Study of Drying of a Porous Medium Using Gamma-Ray Attenuation Technique

ABSTRACT

In this work the drying of porous media is considered and modeled according to Luikov equations. The experimental apparatus consists of a cylindrical porous medium positioned vertically, with its bottom closed and maintained at a constant temperature. The top surface of this porous medium is in contact with a known flow rate of dry air at room temperature. Under these conditions, the transient axial temperature and moisture concentration profiles are measured. A noninvasive technique has been used to measure the moisture content, which is based on the attenuation of a horizontal beam of gamma-rays penetrating the porous medium. The measurement of this attenuation allows determining the water content of the sample. The mathematical model has been developed using two different approaches. In the first one, the one dimensional Luikov equations are applied considering all the physical parameters as constant. In the second approach, heat and mass balance equations of this process are the simple one dimensional transient diffusion equations, considering both diffusion coefficients as adjustable function of the moisture content. As shown, this second approach is superior to the first one.

     

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver: A Possible New Target for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention and Treatment

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disorder worldwide. Several lines of evidence have indicated a pathogenic role of insulin resistance, and a strong association with type 2 diabetes (T2MD) and metabolic syndrome. Importantly, NAFLD appears to enhance the risk for T2MD, as well as worsen glycemic control and cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients. In turn, T2MD may promote NAFLD progression. The opportunity to take into account NAFLD in T2MD prevention and care has stimulated several clinical studies in which antidiabetic drugs, such as metformin, thiazolidinediones, GLP-1 analogues and DPP-4 inhibitors have been evaluated in NAFLD patients. In this review, we provide an overview of preclinical and clinical evidences on the possible efficacy of antidiabetic drugs in NAFLD treatment. Overall, available data suggest that metformin has beneficial effects on body weight reduction and metabolic parameters, with uncertain effects on liver histology, while pioglitazone may improve liver histology. Few data, mostly preclinical, are available on DPP4 inhibitors and GLP-1 analogues. The heterogeneity of these studies and the small number of patients do not allow for firm conclusions about treatment guidelines, and further randomized, controlled studies are needed.     

Combined Treatment with Dif1stat<Superscript>®</Superscript> and Diet Reduce Plasma Lipid Indicators of Moderate Hypercholesterolemia More Effectively than Diet Alone: A Randomized Trial in Parallel Groups

An open-labeled randomized trial with parallel groups was carried out to study the effects of Dif1stat^® (Monascus purpureus–Linear aliphatic alcohols–Niacin) in the treatment of primary moderate hypercholesterolemia. The trial lasted 8 months. The patients, males and females, were assigned to two groups: A (#130), treated with diet, and B (#110) submitted to diet + Dif1stat^®. After 4 months, group A did not show significant changes in Total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDLC), HDL-cholesterol (HDLC) or non-HDL-cholesterol (non-HDLC). The same group, showed a reduction in TC (–22%), LDLC (–30%) and non-HDLC (–27%) after 8 months (P ≤ 0.001). After 4 months, TC (–21.3%), LDLC (–29%), and non-HDLC (–26%) were significantly lowered in group B (P ≤ 0.001). In group B, TC, LDLC and non-HDLC showed a further reduction after 8 months: –29.4, –38 and –37%, respectively (P ≤ 0.001). Even triglycerides (TG) decreased significantly (–33%) (P ≤ 0.001). After 8 months, group B showed a significant reduction of TG (–33%) (P ≤ 0.001), when compared to group A. Some safety parameters were significantly reduced in both groups: AST and γ-GT in group A after 4 and 8 months, as well as ALT, AST and γ-GT in group B after 8 months (P ≤ 0.001). Dif1stat^®, given with a suitable diet, was well tolerated in the long-term and induced an anti-atherogenic plasma lipid and lipoprotein profile, in patients with moderate hypercholesterolemia.     

