Synthesis of polyethylene‐octene elastomer/SiO2‐TiO2 nanocomposites via in situ polymerization: Properties and characterization of the hybrid

In this study, a silicic acid and tetra isopropyl ortho titanate ceramic precursor and a metallocene polyethylene‐octene elastomer (POE) or acrylic acid grafted metallocene polyethylene‐octene elastomer (POE‐g‐AA) were used in the preparation of hybrids (POE/SiO₂? TiO₂ and POE‐g‐AA/SiO₂? TiO₂) using an in situ sol‐gel process, with a view to identifying a hybrid with improved thermal and mechanical properties. Hybrids were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ²⁹Si solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry analysis, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, and Instron mechanical testing. Properties of the POE‐g‐AA/SiO₂? TiO₂ hybrid were superior to those of the POE/SiO₂? TiO₂ hybrid. This was because the carboxylic acid groups of acrylic acid acted as coordination sites for the silica‐titania phase to allow the formation of stronger chemical bonds. ²⁹Si solid‐state NMR showed that Si atoms coordinated around SiO₄ units were predominantly Q₃ and Q₄. The 10 wt % SiO₂? TiO₂ hybrids gave the maximum values of tensile strength and glass transition temperature in both POE/SiO₂? TiO₂ and POE‐g‐AA/SiO₂? TiO₂. It is proposed that above this wt %, excess SiO₂? TiO₂ particles caused separation between the organic and inorganic phases. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 1690–1701, 2005     

Catalyst-free and solvent-free method for the synthesis of quinoxalines under microwave irradiation

A facile procedure for the synthesis.of quinoxalines is being reported starting from benzil and 1,2-diaminobenzene. Thereactions were carried out catalyst-free, solvent-free and under microwave irradiation conditions in high yield (84-98%) with short time (3-6 rain) and environmental benign, as well as convenient operation. The structures of all the compounds have been confirmed on the basis of their IR, 1H NMR, and/or 13C NMR, mass spectral data.     

Tuning the electrocatalytic activity of Pt nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes via surface functionalization

Polyelectrolytes with various characteristic functional groups as interlinkers to anchor Pt nanoparticles were used to functionalize carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as Pt electrocatalyst support. It was found that polyanions (poly(styrenesulfonic acid) (PSS), and poly(acrylic acid sodium) (PAA)) have a beneficial effect on methanol electrooxidation on Pt nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes via modifying their electronic structure through charge transfer from polyanions to Pt sites and supply of oxygen-containing species. The increased electron density around Pt sites by the charge transfer from polyanions would cause partial filling of Pt 5d-bands, resulting in the downshift of d-band center and weaker chemisorption with oxygen-containing species (e.g. CO_ad). The weakened chemisorption of CO on Pt nanoparticles would promote the methanol electrooxidation. On the contrary, polycations would have an opposite effect on the electronic structure and chemisorption properties of Pt nanoparticles.     

Chemical constituents of the bark of Dipteryx alata vogel, an active species against Bothrops jararacussu venom

The effect of four sub-extracts prepared from the lyophilized hydroalcoholic bark of Dipteryx alata (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) dissolved in a methanol-water (80:20) mixture through a liquid-liquid partition procedure has been investigated against the neuromuscular blockade of the venom of the snake Bothrops jararacussu. The active CH?Cl? sub-extract has been extensively analyzed for its chemical constituents, resulting in the isolation of four lupane-type triterpenoids: lupeol, lupenone, 28-hydroxylup-20(29)-en-3-one, betulin, nine isoflavonoids: 8-O-methylretusin, 7-hydroxy-5,6,4'-trimethoxyisoflavone, afrormosin, 7-hydroxy-8,3',4'-trimethoxyisoflavone, 7,3'-dihydroxy-8,4'-dimethoxyisoflavone, odoratin, 7,8,3'-trihydroxy-4'-methoxyisoflavone, 7,8,3'-trihydroxy-6,4'-dimethoxyisoflavone, dipteryxin, one chalcone: isoliquiritigenin, one aurone: sulfuretin and three phenolic compounds: vanillic acid, vanillin, and protocatechuic acid. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including HRMS, 1D- and 2D-NMR techniques.     

