Search

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the morphology, mechanical properties, erosion resistance, and machine learning modeling of Si 3 N 4 +TiC + VC and CrNi based ceramic coatings deposited via plasma spraying. The cross-sectional morphology analysis revealed good mechanical interlocking between the coatings and the substrate, with pores predominantly observed in the Si 3 N 4 +TiC + VC coating. The coating thicknesses were measured as follows: 260 μm for Si 3 N 4 +TiC + VC, 243 μm for Si 3 N 4 +TiC + VC blended with CrNi, and 232 μm for pure CrNi coating. Mechanical characterization showed that microhardness values ranged from 1933 HV for Si 3 N 4 +TiC + VC coating to 499 HV for pure CrNi coatings. Slurry erosion tests demonstrated that pure Si 3 N 4 +TiC + VC coating exhibited superior erosion resistance at 90° impingement angle compared to other coatings. Additionally, a rigorous evaluation of over 20 machine learning regression models revealed that Gaussian Process Regressors and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with a layer size of 20, displayed satisfactory performance in modeling mass loss prediction. The erosion mechanisms observed in the coatings provided valuable insights into their response to slurry erosion, highlighting the influence of coating composition and impingement angles. The findings underscore the potential of Si 3 N 4 +TiC + VC ceramic coatings to enhance the erosion resistance of stainless steel, offering promising applications in various industries. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual cryptography (VC) is a model that permits visual data in an encrypted manner in such a way that decrypted data occurs in the form of visual image. A scheme is modeled for secret sharing considering VC. It divides secret image into various shares for revealing secret image. Here, major aim is to design XOR-based VC (XVC) with a secret sharing scheme for VC. The image is splitted into different shares based on an XVC with newly developed adjustable pixel expansion. Here, an optimal weight factor is generated using the proposed optimization algorithm, named invasive snake optimizer (ISO). The ISO is obtained by the integration of Invasive weed optimization (IWO) and snake optimizer (SO) considering encryption power and decryption power. Then, decryption is performed to retrieve the output image. The ISO-XVC provided high efficiency with the best decryption power of 0.799, encryption power of 8.898, and PSNR of 53.674 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to clarify the oxidative damage in human skin fibroblasts (HSF) treated with trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) and to elucidate its pro-aging effect in skin cells in terms of antioxidant indicators, levels of inflammatory cytokines, levels of collagen and matrix metalloproteinases, and mRNA expression of related genes. The results showed that TMAO treatment significantly increased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and decreased the content of reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in HSF cells (P < 0.05). TMAO treatment was found to significantly elevate the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), and decrease the mRNA transcript levels of collagen synthesis-related genes and the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Western blot analysis showed that the protein expression level of phosphorylated p65 (p-p65) significantly increased (P < 0.05). Vitamin C (VC) was able to protect against TMAO-induced oxidative stress in HSF cells, and reduce inflammation and collagen loss. These results indicated that TMAO can produce oxidative stress in HSF cells, which may activate the signaling pathway of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), promote NF-κB phosphorylation in HSF cells, induce inflammatory responses, reduce collagen synthesis, and accelerate collagen degradation, thus possibly promoting skin cell aging.

Ni-based VC and TiVC 2 composite coatings were prepared on the surface of worn brake discs by laser direct deposition, and the influence mechanism of trace TiC addition on the microstructure and performance of the coating was investigated. The microstructure of the coatings was analyzed by XRD, SEM, EDS, and TEM, which revealed the evolution mechanism of the microstructure during the laser deposition process. The friction wear performance was tested on friction wear equipment. The results showed that VC 0.88 was formed by the in-situ reaction of C and V under the action of the laser, which presents dendritic morphology. After the addition of TiC particles, TiVC 2 was further synthesized along the TiC particles in addition to dispersed VC 0.88 in the coating. It can be seen that the addition of trace TiC particles inhibited the formation of VC 0.88 dendrites and enhanced the plastic toughness of the coating. HRTEM calibration proved the existence of TiVC 2 and Ni, and there was no obvious orientation relationship between the interface. The friction coefficients of Ni-based VC and Ni-based TiVC 2 coatings with Al 2 O 3 balls were 0.59 and 0.51 at room temperature, respectively. After 1.5 h of high-temperature wear at 300 °C and 600 °C, the distribution of wear marks shows a groove and high-temperature fatigue appearance. The TiC-doped coating has better wear properties than the base material and the original coating is expected to meet the requirements for brake discs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin C (VC) can be used to increase disease resistance in practice in intensive aquaculture. But it is still unconfirmed whether VC could alleviate inflammation and what dosage is suitable. This study investigated the effects of dietary VC on the immunity and enteritis of juvenile blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila. The fish were fed with VC levels ranging from 25.35 to 2231.98 mg/kg for 60 days. After that, fish fed with 150.65 mg/kg, 573.79 mg/kg, and 2231.98 mg/kg VC were challenged with A. hydrophila orally to simulate enteritis. The results showed that 285.39 and 573.79 mg/kg dietary VC significant improved growth performance and feed utilization. Dietary VC (573.79 and 1133.79 mg/kg) significantly enhanced the serum immune parameters, antioxidant enzymes' activities, and relative gene expressions of ikbα and cat in the liver in the 60-day feeding trail. The survival rate was significantly higher in 573.79 mg/kg dietary VC group than the other two treatments. Cytokines were activated after the bacteria challenge. Dietary 573.79 mg/kg VC caused significantly higher TNF-α level at 12 hpi and maintained a high level of IL-8 at 48 to 72 h compared to other treatments. In conclusion, more than 500 mg/kg VC was needed to maintain the health of blunt snout bream juveniles. Suitable VC would activate cytokines to increase disease resistance along with antioxidant enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-carbon hardline steels are primarily used for the manufacture of tire beads for both automobiles and aircraft, and vanadium (V) microalloying is an important means of adjusting the microstructure of high-carbon hardline steels. