Effect of preparation technique on the properties of Mo-containing Al-MCM-41

The Al-MCM-41 has been used as support to prepare Mo-containing catalysts. The 12- molybdophosphoric heteropoly acid (HPMo) is used as initial compound. The catalysts are synthesized by two different methods: incipient impregnation with aqueous solution of the acid and mechanochemical synthesis. The samples were tested in the reaction of the thiophene hydrodesulfurization after activation with mixture H₂ + H₂S. The effect of the preparation method of the catalysts on their physicochemical and catalytic properties has been studied. A partial destruction of the loaded compound is observed in mechanochemically treated sample whereas the aggregates are formed from the particles of different size in the impregnated sample. The specific surface area of the sample prepared by mechanical–chemical treatment decreases 2–3 times, while the total pore volume is about four times lower. The HDS activity is higher on the impregnated sample than on the mechanochemically treated one.     

Antimicrobial and immunological activity of ethanol extracts and fractions from Isopyrum thalictroides

The antimicrobial and immunological properties of ethanol extracts, non-alkaloid, tertiary alkaloid and quaternary alkaloid fractions, obtained from roots and aerial parts of Isopyrum thalictroides were examined. The non-alkaloid fraction from aerial parts inhibited the growth of seven test microorganisms and was the most effective suppressor of classical pathway (CP) complement activity in normal human serum (NHS) and guinea pig serum (GPS). The alkaloid fractions, containing quaternary alkaloids expressed suppressive effect on mitogen-induced splenocyte proliferation. The in vitro antibody response against sheep red blood cells (anti-SRBC) was inhibited by ethanol extracts and quaternary alkaloid fraction. The intraperitoneal (i.p.) application of ethanol extract and tertiary alkaloid fraction from aerial parts showed that they possess in vivo effect on alternative pathway (AP) complement activity, anti-SRBC response and delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH).     

Interface between electroless amorphous Ni–Cu–P coatings and Al substrate

The initial phase arising at the interface with aluminum substrate during electroless deposition of amorphous high phosphorus (16–19 at.%) Ni–Cu–P alloy with alloyed copper 1.7–3.4 at.% is studied. Stripped deposit foils are inspected by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (TEM-EDX). Depending on the plating conditions, various particles, some of them crystalline, are revealed at the foils sides formerly adhering to the substrate. EDX analysis of the crystallites shows diverse copper contents of about 34–64 at.%, without any phosphorus. Electron diffraction analysis indicates a lattice structure very close to that of Cu. The presence of a phase without phosphorus and enriched in copper at the interface with the Al substrate is also confirmed by Auger electron spectroscopy. This initially arising crystalline phase might exert a limited effect on the main properties of bulk Ni–Cu–P deposits: the composition uniformity through the thickness, amorphous structure and paramagnetic behavior. A modification of the plating process is recommended, which is decreasing the probability of inhomogeneities formation.     

Dynamic data assigning assessment clustering of streaming data

Discovering interesting patterns or substructures in data streams is an important challenge in data mining. Clustering algorithms are very often applied to identify single substructures although they are designed to partition a data set. Another problem of clustering algorithms is that most of them are not designed for data streams. This paper discusses a recently introduced procedure that deals with both problems. The procedure explores ideas from cluster analysis, but was designed to identify single clusters without the necessity to partition the whole data set into clusters. The new extended version of the algorithm is an incremental clustering approach applicable to stream data. It identifies new clusters formed by the incoming data and updates the data space partition. Clustering of artificial and real data sets illustrates the abilities of the proposed method.     

A new type of gas sensor based on the thermovoltaic effect in zinc oxide inhomogeneously doped with mixed-valence impurities

We propose a new type of potentiometric gas sensor operating on the basis of the thermovoltaic effect in uniformly heated (without temperature gradients) ZnO/ZnO–Fe sandwich structures obtained by the sol–gel method. It is established that a significant contribution to the gas responsivity of sensors is related to the thickness of the upper doped layer of the structure.     

