Separation and purification of hyaluronic acid by glucuronic acid imprinted microbeads

The purification of hyaluronic acid (HA) is relatively significant to use in biomedical applications. The structure of HA is formed by the repetitive units of glucuronic acid and N-acetyl glucosamine. In this study, glucuronic acid-imprinted microbeads have been supplied for the purification of HA from cell culture (Streptococcus equi). Histidine-functional monomer, methacryloylamidohistidine (MAH) was chosen as the metal-complexing monomer. The glucuronic acid-imprinted poly(ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate-MAH-Copper(II)) [p(EDMA-MAH-Cu²⁺)] microbeads have been synthesized by typical suspension polymerization procedure. The template glucuronic acid has been removed by employing 5 M methanolic KOH solution. p(EDMA-MAH-Cu²⁺) microbeads have been characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and swelling studies. Moreover, HA adsorption experiments have been performed in a batch experimental set-up. Purification of HA from cell culture supernatant has been also investigated by determining the hyaluronidase activity using purified HA as substrate. The glucuronic acid imprinted p(EDMA-MAH-Cu²⁺) particles can be used many times with no significant loss in adsorption capacities. Also, the selectivity of prepared molecular imprinted polymers (MIP) has been examined. Results have showed that MIP particles are 19 times more selective for glucuronic acid than N-acetylglucose amine.     

Structural and thermochemical properties, and energetics of C8(NO2)8 and C20(NO2)4n (n = 0–4)

Density-functional-theory calculations, at the B3LYP level with the 6–31 G basis set, have been performed to investigate the structural and electronic properties of octanitrocubane, C₈(NO₂)₈, and polynitrofullerenes of type C₂₀(NO₂)_4n, with n = 0–4, in their ground states. Having determined their energetically optimized geometric structures, energetics, and vibrational frequencies, we have calculated the enthalpies of combustion and decomposition of these molecules. Extrapolating from the so-obtained data, we have also estimated, as a by-product, the enthalpy values of C₂₀(NO₂)₂₀.     

Modal criteria for optimization of structures through active structural acoustic control

This paper deals with modal criteria allowing optimization of structures through active structural acoustic control (ASAC) based on the independent modal strategy control (IMSC). The aim of the paper is to propose efficient criteria allowing to process optimization of structures by determining the most important modes to control considering only the location of the excitation on the structure. A generalized modal synthesis is used to study the coupled fluid–structure system. Modal criteria are proposed in order to determine the best choice for the controlled modes used in IMSC method. The way the ASAC will be applied is not discussed in the paper. Numerical simulations are computed to show the efficiency of the method, considering a simple vibroacoustic structure. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Air and oxy-fuel combustion kinetics of low rank lignites

The air and oxy-fuel combustion processes of two low-grade lignite coals were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) method. Coals were provided from two different coal mines in the Aegean region of Turkey. Oxy-fuel combustion experiments were carried out with three different gas mixtures of 21% O₂–79% CO₂; 40% O₂–60% CO₂ and 50% O₂–50% CO₂ at 950 °C and heating rates of 10 °C/min, 20 °C/min and 40 °C/min. The kinetics of the oxy-fuel combustion of coals were studied by using four different methods namely, Coats-Redfern (model-fitting method), Friedman (FR), Flynn–Wall–Ozawa's (FWO) and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose's (KAS) methods. The apparent activation energies of combustion process calculated by FWO method are slightly but systematically higher than that calculated by the KAS and FR methods for the oxy-fuel atmospheres. Combustion behavior of both coals in the oxy-fuel combustion environment could vary significantly, likely due to their characteristics such ash and volatile matter contents.     

Early prostate cancer diagnosis by using artificial neural networks and support vector machines

The aim of this study is to design a classifier based expert system for early diagnosis of the organ in constraint phase to reach informed decision making without biopsy by using some selected features. The other purpose is to investigate a relationship between BMI (body mass index), smoking factor, and prostate cancer. The data used in this study were collected from 300 men (100: prostate adenocarcinoma, 200: chronic prostatism or benign prostatic hyperplasia). Weight, height, BMI, PSA (prostate specific antigen), Free PSA, age, prostate volume, density, smoking, systolic, diastolic, pulse, and Gleason score features were used and independent sample t-test was applied for feature selection. In order to classify related data, we have used following classifiers; scaled conjugate gradient (SCG), Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS), and Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) training algorithms of artificial neural networks (ANN) and linear, polynomial, and radial based kernel functions of support vector machine (SVM). It was determined that smoking is a factor increases the prostate cancer risk whereas BMI is not affected the prostate cancer. Since PSA, volume, density, and smoking features were to be statistically significant, they were chosen for classification. The proposed system was designed with polynomial based kernel function, which had the best performance (accuracy: 79%). In Turkish Family Health System, family physician to whom patients are applied firstly, would contribute to extract the risk map of illness and direct patients to correct treatments by using expert system such proposed.     

Determination of optimal actuator forces and positions in smart structures using adjoint method

The problem of optimal design of structures with active support is analyzed in the paper. The sensitivity expressions with respect to the generalized force and the position of actuator are derived by the adjoint structure approach. Next, the optimality conditions are formulated by means of an introduced Lagrangian function. The problem of introduction of a new actuator is also considered and the condition of modification is expressed by means of the topological derivative. The obtained sensitivity formula, optimality conditions and modification conditions are applied in the optimization algorithm with respect to the number, positions and generalized forces of the actuators. Numerical examples of optimal control of beams illustrate the procedure proposed in the paper.     

Enzymatic modification of the functional, nutritional and sensorial properties of soybeans for special feeding

Production of new protein-based products for special nutrition such as hypoallergenic infant formulas, fortified beverages and nutraceutics, require ideal ingredients. Protein ingredients were developed by enzymatic hydrolysis and methionine synthesis of soy protein. Hydrolysis was done at 4% (w/v) using porcine pancreatic enzymes (4% w/w), 50 degrees C, 6 h and pH 8. After drying powder was resuspended (20% w/v) and incubated with 7.6% (w/w) methionine methyl-ester, 1% (w/w) chymotrypsin and 3 M glycerol, 37 degrees C, 3 h and pH 7. Hydrolysates were fractionated by ultrafiltration (UF) before and after enrichment (E): FI > 10, 10 > FII > 3 and 3 > FIII > 1 kDa. Functional properties, amino acid content, anti-physiological factor activities and antigenicity were assayed for all the UF fractions and the soybean meal. Protein quality bioassay and sensorial test of an non-enriched fraction and an enriched fraction were performed. Functional properties were positively modified by hydrolysis and synthesis by using a minimum time and methionine added for the last reaction. After UF all the fractions under 10 kDa showed 100% solubility (pH 4 and 7), good clarity, acceptable foam capacity and negligible antigenicity and antiphysiological activities. Additionally, methionine enrichment enhanced their nutritional value, upgrading sulfur amino acid requirements for infants and adults. Because functionality and nutritional value FIII-E could be used for hypoallergenic infant formulas, FII-E for fortified soluble formulas and nutraceutics and FI-E for a semi-solid baby food.