Combination of Mn oxidation states improves the photocatalytic degradation of phenol with ZnAl LDH materials without a source of O₂ in the reaction system

Morales-Mendoza, Getsemani,Alvarez-Lemus, Mayra,Ló,pez, Rosendo,Tzompantzi, Francisco,Adhikari, Rajesh,Lee, Soo Wohn,Torres-Martí,nez, Leticia M.,Gó,mez, Ricardo Elsevier 2016 CATALYSIS TODAY - Vol.266 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Mn-doped Zn/Al layered double hydroxides (LDH) materials were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the polytype structure of LDH materials obtained as well as the successful incorporation of Mn into the structure. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) studies showed a well dispersion of Mn and a good correlation between the nominal and experimental composition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the formation of grains close to 1μm length. Energy band gap (Eg) of the solids determined by UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) showed high photoresponse in the ultraviolet (UV) region, which was increased with Mn incorporation into the LDH structure. The LDH materials were evaluated in the photocatalytic degradation of phenol in aqueous medium, under UV radiation with and without O<SUB>2</SUB> source in the reaction system. The results showed that the O<SUB>2</SUB> is not an effective electron scavenger as usually occurs in TiO<SUB>2</SUB> photocatalyst. The Mn effect in the photocatalytic activity was notably marked in anaerobic condition however in aerobic or anaerobic conditions the presence of Mn increases the photoactivity. The phenol mineralization reached in anaerobic conditions was 95% (1.5ppm) of the initial concentration (30ppm) and it is maintained constant after 6h of radiation while in aerobic conditions the TOC reaches only 55% (13.5ppm). The role of Mn as charges separator is discussed and a suitable mechanism is proposed. This study shows that the Mn doped-Zn/Al LDH materials could be a promising photocatalysts under anaerobic conditions for the removal of phenol from aqueous medium.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> ZnAl LDH rebuilt in phenol solution have not capacity to open the interlayer space. </LI> <LI> A source of O<SUB>2</SUB> have not influence in the phenol photooxidation with ZnAl LDH. </LI> <LI> Mn doped-ZnAl LDH increases the optical properties of absorption. </LI> <LI> The role as electron and hole trap of Mn takes advantage to separate charge. </LI> <LI> The Mn incorporation in ZnAl LDH materials improves the photocatalytic activity. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

MODELING ENGINE FUEL CONSUMPTION AND NOx WITH RBF NEURAL NETWORK AND MOPSO ALGORITHM

J. D. MARTÍNEZ-MORALES,E. R. PALACIOS-HERNÁNDEZ,G. A. VELÁZQUEZ-CARRILLO 한국자동차공학회 2015 International journal of automotive technology Vol.16 No.6

In this study, artificial neural network (ANN) modeling is used to predict the fuel consumption and NOx emission of a four stroke spark ignition (SI) engine. Calibration engineers frequently want to know the responses of an engine for the entire range of operating conditions in order to change engine control parameters in the electronic control unit (ECU), to improve performance and reduce emissions. However, testing the engine for the complete range of operating conditions is a very time and labor consuming task. As alternative, ANN is used in order to predict fuel consumption and NOx emission. In the proposed approach, the multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) is used to determine weights of radial basis function (RBF) neural networks. The goal is to minimize performance criteria as root mean square error (RMSE) and model complexity. A sensitivity analysis is performed on MOPSO parameters in order to provide better solutions along the optimal Pareto front. In order to select a compromised solution among the obtained Pareto solutions, a fuzzy decision maker is employed. The correlation coefficient R2 is used to compare the engine responses with the obtained by the proposed approach.

