Eco-friendly processes for the synthesis of amorphous calcium carbonate nanoparticles in ethanol and their stabilisation in aqueous media

New understandings in the amorphous calcium carbonate nanoparticle synthesis lead to a final mass concentration increase by a factor of 3.5. The stabilisation in aqueous media is achieved by a 2-minute scalable process using bio-sourced stabilisers.

Improved Constraints on the Initial-to-final Mass Relation of White Dwarfs Using Wide Binaries

We present observational constraints for the initial-to-final mass relation (IFMR) derived from 11 white dwarfs (WDs) in wide binaries (WBs) that contain a turnoff/subgiant primary. Because the components of WBs are coeval to a good approximation, the age of the WD progenitor can be determined from the study of its wide companion. However, previous works that used WBs to constrain the IFMR suffered from large uncertainties in the initial masses because their main-sequence primaries are difficult to age-date with good precision. Our selection of WBs with slightly evolved primaries avoids this problem by restricting to a region of parameter space where isochrone ages are significantly easier to determine with precision. The WDs of two of our originally selected binaries were found to be close double degenerates and are not used in the IFMR analysis. We obtained more precise constraints than existing ones in the mass range 1–2 M ⊙, corresponding to a previously poorly constrained region of the IFMR. Having introduced the use of turnoff/subgiant–WD binaries, the study of the IFMR is not limited anymore by the precision in initial mass, but now the pressure is on final mass, i.e., the mass of the WD today. Looking at the full data set, our results would suggest a relatively large dispersion in the IFMR at low initial masses. More precise determinations of the mass of the WD components of our targets are necessary for settling this question.

No Sub-Saturn-mass Planet Desert in the CORALIE/HARPS Radial-velocity Sample

We analyze the CORALIE/HARPS sample of exoplanets found by the Doppler radial-velocity method for signs of the predicted gap or “desert” at 10–100 M ⊕ caused by runaway gas accretion at semimajor axes of <3 au. We find that these data are not consistent with this prediction. This result is similar to the finding by the MOA gravitational microlensing survey that found no desert in the exoplanet distribution for exoplanets in slightly longer period orbits and somewhat lower host masses (Suzuki et al. 2018). Together, these results imply that the runaway gas accretion scenario of the core accretion theory does not have a large influence on the final mass and semimajor axis distribution of exoplanets.

Relationships between broiler final weights and histomorphometric parameters of certain segments of the intestine

The aim of this study was to determine relationships between final mass of broilers and the histomorphological properties of individual segments of the gastrointestinal tract. This is confirmed by the obtained results, which indicate a strong and significant correlation between compared parameters. A strong significant (p<0.05) correlation (r=0.866) was found between the broiler final weight and the duodenal villus length, and between the broiler final weight and the caecal villus length (r=0.918). Correlation between the broiler final weight and the duodenal villus width (r=0.841), as well the caecal villi width (r=0.918) was strongly significant (p<0.05). Between the crypt depths in caecum correlation was medium and significant (r=0.701, p<0.05). It was determined that between the broiler final weights and the ratio of villus length and crypt depth there is a significant medium correlation (r = 0.736, p<0.05). A strong (r = 0.924) significant (p <0.05) correlation was found between the broiler final weight and the ratio of villus length and caecal crypt depth. Between final mass of broilers and other histomorphological properties of individual segments of intestine there was no significant correlation.

Mass-Radius relationships of small, highly irradiated exoplanets with small water mass fractions

&lt;p&gt;This work aims to determine the mass-radius rela-tionships of highly irradiated (500&lt; Tirr&lt;2000K)small planets (0.2&lt;M&lt;2.3M&amp;#8853;) with water con-tents up to 5%. To do so, we coupled an internalmodel of small terrestrial planets (Brugger et al.,2017) to the atmosphere model elaborated by Marcqet al. (2017, 2019), following the approach depictedin Aguichine et al. (2021) and Mousis et al. (2020).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;We show that these planets, even with smallwater contents, can become strongly inflated andproduce large radii for small masses.We alsoshow that strongly irradiated small planets cannotsustain their atmospheres due to the lack of hy-drostatic stability, implying they cannot preserveany hydrosphere. The temperature and the watermass fraction are the key parameters controllingthe extent of inflation and the thickness of thesupercritical layer. An important amount of wateralso leads to the contraction of the rocky interior.However, the composition of the rocky interioronly has a limited impact on the final mass-radiusrelationship, and barely impacts the behavior of thehydrosphere.&lt;/p&gt;

