High sensitivity of positron annihilation lifetime to time and pressure effects in gas-exposed polymers

Positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) experiments are performed in polycarbonate (PC) exposed to CO₂ and He gases as a function of time and pressure. In PC/CO₂ systems, hole size and fraction reduced from PAL data increase as a function of CO₂ pressure and exposure time. Significant hysteresis in positron lifetime data is observed during CO₂ abasorption/desorption. In PC/He systems, no variation is observed. Hole size distribution in the CO₂-exposed polymers is found to be significantly broader than in unexposed samples. The high sensitivity of PAL results to CO₂ exposure of PC is thought to relate to the microstructural changes in the polymer matrix, such as penetrant plasticization, gas hydrostatic pressure effect, and molecular filling and creation of holes.     

Synthesis and Catalytic Applications of Dendrimer-Templated Bimetallic Nanoparticles

Dendrimers, well-defined hyper-branched macromolecules with characteristic globular structure, have emerged as an attractive material in the field of catalysis and have been considered as a new type of host for the accommodation of guest molecules by virtue of their three-dimensional structure having interior void space. In line with the prospect of dendrimer as a nanoreactor, various metal nanoparticles have been successfully prepared via encapsulation in or formation of particles surrounded by dendrimer branches. However, it is worth noting that most of the previous studies have been confined to the monometallic nanoparticles, and bimetallic nanoparticles have been scarcely exploited yet. In this article, we present the synthesis and characterization of dendrimer-templated bimetallic nanoparticles and their application to catalysis.     

Electrochemical dimerization of 2-(2'-thienyl)pyridine adsorbed on Au(111) observed by in situ fluorescence

The study of heterodentate molecules adsorbed on metal electrodes provides an opportunity to expand the functionality of modified surfaces while offering insights into the surface and intramolecular electronic interactions of organic adsorbates. The adsorption of 2-(2'-thienyl)pyridine, a molecule containing both pyridine and thiophene moieties, on a Au(111) electrode is reported. Adsorption was characterized by electrochemistry in neutral and basic aqueous electrolyte and was compared to that of pyridine. The aqueous electrochemistry of thiophene on Au(111) was also characterized for comparison purposes. At negative potentials, in the presence of 2-(2'-thienyl)pyridine, a diffuse, pi-bonded monolayer was formed, and a phase transition to a close-packed N- and/or S-bonded configuration was observed near -0.4 V in a 1 mM solution of adsorbate, similar to that seen in pyridine on Au(111). The thiophene-like oxidative dimerization of the molecule was confirmed at positive potentials using in situ fluorescence microscopy by comparison with the spectrum of the chemically synthesized dimer.     

A pilot plant study on reclamation of sewage effluent by radiation treatment

A pilot plant was developed for the reclamation and reuse of secondary effluent from a sewage treatment plant. The plant system consists of sand filtration, gamma-irradiation, ozonation and ion-exchange. Gamma-irradiation showed effective organic contaminant decomposition and this resulted in the reduction of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), color, chemical oxygen demand (COD_Cr) and total organic carbon (TOC). Ion-exchange significantly removed inorganic ions, and thus reduced total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). The average reduction in color, COD_Cr, BOD₅, TOC, TN and TP, which was obtained after 12 operations, was 64, 52, 67, 61, 95 and 92%, respectively. Irrespective of applied radiation dose, the treated water fully satisfied the quality requirements of household water that can be used for all home uses except for drinking and human contact uses. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

用于制备聚氨酯纳米复合物的高岭石粒子的表征

Clay such as kaolinite， is commonly used as an additive to modify the thermal properties of polymer. In this paper， the morphology， composition， shape and structure of kaolinite was characterized by various advanced techniques. The TEM/ EDX data showed that the kaolinite had a larger particle size and a Si/Al ratio of 1.8. The individual particle of kaolinite was a single crystalline. TEM also showed that these particles were always stacked together due to the presence of electrostatic cohesive energy and hydrogen bond between plaletes. The PAS-FTIR spectra showed that no absorbance of hydroxyl group for hydration water in hydrogen bond region or at 1650cm^-1 was observed at room temperature. It meant a little ability to adsorb water for kaolinite particle. Kaolinite clay also showed no change for its PAS-FTIR spectra with increasing temperature. The TGA results revealed that kaolinite almost doesn′t lose weight at 60℃ due to loss of dehydration of absorbed water， however， it will decomposed around 510℃ and lose its hydroxyl functional group in the form of water (dehydroxylation). The result is consistent with that of PAS-FTIR analysis. This suggests that the structural hydroxyl group on the surface of individual kaolinite clay particle is very stable below 500℃， and the kaolinite composed polymer could be got by the reaction of its stable structural hydroxyl group with isocynate group of polyurethane prepolymer.     

