Change of short-term memory effect in acute ischemic ventricular myocardium: A computational study

The ionic mechanism of change in short-term memory (STM) during acute myocardial ischemia has not been well understood. In this paper, an advanced guinea pig ventricular model developed by Luo and Rudy was used to investigate STM property of ischemic ventricular myocardium. STM response was calculated by testing the time to reach steady-state action potential duration (APD) after an abrupt shortening of basic cycling length (BCL) in the pacing protocol. Electrical restitution curves (RCs), which can simultaneously visualize multiple aspects of APD restitution and STM, were obtained from dynamic and local S1S2 restitution portrait (RP), which consist of a longer interval stimulus (S1) and a shorter interval stimulus (S2). The angle between dynamic RC and local S1S2 RC reflects the amount of STM. Our results indicated that compared with control (normal) condition, time constant of STM response in the ischemic condition decreased significantly. Meanwhile the angle which reflects STM amount is less in ischemic model than that in control model. By tracking the effect of ischemia on intracellular ion concentration and membrane currents, we declared that changes in membrane currents caused by ischemia exert subtle influences on STM; it is only the decline of intracellular calcium concentration that give rise to the most decrement of STM.     

Influence of silicon on the growth of barrier-type anodic films on titanium

Amorphous anodic titania, stabilised by incorporation of silicon species, is shown to grow to high voltages on sputter-deposited, single-phase Ti-Si alloys during anodizing at a constant current density in ammonium pentaborate electrolyte. The films comprise two main layers, with silicon species confined to the inner layers. An amorphous-to-crystalline transition occurs at ∼60 V on the Ti-6 at.% Si alloy, while the transition is suppressed to voltages above 140 V on alloys with 12 and 26 at.% silicon. The crystalline oxide, nucleated at a depth of ∼40% of the film thickness, is associated with the presence of a precursor of crystalline oxide in the pre-existing air-formed oxide. The modified structure of the air-formed oxide due to increased incorporation of silicon species suppresses the amorphous-to-crystalline transition until the onset of dielectric breakdown. The transport numbers of cations and anions during growth of the anodic oxides are independent of the concentration of silicon species in the inner layer, despite the marked change in the field strength.     

The effect of Al content on the wettability between liquid iron and MgOAl2O3 binary substrate

In the present study, the wettability between liquid iron with two different Al contents and MgOAl₂O₃ binary substrates was studied in reducing atmosphere. The contact angles between liquid iron with 18?ppm Al and MgO, MgO·Al₂O₃, Al₂O₃ were 133.5°, 113.7°, 126.9° respectively. With the variation of the substrate composition, the contact angles for the intermediate binary phases of the three components (MgO, MgO·Al₂O₃, Al₂O₃) obeyed the Cassie theory. In the experiment using iron with 370?ppm Al, all the contact angles were higher than that using low Al-containing iron. The surface of the iron drop was covered with an oxide layer, which mainly consisted of many small particles. With the variation of the substrate gradually from MgO to Al₂O₃, the composition of the oxide layer changed from MgO·Al₂O₃ to CaOAl₂O₃. The formation of the oxide layer prevented the spreading of liquid iron, leading to the increase of the contact angle.     

A PRACTICAL METHOD FOR RECTIFYING INTERFACIAL TENSION DATA TO PREDICT THE SHAPE OF INTERFACES IN AN IMMISCIBLE LIQUID/LIQUID/GAS SYSTEM

The shape of interfaces formed by the contact of two liquid phases, immiscible with each other, and a gaseous phase can be predicted on the condition that the tension to work at each interface is known with a sufficient accuracy. In general, interfacial tension data available are not so accurate, however, as to be useful as they are in predicting the shape of interfaces, particularly when the spreading coefficient of either liquid (liquid 1) on the other (liquid 2) has a negative value of a small magnitude. Presented in this note is a simple method to rectify the interfacial tension data, with the aid of a measurement of the radius of a lens of liquid 1 of a known volume placed on the horizontal surface of liquid 2, and thereby make them usable for predicting interfacial geometries. The method is tested by applying it to benzene/water and n-pentane/water systems.     

Ionic liquid as reaction medium for the synthesis and crystallization of a metal-organic framework: (BMIM)2[Cd3(BDC)3Br2] (BMIM = 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate)

An ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, is used as reaction medium for the synthesis and crystallization of a coordination polymer, (BMIM)₂[Cd₃(BDC)₃Br ₂] (1) (BMIM = 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, BDC =  1,4-benzenedicarboxylate), which forms an anionic two-dimensional framework with the imidazolium cations located between the layers. This compound is thermally stable up to ca. 340 °C and exhibits blue emission in solid state at room temperature. Other characterizations by IR and UV–visible spectra are also described.     

