Chemical Engineering

This paper presents the short-term load forecasting for feeder number 1 outgoing of Banglane substation of Provincial Electricity Authority Area 3 (Central) Nakhonpathom using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with back-propagation learning algorithm and supervised learning. The Artificial Neural Network can consider the effect of temperature (max-min) and relative humidity on load. The results compared with the actual energy demands show that the energy demands predicted have the best mean absolute percentage error of 5.7525%. The study uses the multiple coefficient of determination with SPSS software program and tests the relation of variables in the forecasting.

Our previous study showed that thermosensitive chitosan/corn starch/β-glycerol phosphate (C/S/β-GP) hydrogel was an effective carrier for chondrocytes and their transforming factor, TGF-β1. In the present study, MSCs were grown in C/S/β-GP hydrogels as an effective tool for chondrocyte-like cell differentiation. The MSCs-encapsulated hydrogel was prepared by blending chitosan solution (1.70% w/v in 0.1 M HCl) with pregelatinized corn starch solution (1.70% w/v). The total final concentration of the blended polymers was 1.53% w/v, and the weight ratio of chitosan to corn starch was 4 to 1. The TGF-β1 (final concentration of 25 ng/mL) and 5 × 10 5 MSCs were added to 500 µL chitosan/starch solution. Finally, β-GP (60% w/v) was added to obtain 6.0% w/v final concentration. The C/ S/β-GP hydrogel changed from a liquid at room temperature to a gel at 37 ± 2 o C. It converted the fibroblast-like MSCs into spheroid cells. In hydrogels containing TGF-β1, these cells further differentiated into chondrocyte-like cells. This was shown by their expressions of type II collagen and aggrecan mRNA. Type I collagen mRNA was initially expressed but this disappeared by 6 weeks in culture suggesting a complete chondrocyte differentiation by that time. Type II collagen protein production was detected by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence, and successively increased after 4-6 weeks in culture. Neither the mRNA nor the collagen expression could be detected in the absence of TGF-β1. The data indicate that MSCs would be an appropriate chondrocyte precursor in conjunction with our hydrogel loading TGF-β1 which is able to sustain chondrocyte function.

Graphene is a single-to-few layer carbon sheet, consisting of carbon atoms hybridizing with one another via sp2 configuration, providing outstanding mechanical, electrical, and electrochemical properties that can be utilized in various applications. In this work, we synthesized graphene powder via a modified Hummers method to obtain electrically insulating graphene oxide (GO), and converted the GO to semiconducting reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using L-ascorbic acid as a reducing agent. The rGO was re-dispersed in DI water and cast on prefabricated electrodes to create an rGO film chemiresistive sensor.The rGO sensor was shown to detect changes in buffer pH and cell concentrations of three different cells: human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231); non-small-cell lung cancer cells (A549); and fibroblast cells (L929). Sensor performances were determined in terms of "sensitivity", ratio of normalized resistance change upon exposure to a certain analyte concentration, and the ana...

Zeolite particles formed from an aluminosilicate solution possess a negative surface charge due to the substitution of aluminum atoms into a SiO 4 tetrahedral structure making it difficult to form a continuous layer in solution. The particle interactions with surfaces and each other can be studied using the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. The interaction energy between zeolite-zeolite and zeolite-substrate on various materials can be estimated in this fashion. The zeolite LTA particles show a stronger repulsion interaction on all substrates and on the each other as compared to the ZSM-5 particles. This repulsive energy also increases as the particles size increases. This results in the formation of conglomerate in the solution rather than forming an adhered layer on the substrate.

We utilized a one-step hydrothermal process for the synthesis of precious metal-doped titanium dioxide (TiO 2)/ graphene oxide (GO) composites. The metal-doped TiO 2 /GO composites, including silver−TiO 2 /GO (Ag−TiO 2 /GO), palladium−TiO 2 /GO (Pd−TiO 2 /GO), and copper−TiO 2 /GO (Cu− TiO 2 /GO), were synthesized by mixing a metal precursor, titanium butoxide, and graphene oxide in a water−ethanol mixture in an autoclave hydrothermal reactor. The photocatalytic performance of the composites was tested in the photoreduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2) to ethanol. Ag−TiO 2 /GO, Pd−TiO 2 /GO, and Cu−TiO 2 / GO exhibited an ethanol production rate of 109, 125, and 233 μmol/g cat h, respectively. The outstanding performances of Cu− TiO 2 /GO can be attributed to a combined effect of key parameters, including optical band gap, crystallite size, and BET surface area.

Although chorioamnionitis (CAM) has been demonstrated to be associated with numerous short-and long-term morbidities, the precise mechanisms remain unclear. One of the reasons for this is the lack of appropriate models for analyzing the relationship between the fetal environment and chorioamnionitis and fetal programming in humans. In this study, we aimed to clarify the fetal programming caused by CAM using the gene expression pro les of UCMSCs.. From nine preterm neonates with CAM (n=4) or without CAM (n=5), we established UCMSCs. The gene expression pro les obtained by RNA-seq analysis revealed distinctive changes in the CAM group USMSCs. The UCMSCs in the CAM group had a myo broblast-like phenotype with signi cantly increased expression levels of myo broblast-related genes, including α-smooth muscle actin (p<0.05). In the pathway analysis, the genes involved in DNA replication and G1 to S cell cycle control were remarkably decreased, suggesting that cellular proliferation was impaired, as con rmed by the cellular proliferation assay (p<0.01 ~ 0.05). Pathway analysis revealed that genes related to white fat cell differentiation were signi cantly increased. Our results could explain the long-term outcomes of patients who were exposed to CAM and revealed that UCMSCs could be an in vitro model of fetal programming affected by CAM.

The copper-doped sodium dititanate nanosheets/graphene oxide heterostructure (CTGN) was synthesized following a one-step hydrothermal process, exhibiting an outstanding photoactivity in converting CO2 to acetone, methanol, ethanol and i-propanol.