Modeling and Sensitivity Analysis of Particle Size Distribution and Chain Length Distribution in a Semibatch Emulsion Copolymerization Reactor

Summary: A comprehensive model is developed to predict the relationship between the particle size distribution and molecular weights of particles in an emulsion copolymerization reactor. A full population balance equation is used for the particle size distribution and extended to the model for the molecular properties using a continuous reactor approach. The numerical prediction clearly distinguishes the characteristics of molecular properties of particles by homogeneous nucleation from those by micellar nucleation with the dependence on the particle size. Sensitivity analysis of the proposed model under a variety of conditions shows that the compartmentalized feature of the emulsion system should be considered for better prediction of molecular properties, and provides information on the manipulated variables and lumped parameters which effectively decompose the correlation of both properties. Finally, a control strategy utilizing a lumped parameters tracking method is suggested for the regulation of both the particle size distribution and molecular properties.

Time evolution of number‐averaged molecular weights in the element under base conditions.     

A growing 2D spherulite and calculus of variations Part I: A 2D spherulite in a linear field of growth rate

We propose to take the calculus of variations in order to compute the shape of a growing 2D spherulite in an uniaxial field of growth rate. We are concerned with the growth line (a path that is traveled in the shortest possible time from nucleus to a point (x₁, y₁), where a molecule just crystallizes) and the growth front (the times between spherulite and supercooled material). The Euler differential equation—a result of the calculus of variations—is derived for all uniaxial growth ratesv (x). Here we especially investigatev(x)=px+q.     

The Use of Differential Pulse and D.C. Polarography in the Analysis of Solutions Containing Surfactants

Abstract

Peak currents in differential pulse polarography (DPP) are often used for quantitative analysis. In the presence of surfactants, peak currents depend not only on the concentration of the electroactive species, but also on that of the surfactant. In the presence of surfactants of biological origin, limiting currents obtained by d.c. polarography are often less sensitive to the effects of surfactants and are more suitable for quantitative analysis than DPP peak currents. Effects of surfactants on DPP curves were demonstrated for 4-nitrobenzoic acid in the presence of oligomers resulting from washing lignin preparations with water. In the study of adsorption of nitro compounds on lignin, d.c. polarographic curves yielded reliable adsorption isotherms whereas DPP peak currents indicated erroneously much stronger adsorption of nitro compounds on lignin.     

A growing 2D spherulite and calculus of variations Part II: A 2D spherulite of polypropylene in a linear temperature field

A 2D spherulite grows in a linear-temperature field from a nucleus of polypropylene at (0,0). The growth lines and the growth fronts are computed by the calculus of variations. The agreement between theory and experiment is satisfactory     

3～6岁儿童血压与头发六种元素的相关与回归分析

为了通过对儿童血压与六种元素关系的研究,给原发性高血压的一级预防提供科学数据,按国际统一标准测量血压,用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法测定人发中元素含量,实验仪器为IPC-AES(日本岛津公司1000-Ⅱ)。单因素分析结果表明,发铜与收缩压呈负相关,发钙、发铅、发锰、发铝与收缩压呈正相关,有统计学意义的为发铜、发铅、发铝;多元逐步回归分析结果表明,进入方程的有发铅、发铜、发铝,对收缩压有显著影响。结论是铅和铝对收缩压有正相关,这两种元素是目前次生环境中对人体健康影响较大的元素,防治原发性高血压要从儿童时期抓起,注意个人卫生和公共卫生,防治铅中毒和铝中毒,对于预防儿童高血压有重要意义。     

Use of a database of plots of pesticide retention (R F) against mobile-phase composition.Part I. Correlation of pesticide retention data in normal- and reversed-phase systems and their use to separate a mixture of ten pesticides by 2D TLC

Summary Ten pesticides have been completely separated by two-dimensional (2D) development on TLC plates coated with coupled layers of octadecyl silica (reversed-phase, RP) and plain silica (normal-phase, NP). The binary mobile phases, aqueous-organic for RP chromatography and nonaqueous for NP chromatography, were chosen from plots ofR _F against mobile-phase composition and graphicalR _F(RP)-R _F(NP) correlations. The different selectivity of the RP and NP systems enabled dispersion of spots over the plate area and good separation.     

New In-Situ Sampling and Analysis of the Production of CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Powders from Liquid Precursors in a rf Thermal Plasma Reactor. Part 2: Analysis of CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Powders,Fuel Addition,and Image Analysis

A novel reactor design, sampling probe and wet collection system were used to investigate the combined effects of plasma operating parameters and particle collection mechanisms on the synthesis of CeO₂ particles from liquid precursors. The sampling of particles in-flight and the collection of particles at several reactor regions were used to provide experimental evidence of particle size at different reactor locations at various plasma operating conditions, i.e., power and plasma gas flow rates. This information provided a picture of how CeO₂ particles were formed and how these particles were collected in various locations. The effect of adding water-soluble fuels (alanine and glycine) to the original cerium nitrate solutions was also investigated. Fuel addition decreased the temperature of CeO₂ formation by acting as a local heat source as a result of fuel auto-ignition. Photographs of the particles in-flight were taken using a fast speed CCD camera.     

