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Although carbon nanotubes possess unique characteristics to be used for separation purposes, one of the most challenging problems affecting the preparation of carbon nanotubes-incorporated-mixed matrix membranes has been ascribed to Van der Waals interactions among carbon nanotubes walls, which hinder the pristine nanotubes' ability to make good interfacial interactions within the polymer matrix. To overcome this challenge, herein, poly (styrene sulfonic acid)-grafted- multi-walled carbon nanotubes were prepared via in-situ radical polymerisation and then incorporated into poly (vinyl alcohol), resulting in enhanced pervaporation performance of poly (vinyl alcohol) membranes. The observed results indicated that poly (styrene sulfonic acid)-modified carbon nanotubes could effectively vanquish the Van der Waals forces between nanotube walls. In general, our experiments revealed that the attachment of a bulky polymer containing hydrophilic sulfonic groups could improve the pervaporation performance of a poly (vinyl alcohol) membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this paper is to investigate the hydrodynamic and vibrational behavior of the 2000 mm diameter Howell Bunger valve that will be installed in the Khodaafrin dam. The existence of a historical bridge downstream of this dam makes it important to investigate the vibration and hydrodynamic behavior of the valve, so that its design and operation should be in such a way that the historical bridge located downstream will not be damaged. In order to achieve this goal, the valves are considered to have submerged discharge, and this has raised the need to investigate the hydrodynamic behavior of the valve and compare it with the non-submerged state. To investigate the behavior of the valve, a 1:20 model of the valve, hood and discharge pool were designed and built. Then, the experimental rig was designed and equipped with measuring equipment, and the model valve was subjected to hydrodynamic and vibration tests with different opening percentages in non-submerged and submerged states with different downstream pool depths. These experiments have been repeated for the valve with hood and without hood and the results have been compared. Then, the finite element model of the 1:20 model valve was developed and hydrodynamically analyzed and the numerical results were compared with the experimental data. After ensuring the correctness of the numerical model, it was used to investigate the behavior of the valve in different conditions. The results show that there is not much change in the flow rate when the valve is submerged, but the range of vibrations decreases significantly. This decrease in the amplitude of vibrations becomes more dominant with increasing the depth of the pool. Also, it has been shown that the range of vibrations in the case without the hood is lower than the case with the hood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibition of α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) is considered a prospective method for the prevention of type II diabetes. As two flavonoids obtained from fruits, swertisin (SW) and apigenin (AP) have similar structures and display various pharmacological properties. To examine the effects of flavonoid structure on inhibition of AGEs adducts and carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes activity, molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations (MDs) were used. The molecular docking method was performed by the Autodock program, and the ligand that showed the most negative binding energy was selected for further investigation. SW showed the potential ability to inhibit the AGEs formation and carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes activity. The stability of the receptor/SW complex was evaluated by MDs. Based on the findings of the present study, it was found that SW has the potential to reduce glycation and delay the activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, imines bearing quinazolin‐4(3H)‐one were synthesized and their inhibitory properties were investigated against some metabolic enzymes including Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), α‐Glycosidase (α‐Gly), and human Carbonic Anhydrase I–II (hCA I–II). All compounds had inhibitory strength with Ki values in the range of 38.55±4.08–159.05±10.68 nM and 41.04±6.73–177.12±8.06 nM against hCA I and hCA‐II, respectively in comparison to the standard acetazolamide (AZA) Ki=125.15±0.78 nM (for hCA‐I) and Ki=148.75±0.92 nM (for hCA‐II). The compounds showed potent inhibitory activity against α‐Gly enzyme with IC50 value 0.34–2.28 nM (standard inhibitor acarbose (ACR): 3.18 nM). Also, these analogs had potent inhibitory strength with Ki values in the range of 4.20±0.15–26.10±2.36 nM against AChE and 1.22±0.05–16.09±0.88 nM against BChE in comparison to the standard tacrine (TAC) Ki=37.62±6.86 nM (for AChE) and Ki=26.75±5.79 nM (for BChE). Additionally, the molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation study was carried out for the determination of ligand‐enzyme interactions. The docking scores of the most active compound were calculated as −7.31, −7.59, −6.66, −6.93 and −7.11 kcal/mol for AChE, BChE, hCA I, hCA II, and α‐Gly, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the inhibitory ability and mechanism of ω3‐nicotinic acid (ω3‐NA) and ω3‐Picolinic acid (ω3‐PA) complexes on the activity of mushroom tyrosinase (MT) were scrutinized for progressing a novel MT inhibitor. The complexes were synthesized. It was shown to have a considerable inhibition on the MT activity and Ki value of ω3‐NA and ω3‐PA on MT equal to 5.2 and 5.1 mM, respectively. ω3‐NA and ω3‐PA inhibited MT with Vmax values in the range of 0.134 mM and 0.14 mM, respectively. The outputs obtained from fluorescence quenching specified that ω3‐NA and ω3‐PA could interact with MT. Especially, the decrease in fluorescence intensity was due to the formation of a ligand‐enzyme complex which was mostly motivated by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic forces. The presence of ω3‐NA and ω3‐PA altered the structure of MT and reduced the α‐helix of the enzyme. Molecular docking investigation along with molecular dynamics simulation exhibited that ligands‐MT formation is directed by hydrogen binding with Trp136, His263, and Val299 residues. The results highlight that ω3‐NA and ω3‐PA can be considered as possible inhibitors in treating hyperpigmentation via MT enzyme inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibition of intestinal α‐glucosidase (αGS), a crucial enzyme in carbohydrate digestion, is an effective therapeutic approach for diabetes mellitus treatment. The C‐glycosylflavonoids (CGFs) are natural compounds with antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti‐inflammatory activities. The present work seeks an alternative compound among CGFs that can control the blood glucose level by inhibiting αGS enzyme activity. Therefore, ten CGFs were selected and carried out the docking to αGS. The docking outcomes proposed that among selected CGFs, the orientin compound can successfully interact with the key residues of Asp215, Glu277, Asp352, Arg442, and Arg446. Of them, the orientin compound with docking energy of −6.11 Kcal/mol, was subsequently subjected to molecular dynamics simulation (MDs), and in vitro investigation. MDs results indicated that orientin formed a stable complex with αGS enzyme. We also performed molecular mechanics generalized Born and surface area (MM/GBSA) free energy calculation manner on all chosen CGFs along with miglitol as reference. The IC50 value of orientin for αGS inhibition with competitive mode was found to be 0.13 mg/ml. The results highlight that orientin can be considered as a possible compound in treating DM via αGS inhibition. However, further