Modeling of cementitious materials exposed to isothermal calcium leaching,considering process kinetics and advective water flow. Part 2: Numerical solution

The second part of the paper presents numerical solutions of the mathematical model of hydro-chemo-mechanical behavior of cementitious materials exposed to contact with deionized water of part 1. The model defines kinetics of the calcium leaching process instead of a direct application of a curve describing equilibrium between solid calcium in the material skeleton and the calcium dissolved in the pore solution. It further takes into account the advective flux of calcium ions. Both aspects are new as compared to previous models. The weak form of the governing equations of the model is derived first using the Galerkin method. Then, the equations are discretized in space with finite elements and in time domain with finite differences, and finally the procedures used for numerical solution of their discretized form are presented. Three numerical examples are solved to test the numerical solution procedure proposed and demonstrate its robustness for solution of 1D and 2D problems concerning fast and slow leaching of cement-based materials. The effect of various factors on the results concerning chemical degradation of structures made of cementitious materials is analyzed as well.     

Variational formulations,convergence and stability properties in nonlocal elastoplasticity

A thermodynamically consistent formulation of nonlocal plasticity in the framework of the internal variable theories of inelastic behaviors of associative type is presented. A family of mixed variational formulations, with different combinations of state variables, is provided starting from the finite-step nonlocal elastoplastic structural problem. It is shown that a suitable minimum principles provides a rational basis to exploit the iterative elastic predictor-plastic corrector algorithm in terms of the dissipation functional. A sufficient condition is proved for the convergence of the iterative elastic predictor-plastic corrector algorithm based on a suitable choice of the elastic operator in the prediction phase and a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a unique solution (if any) of the nonlocal problem at hand is then provided. The nonlinear stability analysis of the nonlocal problem is carried out following the concept of nonexpansivity proposed in local plasticity.     

Variational formulations and a consistent finite-element procedure for a class of nonlocal elastic continua

The structural boundary-value problem in the context of nonlocal (integral) elasticity and quasi-static loads is considered in a geometrically linear range. The nonlocal elastic behaviour is described by the so-called Eringen model in which the nonlocality lies in the constitutive relation. The diffusion processes of the nonlocality are governed by an integral relation containing a recently proposed symmetric spatial weight function expressed in terms of an attenuation function. A firm variational basis to the nonlocal model is given by providing the complete set of variational formulations, composed by ten functionals with different combinations of the state variables. In particular the nonlocal counterpart of the classical principles of the total potential energy, complementary energy and mixed Hu–Washizu principle and Hellinger–Reissner functional are recovered. Some examples concerning a piecewise bar in tension are provided by using the Fredholm integral equation and the proposed nonlocal FEM.     

Physical and morphological characteristics and electrochemical behaviour in PEM fuel cells of PtRu /C catalysts

Platinum-ruthenium catalysts supported on carbon (PtRu/C) have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), specific surface area analysis (BET), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell tests. The results indicate the presence of strong metal-carbon interactions, which hinder the formation of a single-phase face-centered cubic (fcc) PtRu alloy. The particle size of the PtRu/C catalysts was smaller than both carbon-supported platinum (Pt/C) and ruthenium (Ru/C) catalysts. In the bimetallic electrocatalysts the intercrystallite distance decreased with respect to pure Pt and Ru metals. PEM fuel cell tests in H₂/air operation mode revealed a decrease of performance with increasing carbon content of the catalyst, at a fixed Pt loading. In H₂ + 100 ppm CO/air operation mode the maximum performance of the PEM fuel cell was attained at 0.63 atomic fraction Ru. Received: 2 December 1999 / Accepted: 27 January 2000     

Trichoderma Enzymes for Degradation of Aflatoxin B1 and Ochratoxin A

The contamination of agricultural products with mycotoxins causes risks to animal and human health and severe economic losses. Mycotoxicoses can be reduced by preventing fungal infection using chemical and biological approaches. The chemical strategies can release toxic molecules; therefore, strategies for biological control are being evaluated, such as using nontoxic fungi and their metabolites. This work evaluated the effect of exoenzymes produced by the beneficial fungus Trichoderma afroharzianum strain T22 in degrading Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and Ochratoxin A (OTA). The ability of Trichoderma to produce hydrolases was stimulated by using different inducing substrates. The highest AFB1 and OTA degradation activity was obtained using a medium containing lyophilized mushrooms and crude fiber. The T. afroharzianum T22’s ability to reduce mycotoxins may be attributed to peroxidase enzymes. This study showed that T. afroharzianum strain T22 or its peroxidase supplementation could represent a sustainable strategy for the degradation of AFB1 and OTA in feed and food products.     

