Regioselective construction of polysubstituted benzene ring from Baylis-Hillman adduct via [4+2] annulation strategy

A new and regioselective [4+2] benzannulation protocol toward polysubstituted benzenes was developed. Nitroalkane derivative, which was prepared from Baylis-Hillman adduct, served as the four-carbon unit and Michael acceptor as a two-carbon unit.     

An experimental and computational investigation of crack initiation and stable crack growth of ductile materials

Crack initiation and stable crack growth under monotonic loading in steels has been studied using an elastic-plastic finite element analysis. The fracture criterion used for crack initiation and stable crack growth was the critical strain energy density. In addition the shift core method for the analysis of crack extension was used. In the shift core modelling method, crack advance is simulated by moving the coordinates of the core region which surrounds the crack tip, to obtain the stiffness reduction. Simultaneously the core itself geometrically undergoes a simple rigid-body motion or translation during the crack extension. The analytically calculated and experimentally measured load for crack initiation and the subsequent stable crack growth agreed well.     

Towards understanding the increase in strength of thermotropic polyesters with heat treatment

Thermotropic copolyester fibers of oxynaphthoate and oxybenzoate have been subjected to conditions that promote solid-state polymerization as well as annealing. The annealing process causes the crystals to perfect with a simultaneous increase in heat of fusion and melting temperature. Solid-state polymerization, a reaction rate-controlled process, causes the polymer viscosity average molecular weight to increase by chain extension from about 14,000 g/mole to more than 87,000 g/mole with a simultaneous impressive increase in tenacity from about 10 g/d (1.2 GPa) to almost 30 g/d (3.7 GPa). To understand the changes in mechanical properties, we have modeled the fiber structure as short rod-like molecules poorly bonded to a continuous matrix of parallel molecules. Lengthening of the reinforcing molecules facilitates better transfer of load from matrix to molecules, resulting in higher tenacity fibers. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of liquid crystalline side‐chain block copolymers containing luminescent 4,4′‐bis(biphenyl)fluorene pendants

A series of new liquid crystalline homopolymers, copolymers, and block copolymers were polymerized from styrene‐macroinitiator ( SMi ) and methacrylates with pendent 4,4′‐bis(biphenyl)fluorene ( M1 ) and biphenyl‐4‐ylfluorene ( M2 ) groups through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The number‐average molecular weights (Mn) of polymers P1 ‐ P4 were 10,007, 14,852, 6,275, and 10,463 g mol^?1 with polydispersity indices values of 1.21, 1.15, 1.31, and 1.22, respectively. All polymers exhibit the nematic phase. The thermal, mesogenic, and photoluminescent properties of all polymers were investigated. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4564–4572, 2007     

Metallothionein as a biomarker for mercury in tissues of rat fed orally with cinnabar

Cinnabar, as one of the most widely used mineral drugs in traditional Chinese medicines, has been proven to have prominent curative effects in clinical use for more than 2000 years. But the safety and toxicity of the drug has been under constant debate in clinic usage. Metallothionein (MT) contains about 30% of cysteine in the molecule, and plays an important detoxification role against heavy metals. In this study, it was used as a biomarker to assess mercurial accumulation in rats fed orally with cinnabar. After feeding rats with cinnabar by gastric gavage at different dosages and at different times, the distribution of heavy metals (including mercury, copper and zinc) and MT was investigated among rat tissues, including liver, kidney, heart, brain, testis and blood. Metals and MT determinations were carried out using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) and a modified mercury saturation assay technique respectively. The results indicated that mercury was easily accumulated in the tissues of rats exposed to cinnabar, especially in kidney. For example: at a feeding dosage of 5 g kg^?1 (bw) for 4 weeks, the mercury concentrations in kidney were 13, 8.7, 21.6 and 26 times those in liver, testis, brain and heart respectively; and at 2.5 g kg^?1 (bw) for 2 weeks, the mercury concentrations in kidney were 21, 2.1, 3 and 21 times those in liver, testis, brain and heart respectively. In addition, mercury in kidney and liver of all cinnabar groups was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.01). A high positive correlation observed between MT concentrations and mercury levels in both liver and kidney (R² = 0.9299, P < 0.02 for liver; R² = 0.9923, P < 0.0008 for kidney) indicated that MT could be used as a biomarker for mercury in tissues. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Operator‐splitting method for the analysis of cavitation in liquid‐lubricated herringbone grooved journal bearings

This paper presents an operator‐splitting method (OSM) for the solution of the universal Reynolds equation. Jakobsson–Floberg–Olsson (JFO) pressure conditions are used to study cavitation in liquid‐lubricated journal bearings. The shear flow component of the oil film is first solved by a modified upwind finite difference method. The solution of the pressure gradient flow component is computed by the Galerkin finite element method. Present OSM solutions for slider bearings are in good agreement with available analytical and experimental results. OSM is then applied to herringbone grooved journal bearings. The film pressure, cavitation areas, load capacity and attitude angle are obtained with JFO pressure conditions. The calculated load capacities are in agreement with available experimental data. However, a detailed comparison of the present results with those predicted using Reynolds pressure conditions shows some differences. The numerical results showed that the load capacity and the critical mass of the journal (linear stability indicator) are higher and the attitude angle is lower than those predicted by Reynolds pressure conditions for cases of high eccentricities. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Grid‐free surface vorticity method applied to flow induced vibration of flexible cylinders

In order to study cross flow induced vibration of heat exchanger tube bundles, a new fluid–structure interaction model based on surface vorticity method is proposed. With this model, the vibration of a flexible cylinder is simulated at Re=2.67 × 10⁴, the computational results of the cylinder response, the fluid force, the vibration frequency, and the vorticity map are presented. The numerical results reproduce the amplitude‐limiting and non‐linear (lock‐in) characteristics of flow‐induced vibration. The maximum vibration amplitude as well as its corresponding lock‐in frequency is in good agreement with experimental results. The amplitude of vibration can be as high as 0.88D for the case investigated. As vibration amplitude increases, the amplitude of the lift force also increases. With enhancement of vibration amplitude, the vortex pattern in the near wake changes significantly. This fluid–structure interaction model is further applied to simulate flow‐induced vibration of two tandem cylinders and two side‐by‐side cylinders at similar Reynolds number. Promising and reasonable results and predictions are obtained. It is hopeful that with this relatively simple and computer time saving method, flow induced vibration of a large number of flexible tube bundles can be successfully simulated. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New data on the ternary fission of 252Cf from the Gammasphere facility

Ternary fission of ²⁵²Cf was studied at Gammasphere using eight ΔE×E particle telescopes. Helium, beryllium, boron, and carbon light charged particles (LCPs) emitted with kinetic energy more than 9, 21, 26, and 32 MeV, respectively, were identified. The 3368-keV γ transition from the first 2⁺ excited state in ¹⁰Be was found and the population probability ratio N(2⁺)/N(0⁺) = 0.160 ± 0.025 was estimated. No evidence was found for 3368-keV γ rays emitted from a triple molecular state. For the first time, charge distributions are obtained for ternary fission fragments emitted with helium, beryllium, and carbon LCPs.