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the microstructure and precipitation phases of continuous cooled high-carbon steels were characterized, and the vanadium content, carbon diffusion coefficient, and critical precipitation temperature were calculated. The results showed that as the V content increased to 0.06 wt.%, the interlamellar spacing (ILS) of the pearlite in the experimental steel decreased to 0.110 μm, and the carbon diffusion coefficient in the experimental steel decreased to 0.98 × 10−3 cm2·s−1. The pearlite content in the experimental steel with 0.02 wt.% V reached its maximum at a cooling rate of 5 °C·s−1, and a small amount of bainite was observed in the experimental steel at a cooling rate of 10 °C·s−1. The precipitated phase was VC with a diameter of ~24.73 nm, and the misfit between ferrite and VC was 5.02%, forming a semi-coherent interface between the two. Atoms gradually adjust their positions to allow the growth of VC along the ferrite direction. As the V content increased to 0.06 wt.%, the precipitation-temperature-time curve (PTT) shifted to the left, and the critical nucleation temperature for homogeneous nucleation, grain boundary nucleation, and dislocation line nucleation increased from 570.6, 676.9, and 692.4 °C to 634.6, 748.5, and 755.5 °C, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four types of multiphase Fe–V alloys were examined, comprising ferrite, pearlite, and bainite microstructures. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization were employed to study the effect of microstructure on electrochemical properties of the alloys in 3.5% NaCl solution. The cathode reaction was found to be the main step controlling the corrosion dissolution process. The lowest corrosion current density (2.104 μA/cm2) for the Fe–V alloy with bainite indicated that it had outstanding corrosion resistance. Although an increase in pearlite content had a negative effect on corrosion resistance of the alloy, refinement of the lamellar spacing had the opposite effect. Surface corrosion morphologies were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that fine cementite uniformly distributed in the bainite promoted slight uniform dissolution of ferrite. Corrosion and dissolution that occurred at the junctions of the pearlite colonies with different directions was more severe. The increase of content of V effectively improved the corrosion resistance of Fe–V alloy. Compared with the matrix, the VC precipitated phase was cathodically protected in the electrochemical corrosion process by virtue of its positive corrosion potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal carbides of group 5 (G5TMC=VC, NbC and TaC) with similar crystallite sizes were prepared by a sol-gel route. The catalysts were characterized and studied in the methanol steam reforming (MSR) reaction in the temperature range of 573–723 K at atmospheric pressure and using a stoichiometric CH 3 OH/H 2 O = 1/1 mole ratio mixture. Under the MSR reaction conditions used, the route of methanol transformation depends on the G5TMC used as catalyst. The catalytic behaviour of VC differs from that of NbC and TaC, which in turn show a similar behaviour. Over VC, methanol is mainly converted to a mixture of H 2 +CH 4 , whereas over NbC and TaC the major product obtained is HCHO, formed from the dehydrogenation of methanol. • Group 5 transition metal carbides as catalysts in the methanol steam reforming. • Methanol steam reforming over VC, NbC and TaC polycrystalline catalysts. • H 2 +CH 4 mixtures are obtained under MSR over VC catalyst. • HCHO is obtained under MSR over NbC and TaC catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of Ni content on the microstructure and properties of an ultra- fine grained (UFG) Fe-based layer clad onto a Q235 steel with a fibre laser was examined. The results revealed that within the range of 0 to 6 wt.% Ni, each Fe-based UFG laser clad layer consisted of α-Fe, γ and in situ synthesized VC. As the Ni content increased so the grain size of the Fe-based UFG laser clad layer matrix and the amount of retained austenite also increased. The microhardness of the Fe-based UFG laser clad layers initially decreased and then increased with the addition of Ni. The corrosion resistance of the Fe-based UFG laser clad layers exhibited an increasing trend followed by a decreasing trend. Notably, when the Ni content ranged from 4.5 to 5.2%, the Fe-based UFG laser clad layer demonstrated excellent comprehensive performance, including outstanding corrosion resistance and microhardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we correct the learning risk lower bound in the non-realizable case provided by Anthony and Bartlett in 1999. Our contribution is mainly technical as we follow closely the proof of Anthony and Bartlett by correcting first the lemma they use and adapting then the lower bound proof itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Vitamin C (VC) can be used to increase disease resistance in practice in intensive aquaculture. But it is still unconfirmed whether VC could alleviate inflammation and what dosage is suitable. This study investigated the effects of dietary VC on the immunity and enteritis of juvenile blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila. The fish were fed with VC levels ranging from 25.35 to 2231.98 mg/kg for 60 days. After that, fish fed with 150.65 mg/kg, 573.79 mg/kg, and 2231.98 mg/kg VC were challenged with A. hydrophila orally to simulate enteritis. The results showed that 285.39 and 573.79 mg/kg dietary VC significant improved growth performance and feed utilization. Dietary VC (573.79 and 1133.79 mg/kg) significantly enhanced the serum immune parameters, antioxidant enzymes’ activities, and relative gene expressions of ikbα and cat in the liver in the 60-day feeding trail. The survival rate was significantly higher in 573.79 mg/kg dietary VC group than the other two treatments. Cytokines were activated after the bacteria challenge. Dietary 573.79 mg/kg VC caused significantly higher TNF-α level at 12 hpi and maintained a high level of IL-8 at 48 to 72 h compared to other treatments. In conclusion, more than 500 mg/kg VC was needed to maintain the health of blunt snout bream juveniles. Suitable VC would activate cytokines to increase disease resistance along with antioxidant enzymes.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a clinical diagnosis used to define a neurodegenerative process that involves progressive loss of voluntary muscle function and leads to death within 2–5 years after diagnosis, in most cases because of respiratory function failure. Respiratory vital capacity (VC) measurements are reproducible and strong predictors of survival. To understand the role of the innate immune response in progressive VC loss we evaluated ALS clinical trial and biomarker results from a 6-month phase 2 study of NP001, a regulator of innate immune function. All ALS baseline values were similar between treated and controls except for those > 65 years old who were excluded from analysis. Treated patients with plasma CRP ≥ 1.13 mg/L (high CRP) showed a 64% slower rate of VC decline compared with placebo and those with plasma CRP < 1.13 mg/L (low CRP) who showed no response. High CRP patients showed no age associated loss of VC whereas low CRP patients showed an age dependent loss of VC function. Plasma levels of serum amyloid A (SAA) were similarly elevated in high CRP patients consistent with ongoing innate immune activation. Plasma TGFB1 in high CRP treated patients was 95% higher than placebo at 6-months, confirming the activation and release of this anti-inflammatory factor by the innate immune alpha 2 macroglobulin (A2M) system. This report is the first to link a biomarker confirmed regulation of the innate immune system with a therapeutic approach for controlling VC loss in ALS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

