Using Toad Oocytes as an Ultrasensitive System for Estimating the Biological Activity of Trichosanthin

A sensitive bioassay for estimating the activity of Trichosanthin was developed by using intraoocyte microinjection as the technique and germinal vescicle breakdown as a marker. The GVBD inhibitory activity assay was million-fold more sensitive than the routinely used abortifacient activity assay. The detectable amount of Trichosanthin ranged from 0.5 to 100 pg. Since the least detectable dose was 0.5 pg, it made the assay suitable to analyse the microquantity of pure Trichosanthin used for studying the structure and function of the drug.     

Quantitative millimetre wavelength spectrometry at pressures approaching atmospheric: II. Determination of oxygen at atmospheric pressure

A millimetre wavelength (MMW) Fabry-Perot cavity spectrometer described in earlier work has been applied to the measurement of oxygen absorption at 60 GHz and atmospheric pressure in a gas matrix of nitrogen. The spectrometer has also been modified such that the MMW source is stabilised by a sub-harmonic microwave signal transmitted by an infrared carrier on a single mode telecommunications fibre optic. This is a step towards developing an instrument comprising minimal electronic components that can perform MMW spectrometry remotely. Oxygen determinations were achieved by monitoring the change in the quality factor (Q) of a resonant Fabry-Perot cavity due to the presence of an absorbing sample. The MMW absorption of the sample was determined by incrementing the frequency modulation (FM) deviation of the source frequency scanning the cavity resonance profile. The response curve of absorption signal versus fraction of oxygen in nitrogen was found to be linear throughout the working range of 1-100% O₂ (v/v) in N₂ with a slope of (1.407±0.007)×10⁻⁴ m⁻¹ (% O₂)⁻¹. The detection limit (3× standard deviation of the background) was found to be ∼0.8% (v/v). The MMW technique employed is advantageous since, unlike common MMW techniques, there is no vacuum requirement. Application of this method, to the monitoring of oxygen in gas mixtures of practical importance, is proposed. Values of the oxygen spectral absorption coefficients of lines between 55 and 60 GHz were measured at reduced pressure and found to be within ±2% of previous literature values. A pressure correction coefficient for O₂ absorption at 60 GHz in the 45-121 kPa range was obtained and found to be (1.354±0.014)×10⁻⁴ m⁻¹ kPa⁻¹.     

Dynamic surface tension of micellar solutions studied by the maximum bubble pressure method. 1. Experiment

The effect of the micelles on the dynamic surface tension of micellar surfactant solutions is studied experimentally by means of the maximum bubble pressure method. Different frequencies of bubbling ranging approximately between 1 and 30 s^–1 are applied. The time dependence of the surface tension is calculated using a dead time correction. Water solutions of two types of surfactants with different concentrations are investigated: sodium dodecyl sulfate and nonylphenol polyglycol ether. The surface tension relaxes more quickly in the presence of micelles. The characteristic times of relaxation of the surface tension seem to be in the millisecond range. The time constants observed experimentally are explained in terms of the theory of surfactant diffusion affected by micellization kinetics.     

Production of oxygen enriched air by rapid pressure swing adsorption

A novel rapid pressure swing adsorption (RPSA) process is described for production of 25–50% oxygen enriched air. The embodiment consists of one or more pairs of adsorbent layers contained in a single adsorption vessel. The layers undergo simultaneous pressurization-adsorption and simultaneous depressurization-purge steps. A total cycle time of 6–20 seconds is used. The process yields a very large specific oxygen production rate and a reasonable oxygen recovery for production of 20–50 mole% oxygen enriched gas.It is demonstrated by a simple mathematical model of isothermal single adsorbate pressure swing ad(de)sorption concept on a single adsorbent particle that the specific production rate of a PSA process cannot be indefinitely increased by reducing the cycle time of operation when adsorbate mass transfer resistances are finite.     

Al3Ti1B1RE细化剂对罐用铝材的细化效果及稀土的作用

采用XRD，OM，SEM，EDAX等探讨了一种新型Al3Ti1B1RE中间合金细化剂对罐用铝材的细化效果及RE的作用。结果表明，该细化剂对罐用铝材的细化效果优于进口和国产Al3Ti1B，且具有长效性，达6h后仍未见明显衰退，明显提高了该材料的强度和塑性；其细化效果及稳定性好的主要原因是：RE可降低铝液的表面能，增加铝液对细化核心(如TiAl3，TiB2)的润湿性，既充分发挥了异质形核作用，又防止了TiB2聚集沉淀倾向；RE也极易在结晶前沿富集造成成分过冷，阻碍了α-Al晶粒生长，并促进其在细化核心上形核；此外RE还兼有一定的净化、细化和变质作用，尤其是净化作用提高了该细化剂的冶金质量。     

Volumetric properties of ethanol–water mixtures under high temperatures and pressures

The densities of ethanol and ethanol–water mixtures were measured with a vibrating tube densimeter at 25.0, 50.0 and 75.0 °C in the pressure range from 0.10 to 40.00 MPa. Densities were correlated using an empirical model. Partial molar volumes, excess molar volumes, isothermal compressibilities, cubic expansion coefficients and internal pressures were calculated from obtained densities. This study reports the dependence of densities, partial molar volumes, excess molar volumes, isothermal compressibilities, cubic expansion coefficients and internal pressures on composition, temperature and pressure.     

Pressure effects on the phase transition of urea adducts withn-paraffins and polyethylene

The decomposition of urea adducts with hydrocarbons is treated as a first-order phase transition and the pressure dependence is studied up to 0.7 GPa for several kinds of adducts. The thermodynamic quantities at the decomposition of the adduct can be analysed as a sum of those quantities of the component materials. The transition from the orthorhombic to the hexagonal form of the adduct with polyethylene is also investigated by X-ray diffraction and the pressure dependence of the lattice parameters is measured for the adducts. The results are compared with the phase transition in the pure paraffin.     

Surface recombination in breakdown time delay experiments: Effect of different cathode materials

The late afterglow in nitrogen with iron electrode is studied by the breakdown time delay method, i.e., by measuring the breakdown time delay t_d as a function of the afterglow time . It is proposed that the cause of the secondary electrons initiating the breakdown is the energy of the surface recombination of nitrogen atoms on the iron electrode. The gas-phase and macrokinetic diffusive models are used to describe the experimental breakdown time delay data. By fitting the theoretical curve to the experimental data: (1) it has been confirmed that the recombination on the molybdenum glass is of the second order and the value of the surface recombination coefficient is determined at 4 mbar; (2) it has been shown that the surface recombination on the iron electrode is of the second order, and the effective recombination coefficients are determined; (3) the analytical form of the recombination coefficient as a function of the adsorption characteristics of surfaces and the pressure of the parent gas has been derived. In addition, the orders of surface recombination on the molybdenum-, aluminum-, and gold-plated electrode were determined by the same method.