in vitro and in vivo analyses are required to confirm this claim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) based on polyurethane (PU) and silica nanoparticles was fabricated. Three types of PU were synthesized with different polyethylene glycol (PEG)/polytetramethylene glycol ratios (PU0, PU75, and PU100, the corresponding numbers: PEG percent). The MMMs were characterized using FTIR, SEM, and gas permeation measurements (N2, O2, CH4, and CO2). The phase mixing of PU0 and PU75 membranes increased with silica content. This resulted in a decrease in gas permeability, while an increase in CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2 selectivities. The gas separation trend for PU100 membranes was the opposite. The molecular probing approach was served to study the interfacial structure of the MMMs. The existence of a rigidified polymer layer with 2.38 and 2.44 nm thicknesses around silica was revealed through PU0 and PU75 membranes, respectively. In contrary, silica was surrounded by a polymer chain dilution interphase with a thickness of 2.20 nm for PU100 MMMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, (E)‐N′(3,5‐di‐tert‐butil‐2‐hedroxybenzilidene)‐2‐hydroxybenzohydrazide (H3sahz)2 and its copper (II) complex has been synthesized and evaluated by methods FTIR, UV–Vis, EPR, and single crystal X‐ray analysis. It has been shown, that H3sahz crystallizes as a dimer through hydrogen bonds. H3sahz with copper nitrate forms [Cu(H2sahz)(NO3)(H2O)] complex, which according to X‐ray diffraction analysis has a distorted square pyramidal structure. The complex was screened for α‐glucosidase (α‐Glu), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory abilities. Results displayed that IC50 and Ki values of the novel complex for AChE, BChE, and α‐Glu enzymes were obtained at 0.93–2.14, 1.01–2.03, and 73.86–102.65 μM, respectively. The molecular docking outcomes have shown that the synthetic complex has a lower affinity for α‐glucosidase compared to acarbose. But the inhibition ability of H3sahz for acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase enzymes was greater than that of tacrine. These findings indicate that the (H3sahz)2 complex may be considered a possible candidate for the development and discovery of compounds effective in inhibiting the relevant enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During high‐humidity hot air impingement blanching (HHAIB) of fruits and vegetables, the process effect on the product and subsequent process depends on the operating fluid parameters. In this regard, heat transfer phenomenon during applying the pretreatment is not well known. In this study, the mechanisms of heat transfer during the HHAIB of grape berries were investigated via developing an appropriate mathematical model. Numerical simulation of the model was performed using COMSOL software at temperature of 110°C, fluid velocities of 2, 6, and 10 m s−1, and relative humidities of 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%. The heat transfer caused by the impinging jet and condensation on the grape surface were considered. The center and surface temperature of the grape berries were predicted. Taking the appropriate heat transfer rate and uniformity of temperature distribution in grape berries into account, the relative humidity range of 40%–60% and the velocity of 10 m s−1 were selected for the process. Comparison of the predicted and measured values for the center temperature of the grape berry statistically validated the simulation task with a determination coefficient (R2) of 0.993 and root mean square error of 1.347. Practical Applications: Nowadays, the demand for organic foods has increased. The high‐humidity hot air impingement blanching (HHAIB) is a safe, effective, and controllable nonchemical method that can be used instead of chemical pretreatment in raisin production. In terms of applying the HHAIB pretreatment for grape drying, little research has been done. Thus, there is still no complete understanding of the heat transfer during its application. Numerical simulations are beneficial tools for accurate designing and optimization of thermal processes. Thus, it is necessary to use mathematical modeling to understand HHAIB mechanisms for industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane nanofiltration (NF) process was employed to remove nitrate from synthetic and natural waters. The optimum technical and economic ranges of governing parameters for the water treatment process were determined using central composite design method and Verbernen's economic model. The results of nitrate removal from synthesized water showed the minimum and maximum rates of permeation were 16.5 and 84.3 L/m2h (LMH), respectively. The minimum and maximum nitrate rejection were 44.1% and 78.4%, respectively. Increasing pH had no significant effect on permeation flux but increased the nitrate removal rate. Additionally, as pressure was increased, the nitrate rejection and permeation flux both increased; but, as temperature was increased, the permeation flux increased while the nitrate removal decreased. In the case of natural water, the minimum and the maximum flow rate were 7.7 and 68.1 LMH. Furthermore, the minimum and maximum rejection rates of nitrate were 22.1% and 74.8%. The effects of variables on the permeation flux and nitrate removal for natural water were similar to those for synthetic water. However, by increasing pH, the amount of water passing through the membrane decreased. In all experiments, natural water had less permeation flux and less nitrate rejection than synthesized water. The presence of other anions and cations in the natural water decreases the amount of the nitrate removed. The total investment cost reduced as the pressure increased. The cost per m3 of treated water decreased from 3 to 7 bars, then increased as the pressure increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To resolve the impairments associated with spinal cord injury (SCI), such as decreased balance, patients have been recommended to undergo various therapeutic strategies, including the use of different physical exercise methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of using rebound therapy (exercise on a trampoline) on SCI individuals' static stability. Methods: Sixteen people with SCI (American Spinal Cord Association classification: A = 6, B = 6, C = 2, and D = 2) were randomly assigned to an experimental (rebound exercise) group or a control group. The rebound therapy exercise program, lasting 12 weeks, was performed by means of a modified trampoline. During the said period, the experimental group received rebound therapy exercise for 10 to 30 minutes 3 sessions a week. Standing stability parameters (ie, excursion, velocity, and path length of the center of pressure in mediolateral and anteroposterior plane) were assessed before and after the exercise intervention by Kistler force plate (50 × 60 cm). Data were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: Significant interactions were observed for all 6 dependent variables except excursion of the center of pressure in mediolateral and the path length of center of pressure in anteroposterior plane (P <.01). This means that the control group had no progress, whereas the experimental group made a significant improvement in terms of static stability. Conclusion: The results of this study confirmed that rebound therapy could reinforce the static stability of individuals with SCI during motionless standing. It suggests that rebound exercise is a useful sports rehabilitation method for patients with SCI and other wheelchair-bound individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of faults in a system leads to a lower value for efficiency, accuracy and speed, and, in some cases, even a complete breakdown. Thus, early fault detection is a major factor