Synthesis of Edible Vegetable Oils Enriched with Healthy 1,3-Diglycerides Using Crude Glycerol and Homogeneous/Heterogeneous Catalysis

Commercial edible vegetable oils in which part of their triglycerides are substituted with 1,3-diglycerides are healthier for human consumption than the original oils. This is because the human metabolism of 1,3-diglycerides is believed to occur through a distinct pathway with less probability of being deposited as fat in the body tissues. To obtain these enriched oils, conversion of triglycerides into diglycerides is carried out by glycerolysis using commercial crude glycerol containing dissolved alkali cations that homogeneously catalyze the reaction. The addition of a food production-compatible MgO as a supplementary solid basic catalyst, shortens the reaction time by half due to a combination of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis processes. In either homogeneously or homogeneous-heterogeneously catalyzed glycerolysis, the increase of the reaction temperature in the range of 453–493 K increases the final 1,3-diglyceride content. Furthermore, in both glycerolysis processes the triglyceride content can be decreased in more than 60% with the consequent increase of total diglycerides to 50%, 70% of which are the 1,3-isomers. The glycerolysis reaction proceeds without altering the fatty acid distribution of the original oils.     

Second Cancer Onset in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: What,When, Why?

The risk of developing a solid cancer is a major issue arising in the disease course of a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). Although the connection between the two diseases has been widely described, the backstage of this complex scenario has still to be explored. Several cellular and molecular mechanisms have been suggested to link the two tumors. Sometimes the MPN is considered to trigger a second cancer but at other times both diseases seem to depend on the same source. Increasing knowledge in recent years has revealed emerging pathways, supporting older, more consolidated theories, but there are still many unresolved issues. Our work aims to present the biological face of the complex clinical scenario in MPN patients developing a second cancer, focusing on the main cellular and molecular pathways linking the two diseases.     

The relationship between CO2 emissions,energy consumption and economic growth in Italy

This study examines the relationship between CO₂ emissions, energy consumption and economic growth in Italy over the period 1970–2006. Results of unit root tests show that all variables are non-stationary in their level form, but stationary in first differences form. The causal relationship between variables is examined using causality test in a vector autoregressive framework. Our empirical results show that CO₂ emissions, energy consumption and economic growth are not cointegrated. Moreover, the Toda and Yamamoto Granger non-causality test shows a bidirectional causality between CO₂ emissions and economic growth, as well as between CO₂ emissions and energy consumption. Forecast error variance decompositions evidence that the errors in real per capita GDP are mainly due to uncertainty in GDP itself, while the errors in predicting the energy consumption and the CO₂ emissions are sensitive to disturbances in the other two equations.     

Experimental investigation of a flat plate heat pipe performance using IR thermal imaging camera

This paper presents results and analysis of an experimental investigation into determining the thermal performance of a flat plate heat pipe using infra red (IR) thermal imaging camera. Steady state and transient temperature distribution of the evaporator surface of the flat plate heat pipe were measured using a single heat source with varied heat flux inputs. For performance comparison, the experimental measurements were also carried out on an identical flat plate heat pipe with a defect and on a solid copper block of similar dimensions. It was shown that temperature excursion on the surface of the fully functioning flat plate heat pipe is less than 3 °C for operating temperatures up to 90 °C and heat flux inputs ranging from 4 to 40 W/cm². Furthermore, the thermal spreading resistance of the flat plate heat pipe was found to be about 40 times smaller than that of the solid copper block and flat plate heat pipe with a defect.     

Optimal experimental design for combinatorial problems

We discuss two experimental designs and show how to use them to evaluate difficult empirical combinatorial problems. We restrict our analysis here to the knapsack problem but comment more generally on the use of computational testing to analyze the performances of algorithms.Corresponding author. Part of this work was carried out while the author was visiting the IOE Department at University of Michigan and the CS department at Columbia University.     

Epoxy+liquid crystalline epoxy coreacted networks: II. Mechanical properties

The effect of coreacting diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F (DGEBP-F) with diglycidyl ether of 4,4′-dihydroxybiphenol (DGE-DHBP) on mechanical properties is investigated. DGE-DHBP shows a liquid crystal (LC) transition upon curing. Tensile, impact and fracture toughness test results are evaluated. Dynamic mechanical analysis is conducted to determine the effect of the DGE-DHBP component. Scanning electron microscopy of fracture surfaces shows changes in failure mechanisms compared to the pure components. The results indicate that the mechanical properties of these blended samples are significantly improved at 10-20% by weight of DGE-DHBP. This is a consequence of the rigidity of the LC component which thus provides the reinforcement.     

Inheritance in the join calculus

We design an extension of the join calculus with class-based inheritance. Method calls, locks, and states are handled in a uniform manner, using asynchronous messages. Classes are partial message definitions that can be combined and transformed by means of operators for behavioral and synchronization inheritance. We also give a polymorphic type system that statically enforces basic safety properties. Our language and its type system are compatible with the JoCaml implementation of the join calculus.     

Antithrombotic activity of 12 table grape varieties. Relationship with polyphenolic profile

The synthesis of tissue factor (TF) by monocytes/macrophages activated by inflammatory agents is of utmost importance in the pathogenesis of thrombotic diseases and substances inhibiting TF synthesis represent novel and promising antithrombotics. We investigated the effect of 12 table grape varieties (white, red and black) on TF synthesis and the possible relation with the phenolic profile.     

Synthesis of ionones on solid Brønsted acid catalysts: Effect of acid site strength on ionone isomer selectivity

The effect of Brønsted acid site strength on the liquid-phase conversion of pseudoionone to ionone isomers (α-, β- and γ-ionone) was studied on resin Amberlyst 35W, silica-supported heteropolyacid (HPAS) and silica-supported triflic acid (TFAS). Catalyst acidity was probed by temperature-programmed desorption of NH₃ coupled with infrared spectra of adsorbed pyridine. The initial pseudoionone conversion rate followed the order: TFAS > Amberlyst 35W ≈ HPAS. Synthesis of the three ionone isomers occurred via a common cyclic carbocation intermediate formed from the activation of the pseudoionone molecule on Brønsted acid sites. Initial ionone mixtures containing a α:β:γ isomer distribution of about 40:20:40 were formed, irrespective of the acid site strength. But the ionone mixture composition changed with the progress of the reaction because γ-ionone was consecutively converted to α-ionone on HPAS and Amberlyst 35W, whereas the stronger acid sites of TFAS converted γ-ionone to β-ionone.