Magnetic resonance T1ρ imaging of osteoarthritis: a rabbit ACL transection model

Objective

The objective of this study was to develop quantitative T_1ρ-weighted magnetic resonance imaging methodology for the detection and characterization of cartilage degeneration in a rabbit anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) transection model.

Methods

The right knee ACLs of 18 adult female New Zealand white rabbits were transected. The left knee joint served as a sham control. The rabbits were euthanized at 3 (Group 1), 6 (Group 2) and 12 (Group 3) weeks postoperatively. High-resolution 3D fat-saturated spoiled gradient echo images and T_1ρ-weighted images were obtained in both the sagittal and axial planes at 3 T using a quadrature wrist coil. Following MR analysis, histological slides from the lateral femoral condyle cartilage were graded using the Mankin grading system.

Results

For all three groups, the average overall T_1ρ values were significantly higher in the ACL-transected knee compared to control knee, and the percentage differences in T_1ρ values between ACL-transected and control increased with the duration of time after transection. The average Mankin score for ACL-transected knees was higher than that for control for each time point, but this difference was statistically significant only for all groups combined.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the feasibility of using T_1ρ-weighted imaging as a useful tool in the detection and quantification of cartilage damage in all knee compartments in an ACL-transected rabbit model of cartilage degeneration.     

Monolayer boron-arsenide as a perfect anode for alkali-based batteries with large storage capacities and fast mobilities

We investigate, by means of first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculation, the possibility of using hexagonal boron-arsenide (h-BAs) as an anode material for alkali-based batteries. We show that the adsorption strength of alkali atoms (Li, Na, and K) on h-BAs in comparison with graphene and other related materials changes a little as a function of alkali atom concentration. When the separation between alkali atoms and h-BAs is less than the critical distance of ~5 Å, the adsorption energy abruptly increases showing fast adsorption without an energy barrier. Furthermore, the low energy barriers of 0.322, 0.187, and 0.0.095 eV for Li, Na, and K, respectively, ensure the fast ionic diffusivities for all the three alkali atoms. Additionally, the addition of these alkali atoms transforms the electronic properties of h-BAs from semiconducting to metallic, resulting in improved electronic conductivities. Most interestingly, the excellent storage capacities of h-BAs (~626 mAh/g) for alkali atoms make it a material of similar caliber to that of other popular anode materials. Finally, the average open circuit voltages are calculated and found to be in the desired range. In short, h-BAs possess every quality that is crucial for an anode material and thus it is interesting to see h-BAs in alkali-based battery technologies.     

l-Isoleucine-catalyzed Michael Synthesis of N-Alkylsuccinimide Derivatives and Their Antioxidant Activity Assessment

Russian Journal of Organic Chemistry - N-Substituted succinimides having different alkyl groups were prepared by the reaction of N-substituted maleimide with aldehydes. A two-component catalyst...     

Self‐Assembly Behaviors of a Penta‐Phenylene Maltoside and Its Application for Membrane Protein Study

We prepared an amphiphile with a penta‐phenylene lipophilic group and a branched trimaltoside head group. This new agent, designated penta‐phenylene maltoside (PPM), showed a marked tendency to self‐assembly into micelles via strong aromatic–aromatic interactions in aqueous media, as evidenced by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and fluorescence studies. When utilized for membrane protein studies, this new agent was superior to DDM, a gold standard conventional detergent, in stabilizing multiple proteins long term. The ability of this agent to form aromatic–aromatic interactions is likely responsible for enhanced protein stabilization when associated with a target membrane protein.     

An improved hybrid continuum‐atomistic four‐way coupled model for electrokinetics in nanofluidics

In this study, an efficient hybrid continuum‐atomistic method is proposed to study electrokinetic transport of aqueous solutions in nanofluidics. The aqueous phase is considered as a continuous phase containing immersed ion particles. The behavior of the system is then simulated through utilization of an improved hybrid continuum‐atomistic four‐way coupled approach, including the MultiPhase Particle‐In‐Cell method for the short‐ranged interaction between the ion particles, the Brownian force for the collision between the aqueous phase molecules and the ion particles, and a wall force accounting for the short‐ranged interaction of ions and walls. The validation of the proposed model with the results of Molecular Dynamics simulations suggests that this model can be a promising approach for studying the electrokinetic phenomena in more complicated geometries where the Molecular Dynamics approach is computationally prohibitive. Finally, the effects of electrokinetic parameters, such as the height of the channel, the external electric field, and bulk ionic concentration, on the electroosmotic flow in a nanochannel are investigated and discussed.     

