Effects of samarium addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Al-Si-Cu alloy

The effects of rare earth samarium （Sm） additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Al-Si-Cu alloy were investigated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results show that Sm can effectively refine the a（Al） dendrite and the eutectic silicon. In addition, the shape of iron-rich phases changes from the Chinese script-like to slender-like ones and the volume fraction of iron-rich phases is decreased by the addition of Sm. Two kinds of Sm-rich interrnetallics are found： AlSiSm and AlSiCuSm. The plate-like AlSiCuSm phase always associates with the needle-like AISiSm phase. The mechanical properties are improved by the addition of Sm, and the good ultimate tensile strength （220 MPa） and elongation （3. 1%） are obtained from the Al-Si-Cu-1.0Sin alloy.

Vitamin D 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D_(3) reduces lipid accumulation in hepatocytes by inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization

BACKGROUND Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),which is a significant liver condition associated with metabolic syndrome,is the leading cause of liver diseases globally and its prevalence is on the rise in most nations.The protective impact of vitamin D on NAFLD and its specific mechanism remains unclear.AIM To examine the role of vitamin D in NAFLD and how vitamin D affects the polarization of hepatic macrophages in NAFLD through the vitamin D receptor(VDR)-peroxisome proliferator activated receptor(PPAR)γpathway.METHODS Wild-type C57BL/6 mice were provided with a high-fat diet to trigger NAFLD model and administered 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D[1,25(OH)_(2)D_(3)]supplementation.1,25(OH)_(2)D_(3) was given to RAW264.7 macrophages that had been treated with lipid,and a co-culture with AML12 hepatocytes was set up.Lipid accumulation,lipid metabolism enzymes,M1/M2 phenotype markers,proinflammatory cytokines and VDR-PPARγpathway were determined.RESULTS Supplementation with 1,25(OH)_(2)D_(3) relieved hepatic steatosis and decreased the proinflammatory M1 polarization of hepatic macrophages in NAFLD.Administration of 1,25(OH)_(2)D_(3) suppressed the proinflammatory M1 polarization of macrophages induced by fatty acids,thereby directly relieving lipid accumulation and metabolism in hepatocytes.The VDR-PPARγpathway had a notable impact on reversing lipid-induced proinflammatory M1 polarization of macrophages regulated by the administration of 1,25(OH)_(2)D_(3).CONCLUSION Supplementation with 1,25(OH)_(2)D_(3) improved hepatic steatosis and lipid metabolism in NAFLD,linked to its capacity to reverse the proinflammatory M1 polarization of hepatic macrophages,partially by regulating the VDRPPARγpathway.The involvement of 1,25(OH)_(2)D_(3) in inhibiting fatty-acid-induced proinflammatory M1 polarization of macrophages played a direct role in relieving lipid accumulation and metabolism in hepatocytes.

Reversible immortalization of human hepatocytes mediated by retroviral transfer and site-specific recombination

AIM: To establish a method for the reversible immortalization of human hepatocytes, which may offer a good and safe source of hepatocytes for practical applications.

Effects of Fluoride on Lipid Peroxidation, DNA Damage and Apoptosis in Human Embryo Hepatocytes

Objective To investigate the effects of fluoride on lipid peroxidation, DNA damage and apoptosis in human embryo hepatocyte L-02 cells. Methods Lipid peroxide (LPO) level, reduced glutathione (GSH) content, DNA damage, apoptosis, and cell cycle analysis were measured after in vitro cultured L-02 cells were exposed to sodium fluoride at different doses (40 μg/mL, 80 μg/mL, and 160 μg/mL) for 24 hours. Results Fluoride caused an increase of LPO levels and a decrease of GSH content in L-02 cells. There appeared to be an obvious dose-effect relationship between the fluoride concentration and the observed changes. Fluoride also caused DNA damage and apoptosis and increased the cell number in S phase of cell cycle in the cells tested. There was a statistically significant difference in DNA damage and apoptosis when comparing the high dose of fluoride treated cells with the low dose of fluoride treated cells. Conclusion Fluoride can cause lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, and apoptosis in the L-02 cell experimental model and there is a significant positive correlation between fluoride concentration and these pathological changes.

Luminescent Properties of Samarium Ion in Calcium Molybdate

Trivalent samarium ion (Sm^(3+)) activated calcium molybdate (CaMoO_4) phosphor was prepared by solid-state reaction in air. The XRD pattern of the powder CaMoO_4∶Sm shows that the CaMoO_4∶Sm single phase is developed fully through our preparation procedure. The excitation spectrum of CaMoO_4∶Sm is composed of a broad absorption of host and some sharp lines of the f-f transition absorption of Sm^(3+). Illustrated in photoluminescence spectrum, CaMoO_4 doped with Sm^(3+) displays orange red emission that is ascribed to the inner 4f^5 electron transitions ~6H_(7/2)(orange)and ~6H_(9/2)(red)of Sm^(3+). Different from the sites of Sm^(3+) in CdWO_4, the Sm^(3+) ions substitute for the Ca^(2+) and form only one type emission center in the CaMoO_4 crystal lattice.

