Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pollution poses significant environmental consequences, and thus new degradation methods must be explored to mitigate this problem. We previously demonstrated that a consortium of three Pseudomonas and two Bacillus species can synergistically degrade PET in culture. The consortium more readily consumes Bis(2-Hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET), a byproduct made in PET depolymerization, compared to PET, and can fully convert BHET into metabolically usable monomers terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG). Because of its crystalline structure, the main limitation of the biodegradation of post-consumer PET is the initial transesterification from PET to BHET, depicting the need for the transesterification step in the degradation process. Additionally, there have been numerous studies done on the depolymerization reaction of PET to BHET, yet few have tested the biocompatibility of that product with a bacterial consortium. In this report, a two-step process was implemented for sustainable PET biodegradation, where PET is first depolymerized to form BHET using an Orange Peel Ash (OPA) catalyzed glycolysis reaction, followed by complete degradation of the BHET glycolysis product by the bacterial consortium. Results show that OPA-catalyzed glycolysis reactions can fully depolymerize PET, with an average BHET yield of 92% (w/w) and that the reaction product is biocompatible with the bacterial consortium. After inoculation with the consortium, 19% degradation of the glycolysis product was observed in 2 weeks, for a total degradation percentage of 17% when taking both steps into account. Furthermore, the 10-week total BHET degradation rate was 35%, demonstrating that the glycolysis products are biocompatible with the consortium for longer periods of time, for a total two-step degradation rate of 33% over 10 weeks. While we predict complete degradation is achievable using this method, further experimentation with the consortium can allow for a circular recycling process, where TPA can be recovered from culture media and reused to create new materials.

The thermal degradation behaviour of 10:90 and 90:10 blends of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) and petroleum coke has been investigated using mechanical alloying (milling) at 300 rpm and for periods up to 1-10 hours. Milled specimens were characterised using SEM and x-ray diffraction; their thermal degradation behaviour was investigated using thermo-gravimetric analyser (TGA) for temperatures up to 1200°C. Whereas PET specimens showed a tendency towards flattening out and increased surface area during collisions in ball mills, petroleum coke particles tended to break down into smaller particles. 10:90 and 90:10 blends of PET and coke showed significant microstructural evolution with increasing speeds and time including fracture, strain hardening and re-welding. X-ray diffraction results showed clear evidence for increasing amorphous component in petroleum coke without much influence on PET crystallinity. Thermo-gravimetric results showed a significant increase in the overall degradation and much higher weight losses associated with mechanical alloying. This study has shown that mechanical alloying could be used to modify the degradation behaviour of coke/plastic blends and corresponding yield during pyrolysis with implications for plastic waste management.

Enzymatic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling processes are gaining interest for their low environmental impact, use of mild conditions, and specificity. Furthermore, PET hydrolase enzymes are continuously being discovered and engineered. In this work, we studied a PET hydrolase (PET2), initially characterized as an alkaline thermostable lipase. PET2 was produced in a fusion form with a 6-histidine tag in the N-terminal. The PET2 activity on aromatic terephthalate and new indole-based polyesters was evaluated using polymers in powder form. Compared with IsPETase, an enzyme derived from Ideonella sakaiensis, PET2 showed a lower PET depolymerization yield. However, interestingly, PET2 gave significantly higher polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and polyhexylene terephthalate (PHT) depolymerization yields. A clear preference was found for aromatic indole-derived polyesters over non-aromatic ones. No activity was detected on Akestra™, an amorphous copolyester with spiroacetal structures. Docking studies suggest that a narrower and more hydrophobic active site reduces its activity on PET but favours its interaction with PBT and PHT. Understanding the enzyme preferences of polymers will contribute to their effective use to depolymerize different types of polyesters.

An immiscible blend of poly(hydroxy ether of bisphenol-A) (phenoxy) and poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate) (PBT) with phase separation was observed in as-blended samples. However, compatibilization of the phenoxy/PBT blends can be promoted through chemical exchange reactions of phenoxy with PBT upon annealing. In contrast to the as-blended samples, the annealed phenoxy/PBT blends had a homogeneous phase with a single T_g that could be enhanced by annealing at 260°C. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy demonstrated that phase homogenization could be promoted by annealing of the phenoxy/PBT blend, where alcoholytic exchange occurred between the dangling hydroxyl group in phenoxy and the carbonyl group in PBT in the heated blends. The alcoholysis reaction changes the aromatic linkages to aliphatic linkages in carbonyl groups, which initially led to the formation of a graft copolymer of phenoxy and PBT with an aliphatic/aliphatic carbonyl link. The progressive alcoholysis reaction resulted in the transformation of the initial homopolymers into block copolymers and finally into random copolymers, which promoted phase compatibilization in blends of phenoxy with PBT. Due to the fact that the amount of copolymers increased upon annealing, crystallization of PBT was inhibited by alcoholytic exchange in the blends.

We report on the successful preparation of wet dressings hydrogels based on Chitosan-Poly(N-Vinyl-Pyrrolidone)-Poly(ethylene glycol)-Poly(acrylic acid) and Poly(ethylene oxide) by e-beam cross-linking in weakly acidic media, to be used for rapid healing and pain release of infected skin wounds. The structure and compositions of hydrogels investigated according to sol-gel and swelling studies, network parameters, as well as FTIR and XPS analyses showed the efficient interaction of the hydrogel components upon irradiation, maintaining the bonding environment while the cross-linking degree increasing with the irradiation dose and the formation of a structure with the mesh size in the range 11-67 nm. Hydrogels with gel fraction above 85% and the best-swelling properties in different pH solutions were obtained for hydrogels produced with 15 kGy. The hydrogels are stable in the simulated physiological condition of an infected wound and show appropriate moisture retention capability and the water vapor transmission rate up to 272.67 g m-2 day-1, to ensure fast healing. The hydrogels proved to have a significant loading capacity of ibuprofen (IBU), being able to incorporate a therapeutic dose for the treatment of severe pains. Simultaneously, IBU was released up to 25% in the first 2h, having a release maximum after 8h.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is nowadays one of the most used polymers for packaging applications. Modifications induced by service conditions and the optimal mean to recycle this matter several times have to be perfectly understood to allow a reuse for similar application (from bottle to bottle for example). The present study aims to compare physico-chemical properties, crystalline organization, and mechanical behaviour of virgin (vPET) and recycled PET (rPET). Using different combined experimental methods (Calorimetry, Small Angle X-ray Scattering, Atomic Force Microscopy, DMA, and uni-axial tensile test), it has been proven that even if there is no change in the crystallinity of PET, the crystallisation process shows some differences (size and number of spherulites). The potential impact of these differences on local mechanical characterization, at the lamella scale, is explored and tends to demonstrate the development of homogeneous microstructure, leading to well-controlled and relevant local mechanical properties. This approach increases the understanding of crystallisation of PET and recycled PET during forming processes such as thermoforming or injection stretch blow moulding (ISBM) where elongation at break can depend on the microstructure conditioned by the crystallisation process.

Background: Obesity among pregnant women is common, and their offspring are predisposed to obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. Circulating metabolites that are related to insulin resistance and are associated with this decreased tissue-specific uptake are unknown. Here, we assessed metabolite profiles in elderly women and who were either female offspring from obese mothers (OOM) or offspring of lean mothers (OLM). Metabolic changes were tested for associations with metrics for insulin resistance. Methods: 37 elderly women were separated into an elderly offspring from obese mothers (OOM; n = 17) and elderly offspring from lean/normal weight mothers (OLM; n = 20) groups. We measured plasma metabolites using 1H-NMR and also insulin-dependent tissue specific glucose uptake in skeletal muscle were assessed. Associations were made between metabolites and glucose uptake. Results: Compared to the OLM group, we found that the 22:6 docosahexaenoic acid percentage of the total long chain n-3 fatty acids (DHA/FA) was significantly lower in OOM (P = 0.015). DHA/FA associated significantly to skeletal muscle GU (P = 0.031) and M-value in the OLM group only (P = 0.050). Conclusions: DHA/FA is associated with insulin-dependent skeletal muscle glucose uptake and that this association is significantly weakened in the offspring of obese mothers.

In contrast to the traditional fillers, clay, in particular, natural smectite clay represents an environmentally significant alternative to improve the properties of polymers. Compared to con-ventional nanofillers, smectite clay can effectively enhance the physical and mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites with a relatively small amount of addition (< 5 wt%). The present study focuses on investigating the reinforcing efficiency of different amounts (up to 5 wt%) of a natural Brazilian smectite clay on the mechanical and thermal properties of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) nanocomposites. Natural Brazilian clay modified by addition of quaternary salt and sodium carbonate (MBClay) was infused into the PBT polymer by melt extrusion, using a twin-screw extruder. It was found that the best properties for PBT were obtained at 3.7 wt% of modified BClay. Tensile strength at break exhibited an increase of about 60 %, flexural strength increased by 24 % and flexural modulus increased by 17 %. In addition, an increase in the crystallinity percentage of PBT/BClay nanocomposite was confirmed by DSC and XRD analysis, and a gain of about 45 % in HDT was successfully achieved due to incorporation of 3.7 wt% of MBClay.

Poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) have protein-antifouling properties and blood compatibility. ABA triblock copolymers (PMEAn-PEO11340-PMEAn (MEOMn)) were prepared using single-electron transfer-living radical polymerization (SET-LRP) using a bi-functional PEO macroinitiator. Two types of MEOMn composed of PMEA blocks with a degree of polymerization (DP = n) of 85 and 777 were prepared using the same PEO macroinitiator. MEOMn formed flower micelles with a hydrophobic PMEA (A) core and hydrophilic PEO (B) loop shells in diluted water with a similar appearance to petals. The hydrodynamic radii of MEOM85 and MEOM777 were 151 and 108 nm, respectively. The PMEA block with a large DP formed a tightly packed core. The aggregation number (Nagg) of the PMEA block in a single flower micelle for MEOM85 and MEOM777 was 156 and 164, respectively, which were estimated using a light scat-tering technique. The critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) for MEOM85 and MEOM777 were 0.01 and 0.002 g/L, respectively, as determined by the light scattering intensity and fluorescence probe techniques. The size, Nagg, and CMC for MEOM85 and MEOM777 were almost the same inde-pendent of hydrophobic DP of the PMEA block.

Three-dimensional matrices are a new strategy used to tackle type I diabetes; a chronic metabolic disease characterized by the destruction of beta pancreatic cells. Type I collagen is an abundant extracellular matrix (ECM), component that has been used to support cell growth. However, pure collagen possesses some difficulties including low stiffness and strength, and high susceptibility to cell-mediated contraction. Therefore, we developed a collagen hydrogel with a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) interpenetrating network (IPN), functionalized with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to mimic the pancreatic environment for the sustenance of beta-pancreatic cells. We analyzed the physicochemical characteristic of the hydrogels and found that they were successfully synthesized. The mechanical behavior of the hydrogels improved with the addition of VEGF, and the swelling degree and the degradation were stable over time. In addition, it was found that 5 ng/mL VEGF-functionalized collagen/PEGDA IPN hydrogels sustained and enhanced viability, proliferation, respiratory capacity and functionality of beta pancreatic cells. Hence, this is a potential candidate for future preclinical evaluation, which may be favorable for diabetes treatment.

Two different silica conformations (Xerogels and Nanoparticles) both formed by the mediation of dendritic poly (ethylene imine) were tested at low pHs on the problematic uranyl cation sorption. The effect of crucial factors i.e., temperature, electrostatic forces, adsorbent composition, accessibility of the pollutant to the dendritic cavities and MW of the organic matrix was investigated to conclude the optimum formulation for water purification under these conditions. This was attained with the aid of UV-Visible and FTIR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), ζ-potential; Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) porosimetry, Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TG) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Results highlighted that both adsorbents have extraordinary sorp-tion capacity. Xerogels are cost-effective since they approximate the performance of na-noparticles with much lesser organic content. Furthermore, they are more practicable materials since they may penetrate the pores of a metal or ceramic solid substrate in the form of a precursor, gel-forming solution.

The binding of actinide ions (Am(III) and U(VI)) in aqueous solutions by hybrid silica-hyperbranched poly(ethylene imine) nanoparticles (NP) and xerogels (XG) has been studied by means of batch experiments at different pH values (4, 7 and 9) under ambient atmospheric conditions. Both materials present relatively high removal efficiency at pH 4 and pH 7 (&gt; 70%) for Am(III) and U(VI). The lower removal efficiency for the nanoparticles is basically associated with the compact structure of the nanoparticles and the lower permeability and access to active amine groups compared to xerogels, and the negative charge of the radionuclide species formed under alkaline conditions (e.g. UO2(CO3)34- and Am(CO3)2-). Generally, the adsorption process is relatively slow due to the very low radionuclide concentrations used in the study and is basically governed by the actinide diffusion from the aqueous phase to the solid surface. On the other hand, the adsorption is favored with increasing temperature assuming that the reaction is endothermic and entropy-driven, which is associated with increasing randomness at the solid-liquid interphase upon actinide adsorption. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on hybrid silica-hyperbranched poly(ethylene imine) nanoparticle and xerogel materials used as adsorbents for americium and uranium at ultra-trace levels. Compared to other adsorbent materials used for binding americium and uranium ions, both materials show far higher binding efficiency. Xerogels could remove both actinides even from seawater by almost 90%, whereas nanoparticles could remove uranium by 80% and americium by 70%. The above, along with their simple derivatization to increase the selectivity towards a specific radionuclide and their easy processing to be included in separation technologies, could make these materials attractive candidates for the treatment of radionuclide/actinide contaminated water.