in efficiency and productivity of the procedure. In recent decades, many research studies have been conducted on troubleshooting and secondary fault detection. The current work presents an efficient and novel observer design capable of stabilizing the residue and dynamic error for the nonlinear Lipschitz systems with faults as well as a troubleshooting analysis and determining the formation of secondary faults in defective systems. The observer is designed based on linearizing dynamic error considering uncertainty, disturbance, and defects by employing non-linear gain factors instead of using state transformation. The dynamic error and residue stabilization of a non-linear faulty system have been discussed as well as the likelihood of secondary fault generation. The results indicate that the observer is able to determine fault-emergence, fault-disappearance and secondary fault formation well and quite fast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrokinetic energy conversion, electroviscous effect, and induced internal and external magnetic fields in a smart polyelectrolyte grafted "soft" nanopore with pH responsiveness are studied here using an efficient molecular theory approach. The analysis is based on writing the total free energy of the system, including the conformational entropy of the flexible, self-avoiding polymer chains and the translational entropy of the mobile species, the electrostatic interactions, and the free energy due to chemical equilibrium reactions. Then, the free energy is minimized, while satisfying the necessary constraints to find the equilibrium state of the system. The predictions of the model are shown to be in excellent agreement with analytical solutions derived for special cases. We discuss the effect of different influential environmental and polymer brush parameters in detail and show that the electrokinetic energy conversion efficiency is optimal at moderate pH values and low background salt concentrations. It is also shown that the electrokinetic energy conversion efficiency is a complex function depending on both the environmental and polymer brush properties. Notably, high slip coefficients or high polymer grafting densities do not necessarily lead to a high energy conversion efficiency. Magnetic field readouts allow to measure streaming currents through nanopores without the need of electrodes and may be utilized as a secondary electronic signature in nanopore sensing techniques. It is shown that in nanopores modified with polyelectrolyte brushes, the induced magnetic fields can be tens of times larger than those in solid-state nanopores having only surface charges. We show that by tuning the pH, background salt concentration, surface charge, and polyelectrolyte grafting density, the magnitude of the internal and external magnetic fields can be significantly changed and controlled in a wide range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human serum albumin (HSA) is an important carrier protein in plasma with various functions, and it is exposed to glycation. Alkaloids are diverse compounds that have showed different anti-glycation activities. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-glycation activity of thirty alkaloid compounds. First, the compounds were studied via Lipinski's rule; then, among thirty alkaloids, twenty-three were further designated for docking study, using AutoDock program. Three compounds which provided the minimum docking score were selected for further assays. Jatrorrhizine displayed potential activity to inhibit the HSA glycation. The stability of the jatrorrhizine-HSA complex was confirmed by molecular dynamics simulation (MDs). To approve the efficacy of this compound, future in vitro and in vivo studies are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In energy harvesting systems, specifications of the generated electrical energy depend on the structure's dynamics. This dependence can be used to identify the system's joint characteristics. To this end, an innovative frequency-response-function (FRF) based identification method is presented. The investigated system is a cantilever beam shaped structure with an embedded bimorph piezoelectric bender, connected to a base via bolted joint as a depiction for wing of a UAV connected to fuselage. The implemented FRF is ratio of the piezoelectric output voltage to the base input displacement. The joint identification procedure consists of analytical modeling of the system with joint, experimental testing of the system and a real-coded Genetic Algorithm (GA) method. The joint is modeled as a combination of longitudinal and torsional springs, whose stiffnesses are obtained using the GA method. The obtained results indicate that the analytical model has good correlation with the experimental data. Then, effects of the joint characteristics on the energy harvester's performance are investigated by comparison of the system with two different joint assumptions, namely, rigid and realistic joint. Finally, the effects of various joint characteristics on the energy harvester's performance are presented and approaches to achieve the maximum performance of the system are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of gas-liquid membrane contactors for ethane-ethylene separation seems to offer a good alternative to conventional energy-intensive processes. This work aims to develop new hydrophobic composite membranes with active ethylene carriers and to demonstrate their potential for ethylene/ethane separation in gas-liquid membrane contactors. For the first time, hybrid membrane materials based on polyoctylmethylsiloxane (POMS) and silver tetrafluoroborate, with a Si:Ag ratio of 10:0.11 and 10:2.2, have been obtained. This technique allowed us to obtain POMS-based membranes with silver nanoparticles (8 nm), which are dispersed in the polymer matrix. The dispersion of silver in the POMS matrix is confirmed by the data IR-spectroscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, and X-ray fluorescence analyses. These membranes combine the hydrophobicity of POMS and the selectivity of silver ions toward ethylene. It was shown that ethylene sorption at 600 mbar rises from 0.89 cm3(STP)/g to 3.212 cm3(STP)/g with an increase of Ag content in POMS from 0 to 9 wt%. Moreover, the membrane acquires an increased sorption affinity for ethylene. The ethylene/ethane sorption selectivity of POMS is 0.64; for the membrane with 9 wt% silver nanoparticles, the ethylene/ethane sorption selectivity was 2.46. Based on the hybrid material, POMS-Ag, composite membranes were developed on a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) porous support, with a selective layer thickness of 5–10 µm. The transport properties of the membranes were studied by separating a binary mixture of ethylene/ethane at 20/80% vol. It has been shown that the addition of silver nanoparticles to the POMS matrix leads to a decrease in the ethylene permeability, but ethylene/ethane selectivity increases from 0.9 (POMS) to 1.3 (9 wt% Ag). It was noted that when the POMS-Ag membrane is exposed to the gas mixture flow for 3 h, the selectivity increases to 1.3 (0.5 wt% Ag) and 2.3 (9 wt% Ag) due to an increase in ethylene permeability. Testing of the obtained membranes in a gas-liquid contactor showed that the introduction of silver into the POMS matrix makes it possible to intensify the process of ethylene mass transfer by more than 1.5 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This updated meta‐analysis aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of circulating cell‐free DNA (cf‐DNA) for prostate cancer (PCa). Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases to retrieve related studies. Several diagnostic estimates, including sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), likelihood ratios (LRs), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were also used to perform the meta‐synthesis. Additionally, the area under hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curves (AU‐HSROC) was used as a global measure of test accuracy. Results: Twenty‐nine unique articles were enrolled in the meta‐analysis. Pooled SE and SP for overall accuracy of cf‐DNA in PCa were obtained as 0.54 (95% CI: 0.47–0.61) and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.88–0.95), respectively. Positive LR (PLR) was 6.8 (95% CI: 4.9–9.5, I2: 92.98%) and negative LR (NLR) was 0.5 (95% CI: 0.43–0.58). Pooled DOR was 13.56 (95% CI: 9.49–19.37) and the AU‐HSROC was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.79–0.86). Conclusion: The present study suggested that cf‐DNA assays have comparable SE as well as remarkably higher SP (qualitative assays) than common biomarkers in the detection of PCa like prostate‐specific antigen (PSA). In addition, cf‐DNA assays have better performance in PCa confirmation and almost similar performance to PSA in excluding PCa patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global threat. Despite the production of various vaccines and different treatments, finding natural compounds to control COVID-19 is still a challenging task. Isoquinoline alkaloids are naturally occurring compounds known to have some potential antiviral activity. In this study, ten abundant isoquinoline alkaloids with antiviral activity were selected to analyze the preventive effect on COVID-19. A scrutinized evaluation based on Lipinski's rule showed that one out of ten compounds was toxic. Based on molecular docking analysis using Autodock software one of the best molecules with maximum negative binding energy was selected for further analysis. The Gromacs simulation analysis revealed that Coptisine has more action against active site Mpro of COVID-19. Overall, to make a rational design of various preventive analogues that inhibit the COVID-19, associated in vitro and in vivo analyses are needed to confirm this claim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the prevalence of diabetes and the increasing number of diabetics, it is essential to find medicines to decrease the chronic complications of diabetes. Several studies have demonstrated that chronic hyperglycemia and its complications are directly related to protein glycation. Thus, identifying natural inhibitors to stop glycation of proteins may play a crucial role in managing the chronic complications of diabetes. Currently, various natural and synthetic compounds with anti-glycation attributes have been reported. The use of natural compounds in herbs (medicinal and non-medicinal) may be of particular importance due to fewer side effects and a wide range of therapeutic properties. Accordingly, this mini-review provides a list of common natural medicines and synthetic compounds with anti-glycation activity. As well, it provides brief information on the formation of advanced glycosylated end products (AGEs), their side effects, and glycation prevention mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compatibility between polymer matrix and filler is a vital issue in the fabrication of composites with desirable properties. To enhance the interfacial adhesion between matrix and filler, various surface modification treatments are applied. The objective of this study was to increase the affinity of silica and poly(urethane‐urea)s (PUUs), thereby improving the mechanical properties of the resulting composites. Stepwise surface modification of mesoporous silica with amine‐containing dendrimers was done. Various techniques were used to confirm the surface‐modified structure during the stepwise reaction. Additionally, the N2 adsorption–desorption method indicated a gradual reduction in surface area, pore diameter and pore volume of the particles, which warrants the gradual propagation of the dendrimers on the surface and also inside the pores. A type IV isotherm was obtained in this analysis. Two types of pre‐synthesized PUUs were chosen for composite preparation containing the surface‐modified silica with 0.5, 1, 2.5 and 5 wt% concentrations. Due to the high affinity of the dendrimers containing amine moieties on the particles with polyurethane, a proper dispersion of particles in the matrix was achieved based on scanning electron micrographs. Tensile measurements showed an increased Young's modulus and strength of polyurethane films as a result of addition of the particles. However, no significant improvement in the tensile performance of the composites was seen above 2.5 wt% particle loading due to some particle aggregations. © 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation is a natural protective response toward various simulators, including tissue damage or pathogens. The cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a very important protein in triggering pain and inflammation. Previous studies have claimed that Allium sativum offers a wide range of anti-inflammatory therapeutics for human consumption. Drug discovery is a complicated process, though in silico methods can make this procedure simpler and more cost-effective. At the current study, we performed the virtual screening of eight Allium sativum–derived compounds via molecular docking with COX-2 enzyme and confirmed the binding energy by docking score estimate followed by ADMET and drug-likeness investigation. The resulting highest-docking scored compound was exposed to molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) for evaluating stability of the docked enzyme-ligand complex and to gauge the oscillation and conformational alterations for the time of enzyme-ligand interaction. The factors of RMSD, RMSF, hydrogen bond interactions, and Rg after 100 ns of MDS proved the stability of alliin in the active site of COX-2 in comparison with celecoxib (CEL) as the control. Moreover, we investigated the binding affinity analysis of all compounds via MM/PBSA method. The results from this study suggest that alliin (a sulfuric compound) exhibits a higher binding affinity for the COX-2 enzyme compared to the other compounds and CEL. Alliin showed to be a possible anti-inflammatory therapeutic candidate for managing the inflammatory conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating wind turbines may encounter severe situations because of harsh environments. Higher cost of repair and maintenance of floating wind turbines have led researches to focus on damage detection methods that can prevent sudden failures. This paper presents an applicable method of damage detection and structural health monitoring for floating wind turbines based on the autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model and fuzzy classification. First, the dynamic model of a spar type floating wind turbine is constructed, by which the time responses of each degree of freedom of the system are acquired. With the system's nonlinearity included, the intrinsic mode functions are obtained for the response signal. The Hilbert–Huang transform is applied and the appropriate measured signal for each degree of freedom is chosen for the ARMA modeling. In order to evaluate the proposed method, the ARMA parameters are first estimated for the undamaged condition then assumed damages are injected to the model and the ARMA parameters are once again estimated for the damaged condition. These parameters are considered as inputs for the fuzzy classification method. After training the system using the assumed damaged and undamaged conditions, the proposed method is simulated. Furthermore, the effect of measurement noise on the success rate is investigated. The results show that, in the presence of noise, the proposed method is able to identify the damage location and severity of mooring lines with acceptable success rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of polysulfone (PSF) membranes