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To further enhance the high-temperature corrosion resistance of boiler tubes for improved power generation efficiency of biomass and waste-to-energy plants, Ni-Al cladding layers with Al contents of 2, 4, 6 and 8 wt.% were prepared by laser cladding technique. The corrosion characteristics of Ni-Al cladding layers in two salts (NaCl-KCl and NaCl-KCl-K 2 SO 4 , at 650 °C) were investigated. The critical Al content of Ni-Al cladding layers with better corrosion resistance was determined, and the effect of Fe dilution from the substrate on the corrosion products was studied. In NaCl-KCl, the corrosion rates of all cladding layers were high at the initial stage. As the corrosion proceeded, a continuous and dense Al 2 O 3 scale was gradually formed on the Ni-8Al surface, while the other three cladding layers failed to be generated. Therefore, Ni-8Al exhibited the best corrosion resistance. However, in NaCl-KCl- K 2 SO 4 , Al 2 O 3 was continuously dissolved due to the “basic fluxing” mechanism and Ni-8Al underwent significantly severe corrosion. Fe oxides were detected in the corrosion products of all cladding layers. Since Fe ions diffuse more easily through the Al 2 O 3 scale, Fe oxides were in the outermost layer and were prone to spalling, which affected the corrosion resistance.

In this paper, a series of Na2SO4·10H2O–KCl eutectic mixtures were prepared by adding different mass fractions of KCl (1 wt.%, 3 wt.%, 5 wt.%, or 7 wt.%) to Na2SO4·10H2O. Polyacrylamide (PAM) was proposed as the thickener, sodium tetraborate decahydrate (STD) was proposed as the nucleating agent, and expanded graphite (EG) was proposed as the high thermal conductivity medium for Na2SO4·10H2O–5 wt.% KCl eutectics. The results showed that in Na2SO4·10H2O–5 wt.% KCl eutectics with 5 wt.% PAM and 5 wt.% STD, almost no phase separation occurred, and the degree of supercooling was reduced to 0.4 °C. The thermal performance of Na2SO4·10H2O–5 wt.% KCl composite phase change materials (CPCMs) with varying contents of EG was explored. The results showed that EG could improve the thermal conductivity effectively and that the mass fraction of EG should be no more than 3%, otherwise the crystallization value and supercooling would deteriorate. The thermal reliability of the Na2SO4·10H2O–5 wt.% KCl eutectic CPCMs containing 5 wt.% PAM, 5 wt.% STD, and 3 wt.% EG was investigated, mainly through the ambient temperature, thermal cycling test, and TGA analysis. The results demonstrated that these CPCMs showed perfect thermal reliability.

In recent years, several studies have indicated the impact of nanoparticles (NPs) on various properties (such as viscosity and fluid loss) of conventional drilling fluids. Our previous study with commercial iron oxide NPs indicated the potential of using NPs to improve the properties of a laboratory bentonite-based drilling fluid without barite. In the present work, iron oxide NPs have been synthesized using the co-precipitation method. The effect of these hydrophilic NPs has been evaluated in bentonite and KCl-based drilling fluids. Rheological properties at different temperatures, viscoelastic properties, lubricity, and filtrate loss were measured to study the effect of NPs on the base fluid. Also, elemental analysis of the filtrate and microscale analysis of the filter cake was performed. Results for bentonite-based fluid showed that 0.019 wt% (0.1 g) of NPs reduced the coefficient of friction by 47%, and 0.0095 wt% (0.05 g) of NPs reduced the fluid loss by 20%. Moreover, for KCl-based fluids, 0.019 wt% (0.1 g) of additive reduced the coefficient of friction by 45%, while higher concentration of 0.038 wt% (0.2 g) of NPs shows 14% reduction in the filtrate loss. Microscale analysis shows that presence of NPs in the cake structure produces a more compact and less porous structure. This study indicates that very small concentration of NPs can provide better performance for the drilling fluids. Additionally, results from this work indicate the ability of NPs to fine-tune the properties of drilling fluids.

