Pyrolysis of brown coal under different process conditions

Pyrolysis tests were performed under laboratory conditions, simulating possible processes in the burning of brown coal mines. These tests focused on gaseous products of thermal decomposition of coal and how their concentrations changed depending on pyrolysis temperature. Results obtained can help to quantify the contributions of particular gases to overall explosiveness of a gaseous mixture and can explain the process of explosive gas release during conflagration.     

Oxidized cellulose: An application in the form of sorption filter materials

Oxidized cellulose (oxycellulose) was very effectively used in the form of filter sheets to remove some metal ions from water and from aqueous solutions. Furthermore, oxycellulose was applied in an ion‐exchange column and in a batch process. The mechanisms of the sorption process inside oxycellulose as well as the kinetics of sorption were studied. A comparison of oxycellulose and other adsorption components such as zeolites and ion‐exchange resins was made. The affinity of oxycellulose to metal ions was determined to be in the following order: Cd²⁺, Zn²⁺ > Ni²⁺ ? Ca²⁺ > Mg²⁺ ? Na⁺. The use of oxycellulose was very effective, especially in the form of sorption filters, because this allowed us to use a simple filtration process. Moreover, the specific loading amount of the filter cake was higher for filtration than for the column process under comparable conditions. Oxycellulose in a glass column behaved similarly to an ion‐exchange resin. It showed approximately constant efficiency until the sorption capacity of the adsorbent was exhausted, and then it suddenly dropped. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Electrochemical study of rat brain acetylcholinesterase inhibition by chlorofos: Kinetic aspects and analytical applications

An electrochemical sensor was applied for investigating the immobilized rat brain acetylcholinesterase inhibition by chlorofos. Two alternative routes were explored as response-generating reactions: (i) direct electrochemical oxidation of thiocholine produced upon acetylthiocholine enzymatic hydrolysis and (ii) reduction of the produced thiocholine with hexacyanoferrate (III), followed by hexacyanoferrate (II) electrochemical detection. The advantages of the direct way are simplicity and higher sensitivity compared to the indirect one, which however avoids the interferences because of the lower potential applied.Enzyme inhibition was identified as competitive, the increasing from 1.31 to 1.43 mmol L⁻¹ with chlorofos concentration in the range 0.2-1.0 mmol L⁻¹ and the maximal rate of the enzyme reaction remaining constant (I_max = 579.30 ± 5.71 μA) in the presence of chlorofos. The inhibition constant was calculated using the Dixon method (K_I = 10.07 mmol L⁻¹).The suppression of the acetylcholinesterase activity by the inhibitor, expressed as current decrease at a constant substrate concentration, was exploited for chlorofos quantification optimized by the design of experiments methodology. Optimal response was obtained for an acetylthiocholine concentration of 0.2 mmol L⁻¹, at 26 °C and pH 7.     

Pressing and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of walnut oil

The objective of this study was to evaluate the oil extraction process from walnut seeds by pressing followed by extraction with supercritical CO₂. In pressing experiments, a factorial arrangement was conducted in order to study the combined effects of seed moisture content (2.5%, 4.5% and 7.5%) and pressing temperature (25, 50 and 70 °C) on oil recovery and quality parameters. For all conditions tested, the oil quality compared well with that of cold-pressed walnut oil. Oil recovery increased significantly as moisture content raised. Highest oil recovery (89.3%) was obtained at 7.5% moisture content and 50 °C temperature. The cake resulting from pressing at these conditions was extracted with CO₂ in a high pressure pilot plant with single stage separation and solvent recycle. The effects of two different pressures (200 and 400 bar) and temperatures (50 and 70 °C) with regard to oil yield and quality, and time required for extraction were analyzed. At each condition, the extraction rate changed with the mass of solvent and extraction time. At first, the mass of oil extracted was determined by the oil solubility in CO₂ and a linear relationship was observed, where the slope results in the solubility of oil in CO₂ at the experiment conditions. After that, the extraction rate was governed by solubility and diffusion, and continuously decreased with time. The colour changed along the extraction from a whitish clear product to a yellow one. Tocopherol and carotenoid contents were significantly higher than those obtained by pressing. Extraction conditions did not affect significantly the fatty acid composition.     

