Chromium in its trivalent form (chromium (III)) is an essential component of a balanced diet, and its deficiency disturbs glucose and lipid metabolism in humans and animals. The prevailing view is ...that chromium (III) is notably less toxic than chromium (VI), which is genotoxic and carcinogenic. Thus, the biotransformation of environmental chromium (VI) to chromium (III) is a promising and environmentally friendly detoxification method. However, increasing evidence suggests that chromium (III) induces considerable cytotoxicity. However, the toxicity of chromium (III) to early embryos remains largely unknown. In the present study, we used in vitro fertilization (IVF) to produce mouse embryos and identified the direct embryotoxicity of chromium (III). On exposure to high concentrations of CrCl3, blastocyst formation almost completely failed and a large proportion of embryos were arrested at the 2- to 4-cell stage. At low concentrations of CrCl3, IVF embryos showed a significant decrease in blastocyst formation, reduced total cell numbers, aberrant lineage differentiation, increased oxidative stress, and apoptosis. We also found that chromium (III) exposure during the preimplantation stage, even at low concentrations, led to impaired post-implantation development. Thus, our study substantiates the direct embryotoxicity of chromium (III) during preimplantation development and prolonged impairment of development potential. The results further highlight the potential adverse effects of chromium (III) on public reproductive health with respect to increased environmental enrichment of and dietary supplementation with chromium (III) complexes.
Airway allergic disease (AAD) is a class of autoimmune diseases with predominantly Th2-type inflammation, mainly including allergic rhinitis (AR), allergic asthma (AS), and chronic sinusitis (CRS). ...There are very complex regulatory mechanisms between immune cells and AAD; however, previous reports found that the functions of the same immune cells in AAD are not identical.
The aim of this study was to explore the causal relationship between different phenotypic immune cells and their association with AAD.
Utilizing the publicly available Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) database, this study conducted a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the causal relationship between immune cells of 731 different immunophenotypes and AAD. The primary assessment methods included inverse variance weighting, weighted median, and MR Egger. Additionally, sensitivity analyses such as MR-PRESSO, leave-one-out, and scatter plots were employed to eliminate the interference of heterogeneity and pleiotropy, ensuring the stability of the causal inference.
A total of 38 immune cells with different immunophenotypes were found to be positively and causally associated with AR, of which 26 were protective factors and 12 were risk factors. Positive associations were found between 33 immune cells and AS, of which 14 were protective factors and 19 were risk factors, as well as between 39 immune cells and CRS, of which 22 were protective factors and 17 were risk factors. Finally, the results of all relevant immune cells for the three diseases were taken and intersected, and it was found that CD3 on CD39+-activated Treg (IVW
= 0.001, IVW
= 0.043, IVW
= 0.027) may be the key immune cell that inhibits the development of AAD (OR
= 0.940, OR
= 0.967, OR
= 0.976).
This study reveals that different immune phenotypes of immune cells are closely related to AAD at the genetic level, which provides a theoretical basis for future clinical studies.
In order to improve the operational life of highway asphalt pavements, reduce urban traffic safety accidents, and improve pavement travelling comfort, this paper analyze the frequency of different ...highway asphalt pavement distresses and calculates the percentage of each other based on highway asphalt pavement data sets in Shandong. The results showed that the five types of highway asphalt pavement distresses including alligator cracks, longitudinal cracks, transverse cracks, sealed cracks and patches occur with high frequency and account for 96.2% of the total proportion. For revealing the coupling principle between different highway asphalt pavement distress, this paper analyze the correlation between the five types of highway asphalt pavement distresses by Spearman correlation coefficient. The results showed that alligator cracks have a higher positive correlation with transverse cracks and longitudinal cracks and sealed cracks have a negative correlation with transverse cracks. The research findings are helpful to understand the characteristics of pavement distress conditions more clearly and to optimize he level of service of asphalt pavements on urban roads.
In this study, Ti particles reinforced Mg AZ31/Al 6082 composite sheets were successfully prepared by hot rolling, with the aim of revealing the effect of Ti particles addition on the mechanical ...behavior and microstructure of Mg AZ31/Al 6082 composite sheets. The results showed that Ti particles were uniformly distributed at the interface of the Mg/Al-Ti composite sheets, which could greatly reduce the amount of Mg-Al intermetallic compounds during annealing treatment. Compared to the Mg/Al sheet, the tensile strength and elongation of the Mg/Al-Ti sheet could be improved simultaneously after the annealing treatment. Ti particles addition hardly affected the grain size, texture type, and tensile fracture morphology of the Mg layer and Al layer in the composite sheets before and after annealing. This present study provides a new perspective on the mechanical behavior and microstructure of Mg/Al composites through the addition of metal particles.
