The present studies were performed to further investigate the inclusion reaction of 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTCA) with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and the inhibition performance of the ...inclusion complex of PBTCA with β-CD (β-CD-PBTCA). The inclusion behavior of PBTCA with β-CD was investigated by UV–vis absorption spectrum and the formation of the inclusion complex was proved by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results showed that the PBTCA characteristic absorption band at 221.5nm in inclusion complexes was strengthened and functional groups portion of PBTCA have penetrated the cavity of β-CD, due to the formation of β-CD-PBTCA inclusion complex. The study of thermodynamics indicated that the inclusion reaction of β-CD with PBTCA can spontaneously carry on and the inclusion process is exothermic. In addition, the inhibition performance was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The results of potentiodynamic polarization and EIS measurements on the corrosion inhibition of Q235 carbon steel in the 0.1M sulfuric acid (H2SO4) solution revealed that the highest inhibition efficiency of it over 90% is obtained, which means that the inclusion complex can act as a more efficient corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel. Also, SEM observations of the electrode surface confirmed that the presence of the inclusion complex better achieves the anti-corrosion property in aggressive medium than is the case with PBTCA alone.
► A novel corrosion-inhibiting system was studied, which exhibits excellent inhibition performance. ► Formation of β-CD-PBTCA inclusion complexes was confirmed by UV–vis absorption spectrum and FT-IR. ► The thermodynamic parameters of inclusion process were further determined. ► Corrosion inhibition of the inclusion complex was evaluated by using the potentiodynamic polarization and EIS. ► Surface microscopy of the carbon steel samples was investigated by SEM.
Twenty-two genospecies belonging mainly to
Mesorhizobium, and occasionally to
Rhizobium and
Bradyrhizobium, were defined among the 174 rhizobia strains isolated from
Caragana species. Highly similar
...nodC genes were found in the sole
Bradyrhizobium strain and among all the detected
Mesorhizobium strains. A clear correlation between rhizobial genospecies and the eco-regions where they were isolated was found using homogeneity analysis. All these results demonstrated that
Caragana species had stringently selected the rhizobia symbiotic genotype, but not the genomic background; lateral transfer of symbiotic genes from
Mesorhizobium to
Bradyrhizobium and among the
Mesorhizobium species has happened in the
Caragana rhizobia; and biogeography of
Caragana rhizobia exists. Furthermore, a combined cluster analysis, based upon the patterns obtained from amplified 16S rRNA gene and 16S–23S intergenic spacer restriction analyses, BOX PCR and SDS-PAGE of proteins, was reported to be an efficient method to define the genospecies.
An optimization-based algorithm is presented for the short-term scheduling of hydrothermal power systems using the Lagrangian relaxation technique. This paper concentrates on the solution methodology ...for hydro subproblems with cascaded reservoirs and discrete hydro constraints. Continuous reservoir dynamics and constraints, discontinuous operating regions, discrete operating states and hydraulic coupling of cascaded reservoirs are considered in an integrated fashion. The key idea is to substitute out the reservoir dynamics and to relax the reservoir level constraints by using another set of multipliers, making a hydro subproblem unit-wise and stage-wise decomposable. The optimal generation level for each operating state at each hour can be obtained simply by minimizing a single variable function. Dynamic programming is then applied to optimize the operating states across the planning horizon with a small number of well structured transitions. A modified subgradient algorithm is used to update multipliers. After the dual problem converges, the feasible solution to the hydropower subsystem is obtained by using a network flow algorithm, with operating states obtained in the dual solutions, and possibly adjusted by heuristics. Numerical testing based on practical system data sets show that this method is efficient and effective for dealing with hydrothermal power systems with cascaded reservoirs and discrete hydroelectric constraints.
Five rhizobial strains representing the largest group in the genus Mesorhizobium associated with Caragana spp. in China were characterized taxonomically. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene ...sequences indicated that these microsymbionts belonged to the genus Mesorhizobium, with Mesorhizobium tianshanense USDA 3592(T), Mesorhizobium temperatum SDW018(T) and Mesorhizobium mediterraneum UPM-Ca36(T) as the closest neighbours (>/=99.5 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). Genotypic fingerprinting by whole-cell protein electrophoresis, DNA-DNA hybridization, comparative housekeeping sequence analysis of the atpD, glnII and recA genes, fatty acid profiles and a series of phenotypic and physiological tests allowed the novel group to be differentiated from all previously recognized species of the genus Mesorhizobium. This group therefore represents a novel species, for which the name Mesorhizobium caraganae sp. nov. is proposed with the type strain CCBAU 11299(T) (=LMG 24397(T)=HAMBI 2990(T)). Cross-inoculation tests showed that strain CCBAU 11299(T) could form effective nodules on Caragana microphylla, Caragana intermedia, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Astragalus adsurgens and Phaseolus vulgaris.
