Photocatalytic Valorization of Plastic Waste over Zinc Oxide Encapsulated in a Metal–Organic Framework

The conversion of waste plastic into high-value-added chemicals is regarded as a promising approach for relieving global plastic pollution and contributing to the circular economy. Herein, a partial calcination strategy is developed to fabricate a zinc oxide/UiO66-NH₂ (ZnO/UiO66-NH₂) heterojunction, in which ZnO is encapsulated in porous UiO66-NH₂ for the photocatalytic valorization of plastic. This strategy preserves the framework structure of UiO66-NH₂, thus enabling the formation of ZnO with ultra-small size distributed inside the skeleton. The synergistic effect of the obtained ZnO/UiO66-NH₂ heterojunction facilitates providing an efficient channel for carrier/mass transfer and guarantees structural stability. As a result, ZnO/UiO66-NH₂ exhibits high activity for converting polylactic acid (PLA) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into acetic acid, coupled with H₂ production. This work provides a feasible strategy for rationally designing heterojunction photocatalysts, as well as an insight into understanding the process of photocatalytic valorization of plastic.     

No-reference analysis of decoded MPEG images for PSNR estimation and post-processing

We propose no-reference analysis and processing of DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) coded images based on estimation of selected MPEG parameters from the decoded video. The goal is to assess MPEG video quality and perform post-processing without access to neither the original stream nor the code stream. Solutions are presented for MPEG-2 video. A method to estimate the quantization parameters of DCT coded images and MPEG I-frames at the macro-block level is presented. The results of this analysis is used for deblocking and deringing artifact reduction and no-reference PSNR estimation without code stream access. An adaptive deringing method using texture classification is presented. On the test set, the quantization parameters in MPEG-2 I-frames are estimated with an overall accuracy of 99.9% and the PSNR is estimated with an overall average error of 0.3 dB. The deringing and deblocking algorithms yield improvements of 0.3 dB on the MPEG-2 decoded test sequences.     

Antennas for next generation mobile communications

In future mobile communications many antennas will coexist on the device. This creates a number of problems related to bandwidth, efficiency, and correlation. Remedies are discussed in the paper, and attention is called to the promising area of adaptive matching, which also can solve problems related to the user.     

Formation of oxidising species and their role in the viscosity loss of cereal beta-glucan extracts

The aim of this study was to determine the role of the formation of radicals and hydrogen peroxide in the viscosity loss of beta-glucan extracts from oat and barley. Radicals derived from endogenous H₂O₂ were formed spontaneously in all extracts. The decomposition of H₂O₂ by catalase had little or no effect on the viscosity, and the radical formation detected and measured by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy did not predict the shelf life of crude beta-glucan extracts. The addition of FeSO₄ accelerated the radical formation and viscosity loss, revealing the sensitivity of the extract viscosity towards catalysts for oxidation. Using 50% cadoxen in the extracts slowed down the viscosity loss in all extracts but still led to a 10–70% decrease of the initial viscosities during 4 weeks of storage. The results suggest that the viscosity loss may be a result from multiple mechanisms including chemical reactions during storage as well as aggregation and conformational changes.     

Bacterial Community of Koumiss from Mongolia Investigated by Culture and Culture-Independent Methods

The bacterial community of fermented horse milk (koumiss) from Mongolia was studied using three methods: cultivation, direct identification by 16S rRNA clone library and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Ninety-eight strains were isolated by traditional cultivation and 61 of those were randomly selected for further identification by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The strains were dominated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB; six different lactobacilli), Acinetobacter, Bacillus and Psychrobacter. Construction of the clone library analysis revealed that 16S sequences of 220 clones, genus Lactobacillus was dominant, but Streptococcus thermophilus, Acetobacter pasteurianus and uncultured clones were also detected. Ten unique bands were sequenced from the DGGE and revealed: Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Clostridium acidurici, Acinetobacter johnsonii, Dickeya sp., Enterobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., Raoultella sp., and Ruminococcus sp.. In vitro growth inhibition of three human pathogens, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter sakazakii and Staphylococcus aureus by 14 culturable bacteria displayed that only three of the isolates tested inhibit growth of E. sakazakii while most of the other bacteria delayed growth of the target bacteria.     

