Construction of Programmed Motions of Constrained Mechanical Systems Using Third-Order Polynomials

Journal of Computer and Systems Sciences International - A problem of the synthesis of programmed motions of mechanical systems based on the use of time polynomials is considered. The programmed...     

Optimization of Pathogen Capture in Flowing Fluids with Magnetic Nanoparticles

Magnetic nanoparticles have been employed to capture pathogens for many biological applications; however, optimal particle sizes have been determined empirically in specific capturing protocols. Here, a theoretical model that simulates capture of bacteria is described and used to calculate bacterial collision frequencies and magnetophoretic properties for a range of particle sizes. The model predicts that particles with a diameter of 460 nm should produce optimal separation of bacteria in buffer flowing at 1 L h⁻¹. Validating the predictive power of the model, Staphylococcus aureus is separated from buffer and blood flowing through magnetic capture devices using six different sizes of magnetic particles. Experimental magnetic separation in buffer conditions confirms that particles with a diameter closest to the predicted optimal particle size provide the most effective capture. Modeling the capturing process in plasma and blood by introducing empirical constants (c_e), which integrate the interfering effects of biological components on the binding kinetics of magnetic beads to bacteria, smaller beads with 50 nm diameters are predicted that exhibit maximum magnetic separation of bacteria from blood and experimentally validated this trend. The predictive power of the model suggests its utility for the future design of magnetic separation for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.     

Fully renewable limonene‐derived polycarbonate as a high‐performance alkyd resin

Limonene‐derived polycarbonate‐based alkyd resins (ARs) have been prepared by copolymerization of limonene dioxide with CO₂, catalysed by a β‐diiminate zinc–bis(trimethylsilyl)amido complex, and subsequent chemical modification with soybean oil fatty acids using triphenylethylphosphonium bromide as the catalyst. This quantitative partial modification was realized via epoxy–carboxylic acid chemistry, affording ARs with higher oil lengths, lower polydispersities and higher glass transition temperatures (T_g) in comparison to a conventional polyester AR based on phthalic acid, multifunctional polyol pentaerythritol and soybean fatty acid. The novel limonene polycarbonate AR and the conventional polyester AR were evaluated as coatings and both the physical drying (without the presence of the oxidative drying accelerator Borchi® Oxy Coat) and chemical curing (with Borchi® Oxy Coat) processes of these coatings were monitored by measuring the König hardness and complex modulus development with time. A better performance was obtained for the alkyd paint containing polycarbonates modified with fatty acids (FA‐PCs), which showed a faster chemical drying, a higher König hardness and a higher T_g in coating evaluation, demonstrating that the fully renewable FA‐PCs are promising resins for alkyd paint applications. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of complexation of oxidised corn starch with mineral elements on physicochemical properties

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of complexation of oxidised starch with mineral elements on its physicochemical properties. Corn starch was oxidised with sodium hypochlorite and, afterwards, modified with ions of potassium, magnesium and iron. Thus, native and modified starches were analysed for: contents of mineral elements, colour parameters (L*a*b*), water binding capacity and solubility in water at temperature of 60 and 80 °C. Thermodynamic characteristics of gelatinisation by DSC, molecular weight distribution by GPC, intrinsic viscosity and pasting properties by RVA were studied. The efficiency of incorporation of metal ions into oxidised corn starch was about 30%, 20% and 20% for potassium, magnesium and iron ions, respectively. The complexation with potassium ions caused the greatest changes in the molecular weight distribution and the intrinsic viscosity of starches and viscosity of starch pastes. Only modification of starch with iron ions affected the colour parameters of the starch. Incorporation of metal ions into starch resulted also in changes in its water binding capacity and solubility in water.