Use of Selenium to Detect Mercury in Water and Cells: An Enhancement of the Sensitivity and Specificity of a Seleno Fluorescent Probe

Seleno fluorescent probe : An organoselenium fluorescent probe (FSe‐1) for mercury was designed based on the irreversible deselenation mechanism. FSe‐1 exhibits an ultrahigh selectivity and sensitivity for Hg²⁺ detection only for reactive selenium atom sites, due the strong affinity between Se and Hg. Furthermore, the new probe has been successfully used for imaging mercury ions in RAW 264.7 cells (a mouse macrophage cell line; see figure).

     

Dynamic NMR: A new procedure for the estimation of mixing times in the 2D EXSY experiments. A four-site exchange system studied by 1D and 2D EXSY spectroscopy

A procedure for the estimation of the mixing time between the last two 90° pulses in the classic three-pulse sequence NOESY/EXSY is proposed and tested and some considerations for the treatment of the two-dimensional (2D) ¹H NMR exchange spectra are given. The rate constants are thus obtained with reasonable precision. This procedure was followed to obtain the 2D spectra of the model compound α-[bis(dimethylamino)methylene]-4-nitrophenylacetonitrile, which represents a four-site exchange system. The barriers to restricted rotations found in this compound were also determined from one-dimensional (1D) ¹H NMR spectra, which were processed with the iterative complete lineshape analysis (CLSA) method. The double-fit approach was incorporated in the CLSA method. It is shown that the results from the 2D dynamic NMR spectral studies corroborate those obtained by the CLSA double-fit method.     

Correlation between the strength of the basic sites of catalysts and their activity in the decomposition of 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol as a test reaction

A correlation was found between the strength of the basic sites of a series of solid oxides and their activity in the decomposition of 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol to give acetylene and acetone as a test reaction. Equations are given for the acidity function H_0s and basicity function H_−s for individual acidic and basic sites on the solid surface. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 44, No. 5, pp. 310–314, September–October, 2008.     

New In-situ Sampling and Analysis of the Production of CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Powders from Liquid Precursors using a Novel Wet Collection System in a rf Inductively Coupled Thermal Plasma Reactor. Part 1: Reactor System and Sampling Probe

A new reactor and a novel in-situ sampling technique were developed for the study of the synthesis of CeO₂ powders produced from dissolved cerium nitrate salts. The conical reactor minimized particle recirculation and provided a highly symmetrical and undisturbed plasma flow suitable for the analysis of the phenomena affecting the formation of CeO₂ powders. Both a calorimetric study of the reactor and a thermodynamic analysis of CeO₂ formation were conducted. The sampling probe is described and near-isokinetic sampling was achieved. The sampled particles were collected using a miniature wet collection system, i.e. a mist atomizer and a custom-made spray chamber. A numerical simulation of the velocity and temperature fields of the plasma gas in the reactor was done using Fluent. A comprehensive droplet-to-particle formation mechanism presented elsewhere is revisited and expanded based on calorimetry, thermodynamics of CeO₂ formation, numerical simulations and collected particles. No traces of other oxidation states other than CeO₂ were found.     

Solvent effects on the dissociation of aliphatic carboxylic acids in water-N,N-dimethylformamide mixtures: Correlation between acidity constants and solvatochromic parameters

The acid dissociation constants of nine aliphatic carboxylic acids in several N,N-dimethylformamide-water mixtures were subjected to factor analysis (FA) and two solvent factors emerged. A further target factor analysis (TFA) indicated that the Kamlet and Taft general equation is reduced in these mixtures to two terms: the independent one and that related to the hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) basicity solvatochromic parameter. Accordingly, an excellent correlation is found between the logarithmic values of the acidity constants of each acid in the binary mixtures and their corresponding values.     

Protein Alpha Shape Similarity Analysis (PASSA): a new method for mapping protein binding sites. Application in the design of a selective inhibitor of tyrosine kinase 2

We have developed a method that we have called Protein Alpha Shape Similarity Analysis (PASSA), that identifies interaction sites that can be utilised to achieve selectivity towards a protein. We have shown that this method is able to identify residues of tyrosine kinases that interact with known selective inhibitors using the following test cases: Abelson (Abl) kinase in complex with STI-571 and Janus kinase 2 (Jak2) in complex with AG-490. The 3D structures of the tyrosine kinase domains of Tyrosine kinase 2 (Tyk2) and Jak2 have been predicted by homology modelling. Computational docking of AG-490 and a set of tyrphostins known not to inhibit Jak2 indicated that our homology models are able to separate inhibitors from non-inhibitors. PASSA has also been used to identify unique properties of Tyk2. According to our results, interactions with hydrogen acceptors and donors on the following residues can be utilised to achieve selectivity towards Tyk2: Y955, E1053, D1062 and S1063. These residues are placed close to non-conserved hydrophobic pockets. The PASSA results, together with results from Multiple Copy Simultaneous Search (MCSS) were used to suggest functional groups of a selective Tyk2 inhibitor.     

