A Comprehensive Analysis of Macrosegregation Formation During Twin-Roll Casting

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B - A two-phase Eulerian–Eulerian volume-averaged model is used to predict the formation of macrosegregation during the twin-roll casting of...     

Preparation of Pure Uranium,Thorium, and Yttrium Oxides from El-Garra El-Hamra Sulfate Leach Liquor

Radiochemistry - The study deals with separation of uranium, thorium, and yttrium with highest possible purity from El-Garaa El-Hamara sulfate leach liquor. From the latter, almost complete...     

Regulator problem for uncertain linear discrete-time systems with constrained control

A necessary and sufficient condition to test the robustness of a regulator of uncertain linear systems with constrained control is given. The candidate regulator for this test is that stabilizing nominal systems. An illustrative example is also given.     

A population-based iterated greedy algorithm for the minimum weight vertex cover problem

Given an undirected, vertex-weighted graph, the goal of the minimum weight vertex cover problem is to find a subset of the vertices of the graph such that the subset is a vertex cover and the sum of the weights of its vertices is minimal. This problem is known to be NP-hard and no efficient algorithm is known to solve it to optimality. Therefore, most existing techniques are based on heuristics for providing approximate solutions in a reasonable computation time.Population-based search approaches have shown to be effective for solving a multitude of combinatorial optimization problems. Their advantage can be identified as their ability to find areas of the space containing high quality solutions. This paper proposes a simple and efficient population-based iterated greedy algorithm for tackling the minimum weight vertex cover problem. At each iteration, a population of solutions is established and refined using a fast randomized iterated greedy heuristic based on successive phases of destruction and reconstruction. An extensive experimental evaluation on a commonly used set of benchmark instances shows that our algorithm outperforms current state-of-the-art approaches.     

Eumelanin for nature‐inspired UV‐absorption enhancement of plastics

In the human body, the black‐brown biopigment eumelanin blocks harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In the plastics industry, additives are often added to polymers to increase their UV‐absorption properties. We herein report an assessment of the biopigment eumelanin as a nature‐inspired additive for plastics to enhance their UV absorption. Since eumelanin is produced by natural sources and is nontoxic, it is an interesting candidate in the field of sustainable plastic additives. In this work, the eumelanin‐containing films of commercial ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymer, a plastic used for packaging applications, were obtained by melt compounding and compression molding. The biopigment dispersion in the films was improved by means of the melanin free acid treatment. It was observed that eumelanin amounts as low as 0.8 wt% caused an increase of the UV absorption, up to one order of magnitude in the UVA range. We also evaluated the effect of eumelanin on the thermal stability and photostability of the films: the biopigment proved to be double‐edged, working both as UV‐absorption enhancer and photo‐prooxidant, as thermogravimetric analysis and infrared spectroscopy revealed. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Study of Proton Leakage at Interface of Anion-Exchange Membrane in Solutions of Acids,Salts, and Solvents Using Current/Voltage Characteristics

Water dissociation and proton leakage using the anionic exchange membrane (AMH) are studied by means of current/voltage characteristics and confirmed by simulation of transport number using Hittorf's method. The acids used are HCl, HNO₃, and H₂SO₄ and the salts are NaCl, ZnCl₂, and NaNO₃. Concentration polarization of such membrane is accompanied by a change in the electrolyte concentration/solution interface due hydrolysis reactions. The results show that when the concentration of the electrolyte increases, the limiting current density increases linearly and the transmembrane resistance decreases systematically. The thickness of the diffusion layer is always higher in presence of acid than salt, making in evidence the proton leakage through the membrane. Besides, when the membrane is selectively permeable to chloride anion in the case of ZnCl₂, the thickness of the double layer is rather bigger and far exceeds that of the membrane. The voltamperometry method seems reliable and offers some advantages over that of Hittorf because it shows the effects of some parameters on the value of limiting current: concentration, counter-ion types (Cl^?, NO₃^? SO₄^2?), and the gradient of concentration in the anode and cathode compartments. It can, therefore, allow to optimize the value of the current which should be used in electrodialysis in any form and without a great consumption of energy. Moreover, the simulation carried out for transport number of proton, shows its sensitivity toward the variation in concentration in the receiving compartment. In effect, a small decrease in concentration implies an enormous decrease in its value.     

