Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLS) with an EOS M290 printer. The codes were configured as either ellipsoids or prolate spheroids in patterns given by the Cantor dust fractal. Tensile testing was performed on 15 dumbbells, 7 with digital codes in the gauge volume and 8 with codes in the dumbbell tail. Results showed that the dumbbells met the ultimate tensile strength specification for the EOS AlF357 powder. X-ray imaging, both conventional and interferometry, was explored to detect the digital information. X-ray tomography showed measured ellipsoid volumes slightly larger than as-designed ellipsoid volumes, even when partially filled with loose powder. X-ray interferometry showed increased void detectability, one advantage of loose powder. These results suggest a standard selective laser sintering printer with typical metal powders could reasonably expect to print 100 bits of embedded digital information in a gauge volume 6 mm in diameter as 300 m voids while still maintaining tensile specifications.

Solution-processed organic/inorganic heterojunction synaptic transistor for neuromorphic computing

Abstract Artificial synaptic devices are the hardware foundation of modern computing systems which have shown great potential in overcoming the bottleneck of traditional von-Neumann computing architectures. Organic synaptic transistors have garnered considerable attention due to their merits, such as low cost, low weight, and mechanical flexibility. Various materials are utilized for the charge-capture layer in organic synaptic transistors. Indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) is a typical metal oxide semiconductor with a wide bandgap, high carrier mobility, and stable characteristics. Moreover, IGZO is an n-type semiconductor with a lower HOMO and LUMO energy level compared to p-type semiconductor, which has great potential as a capture material to fabricate high-performance synaptic devices. However, the application of IGZO as the trapping layer in organic synaptic transistors has received limited attention. Consequently, an organic synaptic transistor based on organic/inorganic heterojunction was developed. The impact of program/erase time on memory performance was investigated, revealing that the memory window and memory ratio increased as the write/erase time was extended. Additionally, typical synaptic behavior were successfully emulated, including excitatory/inhibitory postsynaptic current (EPSC/ IPSC), paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), paired-pulse depression (PPD), high-pass filtering characteristics, and the transformation of short-term plasticity (STP) to long-term plasticity (LTP). Notably, the synaptic transistor based on an inorganic-organic bilayer heterojunction achieved a high recognition accuracy of 89.2% using the MNIST dataset for handwritten digit training. This study provides a facile route for fabricating high-performance synaptic transistors, paving the way for the development of advanced brain-like computers.

P1272 Spatio-temporal distribution of IBD incidence at a territorial level in northern France using the EPIMAD registry (2000-2017): analysis of environmental determinants suggests influence of agricultural practices.

Abstract Background Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) with complex and multifactorial etiologies. Genetic factors have been identified but cannot fully account for disease incidence. Spatial heterogeneity in IBD incidence has been reported across various countries and scales, suggesting a significant influence of environmental factors. Leveraging the population-based EPIMAD registry in northern France (6 million inhabitants), this study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of CD and UC incidence and identify potential environmental risk factors at a territorial level. Methods This ecological study was conducted at the municipal level across 3,041 municipalities within the EPIMAD registry's area for the period 2000-2017. Incident cases included 9,019 CD and 5,789 UC patients. Spatio-temporal age- and sex-standardized incidence ratios were modeled using Bayesian hierarchical models. An inventory of open-access environmental data sources identified 128 datasets, 19 of which were selected to generate 112 indicators at the municipal level. These indicators included contamination levels (air, water, soil), proximity to emission sources (e.g., industrial sites), land use, agricultural practices, natural features, and climate. Ecological regressions were used to explore associations between environmental indicators and incidence. Results Significant spatial disparities in CD and UC incidence were observed, remaining stable over time (Figure 1). For both CD and UC, associations were found with certain types of crops (e.g., sugar beets, barley, wheat, flax, and potatoes) and several metals in soil (e.g., molybdenum, nickel). Associations were more pronounced for CD, including strong links with pesticide use indicators (growth regulators, herbicides, fungicides) and soil contamination by other metals such as arsenic, cadmium, and thallium. For UC, a unique association was observed with soil contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while no significant association with pesticide use was found. Conclusion These findings highlight a relationship between IBD incidence and agricultural practices, providing new insights to the existing literature. Multivariate approaches should be employed to better describe environmental exposure profiles. Additionally, individual-level epidemiological studies are needed to confirm and expand upon these results.

