Role of anti-inflammatory interventions in high-fat-diet-induced obesity

Lipotoxicity is defined as deposition of excess fat associated with an inflammatory response. Metabolomic analysis of fatty acids (FAs) can be a marker of silent inflammation. ω3-Enriched diet, celecoxib, and safranal may have a protective anti-inflammatory role. In this work, total FAs extracted from red blood cells and arachidonic acid-to-eicosapentaenoic acid (AA-to-EPA) ratios were assessed using GC–MS assay in single-ion monitoring mode. The study was conducted on 64 male rats divided into eight groups: I, controls; II, rats received high-fat diet (HFD), III, rats received ω-6-enriched HFD; IV, rats received ω-3-enriched HFD; V, rats received celecoxib with HFD; VI, rats received safranal with HFD; VII and VIII, rats received celecoxib and safranal with ω-3 HFD, respectively. GC–MS Gas chromatography Mass spectrometry was performed for analysis of fatty acid methyl ester. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to analyze serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) concentrations. A statistically significant decrease of AA-to-EPA ratio was observed in group VII when compared with the groups receiving HFDs. This group also showed the lowest serum IL-6 level and highest TGF-β1 level. In conclusion, ω3-enriched diet along with drugs (e.g. celecoxib) and herbal medications (e.g. safranal) may have an anti-inflammatory effect in lipotoxicity. GC–MS with single-ion monitoring is valid for the analysis of FAs.     

Kinetics studies of 5-methyl-2-hexanol, 2,2-dimethyl-3-hexanol,and 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentanol with chlorine atoms: Photooxidation mechanism of 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentanol

The rate constants for the reaction between chlorine atoms and either 5-methyl-2-hexanol, 2,2-dimethyl-3-hexanol, or 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentanol at 298 K were determined using the relative method with 2-butanol and 1-pentanol as reference compounds. The values obtained for 5-methyl-2-hexanol, 2,2-dimethyl-3-hexanol, and 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentanol (k × 10¹⁰ cm³ molec⁻¹ s⁻¹) were, respectively, (2.64 ± 0.5), (2.72 ± 0.5), and (2.50 ± 0.4), in agreement with the values of the rate constants reported in bibliography for similar alcohols and the values estimated by structure activity relationship methods. The photooxidation products of 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentanol initiated by chlorine atoms were identified (formaldehyde, 2-propanone, 2,2-dimethyl propanal, 4,4,-dimethyl-2-pentanone, and 3,3-dimethylbutanal), and the reaction mechanism was determined.     

The pyrolysis of propane

The pyrolysis of propane plays an important role in determining the combustion properties of natural gas mixtures and offers insight into the cracking patterns of larger fuels. This work investigates propane pyrolysis behind reflected shock waves with a multiwavelength laser-absorption speciation technique. Nine laser wavelengths, sensitive to key pyrolysis species, were used to measure absorbance time histories during the decomposition of 2% propane in argon between 1022 and 1467 K, 3.7-4.3 atm. Absorbance models were developed at each diagnostic wavelength to interrogate common initial conditions, and time histories of all major species are reported at 1250, 1290, 1330, 1370, and 1410 K. Nearly complete carbon recovery observed at lower temperatures enabled the inference of hydrogen formation from atomic conservation, while decaying carbon recovery at high temperatures suggests the formation of allene and 1-butene. The results show systematically faster pyrolysis than predicted by kinetic modeling and motivate further study into the kinetics of propane pyrolysis.     

