Search Results (9,174)

For the first time, carbon-particle-supported palladium-based cobalt composite electrocatalysts (abbreviated as Pd_xCo_y/CPs) were prepared using a calcination–hydrothermal process–hydrothermal process (denoted as CHH). The catalysts of Pd_xCo_y/CPs prepared using CoC₂O₄·2H₂O, (CH₃COO)₂Co·4H₂O, and metallic cobalt were named catalyst c₁, c₂, and c₃, respectively. For comparison, the catalyst prepared in the absence of a Co source (denoted as Pd/CP) was identified as catalyst c₀. All fabricated catalysts were thoroughly characterized by XRD, EDS, XPS, and FTIR, indicating that PdO, metallic Pd, carbon particles, and a very small amount of cobalt oxide were the main components of all produced catalysts. As demonstrated by the traditional electrochemical techniques of CV and CA, the electrocatalytic performances of Pd_xCo_y/CP towards the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) were significantly superior to that of Pd/CP. In particular, c₁ showed an unexpected electrocatalytic activity for EOR; for instance, in the CV test, the peak f current density of EOR on catalyst c₁ was 129.3 mA cm⁻², being about 10.7 times larger than that measured on Pd/CP, and in the CA test, the polarized current density of EOR recorded for c₁ after 7200 s was still about 2.1 mA cm⁻², which was larger than that recorded for Pd/CP (0.6 mA cm⁻²). In the catalyst preparation process, except for the elements of C, O, Co, and Pd, no other elements were involved, which was thought to be the main contribution of this preliminary work, being very meaningful to the further exploration of Pd-based composite EOR catalysts. Full article

The study was aimed at dating of Au ores from the Yubileinoe, Irokinda and Uryakh deposits located in the Baikal-Muya fold belt and Pb-Zn ores from the Ozernoe deposit in the Barguzin-Vitim super-terrain (Transbaikalia, Russia). The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages on pyrite-encapsulated sericite of gold-bearing quartz sampled from veins in the Yubileinoe, Irokinda and Uryakh deposits are 265 ± 33 Ma, 276 ± 13 Ma and 287 ± 7 Ma, respectively. The age of disseminated mineralisation in the Ozernoe deposit is 329 ± 19 Ma. The results of this study and previously published data suggest two stages of ore mineralisation at Transbaikalia: 330–320 Ma for the disseminated mineralisation and 290–270 Ma for the vein mineralisation. Irrespective of the location and the nature of the host rocks, the former and the latter mineralisation are transiently associated with the initial and final stages of the emplacement of the Angara-Vitim granitic batholith. The granitoids provided heat and possibly fluids, while Au, Pb and Zn were sourced from the host rocks. Gold deposits to the north and south of the batholith are generally older and younger, respectively, and were formed by different geological processes. Full article

Bottom-grab samplers have long been the standard to describe nearshore marine habitats both qualitatively and quantitively. However, sediment samplers are designed to collect specific grain sizes and therefore have biases toward those sediments. Here, we discuss seafloor characterizations based on grain size analysis alone vs. grain size analysis augmented with quantitative benthic imagery. We also use both datasets to inform a prevalent benthic habitat classification system. The Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) was used to test this hypothesis. CMECS was adopted by the federal government to standardize habitat classification in coastal U.S. waters. CMECS provides a hierarchal framework to define and interpret benthic habitats but does not prescribe specific sampling methods. Photography has been utilized for many decades in benthic ecology but has rarely been employed in habitat classification using CMECS. No study to date has quantitatively examined the benefit of incorporating benthic imagery into the classification of biotopes using CMECS. The objective of this study is to classify a roughly 1 km² subtidal area within Herring Cove in Provincetown, MA with CMECS and quantify the benefit of augmenting classification with low-cost imagery. A benthic habitat survey of the study area included grab sampling for grain-size analysis and invertebrate taxonomy, benthic imagery, water quality sampling at 24 sampling stations, and acoustic mapping of the study area. Multivariate statistical analyses were employed to classify biotic communities and link environmental and biological data to classify biotopes. The results showed that benthic imagery improved the classification and mapping of CMECS components. Furthermore, the classification of habitats and biotopes was improved using benthic imagery data. These findings imply that the incorporation of low-cost benthic imagery is warranted in coastal benthic biotope classification and mapping studies and should be regularly adopted. This study has implications for coastal benthic ecologists classifying benthic habitats within the CMECS framework. Full article