Artificial neural network based on genetic algorithm for emissions prediction of a SI gasoline engine

José D. Martínez-Morales,Elvia R. Palacios-Hernández,Gerardo A. Velázquez-Carrillo 대한기계학회 2014 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.28 No.6

This paper proposes a hybrid learning of artificial neural network (ANN) with the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGAII)to improve accuracy in order to predict the exhaust emissions of a four stroke spark ignition (SI) engine. In the proposed approach, thegenetic algorithm (GA) determines initial weights of local linear model tree (LOLIMOT) neural networks. A multi-objective optimizationproblem is determined. A sensitivity analysis is performed on NSGA-II parameters in order to provide better solutions along theoptimal Pareto front. Then, a fuzzy decision maker and the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) areemployed to select compromised solutions among the obtained Pareto solutions. The LOLIMOT-GA responses are compared with theprovided by radial basis function (RBF) and multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural networks in terms of correlation coefficient R².

Impact of urban pattern on operating costs of public services: quantification through the economic weight of services ‘to property’

Francisco Javier Garrido-Jiménez,Francesc Magrinyà,María Consuelo del Moral-Ávila 서울시립대학교 도시과학연구원 2022 도시과학국제저널 Vol.26 No.3

Research has shown the existence of strong links between physical configuration of the urban settlements and the economic metabolism of public services. However, this relationship has a different intensity depending on the nature of each service, resting exclusively on the services ‘to property’, that is, those ensuring smooth functionality of the buildings and public spaces. In such services, the operating cost per unit developed area largely depends on representative variables of the urban pattern. For instance, the length of roads per unit developed area impacts the operating costs of linear services, such as street lighting, street cleaning and, together with housing density, on the operating costs of water cycle, waste collection and disposal. Moreover, the maintenance costs of pavements, parks, and gardens are directly proportional to the dimension of the public space. Therefore, the economic weight of services ‘to property’ in the current budget of public administration highlights how vulnerable these budgets are against changes in the urban pattern and determines the expected maximum economic impact of any measure adopted through urban planning. Thus, the main objective of this study is to define, from a theoretical perspective, an indicator representative of the economic weight of the operating cost of the services ‘to property’ upon public administration budgets, capable of delimiting the relationship between the budgets and urban patterns. In addition, to show its utility, this urban-economic indicator has been computed for a sample of medium-sized Spanish cities, showing that, on an average, a quarter of the operating cost of urban public services is directly linked to urban patterns, highlighting the potential impact of urban planning decisions on the economic sustainability of urban settlements.

Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities of Bouvardia ternifolia: potential implications in Alzheimer’s disease

Giovanni Garcı ´a-Morales,Arturo Aguilar-Rojas,Maira Huerta-Reye,Manase ´s Gonza ´lez-Cortazar,Alejandro Zamilpa,Enrique Jime ´nez-Ferrer,Rau ´l Silva-Garcı ´a,Rube ´n Roma ´n-Ramos 대한약학회 2015 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.38 No.7

Bouvardia ternifolia has been used medicinally to treat inflammation. In the present study, we investigate the anti-Alzheimer’s potential effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of B. ternifolia through evaluation of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, quantification of the percentage inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity, protection effect against b-amyloid fibrillar-induce neurotoxicity, and the identification of the main constituents. Our results show that B. ternifolia extract and ethyl acetate fraction induced anti-inflammatory effects by reducing inflammation by [70 %, while antioxidant test revealed significant IC50 values for flavonoid content fraction (30.67 ± 2.09 lg/ml) and ethyl acetate fraction (42.66 ± 0.93 lg/ml). The maximum inhibition of acetylcholinesterase was exhibited by scopoletin content fraction (38.43 ± 3.94 %), while ethyl acetate fraction exerted neuroprotective effect against b-amyloid peptide (83.97 ± 5.03 %). Phytochemical analysis, showed the presence of 3-O-quercetin glucopyranoside (415 mg/g), rutin (229.9 mg/g), ursolic and oleanolic acid (54 and 20.8 mg/g respectively), 3-O-quercetin rhamnopyranoside (12.8 mg/g), chlorogenic acid (9.5 mg/g), and scopoletin (1.38 mg/g). Our findings support the use of B. ternifolia since the extract induced significant neuroprotection against b-amyloid peptide, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiacetylcholinesterase effects that could be attributed to its contents of polyphenols, coumarins, and triterpenes, and encourage further studies for development of this extract as therapeutic agent in treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

