A volatolomic approach using cerumen as biofluid to diagnose bovine intoxication by Stryphnodendron rotundifolium

An innovative volatolomic approach employs the detection of biomarkers present in cerumen (earwax) to identify cattle intoxication by Stryphnodendron rotundifolium Mart., Fabaceae (popularly known as barbatimão). S. rotundifolium is a poisonous plant with the toxic compound undefined and widely distributed throughout the Brazilian territory. Cerumen samples from cattle of two local Brazilian breeds (‘Curraleiro Pé-Duro’ and ‘Pantaneiro’) were collected during an experimental intoxication protocol and analyzed using headspace (HS)/GC–MS followed by multivariate analysis (genetic algorithm for a partial least squares, cluster analysis, and classification and regression trees). A total of 106 volatile organic metabolites were identified in the cerumen samples of bovines. The intoxication by S. rotundifolium influenced the cerumen volatolomic profile of the bovines throughout the intoxication protocol. In this way, it was possible to detect biomarkers for cattle intoxication. Among the biomarkers, 2-octyldecanol and 9-tetradecen-1-ol were able to discriminate all samples between intoxicated and nonintoxicated bovines. The cattle intoxication diagnosis by S. rotundifolium was accomplished by applying the cerumen analysis using HS/GC–MS, in an easy, accurate, and noninvasive way. Thus, the proposed bioanalytical chromatography protocol is a useful tool in veterinary applications to determine this kind of intoxication.     

The production of enantiomerically pure 1-phenylethanol by enzymatic kinetic resolution method using response surface methodology

As the enantiomers of 1-phenylethanol are valuable intermediates in several industries, the lipase catalyzed kinetic resolution of (R,S) -1-phenylethanol is a relevant research topic. In this study, the goal was to determine the optimum reaction parameters to produce enantiomerically pure 1-phenylethanol by lipase (Novozyme 435) catalyzed kinetic resolution using response surface methodology (RSM). Reactions were performed with 40–400 mM (R,S)-1-phenylethanol, 120–1200 mM vinyl acetate and 2–22 mg/mL biocatalyst concentrations (BC _L ), at 20–60 °C and with a stirring rate of 50–400 rpm for 5–120 min. The samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a Chiralcel OB column. Optimum reaction parameters to reach 100% enantiomeric excess for the substrate ( ee _s ) were determined as follows: substrate concentration (C _s ): 240 mM, BC _L : 11 mg/mL, at 42 °C with a reaction time of 75 min. Model validation was performed using these conditions and ee _s was calculated as 100%, which indicates the predicted model was efficient and accurate. When compared to the literature, it was observed that the reaction time decreased significantly. This is an important result considering the industrial scale perspective.     

低喷淋密度超亲水表面水平管降液膜温度分布

水平管降液膜蒸发广泛应用在石油、化工、海水淡化等领域,对低喷淋密度温度演化规律的研究有助于拓宽其应用范围,理解其微观机理。本文在超亲水表面上结合红外热追踪技术,对水平管降液膜表面的温度演化规律进行了研究,分析了温度分区现象和温升规律。实验中首次发现了马鞍形液膜内部的高温环状结构,并结合三维数值模拟揭示了掺混作用导致的局部高温环状结构形成的内部机理。     

The existence and stability of bulk nanobubbles:a long-standing dispute on the experimentally observed mesoscopic inhomogeneities in aqueous solutions

In theory,nanobubbles can stably exist with a lifetime of microseconds at most,but numerous experimental observations demonstrate that nanobubbles in bulk solution can be stable from hours to weeks.Although various conjectures on the stability mechanism of bulk nanobubbles,such as the contaminant mechanism,skin mechanism,surface zeta potential mechanism,are proposed,there has not yet been a unified conclusion.Since bulk nanobubbles show great potential in a wide spectrum of applications and are relevant to a number of unsolved questions on cavitation and nucleation,the debate over their stability mechanisms has been active.In the past,extensive studies have been carried out to understand the mechanism of nanobubble stability,and important insights have already been provided.This paper will provide a brief overview of our current understanding of the unexpected stability of bulk nanobubbles.     

Analysis,design and simulation of MIM plasmonic filters with different geometries for technical parameters improvement

In this paper, four optical filter topologies based on metal–insulator–metal waveguides are proposed and the designed structures are investigated numerically using finite-difference timedomain method. Triangular-shaped adjunctions have been added to the filter structures to improve their transmission spectrum. These improved structures consist of air as the insulator and silver as the metal. The relative permittivity of metal has been described via the Drude,Drude–Lorentz, and Palik models. The first filter's transmission spectrum shows an acceptable transmittance. In the second optimized filter, the transmission spectrum has been improved. The transmittance spectrum can be tuned through adjusting the edge of the triangle in these four optimized filters. As a result, the bandwidths of resonance spectra can be adjusted. The theory of such tapered structures will be investigated by the tapered transmission line and will be solved with the transfer matrix method. This method shows a better performance and higher transmission efficiency in comparison with the basic structures. On the other hand, the final filter has been chosen as the best one because of its hexagonal resonator. The main reason for having a better result is due to a longer interaction length in comparison with the circular resonator. This in turn creates much better energy coupling and results in higher transmission.     