Storage life of frozen salmonoids Effect of light and packaging conditions on carotenoid oxidation and lipid oxidation

Summary The combined effect of oxygen transmission of packaging material and of exposure to light with different spectral distribution on the oxidative degradation of carotenoids and lipids in frozen salmonoids has been characterized in a storage experiment with steaks of rainbow trout. The degradation of the carotenoid astaxanthin, as followed by HPLC analysis and tristimulus colorimetric measurement, was sensitive to the radiant flux density of UV light and less sensitive to the oxygen transmission rate of the packaging material, in agreement with previous findings for photooxidation of carotenoids in food model systems. This is in contrast to the lipid oxidation, which was found to be dependent on the accessability of oxygen rather than on exposure to UV light. Formation of peroxides in the product culminated after 3 months of storage (up to 8.4 mEq kg^–1 oil), and preceded the formation of thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances. The product in packaging material with a high oxygen transmission rate (60 cm³ m^–2 bar^–1 per 24 h) reached a level of approximately 5 mol malonaldhyde/kg^–1 product, when stored exposed to standard fluorescent light or fluorescent light with a high UV component. Rancid taste was not detected by sensory evaluation for any of the products after 6 months of storage, whereas a bitter taste was noted for the product exposed to UV light.

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Die Haltbarkeit von Lachsforellen Einfluß von Licht und Verpackung auf die Carotenoid- und Fettoxydation

Zusammenfassung Der kombinierte Effekt von Sauerstoffdurchgang durch Verpackungsmaterial und der Lichteinwirkung verschiedener spektraler Verteilung auf den oxidativen Abbau der Carotinoide und Fette in gefrorenen Lachsforellen wurde in einem Lagerungsversuch untersucht. Der Abbau des Carotenoids Astaxanthin wurde mit HPLC undTristimulus-Calorimetrie beobachtet, und war empfindlich gegenüber UV-Licht und weniger empfindlich gegenüber der Sauerstoffdurchlässigkeit der Verpackung, was mit früheren Ergebnissen für Photooxidation der Carotinoide in Modellsystemen übereinstimmt. Dies widerspricht der Fettoxidation, die mehr von Sauerstoffzugang abhängig ist als von der Entwicklung des UV-Lichtes. Die Bildung von Peroxiden des Produktes kuliminierte nach 3monatiger Lagerung (bis 8,4 meq/kg Öl) und ging der Bildung von Thiobarbitursäure-aktiven Substanzen voraus. Das Produkt im Material mit hohem Sauerstoffdurchgang (60 cm³ m^–2 bar^–1 pro 24 h), das bei normalen fluorescierendem Licht oder bei fluorescierendem Licht mit hohem UV-Anteil aufbewahrt wurde, erreichte einen TBS-Wert von ungefähr 5 mol Malonaldehyd/kg Fleisch. Ein ranziger Geschmack wurde durch sensorische Bewertung nach 6monatiger Lagerung nicht erkannt, wohl aber ein bitterer Geschmack bei dem UV-Licht ausgesetzten Proben.

     

Cholesterogenesis: derepression in extrahepatic tissues with 4-aminopyrazolo (3,4-d) pyrimidine

Administration of 4-aminopyrazolo [3,4-d] pyrimidine decreased serum cholesterol levels in the rat to less than 5 milligrams per deciliter. Coincident with this change, there was a 2.1 - to 16.0-fold increase in the rate of sterol synthesis in seven extrahepatic tissues. This suggests that cholesterol carried in serum lipoproteins plays a major role in regulating sterol synthesis in many extrahepatic tissues.     

Atherosclerotic (systolic) hypertension

Systolic hypertension was studied in 92 patients, aged 60 to 103 years, some of them being followed-up for periods up to 8 years. The examination included that of haemodynamics, functional state of the heart and gas composition of blood (by the dye dilution technique, polycardiography, teleradiography, Sechenov and van Slyke methods, the micro-Astrup technique). The previously reported concept of the author was proved, i.e. the immediate haemodynamic cause of arterial pressure elevation in this pathology consists in an increased cardiac output against the background of an increased total elastic resistance of the arterial system. The elevation of the cardiac output is due not only to the neuro-humoral disorders in the regulation of arterial pressure in old age, but also to the adaptational factors directed to the improvement of oxygen transport and consumption by the tissues when the premeability of the vascular-tissuemembranes is impaired.     

The cardiovascular effects of diazepam and of diazepam and pancuronium during fentanyl and oxygen anaesthesia

A study of the physiological behaviour of the synthetic compound Orthonil (alpha-chloro-beta-(3-chloro-o-tolyl)-propionitrile revealed a strong auxin activity in higher plants. Otherwise, Orthonil appeared not to be a herbicide-auxin. It is metabolized intensively in plant tissues. Among the identified metabolites, two compounds were detected which also exert a high auxin activity. It is concluded that at least a part of the apparent auxin activity of Orthonil may be due to alpha-(3-chloro-o-tolyl) acetic acid, one metabolite of Orthonil. Although Orthonil strongly stimulates elongation growth, this growth is not accompanied by a stimulated ethylene evolution as is the case with other auxins. A possible metabolic pathway of Orthonil is discussed.