Fine characterization of the ethylene and ethane sorption in poly(amide 12-block-tetramethylenoxide) copolymer/AgBF4 membranes

Ethylene/ethane sorption characteristics were determined for dry Pebax™ (poly(amide 12-block-tetramethylenoxide) copolymer)/AgBF₄ membranes by using an electronic microbalance. The membranes containing 0.7 and 22 wt.% AgBF₄ showed a dual-mode sorption isotherm. The ethane isotherms for all the membranes were of the Henry-type, which is the normal sorption for gases in rubbery polymers. The abnormal presence of Langmuir sorption sites only for ethylene in the rubbery copolymer, never reported sofar, is attributed to the silver-based specific complexation sites. The silver salt which dissolved in limited amounts in the rubbery copolymer had a much smaller Langmuir sorption capacity than the salt that crystallized in the copolymer. The sorption kinetics indicate that the crystallized salt did adsorb slowly ethylene according to a zeroth-order kinetics, but not ethane. The gas uptake kinetics resulting from a step of the pressure surrounding the copolymer exhibited one stage for ethane but two stages for ethylene. For the latter, there was first a fast Fickian sorption stage, then a drift of the zeroth-order sorption of ethylene on salt crystals, which contributes for a large part to the total uptake. The zeroth-order sorption suggests that the sorbed ethylene amount in the second-stage is independent of the crystal-surface coverage. The value of the Fickian diffusion coefficient calculated by fitting the kinetics with a solution of the second Fick’s law was 5 × 10⁻¹² m²/s for both ethylene (the first stage) and ethane, and is typical for small organic compounds in a rubbery material.     

Some remarks on quasilinear parabolic problems with singular potential and a reaction term

In this paper we deal with the following quasilinear parabolic problem $$\left\{\begin{array}{l@{\quad}l} (u^\theta)_t - \Delta_p {u} = \lambda \frac{u^{p - 1}}{|x|^{p}} + u^q + f,\,\, u \geq 0 \quad {\rm in} \;\;\Omega \times (0, T),\\ u(x, t) = 0 \quad\qquad\qquad\qquad\qquad\qquad\qquad {\rm on}\; \partial \Omega \times(0, T),\\ u(x, 0) = u_0(x), \,\,\, \qquad\qquad\qquad\qquad\qquad x \in\; \Omega,\end{array}\right.$$ where θ is either 1 or (p ? 1), \({N \geq 3, \,\Omega \subset \mathcal{IR}^N}\) is either a bounded regular domain containing the origin or \({\Omega \equiv \mathcal{IR}^N}\) , 1 < p < N, q > 0 and u ₀ ≥  0, f ≥  0 with suitable hypotheses. The aim of this work is to get natural conditions to show the existence or the nonexistence of nonnegative solutions. In the case of nonexistence result, we analyze blow-up phenomena for approximated problems in connection with the classical Harnack inequality, in the Moser sense, more precisely in connection with a strong maximum principle. We also study when finite time extinction (1 < p < 2) and finite speed propagation (p > 2) occur related to the reaction power.     

Antibacterial, Anti-Chlamydial, and Cytotoxic Activities of a Marine Snail (Hexaplex trunculus) Phospholipase A2: an In Vitro Study

In order to report pharmacological characterization of marine snail (Hexaplex trunculus) hepatopancreatic phospholipase A₂ (mSDPLA₂), we have talked for the first time the antimicrobial activity against different pathogenic bacterial strains, anti-chlamydial activity as well as its cytotoxic activity against McCoy cell lines. mSDPLA₂, showed a high level of activity towards Gram-positive bacteria as Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Whereas Gram-negative bacteria, unfortunately, exhibited a higher resistance, mSDPLA₂ was also found to have a strong cytotoxic activity, causing significant morphological alterations of the McCoy cell lines surfaces and to be a hinder to the proliferation. Moreover, mSDPLA₂ proved to have a very potent anti-chlamydial activity. Over 95?% inhibition of chlamydial inclusions were obtained at a concentration of 10???g/ml of mSDPLA₂ after 24?h postinfection. Interestingly, at a concentration of 10???g/ml of mSDPLA₂, the proliferation of McCoy cells was not affected. Approximately 50?% inhibition of cell growth was obtained with a concentration of 37???g/mL of mSDPLA₂. mSDPLA₂ could be considered as an excellent candidate for the development of a new anti-infective agent. This enzyme showed significant antimicrobial activities.     

