Processability and mechanical properties for binary blends of PP and LLDPE produced by metallocene catalyst

Processability at extrusion coating and mechanical properties of the films obtained are investigated by means of linear and nonlinear rheological measurements and tensile tests for blends of polypropylene (PP) and linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE). Both materials are produced by metallocene catalyst. The processability of PP is found to be improved by the addition of LLDPE; the blend shows low level of motor torque and head pressure in an extruder and small level of neck‐in as compared with pure PP. Further, the anisotropy of ultimate tensile strength, which is prominent for PP, is reduced by blending with LLDPE. As a result, the blend having 20 wt % of LLDPE shows appropriate properties in the molten state for extrusion coating and in the solid state as a film. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Efficient electrochemical decomposition of perfluorocarboxylic acids by the use of a boron-doped diamond electrode

The electrochemical decomposition of environmentally persistent perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was achieved by the use of a boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode. The PFOA decomposition follows pseudo-first-order kinetics, with an observed rate constant (k₁) of 2.4 × 10^− 2 dm³ h^− 1. Under the present reaction conditions, k₁ increased with increasing current density and saturated at values over 0.60 mA cm^− 2. Therefore, the rate-limiting step for the electrochemical decomposition of PFOA was the direct electrochemical oxidation at lower current densities. In the proposed decomposition pathway, direct electrochemical oxidation cleaves the C-C bond between the C₇F₁₅ and COOH in PFOA and generates a C₇F₁₅ radical and CO₂. The C₇F₁₅ radical forms the thermally unstable alcohol C₇F₁₅OH, which undergoes F⁻ elimination to form C₆F₁₃COF. This acid fluoride undergoes hydrolysis to yield another F⁻ and the perfluorocarboxylic acid with one less CF₂ unit, C₆F₁₃COOH. By repeating these processes, finally, PFOA was able to be totally mineralized to CO₂ and F⁻. Moreover, whereas the BDD surface was easily fluorinated by the electrochemical reaction with the PFOA solution, medium pressure ultraviolet (MPUV) lamp irradiation in water was able to easily remove fluorine from the fluorinated BDD surface.     

Study of crater formation and sputtering process with large gas cluster impact by molecular dynamics simulations

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of large argon clusters impacting on silicon solid targets were performed in order to study the transient process of crater formation and sputtering. The MD simulations demonstrate that the initial momentum of incident cluster is transferred to target surface atoms through multiple collision mechanism, where the initial momentum, which is along to the surface normal before impact, is deflected to lateral direction. This momentum transfer process was analyzed by the calculation of the velocity at the crater edge (the interface between cluster and target). In the case of Ar₁₀₀₀ cluster impact on Si(1 0 0) target at low energy per atom less than 40 eV/atom, the maximum value of lateral velocity of the crater edge increases in proportional to the velocity of incident cluster atoms. On the other hand, the crater edge velocity saturates over 40 eV/atom of incident energy per atom. In this case, the whole of constituent cluster atoms are implanted into the target and expand in both lateral and reflective directions at the subsurface region of the target. These MD simulations demonstrated that this collisional process result in the high yield sputtering of the target atoms.     

The result of a wall failure in-pile experiment under the EAGLE project

The WF (wall failure) test of the EAGLE program, in which 2 kg of uranium dioxide fuel-pins were melted by nuclear heating, was successfully conducted in the IGR (Impulse Graphite Reactor) of NNC/Kazakhstan. In this test, a 3 mm-thick stainless steel (SS) wall structure was placed between fuel pins and a 10 mm-thick sodium-filled channel (sodium gap). During the transient, fuel pins were heated, which led to the formation of a fuel-steel mixture pool. Under the transient nuclear heating condition, the SS wall was strongly heated by the molten pool, leading to wall failure. The time needed for fuel penetration into the sodium-filled gap was very short (less than 1 s after the pool formation). The result suggests that molten core materials formed in hypothetical LMFBR core disruptive accidents have a certain potential to destroy SS-wall boundaries early in the accident phase, thereby providing fuel escape paths from the core region. The early establishment of such fuel escape paths is regarded as a favorable characteristic in eliminating the possibility of severe re-criticality events. A preliminary interpretation on the WF test results is presented in this paper.     

An immuno-wall microdevice exhibits rapid and sensitive detection of IDH1-R132H mutation specific to grade II and III gliomas

World Health Organization grade II and III gliomas most frequently occur in the central nervous system (CNS) in adults. Gliomas are not circumscribed; tumor edges are irregular and consist of tumor cells, normal brain tissue, and hyperplastic reactive glial cells. Therefore, the tumors are not fully resectable, resulting in recurrence, malignant progression, and eventual death. Approximately 69–80% of grade II and III gliomas harbor mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 gene (IDH1), of which 83–90% are found to be the IDH1-R132H mutation. Detection of the IDH1-R132H mutation should help in the differential diagnosis of grade II and III gliomas from other types of CNS tumors and help determine the boundary between the tumor and normal brain tissue. In this study, we established a highly sensitive antibody-based device, referred to as the immuno-wall, to detect the IDH1-R132H mutation in gliomas. The immuno-wall causes an immunoreaction in microchannels fabricated using a photo-polymerizing polymer. This microdevice enables the analysis of the IDH1 status with a small sample within 15 min with substantially high sensitivity. Our results suggested that 10% content of the IDH1-R132H mutation in a sample of 0.33 μl volume, with 500 ng protein, or from 500 cells is theoretically sufficient for the analysis. The immuno-wall device will enable the rapid and highly sensitive detection of the IDH1-R132H mutation in routine clinical practice.     

Synthesis and Self-Organization of Fluorene-Conjugated Bisimidazolylporphyrin and Its Optical Properties

A conjugated-bisimidazolylporphyrin bridged by bis(ethynylfluorene) was synthesized and organized into linear polymer through self-coordination having mean molecular weights, M_w and M_n, of ~2.1 × 10⁵ Da and ~1.6 × 10⁵ Da, respectively. A large two-photon absorption cross section value of 3.4 × 10⁵ GM (per dimer unit) was observed. This value was comparable to that of the previously reported self-assembled linear polymer consisting of butadiyne-bridged imidazolylporphyrins. The two-photon absorption properties could be controlled by tuning the wavelength and absorption intensity of the one-photon absorption.     

Suppression of inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and amelioration of lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury by polyphenolic compounds in Eucalyptus globulus leaf extract

Eucalyptus leaf extract (ELE) is rich in hydrolyzable tannins. We examined the effects of ELE and its constituents on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury in mice. Mice fed a diet supplemented with 1% ELE were intraperitoneally administered LPS. Six hours later, the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities were significantly lower in the ELE-supplemented mice than in the controls; LPS-induced hepatic inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression was also suppressed. ELE lowered LPS-stimulated iNOS expression in cultured RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, the aglycones of hydrolyzable tannins, gallic acid (GA) and ellagic acid (EA), inhibited iNOS induction to a greater extent than did ELE (15-fold higher). When mice were fed a 1% GA or EA diet, the increase in the serum ALT and AST activities and hepatic iNOS expression in response to the LPS challenge were significantly attenuated. Thus, hydrolyzable tannins in ELE ameliorate LPS-induced liver injury.