Electron beam sterilization of cyclo olefin polymer leads to polymer degradation and production of alkyl radicals

We investigated the effects of electron‐beam (EB) sterilization on syringe barrels manufactured from cyclo olefin polymer (COP). The chemical structure of the polymer was determined by interpreting the ¹³C NMR and DEPT‐135 spectra of the COP resin. The antioxidants in the resin were identified by analyzing the liquid chromatography‐photo diode array‐mass spectrometry (LC‐PDA‐MS) data for the methanol extract of the resin and the gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) data for the supercritical methanol degradation products of the extract. NMR and LC‐PDA‐MS analyses revealed that EB sterilization produces degradation products in the COP main chain and reduces the quantity of the antioxidants in the COP resin. ESR spectra of the EB‐sterilized syringe barrels indicated the presence and location of alkyl radicals, which were generated in the COP main chain by EB sterilization. ESR analyses also indicated that the quantity of alkyl radicals decreased over time. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43498.     

Profiling and Imaging of Phospholipids in Brains of Abcd1‐Deficient Mice

ABCD1 is a gene responsible for X‐linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X‐ALD), and is critical for the transport of very long‐chain fatty acids (VLCFA) into peroxisomes and subsequent β‐oxidation. VLCFA‐containing lipids accumulate in X‐ALD patients, although the effect of ABCD1‐deficiency on each lipid species in the central nervous system has not been fully characterized. In this study, each phospholipid and lysophospholipid species in Abcd1‐deficient mice brains were profiled by liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Among the phospholipid and lysophospholipid species that are significantly more enriched in Abcd1‐deficient mice brains, VLCFA were present in 75, 15, 5, 4, and 1 species of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin, lysophosphatidylcholine, and lysophosphatidylethanolamine, respectively. Most VLCFA were incorporated at the sn‐1 position of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Among the phospholipid species that are significantly less enriched in Abcd1‐deficient mice brains, odd‐numbered saturated or mono‐unsaturated fatty acyl moieties are contained in all phosphatidylcholine species. In addition, a number of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylserine species contained highly unsaturated fatty acyl moieties. Intriguingly, 44:1 phosphatidylcholine with VLCFA was mainly distributed in the gray matter, such as the cortex, but not in the white matter in the cerebrum and cerebellum. These results show that ABCD1‐deficiency causes metabolic alternation of long‐chain fatty acids and VLCFA. Moreover, our results imply a molecular mechanism for the incorporation of saturated or monounsaturated VLCFA into the sn‐1 position of phospholipids, and also indicate that the distribution of phospholipids with VLCFA may correlate with the development of X‐ALD.     

Formation Processes of β-C2S by the Decomposition of Hydrothermally Prepared C-S-H with Ca(OH)2

A mixture of CaO and silicic acid prepared with a Ca/Si ratio of 2.0 was hydrothermally synthesized at 80° to 200°C, and the thermal decomposition behavior of the products (C-S-H with Ca(OH)₂) was analyzed using XRD, ²⁹Si MAS NMR, and the trimethylsililation method (TMS). It was found that the main silicate anion structure of C-S-H was a mixture of a dimer and a single-chain polymer (larger than Si₅O₁₆) and that polymerization advanced with an increase of the synthesizing temperature. On heating, the products decomposed to form β-C₂S. It was found that the decomposition was gradual and that the-higher the temperature of hydrothermal synthesis, the lower was the temperature of the decomposition into β-C₂S. Although the decomposition proceeded to form a monomer (β-C₂S) from the polymer and dimer, this dimer was resistant to heat and did not decompose unless heated to above 400°C.     

Revisiting the Mechanism of β-O-4 Bond Cleavage During Acidolysis of Lignin. Part 6: A Review

ABSTRACT

This paper reviews our results on the acidolysis of dimeric non-phenolic β-O-4-type lignin model compounds in aqueous 82% 1,4-dioxane containing an acid at 85°C. It was shown that the mechanism of a C₆-C₂-type model compound, 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethanol IX, is fairly different from that of a C₆-C₃ analogue, 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)propane-1,3-diol XX, suggesting the significance of the presence of the γ-hydroxymethyl group. It was confirmed that the hydride transfer mechanism exists as a reaction route of the benzyl-cation-type intermediates derived from both compounds, and the contribution of this mechanism is greater than expected in the acidolysis of compound XX. An enol ether compound, 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-ol, was first detected in the acidolysis of compound XX using the DBr/D₂O/1,4-dioxane system. It was confirmed in the acidolysis of compound XX using HBr that the mechanism is different from that in the system using either HCl or H₂SO₄ and an unknown mechanism contributes to the reaction. This unknown mechanism surprisingly contributed more with decreasing concentration of HBr or Br^?, provided that Br^? still existed in the system.     