Zirconium vs. hafnium: a comparative study of mesoporous MOF stability.

A wide range of mesoporous Zr and Hf metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), namely MIP-206, MOF-808, and NU-1000, as well as the microporous UiO-66, were systematically investigated and compared in terms of thermal and chemical stability. The holistic effects of metal type (Zr vs. Hf), linker type (small and rigid vs. large and flexible), and framework topology (2D vs. 3D) on the overall framework stability were investigated.

Zinc Chloride-Doped g-C3N4 Microtubes for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride.

Morphology regulation and element doping are effective means to improving the photocatalytic performance of graphite-phase carbon nitride (g-C3N4). In this article, using melamine and zinc chloride as raw materials, a novel kind of Zn/Cl-doped hollow microtubular g-C3N4 (Zn-HT-CN) by a hydrothermal method was developed. The structure and morphology of Zn-HT-CN and reference samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), etc. The doping of Zn/Cl narrowed the bandgap width of the hollow microtubular g-C3N4, as well as the inhibiting recombination of photogenerated electron and holes. Compared with the pure g-C3N4 microtube, Zn-HT-CN showed excellent catalytic performance for the photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) under irradiation of visible light. The photodegradation rate of TCH reached 94.41% in 40 min, which was about two times as high as that catalyzed by the pure g-C3N4 microtube. Moreover, it was also superior to the g-C3N4 microtube doped with other typical metal elements. In addition, Zn-HT-CN showed good tolerance to environmental pH, and the catalytic efficiency of the material remained at 78.78% after five cycles.

Research on the Performance Optimization of Molybdenum Disulfide for Multifunctional Applications

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), as a typical transition metal chalcogenide compound, has emerged as a research hotspot in nanomaterials due to its excellent electrochemical properties and catalytic activity. However, conventional MoS2 exhibits certain limitations in terms of its catalytic performance, electrical conductivity, and cycling stability. To address these issues, this paper aims to explore the improvement of the multifunctional performance of MoS2 via different performance optimisation strategies, such as heteroatom doping, semiconductor composites, as well as metallic and non-metallic loading. By reviewing and analyzing the relevant literature on the performance enhancement of MoS2 in recent years, this paper summarizes the specific applications and effects of these optimization strategies, highlighting that they significantly improve the performance of MoS2 in fields such as optics, electrochemical catalysis, lithium batteries, and supercapacitors, particularly in terms of catalytic activity, electrical conductivity, and cycling stability. The results indicate that the optimisation of MoS2 performance provides an important theoretical basis and practical guidance for its application in energy storage and catalytic hydrogen evolution.

Synthesis and physical properties evaluation of Thermal Interface Material (TIM) polyurethane adhesive containing metal fillers contents and the type of polyols

It is important to manufacture a heat dissipation material to solve the heat generation problem of electronic devices. TIM with high thermal conductivity should be inserted into heating elements and heat dissipation plates to facilitate heat transfer, as heat often becomes trapped within electronic devices. To increase thermal conductivity, the content of metal filler must be high, but as the content of metal filler increases, the physical properties of the polyurethane adhesive deteriorate. In this study, polyurethane was synthesized with different polyols and isocyanates. And then combined metal fillers to produce TIM polyurethane adhesives. At this time, the filler content was set to 0%, 50%, 70%, and 90%. To compare the effects of metal filler contents and type of polyol on physical properties, the characteristics of the synthesized heat dissipation materials were measured using FT-IR, 1H-NMR, DSC, TGA, UTM, LFA, and viscometer.

