Properties of Li4Ti5O12 as an anode material in non-flammable electrolytes

Two non-flammable electrolytes 1 M LiPF₆ in sulfolane (TMS) + 5 wt% VC and 0.7 M lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulphonyl)imide (LiNTf₂) in N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulphonyl)imide (MePrPyrNTf₂) + 10 wt% gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) were tested with Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ (LTO) as highly promising anode material for application in lithium-ion batteries. The results were compared for the titanium anode in the classic electrolyte: 1 M LiPF₆ in propylene carbonate + dimethyl carbonate (PC + DMC, 1:1). The performances of LTO/electrolyte/Li cell were tested using cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and galvanostatic charge/discharge and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM images of electrodes and those taken after electrochemical cycling showed changes which may be interpreted as a result of solid-state interface formation. Good charge/discharge capacities and low capacity loss at medium C rates preliminary cycling was obtained for the Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anode. For LTO/1 M LiPF₆ in PC + DMC/Li system, the best capacity was obtained at C/10 and C/3 (145 and 154 mAh g^?1, respectively). In the case of a system working on the basis of a TMS solution (1 M LiPF₆ in TMS + 5 wt% VC) the best value was obtained at a C/5 current and an average of more than 150 mAh g^?1 (86 % of theoretical capacity). For the 0.7 M LiNTf₂ in MePrPyrNTf₂ + 10 wt% GBL electrolyte, the highest capacitance value (at C/20 current) of about 150 mAh g^?1 was observed. The 1 M LiPF₆ in TMS + 5 wt% VC and 0.7 M LiNTf₂ in MePrPyrNTf₂ + 10 wt% GBL electrolytes had a relatively broad thermal stability range and no decomposition peak was observed below 150 °C.     

Influence of a sorbitol‐based nucleating agent modified with silsesquioxanes on the non‐isothermal crystallization of isotactic polypropylene

This article investigates the effect of modifying the polypropylene (iPP) α‐phase nucleating agent 1,3:2,4‐bis(3,4‐dimethylbenzylidene) sorbitol (DMDBS) with tetrasilanolphenyl silsesquioxane (phPOSS). It has been proven that an increasing amount of silsesquioxane leads to differences in the crystallization behavior. What is more, it has been observed that the nucleation effect that results from the addition of sorbitol derivatives is suppressed by phPOSS activity. To understand the influence of phPOSS addition on the crystallization kinetics of PP/DMDBS/phPOSS composites that have been prepared by melt processing in a twin screw extruder, differential scanning calorimetry, rotational rheometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are performed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40131.     

New Ion Exchangers Based on Copolymers: 2,3-(2-Hydroxy-3-Methacryloyloxypropoxy)Naphthalene–Styrene

Synthesis and characterization of the new polymeric ion exchangers with thiol and sulfonyl hydroxide groups are presented. These new sorbents were also compared with polymeric microspheres possessing methylenethiol groups on the surface presented previously. The polymeric cation ion exchangers in the form of microspheres were obtained by the suspension-emulsion polymerization tetrafunctional monomer: 2,3-(2-hydroxy-3-methacryloyloxypropoxy)naphthalene (2,3-NAF.DM) with styrene (St). Next, multistage modification introducing sulfur-containing group (thiol or sulfonyl hydroxide or methylenethiol) on the surface of polymeric matrices was made. In order to obtain sulfonyl hydroxide derivatives the matrices were performed as follows: the parent microspheres were treated by H₂SO₄ (Method I) or with the addition of oleum (Method II). The thiol groups were introduced in a two-stage reaction. In the first stage chlorosulfonation of parent microspheres in the presence of chlorosulfonic acid was carried out. Finally, the reduction of modified microspheres by using SnCl₂·2H₂O was conducted. The sulfur group content (elemental analysis, scanning electron microscope EDX SEM), thermal properties (thermogravimetric analysis), porous structure as well as the swelling characteristics of the functional beads were examined. The surface texture was also visualized by the AFM method.     