The role of the human papillomavirus (HPV) in the establishment of cervical cancer has driven studies to find more effective methods of viral detection so that early intervention strategies can be performed. However, the methods still have limitations, especially regarding detecting the different genotypes simultaneously. We have developed a high-throughput system using a single-tube nested-multiplex polymerase chain reaction (NMPCR) for the detection of 40 HPV genotypes using capillary electrophoresis. The NMPCR assay was compared to the Hybrid Capture 2 assay (HC2) with 40 women from the Northeast of Brazil (São Luis, MA), a high endemic region, where the HPV positivity was 75% and 37.5%, respectively. These results were validated by performing a molecular epidemiological study on 5223 Brazilian women undergoing gynecological examinations from 2009 to 2017, who presented with an HPV prevalence of 59%. Multiple infections were found in 62.5% and 58% of the patients from the endemic region and from the Brazilian women population, respectively, mostly presenting high-risk genotypes (90.5% and 60%, respectively). Considering cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and adenocarcinomas, the sensitivity and specificity were 97.5% and 100%, respectively. The NMPCR assay was also capable of identifying viral subtypes in cases of multiple infections, even with low viral loads (10⁻⁶ ng/µL of HPV DNA). The NMPCR test is a promising and robust tool for HPV diagnostics and a screening tool for prevention of cervical cancer. Full article

Background/Objectives: To address the unmet clinical needs in the treatment of epilepsy and pain, the continued development of more effective and safer anticonvulsants and analgesics is still necessary. Therefore, herein we report synthesis and antiseizure/antinociceptive evaluation of a focused series of 3-(benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)pyrrolidine-2,5-dione derivatives. Methods: The anticonvulsant properties were investigated in acute models of seizures, namely the maximal electroshock (MES), the 6 Hz (32 mA), and subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (scPTZ) seizure models, whereas analgesic activity was tested in the model of a tonic pain/formalin test and oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain (in CD-1-mice, i.p.). In addition, a number of in vitro assays were performed, aiming at the evaluation of the drug-like properties of the compounds disclosed herein. Results: We identified 33 as a lead compound with the most promising antiseizure properties, i.e., ED₅₀ (MES) = 27.4 mg/kg and ED₅₀ (6 Hz, 32 mA) = 30.8 mg/kg. Furthermore, 33 at a dose of 100 mg/kg significantly prolonged the latency time to the first seizure episode in the scPTZ model and at high doses did not impaire coordination of mice in the rotarod test (TD₅₀ > 200 mg/kg). Apart from broad antiseizure protection, 33 demonstrated a significant analgesic effect in the formalin test (45 mg/kg, i.p.), and effectively alleviated allodynia in the oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain model (30 and 45 mg/kg). The binding assays suggest that the most plausible mechanism of action relies on interaction with the neuronal voltage-sensitive sodium channel (site 2). Furthermore, the drug-like potential of 33 supports favorable in vitro results, i.e., no hepatocytotoxicity and neurocytotoxicity at a high concentration of 100 μM, as well as a lack of mutagenicity at a concentration as high as 500 μM. Conclusions: Compound 33 identified in the current studies is proposed to be an interesting candidate for further preclinical development as therapy for epilepsy and neuropathic pain. Full article

