Quantification of anhydrous ethanol and detection of adulterants in commercial Brazilian gasoline by Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy can be used to evaluate the quality of fuels in a remote, rapid, and nondestructive manner without the need for reagents. In this study, Raman was used to quantify anhydrous ethanol in commercial gasoline and to detect peaks due to compounds commonly used for the adulteration of commercial gasoline. Samples of commercial gasoline were collected from fuel stations in the region of Santos, SP, Brazil. Samples of naphtha from the refinery, pure ethanol, and ethanol diluted in distilled water at concentrations close to the range used in the gasoline were also obtained and characterized. Raman spectra were collected using a dispersive Raman spectrometer (830?nm, 2?cm^?1 resolution in the 400–1800?cm^?1 spectral range). As expected, the spectra of commercial gasoline showed pronounced peaks of naphtha and ethanol. By using the peak intensities of the ethanol diluted in water, the ethanol concentration was found to be in the range of 27%?±?1% in most of the samples; some samples presented ethanol concentrations as high as 28.8%, suggesting adulteration. Some samples presented peaks at 766, 798, and 995?cm^?1 with higher intensities, suggesting the presence of an adulterant with organic characteristics, such as solvents with aromatic rings. Raman spectroscopy has been shown to be effective in determining the adulteration of commercial gasoline, which may contribute to rapid quality control of fuels at the point of sale.     

Topology optimization of piezoelectric bi-material actuators with velocity feedback control

Frontiers of Mechanical Engineering - In recent years, the new technologies and discoveries on manufacturing materials have encouraged researchers to investigate the appearance of material...     

Exploring the anticancer properties of essential oils from family Lamiaceae

Lamiaceae is among the largest families of flowering plants with about 250 genera and over 7,000 species distributed around the world. It is considered as the important source of essential oils, for example, menthol, geraniol, eucalyptol, camphor and thymol. Therefore, it is imperative to study these economically important compounds under in vitro conditions for their sustainable and enhanced production. In addition to proven biological activities, essential oils from this family have recently been evaluated for anticancer activities and considered as a source of anticancer drugs. Mechanisms involved in the essential oils-mediated antiproliferative activity include cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and DNA repair mechanisms. Essential oils also act in the reduction of tumors, inhibiting metastasis and as anti-multidrug resistance molecules. The aim of this review is to assess the anticancer properties of essential oils obtained from different members of family Lamiaceae. The available reports on active components of essential oils and their effect on cancer type and cell line have been discussed. Biotechnological studies to improve the production of essential oils have also been highlighted. Various methods have been adopted to obtain essential oils under in vitro conditions from different plant species of family Lamiaceae, and their production is affected by culture conditions, cultivation mode, utilization of nutrient media and plant growth regulators. The literature survey suggests that essential oils obtained from family Lamiaceae have perspective for the development of new alternatives for disease treatment and prevention.     

Single-Phase-Input Reduced-Switch-Count AC–AC Drive Systems

In this paper, two AC-AC reduced-switch-count drive systems for single- to three-phase applications are proposed. Both drive systems provide bidirectional power flow and power factor control. The operating principles of the topologies are presented, and a control strategy is proposed in order to reduce the DC-link voltage required by the converters. Moreover, the proposed configurations are compared with the conventional half-bridge (three legs) and full-bridge (five legs) topologies. These drive systems have the potential for reducing price and are suitable for applications in which the size of the system is a critical factor. Experimental and simulated results are presented.     

Polymer-Based Module for NAD+ Regeneration with Visible Light

The regeneration of enzymatic cofactors by cell-free synthetic modules is a key step towards producing a purely synthetic cell. Herein, we demonstrate the regeneration of the enzyme cofactor NAD⁺ by photo-oxidation of NADH under visible-light irradiation by using metal-free conjugated polymer nanoparticles. Encapsulation of the light-active nanoparticles in the lumen of polymeric vesicles produced a fully organic module able to regenerate NAD⁺ in an enzyme-free system. The polymer compartment conferred physical and chemical autonomy to the module, allowing the regeneration of NAD⁺ to occur efficiently, even in harsh chemical environments. Moreover, we show that regeneration of NAD⁺ by the photocatalyst nanoparticles can oxidize a model substrate, in conjunction with the enzyme glycerol dehydrogenase. To ensure the longevity of the enzyme, we immobilized it within a protective silica matrix; this yielded enzymatic silica nanoparticles with enhanced long-term performance and compatibility with the NAD⁺-regeneration system.     

Copper(I) selenophene-2-carboxylate (CuSC) promoted C–S cross-coupling reaction of thiols with aryl iodides

We reported the synthesis of copper (I)-selenophene-2-carboxylate (CuSC) and application as new catalyst in the cross-coupling reactions of thiols with aryl iodide to afford the corresponding unsymmetrical thioethers. The optimized reaction conditions were applied to thiols and aryl iodides having a wide range of functional groups, including electron rich and electron poor substrates. The chemoselectivity of the reaction with 4-iodobromobenzene and 2-aminothiophenol derivatives was briefly examined through the competitive iodine versus bromine and thiol versus nitrogen cross-coupling.     

