Cellulose Nanofibril Stabilized Pickering Emulsion Templated Aerogel with High Oil Absorption Capacity.

Nanocellulose-based aerogels, featuring a three-dimensional porous structure, are considered as a desirable green absorbent because of their exceptional absorption performance as well as the abundance and renewability of the raw material. However, these aerogels often require hydrophobic modification or carbonization, which is often environmentally harmful and energy-intensive. In this study, we introduce a Pickering-emulsion-templating approach to fabricate a cellulose nanofibril (CNF) aerogel with a hierarchical pore structure, allowing for high oil absorption capacity. n-Hexane-CNF oil-in-water Pickering emulsions are prepared as an emulsion template, which is further lyophilized to create a hollow microcapsule-based CNF (HM-CNF) aerogel with a density ranging from 1.3 to 6.1 mg/cm3 and a porosity of ≥99.6%. Scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analyses reveal the HM-CNF aerogel's hierarchical pore structure, originating from the CNF Pickering emulsion template, and also confirm the aerogel's very high surface area of 216.6 m2/g with an average pore diameter of 8.6 nm. Furthermore, the aerogel exhibits a maximum absorption capacity of 354 g/g and 166 g/g for chloroform and n-hexadecane, respectively, without requiring any surface modification or chemical treatment. These combined findings highlight the potential of the Pickering-emulsion-templated CNF aerogel as an environmentally sustainable and high-performance oil absorbent.

Preventing Forklift Front-End Failures: Predicting the Weight Centers of Heavy Objects, Remaining Useful Life Prediction under Abnormal Conditions, and Failure Diagnosis Based on Alarm Rules.

This paper addresses the critical challenge of preventing front-end failures in forklifts by addressing the center of gravity, accurate prediction of the remaining useful life (RUL), and efficient fault diagnosis through alarm rules. The study's significance lies in offering a comprehensive approach to enhancing forklift operational reliability. To achieve this goal, acceleration signals from the forklift's front-end were collected and processed. Time-domain statistical features were extracted from one-second windows, subsequently refined through an exponentially weighted moving average to mitigate noise. Data augmentation techniques, including AWGN and LSTM autoencoders, were employed. Based on the augmented data, random forest and lightGBM models were used to develop classification models for the weight centers of heavy objects carried by a forklift. Additionally, contextual diagnosis was performed by applying exponentially weighted moving averages to the classification probabilities of the machine learning models. The results indicated that the random forest achieved an accuracy of 0.9563, while lightGBM achieved an accuracy of 0.9566. The acceleration data were collected through experiments to predict forklift failure and RUL, particularly due to repeated forklift use when the centers of heavy objects carried by the forklift were skewed to the right. Time-domain statistical features of the acceleration signals were extracted and used as variables by applying a 20 s window. Subsequently, logistic regression and random forest models were employed to classify the failure stages of the forklifts. The F1 scores (macro) obtained were 0.9790 and 0.9220 for logistic regression and random forest, respectively. Moreover, random forest probabilities for each stage were combined and averaged to generate a degradation curve and determine the failure threshold. The coefficient of the exponential function was calculated using the least squares method on the degradation curve, and an RUL prediction model was developed to predict the failure point. Furthermore, the SHAP algorithm was utilized to identify significant features for classifying the stages. Fault diagnosis using alarm rules was conducted by establishing a threshold derived from the significant features within the normal stage.

Microencapsulated phase change material via Pickering emulsion stabilized by cellulose nanofibrils for thermal energy storage.

A phase change material (PCM) has an ability to store and release a large amount of energy in a wide range of temperature by the latent heat of fusion upon melting and crystallization. Microencapsulation may protect PCM from undesirable reaction and leaching. Herein, we report the microencapsulation of n-hexadecane via oil-in-water Pickering emulsions stabilized by non-chemically modified cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). The maximum size of PCM-CNF microcapsules was 12 ± 3.4 µm in diameter. The surface coverage of the microcapsule by CNF was as high as 67%, consistent with porous morphology of the freeze-dried microcapsules. With 59% PCM loading, the PCM-CNF microcapsule exhibited 132.5 and 141.1 J/g as stored and released thermal energy, respectively. The microcapsule slurry showed a reversible change in storage modulus by one order of magnitude across the transition temperature of n-hexadecane. Combined results demonstrate the successful microencapsulation of PCM via CNF-based Pickering emulsions for a sustainable thermal energy storage material.

