Laser-induced aerosols,predominantly submicron in size,pose significant environmental and health risks during the decommissioning of nuclear reactors.This study experimentally investigated the removal of laser-generat...Laser-induced aerosols,predominantly submicron in size,pose significant environmental and health risks during the decommissioning of nuclear reactors.This study experimentally investigated the removal of laser-generated aerosol particles using a water spray system integrated with an innovative system for pre-injecting electrically charged mist in our facility.To simulate aerosol generation in reactor decommissioning,a high-power laser was used to irradiate various materials(including stainless steel,carbon steel,and concrete),generating aerosol particles that were agglomerated with injected water mist and subsequently scavenged by water spray.Experimental results demonstrate enhanced aerosol removal via aerosol-mist agglomeration,with charged mist significantly improving particle capture by increasing wettability and size.The average improvements for the stainless steel,carbon steel,and concrete were 40%,44%,and 21%,respectively.The results of experiments using charged mist with different polarities(both positive and negative)and different surface coatings reveal that the dominant polarity of aerosols varies with the irradiated materials,influenced by their crystal structure and electron emission properties.Notably,surface coatings such as ZrO2and CeO2were found to possibly alter aerosol charging characteristics,thereby affecting aerosol removal efficiency with charged mist configurations.The innovative aerosol-mist agglomeration approach shows promise in mitigating radiation exposure,ensuring environmental safety,and reducing contaminated water during reactor dismantling.This study contributes critical knowledge for the development of advanced aerosol management strategies for nuclear reactor decommissioning.The understanding obtained in this work is also expected to be useful for various environmental and chemical engineering applications such as gas decontamination,air purification,and pollution control.展开更多
Camelina(Camelina sativa L.)is famous for its oil quality and unique fatty acid pattern.Growth and yield of crops reduced under water deficit conditions.Environmental threat such as drought or water deficit condition ...Camelina(Camelina sativa L.)is famous for its oil quality and unique fatty acid pattern.Growth and yield of crops reduced under water deficit conditions.Environmental threat such as drought or water deficit condition is the emerging problem which creates the negative impact on the growth of plants.Based upon the current situation a pot study was performed in rain out-shelter to explore the effect of different plant densities(15,10 and 5 plants per pot)on growth and seed yield of two camelina genotypes under normal(100%WHC)and water deficit(60%WHC)conditions by using completely randomized design with factorial arrangement having three replicates.Results indicated that individual effects of plant densities and water deficit stress levels considerably influenced the growth and seed yield of camelina but interaction effects did not indicate any significant variation.Maximum values of leaf area index(LAI)and crop growth rate(CGR)were recorded in P3 treatment(15 plants per pot).However,maximum values of leaf area duration(LAD),net assimilation rate(NAR),yield and yield components were observed in the treatment P1(5 plants per pot).Water deficit condition(60%WHC)significantly minimized the growth,seed yield(0.82 g/m2)and yield components of camelina genotypes.Both camelina genotypes(611 and 618)did not differ significantly under water deficit conditions.展开更多
At present,a variety of vaccines have been approved,and existing antiviral drugs are being tested to find an effective treatment for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).However,no standardized treatment has yet been ap...At present,a variety of vaccines have been approved,and existing antiviral drugs are being tested to find an effective treatment for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).However,no standardized treatment has yet been approved by the World Health Organization.The virally encoded chymotrypsin-like protease(3CLpro)from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),which facilitates the replication of SARS-CoV in the host cells,is one potential pharmacological target for the development of antiSARS drugs.Online search engines,such as Web of Science,Google Scholar,Scopus and PubMed,were used to retrieve data on the traditional uses of medicinal plants and their inhibitory effects against the SARS-CoV 3CLpro.Various pure compounds,including polyphenols,terpenoids,chalcones,alkaloids,biflavonoids,flavanones,anthraquinones and glycosides,have shown potent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro activity with 50% inhibitory concentration(IC50)values ranging from 2-44μg/mL.Interestingly,most of these active compounds,including xanthoangelol E(isolated from Angelica keiskei),dieckol 1(isolated from Ecklonia cava),amentoflavone(isolated from Torreya