LINDASearch: a faceted search system for linked open datasets

Wireless Networks - The importance of Linked Data lies on the fact that its practices and principles have been adopted by an increasing number of data providers, resulting in the creation of a data...     

An Unprecedented Stimuli‐Controlled Single‐Crystal Reversible Phase Transition of a Metal–Organic Framework and Its Application to a Novel Method of Guest Encapsulation

The flexibility and unexpected dynamic behavior of a third‐generation metal–organic framework are described for the first time. The synthetic strategy is based on the flexibility and spherical shape of dipyridyl‐based carborane linkers that act as pillars between rigid Co/BTB (BTB: 1,3,5‐benzenetricarboxylate) layers, providing a 3D porous structure ( 1 ). A phase transition of the solid can be induced to generate a new, nonporous 2D structure ( 2 ) without any loss of the carborane linkers. The structural transformation is visualized by snapshots of the multistep single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal transformation by single‐crystal and powder X‐ray diffraction. Poor hydrogen bond acceptors such as MeOH, CHCl₃ or supercritical CO₂ induce such a 3D to 2D transformation. Remarkably, the transformation is reversible and the 2D phase 2 is further converted back into 1 by heating in dimethylformamide. The energy requirements involved in such processes are investigated using periodic density functional theory calculations. As a proof of concept for potential applications, encapsulation of C₆₀ is achieved by trapping this molecule during the reversible 2D to 3D phase transition, whereas no adsorption is observed by straight solvent diffusion into the pores of the 3D phase.     

A review on electrospun polymer nanostructures as advanced bioactive platforms

This review article deals with latest literature studies on the potential use of polymer ultrathin and nanosized structures obtained by electrospinning to design novel engineered materials with bioactive properties. The electrofluidodynamic process offers the option to form high‐performance bioactive systems based on polymer yarns of nanofibers or coatings of nanobeads with high surface‐to‐volume ratios. The electrospun and electrosprayed nanostructures can be further functionalized by encapsulation with bioactive fillers and substances. For both scenarios, the resultant polymer nanostructures present unique bioactive properties capable of providing a beneficial impact over human's health and with improved and advanced performance for biomedicine, pharmaceutics, nutrition, bioengineering, and healthcare applications. These novel functional materials attained by the electrospinning technology can be of interest for many bioactive applications such as functional food design, food packaging, functional coatings, controlled delivery of drug solutions and, mainly, tissue engineering. This article is purposely designed to gather, for the first time, most recent and promising multi‐ and inter‐disciplinary developments based on electrospun systems for bioactive applications, which are either bioactive material concepts or can be advantageously applied to become such. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 56:500–527, 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effects of antimicrobial components of essential oils on growth of Bacillus cereus INRA L2104 in and the sensory qualities of carrot broth

The possible use of antimicrobials from seven plant essential oils as food preservatives was studied by examining their effects on the growth kinetics of activated Bacillus cereus INRA L2104 spores inoculated into tyndallized carrot broth. The effects of various concentrations of borneol, carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, menthol, thymol, and vanillin were determined. Five microliters of cinnamaldehyde, 15 microl of carvacrol, or 30 mg of thymol per 100 ml of inoculated carrot broth completely inhibited bacterial growth for more than 60 days at 16 degrees C. Lower concentrations of the three antimicrobials prolonged the lag phase and reduced both the exponential growth rate and the final population densities of cultures. The study of the sensory characteristics of the supplemented broths suggested that low concentration of cinnamaldehyde enhanced the taste of carrot broth, and that it did not have any adverse effect on the taste and smell of carrot broth at concentrations less than 6 microl 100 ml(-1).     

Models in a Bayesian framework for inactivation of pectinesterase in a commercial enzyme formulation by pulsed electric fields

The inactivation of pectinesterase (PE) in a commercial enzyme formulation (CEF) under pulsed electric fields (PEF) was studied. Samples of an aqueous solution of the CEF were exposed to exponential waveform pulses for up to 16 ms at electric field intensities ranging from 5 to 24 kV cm^–1. Pulses were delivered in monopolar mode. The observed inactivation of the enzyme was described by several kinetics and regarding the input of electrical energy density (Q) models using Bayesian non-linear regression. Posterior distributions of the characteristic parameters for each kinetic model (based on the Hülsheger or the Weibull equation) and each Q model (based on exponential decay or the Weibull equation) were obtained. Kinetics models based on the Weibull equation showed better goodness and accuracy than the other models.