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The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanical stresses and strains acting on pharmaceutical glass tubing vials during freezing and thawing of model pharmaceutical formulations. Strain measurements were conducted inside of a laboratory-scale freeze-dryer using a custom wireless sensor. In both sucrose and trehalose formulations at concentrations between 5 % and 20 % w/v, the strain measurements initially increased before peaking in magnitude at temperatures close to the respective glass transition temperatures of the maximally freeze concentrated solutes, Tg'. We attribute this behavior to a shift in the mechanical properties of the frozen system from a purely elastic glass below Tg' to a viscoelastic rubber-like material above Tg'. That is, when the interstitial region becomes mechanically compliant at temperature above Tg'. The outputs were less predictable below 5 % w/v and tended to exhibit two separate peaks in strain output, one near the equilibrium melting temperature of pure ice and the other near Tg'. The peaks merged at concentrations between 4 and 5 % w/v where the largest strain magnitude was observed. The strain on primary packaging has traditionally been applied to evaluate the risk of damage or breakage due to, for example, crystallization of excipients. However, data collected during this study suggest there may be utility in formulation design or as a process analytical technology to minimize potentially destabilizing stresses and strains in the frozen formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel photocatalytic reactor was developed to degrade methylene blue in water using titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a catalyst and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) tubing as a transmitter for ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The reactor was operated by continuously flowing the solution through narrow tubes that were exposed to UV radiation. The efficiency of the reactor was evaluated by comparing it to a previous study that used quartz glass tubing. The study also investigated the effects of flow rate, initial concentration, pH, TiO2 dose and UV radiation without a catalyst on the degradation of methylene blue. The results showed that the FEP tubing was a more efficient UV transmitter than quartz glass. The efficiency of the reactor was also affected by the flow rate and pH of the solution. The highest degradation efficiency was achieved at a flow rate of 10 mL/min and a pH of 7.0. The use of TiO2 as a catalyst also significantly improved the degradation efficiency, with an almost doubling of the degradation rate when compared to the case without a catalyst. This study demonstrates the potential of the FEP tubing-based photocatalytic reactor for the degradation of methylene blue in water. The reactor is easy to operate and can be scaled up for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We herein reported, a visible‐light‐induced K2S2O8 mediated cascade reaction of 3‐(2‐isocyanoethyl)indoles with α‐oxocarboxylic acids leading to diastereoselective synthesis of polycyclic spiroindolines bearing an N‐formyl unit derivative utilising the alkali metal salt K2S2O8 as a mediator under mild reaction conditions. This study offers an illustration of α‐oxocarboxylic acids and 3‐(2‐isocyanoethyl)indoles‐based reactions as it shows the involvement of glyoxolate ions without decarboxylation to access polycyclic spiroindolines bearing an N‐formyl unit analogue. The batch process can be extended to a continuous flow system using a glass tube loaded with K2S2O8 placed between the PFA capillary reactor, which can greatly advance the reaction efficiency and can even be promoted to gram‐scale synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron beams with energies up to 3 MeV, widely used in technological and research practice, have a relatively low penetration depth into matter, and the inhomogeneity of energy absorption can reach 30% per 1 mm of path. High heterogeneity, as well as the high cost of radiation, requires the researcher to have skills in optimizing the uniformity of irradiation and reducing energy losses. This work presents the dependences of the average absorbed dose and dose heterogeneity for irradiation of liquid with a horizontal beam in test tubes or tubes with different glass wall thicknesses (0.2–2 mm Pyrex). The dependences are applicable to refining, predicting, and analyzing the distribution of absorbed dose in materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analytical method for the dimensioning and selection of the four glass tube collector types: single-glazed with an air layer, single-glazed with a vacuum layer, double-glazed with an air layer, and double-glazed with a vacuum layer. In the first part of the paper (dimensioning phase), the iterative thermal resistance calculation algorithms were developed for all glass tube collector types, whereby the iterative thermal resistance calculation algorithm of the single-glazed tube collector with an air layer was experimentally tested and validated. The second part of the paper (selection phase) uses a multi-criteria decision-making method to determine the optimal glass tube collector design. Unlike other papers, three indicator groups are taken into account in this case: geometric (mass, surface occupation, total surface occupation, volume occupation), economic (manufacturing and exploitation costs), and ecological (embodied energy and greenhouse gas emission). The proposed method is characterized by simple and fast calculations with satisfactory accuracy, which avoids high investment costs (experimental research), approximation and discretization of physical models (numerical research), and a large number of input parameters with boundary conditions (theoretical research). It should be noted that, with certain additions and changes, it can also be applied to other solar thermal collectors, so the authors believe such tools are handy for the global scientific public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inertial pendulum components are key parts of a miniature wire suspended pendulum accelerometer. They are with varied shapes and multiple scales individually, which results in a complex assembly structure and assembly process. At present, the assembly mainly relies on manual operation, and assembly consistency and productivity cannot be guaranteed. In our previous work, an assembly system based on a Cartesian-coordinate robot