Kinetics of Na|CF<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> and Li|CF<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> systems

Properties of CF _x /Li and CF _x /Na cells were examined while using galvanostatic charging/discharging, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The capacity during the first cycle was as high as ca. 1000 mAh g^?1. Such an electrode is suitable for primary CF _x /Li and CF _x /Na batteries. SEM images of CF _x cathode showed that during discharging it was transformed into amorphous carbon and LiF or NaF crystals (of diameter of ca. 5–20 μm). These systems (C?+?LiF or C?+?NaF) cannot be reversibly converted back into CF _x /Li or CF _x /Na, respectively. Exchange current densities are between 10^?7 Acm^?2 and 10^?9 Acm^?2 when working with LiPF₆ and NaPF₆ electrolytes (1.12?×?10^?7 Acm^?2 and 6.82?×?10^?9 Acm^?2, respectively). Those values are low and indicate that the charge transfer process may be the rate-determining step. Activation energies for the charge transfer process were 57 and 72 kJ mol^?1 for CF _x /LiPF₆ and CF _x /NaPF₆ systems, respectively. Higher activation energy barrier for the CF/Na⁺?+?e^??→?C?+?NaF reaction results in lower observed exchange current density in comparison to the system with lithium ions.     

A comparison of energy changes accompanying growth processes by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharomyces cerevisiae</Emphasis>

Calculations are made using the equations Δ_r G = Δ_r H ? TΔ_r S and Δ_r X = Δ_r H ? Δ_r Q where Δ_r X represents the free energy change when the exchange of absorbed thermal energy with the environment is represented by Δ_r Q. The symbol Q has traditionally represented absorbed heat. However, here it is used specifically to represent the enthalpy listed in tabulations of thermodynamic properties as (H _T  ? H ₀) at T = 298.15 K, the reason being that for a given substance TS equals 2.0 Q for solid substances, with the difference being greater for liquids, and especially gases. Since Δ_r H can be measured, and is tangibly the same no matter what thermodynamics are used to describe a reaction equation, a change in the absorbed heat of a biochemical growth process system as represented by either Δ_r Q or TΔ_r S would be expected to result in a different calculated value for the free energy change. Calculations of changes in thermodynamic properties are made which accompany anabolism; the formation of anabolic, organic by-products; catabolism; metabolism; and their respective non-conservative reactions; for the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using four growth process systems. The result is that there is only about a 1% difference in the average quantity of free energy conserved during growth using either Eq. 1 or 2. This is because although values of TΔ_r S and Δ_r Q can be markedly different when compared to one another, these differences are small when compared to the value for Δ_r G or Δ_r X.     

Molecular structure and conformation of nitrobenzene reinvestigated by combined analysis of gas-phase electron diffraction,rotational constants,and theoretical calculations

The molecular structure and conformation of nitrobenzene has been reinvestigated by gas-phase electron diffraction (GED), combined analysis of GED and microwave (MW) spectroscopic data, and quantum chemical calculations. The equilibrium r _e structure of nitrobenzene was determined by a joint analysis of the GED data and rotational constants taken from the literature. The necessary anharmonic vibrational corrections to the internuclear distances (r _e ? r _a) and to rotational constants (B _e ⁽ⁱ⁾  ? B ₀ ⁽ⁱ⁾ ) were calculated from the B3LYP/cc-pVTZ quadratic and cubic force fields. A combined analysis of GED and MW data led to following structural parameters (r _e) of planar nitrobenzene (the total estimated uncertainties are in parentheses): r(C–C)_av = 1.391(3) Å, r(C–N) = 1.468(4) Å, r(N–O) = 1.223(2) Å, r(C–H)_av = 1.071(3) Å, \({\angle}\)C2–C1–C6 = 123.5(6)°, \({\angle}\)C1–C2–C3 = 117.8(3)°, \({\angle}\)C2–C3–C4 = 120.3(3)°, \({\angle}\)C3–C4–C5 = 120.5(6)°, \({\angle}\)C–C–N = 118.2(3)°, \({\angle}\)C–N–O = 117.9(2)°, \({\angle}\)O–N–O = 124.2(4)°, \({\angle}\)(C–C–H)_av = 120.6(20)°. These structural parameters reproduce the experimental B ₀ ⁽ⁱ⁾ values within 0.05 MHz. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical calculations. The barrier height to internal rotation of nitro group, 4.1±1.0 kcal/mol, was estimated from the GED analysis using a dynamic model. The equilibrium structure was also calculated using the experimental rotational constants for nitrobenzene isotopomers and theoretical rotation–vibration interaction constants.     

