Electrical Promotion-Assisted Automotive Exhaust Catalyst: Highly Active and Selective NO Reduction to N2 at Low-Temperatures

Pd catalyst (Pd/Ce0.7Zr0.3O2) in an electric field exhibits extremely high three-way catalytic activity (TWC: NO-C3H6-CO-O2-H2O). By applying an electric field to the semiconductor catalyst, low-temperature operation of TWC can be achieved even at 473 K by virtue of the activated surface-lattice oxygen

Enhanced activity of catalysts on substrates with surface protonic current in an electrical field – a review

It has over the last few years been reported that the application of a DC electric field and resulting current over a bed of certain catalyst-support systems enhances catalytic activity for several reactions involving hydrogen-containing reactants, and the effect has been attributed to surface protonic conductivity on the porous ceramic support (typically ZrO2, CeO2, SrZrO3). Models for the nature of the interaction between the protonic current, the catalyst particle (typically Ru, Ni, Co, Fe), and adsorbed reactants such as NH3 and CH4 have developed as experimental evidence has emerged. Here, we summarize the electrical enhancement and how it enhances yield and lowers reaction temperatures of industrially important chemical processes. We also review the nature of the relevant catalysts, support materials, as well as essentials and recent progress in surface protonics. It is easily suspected that the effect is merely an increase in local vs. nominal set temperature due to the ohmic heating of the electrical field and current. We address this and add data from recent studies of ours that indicate that the heating effect is minor, and that the novel catalytic effect of a surface protonic current must have additional causes

Sudden infant death due to mechanical asphyxia caused by a cervical ectopic thymus—An autopsy case

The 7-month-old girl was left in a nursery until following morning. About 3 h after being given milk, she was found dead in a right lateral supine position. There was no external evidence of injury to suggest a maltreatment. Hemorrhages were present in the accessory respiratory muscles, but the most notable findings were masses on either side of the trachea and immediately inferior to the thyroid gland. Both of masses were in continuity with the intrathoracic thymus. Histopathologically, the masses showed normal thymic structure and collagen fibers on the left side of the trachea showed metachromasia on Masson’s staining. There were no remarkable findings in organs except for congestion. The cause of death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia due to tracheal compression by the cervical ectopic thymus. Hemorrhage in the accessory respiratory muscle was considered to be caused by effortful breathing during the process of asphyxia. The metachromasia of Masson's stain on the trachea may be due to the same mechanism as a “compression mark reaction”, and may be useful in proving compression by the ectopic thymus. We consider that chronic compression of the trachea led to the tracheomalacia, which enabled the final lethal compression when lying in a right lateral supine position. An ectopic thymus is caused by a failure of descent of the embryonic thymic tissue into the thoracic cavity at the appropriate developmental stage and is generally asymptomatic. However, the cervical ectopic thymus should be considered in the diagnosis of a cause of sudden infant death

Fast Oxygen Ion Migration in Cu–In–oxide Bulk and Its Utilization for Effective CO2 Conversion at Lower Temperature

Efficient activation of CO2 at low temperature was achieved by reverse water–gas shift via chemical looping (RWGS‑CL) by virtue of fast oxygen ion migration in Cu–In–structured oxide, even at lower temperatures. Results show that novel Cu–In2O3 structured oxide can show a remarkably higher CO2 splitting rate than ever reported. Various analyses revealed that RWGS‑CL on Cu–In2O3 is derived from redox between Cu–In2O3 and CuxIny alloy. Key factors for high CO2 splitting were fast migration of oxide ions in alloy and the preferential oxidation of the interface of alloy–In2O3 in the bulk of the particles. The findings reported herein can open up new avenues to achieve effective CO2 conversion at lower temperatures

Analysis of Epileptic Discharges from Implanted Subdural Electrodes in Patients with Sturge-Weber Syndrome

<div><p>Objective</p><p>Almost two-thirds of patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) have epilepsy, and half of them require surgery for it. However, it is well known that scalp electroencephalography (EEG) does not demonstrate unequivocal epileptic discharges in patients with SWS. Therefore, we analyzed interictal and ictal discharges from intracranial subdural EEG recordings in patients treated surgically for SWS to elucidate epileptogenicity in this disorder.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Five intractable epileptic patients with SWS who were implanted with subdural electrodes for presurgical evaluation were enrolled in this study. We examined the following seizure parameters: seizure onset zone (SOZ), propagation speed of seizure discharges, and seizure duration by visual inspection. Additionally, power spectrogram analysis on some frequency bands at SOZ was performed from 60 s before the visually detected seizure onset using the EEG Complex Demodulation Method (CDM).</p><p>Results</p><p>We obtained 21 seizures from five patients for evaluation, and all seizures initiated from the cortex under the leptomeningeal angioma. Most of the patients presented with motionless staring and respiratory distress as seizure symptoms. The average seizure propagation speed and duration were 3.1 ± 3.6 cm/min and 19.4 ± 33.6 min, respectively. Significant power spectrogram changes at the SOZ were detected at 10–30 Hz from 15 s before seizure onset, and at 30–80 Hz from 5 s before seizure onset.</p><p>Significance</p><p>In patients with SWS, seizures initiate from the cortex under the leptomeningeal angioma, and seizure propagation is slow and persists for a longer period. CDM indicated beta to low gamma-ranged seizure discharges starting from shortly before the visually detected seizure onset. Our ECoG findings indicate that ischemia is a principal mechanism underlying ictogenesis and epileptogenesis in SWS.</p></div

Statistical analysis of the frequency components in the SOZ and non-SOZ electrodes.

<p>A statistically significant difference in power spectrogram was detected at 10–30 Hz from 15 s before seizure onset and at 30–80 Hz from 5 s before seizure onset, respectively. * represents statistical significance (p < 0.05).</p

Patient demographics and clinical data.

<p>F, frontal; P, parietal; T, temporal; O, occipital; L, left; R, right. This study included five SWS patients with progressive mental retardation aged from 1 to 9 years old. Most of the patients presented conspicuous seizure symptoms.</p