Controlled experiments to study corrosion effects due to external varying fields in embedded pipelines

We present controlled laboratory tests carried out to study corrosion effects due to induction currents on pipes embedded in environments with electrical resistance lateral discontinuities. Sacrificial anodes were connected to underground pipes, and corrosion rates were estimated by measuring the mass loss in each anode. We considered 1 Hz and 50 Hz inducting fields, and the effects produced on the pipes were compared with cases without an external field. The results indicated an increase in the corrosion rate when the pipe was under the effect of induction currents, particularly where there was a change of electrical resistance in the soil.     

The Interaction of Glymes with Surfactant Micelles

The critical micelle concentrations (CMC) values and counterion dissociation (α values) have been determined for a number of mixed micellar systems consisting of two typical ionic surfactants and glycol ethers (glymes) as cosurfactants, namely diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, and tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether. Conductance experiments were used to determine the CMC and α values of the mixed micelles as a function of glyme concentration in the aqueous mixed solvent. Favorable interactions between sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles and glyme cosurfactants were deduced from the decreases in the CMC values and the large increase in the α values of these systems as a function of increasing glyme concentration in the mixed solvents. In contrast to the anionic surfactant/glyme systems, in general, there appeared to be little favorable interactions between the surfactant and glymes when micelles of the cationic surfactant dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide were formed in water/glyme solvent systems containing an increasing amount of the glymes. The interaction of glymes with the surfactant micelles was examined closely via ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shifts for both surfactant and glyme carbons; these chemical shifts changes were interpreted in terms of the distribution and the localization of the glymes in the aggregates. Finally, partition constants, determined from two-dimensional diffusion-oriented spectroscopy (2D-DOSY) experiments, were used to calculate thermodynamic quantities of transfer of the glymes between the bulk phase and the self-assembled aggregates. All these results are interpreted in terms of the key contributions that both the glyme ethoxylated groups and alkyl endgroups make to the hydrophobic interactions.     

Effects of blending on surface characteristics of copper corrosion products in drinking water distribution systems

Copper scales formed over 6-months during exposure to ground, surface and saline waters were characterized by EDS, XRD and XPS. Scale color and hardness were light red-brown-black/hard for high alkalinity and blue-green/soft for high SO₄ or Cl waters. Cl was present in surface or saline copper scales. The Cu/Cu₂O ratio decreased with time indicating an e transfer copper corrosion mechanism. Cu₂O, CuO, and Cu(OH)₂ dominated the top 0.5-1 A° scale indicating continuous corrosion. Cu₂O oxidation to CuO increased with alkalinity, and depended on time and pH. Total copper release was predicted using a Cu(OH)₂ model.     

Au/ZnO and Au/Fe2O3 catalysts for CO oxidation at ambient temperature: comments on the effect of synthesis conditions on the preparation of high activity catalysts prepared by coprecipitation

The preparation of Au/ZnO and Au/Fe₂O₃ catalysts using two coprecipitation methods is investigated to determine the important factors that control the synthesis of high activity catalysts for the oxidation of carbon monoxide at ambient temperature. In particular, the factors involved in the preparation of catalysts that are active without the need for a calcination step are evaluated. The two preparation methods differ in the manner in which the pH is controlled during the precipitation, either constant pH throughout or variable pH in which the pH is raised from an initial low value to a defined end point. Non-calcined Au/ZnO catalysts prepared using both methods are very sensitive to pH and ageing time, and catalysts prepared at a maximum pH = 5 with a short ageing time (ca. 0–3 h) exhibit high activity. Catalysts prepared at higher pH give lower activity. However, all catalysts require a short operation period during which the oxidation activity increases. In contrast, the calcined catalysts are not particularly sensitive to the preparation conditions. Non-calcined Au/Fe₂O₃ catalysts exhibit high activity when prepared at pH ≥ 5. Calcined Au/Fe₂O₃ prepared using the controlled pH method retain high activity, whereas calcined catalysts prepared using the variable pH method are inactive. The study shows the immense sensitivity of the catalyst performance to the preparation methods. It is therefore not surprising that marked differences in the performance of supported Au catalysts for CO oxidation that are apparent in the extensive literature on this subject, particularly the effect of calcination, can be expected if the preparation parameters are not carefully controlled and reported.     

