Formation of cleavage products by autoxidation of lycopene

The cleavage products formed by autoxidation of lycopene were evaluated in order to elucidate possible oxidation products of lycopene in biological tissues. Lycopene solubilized at 50 μM in toluene, aqueous Tween 40, or liposomal suspension was oxidized by incubating at 37°C for 72 h. Among a number of oxidation products formed, eight products in the carbonyl compound fraction were identified as 3,7,11-trimethyl-2,4,6,10-dodecatetraen-1-al, 6,10,14-trimethyl-3,5,7,9,13-pentadecapentaen-2-one, acycloretinal, apo-14′-lycopenal, apo-12′-lycopenal, apo-10′-lycopenal, apo-8′-lycopenal, and apo-6′-lycopenal. These correspond to a series of products formed by cleavage in the respective 11 conjugated double bonds of lycopene. The maximal formation of acycloretinal was 135 nM in toluene, 49 nM in aqueous Tween 40, and 64 nM in liposomal suspension. Acycloretinoic acid was also formed by autoxidation of lycopene, although its formation was lower in the aqueous media than in toluene. The pig liver homogenate had the ability to convert acycloretinal to acycloretinoic acid, comparable to the conversion of all-trans-retinal to all-trans-retinoic acid. These results suggest that lycopene might be cleaved to a series of apolycopenals and short-chain carbonyl compounds under the oxidative conditions in biological tissues and that acycloretinal is further enzymatically converted to acycloretinoic acid.     

Effect of notches and glass fiber reinforcement on fatigue behavior of polycarbonate

In order to investigate the effect of a notch on the tensile properties of polycarbonate and 30% glass fiber-reinforced polycarbonate, two types of notched specimens were prepared. These notches were a sharp 60° notch and a dull notch with rounded tip 1.5 mm in radius at the base of the 60° notch. The notches decreased the tensile strength of polycarbonate. The sharp notch reduced tensile strength more effectively than the dull notch. In 30% glass fiber-reinforced polycarbonate, even the dull notch decreased the tensile strength considerably. Unnotched polycarbonate was subjected to cyclic tensile loading of 10⁴ cycles at 10 Hz, with varying cyclic stress. It was found that the elongation at break decreased rapidly with increase in cyclic stress. The notches considerably decreased the tensile fatigue strengths of polycarbonate and glass fiber-reinforced polycarbonate in 10⁴ cycles at 10 Hz.     

Characterization of starch based nanocomposites

The goal of this study was to characterize the nanostructure and the properties of starch based nanocomposites with either cellulose nano whiskers (CNW) or layered silicates (LS) (synthetic hectorite) as reinforcements. Modified potato starch was used as matrix with water and sorbitol as plasticizers and with 5 wt.% of either of the reinforcements. Two methods were explored to prepare samples for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examination; chemical fixation and freeze etching. It was possible to characterize the nanostructure both parallel and perpendicular to the nanocomposite surface by the freeze etching technique. Both nanocomposites showed well-distributed reinforcements in the starch matrix. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis showed that the storage modulus was significantly improved at elevated temperatures, especially for the layered silicate nanocomposite. Both nanocomposites showed a significant improvement in tensile properties compared to the pure matrix.     

Ultra-structural characterization of enamel–resin interface using FIB-TEM technology

This study evaluated the enamel–resin interface of three adhesive resins (ARs) by a transmission electron microscope (TEM) after milling with focused ion beam (FIB). Simple Class-I cavities (0.5?mm within enamel depth, 4?mm length, and 2?mm width) were prepared on human caries-free molars. The enamel of two groups was conditioned by one-step self-etch bonding system (Scotchbond^?/Single Bond Universal [SBU], and Xeno V^®+ [XV⁺]), while the enamel of the third group was etched by phosphoric acid, and then treated by two-step self-priming etch-rinse system (Prime&Bond^® NT [PBNT]). The application of the adhesive systems was carried out according to their respective manufacturer’s instructions. The cavities were restored by a nanofill resin composite (Filtek^? Z350 XT Universal; 3?M ESPE) in one bulk-fill, and cured for 40?s at 550?mW/cm² by a halogen light (Optilux 501, Demetron/Kerr, Danbury, USA). The specimens were milled by FIB into 100?nm thickness slices, and then observed under TEM. The transmission electron micrographs showed an adequate adhesion of both two-step etch-rinse (PBNT) and one-step self-etch (SBU) to enamel surface. The deeply etched enamel prisms were impregnated by the etch-rinse PBNT adhesive. A relatively inadequate adhesion associated with some areas of bond degradation underneath the hybrid layer and within the adhesive was noted for the XV⁺ AR. Apart from the mild acidic adhesives of one-step self-etch and two-step etch-rinse investigated, the highly hydrophilic and acidic water-based one-step self-etch adhesive (XV⁺) proved to be less effective enamel bond by ultra-structural characterization technique using FIB-TEM.     

