Synthesis, dielectric and magnetic characteristics of poly(1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole) (PVTri)-barium hexaferrite composite

The production of PVTri-BaFe₁₂O₁₉ composites was carried out by in situ polymerization of PVTri in the presence of synthesized BaFe₁₂O₁₉ particles. Crystalline phase was determined as BaFe₁₂O₁₉ by XRD analysis and thermal analysis revealed an inorganic content of ∼45% in the composite. SEM and TEM analyses showed strongly agglomerated particles in the range of 200 nm to several micrometers in the composite. The dielectric function of the various temperatures showed frequency dependency in a reciprocal power law. The dissipation (or loss) of energy stored within the composite was found to obey the reciprocal rule of power law of the frequency dependency. The real part of electrical modulus formalism increased exponentially with frequency for various temperatures, reaching a constant value and finally saturated. The imaginary part showed a reciprocal power law against the applied frequency and shifted to higher frequency at elevated temperatures. Magnetization measurements revealed substantially lower saturation magnetization of the composite material as compared to the bulk barium ferrite powders, possibly due to pinning of some of the surface spins by the adsorption of the PVTri molecules to the surface of the BaFe₁₂O₁₉.     

A lumped-circuit model for the radiation impedance of a circular piston in a rigid baffle

The radiation impedance of a piston transducer mounted in a rigid baffle has been widely addressed in the literature. The real and imaginary parts of the impedance are described by the first order Bessel and Struve functions, respectively. Although there are power series expansions for both functions, the analytic formulation of a lumped circuit is not trivial. In this paper, we present an empirical approach to the derivation of a lumped-circuit model for the radiation impedance expression, based on observations on the near-field behavior of stored kinetic and elastic energy. The field analysis is carried out using a finite element method model of the piston and surrounding fluid medium. We show that fluctuations in the real and imaginary components of the impedance can be modeled by series and shunt tank circuits, each of which shape a certain section of the impedance curve. Because the model is composed of lumped-circuit elements, it can be used in circuit simulators. Consequently, the proposed model is useful for the analysis of transducer front-end circuits.     

BDMC33, A Curcumin Derivative Suppresses Inflammatory Responses in Macrophage-Like Cellular System: Role of Inhibition in NF-κB and MAPK Signaling Pathways

Our preliminary screening has shown that curcumin derivative BDMC33 [2,6-bis(2,5-dimethoxybenzylidene)cyclohexanone] exerted promising nitric oxide inhibitory activity in activated macrophages. However, the molecular basis and mechanism for its pharmacological action is yet to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of BDMC33 and elucidate its underlying mechanism action in macrophage cells. Our current study demonstrated that BDMC33 inhibits the secretion of major pro-inflammatory mediators in stimulated macrophages, and includes NO, TNF-α and IL-1β through interference in both nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) and mitogen activator protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade in IFN-γ/LPS-stimulated macrophages. Moreover, BDMC33 also interrupted LPS signaling through inhibiting the surface expression of CD-14 accessory molecules. In addition, the inhibitory action of BDMC33 not only restricted the macrophages cell (RAW264.7), but also inhibited the secretion of NO and TNF-α in IFN-γ/LPS-challenged microglial cells (BV-2). The experimental data suggests the inflammatory action of BDMC33 on activated macrophage-like cellular systems, which could be used as a future therapeutic agent in the management of chronic inflammatory diseases.