was presented, where the mechanical structure and control system composition was mainly described. Here, a detailed assembly principle and process are given besides structure, explaining how to achieve assembly accuracy by combination of well-designed fixtures and automatic position/attitude alignment. Moreover, error analysis and error compensation methods are supplemented, and the locking method of combination fixture/suspended wire is modified to be more reliable. The experimental results demonstrate that assembly accuracy is less than 15 µm, which meets the requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar distillation has gained more importance as a practical and environmentally friendly solution for converting non-potable water into clean water using solar energy, in response to the increasing concern about the scarcity of clean water. In the city of Kirkuk, Iraq, located at 35.4666° N, 44.3799° E, we conducted an experiment to enhance the efficiency of a conventional solar distiller with a surface area of 1 m². To enhance evaporation, we incorporated 8 vacuum tubes. For improved condensation, we conducted experiments using two different cooling methods to cool the glass cover: pulse cooling (1min/15min), (1min/10min) and continuous cooling. Based on the trial findings, the productivity reached 2653 ml/day, representing a 237.5% increase in production. When vacuum tubes were attached to the solar still, the productivity increased compared to a conventional distiller. With a cooling time of (1min/15min), the productivity reached 3510 ml/day. With a cooling(1min/10min), the productivity reached 3587ml/day. When constantly cooling, the productivity reached 4980 ml/day. The productivity experienced respective increases of 332%, 386%, and 656.8% in comparison to the conventional distiller. The modified still's thermal efficiency was 21.6%, 24.6%, and 37.7%, compared to 17% for the conventional system and 18.8% for the improved system without glass cover cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contactless and label-free detection of urea content in aqueous solutions is of great interest in chemical, biomedical, industrial, and automotive applications. In this work, we demonstrate a compact and low-cost instrumental configuration for label-free, reagent-free, and contactless detection of urea dissolved in water, which exploits the absorption properties of urea in the near-infrared wavelength region. The intensity of the radiation transmitted through the fluid under test, contained in a rectangle hollow glass tubing with an optical pathlength of 1 mm, is detected in two spectral bands. Two low-cost, low-power LEDs with emission spectra centered at λ = 1450 nm and λ = 2350 nm are used as readout sources. The photodetector is positioned on the other side of the tubing, in front of the LEDs. The detection performances of a photodiode and of a thermal optical power detector have been compared, exploiting different approaches for LED driving current modulation and photodetected signal processing. The implemented detection system has been tested on urea–water solutions with urea concentrations from 0 up to 525 mg/mL as well as on two samples of commercial diesel exhaust fluid ("AdBlue™"). Considering the transmitted intensity in presence of the urea–water solution, at λ = 1450 nm and λ = 2350 nm, normalized to the transmitted intensity in presence of water, we demonstrate that their ratio is linearly related to urea concentration on a wide range and with good sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the large variety of high-voltage semiconductor components for medium and high voltage switching and pulse-forming applications as well as for high-power high-frequency generation, the use of vacuum electron tubes still prevails to a considerable degree. Due to the common design incorporating a high energy electron beam which finally is dumped into an anode or a resonator cavity, these tubes are also considered as sources of X rays produced as bremsstrahlung and characteristic radiation, which are referred to as parasitic X rays. Here three types of vacuum-electron tubes, diode, tetrode, and thyratron, with glass housings are investigated. They are predominantly operated in the high voltage range below 30 kV and are not subject to licensing laws. The measurements of the dose rate and X-ray-spectra were performed in the laboratory without complex electrical circuitry usually used in making practical measurements for occupational radiation protection. For the diode tube, where a parasitic X-ray emission is observed only in the reverse operation as a blocking diode, a broad distribution of dose rates of electrically equivalent specimens was observed. This is attributed to field emission from the electrodes. For the tetrode and the thyratron tubes, field emission from the electrodes is identified as the dominant mechanism for the generation of parasitic X rays. Thus, technical radiation protection must focus on shielding of the glass tube rather than optimization of the electrical circuitry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite thin‐walled tubes made of glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) are attracting great attention due to their lightweight and outstanding crashworthiness capacity. Implementing triggers to the design of GFRP composite tubes enables a further increase in specific energy absorption while simultaneously reducing peak crushing force. Motivated by these facts, a notch‐type triggering mechanism is suggested in this work to enhance the energy absorption capabilities of circular GFRP composite tubes. GFRP tube samples with (0°/90°)8 layups are manufactured using the roll wrapping process. Subsequently, these samples are triggered and subjected to quasi‐static axial compression tests. The diameter, quantity and placement of the triggering notches are selected as design parameters, and experiments are carried out using Taguchi's L9 orthogonal array. Each of these parameters has three levels to identify the optimal combination of design parameters. To optimize multiple responses, the weighted aggregated sum product assessment, a multiple criteria decision‐making technique, is employed in conjunction with mono‐criteria optimization. The findings indicated that substantial enhancements can be realized in all parameters related to energy absorption performance by triggering progressive crushing modes in a controlled manner using a notch‐type triggering mechanism. In particular, the findings indicated that