Numerical simulation on ionic wind in circular channels

Ionic wind induced by direct-current corona discharge has attracted considerable interest because of its low energy consumption, low noise emission, flexible designs, and lack of moving parts. The purpose of this study is to investigate the configuration parameters to improve the velocity of the ionic wind. Accordingly, this study develops a three-dimensional(3 D) model of circular tube with multi-needle-to-mesh electrode configurations, in this model, the influences of various parameters were explored,such as the mesh gap, the distribution of needle electrodes, the number of needle electrodes,and the radius of the circular channel. The numerical research results showed that the mesh gap, the distribution of needle electrodes, and the radius of the circular tube significantly affected the velocity of the ionic wind. When mesh gap is 12 mm,which indicates that there is an optimal mesh gap which can enhance the velocity of the ionic wind. What is more, changing the distribution of needle electrodes and increasing the number of needle electrodes can effectively improve the velocity of the ionic wind, the optimum distribution α of needle electrodes is 0.7–0.9, which greatly increase the velocity of the ionic wind. However, for multi-needle-to-mesh structure, the improvement of the radius of the circular channel is conducive to enhance the velocity and improve the velocity distribution.     

Anthraquinones from the Aerial Parts of Rubia cordifolia with Their NO Inhibitory and Antibacterial Activities

The present study aimed to identify the composition of the aerial parts of Rubia cordifolia L. A chemical investigation on the EtOAc extracts from the aerial parts of Rubia cordifolia resulted in the isolation of four new anthraquinones, namely Cordifoquinone A–D (1–4), along with 16 known anthraquinones. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR and HR-ESIMS data. All isolates were assessed for their inhibitory effects on NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Compounds 1, 3 and 10 exhibited significant inhibitory activities with IC₅₀ values of 14.05, 23.48 and 29.23 μmol·L⁻¹, respectively. Their antibacterial activities of four bacteria, Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus (ATCC 29213), Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica (ATCC 14028) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), were also evaluated. Our results indicated that the antibacterial activity of these compounds is inactive.     

Optimization of Biocompatibility for a Hydrophilic Biological Molecule Encapsulation System

Despite considerable advances in recent years, challenges in delivery and storage of biological drugs persist and may delay or prohibit their clinical application. Though nanoparticle-based approaches for small molecule drug encapsulation are mature, encapsulation of proteins remains problematic due to destabilization of the protein. Reverse micelles composed of decylmonoacyl glycerol (10MAG) and lauryldimethylamino-N-oxide (LDAO) in low-viscosity alkanes have been shown to preserve the structure and stability of a wide range of biological macromolecules. Here, we present a first step on developing this system as a future platform for storage and delivery of biological drugs by replacing the non-biocompatible alkane solvent with solvents currently used in small molecule delivery systems. Using a novel screening approach, we performed a comprehensive evaluation of the 10MAG/LDAO system using two preparation methods across seven biocompatible solvents with analysis of toxicity and encapsulation efficiency for each solvent. By using an inexpensive hydrophilic small molecule to test a wide range of conditions, we identify optimal solvent properties for further development. We validate the predictions from this screen with preliminary protein encapsulation tests. The insight provided lays the foundation for further development of this system toward long-term room-temperature storage of biologics or toward water-in-oil-in-water biologic delivery systems.     

Theoretical Investigation on the Hydrogen Evolution,Oxygen Evolution,and Oxygen Reduction Reactions Performances of Two-Dimensional Metal-Organic Frameworks Fe3(C2X)12 (X = NH,O, S)

Two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks (2D MOFs) inherently consisting of metal entities and ligands are promising single-atom catalysts (SACs) for electrocatalytic chemical reactions. Three 2D Fe-MOFs with NH, O, and S ligands were designed using density functional theory calculations, and their feasibility as SACs for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was investigated. The NH, O, and S ligands can be used to control electronic structures and catalysis performance in 2D Fe-MOF monolayers by tuning charge redistribution. The results confirm the Sabatier principle, which states that an ideal catalyst should provide reasonable adsorption energies for all reaction species. The 2D Fe-MOF nanomaterials may render highly-efficient HER, OER, and ORR by tuning the ligands. Therefore, we believe that this study will serve as a guide for developing of 2D MOF-based SACs for water splitting, fuel cells, and metal-air batteries.     

Quantification of Venetoclax for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Chinese Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients by a Validated UPLC-MS/MS Method

Venetoclax has emerged as a breakthrough for treatment of leukemia with a wide interindividual variability in pharmacokinetics. Herein, a rapid, sensitive, and reliable UPLC-MS/MS method for quantification of venetoclax in plasma was developed and validated. The method was operated in the multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode to detect venetoclax at m/z transition 868.5 > 321.0 and IS at 875.5 > 321.0, respectively. Protein precipitation prior to injection into the LC-MS/MS and the analyte was separated on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column by gradient elution with acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water. Linear calibration curves were obtained in the range of 25–8000 ng/mL. The specificity, recovery, matrix effect, and stability also met the acceptance criteria of FDA guidance. The method was successfully applied to analyze plasma in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. The peak plasma concentration (C_max) of venetoclax in Chinese AML patient was 2966.0 ± 1595.0 ng/mL while the trough concentration (C_min) was 1018.0 ± 729.4 ng/mL. Additionally, C_max and C_min showed a positive correlation with AST levels. Furthermore, C_max was significantly higher in the older patients. The present method can be applied for TDM of venetoclax in treatment of hematological cancers.     

