Betulinic Acid in Complex with a Gamma-Cyclodextrin Derivative Decreases Proliferation and in Vivo Tumor Development of Non-Metastatic and Metastatic B164A5 Cells

Betulinic acid, a very promising anti-melanoma agent, has very low water solubility that causes low bioavailability. To overcome this inconvenience, a highly water-soluble cyclodextrin was used (octakis-[6-deoxy-6-(2-sulfanyl ethanesulfonic acid)]-γ-cyclodextrin). The complex was physico-chemically analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods and then in vitro tested for its antiproliferative activity by the MTT assay and by cell cycle analysis. Finally, the complex was tested in vivo using an animal model of murine melanoma developed in C57BL/6J mice, where it caused a reduction in tumor volume and weight. The study revealed the beneficial influence of betulinic acid inclusion into the cyclodextrin in terms of antiproliferative activity and in vivo tumor development.     

Modified dynamic surface approach with bias torque for multi-motor servomechanism

This paper presents a modified neural dynamic surface control (DSC) with an adaptive bias torque for the multi-motor servomechanism (MMS) with backlash, friction and other disturbances. By introducing a continuous hybrid differentiator to replace the first-order filter in each step, a modified DSC is developed to improve the load tracking precision of MMS. However, when the MMS enters the backlash band, only DSC cannot guarantee the load tracking performance. Thus, an adaptive bias torque is firstly proposed based on the prescribed performance function technique to compensate the backlash nonlinearity and guarantee the load tracking performance of MMS. In addition, the unknown dynamics including the friction and other disturbances are approximated by using wavelet echo state networks where the weights are all updated online. By means of Lyapunov stability theory, the semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded (SGUUB) property of all signals in the closed-loop system is proved. Finally, simulations and experimental results based on a four-motor servomechanism are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.     

Effects of the biaxial orientation on the mechanical and optical properties and shrinkage of polyamide 6-66–montmorillonite–nanosilica nanocomposite films

Polyamide 6–66 (PA6-66)–montmorillonite (MMT)–nanosilica (NS) nanocomposite films were fabricated through a cast film process and then biaxially stretched on a laboratory stretcher. Uniaxial or biaxial stretching induced the elongated conformation of MMT and NS. The b axis of the α crystals and the amorphous phase were revealed to align along the machine direction (MD) after stretching, with the uniaxial orientation playing a more significant role. Furthermore, the crystallinity of PA6-66 stretching increased with the stretching ratio. Uniaxial stretching gave rise to a significantly enhanced tensile strength along the MD, whereas it slightly decreased the mechanical properties along the transverse direction (TD). In contrast, the films subjected to biaxial stretching exhibited more balanced mechanical properties. Uniaxial and biaxial stretching led to decreased transmittance and increased haze in the PA6-66–MMT–NS films; this could have been due to the elongated nanostructure of the two nanofillers, which inhibited the transmission and facilitated the scattering of visible light. The thermal shrinkage of the films increased with increasing stretching ratio, and the biaxially oriented films presented nearly equal shrinkage in the MD and TD. The addition of nanofillers decreased the shrinkage attributed to the mobility inhibition of the polymer chains during heating. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47504.     

Hydrolysis-resistant polyurethane elastomers synthesized from hydrophobic bio-based polyfarnesene diol

Hydrolytic stability is an essential requirement for polyurethanes (PUs) that are used in highly humid and aqueous environments. In this study, hydrolysis-resistant PU elastomers (PUEs) are synthesized based on hydrophobic bio-based polyfarnesene diol (PFD), which contains unique “bottle brushes” structure (with long branched hydrocarbon side chains). The effect of hard segment (HS) content, ranging from 30 to 50%, on the morphology and properties of PUEs is investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, tensile, water absorption, and contact angle measurements. The results show that there are prominent phase separations in the synthesized PUEs. The PUEs show a three-stage degradation process and two T_g, one is at about −66 °C and the other 61 °C, which are related to the soft segment and HS, respectively. Water contact angles of PUEs increase from 98.6 to 105.2° with the increasing of PFD structural unit fraction. After being immersed in deionized water for 30 days, PUEs show no significant degradation of both tensile strength and elongation at break, and mass changes of all samples are less than 0.5%. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47673.     

Effects of physical aging on thermomechanical behaviors of poly(ethylene terephthalate)-glycol (PETG)

ABSTRACT

A series of experiments are performed to investigate the effects of physical aging on thermomechanical properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate)-glycol (PETG). The DMA, DSC and XRD tests are used to characterize the change of dynamic property, heat capacity and microstructure with annealing treatments. The uniaxial tension tests together with the DIC technique are employed to describe the failure behaviors of PETG. The results show that the annealed polymers exhibit a larger maximum local strain and fail at a smaller displacement. The type and size of the geometry defects can also affect the strain localization and final failure behaviors of PETG.     

