Determination of ochratoxin A in brewing materials and beer by ultra performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

In 2008–2009 the total set of 237 samples of malting barley, malt, hop, wort, and beer was analysed for ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination using the ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to fluorescence detection (FLD). The UPLC method is a fast technique with low limits of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ) compared to other methods used routinely. LOD and LOQ values were 0.0003 and 0.001 ng/ml for beer, 0.05 and 0.2 μg/kg for barley and malt, 0.16 and 0.5 μg/kg for hop, respectively.     

Effect of feeding growing–fattening rabbits a diet supplemented with whole white lupin (Lupinus albus cv. Amiga) seeds on fatty acid composition and indexes related to human health in hind leg meat and perirenal fat

A total of 20 weaned rabbits (33 days old) (10 per treatment) were fed one of two diets that included 150 g of sunflower meal (SF)/kg of diet or 120 g of whole white lupin (WL)/kg of diet for 42 days. The WL diet contained less saturated fatty acids (SFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) but more monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) than the SF diet. The WL diet significantly decreased SFA and PUFA content, as well as the PUFA n − 6/PUFA n − 3 ratio and saturation, atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes in hind leg meat. The fatty acid composition in perirenal fat was similar to that of hind leg meat; however, significantly higher MUFA levels were observed in rabbits fed the WL diet. Thus, feeding rabbits the WL diet affected the fatty acid profile of hind leg meat and perirenal fat in a favourable manner.     

Lithium Intercalation Compound Dramatically Influences the Electrochemical Properties of Exfoliated MoS2

MoS₂ and other transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have recently gained a renewed interest due to the interesting electronic, catalytic, and mechanical properties which they possess when down‐sized to single or few layer sheets. Exfoliation of the bulk multilayer structure can be achieved by a preliminary chemical Li intercalation followed by the exfoliation due to the reaction of Li with water. Organolithium compounds are generally adopted for the Li intercalation with n‐butyllithium (n‐Bu‐Li) being the most common. Here, the use of three different organolithium compounds are investigated and compared, i.e., methyllithium (Me‐Li), n‐butyllithium (n‐Bu‐Li) and tert‐butyllithium (t‐Bu‐Li), used for the exfoliation of bulk MoS₂. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) are adopted for a comprehensive characterization of all materials under investigation. In addition, catalytic properties towards the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and capacitive properties are also tested. Different organolithium compounds exhibit different extent of Li intercalation resulting in different degrees of exfoliation. The inherent electrochemical behavior of MoS₂ consisting of significant anodic and cathodic peaks as well as its capacitive behavior and catalytic properties towards hydrogen evolution reaction are strongly connected to the exfoliation compound used. This research significantly contributes to the development of large‐scale synthesis of electrocatalytic MoS₂‐based materials.     

Polysubstituted Pyrimidines as Potent Inhibitors of Prostaglandin E2 Production: Increasing Aqueous Solubility

Water solubility is one of the key features of potential therapeutic agents. In order to enhance the low water solubility of the parent 5-butyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-6-phenylpyrimidin-2-amine, a potent inhibitor of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) production, we synthesized and evaluated a new series of derivatives in which the butyl group at the C5 position of the pyrimidine ring was replaced with a less lipophilic substituent, preferably with a hydrophilic aliphatic moiety. Except for the 5-cyanopyrimidine derivative, all target compounds exhibited increased (2.7–87-fold) water solubility relative to the parent compound. Although nontoxic in mouse peritoneal cells, the prepared compounds were either equipotent or weaker inhibitors of PGE₂ production than the parent compound. The most promising compound from the series was found to be the 5-(2,5,8,11-tetraoxadodecyl)pyrimidine derivative (with three polyethylene glycol units at the C5 position), which exhibited 32-fold higher water solubility and only slightly weaker inhibitory activity (22 % of remaining PGE₂ production) compared with the parent compound (15 % of remaining PGE₂ production).     

