Uptake of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution using Mg–Al layered double hydroxides intercalated with citrate, malate, and tartrate

Mg–Al layered double hydroxide (Mg–Al LDH) was modified with organic acid anions using a coprecipitation technique, and the uptake of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution by the Mg–Al LDH was studied. Citrate·Mg–Al LDH, malate·Mg–Al LDH, or tartrate·Mg–Al LDH, which had citrate³⁻ (C₆H₅O₇³⁻), malate²⁻ (C₄H₄O₅²⁻), or tartrate²⁻ (C₄H₄O₆²⁻) anions intercalated in the interlayer, was prepared by dropwise addition of a mixed aqueous solution of Mg(NO₃)₂ and Al(NO₃)₃ to a citrate, malate, or tartrate solution at a constant pH of 10.5. These Mg–Al LDHs were found to take up Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ rapidly from an aqueous solution at a constant pH of 5.0. This capacity was mainly attributable to the formation of the citrate–metal, malate–metal, and tartrate–metal complexes in the interlayers of the Mg–Al LDHs. The uptake of Cu²⁺ increased in the order malate·Mg–Al LDH < tartrate·Mg–Al LDH < citrate·Mg–Al LDH. The uptake of Cd²⁺ increased in the order malate·Mg–Al LDH < tartrate·Mg–Al LDH = citrate·Mg–Al LDH. These differences in Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ uptake were attributable to differences in the stabilities of the citrate–metal, malate–metal, and tartrate–metal complexes. These results indicate that citrate³⁻, malate²⁻, and tartrate²⁻ were adequately active as chelating agents in the interlayers of Mg–Al LDHs.     

Desorption of Cl- from Mg-Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with Cl- using CO2 gas and water

Mg-Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with CO_3~(2-)(CO_3·Mg-Al LDH) is effective for treating HCl exhaust gas.HCl reacts with CO_3~(2-) in CO_3·Mg-Al LDH, resulting in the formation of Cl·Mg-Al LDH.We propose that CO_2 can be used for the desorption of Cl~-from Cl·Mg-Al LDH to regenerate CO_3·Mg-Al LDH.Herein,we studied the desorption of a from CI-Mg-Al LDH by adding water to Cl·Mg-Al LDH and blowing CO_2 into it.We also analyzed the effects of temperature and water addition speed on the desorption of CI~-from Cl·Mg-Al LDH.Our results show that the added water adhered to CI·Mg-Al LDH and that CO_2 in the gaseous phase was dissolved in this adhered water,thus generating CO_3~(2-).Therefore,anion exchange occurred between CO_3~(2-) and Cl~-in the Cl·Mg-Al LDH,thus desorbing Cl~-.     

Circulating Vitreous microRNA as Possible Biomarker in High Myopic Eyes with Macular Hole

High myopia is a major cause of irreversible visual impairment globally. In the present study, we investigated the microRNA (miRNA) profile in the vitreous of macular hole (MH) and high myopic MH. We performed miRNA analysis using TaqMan^® Low Density Arrays (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) to investigate the circulating vitreous miRNA profile from patients with MH (axial length < 26.5 mm, n = 11) and high myopic MH (axial length ≥ 26.5 mm, n = 11) who underwent pars plana vitrectomy. The vitreous inflammatory cytokine signature was examined in high myopic MH eyes using a multiplex assay. A miRNA-Array analysis revealed that let-7c was significantly up-regulated and miR-200a was significantly down-regulated in high myopic MH eyes compared to those in MH eyes. The bioinformatics analysis for up-regulated miRNA targeted gene identified 23 pathways including mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and several inflammatory signaling pathways, whereas the bioinformatics analysis for down-regulated miRNA targeted genes showed 32 enriched pathways including phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT). The levels of inflammatory cytokines including IP-10, IFN-γ, and MCP-1 were significantly higher in the vitreous of high myopic MH eyes. These results suggest that specific miRNAs expressed in the vitreous may be associated with the pathological condition of high myopic MH and the above mentioned miRNAs may contribute to the development of inflammatory status in the vitreous of high myopic eyes.     

