Microscopy of Sic Powders Synthesized by Reacting Colloidal Silica and Pitch

Ultrafine SiC powders synthesized by reacting colloidal silica with petroleum pitch were characterized by optical and electron microscopy. Spherical agglomerates and unattached particles of Sic were observed in all products irrespective of synthesis conditions. The source of the spherical agglomerates of Sic particles was traced to the precursor mixture.     

Anti-oxidative characterisation of NaN3-induced common bean mutants

The contents of total phenolics, total anthocyanins, total proanthocyanidins and antioxidant activities were measured using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power, lipid peroxidation inhibition ability and ABTS⁻ radical-scavenging activity assays. These were compared in the seed coats of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar Hwachia and its eighteen NaN₃-induced mutants. NaN₃-induced mutants generally accumulated more total phenolics (19% more), total anthocyanins (65% more) and total proanthocyanidins (4% more) than Hwachia (containing 29.94 mg g⁻¹ total phenolics, 0.31 mg g⁻¹ total anthocyanins and 12.94 mg g⁻¹ total proanthocyanidins, respectively). Anthocyanidins including delphinine, cyanidin and pelargonidin were detectable in seed coat, each with different levels depending on the tested accessions. Significant correlations (average of 0.847 across all comparisons, p < 0.01) were found between the tested antioxidant activities, total phenolics, total anthocyanins and total proanthocyanidins. Mutants SA-11-2, SA-13-2 and SA-34-2 that are enriched with antioxidants may be useful in food and other applications.     

Survival of SA11 rotavirus in fresh fruit juices of pineapple, papaya, and honeydew melon

Survival of rotavirus in fresh fruit juices of papaya (Caraca papaya L.), honeydew melon (Cucumis melo L.), and pineapple (Ananas comosus [L.] Merr.) was studied. Clarified juices were prepared from pulps of ripe fruits and sterilized by ultrafiltration. One milliliter of juice from each fruit was inoculated with 20 microl of 1 x 10(6) PFU of SA11 rotavirus and sampled immediately (0-h exposure) and 1 and 3 h later at 28 degrees C. Mean viral titers in juices of papaya (pH 5.1) and honeydew melon (pH 6.3) at 1 and 3 h were not significantly different from titers at 0-h exposure. Mean viral titers in juices from pineapples with ripening color indices of 3 (pH 3.6) and 6 (pH 3.7) at 1-h exposure (color index 3: 4.0 +/- 1.7 x 10(4); color index 6: 2.3 +/- 0.3 x 10(5)) and 3-h exposure (color index 3: 1.1 +/- 0.4 x 10(4); color index 6:1.3 +/- 0.6 x 10(5)) were significantly lower than titers at 0-h exposure (color index 3: 5.7 +/- 2.9 x 10(5); color index 6: 7.4 +/- 1.3 x 10(5)). Virus titers in pineapple juices of color index 3 were significantly lower than titers of the virus in juices of index 6. In cell culture medium (pH 7.4), SA11 titer remained stable over 3 h at 28 degrees C. However, at pH 3.6, the virus titer was reduced to a level not significantly different from that of the virus in pineapple juice of color index 6 (pH 3.7). In conclusion, papaya and honeydew melon juices, in contrast to pineapple juice, have the potential to transmit rotavirus. Inactivation of SA11 virus in pineapple juice can be possibly attributed to low pH and constituent(s) in the juice.     

Kinetics and mechanism of photoactivated periodate reaction with 4-chlorophenol in acidic solution

The application of photoactivated periodate (UV/IO4-) to the degradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) was explored in this study. Under low irradiation intensities (23 microW/cm2), wavelength of 266 nm, and pH 3, 4-CP was observed to degrade by pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. The small reduction in 4-CP degradation in the presence of tert-butyl alcohol (t-BuOH) suggests that degradation of 4-CP by UV/IO4- was not dominated by an OH* pathway. O3 production was suppressed in the presence of t-BuOH under O2-limited environments and in the presence of 4-CP. Faster degradation of 4-CP in the presence of an OH* scavenger under nitrogen purging as compared to air-saturated conditions indicates that O(3P) is an important reactive species with 4-CP in this system. When 4-CP is added to the system, IO3- production is enhanced. On the basis of the elimination of potential reaction pathways, O(3P) and IO3* are suspected reactive species with 4-CP in this system.     