V-bearing molten iron was obtained by adding Na2CO3 in the smelting process of vanadium titanomagnetite at low temperature. Two forms of V-rich carbides ((Fe,V)3C, VC) were detected in the V-bearing pig iron products. Once the smelting temperature was above 1300 °C, most of the V in the raw ore was reduced into molten iron. Owning to the high content of V, the unsteady (Fe,V)3C solid solution decomposed along with the precipitation of graphite and VC during the solidification process. The presence of VC cluster and VC precursor in (Fe,V)3C was detected by transmission electron microscopy, which confirmed the possibility of this transition process at the atomic perspective. The transformation dramatically affected the compositions and properties of V-bearing pig iron and had important guiding significance for the actual production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors of this article set a goal to identify the most relevant obstacles for venture capital development in Russia. In order to achieve this goal, statistical analysis was carried out as well as valuation of different quantitative and qualitative information, including primary sources (interviews with venture industry experts) was conducted. Russian and foreign literature was exploited during this research. The analysis of the Russian venture capital development dynamics was carried out, as well as the major regulatory aspects of the industry were examined. Based on the results of the research, certain recommendations were provided, which, according to the authors, are capable of supporting venture investments in the long term and accelerating the volume growth of capital raising by domestic startups.

Verrucous carcinoma (VC) is a locally invasive uncommon histopathological variant of oral squamous cell cancer. There is paucity of literature regarding control rates in these cases. We intend to report the outcomes in terms of administered treatment and control rates. 28 patients of oral cavity verrucous carcinomas treated at our institute from March 2014 to December 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic profile, histopathological features and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS for Mac (version 23.0). Median age was 54 years (range 31–75) with M:F ratio of 25:3. Buccal mucosa was the most common site. All patients underwent surgical resection except one. Of these, 24 had neck dissection; 12 had supra-omohyoid neck dissection, eleven had modified neck dissection and one patient underwent radical neck dissection. Three patients had their histology upgraded to squamous cell carcinomas in the post-operative histopathology. The post-operative staging was as follows: 21% stage I and 35% stage II. One patient opted for non-surgical approach and received radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Median follow up was 12 months (range 6–36). Two patients had local failures and one had a regional failure. No distant metastasis was found. There was one death. 14-Months survival rate was 92%. Estimated 18 month loco-regional control rate was 92%. Curative surgical resection remains the cornerstone for VC of oral cavity. Any change of histopathology post-operatively to squamous cell carcinoma is a poor prognostic sign and needs appropriate adjuvant treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the in-situ VC reinforced Fe-based composite cladding was experimentally fabricated on 45 steel surface by laser cladding using the mixture of FeV 50 and B 4 C with different contents (10–30 wt%). The formation mechanism of composite cladding and effect of B 4 C content on its wear resistance were investigated through first-principles calculations. The experimental results show that the volume fraction of in-situ formed VC particles increases continuously with increasing B 4 C content. The microhardness of composite cladding increases significantly, and it reaches to 1653.7 HV 0.5 when the B 4 C content is 30 wt%. Meanwhile, the friction coefficient of composite cladding decreases with increasing B 4 C content, and the wear mode gradually changes from adhesive wear to abrasive wear, indicating the enhanced wear resistance of composite cladding. The first-principles calculations results show that the in-situ formed VC and Fe 2 B are both hard and brittle phases, and the VC and Fe 2 B can exist stably in the composite cladding. The interface between VC and Fe matrix is well bonded, and the interfacial separation work is calculated as 5.516 J/m2, which mainly attributes to the bonding characteristics of mixed ion-covalent bonding interactions between Fe and C atoms located at interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin C (VC, l-ascorbic acid) is an essential nutrient that plays a key role in metabolism and functions as a potent antioxidant in regulating the S-nitrosylation and denitrosylation of target proteins. The precise function of VC deprivation in glucose homeostasis is still unknown. In the absence of L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidoreductase, an essential enzyme for the last step of VC synthesis, VC deprivation resulted in persistent hypoglycemia and subsequent impairment of cognitive functions in female but not male mouse pups. The cognitive disorders caused by VC deprivation were largely reversed when these female pups were given glucose. VC deprivation-induced S-nitrosylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) at Cys14, which activated GSK3β and inactivated glycogen synthase to decrease glycogen synthesis and storage under the feeding condition, while VC deprivation inactivated glycogen phosphorylase to decrease glycogenolysis under the fasting condition, ultimately leading to hypoglycemia and cognitive disorders. Treatment with Nω-Nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), a specific inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, on the other hand, effectively prevented S-nitrosylation and activation of GSK3β in female pups in response to the VC deprivation and reversed hypoglycemia and cognitive disorders. Overall, this research identifies S-nitrosylation of GSK3β and subsequent GSK3β activation as a previously unknown mechanism controlling glucose homeostasis in female pups in response to VC deprivation, implying that VC supplementation in the prevention of hypoglycemia and cognitive disorders should be considered in the certain groups of people, particularly young females.