In Australia, traditional methods of cat management by local government (councils) animal management officers (AMO) have been ineffective, with cat-related calls and cat impoundments continuing to increase, resulting in many healthy cats being euthanized. This has detrimental effects on the mental health of AMOs, pound and shelter staff and veterinarians. The City of Banyule, Victoria implemented a free cat sterilization, microchipping and registration (licensing) program in 2013-14. Initially targeted to three low socioeconomic suburbs with the highest cat-related calls and intake, where enforcement action had little effect. An average of 4.1 cats/1000 residents per year were sterilized over eight years. The program was available to all cats in the area, including stray cats being fed by caregivers, provided they took ownership of the cats. There were no limitations on the number of cats enrolled per household and free transport was provided if required. The program was later expanded city-wide. Over eight years, city-wide cat intake decreased by 66%, euthanasia by 82%, with an increase in proportion of cats reclaimed by owners from a baseline of 6% of intake (2012-13) to 16% (2020-21). Cat-related calls decreased in the target area by 51% and city-wide by 36%. The council’s financial outlay was $84,000, which resulted in decreased costs as-sociated with cat-related calls of $266,225.00. Instead of traditional trap-adopt- kill, proactive management of urban cats based on targeted sterilization should be utilized by government and animal welfare agencies in Australia and internationally. These types of programs are effective at reducing intake and euthanasia and are cost-effective.

The current study assessed the influence of Anti Stripping Agents (ASA), Ground Tire Rubber (GTR) and waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) on performance behavior of binder and Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) mixtures. Through this paper, the 85/100 penetration grade bitumen was utilized as original bitumen. Also, three liquid ASA’s (ASA (A), ASA (B), ASA (C)) were used as a mixture modifier. For this purpose, softening point, penetration, rotational viscosity, Dynamic Shear Rheometer, Multi Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR) and Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS) tests were implemented to investigate the rheological properties of modified bitumen. For evaluating the behavior of modified mixtures several tests such as; Resilient Modulus, Tensile Strength, dynamic creep, wheel track and four-point beam fatigue tests were implemented. Based on MSCR test results, utilization of mentioned polymers enhanced the elasticity of bitumens and therefore the permanent deformation resistance of binders increases. Also by the addition of PET percentage, the rutting resistance improves. Results indicated that utilization of ASAs, PET and Crumb Rubber (CR) enhance the Resilient Modulus (Mr), Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS), rutting resistance, fatigue life and Fracture Energy (FE) of asphalt mixtures. Also based on results, modification of binder by PET/CR with a ratio of 50%/50% and ASA (B) have the highest fatigue life which indicates that this mixture has highest resistance against fatigue cracking.

Deep learning (DL) algorithms used for DOTATATE PET lesion detection typically require large, well-annotated training datasets. These are difficult to obtain due to low incidence of gastroenteopancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), and the high cost of manual annotation. Furthermore, networks trained and tested with data acquired from site specific PET/CT instrumentation, acquisition and processing protocols have reduced performance when tested with offsite data. This lack of generalizability requires even larger, more diverse training datasets. The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of improving DL algorithm performance by better matching the background noise in training datasets to higher noise, out-of-domain testing datasets. 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT datasets were obtained from two scanners: Scanner1, a state-of-the-art digital PET/CT (GE DMI PET/CT; n=83 subjects), and Scanner2, an older-generation analog PET/CT (GE STE; n=123 subjects). Set1, the data set from Scanner1 was reconstructed with standard clinical parameters (5 minutes; Q.Clear) and list-mode reconstructions (VPFXS 2, 3, 4, and 5-minutes). Set2, data from Scanner2, representing out-of-domain clinical scans, used standard iterative reconstruction (5 minutes; OSEM). Reconstructed datasets were divided into training, validation, and testing datasets in a 60%, 20%, 20% proportion, and a deep neural network was trained with each: Network1 for Scanner1 and Network2 for Scanner2. DL performance (Network1) was tested with out-of-domain test data (Set2). To evaluate the effect of training sample size, we tested DL model performance using a fraction (25%, 50%, and 75%) of Set1 for training. Scanner1, list-mode 2-minute reconstructed data demonstrated the most similar noise level compared that of Set2, resulting in the best performance (F1=0.713). This was not significantly different compared to the highest performance, upper-bound limit using in-domain training for Network2 (F1=0.755; p-value=0.103). Regarding sample size, the F1 score significantly increased from 25% training data (F1=0.478) to 100% training data (F1=0.713; p&lt;0.001). List-mode data from modern PET scanners can be reconstructed to better match the noise properties of older scanners. Using existing data and their associated annotations dramatically reduces the cost and effort in generating these datasets, and significantly improves the performance of existing DL algorithms. List-mode reconstructions can provide an efficient, low-cost method to improve DL algorithm generalizability.

The sound and heat insulation are among the most important concerns in modern life and nonwoven composite structures are highly effective in noise reduction and heat insulation. In this study, three layered nonwoven composite structures composed of recycled polyester (r-Pet) based thermo bonded nonwoven outer layer and meltblown nonwovens from PP and PBT as inner layers were formed to provide heat and sound insulation. Fiber fineness and cross section of thermo bonded outer layer, fiber type (PP/PBT), areal weight (100/200g/m2) and process conditions (calendared/non-calendared) of meltblown inner layer have changed systematically and the influence of these parameters on thickness, bulk density, air permeability, sound absorption coefficient and thermal resistance of composite structures were analyzed statistically. Also; the results were compared with composite structures including electrospun nano fiber web inner layer and with structures without inner layer. It was determined that sound absorption coefficients ranging between 0.77-0.98 for moderate sound frequencies and 0.99-1 for higher sound frequencies were acquired with developed nonwoven composite structures. Besides, higher sound absorption coefficients were obtained as 0.71 and 0.74 for low sound frequencies such as 800 and 1000Hz, respectively. As a result of this study it can be concluded that developed nonwoven composite structures that provides better sound absorption coefficients and similar thermal conductivity values compared to previous studies and materials in the market can be used as insulation material in required areas.

There are various approaches to managing polyethylene terephthalate waste, including methods for recycling PET. However, at present, only the cleanest wastes that can already be efficiently recycled using known methods are considered in the scientific literature. The study aims to look at other forms of polyethylene terephthalate waste that pose a challenge: low quality PET flakes, polyester tire cord, PET dust and prepolymer waste. The waste was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, viscosimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, laser diffraction and sieve analysis. The findings describe the composition and properties of various forms of polyethylene terephthalate waste. Low quality PET flake waste and polyethylene terephthalate dust have been shown to be suitable for all chemical recycling methods. When recycling waste polyester tire cord, it is difficult to completely separate the rubber, so its presence in the final product must be taken into account. The most promising way to process a prepolymer is its depolymerization by hydrolysis, alcoholysis or glycolysis to produce monomers for the synthesis of PET, similar in properties to the primary one.

This study explores the potential to reach a circular economy for post-consumer recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) packaging and bottles by using it as a distributed recycling for additive manufacturing (DRAM) feedstock. Specifically, rPET is processed using only an open source toolchain with fused particle fabrication (FPF) or fused granular fabrication (FGF) processing. In this study, first the impact of granulation, sifting and heating (and their combination) is quantified on the shape and size distribution of the rPET flakes. Then feeding studies were performed to see if they could be printed through an external feeder or needed to be direct printed with a hopper using two Gigabot X machines, one with extended part cooling and one without. Print settings were optimized based on thermal characterization and for the latter which was shown to print rPET directly from shredded water bottles mechanical testing is performed. The results showed that geometry was important for extended feeding tubes and direct printed using a hopper. Further there is a wide disparity in the physical properties of rPET from water bottles depending on source and the history of the material. Future work is needed to enable water bottles to be used as a widespread DRAM feedstock.

Total-body PET/CT scanners provide increased sensitivity, enabling the adjustment of imaging parameters by reducing injected activity or shortening acquisition time. This study aimed to evaluate the limitations of reduced [18F]FDG activity doses on image quality, lesion detectabil-ity, and quantification of lesion uptake in the Biograph Vision Quadra, as well as to assess the benefits of the recently introduced ultra-high sensitivity mode in a clinical setting. A number of 26 patients who underwent [18F]FDG-PET/CT (3.0 MBq/kg, 5 min. scan time) were included in this analysis. PET raw data was rebinned for shorter frame durations to simulate 5 min. scans with lower activities in high sensitivity (HS) and ultra-high sensitivity (UHS) modes. Image quality, noise, and lesion detectability (n=82) were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. The co-efficient of variation (CoV), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), tumor-to-background ratio (TBR), and standardized uptake values (SUV) including SUVmean, SUVmax, and SUVpeak were evaluated. Sub-jective image ratings were generally superior in UHS compared to HS mode. At 0.5 MBq/kg, le-sion detectability decreased to 95% (HS) and 98% (UHS). SNR was comparable at 1.0 MBq/kg in HS (5.7±0.6) and 0.5 MBq/kg in UHS (5.5±0.5). With lower doses, there were negligible reductions in SUVmean and SUVpeak, whereas SUVmax increased steadily. Reducing [18F]FDG activity to 1.0 MBq/kg (HS/UHS) in a total-body PET/CT provides diagnostic image quality without statistical-ly significant changes in uptake parameters. UHS mode improves image quality, noise, and le-sion detectability compared to HS mode.

Quasi-solid composited electrolytes were produced by LiFSI initiated polymerized poly-(Dioxolane) (PDOL) with garnet-LLZO (Li7La2Zr3O12) nanofibers and used in lithium-metal batteries. Linear sweep voltammetry shows that the initial oxidation voltage of 4.6 V for Gel-10% (G10, 10% wt. LLZO in PDOL) vs Li/Li+. EIS test of stainless steel// stainless steel symmetric cells for Gel-1% (G1), Gel-5% (G5) and Gel-10% (G10) show ion conductivity (5*10-5 S/cm). Li/G10/Li symmetric cells have stable stripping-plating cycling performance over 1300 hours continuously with the current density of 0.1 mA/cm2 at 25 oC, indicating a good interface contact and stable lithium-ion transport pathway through the composite electrolytes. LFP/G10/Li batteries have stable charge-discharge plateau, low polarization voltage of 0.07-volt, energy efficiency of 95% and coulombic efficiency of ~99% at current density of 26.3 mA/g at 25 oC for over 100 cycles.

Electrospun ultrathin fibers based on binary compositions of polylactide (PLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) with different ratios of polymer components from 0/100 to 100/0 wt. % were studied. Using a combination of thermal (DSC) and relaxation (EPR) measurements, the effect of biopolymers content on the characteristics of the crystal structure of PLA and PCL and the diffusive rotational mobility of the stable TEMPO radical in the amorphous regions of PLA/PCL compositions was shown. It was revealed that after PLA and PCL blending, significant changes in the degree of crystallinity of PLA, PCL segmental mobility, sorption capacity of the radical as well as activation energy of rotational diffusion in the amorphous regions of PLA/PCL composition are observed. The characteristic region of biopolymers’ composition from 50/50 to 30/70 % PLA/PCL blends ratio was found, where the inversion transition of PLA from dispersive medium to dispersive phase where an inversion transition is assumed when the continuous medium of the PLA transforms into a discrete phase. The performed studies made it possible for the first time to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the effect of the system component ratio on the structural and dynamic characteristics of the PLA/PCL film material at the molecular level.

Mass transfer restrictions of scaffolds are currently hindering the development of three-dimensional (3D), clinically viable, and tissue engineered constructs. For this situation, a 3D poly(lactide-co-glycolide)/hydroxyapatite porous scaffold, which was much favorable for transfer of nutrients to and waste products from the cells in the pores, was developed in this study. The 3D scaffold had an innovative structure, including macropores with diameters of 300−450 μm for cell ingrowth and microchannels with diameters of 2−4 μm for nutrition and waste exchange. The mechanical strength in wet state was strong enough to offer the structural support. The typical structure was more beneficial for the attachment, proliferation, and differentiation of rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs). The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and calcium (Ca) deposition were evaluated on the differentiation of rBMSCs, and the results indicated that the microchannel structure was very favorable for differentiating rBMSCs into maturing osteoblasts. For repairing rabbit radius defects in vivo, there was rapid healing in the defects treated with the 3D porous scaffold with microchannels, where the bridging by a large bony callus was observed at 12 weeks post-surgery. Based on the results, the 3D porous scaffold with microchannels was a promising candidate for bone defect repair.

