Incorporation of Galvanic Waste (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb) in a Soda–Lime–Borosilicate Glass

In the present investigation, a glassing process for galvanic waste (GW) incorporation with a high chemical stability is presented. Glasses with up to 50 wt% of galvanic solid waste by modifications in the basic composition of soda–lime–borosilicate glasses were prepared. After fusing at temperatures up to 1300°C, the glasses were characterized by inductively coupled plasma, scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, high-temperature microscopy, transmission and reflected light microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction methods. The chemical stability was evaluated by hydrolytic attack assays. Glasses containing up to 40 wt% of GW with a very high chemical stability, similar to bottle glasses, were obtained.     

Back-end manager: an interface between a knowledge-based front end and its application subsystems

Front Ends for Open and Closed User Systems (FOCUS) is an ESPRIT/2 (no. 2620) project aimed at designing tools and techniques for the construction of knowledge-based front ends (KBFEs) for open-user systems (reusable software components, libraries, etc) and closed-user systems (free-standing software, packages, etc). An important part of the project involves the establishment of an architecture for KBFEs and the specification of the KBFE/back-end interface. This paper describes the properties and related issues of such an interface, known as the back-end manager (BEM), and its relationship to the proposed KBFE architecture.     

OCPP in the spotlight: threats and countermeasures for electric vehicle charging infrastructures 4.0

Undoubtedly, Industry 4.0 in the energy sector improves the conditions for automation, generation and distribution of energy, increasing the rate of electric vehicle manufacturing in recent years. As a result, more grid-connected charging infrastructures are being installed, whose charging stations (CSs) can follow standardized architectures, such as the one proposed by the open charge point protocol (OCPP). The most recent version of this protocol is v.2.0.1, which includes new security measures at device and communication level to cover those security issues identified in previous versions. Therefore, this paper analyzes OCPP-v2.0.1 to determine whether the new functions may still be susceptible to specific cyber and physical threats, and especially when CSs may be connected to microgrids. To formalize the study, we first adapted the well-known threat analysis methodology, STRIDE, to identify and classify threats in terms of control and energy, and subsequently we combine it with DREAD for risk assessment. The analyses indicate that, although OCPP-v2.0.1 has evolved, potential security risks still remain, requiring greater protection in the future.

     

Grape,apple and pineapple juice characterisation and detection of mixtures

Several multivariate statistical methods (principal component, cluster, stepwise discriminant and multiple linear regression analysis) were applied to analytical data obtained by conventional methods and to analytical data for free amino acids, in an attempt to distinguish between grape, apple and pineapple juice. Analysis for methionine, proline, asparagine, arginine and glutamic acid made it possible to differentiate among the 34 samples of grape, apple and pineapple juices studied. Multiple linear regression analysis of computer-simulated mixtures of grape and apple juices made it possible to detect the proportion of each fruit within the blend.     

Surface modification of styrene-divinylbenzene copolymers by polyacrylamide grafting via gamma irradiation

Polyacrylamide chains were grafted onto styrene-divinylbenzene (S-DVB) copolymer beads using gamma radiation from a ⁶⁰Co source by applying the simultaneous method. S-DVB macroporous copolymer was synthesized by aqueous suspension polymerization and characterized by determining apparent density, surface area, pore volume distribution and water uptake. Optical and electron microscopies were used in order to observe the copolymer morphology. The effect of parameters such as monomers concentration, irradiation dose and presence of inhibitor (Mohr’s salt) on grafting reaction was studied. The grafting reaction was evaluated with the aid of elemental analysis, FTIR, HR-MAS NMR spectrometry, thermogravimetry (TG) and electron microscopy. Grafting yield (evaluated by nitrogen content) increased with acrylamide concentration and irradiation dose increasing. However, above determined values of those parameters it is observed a tendency of decreasing on the grafting yield. The presence of Mohr’s salt inhibited the production of homopolymer as well as the progress of the grafting reaction.     

Second order standard addition method and fluorescence spectroscopy in the quantification of ibuprofen enantiomers in biological fluids

The second order standard addition method and spectrofluorimetry were used for determination of ibuprofen enantiomers in human plasma and urine. The methodology was based on chiral recognition of ibuprofen by formation of an inclusion complex with a chiral auxiliary, β-cyclodextrin, in the presence of 1-butanol. The strategy combines the use of PARAFAC, for extraction of the pure analyte signal, with the standard addition method, for determinations in presence of a matrix effect. A specific PARAFAC model was built for each sample and the scores were related to (S)-ibuprofen concentration using a linear regression in the standard addition method. Feasible results were obtained for determinations in the molar fraction range from 50 to 80% of (S)-ibuprofen, providing absolute errors lowers than 4.0% for plasma and urine.     