Performance of hydrodynamic journal bearing under the combined influence of textured surface and journal misalignment: A numerical survey

A wisely chosen geometry of micro textures with the favorable relative motion of lubricated surfaces in contacts can enhance tribological characteristics. In this paper, a computational investigation related to the combined influence of bearing surface texturing and journal misalignment on the performances of hydrodynamic journal bearings is reported. To this end, a numerical analysis is performed to test three texture shapes: square “SQ”, cylindrical “CY”, and triangular “TR”, and shaft misalignment variation in angle and degree. The Reynolds equation of a thin viscous film is solved using a finite differences scheme and a mass conservation algorithm (JFO boundary conditions), taking into account the presence of textures on both full film and cavitation regions. Preliminary results are compared with benchmark data and are consistent with a positive enhancement in misaligned bearing performances (load carrying capacity and friction). The results suggest that the micro-step bearing mechanism is a key parameter, where the micro-pressure recovery action present in dimples located at the second angular part of the bearing (from 180° to 360°) can compensate for the loss on performances caused by shaft misalignment, while the micro-pressure drop effect at the full film region causes poor performances. Considering the right arrangement of textures on the contact surface, their contours geometries can have a significant impact on the performance of misaligned journal bearings, particularly at high eccentricity ratios, high misalignment degrees and when the misalignment angle α approaches to $0\mathrm{°}$ or $180\mathrm{°}$.     

A Heroin Epidemic Model: Very General Non Linear Incidence,Treat-Age,and Global Stability

The aim of this work is to establish the existence of multi-peak solutions for the following class of quasilinear problems

$$ - \mbox{div} \bigl(\epsilon^{2}\phi\bigl(\epsilon|\nabla u|\bigr)\nabla u \bigr) + V(x)\phi\bigl(\vert u\vert\bigr)u = f(u)\quad\mbox{in } \mathbb{R}^{N}, $$

where \(\epsilon\) is a positive parameter, \(N\geq2\), \(V\), \(f\) are continuous functions satisfying some technical conditions and \(\phi\) is a \(C^{1}\)-function.

     

Synthesis,X-ray structure and theoretical study of benzazole thioether and its zinc complex as corrosion inhibitors for steel in acidic medium

A ligand, 2-((benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylthio)methyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole, and its zinc complex have been synthesized. The structure of these compounds have been determined by spectroscopic techniques and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The corrosion inhibition study of these compounds for steel in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ medium has also been investigated using potentiodynamic polarization and EIS techniques. The quantum calculations were applied to investigate the relationship between the electronic properties and the corrosion inhibition efficiency of the two benzazoles derivatives. Surface analysis (XRF) indicated that the rust layer formed on the Cu-containing steels was enriched with Cu compounds. Polarization curves revealed that both inhibitors acted as a mixed-type inhibitor.     

Comparative study of kinetics isomerization of substituted polyacetylene (Cl,F and I): Ab initio and DFT calculations

Ab initio and DFT methods were used to investigate the interconversions of substituted polyacetylene conformers C₁₀H₆X₆ (X=F, Cl and I) in the vapour phase. The rates of this geometrical isomerization have been calculated and the Arrhenius parameters evaluated. In the case of unsubstituted polyacetylene as the reference, the B3LYP Arrhenius parameters obtained are A₁=2.99 × 10¹⁷ s^–1 and E_a=17.30 kcal mol^–1. The values of the equilibrium constant for the reaction have also been determined at various temperatures between 300 and 500 K and the value of the energies change calculated. The results also suggest that the straightforward kinetics characterizing the majority of substituted polyacetylene isomerizations above 300 K. The isomerization energies are positive and the barrier heights ΔE_barrier are expected to be sensitive for the magnitude of halogens effects. According to geometries features the Cis → Trans isomerization in the gas phase occurs by a rotational mechanism.