Correlation among Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Hemolytic, and Antiproliferative Properties of Leiothrix spiralis Leaves Extract

The biological activities of a plant extract depend on a complex sum of individual properties including the antioxidant activity. Several biological activities protect against the harmful action of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and here we focused our attention on the relationship between the biological activities tested and the antioxidant properties. In this study, the total flavonoid content as well as the antioxidant, antimicrobial, hemolytic and cytotoxicity activities of the methanolic extract of Leitothrix spiralis leaves were evaluated. The extract showed a total flavonoid content of 19.26% and the chemical characterization by HPLC-PAD confirmed the presence of flavonoids as the major secondary metabolite compounds. Significant antioxidant activity (IC(50) = 1.743 μg/mL ± 0.063) was demonstrated and was effective against Gram-negative organisms and all Candida strains tested, and showed an ability to inhibit hyphal formation. Non-hemolytic and antiproliferative activity could be demonstrated.     

Interfacial and emulsifying behaviour of rice protein concentrate

Interfacial and emulsifying properties of rice protein concentrate (RPC) have been studied in order to evaluate its potential application to stabilize O–W emulsions. The interfacial behaviour of adsorbed proteins films constituted with RPC has been studied at the air–water and oil–water interfaces at two pH values (2 and 8). The type and the amount of soluble proteins have been determined in aqueous dispersions and results put forward the presence of most frequent rice protein profile and a significant degree of protein denaturation with a very low solubility. Air–water and oil–water interfacial properties have been determined as a function of time, concentration and pH: air–water by surface pressure under compression–expansion cycles and oil–water by interfacial tension. Interfacial rheology has been studied under dilatational deformations, either at the initial step of film formation or once the interfacial tension was at equilibrium (the film was completely formed). RPC-stabilised O–W emulsions has been also analysed by Droplet Size Distribution (DSD) measurements and interfacial protein concentration. Both interfacial and bulk emulsion properties reveal that RPC showed an enhanced potential as emulsifier at low pH. Globally; results indicate clearly important differences in the structural characteristics of rice protein films between pH 2 and 8 that impact on emulsifying properties.     

Determination of aflatoxins in by-products of industrial processing of cocoa beans

This study has examined the occurrence of aflatoxins in 168 samples of different fractions obtained during the processing of cocoa in manufacturing plants (shell, nibs, mass, butter, cake and powder) using an optimised methodology for cocoa by-products. The method validation was based on selectivity, linearity, limit of detection and recovery. The method was shown to be adequate for use in quantifying the contamination of cocoa by aflatoxins B(1), B(2), G(1) and G(2). Furthermore, the method was easier to use than other methods available in the literature. For aflatoxin extraction from cocoa samples, a methanol-water solution was used, and then immunoaffinity columns were employed for clean-up before the determination by high-performance liquid chromatography. A survey demonstrated a widespread occurrence of aflatoxins in cocoa by-products, although in general the levels of aflatoxins present in the fractions from industrial processing of cocoa were low. A maximum aflatoxin contamination of 13.3 ng g(-1) was found in a nib sample. The lowest contamination levels were found in cocoa butter. Continued monitoring of aflatoxins in cocoa by-products is nevertheless necessary because these toxins have a high toxicity to humans and cocoa is widely consumed by children through cocoa-containing products, like candies.     

Failure Analysis of an Aqua Tubular Boiler Tube

In general, boilers are subjected to aggressive environmental conditions and, for this reason, there is a real necessity of controlling some parameters such as quality of input water, amount and types of addition agents used in the water, and operational conditions of the equipment (pressure and temperature). The lack of control of these and other parameters can cause loss of performance of the boiler by higher amount of fuel consumption, loss of efficiency, or even rupture of components, causing severe accidents. This study has as purpose the failure analysis in a pipe of the lateral wall of a boiler, known as aqua tubular, of an aircraft carrier flat top boat during a test in sea. The material of the pipes, according to preliminary information, is ASTM 192 steel, which is adequate for this kind of application. Through microstructural analysis in important regions for the study of this failure and earlier information about equipment operation, the cause of rupture of the pipe, which was changed only 50?h before the accident, was analyzed. It was observed that incrustations, corrosion pits in the walls of the pipe, and high temperatures together with microstructural changes were the probable causes of the pipe rupture. It can also be concluded that the analyzed failure had no relation with the quality of the material or the fabrication process of the component.     

Gas-phase detonation propagation in mixture composition gradients

The propagation of detonations through several fuel-air mixtures with spatially varying fuel concentrations is examined numerically. The detonations propagate through two-dimensional channels, inside of which the gradient of mixture composition is oriented normal to the direction of propagation. The simulations are performed using a two-component, single-step reaction model calibrated so that one-dimensional detonation properties of model low- and high-activation-energy mixtures are similar to those observed in a typical hydrocarbon-air mixture. In the low-activation-energy mixture, the reaction zone structure is complex, consisting of curved fuel-lean and fuel-rich detonations near the line of stoichiometry that transition to decoupled shocks and turbulent deflagrations near the channel walls where the mixture is extremely fuel-lean or fuel-rich. Reactants that are not consumed by the leading detonation combine downstream and burn in a diffusion flame. Detonation cells produced by the unstable reaction front vary in size across the channel, growing larger away from the line of stoichiometry. As the size of the channel decreases relative to the size of a detonation cell, the effect of the mixture composition gradient is lessened and cells of similar sizes form. In the high-activation-energy mixture, detonations propagate more slowly as the magnitude of the mixture composition gradient is increased and can be quenched in a large enough gradient.     

