Cerium(IV) oxide as a neutral catalyst for aldehyde-induced decarboxylative coupling of l-proline with triethyl phosphite and nitromethane

The application of cerium(IV) oxide (CeO₂) as a neutral and heterogeneous catalyst for aldehyde-induced decarboxylative coupling of l-proline with triethyl phosphite and nitromethane is described. In addition, a [3+2] cycloaddition reaction of the in situ generated 1,3-dipolar intermediate with benzaldehyde in the absence of a nucleophile is also reported.     

Covariantization of nonlinear elasticity

In this paper we make a connection between covariant elasticity based on covariance of energy balance and Lagrangian field theory of elasticity with two background metrics. We use Kucha?’s idea of reparametrization of field theories and make elasticity generally covariant by introducing a “covariance field”, which is a time-independent spatial diffeomorphism. We define a modified action for parameterized elasticity and show that the Doyle-Ericksen formula and spatial homogeneity of the Lagrangian density are among its Euler–Lagrange equations.     

Tools to Simulate Distributive Mixing in Twin‐Screw Extruders

The application of the mapping method in finite element modeling is extended to quantitatively compare mixing in different twin‐screw extruder layouts. The mapping method provides volumetric quantities, which are crucial for the analysis and optimization of mixing based on the tracking of particles in the velocity field. A new approach to the mapping method is developed to analyze mixing in complex, dynamic open geometries. Several screw configurations and different types of conveying screws are compared, changing the pitch and gap widths. The volume‐weighted intensity of segregation is used as a mixing measure.

     

Gut microbiota, diet, and heart disease

Modulation of the gut microbiota is an area of growing interest, particularly for its link to improving and maintaining the systemic health of the host. It has been suggested to have potential to reduce risk factors associated with chronic diseases, such as elevated cholesterol levels in coronary heart disease (CHD). Diets of our evolutionary ancestors were largely based on plant foods, high in dietary fiber and fermentable substrate, and our gut microbiota has evolved against a background of such diets. Therapeutic diets that mimic plant-based diets from the early phases of human evolution may result in drug-like cholesterol reductions. In contrast, typical Western diets low in dietary fiber and fermentable substrate, and high in saturated and trans fatty acids, are likely contributors to the increased need for pharmacological agents for cholesterol reduction. The gut microbiota of those consuming a Western diet are likely underutilized and depleted of metabolic fuels, resulting in a less than optimal gut microbial profile. As a result, this diet is mismatched to our archaic gut microbiota and, therefore, to our genome, which has changed relatively little since humans first appeared. While the exact mechanism by which the gut microbiota may modulate cholesterol levels still remains uncertain, end products of bacterial fermentation, particularly the short chain fatty acids (i.e., propionate), have been suggested as potential candidates. While more research is required to clarify the potential link between gut microbiota and CHD risk reduction, consuming a therapeutic diet rich in plant foods, dietary fiber, and fermentable substrate would be a useful strategy for improving systemic health, possibly by altering the gut microbiota.     

Interactive effect of oxygen diffusion and volatiles advection on transient thermal degradation of poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA)

A transient, one-dimensional model has been presented to formulate the substantial role of polymer gasification in the early stages of fire growth. The present model comprises the interaction between the oxygen diffusion and the released volatiles on the rate of polymer gasification, when the polymeric sample is subjected to an external radiative source. The model also includes different mechanisms affecting the degradation process such as in-depth thermal and oxidative decomposition, in-depth absorption of radiation and heat and mass transfer in the both gas and solid phases. The results for two different radiative heat sources (17 and 40 kW m⁻²) are reported and yielded realistic results, comparing to the published experimental data. It was found that an increase in the oxygen concentration will lead to a considerable decrease in the surface temperature as well as significant increase of gasification rate at 17 kW m⁻²; nevertheless this effect is less apparent at 40 kW m⁻².     

