Structures and catalytic properties of magnesium molybdate in the oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes

Magnesium molybdates have been prepared from an aqueous solution of magnesium nitrate and ammonium paramolybdate under various pH conditions and used for the selective oxidation of propane and isobutane with gaseous oxygen under atmospheric pressure in the temperature range of 360–520°C. The structure analyses by XRD and FT-IR showed the formation of three phases, -MgMoO₄, -MgMoO₄ and Mg₂Mo₃O₁₁, in the catalysts calcined below 550°C. The catalyst prepared at pH=5.7 showed the highest activity for the oxidative dehydrogenation of the alkanes as well as the strongest acidity. By XPS measurements, an excess amount of Mo compared to Mg was observed over the active catalysts. It is likely that the excess molybdenum species is present as molybdate and creates acidic sites over the catalyst surface.     

Convergence Analysis for Symmetric Arbitration Games FOA and DOA

Up to now, results on the existence of Nash equilibrium have required either continuity of payoff functions or compactness of strategy sets. However, in the arbitration games FOA and DOA, neither condition is satisfied. This paper first gives a new existence result for a general game. The result is then applied to the symmetric arbitration games FOA and DOA. The conclusions of this paper generalize the main result of Zeng, Nakamura and Ibaraki (1996), that DOA leads to a convergence of offers but FOA does not.     

The crystallization of Gd2 3 -Al2O3 glasses

Glasses of Gd₂O₃ · x Al₂O₃ compositions where x represents 5/3, 4 and 6, were prepared using a rapid quenching apparatus and a laser beam. The crystallization process of the glasses was studied by means of differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction analysis and electron microscopy. The crystallizations of Gd₂O₃ · 5/3Al₂O₃, Gd₂O₃ · 4Al₂O₃ and Gd₂O₃ · 6Al₂O₃ are complex and exhibit one, two and three exothermic peaks in DTA measurement with increasing Al₂O₃ concentration, respectively. The crystallization process of Gd₂O₃ · 5/3Al₂O₃ glass involved the direct formation of the gadolinium aluminium garnet, 3Gd₂O₃ · 5l_{2 3} (GdAG), which is not obtained by the ordinary solid phase reaction. After crystallization of Gd₂O₃ · 4Al₂O₃ and Gd₂O₃ · l_{2 3} glass, both phases become a mixture of Gd₂O₃ · Al₂O₃ (perovskite type) and -Al₂O₃.     

Characterisation of HyperCoals from coals of various ranks

Ashless coals (HyperCoal) produced by thermal extraction of coals of different ranks with 1-methylnaphthalene at temperatures from 300 to 420 °C for 60 min were characterised. HyperCoal has many light components that are easily volatised and decomposed, and it has high thermal reactivity. All the HyperCoals showed high thermoplasticity during heating; in particular, HyperCoals obtained from low-rank Pasir and Mulia coals showed high thermoplasticity beginning at temperatures near 150 °C. On increasing the extraction temperature for Pasir sub-bituminous coal, the weight loss during heating decreased and the resolidification temperature shifted to higher temperatures. These results suggest that the Pasir-HyperCoal obtained at higher temperatures contains more, relatively heavy components. Nuclear magnetic resonance measurements showed that the ratio of aromatic carbon increased with increasing extraction temperature, indicating that some modification reactions occurred.     

A study on the preparation of supported metal oxide catalysts using JRC-reference catalysts. I. Preparation of a molybdena–alumina catalyst. Part 3. Drying process

In the present part of the group study on the preparation of 13 wt% MoO₃/Al₂O₃, the effects of drying processes were investigated on the physicochemical and catalytic properties. Two series of catalysts were prepared by a conventional impregnation technique and by an equilibrium adsorption method using a common extrudate support. XPS and EPMA results demonstrated that the distribution of Mo oxide species in extrudates was strongly affected by drying processes. A rapid drying, in particular at a reduced pressure, was found to induce a strong segregation of Mo oxides on the outer surface of the extrudates, forming a sharp egg shell type distribution of Mo. On the other hand, drying under static conditions produced a moderate egg shell type distribution, suggesting that a slow drying rate is favorable for a homogeneous distribution of Mo. The equilibrium adsorption technique was found to provide considerably flat Mo profiles inside the extrudates except for the utmost surfaces where Mo concentrations increased steeply.     