The Abu Darag sub-basin in Egypt is a significant hydrocarbon province. This study provides the first thorough evaluation of the petroleum system in the Northern Gulf of Suez, specifically targeting regions with tectonically influenced paleo highs. The research is novel in its holistic approach, linking tectonic activity with hydrocarbon generation and accumulation, particularly in the Nukhul Formation. In the NDARAG-1 well, with the Nukhul Formation serving as its main reservoir, petrophysical analysis estimates an average net pay of 126 ft in the Nukhul Formation, with 19% average shale volume, 17% average effective porosity, and 57% average water saturation. Geochemical evaluation of the shales in the Thebes, Matulla, Raha, and Nubia-A formations indicate source rock potential ranging from fair to very good, with TOC values between 0.5 wt% and 5.4 wt%. The burial history model outlines gradual subsidence and sediment deposition from the Paleozoic to the Early Cretaceous, followed by significant compression and uplift during the Late Cretaceous. Early oil generation in the Nubia-A Lower shales began during the Early Cretaceous (~132 Ma) at a depth of 4000 ft while it occurred in the Early Miocene (~22 Ma) at a depth of 7400 ft. The Nubia-A Lower Member is identified as the key source rock, with vitrinite reflectance values above 0.70%. Continuous subsidence during the Eocene led to the deposition of the Nukhul, Rudeis, and Kareem formations. Oil generation in the Nubia-A Lower shales occurred during both the Early Cretaceous and Early Miocene. The main risk to hydrocarbon accumulation in the Abu Darag sub-basin is related to potential seal failures due to the erosion and/or non-deposition of the Belayim, South Gharib, and Zeit evaporites. The only producing wells are situated in the northwest of the study area, where conditions are conducive to hydrocarbon entrapment and preservation, and secondary migration has occurred in a northwestward direction. Full article

Background: Chronic gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection can progress to gastric cancer through atrophic gastritis (AG). The risk of gastric cancer increases with the progression of AG. Therefore, investigating the risk factors for the progression of AG is important. Methods: Using the GTEx and GEO databases, we extracted thirty-four candidate genes involved in the progression of AG. Then, with in silico analysis using HaploReg v4.1 and JASPAR (Matrix ID: MA0113.3), we extracted rs1231760 of RGS2 as a key single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that could be involved in the functional change in the candidate gene. A correlation analysis between the selected SNP and AG in 200 H. pylori-positive and 302 H. pylori-negative participants was conducted. For functional analysis of the SNP, a dual-luciferase assay using reporter plasmids with a major or minor allele sequence was carried out. Results: The frequency of the C/C genotype of rs1231760 was higher in the AG group than in the non-AG group (p = 0.0471). Functional analysis showed that the transcriptional activities were higher at the dexamethasone-stimulating C allele than at the others (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The C/C genotype of rs1231760 in RGS2 could be a biomarker of high-risk H. pylori-positive AG because of an increase in RGS2 expression. Full article

Staggered double-grating slow-wave structures (SDG-SWSs), which are easy to fabricate and have broadband characteristics, play a core role in research on high-power terahertz (THz) traveling-wave tubes (TWTs). However, their relatively low interaction impedance restricts further improvements in the output power of SDG-TWTs. A modified staggered double corrugated waveguide (MSDCW) SWS that evolved from a staggered double corrugated waveguide (SDCW) SWS is proposed in this study for the first time. The MSDCW-SWS has both the advantages of a wide bandwidth and a high interaction impedance. The width of the beam tunnel also has little effect on the lower cutoff frequency. High-frequency calculations reveal that the passband of the MSDCW-SWS is 10 GHz wider than that of the SDG-SWS, and the interaction impedance is about 1.34 ohm higher than that of the SDG-SWS and 1.07 ohm higher than that of the SDCW-SWS at 220 GHz when the dispersion is the same. The results of the interaction simulation show that the MSDCW-TWT has a maximum gain of ~22.11 dB with a maximum output power of ~117 W and a maximum electron efficiency of ~2.64% at 220 GHz with an electron beam of 24.6 kV and 180 mA. The MSDCW should therefore be considered as a promising SWS for high-power and wideband THz traveling-wave amplification. Full article

