The chemical form and acute toxicity of arsenic compounds in marine organisms

A method for the separation and identification of inorganic and methylated arsenic compounds in marine organisms was constructed by using a hydride generation/cold trap/gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HG/CT/GC MS) measurement system. The chemical form of arsenic compounds in marine organisms was examined by the HG/CT/GC MS system after alkaline digestion. It was observed that trimethylarsenic compounds were distributed mainly in the water-soluble fraction of muscle of carnivorous gastropods, crustaceans and fish. Also, dimethylated arsenic compounds were distributed in the water-soluble fraction of Phaeophyceae. It is thought that most of the trimethylated arsenic is likely to be arsenobetaine since this compound released trimethylarsine by alkaline digestion and subsequent reduction with sodium borohydride. The major arsenic compound isolated from the water-soluble fraction in the muscle and liver of sharks was identified as arsenobetaine from IR, FAB Ms data, NMR spectra and TLC behaviour. The acute toxicity of arsenobetaine was studied in male mice. The LD₅₀ value was higher than 10 g kg⁻¹. This compound was found in urine in the non-metabolized form. No particular toxic symptoms were observed following administration. These results suggest that arsenobetaine has low toxicity and is not metabolized in mice. The LD₅₀ values of other minor arsenicals in marine organisms, trimethylarsine oxide, arsenocholine and tetramethylarsonium salt, were also examined in mice.     

Relative stability of η-cyclopentadienyl(olefin)ruthenium cations: The first estimation of the nature of the Ru-olefin bond

Relative stability in coordination of substituted styrene derivatives to [Ru(η-C₅H₅)(dtpe)]⁺ (dtpe = 1,2-bis(di-p-tolylphosphino)-ethane) was determined by NMR spectroscopy to reveal unusually weak substituent dependency of the stability.     

High field magnetization of Y2Co7 and YCo3 hydrides

The magnetization curves for the Y₂Co₇H_x and the YCo₃H_x systems have been measured at 4.2 K in the pulsed high magnetic fields up to 280 kOe. The metamagnetic transition is observed in the β and the γ hydrides except for Y₂Co₇H₃ and YCo₃H₁, which is interpreted in terms of the itinerant electron metamagnetism.     

Remarkable Change in Fluorescence Emission of Poly(diphenylacetylene) Film via in situ Desilylation Reaction: Correlation with Variations in Microporous Structure,Chain Conformation,and Lamellar Layer Distance

Fluorescence (FL) emission properties, microporous structures, energy‐minimized chain conformations, and lamellar layer structures of the silicon‐containing poly(diphenylacetylene) derivative of p‐PTMSDPA before and after desilylation were investigated. The nitrogen‐adsorption isotherms of p‐PTMSDPA film before and after desilylation were typical of type I, indicating microporous structures. The BET surface area and pore volume of the p‐PTMSDPA film were significantly reduced after the desilylation reaction, simultaneously, its FL emission intensity remarkably decreased. The theoretical calculation on both model compounds of p‐PTMSDPA and its desilylated polymer, PDPA, showed a remarkable difference in chain conformation: The side phenyl rings of p‐PTMSDPA are discontinuously arranged in a zig‐zag pattern, while the PDPA is continuously coiled in a helical manner. The lamellar layer distance (LLD) in the p‐PTMSDPA film significantly decreased after the desilylation reaction.

     

Global dynamics of a class of SEIRS epidemic models in a periodic environment

In this paper, we study a class of periodic SEIRS epidemic models and it is shown that the global dynamics is determined by the basic reproduction number R₀ which is defined through the spectral radius of a linear integral operator. If R₀<1, then the disease free periodic solution is globally asymptotically stable and if R₀>1, then the disease persists. Our results really improve the results in [T. Zhang, Z. Teng, On a nonautonomous SEIRS model in epidemiology Bull. Math. Biol. 69 (8) (2007) 2537-2559] for the periodic case. Moreover, from our results, we see that the eradication policy on the basis of the basic reproduction number of the time-averaged system may overestimate the infectious risk of the periodic disease. Numerical simulations which support our theoretical analysis are also given.     