The global environmental impact of plastic waste is significant, with only 9% being recycled, causing pollution and harming the environment and humans. Due to increased traffic, limited funding, and dwindling natural resources, Jordan's road network is deteriorating rapidly. Pavement performance can be improved through high-quality materials and sustainable construction practices. The research investigates using Polyethylene Terephthalate as a polymer additive in asphalt mixtures to enhance their properties. Basalt and limestone mixtures were applied to asphalt mixtures. The optimal binder content for the control mixture was 4.8% for basalt and 4.93% for limestone. When modified with 10% PET, the basalt mixture showed slightly better stability than the control mix, while higher PET proportions led to reduced strength. PET-modified mixtures consistently displayed higher flows and bulk densities, with a more pronounced impact on the basalt mixture. PET increased the air-void ratio in basalt but had minimal effect on VMA. PET offers economic and environmental advantages, saving 8.4% of the original bitumen cost. As a result, limestone mixture properties, which are inferior to basalt mixture properties, improved significantly compared to basalt mixture properties. PET has the potential to create sustainable and high-performing asphalt mixtures, providing valuable insights for road construction and environmental management.

The poly lactic acid (PLA) is one of the most used bio-derived thermoplastic polymers in 3D and 4D printing applications. The determination of PLA surface properties is of capital importance in 3D/4D printing technology. (1) Background: The surface thermodynamic properties of PLA polymer were determined by using the inverse gas chromatography (IGC) technique at infinite dilution. The determination of the retention volume of polar and non-polar molecules adsorbed on the PLA particles filling the column allowed us to obtain the dispersive, polar, and Lewis’s acid-base surface properties at different temperatures from 40 °C to 100 °C. (2) Methods: the applied surface method was based on our recent model that used the London dispersion equation and the new chromatographic parameter function of the deformation polarizability and the harmonic mean of the ionization energies of the PLA polymer and organic molecules. (3) Results: The application of this new method led to the determination of the dispersive and polar free surface energy of adsorption of molecules on the polymeric material, as well as the glass transition and the Lewis acid-base constants. (4) Conclusions: four interval temperatures were distinguished showing four zones of the variations of the surface properties of PLA as a function of the temperature before and after the glass transition.

In this work, oligoesters with terminal hydroxyl groups were obtained by directed glycolytic degradation of polyethylene terephthalate. The possibility of obtaining bifunctional reactive oligomers with an average molecular weight of 865 g mol-1 by directed glycolytic destruction via a dissolution-degradation strategy in dimethyl sulfoxide at a low concentration of ethylene glycol (32.3 mass parts per 100 mass parts of polyethylene terephthalate) was shown. This process allows us to partially solve the urgent problem of recycling post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate.

Modern organic synthesis is majorly focused on developing environmentally benign synthetic protocols by employing green chemistry principles. Accordingly, in our recent research work, we herein report the use of modified supramolecular host cyclodextrin as an effective solid based green catalyst for accessing structurally diverse and medicinally relevant pyrimidone architectures. The catalyst and the synthesized compounds 4 (a-r) were characterized using FT-IR, NMR and GC-Mass spectroscopy. Major highlights of the reported work include: atom economical process, extremely milder reaction conditions, operational simplicity, high isolated yields, and excellent catalyst turnover number. The molecular docking studies suggest that the compound 4n has the hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and π-pair interactions with the active site of active sites of CXT M 15 receptor.

This study aimed to conduct a cross-cultural adaptation of the development of the cat-owner/dog-owner relationship scales. The method encompassed several stages: conceptual, item, semantic, operational, measurement, and functional equivalence. Processes included translations, synthesis of translations, back-translations, consensus on the English versions, external evaluation by the original authors, expert committee evaluation, and pre-tests. The study involved surveying 342 pet owners throughout Brazil using a 20-item questionnaire. Data analyses utilized confirmatory factor analysis, covariance-based modeling, and multigroup analysis. The techniques confirmed that the scale preserved its psychometric properties and showed no variance between dog and cat owners, indicating that the measured constructs are universal and unaffected by specific cultural nuances. Hence, the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the scale facilitate applying and testing concepts and measures in diverse contexts, enriching our understanding of the dynamics between owners and their pets (dogs and cats) in different living situations. In addition, this research holds particular significance in Brazil, given the country’s vast cultural diversity.

Ethylene is a plant hormone controlling physiological and developmental processes such fruit maturation, hairy root formation and leaf abscission. Its effect on regeneration systems, such as organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis (SE), has been studied and progresses in molecular biology techniques have contributed to unveil mechanisms behind its effects. This compound affects regeneration differently, depending on the species, genotype and explant. In some species, ethylene seems to revert recalcitrance in genotypes with low regeneration capacity. However, its effect is not addictive, since in genotypes with high regeneration capacity this ability decreases in the presence of ethylene precursors, suggesting that regeneration is modulated by ethylene. Several lines of evidence have shown that the role of ethylene on regeneration is markedly connected to biotic and abiotic stresses as well as to hormonal-crosstalk, in particular with key regeneration hormones and growth regulators of the auxin and cytokinin families. Transcriptional factors of the ethylene response factor (ERF) family are regulated by ethylene and strongly connected to SE induction. Thus, an evident connection between ethylene, stress responses and regeneration capacity is markedly established. In this review the effect of ethylene and the way it interacts with other players during organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis is discussed.

Coronaviruses are positive sense RNA virus belonging to the Coronaviridae family, which are further subdivided into four genera: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta Coronaviruses. Infectious bronchitis virus and SARS-CoV belong to Beta Coronaviridae family. Infectious bronchitis virus causes respiratory and nephritic signs that includes tracheal rales, urate crystals, lethargy and nasal discharge. In livestock and pets, the Coronavirus infection causes mostly gastrointestinal lesions, which may be prevented through vaccination and biosecurity. Recent infections of SARS-CoV-2 (also known as COVID-19) on farm and pet animals were summarized in this study. Besides, zoo animals were reported with infections in some countries/regions. Although the damage of COVID-19 has not been reported as serious as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and African Swine Fever (ASF) on farm animals so far, the transmission mechanism of COVID-19 among group animals/farms and its long-term impacts are still not clear. The impact of Coronavirus on animals and potential prevention strategies, such as vaccine development and farm biosecurity measures, were discussed. Prior to the development of the effective vaccine, the biosecurity measures (e.g., conventional disinfection strategies and innovated technologies) may play roles in preventing potential spread of diseases/viruses.

Recently, it was reported that the physical cross-linking exhibited by some biopolymers could provide multiple benefits to biomedical applications. In particular, grafting thermoresponsive polymers onto biopolymers may enhance the degradability or offer other features, as ther-mothickening behavior. Thus, different interactions will affect the different hydrogen bonds and interactions from the physical cross-linking of CMC, the lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs), and the presence of the ions. This work focuses on the study of blends composed of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), poly(N-ethylacrylamide), and carboxymethyl cellulose in water and water/methanol. The molecular features, the thermoresponsive behavior, and gelation phenomena are deeply studied. The ratio defined by both homopolymers will alter the final properties and the gelation of the final structures, showing that the presence of the hydrophilic groups modifies the number and contributions of the diverse hydrogen bonds.

Pet ownership is common in modern society. In Portugal, 38% and 31% of all households own, at least, one dog or cat, respectively. Few studies have ascertained the knowledge of pet owners about pet ownership and zoonoses, and none of them was carried out in Portugal. The aim of the present study was to assess household knowledge and practices related to pet ownership and zoonoses in the North of Portugal. A questionnaire was completed by 424 pet owners, during November 2019 to February 2020. Most respondents (97.2%) considered pets as an important part of the family, especially women (p = 0.036); 73.1% allowed their pets free access to indoors; 41.3% denied sharing the bed with their pets and 29% assumed they did it daily; 20.3% reported never kissing their pets/pets licking their faces; 73.6% considered animals as potential sources of diseases to humans, but only 25.9% reported knowing the definition of zoonoses; 96.9% considered important the role of veterinarians in protecting public health. The low level of knowledge of pet owners and the occurrence of high-risk behaviors indicate a need to strengthen communication between veterinarians, physicians, pet owners and the general public to reduce the risk of acquisition and transmission of zoonoses.

Auxin and ethylene pathways cooperatively regulate a variety of developmental processes in plants. Growth responses to ethylene are largely dependent on auxin, the key regulator of plant morphogenesis. Auxin, in turn, is capable of inducing ethylene biosynthesis and signaling making the interaction of these hormones reciprocal. Recent studies discovered a bunch of molecular events underlying auxin-ethylene crosstalk. In this review, we summarize the results of fine-scale and large-scale experiments on interaction of auxin and ethylene pathways in Arabidopsis. We integrate the knowledge on the molecular crosstalk events, their tissue specificity and associated phenotypic responses to decipher the crosstalk mechanisms at a systems level. We also discuss the prospects of applying systems biology approaches to study the mechanisms of crosstalk between plant hormones.

Plastics have become an important environmental concern due to their durability and resistance to degradation. Out of all plastic materials, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are amenable to biological degradation due to the action of microbial polyester hydrolases. The hydrolysis products obtained from PET can thereby be used for the synthesis of novel PET as well as becoming a potential carbon source for microorganisms. In addition, microorganisms and biomass can be used for the synthesis of the constituent monomers of PET from renewable sources. The combination of both biodegradation and biosynthesis would enable a completely circular bio-PET economy beyond the conventional recycling processes. Circular strategies like this could contribute to significantly decrease the environmental impact of our dependence on this polymer. Here we review the efforts made towards turning PET into a viable feedstock for microbial transformations. We highlight current bottlenecks in the degradation of the polymer and the metabolism of the monomers and we showcase fully biological or semisynthetic processes leading to the synthesis of PET from sustainable substrates.

In the present study, a multilayer high barrier thin blown film based on a polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) blend with polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and composed of four layers, including a cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) barrier layer and an electrospun poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) hot-tack layer, was characterized in terms of surface roughness, surface tension, migration, mechanical and peel performance, barrier properties and disintegration rate. The results showed a material with a smooth surface. The overall migration test showed that the material was suitable for its use as a food contact layer. The addition of the CNC interlayer had a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the system, drastically reducing the elongation at break and, thus, the flexibility of the material. However, the material retained its elastic modulus and tensile strength. The CNC coating had a negative impact on the peeling strength, weakening the inherently strong interlayer adhesivity of the electrospun PHBV fibers. The multilayer had a good barrier to water vapor, and especially to oxygen, with its permeance reduced by up to a 90 % when the CNC layer was present. Finally, the monolayer blend film disintegrated in a period of less than 55 days in a laboratory-scale composting experiment, while the multilayer system disintegrated in 60 days. Overall, the multilayer system formed a fully compostable structure with great potential for use in food packaging applications.

Ocular drug delivery is one of the most challenging administration routes due to the very low drug bioavailability. In this work, we produce and characterize mucoadhesive mixed polymeric micelles (PMs) made of chitosan and poly(vinyl alcohol) backbones graft-hydrophobized with short poly(methyl methacrylate) blocks and use them to encapsulate cannabidiol (CBD), an anti-inflammatory cannabinoid. CBD-loaded mixed PMs are physically stabilized by ionotropic crosslinking of the CS domains with sodium tripolyphoshate and spray-drying. These mixed PMs display CBD loading capacity of 20% w/w and sizes of 100-200 nm, and spherical morphology (cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy). The good compatibility of the unloaded and CBD-loaded PMs is assessed in a human corneal epithelial cell line. Then, we confirm the permeability of CBD-free PMs and nanoencapsulated CBD in cornea cell monolayers under liquid-liquid and air-liquid conditions. Overall, our results highlight the potential of these polymeric nanocarriers for ocular drug delivery.

Advanced MRI methods and PET using radiolabeled amino acids provide valuable information in addition to conventional MR imaging for brain tumor diagnostics. These methods are particularly helpful in challenging situations such as the differentiation of malignant processes from benign lesions, the identification of non-enhancing glioma subregions, the differentiation of tumor progression from treatment-related changes, and the early assessment of response to anticancer therapy. The debate over which of the methods is preferable in which situation is ongoing and has been addressed in numerous studies. Currently, most radiology and nuclear medicine departments perform these examinations independently of each other leading to multiple examinations for the patient. The advent of hybrid PET/MRI allowed a convergence of the methods but to date simultaneous imaging has reached little relevance in clinical neuro-oncology. This is partly due to the limited availability of hybrid PET/MRI scanners, but is also due to the fact that PET is a second-line examination in brain tumors. PET is only required in equivocal situations, and spatial co-registration of PET examinations of the brain to previous MRI is possible without disadvantage. A key factor for the benefit of PET/MRI in neuro-oncology is a multimodal approach that provides decisive improvements in the diagnostics of brain tumors compared with a single modality. This systematic review focuses on studies that were able to demonstrate the additive value of amino acid PET and ‘advanced’ MRI in the diagnosis of brain tumors. Available studies suggest that the combination of amino acid PET and advanced MRI improves grading and the histomolecular characterization of newly diagnosed tumors. However, data concerning the delineation of tumor extent and biopsy guidance are of limited value. A clear additive diagnostic value of amino acid PET and advanced MRI can be achieved regarding the differentiation of tumor recurrence from treatment-related changes. Here, PET-guided evaluation of advanced MR methods seems to be helpful. In summary, there is growing evidence that a multimodal approach can achieve decisive improvements in the diagnostics of brain tumors, for which hybrid PET/MRI offers optimal conditions.