A newly discovered deposit on the bed of the Steinhatchee River produced a moderately diverse assemblage of 15 vertebrate taxa herein designated the Steinhatchee River 2A (STR 2A) local fauna. Mammalian taxa isotopically shown from other sites to be either grazers or grazing-dominated mixed-feeders numerically dominate the fauna, especially a species of Equus. About 75% of the 552 identifiable fossils from STR 2A, representing a minimum of nine individuals, are referred to the informally named Equus (Equus) sp. A. The site produced the first known examples of associated upper and lower cheekteeth and lower incisors for this species, and also one of just two records outside of central and southern peninsular Florida. Like most Pleistocene sites in Florida, xenarthrans are diverse, with two cingulates, Dasypus and Holmesina, and two pilosans, Paramylodon and Megalonyx. An astragalus and several metatarsals of Holmesina are within the size range of H. septentrionalis, but also have some characteristics found in the older species H. floridanus. These finds corroborate that an evolutionary transition between these two species occurred in Florida during the Irvingtonian. The age of STR 2A is most likely middle Irvingtonian, ca. 0.5–0.7 Ma, an interval poorly known in Florida and the rest of the southeastern USA. Full article

An evaluation was conducted to assess the surf-riding/broaching vulnerability of a 9.77-ton fishing boat by applying the regulations for stability assessment proposed by IMO (International Maritime Organization). Both Level 1 and 2 assessments were conducted and included a range of parameters along with the IMO second-generation intact stability criteria. In particular, it is considered three cases of wave forces acting on the hull for the surf-riding/broaching vulnerability Level 2 assessment calculations: (a) Froude-Krylov force (f_FK) + 0.1M, (b) Froude-Krylov force (f_FK) + added mass of the ship (M_a), and (c) Froude-Krylov force (f_FK) + diffraction force (f_D) + added mass of the ship (M_a). Previous results provided by IMO correspond to (b), and accurate calculation of wave forces helps to obtain more design margins. The design margins are high in the order (a) < (b) < (c), as described in the classification criteria. However, in certain cases, the assessment results may not differ significantly, so the hydrodynamic approximation assumption may be useful. Full article

In this study, a new species of Alanomyces was isolated as an endophyte from the bark of Azadirachta indica from Mulshi, Maharashtra. The identity of this isolate was confirmed based on the asexual morphological characteristics as well as multi-gene phylogeny based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) nuclear ribosomal RNA (rRNA) regions. As this was the second species to be reported in this genus, we sequenced the genome of this species to increase our knowledge about the possible applicability of this genus to various industries. Its genome length was found to be 35.01 Mb, harboring 7870 protein-coding genes as per Augustus and 8101 genes using GeMoMa. Many genes were annotated using the Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs) database, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Ontology (GO), Swiss-Prot, NCBI non-redundant nucleotide sequences (NTs), and NCBI non-redundant protein sequences (NRs). The number of repeating sequences was predicted using Proteinmask and RepeatMasker; tRNA were detected using tRNAscan and snRNA were predicted using rfam_scan. The genome was also annotated using the Pathogen–Host Interactions Database (PHI-base) and AntiSMASH. To confirm the evolutionary history, average nucleotide identity (ANIb), phylogeny based on orthologous proteins, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were carried out. Metabolic profiling of the methanolic extract of dried biomass and ethyl acetate extract of the filtrate revealed a variety of compounds of great importance in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. The characterization and genomic analysis of the newly discovered species Alanomyces manoharacharyi highlights its potential applicability across multiple industries, particularly in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics due to its diverse secondary metabolites and unique genetic features it possesses. Full article

The study of multilevel dual-active-bridge (DAB) converters has garnered significant attention in recent years thanks to their advantages with respect to the conventional two-level (2L) DAB; namely, its greater performance and its capability to operate at higher voltage. The analysis of the converter high-frequency inductor current ($i_{\mathrm{L}}$) is crucial, for instance, to compute its root mean square (RMS) value, required to estimate the conduction losses in the converter. The mathematical expression of $i_{\mathrm{L}}$ is piecewise and multiple variations, i.e., modes, exist depending on the modulation parameter values. This increases the complexity of converter performance analytical study. Thus, a more practical and generalizable expression of $i_{\mathrm{L}}$ current is desirable. This paper proposes novel compact analytic expressions for the instantaneous and RMS inductor current in the 2L-NL DAB converter, leveraging binary functions to define the piecewise intervals and to identify the mode as a function of the modulation parameter values. The proposed method paves the way for more simple and computationally efficient DAB performance optimization software tools that allow exploring any given converter structures and modulation strategies. Full article

