A type III porous-thermo-elastic problem with quasi-static microvoids

Meccanica - In this work we study, from the numerical point of view, a one-dimensional thermoelastic problem where the thermal law is of type III. Quasi-static microvoids are also assumed within...     

Carbohydrate-based nanostructured catalysts: applications in organic transformations

The requirement of green and sustainable materials to prepare heterogeneous catalysts has intensified for practical reasons over the past few decades. Carbohydrates are possibly the most plentiful and renewable organic materials in nature with inimitable physiochemical properties, plausible low-cost and large-scale production, and sustainability features could be exploited in the generation of nanostructured heterogeneous catalysts. This review article outlines the organic transformations catalyzed by diverse carbohydrate-based nanostructured catalysts in greener and environmentally friendly processes. Selected examples are highlighted for a variety of organic reactions exploiting the proposed catalysts’ reactivity and reusability, and interactions with the intrinsic nature of the applied carbohydrate supports; advantages and speculated challenges of the introduced catalysts are deliberated as well.     

A methodology to select suppliers to increase sustainability within supply chains

Central European Journal of Operations Research - Sustainability practice within supply chains remains in an early development phase. Enterprises still need tools that support the integration of...     

Continuous Newton-like Inertial Dynamics for Monotone Inclusions

Set-Valued and Variational Analysis - In a Hilbert framework ℌ, we study the convergence properties of a Newton-like inertial dynamical system governed by a general maximally monotone...     

Biodistribution study of free and microencapsulated 6‐methylcoumarin in Wistar rats by HPLC

A sensitive, specific and reproducible HPLC method has been developed and validated for the quantitative determination of 6‐methylcoumarin (6MC) in plasma and other tissues in Wistar rats. A C₁₈ column was used with UV detection at 321 nm and a gradient system consisting of methanol‐deionized water was used as mobile phase. The retention time for 6MC was 14.921 min and no interfering peaks were observed for any of the matrices. Linear relationships (r² > 0.997) were obtained between the peak height ratios and the corresponding biological sample concentrations over the range 0.4–12.8 µg/mL. Precision and accuracy were evaluated; the coefficient of variation and the relative error for all of the organs were <2 and 7%, respectively. The limit of quantitation was 0.20 µg/mL for the heart and 0.30 µg/mL for the other tissues evaluated. This HPLC method was successfully used in the determination of 6MC in the biodistribution study after administration of 200 mg/kg of both 6MC‐free and 6MC‐loaded polymeric microparticles. In this study, extensive 6MC was found, in both free and microencapsulated forms, in all the organs tested. The 6MC‐free showed a range of between 1.7 and 11.5 µg/g, while the microencapsulated 6MC showed concentrations of between 6.35 and 17.7 µg/g, suggesting that 6MC improved absorption rate. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental and Theoretical Studies on the Rearrangement of 2‐Oxoazepane α,α‐Amino Acids into 2′‐Oxopiperidine β2,3,3‐Amino Acids: An Example of Intramolecular Catalysis

Enantiopure β‐amino acids represent interesting scaffolds for peptidomimetics, foldamers and bioactive compounds. However, the synthesis of highly substituted analogues is still a major challenge. Herein, we describe the spontaneous rearrangement of 4‐carboxy‐2‐oxoazepane α,α‐amino acids to lead to 2′‐oxopiperidine‐containing β^2,3,3‐amino acids, upon basic or acid hydrolysis of the 2‐oxoazepane α,α‐amino acid ester. Under acidic conditions, a totally stereoselective synthetic route has been developed. The reordering process involved the spontaneous breakdown of an amide bond, which typically requires strong conditions, and the formation of a new bond leading to the six‐membered heterocycle. A quantum mechanical study was carried out to obtain insight into the remarkable ease of this rearrangement, which occurs at room temperature, either in solution or upon storage of the 4‐carboxylic acid substituted 2‐oxoazepane derivatives. This theoretical study suggests that the rearrangement process occurs through a concerted mechanism, in which the energy of the transition states can be lowered by the participation of a catalytic water molecule. Interestingly, it also suggested a role for the carboxylic acid at position 4 of the 2‐oxoazepane ring, which facilitates this rearrangement, participating directly in the intramolecular catalysis.     

Thermal,morphostructural and spectrometric characterization of an antibacterial kaolinite-based filter modified with silver for water treatment

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The aim of this work is to synthesize and characterize a new structured silver–clay dried, calcined or sintered at different temperatures...