Effects of a single dose of N-Acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine (Melatonin) and resistance exercise on the growth hormone/IGF-1 axis in young males and females

Melatonin and resistance exercise alone have been shown to increase the levels of growth hormone (GH). The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ingestion of a single dose of melatonin and heavy resistance exercise on serum GH, somatostatin (SST), and other hormones of the GH/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) axis. Physically active males (n = 30) and females (n = 30) were randomly assigned to ingest either a melatonin supplement at 0.5 mg or 5.0 mg, or 1.0 mg of dextrose placebo. After a baseline blood sample, participants ingested the supplement and underwent blood sampling every 15 min for 60 min, at which point they underwent a single bout of resistance exercise with the leg press for 7 sets of 7 reps at 85% 1-RM. After exercise, participants provided additional blood samples every 15 min for a total of 120 min. Serum free GH, SST, IGF-1, IGFBP-1, and IGFBP-3 were determined with ELISA. Data were evaluated as the peak pre- and post-exercise values subtracted from baseline and the delta values analyzed with separate three-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). In males, when compared to placebo, 5.0 mg melatonin caused GH to increase (p = 0.017) and SST to decrease prior to exercise (p = 0.031), whereas both 0.5 and 5.0 mg melatonin were greater than placebo after exercise (p = 0.045) and less than placebo for SST. No significant differences occurred for IGF-1; however, males were shown to have higher levels of IGFBP-1 independent of supplementation (p = 0.004). The 5.0 mg melatonin dose resulted in higher IGFBP-3 in males (p = 0.017). In conclusion, for males 5.0 mg melatonin appears to increase serum GH while concomitantly lowering SST levels; however, when combined with resistance exercise both melatonin doses positively impacts GH levels in a manner not entirely dependent on SST.     

A holistic approach to protein structure alignment

A method of protein structure comparison developed previouslyis extended to incorporate other aspects of protein structurein addition to the inter-atomic vectors on which it was originallybased. Each additional aspect, which included hydrogen bonding,solvent exposure, torsional angles and sequence, was introducedseparately and evaluated for its ability to improve alignmentquality. The components were then combined, suitably weighted,to produce a more holistic comparison method. The method wastested on a group of remotely related ß/ type proteinsthat share a common feature in their overall chain fold. Theresults indicated that while the original inter-atomic vectorcomponent was sufficient to give the correct alignment of mostpairs of topologically equivalent proteins, the inclusion ofhydrogen bonds, torsion angles and a measure of solvent exposureled to improvements in the more difficult comparisons. Considerationof amino acid properties, including hydrophobicity, had no beneficialeffect. The failure of the latter component was not unexpectedconsidering the almost total lack of sequence similarity amongthe proteins considered.     

Synthesis of the Sulphonate and Phosphonate Derivatives of Mercaptoacetyltriglycine. X-Ray Crystal Structure of Na(2)[ReO(Mercaptoacetylglycylglycylaminomethanesulphonate)].3H(2)O

