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Cholinesterase (ChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors are being used and developed to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD), a major type of dementia patients. Fifteen 4-substituted benzyl-2-triazole-linked-tryptamine-paeonol derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A), and B (MAO-B). Compound 896 was the most potent BChE inhibitor (IC

Legalization of medical and recreational cannabis is a major contributor to pediatric cannabis exposures. The trends and magnitude of pediatric cannabis exposures in Michigan after medical cannabis legalization in 2008 have not been assessed.To describe the temporal trends of pediatric cannabis exposures reported to the Michigan Poison Center (MiPC) after medical cannabis was legalized in 2008 and 1 year after legalization of recreational cannabis in 2018.Retrospective electronic chart review of pediatric (18 years old) single-substance cannabis exposures reported to the MiPC from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2019. Routes of cannabis exposure were reported as ingestion, inhalation, and unknown. Types of ingested cannabis products were also documented.Between 2008 and 2019, 426 pediatric cannabis single exposures were reported. The median patient age was 6.0 years (interquartile range 2-15 years). Age distribution was bimodal. A total of 327 (76.8%) exposures were from cannabis ingestion, 79 (18.5%) from inhalation, 2 (0.5%) from both ingestion and inhalation, and 18 (4.2%) from unknown route. The doubling time for number of cases was 2.1 years, and the total number of annual reported cases increased after 2016. Teenagers (13-17 years) had the highest number of inhalational exposures, whereas young children (0-5 years) had the highest number of ingestions.Single-substance pediatric cannabis exposures reported to the Michigan Poison Center increased after medical cannabis was legalized in 2008 through recreational legalization in 2018.

Core shell type of CT/MRI contrasting agent nano-delivery system is successfully demonstrated via utilizing continuous fusion of reverse micelles with one-pot fashioned reaction that is easy and economically favorable way. The system consists of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as outermost shells for effective cellular uptake toward cancer cells and chitosan/gelatin biopolymer composites as second shells to immobilize Gd-DTPA complexes as the CT/MRI contrasting agent in the core. To prove cancer cell targeting ability by LDHs, cellular uptake efficacy is measured with fluorescence assisted cell sorting (FACS) and confocal microscopy. Besides, the delivery system shows the possibility to release contrasting agents with switching on/off fashion depending on pH conditions. Especially, it is found that the release of dye molecules is almost prohibited at physiologically neutral condition (release-off) and the dye seems to burst out from the systems at lysosomal environment (release-on state). The accelerated release of Gd-DTPA complexes in the lysosomal conditions indicates the delivery system can be utilized for CT/MRI contrasting systems with highly selective and senstive ways upon changing envriromental conditions. As a result, high performances of CT/MRI contrasting effect are achieved at acidic condition; we obtaine 508 HU for CT and 6.6 of r1 relexivity for MRI respectively.

The bioconversion of waste C1 gases into formic acid and hexanol is highly important for the sustainable synthesis of diverse chemicals from non-petrochemical sources and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Herein, we valorized formic acid and hexanol by subjecting them to lipase-catalyzed esterification to afford hexyl formate. The maximum conversion was 98.28% with Novozym 435 of 15 g/L, a formic acid to hexanol molar ratio of 1:5, a reaction temperature of 40 °C, and with 1,2-dichloroethane as a solvent for 1.5 h. The original enzymatic activity was retained even after 20 cycles, while conversion was maintained above 95%. These results may generally contribute to the lipase-catalyzed synthesis of formate esters and be used to efficiently valorize waste C1 gases into short-chain flavored esters.