Ro-vibrating energy states of a diatomic molecule in an empirical potential

An approximate analytical solution of the Schrödinger equation is obtained to represent the rotational–vibrational (ro-vibrating) motion of a diatomic molecule. The ro-vibrating energy states arise from a systematical solution of the Schrödinger equation for an empirical potential (EP) V _±(r) = D _e {1 ? (?/δ)[coth (ηr)]^±1/1 ? (?/δ)}² are determined by means of a mathematical method so-called the Nikiforov–Uvarov (NU). The effect of the potential parameters on the ro-vibrating energy states is discussed in several values of the vibrational and rotational quantum numbers. Moreover, the validity of the method is tested with previous models called the semiclassical (SC) procedure and the quantum mechanical (QM) method. The obtained results are applied to the molecules H₂ and Ar₂.     

Molecular mechanism of propane oxidative dehydrogenation on surface oxygen radical sites of VO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> catalysts

Minimum energy pathways of propane oxidative dehydrogenation to propene and propanol on supported vanadium oxide catalyst VO _x /TiO₂ were studied by periodic discrete Fourier transform (DFT) using a surface oxygen radical as the active site. The propene formation pathway was shown to consist of two consecutive hydrogen abstraction steps. The first step includes C_β–H bond activation of propane followed by the formation of a surface hydroxyl group V–O _t H and a propyl radical n-C₃H₇. This step with the activation energy E* = 0.56 eV (54.1 kJ/mol) appears to be rate-determining. The second step involves the reaction of the bridging O _b oxygen atom with the methylene C–H bond of propyl radical n-C₃H₇ followed by the formation of a hydroxylated surface site HO _t –V⁴⁺–O _b H and propene. The initial steps of the C–H bond activation during propane conversion to propanol and propene by ODH on V⁵⁺–(O _t O _b )^? active sites are identical. The obtained results demonstrate that participation of surface oxygen radicals as the active sites of propane ODH makes it possible to explain relatively low activation energies observed for this reaction on the most active catalysts. The presence of very active radical species in low concentration seems to be the key factor for obtaining high selectivity.     

A novel angle-dependent potential and its exact solution

The quantum mechanics of a diatomic molecule in a noncentral potential of the type V (r) = V _θ (θ)/r ² + V _r (r) are investigated analytically. The θ-dependent part of the relevant potential is suggested for the first time as a novel angle-dependent (NAD) potential \({V_{\theta}(\theta)=\frac{\hbar^2}{2\mu}\left(\frac{\gamma +\beta \sin^2\theta +\alpha \sin^4 \theta}{\sin^2\theta \cos^2\theta}\right)}\) and the radial part is selected as the Coulomb potential or the harmonic oscillator potential, i.e., V _r (r) =  ? H/r or V _r (r) = Kr ², respectively. Exact solutions are obtained in the Schrödinger picture by means of a mathematical method named the Nikiforov–Uvarov (NU). The effect of the angle-dependent part on the solution of the radial part is discussed in several values of the NAD potential’s parameters as well as different values of usual quantum numbers.     

Effect of Ag addition on crystallization kinetics and thermal stability of As–Se chalcogenide glasses

Chalcogenide glasses of (As₅₀Se₅₀)_100?xAg_x (0 ≤ x ≤ 25) were prepared using the melt quenching technique under non-isothermal conditions. Differential scanning calorimetry curves measured at different heating rates (5 ≤ β ≤ 40 K min^?1) are used to characterize the as-quenched samples. The thermal stability was monitored through the calculation of the temperature difference T _c ? T _g, stability parameter S and crystallization rate factor K _p. The glass-forming ability (GFA) was investigated on the basis of Hurby parameter H _r which is a strong indicator of GFA. In addition, the activation energy of glass transition E _t, activation energy of crystallization E _c and Avrami exponent n of the studied compositions were determined. The mechanism of crystallization was found to be a combination of two- and three-dimensional crystal growth.     

