Next-generation solar power conversion systems in concentrating solar power (CSP) applications require high-temperature advanced fluids in the range of 600–800°C. Current commercial CSP plants use ...molten nitrate salt mixtures as the heat transfer fluid and the thermal energy storage (TES) media while operating with multiple hours of energy capacity and at temperatures lower than 565°C. At higher temperatures, the nitrates cannot be used because they decompose. Molten chloride salts are candidates for CSP applications because of their high decomposition temperatures and good thermal properties; but they can be corrosive to common alloys used in vessels, heat exchangers, and piping at these elevated temperatures. In this article, we present the results of the corrosion evaluations of several alloys in eutectic 34.42wt% NaCl – 65.58wt% LiCl at 650–700°C in nitrogen atmosphere. Electrochemical evaluations were performed using open-circuit potential followed by a potentiodynamic polarization sweep. Corrosion rates were determined using Tafel slopes and Faraday's law. A temperature increase of as little as 50°C more than doubled the corrosion rate of AISI stainless steel 310 and Incoloy 800H compared to the initial 650°C test. These alloys exhibited localized corrosion. Inconel 625 was the most corrosion-resistant alloy with a corrosion rate of 2.80±0.38mm/year. For TES applications, corrosion rates with magnitudes of a few millimeters per year are not acceptable because of economic considerations. Additionally, localized corrosion (intergranular or pitting) can be catastrophic. Thus, corrosion-mitigation approaches are required for advanced CSP plants to be commercially viable.
•The 50°C temperature increase, from the initial 650°C test, more than doubled the corrosion rate of SS310 and In800H.•IN625 was the most corrosion-resistant alloy with a corrosion rate of 2.80±0.38 mm/year at 650°C.•SS347, with the lowest Ni content of 9.62 wt%, has the highest corrosion rate of 7.49±0.32 mm/year at 650°C.•Cr and Fe were preferentially corroded from SS310, In800H, and IN625.
The infrared (IR) analysis of dried samples of DNA and DNA-polypeptide complexes is still scarce. Here we have studied the FT-IR profiles of these components to further the understanding of the FT-IR ...signatures of chromatin and cell nuclei.
Calf thymus and salmon testis DNA, and complexes of histone H1, protamine, poly-L-lysine and poly-L-arginine (histone-mimic macromolecules) with DNA were analyzed in an IR microspectroscope equipped with an attenuated total reflection diamond objective and Grams software. Conditions including polypeptides bound to the DNA, DNA base composition, and single-stranded form were found to differently affect the vibrational characteristics of the chemical groups (especially, PO(2)(-)) in the nucleic acid. The antisymmetric stretching (ν(as)) of the DNA PO(2)(-) was greater than the symmetric stretching (ν(s)) of these groups and increased in the polypeptide-DNA complexes. A shift of the ν(as) of the DNA PO(2)(-) to a lower frequency and an increased intensity of this vibration were induced especially by lysine-rich histones. Lysine richness additionally contributed to an increase in the vibrational stretching of the amide I group. Even in simple molecules such as inorganic phosphates, the vibrational characteristics of the phosphate anions were differently affected by different cations. As a result of the optimization of the DNA conformation by binding to arginine-rich polypeptides, enhancements of the vibrational characteristics in the FT-IR fingerprint could be detected. Although different profiles were obtained for the DNA with different base compositions, this situation was no longer verified in the polypeptide-DNA complexes and most likely in isolated chromatin or cell nuclei. However, the ν(as) PO(2)(-)/ν(s) PO(2)(-) ratio could discriminate DNA with different base compositions and DNA in a single-stranded form.
FT-IR spectral profiles are a valuable tool for establishing the vibrational characteristics of individualized chromatin components, such as DNA and DNA-polypeptide complexes in dried samples.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The authors of this letter respond to a previous letter regarding their study on immunoglobulin E (IgE) deficiency and autoimmune disease. They clarify that their study aimed to show that patients ...with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), an autoimmune disease, often have lower IgE levels compared to the general adult population in the same area. They explain that the definition of elevated total serum IgE levels in the population is subject to drawbacks, such as non-normal distribution and the high frequency of atopy. They also discuss the limitations of using total IgE as a diagnostic marker, including its association with demographic and lifestyle factors. The authors emphasize the importance of using a random sample of the population as a control group to obtain more representative results. They conclude that the points raised in the previous letter do not affect the main conclusions of their study, which highlight the association between IgE deficiency and PBC. The study was supported by grants from the Carlos III Institute of Health and the Spanish Ministry of Health. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Patients with lysosomal storage diseases may require modifications to standard drug desensitization protocols; personalized medicine as well as development of new treatment options are needed.
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION
Is there a relationship between serum and endometrial progesterone (P4) levels, including P4 and metabolites (oestrone, oestradiol and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone), and ...endometrial receptivity?