Experimental and theoretical investigations of the adhesion time of Penicillium spores to cedar wood surface

In this study, the adhesion of 4 Penicillium strains (Penicillium granulatum, Penicillium crustosum, Penicillium commune and Penicillium chrysogenum) on cedar wood was examined qualitatively and quantitatively by using the extended DLVO (XDLVO) approach and the environmental scanning electronic microscopy (ESEM) technique. A comparison between the XDLVO theories and the ESEM technique was also investigated. The adhesion tests revealed that P. chrysogenum was not able to adhere on the cedar wood substrata, as predicted by the XDLVO approach. We have also found by ESEM that the three Penicillium strains (P. granulatum, P. crustosum, P. commune) adhered on wood, as not predicted theoretically.Moreover, the time of adhesion (3 h and 24 h) was used not only to compare the capacity of adhesion according to contact time but also to explain the discrepancies between the XDLVO approach prediction and the adhesion experiments. A positive relationship between the XDLVO approach and adhesion experiments has been observed after 3 h of adhesion. In contrast, a contradiction between the XDLVO predictions and the adhesion test results has been noted after 24 h of adhesion of Penicillium strains to the wood surface.     

Micellization Behavior of Long-Chain Substituted Alkylguanidinium Surfactants

Surface activity and micelle formation of alkylguanidinium chlorides containing 10, 12, 14 and 16 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic tail were studied by combining conductivity and surface tension measurements with isothermal titration calorimetry. The purity of the resulting surfactants, their temperatures of Cr→LC and LC→I transitions, as well as their propensity of forming birefringent phases, were assessed based on the results of ¹H and ¹³C NMR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and polarizing microscopy studies. Whenever possible, the resulting values of Krafft temperature (T_K), critical micelle concentration (CMC), minimum surface tension above the CMC, chloride counter-ion binding to the micelle, and the standard enthalpy of micelle formation per mole of surfactant (Δ_micH°) were compared to those characterizing alkyltrimethylammonium chlorides or bromides with the same tail lengths. The value of T_K ranged between 292 and 314 K and increased strongly with the increase in the chain length of the hydrophobic tail. Micellization was described as both entropy and enthalpy-driven. Based on the direct calorimetry measurements, the general trends in the CMC with the temperature, hydrophobic tail length, and NaCl addition were found to be similar to those of other types of cationic surfactants. The particularly exothermic character of micellization was ascribed to the hydrogen-binding capacity of the guanidinium head-group.     

Clinical and Molecular Characterization of Patients with Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I in an Algerian Series

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS’s) represent a subgroup of lysosomal storage diseases related to a deficiency of enzymes that catalyze glycosaminoglycans degradation. Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by a deficiency of α-l-iduronidase encoded by the IDUA gene. Partially degraded heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate accumulate progressively and lead to multiorgan dysfunction and damage. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical, biochemical, and molecular characteristics of 13 Algerian patients from 11 distinct families. MPS I diagnosis was confirmed by molecular study of the patients’ IDUA gene. Clinical features at the diagnosis and during the follow-up are reported. Eighty-four percent of the studied patients presented with a mild clinical phenotype. Molecular study of the IDUA gene allowed the characterization of four pathological variations at the homozygous or compound heterozygote status: IDUA NM_00203.4:c.1598C>G-p.(Pro533Arg) in 21/26 alleles, IDUA NM_00203.4:c.532G>A-p.(Glu178Lys) in 2/26 alleles, IDUA NM_00203.4:c.501C>G-p.(Tyr167*) in 2/26 alleles, and IDUA NM_00203. 4: c.1743C>G-p.(Tyr581*) in 1/26 alleles. This molecular study unveils the predominance of p.(Pro533Arg) variation in our MPS I patients. In this series, the occurrence of some clinical features linked to the Scheie syndrome is consistent with the literature, such as systematic valvulopathies, corneal opacity, and umbilical hernia; however, storage signs, facial dysmorphic features, and hepatomegaly were more frequent in our series. Screening measures for these debilitating diseases in highly consanguineous at-risk populations must be considered a priority health problem.