This paper aims to develop a chloride transport model of engineered cementitious composites (ECC) that can consider the influence of both exposure time and crack width. ECC specimens with crack ...widths of 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm and 0.3 mm were soaked into NaCl solution with periods of 30, 60, 90 and 120 days. The free chloride content profile was measured and used for the development of the transport model. Regression analysis was applied to build the time and crack width dependent models of apparent diffusion coefficient and surface chloride content. The results show that the crack width has significant influence on the free chloride concentration profile when it is above 0.2 mm and the time-dependent constant n decreases linearly with the crack width. The chloride transport model was obtained by subscribing the models of apparent diffusion coefficient and surface chloride content into the analytical solution of Fick’s second law. The model was further validated with the experimental results, showing a deviation within 20%. The findings of the presented study can enhance the current understanding on the chloride transportation in ECC.
We present a dynamic risk-based process design and multi-parametric model predictive control optimization approach for real-time process safety management in chemical process systems. A dynamic risk ...indicator is used to monitor process safety performance considering fault probability and severity, as an explicit function of safety–critical process variables deviation from nominal operating conditions. Process design-aware risk-based multi-parametric model predictive control strategies are then derived which offer the advantages to: (i) integrate safety–critical variable bounds as path constraints, (ii) control risk based on multivariate process dynamics under disturbances, and (iii) provide model-based risk propagation trend forecast. A dynamic optimization problem is then formulated, the solution of which can yield optimal risk control actions, process design values, and/or real-time operating set points. The potential and effectiveness of the proposed approach to systematically account for interactions and trade-offs of multiple decision layers toward improving process safety and efficiency are showcased in a real-world example, the safety–critical control of a continuous stirred tank reactor at T2 Laboratories.
In this article, the importance of considering operability and control criteria in the analysis and design of intensified and modular processes is discussed. We first analyze the impact on ...operability of key factors including: (i) degrees of freedom, (ii) process constraints, (iii) numbering up vs. scaling up, and (iv) dynamic/periodic operation. Comparative examples are presented to showcase the pros and cons in intensified/modular systems vs. their conventional counterparts from operability and control aspects. Then we look into metrics and tools to address these challenges such as: (i) flexibility analysis, (ii) operability‐based design, and (iii) advanced model‐based control. Considering different conceptual design stages as synthesis intensification, steady‐state design, and dynamic operational optimization, we highlight the need to incorporate different levels of operability considerations. Future research opportunities and perspectives are also identified, particularly emphasizing the importance of a holistic strategy for integrated design, operability, and control of intensified and modular process systems.
•Entropy generation and exergy destruction of polydispersed wet-steam flow in turbine.•Polydispersed model with Quadrature method of moments (QMOM) for condensation.•Reconstruction of droplet ...spectrum by using spline-based algorithm from moments.•QMOM results agreed well with experiments in comparison with Monodispersed method.•The maximum exergy destruction is 25.293 kJ·kg−1 and Baumann factor is 0.574–1.312.
In steam turbine flow, the complex droplet spectrum caused by nonequilibrium condensation is necessary to be modeled accurately to predict the droplet behavior and estimate the exergy destruction and erosion rate. This study built and validated a polydispersed model with Quadrature method of moments (QMOM), consisting of transition SST model, the moments and entropy generation. A spline-based algorithm was used to reconstruct the shape of the probability density function (PDF) of radius. It’s proved that the polydispersed model has a better prediction result for Sauter radius compare with monodispersed model. Then, the distributions of moments and droplet spectra in the nozzle with effects of asymmetric lambda shock and evaporation were investigated. The shape of droplet spectrum is closer to gamma distribution in nucleation zone and log-normal distribution in growth zone when outflow is supersonic. In the turbine, because the oblique shock induces complex evaporation and secondary condensation, the reconstructed shape is closer to gamma distribution. Finally, the obtained maximum exergy destruction is 25.293 kJ/kg. The rate of exergy destruction increases from 1.04% to 4.45%. The range of Baumann factor is 0.574–1.312. Besides, the erosion rate in polydispersed model is only 58.4–64.3% of monodispersed model. The polydispersed model used in this study can predict the droplet spectrum and energy loss of the turbine systems more accurately.
Display omitted
•A survey of the state-of-the-art process systems engineering (PSE) approaches for process intensification.•An overview of the development of various process intensification ...technologies.•Survey of recent advances in modeling, design, and synthesis of intensified systems.•Assessment methods for the controllability/operability/safety performance of intensified process systems.
Process intensification offers the potential to drastically reduce the energy consumption and cost of producing chemicals from both bulk and distributed feedstocks. This review article aims to offer an extensive survey on state-of-the-art process systems engineering (PSE) approaches for process intensification. From both academic and industrial perspectives, this paper provides an overview of the development of various process intensification technologies, specifically those under the categories of separation, reaction, hybrid reaction/separation, and alternative energy sources. A current status analysis in the areas of modeling and simulation is then provided. An indicative list of PSE publications specialized on process intensification is presented to illustrate the progresses made so far towards the deployment of novel process intensification technologies. We also highlight some recent advances for the modeling, design, and synthesis of intensified systems, as well as for the assessment of their controllability/operability/safety performance. Key open questions in these areas include: (i) how to systematically derive intensified designs, and (ii) how to ensure the operability and optimality of the derived intensified structures while delivering their expected functionality.
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