Microbial transformation of marine halogenated sesquiterpenes

The sesquiterpene pacifenol is one of the main constituents of the red alga Laurencia claviformis. Earlier work on the semisynthetic derivatives of pacifenol afforded a series of halogenated sesquiterpenes. The aim of the present work was to obtain new hydroxylated derivatives of halogenated sesquiterpenes by means of microbial transformation using Aspergillus niger, Gibberella fujikuroi and Mucor plumbeus. The best results were obtained with M. plumbeus. The microbiological transformation by M. plumbeus of pacifenol, and two semisynthetic derivatives, is described. The structures of the new compounds obtained were determined by spectroscopic means.     

双生成元$A_n$型拟遗传代数的拟遗传序

本文讨论双生成元$A_n$型代数的拟遗传序的性质,给出了该类代数的单模序是拟遗传序的充分必要条件,并利用组合技巧得出了该类代数拟遗传序的数目.     

Enhancing the superconducting transition temperature of BaSi2 by structural tuning

We present a joint experimental and theoretical study of the superconducting phase of the layered binary silicide BaSi(2). Compared with the AlB(2) structure of graphite or diboridelike superconductors, in the hexagonal structure of binary silicides the sp(3) arrangement of silicon atoms leads to corrugated sheets. Through a high-pressure synthesis procedure we are able to modify the buckling of these sheets, enhancing the superconducting transition temperature from 6 to 8.9 K when the silicon planes flatten out. By performing ab initio calculations based on density-functional theory we explain how the electronic and phonon properties are strongly affected by changes in the buckling. This mechanism is likely present in other intercalated layered superconductors, opening the way to the tuning of superconductivity through the control of internal structural parameters.     

光模块消光比的补偿方法

提出了一种新型光模块消光比补偿方法。该方法首先根据不同温度下驱动芯片上报电流的大小,结合光功率和消光比的计算公式,模拟出激光器光功率随电流及电压的变化曲线。然后根据要求调整激光器调制电流的大小,以保持消光比的稳定。该补偿方式有效地解决了光器件一致性较差的问题,可以将原来斜效率的指标适当放宽10%,从而提高了利用率和成品率,降低了模块生产成本。     

Warm-intermediate inflationary universe model in braneworld cosmologies

Warm-intermediate inflationary universe models in the context of braneworld cosmologies are studied. This study is done in the weak and strong dissipative regimes. We find that the scalar potentials and dissipation coefficients in terms of the scalar field evolve as type-power-law and powers of logarithms, respectively. General conditions required for these models to be realizable are derived and discussed. We also study the scalar and tensor perturbations for each regime. We use recent astronomical observations to constrain the parameters appearing in the braneworld models.     

A methodology based on profitability criteria for defining the partial defection of customers in non-contractual settings

The defection or churn of customers represents an important concern for any company and a central matter of interest in customer base analysis. An additional complication arises in non-contractual settings, where the characteristics that should be observed to saying that a customer has totally or partially defected are not clearly defined. As a matter of fact, different definitions of the churn situation could be used in this context. Focusing on non-contractual settings, in this paper we propose a methodology for evaluating the short-time economic effects that using a certain definition of churn would have on a company. With this aim, we have defined two efficiency measures for the economic results of a marketing campaign implemented against churn, and these measures have been computed using a set of definitions of partial defection. Our methodology finds that definition maximizing both efficiency measures and moreover, the monetary amount that the company should invest per customer in the campaign for achieving the optimal solution. This has been modelled as a multiobjective optimization problem that we solved using compromise programming. Numerical results using real data from a Spanish retailing company are presented and discussed in order to show the performance and validity of our proposal.