• Cu-VC-Al 2 O 3 -graphite composites were prepared with copper-coated graphite and V 2 AlC. • A VC interface transition layer was formed between the copper matrix and graphite. • The microstructure of the composites was analyzed by XRD, SEM and EDS. Cu-graphite composites play an important role as friction materials used in many fields. However, weak bonding of copper with graphite and low strength of copper are significant limitations. In this study, our focus on fabricating high-density Cu-VC-Al 2 O 3 -graphite composites by using V 2 AlC as a modifier for the Cu-graphite systems. The microstructure and interface properties of the composites were thoroughly examined by SEM, EDS, and XRD techniques. The results indicate the in-situ synthesis of VC and Al 2 O 3 , which exhibit good compatibility with the copper matrix in the composites. Furthermore, the formation of a VC layer facilitates enhanced interfacial bonding between the copper matrix and graphite. In addition, the resulting composite materials show desirable density and hardness, boasting a relative density of 94.5 % and a hardness of 80.6 HV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual Cryptography (VC) was developed to encrypt images into numerous shares and decrypt them by grouping the shares without the need for expensive traditional cryptosystems. The Secure Signific VC (SSVC) scheme was intended to use a Contrast Sensitive Function (CSF) for deciding on Cover Image (CI) blocks to be embedded with the secret shares. However, this scheme was prone to collusion attacks and distortions in the images. To solve this, randomness and collusion avoidance are essential for SSVC to be valuable. Hence, this article proposes a new Robust Collusion Avoidance-based SSVC (RCA-SSVC) scheme to create the collusion-resistant Secret Image (SI) shares effectively and avoid the risk of collusion. This scheme is designed in a manner such that each share is dependent on every other image or at least most of the images. This characteristic ensures that data is distributed uniformly across users and protects against collusion threats. During the share creation stage, a Boolean XOR function and a shift-bit algorithm are introduced to create multiple shares from SIs. This algorithm creates the shares only if the prior shares had been previously created. These created shares are embedded with the CI blocks chosen by CSF and sent to the individuals via a transfer channel. Further, the actual SI is retrieved from the received shares during the restoration stage. Finally, the results of the experiments show that the RCA-SSVC achieves an average Mean Square Error (MSE) of 0, mean Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) of 56.48dB, average Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 0.736, mean Universal Image Quality Index (UIQI) of 0.9478, mean Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) of 0.9122 and 0.9sec time complexity compared to the traditional VC schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is unstable and easily oxidized, which limits its applications. Ascorbic acid (Vc) is a natural antioxidant. Objective The effects of EGCG combined with Vc and glycerol on stability and uric acid-lowering activity of EGCG were examined. Materials and methods EGCG (aqueous solution), EGCG + Vc (aqueous solution), EGCG (glycerol solution) and EGCG + Vc (glycerol solution) were prepared and incubated under different conditions in vitro. The recovery rate of EGCG was calculated by HPLC. Kunming mice were randomly divided into normal control group, model group, allopurinol (5 mg/kg), EGCG (10 mg/kg), EGCG + Vc (both 10 mg/kg), EGCG (10 mg/kg) + glycerol (60%), and EGCG (10 mg/kg) + Vc (10 mg/kg) + glycerol (60%) (n = 6). Allopurinol was injected intraperitoneally to mice, others were administered intragastrically to (2 cases) mice. All mice were continuously administrated for 7 days, once a day. Results EGCG recovery rates of EGCG group and EGCG + Vc + glycerol group respectively reached to 32.34 ± 1.86% and 98.90 ± 0.64% when they were incubated for 4 h at 80 °C. EGCG recovery rates reached to 91.82 ± 5.13% (incubated for 6 h at pH 8) and 88.85 ± 2.63% (incubated for 4 h in simulated intestinal fluid) when EGCG incubated with Vc and glycerol. Compared with the model group, UA values of EGCG + Vc + glycerol group reduced by 43.49% while EGCG group reduced by 25.63%. The activities of xanthine oxidase (XOD, 31.41 U/gprot) and adenosine deaminase (ADA, 10.05 U/mgprot), and the mRNA expression levels of glucose transporter 9 (GLUT9, 1.03) and urate transporter 1 (URAT1, 0.44) in EGCG + Vc + glycerol group were notably lower than those of EGCG group (38.12 U/gprot, 13.16 U/mgprot, 1.54, and 0.55). The mRNA expression levels of ATP-binding cassette superfamily G member 2 (ABCG2, 1.39) and organic anion transport 1/2 (OAT1/2, 2.34, 2.53) in EGCG + Vc + glycerol group were notably higher than those of EGCG group (0.57, 1.13, and 1.16). Discussion and conclusions Our findings suggest that when EGCG used in combination with Vc and glycerol could effectively increase its biology activities and can be generalized to the broader pharmacological studies. This sheds light on the development and application of EGCG in the fields of food and medicine.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a clinical diagnosis used to define a neurodegenerative process that involves progressive loss of voluntary muscle function and leads to death within 2–5 years after diagnosis, in most cases because of respiratory function failure. Respiratory vital capacity (VC) measurements are reproducible and strong predictors of survival. To understand the role of the innate immune response in progressive VC loss we evaluated ALS clinical trial and biomarker results from a 6-month phase 2 study of NP001, a regulator of innate immune function. All ALS baseline values were similar between treated and controls except for those > 65 years old who were excluded from analysis. Treated patients with plasma CRP ≥ 1.13 mg/L (high CRP) showed a 64% slower rate of VC decline compared with placebo and those with plasma CRP < 1.13 mg/L (low CRP) who showed no response. High CRP patients showed no age associated loss of VC whereas low CRP patients showed an age dependent loss of VC function. Plasma levels of serum amyloid A (SAA) were similarly elevated in high CRP patients consistent with ongoing innate immune activation. Plasma TGFB1 in high CRP treated patients was 95% higher than placebo at 6-months, confirming the activation and release of this anti-inflammatory factor by the innate immune alpha 2 macroglobulin (A2M) system. This report is the first to link a biomarker confirmed regulation of the innate immune system with a therapeutic approach for controlling VC loss in ALS patients.