Penetration of light into multiple scattering media: model calculations and reflectance experiments. Part I: the axial transfer

The article presents two general equations of radiation penetration into layers of diffuse reflectors. One of the equations describes the depth origins of reflection, the other the depth profiles of absorption. The equations are evaluated within the theory of radiative transfer applying various degrees of analytical approximations and Monte Carlo simulations. The data are presented for different scattering and absorption coefficients, arbitrary layer thicknesses, collimated and diffused irradiation, and anisotropic forward scattering. The calculated mean depths of reflection are always lower than the mean depths of absorption. For nearly non-absorbing layers, the mean depths of absorption are about one third of the physical layer thickness. In contrast, penetration saturates for strong absorbers at very low depth levels. From the simulated data, methods are derived for the determination of the penetration depth from reflectance and transmittance data of thin layers or from radially diffused reflectance profiles upon spot irradiation. The methods are experimentally verified for a series of metal oxide powders with particle sizes ranging from much smaller to much larger than the wavelength of irradiation and for microcrystalline cellulose stained with different concentrations of an organic dye.     

Glass fiber reinforced ROMP-based bio-renewable polymers: Enhancement of the interface with silane coupling agents

In this study, the influence of silane coupling agents on interfacial adhesion in glass fiber reinforced polymers from the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of a linseed oil-based monomer and dicyclopentadiene is investigated experimentally. Two types of silane coupling agents, norbornenylethyldimethylchlorosilane (MCS) and norbornenylethyltrichlorosilane (TCS), are examined. Interfacial shear strength (IFSS) is evaluated by the microbond technique. The IFSS increases by about 150% for the MCS-treated fibers and by about 50% for the TCS-treated fibers compared to untreated fibers. Dynamic mechanical analysis of composite panels made with untreated and silane-treated fibers reveals that MCS-treated fiber composites have the highest storage modulus and glass transition temperature, indicating strong interfacial interactions at the glass/matrix interface. Short beam shear tests and scanning electron microscopy of fracture surfaces also confirm that MCS is more effective than TCS at improving interfacial adhesion.     

Friction pressure correlations for turbulent flow of drag reducing polymer solutions in straight and coiled tubing

Accurate determination of friction pressure losses of dilute drag reducing polymer solutions remains to be a challenge in many practical applications. These include a wide variety of hydraulic operations performed on a daily basis in the oil and gas industry. Most drilling, completions, and stimulation jobs require pumping fluids at high flow rates, which in turn generates high frictional pressure losses, enhanced by the use of small diameter tubing or coiled tubing. Curvature in this latter is believed to generate secondary flows and thus extra flow resistance. Therefore, good drag reduction characteristics of fluids are desirable.In this study, energy dissipation by eddies in turbulent flow of viscoelastic fluids is assumed to be the mechanism causing drag reduction. Various concentrations of Nalco ASP-700 and Nalco ASP-820 dilute polymer solutions are tested at ambient temperature in laboratory-scale and full-scale flow loops installed with straight and coiled tubing sections exhibiting different values of diameter, curvature ratio and pipe roughness. In addition, flow tests are conducted at 100 °F and 130 °F using the laboratory-scale flow loop.Effects of concentration, temperature, curvature ratio, and pipe roughness on drag reduction are discussed in light of Fanning friction factor versus solvent Reynolds number plots. Results show that drag reduction in coiled tubing is lower than in straight tubing. As curvature ratio increases, drag reduction decreases. The effect of increasing temperature is to decrease drag reduction in straight tubing and increase it in coiled tubing. In turn, the effect of increasing pipe roughness is to slightly decrease drag reduction in straight tubing up to a certain Reynolds number value and then it starts to increase. For coiled tubing, the effect of increasing pipe roughness is to decrease drag reduction.In this study, generalized correlations for the prediction of drag reduction in dilute polymer solutions flowing in straight and coiled tubing are developed on the basis of the energy dissipation of eddies in turbulent flow field and a shear rate dependent relaxation time. In addition, correlations are validated using experimental data for a low concentration guar fluid flowing through full-scale flow loop.     

Past,present and future of Industry 4.0 - a systematic literature review and research agenda proposal

Over the last few years, the fourth industrial revolution has attracted more and more attentions all around the world. In the current literature, there is still a lack of efforts to systematically review the state of the art of this new industrial revolution wave. The aim of this study is to address this gap by investigating the academic progresses in Industry 4.0. A systematic literature review was carried out to analyse the academic articles within the Industry 4.0 topic that were published online until the end of June 2016. In this paper, the obtained results from both the general data analysis of included papers (e.g. relevant journals, their subject areas and categories, conferences, keywords) and the specific data analysis corresponding to four research sub-questions are illustrated and discussed. These results not only summarise the current research activities (e.g. main research directions, applied standards, employed software and hardware), but also indicate existing deficiencies and potential research directions through proposing a research agenda. Findings of this review can be used as the basis for future research in Industry 4.0 and related topics.