A Novel Condensation Reaction of Alkyl Aryl Ketone with Ethyl Ortho-Formate under Microwave Irradiation

Under microwave irradiation, boron trifluoride has been found to mediate a novel condensation reaction of alkyl aryl ketone with ethyl ortho-formate to give a series of new condensation products (5,6,7,8). Their structures were determined by IR, H-1/C-13-NMR, MS spectra, and the crystal structure of 8 was further defined by X-ray diffraction.

CONDENSATION OF 1,2-DIAMINES AND CARBOXYLICACIDS UNDER MICROWAVE IRRADIATION

A facile method of preparation of benzimidazoles by microwave irradiation was described. The mixtures of o-phenylenediamine and carboxylic acids were heated by microwave irradiation, to give 2-substituted benzimidazoles with yields of 49%～93%. The reaction time was shortened to 3～6 min. However, the reaction of ethylenediamine with carboxylic acids did not give imidazoles but the N,N-diacyl ethylenediamines. The alphatic diamines lacked the activity to form imidazole ring. With adipic acid, intermolecular acylation took place to afford poly(ethylene adipamide).

Facile synthesis of hierarchical NaX zeolite from natural kaolinite for efficient Knoevenagel condensation

Zeolite catalysts have found extensive applications in the synthesis of various fine chemicals.However,the micropores of zeolites impose diffusion limitations on bulky molecules,greatly reducing the catalytic efficiency.Herein,we explore an economic and environmentally friendly method for synthesizing hierarchical NaX zeolite that exhibits improved catalytic performance in the Knoevenagel condensation reaction for producing the useful fine chemical 2-cyano-3-phenylacrylate.The synthesis was achieved via a low-temperature activation of kaolinite and subsequent in-situ transformation strategy without any template or seed.Systematic characterizations reveal that the synthesized NaX zeolite has both intercrystalline and intra-crystalline mesopores,smaller crystal size,and larger external specific surface area compared to commercial NaX zeolite.Detailed mechanism investigations show that the inter-crystalline mesopores are generated by stacking smaller crystals formed from in-situ crystallization of the depolymerized kaolinite,and the intra-crystalline mesopores are inherited from the pores in the depolymerized kaolinite.This synthesis strategy provides an energy-saving and effective way to construct hierarchical zeolites,which may gain wide applications in fine chemical manufacturing.

Chromatin condensation but not DNA integrity of pig sperm is greater in the sperm-rich fraction

Background Protamination and condensation of sperm chromatin as well as DNA integrity play an essential role during fertilization and embryo development.In some mammals,like pigs,ejaculates are emitted in three separate fractions:pre-sperm,sperm-rich(SRF)and post sperm-rich(PSRF).These fractions are known to vary in volume,sperm concentration and quality,as well as in the origin and composition of seminal plasma(SP),with differences being also observed within the SRF one.Yet,whether disparities in the DNA integrity and chromatin condensation and pro-tamination of their sperm exist has not been interrogated.Results This study determined chromatin protamination(Chromomycin A3 test,CMA_(3)),condensation(Dibromobi-mane test,DBB),and DNA integrity(Comet assay)in the pig sperm contained in the first 10 m L of the SRF(SRF-P1),the remaining portion of the sperm-rich fraction(SRF-P2),and the post sperm-rich fraction(PSRF).While chromatin protamination was found to be similar between the different ejaculate fractions(P>0.05),chromatin condensation was seen to be greater in SRF-P1 and SRF-P2 than in the PSRF(P=0.018 and P=0.004,respectively).Regarding DNA integrity,no differences between fractions were observed(P>0.05).As the SRF-P1 has the highest sperm concentra-tion and ejaculate fractions are known to differ in antioxidant composition,the oxidative stress index(OSi)in SP,calcu-lated as total oxidant activity divided by total antioxidant capacity,was tested and confirmed to be higher in the SRF-P1 than in SRF-P2 and PSRF(0.42±0.06 vs.0.23±0.09 and 0.08±0.00,respectively;P<0.01);this index,in addition,was observed to be correlated to the sperm concentration of each fraction(Rs=0.973;P<0.001).Conclusion While sperm DNA integrity was not found to differ between ejaculate fractions,SRF-P1 and SRF-P2 were observed to exhibit greater chromatin condensation than the PSRF.This could be related to the OSi of each fraction.

