The conditions of cationic exchange with the use of recycling polystyrene derivative,the product of sulfonation by silica sulfuric acid

Growing amount of waste plastics has become an environmental problem on a global scale. This study presents an investigation of the conditions of cleaning water from heavy metal ions using chemically recycled polystyrene. To get effective ion exchangers, the sulfonation of virgin polystyrene and expanded polystyrene wastes were obtained using silica sulfuric acid. As it turned out, the use of this solid sulfonating agent simplifies the separation of the polymeric product from the acid and the solvent in comparison to conventional sulfonation methods. The ion exchange behavior of copper and zinc cations in the yielded sulfonated derivatives of polystyrene was studied. Batch shaking adsorption experiments depending on contact time, pH, temperature, and dosage of adsorbate were carried out. The stability of resin to cyclical adsorption and regeneration (column experiment) was also investigated. We report that resins have a high adsorption efficiency with total ion exchange capacity (IEC) about 2.6 meq g^?1, which drops with decreasing pH owing to competition between protons H⁺ and metal cations, whereas with the increasing resin doses the removal of cations rises for a constant initial metal concentration. The speed of cation exchange for yielded adsorbents was even better than for commercial resins. After 360 cyclical adsorption and regeneration in column, resin had working IEC of about 2.3 meq g^?1. The study shows that cation exchange resin from polystyrene wastes can be used as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of heavy metal ions from water. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Analysis of integrated circuits thermal dynamics with point heating time

The article presents an analysis of thermal dynamics in integrated circuits using a new method. The introduced variable that defines the dynamic state of an IC is point heating time (PHT). The authors examine the dynamic behaviour of the integrated circuit caused by the thermal activity of one and many functional modules on the multi-core chip. Various substrate materials were analysed and the PHT value was compared to the mean temperature of the integrated circuit and its time constant. The PHT value is also analysed as a variable dependent on the distance from the heat centre of the heating module. The analytical equation, which is a result of the analysis, can describe the PHT value versus distance for the whole chip surface. Further analysis helps verify the hypothesis using a massive multi-core integrated circuit. The result can be used to increase the thermal efficiency of multi-core integrated circuits by thermal-aware flow modification of the scheduling algorithm.     

Comparison of the Effects of Roasted and Boiled Red Kidney Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on Glucose/Lipid Metabolism and Intestinal Immunity in a High‐Fat Diet‐Induced Murine Obesity Model

Consumption of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is associated with beneficial effects on lipid and glucose metabolism; however, the influence of the bean processing method on these health benefits is not well understood. To investigate this, we processed red kidney beans (RKBs), a variety of the common bean, by roasting and boiling and compared the physiological effects of the two preparations in male C57BL/6N mice fed a high‐fat diet (HFD). The two RKB preparations differed mainly in their resistant starch content (roasted, 24.5%; boiled, 3.1%). Four groups of mice were fed for 12 weeks on a normal diet or a HFD (45 kcal% fat) supplemented with 10% control chow (HFD control group), 10% roasted RKB, or 10% freeze‐dried boiled RKB. We found that intake of roasted RKBs prevented hypercholesterolemia and increased fecal IgA and mucin content compared with the HFD control group, while intake of boiled RKBs improved glucose tolerance. Both RKB preparations suppressed the HFD‐associated increase in plasma aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels, which are markers of liver injury. Mice fed roasted RKBs showed significantly increased hepatic expression of cholesterol 7‐alpha‐monooxygenase mRNA, suggesting that cholesterol suppression may be due to enhanced bile acid biosynthesis. In contrast, mice fed boiled RKBs showed significantly increased cecal content of n‐butyric acid, which may be related to the improved glucose tolerance in this group. These results indicate that the method by which RKBs are processed can profoundly affect their health benefits.     

Structure and transport properties of the novel (Dy,Er,Gd,Ho,Y)3Fe5O12 and (Dy,Gd,Ho,Sm,Y)3Fe5O12 high entropy garnets

High-entropy, iron-containing, garnet-structured oxides with (Dy,Er,Gd,Ho,Y)₃Fe₅O₁₂ and (Dy,Gd,Ho,Sm,Y)₃Fe₅O₁₂ compositions are synthesized for the first time. A modified Pechini method followed by calcination at 700 °C and sintering at 1300 °C enables obtaining single-phase, homogenous materials of cubic structure with Ia-3d symmetry. High-temperature in-situ X-ray diffraction studies show excellent phase stability of the garnets, as well as moderate thermal expansion coefficient, ca. 11·10^?6 K^-1 in 25?1000 °C temperature range. Raman spectroscopy measurements indicate the presence of local distortion of structural polyhedra, likely associated with the high-entropy effect. The collected Mossbauer spectra confirm distorted character of the lattice. Influenced by the presence of Fe³⁺ in locally distorted octahedra and tetrahedra, the electrical conduction at low temperatures of both oxides remains much lower comparing to Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ (yttrium iron garnet - YIG), as well as to other rare-earth garnets up to 600 °C, where it reaches value similar to YIG.     