The frequency of CFVD speed report for highway traffic

The control signals of cellular networks have been used to infer the traffic conditions of the road network. In particular, consecutive handover events are being used to estimate the traffic speed. During traffic congestion, consecutive handover events may be rare because vehicles move slowly, and thus very few or no speed reports would be generated from the congested area.However, the traffic speed report rate during traffic congestion has not been investigated in the literature. In this paper, we present an analytic model to estimate the speed report rate from cellular network signaling in steady traffic conditions, that is, the traffic speed and flow are assumed constant. Real field trial data were used to validate our analytic model. In addition, computer simulations were conducted to study how speed reports are generated in dynamic traffic conditions when traffic speed and flow change rapidly. Our study indicates that in a typical cell of length 1.5 km with a typical expected call holding time of 1 min, no speed report was generated from a congested three‐lane highway. Our study demonstrates that the lack of speed reports from consecutive handover events during rush hours indicates severe traffic congestion, and new methods that can estimate traffic speed from cellular network data during severe traffic congestion need to be developed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Applying the realized probability of dying to cancer survival

Age comparisons of survival in cancer cohorts generally utilize relative survival rates, which are based on indicators of the probability of survival for a given number of years after diagnosis. Cancer relative survival rates for the same number of years tend to decline as age at diagnosis increases. However, the same number of years of survival reflects higher relative longevity at older ages than at younger ages. The realized probability of dying (RPD) is a survival measure that expresses individual survival time after diagnosis relative to the survival distribution of an age-, race-, and sex-specific reference population, in effect weighing individual survival time more heavily as age at diagnosis increases. The purpose of this study was to apply the RPD as a survival measure in cancer epidemiology. Two cohorts of cancer patients, white males with prostate cancer and white females with breast cancer, aged 55 years and over at diagnosis, were followed for 15 years. Although older subjects survived less time after diagnosis than younger subjects, they achieved more favorable RPD values. We present survival analysis methods for analyzing the RPD in this population, an approach not previously used with this measure. The implications for use of the RPD in cancer epidemiology are discussed.     

Protein thermostability above 100 degreesC: a key role for ionic interactions

The discovery of hyperthermophilic microorganisms and the analysis of hyperthermostable enzymes has established the fact that multisubunit enzymes can survive for prolonged periods at temperatures above 100 degreesC. We have carried out homology-based modeling and direct structure comparison on the hexameric glutamate dehydrogenases from the hyperthermophiles Pyrococcus furiosus and Thermococcus litoralis whose optimal growth temperatures are 100 degreesC and 88 degreesC, respectively, to determine key stabilizing features. These enzymes, which are 87% homologous, differ 16-fold in thermal stability at 104 degreesC. We observed that an intersubunit ion-pair network was substantially reduced in the less stable enzyme from T. litoralis, and two residues were then altered to restore these interactions. The single mutations both had adverse effects on the thermostability of the protein. However, with both mutations in place, we observed a fourfold improvement of stability at 104 degreesC over the wild-type enzyme. The catalytic properties of the enzymes were unaffected by the mutations. These results suggest that extensive ion-pair networks may provide a general strategy for manipulating enzyme thermostability of multisubunit enzymes. However, this study emphasizes the importance of the exact local environment of a residue in determining its effects on stability.     

Celebrating singularities: Mathematics and chemical engineering

The authors review and project their group's work in reaction engineering, electrokinetics, thin‐film lubrication/wetting, biosensing, mass spectrometry, etc., that share one common mathematical underpinning: singularities. These can be geometric singularities of actual surfaces or objects, where focused electrical, acoustic, optical and shear‐stress fields produce anomalous physical phenomena that have been explored mathematically with a spectral theory or exploited for specific applications. They are also singularities of mathematical manifolds, such as solution branches and Riemann manifolds, defined by abstract mathematical formulations, so that they can be used to design optical sensors, and understand nonlinear dynamical behavior that is relevant to system control and surface characterization. The common mathematical framework for these diverse topics underscores how mathematics can reveal, organize and inspire real and industrially relevant problems in chemical engineering. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1830–1843, 2013     

Synthesis of poly(lactic acid)‐based polyurethanes

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable aliphatic polyester, but its brittleness makes it unsuitable for many packaging and appliance applications. The goal of the work reported was to create novel poly(ester urethane)s that incorporate biodegradable poly(lactic acid) diols (PLA‐OHs) and good mechanical properties of increased molecular weight via crosslinked network formation for engineering plastics applications. Three kinds of polyols (PLA‐OHs, PLA‐OHs/poly(tetramethylene ether) glycol or PLA‐OHs/poly(butylene adipate) glycol (PBA)) and two kinds of diisocyanates (4,4‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) or toluene 2,4‐diisocyanate (TDI)) were chosen for the soft and hard segments to compare their mechanical properties. In addition, 1,4‐butanediol and trimethylolpropane were each used as chain extender agents. Results showed the PLA/PBA‐polyurethanes (PLA/PBA‐PUs) of the MDI series and the PLA/PBA‐PUs of the TDI series had improved thermal stability and enhanced mechanical properties. Degradation behavior showed the PLA‐based polyurethanes could be degraded in phosphate‐buffered saline solution and enzyme solution. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry