Novel approach to fast determination of multiple pesticide residues using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS)

A rapid, high-throughput method employing ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed and optimized for simultaneous quantification and confirmation of 64 pesticide residues and their toxic metabolites in fruit extracts prepared by a buffered QuEChERS procedure. The total time required for UPLC-MS/MS analysis was 8 min plus 2 min for re-equilibration to the initial UPLC conditions. Performance characteristics were determined for apple extracts spiked at 10 µg kg^?1. The repeatability of measurements expressed as relative standard deviations was in the range 1.5–13% at this level for most analytes. Thanks to very low limits of quantification (<10 µg kg^?1for the majority of pesticides), an optimized method allows for the reliable control of not only common maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by European Union regulation for various pesticides/fruit combinations, but also of a uniform MRL of 10 µg kg^?1endorsed for baby food.     

Understanding carbonaceous deposit formation resulting from engine oil degradation

The formation processes of carbonaceous deposits in the first piston ring grooves of direct injection diesel engines have been studied. Deposits generated during engine tests were analysed by SEM/EDX, thermogravimetric analysis, pyrolysis/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and FT-IR spectroscopy. These analyses showed that the deposits, with a structure of cracked varnishes, mainly resulted from the degradation of lubricants. Their state strongly depends on the severity of the tests, which resulted in the formation of two kinds of deposits, termed as ‘oily’ and ‘dry’, according to their content of volatile organic matters. Then, to better understand the deposit formation process, a thermo-oxidative degradation of the lubricating oil was carried out in a tubular furnace, while varying temperature, duration of the test, and adding metallic elements to simulate the engine wear. The consumption of antioxidant additives and the lubricant carbonization were highlighted. Temperature level was identified as the most influential parameter during the lubricant degradation process. The presence of metallic elements appeared to act as a catalyst by speeding up the degradation when the tests duration was increased.     

Matching conjugate points between multi-resolution satellite images using geometric and radiometric properties

Remotely sensed images are the main source for a variety of mapping and change-detection applications. Images from different satellites are employed in several of these applications. However, each type of these images has a different resolution and orientation. Hence, they need to be co-registered before any meaningful use. The first step in the registration process is to find conjugate points between the images. This paper presents a modified method of the Scott and Longuet-Higgins approach to find conjugate points between different remotely sensed images. In such an algorithm, initially, corner points are automatically extracted in two images, and for each pair of points, a cost value is computed. The cost of corresponding any two points is computed using two-dimensional transformation models and pixel intensities. The cost values are then used to fill a cost matrix, and its singular value decomposition is used to find corresponding points. The algorithm is tested on three pairs of satellite images with different resolutions and orientations. The results show that the approach presented here succeeded in finding 93% of conjugate points between different pairs of satellite images using only the image coordinates through the eight-parameter transformation model. Moreover, the results show that including the image intensities in the matching procedure does change the results significantly.     

Improving thermal performance of the roof enclosure of heavy construction buildings

High heat flux through the enclosures of heavy building constructions during summer and winter seasons is of great concern with respect to energy-related economics and environmental issues. This paper demonstrates the importance of quantitative evaluation of enclosure design and proves the potential for substantial energy savings by minor alterations of conventional roof designs. These modifications include adding insulation layer(s), removing construction details and obstructing fluid flow within the attic cavity by partial or full vertical partition within the cavity. The CFD approach adopted for this purpose is based on a numerical study of steady, conjugate natural convection in the cavity of an attic of heavy construction buildings. Because of the flow characteristics, laminar and turbulent models were employed for summer and winter day boundary conditions, respectively. Steady state results based on the finite-volume method were obtained for Rayleigh number in the range 10⁸–10¹⁰. Representative results illustrating the effects of the proposed design modifications on the local and total Nusselt numbers at the indoor surfaces are presented and discussed for summer and winter day boundary conditions. The results show that considerable energy saving may be achieved via relatively simple design changes. It is also shown that adding an insulation layer does not necessarily translate into energy conservation, and that eliminating a minor design detail might have significant rewards in terms of energy savings.     

Ferroceneboronic acid for the electrochemical probing of interactions involving sugars

Ferroceneboronic acid (FcBA) was used as a redox-active probe suitable for monitoring of diol–boronate interactions. Voltammetric and amperometric measurements allowed to detect FcBA forms – free and bound in the boronate complex. In this way, the complexation interaction was studied for a set of saccharide molecules as model diols and the corresponding affinity equilibrium constants were determined. A shift of the peak potential on voltammograms accompanying formation of the boronate complex with FcBA was proposed as a probe for electrochemical characterization of surface-confined diol-containing structures. The model experiments were carried out using sorbitol- and 1,6-hexandiol-modified polyepichlorhydrin conjugates deposited on the electrodes; the former compound was able to form the boronate complex while no change of the peak potential for the latter conjugate was observed. This approach seems promising for artificial bioelectronic affinity receptors and technology of reagentless biosensors where the binding interaction directly stimulates a measurable electrochemical event.     

Novel approach to fast determination of multiple pesticide residues using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS).

