The use of plant materials for the synthesis of superplasticizer

The paper presents data on the synthesis of phloroglucinol-furfural modifier (1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene-2-furaldehyde oligomer) based on 2-furaldehyde (furfural) and 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene (phloroglucinol). The synthesis of a modifier with different molar ratios of phloroglucinol/furfural was carried out. It was found that an increase in the molar ratio leads to an increase in the plasticizing ability of the modifier. The optimal concentration of the catalyst was determined to be equal to 50% by weight of phloroglucinol. Two chemical forms of the modifier were obtained: H-form and Na-form. The structure of various forms of the modifier has been studied by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the oligomers used in the work for the synthesis of the modifier, in addition to 2-furyl methyl alcohol, do not have plasticizing properties. Purified 2-furyl methyl alcohol has weak plasticizing properties. It is shown that to achieve the best plasticizing effect, it is necessary to gradually introduce a condensing agent into the reaction mixture. With gradual introduction, a complete condensation reaction occurs between the monomers, which affects the improvement of the plasticizing properties of the resulting product. The spread of the cement mixture when using 0.3% of the additive based on the mass of cement in terms of dry matter is 19 cm.

How creating one additional well can generate Bose-Einstein condensation

The realization of Bose-Einstein condensation in ultracold trapped gases has led to a revival of interest in this fascinating quantum phenomenon. This experimental achievement necessitated both extremely low temperatures and sufficiently weak interactions. Particularly in reduced spatial dimensionality even an infinitesimal interaction immediately leads to a departure to quasi-condensation. We propose a system of strongly interacting bosons, which overcomes those obstacles by exhibiting a number of intriguing related features: (i) The tuning of just a single control parameter drives a transition from quasi-condensation to complete condensation, (ii) the destructive influence of strong interactions is compensated by the respective increased mobility, (iii) topology plays a crucial role since a crossover from one- to ‘infinite’-dimensionality is simulated, (iv) a ground state gap opens, which makes the condensation robust to thermal noise. Remarkably, all these features can be derived by analytical and exact numerical means despite the non-perturbative character of the system.

Direct monitoring of the stepwise condensation of kinetoplast DNA networks

Condensation and remodeling of nuclear genomes play an essential role in the regulation of gene expression and replication. Yet, our understanding of these processes and their regulatory role in other DNA-containing organelles, has been limited. This study focuses on the packaging of kinetoplast DNA (kDNA), the mitochondrial genome of kinetoplastids. Severe tropical diseases, affecting large human populations and livestock, are caused by pathogenic species of this group of protists. kDNA consists of several thousand DNA minicircles and several dozen DNA maxicircles that are linked topologically into a remarkable DNA network, which is condensed into a mitochondrial nucleoid. In vitro analyses implicated the replication protein UMSBP in the decondensation of kDNA, which enables the initiation of kDNA replication. Here, we monitored the condensation of kDNA, using fluorescence and atomic force microscopy. Analysis of condensation intermediates revealed that kDNA condensation proceeds via sequential hierarchical steps, where multiple interconnected local condensation foci are generated and further assemble into higher order condensation centers, leading to complete condensation of the network. This process is also affected by the maxicircles component of kDNA. The structure of condensing kDNA intermediates sheds light on the structural organization of the condensed kDNA network within the mitochondrial nucleoid.

Влияние массовой скорости на величину критического теплового потока при кипении деионизованной воды с недогревом в микроканальной системе охлаждения

We have experimentally studied the influence of the mass flow rate on the critical heat flux (CHF) during the boiling of deionized water underheated relative to the saturation temperature in a microchannel cooling system. The experimental unit comprised a copper-based block with two 0.36-mm-deep microchannels of 2 mm width and 16 mm length. The mass flow rate ranged from 100 to 600 kg/(m^2 s) and the initial subcooling was varied from 30 to 70°C. It was found that the character of boiling crisis changed with increasing mass flow rate and the CHF significantly increased upon complete condensation of vapor in the distribution chamber of the cooling system.