Short- and mid-term adsorption behaviour of Quillaja Bark Saponin and its mixtures with lysozyme

The short- and mid-term adsorption kinetics of Quillaja Bark Saponin (QBS) biosurfactant at water–air interface was studied using a maximum bubble pressure and drop shape analysis techniques, respectively. The low values of diffusion coefficients at initial and close-to equilibrium stages of adsorption suggest that adsorption of QBS is mixed-diffusion barrier controlled. Increasing the ionic strength or decreasing pH helps to screen the negative charge of the glucuronic acid moiety of QBS and results in enhanced surface activity of QBS. The surface tension isotherms at pH 2.6 (HCl solution, unbuffered), 6.2 (pure water, unbuffered) and 7.4 (phosphate buffer, I = 0.1 M) were fitted using the Frumkin model. The influence of a model protein (hen egg lysozyme, LYS) on adsorption of QBS on short- and mid-term timescales was studied at fixed LYS concentration of 10⁻⁵ M and varying QBS concentration. The synergistic effects in QBS adsorption were observed due to formation of LYS–QBS complex, whose surface activity increases at low QBS concentrations. The complex may be formed either in bulk solution, prior to adsorption, or directly at the surface, through co-adsorption of the slower diffusing component on the pre-adsorbed layer of the other component. At high concentrations of QBS, the latter dominates the adsorption process, depleting the surface from LYS and LYS–QBS complex. The synergistic effects found in adsorption kinetics of LYS–QBS mixtures were assessed in foamability tests using a modified Bikerman method.     

Salt Effect on the Solution Properties of Cationic Gemini/Conventional Surfactants in the Presence of the Nonionic Polymer Hydroxypropylmethyl Cellulose

In this article, we report the salt effect on interaction of a water-soluble polymer hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) with the cationic Gemini surfactant (ethane-1, 2-diyl bis(N,N-dimethyl-N-hexadecylammoniumacetoxy) dichloride, 16-E2-16), and also its monomeric counterpart cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) using the tensiometric method. Surface tension of the amphiphiles diminished in the presence of the polymer as well as salts; eventually, the polymer gets saturated with the surfactant and there is no further change of surface tension of the solution. Interaction between the polymer and surfactant starts at the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) that is stronger for 16-E2-16 than CTAC. CAC and critical micelle concentration (CMC) values of the surfactant-polymer binary mixtures at various concentrations of the polymer were determined. CAC as well as CMC of 16-E2-16 are considerably lower than CTAC. The inorganic salts (KCl and KBr) have a considerable influence on the polymer–surfactant interaction.     

The effects of different materials as dough improvers for organic whole wheat bread

In this research, the effects of different materials such as defatted Cephalaria syriaca flour (0.5%), rosehip (2.5%), vital gluten (2.5%) and malt flour (2%), and their combinations on the quality of organic whole wheat flour were investigated. The highest maximum resistance value was obtained in the treatment containing 0.5% cephalaria and 2.5% rosehip. The addition of malt flour and vital gluten significantly increased the extensibility value. Although rosehip, cephalaria and vital gluten generally increased the dough energy, malt flour decreased the dough energy when compared to the control. The combination of 0.5% cephalaria and 2.5% rosehip significantly decreased the adhesion and stringiness of dough. Data showed that dough rheological characteristics of organic whole wheat flour could be improved with the addition of different materials such as malt flour, cephalaria, rosehip and vital gluten.     

Effect of Applied Load in the Nanoindentation of Gold Ball Bonds

We have analyzed the effects of nanoindentation at applied loads of 10 mN and 20 mN on the micromechanical properties of gold (Au) ball bonds with and without cracks. The depth profile and the plastic zone size for each indentation were determined to identify the substrate effect and its relationship with the observed micromechanical properties. The substrate effect occurred for indentations at 20 mN applied load, but did not occur near cracks for either 10 mN or 20 mN loads. Because of the substrate effect and the presence of cracks, the average hardness or yield strength decreased for indentations on Au ball bonds. Therefore, to minimize the substrate effect, an applied load of 10 mN is best for characterizing Au ball bonds.     

On the degree of boundary slip over nonplanar surfaces

The breakdown of the no-slip boundary condition at a fluid–solid interface has been recognized in micro/nanofluidics for many years. However, the relationship between the curvature of the surface and the degree of boundary slip has not been understood sufficiently well. The present study reveals that the degree of slip depends effectively on the surface curvature, which is having an opposing effect over rotating concave and convex surfaces. The results show that as surface curvature increases, the boundary slip becomes negligible over a concave surface, while it becomes increasingly important over a convex surface. In addition, boundary slip formulae are proposed that can accurately predict the boundary slips over convex and concave surfaces. These formulae are found to be in very good agreement with DSMC data for a range of accommodation coefficients and boundary curvatures. The present study then explains the mechanism of the intriguing phenomenon of velocity inversion which has, until the present study, often been mistakenly attributed solely to the effects of boundary curvature.     

Thermal performance of myristic acid as a phase change material for energy storage application

Thermal performance and phase change stability of myristic acid as a latent heat energy storage material has been studied experimentally. In the experimental study, the thermal performance and heat transfer characteristics of the myristic acid were tested and compared with other studies given in the literature. In the present study is included some parameters such as transition times, temperature range, and propagation of the solid–liquid interface as well as heat flow rate effect on the phase change stability of myristic acid as a phase change material (PCM). The experimental results showed that the melting stability of the PCM is better in the radial direction than the axial direction. The variety of the melting and solidification parameters of the PCM with the change of inlet water temperature is also studied. The results show that the better stability of the myristic acid was accomplished at low inlet water temperature compared with the obtained results at high inlet water temperature. We also observed that while the heat exchanger tube is in the horizontal position, the PCM has more effective and steady phase change characteristics than in the vertical position. The heat storage capacity of the container (PCM tube) is not as good as we expected in this study and the average heat storage efficiency (or heat exchanger effectiveness) is 54%. It means that 46% of the heat acrually lost somewhere.     

植物纤维单块土坯抗压试验研究

通过对同尺寸的单块素土坯及掺和麦秸秆的单块土坯的各向抗压试验获得了素土坯和掺和麦秸秆土坯的抗压强度及受力破坏形态,总结了单块土坯抗压试验的试验过程及试验现象。得到荷载—位移曲线后,评估掺和麦秸秆对土坯抗压承载能力的影响及得出了麦秸秆的最优掺量。掺和适量的麦秸秆能提高土坯的抗压强度及应变能力。从本试验研究得出的结果,为土坯砌体试验和土坯墙片试验提供基本力学性能数据。     

Reactivation of human acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibited by leptophos-oxon with different oxime reactivators in vitro

We have evaluated in vitro the potency of 23 oximes to reactivate human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibited by racemic leptophos-oxon (O-[4-bromo-2,5-dichlorophenyl]-O-methyl phenyl-phosphonate), a toxic metabolite of the pesticide leptophos. Compounds were assayed in concentrations of 10 and 100 μM. In case of leptophos-oxon inhibited AChE, the best reactivation potency was achieved with methoxime, trimedoxime, obidoxime and oxime K027. The most potent reactivators of inhibited BChE were K033, obidoxime, K117, bis-3-PA, K075, K074 and K127. The reactivation efficacy of tested oximes was lower in case of leptophos-oxon inhibited BChE.