Evaluating the impact of functional groups on membrane-mediated CO2/N2 gas separations using a common polymer backbone

Polymeric membranes have shown tremendous promise for the separation of CO₂ from flue gas streams. However, few systematic studies have been conducted to better understand the impact that chemical functionalities have on membrane-based gas separation performance. To address this gap, we herein describe the synthesis and gas separation performance of a series of vinyl-addition polynorbornenes bearing various CO₂-philic functional groups. To facilitate direct comparison between functional groups, each material was designed to maintain a common polymer backbone. Though the incorporation of CO₂-philic moieties within a dense polymeric membrane is frequently hypothesized to enhance CO₂ solubility, and thereby increase CO₂/N₂ selectivity, our results demonstrate that the incorporation of CO₂-philic groups onto a common polymer backbone do not necessarily result in increased gas separation performance. Experimental and computational results demonstrate that the incorporation of amidoxime groups onto a polynorbornene backbone increase CO₂/N₂ selectivity, whereas commonly employed ethereal side chains only increased permeability.     

Structure and gas transport characteristics of triethylene oxide-grafted polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-polystyrene

Polymeric membrane-based gas separation technology has significant advantages compared with traditional amine-based CO₂ separation method. In this work, SEBS block copolymer is used as a polymer matrix to incorporate triethylene oxide (TEO) functionality. The short ethylene oxide segment is chosen to avoid crystallization, which is confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and wide-angle X-ray scattering characterizations. The gas permeability results reveal that CO₂/N₂ selectivity increased with increasing content of TEO functional group. The highest CO₂ permeability (281 Barrer) and CO₂/N₂ selectivity (31) were obtained for the membrane with the highest TEO incorporation (57 mol%). Increasing the TEO content in these copolymers results in an increase in CO₂ solubility and a decrease in C₂H₆ solubility. For example, as the grafted TEO content increased from 0 to 57 mol%, the CO₂ solubility and CO₂/C₂H₆ solubility selectivity increased from 0.72 to 1.3 cm³(STP)/cm³ atm and 0.47 to 1.3 at 35°C, respectively. The polar ether linkage in TEO-grafted SEBS copolymers exhibits favorable interaction with CO₂ and unfavorable interaction with nonpolar C₂H₆, thus enhancing CO₂/C₂H₆ solubility selectivity.     

Light Hydrocarbon Separations Using Porous Organic Framework Materials

Light hydrocarbons (C₁–C₃) are used as basic energy feedstocks and as commodity organic compounds for the production of many industrially necessary chemicals. Due to the nature of the raw materials and production processes, light hydrocarbons are generated as mixtures, but the high-purity single-component products are of vital importance to the petrochemical industry. Consequently, the separation of these C₁–C₃ products is a crucial industrial procedure that comprises a significant share of the total global energy consumption per year. As a complement to traditional separation methods (distillation, partial hydrogenation, etc.), adsorptive separations using porous solids have received widespread attention due to their lower energy costs and higher efficiency. Extensive research has been devoted to the use of porous materials such as zeolites and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as solid adsorbents for these key separations, owing to the high porosity, tunable pore structures, and unsaturated metal sites present in these materials. Recently, porous organic framework (POF) materials composed of organic building blocks linked by covalent bonds have also shown excellent properties in light hydrocarbon adsorption and separation, sparking interest in the use of these materials as adsorbents in separation processes. This Minireview summarizes the recent advances in the use of POFs for light hydrocarbon separations, including the separation of mixtures of methane/ethane, methane/propane, ethylene/ethane, acetylene/ethylene, and propylene/propane, while highlighting the relationships between the structural features of these materials and their separation performances. Finally, the difficulties, challenges, and opportunities associated with leveraging POFs for light hydrocarbon separations are discussed to conclude the review.     

Etched ZIF-8 as a Filler in Mixed-Matrix Membranes for Enhanced CO2/N2 Separation

Zeolite ZIF-8 has been etched with acid to form microporous ZIF-8-E crystals. These were then introduced into a polyethersulfone (PES) membrane matrix to enhance its CO₂/N₂ separation performance. Open through pores of size about 100 nm formed in the ZIF-8 crystals allow the ingrowth of polyethersulfone chains, ensuring a reduction in the number of nonselective voids, thereby achieving better interaction between ZIF-8-E and PES. As a result, the CO₂/N₂ separation performance of the ZIF-8-E/PES membrane increased significantly, showing a CO₂ permeability of 15.7 Barrer and a CO₂/N₂ ideal selectivity of 6.5.     