the specific energy absorption and the crush force efficiency of the intact GFRP composite tubes could be improved up to 18% and 68.3%, respectively, by the selection of appropriate triggering parameters. Highlights: Axial crushing and optimal design of triggered GFRP tubes are investigatedNumber, diameter, and center distance of the notches are chosen as parametersTaguchi experimental design is used for the best configuration of parametersThe optimum configurations are investigated using the entropy‐WASPASSignificant improvements are achieved using the trigger mechanism [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is devoted to investigating the dynamics of liquid driven by capillary force in a circular tube. A microscope was used to visualize the meniscus movement and the contact angle. The experiments were carried out with glycerin–water mixtures with viscosity ranging from 0.21 to 1.36 Pa∙s by filling the test liquid in a borosilicate glass tube with an inner diameter of 200 μm. The wetting distances of the meniscus with time were compared with the theoretical solution by considering the dynamic variation of contact angle. The results show that the theoretical solution agrees well with experimental data due to the reflection of the actual dynamic contact angle for the transient motions in the developing entrance region. In view of momentum balance, variations of dominant force according to the time were determined by separated inertial periods, such as inertial, inertial-viscous, and viscous time stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a flow channel, generally, microorganisms derived from bacteria contained in water first attach to a surface, form colonies and then become a pollutant known as biofilm. It is important to control the generation and growth of this pollutant, because it has the disadvantage of causing insanitary conditions inside tubes employed in medical and food processing, resulting in various infections. In the present study, we estimate the process of formation of biofilm inside a glass tube by means of binarization and fractal dimension of light scattering patterns obtained under illumination of a white light source and a laser diode. Experiments are conducted for glass tubes filled with bacteria-containing water without flow and with flow to confirm the feasibility of the present method for monitoring biofilm adhering to their inner surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, image processing techniques are employed to investigate the growth and detachment characteristics of initial bubbles in vertical glass tubes. The study explores the effects of different continuous phases (water and Therminol®66), nozzle diameters, air flow rates, and continuous phase liquid levels on the detachment diameter and shape of bubbles. Furthermore, based on the detachment characteristics obtained under various experimental conditions, a novel predictive model for bubble detachment diameter is established in both water and Therminol®66. The results show that the bubble detachment diameter in the continuous phase therminol® 66 is larger than the bubble detachment diameter in water, and that the shape of the bubbles in therminol® 66 is close to spherical, with an ellipsoidal shape in water. With the increase in nozzle diameter and airflow, the bubble detachment diameter increases, and the shape is stretched in the vertical direction. With the increase in the continuous phase liquid level, the bubble detachment diameter decreases, and the shape change is not significant. In addition, the accuracy of the bubble detachment diameter prediction model was validated through experimental data. Compared with the experimental values, the average absolute errors were 5.04% and 5.11% in water and Therminol®66, respectively. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of initial bubble growth and detachment, providing valuable references for nozzle design. [Display omitted] • The growth characteristics of initial bubbles under different working fluids are studied • The shape and diameter of the bubble detachment process are studied under different operating conditions. • A new bubble detachment diameter prediction model is established [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to use and optimize a 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system for three-dimensional (3D) images of small samples obtained from breast cell cultures in vitro. The basis of this study was to design MRI equipment to enable imaging of MCF-7 breast cancer cell cultures (about 1 million cells) in 1.5 and 2 mL glass tubes and/or bioreactors with an external diameter of less than 20 mm. Additionally, the development of software to calculate longitudinal and transverse relaxation times is described. Imaging tests were performed using a clinical MRI scanner OPTIMA 360 manufactured by GEMS. Due to the size of the tested objects, it was necessary to design additional receiving circuits allowing for the study of MCF-7 cell cultures placed in glass bioreactors. The examined sample's volume did not exceed 2.0 mL nor did the number of cells exceed 1 million. This work also included a modification of the sequence to allow for the analysis of T1 and T2 relaxation times. The analysis was performed using the MATLAB package (produced by MathWorks). The created application is based on medical MR images saved in the DICOM3.0 standard which ensures that the data analyzed are reliable and unchangeable in an unintentional manner that could affect the measurement results. The possibility of using 1.5 T MRI systems for cell culture research providing quantitative information from in vitro studies was realized. The scanning resolution for FOV = 5 cm and the matrix was achieved at a level of resolution of less than 0.1 mm/pixel. Receiving elements were built allowing for the acquisition of data for MRI image reconstruction confirmed by images of a phantom with a known structure and geometry. Magnetic resonance sequences were modified for the saturation recovery (SR) method, the purpose of which was to determine relaxation times. An application in MATLAB was developed that allows for the analysis of T1 and T2 relaxation times. The relaxation times of cell cultures were determined over a 6-week period. In the first week, the T1 time value was 1100 ± 40 ms, which decreased to 673 ± 59 ms by the sixth week. For T2, the results were 171 ± 10 ms and 128 ± 12 ms, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously reported that the presence of pyridalyl, a selective