Does carbon nanopowder threaten amphibian development?

Lethal and teratogenic potentials of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) in their amorphous form were investigated by the standardized Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay-Xenopus (FETAX), a 96-h in vitro whole-embryo toxicity test based on the amphibian Xenopus laevis. Embryos were acutely exposed to 1, 10, 100 and 500 mg/L CNP suspensions and evaluated for lethality, malformations and growth inhibition. Larvae were processed for histological and ultrastructural analyses to detect the main affected organs, to look for specific lesions at the subcellular level and to image and track CNPs into tissues. Only the highest CNP suspension resulted in being embryolethal for X. laevis larvae, while malformed larva percentages significantly differed from controls starting from 100 mg/L. The stomach and gut were the preferential CNP accumulation sites, on the contrary, the digestive epithelium remained intact. The analyses showed the presence of isolated nanoparticles and/or aggregates in different secondary target organs. CNPs were found in circulating erythrocytes. The research confirms the good tolerance of X. laevis towards pure elemental carbon in its nanoparticulate amorphous form, but highlights the possibility of CNP transfer toward all body areas.     

Sorption of propylene and propane in polyurethane membranes containing silver nanoparticles

The preparation of a facilitated transport membrane of polyurethane (PU) containing silver nanoparticles is reported. The propylene and propane sorption was investigated aiming at the selective separation from C3s mixtures. The silver particles were photogenerated in situ into the polyurethane matrix using UV light radiation and silver triflate (AgCF₃SO₃) as precursor. The morphological properties of these membranes (PUAg) reveled great dispersion of silver particles, which size was smaller than 110 nm. The propylene solubility in PUAg resulted more than four times superior to the one for the pure PU membrane, revealing the high affinity between silver and propylene. Flory–Huggins theory was more accurate to describe the propylene sorption behavior in PUAg than Henry's model. The ideal solubility selectivity of PUAg membrane resulted 24.4, indicating that there is a good potential for an industrial application aiming at the separation of propylene/propane. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42916.     

Multidrug Idebenone/Naproxen Co-loaded Aspasomes for Significant in vivo Anti-inflammatory Activity

The use of proper nanocarriers for dermal and transdermal delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs recently gained several attentions in the scientific community because they pass intact and accumulate payloads in the deepest layers of skin tissue. Ascorbyl palmitate-based vesicles (aspasomes) can be considered a promising nanocarrier for dermal and transdermal delivery due to their skin whitening properties and suitable delivery of payloads through the skin. The aim of this study was the synthesis of multidrug Idebenone/naproxen co-loaded aspasomes for the development of an effective anti-inflammatory nanomedicine. Aspasomes had suitable physicochemical properties and were safe in vivo if topically applied on human healthy volunteers. Idebenone/naproxen co-loaded aspasomes demonstrated an increased therapeutic efficacy of payloads compared to the commercially available Naprosyn® gel, with a rapid decrease of chemical-induced erythema on human volunteers. These promising results strongly suggested a potential application of Idebenone/naproxen multidrug aspasomes for the development of an effective skin anti-inflammatory therapy.     

Influence of Surface Finishing on the Tribological Behavior of Self-Lubricating Iron-Based Composites

Recently, we presented the tribological evaluation of self-lubricating sintered steels produced by taking advantage of the powder injection molding process, the recently introduced plasma-assisted debinding and sintering process, and the in situ formation of solid lubricant particles. This new processing route promotes the in situ generation of nanostructured turbostratic graphite particles during silicon carbide dissociation. In this work, we present the influence of surface finishing on the tribological behavior of self-lubricating composites sintered at 1150°C with (3 and 5 wt%) and without SiC additions. We discuss the effects of the surface topography (R_a) on the friction coefficient and wear rates of specimens and counterbodies. The tribological behavior was analyzed using linear reciprocating sliding tests (constant load of 7 N, 60-min duration). It was shown that the reduction in surface roughness increased both the friction coefficients and wear rates of specimens and counterbodies, probably due to plastic deformation and consequent graphite reservoir sealing. Chemical analyses of the wear scars using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis showed a tribolayer that was composed predominantly of carbon and oxygen. Analyses of the wear scars showed traces of plastic deformation on both samples and counterbodies and the predominance of abrasion as the main wear mechanism.     