Controllable Condensation of Aromatics and Its Mechanisms in Carbonization

In order to obtain liquefied products with higher yields of aromatic molecules to produce mesophase pitch,a good understanding of the relevant reaction mechanisms is required.Reactive molecular dynamics simulations were used to study the thermal reactions of pyrene,1-methylpyrene,7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzopyrene,and mixtures of pyrene with 1-octene,cyclohexene,or styrene.The reactant conversion rates,reaction rates,and product distributions were calculated and compared,and the mechanisms were analyzed and discussed.The results demonstrated that methyl and naphthenic structures in aromatics might improve the conversion rates of reactants in hydrogen transfer processes,but their steric hindrances prohibited the generation of high polymers.The naphthenic structures could generate more free radicals and presented a more obvious inhibition effect on the condensation of polymers compared with the methyl side chains.It was discovered that when different olefins were mixed with pyrene,1-octene primarily underwent pyrolysis reactions,whereas cyclohexene mainly underwent hydrogen transfer reactions with pyrene and styrene,mostly producing superconjugated biradicals through condensation reactions with pyrene.In the mixture systems,the olefins scattered aromatic molecules,hindering the formation of pyrene trimers and higher polymers.According to the reactive molecular dynamics simulations,styrene may enhance the yield of dimer and enable the controlled polycondensation of pyrene.

Supersonic expansion and condensation characteristics of hydrogen gas under different temperature conditions

This paper introduced supersonic expansion liquefaction technology into the field of hydrogen liquefaction.The mathematical model for supersonic condensation of hydrogen gas in a Laval nozzle model was established.The supersonic expansion and condensation characteristics of hydrogen gas under different temperature conditions were investigated.The simulation results show that the droplet number rises rapidly from 0 at the nozzle throat as the inlet temperature increases,and the maximum droplet number generated is 1.339×10^(18)kg^(-1)at inlet temperature of 36.0 K.When hydrogen nucleation occurs,the droplet radius increases significantly and shows a positive correlation with the increase in the inlet temperature,and the maximum droplet radii are 6.667×10^(-8)m,1.043×10^(-7)m,and 1.099×10^(-7)m when the inlet temperature is 36.0 K,36.5 K,and 37.0 K,respectively.The maximum nucleation rate decreases with increasing inlet temperature,and the nucleation region of the Laval nozzle becomes wider.The liquefaction efficiency can be effectively improved by lowering the inlet temperature.This is because a lower inlet temperature provides more subcooling,which allows the hydrogen to reach the thermodynamic conditions required for large-scale condensation more quickly.

Finite-Time Thermodynamic Simulation of Circulating Direct Condensation Heat Recovery on Chillers

A time series model is used in this paper to describe the progress of circulating direct condensation heat recovery of the compound condensing process (CCP) which is made of two water cooling condensing processes in series for a centrifugal chiller in the paper. A finite-time thermodynamics method is used to set up the time series simulation model. As a result, an upper bound of recoverable condensation heat for the compound condensing process is obtained which is in good agreement with experimental result. And the result is valuable and useful to optimization design of condensing heat recovery.

Low-fat microwaved peanut snacks production:Effect of defatting treatment on structural characteristics,texture,color,and nutrition

This study develops low-fat microwaved peanut snacks(LMPS)using partially defatted peanuts(PDP)with different defatting ratios,catering to people’s pursuit of healthy,low-fat cuisine.The effects of defatting treatment on the structural characteristics,texture,color,and nutrient composition of LMPS were comprehensively explored.The structural characteristics of LMPS were characterized using X-ray micro-computed tomography(Micro-CT)and scanning electron microscope(SEM).The results demonstrated that the porosity,pore number,pore volume,brightness,brittleness,protein content,and total sugar content of LMPS all significantly increased(P<0.05)with the increase in the defatting ratio.At the micro level,porous structure,cell wall rupture,and loss of intracellular material could be observed in LMPS after defatting treatments.LMPS made from PDP with a defatting ratio of 64.44%had the highest internal pore structural parameters(porosity 59%,pore number 85.3×10^(5),pore volume 68.23 mm3),the brightest color(L^(*) 78.39±0.39),the best brittleness(3.64±0.21)mm^(–1)),and the best nutrition(high protein content,(34.02±0.38)%;high total sugar content,(17.45±0.59)%;low-fat content,(27.58±0.85)%).The study provides a theoretical basis for the quality improvement of LMPS.