Activation of ERK1/2-mTORC1-NOX4 mediates TGF-ß1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and fibrosis in retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) plays a crucial role in the development of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrosis, particularly in an ocular disorder such as proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). However, the key molecular mechanism underlying its pathogenesis remains unknown. In the present study, using cultured ARPE-19 cells, we determined that TGF-ß initiates a signaling pathway through extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) that stimulates trans-differentiation and fibrosis of retinal pigment epithelium. Blocking this pathway by a TGF-ßRI, ERK or mTORC1 inhibitor protected cells from EMT and fibrotic protein expression. TGF-ß1 treatment increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) via NOX4 upregulation, which acts downstream of ERK and mTORC1, as the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine and a pan-NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitor DPI dissipated excess ROS generation. TGF-ß1-induced oxidative stress resulted in EMT and fibrotic changes, as NAC and DPI prevented α-SMA, Col4α3 expression and cell migration. All these inhibitors blocked the downstream pathway activation in addition to clearly preventing the activation of its upstream molecules, indicating the presence of a feedback loop system that may boost the upstream events. Furthermore, the FDA-approved drug trametinib (10 nM) blunted TGF-ß1-induced mTORC1 activation and downstream pathogenic alterations through ERK1/2 inhibition, which opens a therapeutic avenue for the treatment of PVR in the future.

Bio-based Preservative using Methyl-ß-cyclodextrin-Essential Oil Complexes for Wood Protection.

Developing natural preservatives for wood protection is of great interest in sustainable construction and green building industries. This study was designed to determine the feasibility of using methyl-ß-cyclodextrin-essential oils (MßCD-EOs) complexes as potential bio-based preservatives for wood protection. Four essential oils (EOs) with proven antifungal properties, eugenol (EG), trans-cinnamaldehyde (CN), thymol (TM) and carvacrol (CV), were complexed with methyl-ß-cyclodextrin (MßCD) by a co-precipitation method. The inclusion of EOs in MßCD and the corresponding inclusion yield of the MßCD-EOs complexes were determined by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV/Vis), respectively. The maximum inclusion yields in MßCD-EG, MßCD-CN, MßCD-CV, and MßCD-TM were estimated to be almost 100%. MßCD-EOs complexes were impregnated into southern pine wood blocks and exposed to two brown rot fungi, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Postia placenta, following procedures described in AWPA Standard E22 and E10. The penetration of MßCD-EOs complexes in wood was confirmed by fluorescence microscopic analysis after the selective dyeing of EOs encapsulated in MßCD. In comparison to the control wood samples, MßCD-EOs complexes treated wood exhibited a significant reduction in the mass loss from 16-36% to 2-18%, accompanied by improvement in radial compression strength loss from 81-92% to 29-67% after four-week fungi exposure.

The study to environmental factors using microclimate survey of traditional wooden Silsang Temple in Korea.

Weathering of wooden temples is attributable to temperature and humidity. Here, we explore the microclimatic characteristics of a traditional Korean temple; we measured temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity, and wind direction at one internal and five external points in/near Silsang Temple. Both the temperature and humidity varied by season. The internal and external daily temperature ranges were most similar in autumn, followed by spring, winter, and summer. The relative humidity inside was 40% greater (compared to outside) in spring and winter, but not in summer and autumn. Wind velocity variations within the temple were significant in certain seasons. Neither the outside temperature nor internal relative humidity was greatly affected by location. Correlations were evident between the outside temperature and relative humidity.

Effects of Surface Functionalization of Lignin on Synthesis and Properties of Rigid Bio-Based Polyurethanes Foams.

We report the preparation of lignin-based rigid polyurethane (RPU) foams from surface functionalized kraft lignin via a simple and environmentally benign process. Lignin was functionalized with polyisocyanate at 80 °C for 1 h, the resulting lignin-polyisocyanate prepolymer was confirmed by increased viscosity and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The RPU foams containing up to 30% surface functionalized lignin as a substitute for petroleum-based polyols exhibited comparable thermal and mechanical properties to conventional RPU foams. The lignin-based RPU foams prepared from surface functionalization outperformed RPU foams without the surface functionalization, showing up to 47% and 45% higher specific compressive strength and modulus, respectively, with a 40% lignin substitution ratio. Thermal insulation and temperature-stability of the two types of the foams were comparable. The results indicate that the surface functionalization of lignin increases reactivity and homogeneity of the lignin as a building block in RPU foams. The life cycle assessment for the lignin-based RPU foams shows that the surface functionalization process would have overall lesser environmental impacts when compared with the traditional manufacturing of RPU foams with synthetic polyols. These findings suggest the potential use of surface functionalized lignin as a sustainable core material replacement for synthetic polyols in building materials.

Enhanced permittivity and energy density in neat poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene) terpolymer films through control of morphology.

