Parallax of Star-forming Region G027.22+0.14

Using the Very Long Baseline Array, we measured the trigonometric parallax and proper motions toward a 6.7 GHz methanol maser in the distant high-mass star-forming region G027.22+0.14. The distance of this source is determined to be 6.3 − 0.5 + 0.6 kpc. Combining its Galactic coordinates, radial velocity, and proper motion, we assign G027.22+0.14 to the far portion of the Norma arm. The low peculiar motion and lower luminosity of G027.22+0.14 support the conjecture by Immer et al. that low-luminosity sources tend to have low peculiar motions.

Process Parameters Optimization, Characterization, and Application of KOH-Activated Norway Spruce Bark Graphitic Biochars for Efficient Azo Dye Adsorption

In this work, Norway spruce bark was used as a precursor to prepare activated biochars (BCs) via chemical activation with potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a chemical activator. A Box–Behnken design (BBD) was conducted to evaluate and identify the optimal conditions to reach high specific surface area and high mass yield of BC samples. The studied BC preparation parameters and their levels were as follows: pyrolysis temperature (700, 800, and 900 °C), holding time (1, 2, and 3 h), and ratio of the biomass: chemical activator of 1: 1, 1.5, and 2. The planned BBD yielded BC with extremely high SSA values, up to 2209 m2·g−1. In addition, the BCs were physiochemically characterized, and the results indicated that the BCs exhibited disordered carbon structures and presented a high quantity of O-bearing functional groups on their surfaces, which might improve their adsorption performance towards organic pollutant removal. The BC with the highest SSA value was then employed as an adsorbent to remove Evans blue dye (EB) and colorful effluents. The kinetic study followed a general-order (GO) model, as the most suitable model to describe the experimental data, while the Redlich–Peterson model fitted the equilibrium data better. The EB adsorption capacity was 396.1 mg·g−1. The employment of the BC in the treatment of synthetic effluents, with several dyes and other organic and inorganic compounds, returned a high percentage of removal degree up to 87.7%. Desorption and cyclability tests showed that the biochar can be efficiently regenerated, maintaining an adsorption capacity of 75% after 4 adsorption–desorption cycles. The results of this work pointed out that Norway spruce bark indeed is a promising precursor for producing biochars with very promising properties.

Detection of Benzo[a]pyrene Diol Epoxide Adducts to Histidine and Lysine in Serum Albumin In Vivo by High-Resolution-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Electrophilic diol epoxide metabolites are involved in the carcinogenicity of benzo[a]pyrene, one of the widely studied polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The exposure of humans to this PAH can be assessed by measuring stable blood protein adducts, such as to histidine and lysine in serum albumin, from their reactive metabolites. In this respect, measurement of the adducts originating from the genotoxic (+)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide is of interest. However, these are difficult to measure at such low levels as are expected in humans generally exposed to benzo[a]pyrene from air pollution and the diet. The analytical methods detecting PAH-biomarkers still suffer from low selectivity and/or detectability to enable generation of data for calculation of in vivo doses of specific stereoisomers, for evaluation of risk factors and assessing risk from exposures to PAH. Here, we suggest an analytical methodology based on high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (MS) to lower the detection limits as well as to increase the selectivity with improvements in both chromatographic separation and mass determination. Method development was performed using serum albumin alkylated in vitro by benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide isomers. The (+)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide adducts could be chromatographically resolved by using an HPLC column with a pentafluorophenyl stationary phase. Interferences were further diminished by the high mass accuracy and resolving power of Orbitrap MS. The achieved method detection limit for the (+)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide adduct to histidine was approximately 4 amol/mg serum albumin. This adduct as well as the adducts to histidine from (−)-anti- and (+/−)-syn-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide were quantified in the samples from benzo[a]pyrene-exposed mice. Corresponding adducts to lysine were also quantified. In human serum albumin, the anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide adducts to histidine were detected in only two out of twelve samples and at a level of approximately 0.1 fmol/mg.

Morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of electrospun polyvinylidene/polyethylene glycol composite nanofibers as form-stabilized phase change materials

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) form-stabilized composite phase change nanofibers with various mass percentage of PEG1000 (with average molecular weight of 1000) loadings were fabricated by electrospinning technique, in which PEG was served as phase change material (PCM) and PVDF as the supporting matrix to afford a mechanically strong structure. Effect of PEG1000 content on nanofiber morphology, phase transition properties, thermal stability, thermal energy storage and release performance, and mechanical properties were studied experimentally. The results showed that the incorporation of PEG1000 improved the spinning solution viscosity and high mass fraction of PEG1000 in the nanofibers led to decreased fiber diameter and melting temperature, and higher latent heat of fusion. In addition, mechanical test revealed that the fracture elongation of the electrospun PVDF/PEG composite nanofibrous membranes were initially increased with unobvious tensile strength changes, while the value of the elongation would decrease, and the tensile strength increase as the mass ratio of PVDF/PEG lower to 1:1. Furthermore, the melting temperature and maximum latent heat for PVDF/PEG were determined from DSC measurement as 51.8 °C, and 73.3 J/g, when the mass radio of PVDF/PEG was 1:1 (w/w), which was suitable utilized for thermo-regulating textiles or in heat storage devices.

The Black Hole Mass Function Across Cosmic Times. I. Stellar Black Holes and Light Seed Distribution

This is the first paper in a series aimed at modeling the black hole (BH) mass function, from the stellar to the intermediate to the (super)massive regime. In the present work, we focus on stellar BHs and provide an ab initio computation of their mass function across cosmic times; we mainly consider the standard, and likely dominant, production channel of stellar-mass BHs constituted by isolated single/binary star evolution. Specifically, we exploit the state-of-the-art stellar and binary evolutionary code SEVN, and couple its outputs with redshift-dependent galaxy statistics and empirical scaling relations involving galaxy metallicity, star formation rate and stellar mass. The resulting relic mass function dN / dVd log m • as a function of the BH mass m • features a rather flat shape up to m • ≈ 50 M ⊙ and then a log-normal decline for larger masses, while its overall normalization at a given mass increases with decreasing redshift. We highlight the contribution to the local mass function from isolated stars evolving into BHs and from binary stellar systems ending up in single or binary BHs. We also include the distortion on the mass function induced by binary BH mergers, finding that it has a minor effect at the high-mass end. We estimate a local stellar BH relic mass density of ρ • ≈ 5 × 107 M ⊙ Mpc−3, which exceeds by more than two orders of magnitude that in supermassive BHs; this translates into an energy density parameter Ω• ≈ 4 × 10−4, implying that the total mass in stellar BHs amounts to ≲1% of the local baryonic matter. We show how our mass function for merging BH binaries compares with the recent estimates from gravitational wave observations by LIGO/Virgo, and discuss the possible implications for dynamical formation of BH binaries in dense environments like star clusters. We address the impact of adopting different binary stellar evolution codes (SEVN and COSMIC) on the mass function, and find the main differences to occur at the high-mass end, in connection with the numerical treatment of stellar binary evolution effects. We highlight that our results can provide a firm theoretical basis for a physically motivated light seed distribution at high redshift, to be implemented in semi-analytic and numerical models of BH formation and evolution. Finally, we stress that the present work can constitute a starting point to investigate the origin of heavy seeds and the growth of (super)massive BHs in high-redshift star-forming galaxies, that we will pursue in forthcoming papers.