A Functional Polymorphism in the DRD1 Gene, That Modulates Its Regulation by miR-504, Is Associated with Depressive Symptoms

Karen M. Jimé,nez,Angela J. Pereira Morales,Diego A. Forero 대한신경정신의학회 2018 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.15 No.4

Objective-The aim of this study was to examine a possible association between depressive symptoms and a functional polymorphism (rs686) that modulates the regulation of DRD1 gene by miR-504. Methods-A total of 239 young Colombian subjects were evaluated with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale and geno-typed for the rs686 polymorphism. A linear regression model, corrected by age and gender, was used. Results-A significant association between the rs686 polymorphism and PHQ-9 scores was found, under a dominant genetic model (p=0.0094). Conclusion-These results provide novel evidence about the growing role of inherited variants in binding sites for brain-expressed miRNAs on depressive symptomatology

Zeolite Synthesis in FluorideMedia: Structure Directiontoward ITW by Small Methylimidazolium Cations

Rojas, Alex,Martí,nez-Morales, Evangelina,Zicovich-Wilson, Claudio M.,Camblor, Miguel A. American Chemical Society 2012 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY - Vol.134 No.4

<P>Pure silica ITW zeolite can be synthesized using 1,2,3-trimethylimidazoliumand 1,3-dimethylimidazolium cations and fluoride anions as structure-directingagents (SDAs). Similarly to the previously reported 1,3,4-trimethylimidazolium,the dimethyl cation can also produce the zeolite TON, but this higherframework density phase finally transforms <I>in situ</I> into ITW. The structures of the as-made and calcined phases preparedwith the new cations show a unit cell doubling along <I>z</I>, and the refined structures are reported. Periodic Density FunctionalTheory calculations provide the energies of the six SDA-ITW and SDA-TONzeolites, and their relative stabilities fully agree with the experimentalobservations. Structure-direction in this system is discussed fromexperimental and theoretical results that give strong support to theidea that strained silica frameworks are made possible in fluoridemedia by decreasing the covalent character of the Si–O bond.This decreased covalency is enhanced with the 1,2,3-trimethyl isomer,which is shown to be the strongest SDA for ITW and, at the same time,is the more hydrophilic of the three SDAs tested. Our observationswith the three SDAs agree with the so-called Villaescusa’srule, i.e., the low framework density phase is favored at higher concentrations,but at the same time question the supersaturation hypothesis thathas been proposed to explain this rule, since here the low-densityphase is the most stable one.</P><P><B>Graphic Abstract</B> <IMG SRC='http://pubs.acs.org/appl/literatum/publisher/achs/journals/content/jacsat/2012/jacsat.2012.134.issue-4/ja209832y/production/images/medium/ja-2011-09832y_0002.gif'></P><P><A href='http://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/ja209832y'>ACS Electronic Supporting Info</A></P>

The Role of Lipids in Development of Allergic Responses

Manuel Gómez del Moral,Eduardo Martínez-Naves 대한면역학회 2017 Immune Network Vol.17 No.3

Most allergic diseases are caused by activation of Th2 type immune responses resulting in the production of specific IgE against proteins found in normally harmless substances such as pollen, mites, epithelia or food. Allergenic substances are composed, in addition to proteins, of other compounds such as carbohydrates and lipids. Those lipids are able to promote the development of Th2-type responses associated with allergy. There are lipids found in pollen, milk or insect venom that are specifically recognized by CD1 restricted unconventional T lymphocytes, which can promote allergic reactions. Furthermore, a large number of allergens are proteins containing hydrophobic parts that specifically bind lipids that are capable to favor allergenic immune responses. Also, lipids associated to substances like pollen, dander, epithelia or the bacteria can act on cells of the innate system, including dendritic cells, which in turn lead to the differentiation of Th2-type clones. Finally, lipids may also influence the ability of allergens to be exposed to the immune system within the oral, respiratory or intestinal mucosa where allergic response occurs with great frequency.