were prepared using different solvents: dimethylformamide (DMF), tetrahydrofuran, dimethylacetamide, and n‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP). The PSF membrane prepared by NMP showed the highest gas permeability. The influence of propionic acid as a Lewis acid on gas separation properties of the PSF was explored. The PSF membrane prepared by the casting solution containing 25 wt% PSF, 35 wt% propionic acid, and 40 wt% NMP showed a superior gas separation performance. The gas permeation measurements indicated that incorporating 30 wt% γ‐alumina nanoparticles into the PSF matrix resulted in about the respective 43% and 41% increase in CO2 and O2 permeability together with a rise in CO2/CH4 and O2/N2 selectivities (13% and 7%, respectively). Furthermore, by rearranged modified Maxwell model, the role and nature of the interfacial layer in the PSF‐based mixed matrix membranes were mathematically analyzed considering a reduced permeability factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Richardson–Richards equation (RRE) is a widely used partial differential equation (PDE) for modeling moisture dynamics in unsaturated soil. However, field soil moisture observations do not always satisfy RRE. In this paper, we introduce a new physically constrained machine learning (PCML) approach to derive governing soil water flow PDE directly from moisture observations. This paper is viewed as a feasibility study and reports results of our first attempt in developing the PCML approach. Here, we rely on noisy synthetic soil moisture data obtained from the linear RRE subject to real flux boundary conditions. The linear RRE was used as a reference PDE to check the PCML‐derived PDEs, where the PCML performance was shown to be highly dependent upon the sample size in time and space. Results presented here confirm the feasibility of deriving soil water flow governing PDEs directly from soil moisture observations using PCML. Core Ideas: A physically constrained machine learning approach is introduced in soil hydrology.It enables retrieving soil water flow equation(s) from moisture observations.It enables adding new data‐driven terms to the Richardson–Richards equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of the soil water characteristic (SWC) and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity [K(h)] curves, which are at the core of modeling flow and transport processes in porous media, are laborious and prone to experimental errors. To overcome some of the current experimental limitations, we examined the potential feasibility of shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging of water imbibition into dry soil during a controlled laboratory experiment in conjunction with inverse numerical modeling to determine the wetting SWC and the K(h) function. To generate time series of high‐resolution surface moisture maps, the imaged surface reflectance was converted to surface soil moisture via a recently developed physical radiative transfer model. The moisture time series were then used to parameterize the HYDRUS 2D/3D numerical code for forward simulations. The optimization was performed with simulated annealing in MATLAB that was linked to HYDRUS 2D/3D to automate the inversion process. The obtained SWC wetting curves were subsequently compared with Tempe cell and Dewpoint PotentiaMeter measurements. Although further research and refinements of the proposed method are needed, the results of this exploratory study obtained for a broad range of soil textures are promising and demonstrate the potential feasibility of the proposed approach for rapid estimation of soil hydraulic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment of textile wastewater using ultrafiltration membranes was carried out in this study. Since membrane fouling is a major operational problem that decreases the membrane separation efficiency, wastewater was treated with polyaluminum chloride (PACl) and alum (aluminum sulfate) as coagulant to decrease the fouling of ultrafiltration membranes. PACl was selected as the best coagulant in the experiments. Also, chitosan was used as coagulant aid upon developing the hybrid process. The obtained optimum dosage of PACl coagulant was 100 mg/L, and maximum turbidity and COD removal of 35% and 66% were attained, respectively. The pretreated wastewater by coagulation was sent to ultrafiltration process for further removal of turbidity and COD. Three ultrafiltration hollow-fiber membranes made of polypropylene (PP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and polyethersulfone (PES) were applied in this study. In general, the filtration results were evaluated for two types of samples treated under coagulation and without treatment; the results were unfavorable for the second type. The effects of transmembrane pressure (TMP) and cross velocity on membranes performance were also investigated for process optimization. The obtained results showed that PVDF membrane had the highest flux and turbidity removal, whereas the PES membrane had the highest COD removal. Also, the results revealed that turbidity and COD removal by all membranes were decreased by increasing TMP and cross velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic syndrome characterized by elevated blood glucose. The α-glucosidase enzyme is responsible for the hydrolysis of carbohydrates. This in silico study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of the isolated compounds from Allium sativum L. on α-glucosidase. At first, sulfur and phenolic compounds of A. sativum L. were obtained from PubChem database, and α-glucosidase enzyme structure was obtained from Protein Data Bank. Toxicity class of compounds and the Lipinski parameter were predicted by Toxtree and Protox II and the Swiss ADME tools, respectively. Finally, the molecular interaction analysis between α-glucosidase and compounds from A. sativum L. was performed by AutoDock 4.2.6. Molecular interactions were investigated using Discovery Studio Visulizer and Ligplot 2.1 program. All of the selected sulfur and phenolic compounds from A. sativum L. followed the Lipinski's rules, had an acceptable binding energy, and lacked toxicity; therefore, they were appropriate candidates for α-glucosidase inhibition. Among these compounds, methionol and caffeic acid showed the lowest binding energy, and the highest inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase enzyme with − 3.9 and − 4.8 kcal/mol, respectively. These compounds also indicated the lower binding energy than the standard inhibitor (miglitol). Among the sulfur and phenolic compounds in A. sativum L., methionol and caffeic acid were predicted to be the powerful inhibitors, due to having more hydrogen binds and hydrophobic interactions with the active site of α-glucosidase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic syndrome characterized by elevated blood glucose. The α-glucosidase enzyme is responsible for the hydrolysis of carbohydrates. This in silico study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of the isolated compounds from Allium sativum L. on α-glucosidase. At first, sulfur and phenolic compounds of A. sativum L. were obtained from PubChem database, and α-glucosidase enzyme structure was obtained from Protein Data Bank. Toxicity class of compounds and the Lipinski parameter were predicted by Toxtree and Protox II and the Swiss ADME tools, respectively. Finally, the molecular interaction analysis between α-glucosidase and compounds from A. sativum L. was performed by AutoDock 4.2.6. Molecular interactions were investigated using Discovery Studio Visulizer and Ligplot 2.1 program. All of the selected sulfur and phenolic compounds from A. sativum L. followed the Lipinski's rules, had an acceptable binding energy, and lacked toxicity; therefore, they were appropriate candidates for α-glucosidase inhibition. Among