Inhibition of Arcobacter butzleri, Arcobacter cryaerophilus, and Arcobacter skirrowii by plant oil aromatics

The inhibitory effect of some plant oil aromatics against three strains of Arcobacter butzleri, two strains of Arcobacter cryaerophilus, and one strain of Arcobacter skirrowii was evaluated. When MICs were determined using the broth macrodilution method, cinnamaldehyde was most inhibitory followed by thymol, carvacrol, caffeic acid, tannic acid, and eugenol (P < 0.001). Sublethal concentrations of the three most potent plant oil aromatics also were examined. Overall, cinnamaldehyde was the most bacteriostatic against all arcobacters tested except A. butzleri when these strains were exposed to the MIC25 of this aromatic aldehyde. The bacteriostatic activities of thymol and carvacrol were concentration and species dependent.     

Babesia Bovis Ligand-Receptor Interaction: AMA-1 Contains Small Regions Governing Bovine Erythrocyte Binding

Apical membrane antigen 1 is a microneme protein which plays an indispensable role during Apicomplexa parasite invasion. The detailed mechanism of AMA-1 molecular interaction with its receptor on bovine erythrocytes has not been completely defined in Babesia bovis. This study was focused on identifying the minimum B. bovis AMA-1-derived regions governing specific and high-affinity binding to its target cells. Different approaches were used for detecting ama-1 locus genetic variability and natural selection signatures. The binding properties of twelve highly conserved 20-residue-long peptides were evaluated using a sensitive and specific binding assay based on radio-iodination. B. bovis AMA-1 ectodomain structure was modelled and refined using molecular modelling software. NetMHCIIpan software was used for calculating B- and T-cell epitopes. The B. bovis ama-1 gene had regions under functional constraint, having the highest negative selective pressure intensity in the Domain I encoding region. Interestingly, B. bovis AMA-1-DI (¹⁰⁰YMQKFDIPRNHGSGIYVDLG¹¹⁹ and ¹²⁰GYESVGSKSYRMPVGKCPVV¹³⁹) and DII (³⁰²CPMHPVRDAIFGKWSGGSCV³²¹)-derived peptides had high specificity interaction with erythrocytes and bound to a chymotrypsin and neuraminidase-treatment sensitive receptor. DI-derived peptides appear to be exposed on the protein’s surface and contain predicted B- and T-cell epitopes. These findings provide data (for the first-time) concerning B. bovis AMA-1 functional subunits which are important for establishing receptor-ligand interactions which could be used in synthetic vaccine development.     

Compositional characteristics,texture, shelf-life and sensory quality of snack crackers produced from non-traditional ingredients

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of non-traditional and highly available and nutrient-dense ingredients in the production of value-added crackers. The crackers were prepared by combining partially defatted chia flour, wheat germ, quinoa, and oat. The antioxidant activity and the polyphenol content were 7.0–8.4 times higher in crackers produced with non-traditional ingredients compared to the control snack. The hydroperoxide value indicated a low oxidative deterioration of the oil. The sample with 10% of partially defatted chia flour was selected for shelf-life test under storage conditions and sensory evaluation. Modified atmosphere exerted a protective effect on the lipid stability regardless of the incorporation of BHT to the formulation. All the evaluated attributes scored highly during consumer acceptance. The formulated cracker presented a relevant content of protein, dietary fibre and omega-3 and -6 fatty acids. Based on these results, the crackers containing non-traditional ingredients resulted in a product with a good potential for both consumer acceptance and outstanding nutritional benefits.     

Bioactive-Tissue-Derived Nanocomposite Hydrogel for Permanent Arterial Embolization and Enhanced Vascular Healing

Transcatheter embolization is a minimally invasive procedure that uses embolic agents to intentionally block diseased or injured blood vessels for therapeutic purposes. Embolic agents in clinical practice are limited by recanalization, risk of non-target embolization, failure in coagulopathic patients, high cost, and toxicity. Here, a decellularized cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM)-based nanocomposite hydrogel is developed to provide superior mechanical stability, catheter injectability, retrievability, antibacterial properties, and biological activity to prevent recanalization. The embolic efficacy of the shear-thinning ECM-based hydrogel is shown in a porcine survival model of embolization in the iliac artery and the renal artery. The ECM-based hydrogel promotes arterial vessel wall remodeling and a fibroinflammatory response while undergoing significant biodegradation such that only 25% of the embolic material remains at 14 days. With its unprecedented proregenerative, antibacterial properties coupled with favorable mechanical properties, and its superior performance in anticoagulated blood, the ECM-based hydrogel has the potential to be a next-generation biofunctional embolic agent that can successfully treat a wide range of vascular diseases.