Application of Graphite Electrode Plasma Heating Technology in Continuous Casting.

In this study, the industrial, experimental effect of a plasma heating system in the form of graphite electrode in the tundish of double-strand slab caster was evaluated for the first time. The system uses three graphite electrodes, two of which are cathodes and one of which is an anode, to form a conductive loop through molten steel in the tundish. The system is built on an old two-strand slab caster and is installed on the premise that the original ladle tundish equipment remains unchanged.

Processing of high temperature alumina/aluminum titanate ceramic composites from clean sources.

Producing new technological materials with high performance from clean sources has become a global requirement. Alumina/aluminum titanate (AlO/AlTiO) composites are high-temperature portentous materials used in various advanced applications. In this work, different AlO/AlTiO composites were obtained with high thermal and mechanical properties for high-temperature applications by a low-cost process.

Effects of integrated bioceramic and uniaxial drawing on mechanically-enhanced fibrogenesis for bionic periosteum engineering.

Periosteum is clinically required for the management of large bone defects. Attempts to exploit the periosteum's participation in bone healing, however, have rarely featured biological and mechanical complexity for the scaffolds relevant to translational medicine. In this regard, we report engineering of bioinspired periosteum with co-delivery of ionic and geometry cues.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Tensile Properties and Microstructure of Co-Free, Low Ni-10 Mo-1.2 Ti Maraging Steel.

Production of high-quality maraging steel is dependent not only on the production technology but also on the alloying design and heat treatment. In this work, cobalt-free, low nickel, molybdenum-containing maraging steel was produced by melting the raw materials in a vacuum induction melting furnace and then refining with a shielding gas electroslag remelting unit. The critical transformation temperatures of the investigated steel samples were determined experimentally by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis and theoretically aiding Thermo-Calc software.

Peptide Assembled in a Nano-confined Space as a Molecular Rectifier for the Availability of Ionic Current Modulation.

Bioinspired nanochannels have emerged as a powerful tool for bioengineering and biomedical research due to their robust mechanical and controllable chemical properties. Inspired by inward-rectifier potassium (K) channels, herein, the charged peptide assembly has been introduced into a nano-confined space for the modulation of ion current rectification (ICR). Peptide-responsive reaction-triggered sequence changes can contribute to polarity conversion of the surface charge; therefore, ICR reversal (ICRR) is generated.

Exploiting Novel Unfused-Ring Acceptor for Efficient Organic Solar Cells with Record Open-Circuit Voltage and Fill Factor.

Unfused-ring acceptors (UFAs) show bright application prospects in organic solar cells (OSCs) thanks to their easy synthesis, low cost, and good device performance. The selection of central-core building block and suitable side chain are the key factors to achieve high-performance UFAs. Current tremendous endeavors for the development of UFAs mainly concentrate on obtaining higher short-circuit current density (J ), albeit accompanied by low open-circuit voltage (V ) and modest fill factor (FF).

Monodisperse Ultrahigh Nitrogen-Containing Mesoporous Carbon Nanospheres from Melamine-Formaldehyde Resin.

An aqueous emulsion polymerization self-assembly approach is demonstrated for the first time to synthesize ultrahigh nitrogen containing mesoporous polymer nanospheres, using melamine-formaldehyde resin oligomers as precursors. In the synthesis, change from alkaline to acidic conditions is critical for the formation of monodisperse mesostructured polymer nanospheres. Owing to unique structure of triazine stabilized in the covalent polymeric networks during the pyrolysis process, the derived mesoporous carbon nanospheres possess an ultrahigh nitrogen content (up to 15.

Controlled Removal of Surfactants from Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Stronger p-Doping Effect and Its Demonstration in Perovskite Solar Cells.

Double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) have shown potential as promising alternatives to conventional transparent electrodes owing to their solution processability as well as high conductivity and transparency. However, their DC to optical conductivity ratio is limited by the surrounding surfactants that prevent the p-doping of the DWNTs. To maximize the doping effectiveness, the surfactants are removed from the DWNTs, with negligible damage to the nanotubes, by calcination in an Ar atmosphere.