Generalized polynomial chaos expansion by reanalysis using static condensation based on substructuring

This paper presents a new computational method for forward uncertainty quantification(UQ)analyses on large-scale structural systems in the presence of arbitrary and dependent random inputs.The method consists of a generalized polynomial chaos expansion(GPCE)for statistical moment and reliability analyses associated with the stochastic output and a static reanalysis method to generate the input-output data set.In the reanalysis,we employ substructuring for a structure to isolate its local regions that vary due to random inputs.This allows for avoiding repeated computations of invariant substructures while generating the input-output data set.Combining substructuring with static condensation further improves the computational efficiency of the reanalysis without losing accuracy.Consequently,the GPCE with the static reanalysis method can achieve significant computational saving,thus mitigating the curse of dimensionality to some degree for UQ under high-dimensional inputs.The numerical results obtained from a simple structure indicate that the proposed method for UQ produces accurate solutions more efficiently than the GPCE using full finite element analyses(FEAs).We also demonstrate the efficiency and scalability of the proposed method by executing UQ for a large-scale wing-box structure under ten-dimensional(all-dependent)random inputs.

Ratio of Gravitational Force to Electric Force from Empirical Equations in Terms of the Cosmic Microwave Background Temperature

Previously, we presented several empirical equations using the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature. Next, we propose an empirical equation for the fine-structure constant. Considering the compatibility among these empirical equations, the CMB temperature (Tc) and gravitational constant (G) were calculated to be 2.726312 K and 6.673778 × 10−11 m3∙kg−1∙s−2, respectively. Every equation could be explained in terms of the Compton length of an electron (λe), the Compton length of a proton (λp) and a. Furthermore, every equation could also be explained in terms of Avogadro’s number and the number of electrons in 1 C. However, the ratio of the gravitational force to the electric force cannot be uniquely determined when the unit of the Planck constant (Js) is changed. In this study, we showed that every equation can be described in terms of Planck constant. From the assumption of minimum mass, the ratio of gravitational force to electric force could be elucidated.

Correspondence Principle for Empirical Equations in Terms of the Cosmic Microwave Background Temperature with Solid-State Ionics

Previously, we presented several empirical equations using the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature that were mathematically connected. Next, we proposed an empirical equation for the fine-structure constant. Considering the compatibility among these empirical equations, the CMB temperature (Tc) and gravitational constant (G) were calculated to be 2.726312 K and 6.673778 × 10-11 m3·kg-1·s-2, respectively. Every equation can be explained in terms of the Compton length of an electron (λe), the Compton length of a proton (λp) and α. However, these equations are difficult to follow. Using the correspondence principle with the thermodynamic principles in solid-state ionics, we propose a canonical ensemble to explain these equations in this report. For this purpose, we show that every equation can be explained in terms of Avogadro’s number and the number of electrons in 1 C.

Algorithms for Empirical Equations in Terms of the Cosmic Microwave Background Temperature

Previously, we presented several empirical equations using the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature. Next, we propose an empirical equation for the fine-structure constant. Considering the compatibility among these empirical equations, the CMB temperature (Tc) and gravitational constant (G) were calculated to be 2.726312 K and 6.673778 × 10−11 m3∙kg−1∙s−2, respectively. Every equation can be explained numerically in terms of the Compton length of an electron (λe), the Compton length of a proton (λp) and α. Furthermore, every equation can also be explained in terms of the Avogadro number and the number of electrons at 1 C. We show that every equation can be described in terms of the Planck constant. Then, the ratio of the gravitational force to the electric force can be uniquely determined with the assumption of minimum mass. In this report, we describe the algorithms used to explain these equations in detail. Thus, there are no dimension mismatch problems.

