Hoi Lam She^*, Arno A.W. Roest^†, Emmeline E. Calkoen^†, Pieter J. van den Boogaard^‡, Rob J. van der Geest^‡, Mark G. Hazekamp^§, Albert de Roos^‡, Jos J.M. Westenberg^‡

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.1, pp. 40-48, 2017

Abstract Purpose. To evaluate the inflow pattern and flow quantification in patients with functional univentricular heart after Fontan’s operation using 4D flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with streamline visualization when compared with the conventional 2D flow approach.
Method. Seven patients with functional univentricular heart after Fontan’s operation and twenty-three healthy controls underwent 4D flow MRI. In two orthogonal two-chamber planes, streamline visualization was applied, and inflow angles with peak inflow velocity (PIV) were measured. Transatrioventricular flow quantification was assessed using conventional 2D multiplanar reformation (MPR) and 4D MPR tracking the annulus and perpendicular to the streamline inflow at… More >

Alexander C. Egbe^*, Heidi M. Connolly^*, Joseph T. Poterucha^*,†, Carole A. Warnes^*

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.12, No.1, pp. 24-31, 2017

Abstract Objectives. There is a paucity of data about mixed aortic valve disease (MAVD) in patients with bicuspid/unicuspid aortic valve (BAV). This study sought to describe the outcomes of patients with moderate/severe MAVD.
Methods. We queried our database for patients with BAV and moderate/severe MAVD seen between 1994 and 2013. We excluded patients with baseline New York Heart Association (NYHA) III/IV symptoms, left ventricular ejection fraction <50%, aortic dimension >50 mm, and significant disease of other valves. The purpose of the study was to determine the freedom from NYHA III/IV symptoms and aortic valve replacement (AVR).
Results. We identified… More >

Xiaozheng Sun^*, Qiang He, Yu Yang

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 447-460, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.09671

Abstract Agricultural waste straw is the renewable resource with the highest annual yield in the world. In value-added applications of agricultural waste, dicarboxyl cellulose nanocrystals (DCCs) are prepared from rice, wheat, and corn straw by sequential periodate-chlorite oxidation. In this study, DCCs from rice, wheat, and corn straw were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The carboxyl content of the DCCs was also investigated. XRD results show that the crystallinity index decreased after sequential periodate-chlorite oxidation; however, the cellulose I structure was maintained. TEM… More >

Weiming Zhang¹, Muhammad Wasim Khan¹, Xueqin Zuo¹, Qun Yang¹, Huaibao Tang^1,2, Shaowei Jin^1,2, Guang Li^1,2,3,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 431-446, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.09158

Abstract A novel sunflower-like nanocomposite of SrCo₂S₄ nanoflakes and functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) entanglement enveloped in nitrogen-reduced graphene oxide (N-RGO) is prepared by a cheap process. The unique entanglement structure of the material exhibits higher specific surface area, better electrical conductivity and other properties. This helps to reduce the transfer resistance in the photoelectric process of the battery and improve the electrochemical activity, thus increasing the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the battery. The new ternary cobalt-based sulfide material can replace platinum as the counter electrode (CE) material loaded on dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). DSSCs with SrCo₂S₄@f-MWCNTs@N-RGO More >

Hongze Gang^1,2, Qiqi Zhang¹, Wei Wang¹, Bangxin Cai¹, Jinfeng Liu^1,2, Shizhong Yang^1,2, Bozhong Mu^1,2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 417-429, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.09201

Abstract Waste cooking oils and non-edible vegetable oils are abundant and renewable resources for bio-based materials which have showed great potential applications in many industries. In this study, five fatty acids commonly found in non-edible vegetable oils, including palmitic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, ricinoleic acid, and their mixtures, were used to produce bio-based zwitterionic surfactants through a facile and high-yield chemical modification. These surfactants demonstrated excellent surface/interfacial properties with the minimum surface tensions ranging from 28.4 mN/m to 32.8 mN/m in aqueous solutions. The interfacial tensions between crude oil and surfactant solutions were… More >