Cobalt ferrite-modified sol-gel synthesized ZnO nanoplatelets for fast and bearable visible light remediation of ciprofloxacin in water.

Currently, metal oxide photocatalysts is a green and facile tool for the elimination of emerging pollutants utilizing light illumination. Though, the wide bandgap energy (E), rapid recombination of photogenerated carriers, and photostability of these oxides represent critical issues before the actual application. Herein, we familiarise a sol-gel based synthesis of ZnO hexagonal nanoplatelets modified with CoFeO (CFO) nanoparticles at minor loading (1.

The Potential Use of Cold-Pressed Pumpkin Seed Oil By-Products in a Low-Fat Salad Dressing: The Effect on Rheological, Microstructural, Recoverable Properties, and Emulsion and Oxidative Stability.

The cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil by-product (POB) was evaluated for its application as a natural fat substitute and stabilizer in the reduced-fat salad dressings. For this aim, the samples were prepared by combining the xanthan gum (0.2-0.

Compositional and structural analysis of engineered stones and inorganic particles in silicotic nodules of exposed workers.

Background: Engineered stone silicosis is an emerging disease in many countries worldwide produced by the inhalation of respirable dust of engineered stone. This silicosis has a high incidence among young workers, with a short latency period and greater aggressiveness than silicosis caused by natural materials. Although the silica content is very high and this is the key factor, it has been postulated that other constituents in engineered stones can influence the aggressiveness of the disease.

SrSnO-Assembled MWCNT Heterojunctions for Superior Hydrogen Production under Visible Light.

A one-step sol-gel method for SrSnO nanoparticle synthesis and the incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to produce a SrSnO@MWCNT photocatalyst is presented. The incorporation of MWCNTs results in enhancement of structural, optical, and optoelectrical properties of SrSnO. The optimized 3.

Biocatalytic CsPbX Perovskite Nanocrystals: A Self-Reporting Nanoprobe for Metabolism Analysis.

CsPbX perovskite nanocrystals (NCs), with excellent optical properties, have drawn considerable attention in recent years. However, they also suffer from inherent vulnerability and hydrolysis, causing the new understanding or new applications to be difficultly explored. Herein, for the first time, it is discovered that the phospholipid membrane (PM)-coated CsPbX NCs have intrinsic biocatalytic activity.

Highly Dispersed Pt Nanoparticle-Doped Mesoporous ZnO Photocatalysts for Promoting Photoconversion of CO to Methanol.

Photoreduction of CO is considered a challenge due to the lack of effective photocatalysts with wide-spectrum absorption, active charge separation dynamically, and CO adsorption. Herein, mesoporous Pt/ZnO nanocomposites with different Pt percentages (0.5-2%) have been fabricated using the sol-gel process in the presence of a template for CO photoreduction during visible-light exposure.

Comparison of concentrations of toxic elements in the hair of first-year students of RUDN University from different regions of the world: a cross-sectional study.

Due to the development of the metallurgical and energy industries and the operation of incinerators, more and more environmental pollution is occurring. Toxic elements accumulate in the biosphere and affect the state of the population of the regions of large-scale production or the disposal of industrial waste. The main goal of this study was to compare the toxic elements hair composition in people from different regions of the world.

Modelling and optimization of hexavalent chromium removal from aqueous solution by adsorption on low-cost agricultural waste biomass using response surface methodological approach.

In this study, a response surface methodology (RSM) approach using central composite design (CCD) was investigated to develop a mathematical model and to optimize the effects of pH, adsorbent amount and temperature related to the hexavalent chromium removal by biosorption on peanut shells (PSh). The highest removal percentage of 30.28% was found by the predicted model under the optimum conditions (pH of 2.

Co-assembly of Peptides and Carbon Nanodots: Sensitive Analysis of Transglutaminase 2.

The structures assembled by peptides have attracted great attention due to their unique physicochemical properties. Moreover, the co-assembly of peptides with additional components can endow the structures with extended functions. In this work, we have explored the co-assembly of peptides and carbon nanodots (CNDs) by taking advantage of their non-covalent binding; thus, the obtained structure may show both the recognition capability of peptides and the catalytic activity of CNDs.