A series of eleven 1-methyl, 5-phenyl substituted thiosemicarbazones (MT1–MT11) with the phenyl ring substitutions were prepared and investigated for their inhibitory activities against monoamine oxidases (MAOs) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). [4-(dimethylamino) phenyl]methylidene}-N-methylhydrazine-1-carbothioamide (MT5) inhibited MAO-B potently with an IC50 of 8.77 μM. Potencies for MAO-B increased in the order N(CH3)2 in MT5 > OCH3 in MT3 > Br in MT9. Most of the 11 compounds weakly inhibited AChE by

Recent studies have revealed that increased reactive oxidative stress (ROS) induced by particulate matter (PM) affects tight junction (TJ) functions; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect have not been evaluated fully. Cultured human epithelial cells obtained from inferior turbinate tissues were exposed to an urban PM (UPM) standard reference material (SRM 1648a). Intracellular ROS level and expression of proinflammatory cytokines and TJ proteins were examined. Expression level of phosphorylated (p)-Akt, p38, p65 were compared between exposed and unexposed cells. Cells were pretreated with the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or Akt inhibitor MK-2206 before exposure to determine whether the changes in cellular ROS and TJ protein expression could be reversed. Exposure to UPM significantly increased ROS levels and inflammatory cytokine expression levels, and decreased expression of TJ proteins zonula occludins (ZO)-1, occludin, claudin-1, and E-cadherin. UPM exposure increased p-Akt, p-p38, and p65 expression levels, and NAC pretreatment reversed these effects. Akt inhibition decreased UPM-induced ROS formation and p38 and p65 protein phosphorylation, and restored the decreased ZO-1 and E-cadherin expression. Akt inhibition and ROS scavenging may provide targets for maintaining epithelial integrity by restoring decreased TJ protein expression during exposure to UPM.

High-quality alumina (Al2O3) coating has an extensive demand in the fields of optoelectronics, solar cells, and corrosion/impurity resistant coatings and cutting tools. The quality of alumina coating depends on its hardness and transparency. To obtain hard and highly transparent alumina coating, which is also a widely used ceramic material, a novel, aerosol deposition approach is presented in which the starting powder, used to fabricate Al2O3 ceramic coatings, is composed of angular and spherical Al2O3 particles. Films fabricated using angular:spherical Al2O3 particle mixtures with ratios of 10:0, 7:3, 5:5, 3:7, and 0:10, showed significant variation in surface roughness and microstructure. The dramatic morphology modulation of the 3:7 angular:spherical Al2O3 mixture film, resulting from the superposition hammering effect caused by the aerosol mixture, improved transmittance (84.7%) and hardness (13.6 GPa). Previous studies used high-energy approaches to optimize Al2O3 film properties. This dual-particle approach, however, produces Al2O3 film with excellent transmittance and hardness while achieving a fast coating speed (32 mm2 × μm/min) without additional thermal treatment. Our proposed approach provides a novel and energy efficient method to produce transparent Al2O3 films with superior durability.

In this study, we aimed to reveal the long-term impact of radiotherapy on recovery of facial animation function after facial nerve repair using sural nerve grafting in patients undergoing parotid gland surgery. We reviewed the medical records of patients who did or did not undergo radiotherapy following sural nerve graft repair after parotid gland surgery. Facial function metrics, such as House–Brackmann (HB) scale scores and FACEgram measurements, were used to compare facial muscle function between groups. Postoperative radiotherapy was performed in 14 of 21 patients. There was no significant difference regarding successful repair (HB I–III), which was achieved in three of 14 irradiated patients and two of seven non-irradiated patients (p = 0.181). On FACEgram analysis, there was no significant difference in mean smile excursion length between the radiotherapy group (9.16 ± 8.48 mm) and the control group (6.15 ± 4.24 mm) (p = 0.392). There was no significant difference in the mean angle of excursion between the irradiated group (3.59 ± 3.73°) and the non-irradiated group (1.06 ± 5.24°) (p = 0.216). In this study, postoperative radiotherapy did not appear to prevent successful recovery of facial function after sural nerve grafting in parotid gland surgery.