insecticide, in aqueous honey (50% v/v) negatively affects the survival of diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella: DBM) adults. However, it remains unclear whether toxicity of pyridalyl in aqueous honey affects the fecundity of adult female DBMs. We analysed the survival and fecundity of adult DBM under the water, honey or honey + pyridalyl conditions in glass tubes containing Japanese mustard spinach (Brassica rapa: Komatsuna) leaves for 10 days. The survival of adults under the honey (50% v/v) and honey + pyridalyl (100‐fold dilution) conditions was significantly higher and lower, respectively, than under the water condition during the experimental period. The number of eggs laid by DBM females each day (fecundity) under the water condition was significantly lower than that under the honey condition throughout the experimental period, except on day 1. In contrast, the numbers under the water and honey + pyridalyl conditions were not significantly different, except on day 2 (the honey + pyridalyl condition was significantly lower). To study the effects of plants grown in pots on the survival and fecundity of DBM females, we conducted experiments using acrylic cages containing potted komatsuna plants. The survival trends under the honey, and honey + pyridalyl conditions in the cages were similar to those in the glass tubes. Fecundity was evaluated based on the total number of subsequent generations (DBM larvae and pupae) on day 10. The numbers were significantly higher in the honey condition than in the water condition. In contrast, the number in the honey + pyridalyl condition was not significantly different from that in the water condition. Given our previous findings that the longevity and fecundity of Cotesia vestalis, an effective natural enemy of DBM larvae, remained unaffected by the presence of pyridalyl in honey as a food supply, our research suggests that introducing devices providing honey infused with pyridalyl in greenhouses as a nutritional source for C. vestalis could be an effective biological control strategy for managing DBM populations within greenhouse environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using geopolymeric recycled aggregate concrete (GRAC) rather than conventional concrete to fill glass fiber–reinforced polymer (GFRP) tubes to produce high-performance structural members is a promising green construction technique. In this article, an experimental study investigating the impact behavior of GFRP tube-confined GRAC under axial impact loadings is presented. Moreover, split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) impact tests were conducted, with several variable parameters: (1) confinement ratio (0, 6-ply, and 8-ply GFRP tubes); (2) recycled aggregate (RA) replacement ratio (0%, 50%, and 100%); and (3) strain rate (ranging from 29.4 to 263.3 s−1). In addition, the experimental results of the impact behavior of GFRP-confined GRAC were compared with those of confined ordinary portland cement (OPC) concrete. The test results showed that the confinement of the GFRP tube can remarkably improve the impact resistance of GRAC. The dynamic increase factor (DIF) of confined GRAC was higher than that of confined OPC-based concrete. Similar to OPC-based concrete, the incorporation of RA negatively influenced the impact properties of GRAC, but these influences could be alleviated by GFRP tube confinement. The compressive properties of GFRP-confined GRAC exhibited a strong strain-rate dependency, while the DIF slightly decreased with an increasing confinement ratio. Finally, a model was developed to predict the dynamic strength of GFRP-confined GRAC by reasonably considering the coupling effects of the RA replacement ratio and confinement ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new type of the load-adaptive hoisting mechanism (LAHM), which can automatically adjust transmission ratio based on the payload. The load-adaptive hoisting mechanism can perform high speed under light load condition and it can perform large output force under heavy load condition. Because variable radius reel and spring-load rope are used, it can conduct smooth and continuous adaptive adjustment according to the difference of payload. After the theoretical analysis of the load-adaptive hoisting mechanism proposed in this paper, we discuss the working principle of the mechanism and establish the theoretical relationship model which contains key mechanical parameters of the system. In addition, through the contrast experiment with the traditional reel mechanism, the results prove the superiority and efficiency of this mechanism. Finally, the experiment of glass tube with an explosion is designed, which proves the feasibility and advantages of this mechanism and makes it possible to be used widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The β-nickel sulfide (β-NiS) nanobelts were fabricated by electrodepositing a nickel nanosheet film on Indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates and sulfuring the nickel film on ITO-coated glass substrates. The sulfurization method can be used to form nanobelts without a template. A small glass tube was used to anneal the sulfur sheet with a nickel nanosheet film. After applying vacuum to the tube, the specimen was annealed at 500 °C. By adjusting the weight of the sulfur sheet in a small glass tube, a nanobelt structure can be formed on the film for 4 h. The β-NiS nanobelt film had a sulfide and nickel molar ratio that was nearly 0.7 (S/Ni). After five years of a long-term storage test, the β-NiS nanobelt films were able to measure the glucose in a solution with the value of sensitivity of 8.67 µA cm−2 µM−1. The β-NiS nanobelt film also detected glucose with a limit of low detection (LOD) of around 0.173 µM. The estimation of reproducibility was over 98%. Therefore, the β-NiS nanobelt film has a significant ability to detect low concentrations of glucose in a solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Donghua University (Natural Science Edition) is the property of Journal of Donghua University (Natural Science) Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, an optical fiber humidity sensor based on acrylate AB adhesive film is studied, and two methods—a bubbling method and a dual pressure assisted method—for preparing thin films are proposed. The forms will make the thin film lighter and make the sensor more sensitive. Using a glass tube to connect the acrylate AB adhesive film to the single mode optical fiber, the humidity sensor is