Effect of different biopolymers and polymers on the mechanical and permeation properties of extruded PHBV cast films

The biopolymer poly‐3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) is a promising material for packaging applications but its high brittleness is challenging. To address this issue, PHBV was blended with nine different biopolymers and polymers in order to improve the processing and mechanical properties of the films. Those biopolymers were TPS, PBAT, a blend of PBAT + PLA, a blend of PBAT + PLA + filler, PCL and PBS, and the polymers TPU, PVAc, and EVA. The extruded cast films were analyzed in detail (melting temperature, crystallinity, mechanical properties, permeation properties, and surface topography). A decrease in crystallinity and Young's modulus and an increase in elongation at break and permeability were observed with increasing biopolymer/polymer concentration. In PHBV‐rich blends (≥70 wt % PHBV), the biopolymers/polymers PCL, PBAT, and TPU increased the elongation at break while only slightly increasing the permeability. Larger increases in the permeability were found for the films with PBS, PVAc, and EVA. The films of biopolymer/polymer‐rich blends (with PBAT, TPU, and EVA) had significantly different properties than pure PHBV. A strong effect on the properties was measured assuming that at certain biopolymer/polymer concentrations the coherent PHBV network is disrupted. The interpretation of the permeation values by the Maxwell–Garnett theory confirms the assumption of a phase separation. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46153.     

Production,nutrient cycling and soil compaction to grazing of grass companion cropping with corn and soybean

Agricultural management systems are needed to simultaneously enhance production, promote plant diversity, improve nutrient cycling and reduce soil compaction. We investigated the effects of intercropped forage grass on production of corn (Zea mays L.) harvested for silage at 0.20 and 0.45 m height in the summer, as well as on production of subsequent forage, soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] harvested for silage, nutrient cycling and soil responses on a Typic Haplorthox in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. Palisade grass cv. BRS Piatã [Urochloa brizantha cv. BRS Piatã] was the introduced companion crop with corn (Years 1 and 2), while signal grass [Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk] was the residual weedy species in comparison. Guineagrass cv. Aruãna [Megathyrsus maximus cv. Aruãna] was the introduced companion crop with soybean (Year 3), with only a residual effect of crop systems from the previous two years. After the corn silage harvest, pasture was grazed by lambs in winter/spring using a semi-feedlot system. When cut at 0.45 m compared with 0.20 m height, corn intercropped with palisade grass had greater leaf nutrient concentration, improved agronomic characteristics, forage mass of pasture for grazing by lambs, greater surface mulch produced, and greater quantity of N, P and K returned to soil. Greater soil organic matter, P, K and Mg concentration, and base saturation in the surface soil depth and lower soil penetration resistance at all depths occurred at 0.45 m than at 0.20 m corn silage cutting height intercropped with palisade grass. Analyzing the system as a whole, harvesting corn silage crop with palisade grass intercrop at 0.45 m height was the most viable option in this integrated crop-livestock system.     

Rancidity development during the chilled storage of farmed Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)

Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) is a fatty fish species whose farming production has greatly increased in recent years. Lipid damage produced during Coho salmon chilled storage was studied for up to 24 d. Lipid hydrolysis (free fatty acids, FFA) and oxidation (conjugated dienes; peroxide value, PV; thiobarbituric acid index, TBA‐i; fluorescent compounds formation, FR; browning development) were determined and compared to lipid composition (polyene index, PI; astaxanthin, AX) changes and sensory assessment (rancid odour development) results. Most lipid damage indices developed slowly during storage; thus, values obtained for FFA, PV, TBA‐i and FR were in all cases under 1.5 g/100 g, 4.0 meq oxygen/kg lipid, 0.40 mg malondialdehyde/kg muscle and 0.40, respectively. Odour assessment showed a significant (p <0.05) rancidity development at day 10, when compared to starting fish material; then, non‐acceptable values were obtained at days 19 and 24. The PI analysis showed not many differences during the storage time, with the lowest mean value at day 19. AX analysis indicated a relatively high content in the white muscle, which was maintained till the end of the experiment. A low oxidation development is concluded for Coho salmon lipids when compared to other fatty fish species under the same chilling conditions. AX was found to contribute to the oxidation stability of Coho salmon lipids, due to its free radical scavenger properties.     

