The Removal of Binary Mixture of Dyes by Heterogeneous Fenton Oxidation: Kinetics, Product Identification and Toxicity Assessment

The removal of mixture of two azo dyes, Acid blue 29 and Ponceau xylidine, was studied by heterogeneous Fenton and Fenton-type processes using hydrogen peroxide and sodium persulphate as oxidants in the presence of and nano and micro-Fe2O3 particles as catalysts. The synthesised nano-Fe2O3 particles were characterised using analytical techniques viz. FT-IR, TEM, EDX, powder XRD and VSM. We have examined the effects of particle size on the COD removal efficiency and the reusability of the catalyst after optimising pH, and concentrations of catalyst and oxidant. Combination of nano-Fe2O3 and hydrogen peroxide possessed higher COD removal efficiency, which was accelerated in acidic pH and inhibited at pH > 6. Total consumption of hydrogen peroxide confirmed the efficiency of the optimised parameters. The mechanism of the formation of intermediate ions and products are proposed. COD removal and consumption of hydrogen peroxide follow pseudo-first-order kinetics. The toxicity of the solutions was assessed using Aliivibrio fischeri light loss and Escherichia coli growth inhibition assays. Both the assays showed different toxicity levels for the same solution.

A Spiral Distributed Monitoring Method for Steel Rebar Corrosion

This paper proposes a novel spiral-wound, optic-fiber sensor to monitor the corrosion of steel bars. At the same time, the winding parameters, such as winding angle and pitch, were first theoretically deduced. Then, to decrease light loss, a practically distributed sensor wound onto the protective mortar layer was developed by increasing the winding curvature radius. The spiral distributed sensors were experimentally verified for their feasibility. Experimental results showed that the spiral fiber strain depended on the thickness of the protective mortar layer. Furthermore, the spiral distributed strain well reflected the cracking process of concrete. In addition, the concrete cracking time depended on the thickness of the protective concrete layer. Accordingly, this method is feasible for evaluating the initial and final cracking behaviors of concrete structures and provides a sight for steel bar corrosion.

Drosophila fabp is required for light-dependent Rhodopsin-1 clearance and photoreceptor survival

Rhodopsins are light-detecting proteins coupled with retinal chromophores essential for visual function. Coincidentally, dysfunctional rhodopsin homeostasis underlies retinal degeneration in humans and model organisms. Drosophila ninaEG69D mutant is one such example, where the encoded Rh1 protein imposes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and causes light-dependent retinal degeneration. The underlying reason for such light-dependency remains unknown. Here, we report that Drosophila fatty acid binding protein (fabp) is a gene induced in ninaEG69D/+ photoreceptors, and regulates light-dependent Rhodopsin-1 (Rh1) protein clearance and photoreceptor survival. Specifically, our photoreceptor-specific gene expression profiling study in ninaEG69D/+ flies revealed increased expression of fabp together with other genes that control light-dependent Rh1 protein degradation. fabp induction in ninaEG69D photoreceptors required vitamin A and its transporter genes. In flies reared under light, loss of fabp caused an accumulation of Rh1 proteins in cytoplasmic vesicles. The increase in Rh1 levels under these conditions was dependent on Arrestin2 that mediates feedback inhibition of light-activated Rh1. fabp mutants exhibited light-dependent retinal degeneration, a phenotype also found in other mutants that block light-induced Rh1 degradation. These observations reveal a previously unrecognized link between light-dependent Rh1 proteostasis and the ER-stress imposing ninaEG69D mutant that cause retinal degeneration.

Effects of NaB2O4:Mn2+ and Ba2Li2Si2O7:Sn3+,Mn2+ phosphors and remote structure organizations on the white light-emitting diodes with quantum dots and phosphors

In order to increase the optical features of white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs), quantum dots (QDs) and phosphor materials have been proposed because of outstanding performance. The configuration of WLEDs with QDs layer and phosphor-silicone layer suggested placing these components separately to limit light loss, and enhance consistency at contact surface of QDs. In this research, the effects of QDs and phosphor on the performance of WLEDs are concluded through experiments. The emitted light and PL spectra were examined thoroughly, and infrared thermal imagers were applied to simulate the heat generation of an actual WLED device. The results show that with the configuration of 60 mA energy source, WLEDs which has the QDs-on-phosphor form attained luminous efficiency (LE) of 110 lm/W, with color rendering index (CRI) of Ra=92 and R9=80, whereas the WLEDs which has the phosphor-on-QDs form only has 68 lm/W in LE, Ra=57 and R9=24. Furthermore, WLEDs which has the QDs-on-phosphor form has less high temperature generated at the components’ conjunction in comparison to the counterpart, the peak generated heat in QDs-on-phosphor WLEDs is also lower and the heating capacity gap between 2 structures can go up to 12.3°C.