Neuronal activity-dependent gene expression is fundamental to a wide variety of brain functions. The field of neuronal activity-induced gene expression has advanced greatly due to studies performed in early neuronal cultures (7 to 10 DIV) and stimulated with different activation protocols. However, the effect of the developmental stage as well as the influence of specific protocol stimuli like potassium chloride (KCl)-induced depolarization, bicuculline (Bic)-mediated synaptic activation and TTX-withdrawal (TTXw) on activity-induced transcription has not been systematically studied. To analyze the influence of neuronal maturation on activity-induced transcription, we used neuronal primary cultures to compare electrophysiological and transcriptional responses at 7 days (DIV) and 21 DIV upon KCl and Bic stimulation. Also, mature neurons in culture were subjected to treatments with KCl, Bic and TTXw and the transcriptional changes were assessed by RNA-Seq and bioinformatic analysis. Our results demonstrate that the developmental stage of neurons profoundly influences neuronal firing and gene expression. The response to KCl and Bicuculline was dramatically different, even though these compound-based activation protocols have been widely used and considered as methods that produce equivalent effects. Therefore, we next asked how 21DIV neurons, more advanced in their development, react to different stimuli and observed that KCl, Bic and TTXw, which trigger different firing patterns, induce specific transcriptional profiles with unique temporal dynamics and activating a variety of gene groups. These findings hold both technical and conceptual significance. Technically, they underscore the importance of accounting for neuronal maturation and activation protocols when studying gene expression. Conceptually, they demonstrate that neuronal development and drug-induced firing patterns generate distinct expression profiles, which could be crucial for a deeper understanding of transcription-dependent plasticity mechanisms.

The kinetic and thermodynamic properties of La(III) in LiCl–KCl–LaCl 3 melts on inert electrode (Mo) were investigated by different electrochemical methods. The reduction of La(III) into metallic La on the Mo electrode is a quasi-reversible process that can transfer three electrons in a single step. In the temperature range of 723–848 K, the diffusion coefficient and reaction activation energy of La(III) in LiCl–KCl–LaCl 3 melts were calculated using Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Chronopotentiometry (CP). Moreover, relationships between the diffusion coefficient with temperature were formulated as follows: ln D 0  = − 3.32/ T  + 5.27 (CV) and ln D 0  = − 4.7/ T  − 5.89 (CP). The dependence of exchange current density of La(III)/La(0) on the experimental temperatures was constructed by Tafel (ln j 0  = − 2.04/ T  − 1.93) and Linear polarization (LP) (ln j 0  = − 2.74/ T  − 0.912). The apparent electrode potentials, Gibbs free energy, and activity coefficient of La(III)/La(0) were estimated using Open-circuit chronopotentiometry (OCP). Different LaCl 3 concentrations were added to LiCl–KCl melts, and the ion concentration of La(III) in the melts was determined using Normal Pulse Voltammetry (NPV). The obtained results had a relative error of less than 10% when compared to the ICP results. It shows that the results obtained by NPV detection are accurate and reliable. Graphical abstract

Deepwater pink shrimp (Parapenaus longirostris) has a significantly high catch yield and is a highly important food source for human nutrition in terms of its nutritional value. The reduction of salt content in seafood products while preserving taste poses a significant challenge. The aim of this study is to reduce the NaCl ratio used in the shrimp marination process by substituting it with KCl and masking the resulting bitterness from KCl using natural flavor enhancers, such as yeast extracts. The marinated shrimp were prepared using 50% KCl instead of 50% NaCl. In order to mask the bitter taste caused by KCl and enhance the flavor, two different types of yeast extracts obtained from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were utilized in the formulation. Nutritional composition, Na and K contents, amino acid composition, color measurement, bacteriological quality, pH changes, and sensory evaluations were conducted to assess the impact of salt reduction and yeast extracts on the sensory, chemical, and physical attributes of the products. L-glutamic acid, L-alanine, L-aspartic acid, L-leucine, L-valine, and L-lysine were found to be higher in samples with Levex Terra yeast extract. Despite a 50% reduction in NaCl content, the addition of yeast extract led to an increase in the umami taste due to the elevation of amino acids present. Yeast extracts can offer a promising solution for enhancing the sensory qualities of seafood products with reduced salt content by conducting more detailed sensory development examinations.