MXene Hollow Spheres Supported by a C–Co Exoskeleton Grow MWCNTs for Efficient Microwave Absorption

High-performance microwave absorption(MA) materials must be studied immediately since electromagnetic pollution has become a problem that cannot be disregarded. A straightforward composite material, comprising hollow MXene spheres loaded with C–Co frameworks, was prepared to develop multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs). A high impedance and suitable morphology were guaranteed by the C–Co exoskeleton, the attenuation ability was provided by the MWCNTs endoskeleton, and the material performance was greatly enhanced by the layered core–shell structure. When the thickness was only 2.04 mm, the effective absorption bandwidth was 5.67 GHz, and the minimum reflection loss(RLmin) was-70.70 d B. At a thickness of 1.861 mm, the sample calcined at 700 ℃ had a RLmin of-63.25 d B. All samples performed well with a reduced filler ratio of 15 wt%. This paper provides a method for making lightweight core–shell composite MA materials with magnetoelectric synergy.

Field test of high-power microwave-assisted mechanical excavation for deep hard iron ore

Microwave-assisted mechanical excavation has great application prospects in mines and tunnels,but there are few field experiments on microwave-assisted rock breaking.This paper takes the Sishanling iron mine as the research object and adopts the self-developed high-power microwave-induced fracturing test system for hard rock to conduct field experiments of microwave-induced fracturing of iron ore.The heating and reflection evolution characteristics of ore under different microwave parameters(antenna type,power,and working distance)were studied,and the optimal microwave parameters were obtained.Subsequently,the ore was irradiated with the optimal microwave parameters,and the cracking effect of the ore under the action of the high-power open microwave was analyzed.The results show that the reflection coefficient(standing wave ratio)can be rapidly(<5 s)and automatically adjusted below the preset threshold value(1.6)as microwave irradiation is performed.When using a right-angle horn antenna with a working distance of 5 cm,the effect of automatic reflection adjustment reaches the best among other antenna types and working distances.When the working distance is the same,the average temperature of the irradiation surface and the area of the high-temperature area under the action of the two antennas(right-angled and equal-angled horn antenna)are basically the same and decrease with the increase of working distance.The optimal microwave parameters are:a right-angle horn antenna with a working distance of 5 cm.Subsequently,in further experiments,the optimal parameters were used to irradiate for 20 s and 40 s at a microwave power of 60 kW,respectively.The surface damage extended 38 cm×30 cm and 53 cm×30 cm,respectively,and the damage extended to a depth of about 50 cm.The drilling speed was increased by 56.2%and 66.5%,respectively,compared to the case when microwaves were not used.

Compositional and Hollow Engineering of Silicon Carbide/Carbon Microspheres as High-Performance Microwave Absorbing Materials with Good Environmental Tolerance

Microwave absorbing materials(MAMs)characterized by high absorption efficiency and good environmental tolerance are highly desirable in practical applications.Both silicon carbide and carbon are considered as stable MAMs under some rigorous conditions,while their composites still fail to produce satisfactory microwave absorption performance regardless of the improvements as compared with the individuals.Herein,we have successfully implemented compositional and structural engineering to fabricate hollow Si C/C microspheres with controllable composition.The simultaneous modulation on dielectric properties and impedance matching can be easily achieved as the change in the composition of these composites.The formation of hollow structure not only favors lightweight feature,but also generates considerable contribution to microwave attenuation capacity.With the synergistic effect of composition and structure,the optimized SiC/C composite exhibits excellent performance,whose the strongest reflection loss intensity and broadest effective absorption reach-60.8 dB and 5.1 GHz,respectively,and its microwave absorption properties are actually superior to those of most SiC/C composites in previous studies.In addition,the stability tests of microwave absorption capacity after exposure to harsh conditions and Radar Cross Section simulation data demonstrate that hollow SiC/C microspheres from compositional and structural optimization have a bright prospect in practical applications.

