Studies of Substitution Effect of B2O3 on Structure and Properties of 1393 Bioactive Glass

Bioactive glass is mainly familiar for its outstanding biocompatibility and bioactive behavior and it’s known for important bone bonding ability. Bioactive glass is a reproduction fillet joint meant for orthopedic in addition to periodontal function of one of the leading applications. A silica based bioactive glass designated 1393 bio-glass® [wt. % (53) SiO2 – (6) Na2O – (12) K2O – (20) CaO – (5) MgO – (4)P2O5] 1393 is like 45S5 bio-glass®, other than it has a high SiO2 content and network modifiers, such as potassium oxide and magnesium oxide, bioactive glass, is also used clinically. In this communication, study of destructive (DT) & non-destructive (NDT) behavior of SiO2 replaced by boron trioxide (B2O3) in 1393 bioactive glass has been reported. The formed amorphous phase using x-ray diffraction (X-RD) analysis in bioactive glass will be identified. Density and mechanical properties measured using different types of instrument and using ultrasonic wave velocities study the elastic properties like young’s , shear, bulk modulus and Poisson’s ratio of bioactive glasses were reported. The results point to the substitution of boron trioxide in 1393 bioactive glass enhanced its density, mechanical properties and elastic properties, similarly for silica.

Influence of Modified Bio-Coals on Carbonization and Bio-Coke Reactivity

Substitution of coal in coking coal blend with bio-coal is a potential way to reduce fossil CO2 emissions from iron and steelmaking. The current study aims to explore possible means to counteract negative influence from bio-coal in cokemaking. Washing and kaolin coating of bio-coals were conducted to remove or bind part of the compounds in the bio-coal ash that catalyzes the gasification of coke with CO2. To further explore how the increase in coke reactivity is related to more reactive carbon in bio-coal or catalytic oxides in bio-coal ash, ash was produced from a corresponding amount of bio-coal and added to the coking coal blend for carbonization. The reaction behavior of coals and bio-coals under carbonization conditions was studied in a thermogravimetric analyzer equipped with a mass spectrometer during carbonization. The impact of the bio-coal addition on the fluidity of the coking coal blend was studied in optical dilatometer tests for coking coal blends with and without the addition of bio-coal or bio-coal ash. The result shows that the washing of bio-coal will result in lower or even negative dilatation. The washing of bio-coals containing a higher amount of catalytic components will reduce the negative effect on bio-coke reactivity, especially with acetic acid washing when the start of gasification temperature is less lowered. The addition of bio-coal coated with 5% kaolin do not significantly lower the dilatation-relative reference coking coal blend. The reactivity of bio-cokes containing bio-coal coated with kaolin-containing potassium oxide was higher in comparison to bio-coke containing the original bio-coal. The addition of ash from 5% of torrefied bio-coals has a moderate effect on lowering the start of gasification temperature, which indicates that the reactive carbon originating from bio-coal has a larger impact.

Methyl Gallate Improves Hyperuricemia Nephropathy Mice Through Inhibiting NLRP3 Pathway

Hyperuricemia nephropathy (HN) is a form of chronic tubulointerstitial inflammation, caused by the deposition of monosodium urate crystals (MSU) in the distal collecting duct and medullary interstitium, associated with a secondary inflammatory reaction. Numerous published reports indicated that NLRP3 inflammasome pathway play crucial roles in HN symptoms. The present study aims to investigate the protective effects of methyl gallate on HN mice and the underlying mechanisms. An HN model was established by intraperitoneal injection of potassium oxide (PO) to assess the effect of methyl gallate on renal histopathological changes, renal function, cytokine levels and expressions of NLRP3-related protein in HN mice. Moreover, in vitro models of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were established to explore the mechanism of methyl gallate on NLRP3 inflammasome activation. The results showed that methyl gallate significantly ameliorated HN by inhibiting uric acid production and promoting uric acid excretion as well as ameliorating renal injury induced by NLRP3 activation. Mechanistically, methyl gallate is a direct NLRP3 inhibitor that inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation but has no effect on the activation of AIM2 or NLRC4 inflammasomes in macrophages. Furthermore, methyl gallate inhibited the assembly of NLRP3 inflammasomes by blocking the ROS over-generation and oligomerization of NLRP3. Methyl gallate was also active ex vivo against ATP-treated PBMCs and synovial fluid mononuclear cells from patients with gout. In conclusion, methyl gallate has a nephroprotective effect against PO-induced HN through blocking the oligomerization of NLRP3 and then exerting anti-inflammatory activity in the NLRP3-driven diseases.

Characterisation Of FGD Sludge From One of Glass Industrial in Malaysia and Their Potential as Ceramic Mould

Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) is a waste incineration process used to eliminate sulfur dioxide (SO2) from flue gas power plants. Limestone/gypsum was injected into the plant to trap sulfur dioxide and change their chemical composition from calcium carbonate to calcium sulfate dehydrate, known as FGD sludge wet scrubber. Nowadays, it is necessary to overcome the environmental pollution caused by the massive production of FGD sludge waste through recycling. In this research, FGD sludge was characterised to reveal its chemical composition, crystalline phase, and FTIR spectra characteristics. FGD sludge recorded a moderate alkaline with a pH of 8.24. Based on the XRD result, FGD sludge was mainly composed of gypsum (CaSO4•2H2O) and anhydrite (CaSO4). XRF analysis also shows that FGD sludge was mainly composed of calcium oxide, sulfur trioxide, silica, and potassium oxide.