Scaling law analysis of electrohydrodynamics and dielectrophoresis for isomotive dielectrophoresis microfluidic devices

Isomotive dielectrophoresis (isoDEP) is a unique DEP geometrical configuration where the gradient of the field-squared () is constant. IsoDEP analyzes polarizable particles based on their magnitude and direction of translation. Particle translation is a function of the polarizability of both the particles and suspending medium, the particles’ size and shape, and the frequency of the electric field. However, other electrokinetics act on the particles simultaneously, including electrothermal hydrodynamics. Hence, to maximize the DEP force relative to over electrokinetic forces, design parameters such as microchannel geometry, fabrication materials, and applied electric field must be properly tuned. In this work, scaling law analyses were developed to derive design rules, relative to particle diameter, to reduce unwanted electrothermal hydrodynamics relative to DEP-induced particle translation. For a particle suspended in 10 mS/m media, if the channel width and height are below ten particle diameters, the electrothermal-driven flow is reduced by ∼500 times compared to a channel that is 250 particles diameters in width and height. Replacing glass with silicon as the device's underlying substrate for an insulative-based isoDEP reduces the electrothermal induced flow approximately 20 times less.     

Anticancer activity of lanthanum (III) and europium (III) 5-fluorouracil complexes on Caco-2 cell line

Lanthanide complexes are of increasing importance in cancer diagnosis and therapy. In the present study 1:1 and 1:3 solid complexes of La (III)–5-FU (5-fluorouracil) were prepared and characterized. In solution, the formation of 1:1 La (III) and Eu (III) complexes enabled the enhancement of 5-FU's effectiveness. Binding constants of the 1:1 complexes of both metals were estimated using spectrophotometry and HPLC with fluorescence detection methods. The thermodynamic parameters ΔG ^° , ΔH ^° and ΔS ^° were calculated using differential scanning calorimetry. Evaluation of the cytotoxic activity of the 1:1 La (III)- and Eu (III)–5-FU complexes was performed through two methodologies, trypan blue for cell viability where La (III)- and Eu (III)–5-FU complexes were found to have 52,000 and 80,000 dead cells, respectively, and via flow cytometric analysis to measure the apoptotic values, which were found to be 59.87 and 86.86% respectively.     

Nucleon effective mass splitting and density-dependent symmetry energy effects on elliptic flow in heavy ion collisions at E_(lab)= 0.09 ～ 1.5 GeV/nucleon

By incorporating an iso spin-dependent form of the momentum-dependent potential in the ultra-relativistic quantum molecular dynamics(UrQMD) model,we systematically investigate effects of the neutron-proton effective mass splitting m*_(n-p)=m*_n-m*_p/m and the density-dependent nuclear symmetry energy E_(sym)(ρ) on the elliptic flow v_2 in~(197)Au+~(197) Au collisions at beam energies from 0.09 to 1.5 GeV/nucleon.It is found that at higher beam energies(≥0.25 GeV/nucleon) with the approximately 75 MeV difference in slopes of the two different E_(sym)(ρ),and the variation of m*_(n-p) ranging from-0.03 to 0.03 at saturation density with isospin asymmetry δ=(ρ_n-ρ_p)/ρ-0.2,the E_(sym)(ρ) has a stronger influence on the difference in v_2 between neutrons and protons,i.e.,v_2~n-v_2~p,than m*_(n-p) has.Meanwhile,at lower beam energies(≤0.25 GeV/nucleon),v_2~n-v_2~p is sensitive to both the E_(sym)(ρ) and the m*_(n-p).Moreover,the influence of m*_(n-p) on v_2~n-v_2~p is more evident with the parameters of this study when using the soft,rather than stiff,symmetry energy.