A review on the applications of micro-/nano-encapsulated phase change material slurry in heat transfer and thermal storage systems

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In modern heat transfer systems, thermal storage not only causes the balance between demand and supply, but also improves the heat transfer efficiency...     

The extended quark sigma model at finite temperature and baryonic chemical potential

An extended quark sigma model which includes higher-order mesonic interactions is studied at the finite baryonic chemical potential u _B and temperature T. The field equations have been solved in the mean-field approximation by using the modified iteration method at finite baryonic chemical potential u _B and temperature T. The Goldstone theorem is satisfied below a critical temperature in the chiral limit for u _B = 0. As expected from general universality, the chiral phase transition is second-order. By including the higher-order mesonic interactions, the critical temperature is reduced compared to that found in recent works and is in good agreement with lattice QCD results. The nucleon mass is examined in the (u _B , T) plane, showing a strong dependence on u _B and T. We find that an increase in both the baryonic chemical potential u _B and the temperature T leads to an increase in the values of the nucleon mass. This is evidence for the quark-gluon deconfinement phase transition at higher values of temperature.     

Plantazolicin A and B: structure elucidation of ribosomally synthesized thiazole/oxazole peptides from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42

The structures of the ribosomally synthesized peptide antibiotics from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42, plantazolicin A and B, have been elucidated by high resolving ESI-MSMS, 2D (1)H-(13)C-correlated NMR spectroscopy as well as (1)H-(15)N-HMQC/(1)H-(15)N-HMBC NMR experiments. (15)N-labeling prior to the experiments facilitated the structure determination, unveiling a hitherto unusual number of thiazoles and oxazoles formed from a linear 14mer precursor peptide. This finding further extends the number of known secondary metabolites from B. amyloliquefaciens and represents a new type of secondary metabolites from the genus Bacillus.     

Fluorescent Studies of Salicylaldehyde and Other Related Carbonyl Compounds for the Selective and Sensitive Detection of Zinc(II) Ions in Aqueous Solution

Salicylaldehyde was found to have a high selectivity for zinc ions with simultaneous enhancement of fluorescence in aqueous buffer solution at optimum pH 8.5. The stoichiometry of the complex was determined to be 1:1 with a K(a) value of 3.4 × 10(4) M(-1) at 298 K. The fluorescence of the complex is not affected by common anions and Zn(2+) binds preferentially to salicylaldehyde in the presence of alkali, alkaline earth and heavy metal cations (Hg(2+), Cd(2+), Cr(3+) and Ni(2+)). This property is not observed with related phenolic compounds bearing a carbonyl group such as esters, amides, carboxylic acids and ketones.     

VH-4-A Bioactive Peptide from Soybean and Exercise Training Constrict Hypertension in Rats through Activating Cell Survival and AMPKα1, Sirt1, PGC1α, and FoX3α

Hypertension is a chronic disease related to age, which affects tens of millions of people around the world. It is an important risk factor that causes myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and kidney damage. Bioactive peptide VHVV (VH-4) from soybean has shown several biological activities. Physical exercise is a cornerstone of non-pharmacologic treatment for hypertension and has established itself as an effective and complementary strategy for managing hypertension. The present study evaluates the efficacy of VH-4 supplement and swimming exercise training in preventing hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). SHR animals were treated with VH-4 (25 mg/kg by intraperitoneal administration) and swimming exercise (1 h daily) for eight weeks, and the hemodynamic parameters, histology, and cell survival pathway protein expression were examined. In SHR rats, increased heart weight, blood pressure, and histological aberrations were observed. Cell survival protein p-PI3K and p-AKT and antiapoptosis proteins Bcl2 and Bcl-XL expression decreased in SHR animals. SIRT1 and FOXO3 were decreased in hypertensive rats. Both bioactive peptide VH-4 treatment and swimming exercise training in hypertensive rats increased the cell survival proteins p-PI3K and p-AKT and AMPKα1, Sirt1, PGC1α, and FoX3α proteins. Soy peptide VH-4, along with exercise, acts synergistically and prevents hypertension by activating cell survival and AMPKα1, Sirt1, PGC1α, and FoX3α proteins.     

Nonlinear fractional optimal control problems with neural network and dynamic optimization schemes

Nonlinear Dynamics - This paper deals with a numerical technique for fractional optimal control problems (FOCPs) based on a neural network scheme. The fractional derivative in these problems is in...     

Gas chromatographic and differential scanning calorimetric studies of new bonded silicas in connection with transition phenomena

Summary In order to give a molecular interpretation to the phase transition observed with densely bonded octadecyl-silicas in reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) as well as in gas chromatography (GC), nine new bonded silicas were prepared including grafts with polar groups at the extremities of long spacers (18 carbon atoms). The interpretation is simplified by using large-pore macroporous substrates and inverse GC in conjunction with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as the test method. A phase transition is observed in almost all cases, but the temperature range is lower and more extended in comparison to the dimethyloctadecyl reference silica. An interpretation of the phase transition is given, based on the folding of the chains and the resulting autodensification of the layer.     

Nanopolishing by colloidal nanodiamond in elastohydrodynamic lubrication

In this paper, the feasibility of using explosion synthesized diamond nanoparticles with an average particle size (APS) of 3–5 nm with a concentration of 1 % by weight for improving lubrication and friction in elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) was investigated. Owing to the orders of magnitude increase in the viscosity of the lubricant in the EHL contact zone, diamond nanoparticles in the lubricant polish the surfaces at the nanoscale which decreases the composite roughness of contacting surfaces. The reduced composite roughness results in an increased film thickness ratio which yields lower friction. In the numerical analysis, governing equations of lubricant flow in the full elastohydrodynamic lubrication were solved, and the shear stress distribution over the fluid film was calculated. Using an abrasion model and the shear stress distribution profile, the material removal by the nanofluid containing nanoparticles and the resultant surface roughness were determined. The numerical analysis showed that in full EHL regime, the nanolubricant can reduce the composite roughness of moving surfaces. Experimental results from prior studies which exhibited surface polishing by such nanolubricants in boundary, mixed, and full elastohydrodynamic lubrication were used for comparison to the numerical model.     

In vitro biological evaluations of Fe3O4 compared with core–shell structures of chitosan-coated Fe3O4 and polyacrylic acid-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Today the use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) is widely investigated because of their biocompatibility and nontoxicity. The objective of this study was to...