A novel sensor-independent convolutional neural network for structural damage detection：illustrated by a case study on gantry crane

Structural damage detection is a critical technology for ensuring the safety of engineering structures. In recent years, intelligent structural damage detection algorithms based on machine learning have garnered widespread attention globally, thanks to their efficient and reliable detection performance. However, existing damage detection methods largely depend on the use of sensors, which not only increases operational and maintenance costs but also limits the applicability of these methods—especially in parts of structures where sensors are difficult to install. To overcome this barrier, this paper introduces a novel sensor-independent convolutional neural network (CNN) approach for predicting the maximum response of structures under seismic excitation. This method utilizes IDA method to collect a large number of samples (these samples have been uploaded to Mendeley Data for reference). It employs innovative data processing and grouping methods for feature alignment as well as the division of the test and training sets. By automatically extracting the signal characteristics of seismic excitation and optimizing feature combinations through multi-layer fusion, this method achieves high-precision and robust prediction without relying on sensors. To validate the effectiveness of this method, this study conducted a performance evaluation on a typical gantry crane metal structure. The results show that the proposed sensor-independent CNN algorithm achieves high-precision structural response prediction, with over 99% accuracy for peak responses, demonstrating the robustness and reliability of the model. It also performs excellently in key metrics such as root mean square error, error bias, and learning rate progression, making it a reliable and cost-effective solution for real-time seismic damage detection.

Symmetry breaking enhances the catalytic and electrocatalytic performance of core/shell tetrametallic porous nanoparticles.

The performance of functional nanocatalysts can be extended by integrating multiple types of metals into well-designed nanoparticles. A porous multimetallic shell grown around high-quality monometallic seeds significantly enhances the availability of active sites. Here, tetrametallic core/shell nanoparticles (Au@mPdPtIr) featuring micro- and mesoporous shells are synthesized with strict control over the overall particle morphology. To reveal the impact of the core nanoparticle morphology on the optical, structural and electrocatalytic properties, tetrametallic particles are prepared using gold cores with different shapes but identical volumes and surface chemistry. Our general synthetic approach ensures the successful and reliable synthesis of porous trimetallic shells around the cores, keeping the final atomic composition of the different multimetallic particles identical. The results clearly highlight the significance of the core morphology in the catalytic performance and the superior activity of symmetry-broken core/shell particles in heterogeneous as well as electrocatalytic oxidation reactions. These can be attributed to the fine structural details of the deposited trimetallic shells and their influence on the charge carrier transport between the multimetallic particles and the organic test molecules. While all nanocatalysts show excellent morphological robustness, the optimal morphology also depends on the reaction type and conditions of the specific reaction.

Soil-ecological condition of the soil cover affected by the emissions of the factories of the Kazphosphate enterprise

The article provides information about the effect of phosphorus plant emissions on the soil-plant system. Emissions from phosphorus factories in Zhambyl region pose an environmental threat to the soils used for agricultural purposes, plants and residents located near them. The basis for evaluating the geochemical structure is to provide a description of the patterns of territorial and image location of heavy metals in soils, to determine the features of their migration and accumulation, and to study the stability of landscapes to pollution. About the amount of general and mobile types of heavy metals in the soils of the studied facility. Analytical data on the amount of general and mobile types of heavy metals in the soils of the studied facility showed that they were in acceptable concentrations. Some minor increases in total zinc, copper and cadmium in the soils of some sites can be explained by soil-forming rocks. In samples of amaranth plants, 10.4 times exceeding the limit permissible concentration of lead was recorded, as well as 3.2 and 3.6 times exceeding the limit permissible concentration of cadmium in the roots and leaves of large cypress.