Enhancements in sugar immobilization in polymeric macroporous matrices for affinity capture

The use of macroporous monolithic matrices in the purification of biocompounds is constantly growing and developing. In this work, the objective was to optimize the quantity of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (D-GlcNAc) immobilized on the surface of macroporous polymeric cryogels for capture of lectins from less clarified solutions. Surface response methodology was applied and it was observed that the immobilization temperature of the glutaraldehyde (GLU) and the D-GlcNAc concentration influenced the amount of sugar immobilized. The matrices produced with 1.1% of allyl glycidyl ether were functionalized by GLU. Optimal maximum condition was obtained with mean value of 160.39 ± 26.38 mg of D-GlcNAc immobilized per gram of dry cryogel. Characterization analyses of the matrices showed that the activation process was effective, maintaining the macroporous structure and physical characteristics. The adsorbents produced were tested for capture of lectins from a crude protein solution of barley. At tested conditions, adsorbent capture around 11% of protein in solution but reduce the hemaglutinating capacity in 40%, demonstrating its selectivity. The cryogels functionalized with D-GlcNAc present potential for use in capture compounds by affinity with carbohydrates, such as lectins. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47956.     

Development and application starch films: PBAT with additives for evaluating the shelf life of Tommy Atkins mango in the fresh-cut state

In this study, formulations of cassava starch and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) flexible films were developed, with glycerol, coconut nanocellulose, annatto, and citric acid in different concentrations, as well as the effectiveness of the selected materials in fresh-cut mangoes storage was evaluated. The tensile strength of the different formulations varied from 1.90 (E4) to 6.65 MPa (E3c), and the strain varied from 206.31 (E1c) to 278.41% (E8); this variation was dependent on the percentage of the polymer matrix incorporated. The a_w values of the formulations ranged from 0.396 (E2) to 0.569 (E3c). The Formulations E4 and E7 (with additives) presented good properties and were selected to condition mangoes. The micrographs of these films showed regions of micropores that can facilitate the diffusion of water from the packaged product to the surface, allowing decreases in moisture and a_w, which is associated with higher color maintenance during fruit storage. E7 presented better barrier properties than E4 (lower values of WVP and water solubility) which may have influenced in a positive way to maintain the stability of the package in the studied period. E7 can be considered as a viable alternative for minimally processed mango storage. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48150.     

Aerobic Training in Young Men Increases the Transfer of Cholesterol to High Density Lipoprotein In Vitro: Impact of High Density Lipoprotein Size

Exercise training not only improves the plasma lipid profile but also reduces risk of developing coronary heart disease. We investigate whether plasma lipids and high density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism are affected by aerobic training and whether the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels at baseline influence exercise-induced changes in HDL. Seventy-one male sedentary volunteers were evaluated and allocated in two subgroups, according to the HLD-C levels (< or >40 mg/dL). Participants underwent an 18-week aerobic training period. Blood was sampled before and after training for biochemical analysis. Plasma lipids, apolipoproteins, HDL diameter, and VO₂ peak were determined. Lipid transfers to HDL were determined in vitro by incubating plasma samples with a donor lipid artificial nanoemulsion. After the 18-week period of aerobic training, the VO₂ peak increased, while the mean body mass index (BMI) decreased. HDL-C concentration was higher after the training period, but low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and non-HDL-C did not change. The transfer of esterified cholesterol and phospholipids was greater after exercise training, but the triacylglycerol and unesterified cholesterol transfers were unchanged. The HDL particle diameter increased after aerobic training in all participants. When the participants were separated in low-HDL and normal-HDL groups, the postaerobic exercise increment in HDL-C was higher in the low-HDL group, while the transfer of esterified cholesterol was lower. In conclusion, aerobic exercise training increases the lipid transfers to HDL, as measured by an in vitro method, which possibly contributes to the classical elevation of the HDL-C associated with training.     

Chitosan and cyanoguanidine-crosslinked chitosan coated glass beads and its application in fixed bed adsorption

Abstract

The aim of this work was to coat glass beads with chitosan and cyanoguanidine-crosslinked chitosan and, afterward, to verify the potential of the coated beads as adsorbent for the FD&C Red 40 dye in fixed bed column. The coating was realized in eight experimental conditions, varying the technique (dip coating or casting) and the coating solution composition (different proportions of chitosan, cyanoguanidine, glycerol, sorbitol, sodium alginate, NaOH and CaCl₂). The beads coated in the eight experimental conditions were then applied to adsorb FD&C Red 40 in a fixed bed column, from aqueous solutions at pH 3.0 and 6.0. The breakthrough curves were fitted according to Thomas and Yoon-Nelson dynamic models. The coating was dependent of the solution composition. The casting technique presented coating percentage values of 92%, while the dip coating technique presented only 43%. The breakthrough curves revealed that the use of glass beads coated with cyanoguanidine-crosslinked chitosan had good performance, attaining adsorption capacity values higher than 80?mg g^?1. Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models were able to predict the breakthrough curves in all conditions.