Hybrid membranes based on SiO2/polyether-b-polyamide: Morphology and applications

Hybrid materials were prepared incorporating silica networks by the sol–gel process into the poly(amide-b-polyether) block copolymer PEBAX®. PEBAX®/silica hybrids were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. The pervaporation of phenol from dilute aqueous solutions through hybrid membranes was investigated. Films prepared with lower silica contents showed better dispersed inorganic networks and were more selective in the pervaporation of phenol/water solutions. Films prepared with higher silica contents had a clear phase-separated morphology with lower performance in pervaporation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 178–185, 2001     

Mining the impact of evolution categories on object-oriented metrics

Despite the relevance of the software evolution phase, there are few characterization studies on recurrent evolution growth patterns and on their impact on software properties, such as coupling and cohesion. In this paper, we report a study designed to investigate whether the software evolution categories proposed by Lanza can be used to explain not only the growth of a system in terms of lines of code (LOC), but also in terms of metrics from the Chidamber and Kemerer (CK) object-oriented metrics suite. Our results show that high levels of recall (ranging on average from 52 to 72 %) are achieved when using LOC to predict the evolution of coupling and size. For cohesion, we have achieved smaller recall rates (<27 % on average).     

Towards an easy access to Annexin-A5 protein binding block copolymer micelles

The formation of Annexin-A5 decorated (bio-functionalized) nanoparticles is of particular interest in micelle-mediated target drug delivery, in vivo magnetic resonance imaging, and controlled fabrication of biochips. This work describes an easy access to the synthesis and manipulation of block copolymer nano-objects exhibiting Annexin-A5 protein binding ability. Well-defined spherical micelles containing negatively charged phosphonic diacid groups – which are potential binding sites for Annexin-A5 proteins – at their hydrophilic periphery originate from the self-assembly of polystyrene-b-poly(2-phosphatethyl methacrylate-stat-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PS-b-P(PEMA-stat-HEMA)) amphiphilic macromolecules in aqueous media. PS-b-P(PEMA-stat-HEMA) can be prepared in a three-step phosphorylation/silylation/methanolysis procedure applied to PS-b-PHEMA precursors synthesized via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP). The herein discussed approach allows precise control over micellar dimensions and properties such as core radius (i.e., loading capacity), corona width, and density of phosphate groups at the micelle periphery.     

Probability Distribution Functions for Construction Simulation

The need for reliable simulation systems has been discussed and recognized by many researchers. At the same time researchers have recognized that the quality of a simulation model's results are strictly related to the quality of the input probability distribution functions. The data used in this research were acquired from the Atkinson-Washington-Zachry joint venture on the Eastside Reservoir Project in California. The data were analyzed using BestFit software to obtain the parameters of the theoretical distribution functions that best described the field data set. The research validated previous warnings about the influence of the class interval decision on the selection of a distribution function when the chi-square fitting test is utilized. A second issue of importance that was encountered was the reliability of goodness-of-fit tests when dealing with large data sets.     

Hazard assessment of edible oil refining: Formation of flammable mixtures in storage tanks

This work presents a methodology for the assessment of hazards due to the formation of flammable mixtures in edible oil refineries, with particular focus on storage tanks. Safety issues in these plants are due to the presence of residual volatile flammable solvents deriving from the extraction processes, which may accumulate in the storage tanks and generate flammable vapour mixtures. The methodology, based on the application of a thermodynamic model for the estimation of vapour phase composition in oil storage tanks as a function of operating conditions (i.e. temperature and residual solvent content), allows the identification of potential hazards due to formation of flammable mixtures inside the tanks. The model was first validated using available experimental data and then extended to case-studies representative of state-of-the-art industrial storage applications. The results of the case-studies were then used to calculate specific hazard indexes, providing a quick tool for preliminary assessment of hazards due to the formation of flammable mixtures in edible oil storage plants.