Adsorptive recovery of geniposidic acid from gardenia yellow pigment extraction wastewater by anion exchange: equilibrium,thermodynamics and mechanism modeling and simulation

For many years, the traditional process of gardenia yellow pigment extraction has produced wastewater containing significant quantities of Geniposidic acid (GSA), a substance that could be put to pharmacological uses if it could be effectively recovered. This study aimed to provide an efficient adsorption material, D08, for recycling GSA. Batch experiments showed that adsorption capacity depends on initial concentration and temperature. The maximal adsorption capacity of GSA onto an anionic exchanger reached 310 mg/g. The pK _a value of GSA was determined to be 4.21. Pore diffusion coefficients (D _p) of GSA for 283, 298 and 313 K were 3.274 × 10^?10, 5.069 × 10^?10 and 7.356 × 10^?10 m²/s, respectively. Recovery efficiency of GSA was achieved to 99.81 %. In comparison with pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order equations, the PDM model demonstrated the best fit to the kinetics data of GSA adsorption. Adsorption/desorption experiments proved that D08 offers great adsorption capacity, high adsorption rate and good repeatability. In order to help us to accurately comprehend the mass transfer process, numerical simulation and post-processing to variables c(r, t) and q(r, t) were performed to clarify the adsorption process.     

Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Black Liquor Xylan by a Novel Xylose-Tolerant,Thermostable β-Xylosidase from a Tropical Strain of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aureobasidium pullulans</Emphasis> CBS 135684

From three cell-associated β-xylosidases produced by Aureobasidium pullulans CBS 135684, the principal enzyme was enriched to apparent homogeneity and found to be active at high temperatures (60–70 °C) over a pH range of 5–9 with a specific activity of 163.3 units (U) mg^?1. The enzyme was thermostable, retaining over 80% of its initial activity after a 12-h incubation at 60 °C, with half-lives of 38, 22, and 10 h at 60, 65, and 70 °C, respectively. Moreover, it was tolerant to xylose inhibition with a K _i value of 18 mM. The K _m and V _max values against p-nitrophenyl-β-d-xylopyranoside were 5.57 ± 0.27 mM and 137.0 ± 4.8 μmol min^?1 mg^?1 protein, respectively. When combining this β-xylosidase with xylanase from the same A. pullulans strain, the rate of black liquor xylan hydrolysis was significantly improved by up to 1.6-fold. The maximum xylose yield (0.812 ± 0.015 g g^?1 dry weight) was obtained from a reaction mixture containing 10% (w/v) black liquor xylan, 6 U g^?1 β-xylosidase and 16 U g^?1 xylanase after incubation for 4 h at 70 °C and pH 6.0.     

New hybrids of clozapine and haloperidol and their isosteric analogues: synthesis,X-ray crystallography,conformational analysis and preliminary pharmacological evaluation

Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental disorder which affects approximately 1% of the world’s population. Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic showing unmatched effectiveness in the control of treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Unlike typical antipsychotics, clozapine does not induce extrapyramidal side effects (EPS), tardive dyskinesia or elevate prolactin levels. However, clozapine can induce a potentially fatal blood disorder, agranulocytosis, in 1–2% of patients, severely limiting its clinical use. The model for antipsychotic activity under investigation is based on obtaining a clozapine-like profile with preferential dopamine D₄ and serotonin 5-HT_2A receptor affinity. Profiled herein are three unique members of a series of prospective antipsychotic agents. Compound (I) originated from the structural hybridization of the commercial therapeutics, clozapine and haloperidol, whilst compounds (II) and (III) possess an alternative tricyclic nucleus derived from JL13; a clozapine-like atypical antipsychotic developed by Liégeois et al. These compounds have been synthesized and characterized by means of elemental analysis, IR, ¹H and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy, MS and X-ray diffraction. Compound (I) crystallizes in space group P(?1) with a = 10.5032(1), b = 10.6261(2), c = 12.6214(3) Å, α = 81.432(1)°, β = 83.292(1)°, γ = 61.604(1)°, Z = 2, V = 1223.62(4) Å³, C₂₈H₂₉ClN₄O, M _r = 473.00, D _c = 1.284 Mg/m³, μ = 0.185 mm^?1, F(000) = 500, R = 0.0506 and wR = 0.1304. Compound (II) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with a = 10.8212(2), b = 9.3592(2), c = 22.9494(5) Å, β = 106.471(1)°, Z = 4, V = 2228.88(8) Å³, C₂₅H₂₅ClN₄O₂, M _r = 448.94, D _c = 1.338 Mg/m³, μ = 0.202 mm^?1, F(000) = 944, R = 0.0529 and wR = 0.1129. Compound (III) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with a = 10.5174(2), b = 9.3112(2), c = 24.2949(5) Å, β = 98.666(1)°, Z = 4, V = 2352.03(8) Å³, C₂₅H₂₄Cl₂N₄O₂, M _r = 483.38, D _c = 1.365 Mg/m³, μ = 0.306 mm^?1, F(000) = 1008, R = 0.0478 and wR = 0.1067. The solid state conformations of (I), (II) and (III) exhibit the characteristic V-shaped buckled nature of the respective dibenzodiazepine and pyridobenzoxazepine nuclei with the central seven-membered heterocycle in a boat conformation. The molecules of (I) form a head-to-tail dimeric motif stabilized by hydrogen bonding. The results of a conformational analysis of compounds (I)–(III) investigating the effect of environment (in vacuo and aqueous solution) are presented. These analogues were tested for in vitro affinity for the dopamine D₄ and serotonin 5-HT_2A receptors and their comparative receptor binding profiles to clozapine and JL13 are reported.     

Solubility of B-Nb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> and the Hydrolysis of Niobium(V) in Aqueous Solution as a Function of Temperature and Ionic Strength

B-Nb₂O₅ was recrystallized from commercially available oxide, and XRD analyses indicated that it is stable in contact with solutions over the pH range 0 to 9, whereas solid polyniobates such as Na₈Nb₆O₁₉?13H₂O(s) appear to predominate at pH>9. Solubilities of the crystalline B-Nb₂O₅ were determined in five NaClO₄ solutions (0.1≤I _m /mol?kg^?1≤1.0) over a wide pH range at (25.0±0.1)?°C and at 0.1 MPa. A limited number of measurements were also made at I _m =6.0 mol?kg^?1, whereas at I _m =1.0 mol?kg^?1 the full range of pH was also covered at (10, 50 and 70)?°C. The pH of these solutions was fixed using either HClO₄ (pH≤4) or NaOH (pH≥10) and determined by mass balance, whereas the pH on the molality scale was measured in buffer mixtures of acetic acid?+?acetate (4≤pH≤6), Bis-Tris (pH≈7), Tris (pH≈8) and boric acid?+?borate (pH≈9). Treatment of the solubility results indicated the presence of four species, \(\mathrm{Nb(OH)}_{n}^{5-n}\) (where n=4–7), so that the molal solubility quotients were determined according to:

$0\mathrm{.5Nb}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{5}\mathrm{(cr)+0}\mathrm{.5(2}n-5\mathrm{)H}_{2}\mathrm{O(l)}_{\leftarrow}^{\to}\mathrm{Nb(OH)}_{n}^{5-n}+(n-5)\mathrm{H}^{+}\quad (n=4\mbox{--}7)$

and were fitted empirically as a function of ionic strength and temperature, including the appropriate Debye-Hückel term. A Specific Interaction Theory (SIT) approach was also attempted. The former approach yielded the following values of log?₁₀ K _sn (infinite dilution) at 25?°C: ?(7.4±0.2) for n=4; ?(9.1±0.1) for n=5; ?(14.1±0.3) for n=6; and ?(23.9±0.6) for n=7. Given the experimental uncertainties (2σ), it is interesting to note that the effect of ionic strength only exceeded the combined uncertainties significantly in the case of log?₁₀ K _s6 to I _m =1.0 mol?kg^?1, such that these values may be of use by defining their magnitudes in other media. Values of Δ _f G ^o, Δ _f H ^o, S ^o and \(C_{p}^{\mathrm{o}}\) (298.15 K, 0.1 MPa) for each hydrolysis product were calculated and tabulated.