Mercaptoacetyltriglycine forms complexes with (186/188)Re and (99m)Tc radionuclides that are useful in nuclear medicine because they are substrates of the renal anion transport system. However, the renal clearance of [MO(MAG(3))](2-)(MAG(3) = penta-anionic form of mercaptoacetyltriglycine, M = Re, Tc) complexes are less than ideal. Organic sulphonates are also transported by the renal anion transport system and phosphonates are similar to sulphonates in size and shape. In an effort to develop new ligands that form Re and Tc complexes and have improved renal clearances compared to [MO(MAG(3))](2-) complexes, the sulphonate and phosphonate derivatives of mercaptoacetyltriglycine were synthesized. The dianion [ReO(MAG(2)-AMS)](2-) (MAG(2)-AMS = penta-anionic form of mercaptoacetylglycylglycylaminomethanesulphonic acid) was prepared for characterization by exchange reaction of ReOCl(3)(Me(2)S)(OPPh(3)) and isolated as the disodium salt. The structure of Na(2)[ReO(MAG(2)-AMS)].3H(2)O (6) was determined by X-ray diffraction. The coordination geometry is pseudo square pyramidal, with the nitrogen and sulfur donor atoms forming a square base and the oxo ligand at the apex. The deprotonated sulphonate group has a syn conformation with respect to the oxo ligand. The renal clearances of [(99m)TcO(MAG(2)-AMS)](2-) and [(99m)TcO(MAG(2)-AMP)](3-) were similar in rats and suggest that the difference in total charge between the SO(3) (-) and PO(3) (2-) groups is not important to renal clearance. However, their renal clearances were 40-50% less than that of [(99m)TcO(MAG(3))](2-) suggesting that the size and shape of the large tetrahedral SO(3) (-) and PO(3) (2-) groups of [(99m)TcO(MAG(2)-AMS)](2-) and [(99m)TcO(MAG(2)-AMP)](3-) inhibit recognition by the renal transport system compared to the small planar CO(2) (-) group of [(99m)TcO(MAG(3))](2-).     

Studies of lipoproteins and fatty acids in maternal and cord blood of two racial groups in Trinidad

The high mortality rate from coronary heart disease (CHD) among Indians compared to Negroes in Trinidad led us to test plasma lipid profiles to see whether dietary or genetic factors might be involved. There were no interracial differences in the composition of plasma cholesterol ester fatty acids of the tested women and neonates. This finding suggests that dietary fat does not account for the interracial difference in CHD, nor does the cause appear to be due to genetic differences in lipid profiles, as there was no significant difference between values for plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, apo-I, apo-II, apo B or cholesterol ester fatty acids in the cord blood of each racial group. Blood samples were collected from 69 nonpregnant and 71 postpartum, fasted Negro and Indian women. Also taken were 71 umbilical cord blood samples. The mean triglyceride level was significantly lower in the Negro nonpregnant and postpartum women than in the Indians. HDL cholesterol and apo-I values were lower in the Indian women. There were no significant differences in the total cholesterol and apo B measurements. The triglyceride values for postpartum women were higher than those of the nonpregnant Negroes and Indians (75% and 47%, respectively), whereas the total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol, apo A-I and apo A-II ranged from 9% to 29% higher in the postpartum women. Apo B was about 40% higher postpartum in both ethnic groups. The high CHD rate of Indians in Trinidad cannot be explained by dietary factors, plasma total cholesterol or fatty acid composition. However, the lower level of HDL cholesterol and plasma A-I could play a role in the higher CHD rate in Indians.     

The prediction of crack growth in bonded joints under cyclic-fatigue loading I. Experimental studies

The performance of adhesively-bonded joints under monotonic and cyclic-fatigue loading has been investigated using a fracture-mechanics approach. The joints consisted of an epoxy film adhesive which was employed to bond aluminium-alloy substrates. The effects of undertaking cyclic-fatigue tests in (a) a ‘dry’ environment of 55% relative humidity at 23°C, and (b) a ‘wet’ environment of immersion in distilled water at 28°C were investigated. In particular, the influence of employing different surface pretreatments for the aluminium-alloy substrates was examined. In addition, single-lap joints were tested under cyclic fatigue loading in the two test environments, and a back-face strain technique has been used which revealed that crack propagation, rather than crack initiation, occupied the dominant proportion of the fatigue lifetime of the single-lap joints. In Part II, the data obtained in the present Part I paper will be employed to predict theoretically the lifetime of the adhesively-bonded single-lap joint specimens.