The Cradle-to-Cradle Life Cycle Assessment of Polyethylene terephthalate: Environmental Perspective

Over the last several years, the number of concepts and technologies enabling the production of environmentally friendly products (including materials, consumables, and services) has expanded. One of these ways is cradle-to-cradle (C2C) certified^TM. Life cycle assessment (LCA) technique is used to highlight the advantages of C2C and recycling as a method for reducing plastic pollution and fossil depletion by indicating the research limitations and gaps from an environmental perspective. Also, it estimates the resources requirements and focuses on sound products and processes. The C2C life cycle measurements for petroleum-based poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) bottles, with an emphasis on different end-of-life options for recycling, were taken for mainland China, in brief. It is considered that the product is manufactured through the extraction of crude oil into ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. The CML analysis method was used in the LCIA for the selected midpoint impact categories. LCA of the product has shown a drastic aftermath in terms of environmental impacts and energy use. But the estimation of these consequences is always dependent on the system and boundary conditions that were evaluated throughout the study. The impacts that burden the environment are with the extraction of raw material, resin, and final product production. Minor influences occurred due to the waste recycling process. This suggests that waste degradation is the key process to reduce the environmental impacts of the production systems. Lowering a product’s environmental impact can be accomplished in a number of ways, including reducing the amount of materials used or choosing materials with a minimal environmental impact during manufacture processes.     

钨/石墨烯/钨面向等离子体复合材料力学与热学及耐辐照性能衰减的第一性原理计算

通过第一性原理计算研究了钨/石墨烯/钨复合材料相比于纯钨金属在力学与热学性质方面的变化,并用氦原子-空位缔合缺陷模拟核聚变辐照损伤评估等离子体辐照条件下的性能。计算结果表明：钨/石墨烯/钨复合材料的体积弹性模量、杨氏模量与剪切模量呈现一定程度的下降,但是提升了钨基材料的延展性;钨/石墨烯/钨复合材料的热膨胀系数有所增加,但是具有较高的最小热导率。本文阐述了石墨烯界面层可以对基体杂质与缺陷进行吸附的独特机制,通过这种机制,钨/石墨烯/钨复合材料在力学、热膨胀系数以及最小热导率有更低程度的衰减,这显示了钨/石墨烯/钨复合材料在抗辐照性能方面具有较大的应用潜力。     

H2S、HCN、PH3在FeO（100）表面吸附的密度泛函理论研究

基于密度泛函理论研究了H2S、HCN、PH3 在FeO(100)表面的吸附行为,其吸附位点主要考虑四个：Fe-top(铁顶位)、O-top(氧顶位)、Hollow(空位)、Bridge(桥位)。结果表明H2S吸附在O-top吸附位点的吸附能最小,为-1.02ev,即在该位点的吸附体系最稳定。当HCN吸附在FeO(100)表面时,各吸附位点的稳定顺序为Hollow>Fe-top>Bridge>O-top。PH3 的最稳定的吸附位点与H2S的一致,为O-top吸附位点,其吸附能为-1.11ev。当H2S吸附在O-top吸附位点时,H2S与FeO（100）表面的电荷转移量最多,说明该吸附构型最稳定,而HCN吸附在FeO(100)表面,在Hollow吸附位点的电荷转移量最多,也即该吸附位点属于最稳定吸附位点。PH3与FeO（100）表面之间的电荷转移量最多的吸附位点与H2S的相同。当H2S和PH3吸附在O-top吸附位点时,吸附后的态密度曲线整体向低能级移动,峰值降低,其吸附结构变得更加稳定。而HCN吸附在Hollow位点时,吸附后的HCN态密度曲线向能量更低的区域移动,吸附体系变得更稳定。     

Thermal stress reduction of GaAs epitaxial growth on V-groove patterned Si substrates

We investigate the thermal stresses for GaAs layers grown on V-groove patterned Si substrates by the finite-element method. The results show that the thermal stress distribution near the interface in a patterned substrate is nonuniform,which is far different from that in a planar substrate. Comparing with the planar substrate, the thermal stress is significantly reduced for the Ga As layer on the patterned substrate. The effects of the width of the V-groove, the thickness, and the width of the SiO₂ mask on the thermal stress are studied. It is found that the SiO₂ mask and V-groove play a crucial role in the stress of the Ga As layer on Si substrate. The results indicate that when the width of V-groove is 50 nm, the width and the thickness of the SiO₂ mask are both 100 nm, the Ga As layer is subjected to the minimum stress. Furthermore,Comparing with the planar substrate, the average stress of the Ga As epitaxial layer in the growth window region of the patterned substrate is reduced by 90%. These findings are useful in the optimal designing of growing high-quality Ga As films on patterned Si substrates.