Rail vs truck transport of biomass

This study analyzes the economics of transshipping biomass from truck to train in a North American setting. Transshipment will only be economic when the cost per unit distance of a second transportation mode is less than the original mode. There is an optimum number of transshipment terminals which is related to biomass yield. Transshipment incurs incremental fixed costs, and hence there is a minimum shipping distance for rail transport above which lower costs/km offset the incremental fixed costs. For transport by dedicated unit train with an optimum number of terminals, the minimum economic rail shipping distance for straw is 170 km, and for boreal forest harvest residue wood chips is 145 km. The minimum economic shipping distance for straw exceeds the biomass draw distance for economically sized centrally located power plants, and hence the prospects for rail transport are limited to cases in which traffic congestion from truck transport would otherwise preclude project development. Ideally, wood chip transport costs would be lowered by rail transshipment for an economically sized centrally located power plant, but in a specific case in Alberta, Canada, the layout of existing rail lines precludes a centrally located plant supplied by rail, whereas a more versatile road system enables it by truck. Hence for wood chips as well as straw the economic incentive for rail transport to centrally located processing plants is limited. Rail transshipment may still be preferred in cases in which road congestion precludes truck delivery, for example as result of community objections.     

Global Weak Solutions for a Parabolic System Modeling a One-Dimensional Miscible Flow in Porous Media

We consider an initial boundary value problem for a nonlinear differential system of two equations. Such a system is formed by the equations of compressible miscible flow in a one-dimensional porous medium. No assumption about the mobility ratio is involved. Under some reasonable assumptions on the data, we prove the existence of a global weak solution. Our basic approach is the semi-Galerkin method. We use the technique of renormalized solutions for parabolic equations in the derivation ofa prioriestimates.     

A study on the electronic spectra of vinylpyridines and 1,2-(dipyridyl)ethylenes. Molecular orbital calculations

The electronic absorption spectra of 2-, 3-, and 4-vinylpyridines and 1,2-(2,3-dipyridyl), 1,2-(2,4-dipyridyl), 1,2-(3,4-dipyridyl), and 1,2-(4,4-dipyridyl) ethylenes have been investigated in polar and nonpolar solvents. A correlation has been made between the geometry of the molecule and the observed spectrum. Molecular orbital calculations have been carried out using the INDO/S? CI procedure and a limited geometry optimization. The solvent effect at the MO level has been calculated. MO calculations predicted the existence of nπ* transitions that were not observed experimentally. The wave functions of the different CI states were calculated. The experimental transition energy as well as oscillator strength corresponded satisfactorily with the calculated ones. The observed transitions were assigned according to the results of MO calculations.     

Synthesis of proteophosphoglycans of Leishmania major and Leishmania mexicana

A novel approach for the synthesis of various fragments of proteophosphoglycans from Leishmania major and Leishmania mexicana proteophosphoglycans has been developed. These compounds have been obtained by coupling alpha-mannosyl and alpha-N-acetyl-glucosamine phosphoramidite derivatives with the serine hydroxyl of various amino acids and peptides to give, after oxidation with tert-BuOOH, phosphotriesters exclusively as alpha-anomers in good yield. The resulting compounds could be deblocked using conventional methods. Glycophosphorylation of preassembled and properly protected peptides was found to be more efficient for the preparation of proteophosphoglycan fragments than a building block approach strategy using a phosphoglycosylserine derivative.     

Application of Alizarine Derivatives as Chromogenic Reagents for the Spectrophotometric Determination of Some Sulfa Drugs

A spectrophotometric procedure for the determination of six pharmaceutical sulfonamides containing a primary aromatic amino group using alizarine (I), alizarine blue (II), alizarine red (III), and quinalizarine (IV), that offers advantages of simplicity, rapidity, sensitivity, precision, and stability, has been developed. The proposed method is based on the formation of colored products with the chromogenic reagents (I-IV). A linear correlation was found between absorbance at λ_max and the concentration. For more accurate results, Ringbom optimum concentration ranges are evaluated. The molar absorptivities (ε), absorptivities (a), and Sandell sensitivities for all sulfonamides derivatives with the chromogenic reagents tested were calculated. The procedures developed are applied for bulk sulfa drugs and some of their dosage forms.     