Mo-doped vanadium oxide for p-type silicon solar cells with an improved hole selective contact

Abstract As a typical transition metal oxide with high work function, vanadium oxide (V2O5) is a very promising hole selective layer for efficient crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. The holes are extracted or transported via band-to-band tunneling and trap-assisted tunneling (TAT), which strongly depend on the concentration of oxygen vacancies (V O); however, very little work has focused on its effective modulation. Herein, solution-processed V2O5 films are doped with Mo6+ to tune the hole selectivity for p-Si heterojunction solar cells. With an appropriate doping concentration of 10 mol%, the surface passivation is improved and the contact resistivity decreases simultaneously. The enhanced hole-selective transport with the dominated TAT mechanism contributes to the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of V2O5/p-Si heterojunction solar cells being increased from 16.2% to 17.7%, due to the increase of V O induced by the electron transfer from Mo6+ to V5+. The utilization of forming gas annealing further improves the PCE up to 18.2%, ascribed to the generation of more V O and the additional passivation of hydrogen, which is the highest achieved with solution-processed V2O5−X for c-Si heterojunction solar cells up to now.

Evaluation of the efficiency of inhibitor protection of metal surfaces in aggressive water and oil environments

The article analyzes the problems associated with the occurrence of corrosion processes of equipment during oil and gas production. The main anti-corrosion methods and means used in modern conditions are considered. In the vast majority of cases, the corrosion of industrial equipment proceeds by an electrochemical mechanism when the metal is in contact with an aqueous mineralized environment, therefore it is advisable to use the inhibitory protection of the equipment against corrosion processes. It is known that corrosion inhibitors are substances, the introduction of which in relatively small quantities into an aggressive environment causes a noticeable slowing down of metal corrosion. In fact, it is a substance that inhibits the corrosion process due to competitive adsorption with particles of activators and the formation of protective adsorption or phase films on the metal surface, sometimes with barrier properties. Corrosion inhibitors affect the kinetics of electrode processes that occur during corrosion, and are also characterized by the ability to form oxide, hydroxide or other films on the metal and transfer the metal to a passive state. Taking into account the mechanism and conditions of corrosion processes during the extraction and transportation of oil-containing products and gas condensate, a chemical method of equipment protection was chosen for research. Known inhibitors based on phosphonic acids, as well as synthesized substances based on sulfonates, imidazolines, and diamines, were used as chemical agents in the research. As a result of the research, the effectiveness of protecting metals from corrosion was evaluated depending on the composition of the highly mineralized environment, the type of metal, the type of inhibitor and its concentration, and the effectiveness of the developed scale stabilizer (sodium nitrile dimethyl sulfonate) was evaluated in comparison with known reagents. It is shown that the effectiveness of protecting metals from corrosion in water-oil mixtures using alkylimidazoline inhibitors and inhibitors developed on the basis of sunflower oil and polyalkylene polyamine (AC-1), ethylenediamine (AC-2) reaches 90% in doses of 5 - 50 mg/dm3.

Oscillatory Motion of a Camphor Disk on a Water Phase with an Ionic Liquid Sensitive to Transition Metal Ions.

We investigated oscillatory motion of a camphor disk floating on water containing 5 mM hexylethylenediaminium trifluoroacetate (HHexen-TFA) as an ionic liquid (IL). The frequency of the oscillatory motion increased with increasing concentrations of the transition metal ions Cu2+ and Ni2+ but was insensitive to Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+, the typical metal ions in the water phase. The surface tension of the water phase containing 5 mM HHexen-TFA also increased with increasing concentrations of Cu2+ and Ni2+ but was insensitive to Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+. Based on density functional theory, metal-ion species-dependent frequency response is discussed with regard to surface tension as the force of self-propulsion and complex formation between HHexen-TFA and metal ions. These results suggest that complex formation between the transition metal ions (Cu2+, Ni2+) and the ethylenediamine group in the IL increases the surface tension around the camphor disk, resulting in an increase in the frequency of oscillatory motion with increasing concentrations of Cu2+ or Ni2+. The present study suggests that the nature of self-propulsion can be created by complexation, which changes the force of self-propulsion.

Review of Cadmium Bioaccumulation in Fish Exposed to Cadmium.

