Effect of atmosphere control on magnetic properties of CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-Fe3O4 glass ceramics

The influences of atmosphere during processes of melting and heat treatment, heat treatment temperature, Fe₃O₄ content and basicity on the magnetic properties of magnetite-based glass ceramics were investigated. For sample containing 20 % Fe₃O₄ melted in different atmospheres, the highest saturation magnetisation was realized in 20vol% air + 80 vol% Ar, due to the fact that ratio of Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺ in melt obtained in this atmosphere was close to 2. However, it was found that the coercivity of glass ceramics was not affected by the melting atmosphere. A high sintering temperature led to the decrease of saturation magnetisation and the increase of coercivity. As increasing Fe₃O₄ content, the main crystal phase transformed from CaSiO₃ to CaFe_0.6Al_1.3Si_1.08O₆ and finally to magnetite phase, accompanied by the increase of saturation magnetisation and coercivity. In addition, the increase of basicity caused the decrease of saturation magnetisation and the increase of coercivity.     

Suggestions to the article: medical professionalism research characteristics and hotspots

Scientometrics - The article published on 5 July 2021 is well-written and of interest. However, some improvements could be made, such as ten Tables/Figures can be shortened to highlight the focused...     

Reversal of the Inflammatory Responses in Fabry Patient iPSC-Derived Cardiovascular Endothelial Cells by CRISPR/Cas9-Corrected Mutation

The late-onset type of Fabry disease (FD) with GLA IVS4 + 919G > A mutation has been shown to lead to cardiovascular dysfunctions. In order to eliminate variations in other aspects of the genetic background, we established the isogenic control of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for the identification of the pathogenetic factors for FD phenotypes through CRISPR/Cas9 genomic editing. We adopted droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to efficiently capture mutational events, thus enabling isolation of the corrected FD from FD-iPSCs. Both of these exhibited the characteristics of pluripotency and phenotypic plasticity, and they can be differentiated into endothelial cells (ECs). We demonstrated the phenotypic abnormalities in FD iPSC-derived ECs (FD-ECs), including intracellular Gb3 accumulation, autophagic flux impairment, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and these abnormalities were rescued in isogenic control iPSC-derived ECs (corrected FD-ECs). Microarray profiling revealed that corrected FD-derived endothelial cells reversed the enrichment of genes in the pro-inflammatory pathway and validated the downregulation of NF-κB and the MAPK signaling pathway. Our findings highlighted the critical role of ECs in FD-associated vascular dysfunctions by establishing a reliable isogenic control and providing information on potential cellular targets to reduce the morbidity and mortality of FD patients with vascular complications.     

Effect of coupling agent content on properties of composites made from polylactic acid and chrysanthemum waste

Chrysanthemum flower is among one of the highly sought after and widely planted flower crops, in particular for cultural and religious ceremonies. However, the chrysanthemum stem and stalk have little value and usually discard as by‐product waste from floristry. The objective of this research is to investigate the potential value of utilizing chrysanthemum stem and stalk as reinforcing fillers for thermoplastic composites. In this study, 2‐mm thick composite sheet containing predefined formulations of polylactic acid (PLA), chrysanthemum waste filler (CWF) ranging from 15 to 60 phr, and maleated polyethylene (MAPE) coupling agent up to 5 phr were prepared with the aid of Haake internal mixer and compression molding. The effect of MAPE loading on tensile, thermal, and morphological properties of PLA/CWF composites was investigated. The findings revealed that PLA/CWF composite attained improved tensile modulus compared to the neat PLA, and the tensile modulus increases with higher concentration of CWF. However, both tensile strength and elongation at break reduces with increase loading of CWF. Overall, PLA/CWF composites with MAPE shows better performance compared to those without MAPE, where an optimum strength of 21.8 MPa can be achieved with 60 phr CW and 3 phr MAPE. The measured tensile strength is comparable to alternatives natural fiber thermoplastic composites demonstrating its potential to be used in non‐structurally demanding application. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 26:10–16, 2020. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers     

2-Aminobenzothiazoles Inhibit Virulence Gene Expression and Block Polymyxin Resistance in Salmonella enterica

One promising strategy to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria is to develop compounds that block bacterial defenses against antibacterial conditions produced by the innate immune system. Salmonella enterica, which causes food-borne gastroenteritis and typhoid fever, requires histidine kinases (HKs) to resist innate immune defenses such as cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs). Herein, we report that 2-aminobenzothiazoles block histidine kinase-dependent phenotypes in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. We found that 2-aminobenzothiazoles inhibited growth under low Mg²⁺, a stressful condition that requires histidine kinase-mediated responses, and decreased expression of the virulence genes pagC and pagK. Furthermore, we discovered that 2-aminobenzothiazoles weaken Salmonella’s resistance to polymyxin B and polymyxin E, which are last-line antibiotics and models for host defense CAMPs. These findings raise the possibilities that 2-aminobenzothiazoles can block HK-mediated bacterial defenses and can be used in combination with polymyxins to treat infections caused by Salmonella.     

A facile pathway to prepare molybdenum boride powder from molybdenum and boron carbide

Molybdenum boride is an ideal hard and wear-resistant material. In this study, a new method is proposed for preparing molybdenum boride, by which Mo first reacts with B₄C to generate the mixture of molybdenum boride and C, and then the product is decarburized by molten Ca to generate CaC₂. Pure molybdenum boride could be obtained after acid leaching to remove the by-product CaC₂. According to the experimental and thermodynamic calculation results, it is concluded that the single-phase MoB could be successfully prepared, while Mo₂B, Mo₂B₅, and MoB₄ could not be synthesized by this method. Moreover, it was found that the particle size of finally prepared MoB is determined by particle size of raw Mo powder. The residual carbon content of the product could be decreased to 0.10 wt% after first reaction at 1673 K for 6 hours and then decarburization reaction at 1673 K for 6 hours.