Effect of Pressure on Transport Properties of Heavy Fermion CePtSi<Subscript>2</Subscript>

We measured the resistivity of heavy fermion CePtSi₂ under pressure. At ambient pressure, CePtSi₂ shows an antiferromagnetic (AF) transition at 2 K and a Fermi liquid like T ² dependence in resistivity below 1.5 K. With increasing pressure, the AF phase and T ² dependence are suppressed. Above 1.4 GPa, a T linear dependence and pressure-induced superconductivity were found with the maximum T _c=0.14 K at 1.7 GPa. Above 2 GPa, the T ² dependence recovers just above T _c.     

Local Lattice Distortion and Photo-Induced Phase Transition in Transition-Metal Compounds with Orbital Degeneracy

Transition-metal compounds with spin, charge, and orbital degrees of freedom tend to have frustrated electronic states coupled with local lattice distortions and to show drastic response against external stimuli such as optical excitation. By means of photoemission spectroscopy, we have studied the electronic states of transition-metal compounds with corner-sharing and edge-sharing MX ₆ octahedra (M=transition metal, X=O, S, Se, Br) such as prerovskite-type Pr_0.55(Ca_1−y Sr _y )_0.45MnO₃ and Cs₂Au₂Br₆, spinel-type CuIr₂S₄, and quasi-one-dimensional Ta₂NiSe₅. In the perovskite compounds with corner-sharing octahedra, the charge-orbital states are stabilized by Jahn–Teller or breathing-type lattice distortions and can be destroyed by optical excitations. On the other hand, the charge-orbital states in the edge-sharing systems are stabilized by dimer formation and tend to be robust against optical excitations. Based on the photoemission results, we will discuss effects of local lattice distortions on the excitonic states obtained by optical excitations as well as those in ground states.     

First basic performance evaluation of the XE-2100 haematology analyser

The newly developed XE-2100 haematology analyser can provide complete blood counts, leukocyte differentials, perform reticulocyte analysis, and obtain quantitative data on nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs). In this study, we evaluated the basic performance of this instrument using routinely obtained blood specimens treated with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-2k. Reproducibility, carryover, stability during storage at 4 degrees C and room temperature, and accuracy were evaluated. In this evaluation, reproducibility was good and little carryover was found. Accurate measurements were possible for up to 48h of storage. A good correlation between findings with the XE-2100 and SE-9000 haematology analysers was found for complete blood count on 210 samples tested. The leukocyte differential obtained with the XE-2100 correlated well with eye counts and with the results obtained with the SE-9000 automated haematology analyser, with r values over 0.9 for the percentages of neutrophils, lymphocytes and eosinophils. The precision and accuracy of VRBC and reticulocyte counts by the XE-2100 were satisfactory. We used the XE-2100 to obtain differential counts for bone marrow aspirates, and good correlations with manual differentials were obtained for total nucleated cell count, percentage of myeloid cells and percentage of erythroid cells. The performance of the XE-2100 was excellent, and this instrument should be able to provide reliable data to clinical laboratories.     

High-temperature reliability of sintered microporous Ag on electroplated Ag,Au, and sputtered Ag metallization substrates

Ag sinter joining technology has been used in the advanced power applications to replace conventional soldering technology due to its high temperature stability, along with its excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. In this paper, we report the high-temperature reliability (250 °C for 1000 h) for die-attachment structures using Ag sintering technology on Cu substrates with different top metallization layers (Au and Ag), formed via different deposition processes (electroplating and sputtering). The bonding strength over 40 MPa and high-temperature reliability of sintered Ag on the sputtered Ag surface was the best among the systems studied here. Bonding quality and the bonding fracture behavior of sintered Ag on the different metallization substrates were characterized. Ag–Au solid solution was formed due to metallizaion Au atoms diffused into sintered Ag layer, leading to decreased shear strength under high temperature process. The influence of grain structure on the bonding quality at the interface between sintered Ag and the metallization Ag layers were discussed. It revealed that the grain size and orientation of the top metallization Ag layer influenced the bonding quality. The sintered Ag layer formed by Ag hybrid particles may have a selective orientation of metallization layer on the surface (111) of the Ag crystal. These results will be helpful to understand both technological perspectives for design and the applications of sintered Ag from the viewpoint of high-temperature reliability, as well as the fundamental understanding of its bonding quality mechanism with top metallization layers.     