Tribological performance of nanometer samarium borate

Nanometer crystal samarium borate with a particle size of 20～40?nm was prepared using replacing solvent drying technique. The wear resistance and load carrying capacity of 500SN base oil could be improved and the friction coefficient could be decreased by the addition of nanometer samarium borate. But the dosage of samarium borate nanoparticles had to be controlled at a relatively low level, a higher concentration of nanoparticles was not of beneficial to the tribological performance of the oil. The optimal dosage of nanometer samarium borate is 1.0%. Tribochemical reactions took place in the tribological process, which resulted in the formation of deposition products including diboron trioxide and disamarium trioxide. Fe 2B and FeB were also found on the wear scar. The improvement of tribological properties of the oil comes from the formation of deposition layer and permeating layer. [

Effects of Samarium on Liver and Kidney of Rats

Spraque-Dawley(SD)big rats with weaning weight of (195±15) g were randomly divided into 4 groups with 8 males and 8 females each group. One group drank de-ionized water served as control and also used for analysis with the background. The other three groups were cultured for five months by drinking de-ionized water with 3.0, 4.5 and 6.0 mg·L-1 Sm (NO3)3, respectively. Compared with the rats in control, it is found that the organs of the treated rats are apparently pathologically changed, such as liver swell, lung intumescence, peritoneum conglutination and hardness. Especially, in the high Sm group, the pathological percentage in liver and lung is up to 30% . The pathological changes in liver and lung show that rare earth Sm does hazard biological effects to animals. With increasing Sm concentration, the weight rate of organ/body has a tendency of increasing; the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in liver and kidney decreases, but the maglonydiadehyde (MDA) concentration increases, indicating the abilities of anti-oxidation and the lipid per-oxi-dation inhibition degenerate, which leads to hard pathological changes in organs. Moreover, the relative weight rate of organ/body, the activity of SOD and the MDA concentration are remarkably lager in liver than in kidney and other organs, suggesting that the biological effect of Sm on liver is the greatest and Sm has a high affinity for liver.

Polymerization of Acrylonitrile Initiated by Di（2，6－di－tert－butyl－4－methylphenoxo） Samarium Complex

The polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by organolanthanide complexes alone is studied for the first time. The effect of polymerization conditions on catalytic activity of the title complex and molecular weight of the polymers produced have been studied.

Induction of Heme Oxygenase-1 in Human Hepatocytes to Protect Them From Ethanol-induced Cytotoxicity

Background/Aim We investigated the relationship between ethanol exposure and heme oxygenase (HO-1) in human hepatocytes in order to ascertain if induction of HO-1 can prevent ethanol induced cellular damage. Methods Dose-dependent (25-100 mmol/L) and time-dependent (0-24 h) ethanol exposure were used in the present study. HO-1 mRNA and protein expression were detected by PT-PCR and Western blot respectively. HO-1 activity was indicated by bilirubin and Fe2+ formation. Cytotoxicity was investigated by means of lactate dehydrogenate (LDH) and aspartate transaminase (AST) level in culture supernatants, as well as the intracellular formation of malondialdehyde (MDA), cellular glutathione (GSH) status and CYP 2E1 activity. Results We first demonstrated a dose-dependent response between ethanol exposure and HO-1 mRNA and protein expression in human hepatocytes. We further observed a time-dependent increase of HO-1 mRNA expression using 100 mmol/L ethanol starting 30 minutes after ethanol exposure, reaching its maximum between 3 h and 9 h. Being similar to what had been demonstrated with the mRNA level, increased protein expression started at 6 h after ethanol exposure, and kept continuous elevated over 18 h. In addition, we found that ethanol exposure to hepatocytes markedly increased HO-1 enzyme activity in a time-dependent manner measured as bilirubin and Fe2+ formation in human hepatocytes. Our results clearly showed that ethanol exposure caused a significant increase of LDH, AST, and MDA levels, while the antioxidant GSH was time-dependently reduced. Furthermore, we demonstrated that pre-administration of cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP) induced HO-1 in human hepatocytes, and prevented an increase of MDA and a decrease of GSH. These effects could be partially reversed by zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP), an antagonist of HO-1 induction. Conclusion HO-1 expression in cells or organs could lead to new strategies for better prevention and treatment of ethanol-induced oxidative damage in human liver.