When preparing tungsten-cobalt gradient alloy under nitriding conditions, TiC becomes a very important additive because it can effectively promote the formation of gradient structure. However, doping TiC often causes a large number of defects such as holes, cracks, and impurity segregation in the tungsten-cobalt cemented carbide matrix. The paper is mainly studied the improvement of microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-containing cemented carbide by doping appropriate amount of NbC or VC. The results show that: doping with NbC or VC can refine the grains of the hard phase, effectively control the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy, significantly improve its compactness, and increase the hardness and transverse fracture strength of the alloy. However, the fracture toughness is reduced. When the doping amount is less than 0.6% (mass fraction), VC effects on improving the hardness and transverse fracture strength more obviously than NbC; when the doping amount is equal to 0.6% (mass fraction), the difference between VC and NbC in improving the transverse rupture strength is not significant. Comparing the two additive contents studied in this paper, when the VC content is 0.6% (mass fraction), the performance of cemented carbide is better, with a hardness of 1836 HV30kgf, a fracture toughness of 8.85 MPa·m1/2, and a transverse fracture strength of 1888 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is unstable and easily oxidized, which limits its applications. Ascorbic acid (Vc) is a natural antioxidant. The effects of EGCG combined with Vc and glycerol on stability and uric acid-lowering activity of EGCG were examined. EGCG (aqueous solution), EGCG + Vc (aqueous solution), EGCG (glycerol solution) and EGCG + Vc (glycerol solution) were prepared and incubated under different conditions in vitro. The recovery rate of EGCG was calculated by HPLC. Kunming mice were randomly divided into normal control group, model group, allopurinol (5 mg/kg), EGCG (10 mg/kg), EGCG + Vc (both 10 mg/kg), EGCG (10 mg/kg) + glycerol (60%), and EGCG (10 mg/kg) + Vc (10 mg/kg) + glycerol (60%) (n = 6). Allopurinol was injected intraperitoneally to mice, others were administered intragastrically to (2 cases) mice. All mice were continuously administrated for 7 days, once a day. EGCG recovery rates of EGCG group and EGCG + Vc + glycerol group respectively reached to 32.34 ± 1.86% and 98.90 ± 0.64% when they were incubated for 4 h at 80 °C. EGCG recovery rates reached to 91.82 ± 5.13% (incubated for 6 h at pH 8) and 88.85 ± 2.63% (incubated for 4 h in simulated intestinal fluid) when EGCG incubated with Vc and glycerol. Compared with the model group, UA values of EGCG + Vc + glycerol group reduced by 43.49% while EGCG group reduced by 25.63%. The activities of xanthine oxidase (XOD, 31.41 U/gprot) and adenosine deaminase (ADA, 10.05 U/mgprot), and the mRNA expression levels of glucose transporter 9 (GLUT9, 1.03) and urate transporter 1 (URAT1, 0.44) in EGCG + Vc + glycerol group were notably lower than those of EGCG group (38.12 U/gprot, 13.16 U/mgprot, 1.54, and 0.55). The mRNA expression levels of ATP-binding cassette superfamily G member 2 (ABCG2, 1.39) and organic anion transport 1/2 (OAT1/2, 2.34, 2.53) in EGCG + Vc + glycerol group were notably higher than those of EGCG group (0.57, 1.13, and 1.16). Our findings suggest that when EGCG used in combination with Vc and glycerol could effectively increase its biology activities and can be generalized to the broader pharmacological studies. This sheds light on the development and application of EGCG in the fields of food and medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Venture capitalists (VCs) flourish on the ability to add funds to their kitty across nations. Consequently, VCs' ability to convince Limited Partners (LP), who are their primary source of financing, plays a critical role in the venture capital investment growth in any economy. However, it is not easy to rake in capital from an investor. LPs assess the market conditions carefully before making their capital available to the VCs. This paper examines the macro-economic variables that influence the supply of money to venture capital funds in emerging economies such as India from an LPs perspective. The empirical analysis using Autoregressive-Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach reveals that supply of capital to the VC funds in India is influenced by macro variables as well as past investment behaviours. Macro-variables such as GDP growth, interest rate spread, global liquidity, and inflation rate significantly influence the supply of capital to the VC funds in India. However, stock market liquidity does not influence the supply side of the venture capital investment. Our analysis reveals that VCs' fund raising in India is highly influenced by their past investment relation with the LPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

V-bearing molten iron was obtained by adding Na2CO3 in the smelting process of vanadium titanomagnetite at low temperature. Two forms of V-rich carbides ((Fe,V)3C, VC) were detected in the V-bearing pig iron products. Once the smelting temperature was above 1300 °C, most of the V in the raw ore was reduced into molten iron. Owning to the high content of V, the unsteady (Fe,V)3C solid solution decomposed along with the precipitation of graphite and VC during the solidification process. The presence of VC cluster and VC precursor in (Fe,V)3C was detected by transmission electron microscopy, which confirmed the possibility of this transition process at the atomic perspective. The transformation dramatically affected the compositions and properties of V-bearing pig iron and had important guiding significance for the actual production process.