Role of lymphadenectomy in intermediate-risk endometrial cancer: a matched-pair study

Pluvio J. Coronado,Agnieszka Rychlik,Maria A. Martínez-Maestre,Laura Baquedano,María Fasero,Aida García-Arreza,Sara Morales,Daniel M. Lubian,Ignacio Zapardiel 대한부인종양학회 2018 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.29 No.1

Objective: To assess the impact of lymph node dissection (LND) on morbidity, survival, and cost for intermediate-risk endometrial cancers (IREC). Methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort of 720 women with IREC (endometrioid histology with myometrial invasion <50% and grade 3; or myometrial invasion ≥50% and grades 1–2; or cervical involvement and grades 1–2) was carried out. All patients underwent hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. A matched pair analysis identified 178 pairs (178 with LND and 178 without it) equal in age, body mass index, co-morbidities, American Society of Anesthesiologist score, myometrial invasion, and surgical approach. Demographic data, pathology results, perioperative morbidity, and survival were abstracted from medical records. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Cost analysis was carried out between both groups. Results: Both study groups were homogeneous in demographic data and pathologic results. The mean follow-up in patients free of disease was 61.7 months (range, 12.0–275.5). DFS (hazard ratio [HR]=1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.79–2.28) and OS (HR=0.72; 95% CI=0.42–1.23) were similar in both groups, independently of nodes count. In LND group, positive nodes were found in 10 cases (5.6%). Operating time and late postoperative complications were higher in LND group (p<0.05). Infection rate was significantly higher in no-LND group (p=0.035). There were no statistical differences between both groups regarding operative morbidity and hospital stay. The global cost was similar for both groups. Conclusion: Systematic LND in IREC has no benefit on survival, although it does not show an increase in perioperative morbidity or global cost.

Preparation of air stable nanoscale zero valent iron functionalized by ethylene glycol without inert condition

Ruiz-Torres, Claudio Adrian,Araujo-Martí,nez, René,Fernando,Martí,nez-Castañ,ó,n, Gabriel Alejandro,Morales-Sá,nchez, J. Elpidio,Guajardo-Pacheco, Jesú,s Mar& Elsevier 2018 Chemical Engineering Journal Vol.336 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>The use of nanoscale zero-valent iron has been widely studied in recent years for potential application in environmental engineering, due to its affinity for a large number of contaminants, which may be in aqueous or solid phase, and for its abundance, which makes it an attractive tool for environmental remediation. However, there exist some variables in the production of nZVI that complicate the generation of the material, such as the complex methodologies of synthesis and the cost of inert conditions like nitrogen or argon atmosphere, which have the purpose of preventing the oxidation and reducing the instability of the material under ambient conditions. As a simple and economical synthesis methodology, this work presents an optimized method to synthesize functionalized nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) using ethylene glycol (EG) without need for inert conditions. The coordination of iron ions during the nZVI-EG synthesis and the functionalization mechanism of the nanoparticles were identified by UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Functionalized nZVI showed increased dispersibility due to the effects of steric repulsion between the grafted polymers. Ethylene glycol functionalized nZVI showed stability against oxidation during dry atmospheric condition, while significant oxidation was observed in the case of unfunctionalized nZVI. This result was also correlated with actual capacity for contaminant reduction. Therefore, the possibility was verified of using ethylene glycol in an effective surface modification method to prepare air stable nZVI for environmental remediation.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Air-stable nZVI could be prepared by ethylene glycol without inert condition. </LI> <LI> Smaller and narrower size distribution could be obtained by functionalization. </LI> <LI> The nZVI-EG exhibited a protection effect against oxidation in oxic conditions. </LI> <LI> The reaction kinetics was not hindered by the organic functionalization agent EG. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>