Preparation and characterization of dried cellulose nanofibrils

One of the main manufacturing challenges is to obtain dried cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) so that they can be cost effectively transported to customers. This work presents a study on using two methods of drying: freeze drying and spray drying; these dried CNFs were then characterized. The dried CNFs from either freeze drying or spray drying could not recover their original state after simple re-dispersion in water. Compared to spray dried CNFs, the microstructure of the freeze dried CNFs remained in a better shape. This was because the packing of nanofibrils as a result of freeze drying was not as tight as that from spray drying. It was demonstrated by the lower final mass residue and crystallinity of the freeze-dried CNFs, which led to better re-dispersion in water. X-ray diffractometry proved the occurrence of aggregation/hornification of the dried CNFs with increased crystallinity. Time-dependent sedimentation confirmed that the dried CNFs were incapable of forming stable water-re-dispersible suspensions.

Final mass balance of Fukushima released radiocaesium in our environment

&lt;p&gt;One of the greatest results obtained by analyzing seawater samples from the North Pacific Ocean was the estimation of the total amount of 137Cs in the North Pacific to be 15-18 PBq (Aoyama et al., 2016). This estimation has been validated by two methods described by Tsubono et al. (2016) and Inomata et al. (2016). Coastal modeling results gave the amount of 137Cs direct discharge from the FDNPP to coastal waters to be (3.5 &amp;#177; 0.7) PBq (Tsumune et al., 2012) which was the first and the most accurate result. Since the amount of direct discharge was accurately determined, the amount of 137Cs released into the atmosphere was also properly determined by the mass balance consideration as discussed in Aoyama et al. (2016a).&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For the calculation of the final mass balance, we did not include several results as they did not cover the whole region, or they included the amount of atmospheric fallout as part of the direct discharge. The total amount of radiocesium released to the atmosphere was estimated to be from 8.1 PBq (Yumimoto et al., 2016) to 36 PBq (Stohl et al., 2O12). Based on mass balance consideration we conclude that (15.2-20.4) PBq of the FDNPP-derived 137Cs might be a reasonable value for the total atmospheric release (supported by Aoyama et al., 2016a; Katata et al., 2015; Mathieu et al., 2012; Saunier et al., 2013; Winiarek et al., 2014). The estimated land deposition is (3.4&amp;#8211;6.2) PBq (Aoyama et al., 2016). The estimated 137Cs inventories in the North Pacific are in the range (15.2&amp;#8211;18.3) PBq, as obtained by Tsubono et al. (2016) and&amp;#160; Inomata et al. (2016), while only (3&amp;#8211;6) PBq was the contribution from the direct discharge (consensus value, Aoyama et al., 2016), although our previous estimate was more precise, (3.5 &amp;#177; 0.7) PBq. For atmospheric deposition to the North Pacific, the estimated values are in the range (11.7&amp;#8211;14.8) PBq (Aoyama et al., 2016; Inomata et al., 2016; Tsubono et al., 2016).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The radiocesium inventories in the interior domains of the North Pacific Ocean have been estimated. The radiocesium inventory in the STMW (Subtropical Mode Water) is (4.2&amp;#8201;&amp;#177;&amp;#8201;1.1) PBq (Kaeriyama et al., 2016), and (7.9 &amp;#177; 1.4) PBq in the surface layer (Inomata et al., 2018b). In the CMW (Central Mode Water), the radiocesium inventory is (2.5 &amp;#177; 0.9) PBq (Inomata et al., 2018b). The radiocesium sediment inventory is (0.20 &amp;#177; 0.06) PBq (Otosaka, 2017). The inventory in marine biota might be less than 200 GBq (Aoyama et al., 2019).&lt;/p&gt;