Chemical Characteristics of Fine Particles (PM1) from Xi'an,China

Daily mass concentrations of water-soluble inorganic (WS-i) ions, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC) were determined for fine particulate matter (PM₁, particles < 1.0 μm in diameter) collected at Xi'an, China. The annual mean PM₁ mass concentration was 127.3 ± 62.1 μg m^–3: WS-i ions accounted for ～38% of the PM₁ mass; carbonaceous aerosol was ～30%; and an unidentified fraction, probably mostly mineral dust, was ～32%. WS-i ions and carbonaceous aerosol were the dominant species in winter and autumn, whereas the unidentified fraction had stronger influences in spring and summer. Ion balance calculations indicate that PM₁ was more acidic than PM_2.5 from the same site. PM₁ mass, sulfate and nitrate concentrations followed the order winter > spring > autumn > summer, but OC and EC levels were higher in autumn than spring. Annual mean OC and EC concentrations were 21.0 ± 12.0 μg m^?3 and 5.1 ± 2.7 μg m^–3 with high OC/EC ratios, presumably reflecting emissions from coal combustion and biomass burning. Secondary organic carbon, estimated from the minimum OC/EC ratios, comprised 28.9% of the OC. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis indicates that secondary aerosol and combustion emissions were the major sources for PM₁.     

基于小波包和Markov链的低压电力线背景噪声重构

针对传统方法难以重构出时域特性和频域特性与真实低压电力线背景噪声一致的背景噪声问题,搭建了噪声测量平台实测了背景噪声,提出了一种基于小波包变换与Markov链相结合的背景噪声重构方法,通过小波包变换得到真实背景噪声在不同频带中的小波包分解系数,并利用Markov链对分解系数进行统计,模拟生成与实测噪声分解系数统计规律相同的仿真分解系数,将仿真分解系数重构后即可得到背景噪声。实例仿真结果表明,该方法重构的背景噪声在时域波形上与实测噪声极为相似,且功率密度谱变化趋势也与实测噪声基本一致,可作为电力线载波通信设备性能测试的可靠噪声源。     

Suggestion of welding procedure for compressive residual stress induction by using low transformation temperature welding materials

ABSTRACT

To understand the cause of compressive residual stress in welded joints, we analysed by numerical analysis the effect of welding pass sequence using low transformation temperature (LTT) welding materials on residual stress around the weld toe of boxing fillet welded joints. It was determined by numerical analysis that the produced compressive residual stress and the influence of the stiffeners are reduced in the equivalent position of the weld toe in a fillet welded joint because of the influence on the behaviour of the stiffener in the weld being due to residual stress distribution around the weld toe. The residual stress reduction method of extending the length of the welded bead and releasing the weld toe from the stiffener, similar to the concept of discarding a bead to reduce tensile residual stress, was effective in fillet welded joints. Numerical analysis of the relationship between residual stress around the weld toe and width of the weld bead in the bead-on-plate welding model clarified that compressive residual stress can be introduced around the weld toe by having a wide width weld bead. In addition, a fully penetrated welded joint was very effective for causing compressive residual stress around the weld toe.     

Development of an evaluation methodology for the natural circulation decay heat removal system in a sodium cooled fast reactor

A natural circulation evaluation methodology has been developed to ensure the safety of a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) of 1500 MW adopting the natural circulation decay heat removal system (NC-DHRS). The methodology consists of a one-dimensional safety analysis which can evaluate the core hot spot temperature taking into account the temperature flattening effect in the core, a three-dimensional fluid flow analysis which can evaluate the thermal-hydraulics for local convections and thermal stratifications in the primary system and DHRS, and a statistical safety evaluation method for the hot spot temperature in the core. The safety analysis method and the three-dimensional analysis method have been validated using results of a 1/10 scaled water test simulating the primary system of the SFR and a sodium test simulating a part of the primary system and the DHRS with about a 1/7 scale, and the applicability of the safety analysis for the SFR has been confirmed by comparing with the three-dimensional analysis adopting the turbulence model. Finally, a statistical safety evaluation has been performed for the SFR using the safety analysis method.