these compounds, methionol and caffeic acid showed the lowest binding energy, and the highest inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase enzyme with − 3.9 and − 4.8 kcal/mol, respectively. These compounds also indicated the lower binding energy than the standard inhibitor (miglitol). Among the sulfur and phenolic compounds in A. sativum L., methionol and caffeic acid were predicted to be the powerful inhibitors, due to having more hydrogen binds and hydrophobic interactions with the active site of α-glucosidase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma on decontamination of strawberry and its quality characteristics was considered. Weight loss, color change, and firmness of the samples were investigated under low‐temperature storage condition. Plasma levels of 7% and 14% duty cycle were examined at exposure times of 5, 10, and 20 min. Destruction of microorganisms on treated samples surface was clearly observed by scanning electron microscopy images. Treatment duration of 20 min reduced total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and yeasts/molds 1.46 and 2.75 log CFU/g, respectively. Texture and color of the treated samples showed no significant difference compared to the control and their quality attributes indicated their superiority over the untreated one. The treated samples with 14% duty cycle DBD plasma for 20 min were even marketable at the end of the storage period. The cold plasma generated by DBD could, therefore, be utilized to prolong fruits shelf life. Practical applications: Cold plasma cleaning is a novel dry and nonthermal technology without the use of chemicals. The present study would be practically advantageous as it explains decontamination of strawberry as a part of many people's diet all over the world via dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma. The plasma‐treated samples for 20 min were marketable after 12 days of storage. Hence, the nonthermal DBD plasma treatment is an effective way to prolong the shelf life of strawberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural health monitoring of mechanical systems is essential to avoid their catastrophic failure. In this article, an effective deep neural network is developed for extracting the damage-sensitive features from frequency data of vibration signals to damage detection of mechanical systems in the presence of the uncertainties such as modeling errors, measurement errors, and environmental noises. For this purpose, the finite element method is used to analyze a mechanical system (finite element model). Then, vibration experiments are carried out on the laboratory-scale model. Vibration signals of real intact system are used to updating the finite element model and minimizing the disparities between the natural frequencies of the finite element model and real system. Some parts of the signals that are not related to the nature of the system are removed using the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition technique. Frequency domain decomposition method is used to extract frequency data. The proposed deep neural network is trained using frequency data of the finite element model and real intact state and then is tested using frequency data of the real system. The proposed network is designed in two stages, namely, the pre-training classification based on deep auto-encoder and Softmax layer (first stage), and the re-training classification based on backpropagation algorithm for fine tuning of the network (second stage). The proposed method is validated using a lab-scale offshore jacket structure. The results show that the proposed method can learn features from the frequency data and achieve higher accuracy than other comparative methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of solvent type and nanoparticles of silica and zeolite 4A on the gas separation properties of polyimide (PI) membranes were investigated. Gas separation of the membranes based on pure solvents of dimethylformamide (DMF), n‐methyl‐2‐pirrolidone (NMP), dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) were studied. The prepared PI membranes using DMAc and DMSO showed the highest selectivity and permeability, respectively. In this regard, the influence of their mixing on transport properties of the PI was evaluated. The prepared membrane using the mixture of DMSO/DMAc with the volume ratio of 1:3 showed the best gas separation performance in comparison to the Robeson's upper bound. Incorporation of 20 wt% of silica and zeolite 4A nanoparticles into the PI membrane indicated that the selectivity of CO2/CH4 increased from 39.4 to 57.6 and 68.5, respectively. Besides, gas transport properties of the PI‐based mixed matrix membranes were satisfactory predicted by modified Maxwell model. Furthermore, characteristic parameters of the encapsulated particles by interfacial layer were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding and reducing the uncertainties in the inversion of the first-order radiative transfer models at the L-band are important for the improved spaceborne retrievals of soil moisture (SM) and vegetation optical depth (VOD) over dense canopy. This article quantifies and compares the sensitivity of dual-channel inversion of the two-stream (2S) and $\tau $ – $\omega $ models and proposes a new inversion approach for simultaneous retrievals of SM, VOD, and vegetation-scattering albedo ($\omega $) from a single satellite overpass. In particular, the inversion algorithm incorporates the information of the nearby spatial observations, assuming that the values of VOD and $\omega $ remain locally invariant, and constrains its solutions to high-resolution a priori physical/climatological knowledge of the retrieval variables. The results demonstrate that the uncertainty in the inversion of 2S model is slightly higher than the $\tau $ – $\omega $ model under noisy observations and remains homoscedastic for SM and $\omega $ , while grows heteroscedastically for higher VOD values due to the shape of the cost function. The results are validated using the SMAP data, the dense Mesonet SM network, the in situ measurements from the International SM Network (ISMN), and the derived VOD from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) over the state of Oklahoma in the United States. It is shown that the new approach can recover simultaneously high-resolution features of SM, VOD, and $\omega $ only from a single Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) overpass, where the unbiased root-mean-squared error (ubRMSE) of SM and VOD is reduced by 30% and 70%, respectively, when compared with an unconstrained time-windowed inversion approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical remote sensing of earth surface processes commonly relies on the red, green, blue (RGB), near-infrared (NIR) and shortwave-infrared (SWIR) electromagnetic bands. Most of the optical sensors mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles and satellites provide the RGB and NIR bands, but only a few offer SWIR output. The Red-NIR reflectance space has been widely applied for remote sensing of various land surface variables including soil moisture. The linear relationship between the Red-NIR reflectance of bare soil is established as the base and then moisture isolines are assumed perpendicular to the soil line. In this study, we show that this assumption is not consistent with the actual Red-NIR space geometry, which in many cases introduces soil moisture estimation errors. To overcome this limitation, we propose a new mathematical transformation to the original Red-NIR space followed by newly defined soil moisture isolines that are more consistent with the actual observations. This new Transformed Red-NIR (TRN) model is compared with the Conventional Red-NIR (CRN) model using data from a sugarcane field located in southwestern