nucifera),celastrol,pristimerin,tingenone and iguesterin(isolated from Tripterygium regelii),tannic acid(isolated from Camellia sinensis),and theaflavin-3,3’-digallate,3-isotheaflav1in-3 gallate and dihydrotanshinone I(isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza),had IC50values of less than 15μg/mL.Kinetic mechanistic studies of several active compounds revealed that their mode of inhibition was dose-dependent and competitive,with Kivalues ranging from 2.4-43.8μmol/L.Given the significance of plant-based compounds and the many promising results obtained,there is still need to explore the phytochemical and mechanistic potentials of plants and their products.These medicinal plants could serve as an effective inexpensive nutraceutical for the general public to help manage COVID-19.展开更多
Introduction: Management of wounds is one of the commonest, often quite challenging as well, in surgical practice. Dressing is an essential component of wound management. Given its importance in achieving wound healin...Introduction: Management of wounds is one of the commonest, often quite challenging as well, in surgical practice. Dressing is an essential component of wound management. Given its importance in achieving wound healing and its complications, methods of dressing have been under constant review since time immemorial. Many innovative techniques of wound dressing have been introduced for quick and problem-free wound healing. Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) is one of such methods. Objective: To determine whether VAC can help in reducing the healing time of open wounds. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Setting: Department of General Surgery, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. Patients and Methods: 120 patients with open wounds, surgical or accidental, were included in the study. They were alternatively assigned to either VAC (Group I) 2 or WMD {wet to moist dressing} (Group II). In both groups, the wounds were assessed for surface area, depth and percentage of granulation every 48 hours for 15 days. Mean change in above wound parameters at the end of study period was calculated. The difference between the two groups was statistically analyzed by applying student T test. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: In Group I, at the end of the study period, mean reduction in the wound surface area and volume was 39.4% and 60.3% respectively, while granulation tissue formation was 59.7%. In Group II, the respective figures were 26.9%, 38.2% and 24.5%. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P Conclusion: VAC was more effective than WMD in terms of reduction in wound surface, depth and degree of granulation tissue formation. VAC thus can be usefully employed for achieving speedy wound healing.展开更多
基金financial support from the Nuclear Energy Science&Technology and Human Resource Development Project of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency/Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science(No.R04I034)The author Ruicong Xu appreciates the scholarship(financial support)from the China Scholarship Council(CSC,No.202106380073).
摘要Laser-induced aerosols,predominantly submicron in size,pose significant environmental and health risks during the decommissioning of nuclear reactors.This study experimentally investigated the removal of laser-generated aerosol particles using a water spray system integrated with an innovative system for pre-injecting electrically charged mist in our facility.To simulate aerosol generation in reactor decommissioning,a high-power laser was used to irradiate various materials(including stainless steel,carbon steel,and concrete),generating aerosol particles that were agglomerated with injected water mist and subsequently scavenged by water spray.Experimental results demonstrate enhanced aerosol removal via aerosol-mist agglomeration,with charged mist significantly improving particle capture by increasing wettability and size.The average improvements for the stainless steel,carbon steel,and concrete were 40%,44%,and 21%,respectively.The results of experiments using charged mist with different polarities(both positive and negative)and different surface coatings reveal that the dominant polarity of aerosols varies with the irradiated materials,influenced by their crystal structure and electron emission properties.Notably,surface coatings such as ZrO2and CeO2were found to possibly alter aerosol charging characteristics,thereby affecting aerosol removal efficiency with charged mist configurations.The innovative aerosol-mist agglomeration approach shows promise in mitigating radiation exposure,ensuring environmental safety,and reducing contaminated water during reactor dismantling.This study contributes critical knowledge for the development of advanced aerosol management strategies for nuclear reactor decommissioning.The understanding obtained in this work is also expected to be useful for various environmental and chemical engineering applications such as gas decontamination,air purification,and pollution control.
基金This project was funded by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.
