IR measurements of the thermodynamic effects in cavitating flow

The understanding of the thermodynamic effects of cavitating flow is crucial for applications like turbopumps for liquid hydrogen LH2 and oxygen LOx in space launcher engines. Experimental studies of this phenomenon are rare as most of them were performed in the 1960s and 1970s. The present study presents time resolved IR (Infra-Red) measurements of thermodynamic effects of cavitating flow in a Venturi nozzle.Developed cavitating flow of hot water (95 °C) was observed at different operating conditions – both conventional high speed visualization and high speed IR thermography were used to evaluate the flow parameters.Both the mean features of the temperature distributions and the dynamics of the temperature field were investigated. As a result of evaporation and consequent latent heat flow in the vicinity of the throat a temperature depression of approximately 0.4 K was measured. In the region of pressure recuperation, where the cavitation structures collapse, the temperature rise of up to 1.4 K was recorded. It was found that the temperature dynamics closely follows the dynamics of cavitation structures.Finally experimental results were compared against a simple model based on the Rayleigh–Plesset equation and the thermal delay theory and plausible agreement was achieved.Experimental data is most valuable for further development of numerical models which are, due to poor ensemble of existing experimental results, still at a very rudimentary level.     

Tunable fluorescence conjugated copolymers consisting of tetraphenylethylene and fluorene units: From aggregation‐induced emission enhancement to dual‐channel fluorescence response

A series of new conjugated polymers PTPE_xF_y, which consist of tetraphenylethylene (TPE) units and fluorene (F) units, have been designed and synthesized by Suzuki cross‐coupling polymerization. The polymers PTPE_xF_y exhibited aggregation‐induced emission enhancement and dual‐channel fluorescence response (DCFR) when they were aggregated in solution, and these properties are related with their TPE‐to‐F ratio in the polymer backbone. For PTPE and PTPE_0.5F_0.5 , the fluorescence emission was enhanced by aggregation when water was added into their THF solutions. For the copolymers PTPE_0.3F_0.7 , PTPE_0.2F_0.8 , and PTPE_0.1F_0.9 , the DCFRs were observed when they were aggregated by adding water into their solution, which can be attributed to the different responses of fluorene segments and TPE segments to aggregation. The fluorene segments have an aggregation‐caused quenching characteristic, whereas the TPE segments have an aggregation‐induced emission characteristic. According to the fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield data of the polymer solutions, we have discovered that the polymer's natural life time increases as its TPE content increases. In the solid film, PTPE_0.3F_0.7 and PTPE_0.2F_0.8 showed better quantum yield than other polymers, due to the combination of the excellent fluorescent property of the fluorene groups and the nonplanar conformation of the TPE groups. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

α-NH2 Determination from Biological Infrared Spectra

The use of Mid-infrared spectroscopy for the analysis of food products has only recently developped with the advent of Fourier Transformed spectroscopy and other techniques like Attenuated Total Reflectance, diffused reflection combined to the use of powerful micro-computers. We have recently reported to use a combination of multidimensional statistical analysis and Mid-FTIR spectroscopy for the quantitative determination of sugars in a biological sample. In this paper we have evaluated the use of such a method for the quantitative measurement of α-amino groups from ammo-acids, peptides and proteins. The spectral region where the characteristic absorption bands of such groups are located, ranges between 1200 cm-1 and 1900 cm-1. Water features a major absorption band in this region (1500–1700 cm-1). This superimpose with amide I and II bands.

The standard deviation for each and every wavelength, calculated for all the spectra of the calibration set, show the existence of two absorption bands in the 1500–1900 cm-1 region which means that the observed variations in this zone are not only due to water but are also due to two peaks centered at 1650 cm-1 and 1540 cm-1 (with a hollow at 1600 cm-1) that are characteristic of protids.

The contribution of the first four axes of the PCA, axes 5, 1, 4 and 2, to the total inertia percentage are 2. 37%, 53. 36%, 3. 92% and 28. 82% respectively. The correlation coefficient between the major axis, axis 5, and the chemical values of α-NH₂ is 0. 311 and the second axis, axis 1, increases this value to 0. 541. The first 10 axes were used to establish the prediction equation; the correlation coefficient value is very high: 0. 978.

Good predictions were obtained; mean and standard deviation associated to the predicted concentrations of α-NH₂content, valued 0 g/ml and 0. 12 g/ml respectively. Hence, we have established the possibility of determining, from a MIR spectra, the α-NH₂ content.     