An optimization-based algorithm is presented for scheduling hydrothermal power systems with cascaded and head-dependent reservoirs. Within the Lagrangian relaxation framework, the hydro river ...catchment subproblems are difficult to solve because of the continuous reservoir dynamics and constraints, discontinuous operating regions, discrete operating states and hydraulic coupling of cascaded reservoirs. The head-dependent water-power conversion adds another dimension of difficulty since the objective functions of hydro subproblems are no longer stage-wise additive with respect to water discharge. It is difficult to solve the subproblems by relaxing the reservoir limits or the hydraulic coupling among units as in previous work. A new algorithm with a novel relaxation structure is presented in this paper to solve hydro river catchment subproblems. Numerical testing based on the data sets of a practical system shows that this method is efficient and effective to deal with hydrothermal systems with cascaded and head-dependent reservoirs, and discrete hydro constraints. The results indicate that near-optimal schedules are obtained.
C1q binds to and elicits cellular responses by several cell types, including monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, B cells, and fibroblasts. The cell-binding domain is located within the collagen-like ...pepsin-resistant region of the C1q molecule (C1q tails). An affinity matrix of C1q tails coupled to Sepharose was used to select C1q-binding proteins from detergent extracts of surface-iodinated human monocytes, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and the U937 cells. The major radiolabeled polypeptide eluted specifically from the ligand affinity column had an apparent molecular mass (Mr) of 126,000. Minor iodinated components eluted from Sepharose-tails migrated with Mr of 216,000 and 55,000. When subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions no change in the migration of any of these polypeptide bands was detected. None of these polypeptides reacted with antibodies directed against the integrins alpha 5 beta 1 (fibronectin receptor) or alpha v beta 3 (vitronectin receptor), LFA-1, or to several other cell adhesion molecules. The Mr 126,000 band was found to contain more than one polypeptide. Lectin binding properties, susceptibility to glycosidases and proteases, and immunoreactivity with the monoclonal antibody L-10, indicated that CD43 (sialophorin/leukosialin) is a component of this band. However, further data show that a monoclonal antibody, generated by immunization with the isolated Clq-binding fractions, recognizes a cell surface sialoglycoprotein distinct from CD43 and inhibits the C1q-mediated enhancement of phagocytosis in monocytes. These latter observations provide the first definitive connection between a specific phagocytic cell surface protein and a known C1q-mediated function. While these proteins contain sialic acid, binding assays and functional assays using neuraminidase-treated cells demonstrate that the functional interaction between C1q and the cell surface is not via sialic acid. The data taken together indicate either that the functional C1q receptor on phagocytic cells is a multi-subunit complex or that multiple proteins can interact with the fragment of C1q containing the cell-binding domain, at least one of which is involved in the C1q-mediated enhancement of phagocytosis.
▶ Pre-discharging process improved the shelf life of lithium primary battery. ▶ The beneficial SEI layer formed by pre-discharging prevented lithium corrosion. ▶ Pre-discharging method also affected ...the battery performance.
Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based gel electrolyte has been used in flexible lithium batteries. These batteries are flexible and less than 0.5
mm thick, which make them suitable as power sources for smart cards and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. We investigated the electrochemical properties of flexible lithium batteries using an impedance analyzer and potentiostat/galvanostat to evaluate the electrical capacities. To prevent the formation of gas by decomposition of electrolyte solvent, the batteries had to be pre-discharged about 5% of theoretical MnO
2 capacity. Of the three kinds of pre-discharging methods, especially, battery two-step pre-discharging method was performed showed the best electrical properties after storage at 60
°C for 60 days.
Abstract
Fourteen strains representing 11 Caragana-nodulating Mesorhizobium genomic species were identified as representing Mesorhizobium amorphae, Mesorhizobium huakuii, Mesorhizobium septentrionale ...and groups related to Mesorhizobium plurifarium, Mesorhizobium temperatum, Mesorhizobium tianshanense and Mesorhizobium mediterraneum by sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, 16S–23S internal transcribed spacer, partial housekeeping recA gene, and previously performed sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of proteins and BOX-PCR fingerprinting. Despite their different taxonomic affiliation, highly similar symbiotic genes (>93% similarity for nodC and >91.8% similarity for nifH) were found among the Caragana strains and the three type strains for M. tianshanense, M. temperatum and M. septentrionale. Cross nodulation tests revealed that each of these 14 Caragana mesorhizobia and the three type strains mentioned above could effectively infect each of their original host plants, Caragana microphylla, Glycyrrhiza (host for M. tianshanense type strain) and Astragalus adsurgens (host for M. temperatum and M. septentrionale type strains). These results provide evidence that different Mesorhizobium species can nodulate with Caragana, and they have similar symbiotic genes (probably acquired by a phenomenon of lateral gene transfer) and common host ranges.
Poly(vinylidenefluoride-
co
-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofibers were prepared by the electrospinning method and used as polymer electrolytes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The ...electrolyte uptake and ionic conductivity of electrospun PVDF-HFP nanofibers with different diameters changed significantly, regardless of the nanofiber thickness. The PVDF-HFP nanofibers prepared from a 15 wt% spinning solution showed high ionic conductivity (1.295 S/cm) and electrolyte uptake (947 %). DSSCs based on the 15 wt% PVDF-HFP nanofiber electrolyte showed an electron transit time of 6.34 × 10
−3
s, electronic recombination time of 5.88 × 10
−2
s, and conversion efficiency of 3.13 %. Thus, we concluded that the electrospun PVDF-HFP nanofibers can be used as polymer electrolytes in flexible DSSCs as well.
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