This research was devoted to study the effect of the tacticity of PMMA on the surface physicochemical properties such as the London dispersive component of the surface energy of the polymer, the polar and dispersive free energies, the Lewis’s acid-base surface parameters, and the Lewis acid and base surface energies of atactic, isotactic and syndiotactic PMMAs as a function of the temperature. Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) at infinite dilution was used to determine the surface thermodynamic properties of PMMA at different tacticities. The experimental values of the net retention time and volume of model organic molecules adsorbed on the atactic, isotactic and syndiotactic PMMAs, were obtained by IGC technique at infinite dilution. The London dispersion interaction energy was used for the separation of the polar and dispersive energy of the different n-alkanes and polar solvents adsorbed on the different PMMA surfaces. The London dispersive surface energy γ_s^d (T) of PMMAs was determined by applying the Hamieh thermal model that took into account the effect of the temperature on the surface area of adsorbed molecules. The obtained results showed non-linear variations of γ_s^d (T) of atactic, isotactic, and syndiotactic PMMAs with three maxima characterizing the three transition temperatures of PMMAs, T_g, T_g and T_(liq-liq) with a shift of these temperatures with the isotactic and syndiotactic PMMAs. It was showed that the polar interaction free energy ∆G_a^p (T) also showed the presence of the three above transition temperatures of the polymers. The study showed an important non-linearity variation of the different acid-base parameters in the various polymer surfaces proving the highest effect of the temperature and the tacticity on these parameters. The determination of the enthalpic and entropic Lewis’s acid-base parameters showed an amphoteric character for the different PMMAs. The basicity of the atactic PMMA was about four times larger than its acidity outside the neighborhood of the transition temperatures of the polymer. Whereas, the isotactic PMMA was about 2 to 2.5 times more basic than acid, while the syndiotactic PMMA exhibited the highest basicity by showing a surface 5 to 8 times more basic than acid. However, the Lewis acid-base parameters strongly depended on the temperature and sudden variations of these surface parameters were observed around the transition temperatures largely depending on the PMMA tacticity. The determination of the polar acid and base surface energies of the three PMMAs led to the same previous transition temperatures with an important effect of the tacticity of PMMA on the values of these acid-base surface energies.

After 40 years of the discovery of metallocene catalysts, there are still several aspects that remain unresolved, especially when the “conventional” alkylaluminum activators are not used. Herein, we systematically investigate the synthesis of PE via three different zirconocene catalysts, with different alkyl substituents, activated via different organoboron compounds. The polymerization behavior, as well as the properties of the materials, are evaluated. The results demonstrate that the highest catalytic activity is shown by Bis(cyclopentadienyl)dimethylzirconium activated by trityl tetra(pentafluorophenyl)borate. Also finding that toluene is the optimum solvent for these systems and at these reaction conditions. Moreover, to validate our experimental results, a comprehensive mathematical model is developed on the basis of thermodynamic and kinetic principles. The concentration of ethylene transferred to the solvent phase (toluene) in a liquid-vapor equilibrium (LVE) system is estimated based on the Duhem’s theorem. Arrhenius expressions for the kinetic rate constants of a proposed kinetic mechanism are estimated by a kinetic model, in which the rate of polymerization is fitted by a least-square optimization procedure and the molecular weight averages by the method of moments. The simulations of the coordination polymerization suggest the presence of two types of active sites, principally at low temperatures, and the reactivation of the deactivated sites via a boron-based activator. However, the effect of the temperature on the reactivation step is no clear; a deeper understanding via designed experiments is required.

Conventional MRI sequences are standard methods to monitor patients with brain tumors but have significant limitations especially after irradiation. Currently, the role of FET-PET in radiotherapy of glioblastoma is emerging, starting from target definition, response assessment and in distinguishing progression from post-irradiation changes. Recently a PET RANO criteria have been published providing optimal strategy for treatment evaluation with amino-acid PET. Earlier, a PET/RANO group reported contribution of PET imaging to radiotherapy planning and monitoring in glioma patients. Also, increasing evidence have showed advantages of amino-acid PET vs. RANO MRI for prediction of overall survival. In this narrative review we aimed to summarize published data on FET-PET based treatment response assessment to radiotherapy and focused on details in protocols.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) surrounding tumor cells is a complex and highly dynamic system that promotes tumorigenesis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are key elements in TME playing a pivotal role in cancer cells’ proliferation and metastatic spreading. Considering the high expression of the fibroblast activation protein (FAP) on cell membrane, CAFs emerged as appealing TME targets, namely for molecular imaging, leading to a pan-tumoral approach. Therefore, FAP inhibitors (FAPis) have been recently developed for PET imaging and radioligand therapy, exploring the clinical application in different tumor sub-types. The present review aimed to describe recent developments on radiolabeled FAP inhibitors and evaluate the possible translation of this pan-tumoral approach in clinical practice. At present, the application of FAPi-PET has been explored mainly in single-center studies, generally performed in small and heterogeneous cohorts of oncological patients. However, preliminary results were promising, in particular in low FDG-avid tumors such as primary liver and gastro-entero-pancreatic cancer, or in regions with unfavorable tumor-to-background ratio at FDG-PET/CT (i.e. brain), as well as in radiotherapy planning of head and neck tumors. Further promising results have been obtained in the detection of peritoneal carcinomatosis, especially in ovarian and gastric cancer. Data regarding the theranostics approach are still limited at presents, and definitive conclusion about its efficacy cannot be drawn at present. Nevertheless, the use of FAPi-based radio-ligand to treat the TME has been evaluated in first-in-human studies and appears feasible. Although the pan-tumoral approach in molecular imaging showed promising results, its real impact in day-to-day clinical practice has yet to be confirmed, and multi-center, prospective studies powered for efficacy are needed.

An important aspect of PET imaging in clinical application is the localization and detection of tumors and lesions by administering a predetermined amount of radiotracer. This allows for example, a detailed view of what is going inside the patient body in cellular level. The quality of PET image is strongly dependent on the amount of administrated radiotracer and the patient’s body parameters. As the amount of injection radiotracer increases, the quality of resulting image increases and the lesion detection efficiency increases. The PET examiner society recognizes that any dose of radiotracer is associated with some possible radiation risks. It can harmful to the patient if essential PET imaging session is not made due to fear of radiation risk. In order to ensure the highest quality diagnosis and the smallest radiation risk, the patient should receive the smallest amount of radiotracer that provide image with sufficient quality. Our study is focused on proposing an efficient PET simulation tool that predict the smallest possible amount of administrated radiotracer to provides the appropriate diagnostic information based on significant patient’s body parameters (weight, age) at fixed scanning to improve the clinical diagnostic process in term of tumor detecting and localization. We have built a model of particular PET scanner and model of patient based on real MRI image and digital anthropomorphic phantom of our region of interest (brain). We have performed Monte Carlo simulation for whole PET procedure with special parameter In evaluating stage, a dataset of 60 patient is used and 11 independent dose prediction simulation for each patient are performed. We conclude that our simulator perform a desirable and efficient prediction of injection radiotracer amount that optimizes the current clinical amount up to 28%. In addition, we found that the total injected radiotracer dosage for adult patients are mostly affected when considering patient weight rather than patient age.

Optimization of post polymerization processing of polyolefin elastomers (POE) is of considerable industrial interest. To this aim, experimental determination and theoretical interpretation of the thermodynamics and mass transport properties of POE-solvent mixtures is relevant. Sorption behaviour of n-hexane vapour in a commercial propylene-ethylene elastomer (V8880 VistamaxxTM from ExxonMobil) is addressed here, determining experimentally the sorption isotherms at temperatures ranging from 115 to 140 °C and pressure values of n-hexane vapour up to 1 atm. Sorption isotherms have been interpreted with the Non-Random-Hydrogen-Bonding Equation of State model retrieving, from data fitting, the value of the binary interaction parameter for the n-hexane/V8880 system. Both the case of temperature-independent and of temperature-dependent binary interaction parameter have been considered. Sorption kinetics was also investigated at different pressures and has been interpreted using a Fick’s model determining values of the mutual diffusivity as a function of temperature and of n-hexane/V8880 mixture composition. From these values, n-hexane intra-diffusion coefficient has been calculated interpreting its dependence on mixture concentration and temperature by a semi-empiric model based on free volume arguments.

The product of ozonolysis, Glycero-(9,10-trioxolane)-trioleate (ozonide of oleic acid triglyceride, [OTOA]), was incorporated into polylactic acid/polycaprolactone (PLA/PCL) blend films in the amount of 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40% w/w. The morphological, mechanical, thermal and antibacterial properties of the biodegradable blend after the OTOA addition were studied. According to DSC and XRD data, the crystallinity degree of PLA/PCL+OTOA films tended to decrease with increase in OTOA content that could be explained by its plasticizing effect. Morphological analysis showed that the structure of the films with the OTOA concentration above 20% drastically changed. Specifically, the interface between the PLA/PCL matrix and OTOA was formed, thereby forming a capsule with the embedded antibacterial agent. The moisture permeability of the resulting PLA/PCL+OTOA films decreased due to the formation of uniformly distributed hydrophobic amorphous zones that prevents water penetration. This architecture affects the tensile characteristics of the films: strength decreases to 5.6 MPa, elastic modulus E by 40%. The behavior of film elasticity is associated with the redistribution of amorphous regions in the matrix. Additionally, PLA/PCL+OTOA films with 20, 30 and 40% of OTOA showed good antibacterial properties on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Raoultella terrigena (Klebsiella terrigena) and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Developed PLA/PCL+OTOA films could be used as packaging materials and wound dressings. By variation of the OTOA content, it is possible to tailor the physical-chemical and antibacterial properties of the developed films for various applications.

Phase change refers to the process of maturation and transition from the juvenile to the adult stage. In response to this shift, certain species like chestnut lose the ability to form adventitious roots, thereby hindering the successful micropropagation of adult plants. While auxin is the main hormone involved in adventitious root formation, other hormones, such as ethylene, are also thought to play a role in its induction and development. In this study, experiments were carried out to determine the effects of ethylene on the induction and growth of adventitious roots. The analysis was performed in two types of chestnut microshoots derived from the same tree, a juvenile-like line with high rooting ability derived from basal shoots (P2BS) and a line derived from crown branches (P2CR) with low rooting responses. By means of the application of compounds to modify ethylene content or inhibit its signalling, the potential involvement of this hormone in the in-duction of adventitious roots was analyzed. Our results show that ethylene can modify the rooting competence of mature shoots, while the response in juvenile material was barely affected. To further characterize the molecular reasons underlying this maturation-derived shift in behaviour, specific gene expression analyses were developed. Findings suggest that several mechanisms, including ethylene signalling, auxin transport and epigenetic modifications, relate to the modu-lation of the rooting ability of mature chestnut microshoots and their recalcitrant behaviour.

Esterases are hydrolases that catalyze the hydrolysis of esters into the corresponding acids and alcohols. The development of fluorescent probes for detecting esterases is of great importance due to their wide spectrum of biological and industrial applications. These probes can provide a rapid and sensitive method for detecting the presence and activity of esterases in various samples, including biological fluids, food products, and environmental samples. Fluorescent probes can also be used for monitoring the effects of drugs and environmental toxins on esterase activity, as well as to study the functions and mechanisms of these enzymes in several biological systems. Additionally, fluorescent probes can be designed to selectively target specific types of esterases, such as those found in pathogenic bacteria or cancer cells. In this review, we summarize the recent fluorescent probes described for the visualization of cell viability and some applications for in vivo imaging. On the other hand, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a nuclear-based molecular imaging modality of great value to study the activity of enzymes in vivo. We provide some examples of PET probes for imaging acetylcholinesterases and butyrylcholinesterases in brain, which are valuable tools for diagnosing dementia and monitoring the effects of anticholinergic drugs on the central nervous system.