表面喷砂对有机玻璃沿面闪络性能影响

绝缘子表面粗糙处理是提升其沿面闪络性能的重要途径,表面粗糙化处理方式不当,极易带来表面结构不均匀,难以获得稳定耐压性能的绝缘材料。为提升绝缘子表面粗糙处理的均匀性,本文利用表面喷砂技术对圆柱形有机玻璃(PMMA)绝缘子进行了粗糙化处理研究,以球形二氧化硅(SiO2)颗粒为工作介质,研究了不同喷砂粒径、氢氟酸后处理等因素对绝缘材料表面形貌和组分的影响,并利用短脉冲高压测试平台对喷砂处理前后有机玻璃绝缘子样品进行了真空沿面闪络性能测试。研究结果表明,喷砂处理在有机玻璃表面形成了较为均匀的凹坑,HF酸能够有效去除表面残留的SiO2颗粒,具有表面喷砂粗糙结构的绝缘子沿面闪络电压得到了稳定提升,相较于未处理的绝缘子闪络电压提升了约80%。     

基于相移偏折法的高反射表面面形测量技术

利用单相机所采集的图像实现了对光滑高反射表面面形的直接检测.首先利用相机获取参考平面在标准平面镜中的镜像,然后通过参考平面上的点与归一化成像平面上图像点之间的密集折返对应关系,求得待测镜面的深度距离,从而实现对高反射表面面形的测量.通过光线追迹将该测量过程转化为求解物空间中关于两对应光线束之间的相交问题.以相位为载体获取面形梯度分布,求得该表面的法向量场,并求解相应的反射光线束.通过光线追迹对该光线束与相应入射光线束求“交点”检测高反射表面.对标准平面镜进行实验检测,测量得到的面形平面度为0.19 mm.采用传统方法与本文所提方法对汽车后视镜进行检测,所得检测结果对应点之间的平均距离为0.15 mm,验证了本文方法检测镜面面形的有效性.     

Comparison of monomethoxy‐, dimethoxy‐, and trimethoxysilane anchor groups for surface‐initiated RAFT polymerization from silica surfaces

The immobilization of reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agents on silica for surface‐initiated RAFT polymerizations (SI‐RAFT) via the Z‐group approach was studied systematically in dependence of the functionality of the RAFT‐agent anchor group. Monoalkoxy‐, dialkoxy‐, and trialkoxy silyl ether groups were incorporated into trithiocarbonate‐type RAFT agents and bound to planar silica surfaces as well as to silica nanoparticles. The immobilization efficiency and the structure of the bound RAFT‐agent film varied strongly in dependence of the used solvent (toluene vs. 1,2‐dimethoxyethane) and the anchor group functionality, as evidenced by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Surface‐initiated RAFT polymerizations using functionalized silica nanoparticles revealed that grafted oligomers, which often occur in SI‐RAFT, are not formed within the crosslinked structures that originate from the immobilization, and that RAFT‐agent films that show less aggregation during the immobilization are more efficient during SI‐RAFT in terms of polymer grafting density. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 103–113     

Amphiphilic thermoset elastomers from metal‐free,click crosslinking of PEG‐grafted silicone surfactants

The hydrophobicity of silicone elastomers can compromise their utility in some biomaterials applications. Few effective processes exist to introduce hydrophilic groups onto a polysiloxane backbone and subsequently crosslink the material into elastomers. This problem can be overcome through the utilization of metal‐free click reactions between azidoalkylsilicones and alkynyl‐modified silicones and/or PEGs to both functionalize and crosslink silicone elastomers. Alkynyl‐functional PEG was clicked onto a fraction of the available azido groups of a functional polysiloxane, yielding azido reactive PDMS‐g‐PEG rake surfactants. The reactive polymers were then used to crosslink alkynyl‐terminated PDMS of different molecular weights. Using simple starting materials, this generic yet versatile method permits the preparation and characterization of a library of amphiphilic thermoset elastomers that vary in their composition, crosslink density, elasticity, hydrogel formation, and wettability. An appropriate balance of PEG length and crosslink density leads to a permanently highly wettable silicone elastomer that demonstrated very low levels of protein adsorption. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1082–1093