     

Investigation of the Expansion of an Oxygen Microwave Remote Plasma for the Growth of Functional Oxide Thin Films

The expansion of an oxygen low-pressure microwave plasma was investigated in order to determine the optimal plasma parameters for the growth of functional oxide semiconductors. Langmuir probe measurements show that the electron density (n _e ) increases with the injected power up to a saturation value of 3.0 × 10⁹ cm^?3 determined at 10 mTorr while electron temperature (T _e ) remains constant at a value of 1.5 eV. When pressure is varied, n _e shows a maximum value at a range from 12 to 20 mTorr while T _e decreases monotonously with increasing pressure. In addition, both n _e and T _e decrease with the axial distance from the plasma source. These effects were discussed through the loss mechanisms in the remote plasma. For a pressure of 13 mTorr and at a substrate temperature of 500 °C, plasma enhanced oxidation of pure metallic Ti thin films lead to the formation of a pure TiO₂ anatase phase compared to a mixed phase of TiO₂ and TiO in the absence of plasma activation. For Mn thin films, the exposure to oxygen remote plasma led to the formation of MnO₂ as opposed to obtaining Mn₃O₄ when oxidation is performed in the oxygen gas ambient. Remote plasma processing was thus found to provide selective pathways to control oxidation states, stoichiometry and phase composition of technologically attractive oxide thin films.     

Enhanced lithium-ion intercalation and conduction of transparent tantalum oxide films by lithium addition with an atmospheric pressure plasma jet

An investigation is conducted on enhancing lithium-ion intercalation and conduction performance of transparent organo tantalum oxide (TaO _y C _z ) films, by addition of lithium via a fast co-synthesis onto 40 Ω/□ flexible polyethylene terephthalate/indium tin oxide substrates at the short exposed durations of 33–34 s, using an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) at various mixed concentrations of tantalum ethoxide [Ta(OC₂H₅)₅] and lithium tert-butoxide [(CH₃)₃COLi] precursors. Transparent organo-lithiated tantalum oxide (Li _x TaO _y C _z ) films expose noteworthy Li⁺ ion intercalation and conduction performance for 200 cycles of reversible Li⁺ ion intercalation and deintercalation in a 1 M LiClO₄-propylene carbonate electrolyte, by switching measurements with a potential sweep from ?1.25 to 1.25 V at a scan rate of 50 mV/s and a potential step at ?1.25 and 1.25 V, even after being bent 360° around a 2.5-cm diameter rod for 1000 cycles. The Li⁺ ionic diffusion coefficient and conductivity of 6.2?×?10^?10 cm²/s and 6.0?×?10^?11 S/cm for TaO _y C _z films are greatly progressed of up to 9.6?×?10^?10 cm²/s and 7.8?×?10^?9 S/cm for Li _x TaO _y C _z films by co-synthesis with an APPJ.     

Mesophilic Acidogenesis of Food Waste-Recycling Wastewater: Effects of Hydraulic Retention Time,pH, and Temperature

The effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT), pH, and operating temperature (T _OP) on the degradation of food waste-recycling wastewater (FRW) were investigated in laboratory-scale hydrolysis/acidogenesis reactors. Response surface analysis was used to approximate the production of volatile organic acids and degradation of volatile suspended solids (VSS), carbohydrate, protein, and lipid with regard to the independent variables (1?≤?HRT?≤?3 days, 4?≤?pH?≤?6, 25?≤?T _OP?≤?45 °C). Partial cubic models adequately approximated the corresponding response surfaces at α?<?5 %. The physiological conditions for maximum acidification (0.4 g TVFA?+?EtOH/g VS_added) and the maximal degradation of VSS (47.5 %), carbohydrate (92.0 %), protein (17.7 %), and lipid (73.7 %) were different. Analysis of variance suggested that pH had a great effect on the responses in most cases, while T _OP and HRT, and their interaction, were significant in some cases. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that Sporanaerobacter acetigenes, Lactobacillus sp., and Eubacterium pyruvivorans-like microorganisms might be main contributors to the hydrolysis and acidogenesis of FRW. Biochemical methane potential test confirmed higher methane yield (538.2 mL CH₄/g VS_added) from an acidogenic effluent than from raw FRW.     

Structure and energetics of β-diketonates. XVI. Molecular structure and vibrational spectrum of zinc acetylacetonate according to gas-phase electron diffraction and quantum-chemical calculations

The molecular structure of zinc acetylacetonate was studied in a simultaneous electron diffraction and mass spectrometric experiment at 376(7) K and by quantum-chemical calculations. The Zn(acac)₂ molecule has a structure of D _2d symmetry with the chelate rings lying in mutually perpendicular planes. The main geometrical parameters of the molecule are r _h1(Zn-O) = 1.942(4) Å, r _h1(C-O) = 1.279(3) Å, r _h1(C-C_r) = 1.398(3) Å, r _h1(C-C _m ) = 1.504(5) Å, ∠(O-Zn-O) = 93.2(7)°, ∠(Zn-O-C) = 125.9(7)°, ∠(C-C_r-C) = 125.8(14)°, ∠(O-C-C _m ) = 115.2(9)°. The effective rotation angle of methyl groups is close to 30°, which is indicative of the free rotation of these groups. The vibration frequencies were obtained by quantumchemical calculations, and the IR spectrum of the Zn(acac)₂ molecule was interpreted.     

Production of <Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>-Mandelic Acid Using Nitrilase from Recombinant <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli</Emphasis> Cells Immobilized with Tris(Hydroxymethyl)Phosphine

Recombinant Escherichia coli cells harboring nitrilase from Alcaligenes faecalis were immobilized using tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine (THP) as the coupling agent. The optimal pH and temperature of the THP-immobilized cells were determined at pH 8.0 and 55 °C. The half-lives of THP-immobilized cells measured at 35, 40, and 50 °C were 1800, 965, and 163 h, respectively. The concentration of R-mandelic acid (R-MA) reached 358 mM after merely 1-h conversion by the immobilized cells with 500 mM R,S-mandelonitrile (R,S-MN), affording the highest productivity of 1307 g L^?1 day^?1 and the space-time productivity of 143.2 mmol L^?1 h^?1 g^?1. The immobilized cells with granular shape were successfully recycled for 60 batches using 100 mM R,S-MN as substrate at 40 °C with 64% of relative activity, suggesting that the immobilized E. coli cells obtained in this study are promising for the production of R-MA.     

The diffusion of oxygen and ion transport in lanthanum cobaltite LaCoO<Subscript>3-δ</Subscript>

The chemical diffusion coefficient of oxygen vacancies and oxygen ion conductivity in lanthanum cobaltite LaCoO₃ were determined by the polarization method as functions of oxygen partial pressure \(p_{O_2 } \) (atm) and temperature T(K) over the ranges ?4 ≤ log \(p_{O_2 } \) ≤ 0 and 1173 K ≤ T ≤ 1323 K. The mobilities (cm²/(V s)) of oxygen vacancies calculated over the temperature range studied satisfy the inequalities 1.8 × 10^?5 ≤ \(v_{v_0 } \) ≤ 3.4 × 10^?5. The transfer numbers of oxygen vacancies were calculated. These numbers change depending on oxygen partial pressure over the range 5 × 10^?7 ≤ t ₀ ≤ 1 × 10^?5. The activation energy of self-diffusion of oxygen vacancies was found to be E _a= 104 ± 10 kJ/mol (1.1 ± 0.1 eV).     

