Lithium-doped sulfated-zirconia catalysts for oxidative coupling of methane to give ethylene and ethane

Li-doped sulfated-zirconia catalysts were found to be effective for oxidative coupling of methane (OCM). The catalyst performances depend on the sulfate content and calcination temperature. A maximum C₂ yield is attained over the catalysts, which contain 6 wt.% sulfate and calcined at 923–973 K, being closely related to the preparation conditions of sulfated-ZrO₂ as solid super-acids. When the performances of the Li-doped sulfated-ZrO₂ (Li/SZ) catalysts were tested at 1023 K as a function of reaction time, both the C₂ and CO_x selectivities remained constant over the range of 8 h, but the CH₄ conversion decreased from 17.5% to 11.9%. The nature of Li/SZ catalysts for the OCM was investigated by X-ray diffraction, XPS, and NH₃ and CO₂ TPD measurements. It could be postulated that the sulfated-ZrO₂ surface could play an important role in the formation of a catalytically active structure by Li-doping.     

On phenomenological failure criteria for composite bolted joint analysis

There has been a recent trend to use phenomenological strength models in combination with point stress or average stress failure criteria to form strength models for the analysis of composite bolted joints. Several papers published using these approaches have demonstrated practical reductions in the size of the empirical data base required to perform bolted joint analysis for specific materials and laminates. Since the inception of phenomenological failure models for bolted joints several refinements have been proposed, but the generality of the method is not clearly defined. This paper addresses the concepts underlying the formulation of these strength models, compares the capabilities of several commonly used failure criteria and discusses the limits of applicability through example analyses and comparison with experimental data. The results indicate that differences in predicted strengths for the models examined were insignificant. Failure mode predictions based on single point failure location information varied from model to model and differed significantly from experimentally observed failure modes for some geometries. The models cannot be applied with confidence for the analysis of a wide class of laminates and geometries without calibrating the model through empirical data.     

Recombinant Long-Acting Thioredoxin Ameliorates AKI to CKD Transition via Modulating Renal Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

An effective strategy is highly desirable for preventing acute kidney injury (AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD) transition. Thioredoxin-1 (Trx), a redox-active protein that has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, would be a candidate for this but its short half-life limits its clinical application. In this study, we examined the renoprotective effect of long-acting Trx that is comprised of human albumin and Trx (HSA-Trx) against AKI to CKD transition. AKI to CKD mice were created by renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR). From day 1 to day 14 after renal IR, the recovery of renal function was accelerated by HSA-Trx administration. On day 14, HSA-Trx reduced renal fibrosis compared with PBS treatment. At the early phase of fibrogenesis (day 7), HSA-Trx treatment suppressed renal oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokine production and macrophage infiltration, thus ameliorating tubular injury and fibrosis. In addition, HSA-Trx treatment inhibited G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in renal tubular cells. While renal Trx protein levels were decreased after renal IR, the levels were recovered by HSA-Trx treatment. Together, HSA-Trx has potential for use in the treatment of AKI to CKD transition via its effects of modulating oxidative stress and inflammation.     

Osteoinduction by Functionally Graded Apatites of Bovine Origin Loaded with Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2

Bioresorbable and functionally graded apatites (fg-HAp) ceramics, which are characterized by gradations in crystallinity and the grain size of hydroxyapatite (HAp:Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂), were designed using bovine bone by the calcination and partial dissolution–precipitation method. The fg-HAp ceramics had macropores of 100–600 μm originated from spongy bone, and micropores of 10–160 nm. Fg-HAp ceramics loaded with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2/fg-HAp) were implanted into the subcutaneous tissue of rats. Eight weeks after the implantation, the surface and bulk degradations of the fg-HAp-containing body fluid occured, and small pieces of fg-HAp were incorporated into the induced bone and fatty marrow, suggesting that osteoinduction occurred in conjunction with bone remodeling. The rhBMP-2/fg-HAp ceramics developed could become a resorbable biomimetic material with fast bioresorption and osteoinduction characteristics.     

Effect of transition elements on the properties of MC carbides in IN-100 nickel-based superalloy

The effect of nine transition elements on the morphology, distribution and composition of MC carbides (MCs) in a nickel-base superalloy, IN-100, was investigated by differential thermal analysis (DTA), microstructural observation and X-ray microanalysis. The doping with tantalum, tungsten and molybdenum caused a significant change in the morphology and distribution of MCs as well as the profile of DTA curve of IN-100. The compositions of the MC in IN-100 were TiC and (Ti_0.80Mo_0.17V_0.03) C, and the doping with niobium, tantalum and tungsten changed significantly the composition of MC. On the other hand, the doping with chromium, vanadium, hafnium and zirconium scarcely changed the composition. In addition to TiC and (Ti, Mo, V) C, zirconium- and hafnium-rich MCs were found in the zirconium- and hafnium-doped alloys, respectively. The effect of the dopants on the composition of MCs could be explained by a relationship between the metallic radius and the free energy of formation for the MC.     