Drosophila fabp is a retinoid-inducible gene required for Rhodopsin-1 homeostasis and photoreceptor survival

Retinoids act as chromophore co-factors for light-detecting rhodopsin proteins. In vertebrates, retinoids also actively regulate gene expression. Whether retinoids regulate gene expression in Drosophila for a specific biological function remains unclear. Here, we report that Drosophila fatty acid binding protein ( fabp ) is a retinoid-inducible gene required for Rhodopsin-1 (Rh1) protein homeostasis and photoreceptor survival. Specifically, we performed a photoreceptor-specific gene expression profiling study in flies bearing a misfolding-prone Rhodopsin-1 (Rh1) mutant, ninaE G69D , which serves as a Drosophila model for Retinitis Pigmentosa. ninaE G69D photoreceptors showed increased expression of genes that control Rh1 protein levels, along with a poorly characterized gene, fabp . We found that in vivo fabp expression was reduced when the retinoids were deprived through independent methods. Conversely, fabp mRNA was induced when we challenged cultured Drosophila cells with retinoic acid. In flies reared under light, loss of fabp caused an accumulation of Rh1 proteins in cytoplasmic vesicles. fabp mutants exhibited light-dependent retinal degeneration, a phenotype also found in other mutants that block light-activated Rh1 degradation. These observations indicate that a retinoid-inducible gene expression program regulates fabp that is required forRh1 proteostasis and photoreceptor survival.

A nanograting-based flexible and stretchable waveguide for tactile sensing

Based on the related characteristics of optical waveguide and flexible optical materials, a flexible and stretchable optical waveguide structure oriented to tactile perception is proposed. The sensing principle of optical waveguide is based on mechanical deformation caused by output light loss. It overcomes the shortcomings of traditional optical waveguide devices, which are unable to conform to irregular surface. The flexible and stretchable optical waveguide is fabricated with nanoreplica molding method, and it has been applied to the measurement of pressure and strain in the field of tactile sensing. The flexible and stretchable optical waveguide had a strain detection range of 0 to 12.5%, and the external force detection range is from 0 to 23 × 10–3 N.

A Nanograting Based Flexible and Stretchable Waveguide for Tactile Sensing

Based on the related characteristics of optical waveguide and flexible optical materials, a flexible and stretchable optical waveguide structure oriented to tactile perception is proposed. The sensing principle of optical waveguide is based on mechanical deformation caused by output light loss. It overcomes the shortcomings of traditional optical waveguide devices, which are unable to conform to irregular surface. The flexible and stretchable optical waveguide is fabricated with nanoreplica molding method, and it has been applied to the measurement of pressure and strain in the field of tactile sensing. The flexible and stretchable optical waveguide had a strain detection range of 0 to 12.5%, and the external force detection range is 0 to 23 x 10-3 N.

An analysis of transcranial doppler to interpret changes in cerebral circulation under +Gz

Introduction: The use of Transcranial Doppler (TCD) to measure the cerebral blood flow velocity (BFV) is one of the most elusive tasks under +Gz. The reason for this is the technical difficulty in keeping the TCD fixed during acceleration. There is no conclusive principle of the behavior of cerebral blood vessels under +Gz, despite earlier attempts in animal/human studies. In our study, we were able to overcome the technical difficulty and record the cerebral BFV of the middle cerebral artery under +Gz. Material and Methods: Twenty healthy adult males consented to participate in the study. High-performance human centrifuge was used to subject them to +Gz acceleration. The participants were instrumented with electrocardiography, thermistor bead, oxygen saturation probe, non-invasive blood pressure and TCD probe. Relaxed peripheral light loss (PLL) and straining PLL were recorded in a single gradual-onset rate profile. Results: The TCD data were retrieved and the data was plotted. The Doppler waveform varied with a change in +Gz. Pulsatility (Gosling) index was derived. The index increases as Gz level builds up, indicating an increase in arterial resistance. This increase was statistically significant. Conclusion: The understanding, so far, has been based on a presumption of vasoconstriction in the cerebral arteries. However, when monitoring TCD against increasing +Gz, it is not the presence or absence of the waveform that is of significance; however, it is the change in the pattern of the waveform that is noteworthy.