Synthesis of magnetic nanoparticle‐based molecularly imprinted polymer as a selective sorbent for efficient extraction of ezetimibe from biological samples

In the present study, a novel and efficient adsorbent constructed of molecularly imprinted polymer on the surface of modified magnetic nanoparticles with oleic acid (MNPs) was applied for the selective extraction of ezetimibe. The magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MMIP) was polymerized at the surface of modified MNPs using methacrylic acid as functional monomer, ezetimibe as template and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross‐linker. The resulting MMIP showed high adsorption capacity, good selectivity and fast kinetic binding for the template molecule. It was characterized by Fourier transform infrared analysis, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy methods. The maximum adsorption capacity of MMIP was obtained as 137.1 mg g^?1 and it took about 20 min to achieve the equilibrium state. The adsorption model of the adsorbent was fitted with the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm equations. The assay exhibited a linear range of 0.003–20.000 mg L^?1 for ezetimibe with a correlation coefficient of 0.995. The relative standard deviations for the recoveries were <5.2. The method was also examined for the analysis of ezetimibe in the biological samples.     

Effects of TLCD with maneuverable flaps on vibration control of a SDOF structure

Tuned liquid column damper (TLCD) is a class of auxiliary damping device which is used to dissipate vibrational energy of structures when excited by dynamic loading. Damping control of TLCDs is an important parameter to achieve the maximum benefit of TLCDs when attached to the structure. Herein, a new method of controlling damping is proposed by installing maneuverable flaps into TLCD (TLCD + MF). The damping value of the TLCD is controlled by the closing angle of the flaps. This method is simple in concept, more applicable in construction, and it is an effort to make the TLCD more controllable, (i.e. semi-active). Dynamic characteristics of such TLCD + MF system are investigated in this study. It is observed that by increasing the closing angle, the damping ratio of the TLCD + MF system increases. In addition, it is found that the mistuning of frequency becomes ignorable below the closing angle of 50°. The efficiency of the TLCD + MF in reducing response of structures under harmonic excitation is also studied. It is shown that existence of the flaps improves the performance of combined structure and the TLCD + MF system in terms of damping ratio and structural responses. The TLCD + MF system with the closing angle of 50° reduces the acceleration and displacement responses about 20 % more than conventional TLCDs.     

A Petrov–Galerkin RBF method for diffusion equation on the unit sphere

This paper concerns a numerical solution for the diffusion equation on the unit sphere. The given method is based on the spherical basis function approximation and the Petrov–Galerkin test discretization. The method is meshless because spherical triangulation is not required neither for approximation nor for numerical integration. This feature is achieved through the spherical basis function approximation and the use of local weak forms instead of a global variational formulation. The local Petrov–Galerkin formulation allows to compute the integrals on small independent spherical caps without any dependence on a connected background mesh. Experimental results show the accuracy and the efficiency of the new method.     

Global Convergence Property of Scaled Two-Step BFGS Method

This paper is aimed to extend the scheme of self scaling, appropriate for the quasi-Newton methods, to the two-step quasi-Newton methods. The scaling scheme has been performed during the main approach of updating the current Hessian approximation and prior to the computation of the next quasi-Newton direction whenever necessary. Global convergence property of the new method is explored on uniformly convex functions with the standard Wolfe line search. Preliminary numerical testing has been performed showing that this technique improves the performance of the two-step method substantially.     

Forced oscillations and stability analysis of a nonlinear micro-rotating shaft incorporating a non-classical theory

In this paper, the stability and bifurcation analysis of symmetrical and asymmetrical micro-rotating shafts are investigated when the rotational speed is in the vicinity of the critical speed. With the help of Hamilton’s principle, nonlinear equations of motion are derived based on non-classical theories such as the strain gradient theory. In the dynamic modeling, the geometric nonlinearities due to strains, and strain gradients are considered. The bifurcations and steady state solution are compared between the classical theory and the non-classical theories. It is observed that using a non-classical theory has considerable effect in the steady-state response and bifurcations of the system. As a result, under the classical theory, the symmetrical shaft becomes completely stable in the least damping coefficient, while the asymmetrical shaft becomes completely stable in the highest damping coefficient. Under the modified strain gradient theory, the symmetrical shaft becomes completely stable in the least total eccentricity, and under the classical theory the asymmetrical shaft becomes completely stable in the highest total eccentricity. Also, it is shown that by increasing the ratio of the radius of gyration per length scale parameter, the results of the non-classical theory approach those of the classical theory.     