摘要Camelina(Camelina sativa L.)is famous for its oil quality and unique fatty acid pattern.Growth and yield of crops reduced under water deficit conditions.Environmental threat such as drought or water deficit condition is the emerging problem which creates the negative impact on the growth of plants.Based upon the current situation a pot study was performed in rain out-shelter to explore the effect of different plant densities(15,10 and 5 plants per pot)on growth and seed yield of two camelina genotypes under normal(100%WHC)and water deficit(60%WHC)conditions by using completely randomized design with factorial arrangement having three replicates.Results indicated that individual effects of plant densities and water deficit stress levels considerably influenced the growth and seed yield of camelina but interaction effects did not indicate any significant variation.Maximum values of leaf area index(LAI)and crop growth rate(CGR)were recorded in P3 treatment(15 plants per pot).However,maximum values of leaf area duration(LAD),net assimilation rate(NAR),yield and yield components were observed in the treatment P1(5 plants per pot).Water deficit condition(60%WHC)significantly minimized the growth,seed yield(0.82 g/m2)and yield components of camelina genotypes.Both camelina genotypes(611 and 618)did not differ significantly under water deficit conditions.
基金financially supported by President’s International Fellowship Initiative(PIFI)for Postdoctoral Researchers,Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.2020PB0002),China。
摘要At present,a variety of vaccines have been approved,and existing antiviral drugs are being tested to find an effective treatment for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).However,no standardized treatment has yet been approved by the World Health Organization.The virally encoded chymotrypsin-like protease(3CLpro)from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),which facilitates the replication of SARS-CoV in the host cells,is one potential pharmacological target for the development of antiSARS drugs.Online search engines,such as Web of Science,Google Scholar,Scopus and PubMed,were used to retrieve data on the traditional uses of medicinal plants and their inhibitory effects against the SARS-CoV 3CLpro.Various pure compounds,including polyphenols,terpenoids,chalcones,alkaloids,biflavonoids,flavanones,anthraquinones and glycosides,have shown potent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro activity with 50% inhibitory concentration(IC50)values ranging from 2-44μg/mL.Interestingly,most of these active compounds,including xanthoangelol E(isolated from Angelica keiskei),dieckol 1(isolated from Ecklonia cava),amentoflavone(isolated from Torreya nucifera),celastrol,pristimerin,tingenone and iguesterin(isolated from Tripterygium regelii),tannic acid(isolated from Camellia sinensis),and theaflavin-3,3’-digallate,3-isotheaflav1in-3 gallate and dihydrotanshinone I(isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza),had IC50values of less than 15μg/mL.Kinetic mechanistic studies of several active compounds revealed that their mode of inhibition was dose-dependent and competitive,with Kivalues ranging from 2.4-43.8μmol/L.Given the significance of plant-based compounds and the many promising results obtained,there is still need to explore the phytochemical and mechanistic potentials of plants and their products.These medicinal plants could serve as an effective inexpensive nutraceutical for the general public to help manage COVID-19.
摘要Introduction: Management of wounds is one of the commonest, often quite challenging as well, in surgical practice. Dressing is an essential component of wound management. Given its importance in achieving wound healing and its complications, methods of dressing have been under constant review since time immemorial. Many innovative techniques of wound dressing have been introduced for quick and problem-free wound healing. Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) is one of such methods. Objective: To determine whether VAC can help in reducing the healing time of open wounds. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Setting: Department of General Surgery, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. Patients and Methods: 120 patients with open wounds, surgical or accidental, were included in the study. They were alternatively assigned to either VAC (Group I) 2 or WMD {wet to moist dressing} (Group II). In both groups, the wounds were assessed for surface area, depth and percentage of granulation every 48 hours for 15 days. Mean change in above wound parameters at the end of study period was calculated. The difference between the two groups was statistically analyzed by applying student T test. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: In Group I, at the end of the study period, mean reduction in the wound surface area and volume was 39.4% and 60.3% respectively, while granulation tissue formation was 59.7%. In Group II, the respective figures were 26.9%, 38.2% and 24.5%. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P Conclusion: VAC was more effective than WMD in terms of reduction in wound surface, depth and degree of granulation tissue formation. VAC thus can be usefully employed for achieving speedy wound healing.