Effect of pH,ionic strength,and temperature on uranyl ion adsorption by poly(N‐vinyl 2‐pyrrolidone‐g‐tartaric acid) hydrogels

Poly‐electrolyte N‐vinyl 2‐pyrrolidone‐g‐tartaric acid (PVP‐g‐TA) hydrogels with varying compositions were prepared in the form of rods from ternary mixtures of N‐vinyl 2‐pyrrolidone/tartaric acid/water. The effect of external stimuli, such as the solution pH, ionic strength, and temperature, on uranyl adsorption by these hydrogels was investigated. Uranyl adsorption capacities of the hydrogels were determined to be 53.2–72.2 (mg UO/g dry gel) at pH 1.8, and 35.3–60.7 (mg UO/g dry gel) at pH 3.8, depending on the amount of TA in the hydrogel. The adsorption studies have shown that the temperature and the ionic strength of the swelling solution also influence uranyl ion adsorption by PVP‐g‐TA hydrogels. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 2219–2226, 2000     

Catalytic hydrogenation of CO over the doped perovskite oxide YBa2Cu3O7-x catalysts

Perovskite oxide structured YBa₂Cu₃O₇-x(YBCO) has been first prepared by carbonate precipitation and then modified with palladium or ruthenium by impregnation on the perovskite oxide, while cobalt was co-precipitated simultaneously in the same pH range with perovskite oxide. After characterization the catalysts were used in the temperature range 300–450°C, in the pressure range 1–9 atmospheres and for H₂/CO ratios in the range 1–4 in a differential plug flow reactor for the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide to give hydrocarbons. The perovskite oxide (YBCO) 20% (w/w) and doped 2% (w/w) cobalt oxide catalyst were prepared by the wet chemical method from their nitrate solutions and oxidized at 950°C. Perovskite oxide (Dursun, G. & Winterbottom, J. M., J. Chem. Technol Biotechnol. 63 (1995) 113–16) was also doped with palladium and ruthenium metal by impregnation followed by oxidation at 250°C. The catalysts prepared were characterized by using TemperatureProgrammed Reduction (TPR) to observe the reduction temperature and also to measure total and metal surface area. The modified perovskite oxide on alumina, ruthenium- and cobalt-doped catalysts, has been shown to give a better conversion and also selectivity towards saturated hydrocarbons compared with palladium-doped catalyst. The temperature effect of these catalysts is more consistent, giving a steady increase of conversion with increasing temperature. Although increase of pressure increases the conversion, it causes very little change in product distribution. The activation energy of palladium- and ruthenium-doped, and cobalt co-precipitated catalysts for the reaction has been measured to be 55 kJ mol⁻¹, 75 kJ mol⁻¹ and 50 kJ mol⁻¹ respectively. A general rate equation of the form r=k[H₂]^m[CO]ⁿ has been observed and found to be applicable at the pressures and temperatures used for the catalytic system studied and found to be m≌1·0 for palladium-doped, m≌1·2 for ruthenium-doped and m≌0·95 for cobalt co-precipitated catalysts as n becomes zero or negligibly less than zero. The mechanism of reaction to produce hydrocarbons from syngas has been deduced from the results. It appeared that the carbon monoxide insertion mechanism has been more evident for palladium-doped catalysts whereas the carbide mechanism plays the main role for the ruthenium-doped and cobalt co-precipitated catalysts. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry     

Interaction of nicotine and its pharmaceutical derivatives with acrylamide/itaconic acid hydrogels

Acrylamide/itaconic acid hydrogels (AAm/IA) containing different amounts of itaconic acid prepared by irradiating with γ radiation were used in experiments on swelling, diffusion, and interactions of the pharmaceuticals nicotine, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, and nikethamide. AAm/IA hydrogel containing 60 mg itaconic acid and irradiated at 4.65 kGy has been used for swelling and diffusion studies in water and aqueous solutions of the pharmaceuticals. For this hydrogel, swelling studies indicated that swelling increased with the following order: water > nicotine > nikethamide > nicotinamide > nicotinic acid. Diffusions of water and the pharmaceuticals within hydrogels were found to be non-Fickian in character. The uptake of the pharmaceuticals to AAm/IA hydrogels was studied by batch adsorption technique at 25°C. In the experiments of the adsorption, C-type adsorption in Giles's classification system was found. Some binding and thermodynamic parameters for AAm/IA hydrogel-pharmaceutical systems were calculated by using the Klotz method. The values of adsorption heat, free energy, and entropy of this system were found as negative values. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 733–739, 1997     

Insulin Resistance and Cancer: In Search for a Causal Link

Insulin resistance (IR) is a condition which refers to individuals whose cells and tissues become insensitive to the peptide hormone, insulin. Over the recent years, a wealth of data has made it clear that a synergistic relationship exists between IR, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cancer. Although the underlying mechanism(s) for this association remain unclear, it is well established that hyperinsulinemia, a hallmark of IR, may play a role in tumorigenesis. On the other hand, IR is strongly associated with visceral adiposity dysfunction and systemic inflammation, two conditions which favor the establishment of a pro-tumorigenic environment. Similarly, epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA, in IR states, have been often associated with tumorigenesis in numerous types of human cancer. In addition to these observations, it is also broadly accepted that gut microbiota may play an intriguing role in the development of IR-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cancer, whereas potential chemopreventive properties have been attributed to some of the most commonly used antidiabetic medications. Herein we provide a concise overview of the most recent literature in this field and discuss how different but interrelated molecular pathways may impact on tumor development.     