Synthesis and characterization of Sr<Subscript>0.75</Subscript>Y<Subscript>0.25</Subscript>Co<Subscript>0.9</Subscript>Ru<Subscript>0.1</Subscript>O<Subscript>3−<Emphasis Type="Italic">δ</Emphasis></Subscript> perovskite as a solid oxide fuel cell cathode material

The oxygen-deficient Sr_0.75Y_0.25Co_0.9Ru_0.1O_3?δ (SYCR) cathode is systematically evaluated for the application of solid oxide fuel cells. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that SYCR presents a tetragonal structure with space group of I4/mmm (139). In the measured high oxygen partial pressure (pO₂) region (0.01–0.21 atm), the conductivity increases with increasing pO₂ because of the oxygen vacancy annihilation and hole creation, relating to a general p-type semiconducting mechanism. To get an insight into the rate-limiting step of SYCR cathode, behaviors of individual polarization resistance (R ₁ and R ₂) are investigated in different pO₂. The obtained fitting results reveal that R ₁ is nearly independent on the pO₂, while R ₂ presents a (pO₂)^?0.5 dependence. At 800 °C, SYCR cathode exhibits an R _p value of 0.14 Ω cm², moreover, when using the wet hydrogen (～ 3% H₂O) as fuel and ambient air as oxidant, the maximum power density of single cell Ni-YSZ (yttria-stabilized zirconia)|YSZ|SYCR reaches 452.9 W cm^?2.     

Association of LIM Domain 7 Gene Polymorphisms and Plasma Levels of LIM Domain 7 with Dilated Cardiomyopathy in a Chinese Population

The aim of our study was to investigate the potential association of mRNA expression and plasma levels of the LIM domain 7 (LMO7) gene with the pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Two SNPs of the LMO7 gene were genotyped in 310 patients with DCM and 415 controls. Our results showed that SNP rs7986131 (p = 0.002, OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.12–1.71), but not SNP rs4884021, was associated with DCM in the Han Chinese population. Haplotype analysis showed that the haplotype GT was associated with increased DCM susceptibility while AC was a protective haplotype. The Cox multivariate survival analysis indicated that the rs7986131 TT genotype (HR 1.659, 95% CI = 1.122–2.454, p = 0.011) was an independent multivariate predictor for shorter overall survival in patients with DCM. LMO7 mRNA expression and plasma LMO7 levels were significantly decreased in DCM (p < 0.0001). Spearman correlation test revealed that the plasma LMO7 level was negatively associated with left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (r = ?0.384, p = 0.01), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (r = ?0.375, p = 0.012), and brain natriuretic peptide (r = ?0.482, p = 0.001). Our study suggested that the LMO7 gene may play an important role in the pathogenesis of DCM in the Han Chinese population.     

Synthesis,crystal structure,and thermodynamics of a high-nitrogen copper complex with <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-bis-(1(2)H-tetrazol-5-yl) amine

A new high-nitrogen complex [Cu(Hbta)₂]·4H₂O (H₂bta = N,N-bis-(1(2)H-tetrazol-5-yl) amine) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analyses. X-ray structural analyses revealed that the crystal was monoclinic, space group P2(1)/c with lattice parameters a = 14.695(3) Å, b = 6.975(2) Å, c = 18.807(3) Å, β = 126.603(1)°, Z = 4, D _c = 1.888 g cm^?3, and F(000) = 892. The complex exhibits a 3D supermolecular structure which is built up from 1D zigzag chains. The enthalpy change of the reaction of formation for the complex was determined by an RD496–III microcalorimeter at 25 °C with the value of ?47.905 ± 0.021 kJ mol^?1. In addition, the thermodynamics of the reaction of formation of the complex was investigated and the fundamental parameters k, E, n, \( \Updelta S_{ \ne }^{{{\uptheta}}} \), \( \Updelta H_{ \ne }^{{{\uptheta}}} \), and \( \Updelta G_{ \ne }^{{{\uptheta}}} \) were obtained. The effects of the complex on the thermal decomposition behaviors of the main component of solid propellant (HMX and RDX) indicated that the complex possessed good performance for HMX and RDX.