Objective Particulate matter (PM), which contains organic compounds and toxic metals, is the major cause of air pollution. PM enters the body, causing various health problems. Although the effects of PM on the lower respiratory tract have been extensively investigated, the effects on the upper respiratory tract (including the nasal cavity) require further evaluation. To investigate the effect of fluticasone propionate (FP) on nasal fibroblasts exposed to UPM. Methods Samples of inferior turbinate tissue were obtained from six patients. The fibroblasts isolated from these samples were exposed to UPM and/or FP. The expression of interleukin (IL)-6, CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL) 1, IL-1β, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in nasal fibroblasts was analysed using real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The protein levels of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were analysed by western blotting. Results FP reversed the UPM-induced reduction in cell viability. The mRNA and protein levels of IL-6, CXCL1, IL-1β, and TNF-α were significantly increased by UPM. FP reversed the UPM-induced increases in the protein levels of NF-κB and phosphorylated-STAT3 in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, TNF-α, an inducer of NF-κB, reversed the FP-induced reduction in the levels of signalling molecules. Conclusion UPM induces the expression of IL-6, CXCL1, IL-1β, and TNF-α in nasal fibroblasts and this effect is reversed by FP via the STAT3 and NF-κB signalling pathways. These results suggest that FP has therapeutic potential for nasal diseases related to UPM, such as allergic and chronic rhinitis.

Nineteen compounds were isolated from the stems of Maackia amurensis by activity-guided screening for new human monoamine oxidase-B (hMAO-B) inhibitors. Among the compounds isolated, flavonoids calycosin (5) and 8-O-methylretusin (6) were found to potently and selectively inhibit hMAO-B (IC50 = 0.24 and 0.23 μM, respectively) but not hMAO-A with high selectivity index (SI) values (SI = 293.8 and 81.3, respectively). In addition, 5 and 6 reversibly and competitively inhibited hMAO-B with Ki values of 0.057 and 0.054 μM, respectively. A pterocarpan (−)-medicarpin (18) was also observed to strongly inhibit hMAO-B (IC50 = 0.30 μM). Most of the compounds weakly inhibited AChE, except isolupalbigenin (13) (IC50 = 20.6 μM), which suggested 13 be considered a potential dual function inhibitor of MAO-B and AChE. Molecular docking simulation revealed that the binding affinities of 5 and 6 for hMAO-B (both −9.3 kcal/mol) were higher than those for hMAO-A (−7.4 and −7.2 kcal/mol, respectively). Compound 5 was found to interact by hydrogen bonding with hMAO-B at Cys172 residue (distance: 3.250 A); no hydrogen bonding was predicted between 5 and hMAO-A. These findings suggest that compounds 5 and 6 be considered novel potent, selective, and reversible hMAO-B inhibitors and candidates for the treatment of neurological disorders.

Myocardial infarction (MI) causes serious loss of cardiac muscle and dysfunction. To restore MI, exogenous stem cells should be efficiently delivered. However, due to severe physical and physiological cardiac environment, recent strategies have faced challenges, including low cell persistence, low integration, and delayed therapeutic effects. Herein, we proposed mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapeutic platform using adhesive protein-based immiscible condensed liquid system (APICLS) derived from bioengineered mussel adhesive protein (MAP). With high encapsulation efficiency and survival rate of encapsulated MSCs, APICLS was successfully grafted by intramyocardial injection and distributed throughout the scarred myocardium. Its underwater adhesiveness and biocompatibility fostered integration with damaged tissue, resulting in high cell persistence and maximized paracrine effects. Bioactive molecules released from APICLS with MSCs induced angiogenesis and cardioprotection, delayed cardiac remodeling, reduced fibrosis, and recovered contractive force. Thus, our proposed strategy represents an innovative approach for recovering infarcted cardiac tissues with damaged structural and contractive function.

This research describes the influence of nano-sized aluminum with varying contents (0–20 wt%) on the combustion behaviors of HMX/GAP/Al in aspects such as burning rate, surface temperature, gas phase temperature, mole fraction of species, and specific impulse. A rigorous mathematical model is developed for three phases (solid phase, condensed phase, and gas phase) with detailed kinetics. This model consists of 507 gas phase reactions and 4 condensed phase reactions of HMX/GAP/Al combustion. The model also emphasizes the phase transitions and reactions of aluminum in the gas phase. Based on this model, dynamic simulation is carried out at various propellant compositions and operating pressures by means of the moving boundary approach using gPROMS software package. The simulation results are in close agreement with the experimental data at slight marginal errors for HMX/Al combustion, predicting the combustion behaviors for the HMX/GAP/Al system. Accordingly, the model predicts the gas phase temperature of 3061 K for the 20 wt% Al and the specific impulse of 258.53 s for the 15 wt% Al of HMX/GAP/Al propellant under an operating pressure of 100 atm. The increase in burning rate and specific impulse by increasing the pressure is also indicated. According to this study, the addition of aluminum particles with a content range of 15–20 wt% considerably improves combustion behaviors. By dynamic modeling and simulation, a detailed framework for studying the multi-phase combustion of aluminized solid propellant is introduced.