Polymer materials with large dielectric constants are desirable for the development of high energy density capacitors. We show that the dielectric properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE)] can be improved by the use of processing conditions that favor formation of a highly crystalline morphology of the nonpolar α-phase. Through the use of spin coating, thermal treatment above the melting temperature, and quenching, we were able to attain a highly crystalline, α-phase rich morphology that has a quite large dielectric constant of 77 ± 10 at 1 kHz. The final morphology and phase composition of the terpolymer films depend strongly on the postprocessing thermal treatment and the quality of the solvent. Evaluation of the polarization behavior of the terpolymer films as a function of electric field reveal that the polymer exhibits a relaxor-ferroelectric behavior and has a substantial energy density of 9.7 J/cm(3) at fields of up to approximately 470 V/µm. Under millisecond pulsed charge-discharge measurements a 3-fold increase in energy density (27 J/cm(3)) is obtained at high fields (∼600 V/µm). Our study demonstrates that the processing conditions and morphology of fluorinated terpolymer films are controlling factors for achievement of high dielectric permittivity and energy density that are critical for high performance capacitors.

Surface-initiated polymerization from barium titanate nanoparticles for hybrid dielectric capacitors.

A phosphonic acid is used as a surface initiator for the growth of polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) from barium titanate (BTO) nanoparticles through atom transfer radical polymerization with activators regenerated by electron transfer. This results in the barium titanate cores embedded in the grafted polymer. The one-component system, PMMA-grafted-BTO, achieves a maximum extractable energy density of 2 J/cm(3) at a field strength of ∼220 V/µm, which exhibits a 2-fold increase compared to that of the composite without covalent attachment or the neat polymer. Such materials have potential applications in hybrid capacitors due to the high permittivity of the nanoparticles and the high breakdown strength, mechanical flexibility, and ease of processability due to the organic polymer. The synthesis, processing, characterization, and testing of the materials in capacitors are discussed.

High-energy-density sol-gel thin film based on neat 2-cyanoethyltrimethoxysilane.

Hybrid organic-inorganic sol-gel dielectric thin films from a neat 2-cyanoethyltrimethoxysilane (CNETMS) precursor have been fabricated and their permittivity, dielectric strength, and energy density characterized. CNETMS sol-gel films possess compact, polar cyanoethyl groups and exhibit a relative permittivity of 20 at 1 kHz and breakdown strengths ranging from 650 V/µm to 250 V/µm for film thicknesses of 1.3 to 3.5 µm. Capacitors based on CNETMS films exhibit extractable energy densities of 7 J/cm(3) at 300 V/µm, as determined by charge-discharge and polarization-electric field measurements, as well as an energy extraction efficiency of ~91%. The large extractable energy resulting from the linear dielectric polarization behavior suggests that CNETMS films are promising sol-gel materials for pulsed power applications.

Healing pattern of the mucous membrane after tooth extraction in the maxillary sinus.

PURPOSE: To investigate the healing pattern of the mucous membrane after tooth extraction necessitated by periodontal disease in the maxillary sinus. METHODS: One hundred and three patients with 119 maxillary sinuses were investigated. Before implant placement, cone-beam computed tomography (CT) scanning was performed. The causes of extraction, the time elapsed since extraction, smoking, periodontal disease in adjacent teeth, and gender were recorded. In addition, the thickness of the mucous membrane of the maxillary sinus and the height of residual alveolar bone at the extracted area were calculated from CT images. RESULTS: The thickness of the mucous membrane in the periodontal disease group (3.05±2.71 mm) was greater than that of the pulp disease group (1.92±1.78 mm) and the tooth fracture group (1.35±0.55 mm; P<0.05). The causes of extraction, the time elapsed since extraction, and gender had relationships with a thickening of the mucous membrane of the maxillary sinus (P<0.05). In contrast, the height of the residual alveolar bone at the extracted area, periodontal disease in adjacent teeth, and smoking did not show any relation to the thickening of the mucous membrane of the maxillary sinus. CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed distinct differences in healing patterns according to the causes of extraction in the maxillary sinus, especially periodontal disease, which resulted in more severe thickening of the mucous membrane.

Protective effect of heat shock protein 70 against oxidative stresses in human corneal fibroblasts.

We evaluated DNA protection effect of heat shock protein (HSP) against cytotoxic effects of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen intermediate (ROI). Cultured human corneal fibroblasts were divided into 4 groups. Control (Group I) was not exposed to a sub-lethal heat treatment. Other 3 groups were exposed to 43 degrees C for 1 hr, then incubated at 37 degrees C during different duration (1, 6, 24 hr, Group II, III, IV, respectively). Expression pattern of HSP 70 was analyzed by Western blot. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay and the relationship between HSP 70 expression and DNA damage was examined by terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick and labeling (TUNEL) stain and single cell gel electrophoresis. Expression pattern of HSP 70 was dependent on recovery times. Cell viability following heat treatment was significantly increased and the TUNEL positive cell number was decreased at 6 hr. In single cell gel electrophoresis, tail moments were increased in a dose-dependent manner by SNAP and X/XO. Following heat treatment, tail moments showed decreased significantly at 6 hr. These results suggest that induction of HSP 70 by sub-lethal heat treatment is closely related with cytoprotective effects against oxidative stresses in human corneal fibroblasts.