Hydrogen production with a microbial biocathode

This paper, for the first time, describes the development of a microbial biocathode for hydrogen production that is based on a naturally selected mixed culture of electrochemically active micro-organisms. This is achieved through a three-phase biocathode startup procedure that effectively turned an acetate- and hydrogen-oxidizing bioanode into a hydrogen-producing biocathode by reversing the polarity of the electrode. The microbial biocathode that was obtained in this way had a current density of about -1.2 A/Nm2 at a potential of -0.7 V. This was 3.6 times higher than that of a control electrode (-0.3 A/m2). Furthermore, the microbial biocathode produced about 0.63 m3 H2/m3 cathode liquid volume/day at a cathodic hydrogen efficiency of 49% during hydrogen yield tests, whereas the control electrode produced 0.08 m3 H2/m3 cathode liquid volume/day at a cathodic hydrogen efficiency of 25%. The effluent of the biocathode chamber could be used to inoculate another electrochemical cell that subsequently also developed an identical hydrogen-producing biocathode (-1.1 A/m2 at a potential of -0.7 V). Scanning electron micrographs of both microbial biocathodes showed a well-developed biofilm on the electrode surface.     

Investigations on vinylene carbonate. VI. Immobilization of alkaline phosphatase onto poly(vinylene carbonate) -jeffamine® hydrogel beads

Hydrogel-like polymers with reactive cyclic carbonate (CCA) groups have been obtained by the cross-linking reaction of poly(vinylene carbonate) (PVCA) with Jeffamines®. By this reaction, microspheric hydrogel beads with a high water content and a high concentration of reactive CCA groups were prepared. The beads were used as a matrix for the immobilization of the enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and showed a considerable capacity to couple ALP and a reasonable retention of activity for the immobilized ALP, depending on the reaction conditions. The immobilized ALP exhibited a better thermal stability than did native ALP and a high residual activity was found after repeated use. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Selective human adenosine A3 antagonists based on pyrido[2,1-f]purine-2,4-diones: novel features of hA3 antagonist binding

Based on our previous results on the potent antagonist effect of 1H,3H-pyrido[2,1-f]purine-2,4-diones at the human A(3) adenosine receptor, new series of this family of compounds have been synthesized and evaluated in radioligand binding studies against the human A(1), A(2A), A(2B), and A(3) receptors. A remarkable improvement in potency, and most noticeable, in selectivity has been achieved, as exemplified by the 3-cyclopropylmethyl-8-methoxy-1-(4-methylbenzyl)-1H,3H-pyrido[2,1-f]purine-2,4-dione (10) that combines a very high affinity at hA(3) (K(i)=2.24 nM), with lack of affinity for the A(1), A(2A), and A(2B) receptors. On the basis of the published hA(3) receptor model (PDB 1OEA), molecular modeling studies, including molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, have been performed to depict the binding mode of the 1 H,3H-pyrido[2,1-f]purine-2,4-diones and to justify the selectivity against the other adenosine receptors. These studies have led to novel features of the cavity where our antagonists are bound so that the cavity is lined by the hydrogen-bonded Gln 167-Asn 250 pair and by the highly conserved Phe 168.     

Predicting runoff-induced pesticide input in agricultural sub-catchment surface waters: linking catchment variables and contamination

An urgent need exists for applicable methods to predict areas at risk of pesticide contamination within agricultural catchments. As such, an attempt was made to predict and validate contamination in nine separate sub-catchments of the Lourens River, South Africa, through use of a geographic information system (GIS)-based runoff model, which incorporates geographical catchment variables and physicochemical characteristics of applied pesticides. We compared the results of the prediction with measured contamination in water and suspended sediment samples collected during runoff conditions in tributaries discharging these sub-catchments. The most common insecticides applied and detected in the catchment over a 3-year sampling period were azinphos-methyl (AZP), chlorpyrifos (CPF) and endosulfan (END). AZP was predominantly found in water samples, while CPF and END were detected at higher levels in the suspended particle samples. We found positive (p<0.002) correlations between the predicted average loss and the concentrations of the three insecticides both in water and suspended sediments (r between 0.87 and 0.94). Two sites in the sub-catchment were identified as posing the greatest risk to the Lourens River mainstream. It is assumed that lack of buffer strips, presence of erosion rills and high slopes are the main variables responsible for the high contamination at these sites. We conclude that this approach to predict runoff-related surface water contamination may serve as a powerful tool for risk assessment and management in South African orchard areas.     