Palladium on Carbon‐Catalyzed Synthesis of Benzil Derivatives from 1,2‐Diarylalkynes with DMSO and Molecular Oxygen as Dual Oxidants

A palladium on carbon (Pd/C)‐catalyzed synthetic method for the preparation of benzil derivatives from 1,2‐diarylalkynes has been established using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and molecular oxygen as dual oxidants. Regardless of the electrical nature of the functional groups on the aromatic rings, 1,2‐diarylalkynes were oxidized to the corresponding benzil derivatives in high to excellent yields. Furthermore, the oxidation could efficiently be catalyzed by both the dry and wet types of Pd/C under atmospheric conditions.     

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors—Miracle Drugs for the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease Irrespective of the Diabetes Status: Lessons from the Dedicated Kidney Disease-Focused CREDENCE and DAPA-CKD Trials

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage kidney disease worldwide. In Japan, the proportion of new patients requiring dialysis due to DKD has remained unchanged over the past five years. Early diagnosis and treatment are extremely important for the prevention of DKD progression. Albuminuria is the most promising biomarker currently available for diagnosing DKD and predicting its prognosis at an early stage; however, it has relatively poor specificity and sensitivity for DKD. Measuring the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor receptors (TNFRs; TNFR1 and TNFR2) is an alternative for predicting the prognosis of patients with CKD, irrespective of their diabetes status. Cardiorenal risk factor management and renin–angiotensin system inhibitor usage are effective in slowing the DKD progression, although the residual risk remains high in patients with DKD. Recently, two classes of antihyperglycemic agents, sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, in addition to nonsteroidal selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, which are less potent blood pressure-lowering and potassium-sparing agents, have emerged as cardiorenal disease-modifying therapies for preventing the DKD progression. This review focused on the SGLT2 inhibitor-based therapeutic strategies that have demonstrated cardiorenal benefits in patients with type 2 diabetes.     

Rheological and Morphological Comparison of Thermal and Hydrostatic Pressure-Induced Filamentous Myosin Gels

The structure and rheological properties of heat‐ and pressure‐induced myosin filament gels were investigated. The apparent elasticity of heat‐induced gel peaked at 55 °C (4.35 ± 0.57 kPa), whereas that of pressure‐induced gel increased with elevating pressure, and the gel formed at 500 MPa had a value of 4.79 ± 0.25 kPa. All pressure‐ and heat‐induced gels showed similar internal structure, namely, the gels were composed of a fine‐strand network. The detailed structures of the strands induced by pressure‐ and heat‐treatment of myosin filaments were observed using an atomic force microscope. The structural differences among the strands were not observed, whereas the elasticity of the strands measured by atomic force microscope revealed differences among the strands formed with varying heating temperature and pressure. The elasticities of the heat‐induced strands were 1.19 ± 0.09 MPa, 10.24 ± 1.16 MPa, and 3.09 ± 0.25 MPa at 40 °C, 55 °C, and 70 °C, respectively. On the other hand, the elasticity of the pressure‐induced strand increased with elevating pressure. The elasticity values were 1.24 ± 0.09 MPa, 2.32 ± 0.17 MPa, and 9.80 ± 0.84 MPa at pressures of 150, 300, and 500 MPa, respectively. Because the changes in the elasticity of the whole gel corresponded to those of the strand, it is concluded that the rheological properties of the constituting strands determine that of myosin filamentous gel.