THE DISTRIBUTION, DEPOSITION AND EFFECT OF SAMARIUM IN HEPATOCYTES OF MICE——AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC AND X-RAY MICROANALYTICAL STUDY

The rare earth elements at large dose are poisonous to organisms. The mechanism of the poisoning may be complex. But the rare earth elements poisoning as well as some other metal poisonings (e. g. lead, gold and mercury) exhibit a common feature——to deposit in bodies. The rare earth elements, from lanthanum to samarium (Sm)which were injected in-

Effect of rare earth samarium addition on the kinetics of precipitation in Al-Cu-Mn casting alloy

The mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mn casting alloy mainly depend on the morphology, distribution, size, and number ofθ′（Al2Cu） precipitates. In this study, we have analyzed the effect of rare earth samarium （Sm） addition on the kinetics of precipitation in the Al-Cu-Mn casting alloy by using differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Thermal ef-fect peaks that are attributed to the formation and the dissolution of Guinier-Preston （GP） zone andθ′phase were identified from the DSC curves. The activation energy ofθ′formation was calculated by using both the Kissinger method and the analytical model, and the corre-sponding results were compared. Results suggest that the activation energy ofθ′formation in Al-Cu-Mn alloy is dramatically higher than that in Al-Cu-Mn-Sm alloy. Accordingly, it is concluded that the addition of rare earth Sm decreases the activation energy ofθ′formation and promotes the formation ofθ′precipitates.

Laser stealth absorbent of samarium oxysulfide prepared by flux method

A novel 1064 tun laser stealth absorbent of SmzO2S was prepared by flux method. The effects of different calcining temperatures and fluxes on the reflective property of Sm2O2S were investigated. The phase composition, morphology, and reflectivity of the powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer （UVPC）. The results showed that pure phase of Sm202S could be obtained with Na2CO3 as flux above 950~C, and the reflectivity decreased with the calcination temperature increasing. Compared with other samarium compounds, the reflectivity at 1064 nm of Sm2O2S was the lowest. Different fluxes had great impact on the phase composition, particle morphology, and reflectivity of the products. In short, Sm2O2S was suitable as a kind of absorbent against 1064 nm laser.

Separation of Samarium(Ⅲ)and Gadolinium(Ⅲ)by A Push-pull Liquid Membrane System

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Thermochemical Study on Coordination Complex of Samarium with Salicylic Acid and 8-Hydroxyquinoline

The coordination complex Sm（C7H5O2）2·（C9H6NO）, synthesized from the reaction of samarium chloride sixhydrate with salicylic acid and 8-hydroxyquinoline, was characterized with IR, elemental analysis, molar conductance, and thermogravimatric analysis. The standard molar enthalpies of solution of [ SmCl3·6H2O （s） ], [ 2C7H6O3 （s） ], [ C9H7NO （ s ） ] and [ Sm （C7H5O3） 2·（ C9H6NO ） （ s ） ] in the calorimetric solvent were determined with the solution-reaction isoperibol calorimeter at 298.15 K to be △sHm^- [ SmCl3·6H2O （s）, 298.15 K ] = - 103.98 ± 0.04 kJ·mol^-1, △sHm^- [2 C7H6O3 （s）, 298.15 K] = 16.35±0.14 kJ·mol^-1,△sHm^-[C9H7NO （s）, 298.15 K] = -6.11±0.08 kJ·mol^-1 and △sHm^-[Sm（C7H5O3）2·（C9H6NO） （s）, 298.15 K] = - 130.08 ± 0.04 kJ·mol^-1, respectively. The enthalpy was determined to be △rHm^- = 89.59 ±0.18 kJ·mol^-1 for the reaction SmCl3·6H2O（s） ＋ 2C7H6O3（s） ＋ C9H7NO（s） = Sm （C7H5O3） 2·（C9H6NO） （ s ） ＋ 3HCl （g） ＋ 6H2O （ l ）. According to the above results and the data given in literature and through Hess＇ law, the standard molar enthalpy of formation of Sin（ C7H5O3 ）2·（C9H7NO）（s） was estimated to be △rHm^- [ Sm （C7H5O3）2·（C9H6NO） （s）, 298.15 K] = - 2055.9 ± 3.03 kJ·mol^-1.

Facile Synthesis of Amidines via Intermolecular Reductive Coupling of Nitriles with Azobenzene Promoted by Samarium Diiodide

The intermolecular reductive coupling of nitrites with azobenzene induced by SmI2 was studied. Amidine derivatives were prepared in good yields under neutral and mild conditions.