The purpose of this study is to grasp the management situation of “Kayoinoba” under the conditions of self-quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also to clarify the efficacy of “Kayoinoba” using the Kihon Checklist (KCL) for the assessment of mental and physical functions in the elderly. The respondents were 136 elderly people aged 65 years and over who lived in A City, a standard rural area in Japan. The age, gender, living style, affluence for living, and the frequency of participation in “Kayoinoba” were examined by using the KCL as a self-completed questionnaire. Finally, 101 respondents were included in the final analysis. There was no difference in the participation status before and after the spread of COVID-19. The frailty ratio tended to decrease from 23.8% to 19.8% between the two periods, but there was no difference in the frailty ratio. It is suggested that the participants in “Kayoinoba” may have suppressed the deterioration of mental and physical conditions, excluding physical activity. This would prevent the frailty of the elderly, even during self-quarantine due to the spread of COVID-19.

To investigate the separation of Ni(II) impurity and the refining of the electrolyte for magnesium electrolysis, the electrochemical behavior of the Ni(II) impurity in the MgCl 2 –KCl–NaCl melt at 973 K has been studied using several techniques, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), square wave voltammetry (SWV), and chronoamperometry (CA). Based on the analysis of the CV and SWV curves, it can be inferred that the reduction of Ni(II) in the MgCl 2 –KCl–NaCl melt at the tungsten electrode exhibits a quasi-reversible reaction. This reaction involves the transfer of a pair of electrons in a single step. The diffusion coefficient was determined at 973 K to be 3.84 × 10 −5 cm 2 s −1 through the semi-integral method, with the activation energy for diffusion was found to be 45.81 kJ mol −1 . The reaction rate constant for the Ni(II) redox reaction was determined to be approximately 10 −3 cm s −1 using the Nicholson method. This value suggests that the reaction fall within the quasi-reversible range, as defined by the Matsuda–Ayabe standard. The results obtained from the CA technique have demonstrated that the deposition of nickel on the tungsten electrode occurs through an instantaneous nucleation process, which is primarily controlled by diffusion. Graphical abstract

The pressure-volume-temperature (P-V-T) measurements of the B2 (CsCl-type) phase of KCl were performed at 9-61 GPa/1500-2600 K and up to 229 GPa at room temperature, based on synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements in a laser-heated diamond-anvil cell (DAC). The nonhydrostatic stress conditions inside the sample chamber were critically evaluated based on the platinum pressure marker. With thermal annealing by laser after each pressure increment, the deviatoric stress was reduced to less than 1% of the sample pressure even at the multi-megabar pressure range. The obtained P-V-T data were fitted to the Vinet equation of state with the Mie-Gruneisen-Debye model for thermal pressure. The thermal pressure of KCl was found to be as small as ∼10 GPa even at 3000 K at any given volume, which is only half of that of common pressure markers (i.e. Pt, Au, or MgO). Such a low-thermal pressure validates the use of a KCl pressure medium as a pressure marker at high temperatures.

Large amounts of potash fertilizer are often applied to apple ( Malus domestica ) orchards to enhance fruit quality and yields, but this treatment aggravates KCl‐based salinity stress. Melatonin (MT) is involved in a variety of abiotic stress responses in plants. However, its role in KCl stress tolerance is still unknown. In the present study, we determined that an appropriate concentration (100 μ m ) of MT significantly alleviated KCl stress in Malus hupehensis by enhancing K + efflux out of cells and compartmentalizing K + in vacuoles. Transcriptome deep‐sequencing analysis identified the core transcription factor gene MdWRKY53 , whose expression responded to both KCl and MT treatment. Overexpressing MdWRKY53 enhanced KCl tolerance in transgenic apple plants by increasing K + efflux and K + compartmentalization. Subsequently, we characterized the transporter genes MdGORK1 and MdNHX2 as downstream targets of MdWRKY53 by ChIP‐seq. MdGORK1 localized to the plasma membrane and enhanced K + efflux to increase KCl tolerance in transgenic apple plants. Moreover, overexpressing MdNHX2 enhanced the KCl tolerance of transgenic apple plants/callus by compartmentalizing K + into the vacuole. RT–qPCR and LUC activity analyses indicated that MdWRKY53 binds to the promoters of MdGORK1 and MdNHX2 and induces their transcription. Taken together, our findings reveal that the MT‐WRKY53‐GORK1/NHX2‐K + module regulates K + homeostasis to enhance KCl stress tolerance in apple. These findings shed light on the molecular mechanism of apple response to KCl‐based salinity stress and lay the foundation for the practical application of MT in salt stress.