Bleaching of indigo-dyed denim fabric by electrochemical formation of hypohalogenites in situ

The use of hypochlorite, formed in situ by anodic oxidation of sodium chloride solution, for bleaching indigo-dyed denim has been studied at room temperature and at 50 °C. A direct relationship between the charge flow applied and the bleaching effect was observed. This enables consistent oxidative bleaching to be achieved by controlling the electrochemical process. The use of mixed anolytes containing small concentrations of bromide ions enhanced the bleaching effect considerably, even after lowering the temperature to room temperature. The molar concentration of bromide ions required was much lower than that of chloride in the anolyte.     

New inhibitors of the Tat-TAR RNA interaction found with a "fuzzy" pharmacophore model

TAR RNA is a potential target for AIDS therapy. Ligand-based virtual screening was performed to retrieve novel scaffolds for RNA-binding molecules capable of inhibiting the Tat-TAR interaction, which is essential for HIV replication. We used a "fuzzy" pharmacophore approach (SQUID) and an alignment-free pharmacophore method (CATS3D) to carry out virtual screening of a vendor database of small molecules and to perform "scaffold-hopping". A small subset of 19 candidate molecules were experimentally tested for TAR RNA binding in a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay. Both methods retrieved molecules that exhibited activities comparable to those of the reference molecules acetylpromazine and chlorpromazine, with the best molecule showing ten times better binding behavior (IC50 = 46 microM). The hits had molecular scaffolds different from those of the reference molecules.     

A new method for determining dynamic grain structure evolution during hot aluminum extrusion

In this paper, a new method for analyzing the microstructure evolution of aluminum during deformation at elevated temperatures by extrusion is presented, which is entirely separated from secondary restoration effects viz. static recrystallization and grain growth. In order to observe the development of grains and their orientation under severe plastic deformation, a small-scale forward extrusion setup was designed which allows quenching the extrusion butt together with the die and the container immediately after extrusion to preserve the grain structure evolved during the deformation. The forming path and the forming history of a selected material point were calculated by numerical simulation. The evolution of the microstructure along the forming path was analyzed using electron backscatter diffraction. A database for the development of physically based phenomenological models for predicting and simulating the evolution of microstructure during the hot deformation of EN AW-6082 alloy is provided.     

New Structural Variants of Homoserine Lactones in Bacteria

N‐Acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) are used by a wide variety of bacteria for cell–cell communication in “quorum‐sensing”. These compounds are derived from L ‐homoserine lactone and a fatty acid, which varies in chain‐length, degree of saturation, and the presence or absence of an oxygen atom at C‐3. In this study we describe for the first time the occurrence of acyl chains carrying a methyl branch, and present a GC‐MS‐based method that can be used to distinguish these compounds from unbranched isomers. The bacterium Aeromonas culicicola produces several methyl branched AHLs. In Jannaschia helgolandensis—a marine bacterium of the Roseobacter clade—a doubly unsaturated AHL, (2E,9Z)‐N‐(2,9‐hexadecadienoyl)‐L ‐homoserine lactone, occurs. The location and configuration of the double bonds was proven by spectrometric investigation and synthesis. Finally, a method was developed to establish the absolute configuration of 3‐hydroxyalkanoyl‐HSLs by mild cleavage and chiral gas chromatography. The AHLs synthesized during this study were tested in sensor systems specific for certain AHL types. The results show that these compounds display varying responses to the respective sensors; this underlines the importance of determining the whole bouquet of AHLs and its function to fully understand their importance for regulatory functions in bacteria.     