Effect of poly(ε-caprolactone) and titanium (IV) dioxide content on the UV and hydrolytic degradation of poly(lactic acid)/poly(ε-caprolactone) blends

The effect of accelerated weathering degradation on the properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) blends and PLA/PCL/titanium (IV) dioxide (TiO₂) nanocomposites are presented in this paper. The results show that both polymers are susceptible to weathering degradation, but their degradation rates are different and are also influenced by the presence of TiO₂ in the samples. Visual, microscopic and atomic force microsocpy observations of the surface after accelerated weathering tests confirmed that degradation occurred faster in the PLA/PCL blends than in the PLA/PCL/TiO₂ nanocomposites. The X-ray diffraction results showed the degradation of PCL in the disappearance of its characteristic peaks over weathering time, and also confirmed that PLA lost its amorphous character and developed crystals from the shorter chains formed as a result of degradative chain scission. It was further observed that the presence of TiO₂ retarded the degradation of both PLA and PCL. These results were supported by the differential scanning calorimetry results. The thermogravimetric analysis results confirmed that that PLA and PCL respectively influenced each other's thermal degradation, and that TiO₂ played a role in the thermal degradation of both PLA and PCL. The tensile properties of both PLA/PCL and PLA/PCL/TiO₂ were significantly reduced through weathering exposure and the incorporation of TiO₂.     

纤维缠绕复合材料环形容器设计优化(英文)

纤维缠绕环形容器可充分利用空间,节省结构质量和消除系统质心漂移,目前在很多工业领域中发挥着日益重要的作用。本文基于复合材料层合理论和测地线缠绕原理,提出了纤维缠绕环形压力容器的线型优化设计方法。应用微分几何,导出了圆环面上测地缠绕轨迹和纤维不架空判据。以初始缠绕角和缠绕层厚度为变量,对结构重量进行最小化设计,得到了对应于不同管径比的优化缠绕线型。对优化线型进行了计算机缠绕仿真,并给出了缠绕铺层的各向正轴应力分布。结果表明,优化设计的缠绕线型模式精确可靠,满足纤维缠绕的基本要求。纤维缠绕角度大小更趋于合理,从而能充分发挥缠绕结构的力学性能,减经系统重量,使优化得到的环形容器结构性能比传统测地线缠绕环形容器有很大提高。本文的设计计算方法可直接用于复合材料环形气瓶的初步设计。     

A single administration of testosterone induces cardiac accelerative responses to angry faces in healthy young women.

Recently, it was demonstrated how individuals with high levels of testosterone selectively attend toward angry faces. It was argued that this suggests that high levels of testosterone are associated with an aggressive, dominating personality style. In this study, the authors used a double-blind, placebo-controlled design to examine whether exogenous testosterone would induce cardiac acceleration in response to angry faces. Participants (healthy young women) were exposed to neutral, happy, or angry faces. Administration of a single dosage of testosterone (0.5 mg) induced an accelerative cardiac response to angry faces. It is argued that this effect is due to the encouragement of dominance behavior and the inclination toward aggression. Possible mechanisms behind testosterone-driven changes in behavior are discussed with relevance to steroid-responsive networks in the limbic system that drive and control motivational and physiological aspects of social behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A New Class of Fluorinated A2A Adenosine Receptor Agonist with Application to Last-Step Enzymatic [18F]Fluorination for PET Imaging

The A_2A adenosine receptor belongs to a family of G-coupled protein receptors that have been subjected to extensive investigation over the last few decades. Due to their prominent role in the biological functions of the heart, lungs, CNS and brain, they have become a target for the treatment of illnesses ranging from cancer immunotherapy to Parkinson's disease. The imaging of such receptors by using positron emission tomography (PET) has also been of interest, potentially providing a valuable tool for analysing and diagnosing various myocardial and neurodegenerative disorders, as well as offering support to drug discovery trials. Reported herein are the design, synthesis and evaluation of two new 5′-fluorodeoxy-adenosine (FDA)-based receptor agonists (FDA-PP1 and FDA-PP2), each substituted at the C-2 position with a terminally functionalised ethynyl unit. The structures enable a synthesis of ¹⁸F-labelled analogues by direct, last-step radiosynthesis from chlorinated precursors using the fluorinase enzyme (5′-fluoro-5′-deoxyadenosine synthase), which catalyses a transhalogenation reaction. This delivers a new class of A_2A adenosine receptor agonist that can be directly radiolabelled for exploration in PET studies.