We report the petrogenesis of arfvedsonite granites from the Dimra Pahar pluton in the Chhotanagpur Gneissic Complex based on petrology, whole-rock chemistry, mineral chemistry, and La-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb ages and Hf-Lu isotopic analyses. These granites are dominantly peralkaline, occasionally peraluminous, and demonstrate features of A1-type granites. The magma was emplaced at a shallow depth and had a high liquidus temperature, fO₂ (>NNO), and water saturation. The zircons exhibit three distinct U-Pb isotopic ages. The oldest (1324 ± 6 Ma), large-sized inherited zircons (εHf(t) = +1.65 to +7.64), show complex zoning and signs of partial resorption. The euhedral, prismatic-bipyramidal zircons displaying oscillatory zoning (εHf(t) = −3.43 to +1.43) reveal a crystallization age of 1046 ± 7 Ma. Their thin periphery (εHf(t) = −3.23 to +0.27) grew during retrograde metamorphism (995 ± 6 Ma). The whole-rock geochemistry and the Hf-isotope values imply that the parental magma of these granites resulted from the anatexis of metasomatized lithospheric mantle sources. These granites intruded in a syn-orogenic (syn-collisional exhumation) stage of the orogeny. Full article

Cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants (CCDs) are complex N-glycans shared among allergens of plant, insect venom, and nematode origin. In allergic humans, IgE anti-CCD often develop and cause discrepancies between serological and skin tests. Overall, CCD-IgE are believed to be of low pathogenic relevance. IgE-targeting CCDs are also detected in companion animals, but their pathogenic potential and biological relevance are unknown. Herein, we first establish that, in 34 dogs with atopic dermatitis, the presence of serum anti-CCD IgE was detected in 14 pets (41.2%). In dogs, as in humans, IgE-targeting CCDs are heterogeneous, as they differentially recognized four distinct CCD-expressing proteins. The presence of CCD-IgE was associated with a higher and more frequent recognition of plant extracts in serological but not intradermal tests. Two different CCD-expressing proteins did not elicit immediate reactions when injected intradermally in dogs with detectable serum anti-CCD IgE. Similarly, two different CCD-expressing proteins did not induce the activation of mast cells passively transferred with canine anti-CCD IgE. Altogether, these results suggest that in dogs, as in humans, anti-CCD IgE are likely to have little pathogenic potential and blocking them in allergen-specific IgE serological tests is warranted to avoid false-positive results to plant extracts. Full article

Hydraulic systems are critical components of mechanical equipment, and effective fault diagnosis is essential for minimizing maintenance costs and enhancing system reliability. In practical applications, data from hydraulic systems are collected with varying sampling frequencies, coupled with complex interdependencies within the data, which poses challenges for existing fault diagnosis algorithms. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes an intelligent fault diagnosis of a hydraulic system based on a multiscale one-dimensional convolution neural network with a multiattention mechanism (MA-MS1DCNN). The proposed method first extracts features from multirate data samples using a parallel 1DCNN with different receptive fields. Next, a Hybrid Attention Module (HAM) is proposed, consisting of two submodules: the Correlation Attention Module (CAM) and the Importance Attention Module (IAM), which aim to meticulously and comprehensively model the complex relationships between channel features. Subsequently, to effectively utilize the feature information of different frequencies, the HAM is integrated into the 1DCNN to form the MA-MS1DCNN. Finally, the proposed method is evaluated and experimentally compared using the UCI hydraulic system dataset. The results demonstrate that, compared to existing methods such as Shapelet, MCIFM, and CNNs, the proposed method shows superior diagnostic performance. Full article