General Solution for Unsteady Natural Convection Flow with Heat and Mass in the Presence of Wall Slip and Ramped Wall Temperature

This work is focused on the effect of heat and mass transfer with unsteady natural convection flow of viscous fluid along with ramped wall temperature under the assumption of the slip wall condition at the boundary. Analytical solutions are obtained by using Laplace transformation to the non-dimensional set of governing equations containing velocity, temperature and concentration. Moreover, the expression for skin-friction is derived by differentiating the analytical solutions of fluid velocity. Numerical tables for Skin-friction, Sherwood number and Nusselt-number are examined. For the physical aspects of the flow, we use various values of involved physical parameters such as Prandtl number (Pr), slip parameter ($\eta$), Schmidt number (Sc), buoyancy ratio parameter ($N$), Sherwood number (Sh), and time $(t)$. Additionally, the general solutions are plotted graphically and a comprehensive theoretical section of numerical discussions is included.     

An Optimal Analysis for 3D Flow of Prandtl Nanofluid with Convectively Heated Surface

In this paper,the magnetohydrodynamic 3 D flow of Prandtl nanoliquid subject to convectively heated extendable surface has been discussed.A linear stretching surface makes the flow.Thermophoretic and Brownian motion impacts are explored.Heat transfer for convective procedure is considered.Prandtl liquid is taken electrically conducted through applied magnetic field.Suitable non-dimensional variables lead to strong nonlinear ordinary differential system.The obtained nonlinear differential systems are solved through optimal homotopic technique.Physical quantities like skin friction coefficients and Nusselt number are explored via plots.It is observed that effects of Hartman parameter and Biot number on temperature and concentration are quite similar.Both temperature and concentration are enhanced for larger values of Hartman parameter and Biot number.     

Unsteady Two-Dimensional Blood Flow in Porous Artery with Multi-Irregular Stenoses

The flow characteristics of an unsteady axisymmetric two-dimensional (2D) blood flow in a diseased porous arterial segment with flexible walls are investigated. The arterial walls mimic the irregular constrictions whereas the lumen containing the thrombus, cholesterol, and fatty plaques represents the porous medium. The governing equations with appropriate initial and boundary conditions are solved numerically using MAC method. The discretization is done on staggered grid with non-uniform grid size and pressure-poisson equation is solved following SOR method. The pressure and velocity corrections are made cyclically until the steady state is achieved. It is observed that for decreasing permeability, flow is highly decelerated while pressure drop and wall shear stress increases. The separation zones and re-circulation regions are found for severe stenoses. Flow separation and re-circulation diminishes for decreasing permeability of the porous medium. Comparisons are provided with published experimental and numerical results.     

Mixed convection cooling of a heated circular cylinder by laminar upward-directed slot jet impingement

An experimental and numerical study has been carried out to investigate the heat transfer characteristics of a horizontal circular cylinder exposed to a slot jet impingement of air. A square-edged nozzle is mounted parallel with the cylinder axis and jet flow impinges on the bottom of the cylinder. The study is focused on low Reynolds numbers ranging from 120 to 1,210, Grashof numbers up to Gr = 10Re ² and slot-to-cylinder spacing from 2 to 8 of the slot width. The flow field is greatly influenced by the slot exit velocity and the buoyancy force due to density change. A Mach–Zehnder Interferometer is used for measurement of local Nusselt number around the cylinder at 10° interval. It is observed that the average Nusselt number decreases with increasing the jet spacing and increases with rising the Reynolds number. A finite volume method utilizing a curvilinear coordinate transformation is used for numerical modeling. The numerical results show good agreement with the experimental results. The flow and thermal field are seen to be stable and symmetric around the cylinder over the range of parameters studied.     

Rheological and morphological properties of PA6/ECO nanocomposites

Polyamide-6/poly(epichlorohydrin - co - ethylene oxide) (PA6/ECO) nanocomposites were prepared with 6 wt.% organoclay and different ECO content from 5 to 40 wt.%, via two-step melt blending process. The effects of organoclay and rubber content on the morphological and rheological properties of samples have been studied. Samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and rheometry in small amplitude oscillatory shear. XRD results indicate that the nanoclay platelets are partially exfoliated in both PA6 and ECO phases. The higher rubber content of nanocomposite samples results in higher exfoliation degree of the nanoclay layers. SEM photomicrographs of samples show that the size of rubber droplets increases by the introducing of nanoclay. Oscillatory shear measurements show that the storage modulus of nanocomposite samples significantly increases in comparison with unfilled blends. The formation of physical network is the prime cause of such increase. Moreover, presence of nanoclay dramatically increases melt yield stress of the samples. Palierne emulsion model has been applied to predict the rheological behavior of unfilled blends. A quantitative agreement between Palierne model and those of experimental data is found for low ECO content samples.