Prostaglandin E2 stimulates angiogenesis by activating the nitric oxide/cGMP pathway in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a major product of cyclooxygenase, has been implicated in modulating angiogenesis, vascular function, and inflammatory processes, but the underlying mechanism is not clearly elucidated. We here investigated the molecular mechanism by which PGE2 regulates angiogenesis. Treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) with PGE2 increased angiogenesis. PGE2 increased phosphorylation of Akt and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), eNOS activity, and nitric oxide (NO) production by the activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Dibutyryl cAMP (DB-cAMP) mimicked the role of PGE2 in angiogenesis and the signaling pathway, suggesting that cAMP is a down-stream mediator of PGE2. Furthermore, PGE2 increased endothelial cell sprouting from normal murine aortic segments, but not from eNOS-deficient ones, on Matrigel. The angiogenic effects of PGE2 were inhibited by the inhibitors of PKA, PI3K, eNOS, and soluble guanylate cyclase, but not by phospholipase C inhibitor. These results clearly show that PGE2 increased angiogenesis by activating the NO/cGMP signaling pathway through PKA/PI3K/Akt-dependent increase in eNOS activity.     

Influence of buffer composition and sample pretreatment on efficiency separation for monitoring neuropeptides in plasma using capillary electrophoresis

More efficient and faster separation conditions for qualitative as well as quantitative analysis of neuropeptides in human plasma using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) have been developed. The analysis method for neuropeptides has been improved specifically to study thyroid hormone related neuropetides for the regulation of thyroid disease. In this study, we investigated the pretreatment methods, composition of the running buffer and rinsing procedures between runs in order to obtain more sensitive and faster separation of trace neuropeptides in plasma by CZE. The tested neuropeptides were somatostatin (SOMA), vasopressin (VP), neurotensin (NT), and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). Plasma samples were pretreated by deproteinization and solid-phase extraction method. The fraction of neuropeptides was reconstituted in 40% acetonitrile followed by ultrafiltration, and then analyzed by CZE. Resolution and sensitivity was improved using the separation buffer composition with 100 mM Tris-phosphate buffer (pH 2.0) while the sensitivity was further improved via a stacking method using the sample buffer of 40% acetonitrile. These sample pretreatment methods and buffer condition permit quantitative analysis on tested neuropeptides at the 20 ng/mL level. The rinsing procedures between runs using 90% ethanol dramatically shortened the rinsing time to 30 min.     

Source identification and long-term monitoring of airborne particulate matter (PM<Subscript>2.5</Subscript>/PM<Subscript>10</Subscript>) in an urban region of Korea

Summary For the identification of air pollution sources, about 500 airborne particulate matter (PM_2.5and PM₁₀) samples were collected by using a Gent air sampler and a polycarbonate filter in an urban region in the middle of Korea from 2000 to 2003. The concentrations of 25 elements in the samples were measured by using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Receptor modeling was performed on the air monitoring data by using the positive matrix factorization (PMF2) method. According to this analysis, the existence of 6 to 10PMF factors, such as metal-alloy, oil combustion, diesel exhaust, coal combustion, gasoline exhaust, incinerator, Cu-smelter, biomass burning, sea-salt, and soil dust were identified.     

Supramolecular hydrogel formation based on inclusion complexation between poly(ethylene glycol)-modified chitosan and alpha-cyclodextrin

Supramolecular hydrogels have been prepared on the basis of polymer inclusion complex (PIC) formation between poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-modified chitosans and alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD). A series of PEG-modified chitosans were synthesized by coupling reactions between chitosan and monocarboxylated PEG using water-soluble carbodiimide (EDC) as coupling agent. With simple mixing, the resultant supramolecular assembly of the polymers and alpha-CD molecules led to hydrogel formation in aqueous media. The supramolecular structure of the PIC hydrogels was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction, and (13)C cross-polarized/magic-angle spinning (CP/MAS) NMR characterization. The PEG side-chains on the chitosan backbones were found to form inclusion complexes (ICs) with alpha-CD molecules, resulting in the formation of channel-type crystalline micro-domains. The IC domains play an important role in holding together hydrated chitosan chains as physical junctions. The gelation property was affected by several factors including the PEG content in the polymers, the solution concentration, the mixing ratio of host and guest molecules, temperature, pH, etc. All the hydrogels in acidic conditions exhibited thermo-reversible gel-sol transitions under appropriate conditions of mixing ratio and PEG content in the mixing process. The transitions were induced by supramolecular association and dissociation. These supramolecular hydrogels were found to have phase-separated structures that consist of hydrophobic crystalline PIC domains, which were formed by the host-guest interaction between alpha-CD and PEG, and hydrated chitosan matrices below the pK(a).The formation of inclusion complexes between alpha-cyclodextrin and PEG-modified chitosan leads to the formation of hydrogels that can undergo thermo-reversible supramolecular dissociation.     

An Efficient Method for the Preparation of Nitriles via the Dehydration of Aldoximes with Phthalic Anhydride

A new and highly efficient method for the conversion of aldoximes to nitriles was established. By fusing with phthalic anhydride, aldoximes were efficiently and smoothly converted into nitriles, in high yields (over 85%) and in a short time (within 5 minutes). The mixture of phthalic anhydride, a cyclic anhydride, and aldoximes in fusing state set up an ideal transition state for a selective [3.3]‐sigmatropic rearrangement of the acylated aldoximes to nitriles.