Synergistic Solvent Extraction and Transport of Zn(II) and Cu(II) across Polymer Inclusion Membranes with a Mixture of TOPO and Aliquat 336

Separation of zinc(II) and copper(II) ions from aqueous solutions by synergistic extraction and transport through polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) has been investigated. A mixture of trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) and trioctymethylammonium chloride (Aliquat 336) was used as a selective extractant as well as an ion carrier in polymer membranes. The effects of hydrochloric acid concentration in the aqueous phase and extractants concentration in the organic phase on the separation process of zinc(II) and copper(II) ions have been studied. Zn(II) ions were successfully separated from Cu(II) ions in solvent extraction process using 0.025 M TOPO and 0.06 M Aliquat 336 in kerosene. Polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) containing a mixture of TOPO and Aliquat 336 as the ion carrier have been prepared and the facilitated transport of Zn(II) and Cu(II) ions has been studied. The influence of membrane composition on the transport kinetic of Zn(II) and Cu(II) has been evaluated. Zn(II) ions were preferably transported from the aqueous solutions containing Cu(II) and above 87% of Zn(II) ions were effectively recovered from the 0.5 M HCl solution as the source phase through PIM into 0.5 M H₂SO₄ as the stripping phase.     

Real-Time Fire Monitoring and Visualization for the Post-Ignition Fire State in a Building

During a fire event, environmental threats to building occupants and first responders include extreme temperatures, toxic gases, disorientation due to poor visibility coupled with unfamiliar surroundings, and a changing indoor environment. In addition to these hazards, firefighters often lack critical information for making decisions once on the scene. The lack of information coupled with the dynamics of natural fire events leads to several near-misses, injuries, and deaths each year. Additionally, these challenges slow the rescue time of building occupants and prolong the suppression of the fire. Integrating real-time measurements from sensors into the fire intervention strategy may provide an opportunity for a new technological advancement to improve the practice of firefighting. In this study, a computational framework using Lightweight Communications and Marshalling was developed for connecting real-time fire data to an event detection sub-model to demonstrate how computing can be used for fire monitoring and sensor-assisted firefighting. A post-processed example using these monitoring computations in conjunction with a building information model is provided as a demonstration for presenting real-time data in the field. This work serves as a step towards an intelligent firefighting system based on real-time computing tools.     

Influence of chemical modification of wood on the crystallisation of polypropylene

The mechanical properties of wood/polypropylene composites depend strongly on interfacial adhesion between components. However, the application of chemical modification to improve compatibility can influence the supermolecular structure of polypropylene matrix. The experimental material comprised two most common Polish timber species pine wood (Pinus silvestris L.) as a softwood species and beech wood (Fagus silvatica L.) as a hardwood species. The size of wood sawdust ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 mm. Three different types of wood/PP mixture were prepared: (1) PP – untreated wood, (2) PP – NaOH treated wood and (3) PP – esterified wood with maleic anhydride. In this work, the kinetic parameters of crystallization of PP by differential scanning calorimetry were investigated. It is interesting that crystallisation of PP depends on the kind of wood. The chemical treatment of wood caused changes of crystal conversion and half crystallisation time of polypropylene matrix.     

A comparison of positive matrix factorization and the weighted multivariate curve resolution method. Application to environmental data

In recent years, positive matrix factorization, PMF, has gained popularity in environmental sciences and it has been recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a general modeling tool in air quality control. Among the attractive features contributing to its popularity is that measurement uncertainty information can be incorporated into the PMF model, which allows the handling of missing measurements and data below the reporting limits. In addition, the solutions obtained from PMF obey constraints such as the non-negativity of the source compositions and source contributions of samples that make their interpretation physically meaningful. A less popular multivariate curve resolution method based on a weighted alternating least-squares algorithm, MCR-WALS, also incorporates the measurement error information and non-negativity constraints, which makes this method a potential tool when obtaining composition and contribution profiles of environmental data. Both methods use the same loss function, but they differ in the way the profiles are obtained. The goal of this study was to compare the performance of PMF with the performance of MCR-WALS for data sets simulated with different correlation and error structures. The results showed that the profiles extracted by both methods are virtually the same for data with different error structures.     