The Effect of Soil Sampling Density and Spatial Autocorrelation on Interpolation Accuracy of Chemical Soil Properties in Arable Cropland

Knowledge of the relationship between soil sampling density and spatial autocorrelation with interpolation accuracy allows more time- and cost-efficient spatial analysis. Previous studies produced contradictory observations regarding this relationship, and this study aims to determine and explore under which conditions the interpolation accuracy of chemical soil properties is affected. The study area covered 823.4 ha of agricultural land with 160 soil samples containing phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) and potassium oxide (K2O) values. The original set was split into eight subsets using a geographically stratified random split method, interpolated using the ordinary kriging (OK) and inverse distance weighted (IDW) methods. OK and IDW achieved similar interpolation accuracy regardless of the soil chemical property and sampling density, contrary to the majority of previous studies which observed the superiority of kriging as a deterministic interpolation method. The primary dependence of interpolation accuracy to soil sampling density was observed, having R2 in the range of 56.5–83.4% for the interpolation accuracy assessment. While this study enables farmers to perform efficient soil sampling according to the desired level of detail, it could also prove useful to professions dependent on field sampling, such as biology, geology, and mining.

Pilot Study of Eco-Physiological Pepper Responses to Starfish-Based Organic Soil Amendments in Open-Field and Greenhouse Cultivations

This pilot study was conducted to compare eco-physiological responses to starfish (SF)-treated red peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) in organic open-field (OF) and greenhouse (GH) cultivations in commercial farmhouses, South Korea in 2019. Treatments included starfish-liquid fertilizer (LF) applied in OF (SF-OF) and GH (SF-GH) plots, and SF + seaweed in OF (SFS-OF) and GH (SFS-GH). Weekly pH levels in SFS-LF were fluctuated for a 16-week storage period at room temperature due to having higher soluble salt levels than those of SF-LF. All experimental plots were ranged on soil pH between 7.1 and 7.4. SF- and SFS-GH plots resulted in increased soil electrical conductivity, organic matter, and increased concentrations of total nitrogen, phosphorous pentoxide, potassium oxide, and magnesium oxide, as well as exhibiting a richer and more diverse bacterial community. Leaf width and length and plant height increased in plants cultivated in GH, with low canopy width and stem diameter also observed to have increased. Total fruit yields were approximately two times higher for peppers cultivated in GH compared to OF cultivated peppers.

Characterization of Clay Soil and Zolite Powder as Materials for the Production of Irrigation Porous Pipes

The uses of clay pipes in irrigation water management are becoming popular, especially in arid and semi-arid soils. The study examined clay and zeolite materials for irrigation pipes, and this paper reported characteristic properties of these materials. Hydrometer, pychnometer and core sampler methods were for soil physical properties determination. Consistency tests using (Atterberg method) and analytical techniques (Scanning Electron Microscopy, SEM and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, EDS) for samples analyses. The results indicate the soil to contain 11 % sand, 34 % silt and 55 % clay fractions and texturally classified as clay with a particle density of 1.58 g/cm3 and bulk density 2.43 g/cm3 respectively. Addition of zeolite at 3:1 clay/zeolite mix ratio shows liquid limit (LL) and plastic (PL) values to decreases from 50.7% to 43.7% and 27.6% to 27.3% while plasticity index, (PI) change from 23.2 to 16.7 respectively. The shrinkage rate decreases from 11.67% for raw clay to 8.92 % for the treated sample. The EDS analysis shows both clay and zeolite samples to contain carbon, silica (SiO2) and alumina (Al2O3) as the major constituents with ferric oxide (Fe2O3), potassium oxide (K2O) and cobalt (Co) as the minor constituents. The major constituents contribute 89.26 and 94.4% while minor contribute 10.74 and 5.59 % in clay and zeolite samples. Modifying clay improved its workability, reduces cracking potential and absorption capacity and performance of porous clay pipes.

A Potassium Based Fluorine Containing Bioactive Glass for Use as a Desensitizing Toothpaste

Potassium releasing bioactive glasses (BAGs) may offer improved relief for dentine hypersensitivity compared to conventional sodium containing BAGs by releasing K+ ions for nerve desensitization and occluding dentinal tubules to prevent fluid flow within dentinal tubules. Potassium oxide was substituted for sodium oxide on a molar basis in a fluoride containing BAG used in toothpastes for treating dentine hypersensitivity. The BAG powders were then immersed in an artificial saliva at pH 7 and tris buffer and the pH rise and ion release behavior were characterized by ICP-OES and ISE. The potassium and sodium containing BAGs were characterized by XRD, DSC, FTIR and NMR. Both BAGs presented amorphous diffraction patterns and the glass transition temperature of the potassium glass was higher than that of the sodium glass. The 31P MAS-NMR spectra indicated a peak at 2.7 ppm corresponding to apatite and a small peak at −103 ppm indicated crystallization to fluorapatite. Both BAGs dissolved and formed apatite at similar rates, although the dissolution of the potassium glass was slightly slower and it released less fluoride as a result of partial nanocrystallization to fluorapatite upon quenching. The potassium release from the potassium ions could potentially result in nerve deactivation when used in toothpastes.