NiAl2O4 catalysts prepared by combustion reaction using glycine as fuel

The aim of this work is to evaluate the influence of glycine fuel used in a stoichiometric proportion and with a 10% and 20% excess of this fuel in the preparation of NiAl₂O₄ catalyst by combustion reaction. The powders were characterized by XRD, textural analysis by the BET nitrogen adsorption method, particle size distribution, and FTIR. The results show the presence of NiAl₂O₄ as a major phase and traces of NiO and Ni in all the catalysts studied here. The crystallite sizes were 22 nm in the stoichiometric composition and 18 and 9 nm, respectively, in the composition containing 10% and 20% excess glycine. The powder obtained from all the compositions presented morphological characteristics with irregular plate-shaped agglomerates. The increase in excess glycine caused the particle size in the three compositions to decrease to 59, 54 and 38 nm and the agglomerate size to increase to 7, 8 and 12 μm, respectively.     

Experimental Determination of Mg Activities in Fe-Mg Solutions

The thermodynamics of magnesium in liquid iron was determined at 1823 K (1550 °C). For this purpose, liquid iron was equilibrated with Ag-Mg alloys in a semienclosed molybdenum vessel. From the partition of magnesium between iron and silver, the activity coefficient of Mg and the self-interaction parameter e_\textMg^\textMg \varepsilon_{\text{Mg}}^{\text{Mg}} were determined.     

Nanoparticles for intracellular-targeted drug delivery

Nanoparticles (NPs) are very promising for the intracellular delivery of anticancer and immunomodulatory drugs, stem cell differentiation biomolecules and cell activity modulators. Although initial studies in the area of intracellular drug delivery have been performed in the delivery of DNA, there is an increasing interest in the use of other molecules to modulate cell activity. Herein, we review the latest advances in the intracellular-targeted delivery of short interference RNA, proteins and small molecules using NPs. In most cases, the drugs act at different cellular organelles and therefore the drug-containing NPs should be directed to precise locations within the cell. This will lead to the desired magnitude and duration of the drug effects. The spatial control in the intracellular delivery might open new avenues to modulate cell activity while avoiding side-effects.     

Cognitive-behavioral therapy plus contingency management for cocaine use: Findings during treatment and across 12-month follow-up.

Contingency management (CM) rapidly reduces cocaine use, but its effects subside after treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) produces reductions months after treatment. Combined, the 2 might be complementary. One hundred ninety-three cocaine-using methadone-maintained outpatients were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of group therapy (CBT or a control condition) and voucher availability (CM contingent on cocaine-negative urine or noncontingent). Follow-ups occurred 3, 6, and 12 months posttreatment. Primary outcome was cocaine-negative urine (urinalysis 3 times/week during treatment and once at each follow-up). During treatment, initial effects of CM were dampened by CBT. Posttreatment, there were signs of additive benefits, significant in 3- versus 12-month contrasts. Former CBT participants were also more likely to acknowledge cocaine use and its effects and to report employment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multi-frequency encoding for fast color flow or quadroplex imaging

Ultrasonic color flow maps are made by estimating the velocities line by line over the region of interest. For each velocity estimate, multiple repetitions are needed. This sets a limit on the frame rate, which becomes increasingly severe when imaging deeper lying structures or when simultaneously acquiring spectrogram data for triplex imaging. This paper proposes a method for decreasing the data acquisition time by simultaneously sampling multiple lines for color flow maps, using narrow band signals with approximately disjoint spectral support. The signals are separated in the receiver by filters matched to the emitted waveforms, producing a number of data sets with different center frequencies. The autocorrelation estimator is then applied to each of the data sets. The method is presented, various side effects are considered, and the method is tested on data from a recirculating flow phantom. A mean standard deviation across the flow profile of 3.1, 2.5, and 2.1% of the peak velocity was found for bands at 5 MHz, 7 MHz, and 9 MHz, respectively. Alternatively, the method can be used for simultaneously sampling data for a color flow map and for multiple spectrograms using different spectral bands. Using three spectral bands, data for a color flow map and two independent spectrograms can be acquired at the time normally spent on acquiring data for a color flow map only. This yields an expansion of triplex imaging called multifrequency quadroplex imaging, which enables study of the flow over an arterial stenosis by simultaneously acquiring spectrograms on both sides of the stenosis, while maintaining the color flow map. The method was tested in vivo on data from the common carotid artery of a healthy male volunteer, both for fast color flow mapping and for multifrequency quadroplex imaging.     

