Investigating the effect of nanolayered silicates on blend segmental dynamics and minor component relaxation behavior in poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(methyl methacrylate) miscible blends

Polymer–silicate nanocomposites based on poly (ethylene oxide), PEO, poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, and sodium montmorillonite clay were fabricated and characterized to investigate the effect of nanolayered silicates on segmental dynamics of PEO/PMMA blends. X‐ray results indicate the formation of an exfoliated morphology in the nanocomposites. At low silicate contents, an enhancement in segmental dynamics of blend nanocomposites and also PEO, minor component in blend, is observed at temperature region below blend glass transition. This result can be attributed to the improvement of the confinement effect of rigid PMMA matrix on the PEO chains by introducing a low amount of layered silicates. On the other hand, at high silicate contents, an enhancement in segmental dynamics of blend nanocomposites and PEO is observed at temperature region above blend glass transition. This behavior could be interpreted based on the reduction of monomeric friction between two polymer components, which can facilitate segmental motions of blend components in nanocomposite systems. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

Weight reduction for mod ? Bianchi modular forms

Let K be an imaginary quadratic field with class number one and ? be a rational prime that splits in K. We prove that mod ?, a system of Hecke eigenvalues occurring in the first cohomology group of some congruence subgroup Γ of SL₂(OK) can be realized, up to twist, in the first cohomology with trivial coefficients after increasing the level of Γ by (?).     

Efficient synthesis of highly substituted thiophenes from acetylenic esters,ethyl bromopyruvate,and tetramethylthiourea

The reaction of acetylenic esters with ethyl bromopyruvate in the presence of tetramethylthiourea led to highly functionalized thiophenes in excellent yields. Correspondence: Issa Yavari, Chemistry Department, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-175, Tehran, Iran.     

Effect of gravity on subject-specific human lung deformation

A biomechanical model of human lung is developed and used to investigate the effect of gravity on lung deformation. The lung is assumed to behave as a poro-elastic medium with spatially dependent elastic property. Finite element analysis is performed on a three-dimensional (3D) lung geometry reconstructed from a four-dimensional Computed Tomography (4DCT) scan dataset of human patient. The spatially dependent Young’s modulus (YM) values are estimated using inverse analysis from a linear elastic deformation model. The predicted deformation of selected landmarks is monitored with and without gravity, and compared with data obtained from 4DCT registration. The results show that gravity indeed significantly affects the magnitude and distribution of lung deformation with the maximum displacement enhanced by 54% in the direction of gravity, for the conditions investigated. In summary, the accuracy of predicted deformation is improved through incorporation of gravity in the biomechanical model of lung.     

Antimicrobial activity of nanocellulose conjugated with allicin and lysozyme

In this study, cellulose nanoparticles were prepared by acid hydrolysis, separately conjugated with allicin and lysozyme by a carbodiimide cross-linker, and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Then, their antimicrobial properties were evaluated by the microdilution method and compared with allicin, lysozyme, and nanocellulose alone. The results showed that nanocellulose had few antimicrobial activities, but allicin-conjugated nanocellulose (ACNC) and lysozyme-conjugated nanocellulose (LCNC) had good antifungal and antibacterial effects against standard strains of Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. Noticeably, although allicin and lysozyme had different minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against all strains, the same quantity of MIC₅₀ and MIC₉₀ was observed for both ACNC and LCNC. The authors suggest that both ACNC and LCNC can be used in industries as an antimicrobial agent in food packaging, inside foodstuffs, and in textile materials.     

Patient-specific model of lung deformation using spatially dependent constitutive parameters

Breathing-induced spatially dependent lung deformation is predicted using patient-specific elastic properties with the contact–impact analysis model. The lung geometry is derived from 4D CT scan data of real patients. The spatially varying Young’s modulus for the patient is obtained from a previous study that used inverse deformation of the lung. The compact–impact analysis is implemented using the finite element method. The predicted lung deformation is compared with the results based on linear elasticity. The results are consistent with physiology, indicating large deformations near the diaphragm and smaller values at remote locations on the lobe. The effect of non-linearity of elastic property is most significant at the remote locations where the diaphragm-induced deformation is significantly attenuated.     

Synthesis of functionalized 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones from ammonium isothiocyanate,acid chlorides,and arylhydrazines

An efficient synthesis of 1-aryl-5-aryl(alkyl)-1,2-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones via reaction between ammonium thiocyanate, acid chlorides, and arylhydrazines is described.     

Investigation on surface properties of superhydrophobic nanocomposites based on polyvinyl chloride and correlation with cell adhesion behavior

The main aim was to study the roles of structural homogeneity and superhydrophobicity on the adhesion of SW colon cancer cells on the surface of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) nanocomposites. Concurrent use of a proper nonsolvent (ethanol) and silica nanoparticles resulted in superhydrophobic behavior and also different surface structures. The effect of added‐ethanol content on the surface properties of PVC nanocomposites was also studied. The synergetic combination of silica and ethanol has led to the formation of a porous surface layer resulting in a considerable boost in the hydrophobic behavior. The scanning electron microscopy, roughness, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis results were all in total agreement indicating the substantial change in surface morphology, topography, and composition once the ethanol content was increased to 50 vol.%. The surface structure was notably changed by the addition of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) nanoparticles. It was found that the induced inhomogeneity as a result of POSS addition had an adverse effect on the surface properties. In conclusion, superhydrophobicity could be regarded as a prerequisite for achieving cell‐repellent behavior, but it cannot guarantee a cell repellent surface especially if the surface layer possesses structural inhomogeneity.     

Efficient synthesis of highly substituted thiophenes from acetylenic esters, ethyl bromopyruvate, and tetramethylthiourea

The reaction of acetylenic esters with ethyl bromopyruvate in the presence of tetramethylthiourea led to highly functionalized thiophenes in excellent yields.