Synthesis and characterization of hafnium carbide fine powders

Hafnium carbide powder was synthesized by sol–gel polycondensation of hafnium chloride with citric acid. The starting materials were dissolved in water and mixed homogeneously on a hot plate until precursor gel was formed. Pyrolysis of this gel resulted in monoclinic hafnia which after subsequent heat treatment transformed into hafnium carbide. The obtained materials were analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the obtained carbide powders were composed of nearly equiaxed particles with narrow size distribution. Characterization by nitrogen adsorption showed that the obtained powders were micro- and mesoporous materials with high specific surface area.     

Mineral and water soluble vitamin content in the Kombucha drink

Summary Biologically active substances (water soluble vitamins and minerals) were analyzed in 'Kombucha'—a curative liquor, produced by the so-called 'Kombucha cultivation' (Macedonian collection of microorganisms, No 734) in sweet black tea decoct. The water soluble vitamins in the Kombucha drink were separated and identified using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and quantified by the comparison of their chromatographic UV spectra with the reference compounds. Four soluble vitamins have been determinated to have the following concentrations: vitamin B₁ 0.74 mg ml⁻¹, vitamin B₆ 0.52 mg ml⁻¹, vitamin B₁₂ 0.84 mg ml⁻¹ and vitamin C 1.51 mg ml⁻¹. Mineral elements of nutritional and toxicological importance were determined in dissolved ash using atomic absorption chromatography (AAS). Mineral composition content involved determination of the essential elements: zinc, copper, iron, manganese, nickel and cobalt. Investigations of some toxic elements showed that lead and chromium were present in very small amounts, whereas cadmium was not found.     

The kinetics of isothermal nicotinamide release from poly(acrylic‐co‐methacrylic acid) loaded xerogel

The isothermal kinetics of in vitro nicotinamide release from poly(acrylic‐co‐methacrylic acid) loaded xerogel into water was evaluated. The isothermal kinetics curves of nicotinamide release from poly(acrylic‐co‐methacrylic acid) xerogel were measured at different temperatures ranging from 296 K to 315 K. It was proven that the kinetics of nicotinamide release from poly(acrylic‐co‐methacrylic acid) xerogel was a kinetically complex process which was neither controlled by the processes of drug diffusion nor with the relaxation of the xerogel. The kinetic of nicotinamide release from poly(acrylic‐co‐methacrylic acid) may be described by the kinetics model of reversible first order chemical reaction and the apparent activation energy have value of E_a,M = 14.1 kJ mol^?1 and preexponential factor ln(A_M min^?1) = 2.3. The rate constants of nicotinamide release ( ) and the rate constants of its reversible absorption reaction ( ) were calculated and found to fall within the range 0.019 min^?1?0.033 min^?1 for and 0.014 min^?1?0.016 min^?1 for . The value of activation energy for the nicotinamide releas, E_a.R =21.25 kJ mol^?1, is significantly higher than the value for the process of nicotinamide absorption (E_a,A = 2.6 kJ mol^?1). The rate of nicotinamide release was predetermined with the rate of nicotinamide molecules distribution between the hydrogel and surrounding solution. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:60–69, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Modified softwood sawdust as adsorbent of heavy metal ions from water

The sawdust of deciduous softwood-poplar, and coniferous softwood-fir, have been found to possess some adsorption capacities for heavy metal ions. Their adsorption capacities can be increased by previous treatment with a sodium hydroxide solution. Adsorption capacities of alkali modified adsorbents were higher than for unmodified ones from 2.5 to 5 times for copper ions, and about 15 times for zinc ions. Also, for modification can be used solution of sodium carbonate, but that alkaline solution is less efficient than sodium hydroxide solution. The 1% sodium hydroxide solution is suggested for modification of softwood sawdust. It was established that the ion exchange is not only adsorption mechanism, than microprecipitation of metal-hydroxide in the pore liquid was happened, too. At the same time, the leaching of organic matters from modified softwood sawdust were less than from unmodified ones for about 7% for poplar and 23% for fir.     

Principal mycotoxins in wheat flour from the Serbian market: Levels and assessment of the exposure by wheat-based products

The presence of eleven principal mycotoxins from the wheat flour bought in supermarkets in Novi Sad, the capitol of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, was determined. The samples were prepared by simple one-step method and analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with heated-electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC/HESI-MS/MS). Deoxynivalenol (DON) was the predominant mycotoxin for all analyzed samples followed by zearalenone (ZON) and T-2 toxin, with frequency of occurrence: 88.7%, 33.3% and 26.7%, respectively. Aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA), HT-2 toxin, fumonisins B1 (FB1) as well as B2 (FB2) were below the limit of detection. All the samples complied with current European/Serbian legislation, except one sample that exceeded the DON maximum level of 750 μg/kg. In addition, mycotoxin intakes through consumption of wheat-based products were estimated for average adult consumers based on Serbian market basket and then compared with the tolerable daily intake (TDI) proposed by Scientific Committee on Food of the European Union. The calculated intakes of ZON and T-2 were lower than the respective TDIs. However, intakes of DON were assessed to be close to the level of TDI for adults. This is the first study on the intake assessment for mycotoxins present in the wheat flour through the consumption of wheat-based products on the Serbian market.     