Thermogels have been extensively utilized as one of representative in situ forming hydrogel systems for biomedical applications. However, most thermogels often suffer from a weak mechanical strength and low physical stability. To overcome these intrinsic weaknesses of conventional thermogels, we developed a new in situ crosslinkable thermogel system with enhanced and tunable physicochemical properties. Thermosensitive N-hexanoyl glycol chitosans (HGCs) were synthesized by N-hexanoylation of glycol chitosan and further modified to yield methacrylated HGCs (M-HGCs) and thiolated HGCs (SH-HGCs). A mixture of M-HGCs and SH-HGCs (M/SH-HGCs) retained not only their thermogelling properties but also their reactive functionalities for chemical crosslinking at physiological temperature. Compared to conventional thermogels, the M/SH-HGC thermogels showed enhanced mechanical properties due to physical and chemical crosslinking mechanisms. The physicochemical properties of the M/SH-HGC thermogels were characterized in terms of the sol–gel transition temperature, gelation time, mechanical strength, and biodegradability. They showed negligible toxicity in cells, and the in situ crosslinking step did not affect cell viability. These results suggest that our crosslinkable thermogel system is useful not only as a new in situ forming hydrogel but also as a biomaterial for various biomedical applications due to its thermogelling characteristics and enhanced and tunable physicochemical properties.

To improve dielectric properties and areal capacitance according to percolation theory, 0 to 50 wt% of Cu was used as a metal filler in a BaTiO 3 (BT) matrix. BT–Cu composite films with a thickness of approximately 2 μm were fabricated using aerosol deposition at room temperature for application in embedded-film capacitors. The flow conditions of the carrier gas were varied to fabricate very compact composite thin films without surface craters and internal pores to obtain a high dielectric constant, low dielectric loss, and low leakage current. The BT–Cu composite films displayed highly dense microstructures and smooth surfaces, and good dielectric properties were observed when the carrier gas was supplied at 10 L/min. The dielectric constant of the composite films increased with the increase in Cu content. Although the dielectric loss and leakage current also increased with the increase in Cu content, they were within the allowable limits until the Cu concentration reached 40 wt% in the composite film, and the 40 wt% of Cu contained films showed high areal capacitances that were approximately five times the values reported in previous studies. In addition, a percolation threshold was observed in the composite film with 45 wt% Cu. Despite the appearance of this percolation threshold, the BT–Cu composite films all revealed low frequency dependence because the formation of micro-capacitor structures dominated their interiors.

Olfactory loss has been considered as the earliest complication for the aging process while underlying mechanisms and therapeutic strategies remain unclear. Given the correlation between microglial activation and olfactory dysfunction, here we investigated whether the immunomodulatory action of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can rescue the olfactory impairment in old mice. The intranasal delivery of MSCs limited microglial activation and neuronal apoptosis in the olfactory bulb (OB), leading to improvement in olfaction. MSCs down-regulated the proportion of CD86

Dense SiC layers with a thickness of 150 nm were prepared on n- and p-type Si substrates using aerosol deposition (AD) at room temperature. The contribution of electrons and holes to the conductivity in Ni/i-SiC/Si structures was investigated by conducting experiments involving the injection of carriers from silicon. Our results showed that the injection of carriers via light illumination and temperature experiments led to the generation of minority carriers, which contributed to the conductivity in the Ni/i-SiC/Si structures. The activation energies were found to be 0.8 eV and 0.4 eV for i-SiC/n-Si and i-SiC/p-Si, respectively. The conductivity of these Ni/i-SiC/Si structures was also affected by the trap-assisted tunneling process. The results indicate that the AD-prepared SiC/Si heterostructures could possibly be used to control bipolar conductivity and hold potential for application in temperature sensors and photovoltaics.