A rapid, high-throughput method employing ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed and optimized for simultaneous quantification and confirmation of 64 pesticide residues and their toxic metabolites in fruit extracts prepared by a buffered QuEChERS procedure. The total time required for UPLC-MS/MS analysis was 8 min plus 2 min for re-equilibration to the initial UPLC conditions. Performance characteristics were determined for apple extracts spiked at 10 microg kg(-1). The repeatability of measurements expressed as relative standard deviations was in the range 1.5-13% at this level for most analytes. Thanks to very low limits of quantification (<10 microg kg(-1)for the majority of pesticides), an optimized method allows for the reliable control of not only common maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by European Union regulation for various pesticides/fruit combinations, but also of a uniform MRL of 10 microg kg(-1)endorsed for baby food.     

IL-6 in the Ecosystem of Head and Neck Cancer: Possible Therapeutic Perspectives

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a highly potent cytokine involved in multiple biological processes. It was previously reported to play a distinct role in inflammation, autoimmune and psychiatric disorders, ageing and various types of cancer. Furthermore, it is understood that IL-6 and its signaling pathways are substantial players in orchestrating the cancer microenvironment. Thus, they appear to be potential targets in anti-tumor therapy. The aim of this article is to elucidate the role of IL-6 in the tumor ecosystem and to review the possible therapeutic approaches in head and neck cancer.     

An Investigation on the Reduced Ability of IF-MoS2 Nanoparticles to Reduce Friction and Wear in the Presence of Dispersants

Inorganic fullerene-like molybdenum disulfide (IF-MoS₂) nanoparticles are known to exhibit great friction and wear-reducing abilities in severe boundary lubrication regimes, when added to a base oil alone. Their use in fully formulated lubricants was investigated in this study, and the tribological benefits attributed to the IF-MoS₂ nanoparticles were found to be lost in the presence of dispersants. Various experimental techniques were used on three reference oils (base oil containing only IF-MoS_2, only dispersants and both IF-MoS₂ and dispersants) in order to understand the effect of succinimide-based dispersants on the three phases needed for effective nanoparticle-based lubrication, namely (1) the passing of the nanoparticles through the contact (2) the exfoliation of the IF-MoS₂ inside the contact and (3) the adhesion of the released MoS₂ platelets on the friction surfaces. The dispersants were shown to improve the dispersion of the nanoparticles in the oil by reducing their agglomeration, but prevented the adhesion of a low-friction MoS₂ tribofilm on the steel surfaces. In-situ contact visualization revealed that the well-dispersed nanoparticles passed through the contact and exfoliated nanoparticles were observed after tribological testing. These results imply that nanoparticle dispersion itself does not seem to be an issue concerning nanoparticle effectiveness, even though the reduced agglomerate size and inertia may have affected nanoparticle flow near the contact, as well as entrapment and exfoliation conditions inside the contact. The use of succinimide-based dispersants may, however, have affected the tribochemistry of the contact, by an excessive adsorption on the steel surfaces and/or by encapsulating the released MoS₂ platelets, preventing tribofilm adhesion. A balance was finally found between nanoparticle dispersion and friction reduction, but for very low dispersant concentrations and after a running-in period. The role of succinimide-based dispersants and their effect on nanoparticle lubrication were discussed in the light of these results.     

Pressure death and tailing behavior of Listeria monocytogenes strains having different barotolerances

The objectives of this study were to investigate the variability among Listeria monocytogenes strains in response to high-pressure processing, identify the most resistant strain as a potential target of pressure processing, and compare the inactivation kinetics of pressure-resistant and pressure-sensitive strains under a wide range (350 to 800 MPa) of pressure treatments. The pressure resistance of Listeria innocua and nine strains of L. monocytogenes was compared at 400 or 500 MPa and 30 degrees C. Significant variability among strains was observed. The decrease in log CFU/ml during the pressure treatment was from 1.4 to 4.3 at 400 MPa and from 3.9 to >8 at 500 MPa. L. monocytogenes OSY-8578 exhibited the greatest pressure resistance, Scott A showed the greatest pressure sensitivity, and L. innocua had intermediate resistance. On the basis of these findings, L. monocytogenes OSY-8578 is a potential target strain for high-pressure processing efficacy studies. The death kinetics of L. monocytogenes Scott A and OSY-8578 were investigated at 350 and 800 MPa. Survivors at 350 MPa were enumerated by direct plating, and survivors at 800 MPa were enumerated by the most-probable-number technique. Both pressure-resistant and pressure-sensitive strains exhibited non-first-order death behavior, and excessive pressure treatment did not eliminate the tailing phenomenon.     

Contact Ratio: A New Precise Measurement for Wettability

According to Young's equation, the contact angle “Θ” is considered as the measurable wettability parameter. The rate of change in the contact angle has been commonly used as the relevant parameter of spreading dynamics notwithstanding the difficulties associated with contact angle measurements that are well recognized in the literature. Considering that the velocity of the contact line is the pertinent quantity, it is, therefore, reasonable to regard the change in the contact area as the flux of the process. In this study, we have introduced a new measuring parameter for wettability based on the liquid/solid contact area. The term “contact ratio” has been coined to account for this new measurable parameter. The contact ratio is defined as the ratio between the spreading contact area of liquid over solid surface and the surface area of the spherical drop before spreading. The measurements of contact areas and low‐rate dynamic contact angles for various liquid/solid systems were conducted independently using the ADSA‐P technique. The theoretical relation between the contact ratio and the contact angle is derived based on spherical cap approximation. The results show that there is a good correlation between the theoretical relation and the experimental values. Since the contact angle of a specific system is a unique parameter of the system, the contact ratio can also be presented as a unique parameter of the system. Nevertheless, contact ratio presents a more precise measure of wettability.