Iran. Twelve Land Remote-Sensing Satellite (Landsat)-8 images were acquired during the sugarcane growth season. For validation of the remotely sensed data, ground reference soil moisture was determined at 22 locations at five different depths via core sampling and oven-drying. Our results indicate that the TRN model significantly improves the accuracy of remotely sensed soil moisture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecular weight on permeability and selectivity of polysulfone/polyethylene glycol (PSF/PEG) composite membrane is investigated. Polyethylene glycol with molecular weights of 4000, 6000, and 10,000 is applied. It is shown from the results that PEG applied in composite membranes with molecular weight of 1000 had the best diffusivity in comparison with the other composite membranes containing PEG with lower molecular weights. In addition, it is perceived that the permeability of CO2 from PSF/PEG10000 composite membranes has increased with enhancing weight percent. CO2 permeability into PSF/PEG composite membranes containing 20 wt% PEG10000 is calculated 7.64 barrer (1 barrer = 10−10 cm3 (STP) cm/cm2 s cmHg). The ideal selectivity for CO2/N2 gas pair in PSF pure membrane and composite membranes containing 10 wt% and 20 wt% PEG10000 are calculated 26.57, 30.61, and 32.12, respectively. Finally, the morphology and membrane structure of the membrane were evaluated with infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile strength test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable advancement in spatiotemporal resolution of remote sensing and ground-based measurements has enabled refinement of parameters used in land surface models for simulating surface water fluxes. However, land surface modeling capabilities are still inadequate for accurate representation of subsurface properties and processes, which continue to limit the accuracy of land surface model simulation. Our objective in this study was to examine the performance of the variously parameterized Noah land surface model with multiphysics option (Noah-MP) in simulating evapotranspiration (ET) and soil moisture dynamics in stony soils using verification from eddy covariance ET and in situ soil moisture data during the growing season of year 2015, obtained from the Lower Sheep subcatchment within the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed in southwestern Idaho. We evaluated the performance of Noah-MP considering four different scenarios with 1) a one-layer soil profile with Noah-MP default soil hydraulic parameters and three more fivelayer soil profiles using 2) Noah-MP default soil hydraulic parameters; 3) soil hydraulic parameters derived from a pedotransfer function using field observations; and 4) hydraulic parameters from scenario 3, which also accounted for stone content in each layer. Each modeling experiment was forced with the same set of initial conditions, atmospheric input, and vegetation parameters. Our results indicate that enhanced representation of soil profile properties and stone content information noticeably improve the Noah-MP land surface model simulation of soil moisture content and evapotranspiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new procedure for linearizing dynamic error, without using state transformation, and linearizing nonlinear terms has been presented. The nonlinear term in the error differential equation has been analyzed in terms of the dynamic error and then has been replaced in the matrix of error factors. With stabilizing this matrix, the differential equation can be linearized and the gains of the observer have been obtained in nonlinear terms of the estimated state and the actual output. In other words, utilizing nonlinear gain factors, the nonlinearity in the final form of differential equation can be removed, and thus, differential equation of dynamic error can be linearized. The required conditions for observer construction and the procedure for linearizing of dynamic error have thoroughly been presented in detail. The robustness of designed observer to Lipschitz constant has been studied, and the absolute robustness of observer has been proved. Additionally, robustness to uncertainty has been investigated, and finally, the results for a sample nonlinear Lipschitz system, in the absence and the presence of uncertainty, are elicited and presented. The extracted results have shown good ability of observer in state estimation of studied system in the presence and absence of uncertainty. Furthermore, the presented results proved absolute robustness of designed observer to Lipschitz nonlinearity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing need for more efficient separation processes has motivated the development of polymer membranes that can provide fast and selective transport. In this work, cadmium‐based metal–organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles and a polyurethane–urea (PUU) elastomer were synthesized. New mixed‐matrix membranes (MMMs) were then fabricated from the nanoparticles and the PUU. SEM images verified that embedding the nanoparticles changes the morphology of the PUU and the nanoparticles disperse well in the PUU due to satisfactory compatibility of the polymer and nanoparticles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction analysis confirmed the dispersion of the nanoparticles in the soft segment of the PUU. With increased temperature, gas permeabilities of the MMMs improved but their sieving ability deteriorated. An MMM incorporating 2.5 wt % of the MOF showed a CO2 permeability of ~140 barrer and a CO2/N2 selectivity of ~30, which are 89 and 38% higher than those of the pristine membrane. Gas permeation tests showed that the higher CO2/N2 selectivity of the MMMs was due to improved solubility selectivity and the higher CO2 permeability was a result of improved CO2 diffusivity and solubility coefficients. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 137, 48704. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microphase separation of block copolymers is a critical parameter to control the mechanical–physical properties. Zr-Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) display high potential for the development of mixed matrix membranes. Here, the effect of UiO66 and amine-functionalized UiO66 (UiO66-NH2) nanocrystals on the phase separation and gas transport properties of polyurethane (PU) membranes is investigated. In addition to considerable gas adsorption on MOFs, tuning the phase separation of PU by the incorporation of UiO66-NH2 particles generates more accessible adsorption sites for gas molecules and increases the selectivity. The PU/UiO66-NH2 membrane exhibits high C4H10/CH4 selectivity (∼70), which is far beyond the separation performance of typical polymers (e.g. PDMS, PTMSP, etc.) for hydrocarbon separation. The increase in the phase separation is verified by FTIR, DSC and AFM measurements. C4H10 plasticization of the PU MMMs is significantly suppressed, and the mechanical properties are improved by more than 600% for PU/UiO66-NH2 composites. Additionally, the Maxwell model reliably predicts the transport properties of the membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The membrane technology has received considerable attention for olefin/paraffin separation in recent years, owing to its attractive energy efficiency. In this study, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is prepared via hydrothermal treatment of graphene oxide. The prepared rGO is characterized and then incorporated into polysulfone (PSF) to fabricate mixed‐matrix membranes (MMMs). The fabricated membranes are characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray powder diffraction. The gas transport properties of the MMMs are evaluated for ethylene/ethane and propylene/propane gas pairs at 2 bar and 30∘C. Permeation tests indicate