铋和镍对钒磷氧化物催化剂性能的影响YunHinTaufiq-Yap,ChoonSeonYuen,Nawi简

Vanadium phosphorus oxide (VPO) catalysts were synthesized by the dihydrate method which involved the two steps for the preparation of the dihydrate (VOPO₄×2H₂O) and the precursor hemihydrate (VOHPO₄×0.5H₂O). Bi and Ni salt were added into the mixture of VOPO₄×2H₂O and isobutanol, and the obtained precursors were calcined in a flow of a n-butane/air mixture to produce the promoted VPO catalysts. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption-desorption, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and H₂ temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR). Their catalytic properties were tested using a fixed-bed microreactor. All the catalysts gave main XRD peaks at 2θ = 22.9°, 28.5°, and 30.0°, attributing to the (020), (204), and (221) planes of the pyrophosphate phase (VO)₂P₂O₇, respectively. The promoted catalysts have smaller crystallite size and higher specific surface areas. SEM micrographs revealed the formation of more prominent plate-like crystallites that were arranged as rosette clusters. H₂-TPR results showed that the promoted catalysts had lower reduction peak temperatures and possessed higher amounts of V⁵⁺-O^2- and V⁴⁺-O^- pairs, which gave higher selectivity and activity in the selective oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride.     

铋和镍对钒磷氧化物催化剂性能的影响(英文)

Vanadium phosphorus oxide (VPO) catalysts were synthesized by the dihydrate method which involved the two steps for the preparation of the dihydrate (VOPO4 2H2 O) and the precursor hemi-hydrate (VOHPO4 0.5H2 O). Bi and Ni salt were added into the mixture of VOPO4 2H2 O and isobu-tanol, and the obtained precursors were calcined in a flow of a n-butane/air mixture to produce the promoted VPO catalysts. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorp-tion- desorption, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, scanning electron mi-croscopy (SEM), and H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2 -TPR). Their catalytic properties were tested using a fixed-bed microreactor. All the catalysts gave main XRD peaks at 2θ = 22.9°, 28.5°, and 30.0°, attributing to the (020), (204), and (221) planes of the pyrophosphate phase (VO)2 P2 O7, respectively. The promoted catalysts have smaller crystallite size and higher specific surface areas. SEM micrographs revealed the formation of more prominent plate-like crystallites that were arranged as rosette clusters. H2 -TPR results showed that the promoted catalysts had lower reduction peak temperatures and possessed higher amounts of V5+-O2– and V4+-O– pairs, which gave higher selectivity and activity in the selective oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride.     

Combination of acid labile detergent and C18 Empore™ disks for improved identification and sequence coverage of in-gel digested proteins

A protocol for improved extraction of peptides from in-gel protein digests, using a combination of the acid labile surfactant, sodium deoxycholate (SDC) and C18 Empore™ membranes, is presented. This approach results in better mass spectrum quality, higher numbers of identified peptide peaks and improved identification scores compared to standard tryptic digestion protocols, or protocols using only SDC or only C18 Empore™ disks. The advantages of the new protocol are demonstrated for two different types of samples: Merino wool intermediate filament proteins and Elaeis guineensis (oil palm) mesocarp proteins.     

Amorphous particle deposition and product quality under different conditions in a spray dryer

Deposition of amorphous particles, as a prevalent problem particularly in the spray drying of fruit and vegetable juices, is due to low-molecular weight sugars and is strongly dependent on the condition of the particles upon collision with the dryer wall. This paper investigates the condition of the amorphous particles impacting the wall at different drying conditions with the aim of elucidating the deposition mechanism and physical phenomena in the drying chamber. A model sucrose-maltodextrin solution was used to represent the low-molecular-weight sugar. Particle deposits were collected on sampling plates placed inside the dryer for analyses of moisture content, particle rigidity (using SEM) and size distribution. Moisture content was adopted as a general indicator of stickiness. Product particles collected at the bottom of the experimental dryer were found to have higher moisture than particle deposits on samplers inside the dryer. Moisture content profile in the dryer shows that apart from the atomizer region, where particles are relatively wet, particle deposits at other regions exhibit similar lower moisture content. At the highest temperature adopted in the experiments, particles became rubbery suggesting liquid-bridge formation as the dominant deposition mechanism. Further analysis on particles size distribution reveals a particle segregation mechanism whereby smaller particles follow preferentially to the central air stream while larger particles tend to re-circulate in the chamber, as predicted in past CFD simulation. The findings from this work will form the basis and provide validating data for further modeling of wall deposition of amorphous particles in spray drying using CFD.     

Tocotrienol as a Protecting Agent against Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis: A Mini Review of Potential Mechanisms

Glucocorticoid-induced osteogenic dysfunction is the main pathologyical mechanism underlying the development of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. Glucocorticoids promote adipogenic differentiation and osteoblast apoptosis through various pathways. Various ongoing studies are exploring the potential of natural products in preventing glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. Preclinical studies have consistently shown the bone protective effects of tocotrienol through its antioxidant and anabolic effects. This review aims to summarise the potential mechanisms of tocotrienol in preventing glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis based on existing in vivo and in vitro evidence. The current literature showed that tocotrienol prevents oxidative damage on osteoblasts exposed to high levels of glucocorticoids. Tocotrienol reduces lipid peroxidation and increases oxidative stress enzyme activities. The reduction in oxidative stress protects the osteoblasts and preserves the bone microstructure and biomechanical strength of glucocorticoid-treated animals. In other animal models, tocotrienol has been shown to activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and lower the RANKL/OPG ratio, which are the targets of glucocorticoids. In conclusion, tocotrienol enhances osteogenic differentiation and bone formation in glucocorticoid-treated osteoblasts while improving structural integrity in glucocorticoid-treated rats. This is achieved by preventing oxidative stress and osteoblast apoptosis. However, these preclinical results should be validated in a randomised controlled trial.     