Effect of cation structure on the electrochemical and thermal properties of ion conductive polymers obtained from polymerizable ionic liquids

Several onium cations having vinyl group formed ionic liquids after coupling with bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide. These monomers were polymerized, and the relation between onium cation structure and properties of thus polymerized ionic liquids was investigated. The polymerized ionic liquid having ethylimiadzolium cation unit showed the highest ionic conductivity of around 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at 30 °C among the obtained polymers reflecting the lowest glass transition temperature of −59 °C. These polymers were thermally stable and their decomposition temperatures were about 350 °C. The ionic conductivity of the polymerized ionic liquids decreased by both the addition of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide and the polymerization in the presence of cross-linker. However, the polymerized ionic liquid having 1-methylpiperidinium cation structure showed good lithium ion transference number of 0.43 at room temperature.     

SEPARATION AND ENRICHMENT OF WEAK ORGANIC ACIDS OR BASES BY IMMOBILIZED LIQUID MEMBRANES

A new and effective liquid membrane process to achieve both separation and enrichment simultaneously of weak organic acids or bases was developed. The process utilizes effectively the difference in the apparent partition coefficient of the constituent species between the aqueous and organic phases, and uses the change of the apparent partition coefficients with the hydrogen ion concentration of the aqueous phase. For such a fundamental model apparatus as a diaphragm diffusion cell being operated batch wise, the effects of pK value of solutes, permeability of solutes through the membrane, volume ratio of liquids in two aqueous phases, and pH value of aqueous phase on enrichment factor and selectivity for the solute to be concentrated were discussed analytically. Separation and enrichment were demonstrated using aqueous mixed solutions of fumaric acid and L-malic acid. The results were in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.     

铬铁矿液相氧化的热力学分析

液相氧化法生产铬酸盐技术是对传统火法焙烧技术的突破．在600～900K温度范围内对液相氧化法处理铬铁矿的熔盐体系各反应趋势及物相组成的热力学进行了分析研究，对液相氧化法处理铬铁矿各体系的反应自由能变化（△G°R）与温度（T）关系的计算结果表明，铬铁矿中的（Mg,Fe）（CrO2）2在较低温度下与NaOH、O2具有较强的反应趋势，比传统的火法焙烧方法反应温度降低了873K，节约大量能源;铬铁矿中的杂质相在反应温度下进行一系列副反应，生成硅酸盐、铝硅酸盐等新相．     

Side-chain functionalized liquid crystalline polymers and blends, 10: phase behavior and structure of side-chain liquid crystalline ionomers containing ions of d-metals

Novel side-chain liquid crystalline (LC) ionomers containing d-metals Co(II) and Ni(II) were synthesized and characterized. Both families of the ionomers are characterized by the same influence of charged group content in polymer on their phase behavior. The incorporation of 2-3 mol% of metal ions in the nematic polymer matrix leads to the induction of SmA phase and rise in the clearing point. The peculiarity of their phase behavior in comparison with the earlier investigated LC ionomers with alkaline or alkali-earth metals is the full destruction of the mesophase at the concentration of d-metal higher than 12 mol%. This phenomenon was associated with the well-known ability of the transition metal ions to form various complexes that, in the case of LC ionomers, can negatively influence the ordering of the side mesogenic groups. The proposed structure of the LC ionomers is discussed in comparison with the metallomesogenic polymer systems.     

Theory of chromatography of complex cyclic polymers: eight-shaped and daisy-like macromolecules

A theory of chromatography of eight-shaped, trefoil-shaped and daisy-like polymers is developed. For a model of an ideal chain in a slit-like pore exact equations and a number of approximate formulae for the distribution coefficient K of these polymers are derived. All modes of chromatography of complex macrocycles of arbitrary molar mass in both narrow and wide pores are covered by the theory. It is shown that complex macrocycles always elute after linear polymers and rings of the same contour length. The effective chromatographic radius of eight-shaped and daisy-like macromolecules, which determines retention in size-exclusion chromatography are calculated. The increase in the retention with molar mass is predicted for all types of macrocycles at the critical interaction condition. Non-monotonous molar mass dependences of K are found at pre-critical interaction. We simulate separation of complex cyclic polymers from linear and ring precursors, discuss possibilities to separate symmetric and asymmetric eights, and speculates on the use of chromatography for separating knotted and unknotted polymer rings. According to the theory, the chromatography under the critical and pre-critical interaction conditions is expected to be especially efficient in these and similar problems. Boundary conditions for the theory and its applicability to real systems are discussed.