A numerical study on the soot and combustion performance of a diesel engine with pip shape

Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology - The shape of the combustion chamber plays an important role in the formation of the air-fuel mixture in the chamber, which has a great influence on...     

Laccase‐mediated grafting of polyphenols onto cationized cotton fibers to impart UV protection and antioxidant activities

Enzyme‐mediated in situ functionalization of cotton fibers was studied using laccase. Caffeic acid and morin were used as reactive phenolic substrates for laccase and further employed to the modification of fiber surfaces. Laccase‐mediated oxidation and polymerization reactions of caffeic acid were monitored by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. During the wetting process, initial cationization of fiber surfaces using poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) followed by enzymatic treatment with phenolic substrates resulted ineffective polymer grafting evidenced by high color stability. Changes of fiber surface properties by polymer grafting, such as morphology and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, were tested using scanning electron microscopy and gravimetric absorption tests. An acceptable level of color resistance to washing stress was obtained on caffeic acid treated samples, and a high level of rubbing resistance was obtained on samples treated with both caffeic acid and morin. Regarding the ultraviolet protection test, the cationized and enzymatically functionalized samples showed a very good protection grade (ultraviolet protection factor = 25). Finally, the antioxidant activity test of the modified fibers presented an improvement for radical scavenging potential due to the phenolic compounds incorporated to cotton fibers by laccase‐mediated catalysis. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45801.     

Determination of acetaldehyde,methanol and fusel oils in distilled liquors and sakès by headspace gas chromatography

Food Science and Biotechnology - In this study, a headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC) method was carried out to determine the contents of acetaldehyde, methanol and fusel oils in distilled liquors...     

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of phenolic compounds extracted from lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) leaves at various extraction conditions

Food Science and Biotechnology - Lemon myrtle leaves were extracted with ethanol at different temperatures (25, 50, and 80 °C) and times (2, 4, 6, and 10 h) to examine the...     

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and Magnetic Circular Dichroism Spectra of the Nitrogenase M Cluster Precursor Suggest Sulfur Migration upon Oxidation: A Proposal for Substrate and Inhibitor Binding

The active site of the nitrogen-fixing enzyme Mo-nitrogenase is the M cluster ([MoFe₇S₉C ⋅ R-homocitrate]), also known as the FeMo cofactor or FeMoco. The biosynthesis of this highly complex metallocluster involves a series of proteins. Among them, NifB, a radical-SAM enzyme, is instrumental in the assembly of the L cluster ([Fe₈S₉C]), a precursor and all-iron core of the M cluster. In the absence of sulfite, NifB assembles a precursor form of the L cluster called the L* cluster ([Fe₈S₈C]), which lacks the final ninth sulfur. EPR and MCD spectroscopies are used to probe the electronic structures of the paramagnetic, oxidized forms of both the L and L* clusters, labeled L^Ox and [ L* ] ^Ox . This study shows that both L^Ox and [ L* ] ^Ox have nearly identical EPR and MCD spectra, thus suggesting that the two clusters have identical structures upon oxidation; in other words, a sulfur migrates away from L^Ox following oxidation, thereby rendering the cluster identical to [ L* ] ^Ox . It is proposed that a similar migration could occur to the M cluster upon oxidation, and that this is an instrumental part of both M cluster formation and nitrogenase substrate/inhibitor binding.     

Brief Review of Precipitated Iron-Based Catalysts for Low-Temperature Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis

Topics in Catalysis - Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is a promising way to produce clean liquid fuels and high value-added chemicals from low-value carbon-containing resources such as coal,...     

Application of Cudrania tricuspidata leaf extract as a washing agent to inactivate Listeria monocytogenes on fresh-cut romaine lettuce and kale

The present study aimed to examine the antimicrobial activity of silkworm thorn (Cudrania tricuspidata) leaf extract (CTLE) and its application as a washing agent for fresh-cut romaine lettuce and kale. The antimicrobial activities of CTLE at various concentrations against Listeria monocytogenes were determined using disc diffusion and viable cell count assays, and CTLE exhibited strong inactivation of L. monocytogenes. In particular, after the treatment with 0.4% CTLE, the protein content of L. monocytogenes cells was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased from 507.21 to 254.58 μg mL⁻¹, and damaged cells were observed by scanning electron microscopy. CTLE washing resulted in approximately 2-log reduction of microbial growth, similar to that of 0.01% NaOCl. In addition, CTLE washing did not affect the quality of romaine lettuce and kale. Therefore, these results suggest that CTLE is applicable as a new washing agent for inactivating L. monocytogenes on fresh-cut romaine lettuce and kale.     

Synthesis and properties of castor oil-based polyurethane containing short fluorinated segment

This study successfully incorporated a short-segment fluorine-containing chain extender (2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-1,4-butanediol [TF]) into castor oil-based polyurethane (COPU) to synthesize TF/COPUs. The interactions between TF and COPU components were identified by Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, the results revealed that the increase in the TF content increased the van der Waals forces in C F…CO and the hydrogen bonding force in C F…H N. Atomic force microscopy indicated that the addition of more TF contributed to a higher level of microphase separation in the TF/COPUs. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the TF component can enhance the thermal resistance of TF/COPUs. Differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis indicated that the glass transition temperature (T_g) of TF/COPUs increased with the TF content. The stress–strain testing showed that the tensile strength and elongation at break values decreased with the TF content. This tensile behavior may be due to the molecular weight of a TF/COPU decreased with the TF content as evidenced by the gel permeation chromatography results. The hydrolytic degradation tests of dipping TF/COPUs in 3 wt% NaOH solution indicated that TF could lower the surface free energy and enhance the degradation stability of TF/COPUs.