Analytical investigation of the composition of plasma-induced functional groups on carbon nanotube sheets

To increase the applicability of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) oxygen-containing functional groups were generated on their widely inert surface by using glow-discharge plasmas. CNT-sheets (bucky papers) produced from the powder-like raw material were used as substrates allowing for a more defined characterization of one and the same surface by different analytical techniques. The plasma composition was analyzed by optical emission spectroscopy. Since the actual composition of the plasma-induced functional groups has still not been completely resolved, we performed an in-depth characterization of the treated samples by X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy as well as electron spin resonance measurements. To overcome limitations of the XPS-analysis in distinguishing between groups featuring nearby binding energies, alcohol-, keto-/aldehyde-, and carboxyl-groups were tagged by derivatization techniques using fluorine-containing reagents (trifluoroaceticanhydride, trifluoromethylphenylhydrazine, and trifluoroethanol). Differential spectra were calculated to enhance the accuracy of the deconvolution of the XPS-spectra. This enabled us to determine dependencies of the plasma parameters, i.e. treatment time, process pressure, and gas composition (mixtures of Ar, O₂, H₂O, and H₂), on the composition of the generated functional groups as well as an up to 6-fold enhancement in derivatizable groups for switching process gas from Ar/O₂ to Ar/H₂O.     

A new inrush detection method for transformer differential protection

Contents The long-used restraining principle, based on the detection of 2nd harmonics in the currents, can not always satisfactorily meet the demand of blocking the transformer differential protection for all three phases, because the line currents are not the direct image of the core saturation. The differential protection may become inadequate. A transformer can however be switched on for all cases, without the false or fail-safe tripping, when the harmonic restraint is derived from the magnetic field strength of the core.If a delta-connected winding is present, the magnetic field strengths can not be easily recognized in the line currents, because their zero-sequence component is distorted. A new method is presented, which can estimate the fundamental and the 2nd harmonic of this zero-sequence component. The components of the magnetic field strength can therefore be determined in currents only, whose ratio is known to be characteristic for the core saturation.The proposed method was implemented on an industrial protection system based on a microprocessor and was tested on data obtained from computer-simulation and a model transformer in a laboratory. It turned out that the proposed method performed well on all cases.

---

Eine neue Methode der Einschalterkennung für den Transformator-Differentialschutz

Übersicht Die üblicherweise benützte Blockierung beim Einschalten eines Transformators beruht auf der Bewertung der zweiten Harmonischen in den Strömen. Dieses Prinzip kann nicht immer den Transformatorvergleichsschutz in allen drei Phasen blockieren. Dagegen kann ein Transformator in allen Fällen ohne Fehlauslösung eingeschaltet werden, wenn die Blockierung aus der Harmonischen der magnetischen Feldstärke des Kerns abgeleitet wird.Eine neue Methode wird vorgestellt, wie die Homopolarkomponente der Grundschwingung und der zweiten Harmonischen näherungsweise berechnet werden kann. Die benötigten Anteile der Feldstärken können damit aus den Differenzströmen ermittelt werden.Das vorgeschlagene Verfahren wurde auf einer industriell gefertigten Schutzkarte implementiert. Die Überprüfung des Verfahrens erfolgte mit Berechnungsverfahren und durch Messungen im Labor.

     

Scanning Protein Surfaces with DNA-Encoded Libraries

Understanding the ligandability of a target protein, defined as the capability of a protein to bind drug-like compounds on any site, can give important stimuli to drug-development projects. For instance, inhibition of protein–protein interactions usually depends on the identification of protein surface binders. DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DELs) allow scanning of protein surfaces with large chemical space. Encoded library selection screens uncovered several protein–protein interaction inhibitors and compounds binding to the surface of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and kinases. The protein surface-binding chemotypes from DELs are predominantly chemically modified and cyclized peptides, and functional small-molecule peptidomimetics. Peptoid libraries and structural peptidomimetics have been less studied in the DEL field, hinting at hitherto less populated chemical space and suggesting alternative library designs. Roughly a third of bioactive molecules evolved from smaller, target-focused libraries. They showcase the potential of encoded libraries to identify more potent molecules from weak, for example, fragment-like, starting points.