中空球状水铝英石/SBR纳米复合材料的制备与性能研究

将天然中空球状水铝英石在水中进行提纯分散处理,采用乳液共混共凝法制备中空球状水铝英石/SBR纳米复合材料,并对其性能进行研究.场发射环境扫描电子显微镜和透射电子显微镜观察表明,中空球状水铝英石原矿粉以聚集体形式存在,聚集体直径约为200 nm,组成聚集体的中空球状小颗粒直径约为13 nm;水铝英石在复合材料中分散良好.与采用直接共混法制备的复合材料相比,采用乳液共混共凝法制备的复合材料定伸应力较小,拉伸强度较大.     

Metastatic Voyage of Ovarian Cancer Cells in Ascites with the Assistance of Various Cellular Components

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy and has a unique metastatic route using ascites, known as the transcoelomic root. However, studies on ascites and contained cellular components have not yet been sufficiently clarified. In this review, we focus on the significance of accumulating ascites, contained EOC cells in the form of spheroids, and interaction with non-malignant host cells. To become resistant against anoikis, EOC cells form spheroids in ascites, where epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition stimulated by transforming growth factor-β can be a key pathway. As spheroids form, EOC cells are also gaining the ability to attach and invade the peritoneum to induce intraperitoneal metastasis, as well as resistance to conventional chemotherapy. Recently, accumulating evidence suggests that EOC spheroids in ascites are composed of not only cancer cells, but also non-malignant cells existing with higher abundance than EOC cells in ascites, including macrophages, mesothelial cells, and lymphocytes. Moreover, hetero-cellular spheroids are demonstrated to form more aggregated spheroids and have higher adhesion ability for the mesothelial layer. To improve the poor prognosis, we need to elucidate the mechanisms of spheroid formation and interactions with non-malignant cells in ascites that are a unique tumor microenvironment for EOC.     

Observation of non-chemical equilibrium effect on Ar-CO2-H2 thermal plasma model by changing pressure

The authors developed a two-dimensional one-temperature chemical non-equilibrium (1T-NCE) model of Ar-CO₂-H₂ inductively coupled thermal plasmas (ICTP) to investigate the effect of pressure variation. The basic concept of one-temperature model is the assumption and treatment of the same energy conservation equation for electrons and heavy particles. The energy conservation equations consider reaction heat effects and energy transfer among the species produced as well as enthalpy flow resulting from diffusion. Assuming twenty two (22) different particles in this model and by solving mass conservation equations for each particle, considering diffusion, convection and net production terms resulting from hundred and ninety eight (198) chemical reactions, chemical non-equilibrium effects were taken into account. Transport and thermodynamic properties of Ar-CO₂-H₂ thermal plasmas were self-consistently calculated using the first-order approximation of the Chapman-Enskog method. Finally results obtained at atmospheric pressure (760 Torr) and at reduced pressure (500, 300 Torr) were compared with results from one-temperature chemical equilibrium (1T-CE) model. And of course, this comparison supported discussion of chemical non-equilibrium effects in the inductively coupled thermal plasmas (ICTP).     

Multi-class grasping classifiers using EEG data and a common spatial pattern filter

This paper describes the classification of various human actions from brain activity. In particular, we focus on grasping movements and estimate grasping patterns from electroencephalogram (EEG) data. EEG data is converted to grasping features by using a common spatial pattern filter (CSP filter), and the features are subsequently classified into grasping categories by using the k-nearest neighbor method. We tested the pipeline of feature extraction and classification on the EEG dataset. The EEG data were acquired while participants grasped an object according to the Cutkosky’s grasping taxonomy, in which grasping movements are categorized into nine power-type grasping patterns and seven precision-type grasping patterns. The best classification rate for 9-class power-type grasping patterns was 48% and for 7-class precision-type grasping patterns was 40%.     

Investigation for Necessity of Dispersivity and Tortuosity in the Dusty Gas Model for a Binary Gas System in Soil

Diffusion, dispersion, and advection are important processes in multi-gas systems in soils. To date, both Fick's model and the Dusty Gas (DG) model have been used to model the movement of gases in these systems. Dispersion is included in the dispersion-advection equation with Fick's Model for the movement of gases in gas-phase of soil, yet the movement of gases in multi-component gas-soil systems is considered to be expressed more accurately by the DG model than by Fick's model. However to date, no study has investigated the necessity of considering dispersion in the Dusty Gas (DG) model. We carried out column experiments for nitrogen-methane, nitrogen-carbon dioxide, and carbon dioxide-methane binary gas systems in sandy soil, and also did simulations on the same systems using both Fick's model and the DG model. A comparison of the results of the column experiments with our simulations confirmed that there was no need to consider the dispersion in the advection-diffusion equations with the DG model when the velocity of gas was 0.05-0.4 cm/s in Toyoura sand. Furthermore, our experiments and simulations with the DG model showed that, rather than dispersion, tortuosity should be taken into account in application of the DG model to the above condition.