Application of grey relational analysis based on Taguchi method for optimizing machining parameters in hard turning of high chrome cast iron

High chrome white cast iron is particularly preferred in the production of machine parts requiring high wear resistance. Although the amount of chrome in these materials provides high wear and corrosion resistances, it makes their machinability difficult. This study presents an application of the grey relational analysis based on the Taguchi method in order to optimize chrome ratio, cutting speed, feed rate, and cutting depth for the resultant cutting force (F_R) and surface roughness (R_a) when hard turning high chrome cast iron with a cubic boron nitride (CBN) insert. The effect levels of machining parameters on F_R and R_a were examined by an analysis of variance (ANOVA). A grey relational grade (GRG) was calculated to simultaneously minimize F_R and R_a. The ANOVA results based on GRG indicated that the feed rate, followed by the cutting depth, was the main parameter and contributed to responses. Optimal levels of parameters were found when the chrome ratio, cutting speed, feed rate, and cutting depth were 12%, 100 m/min, 0.05 mm/r, and 0.1 mm, respectively, based on the multiresponse optimization results obtained by considering the maximum signal to noise (S/N) ratio of GRG. Confirmation results were verified by calculating the confidence level within the interval width.The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-018-0231-z     

A technical review of building-mounted wind power systems and a sample simulation model

Small scale wind turbines installed within the built environment is classified as micro generation technology. This paper reports the investigation results of wind power application in buildings. First, general information is given for common type of wind turbines are used on buildings. Second, the wind aerodynamics and wind flows over the buildings are investigated based on local meteorological data and local building characteristics. However, to receive the highest potential wind energy resource and avoid turbulent areas, the tool of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has to be used to model the annual wind flows over buildings to help analyze, locate, and design wind turbines on and around buildings. Three different sample models for buildings and rural residential areas are explained with CFD models.     

Diffusion kinetics of borided AISI 52100 and AISI 440C steels

In this study, the case properties and diffusion kinetics of AISI 440C and AISI 52100 steels borided in Ekabor-II powder were investigated by conducting a series of experiments at temperatures of 1123, 1173 and 1223 K for 2, 4 and 8 h.The boride layer was characterized by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction technique and micro-Vickers hardness tester. X-ray diffraction analysis of boride layers on the surface of the steels revealed the existence of FeB, Fe₂B and CrB compounds.The thickness of boride layer increases by increasing boriding time and temperature for all steels. The hardness of the boride compounds formed on the surface of steels AISI 52100 and AISI 440C ranged from 1530 to 2170 HV_0.05 and 1620 to 1989 HV_0.05, respectively whereas Vickers hardness values of untreated steels AISI 440C and AISI 52100 were 400 HV_0.05 and 311 HV_0.05, respectively. The activation energies (Q) of borided steels were 340.426 kJ/mol for AISI 440C and 269.638 kJ/mol for AISI 52100. The growth kinetics of the boride layers forming on the AISI 440C and AISI 52100 steels and thickness of boride layers were also investigated.     

Poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) based magnetic nanoparticles for plasmid DNA purification from Escherichia coli lysate

The aim of this study is to prepare poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-N-methacryloyl-(L)-histidine) [PHEMAH] magnetic nanoparticles for plasmid DNA (pDNA) purification from Escherichia coli (E. coli) cell lysate. Magnetic nanoparticles were produced by surfactant free emulsion polymerization. mPHEMAH nanoparticles were characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), electron spin resonance (ESR), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Surface area, average particle size and size distribution were also performed. Specific surface area of the mPHEMAH nanoparticles was found to be 1180 m²/g. Elemental analysis of MAH for nitrogen was estimated as 0.18 mmol/g polymer. The amount of pDNA adsorbed onto the mPHEMAH nanoparticles first increased and then reached a saturation value at around 1.0 mg/mL of pDNA concentration. Compared with the mPHEMA nanoparticles (50 μg/g polymer), the pDNA adsorption capacity of the mPHEMAH nanoparticles (154 mg/g polymer) was improved significantly due to the MAH incorporation into the polymeric matrix. The maximum pDNA adsorption was achieved at 25 °C. The overall recovery of pDNA was calculated as 92%. The mPHEMAH nanoparticles could be used six times without decreasing the pDNA adsorption capacity significantly. The results indicate that the PHEMAH nanoparticles promise high selectivity for pDNA.     

基于BP神经网络的MMC电容电压控制研究

模块化多电平换流器(Modular Multilevel Converter,MMC)作为一种新型的电压源换流器,被广泛应用于直流输电领域.电容的电压平衡问题在MMC中非常重要,随着MMC子模块个数的增多,电容电压的平衡变得越来越困难.本文提出了一种基于BP-PID的双闭环控制策略,通过控制调制波来控制子模块的工作状态...     

一种基于单换能器的超声离合器的设计及性能分析

提出了一种基于单换能器的新型超声离合器;分析了近场超声悬浮的机理,设计并制造了超声换能器和预紧装置,构建了超声离合器原型机;对该超声离合器的功率-转速、功率-扭矩和功率-减速比特性进行了实验研究。结果表明,原型机实现完全分离的功率为0.35kW;电机转速为500r/min和800r/min下原型机的极限扭矩分别为0.39N·m和0.42N·m。验证了基于单换能器的超声离合器的可行性和有效性。