Chemical composition of mate tea leaves (Ilex paraguariensis): a study of extraction methods

The objective of this work was to investigate the extraction of Ilex paraguariensis leaves by means of three extraction techniques: pressurized liquid extraction (PLE, also called accelerated solvent extraction – ASE), maceration, and sonication. Samples of mate tea leaves were collected from an experiment conducted under agronomic control at Indústria e Comércio de Erva‐Mate Bar?o LTDA, Brazil. Six solvents with increasing polarities (n‐hexane, toluene, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, acetone, and methanol) were used in this investigation. Chemical analysis of the extracts was performed by GC coupled with a mass spectrometer detector. The identification and quantification were accomplished by coinjections of certified standards. The results showed that no significant differences in the qualities of the extracts were noticed regarding the extraction methods. On the other hand, the PLE technique was found to be more effective for the extractions of caffeine, phytol, palmitic, and stearic acid. The use of PLE led to a significant decrease in the total extraction time, amount of solvent consumption, and manipulation of samples compared to maceration and ultrasound‐assisted extraction methods.     

Ultrasonic polar scans: numerical simulation on generally anisotropic media

Ultrasonic polar scans are based on the recording of the reflected or transmitted amplitude of sound, impinging a fiber reinforced composite from every possible angle of incidence. The mechanical anisotropy of such materials makes the reflection coefficient direction dependent, whence an ultrasonic polar scan forms a fingerprint of the investigated material. Such scans have already proved to be very valuable in the characterization of composites. Simulations have been performed for single layered and multi-layered systems, for pulsed and harmonic waves. Fiber reinforced composites are mostly orthotropic. The current report presents simulations not only on orthotropic materials but on materials of any kind of anisotropy. These extended numerical simulations are not only valuable in the characterization of highly sophisticated composites, but may also be used to characterize thin slices of crystals and even layered crystals.     

Initial and Final Backward and Forward Discrete Time Non-homogeneous Semi-Markov Credit Risk Models

In this paper we show how it is possible to construct an efficient Migration models in the study of credit risk problems presented in Jarrow et al. (Rev Financ Stud 10:481–523, 1997) with Markov environment. Recently it was introduced the semi-Markov process in the migration models (D’Amico et al. Decis Econ Finan 28:79–93, 2005a). The introduction of semi-Markov processes permits to overtake some of the Markov constraints given by the dependence of transition probabilities on the duration into a rating category. In this paper, it is shown how it is possible to take into account simultaneously backward and forward processes at beginning and at the end of the time in which the credit risk model is observed. With such a generalization, it is possible to consider what happens inside the time after the first transition and before the last transition where the problem is studied. This paper generalizes other papers presented before. The model is presented in a discrete time environment.     

Thermosensitive Microparticles Based on Unsaturated Esters of some Poly- and Oligosaccharides: Preparation,Characterization, Drug Inclusion and Release

Summary: The paper concerns the preparation and characterization of hydrogel microparticles based on exopolysaccharide (Gellan, Xanthan) unsaturated derivatives and respectively on cyclodextrin as well as their application for some hydrosoluble and liposoluble drugs inclusion. In the first step the polysaccharide and cyclodextrin unsaturated esters (maleate, acrylate) were synthesized and their hydrogel forming capacity was tested using a grafting-crosslinking free-radical reaction with N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAm), at room temperature. For a better control of the crosslinking degree N,N' methylene-bis-acrylamide (BIS), replaced by cyclodextrin tri-acrylate (A-CD) in a few experiments, was used. The microparticles were obtained by using the method in w/o emulsion, in which the dispersed aqueous phase is the reaction mixture and the oil phase is hexane. The particles containing polysaccharide esters showed an average diameter around 100 µm when crosslinking was achieved with BIS. They were smaller than those crosslinked with A-CD, which are in the range of 200-300 µm; the particles based on Xanthan maleate were smaller than Gellan maleate based ones. Even much smaller particles (2-2.5 µm in diameter) were obtained by starting from A-CD grafted-crosslinked systems. The synthesized microparticles are able to include chloramphenicol, as well as progesterone; the drug is slowly released according to diffusion controlled kinetics. The application of these microparticles in emergency ophthalmic treatments is possible as a result of their thermal sensitivity; they can collapse and release the drug instantly when placed in contact with the human eye, at 37 °C.     

A review of the recent contribution of systems thinking to operational research and management science

The systems approach, or systems thinking, has been intimately connected with the development of OR and management science initially through the work of founders such as Churchman and Ackoff and latterly through innovations such as soft systems. In this paper we have undertaken a review of the contribution that systems thinking has been making more recently, especially to the practice of OR. Systems thinking is a discipline in its own right, with many theoretical and methodological developments, but it is also applicable to almost any problem area because of its generality, and so such a review must always be selective. We have looked at the literature from both a theoretical and an applications orientation. In the first part we consider the main systems theories and methodologies in terms of their recent developments and also their applications. This covers: the systems approach, complexity theory, cybernetics, system dynamics, soft OR and PSMs, critical systems and multimethodology. In the second part we review the main domains of application: strategy, information systems, organisations, production and operations, ecology and agriculture, and medicine and health. Our overall conclusion is that while systems may not be well established institutionally, in terms of academic departments, it is incredibly healthy in terms of the quantity and variety of its applications.     

Strong convergence theorems for equilibrium problems and fixed point problems in Banach spaces

The paper proposes two new iterative methods for solving pseudomonotone equilibrium problems involving fixed point problems for quasi-\(\phi \)-nonexpansive mappings in Banach spaces. The proposed algorithms combine the extended extragradient method or the linesearch method with the Halpern iteration. The strong convergence theorems are established under standard assumptions imposed on equilibrium bifunctions and mappings. The results in this paper have generalized and enriched existing algorithms for equilibrium problems in Banach spaces.     

Palladium-catalyzed isomerization of (Z)-1-functionalized-4-acetoxy-2-butenes: Solvent and substituent effects

The Pd(PPh₃)₄-catalyzed isomerization of (Z)-1,4-diacetoxy-2-butene, (Z)-1-(t-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-4-acetoxy-2-butene and (Z)-1-(t-butyldiphenylsilyloxy)-4-acetoxy-2-butene affords the corresponding (E)-isomers and 1,2-difunctionalized-3-butenes. In THF, the formation of the (E)-isomers is mainly due to reaction from an η¹-allylpalladium intermediate while an η³-allylpalladium is the main key intermediate in DMF. The time to reach equilibrium between the products and their respective concentrations depend on the nature of the substituents and the solvent.     

Synthesis of P,N-2,2′-biphenyl derivatives with central chirality

Enantiopure 2-(dicyclohexylphosphino)-1,1′-biphenyl derivatives substituted in the 2′-position by a chiral amino group were prepared. For the compound bearing an acyclic chiral chain, the key step was a Suzuki coupling between bromobenzeneboronic acid and N-Boc-iodoaniline whereas an aromatic nucleophilic substitution allowed the introduction of a chiral pyrrolidine in the 2′-position of the biphenyl backbone. The efficiency of the P,N-biphenyl pyrrolidine derivatives as ligands in Pd-catalyzed arylaminations compares well with that of DavePhos ligand.