Xylochemical Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Shancigusin C and Bletistrin G

The biological activities of shancigusin C (1) and bletistrin G (2), natural products isolated from orchids, are reported along with their first total syntheses. The total synthesis of shancigusin C (1) was conducted by employing the Perkin reaction to forge the central stilbene core, whereas the synthesis of bletistrin G (2) was achieved by the Wittig olefination followed by several regioselective aromatic substitution reactions. Both syntheses were completed by applying only renewable starting materials according to the principles of xylochemistry. The cytotoxic properties of shancigusin C (1) and bletistrin G (2) against tumor cells suggest suitability as a starting point for further structural variation.     

A Further Step in the Kinetic Characterisation of the Tyrosinase Enzymatic System

Tyrosinase is a cuproprotein that hydroxylates monophenols to o-diphenols, which it then oxidises to o-quinones, using molecular oxygen. Based on kinetic studies of the steady state and measuring product formation during the action of the enzyme on o-diphenols, we determine the Michaelis constant and the maximum velocity, respectively. Similarly, we determine these kinetic constants for the enzyme acting on monophenols. From these constants obtained for a monophenol/o-diphenol pair, it is possible to calculate a new constant, the Michaelis constant of the enzyme for an o-diphenol acting on the corresponding monophenol, by means of an equation that relates the above-mentioned kinetic constants. Furthermore, it is also possible to establish the relation between the Michaelis constants for the oxygen in the presence of monophenol and in the presence of o-diphenol from the relation between the maximum velocities of the monophenol and o-diphenol experimentally determined by measuring aminochrome. From applying the equations described above to the kinetic data of the many tyrosinases described in the literature, we find that the Michaelis constant for the o-diphenol in the presence of monophenol is much lower than that obtained when the enzyme acts on o-diphenol alone. The Michaelis constant for oxygen in the presence of monophenol is also much lower than that obtained in the presence of its o-diphenol.     

Theory for nanoparticle retention time in the helical channel of quadrupole magnetic field-flow fractionation

Quadrupole magnetic field-flow fractionation (QMgFFF) is a separation and characterization technique for magnetic nanoparticles such as those used for cell labeling and for targeted drug therapy. A helical separation channel is used to efficiently exploit the quadrupole magnetic field. The fluid and sample components therefore have angular and longitudinal components to their motion in the thin annular space occupied by the helical channel. The retention ratio is defined as the ratio of the times for non-retained and a retained material to pass through the channel. Equations are derived for the respective angular and longitudinal components to retention ratio.     

Dynamic mechanical behavior of oriented semicrystalline polyethylene terephthalate

The dynamic mechanical behavior of molecularly oriented semicrystalline polyethylene terephthalate (PET) induced via the equal‐channel angular extrusion (ECAE) process was investigated. Dynamic mechanical analyses in both torsional mode and bending mode were utilized. The results indicate that the ECAE‐oriented PET has a higher dynamic storage modulus above the glass‐transition temperature than that of the reference (control sample). The combined effect of molecular orientation and crystallinity is responsible for the changes in the primary and secondary relaxations of PET. Further analyses show that the shifting and broadening of the primary and secondary peak positions in oriented PET are mainly due to the amorphous‐phase orientation because the crystallinity of PET decreases upon the ECAE processing. A good correlation was found between the structural anisotropy and the dynamic mechanical properties. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 1394–1403, 2001     

Structural analogs of tetrapyrrole macrocycles and their biological properties

The review summarizes data on the synthesis and properties of analogs of ABBB-and ABAB-type tetrapyrrole macrocycles and their metal complexes. The structural features of these compounds are discussed. Data on aromaticity and biological properties are considered. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 663–679, April, 2007.     

Effects of magnetic field and wall slip conditions on the peristaltic transport of a Newtonian fluid in an asymmetric channel

The effects of both magnetic field and wall slip conditions on the peristaltic transport of a Newtonian fluid in an asymmetric channel are studied analytically and numerically. The channel asymmetry is generated by propagation of waves on the channel walls travelling with different amplitudes, phases but with the same speed. The long wavelength and low Reynolds number assumptions are considered in obtaining solution for the flow. The flow is investigated in a wave frame of reference moving with velocity of the wave. Closed form expressions have been obtained for the stream function and the axial velocity component in fixed frame. The effects of phase difference, Knudsen number and magnetic field on the pumping characteristics and velocity field are discussed. Several known results of interest are found to follow as particular cases of the solution of the problem considered.