A linguistic multi-criteria group decision support system for fabric hand evaluation

Fabric hand evaluation (FHE) is the main measure in textile material selection for fashion design and development. Fabric hand evaluation requires considering multiple evaluation aspects/criteria by a group of evaluators. Some fabric features can also be measured using instruments. The evaluation often uses linguistic terms in the weights of criteria, and the weights and judgments of evaluators. To support a FHE-based material selection, this study first develops a fabric hand-based textile material evaluation model. It then proposes a human-machine measure integrated fuzzy multi-criteria group decision-making method. A software tool is also developed, which implements the proposed method and is applied in fabric hand-based textile material evaluation.     

Detection of DNA damage in yolk-sac larvae of the Japanese Medaka, Oryzias latipes, by the comet assay

This study was set up to determine the suitability of the early life stage (ELS) alkaline comet assay for the detection of DNA strand breaks induced by genotoxicants in whole organism. This assay was performed on cells of medaka 2 days posthatch (dph). An efficient procedure for cell dissociation using enzymatic and mechanical digestion was developed. This protocol ensures 80% viability of cells and low DNA damage background. Cells from 2 dph medaka larvae were exposed in vitro to model genotoxicants, hydrogen peroxide, cadmium, and fluoranthene, followed by comet assay analysis. Results show a significant increase in the percentage of DNA damage of dissociated cells by all the tested compounds when compared to controls. The assay was also performed in vivo on medaka larvae (2 dph) exposed for 24 h to waterborne cadmium or fluoranthene. Significant induction of DNA damage levels were observed following larvae exposure to cadmium and fluoranthene at concentrations of 0.1 and 50 μM, respectively. This study demonstrates that cells of embryo life stage medaka respond to known DNA damaging agents and that the ELS comet assay may be a useful biomarker to detect DNA strand breakage in whole body of pluricellular organism induced by a range of agents. This technique may provide a sensitive, nonspecific endpoint of genotoxicity as part of ELS toxicity test.     

Autocatalyses

Autocatalysis is a fundamental concept, used in a wide range of domains. From the most general definition of autocatalysis, that is, a process in which a chemical compound is able to catalyze its own formation, several different systems can be described. We detail the different categories of autocatalyses and compare them on the basis of their mechanistic, kinetic, and dynamic properties. It is shown how autocatalytic patterns can be generated by different systems of chemical reactions. With the notion of autocatalysis covering a large variety of mechanistic realizations with very similar behaviors, it is proposed that the key signature of autocatalysis is its kinetic pattern expressed in a mathematical form.     

Unexpected Drastic Decrease in the Excited‐State Electronic Communication between Porphyrin Chromophores Covalently Linked by a Palladium(II) Bridge

A dyad built up of a zinc(II) porphyrin and the corresponding free base, [Zn‐Fb] , fused to N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHCs) ligands, respectively acting as singlet energy donor and acceptor, and a bridging trans‐PdI₂ unit, along with the corresponding [Zn‐Zn] and [Fb‐Fb] dimers were prepared and investigated by absorption and emission spectroscopy and density functional computations. Despite favorable structural and spectroscopic parameters, unexpectedly slow singlet energy transfer rates are measured in comparison with the predicted values by the Förster theory and those observed for other structurally related dyads. This observation is rationalized by the lack of large molecular orbital (MO) overlaps between the frontier MOs of the donor and acceptor, thus preventing a double electron exchange through the trans‐PdI₂ bridge, and by an electronic shielding induced by the presence of this same linker preventing the two chromophores to fully interact via their transition dipoles.     

Metal-free one-pot oxidative amidation of aldoses with functionalized amines

Metal-free one-pot oxidative amidation of aldoses with functionalized amines using iodine provides a rapid access to functionalized aldonamides. The main advantage of this approach relies on the fact that aldehyde oxidation and C-N bond formation are performed in a single synthetic operation.     

Synthesis and Characterization of the New Lacunar Zincophosphate [C6H10N2][ZnP2O8H2]·0.6H2O

The new zincophosphate of chemical formula [C₆H₁₀N₂][ZnP₂O₈H₂] · 0.6H₂O was hydrothermally synthesized with p‐phenylenediamine as structure‐directing agent. The title compound crystallizes in the trigonal symmetry (proposed space group P3m1), where inorganic zincophosphate chains form layers due to the half occupancy of the unique crystallographic zinc site. The layers are separated from each other by p‐phenylenediammonium dications with hydrogen bonding scheme involving the ammonium protons that reveals a pillar‐like 3D structure aspect. The compound was characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction, multinuclear solid‐state NMR, scanning electron microscopy, chemical analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis.     

Strategies for solving index one DAE with non-negative constraints: Application to liquid–liquid extraction

Liquid–liquid extraction modeling leads to solve an index one DAE system. For the sake of robustness, it is desirable to account for non-negative constraints. Based on the DASSL architecture (a classical index one DAE solver) we propose and compare three different strategies to implement these bound constraints. Each of these strategies corresponds to a different Newton modification: clipping, damping, or interior point method. The comparisons are made on two test cases: the Robertson ODE problem, and an example from liquid–liquid extraction modeling.     

Detection of recombinant human EPO administered to horses using MAIIA lateral flow isoform test

Doping of horses with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) to illegally enhance their endurance capacity in horseracing has been reported during the last years. This leads to increased blood viscosity which can result in sudden death and is of concern for the horse welfare. Additionally, the horse can start production of rHuEPO antibodies, which cross-reacts with endogenous equine EPO and can lead to severe anaemia and even death. In this study, a novel micro-chromatographic method, EPO WGA MAIIA, has been tested for the capability in plasma and urine samples to detect administration of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, like the rHuEPO glycoprotein varieties Eprex and Aranesp, to horses. After administration of 40 IU Eprex kg(-1) day(-1) to seven horses during 6 days, the presence of Eprex in horse plasma was detected up to 2-5 days after last injection. In urine samples collected from two horses, Eprex was detected up to 3 days. A single injection of Aranesp (0.39 μg/kg) was detected up to 9 days in plasma and up to 8 days, the last day of testing, in the urine sample. The LC-FAIMS-MS/MS system, with 1 day reporting time, confirmed the presence of Eprex up to 1 day after last injection for six out of seven horses and the presence of Aranesp up to 5 days after last injection in plasma samples. The MAIIA system showed to be a promising tool with high sensitivity and extremely short reporting time (1 h).     

Innovative method for determination of 19 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food and oil samples using gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry based on an isotope dilution approach

An efficient and selective analytical method for the determination and the quantification of 19 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in food and oil has been developed. This method includes the monitoring of 15 PAHs stated as a priority by the EU in their 2005/108 recommendation. The samples were extracted according to a selective extraction step using pressurized liquid extraction followed by a purification with polystyrene-divinylbenzene SPE. Identification and quantification were performed using GC-MS/MS, with an isotope dilution approach using (13)C-labelled PAHs. The novel combination of selective extraction followed by purification provides highly purified analytes combined to a fast and automated method. The advantages of GC-MS/MS as compared to other detection methods are tremendous in terms of sensitivity, selectivity and interpretation facilities. Limits of detection varied between 0.008 and 0.15 microg kg(-1), limits of quantification between 0.025 and 0.915 microg kg(-1) for PAHs in food. The calibration curves showed a good linearity for all PAHs (R(2)>0.99) and precision and recovery were fit for purpose. Trueness of the method was carried out using the US National Institute of Standards and Technology SRM 2977 reference material.