Comparison of different experimental methods for the assessment of the room’s acoustics

The paper presents the acoustics analysis of three different enclosed spaces. These spaces (rooms) have different geometrical shapes and sizes and serve for different purposes. The early decay time, reverberation time, clarity and center time are evaluated with Dirac, WinMLS, Aurora and Caracad software using simple, low-cost equipment. The listed acoustic parameters were determined using linear sine sweep and impulsive sources. Comparisons between experimental measurements, simulations and analytic results were done. The room impulse response measurement proved to be the most reliable method to evaluate the properties of different rooms even if the measurements are perturbed by non-idealities of the low-cost equipment.     

The Influence of the Preparation Method on the Physico-Chemical Properties and Catalytic Activities of Ce-Modified LDH Structures Used as Catalysts in Condensation Reactions

Mechanical activation and mechanochemical reactions are the subjects of mechanochemistry, a special branch of chemistry studied intensively since the 19th century. Herein, we comparably describe two synthesis methods used to obtain the following layered double hydroxide doped with cerium, Mg₃Al_0.75Ce_0.25(OH)₈(CO₃)_0.5·2H₂O: the mechanochemical route and the co-precipitation method, respectively. The influence of the preparation method on the physico-chemical properties as determined by multiple techniques such as XRD, SEM, EDS, XPS, DRIFT, RAMAN, DR-UV-VIS, basicity, acidity, real/bulk densities, and BET measurements was also analyzed. The obtained samples, abbreviated HTCe-PP (prepared by co-precipitation) and HTCe-MC (prepared by mechanochemical method), and their corresponding mixed oxides, Ce-PP (resulting from HTCe-PP) and Ce-MC (resulting from HTCe-MC), were used as base catalysts in the self-condensation reaction of cyclohexanone and two Claisen–Schmidt condensations, which involve the reaction between an aromatic aldehyde and a ketone, at different molar ratios to synthesize compounds with significant biologic activity from the flavonoid family, namely chalcone (1,3-diphenyl-2-propen-1-one) and flavone (2-phenyl-4H-1benzoxiran-4-one). The mechanochemical route was shown to have indisputable advantages over the co-precipitation method for both the catalytic activity of the solids and the costs.     

Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Properties of Carvacrol and Magnolol,in Periodontal Disease and Diabetes Mellitus

Periodontal disease and diabetes mellitus are two pathologies that are extremely widespread worldwide and share the feature of chronic inflammation. Carvacrol is a phenolic monoterpenoid, produced by a variety of herbs, the most well-known of which is Origanum vulgare. Magnolol is a traditional polyphenolic compound isolated from the stem bark of Magnolia officinalis, mainly used in Chinese medicine. The purpose of this paper is to review the therapeutic properties of these bioactive compounds, in the treatment of periodontitis and diabetes. Based on our search strategy we conducted a literature search in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases to identify studies. A total of one hundred eighty-four papers were included in the current review. The results show that carvacrol and magnolol have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-osteoclastic, and anti-diabetic properties that benefit both pathologies. Knowledge of the multiple activities of carvacrol and magnolol can assist with the development of new treatment strategies, and the design of clinical animal and human trials will maximize the potential benefits of these extracts in subjects suffering from periodontitis or diabetes.     

Electrochemical sensors based on antimony tin oxide-Prussian blue screen-printed electrode and PEDOT-Prussian blue for potassium ion detection

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The development and analytical applications of electrochemical sensors based on antimony tin oxide (ATO)–Prussian blue (PB) screen-printed electrode...