Abnormal uterine bleeding successfully treated via ultrasoundguided microwave ablation of uterine myoma lesions: Three case reports

BACKGROUND Microwave endometrial ablation(MEA)is a minimally invasive treatment method for heavy menstrual bleeding.However,additional treatment is often required after recurrence of uterine myomas treated with MEA.Additionally,because this treatment ablates the endometrium,it is not indicated for patients planning to become pregnant.To overcome these issues,we devised a method for ultrasound-guided microwave ablation of uterine myoma feeder vessels.We report three patients successfully treated for heavy menstrual bleeding,secondary to uterine myoma,using our novel method.CASE SUMMARY All patients had a favorable postoperative course,were discharged within 4 h,and experienced no complications.Further,no postoperative recurrence of heavy menstrual bleeding was noted.Our method also reduced the myoma’s maximum diameter.CONCLUSION This method does not ablate the endometrium,suggesting its potential appli-cation in patients planning to become pregnant.

A synthetic diagnostics platform for microwave imaging diagnostics in tokamaks

Interpreting experimental diagnostics data in tokamaks,while considering non-ideal effects,is challenging due to the complexity of plasmas.To address this challenge,a general synthetic diagnostics(GSD)platform has been established that facilitates microwave imaging reflectometry and electron cyclotron emission imaging.This platform utilizes plasma profiles as input and incorporates the finite-difference time domain,ray tracing and the radiative transfer equation to calculate the propagation of plasma spontaneous radiation and the external electromagnetic field in plasmas.Benchmark tests for classical cases have been conducted to verify the accuracy of every core module in the GSD platform.Finally,2D imaging of a typical electron temperature distribution is reproduced by this platform and the results are consistent with the given real experimental data.This platform also has the potential to be extended to 3D electromagnetic field simulations and other microwave diagnostics such as cross-polarization scattering.

Quantum Voting Machine Encoded with Microwave Photons

We propose a simple quantum voting machine using microwave photon qubit encoding, based on a setup comprising multiple microwave cavities and a coupled superconducting flux qutrit. This approach primarily relies on a multi-control single-target quantum phase gate. The scheme offers operational simplicity, requiring only a single step, while ensuring verifiability through the measurement of a single qubit phase information to obtain the voting results. It provides voter anonymity, as the voting outcome is solely tied to the total number of affirmative votes. Our quantum voting machine also has scalability in terms of the number of voters.Additionally, the physical realization of the quantum voting machine is general and not limited to circuit quantum electrodynamics. Quantum voting machine can be implemented as long as the multi-control single-phase quantum phase gate is realized in other physical systems. Numerical simulations indicate the feasibility of this quantum voting machine within the current quantum technology.

High Power Microwave Treatment Impacts on Microbes in Rough Rice

As rice consumption increases,ensuring its safety has become a priority for the food industry.To address this concern,the industry is exploring a single-pass microbial inactivation treatment at the rough rice stage.In this study,a long-grain rice variety,RT7321[21.2%wet basis(WB)and a 20 mm bed thickness]was exposed to microwave radiation(915 MHz frequency)at powers of 16,18,and 20 kW for durations of 1,2,and 3 min.We found that the highest microwave power(20 kW)and the longest exposure duration(3 min)produced the greatest reduction in total aerobic count and total fungal count,reducing them by up to 1.21 and 5.01 log(CFU/g),respectively.Our findings provided insights into the used to high-power,shortduration 915 MHz microwave technology for decontamination purposes in rough rice to help improve the microbial safety of rice.The aim is to develop a single-pass drying approach for microbial inactivation in rice processing facilities while ensuring that the yield and quality is not compromised.

High-frequency microwave cavity design for high-mass dark matter axion searches

The haloscope based on the TM_(010)mode cavity is a well-established technique for detecting QCD axions.However,the method has limitations in detecting high-mass axion due to significant volume loss in the high-frequency cavity.Utilizing a higher-order mode cavity can effectively reduce the volume loss of the high-frequency cavity.The rotatable dielectric pieces as a tuning mechanism can compensate for the degradation of the form factor of the higher-order mode.Nevertheless,the introduction of dielectric causes additional volume loss.To address these issues,this paper proposes a novel design scheme by adding a central metal rod to the higher-order mode cavity tuned by dielectrics,which improves the performance of the haloscope due to the increased effective volume of the cavity detector.The superiority of the novel design is demonstrated by comparing its simulated performance with previous designs.Moreover,the feasibility of the scheme is verified by the full-wave simulation results of the mechanical design model.