The influence of genotypic variation in protein composition on emulsifying properties of soy proteins

This study describes the relationship between the emulsifying properties of soybean proteins and their composition, i.e., glycinin (11S) and β-conglycinin (7S). Twelve investigated soybean genotypes showed significant differences in storage protein composition. The β-conglycinin concentration positively correlated with extractable soluble protein content, which was positively correlated with protein extractability. These data suggest that the level of β-conglycinin has a positive influence on protein extractability. The emulsion activity index (EAI) was strongly and positively correlated with the 11S∶7S ratio and strongly and negatively correlated with the concentration of β-conglycinin. The emulsion stability index (ESI) showed a moderate positive correlation with the monomeric form of glycinin and a strong positive correlation with the ratio of the monomeric to dimeric form of glycinin. No association was evident between ESI and EAI. Also, no relationship was found between ESI or EAI and extractability. Based on these data, it appears that the 11S∶7S ratio strongly reflects the ability of soybean proteins to form emulsions, whereas the ratio of the two different forms of glycinin may be crucial factors for the stability of soybean protein emulsions. Thus, understanding the relationship between protein composition and functionality could be useful for further improvement of functional behavior of soy proteins in food systems.     

The effects of microwave heating on the kinetics of isothermal dehydration of equilibrium swollen poly(acrylic‐co‐methacrylic acid) hydrogel

The isothermal dehydration of poly(acrylic‐co‐methacrylic acid) (PAM) hydrogel under microwave heating (MWH) was investigated. The isothermal kinetics curves of the PAM hydrogel dehydration at temperature range from 293 K to 333 K were recorded. Based on the differential isoconversion method it was concluded that the microwave dehydration of poly(acrylic‐co‐methacrylic acid) hydrogel is an elementary kinetics process. Applying the model‐fitting method it was established that the kinetics of microwave isothermal hydrogel dehydration can be described by the kinetics model of the phase‐boundary controlled process (contracting area). The values of the kinetics parameters (activation energy (E_a) and preexponential factor (lnA)) of the dehydration process under microwave heating are lower than the values for conventional heating (CH). The established influence of MWH on the kinetics of hydrogel dehydration is explained with a specific activation mechanism of water molecules for dehydration and with the increase in the value of the energy of the ground level of the resonant oscillator of water molecule (v = 837 cm^?1) due to the absorption of microwave energy. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 56:87–96, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Gene Mutation Profiles in Primary Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma of Central Nervous System: Next Generation Sequencing Analyses

The existence of a potential primary central nervous system lymphoma-specific genomic signature that differs from the systemic form of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has been suggested, but is still controversial. We investigated 19 patients with primary DLBCL of central nervous system (DLBCL CNS) using the TruSeq Amplicon Cancer Panel (TSACP) for 48 cancer-related genes. Next generation sequencing (NGS) analyses have revealed that over 80% of potentially protein-changing mutations were located in eight genes (CTNNB1, PIK3CA, PTEN, ATM, KRAS, PTPN11, TP53 and JAK3), pointing to the potential role of these genes in lymphomagenesis. TP53 was the only gene harboring mutations in all 19 patients. In addition, the presence of mutated TP53 and ATM genes correlated with a higher total number of mutations in other analyzed genes. Furthermore, the presence of mutated ATM correlated with poorer event-free survival (EFS) (p = 0.036). The presence of the mutated SMO gene correlated with earlier disease relapse (p = 0.023), inferior event-free survival (p = 0.011) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.017), while mutations in the PTEN gene were associated with inferior OS (p = 0.048). Our findings suggest that the TP53 and ATM genes could be involved in the molecular pathophysiology of primary DLBCL CNS, whereas mutations in the PTEN and SMO genes could affect survival regardless of the initial treatment approach.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Rutile TiO2 Nanopowders Doped with Iron Ions

Titanium dioxide nanopowders doped with different amounts of Fe ions were prepared by coprecipitation method. Obtained materials were characterized by structural (XRD), morphological (TEM and SEM), optical (UV/vis reflection and photoluminescence, and Raman), and analytical techniques (XPS and ICP-OES). XRD analysis revealed rutile crystalline phase for doped and undoped titanium dioxide obtained in the same manner. Diameter of the particles was 5–7 nm. The presence of iron ions was confirmed by XPS and ICP-OES. Doping process moved absorption threshold of TiO₂ into visible spectrum range. Photocatalytic activity was also checked. Doped nanopowders showed normal and up-converted photoluminescence.