Use of Methods of Thermal Analysis in Studying Ceramic Materials on the Basis of Al2O3, ZrO2, Si3N4, SiC and Inorganic Binder

By thermoanalytical methods TG, DTG, DTA there have been investigated the processes occurring during the formation of ceramic materials on the basis of Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, Si₃N₄, SiC,and inorganic binder. IR spectroscopy has been an additional research method. It's been determined that with the use of H₃PO₄ as the binder for ceramic materials, the mechanisms of thermal decomposition are connected with the following processes: 1. removal of weakly tied and crystallized water in the temperature range of120–230°C, the removal being characterized by the endothermic effect, 2. interaction of the initial powder components of the ceramic materials with orthophosphoric acid conditioned by a strong exothermic effect on the DTA curve in the range of 230–530°C, 3. overlapping of endo- and exo-effects, testifying to a complex mechanism of thermal transformations, 4.oxidizing of the non-reacted silicon at the temperature of 720(760)°C, an increase of mass is observed on the TG curve as a result of the formation of SiO₂ – crystoballite. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Bridging the gap between metabolic profile determination and visualization in neurometabolic disorders: a multivariate analysis of proton magnetic resonance in vivo spectra

The purpose of this work was to check the degree of overlap between rare inborn errors of metabolism and other neurological disorders using principal component analysis of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H MRS) in vivo data. We examined 60 patients (median age of 22 months). Fourteen of them were diagnosed with neurometabolic disorders (three cases of metachromatic leukodystrophy, two cases of Canavan disease, two cases of megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts, three cases of mitochondrial cytopathy, one case of nonketotic hyperglycinemia, one case of globoid leukodystrophy, one case of congenital disorders of glycosylation, and one case of ethylmalonic encephalopathy). The remaining 46 patients were diagnosed with epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and developmental delay. Results obtained from principal component analysis of complete unresolved ¹H MRS in vivo spectra were interpreted parallelly with LCModel‐derived metabolite levels. The main attention was paid to the following metabolites: N‐acetylaspartate, glutamate + glutamine, creatine, choline, myo‐inositol signal with an uncertain contribution of glycine, and glucose. ¹H MRS in vivo coupled with multivariate analysis is an efficient tool in visualization of metabolic abnormalities in several inborn errors of metabolism (metachromatic leukodystrophy, globoid leukodystrophy, megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts, and Canavan disease). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of genetic and non-genetic factors that affect the QTc interval in a Mongolian population: the GENDISCAN study

The QTc interval is a complex quantitative trait and a strong prognostic indicator of cardiovascular mortality in general, healthy people. The aim of this study was to identify non-genetic factors and quantitative trait loci that govern the QTc interval in an isolated Mongolian population. We used multiple regression analysis to determine the relationship between the QTc interval and non-genetic factors including height, blood pressure, and the plasma lipid level. Whole genome linkage analyses were performed to reveal quantitative trait loci for the QTc interval with 349 microsatellite markers from 1,080 Mongolian subjects. Among many factors previously known for association with the QTc interval, age, sex, heart rate, QRS duration of electrocardiogram and systolic blood pressure were also found to have influence on the QTc interval. A genetic effect for the QTc interval was identified based on familial correlation with a heritability value of 0.31. In a whole genome linkage analysis, we identified the four potential linkage regions 7q31-34, 5q21, 4q28, and 2q36.     

Tapes of water hexamer clusters in the interlayer space of a 2D MOF: Structural, spectroscopic and computational insight of the confined water

The synthesis, crystal structure and characterization of [Er₂(C₄H₄O₄)₃(H₂O)₄]·6H₂O, with particular emphasis on the structural details and the vibrational behavior of the highly organized sub-net of water are reported. X-ray structural analysis reveals that the hybrid framework, which can be classified as belonging to the I⁰O² type, acts as a host of an infinite tape of six-membered water rings with distorted chair conformation. The water network extends between the hybrid layers helping the close packing and the stabilization of the structure through H-bond interactions, with further development of the supramolecular tridimensional structure. The self-assembly of the hydration water molecules is conditioned by the hybrid host, forcing them to adopt a less stable conformation when compared with hexagonal ice. The vibrational spectra of partially and completely dehydrated samples as well as of partially isotopic diluted ones have been obtained and analyzed. In order to guide the assignment of the vibrational spectra a theoretical calculation was performed at the B3LYP/6-31G^∗∗ level for a model consisting of three water clusters.     

A New Approach to Ethyl 1-Aroyl/Aroylmethyl-5-methyl-3-methylthiopyrazole-4-carboxylates： High Regioselectivity in Alkylation and Acylation Reactions between N-1 and N-2 of a Pyrazole Derivative

It has been known that pyrazole ring has two main tautomeric isomers1-3as showed in Scheme1.The proton could migrate at the two nitrogen atoms of the pyrazole ring.Taylor E.C.and Purdum W.R.4first reported the synthesis of2as an isomer of2a.And so far,only a few literatures5-6have reported that this pyrazole derivative was in form2a,rather than2,therefore both acylation or alkylation reaction occurred at N-1of2a.But the regiochemistry of the N-substituted product of pyrazole has not been u…