Vitamin C has often been applied in capsule due to its sensitivity to oxygen, and it is only stable at acidic conditions; although most encapsulation of vitamin C has been carried out in neutral environment. Herein, hybrid fatty acid vesicles were constructed from conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and saturated fatty acids (SFA) to encapsulate vitamin C in aid of sodium dodecyl sulfate under acidic conditions, with significantly improved encapsulation efficiency and sustain release of VC. The CLA-SFA and the encapsulated VC synergistically presented dramatic higher antioxidant activity in positive relation with chain length of the SFA.The possible mechanism that the SFA improved encapsulation was proposed. The SFA made larger and thicker vesicles, and the enhancement was in positive relation with chain length of the SFA, although SFA slightly broadened the vesiculation pH windows towards alkaline direction. Meanwhile, the prepared hybrid fatty acid vesicles presented good stability at room temperature.

A field experiment was conducted during winter season of 2016-2017 to find out the effect of different organic and inorganic sources of nutrition on growth, productivity and economics of tomato cultivation in Varanasi region. The organic sources of fertilizer were farmyard manure (FYM), poultry manure (PM), vermicompost (VC) with three levels of each and one chemical fertilizer dose applied as 100% RDF of NPK. The chemical fertilizer (CF) was applied at recommended dose of 180:60:60 kg/ha of N:P2O5:K2O. The application of 10 t poultry manure/ha recorded maximum growth and fruit yield (584.69 q/ha), which was significantly superior to its own lower levels of poultry manure and rest of organic manures as well as inorganically cultivated tomato crop, i.e. 100% RDF of NPK through chemical fertilizer. However, higher levels of each organic manure gave significantly higher growth and fruit yield. Lowest net return was observed with treatment (VC: 2.5, t vermicompost/ha). Crop alimentation of tomato by supplying 10 t PM/ha recorded highest benefit:cost ratio (3.39) among organic sources. While, within organic and inorganic sources; application of RDF of NPK through chemical fertilizer recorded quite lesser benefit:cost ratio (3.36) than organically grown tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO), a high‐voltage spinel, has attracted great attention owing to its low cost and high operating voltage. Many great efforts have been devoted to developing full‐cell of LNMO/graphite because of electrolyte oxidation issues at such high voltage. In this work, the effect of additives including vinylene carbonate (VC) and lithium bis(oxalate)borate (LiBOB) in carbonate‐based electrolytes was investigated on LNMO/Li and graphite/Li to find out the optimized electrolyte composition. The use of additives in 1.0 M LiPF6 in EC:DMC (1:1 v/v) seemed not to give any improvement on the electrochemical behavior of the cell. In the case of 1.2 M LiPF6 in EC:EMC (3:7 v/v), however, both half‐cells of LNMO and graphite exhibited stability of discharge capacity during long cycling with the presence of LiBOB or VC additives. Based on the artificial neural network (ANN) simulation, the best electrochemical performance would obtain for LNMO/Li in the electrolyte of 0.67 M LiPF6 in EC:DMC:EMC (2.9:3.5:3.6 (v/v) with 0.41 wt% LiBOB and 1.17 wt% VC additives cell, which delivered 141.1 mAh.g−1 and remained 90% capacity after 100 cycles when using. Also, it predicted that the graphite/Li in the electrolyte of 1.34 M LiPF6 in EC:DMC:EMC (6.2:1.2:2.6) (v/v) with a 0.08 wt% LiBOB additive would achieve 342.2 mAh.g−1 and 85% of capacity retention after 100 cycles. The machine learning approach is efficient in exploring the effect of additive and simultaneously searching an optimization of many design parameters and thus saving the significant cost of time‐consuming experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a regional hub serving as an incubator of the FinTech ecosystem, where regulators began implementing policies to encourage the growth of Fintech ventures in 2017. However, detailed empirical evidence concerning the impact of various FinTech-level and ecosystem-specific factors as determinants of FinTech success and survival is yet to be discussed. This paper investigates the underlying factors influencing the success of UAE-based FinTech ventures. Several factors are included in the analysis, controlling for the hedonics of the FinTech, including the business model, availability of and access to finance, and business ecosystem framework. Data are pooled using a semi-structured questionnaire conducted with 32 FinTech founders. A qualitative analysis with an ordered logistic regression model was performed. The findings suggest that the availability of resources, in particular through venture capital, is vital to the success and survival of FinTechs as microbusinesses. However, financial barriers, the regulatory environment, and legal issues have a detrimental impact on facilitating the creation and growth of FinTech ventures. Furthermore, the business model dimensions "product/service offering" and "value proposition" tend to influence the success of these ventures. The empirical model's findings will serve as a data-driven tool to help guide finance policymakers in their decisions on how to promote this new sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] This study was conducted to develop environmentally-friendly effective vase solutions for cut rose flowers convenient for ordinary household use. [Methods] The vase life, flowering stage, flower diameter variation, petal water content, and soluble protein and malondialdehyde contents were determined on cut rose flowers regularly during the vase period, to study the fresh-keeping effects of the vase solutions prepared from such three components as sugar, aspirin and V c according to L9 ( 3³ ) orthogonal table design on cut rose flowers during the vase period. [Results] 20 g/L white granulated sugar + 460 mg/L aspirin + 50 mg/L Vc was the best combination in this study. [Conclusions] This study provides a reference for the research on the fresh-keeping vase solutions of household cut rose flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firms going through an initial public offering (IPO) face many uncertainties. Geographic distance between the firm headquarters and the major financial centers, where most investors are located, is another concern. Using a sample of 688 Chinese initial public offerings between 2005 and 2012, we find that remote firms leave investors