Global stability of extended multi-group sir epidemic models with patches through migration and cross patch infection

In this article, we establish the global stability of an endemic equilibrium of multi-group SIR epidemic models, which have not only an exchange of individuals between patches through migration but also cross patch infection between different groups. As a result, we partially generalize the recent result in the article [16].     

Zirconia-based planar NO2 sensor using ultrathin NiO or laminated NiO–Au sensing electrode

The nanostructured thin NiO films with the thicknesses of 30–180 nm were examined as a sensing electrode (SE) for the planar mixed-potential-type yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)-based NO₂ sensor. The sensing characteristics were examined in the temperature range of 600–800 °C under the wet condition (5 vol.% water vapor). Among the NiO-SEs tested, the 60 nm-thick NiO-SE sintered at 1,000 °C was found to give the highest NO₂ sensitivity in the NO₂ concentration range of 50–400 ppm accompanying with fast response/recovery at the operating temperatures of 600–700 °C. The high NO₂ sensitivity was attributed to the high catalytic activity for both electrochemical reactions of O₂ and NO₂ at the interface of NiO-SE/YSZ. The ultrathin gold layer with the thickness of about 60 nm was additionally formed on the 60 nm-thick NiO-SE to fabricate the laminated-type (60 nm NiO/60 nm Au)-SE. It was demonstrated that the use of this laminated (NiO–Au)-SE improved both the sensitivity and the selectivity to NO₂.     

Acoustic energy harvesting using an electromechanical Helmholtz resonator

This paper presents the development of an acoustic energy harvester using an electromechanical Helmholtz resonator (EMHR). The EMHR consists of an orifice, cavity, and a piezoelectric diaphragm. Acoustic energy is converted to mechanical energy when sound incident on the orifice generates an oscillatory pressure in the cavity, which in turns causes the vibration of the diaphragm. The conversion of acoustic energy to electrical energy is achieved via piezoelectric transduction in the diaphragm of the EMHR. Moreover, the diaphragm is coupled with energy reclamation circuitry to increase the efficiency of the energy conversion. Lumped element modeling of the EMHR is used to provide physical insight into the coupled energy domain dynamics governing the energy reclamation process. The feasibility of acoustic energy reclamation using an EMHR is demonstrated in a plane wave tube for two power converter topologies. The first is comprised of only a rectifier, and the second uses a rectifier connected to a flyback converter to improve load matching. Experimental results indicate that approximately 30 mW of output power is harvested for an incident sound pressure level of 160 dB with a flyback converter. Such power level is sufficient to power a variety of low power electronic devices.     

Recyclable carbon fiber‐reinforced plastics (CFRP) containing degradable acetal linkages: Synthesis,properties, and chemical recycling

Two epoxy resins containing degradable acetal linkages were synthesized by the reaction of cresol novolak‐type phenolic resin (CN) with vinyl ethers containing a glycidyl group [cyclohexane dimethanol vinyl glycidyl ether (CHDMVG) and 4‐vinyloxybutyl glycidyl ether (VBGE). Carbon fiber‐reinforced plastics (CFRPs) were prepared by heating laminated prepreg sheets with CN‐CHDMVG resin (derived from CN and CHDMVG) and CN‐VBGE resin (derived from CN and VBGE), in which carbon fibers are impregnated with epoxy resins containing curing agents [dicyandiamide (DICY)] and curing accelerator [3‐(3,4‐dichlorophenyl)‐1,1‐dimethylurea (DCMU)]. CN‐CHDMVG‐based CFRPs and CN‐VBGE‐based CFRPs exhibited almost the same tensile strength as the conventional bisphenol‐A‐based CFRPs. CN‐CHDMVG‐based CFRPs and CN‐VBGE‐based CFRPs underwent smooth breakdown with the treatment of hydrochloric acid in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature for 24 h to regenerate strands of carbon fibers. The surface conditions of the recovered carbon fibers had little changes during degradation and recovery processes on the basis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The recovered carbon fibers exhibited almost the same tensile strength as virgin carbon fibers and hence would be reused for the production of CFRPs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1052–1059