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic substance in the aquatic ecosystem, which can represent a high risk to fish. Fish are exposed to heavy metals through waterborne and dietary pathways, some of which are absorbed by the body and can accumulate in specific tissues without being eliminated. The accumulation varies depending on several factors such as dose, exposure route, exposure time, metal types, and biological status of the fish, and environmental parameters such as DO, salinity, pH, and metal speciation. As Cd speciation occurs in the water, the amount accumulated in the fish can vary, and consuming Cd-accumulated fish can pose a risk to human health. Cd introduced into the body of fish can directly affect blood properties through the circulatory system. Cd introduced into the circulatory system of fish can reach all tissues through the blood flow, and the accumulation of specific tissues is different depending on the blood flow by the energy and oxygen demand of each tissue. Therefore, this review aimed to determine the toxic effects of Cd exposure in fish and identify indicators to assess the extent of Cd bioaccumulation toxicity in fish induced by Cd exposure.

Enhanced Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries Using 3D MoS2/Conductive Polymer Composite

MoS2, a typical transition metal dichalcogenide, features a layered structure, multi-phase transition, and tunable band gap, which is a promising candidate for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Recent studies have focused on the metastable 1T-MoS2 phase, which exhibits superior electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity compared to the more stable 2H phase. Herein, a straightforward one-step hydrothermal method was used to synthesize three-dimensional MoS2/polymer composites (H-MoS2-PEDOT). Under acidic conditions, the polymerization and intercalation of EDOT molecules in the MoS2 layers promote the phase transition from 2H to 1T, thereby enhancing its conductivity and electrochemical performance. Additionally, it was found that the intercalated PEDOT and small amounts of water molecules have contributed to enhancing Zn2+ ion diffusion and cycle stability. As a result, AZIBs based on the H-MoS2-PEDOT composite deliver a high specific capacity of 173.6 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1, maintaining a specific capacity of 116 mAh g−1 and a capacity retention of 82.8% after 1000 cycles at 5 A g−1.

Image Comparison between Original and Duplicated Books on Goryeo History (高麗史) from 15th and 16th Centuries in Joseon Dynasty of Korea: Metal Type Prints vs. Re-engraved Woodblock Prints

In 1482, during the Joseon dynasty (조선, 朝鮮, 1392-1910), volumes of books on the history of the previous Goryeo dynasty (고려, 高麗, 918-1392) were written and printed with metal type. The similarities and differences between these books on the Goryeo history (고려사, 高麗史), printed with metal type in the 15th century and the identical book printed using re-engraved woodblocks in the 16th century were compared. The printed pages had the same width in both the metal printed books and woodblock books, but differences in page height were observed: the original metal printed books from the 15th century had larger heights than the woodblock printed books from the 16th century. Using image comparison and analysis between various versions of works of Goryeo history, we investigated the correlations between the directional shrinkage of the wood as a potential root cause of the size difference in only one direction between the metal type and the re-engraved woodblock-printed versions. It was confirmed that the comparison of the size and directions of the printed areas is a very effective method of determining the printing method and the sequence of changes in very similar versions of old Korean books.

Thermoplastic Composite Hot-Melt Adhesives with Metallic Nano-Particles for Reversible Bonding Techniques Utilizing Microwave Energy.

This study investigated the creation of nano-composites using recycled LDPE and added 7.5 wt% nanofillers of Al and Fe in two varying particle sizes to be used as hot-melt adhesives for reversible bonding processes with the use of microwave technology. Reversible bonding relates to circular economy enhancement practices, like repair, refurbishment, replacement, or renovation. The physical-chemical, mechanical, and dielectric characteristics were considered to determine the impact of particle size and metal type. Through the investigation of electromagnetic radiation absorption in the composites, it was discovered that the optimal bonding technique could potentially involve a frequency of 915 MHz and a power level of 850 × 103 W/kg, resulting in an efficient process lasting 0.5 min. It was ultimately proven that the newly created hot-melt adhesive formulas can be entirely recycled and repurposed for similar bonding needs.