Tetraphenylthiophene–thiazole-based π-conjugated polyazomethines: synthesis,characterization and gas sensing application

Polymer Bulletin - 2,5-Bis(4-(2-aminothiazole) phenyl)-3 and 4-diphenyltetraphenyl thiophene (TPTPThDA) are fine processed in three steps. A series of polyazomethines containing...     

Solvent-Aided Crystallization for Biodiesel Purification

The application of solvent-aided crystallization (SAC) is based on the addition of a solvent, here 1-butanol, to crude biodiesel to catalyze the purification process by separating biodiesel from contaminants via crystallization process. Response surface methodology was applied to optimize the process parameters of SAC, represented by biodiesel purity. The purified biodiesel was analyzed by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the composition of the present fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). Under the predicted optimum process conditions within the experimental ranges for the highest biodiesel purity, the predicted biodiesel purity was 99.375 %.     

Tissue-Specific Ferritin- and GFP-Based Genetic Vectors Visualize Neurons by MRI in the Intact and Post-Ischemic Rat Brain

(1) Background: Neurogenesis is considered to be a potential brain repair mechanism and is enhanced in stroke. It is difficult to reconstruct the neurogenesis process only from the histological sections taken from different animals at different stages of brain damage and restoration. Study of neurogenesis would greatly benefit from development of tissue-specific visualization probes. (2) Purpose: The study aimed to explore if overexpression of ferritin, a nontoxic iron-binding protein, under a doublecortin promoter can be used for non-invasive visualization of neurogenesis using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). (3) Methods: Ferritin heavy chain (FerrH) was expressed in the adeno-associated viral backbone (AAV) under the doublecortin promoter (pDCX), specific for young neurons, in the viral construct AAV-pDCX-FerrH. Expression of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) was used as an expression control (AAV-pDCX-eGFP). The viral vectors or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) were injected intracerebrally into 18 adult male Sprague–Dawley rats. Three days before injection, rats underwent transient middle-cerebral-artery occlusion or sham operation. Animals were subjected to In vivo MRI study before surgery and on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after injection using a Bruker BioSpec 11.7 T scanner. Brain sections obtained on day 28 after injection were immunostained for ferritin, young (DCX) and mature (NeuN) neurons, and activated microglia/macrophages (CD68). Additionally, RT-PCR was performed to confirm ferritin expression. (4) Results: T2* images in post-ischemic brains of animals injected with AAV-pDCX-FerrH showed two distinct zones of MRI signal hypointensity in the ipsilesioned hemisphere starting from 14 days after viral injection—in the ischemic lesion and near the lateral ventricle and subventricular zone (SVZ). In sham-operated animals, only one zone of hypointensity near the lateral ventricle and SVZ was revealed. Immunochemistry showed that ferritin-expressing cells in ischemic lesions were macrophages (88.1%), while ferritin-expressing cells near the lateral ventricle in animals both after ischemia and sham operation were mostly mature (55.7% and 61.8%, respectively) and young (30.6% and 7.1%, respectively) neurons. RT-PCR confirmed upregulated expression of ferritin in the caudoputamen and corpus callosum. Surprisingly, in animals injected with AAV-pDCX-eGFP we similarly observed two zones of hypointensity on T2* images. Cellular studies also showed the presence of mature (81.5%) and young neurons (6.1%) near the lateral ventricle in both postischemic and sham-operated animals, while macrophages in ischemic lesions were ferritin-positive (98.2%). (5) Conclusion: Ferritin overexpression induced by injection of AAV-pDCX-FerrH was detected by MRI using T2*-weighted images, which was confirmed by immunochemistry showing ferritin in young and mature neurons. Expression of eGFP also caused a comparable reduced MR signal intensity in T2*-weighted images. Additional studies are needed to investigate the potential and tissue-specific features of the use of eGFP and ferritin expression in MRI studies.     