Multiwavelength electronic speckle pattern interferometry for surface shape measurement

Profilometry by electronic speckle pattern interferometry with multimode diode lasers is both theoretically and experimentally studied. The multiwavelength character of the laser emission provides speckled images covered with interference fringes corresponding to the surface relief in single-exposure processes. For fringe pattern evaluation, variations of the phase-stepping technique are investigated for phase mapping as a function of the number of laser modes. Expressions for two, three, and four modes in four and eight stepping are presented, and the performances of those techniques are compared in the experiments through the surface shaping of a flat bar. The surface analysis of a peach points out the possibility of applying the technique in the quality control of food production and agricultural research.     

Modeling the integrated mine-to-client supply chain: a survey

ABSTRACT

Mining is an important economic activity and a highly complex industry. As such, it demands a complex supply chain to connect mines to clients, often involving railways, ports and long-distance maritime shipping. State-of-the-art optimization tools are an invaluable asset to help manage such a complex environment, which makes mining industry a very fertile ground for operational research applications. This paper aims to present a bibliographical review of published works involving operational research applications in the mining industry. We start by mapping applications within each isolated link of the chain. Then, we make inroads into the researches involving and connecting multiple links of the mining chain. Finally, we present summaries of our finding and pinpoint some directions for research opportunities in the mining industry.     

Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity and Characterization of Synthesized Biodegradable Copolymers

Green copolymer Poly(MA-CA) was developed by the thermal condensation polymerization of monomers such as DL-Malic acid (MA) and Citric acid (CA). The copolymer of Poly(MA-CA) was synthesized by varying the ratio of MA and CA monomers with 1:0, 1:3, 1:1, 3:1 and 0:1, and their antibacterial properties were studied with respect to their activity on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by the bacterial count method. Furthermore, the biocidal activity of the plain monomers was also investigated and compared to those of the copolymers. Synthesized copolymers show good antibacterial effects towards both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The antimicrobial properties of the copolymers and the monomers were studied by varying the ratio of polymers, effect of polymer concentration and effect of pH. Results indicated that the antibacterial activity of the copolymers increased with MA content and polymer dose. At low content of MA (wt.%), the copolymers poly(MA-CA)(1:3) possessed a higher effect on Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus cereus and Micrococcus luteus than Gram-negative bacteria Salmonella and Shigella. The other copolymers with the ratio of 1:1 and 3:1 including MA homopolymer possesses 100% inhibition of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria under the conditions studied. The developed polymers were extensively characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectroscopy to understand their physicochemical properties.     

Spatial calibration of structured illumination fluorescence microscopy using capillary tissue phantoms

Quantitative assessment of microvascular structure is relevant to the investigations of ischemic injury, reparative angiogenesis and tumor revascularization. In light microscopy applications, thick tissue specimens are necessary to characterize microvascular networks; however, thick tissue leads to image distortions due to out-of-focus light. Structured illumination confocal microscopy is an optical sectioning technique that improves contrast and resolution by using a grid pattern to identify the plane-of-focus within the specimen. Because structured illumination can be applied to wide-field (nonscanning) microscopes, the microcirculation can be studied by sequential intravital and confocal microscopy. To assess the application of structured illumination confocal microscopy to microvessel imaging, we studied cell-sized microspheres and fused silica microcapillary tissue phantoms. As expected, structured illumination produced highly accurate images in the lateral (X-Y) plane, but demonstrated a loss of resolution in the Z-Y plane. Because the magnitude of Z-axis distortion was variable in complex tissues, the silica microcapillaries were used as spatial calibration standards. Morphometric parameters, such as shape factor, were used to empirically optimize Z-axis software compression. We conclude that the silica microcapillaries provide a useful tissue phantom for in vitro studies as well as spatial calibration standard for in vivo morphometry of the microcirculation.     

Systematic Modification and Evaluation of Enzyme-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles

Polymeric-based nano drug delivery systems have been widely exploited to overcome protein instability during formulation. Presently, a diverse range of polymeric agents can be used, among which polysaccharides, such as chitosan (CS), hyaluronic acid (HA) and cyclodextrins (CDs), are included. Due to its unique biological and physicochemical properties, CS is one of the most used polysaccharides for development of protein delivery systems. However, CS has been described as potentially immunogenic. By envisaging a biosafe cytocompatible and haemocompatible profile, this paper reports the systematic development of a delivery system based on CS and derived with HA and CDs to nanoencapsulate the model human phenylalanine hydroxylase (hPAH) through ionotropic gelation with tripolyphosphate (TPP), while maintaining protein stability and enzyme activity. By merging the combined set of biopolymers, we were able to effectively entrap hPAH within CS nanoparticles with improvements in hPAH stability and the maintenance of functional activity, while simultaneously achieving strict control of the formulation process. Detailed characterization of the developed nanoparticulate systems showed that the lead formulations were internalized by hepatocytes (HepG2 cell line), did not reveal cell toxicity and presented a safe haemocompatible profile.