A kinetic study on the dissolution of disperse dyes in the presence of intensifying additives

The kinetics controlling the water solubility of a disperse dye in the presence of the intensifiers polyethyleneglycol, caprolactam and combination of both were investigated. An exponential rate equation was found to describe the dissolution process. It was established that the additives increase the rate of dissolution.     

One Question,Multiple Answers: Biochemical and Biophysical Screening Methods Retrieve Deviating Fragment Hit Lists

Fragment‐based lead discovery is gaining momentum in drug development. Typically, a hierarchical cascade of several screening techniques is consulted to identify fragment hits which are then analyzed by crystallography. Because crystal structures with bound fragments are essential for the subsequent hit‐to‐lead‐to‐drug optimization, the screening process should distinguish reliably between binders and non‐binders. We therefore investigated whether different screening methods would reveal similar collections of putative binders. First we used a biochemical assay to identify fragments that bind to endothiapepsin, a surrogate for disease‐relevant aspartic proteases. In a comprehensive screening approach, we then evaluated our 361‐entry library by using a reporter‐displacement assay, saturation‐transfer difference NMR, native mass spectrometry, thermophoresis, and a thermal shift assay. While the combined results of these screening methods retrieve 10 of the 11 crystal structures originally predicted by the biochemical assay, the mutual overlap of individual hit lists is surprisingly low, highlighting that each technique operates on different biophysical principles and conditions.     

Antioxidant activity screening of extracts from Sideritis species (Labiatae) grown in Bulgaria

Plant samples from several species and populations of the genus Sideritis (Labiatae) grown in Bulgaria (S scardica, S syriaca and S montana) were extracted with different solvents. Their antioxidant activities were determined by the β‐carotene bleaching test (BCBT), 2,2′‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^?) radical scavenging method and static headspace gas chromatography (HS‐GC) and compared with the antioxidant activity of two reference compounds of different polarity, viz butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and rosmarinic acid. The pure reference compounds were applied in a ten‐times lower concentration than the plant extracts. The highest antioxidant activity in the BCBT, close to that of BHT, was observed for the more apolar extracts. The inhibitory effect on β‐carotene bleaching of the polar extracts and rosmarinic acid was much lower than that of BHT. The inhibition of hexanal formation in bulk safflower oil by most of S syriaca and S scardica extracts was as effective as BHT but less so than rosmarinic acid. S montana extracts showed weak antioxidant or even pro‐oxidant properties. Extracts from butanol and from ethyl acetate and the total methanol extracts from all Sideritis plants studied showed a strong radical scavenging activity against DPPH^?, close to that of rosmarinic acid. S montana extracts were, as a whole, slightly weaker radical inhibitors than the extracts from the other two species. The antioxidant activity of Sideritis extracts was attributed to the presence of flavonoid and phenylpropanoid glycosides. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Investigation of electron beam melting and refining of titanium and tantalum scrap

In this paper obtained experimental and theoretical data for Ti and Ta electron beam melting regeneration from waste products are presented. Different technological regimes and methods are realized and the obtained results are discussed. Element analyses of the impurities’ concentration of the materials before electron beam melting and refining (EBMR) and of the ingots after EBMR are compared. Statistical approach is applied for optimization of process parameters for Ti. Material losses less than 1% and oxygen concentration less than 400 ppm after EBMR of Ti scrap are achieved at 11.5–12 kW beam power and 0.09–0.14 mm/s casting velocity. The optimal process conditions and purification data for Ti refining by minimization of all impurities’ concentrations and the material losses at the same time are obtained at 11.25 kW electron beam power and 0.0835 mm/s casting velocity. For the performed experiments the best purification of Ta (99.985) is obtained at 24 kW beam power and 0.029 mm/s casting velocity, the residence times on the front side of the feeding block and in the liquid metal pool are 2 min and 5 min, respectively.