Zr-4合金板材真空退火温度场的数值模拟

分析Zr-4合金板材真空退火过程中的传热方式,计算锆合金板材径向传热系数,利用ABAQUS对Zr-4合金板材退火温度场进行数值模拟,分析工装夹具对锆合金板材退火的影响,结果表明,工装夹具能改善锆合金板材温度场分布均匀性,使锆合金板材温度分布的最高温差由70 ℃降低至35 ℃,升温过程更加稳定,并且数值模拟结果与实测结果有较好的一致性。     

Hot corrosion studies of a salt-coated Ni-based superalloy under flowing wet air and sulfur vapor ambient

Corrosion of a salt-coated Ni-superalloy has been studied at 900°C under a wet air and sulfur vapor ambient. The corrosion thickness, after an incubation of ~60 hr, linearly increases with the corrosion time t and the onset of surface spallation occurred at t ≈ 60 hr. The corroded layer consists of a corrosion front dominated by Cr₃S₄ scales and linear precipitate structures, an inner corrosion layer dominated by Ni₃S₂ and NiO, and an outer corrosion layer dominated by Al₂O₃ networks surrounding the Ni₃S₂ and/or NiO scale structures. The corrosion mechanism is discussed based on the coexistence of H₂O, sulfur, and oxygen.     

Visualizations of Mercury Methylation and Dynamic Transformations by In Vivo Imaging

Visualization of Hg(II) and MeHg in their native contexts is significant for examining mercury poisoning, while it is challenging because of indistinguishable fluorescent (FL) signals during FL imaging. Herein, visualizations of mercury methylation and dynamic transformations of Hg(II) and MeHg are achieved in living biological systems. Well distinguishable FL responses (blue emission for Hg(II), yellow emission for MeHg) are obtained by a double‐response FL probe (DPAHB) without any interference. As demonstrated by experimental and computational studies, the distinguishable signals are attributed to selective binding with DPAHB and different inhibition of excited‐state proton transfer. Through control tests for live‐dead markers, mercury methylation is demonstrated to be employed in living biological systems. Therefore, the methylation and dynamic transformations of both ions are monitored in zebrafish by imaging, and these results are confirmed by traditional high‐performance liquid chromatography‐based methods. The methylation of Hg(II) to MeHg, dynamic transformations and final accumulations of both species in zebrafish tissues are visualized successfully. This method is also convenient for fast evaluation of detoxification reagents. This is the first visualization of in vivo mercury methylation and dynamic transformation of both species and is effective for studying pathological processes in their native contexts.     

Methyltransferase Contingencies in the Pathway of Everninomicin D Antibiotics and Analogues

Everninomicins are orthoester oligosaccharide antibiotics with potent activity against multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. Everninomicins act by disrupting ribosomal assembly in a distinct region in comparison to clinically prescribed drugs. We employed microporous intergeneric conjugation with Escherichia coli to manipulate Micromonospora for targeted gene-replacement studies of multiple putative methyltransferases across the octasaccharide scaffold of everninomicin effecting the A₁, C, F, and H rings. Analyses of gene-replacement and genetic complementation mutants established the mutability of the everninomicin scaffold through the generation of 12 previously unreported analogues and, together with previous results, permitted assignment of the ten methyltransferases required for everninomicin biosynthesis. The in vitro activity of A₁- and H-ring-modifying methyltransferases demonstrated the ability to catalyze late-stage modification of the scaffold on an A₁-ring phenol and H-ring C-4’ hydroxy moiety. Together these results establish the potential of the everninomicin scaffold for modification through mutagenesis and in vitro modification of advanced biosynthetic intermediates.     

Theoretical Prediction and Experimental Study of Benzimidazole Derivate as a Novel Corrosion Inhibitor for Carbon Steel in 1.0 M HCl

Protection of Metals and Physical Chemistry of Surfaces - The inhibiting effect of benzimidazole derivate (DBI) on corrosion of carbon steel (CS) at temperature range of 303–333 K was...