Active flow control for reduction of fluctuating aerodynamic forces of a blunt trailing edge profiled body

Vortex shedding in the wake of two-dimensional bluff bodies is usually accompanied by three dimensional instabilities. These instabilities result in streamwise and vertical vorticity components which occur at a certain spanwise wavelength. The spanwise wavelength of the instabilities (λ_Z) depends on several parameters, including profile geometry and Reynolds number. The objective of the present work is to study the three dimensional wake instabilities for a blunt trailing edge profiled body, comprised of an elliptical leading edge and a rectangular trailing edge, and to manipulate these instabilities to control the aerodynamic forces. Results of numerical simulations of flow around the body at Re(d) = 400, 600, and 1000, as well as planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) flow visualizations at Re(d) = 600 and 1000 are analyzed to determine the wake vorticity structure and λ_Z. Based on the findings of these analyses, an active flow control mechanism for attenuation of the fluctuating aerodynamic forces on the body is proposed. The flow control mechanism is comprised of a series of trailing edge injection ports distributed across the span, with a spacing equal to λ_Z. Injection of a secondary flow leads to amplification of the three dimensional instabilities and disorganization of the von Kármán vortex street. Numerical simulations indicate that the flow control mechanism can attenuate the fluctuating aerodynamic forces at lower Reynolds numbers (Re(d) = 400 and 600) where λ_Z is constant in time. However, the control mechanism loses its effectiveness at Re(d) = 1000, due to the temporal variations of λ_Z.     

A Triple Pore Network Model (T-PNM) for Gas Flow Simulation in Fractured,Micro-porous and Meso-porous Media

Transport in Porous Media - In this study, a novel triple pore network model (T-PNM) is introduced which is composed of a single pore network model (PNM) coupled to fractures and micro-porosities....     

Determining elemental strontium distribution in rat bones treated with strontium ranelate and strontium citrate using 2D micro-XRF and 3D dual energy K-edge subtraction synchrotron imaging

Strontium-based medications, such as strontium ranelate, have been suggested to have therapeutic effects in patients with osteoporosis. Strontium salts available off-shelf in stores across North America are assumed to provide similar effects as strontium ranelate and thus should lead to similar distributions of elemental strontium incorporated in bone. The objective of this study was to compare the spatial distribution of strontium in animal bones following the administration of strontium ranelate and strontium citrate. Seventeen-week-old Sprague–Dawley rats were split into three groups over 10 weeks and given 625 mg/kg/day of strontium ranelate and 676 mg/kg/day of strontium citrate; the control group received no additional supplementary strontium. The humeri were collected from all animals, and strontium distribution was mapped using 2D micro-XRF and 3D dual energy K-edge subtraction (KES) imaging. 2D and 3D elemental mapping methods demonstrated that strontium delivered during treatment by both salts had the same spatial distribution. 3D elemental strontium maps of treated animal bones showed that strontium was largely observed in the trabecular regions under the epiphyseal (growth) plate. The thickness of the strontium layers in both the strontium ranelate and strontium citrate sample was not significantly different (p = .9201). 2D micro-XRF and 3D dual-energy KES images effectively elucidated the spatial distribution of elemental strontium in calcified tissue. These methods provide a novel approach to evaluating the potential efficacy of strontium supplements in the treatment of osteoporosis.     

Ni(II) immobilized on modified boehmite nanostructures: a novel,inexpensive, and highly efficient heterogeneous nanocatalyst for multicomponent domino reactions

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Here we report the synthesis of Ni(II) immobilized on modified boehmite nanostructures as an environmentally friendly heterogeneous catalyst for the one-pot...     

A new Pd‐Schiff‐base complex on boehmite nanoparticles: Its application in Suzuki reaction and synthesis of tetrazoles

Boehmite nanoparticles are not air or moisture sensitive, therefore have been prepared in water without inert atmosphere using inexpensive materials. Pd‐isatin‐boehmite was synthesized and used as heterogeneous organometallic catalyst for the synthesis of 5‐substituted 1H‐tetrazoles and C‐C band formation. Pd‐isatin‐boehmite characterized by XRD, TGA, SEM and ICP‐OES techniques. This catalyst was reused for several times without significant loss of its catalytic efficiency or palladium leaching. Heterogeneity of this catalyst has been studied using ICP‐OES technique.