Response of porcine hepatocytes in primary culture to plasma from severe viral hepatitis patients

AIM： To observe the effects of plasma from patients with severe viral hepatitis （SVHP） on the growth and metabolism of porcine hepatocytes and the clinical efficiency of bioartificial liver device.METHODS： Hepatocytes were isolated from male porcines by collagenase perfusion. The synthesis of DNA and total protein, leakages of AST and LDH, changes in glutathione （GSH）, catalase and morphology of porcine hepatocytes exposed to SVHP were investigated to indicate the effect of plasma from patients with severe hepatitis on the growth, injury, detoxification, and morphology of porcine hepatocytes.RESULTS： The synthesis of DNA and protein was inhibited in the medium containing 100% SVHP compared to the controls. The leakages of LDH and AST increased in porcine hepatocytes following exposure to 100% SVHP for 5 h. The difference between 100% SVHP and 10% newborn calf serum （NCS） was significant in t-test （LDH： t = 24.552, P = 0.001; AST： t = 4.169, P = 0.014）. After exposure to SVHP for 24 h, alterations in GSH status were significant （F = 2.746, P〈0.05） between porcine hepatocytes in 100% SVHP and 10% NCS, but no alteration occurred in the culture medium after 48 h （F = 4.378, ,P〈0.05）. A similar profile was observed in catalase activity. Many round vacuoles were observed in porcine hepatocytes cultured in SVHR The membranes of these cells became indistinct and almost all the cells died on d 5.CONCLUSION： Plasma from patients with severe hepatitis inhibits the growth, injures membrane, disturbs GSH homeostasis and induces morphological changes of porcine hepatocytes, It is suggested that SVHP should be pretreated to reduce the toxin load and improve the performance of porcine hepatocytes in extracorporeal liver-support devices.

Simultaneous Determination of Samarium and Gadolinium by a Automated Stopped-flow Analyzer

The present paper contains the reaction mechanism of the rare earth complex with 2-(2-arsenophenylazo)-7-(2, 6-dichloro-4-fluoro-phenylazo)- 1, 8-dihydroxynaphthalene-3, 6-disulfonic acid (DCF-arsenazo) studied preliminarily with a fully automated stopped-flow analyzer. A method with a high sensitivity and selectivity is proposed for the simultaneous determination of samarium and gadolinium based on the differential kinetic reaction of the rare earth complex with DCF-arsenazo. Sm and Gd in their concentrated oxides were determined with the relative errors less than 6%.

Synthesis of Aminomethyl Arylsulfides via Novel Synthetic Auxiliary Benzotriazole Promoted by Samarium Diiodide

Aminomethyl arylsulfides are synthesized through nucleophilic substitution of a benzotriazolate anion by thiolates promoted by samarium diiodide.

Reductive Cleavage of S-S Bond by Samarium Diiodide: Synthesis of β-Thioesters and β-Thionitriles

The reduction of disulfides by samarium diiodide led to sa arium thiolates (ArSSml2).This new thiolate anion species reacted smoothly with α, β -unsaturated esters (nitriles) to give 1,4-addition products β -thioesters and β -thionitriles in good yields under mild and neutralcondition.

CYP2E1-dependent hepatotoxicity and oxidative damage after ethanol administration in human primary hepatocytes

AIM： To observe the relationship between ethanol-induced oxidative damage in human primary cultured hepatocytes and cytochrome P450 2E1 （CYP2E1） activity, in order to address if inhibition of CYP2E1 could attenuate ethanol- induced cellular damage. METHODS： The dose-dependent （25-100 mmol/L） and time-dependent （0-24 h） exposures of primary human cultured hepatocytes to ethanol were carried out. CYP2E1 activity and protein expression were detected by spectrophotometer and Western blot analysis respectively. Hepatotoxicity was investigated by determination of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） and aspartate transaminase （AST） level in hepatocyte culture supernatants, as well as the intracellular formation of malondialdehyde （MDA）. RESULTS： A dose-and time-dependent response between ethanol exposure and CYP2E1 activity in human hepatocytes was demonstrated. Moreover, there was a time-dependent increase of CYP2E1 protein after 100 mmol/L ethanol exposure. Meanwhile, ethanol exposure of hepatocytes caused a time-dependent increase of cellular MDA level, LDH, and AST activities in supernatants. Furthermore, the inhibitor of CYP2E1, diallyl sulfide （DAS） could partly attenuate the increases of MDA, LDH, and AST in human hepatocytes. CONCLUSION： A positive relationship between ethanolinduced oxidative damage in human primary cultured hepatocytes and CYP2E1 activity was exhibited, and the inhibition of CYP2E1 could partly attenuate ethanol-induced oxidative damage.