Nanoporous films of Eu-doped organosilicate glass (OSG) have been synthesized using sol-gel technology and spin-coating, employing evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA), on silicon wafers. The Eu doping is achieved by dissolution of Eu(NO3)3·6H2O in the precursor solution. The deposited films are characterized by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ellipsometric porosimetry (EP), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy. It is observed that Eu doping makes the films more hydrophilic and reduces the pore size and open porosity. The reduction Eu3+ → Eu2+ occurs in the pores of OSG films, which is confirmed by depth profiling XPS. However, Eu3+ still presents on the film’s top surface. Presence of Eu3+ and Eu2+ gives characteristic luminescence emission in the range of 600‒630 nm (Eu3+) and 290‒400 nm (Eu2+). The Eu2+/Eu3+ concentrations ratio depends on CH3 groups concentration in the films. Moreover, concentration of Eu2+ ions in the pores can be reduced by exposure in inductively coupled (ICP) oxygen plasma. The observed shift of the luminescence spectra towards the UV region, in comparison to previously reported Eu-doped organosilicate films, can be attributed to the energy transfer occurring between the host material and Eu2+ ions.

Intranasal (i.n.) administration became an alternative strategy to bypass the blood-brain barrier and improve drug bioavailability in the brain. The main goal of this work was to preliminarily study the biodistribution of mixed amphiphilic mucoadhesive nanoparticles made of chitosan-g-poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(vinyl alcohol)-g-poly(methyl methacrylate) and ionotropically crosslinked with sodium tripolyphosphate in the brain after intravenous (i.v.) and i.n. administration to Hsd:ICR mice. After i.v. administration, the highest nanoparticle accumulation was detected in the liver, among other peripheral organs. After i.n. administration of a 10-times smaller nanoparticle dose, the accumulation of the nanoparticles in off-target organs was much lower than after i.v. injection. In particular, the accumulation of the nanoparticles in the liver was 20 times lower than by i.v. When brains were analyzed separately, intravenously administered nanoparticles accumulated mainly in the “top” brain, reaching a maximum after 1h. Conversely, in i.n. administration, nanoparticles were detected in the “bottom” brain and the head (maximum reached after 2 h) owing to their retention in the nasal mucosa and could serve as a reservoir from which the drug is released and transported to the brain over time. Overall results indicate that i.n. nanoparticles reach similar brain bioavailability, though with a 10-fold smaller dose, and accumulate in off-target organs to a more limited extent and only after redistribution through the systemic circulation. At the same time, both administration routes seem to lead to differential accumulation in brain regions and thus, they could be beneficial in the treatment of different medical conditions.

The ethylene-regulated hypocotyl elongation of Arabidopsis thaliana's involves many transcription factors. The specific role of MYC transcription factors in ethylene signal transduction is not completely understood. The results here revealed that two MYCs, MYC2 and MYC3, act as negative regulators in ethylene-suppressed hypocotyl elongation. Etiolated seedlings of the lost-of-function mutant of MYC2 or MYC3 were longer than wild type seedlings. Single- or double-null mutants of MYC2 and MYC3 displayed an enhanced response to ACC(1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate), the ethylene precursor, compared to wild type seedlings. MYC2 and MYC3 directly bind to the promoter zone of ERF1, suppressing its expression. Additionally, EIN3, a key component in ethylene signaling, interacts with MYC2 or MYC3 and suppresses their binding to ERF1’s promoter. MYC2 and MYC3 play crucial roles in the ethylene-regulated expression of functional genes. The results revealed these transcription factors’ novel role and functional mechanism in ethylene signal transduction.

The electrical, mechanical and thermal conductivity of ethylene butene copolymer (EBC) composites with carbon fibers were studied. EBC/carbon-fiber composites can be utilized as an electro-mechanical material which is capable of changing it electric resistance with mechanical strain. Carbon fibers were introduced to EBC with different concentrations (5-25 wt%). The results showed that the addition of carbon fibers to EBC could increase the electric resistance up to 10 times. Increasing the load to 2.9 MPa could increase the electric resistance change by 4500% compared 25% fiber sample with pure EBC. It is also noted that the electric resistance of the EBC/CF composites underwent a dramatic increase with raising the strain, for example, the resistance change was around 13 times more at 15% strain in comparison to 5% of strain; The thermal conductivity tests showed that the addition of carbon fibers could increase the thermal conductivity by 40%, from 0.19 to 0.27 (Wm-1K-1). It was also observed that the addition of carbon fibers to EBC could increase the thermal conductivity.

Surface modification of polypropylene (PP) films is achieved using gamma-irradiation-induced grafting to proffer with antimicrobial activity. The copolymer was obtained through a versatile two-step route; pristine PP is exposed to gamma rays and grafted using methyl methacrylate (MMA), then N-vinylimidazole (NVI) is grafted onto the copolymer PP-g-MMA by simultaneous irradiation. The characterization included Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and physicochemical analysis of swelling and contact angle. The copolymer (PP-g-MMA)-g-NVI was loaded with vancomycin, and the drug released was quantified by UV-vis spectrophotometry at different pH. The surface of (PP-g-MMA)-g-NVI exhibited pH-responsiveness and moderate hydrophilicity, suitable properties for controlled drug release.

We present a high-throughput nanoindentation study of in-situ bending effects on incipient plastic deformation behavior of polycrystalline and single-crystalline pure aluminum and pure copper at ultra-nano depths (<200nm). We find that hardness displays a statistically inverse dependence on in-plane stress for indentation depths smaller than 10nm, and the dependence disappears for larger indentation depths. In addition, plastic noise in the nanoindentation force and displacement displays statistically robust noise features, independently of applied stresses. Our experimental results suggest the existence of a regime in FCC crystals where ultra-nano hardness is sensitive to residual applied stresses, but plasticity pop-in noise is insensitive to it.

Biomimetic materials are substances that replicate natural structures. There are several methods for producing such materials with highly developed surfaces from a wide range of polymers, but electrospinning is of particular interest due to its simplicity of implementation and the ability to modify the produced fibrous materials resembling structures found in living organisms. This study explores new biomimetic materials based on polyhydroxyalkanoates, specifically poly-3-hydroxybutyrate, modified with chlorophyll derivatives. The research investigates the impact of chlorophyll derivatives on the morphology, supramolecular structure, and key properties of nonwoven materials. The obtained results are of interest for the development of new biomimetic environmentally friendly materials for biomedicine with special properties.

Motivated by Kim-Kim [19] introduced the new type of degenerate poly- Bernoulli polynomials by means of the degenerate polylogarithm function. In this paper, we define the degenerate poly-Frobenius-Euler polynomials, called the new type of degenerate poly-Frobenius-Euler polynomials, by means of the degenerate polylogarithm function. Then, we derive explicit expressions and some identities of those numbers and polynomials.

Recently, Kim-Kim [13] have introduced polyexponential functions as an inverse to the polylogarithm functions, and constructed type 2 poly-Bernoulli polynomials. They have also introduced unipoly functions attached to each suitable arithmetic function as a universal concept. Inspired by their work, in this paper, we introduce a new class of the Frobenius-Genocchi polynomials. We derive the diverse formulas and identities covering some summation formulas, derivative formula and correlations with Bernoulli polynomials and numbers, Stirling numbers of the both kinds, degenerate Frobenius-Genocchi polynomials and degenerate Frobenius-Euler polynomials. Moreover, by using the unipoly function as following Kim-Kim's work in <cite>Kim1</cite>, we consider degenerate unipoly-Frobenius-Genocchi polynomials and investigate some formulas and relationships with Daehee numbers, degenerate Frobenius-Genocchi numbers and Stirling numbers of the first kind. Finally, we obtain an Gaussian integral representation of the Frobenius-Genocchi polynomials in terms of the 2-variable Hermite polynomials.

A 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (PQ) was electrochemically polymerized on a graphite rod electrode using potential cycling. The electrode modified by poly-9,10-phenanthrenequinone (poly-PQ) was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The poly-PQ shows variations in growth pattern depending on the number of potential cycles for the initiation of polymerization. Formed poly-PQ layer demonstrates good electric conductivity, great electrochemical capacitance and unique oxidation/reduction properties, which are suitable for broad technological applications, including applicability in biosensors, supercapacitors, and in some other electrochemical systems.

The photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion of organic small molecules offers a dual benefit of synthesizing value-added chemicals and concurrently producing hydrogen (H2). Ethylene glycol, with its dual hydroxyl groups, stands out as a versatile organic substrate capable of yielding various C1 and C2 chemicals. In this study, we demonstrate that pH modulation markedly enhances the photocurrent of BiVO4 photoanodes, thus facilitating the efficient oxidation of ethylene glycol while simultaneously generating H2. Our findings reveal that in a pH=1 ethylene glycol solution, the photocurrent density at 1.23 V vs. RHE can attain an impressive 7.1 mA cm−2, significantly surpassing the outputs in neutral and highly alkaline environments. The increase in photocurrent is attributed to the augmented adsorption of ethylene glycol on BiVO4 under acidic conditions, which in turn elevates the activity of the oxidation reaction, culminating in the maximal production of formic acid. This investigation sheds light on the pivotal role of electrolyte pH in the PEC oxidation process and underscores the potential of the PEC strategy for biomass valorization into value-added products alongside H2 fuel generation.

Ethylene, a gaseous phytohormone, is emerging as a central player in the intricate web of plant developmental processes from germination to senescence under optimal and stressed conditions. It is present in different plant parts, encompassing the stems, leaves, flowers, roots, seeds, and fruits. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of ethylene's fascinating roles in shaping various plant growth and adaptation aspects. It intricately examines the multifaceted impact of ethylene on pivotal aspects of plant development, including but not limited to cell division and elongation, senescence, abscission, fruit and flower development, root hair formation, chloroplast maturation, and photosynthesis. This comprehensive assessment encompasses the intricate pathways of ethylene biosynthesis and signaling, providing a snapshot of the regulatory mechanisms governing ethylene production. Understanding ethylene's multifaceted functions has significant implications for agriculture, biotechnology, and our fundamental comprehension of plant biology. This review underscores the need for continued investigation into ethylene's intricate mechanisms and its potential to revolutionize plant development and crop management.

Ethylene is an ideal CO2 product in an electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), which has high economic value. In this paper, Al–doped octahedral Cu2O (Al–Cu2O) catalyst was synthesized by a simple wet chemical method. The selectivity of CO2RR products was improved by doping Al onto the surface of octahedral Cu2O by regulating the Al content. The Al–Cu2O was used as an efficient electrocatalyst for CO2RR with selective ethylene production. The Al–Cu2O exhibited a high Faradic efficiency (FEC2H4) of 44.9% at -1.23 V (vs. RHE) in CO2 saturated 0.1 M KHCO3 electrolyte. Charge transferring from Al atom to Cu atom take place after Al doping in Cu2O, thereby optimizing the electronic structure, which facilitates CO2RR to ethylene production. The DFT calculation showed that the Al–Cu2O catalyst can effectively reduce the adsorption energy of the *CHCOH intermediate and promote the mass transfer of charges, thus improving the FEC2H4. After Al doping into Cu2O, the center of d orbitals shift positively, which makes the d–band closer to the Fermi level. Furthermore, the density of electronic states increases, which was conducted to the interaction between Cu atoms and intermediates, thus accelerating the electrochemical CO2 reduction process. This work proved that the metal doping strategy can effectively improve the catalytic properties of Cu2O, thus providing a useful way for CO2 cycling and green production of C2H4.

As one of the most promising ablative fillers, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been used to improve the ablative resistance of Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer (EPDM) insulators by facilitating the carbothermal reduction reaction of silica. However, the contribution of MWCNTs to char layer structure of the insulators was unclear. In this work, the effects of MWCNTs on char layer structure and ablative resistance were investigated in different EPDM-based insulators with and without silica. The results showed that adding only 3 phr MWCNTs can reduce the linear ablation rate of EPDM-based insulators without silica by 31.7%, while 6 phr MWCNTs are required to obtain similar results in EPDM-based insulators with silica. Both the char layer morphology of the two insulators gradually evolved into dense porous structure as MWCNTs content increasing, but their formation mechanisms are different. The XRD and Raman spectrum showed that different physicochemical reactions occurred around MWCNTs under different charring components. The proposed ablation mechanism was further verified by designing alternating multilayer distribution of MWCNTs and silica. This work can guide the construction of desirable char layer structure for increasing ablative resistance of EPDM-based insulators.