Synthetic and Continuous Jets Impinging on a Circular Cylinder

Synthetic and continuous water jets impinging onto an electrically heated circular cylinder were experimentally investigated. The slot nozzle width was 0.36 mm, the cylinder diameter was 1.2 mm, and the cylinder-to-nozzle spacing related to the slot width was 5–21. Two optical methods were used: qualitative laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) visualization and laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) measurements. Simultaneously with the optical experiments, the overall convective heat transfer from the circular cylinder was evaluated. The LDV quantified the velocity of the oscillating piezo-driven diaphragm at frequencies from 30 to 68 Hz. A majority of the study was performed at the near-resonant frequencies from 46 to 49 Hz. For all investigated jets, the Reynolds numbers based on the nozzle width ranged from 36 to 171. The LIF visualization revealed a dominant flow separation occurring on the windward cylinder side. This result is attributed to the effect of the miniscales, a relatively small ratio of the nozzle width to the cylinder diameter, and low Reynolds numbers. An increase in the Reynolds number changes the flow pattern from a steady jet-flow separation to a vortex shedding wake-flow regime. The heat transfer experiments were validated in a natural convection regime. An enhancement of the average Nusselt numbers by 4.2–6.2 times by means of the synthetic jets was quantified by comparison with the natural convection regime. A correlation for the average Nusselt number was proposed for both the continuous and synthetic jets.     

Practical prediction of cyclic humidity effect in creep and shrinkage of concrete

The previously published BP Model for prediction of concrete creep and shrinkage is generalized to cover the increase of creep caused by the cyclic component of environmental relative humidity. A simple formula, which is partly empirical, partly based on the diffusion theory, is proposed and is calibrated by comparisons with test data from the literature.     

Drying creep of concrete: constitutive model and new experiments separating its mechanisms

A new experimental method which allows the direct separation of the components of drying creep due to microcracking and stress-induced shrinkage is developed, demonstrated and validated. The basic idea is to compare the curvature creep of beams subjected to the same bending moment but very different axial forces. The results confirm that drying creep has two different sources: microcracking and stress-induced shrinkage. The latter increases continuously, whereas the former first increases and then decreases. The test results are fitted using a finite element model. The results validate the present model for drying creep. The microcracking is described by an established model, and the free (unrestrained) shrinkage of a material element is shown to depend approximately linearly on the humidity drop.     

Temperature Effect on Concrete Creep Modeled by Microprestress-Solidification Theory

The previously developed microprestress-solidification theory for concrete creep and shrinkage is generalized for the effect of temperature (not exceeding 100°C). The solidification model separates the viscoelasticity of the solid constituent, the cement gel, from the chemical aging of material caused by solidification of cement and characterized by the growth of volume fraction of hydration products. This permits considering the viscoelastic constituent as non-aging. The temperature dependence of the rates of creep and of volume growth is characterized by two transformed time variables based on the activation energies of hydration and creep. The concept of microprestress achieves a grand unification of theory in which the long-term aging and all transient hygrothermal effects simply become different consequences of one and the same physical phenomenon. The microprestress, which is independent of the applied load, is initially produced by incompatible volume changes in the microstructure during hydration, and later builds up when changes of moisture content and temperature create a thermodynamic imbalance between the chemical potentials of vapor and adsorbed water in the nanopores of cement gel. As recently shown, this simultaneously captures two basic effects: First, the creep decreases with increasing age at loading after the growth of the volume fraction of hydrated cement has ceased; and, second, the drying creep, i.e., the transient creep increases due to drying (Pickett effect) which overpowers the effect of steady-state moisture content (i.e., less moisture—less creep). Now it is demonstrated that the microprestress buildup and relaxation also captures a third effect: The transitional thermal creep, i.e., the transient creep increase due to temperature change. For computations, an efficient (exponential-type) integration algorithm is developed. Finite element simulations, in which the apparent creep due to microcracking is taken into account separately, are used to identify the constitutive parameters and a satisfactory agreement with typical test data is achieved.     

Tribological Performance of Ti–Si-Based in Situ Composites

In this study, a series of Ti–Si-based in situ composites was manufactured by means of a common argon arc melting technique and tribologically evaluated using a sliding ball-on-disc tester under simulated body fluid lubrication. The composite microstructure, mechanical properties, and surface roughness were characterized using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vertical scanning interferometry (VSI), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and hardness measurements. The evolution of coefficients of friction (COFs) and the appearance of contacting surfaces showed that two the principal wear mechanisms were mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL), typically followed by abrasive wear. The mixed EHL was due to the combined effect of serum solution lubrication and surface irregularities, which were produced during the routine surface preparation of samples. The mixed EHL provided the absence of wear and low and stable COFs, which did not depend on the phase composition, microstructure, or hardness of Ti–Si-based alloys. However, in most cases, the change in contact geometry led to the transition from mixed EHL to conventional boundary lubrication, accompanied by increased and unstable friction, adhesive material transfer of metal to the ceramic counterbodies, and abrasive wear. In this respect, the low wear resistance and high adhesion affinity of the titanium matrix of Ti–Si-based alloys should be improved.