Solid propellant burning rate, gas phase temperature, and condensed phase thickness depend on combustion chamber pressure, laser intensity, and propellant compositions. The ignition and combustion of solid propellants occur in three phases namely solid phase, condensed phase, and gas phase. In this study, moving boundary modeling was applied to each of the phases by coordinate transformation. This research includes modeling and dynamic simulation of the ignition and combustion of HMX/GAP, a high-energy material in the ratio of 8:2, with the gas phase of the combustion model consisting of 50 species and 234 reactions. The mathematical modeling used mass, energy, and momentum conservation equations, as well as constitutive equations for the moving boundary. Parametric studies were run under different operating conditions, with an initial temperature of 300 K, a pressure of 10–100 atm and a laser intensity of 100 W/cm2. A burning rate of 2.2 cm/s and a gas phase temperature of 2700 K were obtained under an operating pressure of 100 atm. Extinguishment of the solid propellant was rigorously analyzed in terms of dynamic simulation with various depressurization rates during combustion. This was carried out by depressurizing the solid propellant from 70 atm to 40 atm. Important factors of the extinguishment were discussed based on the mathematical model and various depressurization rates with parametric studies. At a depressurization rate of −8000 atm/s, the solid propellant was fully extinguished. From this study, one can identify the phenomenon for the extinguishment of HMX/GAP propellant using fast depressurization with rigorous mathematical model used for ignition and combustion.

The integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) is prominent in coal-based power plants because of its high efficiency and environmental benefit. Because of global warming, the integration of a carbon capture process (CCP) into the IGCC is exigent. In this study, performance analysis of an integrated syngas purification process was performed for a 500 MW-class IGCC. First, various carbon capture efficiencies were investigated to elucidate the most economical carbon capture efficiency, and a carbon capture efficiency of 90% was recommended. This value includes sour gas (H2S) removal cost, and it is essential for coal-power plants regardless of carbon capture. Thus, the net carbon capture cost was calculated from the difference in the operating costs of the integrated syngas purification process with/without a CCP. The net carbon capture cost per ton of CO2 was determined as approximately 21 USD. In addition, the exergy analysis and H2 co-production from the integrated syngas purification process with pressure swing adsorption (PSA) were presented to suggest the direction of the potential process improvement and carbon reduction assessment. The study can contribute towards decision-making related to investment in near-future candidate technologies for increasing efficiency and carbon emissions.

In this study, we synthesize microwave-irradiated reduced graphene oxide with an open structure for the facile intercalation/deintercalation of sodium cations. Images obtained from a scanning electron microscope and a transmission electron microscope clearly showed that microwave-irradiated reduced graphene oxide consisted of finely divided stacks of graphene sheets with a thickness of a few nanometers, which remarkably increased its porosity as confirmed by nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements. The galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements of microwave-irradiated reduced graphene oxide showed that after 100 cycles at 1 A/g, its discharge capacity (200 mAh/g) was two times higher than that of reduced graphene oxide (100 mAh/g). Furthermore, microwave-irradiated reduced graphene oxide exhibited excellent rate capability and stable cycling performance, even at an extremely high current density of 20 A/g. These results suggest that owing to its high specific surface area and short ion diffusion path, the nanoporous framework of microwave-irradiated reduced graphene oxide can provide a large number of intercalation sites easily accessible by sodium ions.

Elastic wave based technology (e.g., acoustic emission or micro seismic sensors) has been widely used to monitor the stability of underground structures or rock failure. To achieve successful measurement, it is important to select an appropriate coupling material for the installation of sensors that are embedded in holes bored into the wall of a structure. The characteristics of the coupling material are related to its wave propagation ability (i.e., wave velocity and damping ratio), setting ability in the borehole (i.e., bleeding), and its workability (i.e., viscosity) in relation to being able to fill the holes tightly with the sensors. In this study, micro cement, Portland cement, and gypsum were the materials considered to couple with sensors in the borehole. Laboratory tests were performed to evaluate the characteristics of the coupling material according to the water-cement ratio (w/c, range 0.5–2.0). The test results show that the propagation ability and setting ability tend to decrease with increasing w/c ratio; on the other hand, workability benefits from an increasing w/c ratio. In addition, the characteristics of the coupling materials were analyzed to suggest a material with an optimized w/c ratio appropriate for a target test-bed site. The most suitable coupling recipe was found to be micro cement with a w/c ratio of 1.0. This study provides information about coupling material characteristics that should be useful for determining a suitable coupling recipe for field applications.