Synthesis,crystal growth,thermal studies and scaled quantum chemical studies of structural and vibrational spectra of the highly efficient organic NLO crystal: 1-(4-Aminophenyl)-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-prop-2-en-1-one

A new chalcone derivative, 1-(4-aminophenyl)-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-prop-2-en-1-one (DMAC) was synthesized and single crystals were grown by slow evaporation technique. The FT-Raman and FT-IR spectra of the sample were recorded in the region 3700–100 cm⁻¹ and 4000–400 cm⁻¹, respectively. The spectra were interpreted with the aid of normal coordinate analysis following structure optimizations and force field calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory. Normal coordinate calculations were performed using the DFT force field, corrected by a recommended set of scaling factors, yielding fairly good agreement between the observed and calculated wavenumbers. DMAC is thermally stable up to 220.0 °C and optically transparent in the visible region. Information about the size, shape, charge density distribution and site of chemical reactivity of the molecule has been obtained by mapping electron density isosurface with electrostatic potential surfaces (ESP). The SHG efficiency of DMAC is observed to be 10 times that of standard urea crystal of identical particle size.     

Thermal behaviour of polyethylene‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) block copolymer: effect of multiple heating and cooling rates versus mathematical artefact

The melting and crystallization behaviours of a polyethylene‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) (PE‐b‐PMMA) diblock copolymer and a PE homopolymer were investigated using multiple heating and cooling rate differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments, and modelling of the crystallization kinetics and lamellar thickness distribution. This new model was first validated applying literature and experimental data. The model‐predicted morphology (n = 3.2) closely matched the spherulitic morphology (n = 3), which was determined using polarized optical microscopy. For each experimental cooling rate, the model predicted diblock copolymer crystallinity that well matched the entire DSC crystallinity curve, notably for an Avrami–Erofeev index of n = 2; and apparent crystallization activation energy that hardly varied with the cooling rates used, relative crystallinity (α), and crystallization temperature or time. This disfavours the concept of variable activation energy. The use of the right crystallization model and parameter estimation algorithm is important for addressing the mathematical artefact. Under non‐isothermal cooling, the PE‐b‐PMMA diblock copolymer, as per the model prediction, crystallized without confinement (n ≠ 1), preserving the cylindrical structure. From the characteristic shapes of the crystallization function f(α(T)) versus 1/T and crystallization rate versus α plots, the resulting T_cmax and narrow α_max range can guide the search for an appropriate crystallization model. The overall treatment illustrated in this study is not restricted to a PE homopolymer and a PE‐b‐isotactic PMMA block copolymer. It can be generally applied to crystalline homopolymers and copolymers (alternating, random and block), as well as their blends. The block copolymers and blends can be crystalline–amorphous as well as crystalline–crystalline. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry     

基于DSC的异构双核编程模型

介绍了基于DSC(Digital Signal Controller)的异构双核编程模型。DSC将MCU和DSP进行单片结合,从而既具有MCU的控制灵活性又具有DSP的快速计算能力和高精度处理能力。编程模型针对DSC的异构双核架构提供了核间通信、同步、任务分配的方法。实验证明,DSC较之单MCU能更好地完成复杂的控制任务。     

Lonidamine Solid Dispersions: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation

ABSTRACT

Solid dispersions of lonidamine in PEG 4000 and PVP K 29/32 were prepared by the spray-drying method. Then, the binary systems were studied and characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, hot stage microscopy, and x-ray diffractometry. In vitro dissolution studies of the solid dispersed powders were performed to verify if any lonidamine dissolution rate or water solubility improvement occurred. In vivo tests were carried out on the solid dispersions and on the cyclodextrin inclusion complexes to verify if this lonidamine water solubility increase was really able to improve the in vivo drug plasma levels. Drug water solubility was increased by the solid dispersion formation, and the extent of increase depended on the polymer content of the powder. The greater increase of solubility corresponded to the highest content of polymer. Both the solid dispersions and the cyclodextrin complexes were able to improve the in vivo bioavailability of the lonidamine when administered per os. Particularly, the AUC of the drug plasma levels was increased from 1.5 to 1.9-fold depending on the type of carrier.     

用于现场老化交联聚乙烯电力电缆的降解评估参数

The cables are more likely to deteriorate after several years of service in Shanghai,a city with a humid climate and abundant rainfall.Before assessing the aging status of those cables,it is critical to present effective test parameters which are sensitive to the aging process under special field conditions.Therefore,we have performed water tree investigation,tensile test,and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)test on hundreds of cable samples removed from service.A large number of typical bowtie water trees were found in cable insulation and the water tree content was proposed to characterize the degree of water treeing.Based on Arrhenius Equation and equivalent thermal history parameters estimated from DSC profiles,we also proposed a new parameter ln(t/τθ)to characterize the aging status of cable insulation,Where,t is treated duration andτθis the thermal life under treated temperature.The applicabilities of water tree content,tensile strength,and ln(t/τθ)are tested using the analysis of variance(ANOVA).Then we investigated the relationship between the tensile strength and the water tree content using regression analysis,and analyzed the relationship between ln(t/τθ)and the tensile strength.The results indicated that each of these parameters performs differently with cables which experienced different degrees of age related degradation,and can be used to identify the aging status of field aged cables.The tensile strength can reflect the water treeing condition of field aged cables very well as a commonly used functional parameter.Since ln(t/τθ)is strongly related to the tensile strength,it is an effective parameter to characterize the aging status of field aged cable insulation.Using this newly proposed parameter is more time saving because of the convenience in sampling.