that the PSF membrane embedded with 1.0 wt% of the rGO nanosheets has 143% and 193% higher C2H4 and C3H6 permeabilities, respectively, its C3H6/C3H8 selectivity is 18% higher, but its C2H4/C2H6 selectivity is 23% lower, compared to those of the pristine PSF membrane. The gas permeability enhancement is attributed to improved gas diffusion and solubility coefficients. These results indicate the potential of rGO nanosheets for the enhancement of olefin permeabilities without significant drops in olefin/paraffin selectivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dispersion of a neutral solute band by electrokinetic flow in polyelectrolyte layer (PEL)-grafted rectangular/slit microchannels is theoretically studied. The flow is assumed to be both steady and fully developed and a first-order irreversible reaction is considered at the wall to account for probable surface adsorption of solutes. Considering low electric potentials, analytical solutions are obtained for electric potential, fluid velocity and solute concentration. Special solutions are also obtained for the case without wall adsorption. To track the dispersion properties of the solute band, the generalized dispersion model is adopted by considering the exchange, the convection and the dispersion coefficients. The solutions developed are validated by comparing the results with the predictions of finite-element-based numerical simulations. Even though the solutions can take any form of initial solute concentration into account, the results are presented by considering a solute band of rectangular shape. The results reveal that, while the short-term transport coefficients are strongly affected by the initial concentration profile, the long-term values are not dependent upon the initial conditions. In addition, it is shown that the mass transport coefficients are strong functions of the channel aspect ratio; hence, approximating a rectangular geometry by the space between two parallel plates may lead to considerable errors in the estimation of mass transport characteristics. This is particularly important for the dispersion coefficient for which the long-term values for a slit microchannel are quite different from those for a rectangular channel of very high aspect ratio. It is also illustrated that the exchange and convection coefficients increase on increasing the Damköhler number, whereas the opposite is true for the dispersion coefficient. The convection and dispersion coefficients are generally increasing functions of the PEL fixed charge density and the PEL thickness and decreasing functions of the PEL friction coefficient. Last but not least, a thicker electric double layer is found to provide a larger degree of solute dispersion, which is the opposite of that observed in a microchannel with bare walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes is associated with numerous complications, such as diabetic skin wounds or ulcerations. The aim of this study was to evaluate experimentally the effectiveness of applying polycaprolactone (PCL)‐gelatin scaffold, with or without rat CD93 hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), in diabetic wound healing in a rat model. CD93 HSCs were aseptically isolated from rat bone marrow using fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS) method and FACS‐SORTER. A total of 25 Wistar rats were divided into five groups including Group I (sham, nondiabetic, and wound covered only with sterile dressing), II (control, diabetic rat), III (CD93 HSCs alone), IV (PCL‐gelatin scaffold), and V (CD93 HSCs+PCL‐gelatin scaffold). Animals were killed on Days 7, 14, or 28 posttreatment and histological sections were blindly evaluated by two expert pathologists. Death‐associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK‐1) gene and vesicular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) protein expression were evaluated using reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and western blot, respectively. The thickest and the thinnest epidermises microscopically were belonged to CD93+HSCs+scaffold and the control group, respectively. The growth rate of the epidermis and adnexal epithelia was the highest in both the cell and cell+scaffold groups. Evaluation of the protein expression level of VEGF indicated that the expression levels of this growth factor were the most on Day 7 posttreatment in sham, HSCs alone, and HSCs cell+scaffold groups. While the lowest expression levels of this growth factor was detected in the control and scaffold groups. The gene expression level of DAPK‐1 on Day 7 posttreatment was higher than that of the Day 14 posttreatment in all groups. The highest and lowest gene expression levels of DAPK‐1 belonged to control and sham groups, respectively. According to our findings, CD93 HSCs offer new prospects for the treatment of diabetic ulcers and concomitant application of these cells with PCL‐gelatin nanofiber scaffold significantly improves diabetic wound treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-depth knowledge about the global patterns and dynamics of land surface net water flux (NWF) is essential for quantification of depletion and recharge of groundwater resources. Net water flux cannot be directly measured, and its estimates as a residual of individual surface flux components often suffer from mass conservation errors due to accumulated systematic biases of individual fluxes. Here, for the first time, we provide direct estimates of global NWF based on near-surface satellite soil moisture retrievals from the Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellites. We apply a recently developed analytical model derived via inversion of the linearized Richards' equation. The model is parsimonious, yet yields unbiased estimates of long-term cumulative NWF that is generally well correlated with the terrestrial water storage anomaly from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite. In addition, in conjunction with precipitation and evapotranspiration retrievals, the resultant NWF estimates provide a new means for retrieving global infiltration and runoff from satellite observations. However, the efficacy of the proposed approach over densely vegetated regions is questionable, due to the uncertainty of the satellite soil moisture retrievals and the lack of explicit parameterization of transpiration by deeply rooted plants in the proposed model. Future research is needed to advance this modeling paradigm to explicitly account for plant transpiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoarchitecture is critical for fabricating artificial bone tissues as it dictates the biochemical and the mechanical properties of the final product. Herein, we incorporated a simple hard-template approach to synthesise single crystal nanoplates of HA. We used the 2D graphitic nitride (g-C3N4) material to prepare an HA sol–gel under hydrothermal conditions. A new HA nanostructure was then formed during the calcination and removal of g-C3N4 at a higher temperature, which finally led to the production of nanoplates (thickness of ∼100 nm) while in lateral dimension the average size was in the micrometre scale. We characterised the synthesised HA nanoplates with XRD, TEM, and HRTEM. The theoretically predicted nanostructure construction based on Wulff's method is in full agreement with the experimental observations. We then prepared different weight ratios of HA and polylactic acid (PLA) composites for artificial 3D bone fabrication. The strong interaction between PLA and HA's (110) facet, which was the second most prevalent, resulted in the composite's mechanical robustness. After mechanical testing, an optimum ratio was selected for biological studies and 3D printing. Biological experiments demonstrated that the synthesised composite had excellent viability in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]