Kinetics of thermal dehydration of Ce2(SO4)2, n(H,D)2O (n=5, 8, 9)

The thermal dehydration of Ce₂(SO₄)₃·5H₂O, Ce₂(SO₄)₃·8H₂O, Ce₂(SO₄)₃·9H₂O and their isomorphous deuterated compounds was studied by means of thermogravimetric measurements. A kinetic analysis of the TG curves obtained was carried out by computer. The thermal stability, Arrhenius parameters and mechanism of dehydration were investigated.     

Study of hydration of two cements of different strengths

Main hydration products of two cement pastes, i.e. CSH-gel, portlandite (P) (and specific surface S) were studied by static heating, and by SEM, TEM and XRD, as a function of cement strength (C-33 and C-43) hydration time (th) and subsequent hydration in water vapour.Total change in mass on hydration and air drying, M_o, increased with strength of cement paste and with hydration time. Content of water escaping at 110 to 220°C, defined as water bound with low energy, mainly interlayer and hydrate water, was independent on cement strength but its content increased with (th). Content of chemically bound (zeolitic) water in CSH-gel, escaping at 220-400°C, was slightly dependent on strength and increased with (th). It was possibly derived from the dehydroxylation of CSH-gel and AFm phase. Portlandite water, escaping at 400-500°C, was independent on cement strength and was higher on longer hydration. Large P crystals were formed in the weaker cement paste C-33. Smaller crystals were formed in C-43 but they increased with (th). Carbonate formated on contact with air (calcite, vaterite and aragonite), decomposed in cement at 600-700^oC. It was high in pastes C-33(1 month) and C-43(1 month), i.e. 5.7 and 3.3%, respectively; it was less than 1% after 6 hydration months (low sensitivity to carbonation) in agreement with the XRD study showing carbonates in the air dry paste (1month), and its absence on prolonged hydration (6 months) and on acetone treatment. Water vapour treatment of (6 months) pastes or wetting-drying increased this sensitivity.Nanosized P-crystals, detected by TEM, could contribute to the cement strength; carbonate was observed on the rims of gel clusters.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Synthesis of the mitomycin and FR900482 ring systems via dimethyldioxirane oxidation

[reaction: see text] Dimethyldioxirane oxidizes a 2,3-dihydo-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-a]indole unsubstituted at the C-9 position stereoselectively to form a hydroxy ketone with all the basic elements of the mitomycin ring system. On the other hand, a 2,3-dihydo-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-a]indole derivative substituted with an alkyl group at C-9 undergoes an oxidative ring expansion in the presence of dimethyldioxirane to give an FR900482 analogue.     

Ahnak deficiency attenuates high-fat diet-induced fatty liver in mice through FGF21 induction

The AHNAK nucleoprotein has been determined to exert an anti-obesity effect in adipose tissue and further inhibit adipogenic differentiation. In this study, we examined the role of AHNAK in regulating hepatic lipid metabolism to prevent diet-induced fatty liver. Ahnak KO mice have reportedly exhibited reduced fat accumulation in the liver and decreased serum triglyceride (TG) levels when provided with either a normal chow diet or a high-fat diet (HFD). Gene expression profiling was used to identify novel factors that could be modulated by genetic manipulation of the Ahnak gene. The results revealed that fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) was markedly increased in the livers of Ahnak KO mice compared with WT mice fed a HFD. Ahnak knockdown in hepatocytes reportedly prevented excessive lipid accumulation induced by palmitate treatment and was associated with increased secretion of FGF21 and the expression of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation, which are primarily downstream of PPARα. These results indicate that pronounced obesity and hepatic steatosis are attenuated in HFD-fed Ahnak KO mice. This may be attributed, in part, to the induction of FGF21 and regulation of lipid metabolism, which are considered to be involved in increased fatty acid oxidation and reduced lipogenesis in the liver. These findings suggest that targeting AHNAK may have beneficial implications in preventing or treating hepatic steatosis.Subject terms: Mechanisms of disease, Metabolic syndrome     

$$f_0(500)$$, $$f_0(980)$$f0(980), and $$a_0(980)$$a0(980) production in the $$\chi _{c1} \rightarrow \eta \pi ^+\pi ^-$$χc1→ηπ+π- reaction

