Ni-loaded (Ce,Zr)O2–δ-dispersed paper-structured catalyst for dry reforming of methane

A paper-structured catalyst (PSC) for biogas reforming was prepared with the aim of improving coking tolerance. During the paper-making process using inorganic fibers, Ni-loaded (Ce,Zr)O_2–δ particles were synthesized via co-precipitation and subsequent chemical reduction (on-paper synthesis). The effects of the CeO₂/ZrO₂ weight ratio during preparation and the Ni loading amount on the catalytic activity for dry reforming of CH₄ were investigated at 750 °C. A Ni loading of 6 wt% with CeO₂/ZrO₂ ≥ 1 led to stable CH₄ conversion of 85% without coking under a gas hourly space velocity of 3800 h^?1. The oxygen storage capacity of the (Ce,Zr)O_2–δ particles dispersed in the inorganic fiber network may contribute to the oxidation of carbonaceous species deposited on the catalyst surface.     

Preparation of carbon coated LiMnPO4 powders by a combination of spray pyrolysis with dry ball-milling followed by heat treatment

Nanostructured LiMnPO₄ particles could be successfully synthesized by an ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method from the precursor solution; LiNO₃, Mn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O and H₃PO₄ were stoichiometrically dissolved into distilled water. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the as-prepared powders which had the desired olivine structure without any impurity phase could be obtained in the reactor temperatures ranging from 500 to 800 °C. Carbon coated LiMnPO₄ could be prepared from the as-prepared powders by a dry ball-milling followed by heat treatment for 4 h in a N₂ + 3% H₂ atmosphere. Transmission Electron Microscopy observation confirmed that a carbon layer was formed on the surface of LiMnPO₄ particles, which aimed to enhance the electronic conductivity of the material as well as inhibit the agglomeration during annealing. The carbon coated LiMnPO₄ was used as cathode active materials for lithium-ion batteries, and electrochemical performance was investigated using the Li|1 M LiClO₄ in EC:DEC = 1:1|LiMnPO₄ cells at room temperature and 55 °C. At a charge/discharge rate of 0.05 C, the cell exhibited first discharge capacities of 70 mAh g^?1 at room temperature and 140 mAh g^?1 at 55 °C. Moreover, it showed excellent cycleability even at elevated temperature and a high charge/discharge rate of 2 C.     

Application of ARMA models to automatic channel equalization

This paper describes a novel approach to automatic channel equalization in digital transmission systems. The approach is based on the use of a finite-dimensional rational approximation to the channel characteristics. This class of channel approximation has the following advantages: it allows a finite parametrization of the channel impulse response which may be of infinite duration, it allows for the possibility of the noise being colored, it applies to either single- or multiple-channel systems, and it has the pedigogical advantage that many other algorithms in current use are based on models which are special cases of this model. The rational approximation to the channel characteristics is used in the paper to develop a new receiver structure using fixed-lag smoothing ideas. Simulation studies are presented showing that the receiver offers advantages over other algorithms for mitigating the effects of intersymbol and interchannel interference including those arising from carrier phase errors.     

Computing Optimal Max-Min Fair Resource Allocation for Elastic Flows

In this paper, we consider the max-min fair resource allocation problem as applied to elastic flows. We are interested in computing the optimal max-min fair rate allocation. The proposed approach is a linear programming based one and allows the computation of optimal routing paths with regard to max-min fairness, in stable and known traffic conditions. We consider non-bounded access rates, but we show how the proposed approach can handle the case of upper-bounded access rates. A proof of optimality and some computational results are also presented     

Habenular lesions and feminine sexual behavior of ovariectomized rats: Diminished responsiveness to the synergistic effects of estrogen and progesterone.

Bilateral electrolytic lesions in the habenula resulted in disruption of feminine sexual behaviors evoked by estrogen and progesterone in 43 ovariectomized rats. There were no differences between lesioned and sham-operated Ss in tests conducted after the administration of estrogen alone. Ss with lesions were characterized by an increased proportion of mounts not followed by lordosis, a decreased proportion of mounts followed by pronounced lordosis, and a decreased proportion of mounts preceded by soliciting behaviors. Lesions had a negligible effect upon the tendency to hold lordotic postures after the male dismounted. Results suggest that the habenula is involved in modulating responsiveness to the synergistic effects of estrogen and progesterone. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of enzyme treatment of rice bran on gamma-aminobutyric acid synthesis by Lacto bacillus

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. The production GABA from the cheaper glutamic acid is a valuable process. Rice bran is a potential source of glutamic acid decarboxylase which was therefore selected for production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) using lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus brevis (Lb.brevis) VTCC-B397). The influences of treatment of defatted rice bran with α-amylase, Alcalase (Al), Flavourzyme (Fl) and their combinations at different concentration ratios on the GABA synthesis were examined. With α-amylase impacts, concentration of GABA (6.41 mg mL⁻¹) was about 2.38 times higher than the control sample (2.69 mg mL⁻¹) under hydrolysis conditions of pH 6.5, temperature of 95 °C and α-amylase concentration of 0.15% (v/w) for 45 min. The α-amylase hydrolysis as prerequisite for protein hydrolysis using Al: Fl (ratio Al: Fl of 3: 7, concentration of 2% (w/w), pH = 8, temperature of 50 °C) reached the highest GABA synthesis efficiency, at 8.43 mg mL⁻¹. Results showed that the enzyme treatment positively affected the fermentation using Lb. brevis for GABA biosynthesis from defatted rice bran.     

Biodegradable Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica (BPMO) Loaded with Daunorubicin: A Promising Nanoparticle-Based Anticancer Drug

Biodegradable periodic mesoporous organosilica (BPMO) nanoparticles have emerged as a promising type of nanocarrier for drug delivery, given the biodegradable feature is advantageous for clinical translation. In this paper, we report synthesis and characterization of daunorubicin (DNR) loaded BPMO. DNR was loaded onto rhodamine B-labeled BPMO that contain tetrasulfide bonds. Tumor spheroids and chicken egg tumor models were used to characterize the activity in biological settings. In the first experiment we examined the uptake of BPMO into tumor spheroids prepared from ovarian cancer cells. BPMO were efficiently taken up into tumor spheroids and inhibited their growth. In the chicken egg tumor model, intravenous injection of DNR-loaded BPMO led to the elimination of ovarian tumor. Lack of adverse effect on organs such as lung appears to be due to excellent tumor accumulation of BPMO. Thus, DNR-loaded BPMO represents a promising nanodrug compared with free DNR currently used in cancer therapy. OK     

Nutritional quality evaluation of commercial protein supplements

Protein supplements have received increasing attention by consumers over the last few decades. However, hundreds of them have recently exhibited irregularities including lower quantities of proteins than disclosed values. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional quality of six commercial protein supplement powders (calcium caseinate, milk protein concentrate, egg white, pea protein isolate, whey protein concentrate and soy protein isolate). The chemical composition, amino acid content and in vitro digestibility were examined. Thus, calculate the amino acid scores corrected for amino acid and protein digestibility. In vitro digestion was also conducted and protein hydrolysis was monitored by SDS-page. Calcium caseinate powder and whey protein concentrate were only composed of proteinogenic amino acids and exhibited the highest essential amino acid content. As regards in vitro digestibility, these two supplements perfectly meet the quality expectations of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Conversely, the other four supplements exhibited a lower quality than the FAO reference protein. This was due to low digestibility (for egg white and milk concentrate) and/or lack of a specific essential amino acid (for milk concentrate and pea isolate).