Combustion of oil palm stone in a pilot-scale fluidised bed reactor

Biomass is being generated in vast amounts from oil palm plantations particularly in developing countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Oil palm stone (OPS) is currently considered a waste material and has not previously been considered for energy purposes. The main objective of this study was to investigate the thermochemical conversion of OPS in a pilot-scale fluidised bed combustor. The net heating value of OPS was 24.93 MJ/kg. The effect of primary air flowrate and initial bed temperature were the main parameters investigated. The bed and bed's surface temperature were found to decrease as the primary air flowrate increased. In all tests CO emissions were less than 0.2%. The emissions of SO₂ and HCl ranged from 0.02 ppm to 0.05 ppm, significantly below the permitted levels set by legislation. Stable combustion was observed at a bed temperature of 950 °C. The most abundant elements found in the ash were Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P, S and Si. However, due to the temperature regime used in the study fouling would not be an issue.     

Plasmonic propagations distances for interferometric surface plasmon resonance biosensing

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) scheme is proposed in which the local phase modulations of the coupled plasmons can interfere and yield phase-sensitive intensity modulations in the measured signal. The result is an increased traceability of the SPR shifts for biosensing applications. The main system limitation is the propagation distance of the coupled plasmon modes. This aspect is therefore studied for thin film microstructures operating in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions. The surface roughness of the substrate layer is examined for different dielectrics and deposition methods. The Au layer, on which the plasmonic modes are propagating and the biosensing occurs, is also examined. The surface roughness and dielectric values for various deposition rates of very thin Au films are measured. We also investigate an interferometric SPR setup where, due to the power flux transfer between plasmon modes, the specific choice of grating coupler can either decrease or increase the plasmon propagation length.     

Evaluation of Antioxidant Compounds and Total Sugar Content in a Nectarine [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] Progeny

Epidemiological studies suggest that consumption of fruit rich in phenolic compounds is associated with health-protective effects due to their antioxidant properties. For these reasons quality evaluation has become an important issue in fruit industry and in breeding programs. Phytochemical traits such as total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, L-ascorbic acid, sugar content and relative antioxidant capacity (RAC) were analyzed over four years in flesh fruit of an F1 population "Venus" × "Big Top" nectarines. Other traits such as harvesting date, yield, fruit weight, firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), pH, titratable acidity (TA) and ripening index (RI) were also determined in the progeny. Results showed high variability among genotypes for all analyzed traits. Total phenolics and flavonoids showed significant positive correlations with RAC implying that both are important antioxidant bioactive compounds in peaches. We found genotypes with enhanced antioxidant capacity and a better performance than progenitors, and in consequence the best marketability.     

Proximal composition, lipid and cholesterol content of meat from pigs fed peach-palm meal (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) and synthetic lysine

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the proximal composition, lipids and cholesterol content of meat from pigs fed diets with peach-palm meal (PPM), with or without addition of synthetic lysine (LYS). In experiment 1, 24 pigs were randomly allotted into six treatments with three levels of PPM (0.16 and 32%) and two levels of LYS (0 and 0.27%). In experiment II, 16 finishing pigs were fed with two levels of PPM (0 and 17.50%) and two levels of LYS (0 and 0.27%). At the end of each experiment (42 and 35 d, respectively), pigs were slaughtered and loin samples were obtained to determine crude protein, dry matter, moisture, ash, total lipids, and cholesterol content. In experiment I, pork loin from 16% PPM had more dry matter (26.45 g/100 g) and less moisture (73.49 g/100g) than pork loin from 32% PPM (25.11 y 75.03 g/100g, respectively). Meat samples from pigs without LYS had higher (p < 0.05) content of lipids (2.11 g/100 g) than meat from pigs that consumed LYS (1.72 g/100 g). In experiment II, the proximal, lipids and cholesterol content were similar among treatments. The PPM addition to pig diets did not affect the proximal composition of pork, while LYS addition indicated a reduction of total lipids, which could result as an alternative to obtain leaner meat.     

Micellar polymerization,characterization, and viscoelasticity of combined thermally insensitive terpolyacrylamides

Polymer chains consisting of water‐soluble polyacrylamides and N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), hydrophobically modified with low amounts of N,N‐dialkylacrylamides (N,N‐dioctylacrylamide) have been prepared via free radical micellar polymerization, using a hydrophobic initiator derived from 4,4′‐azobis(4‐cyanopentanoic acid) containing a long linear chain of 16 (C16) carbon atoms. This procedure resulted in polyacrylamides containing hydrophobic groups along the chain as well as at the chain ends. These polymers are named “combined associative polymers” and include within their structure a water‐soluble monomer (acrylamide), a thermosensitive monomer (NIPAM) and a hydrophobic monomer. The polymers were characterized by different techniques, also studying the effect of adding a surfactant anion such as sodium dodecylsulfate. The viscoelastic properties as a function of temperature of these associative polymers were investigated using steady‐flow and oscillatory experiments considering the relaxation time (T_R) and the plateau modulus (G₀). The effect of concentration of acrylamide and NIPAM on the viscosity of the associative polymer solutions was investigated. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis,characterization and rheological properties of three different associative polymers obtained by micellar polymerization

Summary We report the synthesis, characterization and rheological properties in aqueous solutions of three different water-soluble associative polymers (AP’s) (telechelic, multisticker and combined). Polymer chains consisting of water-soluble polyacrylamides, hydrophobically modified with low amounts of N,N-dihexylacrylamide and a linear hydrophobic initiator. These have been prepared via free radical micellar polymerization. We compare the properties of these different polymers, with respect to the localization of the hydrophobic groups, using steady-flow experiments. In the semidiluted regime we clearly differentiate two different zero-shear viscosity (η₀) -vs- concentration (C) behaviors; a first semidiluted regime unentangled, where the viscosity increases strongly and directly with c and a second regime entangled, where the viscosity increases proportionally to C⁴, independently of the localization of the hydrophobic group.     

Neuroprotective Role of Liver Growth Factor “LGF” in an Experimental Model of Cerebellar Ataxia

Cerebellar ataxias (CA) comprise a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by a lack of motor coordination. They are caused by disturbances in the cerebellum and its associated circuitries, so the major therapeutic goal is to correct cerebellar dysfunction. Neurotrophic factors enhance the survival and differentiation of selected types of neurons. Liver growth factor (LGF) is a hepatic mitogen that shows biological activity in neuroregenerative therapies. We investigate the potential therapeutic activity of LGF in the 3-acetylpiridine (3-AP) rat model of CA. This model of CA consists in the lesion of the inferior olive-induced by 3-AP (40 mg/kg). Ataxic rats were treated with 5 µg/rat LGF or vehicle during 3 weeks, analyzing: (a) motor coordination by using the rota-rod test; and (b) the immunohistochemical and biochemical evolution of several parameters related with the olivo-cerebellar function. Motor coordination improved in 3-AP-lesioned rats that received LGF treatment. LGF up-regulated NeuN and Bcl-2 protein levels in the brainstem, and increased calbindin expression and the number of neurons receiving calbindin-positive projections in the cerebellum. LGF also reduced extracellular glutamate and GABA concentrations and microglia activation in the cerebellum. In view of these results, we propose LGF as a potential therapeutic agent in cerebellar ataxias.     

Glycans in Medicinal Chemistry: An Underexploited Resource

The biological relevance of glycans as mediators of key physiological processes, including disease‐related mechanisms, makes them attractive targets for a wide range of medical applications. Despite their important biological roles, especially as molecular recognition elements, carbohydrates have not been fully exploited as therapeutics mainly due to the scarcity of structure–activity correlations and their non‐drug‐like properties. A more detailed understanding of the complex carbohydrate structures and their associated functions should contribute to the development of new glycan‐based pharmaceuticals. Recent significant progress in oligosaccharide synthesis and chemical glycobiology has renewed the interest of the medicinal chemistry community in carbohydrates. This promises to increase our possibilities to harness them in drug discovery efforts for the development of new and more effective, synthetic glycan‐based therapeutics and vaccines.