SUMMARY ANSWER
Serum P4 levels were not correlated with endometrial P4, nor associated with endometrial receptivity as determined by the ERA® test; however, endometrial P4 and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone levels were positively correlated and related to endometrial receptivity by ERA.
WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
Acquisition of endometrial receptivity is governed by P4, which induces secretory transformation. A close relationship between serum P4 and pregnancy outcome is reported for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) cycles. However, the relationship between serum and uterine P4 levels has not been described, and it is unknown whether uterine receptivity depends more on serum or uterine P4 levels.
STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
A prospective cohort study was performed during March 2018–2019 in 85 IVF patients undergoing an evaluation-only HRT cycle with oestradiol valerate (6 mg/day) and micronised vaginal progesterone (400 mg/12 h).
PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
Patients were under 50 years of age, had undergone at least one failed IVF cycle, had no uterine pathology, and had adequate endometrial thickness (> 6.5 mm). The study was conducted at IVI Valencia and IVI Foundation. An endometrial biopsy and a blood sample were collected after 5 days of P4 vaginal treatment. Measures included serum P4 levels, ERA®-based evaluation of endometrial receptivity, and endometrial P4 levels along with metabolites (oestrone, oestradiol and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone) measured by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.
MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
Seventy-nine women were included (mean age: 39.9 ± 4.6, BMI: 24.2 ± 3.9 kg/m2, endometrial thickness: 8.2 ± 1.4 mm). The percentage of endometria indicated as receptive by ERA® was 40.5%. When comparing receptive versus non-receptive groups, no differences were observed in baseline characteristics nor in steroid hormones levels in serum or endometrium. No association between serum P4 and endometrial steroid levels or ERA result was found (P < 0.05). When the population was stratified according to metabolite concentration levels, endometrial P4 and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone were significantly associated with endometrial receptivity (P < 0.05). A higher proportion of receptive endometria by ERA was observed when endometrial P4 levels were higher than 40.07 µg/ml (relative maximum) and a lower proportion of receptive endometria was associated with endometrial 17α-hydroxyprogesterone lower than 0.35 ng/ml (first quartile). A positive correlation R2 = 0.67, P < 0.001 was observed between endometrial P4 and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone levels.
LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
This study did not analyse pregnancy outcomes. Further, the findings can only be extrapolated to HRT cycles with micronised vaginal progesterone for luteal phase support.
WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
Our findings suggest that the combined benefits of different routes of progesterone administration for luteal phase support could be leveraged to ensure an adequate concentration of progesterone both in the uterus and in the bloodstream. Further studies will confirm whether this method can optimise both endometrial receptivity and live birth rate. Additionally, targeted treatment to increase P4 endometrial levels may normalise the timing of the window of implantation without needing to modify the progesterone administration day.
STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)
This research was supported by the IVI-RMA Valencia (1706-VLC-051-EL) and Consellería d’Educació, Investigació, Cultura, i esport Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian Government, Spain, GV/2018//151). Almudena Devesa-Peiro (FPU/15/01398) and Cristina Rodriguez-Varela (FPU18/01657) were supported by the FPU program fellowship from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Spanish Government). P.D.-G. is co-inventor on the ERA patent, with non-economic benefits. The other authors have no competing interests.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
NCT03456375.
The aim of this research is to compare the electrochemical behaviour of two biomedical alloys, AISI 316L and CoCrMo in simulated body fluids. This comparison is focused on the influence of solution ...chemistry and immersion time on the passive behaviour using electrochemical techniques, potentiodynamic curves, potentiostatic tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).
Influence of albumin, used as model protein, on both biomaterials depends on the nature of the alloy. It decreases the corrosion resistance of AISI 316L while increases the corrosion resistance of CoCrMo. Although it is known that it adsorbs on both alloys, properties of the passive layer modifies the effect of albumin. On the contrary, precipitation of phosphate ions could explain the highest resistance values in the phosphate solutions on both cases.
The study shows that the electrochemical behaviour of CoCrMo shows higher transfer resistance and lower capacitance which means thicker and more protective passive films than AISI 316L. However, differences between both alloys disappear with time depending on the solution chemistry.