11C-Methionine PET/CT in Assessment of Multiple Myeloma Patients: Comparison to 18F-FDG PET/CT and Prognostic Value

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common haematological malignancy and remains incurable despite therapeutic advances. ¹⁸F-FDG (FDG) PET/CT is a relevant tool MM for staging and it is the reference imaging technique for treatment evaluation. However, it has limitations, and investigation of other PET tracers is required. Preliminary results with L-methyl-[¹¹C]- methionine (MET), suggest higher sensitivity than ¹⁸F-FDG. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value of ¹FDG and MET in MM patients. We prospectively compared FDG and MET PET/CT for assessment of bone disease and extramedullary disease (EMD) in a series of 52 consecutive patients (8 smoldering MM, 18 newly diagnosed MM and 26 relapsed MM patients). Bone marrow (BM) uptake patterns and the detection of focal lesions (FLs) and EMD were compared. Furthermore, FDG PET parameters with known MM prognostic value were explored for both tracers, as well as total lesion MET uptake (TLMU). Median patient age was 61 years (range, 37–83 years), 54% were male, 13% of them were in stage ISS (International Staging System) III, and 31% had high-risk cytogenetics. FDG PET/CT did not detect active disease in 6 patients, while they were shown to be positive by MET PET/CT. Additionally, MET PET/CT identified a higher number of FLs than FDG in more than half of the patients (63%). For prognostication we focussed on the relapsed cohort, due to the low number of progressions in the two other cohorts. Upon using FDG PET/CT in relapsed patients, the presence of more than 3 FLs (HR 4.61, p = 0.056), more than 10 FLs (HR 5.65, p = 0.013), total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) p50 (HR 4.91, p = 0.049) or TMTV p75 (HR 5.32, p = 0.016) were associated with adverse prognosis. In MET PET/CT analysis, TMTV p50 (HR 4.71, p = 0.056), TMTV p75 (HR 6.27, p = 0.007), TLMU p50 (HR 8.8, p = 0.04) and TLMU p75 (HR 6.3, p = 0.007) adversely affected PFS. This study confirmed the diagnostic and prognostic value of FDG in MM. In addition, it highlights that MET has higher sensitivity than FDG PET/CT for detection of myeloma lesions, including FLs. Moreover, we show, for the first time, the prognostic value of TMTV and TLMU MET PET/CT in the imaging evaluation of MM patients.     

The Time Dependence of the Detachment Force of Ground Micrometer-Size Particles from a Planar Substrate: Effect of Particle Rotation

The time dependence of the detachment force applied to 7 µm ground polyester particles coated with silica nanoparticles was determined by ultracentrifugation. It was found that the force required to separate the particles from the substrate increased during the first 24 hours and changed very little thereafter. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results suggest that the increase in adhesion is due to the particles rotating from their initial positions obtained during deposition. The role of the silica nanoparticles in determining the time dependence of the detachment force is discussed in terms of the JKR and Fuller-Tabor models.     

Polymere und Copolymere mit reaktionsfähigen Gruppen. Copolymerisation von Glycidyl-β-methylitaconat und Styrol

In part I of this series the results of sedimentation velocity experiments with the polyelectrolyte Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Blancophor are described. The combination of the Svedberg formula and an equation of Tiselius describing the charge- and salt-effects gives the possibility to describe the change of the frictional coefficient as a function of charge and screening quantitatively. The resulting frictional coefficients resp. the dimensions of the coil of this polyelectrolyte change in a wide range with the charge density and the counterion concentration.     

Behaviour of the internal pressure of liquids in accordance with variations in temperature, volume and cohesive energy density

A study is made of the variations to be found in the internal pressure of different types of liquid in accordance with variations in temperature and volume. These relationships are established through simple analytical equations. Variations in the cohesive energy density and the Hildebrand parameter in accordance with temperature variations are also calculated and it is shown that the internal pressure and the cohesive energy density are both analogous manifestations of the cohesion property of liquids and of the diminution of this property with falls in temperature.