Rapid quantitative analysis of fayalite and silica formed during decarburization of electrical steel

Subscales on surfaces are affected by the temperature and oxidation potential during decarburization annealing of electrical steel containing 3 wt% silicon. Knowledge of the structural and chemical properties of the surface oxide layer subscales permits the control of high‐temperature oxidation processes in the electrical steel. In the present work, the oxide layers were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, and glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD‐OES). The main oxide compounds formed within the subscales during decarburization annealing of the electrical steel were fayalite (Fe₂SiO₄) and silica (SiO₂). The fayalite and silica contents were quantitatively determined by wet analysis via the galvanostatic electrolysis method, and these oxide content measurements were compared with the fayalite content determined by FTIR spectrometry and the silica determined by GD‐OES. The results determined by rapid methods and wet analysis showed good agreement. The present findings show that FTIR spectrometry and GD‐OES measurements may be used for the rapid quantitative analysis of fayalite and silica in surface oxide layers during the manufacture of electrical steel. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and gas permeation properties of poly(vinyl chloride)‐graft‐poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) membranes

A series of amphiphilic graft copolymers consisting of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) main chains and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) side chains, i.e. PVC‐g‐PVP, was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), as confirmed by ¹H NMR, FT‐IR spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) analysis revealed the microphase‐separated structure of PVC‐g‐PVP and the domain spacing increased from 21.4 to 23.9 nm with increasing grafting degree. All the membranes exhibited completely amorphous structure and high Young's modulus and tensile strength, as revealed by wide angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS) and universal testing machine (UTM). Permeation experimental results using a CO₂/N₂ (50/50) mixture indicated that as an amount of PVP in a copolymer increased, CO₂ permeability increased without the sacrifice of selectivity. For example, the CO₂ permeability of PVC‐g‐PVP with 36 wt% of PVP at 35°C was about four times higher than that of the pristine PVC membrane. This improvement resulted from the increase of diffusivity due to the disruption of chain packing in PVC by the grafting of PVP, as confirmed by WAXS analysis. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nitrogen Adsorption Studies of PAN-Based Activated Carbon Fibers Prepared by Different Activation Methods

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based activated carbon fibers (ACFs) prepared by various activation methods were characterized using low-temperature nitrogen adsorption over a wide relative pressure from 10⁻⁶ to 1. Nitrogen adsorption is a standard tool for determination of porous structure parameters. In the present work, we carried out extensive adsorption studies of a series of PAN-ACFs activated by different methods. It was shown that the high-resolution α_S plot provided valuable information about structural properties of samples under study. The pore size distributions of samples under study were calculated by employing the regularization method according to density functional theory. By these analyses, the pore development and the dominant pores of samples prepared by different methods can be clearly observed. Moreover, the adsorption measurement could provide profound insight into the structural heterogeneity of the ACFs.     

Expression of Codon-Optmized Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase Gene from Glaciecola sp. HTCC2999 in Escherichia coli and its Application for C4 Chemical Production

We examined the expression of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) gene from marine bacteria in Escherichia coli using codon optimization. The codon-optimized PEPC gene was expressed in the E. coli K-12 strain W3110. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that the codon-optimized PEPC gene was only expressed in E. coli, and measurement of enzyme activity indicated the highest PEPC activity in the E. coli SGJS112 strain that contained the codon-optimized PEPC gene. In fermentation assays, the E. coli SGJS112 produced the highest yield of oxaloacetate using glucose as the source and produced a 20-times increase in the yield of malate compared to the control. We concluded that the codon optimization enabled E. coli to express the PEPC gene derived from the Glaciecola sp. HTCC2999. Also, the expressed protein exhibited an enzymatic activity similar to that of E. coli PEPC and increased the yield of oxaloacetate and malate in an E. coli system.     

Efficient synthesis of tetrahydroquinolinones by acetic acid-mediated formal [3+3] cycloaddition

Abstract  

A simple and efficient method to synthesize a variety of tetrahydroquinolinones was successfully achieved by reacting various β-enaminones with several α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. This strategy can be viewed as a Br?nsted acid-mediated formal [3+3] cycloaddition.     