obtained. Through humidity response experiments, the sensor's sensitivity reaches 167.5 pm/% RH, and the response time reaches 4.8 s/% RH. At the same time, the experiments show that the sensor has good repeatability and stability. Finally, the influence of temperature on the working process is analyzed, and we provide a method for improvement through FBG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Machine Tool & Hydraulics is the property of Guangzhou Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (GMERI) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An independent volumetric glow discharge was experimentally obtained at atmospheric pressure in an argon atmosphere. A volumetric glow discharge is realized in an electrode system consisting of a thin metal wire and a metal grid with a dielectric barrier and is ignited using an auxiliary discharge, a low-current surface discharge initiated at the end of a glass tube along the dielectric surface between the pointed cathode and a cylindrical metal anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

4-Quinolones are the structural elements of many pharmaceutically active compounds. Although several approaches are known for their synthesis, the introduction of an aryl ring in position 2 is problematic with most of them. The reductive cyclization of o-nitrochalcones by pressurized CO, catalyzed by ruthenium or palladium complexes, has been previously reported to be a viable synthetic strategy for this aim, but the need for pressurized CO lines and autoclaves has prevented its widespread use. In this paper, we describe the use of the formic acid/acetic anhydride mixture as a CO surrogate, which allows us to perform the reaction in a cheap and commercially available thick-walled glass tube without adding any gaseous reagent. The obtained yields are often high and compare favorably with those previously reported by the use of pressurized CO. The procedure was applied to a three-step synthesis from commercially available and cheap reagents of the alkaloid Graveoline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alzheimer´s disease is considered a neurodegenerative disease and is diagnosed by exclusion, while the detection of specific cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, namely amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides Aβ1–42 (Aß42), phospho-tau (181P; P-tau), and total-tau (T-tau), has been shown to improve diagnostic accuracy. Recently, a new generation of sample tubes (Sarstedt false-bottom tubes) for the Elecsys CSF immunoassay for the determination of Alzheimer´s disease biomarkers in CSF was introduced, promising better measurability. However, the pre-analytic influencing factors have not yet been sufficiently investigated. Methods: In 29 patients without Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, CSF concentrations of Aß42, P-tau and T-tau were examined in native CSF and after different influencing interventions using the Elecsys immunoassay test method. The following influencing factors were analyzed: contamination with blood (10,000 and 20,000 erythrocytes/µl CSF), 14-day storage at 4 °C, blood contamination of CSF and 14-day storage at 4 °C, 14-day freezing at -80 °C in Sarstedt tubes or glass vials, 3-month intermediate storage at -80 °C in glass vials. Results: Both storage at -80 °C for 14 days in Sarstedt false-bottom tubes and in glass vials and storage at -80 °C for 3 months in glass vials resulted in significant decreases in Aß42 (13% after 14 days in Sarstedt and 22% in glass vials, 42% after 3 months in glass vials), P-tau (9% after 14 days in Sarstedt and 13% in glass vials, 12% after 3 months in glass vials) and T-tau (12% after 14 days in Sarstedt and 19% in glass vials, 20% after 3 months in glass vials) concentrations in CSF. No significant differences were found for the other pre-analytical influencing factors. Conclusions: Measurements of the concentrations of Aß42, P-tau, and T-tau in CSF with use of the Elecsys immunoassay are robust to the pre-analytical influencing factors of blood contamination and duration of storage. Freezing at -80 °C results in significant reduction of biomarker concentrations regardless of the storage tube and must be considered in retrospective analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous silica materials have been widely used as gas adsorbents due to their excellent adsorption ability, large specific surface area, simple preparation process, and convenient functionalization. In this study, a core–shell mesoporous material MCM-41@SiO2 was synthesized and functionalized by CoCl2, and subsequently KSCN, to prepare an ammonia adsorbent. The adsorbent was proved to possess high surface area, good sphericity, uniform size, good dispersibility, and high adsorption capability following DLS, SEM, TEM, and a static adsorption study. Moreover, the successful functionalization and thermal stability were confirmed by FT-IR, XPS, and TGA. The material was then used to fabricate a glass tube sensor for the rapid naked-eye detection of ammonia gas. The sensor showed good performance in terms of sensing speed, selectivity, accuracy, and reusability. Within 5 s, NH3 could be detected by the discoloration, and a wide NH3 concentration from 20 to 1000 ppm could be detected. It also showed a good linear relationship between discoloration length and ammonia concentration. A reversible color change from blue to yellow indicated the presence of NH3, which was attributed to the formation and disassembly of ammonia-containing complex [Co(NH3)6(NCS)2]. With fast adsorption, naked-eye sensing properties, and good selectivity, the sensor holds good promise for indoor NH3 sensing and other more complicated situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of algae caused by anthropogenic eutrophication in water has become a severe environmental issue. Various treatment options for algae removal have been developed, such as filtration, coagulation, sedimentation, flotation, algicides, ozone, and photolysis. However, these technologies are complex, expensive, consume considerable amounts of various chemicals, and may cause further pollution (i.e., by-product formation). Ultrasonic exposure is an alternative method for removing algae from water that is environmentally friendly (i.e., no addition of chemicals) and almost unaffected by any turbidity in the water. In this study, process optimization of ultrasonication (e.g., by adjusting frequency, power intensity, and exposure time) for the removal of alga was tested