Influence of the injection molding process on the mechanical properties of (PA6/GF/MMT) nanocomposite

This work describes the first part of a series of studies on the effect of injection molding conditions on the mechanical properties of polyamide 6/glass fiber/montmorillonite (PA6/GF/MMT) composites, wherein the effect of the injection molding mass temperature on the mechanical properties of the composite is investigated. The results demonstrate that composites processed at lower mass temperatures exhibited higher tensile strength and flexural strength. These findings are explained by the fact that the use of different mass temperatures leads to PA6 matrices with different degrees of crystallinity. In addition, changes in the mass temperature affect the fiber–matrix adhesion of the composite and the intercalation between the matrix and the various components in the nanocomposite. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:237–244, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Ion chromatographic determination of phosphorus and tungsten in epoxidized soybean oil

Soybean oil has been epoxidized with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of catalytic amounts of trioctylmethyl-ammonium tetra(diperoxotungsto)phosphate. A fast ion-exchange chromatographic method with suppressed conductivity detection has been developed for determining residual contents of tungsten and phosphorus in the oil. Tungsten and phosphorus could be determined at concentrations of 66 and 11 ppm, respectively. At tungsten and phosphorus concentrations of 1000 and 50 ppm, measured repeatabilities were 1.3 and 1.5%, respectively.     

Advances in image segmentation

Image segmentation is a subfield of image analysis whose potential for applications has stimulated both practical and theoretical research, particularly in the last decade. A selection of papers is reviewed to give an idea of the main lines of attack that are being pursued at present.     

Synthesis of optical wavelet filters

The goal of the next generation of core and access optical networks is not the only the optical time and frequency signal multiplexing, but also the entire data processing performed in the optical domain, without any electrical-to-optical-to-electrical conversion. In a recent paper, we presented innovative planar lightwave circuit devices that perform the discrete wavelet transform and the wavelet packets decomposition of a data signal in the optical domain. The same filtering procedure was used to design optical encoders-decoders that generate-process a set of orthogonal optical code simultaneously. The aim of this letter is to furnish the synthesis guidelines for two-port lattice-form optical wavelet filters, starting from the half-band filters architecture presented by Jinguji et al.     

Bouc–Wen-Type Models with Stiffness Degradation: Thermodynamic Analysis and Applications

In this paper, a thermodynamic analysis of Bouc–Wen models endowed with both strength and stiffness degradation is provided. This analysis is based on the relationship between the flow rules of these models and those of the endochronic plasticity theory with damage, discussed in a companion paper. Using the theoretical framework of that extended endochronic theory, it is shown that an elastic Bouc–Wen model with damage, i.e., without plastic strains, can be formulated. Moreover, a proper definition of the dissipated energy of these Bouc–Wen models with degradation is given and some thermodynamic constraints on the parameters defining the models behavior are emphasized and discussed. In particular, some properties of the energetic linear stiffness degradation rule as well as the so-called pivot rule, well known in the seismic engineering field, are illustrated and commented upon. An improved energetic stiffness degradation rule and a new stiffness degradation rule are proposed.     

Sugar‐Based Arylsulfonamide Carboxylates as Selective and Water‐Soluble Matrix Metalloproteinase‐12 Inhibitors

Matrix metalloproteinase‐12 (MMP‐12) can be considered an attractive target to study selective inhibitors useful in the development of new therapies for lung and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, a new series of arylsulfonamide carboxylates, with increased hydrophilicity resulting from conjugation with a β‐N‐acetyl‐d ‐glucosamine moiety, were designed and synthesized as MMP‐12 selective inhibitors. Their inhibitory activity was evaluated on human MMPs by using the fluorimetric assay, and a crystallographic analysis was performed to characterize their binding mode. Among these glycoconjugates, a nanomolar MMP‐12 inhibitor with improved water solubility, compound 3 [(R)‐2‐(N‐(2‐(3‐(2‐acetamido‐2‐deoxy‐β‐d ‐glucopyranosyl)thioureido)ethyl)biphenyl‐4‐ylsulfonamido)‐3‐methylbutanoic acid], was identified.     

Hypoxia Enhances the Expression of RNASET2 in Human Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells: Role of PI3K/AKT Pathway

Hypoxia is a key component of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and promotes not only tumor growth and metastasis, but also negatively affects infiltrating immune cells by impairing host immunity. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells and their biology is weakened in the TME in many ways, including the modulation of their viability. RNASET2 belongs to the T2 family of extracellular ribonucleases and, besides its nuclease activity, it exerts many additional functions. Indeed, RNASET2 is involved in several human pathologies, including cancer, and it is functionally relevant in the TME. RNASET2 functions are not restricted to cancer cells and its expression could be relevant also in other cell types which are important players in the TME, including DCs. Therefore, this study aimed to unravel the effect of hypoxia (2% O₂) on the expression of RNASET2 in DCs. Here, we showed that hypoxia enhanced the expression and secretion of RNASET2 in human monocyte-derived DCs. This paralleled the HIF-1α accumulation and HIF-dependent and -independent signaling, which are associated with DCs’ survival/autophagy/apoptosis. RNASET2 expression, under hypoxia, was regulated by the PI3K/AKT pathway and was almost completely abolished by TLR4 ligand, LPS. Taken together, these results highlight how hypoxia- dependent and -independent pathways shape RNASET2 expression in DCs, with new perspectives on its implication for TME and, therefore, in anti-tumor immunity.