Cluster Monte Carlo and numerical mean field analysis for the water liquid-liquid phase transition

Using Wolff's cluster Monte Carlo simulations and numerical minimization within a mean field approach, we study the low temperature phase diagram of water, adopting a cell model that reproduces the known properties of water in its fluid phases. Both methods allow us to study the thermodynamic behavior of water at temperatures, where other numerical approaches - both Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics - are seriously hampered by the large increase of the correlation times. The cluster algorithm also allows us to emphasize that the liquid-liquid phase transition corresponds to the percolation transition of tetrahedrally ordered water molecules.     

Study of polymer–solvent interactions by gas chromatography. Copolymers of vinyl acetate and vinyl alcohol with hydrocarbons and alcohols

The specific retention volumes of nine hydrocarbons and 12 alcohols were measured at several temperatures within the range 120–150°C in columns whose stationary phases were poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and four copolymers of vinyl acetate and vinyl alcohol with 94.8, 74.4, 60.9, and 43.4 mol % of vinyl acetate units (mol % VAc). No chromatographic retention for hydrocarbons was detected in columns loaded with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) or a copolymer with 11.9 mol % VAc. The retention trends are discussed and the polymers solubility parameters (δ₂) were computed from the measured Flory–Huggins χ parameters. The copolymers δ₂ values increase almost linearly with decreasing mol % VAc; PVAc, however, has a distinct behavior. The limitations of the approach in the prediction of χ parameters are discussed.     

The electrochemical behaviour of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide on silver electrodes

The reduction of oxygen and the reduction and oxidation of hydrogen peroxide at silver electrodes is examined, with special reference to the side reactions involving the metal and its corrosion products.     

Stress—corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steel in hydrochloric acid media at room temperature

Stress—corrosion cracking of solution quenched, type 304, stainless steel can occur at room temperature in HCl solutions ranging between 5·10^?1M and 1M HCl. The cracking observed in HCl solutions is similar to that previously observed in H₂SO₄ + NaCl and HClO₄ + NaCl solutions. Cracking occurs at ? 0·200 V (NHE), in the active potential region, it is under cathodic control, and it develops in conditions under which the corrosion rate of the external surface area is more or less constant and independent of the HCl concentration, in the range 10^?1 M?1 M HCl. At higher HCl concentrations, corrosion rates increase and uneven, general corrosion occurs instead of cracking. The development of pitting and stress—corrosion cracking under active conditions precludes the conclusion that active—passive cells always play a role in localized corrosion and, in particular, in stress—corrosion cracking. Under these conditions, it has been shown that sensitized and non-sensitized specimens behave similarly (giving rise in both cases to transgranular cracking); active—passive cells, due to chromium depletion at the grain boundaries, are not involved. Active—passive corrosion mechanisms can however arise at more noble potentials (0·100?0·200 V NHE), as in the case of HClH₂O₂ solutions of specific concentration, producing intergranular corrosion of the stainless steel in the sensitized condition.     

Perception of solar UVB radiation by phytophagous insects: behavioral responses and ecosystem implications

Most of our present knowledge about the impacts of solar UVB radiation on terrestrial ecosystems comes from studies with plants. Recently, the effects of UVB on the growth and survival of consumer species have begun to receive attention, but very little is known about UVB impacts on animal behavior. Here we report that manipulations of the flux of solar UVB received by field-grown soybean crops had large and consistent effects on the density of the thrips (Caliothrips phaseoli, Thysanoptera: Thripidae) populations that invaded the canopies, as well as on the amount of leaf damage caused by the insects. Solar UVB strongly reduced thrips herbivory. Thrips not only preferred leaves from plants that were not exposed to solar UVB over leaves from UVB-exposed plants in laboratory and field choice experiments, but they also appeared to directly sense and avoid exposure to solar UVB. Additional choice experiments showed that soybean leaf consumption by the late-season soybean worm Anticarsia gemmatalis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was much less intense in leaves with even slight symptoms of an early thrips attack than in undamaged leaves. These experiments suggest that phytophagous insects can present direct and indirect behavioral responses to solar UVB. The indirect responses are mediated by changes in the plant host that are induced by UVB and, possibly, by other insects whose behavior is affected by UVB.