informationally disadvantaged leading firms to underprice their offering to a greater extent. Furthermore, we find that business affiliations (prestigious lead underwriters and government), which signal firm quality, lessen and the effect of geographic distance on underpricing. Thus, in an IPO context, signals have increasing value for more geographically isolated firms wishing to maximize initial public offering performance. Our study has implications for both academics and practitioners by offering new insights on how geographic distance and signals impact IPO performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This panel study aimed to determine the acute effects of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) on schoolchildren's pulmonary function. We selected 51 schoolchildren aged 9–12 years attending a full-time boarding school in Beijing, China, measured the indoor and outdoor PM 2.5 concentrations for five consecutive days, calculated the PM 2.5 time-weighted individual exposure levels based on the school micro-environmental concentrations and the time activity pattern recorded by schoolchildren, measured schoolchildren's pulmonary function on the fifth day. The survey was performed three times from December 2018 to April 2019. We used a linear mixed-effects model to evaluate the associations between PM 2.5 and pulmonary function. During the three surveys, the median PM 2.5 time-weighted individual exposure concentrations were 15.30 µg/m3, 48.92 µg/m3, and 42.89 µg/m3, respectively. There was a significant difference between the three surveys in vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1) and forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV 1 /FVC) (P < 0.05). The relevance analysis found that PM 2.5 had lag effect on schoolchildren's pulmonary function, each 10 µg/m3 increase in PM 2.5 could cause largest decreases in FEF 25%–75% , FEV 1 /FVC, FEF 75 %, and FEV 1 on lag 0–1 d (80.44 mL/s, 35.85%, 78.58 mL/s, and 61.34 mL, respectively), and largest decreases in FEF 25 % on lag 1 d (83.68 mL/s), in VC on lag 4 d (32.34 mL), and in FVC on lag 0–4 d (37.76 mL). Gender subgroup analysis revealed that the increase in PM 2.5 caused a decrease in FEV 1 /FVC and VC on the day of physical examination only in boys, and on lag days it caused changes in different pulmonary function indicators, both for boys and girls, but most of the pulmonary function indicators decreased more in boys than in girls. Our findings show that acute PM 2.5 exposure has significant effects on pulmonary function within 0–4 d, on both small airway indicators and large airway indicators. Boys' pulmonary function is more sensitive to PM 2.5 than girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vinyl chloride (VC), a common industrial chemical, has been associated with hemangiosarcoma and toxicant-associated steatohepatitis (TASH) in men working at rubber-production plants. Our group previously demonstrated that chronic VC inhalation at environmentally relevant levels (< 1 ppm) in male mice exacerbated hepatic injury caused by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. Because VC studies on TASH have only been performed in male models, the objective of this study is to examine VC inhalation in female mice in the context of TASH mechanisms. Male and female C57Bl/6 mice were fed either a low-fat diet or HFD and exposed to VC or room air using an inhalation chamber, for 12 weeks (6 h, 5 days/week); and plasma and liver samples were collected after euthanasia. Compared with males, females were less susceptible to HFD+VC-induced obesogenic effects demonstrated by lower body weight and fat composition. Histological analysis revealed that whereas VC exacerbated HFD-induced steatosis in males, this effect was absent in females. In addition, females were more resistant to VC-induced hepatic inflammation whereas males had increased liver weights and higher hepatic Tnfα mRNA levels. Systemic markers of hepatic injury, namely alanine aminotransaminase and thrombin/antithrombin levels were increased by HFD+VC co-exposures only in males. In addition, females did not show significant cell death as previously reported in males. Taken together, the results suggested that VC inhalation led to sex-dependent liver and metabolic toxicity. This study implicated the importance of assessing sex differences in environmental basic science and epidemiologic studies to better identify at-risk populations in both men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study fabricated Ti–8Mo–3Mn-xVC composites and added different proportions of VC powders (where X was 1, 3, and 5 mass%, respectively) by the vacuum sintering process of the powder metallurgy technique, which were simultaneously vacuum sintered at 1240, 1260, 1280, and 1300 °C for 1 h, respectively. The experimental results indicate that the specimens possessed the best mechanical properties when the Ti–8Mo–3Mn–1VC alloys were sintered at 1300 °C for 1 h. Among them, the relative density increased to 98.11 ± 0.12 %, while the TRS enhanced to 1630.3 ± 44.8 MPa, the flexural modulus increased to 55.1 ± 0.9 GPa, and the hardness enhanced to 69.0 ± 0.3 HRA, respectively. The EBSD and TEM results also show that the VC induced in situ formations of TiC during the sintering process, which were consistently dispersed in the Ti matrix. Moreover, the V atoms of VC became β-stabilizer elements, which formed a solid solution in the Ti matrix and further improved the mechanical properties of the Ti–8Mo–3Mn alloys. • Ti–8Mo–3Mn–1VC alloy had the highest TRS value (1630.3 MPa) after 1300 °C for 1 h. • 1300°C-sintered Ti–8Mo–3Mn–1VC alloy had the highest flexural modulus (55.1 GPa). • In situ reaction of VC + Ti.