Abstract Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain and a seriously debilitating condition, which has been associated with injury, social stigmatisation and in some cases, sudden unexpected and premature death. A sense of profound isolation is felt by many individuals with epilepsy, and this community has expressed an urgent desire for an early warning system to allow them time to prepare for seizure onset. Surveys of dog owners with epilepsy have previously reported that some dogs can predict the onset of a seizure. The current study used an experimental design to investigate the alleged propensity of untrained pet dogs to react to human epileptic seizures. We hypothesised that seizures are associated with specific volatile organic compounds resulting in detectable odours which are the biomarker that triggers these reported behavioural changes in the dogs. Here we provide details of the first empirical test to demonstrate that pet dogs display several significant behavioural changes when they are exposed to seizure-related odours that apparently emanate from their owners. Using a repeated measures design experiment, recordings were made of the reactions of 19 untrained pet dogs to odours from sweat samples provided by three people with epilepsy and by two people without epilepsy (controls). The seizure-associated sweat samples were captured pre-seizure, during seizure and post-seizure. All samples were randomly delivered to individual dogs in a test area, using two bespoke pieces of apparatus called Remote Odour Delivery Mechanisms (RODM). One RODM delivered only experimental odours, the other delivered only control odours. Behavioural changes by the dogs on encountering the odour samples were recorded by video for later analysis. Consistent with our hypothesis, seizure-associated odours evoked significant behavioural changes in the dogs which were affiliative in nature and directed at their owners.

Plastics are extensively used due to their versatility, durability, and low cost. PET stands for Polyethylene terephthalate. PET plastic is widely used all over the world and has many applications ranging from water bottles to fabrics like polyester and many things in between. But its unrestrained use in every field is resulting in heaps and piles of non-biodegradable materials causing damage to the environment and causing pollution. The idea being proposed is to degrade the PET plastic biologically using different bacteria. The bacteria used in this process are Ideonella sakaiensis, Acetobacterium woodii, Pelotomaculum and Methanospirillum hungatei. PET plastic is degraded, yielding Terephthalic Acid (TPA) and Ethylene Glycol (EG) by the action of the bacterium I. sakaiensis. Degradation of EG by A. woodii results in the formation of acetate and ethanol. TPA is degraded by the action of the coculture of Pelotomaculum and M. hungatei thereby yielding methane and acetate. All these products formed have significant commercial uses in various industries. The complete process that is to be carried out can help in achieving sustainability by fulfilling various Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.

The crystal nucleation and overall crystallization kinetics of cross-linked poly(ε-caprolactone) was studied experimentally by fast scanning calorimetry in a wide temperature range. With an increasing degree of cross-linking, both the nucleation and crystallization half-times increase. Concurrently, the glass transition range shifts to higher temperatures. In contrast, the temperatures of the maximum nucleation and the overall crystallization rates remain the same independent of the degree of cross-linking. The cold crystallization peak temperature generally increases as a function of heating rate, reaching an asymptotic value near the temperature of the maximum growth rate. A theoretical interpretation of these results is given in terms of classical nucleation theory. In addition, it is shown that the average distance between the nearest cross-links is smaller than the estimated lamellae thickness, which indicates the inclusion of cross-links in the crystalline phase of the polymer.

In this paper, we introduce a new type of degenerate poly-Fubini polynomials and numbers, are called degenerate poly-Fubini polynomials and numbers, by using the degenerate polylogarithm function and derive several properties on the degenerate poly-Fubini polynomials and numbers. In the last section, we also consider the degenerate unipoly-Fubini polynomials attached to an arithmetic function, by using the degenerate polylogarithm function and investigate some identities of those polynomials. In particular, we give some new explicit expressions and identities of degenerate unipoly polynomials related to special numbers and polynomials.

In this paper, we construct the degenerate poly-Fubini polynomials, called the type 2 degenerate poly-Fubini polynomials, by using the modified degenerate polyexponential function and derive several properties on the degenerate poly-Fubini polynomials and numbers. In the last section, we introduce type 2 degenerate unipoly- Fubini polynomials attached to an arithmetic function, by using the modified degenerate polyexponential function and investigate some identities for those polynomials. Furthermore, we give some new explicit expressions and identities of degenerate unipoly polynomials related to special numbers and polynomials.

A highly efficient deep red (DR) emitting organic solid based on a dicyano-phenylenevinylene derivative was reported. The structural and spectroscopic properties of the solid have been described in terms of crystallographic data and time dependent DFT analysis. A noteworthy fluorescence quantum yield of 53% was observed for the brightest emitter cast into solid films. This result can be explained in terms of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect.

Photocatalytic decomposition of ethylene was performed under UV-Led irradiation at the presence of nanocrystalline TiO2 (anatase, 15 nm) supported on the porous nickel foam. Process was carried out in the high temperature chamber with regulated temperature from ambient to 125°C under flow of reacted gas (ethylene in a synthetic air, 50 ppm) with simultaneous FTIR measurements of sample surface. Ethylene was decomposed with higher efficiency in elevated temperatures with maximum of 28% at 100-125°C. The nickel foam used as support for TiO2 allowed to enhance the ethylene decomposition at the temperature of 50°C. However, at 50°C the stability of ethylene decomposition was not retained within the following reaction run, but it was at 100°C. Performed photocatalytic measurements at the presence of some radicals scavengers indicated that higher efficiency of ethylene decomposition was obtained due to the improved separation of charge carriers and increased formation of superoxide anionic radicals, which were formed at the interface of thermally activated nickel foam and TiO2.

Although cofactor regeneration is an established system in biocatalysis, work remains in developing new and alternative cofactor regeneration systems with greater efficiency, ease of use, and higher atom economy. In addition, cofactor regeneration system only works if the cofactor regeneration reaction operates at similar kinetics compared to the biotransformation reaction. This meant that only specific cofactor regeneration system is capable of coupling with particular biotransformation reaction. This then leaves open the field for the development of a plethora of alternative cofactor regeneration systems each capable of coupling with different biotransformation reaction of different kinetics. This short write-up examines the possibility of tapping on the NADH regenerated from a two-step ethylene glycol utilization pathway. Current knowledge suggests that this angle has not been explored; thereby, opening up possibilities for future experimental investigations into the feasibility of coupling ethylene glycol utilization pathway with biotransformation reaction as a coupled cofactor regeneration system.

Climacteric fruits are characterized by a dramatic increase in autocatalytic ethylene production, which is accompanied by a spike in respiration, at the onset of ripening. The change in the mode of ethylene production from autoinhibitory to auto-stimulatory is known as the system 1 (S1) to system 2 (S2) transition. Existing physiological models explain the basic and overarching genetic, hormonal, and transcriptional regulatory mechanisms governing the S1 to S2 transition of climacteric fruit. However, the links between ethylene and respiration, the two main factors that characterize the respiratory climacteric, have been largely understudied at the molecular level. Results of recent studies indicate that the AOX respiratory pathway may play an important role in mediating cross talk between ethylene response, carbon metabolism, ATP production, and ROS signaling during climacteric ripening. New genomic, metabolic, and epigenetic information sheds light on the interconnectedness of ripening-associated metabolic pathways, necessitating expanding the current, ethylene-centric physiological models. Understanding points at which ripening responses can be manipulated may reveal key, speciesand cultivar-specific targets for regulation of ripening enabling superior strategies for reducing postharvest wastage.

One-dimensional shape memory polymer fibers (SMPFs) have obvious advantages in mechanical properties, dispersion properties and weavability. In this work, a method for fabricating semi-crystallization ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) fiber with two-way shape memory effect by melt spinning and ultraviolet (UV) curing was developed. Here, the effect of crosslink density on its performance was systematically analyzed by gel fraction measurement, tensile tests, DSC and TMA analysis. The results showed that the crosslink density and shape memory properties of EVA fiber could be facilely adjusted by controlling UV curing time. The resulting EVA fiber with cylindrical structure had a diameter of 247.13 ± 10.07 μm, and its mechanical strength and elongation at break were 64.46 MPa and 114.33%, respectively. The critical impact of the crosslink density and applied constant stress on the two-way shape memory effect were analyzed. Moreover, the single EVA fiber could lift more than 143 times its own weight and achieve 9% reversible actuation strain. The reversible actuation capability was significantly enhanced by a simple winding design of the single EVA fiber, which provided great potential applications in smart textiles, flexible actuators and artificial muscles.

Transparent, flexible, biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheets were modified by bioactive polymer-fibronectin top layers for the attachment of cells and growth of muscle fibers. Towards this end, PET sheets were grafted with 4-(dimethylamino)phenyl (DMA) groups from the in situ generated corresponding diazonium compound. The arylated sheets served as macro-hydrogen donors for benzophenone and the growth of poly(2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) top layer by surface-confined free radical photopolymerization. The PET-PHEMA sheets were further grafted with fibronectin (FBN) through the 1,1-carbonyldiimidazole coupling procedures. The bioactive PET-PHEMA-I-FBN was then employed as a platform for the attachment, proliferation and differentiation of eukaryotic cells which after a few days gave remarkable muscle fibers, of ~120 µm length and ~45 µm thickness. We demonstrate that PET-PHEMA yields a fast growth of cells followed by muscle fibers of excellent levels of differentiation compared to pristine PET or standard microscope glass slides. The positive effect is exacerbated by crosslinking PHEMA chains with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate at initial HEMA/EGDMA concentration ratio = 9/1. This works conclusively shows that in situ generated diazonium salts provide aryl layers for the efficient UV-induced grafting of biocompatible coating that beneficially serve as platform for cell attachment and growth of muscle fibers. Beyond this work, diazonium coupling agents constitute the corner stone of next generation processes for building flexible platforms for cell adhesion and uses thereof.

Circular Economy involves structural changes in traditional business models and consumers’ behaviour toward recycled products. The recycling of PET products has been increasing but there is still a gap between consumption and demand for PET packaging in Brazil. In this research, the waste reduction was examined under a projective scenario to the current ecological purposes in Brazil for reducing environmental pollution. In that manner, this paper aimed to comprehend the intention to purchase recycled PET products of Brazilian consumers. With a non-probabilistic and convenience sample, the study counts 422 participants. The method employed was based on Structural Equation Modelling and Partial Least Squares, used to test the hypotheses of causality among the variables. Results showed the perception of low quality about recycled products reduced consumers’ intention to purchase. Also, the sustainability of recycled products positively influenced the intention to purchase. In addition, recycled products presented a negative impact on the perceived safety, which could influence the purchase of recycled products in Brazil. We conclude that the image that Brazilian consumers have about recycled products positively affects the intention to purchase.

A thermal-oxidative aging test at 120°C was condutcted on Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) vulcanizates of the semi-efficient vulcanization system. The effect of thermal-oxidative aging on EPDM vulcanizates was systematically studied by curing kinetics, aging coefficient, cross-linking density, macroscopic physical properties, contact angle, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and thermal decomposition kinetics. The results show that the content of hydroxyl and carbonyl groups as well as the carbonyl index increased with increasing aging time, indicating that EPDM vulcanizates are gradually oxidized and degraded. As a result, the EPDM vulcanized rubber chains were cross-linked, and its conformational transformation was limited and its flexibility was weakened. The thermogravimetric analysis demonstrates the thermal degradation of EPDM vulcanizates had competitive reactions of cross-linking and degradation, and the thermal decomposition curve can be divided into three stages, meanwhile the thermal stability of EPDM vulcanizates gradually decreases with the increase of aging time. The introduction of antioxidant in the system can promote the cross-linking speed and reduce the cross-linking density of EPDM vulcanizates, while inhibiting the surface thermal and oxygen aging reaction. This is attributed to the fact that the antioxidant can reduce the thermal degradation reaction level, but it is not conducive to the formation of a perfect crosslinking network structure and reduce the activation energy of thermal degradation of the main chain.

Water damage is one of the main causes of roads’ deterioration throughout their service life. This effect harms the adhesion and cohesion parameters of the asphalt mix, which leads to a decrease in the structural and functional characteristics of the road surface. This research focuses on studying the water susceptibility of hot mix asphalt mixtures using three different procedures: (1) UNE-EN 12697-12, (2) ASTM D4867, and (3) AASHTO T-283. The tests are carried out on reference mixtures and mixtures modified with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) particles as an additive. The results indicate that the incorporation of 6% PET allows the limits established by the UNE-EN 12697-12 standards to be exceeded, reaching 86% of the tensile strength ratio (TSR). However, for the ASTM D4867 and AASHTO T-283 standards, the results obtained concerning the water susceptibility of the bituminous mixtures were not as satisfactory because the established minimum limits were not reached (&lt; 75%), which indicates that the procedure applied in a test can significantly modify the results of a later application.

TAFRO syndrome (TS) is a rare variant of idiopathic multicentric Castleman's disease (iMCD) characterized by a confluence of symptoms: thrombocytopenia (T), anasarca (A), fever (F), reticulin myelofibrosis (R), and organomegaly (O). First described in Japan in 2010, the pathogenesis of the disease remains unclear. Due to its heterogeneous presentation and potential life-threatening delays in diagnosis, precise diagnosis is essential. According to the literature, no specific imaging modality has been recommended for the work-up of patients with suspected TS. Here, we report a case of TS and its management using 18F-FDG-PET/CT imaging as an attractive complementary diagnostic tool.

