Azole derivatives embedded in montmorillonite clay nanocarriers as corrosion inhibitors of mild steel

Azole derivatives such as 2-mercaptobenzothiazole(MBT) and 2-mercaptobenzimidazole(MBI) were introduced as corrosion inhibitors into the interlayer space of sodium montmorillonite clay(Na+-MMT). The corrosion protection behavior of mild steel in solutions containing MBT, MBI, MMT + MBT, MMT + MBI, Na~+-MMT, and NaCl(3.5 wt%) was evaluated using polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS). Also, the release of penetrated species into the medium from the clay nanocarriers was evaluated using ultraviolet-visible(UV-Vis) spectroscopy. Small-angle X-ray scattering(SAXS) confirmed the insertion of MBT and MBI into the inner space of the clay layers and the interaction between two organic and inorganic phases. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) was used to assess the morphology of the surface of the steel samples after the samples had been immersed for 24 h in the extraction solution. The corrosion protection in the solutions with clay nanocarriers containing MBT and MBI was better than that in solutions without MMT. The UV-Vis results showed that the release of MBI species from Na+-MMT nanocarriers in neutral pH was far lower than that of MBT species.     

Wind power prediction based on wind speed forecast using hidden Markov model

This study examines a new approach for short-term wind speed and power forecasting based on the mixture of Gaussian hidden Markov models (MoG-HMMs). The proposed approach focuses on the characteristics of wind speed and power in the consecutive hours of previous days. The proposed method is carried out in two steps. In the first step, for the hourly prediction of wind speed, several wind speed features are employed in MoG-HMM, and in the second step, the results obtained from the first step along with their characteristics and wind power features are used to predict wind power estimation. To increase the prediction accuracy, the data used in each step are classified, and then for each class, one HMM with its specific parameters is used. The performance of the proposed approach is examined using real NREL data. The results show that the proposed method is more precise than other examined methods.     

Gains of glycosylation comprise an unexpectedly large group of pathogenic mutations

Mutations involving gains of glycosylation have been considered rare, and the pathogenic role of the new carbohydrate chains has never been formally established. We identified three children with mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial disease who were homozygous with respect to a missense mutation in IFNGR2 creating a new N-glycosylation site in the IFNgammaR2 chain. The resulting additional carbohydrate moiety was both necessary and sufficient to abolish the cellular response to IFNgamma. We then searched the Human Gene Mutation Database for potential gain-of-N-glycosylation missense mutations; of 10,047 mutations in 577 genes encoding proteins trafficked through the secretory pathway, we identified 142 candidate mutations ( approximately 1.4%) in 77 genes ( approximately 13.3%). Six mutant proteins bore new N-linked carbohydrate moieties. Thus, an unexpectedly high proportion of mutations that cause human genetic disease might lead to the creation of new N-glycosylation sites. Their pathogenic effects may be a direct consequence of the addition of N-linked carbohydrate.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Al/Cu/Mg laminated composite sheets produced by the ARB proces

In the present study, an Al/Cu/Mg multi-layered composite was produced by accumulative roll bonding (ARB) through seven passes, and its microstructure and mechanical properties were evaluated. The microstructure investigations show that plastic instability occurred in both the copper and magnesium reinforcements in the primary sandwich. In addition, a composite with a perfectly uniform distribution of copper and magnesium reinforcing layers was produced during the last pass. By increasing the number of ARB cycles, the microhardness of the layers including aluminum, copper, and magnesium was significantly increased. The ultimate tensile strength of the sandwich was enhanced continually and reached a maximum value of 355.5 MPa. This strength value was about 3.2, 2, and 2.1 times higher than the initial strength values for the aluminum, copper, and magnesium sheets, respectively. Investigation of tensile fracture surfaces during the ARB process indicated that the fracture mechanism changed to shear ductile at the seventh pass.