Study of Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films of odorant-binding protein/amphiphile for odorant biosensors

To make ultrathin films for the fabrication of artificial olfactory systems, odorant biosensors, we have investigated mixed Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films of odorant-binding protein/amphiphile. Under optimized experimental conditions (phosphate buffer solution, pH 7.5, OBP-1F concentration of 4 mg L(-1), target pressure 35 mN m(-1)), the mixed monolayer at the air/water interface is very stable and has been efficiently transferred onto gold supports, which were previously functionalized by self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with 1-octadecanethiol (ODT). Atomic force microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to characterize mixed Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films before and after contact with a specific odorant molecule, isoamyl acetate. AFM phase images show a higher contrast after contact with the odorant molecule due to the new structure of the OBP-1F/ODA LB film. Non-Faradaic electrochemical spectroscopy (EIS) is used to quantify the effect of the odorant based on the electrical properties of the OBP-1F/ODA LB film, as its resistance strongly decreases from 1.18 MOmega (before contact) to 25 kOmega (after contact).     

Solvent effect on the kinetics and mechanism of the thermal decomposition oftris-oxalactocobaltate(III) complex

Summary The kinetics of the thermal decomposition of thetris-oxalactocobaltate(III) complex has been investigated in the presence of EtOH and (CH₂OH)₂ spectrophotometrically in the 50–70 ± 0.1 ° C range. The rate of the reaction decreases upon the addition of either of the alcohols to the reaction medium, whereas the activation energy increases. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated and are discussed in terms of the solvation effects. The influence of the dielectric constants of the solvent mixtures on the rate has been studied. A free radical mechanism is proposed and discussed.     

Reactions with hydrazidoyl halides. IV. Synthesis of thiazolo[3,2-a]benzimidazoles,imidazo[2,1-6]thiazoles and pyrazolo[4,3-b]thiazines

Hydrazidoyl halides were condensed with 2-mercaptobenzimidazole yielding 4a-c and 7a,b which were cyclized to the corresponding 2-arylhydrazonothiazolo[3,2-a]benzimidazol-3-ones 5a,b and 3-substituted 2-arylazo thiazolo[3,2-a]benzimidazoles 8a,b respectively. Imidazo[2,1-b]thiazoles were obtained by the reaction of hydrazidoyl halides with 2-mercapto-4,5-dihydroimidazole. Also, hydrazidoyl halides 6a,b were reacted with 3-amino-4-mercapto-5-phenylpyrazole to give pyrazolo[4,3-b]thiazines 15a,b . The structures of the products were assigned on the basis of their elemental analysis and spectral data.     

Solid phase extraction of nitrate and nitrite anions using naturally and available sorbent

Radioactive waste contains nitrate and nitrite as well as radioactive fission products. Nitrate and nitrite anions are two of the major components of nuclear waste streams and contribute to environmental release hazards. The removal of nitrate and nitrite is a necessary step for the further treatment low-level radioactive wastes. The focus of the research is to evaluate the adsorption potential of solid phase derived from rice straw for nitrate and nitrite anions in single- and binary-component systems due to the fact that the rice straw is a very abundant and by-product material. The removal was accomplished under the optimize conditions of temperature, concentration, pH, contact time and quantity of adsorbent as these parameters are some of the main factors influencing the uptake of two solutes at the solid–solution interface. Batch-mode kinetic and equilibrium studies have been carried out. The experimental data was analyzed using equilibrium isotherm and kinetic models. The thermodynamic parameters (?G°, ?H°, and ?S°) were also determined using the equilibrium constant value obtained at different temperatures. Results show that this adsorbent is effective and much better or even superior than many sorbents for removal of nitrate and nitrite. The prepared sorbent as solid-phase extractant was successfully applied for the extraction of nitrate from actual water samples.     

Electrochemical characterization and stress corrosion cracking behavior of α-brass in molybdate-containing electrolytes

One of the major challenges in material design is the achievement of reasonable operational efficiency through understanding the factors affecting the material’s performance particularly strength and service lifetime characteristics. In this work, the electrochemical behavior of 72Cu–28Zn α-brass alloy in Na₂MoO₄-containing electrolytes was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical frequency modulation techniques complemented with scanning electron microscopy. Also, stress corrosion cracking behavior of the alloy under both open-circuit potential and anodic applied potentials, using the slow strain rate technique, was evaluated. The results drawn from the different techniques are comparable.