Irregular titanium powders of various particle size in the range 60–250 μm were deoxidized using calcium as the reductant, and the effect of specific surface area on the process was investigated. At 1273 K, the oxygen concentration was reduced from 0.2840 wt% to 0.0950 wt%, from 0.2050 wt% to 0.0825 wt%, and from 0.1700 wt% to 0.0825 wt% in titanium powders with average particle sizes of 60 μm, 125 μm, and 250 μm, respectively, and the corresponding removal degree of oxygen (RDO) for these specimens was determined to be 66.5%, 59.7%, and 51.4%; that is, the RDO was inversely proportional to the average particle size of the irregular titanium powder. It was confirmed that the specific surface area of the titanium powder available for reaction with calcium, was the critical factor in the deoxidation of titanium powder using calcium as reductant.

Purpose Natural killer (NK) cells are the key subset of innate-immunity lymphocytes; they possess antitumor activities and are used for cancer immunotherapy. In a previous study, extracellular vehicles (EVs) from NK-92MI cells were isolated and exploited for their ability to kill human cancer cells in vitro and in vivo (multiple injection methods). Here, the potential of NK-cell–derived EVs (NK-EVs) for immunotherapy was improved by priming with interleukin (IL)-15. Methods NK-EVs were isolated from the culture medium without or with IL-15 (NK-EVsIL-15) by ultracentrifugation and were purified via density gradient ultracentrifugation. In addition, NK-EVs and NK-EVsIL-15 were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle-tracking analysis, and western blotting. Flow cytometry, bioluminescence imaging, and a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay were performed for apoptosis, protein expression, cell proliferation, and cytotoxicity analyses. Furthermore, xenograft tumor–bearing mice were injected with PBS, NK-EVs, or NK-EVsIL-15 intravenously five times. Tumor growth was monitored using calipers and bioluminescence imaging. Toxicity of the nanoparticles was evaluated by measuring the body weight of the mice. Results NK-EVsIL-15 showed significantly higher cytolytic activity toward human cancer cell lines (glioblastoma, breast cancer, and thyroid cancer) and simultaneously increased the expression of molecules associated with NK-cell cytotoxicity. When compared with NK-EVs, NK-EVsIL-15 significantly inhibited the growth of glioblastoma xenograft cells in mice. In addition, both NK-EVs and NK-EVsIL-15 were not significantly toxic to either normal cells or mice. Conclusion IL-15 may improve the immunotherapeutic effects of NK-EVs, thus improving the applications of NK-EVs in the future.

Since the Fukushima nuclear accident, various efforts to improve safety have been undertaken for nuclear power plants all over the world, such as the implementation of new measures to cope with severe accidents and the application of PSAs in SAMG. In the case of the domestic probabilistic safety assessment (PSA), the regulatory body is strengthening the safety goals of operating and constructing nuclear power plants through the accident management plan, including the safety objectives recommended by the USNRC. This new safety goal calls for a more realistic reflection of the “as-built, as-operated” status of nuclear power plants as well safety enhancement of nuclear power plants during operation. In this paper, we propose a practical methodology for developing a Level 1 & 2 PSA model that reflects the inherent characteristics of Korea and conforms to the new safety goals recommended by domestic regulatory agencies. To this end, we benchmarked a recent State of the Art Reactor Consequence Analysis (SOARCA) study in the United States. The selection of scenarios reflecting the inherent characteristics of Korea, the application strategies for severe accident mitigation equipment and SAMG to PSA model and revision of the Level 1 & 2 PSA model for selected scenarios are presented. The results of this study can be applied to the PSA model update conforming to the new safety goals, the revision of the Level 1 & 2 PSA reflecting the unique characteristics, and analysis of the actual radiation source term and Public Acceptance.