→ V + TiC occurred during the Ti–8Mo–3Mn–1VC alloy. • EBSD results shows the Ti–8Mo–3Mn–1VC alloy possesses α-Ti, β-Ti, and TiC phases. • TEM reveals the TiC precipitated in this experiment with a NaCl structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have designed and fabricated a novel wear-resistant stainless steel-based composites using laser melting deposition (LMD) in current study. The main composition of as-deposited specimens were α-Fe, VC, Cr 7 C 3 , and Cr 23 C 6. Based on the microstructure observation and thermodynamics calculations, in situ synthesized VC particles provided sufficient places for the heterogeneous nucleation of α-Fe and chromium carbides during the solidification process of molten pool, which significantly refined the grains. The average microhardness of specimen was in range of 521 ± 9 HV - 603 ± 12 HV. The specimen with 12 wt % V content exhibited the highest wear resistance among the tested specimens as indicated by the lowest average specific wear rate of 5.011 × 10−6 mm3/N m. • Novel stainless steel-base composites were fabricated using laser melting deposition. • The mechanism of VC formation was analyzed based on thermodynamics. • The formed VC particles led to dispersion strengthening and fine-grain strengthening. • The microhardness and wear mechanism of novel stainless steel-base composites were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper utilizes a natural experiment - the establishment of the Shenzhen Small and Medium Enterprises Board (SME Board) - as an exogenous shock of liquidity provision to venture capital (VC) investment in China. The establishing of the SME Board has enabled the disentangling of the supply side from the demand side of entrepreneurial financing. The results show that the establishment of the SME Board had a strong positive impact on VC investment activities. The impact, however, occurs mainly through the supply side channel, in the form of an influx of first-time VC funds and new government-sponsored VC funds. Such supply shocks, created by inexperienced - but politically connected - VCs, tend to overheat the VC market in the short-run. The results are robust against various regression specifications and endogeneity concerns. This research highlights the importance of liquidity provision, institutional factors and government policies on the development of entrepreneurial financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a regional hub serving as an incubator of the FinTech ecosystem, where regulators began implementing policies to encourage the growth of Fintech ventures in 2017. However, detailed empirical evidence concerning the impact of various FinTech-level and ecosystem-specific factors as determinants of FinTech success and survival is yet to be discussed. This paper investigates the underlying factors influencing the success of UAE-based FinTech ventures. Several factors are included in the analysis, controlling for the hedonics of the FinTech, including the business model, availability of and access to finance, and business ecosystem framework. Data are pooled using a semi-structured questionnaire conducted with 32 FinTech founders. A qualitative analysis with an ordered logistic regression model was performed. The findings suggest that the availability of resources, in particular through venture capital, is vital to the success and survival of FinTechs as microbusinesses. However, financial barriers, the regulatory environment, and legal issues have a detrimental impact on facilitating the creation and growth of FinTech ventures. Furthermore, the business model dimensions “product/service offering” and “value proposition” tend to influence the success of these ventures. The empirical model’s findings will serve as a data-driven tool to help guide finance policymakers in their decisions on how to promote this new sector.

WC-Co cemented carbide are widely used in industries for cutting tool due to their excellent hardness, fracture strength and wear resistance, but the high temperature mechanical properties and thermal conductivity limits their application under harsh service conditions. In this research, the effect of VC on microstructure, high-temperature mechanical properties, and thermal conductivity of WC-10Co-0.8Cr 3 C 2 was investigated. Outstanding high-temperature mechanical properties were obtained at 0.2 wt% VC, with the transverse rupture strength of 2170 MPa, the fracture toughness of 17.78 MPa·m1/2 and the hardness of 1370HV 5 at 800 °C, which are better than most of the common used WC-10Co cemented carbides. More importantly, the thermal conductivity was almost unaffected by the addition of VC. This work shows a new perspective on preparing WC-Co cemented carbide with excellent cutting potential. • For the cemented carbides, the WC grain size decreases and the grain distribution becomes uneven with the increase of VC. • Enhanced the transverse rupture strength, fracture toughness and hardness are achieved at 800 °C. • The thermal conductivity does not decrease with the VC addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the effect of adding VC with different contents and Mo _2 C, WC and TaC on the core-rim structure evolution of TiC-based cermets was investigated using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Results show that the added secondary carbides exhibiting the same crystal stucture as TiC are prone to solid dissolution in TiC grains and change the core-rim stuctures of TiC-based cermets. With the addition of only VC, (Ti,V)C is the main component in the black core-grey rim structure and increasing the VC content is beneficial for promoting the dissolution process of cores. With the addition of multiple carbides, the core-rim structure in cermet Ta-7 is effectively improved, showing a high percentage of white core-grey rim structures, and the mechanical properties are improved.

Soluble solid content (SSC), pH, and vitamin C (VC) are considered as key parameters for strawberry quality. Spectral, color, and textural features from hyperspectral reflectance imaging of 400–1000 nm was to develop the non-destructive detection approaches for SSC, pH, and VC of strawberries by integrating various multivariate methods as partial least-squares regression (PLSR), support vector regression, and locally weighted regression (LWR). SSC, pH, and VC of 120 strawberries were statistically analyzed to facilitate the partitioning of data sets, which helped optimize the model. PLSR, with spectral and color features, obtained the optimal prediction of SSC with determination coefficient of prediction (Rp2) of 0.9370 and the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.1145. Through spectral features, the best prediction for pH was obtained by LWR with Rp2 = 0.8493 and RMSEP = 0.0501. Combination of spectral and textural features with PLSR provided the best results of VC with Rp2 = 0.8769 and RMSEP = 0.0279. Competitive adaptive reweighted sampling and uninformative variable elimination (UVE) were used to select important variables from the above features. Based on the important variables, the accuracy of SSC, pH, and VC prediction both gain the promotion. Finally, the distribution maps of SSC, pH, and VC over time were generated, and the change trend of three quality parameters was observed. Thus, the proposed method can nondestructively and accurately determine SSC, pH, and VC of strawberries and is expected to design and construct the simple sensors for the above quality parameters of strawberries.