E8002 Reduces Adhesion Formation and Improves Joint Mobility in a Rat Model of Knee Arthrofibrosis

Knee arthrofibrosis is a common complication of knee surgery, caused by excessive scar tissue, which results in functional disability. However, no curative treatment has been established. E8002 is an anti-adhesion material that contains L-ascorbic acid, an antioxidant. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of E8002 for the prevention of knee arthrofibrosis in a rat model, comprising injury to the surface of the femur and quadriceps muscle 1 cm proximal to the patella. Sixteen male, 8-week-old Sprague Dawley rats were studied: in the Adhesion group, haemorrhagic injury was induced to the quadriceps and bone, and in the E8002 group, an adhesion-preventing film was implanted between the quadriceps and femur after injury. Six weeks following injury, the restriction of knee flexion owing to fibrotic scarring had not worsened in the E8002 group but had worsened in the Adhesion group. The area of fibrotic scarring was smaller in the E8002 group than in the Adhesion group (p < 0.05). In addition, the numbers of fibroblasts (p < 0.05) and myofibroblasts (p < 0.01) in the fibrotic scar were lower in the E8002 group. Thus, E8002 reduces myofibroblast proliferation and fibrotic scar formation and improves the range of motion of the joint in a model of knee injury.     

Damped oscillation of liquid column in vertical U-tube for Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids

Damped oscillation of Newtonian liquid in a vertical U-tube is one of the well known phenomena and the solutionof this liquid motion for the laminar flow regime in the circular pipe was solved,however,generally speaking,even if the period of the oscillational motion by this solution is nearly coincided with that of the experimental re-sult,the estimation of the damped oscillational process with lapse of time by the solved equation is not in agree-ment with that of the experimental result.Therefore basing upon the experimental results of the velocity distribu-tions of the oscillational motion in the circular U-tube for the Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids,the velocitydistribution of the Bingham plastic flow is assumed.The solutions of the damped oscillation and also of the ver-tical falling and rising velocities of the free surface in the vertical U-tube of the diameters D=10mm,20mm and40mm are compared with water and water-glycerine solution for the Newtonian liquids and the acrylicco-polymer solutions for the non-Newtonian liquid.The comparisons of these solved equations by the new flowmodel are shown in good agreement with the experimental results.The above stated results are described indetail.     

Numerical simulation of natural convection heat transfer in the open space between two horizontal circular planes

Numerical simulations were conducted for natural convection heat transfer in a narrow gap between two horizontal plates in air. The lower plate is an infinite plate with a circular heating zone. The upper one is the bottom of a vertical cylinder, which is placed right above the circular heated plate and kept at room temperature. A set of Navier–Stokes equations and an energy equation are analyzed for a variety of combinations of gap clearance and Rayleigh number. The calculated average heat transfer values are shown to be in good agreement with the experimentally obtained ones reported in a previous paper. From the obtained isotherms, streamlines, and local Nusselt numbers, it is found that two types of convection appear in the gap space according to the conditions of Rayleigh number and gap clearance: one is a simple convection due to a single renewal flow which replaces heated air with ambient air and the other is a combined convection due to several vortex flows and a renewal flow. Furthermore, the flow rate of each flow controls the rate of heat transfer from the limited area which is covered by each flow. From this fact, the validity of the previously proposed heat transfer correlation is briefly discussed. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Asian Res, 30(6): 485–502, 2001     

EphB4 as a Novel Target for the EGFR-Independent Suppressive Effects of Osimertinib on Cell Cycle Progression in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Osimertinib is the latest generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor used for patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to explore the novel mechanisms of osimertinib by particularly focusing on EGFR-independent effects, which have not been well characterized. We explored the EGFR-independent effects of osimertinib on cell proliferation using NSCLC cell lines, an antibody array analysis, and the association between the action of osimertinib and the ephrin receptor B4 (EphB4). We also studied the clinicopathological significance of EphB4 in 84 lung adenocarcinoma patients. Osimertinib exerted significant inhibitory effects on cell growth and cell cycle progression by promoting the phosphorylation of p53 and p21 and decreasing cyclin D1 expression independently of EGFR. EphB4 was significantly suppressed by osimertinib and promoted cell growth and sensitivity to osimertinib. The EphB4 status in carcinoma cells was positively correlated with tumor size, T factor, and Ki-67 labeling index in all patients and was associated with poor relapse-free survival in EGFR mutation-positive patients. EphB4 is associated with the EGFR-independent suppressive effects of osimertinib on cell cycle and with a poor clinical outcome. Osimertinib can exert significant growth inhibitory effects in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients with a high EphB4 status.