In the present study, Ti-27Nb alloy specimens were prepared from Ti/TiH2 powders using Nb powders through the argon sintering process (ASP) and hydrogen sintering process (HSP). X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy studies were conducted, and the sintered density, Vickers hardness, and Rockwell hardness of the Ti-27Nb alloys produced by different sintering processes, as a function of the vacuum sintering temperature (1350–1450 °C), were measured. The results showed that the Ti-27Nb alloy sintered bodies with the highest density and hardness were obtained by HSP. In addition, the pore size and number of HSP specimens were smaller and less than those of the ASP specimens. It was found that the Ti-27Nb alloy, produced by HSP, can prevent the formation of oxide layers, resulting in enhanced densification and hardness. Furthermore, HSP can also prevent the formation of hydrides and eliminate the dehydrogenation step. At the same time, the problem of brittleness and failure caused by hydride formation could be solved.

The effect of Cu particle size on deposition behavior of Cu coating layer was investigated by experimental and numerical studies to understand coating behavior of metal films during aerosol deposition (AD) process. Experimental results showed that Cu film fabricated using 2 μm Cu powder had high deposition rate, low resistivity, and high internal micro-strain. Moreover, Cu films fabricated using 2 μm Cu powder had dense microstructure and Cu oxide phases due to elevated temperature caused by kinetic energy of impacted particles. However, Cu films prepared with 5 μm Cu powder formed filmy deposition layers with poor structural and electrical properties. Numerical results revealed that the generated strain and heat at the impact interface between the particle and the substrate were significantly decreased with increasing particle size. In contrast, the maximum shock pressure of particles was increased with increasing particle size. These results demonstrate that metal Cu particle with size of about 2 μm is suitable for forming good quality coating layers and that their bonding is associated with high compressive strain and thermal energy.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) have drawn considerable attention for application in the field of environmental remediation. In this study, we report the simultaneous reductive-adsorption behavior of Ti

Recent developments in the field of energy storage systems have led to the need for a process that can synthesize an electrode in a cost-effective and environmentally friend manner with excellent performance. In this study, we developed a noble electrode structure by direct powder deposition process of MnO2 powder for a pseudo-capacitor configuration. This homogeneous electrode has uniformly distributed pores and direct contact between MnO2 particles, which helps improve ionic transport in an aqueous electrolyte and electron transport between MnO2 particles. In addition, electrochemical impedance analysis confirms that the homogeneous MnO2 electrode structure by powder deposition has a considerably lower value of charge transfer resistance (∼ 100 times) and double layer capacitance (∼10 times) compared to those for paste-type electrodes. Furthermore, our electrodes maintain a high specific capacitance of 383.4 F g−1 at more than 2 mg cm−2 of mass loading, whereas the capacitance of the paste-type electrode decreases considerable.

A panel of 30 chalcone derivatives, including 19 aldoxime-chalcone ethers (ACE), and 11 hydroxyl‑chalcones (HC), previously synthesized using a Pd-catalyzed C–O cross-coupling method were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against monoamine oxidases (MAOs), cholinesterases (ChEs), and β-secretase (BACE-1). HC6 was the most potent inhibitor of MAO-B with an IC50 value of 0.0046 µM and a selectivity index (SI) of 1,113. HC3 also potently inhibited MAO-B (IC50 = 0.0067 µM) and had the highest SI (1,455). ACE7 and ACE15 were also potent MAO-B inhibitors (IC50 = 0.012 and 0.018 µM, respectively), with SIs of 260 and 1,161, respectively. HC3 and HC6 were reversible competitive inhibitors of MAO-B, with Ki values of 0.0036 and 0.0013 μM, respectively. A structure–activity relationship revealed that methyl and fluorine substituents contributed to increasing both inhibition and selectivity. ACE7 was the most effective inhibitor of MAO-A (IC50 = 1.49 µM), followed by ACE3 (IC50 = 3.75 µM). No compounds effectively inhibited AChE, BChE, or BACE-1. A docking simulation showed that the ligand efficiency and docking scores of HC3 and HC6 toward MAO-B were consistent with the experimental IC50 values. These results suggest that HC3 and HC6 can be considered promising candidates for the treatment of neurological disorders.