In the wake of Portugal's pivotal shift to animal welfare legislation in 2018, where the no-kill policy for population control came into effect, animal shelters have emerged as critical sanctuaries for stray or unwanted animals. Recognising the critical role that adopter preferences play in the successful placement of shelter animals and the pressing need for shelters to expedite adoptions to liberate valuable space to accommodate more animals in need of refuge, this study seeks to investigate the intricate matrix of factors guiding adopters' choices. A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed with a convenience sample of the Portuguese population to assess their preferences and opinions about pet adoption. An online questionnaire was completed by 415 participants from February to October 2021. Among participants selecting attributes for pet adoption, the top preferences were behaviour (52.8%), size (49.6%), vaccination and deworming status (44.3%), and age (36.1%). Conversely, breed (7.2%), sex (6.3%), and animal colour (5.1%) were the least prioritised. Combinations were established based on the most selected attributes. Certain participant characteristics, such as education level and pet ownership history, exhibited distinct preferences in animal attributes. Portuguese people show a marked preference for shelter adoption, prioritising behaviour, size, and health over breed and colour. This insight allows shelters to allocate resources effectively. While promising, the trend towards shelter adoption needs adaptive strategies to align with evolving adopter preferences.

As one of the important wastes, waste PET pollutes human living and natural environment seriously. PET is an important solid waste that needs to be recycled at present. The complete degradation of PET was realized at low temperature. The lipophilic hydrophobic membrane was formed on the surface of stainless steel mesh (SSM) by a simple dip coating method, and the oil-water separation material was successfully prepared. Due to the load of degradation products, the surface roughness of SSM increased from 19.09 μm increased to 62.33 μm. The surface changed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, and the water contact angle increased to 123o. The oil-water separation flux of modified SSM is 9825 L/(m2·h) and the separation efficiency is 98.99%. The modified SSM has good reuse performance. This hydrophobic modification method can also be used to modify other porous substrates, such as activated carbon, filter paper, foam, and other materials. In this study, the porous substrate modified by the degradation product of waste PET was used to prepare oil-water separation materials, which not only solved the problem of white pollution, but also reduced the dependence on non renewable resources in the conventional preparation methods of oil-water separation materials. The research provided new raw materials and methods for the industrial production of oil-water separation materials, and had important application prospects.

Loyalty is one of the greatest intangible assets that any organization can possess and improving client loyalty is a primary marketing goal that can have a significant financial impact on any business. This quantitative study examined the mediating role of communication on the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty (attitudinal and behavioral) in veterinary clinics, along with the moderating roles of trust, commitment, perceived value, and relational characteristics. Responses collected from 351 pet-owners through social media were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results show that attitudinal loyalty (AL) has a strong positive relationship with communication at multiple points in a veterinary clinic whereas the relationship with behavioral loyalty was not as clear. Additional findings suggest that AL, which is influenced by trust in the veterinarian, communication from staff members and commitment, has a strong positive relationship with behavioral intentions, increases the number of products and services that a pet-owner consumes at his or her primary veterinary clinic, and attenuates the role of cost in receiving veterinary care. These findings can help veterinary clinic owners and managers in developing and implementing relationship strategies that improve pet-owner loyalty. The article that follows is a synopsis of the author’s dissertation.

The evaporation of polymer solution droplet is an important in solution-based polymer film fabrications, such as inkjet print, spray coatings, and droplet casting etc. In this work, we investigated the effect of droplet size, solvent evaporation rate, and concentration on “coffee-ring” effect, crystal nucleation, polymorphism, and morphology of dried poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) solution droplets with atomic force microscopy (AFM) method. We found that the crystal structure, morphology and crystal distribution in the center and edge regions of dried PVDF droplets were different due to “coffee-ring” effect. The “coffee-ring” effect of dried PVDF droplets was mainly composited of accumulated crystals at the edge region of droplet, which was mainly made by crystallization of migrated chains. The interplay between migration of chains, crystallization and solidification of PVDF droplets significantly influenced the formation of “coffee-ring”. In addition, our results showed that the decrease of droplet size and controlling solvent evaporation rate were effective ways to improve the PVDF β-phase nucleation and decrease crystal size.

Abstract: The most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the presence of poly-PR/GR dipeptide repeats which are encoded by the C9orf72 gene. Recently, it was shown that poly-PR/GR alters chromatin accessibility which results in stabilization and enhancement of transcriptional activity of the tumor suppressor p53 in several neurodegenerative disease models. Reduction of p53 protein levels in cell and model organisms protects against neurotoxicity of poly-PR, and partially protects against neurotoxicity of poly-GR. Here, we aimed to study the detailed molecular mechanisms how p53 contributes to poly-PR/GR mediated neurodegeneration. Using a combination of biophysical techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, fluorescence polarization, turbidity assays and differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy, we found that p53 physically interacts with poly-PR/GR and triggers liquid-liquid phase separation of p53. We identified p53 transactivation domain 2 (TAD2) as the main binding site for PR25/GR25 and show that binding of poly-PR/GR to p53 is mediated by a network of electrostatic and/or hydrophobic interactions. Our findings might help to understand the mechanistic role of p53 in poly-PR/GR - associated neurodegeneration.

Motivation by the definition of the type 2 poly-Bernoulli polynomials introduced by Kim-Kim [9], in the present paper, we consider a new class of new generating function for the Fubini polynomials, called the type 2 poly-Fubini polynomials by means of the polyexponential function. Then, we derive some useful relations and properties. We show that the type 2 poly-Fubini polynomials equal a linear combination of the classical of the Fubini polynomials and Stirling numbers of the first kind. In a special case, we give a relation between the type 2 poly-Fubini polynomials and Bernoulli polynomials of order r. Moreover, inspired by the definition of the unipoly-Bernoulli polynomials introduced by Kim-Kim [9]. We introduce the type 2 unipoly-Fubini polynomials by means of unipoly function and give multifarious properties including derivative and integral properties. Furthermore, we provide a correlation between the unipoly-Fubini polynomials and the classical Fubini polynomials.

In this paper, we consider a new class of polynomials which is called the multi-poly-Euler polynomials. Then, we investigate their some properties and relations. We provide that the type 2 degenerate multi-poly-Euler polynomials equals a linear combination of the degenerate Euler polynomials of higher order and the degenerate Stirling numbers of the first kind. Moreover, we provide an addition formula and a derivative formula. Furthermore, in a special case, we acquire a correlation between the type 2 degenerate multi-poly-Euler polynomials and degenerate Whitney numbers.

Inspired by the definition of degenerate multi-poly-Genocchi polynomials given by using the degenerate multi-polyexponential functions. In this paper, we consider a class of new generating function for the degenerate multi-poly-Bernoulli polynomials, called the type 2 degenerate multi-poly-Bernoulli polynomials by means of the degenerate multiple polyexponential functions. Then, we investigate their some properties and relations. We show that the type 2 degenerate multi-poly-Bernoulli polynomials equals a linear combination of the weighted degenerate Bernoulli polynomials and Stirling numbers of the first kind. Moreover, we provide an addition formula and a derivative formula. Furthermore, in a special case, we acquire a correlation between the type 2 degenerate multi-poly-Bernoulli numbers and degenerate Whitney numbers.

The social- and self-directed behaviours of two golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia) was investigated while having residence in the tropical house of Aalborg Zoo, Denmark. The behaviour of the female had been distinct from the male since 2018. Despite several diagnostic examinations and medicinal treatments, the cause of the aberrant and apparently stereotypical behavioural patterns remained undetermined, which initiated this study. The pair were recorded throughout a predetermined observation period and these recordings were analysed to illuminate the behaviours of the individuals. The results showed that there were differences in the type, frequency, and durations of both social- and self-directed behaviours between the sick female and the healthy male. The female expressed both social- and self-directed behaviours more frequently and for longer durations, while the male were more socially reserved and did not engage in social behaviours as frequently. Furthermore, subsequent necropsy of the female revealed uro-genital disease.

Aim: to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing literature concerning the applications of positron emission tomography (PET)-radiomics in lung cancer patients candidates or undergoing immunotherapy. Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted on databases and web sources. English-language original articles were considered. The title and abstract were in-dependently reviewed to evaluate study inclusion. Papers duplicate, out-of-topic, review or edi-torials articles and letters to editors were excluded. For each study, the radiomics analysis was assessed based on the relies on radiomics quality score (RQS 2.0). The review was registered on the PROSPERO database with the number CRD42023402302. Results: 15 papers were included, 13 were qualified as conventional radiomics approaches, and two were as Deep Learning radiomics. The content of each study was different, indeed, 7 papers investigated the potential role of radiomics to predict PD-L1 expression and tumor microenvironment before starting immunotherapy. Moreo-ver, 2 were relative to the prediction of response and 4 investigated the utility of radiomics to predict the response to immunotherapy. Finally, 2 papers were relative to the prediction of adverse events due to the immunotherapy. Conclusions: radiomics is promising in the evaluation of TME and for the prediction of response to immunotherapy, but some limitations should be overpassed.

Mechanical recycling of solid plastic wastes on a small-scale level can be accomplished with the correct approaches. Thermoplastics are mostly considered for mechanical recycling because of their physical properties and ease of reprocessing. This paper reviews the mechanical reprocessing techniques of selected thermoplastics (polyethylene terephthalate and polyolefins) since they constitute a significant proportion of plastics used commercially. Furthermore, necessary considerations for effective operation of small-scale plants, including energy requirements of machinery and optimisation in order to improve efficiency and product quality, are discussed. A clearer understanding and addressing of the process-related challenges will lead to successful establishment and management of small-scale mechanical recycling facilities to benefit communities. Efficient small-scale mechanical reprocessing establishments have become essential in reducing the environmental impacts of solid plastic wastes and for energy conservation.

(1) Background: The evaluation of ventricular assist devices requires the usage of biocompatible and chemically stable materials. The commonly used polyurethanes are characterized by versatile properties making them well suited for heart prostheses applications but simultaneously they show low stability in biological environment. (2) Methods: An innovative material - copolymer of poly(ethylene-terephthalate) and dimer linoleic acid - with controlled and reproducible physico-mechanical and biological properties was developed for medical applications. Biocompatibility (cytotoxicity, surface thrombogenicity, hemolysis and biodegradation) were evaluated. All results were compared to medical grade polyurethane currently used in the extracorporeal heart prostheses. (3) Results: No cytotoxicity was observed and no significant decrease of cells density as well as no cells growth reduction was noticed. Thrombogenicity analysis showed that the investigated copolymers have the thrombogenicity potential similar to medical grade polyurethane. No hemolysis was observed (the hemolytic index was under 2% according to ASTM 756-00 standard). These new materials revealed excellent chemical stability in simulated body fluid during 180 days ageing. (4) Conclusions: The biodegradation analysis showed no changes in chemical structure, molecular weight distribution, good thermal stability and no changes in surface morphology. Investigated copolymers revealed excellent biocompatibility and great potential as materials for blood contacting devices.

Introduction. Strontium-82/Rubidium-82 (⁸²Sr/⁸²Rb) generators are used widely for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of myocardial perfusion. In this study, the ⁸²Rb isotope yield and production efficiency of two FDA-approved ⁸²Sr/⁸²Rb generators were compared.Methods. N=515 sequential daily quality assurance (QA) reports from 9 CardioGen-82® and 9 RUBY-FILL® generators were reviewed over a period of 2 years. A series of test elutions was performed at different flow-rates on the RUBY-FILL® system to determine an empirical correction-factor used to convert CardioGen-82® daily QA values of ⁸²Rb activity (dose-calibrator ‘maximum’ of 50 mL elution at 50 mL/min) to RUBY-FILL® equivalent values (integrated ‘total’ of 35 mL elution at 20 mL/min). The generator yield (⁸²Rb) and production efficiency (⁸²Rb yield / ⁸²Sr parent activity) were measured and compared after this conversion to a common scale. Results. At the start of clinical use, the system reported ⁸²Rb activity from daily QA was lower for CardioGen-82® vs RUBY-FILL® (2.3 ± 0.2 vs 3.0 ± 0.2 GBq, p<0.001) despite having similar ⁸²Sr activity. Dose-calibrator ‘maximum’ (CardioGen-82®) values were found to under-estimate the integrated ‘total’ (RUBY-FILL®) activity by ~24% at 50 mL/min. When these data were used to convert the CardioGen-82 values to a common measurement scale (integrated total activity) the CardioGen-82® efficiency remained slightly lower than the RUBY-FILL® system on average (88 ± 4% vs 95 ± 4%, p<0.001). The efficiency of ⁸²Rb production improved for both systems over the respective periods of clinical use.Conclusions. ⁸²Rb generator yield was significantly under-estimated using the CardioGen-82® vs RUBY-FILL® daily QA procedure. When generator yield was expressed as the integrated total activity for both systems, the estimated ⁸²Rb production efficiency of the CardioGen-82® system was ~7% lower than RUBY-FILL® over the full period of clinical use.