Association of ADIPOR1 polymorphisms with bone mineral density in postmenopausal Korean women

Adiponectin may affect bone through interactions with two known receptors, adiponectin receptors (ADIPOR) 1 and 2. We examined the association between polymorphisms of ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2 and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal Korean women. Six polymorphisms in ADIPOR1 and four polymorphisms in ADIPOR2 were selected and genotyped in all study participants (n = 1,329). BMD at the lumbar spine and femur neck were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Lateral thoracolumbar (T4-L4) radiographs were obtained for vertebral fracture assessment and the occurrence of non-vertebral fractures examined using self-reported data. P values were adjusted for multiple testing using Bonferroni correction (P(corr)). ADIPOR1 rs16850799 and rs34010966 polymorphisms were significantly associated with femur neck BMD (P(corr) = 0.036 in the dominant model; P(corr) = 0.024 and P(corr) = 0.006 in the additive and dominant models, respectively). Subjects with the rare allele of each polymorphism had lower BMD, and association of rs34010966 with BMD showed a gene dosage effect. However, ADIPOR2 single nucleotide polymorphisms and haplotypes were not associated with BMD at any site. Our results suggest that ADIPOR1 polymorphisms present a useful genetic marker for BMD in postmenopausal Korean women.     

Parthenolide-induced apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells and anti-fibrotic effects in an in vivo rat model

Parthenolide (PT), a sesquiterpene lactone derived from the plant feverfew, has pro-apoptotic activity in a number of cancer cell types. We assessed whether PT induces the apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells (HCSs) and examined its effects on hepatic fibrosis in an in vivo model. The effects of PT on rat HSCs were investigated in relation to cell growth inhibition, apoptosis, NF-κB binding activity, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and glutathione (GSH) levels. In addition, the anti-fibrotic effects of PT were investigated in a thioacetamide-treated rat model. PT induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in HSCs, as evidenced by cell growth inhibition and apoptosis assays. PT increased the expression of Bax proteins during apoptosis, but decreased the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L) proteins. PT also induced a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, and caspase-3 activation. PT inhibited TNF-α-stimulated NF-κB binding activity in HSCs. The pro-apoptotic activity of PT in HSCs was associated with increased intracellular oxidative stress as evidenced by increased intracellular ROS levels and depleted intracellular GSH levels. Furthermore, PT ameliorated hepatic fibrosis significantly in a thioacetamide- treated rat model. In conclusion, PT exhibited pro-apoptotic effects in rat HSCs and ameliorated hepatic fibrosis in a thioacetamide-induced rat model.     

Superior dispersion of highly reduced graphene oxide in N,N-dimethylformamide

Here, we report the effect of temperature on the extent of hydrazine reduction of graphene oxide in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)/water (80/20 v/v) and the dispersibility of the resultant graphene in DMF. The highly reduced graphene oxide (HRG) had a high C/O ratio and good dispersibility in DMF. The good dispersibility of HRGs is due to the solvation effect of DMF on graphene sheets during the hydrazine reduction, which diminishes the formation of irreversible graphene sheet aggregates. The dispersibility of the HRGs was varied from 1.66 to 0.38 mg/mL when the reduction temperature increased from 25 °C to 80 °C. The dispersibility of the HRGs was inversely proportional to the electrical conductivity of the HRGs, which varied from 17,400 to 25,500 S/m. The relationships between the C/O ratio, electrical conductivity, and dispersibility of the HRGs were determined and these properties were found to be easily controlled by manipulating the reduction temperature.     

Identification of cyclicsulfonamide derivatives with an acetamide group as 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 inhibitors

In the continuation of our 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) inhibitor research, cyclic sulfonamide derivatives with an acetamide group at the 2-position were synthesized and evaluated for their abilities to inhibit 11β-HSD1. Among this series, Compound 34 showed good in vitro activity toward human 11β-HSD1, selectivity against 11β-HSD2, microsomal stability, good pharmacokinetic and safety profiles human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG and cytochrome P450 (CYP)). Also, a docking study explained the activity difference between human and mouse 11β-HSD1.     

Cyclodipeptide-bridged porphyrin dimer supramolecular assemblies

A cyclodipeptide-bridged porphyrin dimer has formed fibrous and toroidal multi-porphyrin array systems by hydrogen bonding-mediated self-assembly.