Shear Stress-Dependent Viscosity Master Curves for Practical Applications

It was shown using several examples that the ratio of apparent viscosity and Newtonian viscosity at the same temperature as function of shear stress is independent of temperature. It means that viscosity curves for different homogeneous polymer systems measured in various temperatures create a common master curve, which is very convenient for practical calculations of many technically important flows. It was also shown that for such systems, the stress dependence can be often very well described by simple function of Kohlrausch type. Moreover, it was found that for small-amplitude oscillatory shear, similar master curves can be created by representing the absolute value of complex viscosity or its components as functions of absolute value of complex modulus. For nonhomogeneous systems, second-order temperature effects may appear. They were taken into account by additional rule based on the so-called no-flow temperature. It was also shown that the first normal stress difference as function of shear stress is temperature independent. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 60:44–54, 2020. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers     

All That Glitters Is Not Silver—A New Look at Microbiological and Medical Applications of Silver Nanoparticles

Silver and its nanoparticles (AgNPs) have different faces, providing different applications. In recent years, the number of positive nanosilver applications has increased substantially. It has been proven that AgNPs inhibit the growth and survival of bacteria, including human and animal pathogens, as well as fungi, protozoa and arthropods. Silver nanoparticles are known from their antiviral and anti-cancer properties; however, they are also very popular in medical and pharmaceutical nanoengineering as carriers for precise delivery of therapeutic compounds, in the diagnostics of different diseases and in optics and chemistry, where they act as sensors, conductors and substrates for various syntheses. The activity of AgNPs has not been fully discovered; therefore, we need interdisciplinary research to fulfil this knowledge. New forms of products with silver will certainly find application in the future treatment of many complicated and difficult to treat diseases. There is still a lack of appropriate and precise legal condition regarding the circulation of nanomaterials and the rules governing their safety use. The relatively low toxicity, relative biocompatibility and selectivity of nanoparticle interaction combined with the unusual biological properties allow their use in animal production as well as in bioengineering and medicine. Despite a quite big knowledge on this topic, there is still a need to organize the data on AgNPs in relation to specific microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses or fungi. We decided to put this knowledge together and try to show positive and negative effects on prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.     

Separability of Mixed Quantum States: Linear Contractions and Permutation Criteria

Recently, a powerful separability criterion was introduced by O. Rudolf in [5] and by K. Chen et al. in [6] – basing on realignment of elements of density matrix. Composing the main idea behind the above criterion and the necessary and sufficient condition in terms of positive maps, we provide a characterization of separable states by means of linear contractions. The latter need not be positive maps. We extend the idea to multipartite systems, and find that, somewhat suprisingly, partial realigment (unlike partial transposition) can detect genuinely tri-parite entanglement. We generalize it by introducing a family of so called permutation separability criteria for multipartite states. Namely, any permutation of indices of density matrix written in product basis leads to a separability criterion. Partial transpose and realignment criterion are special cases of permutation criteria. An early version of the present paper has appeared in e-print archive as quant-ph/0206008. The premutation criterion has been then further developed in [23, 24, 25], where the problem of classification of inequivalent permutation criteria has been investigated.     

Changes in quantities of inositol phosphates during maturation and germination of legume seeds

 The changes in the quantities of inositol phosphates during the maturation and germination of pea, faba bean and lupin seeds were determined in two consecutive (1993 and 1994) years of differing weather conditions. Irrespective of the year, all seeds accumulated predominantly inositol hexaphosphate (IP₆). The weather conditions influenced the accumulation of inositol phosphates in maturing seeds, but they did not influence the total content. Gradual degradation of inositol phosphates occurred during seed germination. After 8 days of germination, IP₆ was degraded by some 80% in peas, 78% in faba beans and 42% in lupin seeds. The enzymic hydrolysis of higher forms of inositol phosphates (IP₆ and IP₅) in germinating seeds was assumed to yield inositol tetraphosphate (IP₄) and inositol triphosphate (IP₃), because the quantities of these compounds increased during seed germination. Received: 1 August 1997 / Revised version: 13 October 1997     

Decision support systems based on the Life Cycle Inventory for Municipal Solid Waste management under uncertainty

Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) – part of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method – was used to evaluate two scenarios for waste to energy gasification plants based on the American (design at 200 T/D) and Australian (design at 240 T/D) gasification technologies including a 15‐year income statement projection. The paper uses stochastic modeling based on the internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV) values of the new and actual equipment. The Monte Carlo simulation with the Excel spreadsheet and Crystal Ball^® software was used to develop scenarios for uncertainty inputs. The sensitivity analysis and frequency charts represent the Crystal Ball^® output and simulation results.     

Polymeric membranes for lipase immobilization

Lipase triacylglycerol acylhydrolase, (E.C. 3.1.1.3) is an enzyme that is fully active on aggregated substrates and practically inactive on monodisperse systems. A lipase immobilized on polymeric membranes has been applied for sunflower oil hydrolysis. The influence of membrane properties on enzyme activity is studied. Membranes made of poly(vinyl chloride), collagen, cellulose acetate and polytetrafluoroethylene were used for adsorption of lipase. The porosity and hydrophobicity of membranes did not influence the lipase activity. The difference of the work of adhesion for the water/membrane system and oil/membrane system reflected the activity data, while work of adhesion for water or oil (done separately) did not. For oil hydrolysis to occur on the membrane surface, accessibility of two liquid phases is important, and the lower the difference of work of adhesion between water and oil, the greater the activity of immobilized lipase.