Statistical Assessment of Counter-Flow Vortex Tube Performance for Different Nozzle Numbers,Cold Mass Fractions,and Inlet Pressures Via Taguchi Method

Abstract

In this article, the effect and optimization of process parameters in a counter-flow vortex tube on temperature difference were investigated through the Taguchi method. The experiments were planned as per Taguchi's L27 orthogonal array with each experiment performed under different conditions of inlet pressure, nozzle number, and cold mass fraction. By means of analysis of variance and regression analysis, the effects of factors and their interactions on temperature difference were determined and modeled with a correlation coefficient of 93.5%. Accordingly, it was observed that temperature difference goes up with the increase in inlet pressure, and the cold mass fraction and decreases with the increase in nozzle number. In addition, the optimum settings of process parameters maximizing the temperature difference are an inlet pressure of 650 kPa, a nozzle number of 2, and a cold mass fraction of 0.7. Finally, confirmation tests verified that the Taguchi method was successful in the assessment of vortex tube parameters for temperature difference.     

Identification of Phenolic Compounds by LC-MS/MS and Evaluation of Bioactive Properties of Two Edible Halophytes: Limonium effusum and L. sinuatum

This work aimed to evaluate the phenolic content and in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial and enzyme inhibitory activities of the methanol extracts and their fractions of two edible halophytic Limonium species, L. effusum (LE) and L. sinuatum (LS). The total phenolic content resulted about two-fold higher in the ethyl acetate fraction of LE (522.82 ± 5.67 mg GAE/g extract) than in that of LS (274.87 ± 1.87 mg GAE/g extract). LC-MS/MS analysis indicated that tannic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid in both species (71,439.56 ± 3643.3 µg/g extract in LE and 105,453.5 ± 5328.1 µg/g extract in LS), whereas hyperoside was the most abundant flavonoid (14,006.90 ± 686.1 µg/g extract in LE and 1708.51 ± 83.6 µg/g extract in LS). The antioxidant capacity was evaluated by DPPH and TAC assays, and the stronger antioxidant activity in ethyl acetate fractions was highlighted. Both species were more active against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram negatives and showed considerable growth inhibitions against tested fungi. Interestingly, selective acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was observed with LE and LS. Particularly, the water fraction of LS strongly inhibited AChE (IC₅₀ = 0.199 ± 0.009 µg/mL). The ethyl acetate fractions of LE and LS, as well as the n-hexane fraction of LE, exhibited significant antityrosinase activity (IC₅₀ = 245.56 ± 3.6, 295.18 ± 10.57 and 148.27 ± 3.33 µg/mL, respectively). The ethyl acetate fraction and methanol extract of LS also significantly inhibited pancreatic lipase (IC₅₀ = 83.76 ± 4.19 and 162.2 ± 7.29 µg/mL, respectively). Taken together, these findings warrant further investigations to assess the potential of LE and LS as a bioactive source that can be exploited in pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries.     

Polystyrene-supported diarylprolinol ethers as highly efficient organocatalysts for Michael-type reactions

α,α-Diphenylprolinol methyl- and trimethylsilyl ethers anchored onto a polystyrene resin have been prepared by a copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloadditions (CuAAC). The catalytic activity and enantioselectivity displayed by the O-trimethylsilyl derivative are comparable to those exhibited by the best known homogeneous catalysts for the addition of aldehydes to nitroolefins and of malonates or nitromethane to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. The combination of the catalytic unit, the triazole linker, and the polymeric matrix provides unprecedented substrate selectivity, in favor of linear, short-chain aldehydes, when the organocatalyzed reaction proceeds by an enamine mechanism. High versatility is noted in reactions that proceed via an iminium ion intermediate. The catalytic behavior of polystyrene-supported α,α-diphenylprolinol methyl ether was also evaluated in asymmetric Michael addition reactions. As a general trend, the CuAAC immobilization of diarylprolinol ethers onto insoluble polystyrene resins offers important operational advantages, such as high catalytic activity, easy recovery from the reaction mixture by simple filtration, and the possibility of extended reuse.     

C3-triiodocyclotriveratrylene as a key intermediate to fluorescent probes: application to selective choline recognition

A new strategy to obtain fluorescent cyclotriveratrylene (CTV) probes is proposed. The key intermediate, a triiodo CTV, is prepared in 3 steps with 47% overall yield. The whole synthesis requires only one purification step. The potential of this triiodo CTV as an intermediate is illustrated through the synthesis of a fluorescent phosphorylated probe that is able to bind choline and acetylcholine in pseudo-physiological conditions, with selectivity towards choline. As a consequence, this intermediate should allow us to rapidly form a library of probes in order to highlight the most promising ones.     

Synthesis, experimental and theoretical characterization of palladium(II) and platinum(II) saccharinate complexes with 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole

New palladium(II) and platinum(II) complexes of saccharinate (sac) with 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole (pybim) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and spectroscopic techniques. From the experimental studies, these complexes were formulated as [Pd(pybim)(sac)2] (1), and [Pt(pybim)(sac)2]·4H2O (2). The ground-state geometries of both complexes were optimized using density functional theory (DFT) methods at the B3LYP level. A bidentate pybim ligand together with two N-coordinated sac ligands form the square-planar MN4 coordination geometry around the palladium(II) and platinum(II) ions. The calculated IR and UV-vis spectral data have been correlated to the experimental results. Thermal analysis data support the molecular structures of both complexes.     

Sensor Platform with a Custom‐tailored Aptamer for Diagnosis of Synthetic Cannabinoids

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are the large group of abused drugs and detection of them is still a challenge. Hence, new methods for analysis of SCs are being investigated. We aimed to develop a novel system for selective analysis of SCs. First, various custom‐tailored aptamers against the target SCs were selected through GO‐SELEX process. Toggling between different SC analytes during successive rounds of selection was performed to generate cross‐reactive aptamers. Then, the amino‐capped aptamers were synthesized and easily attached to the cysteamine‐covered gold electrodes. Analytical parameters and selectivity of the aptasensors were compared by using electrochemical techniques. After comparison of the analytical features and selectivity towards target analytes, one of the aptamers designated as Apta‐1 was chosen for further measurements. The aptasensor was tested by using differential pulse voltammetry technique against JWH‐018 (5‐pentanoic acid), selected as a model for SCs. The linearity and limit of detection were determined as 0.01–1.0 ng/mL and 0.036 ng/mL. Finally, sample application in synthetic urine samples was successfully performed with standard addition method, as confirmed by LC‐QTOF/MS. JWH‐018 (4‐hydroxypentyl), JWH‐073 (3‐hydroxybutyl), JWH‐250 (5‐hidroxypentyl) and HU‐210 were used to test the selectivity of the aptasensor and the system was shown to recognize all these SCs. Also other illegal drugs did not significantly interfere with the signal responses.     

Sufficient Global Optimality Conditions for Bivalent Quadratic Optimization

We prove a sufficient global optimality condition for the problem of minimizing a quadratic function subject to quadratic equality constraints where the variables are allowed to take values –1 and 1. We extend the condition to quadratic problems with matrix variables and orthonormality constraints, and in particular to the quadratic assignment problem.