under vacuum and non-vacuum conditions. Experiments were conducted on a batch of algae solution in a clear glass tube ultrasonicated by a 20 kHz transducer for 180 minutes. The tube was depressurized up to -67 N/m2 in a depressurizing chamber. The data was collected at transducer depths of 0.06, 0.13, and 0.19 m. It was concluded that the optimum condition (i.e., 92% algal cell disruption) was achieved when the power intensity was 7 kWh/m3, under vacuum conditions, at a frequency of 20 kHz and 180 minutes of exposure time. Higher power intensity gave higher energy for cell disruption, moreover by depressurizing the air above the algae solution, the lysis effect for algae reduction increased from 20% to 70% compared to the non-depressurized system due to higher cavitation bubble production. In addition, the depth of the transducer was another factor that could increase the lysis of the algae water. Therefore, this technology has future potential application for algae removal from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of parahydrogen gas to enhance the magnetic resonance signals of a diversity of chemical species has increased substantially in the last decade. Parahydrogen is prepared by lowering the temperature of hydrogen gas in the presence of a catalyst; this enriches the para spin isomer beyond its normal abundance of 25% at thermal equilibrium. Indeed, parahydrogen fractions that approach unity can be attained at sufficiently low temperatures. Once enriched, the gas will revert to its normal isomeric ratio over the course of hours or days, depending on the surface chemistry of the storage container. Although parahydrogen enjoys long lifetimes when stored in aluminum cylinders, the reconversion rate is significantly faster in glass containers due to the prevalence of paramagnetic impurities that are present within the glass. This accelerated reconversion is especially relevant for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) applications due to the use of glass sample tubes. The work presented here investigates how the parahydrogen reconversion rate is affected by surfactant coatings on the inside surface of valved borosilicate glass NMR sample tubes. Raman spectroscopy was used to monitor changes to the ratio of the (J: 0 → 2) vs. (J: 1 → 3) transitions that are indicative of the para and ortho spin isomers, respectively. Nine different silane and siloxane-based surfactants of varying size and branching structures were examined, and most increased the parahydrogen reconversion time by 1.5×–2× compared with equivalent sample tubes that were not treated with surfactant. This includes expanding the pH2 reconversion time from 280 min in a control sample to 625 min when the same tube is coated with (3-Glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Abrasion resistance improvement of antireflective coating on glass by applying hidrophobic antisoiling coating. • Analysis of two different abrasion tests (linear Taber test and oscillating sand test) on antisoiling and antireflective coatings on solar glass covers. • Different degradation mechanisms identified according to the abrasive sand used in the oscillating sand test. • Complete optical characterization together with profilometric and microscope analyses necessary to study abrasion resistance in solar glass covers. The abrasion resistance of the antireflective coatings (ARC) applied on both sides of the parabolic-trough glass tubes is a key point to maintain throughout time the enhanced efficiency which produces the use of this film. The cleaning processes as well as the erosion produced by dust or sand in desert environments can damage the ARC, even removing it, affecting the system efficiency. The use of an antisoiling (AS) treatment on the antireflective (AR) coated solar glass envelopes are reaching increasing interest to reduce soiling and the water consumption associated to cleaning. RIOGLASS AR coated tubular samples were coated with a commercial hydrophobic treatment and the abrasion resistance of the AR + AS coatings combination against sole ARC were studied by carrying out two abrasion tests. Initial average solar transmittance values of 96.9 % and initial average static contact angle of 107° were obtained for the AR + AS samples. The results from the two abrasion tests have shown that the AR + AS coatings combination present a higher resistance to the abrasion. It has also been observed that two different abrasive media in the sand oscillating test produce different degradation mechanisms, (reflection losses versus absorptance losses). Additionally, the results have shown that solar transmittance values are not enough to characterize the abrasion degradation of AR coatings, being also important the haze value. Similar solar transmittance values (93.9 % and 94 %) but with different haze values (1.2 % against 3.2 %) and very different transmittance spectra indicating distinct degradation mechanism were obtained for samples abraded with two different sands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Solar technologies are an efficient means of addressing environmental pollution and climate change challenges. In this study, an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system driven by solar evacuated glass tubes named solar water power generation (SWPG) system was experimentally investigated to explore the performance of the SWPG system in powering buildings. For ORC, a new mixture called TD-3 was introduced for the experiment after comparing the thermodynamic characteristics of five working fluids using refprop software. The solar radiation intensity was simulated for solar collectors to determine the best installation angle of the evacuated glass tubes to be 30 deg in Tianjin, China. The power generating efficiency was tested as high as 4.5% at 1:00 pm on July 15. The optimization of operating parameters and the modification of generating equipment contributed to the increase in power generation. The SWPG system could achieve an optimal power output when the system guaranteed a small superheat and no more than 3 °C subcooling using the TD-3. The transmission ratio between the generator and expander also impacted power generation that the ratio of 2:1 helped optimize the power generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentric tube robots (CTRs) are considered promising in medical applications involving intracorporeal confined spaces, high dexterity, and 3D path following. Most CTRs are currently made of Nitinol due to its superelastic properties and