Spin-Dependent First-Principles Study on Optoelectronic Properties of Neodymium Zirconates Pyrochlores Nd2Zr2O7 in Fd-3m and Pmma Phases

Rare-earth zirconate pyrochlores (RE₂Zr₂O₇) are of much fundamental and technological interest as optoelectronic, scintillator and thermal barrier coating materials. For the first time, we report the detailed optoelectronic properties of rare-earth zirconates Nd₂Zr₂O₇ in both, i.e., for spin up and spin down states, via the use of first-principles density functional theory (DFT) procedure. To obtain the desired optoelectronic properties, we used a highly accurate method called full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FPLAPW) within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA), parametrized with Hubbard potential U as an exchange-correlation function. The band gaps predicted for Nd₂Zr₂O₇ were of the order 2.4 eV and 2.5 eV in Fd-3m and Pmma symmetrical phases, respectively. For both the phases, our research involved a complete examination of the optical properties of Nd₂Zr₂O₇, including extinction coefficient, absorption coefficient, energy loss, function, reflectivity, refractive index, and real optical conductivity, analyzed in the spectral range from 0.0 eV to 14 eV. The calculated optical properties in both phases showed a considerable spin-dependent effect. The electronic bonding characteristics of different species in Nd₂Zr₂O₇ within the two crystal symmetries were explored via the density distribution mapping of charge.     

GGA and GGA + U Study of ThMn2Si2 and ThMn2Ge2 Compounds in a Body-Centered Tetragonal Ferromagnetic Phase

Our study used the full-potential linearized augmented plane waves (FP-LAPW) method to conduct a first-principles evaluation of the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of ThMn₂X₂ (X = Si and Ge) compounds. To establish theoretical dependability with the currently available experimental results, computations for the structural findings of ternary intermetallic thorium (Th)-based compounds were achieved using the generalized gradient approximation in the scheme of Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE–GGA) potential, while the generalized gradient approximation plus the Hubbard U (GGA + U) approach was employed to improve the electrical and magnetic properties. In contrast with both the paramagnetic (PM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) phases, the ThMn₂X₂ compounds were optimized in a stable ferromagnetic (FM) phase, which was more suited for studying and analyzing magnetic properties. The electronic band structures (BS) and the density of state (DOS) were computed using the two PBE–GGA and GGA + U approximations. The thorium (Th)-based ThMn₂X₂ compound has full metallic character, due to the crossing and overlapping of bands across the Fermi level of energy, as well as the absence of a gap through both spin (up and down) channels. There was a significant hybridization between (Mn-d and (X = Si and Ge)-p states of conduction band with Th-f states in the valence band. The total magnetic moment of ThMn₂Si₂ in the ferromagnetic phase was 7.94534 μB, while for ThMn₂Ge₂ it was 8.73824 μB with a major contribution from the Mn atom. In addition, the ThMn₂Ge₂ compound’s total magnetic moment confirmed that it exhibits higher ferromagnetism than does the ThMn₂Si₂ compound.     

Gain flattening technique for optical wireless front-end receiver considering various large window photodetectors

A novel gain flattening technique for an optical wireless front-end receiver structure involving a bootstrap transimpedance amplifier (BTA) integrated with a MEMS variable feedback capacitor has been demonstrated. The MEMS varicap replaces a fixed capacitance as the feedback element in the front end system to optimize the performance of the BTA in terms of its frequency response. The implementation of the MEMS device with a BTA optical front-end receiver was verified using CoventorWare ARCHITECT. The simulation results showed that the approach can significantly flatten the peaking gain by up to 14 dB, when considering a system with various photodetector capacitances, ranging in value from 100 pF to 1 nF.     

Scale directional distance function and its application to the measurement of eco-efficiency in the manufacturing sector

Directional distance function (DDF) is a recognized technique for measuring efficiency while incorporating undesirable outputs. This approach allows for desirable outputs to be expanded while undesirable outputs are contracted simultaneously. A drawback of the DDF approach is that the direction vector to the production boundary is fixed arbitrarily, which may not provide the best efficiency measure. Therefore, this study extends the previous framework of efficiency analysis to introduce a new slacks-based measure of efficiency called the scale directional distance function (SDDF) approach. This new approach determines the optimal direction to the frontier for each unit of analysis and provides dissimilar expansion and contraction factors to achieve a more reasonable eco-efficiency score. This new approach is employed to measure the eco-efficiency of the Malaysian manufacturing sector. In addition, the paper demonstrates the use of the new approach to establish target values for the reduction/expansion of outputs in order for the inefficient DMUs to achieve full eco-efficiency. The results indicate that Melaka, Pulau Pinang, Negeri Sembilan, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan have attained full eco-efficiency while Terengganu is the least eco-efficient. The overall eco-efficiency of the manufacturing sector in Malaysia is 80.5 % with wide variations across the states.