Decidability for Left-Linear Growing Term Rewriting Systems

A term rewriting system is called growing if each variable occurring on both the left-hand side and the right-hand side of a rewrite rule occurs at depth zero or one in the left-hand side. Jacquemard showed that the reachability and the sequentiality of linear (i.e., left-right-linear) growing term rewriting systems are decidable. In this paper we show that Jacquemard's result can be extended to left-linear growing rewriting systems that may have right-nonlinear rewrite rules. This implies that the reachability and the joinability of some class of right-linear term rewriting systems are decidable, which improves the results for right-ground term rewriting systems by Oyamaguchi. Our result extends the class of left-linear term rewriting systems having a decidable call-by-need normalizing strategy. Moreover, we prove that the termination property is decidable for almost orthogonal growing term rewriting systems.     

CdxHg1−xTe thin film galvanomagnetic devices

The present paper concerns evaporated thin film Hall generators of Cd_xHg_1?xTe. We first give some information about the technology of Cd_xHg_1?xTe thin films and then we consider the construction and characteristics of these galvanomagnetic devices.     

Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in newborn infants using the umbilical vein as a reinfusion route

PURPOSE: The authors report on four neonates treated with venovenous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) using the umbilical vein as a reinfusion route. METHODS: From 1994 to 1997, 26 instances VV-ECMO in neonates have been carried out at our neonatal center for the treatment of severe respiratory and cardiac failure. Among them, 22 patients could be treated with VV-ECMO mainly using 15F double-lumen catheter (DLC), adding the cephalic drainage using another catheter. In the remaining four cases, however, attempts to insert the DLC into the right internal jugular vein failed because the vein was too small or technical problems. For such instances, two catheters were cannulated into the right atrium and the cephalic portion of the right internal jugular vein, respectively. These two venous catheters were connected to the drainage route of ECMO circuit with a "Y" connector. Then, the umbilical vein was cannulated with 10F or 8F catheter, which was connected to the reinfusion route of ECMO to return the oxygenated blood to the infant. RESULTS: The median age at which ECMO was initiated was 18 hours, and the median ECMO course was 72 hours. The liver function tests were slightly and transiently worsened in two patients during VV perfusion, (in one patient serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT] elevated to 76 IU/L and serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase [SGPT] to 49 IU/L, and in another patient SGOT elevated to 56 IU/L and SGPT remained in normal range). Preumbilical cannula pressures were measured in two patients. In a patient who used 10F umbilical cannula, the preumbilical maximum pressure was 43 mm Hg at 250 mL/min of ECMO flow. In another with an 8F catheter, it was 72 mm Hg at 180 mL/min of ECMO flow. All of the patients survived without any neurological complications. CONCLUSIONS: If the right internal jugular vein would not accommodate the DLC, VV-ECMO using the umbilical vein as a infusion route could be selected.     

Thermal diffusivity characterization of europium zirconate,cerate and hafnate

The following paper presents study on synthesis and thermal diffusivity of europium zirconate, cerate and hafnate as a new types of materials with pyrochlore or fluorite type of lattice, dedicated to replacement of conventional 8YSZ (yttria stabilized zirconia) in TBC (thermal barrier coatings) systems for aircraft gas turbines.All materials were synthesized via solid-state reaction (SSR) preceded preparation of powder mixtures (mechanical milling in ethanol). The feedstock powders were characterized by analysis of crystallite size, particle size distribution and phase composition. On the base of DSC measurements, the parameters of high temperature sintering were selected (1350?°C/2?h/15?MPa). Structural characterization of obtained materials inclusive analysis of morphology, chemical and phase composition of sinters was performed. Thermal diffusivity was measured in temperature range 25÷1400?°C by laser flash analysis (LFA). The obtained materials with pyrochlore and fluorite type of lattice exhibit lower thermal diffusivity compared to that of yttria-stabilized zirconia at high temperatures. In particular, the most promising material in view of insulating properties is Eu₂Ce₂O₇, which exhibit much lower thermal diffusivity than Eu₂Zr₂O₇ and Eu₂Hf₂O₇, especially at temperature higher than 1000?°C. However, in temperature range 25–700?°C, europium hafnate and zirconate exhibit lower thermal diffusivity compared to that of europium cerate and 8YSZ.     

Performance of a room-temperature rotary magnetic refrigerator

We have designed and operated a rotating-magnet type AMR (active magnetic regeneration) refrigerator that uses water as a heat transfer fluid. Four kinds of gadolinium-based alloy are used as magnetic materials. A magnetic field of 0.77 T is applied by neodymium permanent magnets. The refrigerator produces a maximum cooling power of 60 W around 10 °C. An optimal time for one cycle exists, and it depends on the water flow rate and the frequency of magnetization and demagnetization. Enhancement of the water flow rate and the frequency is known to be essential for increasing the cooling power of this refrigerator.     

Survey of plasticizers in polyvinyl chloride toys

Plasticizers in 101 samples of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) toys on the Japanese market were surveyed. No phthalates were detected in designated toys, though bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, diisononyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, diisodecyl phthalate and benzyl butyl phthalate were detected in more than half of other toys. 2,2,4-Tributyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutylate, o-acetyl tributyl citrate, adipates and diacetyl lauroyl glycerol, which are alternative plasticizers to phthalates, were detected. The results of structural analysis confirmed the presence of di(2-ethylhexyl)terephthalate, tributyl citrate, diisononyl 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylate and neopentyl glycol esters; these have not previonsly been reported in Japan. There appears to be a shift in plasticizers used for designated toys from phthalates to new plasticizers, and the number of different plasticizers is increasing.