biocompatibility. Herein, glass–polymer composite tubes to ease the shape setting, decrease friction, and benefit linear elasticity are proposed. A new generation of CTR: Caturo, which is made of flexible and miniaturized submillimeter glass–polymer tubes, is presented. Caturo has also an unprecedented radius of curvature that reaches as low as 5 mm. It is fabricated through the thermal treatment of a thin heat‐shrink polymer tube on a glass capillary in a 3D‐printed mold. The fabrication process is quick, versatile, and relatively low cost. Various free space deployment operations are demonstrated, such as 3D helical precurved tube deployment, conical–spiral deployment, and constrained 3D deployment through needle orifices. The forward kinematic model (FKM), inverse kinematic model (IKM), and stability analysis are experimentally validated. Finally, precurved optic fiber deployment with laser emission capability, fluid sample suction, and delivery operation is proposed. There is also a proposed vitreoretinal surgery using a fish‐eye under optical coherence tomography (OCT) visualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tube yarn is also called glass fiber spun yarn. Due to the excellent properties of glass fiber, various industrial products based on glass fiber are used in a variety of industries. As the most obvious factor affecting the quality of products, quality detection of glass fiber yarns is very important for companies. Due to traditional defect detection relies on the experience and subjective factors of workers, which makes many different views on the same defect. Some traditional methods limit the solution to specific types of defects and do not accurately detect various defects. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive defect detection system of tube yarn via combining machine vision and deep learning methods. In whole system, we inspect the weight through a weight sensor firstly. Then, we propose a multi-scale cross-fusion attention module to improve the MobileNetV2, and combine with machine vision image feature extraction method for hairiness detection. Finally, the modified MobileNetV2 network is used as the backbone of YOLOX network, making the YOLOX is lighter and achieve more efficiently stain detection of tube yarn. Then, the detection results are used to determine whether the glass tube yarn has passed. In addition, we establish an effective and sufficient amount of tube yarn defects dataset. The experimental results show that the proposed hairiness detection algorithm achieve 96% accuracy with 160+ FPS, and the surface stain detection algorithm achieve 0.89 mAP with 71+ FPS on the tube yarn dataset. The system is efficient, precise, and can be applied to actual production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates printing hollow tubes using the digital glass-forming process. A CO2 laser locally heats continuously fed glass tube feedstock so that it can be plastically deformed. This allows it to be bent and deposited onto a workpiece. The workpiece is positioned relative to the laser using precision four-axis computer numerical control stages. The loading on the laser-heated region is controlled by the stages as well as pneumatic pressure in the tube, which allows the printing complex shapes without the tube collapsing. The bending behavior of freestanding glass structures is examined, focusing on the geometric accuracy and temperature profile of the deformation zone as a function of the process parameters. The application of pneumatic pressure allows the control of the printed tube diameter. Several complex tube geometries deposited on the planar substrates as well as freestanding structures are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents two devices to detect the liquid dielectric characterization. The differential method was used to enhance the robustness and reduce tolerance. A basic sensor based on defected ground structure (DGS) was designed and the optimization for the squares of the DGS via adaptive genetic algorithm was applied to enhance the performance of the microwave sensor, which was shown by the difference of the two resonant frequencies. Furthermore, the electric field distribution was enhanced. Glass microcapillary tubes were used to hold samples to provide an environment of non-invasive. The optimized device exhibited the sensitivity of 0.076, which is more than 1.52 times than the basic structure. It could be considered a sensitive and robust sensor with quick response time for liquid dielectric characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new design of a bio-random laser based on a butterfly wing structure and ITO glass is proposed in this article. Firstly, the butterfly wing structure was integrated in a liquid crystal cell made of ITO glass. The integrated liquid crystal cell was injected with liquid crystal and dye to obtain a bio-random laser. A non-biological random laser was obtained with a capillary glass tube, liquid crystal and dye. The excitation spectra and thresholds were recorded to evaluate the performance of the biological and non-biological random lasers. The results show that the excitation performance stability of the bio-random laser is improved and the number of spikes in the spectra is reduced compared with the non-biological random laser. Finally, the equivalent cavity length of the biological and non-biological random lasers was compared and the optical field distribution inside the butterfly wing structure was analyzed. The data show that the improvement of the excitation performance stability of the bio-random laser is related to the localization of the optical field induced by the photonic crystal structure in the butterfly wing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A link between the T3SS and inhibition of swimming motility by the transcriptional regulator TtsI in Mesorhizobium japonicum MAFF303099 has been previously reported. Here, we show that mutants in T3SS components display impaired biofilm formation capacity, indicating that a functional T3SS, or at least pili formation, is required for this process. As a first approach to the cdiG regulation network in this bacterium, we started a study of the second messenger cdiG by overexpressing or by deleting some genes encoding cdiG metabolizing enzymes. Overexpression of two putative PDEs as well as deletion of various DGCs led to reduced biofilm formation on glass tubes. Mutation of dgc9509 also affected negatively the nodulation and symbiosis efficiency on Lotus plants, which can be related to the observed reduction in adhesion to plant roots. Results from transcriptional nopX - and ttsI -promoter- lacZ fusions suggested that cdiG negatively regulates T3SS expression in M. japonicum MAFF303099. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the current study is to experimentally analyze the thermal performance of an all-glass evacuated tube solar collector (ETSC) with an innovative heat exchanger design by employing TiO2-H2O nanofluid as a heat transmission fluid. Different higher volume concentration (v/c) of TiO2 nanoparticles, i.e. 0.83%, 0.9%, and 0.94% are examined to explore the impact of the nanofluids on the ETSC performance in comparison with only water based ETSC. An outdoor experimental investigation has been carried out using nanofluid at 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8 l/min volumetric rates of flow and its impact using serpentine copper tube coil having uniform pitch distance of 14.3 cm with aluminum fins attached on both side of coil having diameter 12 mm and thickness 1 mm, respectively. The study indicates that thermal performance of ETSC increases with the rise in volumetric flow rate with higher v/c of nanoparticles. For this condition, the temperature rise of water using nanofluid is higher than simple water-based ETSC system, recording an increase in outlet temperature by 4.21%. The maximum thermal efficiency obtained is 52.33% at 0.9% v/c and 0.8 l/min. A comparative assessment between the obtained results and some of the published results reveals that by using serpentine copper coil attached with aluminum fins, with higher concentrations of TiO2 nanoparticles and maintaining higher volumetric flow rate, thermal efficiency of ETSC can be much improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tube yarn is also called glass fiber spun yarn. Due to the excellent properties of glass fiber, various industrial products based on glass fiber are used in a variety of industries. As the most obvious factor affecting the quality of products, quality detection of glass fiber yarns is very important for companies. Due to traditional defect detection relies on the experience and subjective factors of workers, which makes many different views on the same defect. Some traditional methods limit the solution to specific types of defects and do not accurately detect various defects. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive defect detection system of tube yarn via combining machine vision and deep learning methods. In whole system, we inspect the weight through a weight sensor firstly. Then, we propose a multi-scale cross-fusion attention module to improve the MobileNetV2, and combine with machine vision image feature extraction method for hairiness detection. Finally, the modified MobileNetV2 network is used as the backbone of YOLOX network, making the YOLOX is lighter and achieve more efficiently stain detection of tube yarn. Then, the detection results are used to determine whether the glass tube yarn has passed. In addition, we establish an effective and sufficient amount of tube yarn defects dataset. The experimental results show that the proposed hairiness detection algorithm achieve 96% accuracy with 160+ FPS, and the surface stain detection algorithm achieve 0.89 mAP with 71+ FPS on the tube yarn dataset. The system is efficient, precise, and can be applied to actual production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential sources of a specific and considerable contamination with bisphenol A (BPA) via biological sample testing were investigated. Determination of BPA in animal plasma, collected in a commercially provided vacuum tube, revealed a significant contamination of 6 ng/ml of BPA in the tested sample, while blood serum from the same animal collected in a glass tube contained 0.37 ng/ml of BPA. Further investigation proved that the origin of the contamination was the separator gel in the vacuum collection tube, which contained, without any declaration from the producer, BPA at a mean ± SD concentration of 2046 ± 75 ng/g. However, the BPA concentrations found in the separator gel of the two batches of the vacuum tubes were varied by sevenfold. The problem with contaminated vacuum tubes was fixed with the further use of glass tubes without a separator gel. The second BPA contamination case reports on significant leaching of BPA out of rubber HPLC vial septa. Within eight consecutive injections using the same septum, the BPA concentration in the vial progressively increased from a value of zero at the first injection to 7.8 ng/ml at the eighth injection, while the septa itself contained BPA at average ± SD of 3386 ± 699 ng/g. The problem with contaminated HPLC vial septa was fixed with the further use of more chemically inert septa materials, e.g. silicone/PTFE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient analytical method has been developed for the extraction and quantification of aflatoxin M1 in milk samples using a modified air-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction method combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detector. Firstly, defatted milk is transferred into a glass test tube and its proteins are participated with zinc acetate solution. After vortexing and centrifugation of the mixture, the obtained supernatant is removed and transferred into a conical bottom glass test tube. Then, the adsorbed analyte onto the precipitated proteins is eluted with acetonitrile and after centrifugation, the eluant is mixed with the supernatant obtained from the previous step. A few microlitres of toluene (as an extraction solvent) is added into the solution and the mixture is sucked into a glass syringe and pushed out in the tube for four times. The obtained cloudy solution is centrifuged to collect the extraction solvent. Then, the lower aqueous phase is withdrawn by a glass syringe to transfer the extraction solvent to the conical section of the tube. The method was validated and under optimal conditions, it was found that the method has low limits of detection (0.9 ng L−1) and quantification (3 ng L–1), good linearity (r2 = 0.9976), and satisfactory repeatability (relative standard deviation ≤9% for intra- (n = 8) and inter-day (n = 6) precisions). The extraction recovery and enrichment factor of AFM1 were 87% and 87, respectively. Finally, the proposed method was applied on different milk samples and concentration of aflatoxin M1 was determined in the studied samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]