We study the \(\chi _{c1} \rightarrow \eta \pi ^+ \pi ^-\) decay, paying attention to the production of \(f_0(500)\), \(f_0(980)\), and \(a_0(980)\) from the final state interaction of pairs of mesons that can lead to these three mesons in the final state, which is implemented using the chiral unitary approach. Very clean and strong signals are obtained for the \(a_0(980)\) excitation in the \(\eta \pi \) invariant mass distribution and for the \(f_0(500)\) in the \(\pi ^+ \pi ^-\) mass distribution. A smaller, but also clear signal for the \(f_0(980)\) excitation is obtained. The results are contrasted with experimental data and the agreement found is good, providing yet one more test in support of the picture where these resonances are dynamically generated from the meson–meson interaction.     

Study by thermal analysis of mortars belonging to wall paintings corresponding to some historical buildings of Sevillian art

Mortars taken from the walls of three historical buildings in Seville: Pond of Patio de las Doncellas in Real Alcazar of Seville, the Monastery of Santa Maria de las Cuevas and the Church of El Salvador were investigated. The techniques employed were thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), XRD, FTIR, SEM with EDAX, Bernard calcimeter, granulometry, mercury intrusion porosimetry and mechanical strength tests. The majority of the studied mortars consist of calcite and silica. Gypsum was detected in samples of four mortars from the Santa Maria de las Cuevas Monastery and two from the El Salvador Church, whose samples were taken from the upper layers of the walls, but gypsum was not detected in the internal mortars layers. Only in two of the samples of the Monastery, the presence of cellulosic material as an organic additive was detected. All the studied mortars could be regarded hydraulic, so much by results from ratios between mass loss due to CO₂ and H₂O, hydraulic module and assays of compressive strength. The values obtained by these three techniques are related, providing good agreements between them. These results give useful information that aids in understanding the technology of historic mortars, and how to plan the restoration of these wall paintings.     

β‐Aminoacrolein: An ab initio,AIM and NBO study

The molecular structure and the intramolecular hydrogen bonding of β‐aminoacrolein and its simple derivatives were investigated at the MP2 and B3LYP levels of theory using the standard 6‐311++G(d, p) basis set. The “atoms in molecules” or AIM theory of Bader which is based on topological properties of the electron density (ρ), was used. Additionally, an analysis of the critical points was performed to study the nature hydrogen bonding in these systems. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis was also carried out for to better comprehend the nature of the intramolecular interactions in β‐aminoacrolein and its derivatives. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008     

The influence of wavelength,temporal sequencing,and pulse duration on resonant infrared matrix-assisted laser processing of polymer films

We have carried out a systematic investigation of laser ablation plume interactions in resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation. The laser source utilized in this study was a mid-infrared OPO capable of dual sequential ns pulses with adjustable delay ranging from 1 to 100 μs. This unique capability enabled us both to probe the ablation plume with a second laser pulse, and to effectively double the laser fluence. The primary ablation target used for this study consisted of poly(methyl methacrylate) dissolved in a binary mixture of methanol and toluene. Both the critical thermodynamic and optical properties of the binary mixture were determined and used to interpret our results. We found that deposition rates associated with single pulse irradiation tracks with the optical absorption coefficient in the spectral range from 2,700 to 3,800 nm. In the case of dual sequential pulses, discrepancies in this trend have been linked to the rate of change in the optical absorption coefficient with temperature. The influence of fluence on deposition rate was found to follow a sigmoidal dependence. Surface roughness was observed to have a diametrically opposed trend with pulse delay depending on whether the OH or CH vibrational mode was excited. In the case of CH excitation, we suggest that the rougher films are due to the absorbance of the second pulse by droplets within the plume containing residual solvent which leads to the formation of molecular balloons and hence irregularly shaped features on the substrate.     

Optimized mechanical and impact performance of high strength tempo oxidized cellulose nanofibril (TOCNF)—epoxy laminates

Cellulose - In this work, TEMPO cellulose nanofibril (TOCNF) laminates were fabricated using a layup method. Two different TOCNF layers were tested, a neat TOCNF and a TOCNF with polyvinyl alcohol...