Degradation of dentin matrix components within caries dentin has been correlated with the activity of host-derived proteases, such as matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) and cysteine cathepsins (CTs). ...Since this relationship has not been fully established, we hypothesized that the abundance of MMPs and CTs in caries-affected dentin must be higher than in intact dentin. To test this premise, we obtained 5 slices (200 µm) from 5 intact teeth and from 5 caries-affected teeth (1 slice/tooth) and individually incubated them with primary antibodies for CT-B, CT-K, MMP-2, or MMP-9. Negative controls were incubated with pre-immune serum. Specimens were washed and re-incubated with the respective fluorescent secondary antibody. Collagen identification, attained by the autofluorescence capture technique, and protease localization were evaluated by multi-photon confocal microscopy. The images were analyzed with ZEN software, which also quantitatively measured the percentages of collagen and protease distribution in dentin compartments. The abundance of the test enzymes was markedly higher in caries-affected than in intact dentin. CT-B exhibited the highest percentage of co-localization with collagen, followed by MMP-9, MMP-2, and CT-K. The high expression of CTs and MMPs in caries-affected teeth indicates that those host-derived enzymes are intensely involved with caries progression.
High-quality single crystals of MnBi2Te4 are grown for the first time by slow cooling within a narrow range between the melting points of Bi2Te3 (586 °C) and MnBi2Te4 (600 °C). Single-crystal X-ray ...diffraction and electron microscopy reveal ubiquitous antisite defects in both cation sites and, possibly, Mn vacancies (Mn0.85(3)Bi2.10(3)Te4). Thermochemical studies complemented with high-temperature X-ray diffraction establish a limited high-temperature range of phase stability and metastability at room temperature. Nevertheless, the synthesis of MnBi2Te4 can be scaled-up as powders can be obtained at subsolidus temperatures and quenched at room temperature. Bulk samples exhibit long-range antiferromagnetic ordering below 24 K. The Mn(II) out-of-plane magnetic state is confirmed by the magnetization, X-ray photoemission, X-ray absorption, and linear dichroism measurements. The compound shows a metallic type of resistivity in the range 4.5–300 K and is an n-type conductor that reaches a thermoelectric figure of merit up to ZT = 0.17. Angle-resolved photoemission experiments show a surface state forming a gapped Dirac cone, thus strengthening MnBi2Te4 as a promising candidate for the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator, in accordance with theoretical predictions. The developed synthetic protocols enable further experimental studies of a crossover between magnetic ordering and nontrivial topology in bulk MnBi2Te4.
Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPACs) are potent and renewable natural bioactives possible to be refined into chemically standardized mixtures for biological applications. Herein, we found that ...multiscale interactions of OPACs with the dentin matrix create tight biointerfaces with hydrophobic methacrylate adhesives on wet surfaces. An enriched mixture of OPACs, with a known phytochemical profile, was produced from grape seed crude extract (Vitis vinifera; enriched grape seed extract e-GSE) and applied to dentin matrices to determine changes to the mechanical properties and biodegradability of the dentin matrix and favorable resin adhesion mechanisms. Methods included a 3-point flexural test, quantification of hydroxyproline (collagen solubilization), static and dynamic nanomechanical analyses, resin-dentin microtensile bond strength, and micropermeability at the adhesive interface. The e-GSE-modified dentin matrix exhibited remarkably low collagen solubilization and sustained the bulk elastic properties over 12 mo. Tan δ findings reveal a more elastic-like behavior of the e-GSE-modified dentin matrix, which was not affected by H-bond destabilization by urea. Dentin-methacrylate biointerfaces with robust and stable adhesion were created on e-GSE-primed dentin surfaces, leading to a dramatic decrease of the interfacial permeability. Standardized OPAC mixtures provide a new mechanism of adhesion to type I collagen–rich tissues that does not rely on hydrophilic monomers. The bioadhesion mechanism involves physicochemical modifications to the dentin matrix, reduced tissue biodegradation, and bridging to methacrylate resins.
Feedstock particle sizing can impact the economics of cellulosic ethanol commercialization through its effects on conversion yield and energy cost. Past studies demonstrated that particle size ...influences biomass enzyme digestibility to a limited extent. Physical size reduction was able to increase conversion rates to maximum of ≈50%, whereas chemical modification achieved conversions of >70% regardless of biomass particle size. This suggests that (1) mechanical pretreatment by itself is insufficient to attain economically feasible biomass conversion, and, therefore, (2) necessary particle sizing needs to be determined in the context of thermochemical pretreatment employed for lignocellulose conversion. Studies of thermochemical pretreatments that have taken into account particle size as a factor have exhibited a wide range of maximal sizes (i.e., particle sizes below which no increase in pretreatment effectiveness, measured in terms of the enzymatic conversion resulting from the pretreatment, were observed) from <0.15 to 50 mm. Maximal sizes as defined above were dependent on the pretreatment employed, with maximal size range decreasing as follows: steam explosion > liquid hot water > dilute acid and base pretreatments. Maximal sizes also appeared dependent on feedstock, with herbaceous or grassy biomass exhibiting lower maximal size range (<3 mm) than woody biomass (>3 mm). Such trends, considered alongside the intensive energy requirement of size reduction processes, warrant a more systematic study of particle size effects across different pretreatment technologies and feedstock, as a requisite for optimizing the feedstock supply system.
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