On amenability of two-generator groups

A discrete group G is amenable if there exists a finitely additive probability measure on G which is invariant under left translations and is defined on all subsets of G. It is proved that if the group is generated by two elements and is amenable then there are words being relators whose most of the consecutive pairs of the letters belong to a certain four-element set of pairs. This fact is applied to reproving non-amenability of a braid group. The same group provides an example showing that such type of condition is not su?cient for amenabilty.     

A Study of the Activity of Recombinant Mn-Superoxide Dismutase in the Presence of Gold and Silver Nanoparticles

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is one of the best characterized enzyme maintaining the redox state in the cell. A bacterial expression system was used to...     

Effective permittivity of liquid crystal nanodispersions and composites with different pore structure

The volume filling fraction dependence of the effective permittivity of the nematic liquid crystal 4-n-pentyl-4’-cyanobiphenyl embedded in different porous membranes and dispersed with aerosil nanoparticles was determined using broadband dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency range from 10⁶ to 10⁹ Hz. The experimental data were analyzed and compared with some existing theories based on the effective medium approximation and their modifications. The obtained effective permittivities as a function of the volume filling fraction lie between the lower limits of the Wiener and Hashin–Shtrikman bounds. The observed shift of the experimental points reflects the changes in the structure of the investigated composites.     

污泥基吸附剂对亚甲基蓝和环丙沙星的吸附性能研究

亚甲基蓝和环丙沙星是水体中2种污染物, 对生态环境有潜在危害. 本文以市政剩余活性污泥为原料, 氯化锌为活化剂热解制备污泥基吸附剂, 研究盐酸酸洗浓度、氯化锌浓度、热解温度、热解时间等对污泥基吸附剂吸附水中亚甲基蓝和环丙沙星性能的影响. 结果表明 (1)污泥基吸附剂对亚甲基蓝的吸附性能随盐酸酸洗浓度的增大而增加, 对环丙沙星的吸附性能则随盐酸酸洗浓度的增大呈先降后增趋势, 两者均在1.500mol·L-1盐酸浓度下取得最优值. (2)污泥基吸附剂对亚甲基蓝和环丙沙星的吸附性能随氯化锌浓度和热解温度的增加呈先升后降趋势, 在氯化锌浓度为4.0mol·L-1、热解温度为500℃时有最优值; 随着热解时间的延长, 污泥基吸附剂对亚甲基蓝和环丙沙星的吸附性能分别在500℃热解70min和80min时有最优值. (3)污泥基吸附剂的最佳制备条件为 氯化锌4.0mol·L-1活化2h、500℃热解70min和80min、1.500mol·L-1盐酸酸洗; 以此制得的污泥基吸附剂对亚甲基蓝和环丙沙星的去除率分别为97.7%和96.4%, 平衡吸附量分别为97.9mg·g-1和3.9mg·g-1, 且污泥基吸附剂对亚甲基蓝和环丙沙星的吸附过程均符合准二级动力学方程.     

Photoinduced dynamics of a cyanine dye: parallel pathways of non-radiative deactivation involving multiple excited-state twisted transients

Cyanine dyes are broadly used for fluorescence imaging and other photonic applications. 3,3′-Diethylthiacyanine (THIA) is a cyanine dye composed of two identical aromatic heterocyclic moieties linked with a single methine, –CH. The torsional degrees of freedom around the methine bonds provide routes for non-radiative decay, responsible for the inherently low fluorescence quantum yields. Using transient absorption spectroscopy, we determined that upon photoexcitation, the excited state relaxes along two parallel pathways producing three excited-state transients that undergo internal conversion to the ground state. The media viscosity impedes the molecular modes of ring rotation and preferentially affects one of the pathways of non-radiative decay, exerting a dominant effect on the emission properties of THIA. Concurrently, the polarity affects the energy of the transients involved in the decay pathways and further modulates the kinetics of non-radiative deactivation.     

Chemical equilibrium controlled synthesis of polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers over sulfated titania

The chemical equilibrium and reaction kinetic behavior in the synthesis of polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers(DMMn) were investigated over sulfated titania in order to reveal the decisive factor controlling the reaction. The results showed that the molar ratio of adjacent DMMn products in equilibrium solution had the same value, which depended absolutely on the reaction temperature. Meanwhile, the reactions had the same DMMn products distributions under varied reaction conditions. The equilibrium constants of the related step-wise reactions for DMMn formation were equal, which were calculated based on the bulk compositions of the reaction solution. And thus, the selectivity to DMMn was mainly controlled by the chemical equilibrium, i.e., thermodynamic control. In brief, the present results provide some guidance for future synthesis of DMMn.     

Betaine and Carnitine Derivatives as Herbicidal Ionic Liquids

This study focused on the synthesis and subsequent characterization of herbicidal ionic liquids based on betaine and carnitine, two derivatives of amino acids, which were used as cations. Four commonly used herbicides (2,4‐D, MCPA, MCPP and Dicamba) were used as anions in simple (single anion) and oligomeric (two anions) salts. The obtained salts were subjected to analyzes regarding physicochemical properties (density, viscosity, refractive index, thermal decomposition profiles and solubility) as well as evaluation of their herbicidal activity under greenhouse and field conditions, toxicity towards rats and biodegradability. The obtained results suggest that the synthesized herbicidal ionic liquids displayed low toxicity (classified as category 4 compounds) and showed similar or improved efficacy against weed compared to reference herbicides. The highest increase was observed during field trials for salts containing 2,4‐D as the anion, which also exhibited the highest biodegradability (>75 %).     

Effect of the addition of pore former

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Tetragonal zirconia (3YSZ) and cermet nickel–tetragonal zirconia (Ni/3YSZ) were obtained by citric method. The porosity of samples was increased...