Determination and measurement of solid–liquid equilibrium for binary fatty acid mixtures based on NRTL and UNIQUAC activity models

The estimation of solid–liquid phase equilibrium is important for the design, development, and operation of many industrial processes because of application in many manufacturing fields such as cosmetic, pharmaceutic, and biotechnology industries. In this work, we measured solid–liquid phase equilibrium of six fatty acid binary mixtures using the DSC technique and developed thermodynamic approaches for binary fatty acid mixtures to estimate melting temperatures as a function of mole fraction in solid–liquid phase equilibrium. Derivation of NRTL and UNIQUAC activity models was developed to predict melting temperatures and latent heat to achieve eutectic points of undecylic acid, pentadecylic acid, margaric acid, and stearic acid six pairwise binary mixtures. The fatty acids eutectic mixtures are appropriate for heat water systems, phase clothes, concrete, and other similar applications. The results showed low deviations from experimental data measured in this study.

     

A Comparison Between Full-COLD PCR/HRM and PCR Sequencing for Detection of Mutations in Exon 9 of PIK3CA in Breast Cancer Patients

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - One of the most common somatic mutations in breast cancer is found in PIK3CA with a prevalence rate of 18–45%. Different variants of this gene are...     

Optical solitons in $$$$-dimensions under anti-cubic law of nonlinearity by analytical methods

The present study emphasis to look for new closed form exact solitary wave solutions for the \((n+1)\)-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation using the extended trial equation method (ETEM) and the \(\exp (-\Omega (\eta ))\)-expansion method (EEM) with the help of symbolic computation package maple. As a consequence, the ETEM and EEM are successfully employed and acquired some new exact solitary wave solutions in terms of exponential based functions, hyperbolic based functions, trigonometric based functions and rational based functions. All solutions have been verified back into its corresponding equation with the aid of maple package program. Finally, we believe that the executed method is robust and efficient than other methods and the obtained solutions in this paper can help us to understand the variation of solitary waves in the field of nonlinear optic.     

Investigation of polyethylene‐grafted‐maleic anhydride presence as a compatibilizer on various properties of nanocomposite films based on polyethylene/ethylene vinyl alcohol/ nanoclay

High oxygen barrier films were prepared based on low‐density polyethylene (LDPE)/ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH)/ nanoclay and polyethylene‐grafted‐maleic anhydride (LDPE‐g‐MA) as a compatibilizer. Box–Behnken statistical experiment design methodology was employed to study the effects of nanoclay, LDPE‐g‐MA, and EVOH presence and their contents on various properties of the final films. The R² parameter varied between 0.89 and 0.99 for all the obtained responses. The morphology of the samples was evaluated. Results of oxygen transfer rate (OTR) test indicated that the addition of EVOH up to 30 wt% to neat LDPE can decrease oxygen permeability significantly. The addition of nanoclay also decreased the permeability of resulting films but, LDPE‐g‐MA reduced the permeability of the films only at an optimal content. Elastic modulus was increased with the addition of nanoclay, EVOH, and LDPE‐g‐MA to the matrix. An increase in EVOH content in the samples improved the tensile strength. Effect of nanoclay on tensile strength was highly dependent on the presence of a compatibilizer. The addition of compatibilizer to the samples and increasing its content enhanced the tensile strength of the specimens. Incorporation of nanoclay, EVOH, and LDPE‐g‐MA to the LDPE matrix and increasing the amount of these components in the samples led to higher storage modulus, zero shear rate viscosity, and shear thinning exponent, but, lowered the terminal slope and the frequency of intersection point of storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″). The only exception was that EVOH increment resulted in a lower shear thinning exponent. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modulated large-pore mesoporous silica as an efficient base catalyst for the Henry reaction

In this study, mesoporous silica materials with tuned pores and surface areas were successfully synthesized by adjusting the amount of applied hexane and controlling the hydrothermal temperature. The synthesized silica materials were then functionalized by an amine group to produce solid base catalysts and be applicable as efficient heterogeneous base catalysts for the Henry reaction. The mesoporous silica catalysts possessing large-pores and surface area expose their active catalytic sites and thereby improve contacts with reactants fulfilling the reactions expeditiously in comparison with solid base catalysts possessing small-pores and surface area. The results indicated that the yield of the products is significantly dependent on the structure of the applied solid base catalysts. The modulated large-pore solid base catalysts presented high catalytic activity in Henry reactions and could be reused for five consecutive cycles.