Lysosomal Exocytosis of Olivacine on the Way to Explain Drug Resistance in Cancer Cells

Ellipticine is an indole alkaloid with proven antitumor activity against various tumors in vitro and a diverse mechanism of action, which includes topoisomerase II inhibition, intercalation, and cell cycle impact. Olivacine—ellipticine’s isomer—shows similar properties. The objectives of this work were as follows: (a) to find a new path of olivacine synthesis, (b) to study the cytotoxic properties of olivacine and ellipticine in comparison to doxorubicin as well as their impact on the cell cycle, and (c) to investigate the cellular pharmacokinetics of the tested compounds to understand drug resistance in cancer cells better. SRB and MTT assays were used to study the anticancer activity of olivacine and ellipticine in vitro. Both compounds showed a cytotoxic effect on various cell lines, most notably on the doxorubicin-resistant LoVo/DX model, with olivacine’s cytotoxicity approximately three times higher than doxorubicin. Olivacine proved to be less effective against cancer cells and less cytotoxic to normal cells than ellipticine. Olivacine proved to have fluorescent properties. Microscopic observation of cells treated with olivacine showed the difference in sensitivity depending on the cell line, with A549 cells visibly affected by a much lower concentration of olivacine than normal NHDF cells. An increased percentage of cells in G0/G1 was observed after treatment with olivacine and ellipticine, suggesting an impact on cell cycle progression, potentially via higher p53 protein expression, which blocks the transition from G0/G1 to the S phase. Ellipticine induced apoptosis at a concentration as low as 1 μM. It has been proved that the tested compounds (ellipticine and olivacine) undergo lysosomal exocytosis. Reducing exocytosis is possible through the use of compounds that inhibit the activity of the proton pump. Olivacine and ellipticine exhibited diverse cytotoxicity against a panel of cancer cells. Analysis of the lysosomal exocytosis of olivacine and ellipticine shows the need to look for derivatives with comparable anticancer activity but reduced weak base character.     

May Staphylococcus lugdunensis Be an Etiological Factor of Chronic Maxillary Sinuses Infection?

Staphylococcus lugdunensis is an opportunistic pathogen found in the healthy human skin microbiome bacterial community that is able to cause infections of diverse localization, manifestation, and course, including laryngological infections, such as necrotizing sinusitis. Chronic maxillary sinusitis is a disease present in up to one third of European and American populations, and its etiology is not fully described. Within this study, we aimed to characterize 18 S. lugdunensis strains recovered from maxillary sinuses and evaluate them as etiological agents of chronic disease. We performed MLST analysis, the complex analysis of both phenotypic and genetic virulence factors, antibiotic susceptibility profiles, and biofilm formation assay for the detection of biofilm-associated genes. Altogether, S. lugdunensis strains were clustered into eight different STs, and we demonstrated several virulence factors associated with the chronic disease. All tested strains were able to produce biofilm in vitro with numerous strains with a very strong ability, and overall, they were mostly susceptible to antibiotics, although we found resistance to fosfomycin, erythromycin, and clindamycin in several strains. We believe that further in-depth analysis of S. lugdunensis strains from different niches, including the nasal one, should be performed in the future in order to reduce infection rate and broaden the knowledge about this opportunistic pathogen that is gaining attention.     

Preparation of Novel Pyrazolo[4,3-e]tetrazolo[1,5-b][1,2,4]triazine Sulfonamides and Their Experimental and Computational Biological Studies

Pyrazolo[4,3-e]tetrazolo[1,5-b][1,2,4]triazine sulfonamides constitute a novel class of heterocyclic compounds with broad biological activity, including anticancer properties. Investigated in this study, MM-compounds (MM134, MM136, MM137, and MM139) exhibited cytotoxic and proapoptotic activity against cancer cell lines (BxPC-3, PC-3, and HCT-116) in nanomolar concentrations without causing cytotoxicity in normal cells (L929 and WI38). In silico predictions indicate that tested compounds exhibit favorable pharmacokinetic profiles and may exert anticancer activity through the inhibition of BTK kinase, the AKT-mTOR pathway and PD1-PD-L1 interaction. Our findings point out that these sulfonamide derivatives may constitute a source of new anticancer drugs after optimization.