Retrohepatic cavoatrial shunt with a ringed polytetrafluoroethylene graft for the Budd-Chiari syndrome. A case report

This report describes a patient with Budd-Chiari syndrome who was operated on successfully by means of shunt formation with polytetrafluoroethylene graft between the inferior vena cava (IVC) and right atrium. The patient is a sixty-two-year-old woman suffering from persistent edema of the lower limbs for four years. The examination disclosed complete obstruction of the IVC at the level of the diaphragm with a patent right inferior hepatic vein. Following the operation, edema of the limbs disappeared, hypersplenism improved, and the serum ammonium concentration decreased to the normal range. In conclusion, a retrohepatic cavoatrial shunt is feasible and useful in treating a patient with the Budd-Chiari syndrome who has patent major hepatic veins.     

A highly reliable GaInAs-GaInP 0.98-μm window laser

A novel window structure realized by selective N ion implantation and subsequent rapid thermal annealing has been applied to overcome the catastrophic optical damage (COD) of a GaInAs-GaInP laser emitting in the 0.98-μm wavelength region. A kink-free output power up to 220 mW at 25°C was obtained. Laser characteristics including the I-L, far-field pattern, and lasing spectrum were almost the same as those of a conventional nonwindow laser consisting of the same structure except for the window region. In a 50°C, APC-150 mW aging test, the window lasers have operated stably beyond 16 000 h, and no damage has been observed. Under this aging condition, a median lifetime of 280 000 h was obtained from log-normal plotting of aging characteristics. This marked improvement in reliability is due to a remarkable increase of damage tolerance realized by the window structure. In addition, there was minimal change in the characteristic of the window laser during the aging, indicating the absence of serious inner degradation. These results clearly show that our 0.98-μm window laser suppresses both COD failure and inner degradation satisfactorily and can be used in practical applications     

Orientation of nanowires consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) using strong magnetic field

Nanowires consisting of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as a conducting polymer were prepared using p-xylene. Magnetic processing of the nanowires was carried out using two superconducting magnets with horizontal (B_max = 8 T) and vertical (B_max = 10 T) directions. The formation of the nanowires was confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurement. The results from the AFM images and the polarized absorption spectra on glass plates indicated that the nanowires partly oriented themselves with their long axes, which are parallel to the π–π stacking direction, being perpendicular to the magnetic field. The magnetic orientation is most likely ascribed to anisotropy in the magnetic susceptibilities of the ordered P3HT in the nanowires.     

Oxidative Stress and Its Significant Roles in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Cancer

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species have been implicated in diverse pathophysiological conditions, including inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Accumulating evidence indicates that oxidative damage to biomolecules including lipids, proteins and DNA, contributes to these diseases. Previous studies suggest roles of lipid peroxidation and oxysterols in the development of neurodegenerative diseases and inflammation-related cancer. Our recent studies identifying and characterizing carbonylated proteins reveal oxidative damage to heat shock proteins in neurodegenerative disease models and inflammation-related cancer, suggesting dysfunction in their antioxidative properties. In neurodegenerative diseases, DNA damage may not only play a role in the induction of apoptosis, but also may inhibit cellular division via telomere shortening. Immunohistochemical analyses showed co-localization of oxidative/nitrative DNA lesions and stemness markers in the cells of inflammation-related cancers. Here, we review oxidative stress and its significant roles in neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.     

Morphology development and exclusion of noncrystalline polymer during crystallization in PVDF/PMMA blends

Morphology development during the crystallization of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blends was investigated at various crystallization temperatures (T_C) by means of time-resolved light scattering measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM). A coarse spherulite obtained at a high T_C of 162 °C was found to be developed with a two-step crystallization process. The ordering in the spherulites (Pr) increased with time at the early stages and then decreased at the later stages. The rate of spherulite growth started to decrease when Pr started to decrease. In contrast, in the compact spherulite obtained at a low T_C of 148 °C, Pr decreased monotonously with time while the growth rate was constant. AFM observation revealed that such characteristic crystallization behavior is attributed to the exclusion of PMMA from the crystal growth during the crystallization; i.e., the amount of excluded PMMA becomes larger as the distance from the spherulite center increases and the crystallization temperature rises.