Purpose: Prostate cancer is the most common male prevalent malignancy in Europe. Biological recurrence occurs in 20-40% of patients within 10 years following treatment. [18F]F-Choline PET/CT is the most used technique for detecting recurrent disease but is rarely positive for low PSA levels. [18F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT allows early detection of recurrence sites. Methods: We conducted a prospective multicenter study. Each patient had access to a [18F]F-Choline and [18F]PSMA PET/CT. The primary endpoint was to determine the therapeutic impact of the [18F]PSMA comparative to [18F]F-Choline PET/CT. Secondary endpoints were the diagnostic performance and the correlation between PET/CT parameters and prognostic factors of prostate disease. Results: 47 patients were included. A therapeutic modification was observed in 36% of them between what the clinicians expected after the [18F]F-Choline PET/CT and what they finally decided after the [18F]PSMA PET/CT. Diagnostic performance of [18F]F-Choline was 28% versus 70% for [18F]PSMA with a significant difference. With [18F]PSMA PET/CT, there was a significative correlation between PSA level of biological recurrence and SUVmax but not between ISUP score and SUVmax of the selected lesion. Conclusion: This study found a modification in therapeutic management following [18F]PSMA PET/CT in one third of patients. This change could result in earlier and better management with detection of lesions at a lower PSA level than is possible with [18F]F-Choline.

This paper presents results from numerical and experimental investigation on Charpy tests in order to point out failure mechanisms and to evaluate new polymeric blends PP+PA6+EPDM. Charpy tests were done for initial velocity of the impactor of 0.96 m/s and its mass of 3.219 kg and these data were also introduced in the finite element model. The proposed model take into account the system of four balls, including support and the ring of fixing the three balls and it has a finer discretization of the impact area to highlight the mechanisms of failure and their development in time. The constitutive models for four materials (polypropylene with 1% Kritilen, two blends PP+PA6+EPDM and a blend PA6+EPDM) were derived from tensile tests. Running simulations for each constitutive model of material makes possible to differentiate the destruction mechanisms according to the material introduced in the simulation, including the initiation and the development of the crack(s), based on equivalent plastic strain at break (EPS) for each material. The validation of the model and the simulation results was done qualitatively, analysing the shape of broken surfaces and comparing them to SEM images and quantitatively by comparing the impact duration, energy absorbed by the sample, the value of maximum force during impact. The duration of the destruction of the specimen is longer than the actual one, explainable by the fact that the material model does not take into account the influence of the material deformation speed in Charpy test, the model being designed with the help of tests done at 0.016 m/s (1000 mm/min) (maximum strain rate for the tensile tests). Experimental results are encouraging for recommending the blends 20% PP+42% PA6+28% EPDM and 60% PA6+ 40%EPDM as materials for impact protection at low velocity (1m/s). Simulation results are closer to the experimental ones for the more brittle tested materials (with less content of PA6 and EPDM) and more distanced for the more ductile materials (with higher content of PA6 and EPDM).

Postharvest 1-MCP treatment can inhibit lignification of fruit and vegetables. It has been suggested that the mode of action of 1-MCP is through inhibiting ethylene production, but the effect of 1-MCP and ethylene on lignification of common bean remain unknown. This work compared the effect of 0.5 μL L-1 1-MCP and 100 μL L-1 ethylene on lignification of common bean during storage. Postharvest 1-MCP significantly inhibited the increase of lignified cell group, sclerenchyma became thicker, vascular bundles thickened and lignified cells grew during storage, while ethylene is the opposite. 1-MCP inhibited the increase in respiration rate, sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), sucrose synthase (SuSy), phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL), cinnamyl-alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), and peroxidase (POD) activities, whereas ethylene hastened all. Ethylene treatment can be stimulated and 1-MCP inhibited the decline of reducing sugar and cellulose content. Expression of genes, including PvACO1, PvAOG1, PvSuSy, PvPAL3, and Pv4CL1, PvCOMT1 together with lignin content were significantly increased in common bean during storage. 1-MCP treatment markedly inhibited expression of PvACO1, PvSuSy2, PvPAL3, Pv4CL1 and PvCOMT1 genes, while strengthened expression of PvETR1 and PvAOG1, while ethylene was opposite. This work provides evidence that ethylene plays a key role in regulating the lignin biosynthesis of common bean, and also provides strategies for the maintenance of fruit quality during storage.

Poly-DADMAC (PD) is a commonly used organic polymer in water treatment, known for its effectiveness as a coagulant. However, its presence as a residue in water raises concerns related to membrane fouling and the potential formation of carcinogenic compounds. Therefore, fast and simple quantification is necessary to efficiently control and monitor the optimal dose of poly-DADMAC with minimal negative effects. This study introduces a new colorimetric quantification method for poly-DADMAC, based on complexation with a cationic dye (fast green- FG). The method was examined through varying conditions which included different analytical and commercial poly-DADMAC formulations and concentrations. The experiments confirm its effectiveness in quantifying poly-DADMAC with a detection limit of 3.22 µg L^-1 (0.02 µM based on monomers' molecular weight), which is one order of magnitude lower than regulatory requirements (50 µg L^-1). To validate the method, the effect of pH was examined, and implementation demonstrations were conducted on cyanobacteria and cowshed polluted water samples. This research introduces a fast, cost-effective innovative method to accurately quantify poly-DADMAC, enhancing water treatment strategies for high-quality purification and water reuse

In this article, authors introduce a new class of degenerate Hermite poly-Genocchi polynomials and give some identities of these polynomials related to the Stirling numbers of the second kind. Some implicit summation formulae and general symmetry identities are derived by using different analytical means and applying generating functions. These results extend some known summations and identities of degenerate Hermite poly-Bernoulli numbers and polynomials studied by Khan [8].

We introduce the Hermite based poly-Bernoulli polynomials with a q parameter and give someof their basic properties including not only addition property, but also derivative properties and integralrepresentations. We also de.ne the Hermite based λ -Stirling polynomials of the second kind, and thenprovide some relations. Moreover, we derive several correlations and identities including the Hermite-Kampéde Fériet (or Gould-Hopper) family of polynomials, the Hermite based poly-Bernoulli polynomials with a qparameter and the Hermite based λ -Stirling polynomials of the second kind.

Two isotropic pitches were prepared by air blowing and nitrogen distillation method using ethylene tar (ET) as a raw material. And correspondent carbon fibers were obtained through conventional melt spinning, stabilization and carbonization. The structures and properties of resultant pitches and fibers were characterized and their differences were discussed in this work. The results showed that introduction of the oxygen by air blowing method could quickly increase the yield and softening point of pitch. Moreover, the air blown pitch (ABP) composed of linear methylene chains of aromatic molecules while the nitrogen distilled pitch (NDP) mainly contained polycondensed aromatic rings, which was due to the oxygen containing functional groups existed in ABP could impede order stack of pitch molecules and form methylene bridge structure, instead of aromatic condensed structure like NDP. Meanwhile, the spinnability of ABP was not decreased even containing 2.31 wt% oxygen. In contrast, ABP had narrower molecular weight distribution, which contributed to better stabilization properties and higher tensile strength of carbon fiber. The tensile strength of carbon fibers from ABP was reached to 860 MPa with fiber diameter of about 10 μm, which was higher than that of NDP-derived carbon fibers of 640 MPa.

In the present work, effect of basic components on the energy pathway of ethylene oligomerization by landmark Chevron-Phillips catalyst has been explored in detail using density functional theory (DFT). Studied factors were chosen considering the main components of Chevron-Phillips catalyst, i.e. ligand, cocatalyst and halocarbon compounds, comprising i) the type of alkyl substituents in pyrrole ligand as methyl, iso-propyl, tert-butyl, and phenyl, as well as the simple hydrogen, and the electronwithdrawing fluoro and trifluoromethyl; ii) the number of Cl atoms in Al-compound (as AlMe2Cl, AlMeCl2 and AlCl3) which indicates halocarbon amount and iii) cocatalyst type as alkylboron, alkylaluminium, or alkylgallium. Besides main ingredients, solvent effect, from toluene or methylcyclohexane, on oligomerization pathway was explored as well. In this regard, the full catalytic cycles for the main product (1-hexene) formation as well as side reactions, i.e. 1-butene release and chromacyclononane formation, were calculated on the basis of the metallacycle based mechanism. Based on results, a modification on the Chevron-Phillips catalyst system, to reach higher 1-hexene selectivity and activity, is suggested.

The automotive industry needs to improve energy efficiency rapidly to achieve carbon neutrality while creating a safe, secure, comfortable driving environment for customers. Porous sound-absorbing materials and porous thermal insulators are typically used to satisfy these requirements despite limitations in mass and space. While these porous materials are similar, the microstructures they offer for high performance differ in the size and connectivity of their fluid phases, which enhances the difficulty of achieving excellent sound absorption and thermal insulation in the same material. In this study, a hydrophobic cellulose nanofiber–poly(methylsiloxane) xerogel composite was developed using computational microstructure modeling. This porous material has high porosity and excellent thermal insulation and sound absorption properties.

Introduction: Young adults are the second largest segment of the immigrant population in the United States (US). Given recent trends in later age of initiation of tobacco use, we examined variation in use of tobacco products by nativity status for this population group. Methods: Our study included young adults 18-30 years of age sampled in the National Health Interview Survey (2015-2019), a nationally representative sample of the US population. We calculated prevalence of use of any and 2 or more tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco) for foreign-born (n=3,096) and US-born (n=6,811) young adults. Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, race-ethnicity, education, and poverty, while accounting for the complex survey design. Results: Foreign-born young adults were significantly less likely to use any tobacco product (Cigarette = 7.3% vs 10.7%; Cigar= 1.8% vs 4.8%; E-cigarette= 2.3% vs 4.5%, respectively; p<0.01) or poly tobacco use (1.9% vs. 4.2%; p<0.01) than US-born young adults. Adjusted regression models showed lower odds of poly tobacco use among the foreign-born than their US-born counterparts (Odds Ratio = 0.41, (95% Confidence Interval: 0.26-0.63)). Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of targeted interventions by nativity status and further tobacco prevention efforts needed for the US-born.

Kim-Kim [12] introduced the new type of degenerate Bernoulli numbers and polynomials arising from the degenerate logarithm function. In this paper, we introduce a new type of degenerate poly-Euler polynomials and numbers, are called degenerate poly-Euler polynomials and numbers, by using the degenerate polylogarithm function and derive several properties on the degenerate poly-Euler polynomials and numbers. In the last section, we also consider the degenerate unipoly-Euler polynomials attached to an arithmetic function, by using the degenerate polylogarithm function and investigate some identities of those polynomials. In particular, we give some new explicit expressions and identities of degenerate unipoly polynomials related to special numbers and polynomials.

In this study, various percentage combinations of waste aggregates such as PET and crumb rubber were used to replace coarse and fine aggregates in natural rubber latex (NRL) modified concretes. Engineering properties such as compressive and flexural strengths, modulus of elasticity, and toughness obtained from compressive- and flexural stress-strain curves were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed to examine the microstructural properties and to study the strength development of the studied concretes. The results indicated that both the compressive and flexural strengths of NRL-modified concretes with PET and crumb rubber aggregate replacements decreased with increasing replacement ratios. SEM analysis indicated that PET and crumb rubber (hydrophobic and non-polar materials) can affect the microstructure of the studied concrete by creating a weak interface between the aggregate and cement pastes, leading to reducing strength development. With the addition of the NRL additive, the film formation was found to act as a bridge and improved the bond strength of aggregates and hydration products of NRL-modified concrete. Furthermore, the integration of PET and crumb rubber aggregate can enhance the ability of the concrete to absorb energy and improve ductility. It was found that 10% of PET and crumb rubber aggregate replacement can be used for NRL-modified concrete as a rigid pavement, as its compressive and flexural strengths met the minimum requirement specified by the Department of Highways, Thailand. This research helps repurpose waste materials and reduce the environmental footprint of concrete production.

In this study dual PET and contrast enhanced MRI were combined to investigate their correlation per voxel in patients at initial diagnosis with suspected glioblastoma. Correlation with contrast enhancement (CE) as an indicator of BBB leakage was further used to evaluate whether PET signal is likely caused by BBB disruption alone, or rather attributable to specific binding after BBB passage. PET images with [18F]GE180 and the amino acid [18F]FET were acquired and normalized to healthy background (TBR). Contrast enhanced images were normalized voxel by voxel with the pre-contrast T1-weighted MRI to generate relative CE values (rCE). Voxel-wise analysis revealed a high PET signal even within the sub-volumes without detectable CE. No to moderate correlation of rCE with TBR voxel-values and a small overlap as well as a larger distance of the hotspots delineated in rCE and TBR-PET images were detected. In contrast, voxel-wise correlation between both PET modalities was strong for most patients and hotspots showed a moderate overlap and distance. The high PET signal in tumor sub-volumes without CE observed in voxel-wise analysis as well as the discordant hotspots emphasize the specificity of the PET signals and the relevance of combined differential information from dual PET and MRI images.