Zhichao Han, Yaojun Zhang^*, Panyang He

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 405-416, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.09351

Abstract In this study, a magnetic P zeolite was directly synthesized by utilization of industrial solid wastes of zinc slag (ZS) and circulating fluidized bed fly ash (CFBFA) via one-step hydrothermal method. The effects of different CFBFA/ZS ratios and hydrothermal times on the as-synthesized zeolite were investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) results indicated that the magnetic P zeolite possessed well-defined crystals and superparamagnetism. The as-prepared zeolite was employed as a Fenton-like solid catalyst for degradation of direct green B dye wastewater. It was discovered that the magnetic P zeolite took the More >

Rui Hou¹, Zhihuang Zhang¹, Guangzhao Zhang¹, Donglin Tang^1,2,3,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 397-403, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.08912

Abstract It has been proved that introducing isocyanurate into polymer chains could improve the flame retardancy of polymers. We describe in this work the synthesis and the thermal property study of three thermoplastic polyisocyanurates, which are polyisocyanuratoamide (PICA-6), polyisocyanurato(ester amide) (PICEA-6) and polyisocyanurato(urea ester) (PICUE-6). These polymers show similar and improved thermal stability with the existence of isocyanurate rings. PICA-6 is more crystalizable than the rest two and the melting temperature is found to be around 240°C but it still crystalizes slowly. For PICEA-6 and PICUE-6, only glass transition can be observed on the DSC traces. More >

Mariia Stepanova¹, Ilia Averianov¹, Olga Solomakha¹, Natalia Zabolotnykh², Iosif Gofman¹, Mikhail Serdobintsev², Tatiana Vinogradova², Viktor Korzhikov-Vlakh^1,3, Evgenia Korzhikova-Vlakh^1,3,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 383-395, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.09206

Abstract The biocomposite films were prepared from poly(L-lactic acid) and cellulose nanocrystals. To improve interfacial compatibility of hydrophilic cellulose nanocrystals with hydrophobic matrix polymer as well as to provide the osteoconductive properties, cellulose was functionalized with poly(glutamic acid). The modified cellulose nanocrystals were better distributed and less aggregated within the matrix, which was testified by scanning electron, optical and polarized light microscopy. According to mechanical tests, composites filled with nanocrystals modified with PGlu demonstrated higher values of Young’s modulus, elongation at break and tensile strength. Incubation of composite materials in model buffer solutions for 30 weeks More >

Nadezhda Petkova^1,*, Radka Arabadzhieva¹, Dragomir Vassilev², Gergana Gencheva¹, Yulian Tumbarski³, Tsveteslava Ignatova-Ivanova⁴, Sevginar Ibryamova⁴, Mina Todorova¹, Milena Koleva², Panteley Denev¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 365-381, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.09292

Abstract Microwave-assisted irradiation was performed for esterification of chicory inulin with high degree of polymerization with acetic anhydride without a solvent only with a catalyst. The resulting esters were characterized by melting point, hydrophilic-lipophilic balance, thin-layer chromatography, ultraviolet spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Inulin acetate demonstrated a high degree of acetylation (2.5–3.0) and presented a white, water-insoluble substance with bitter taste. The FTIR and NMR spectra confirmed esterification and demonstrated the incorporation of hydrophobic residue to the water soluble inulin backbone. Swelling capacity, water holding, oil-holding capacities, the foamability,… More >

Olga Mysiukiewicz^1,*, Mateusz Barczewski¹, Joanna Szulc²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 347-363, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.09276

Abstract In order to limit the negative impact of industry on natural environment, ecological alternatives to conventional polymers are being proposed. One of the most popular “green” polymers is polylactide, which can also be successfully applied as a matrix of composites. The application of ground linseed cake as a filler for polylactide-based composites is in line with the idea of Circular Economy, and moreover it provides a modifying effect on the polymer by increasing its crystallinity and reducing its brittleness. This effect is caused by the presence of linseed oil which can be released to the… More >