Cardioinotropic Effects in Subchronic Intoxication of Rats with Lead and/or Cadmium Oxide Nanoparticles

Subchronic intoxication was induced in outbred male rats by repeated intraperitoneal injections with lead oxide (PbO) and/or cadmium oxide (CdO) nanoparticles (NPs) 3 times a week during 6 weeks for the purpose of examining its effects on the contractile characteristics of isolated right ventricle trabeculae and papillary muscles in isometric and afterload contractions. Isolated and combined intoxication with these NPs was observed to reduce the mechanical work produced by both types of myocardial preparation. Using the in vitro motility assay, we showed that the sliding velocity of regulated thin filaments drops under both isolated and combined intoxication with CdO–NP and PbO–NP. These results correlate with a shift in the expression of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms towards slowly cycling β–MHC. The type of CdO–NP + PbO–NP combined cardiotoxicity depends on the effect of the toxic impact, the extent of this effect, the ratio of toxicant doses, and the degree of stretching of cardiomyocytes and muscle type studied. Some indices of combined Pb–NP and CdO–NP cardiotoxicity and general toxicity (genotoxicity included) became fully or partly normalized if intoxication developed against background administration of a bioprotective complex.     

Some special features in spinning yarns from high-molecular cellulose diacetate by the wet method

Conclusions -- The application of a positive jet stretch in the range from +70 to +150% in the wet spinning of yarns from high-molecular cellulose diacetate leads to an improvement in their physico-mechanical properties as compared with yarns spun at negative jet stretches.-- Spinning at a jet stretch greater than +70% makes it possible to prepare shrinkage-free thin filaments from high-molecular cellulose diacetate.-- The use of the positive jet stretch makes it possible to create a preorientation in yarns from high-molecular cellulose diacetate; on the basis of this it is possible to develop processes of self-orientation and self-elongation.Translated from Khimicheskie Volokna, No. 4, pp. 32–33, July–August, 1990.     

High-temperature oxidation of titanium carbide in oxygen

The kinetics of titanium carbide oxidation in oxygen over the temperature range of 600–1200°C and oxygen pressure from 0.1 to 740 Torr have been studied with a vacuum microbalance. Layer-by-layer x-ray analysis, petrography, metallography, and gas chromatography have been used to analyze the oxidation products. A paralinear nature of the oxidation of material was established, and the rate constants of the process were calculated for the corresponding parabolic and linear portions of the kinetic curves. It was shown that a gaseous product, CO₂, formed, as well as a solid product, TiO₂ (rutile), both stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric. The lower oxides, Ti₃O₅, Ti₂O₃, TiO, were noted in the scale at temperatures from 700 to 800° and low oxygen pressures, their relative quantity rising with decreasing pressure. Based on x-ray analysis and microhardness measurements, it was concluded that titanium oxicarbides formed in the TiC, directly adjacent to the scale. A possible oxidation mechanism of titanium carbide is proposed.     

Estimation of the protective ability of chromium coatings deposited from sulfate and methanesulfonate electrolytes based on Cr(III)

Voltammetric and impedance techniques are used to determine the protective ability of chromium coatings deposited on a steel substrate from sulfate and methanesulfonate electrolytes based on trivalent chromium. It is found that chromium deposits obtained from methanesulfonate electrolyte have lower porosity and higher protective ability as compared with deposits from sulfate electrolyte. It is shown that, when the thickness of chromium coatings reaches 15 μm, there are no through pores in deposits for both electrolytes and, thus, the maximum degree of protection of the steel support is achieved in an aggressive medium. An equivalent circuit correctly modeling the corrosion-electrochemical behavior of the studied system is proposed on the basis of data of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and the values of its parameters are calculated.     

Comparing Five and Lower-Dimensional Grain Boundary Character and Energy Distributions in Copper: Experiment and Molecular Statics Simulation

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - The misorientation of 515 grain boundaries has been determined using electron backscatter diffraction data from an 18 μm thick copper foil with...     

Effect of Ethyl Alcohol Vapors on the Structure of Polycaproamide Fibre

It was found that ethyl alcohol vapors induce a spontaneous elongation effect in PCA fibres. Modification of PCA fibres with ethyl alcohol vapors makes the structure pass from the unstable -modification to the stable -modification, eliminating the process of repeated orientational drawing.