Within the Ischemic Penumbra,Sub-Cellular Compartmentalization of Heat Shock Protein 70 Overlaps with Autophagy Proteins and Fails to Merge with Lysosomes

The brain area which surrounds the frankly ischemic region is named the area penumbra. In this area, most cells are spared although their oxidative metabolism is impaired. area penumbra is routinely detected by immunostaining of a molecule named Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70). Within the area penumbra, autophagy-related proteins also increase. Therefore, in the present study, the autophagy-related microtubule-associated protein I/II-Light Chain 3 (LC3) was investigated within the area penumbra along with HSP70. In C57 black mice, ischemia was induced by permanent occlusion of the distal part of the middle cerebral artery. Immunofluorescence and electron microscopy show that LC3 and HSP70 are overexpressed and co-localize within the area penumbra in the same cells and within similar subcellular compartments. In the area penumbra, marked loss of co-localization of HSP70 and LC3-positive autophagy vacuoles, with lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) or cathepsin-D-positive lysosome vacuoles occurs. This study indicates that, within the area penumbra, a failure of autophagolysosomes depends on defective compartmentalization of LC3, LAMP1 and cathepsin-D and a defect in merging between autophagosomes and lysosomes. Such a deleterious effect is likely to induce a depletion of autophagolysosomes and cell clearing systems, which needs to be rescued in the process of improving neuronal survival.     

等离子体湍流能量传输的尺度相关性

对于空间环境中近乎无碰撞的等离子体,可采用Vlasov方程进行理论描述,基于Vlasov方程,讨论了等离子体湍流能量传输和耗散的过程:由亚格子应力引起的尺度间的能量传输,电场做功,压强张量做功(压强张量与速度梯度张量的相互作用).通过混合Vlasov-Maxwell(HVM)数值模拟,进一步研究了能量传输通道之间的联系...     

Natural Formulations Based on Olea europaea L. Fruit Extract for the Topical Treatment of HSV-1 Infections

In the present study, a hydroxytyrosol-rich Olea europaea L. fruit extract (OFE) was added to three thoroughly green formulations—hydrogel, oleogel, and cream—in order to evaluate their antiviral activity against HSV-1. The extract was characterized by different analytical techniques, i.e., FT-IR, XPS, and TGA. HPLC analyses were carried out to monitor the content and release of hydroxytyrosol in the prepared formulations. The total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity were investigated through Folin–Ciocâlteu’s reagent, DPPH, and ABTS assays. The ability of the three formulations to convey active principles to the skin was evaluated using a Franz cell, showing that the number of permeated polyphenols in the hydrogel (272.1 ± 1.8 GAE/g) was significantly higher than those in the oleogel and cream (174 ± 10 and 179.6 ± 2 GAE/g, respectively), even if a negligible amount of hydroxytyrosol crossed the membrane for all the formulations. The cell viability assay indicated that the OFE and the three formulations were not toxic to cultured Vero cells. The antiviral activity tests highlighted that the OFE had a strong inhibitory effect against HSV-1 with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) at 25 µg/mL, interfering directly with the viral particles. Among the three formulations, the hydrogel exhibited the highest antiviral activity also against the acyclovir-resistant strain.     

Optimized Green Extraction of Polyphenols from Cassia javanica L. Petals for Their Application in Sunflower Oil: Anticancer and Antioxidant Properties

The total phenolic content (TPC) from Cassia javanica L. petals were extracted using ethanolic solvent extraction at concentrations ranging from 0 to 90% and an SCF-CO₂ co-solvent at various pressures. Ultrasound-assisted extraction parameters were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Antioxidant and anticancer properties of total phenols were assessed. An SCF-CO₂ co-solvent extract was nano-encapsulated and applied to sunflower oil without the addition of an antioxidant. The results indicated that the best treatment for retaining TPC and total flavonoids content (TFC) was SCF-CO₂ co-solvent followed by the ultrasound and ethanolic extraction procedures. Additionally, the best antioxidant activity by β-carotene/linoleic acid and DPPH free radical-scavenging test systems was observed by SCF-CO₂ co-solvent then ultrasound and ethanolic extraction methods. SCF-CO₂ co-solvent recorded the highest inhibition % for PC3 (76.20%) and MCF7 (98.70%) and the lowest IC₅₀ value for PC3 (145 µ/mL) and MCF7 (96 µ/mL). It was discovered that fortifying sunflower oil with SCF-CO₂ co-solvent nanoparticles had a beneficial effect on free fatty acids and peroxide levels. The SCF-CO₂ method was finally found to be superior and could be used in large-scale processing.     

Fluorinated PLGA Nanoparticles for Enhanced Drug Encapsulation and 19F NMR Detection

In the continuous search for multimodal systems with combined diagnostic and therapeutic functions, several efforts have been made to develop multifunctional drug delivery systems. In this work, through a covalent approach, a new class of fluorinated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) co-polymers (F-PLGA) were designed that contain an increasing number of magnetically equivalent fluorine atoms. In particular, two novel compounds, F₃-PLGA and F₉-PLGA, were synthesized and their chemical structure and thermal stability were analyzed by solution NMR, DSC, and TGA. The obtained F-PLGA compounds were proven to form in aqueous solution colloidal stable nanoparticles (NPs) displaying a strong ¹⁹F NMR signal. The fluorinated NPs also showed an enhanced ability to load hydrophobic drugs containing fluorine atoms compared to analogous pristine PLGA NPs. Preliminary in vitro studies showed high cell viability and the NP ability to intracellularly deliver and release a functioning drug.