Inorganic-organic mesoporous hybrid segregators for selective and sensitive extraction of precious elements from urban mining.

This study aimed to develop a highly selective extraction protocol for gold (Au) ions from electronic urban waste (EUW) using simple, low-cost Inorganic-organic mesoporous hybrid segregators. The unique features of mesoporous hybrid segregator architectures are of particular to ensure effective adsorption system in terms of selective and sensitive recovery of Au ions from EUW. The segregator platform featured 3D micrometric, mesocage double-serrated plant-leaf-like γ-AlO sheets with hierarchy surfaces containing tri-modal mesopores interiorly and uniformly arranged toothed edges of ~20-40 and ~15 nm groove width and depth at the exterior surfaces, respectively.

Electrochemical Deposition of Cu Metal-Organic Framework Films for the Dual Analysis of Pathogens.

Metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films with flexible nature and prominent qualities have opened doors to new technological applications in different fields. Herein, we propose an electrochemical biosensor for the dual detection of Staphylococcus aureus based on the electrodeposition of Cu metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) thin films. The promising sensing layer with features of good electronic conductivity and enhanced electron-transfer property can not only identify through specific micrococcal nucleases in the supernatant but also detect the pathogen directly aptamer recognition.

Selective and Fast Detection of Fluoride-Contaminated Water Based on a Novel Salen-Co-MOF Chemosensor.

The development of selective and fast optical sensitive chemosensors for the detection and recognition of different cations and anions in a domain is still a challenge in biological, industrial, and environmental fields. Herein, we report a novel approach for the detection and determination of fluoride ion (F) sensing based on a salen-cobalt metal-organic framework (Co(II)-MOF). By a simple method, the Co(II)-MOF was synthesized and characterized using several tools to elucidate the structure and morphology.

Intense Visible-Light Absorption in SrRuO/CN Heterostructures for the Highly Efficient Reduction of Hg(II).

Strontium ruthenium oxide (SrRuO) is recognized as a metallic itinerant ferromagnet and utilized as a conducting electrode in heterostructure oxides with unforeseen optical characteristics, including remarkably low-reflection and high-absorption visible-light spectrum compared to classical metals. By coupling mesoporous SrRuO nanoparticles (NPs) with porous g-CN nanosheets for the first time, we evidence remarkably promoted visible light absorption and superior photocatalytic performances for Hg(II) reduction under illumination with visible light. The photocatalytic performance of g-CN increased upon boosting the SrRuO percentage to 1.

Hydrogen Generation over RuO Nanoparticle-Decorated LaNaTaO Perovskite Photocatalysts under UV Exposure.

The efficacy of LaNaTaO perovskites decoration RuO at diverse contents for the photocatalytic H generation has been explored in this study. The photocatalytic performance of RuO co-catalyst onto mesoporous LaNaTaO was evaluated for H under UV illumination. 3%RuO/LaNaTaO perovskite photocatalyst revealed the highest photocatalytic H generation performance, indicating that RuO nanoparticles could promote the photocatalytic efficiency of LaNaTaO perovskite significantly.

Microstructure, Mineralogical Characterization and the Metallurgical Process Reconstruction of the Zinc Calcine Relics from the Zinc Smelting Site (Qing Dynasty).

The smelting of zinc is considered as one of the most challenging technologies in ancient civilization. Compared with non-sulfide zinc ores, the smelting of zinc sulfide ores is more complicated since they have to be roasted before smelting. The technological smelting process of the ancient zinc metallurgy technology has been studied and partly reconstructed.

Electrochemical Trans-Channel Assay for Efficient Evaluation of Tumor Cell Invasiveness.

Efficiently assessing the invasive capability of tumor cells is critical both for the research and treatment of cancer. Here, we report a novel method called the electrochemical trans-channel assay for efficient evaluation of tumor cell invasiveness. A bioinspired extracellular matrix degradation model (EDM) has been first fabricated on a porous anodic alumina (PAA) membrane to construct the electrochemical apparatus.