Optimisation of Vitamin B12 Extraction from Green Edible Seaweed (Ulva lactuca) by Applying the Central Composite Design

Vitamin B12, only found naturally in animal-based foods, is essential for brain functions and various chemical reactions in the human body. Insufficient vitamin B12 leads to vitamin B12 deficiency, common among strict vegetarians due to their limited intake of animal-based foods. Nevertheless, extensive studies have demonstrated that macroalgae, specifically the Ulva lactuca species, are rich in vitamin B12 and could be further exploited in future dietary applications. In the current study, the ideal extraction method of vitamin B12 from dried U. lactuca was developed and optimised to achieve the maximum vitamin B12 yield. The effects of several extraction parameters, including the solvent-to-solvent, methanol:water (MeOH:H₂O), and solute-to-solvent ratios, and pH on the total vitamin B12 content were analysed through a two-level factorial and central composite design. The highest vitamin B12 content, particularly cyanocobalamin (CN-Cbl), was recovered through the ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) of oven-dried U. lactuca at 3 g:60 mL of solute-to-solvent and 25:75% of MeOH to H₂O ratios at pH 4. The extraction of CN-Cbl from oven-dried U. lactuca that employed the UAE method has elevated CN-Cbl content recovery compared to other extraction methods.     

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of external fluid flow and heat transfer of a heat exchanger in a wind tunnel using porous media model

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Notwithstanding the widespread use of wind tunnel to investigate the performance of radiators and heat exchangers, has never been considered a...     

Air-Stable Fe3O4@SiO2-EDTA-Ni(0) as an Efficient Recyclable Magnetic Nanocatalyst for Effective Suzuki-Miyaura and Heck Cross-Coupling via Aryl Sulfamates and Carbamates

The synthesis of inexpensive and novel air-stable Ni(0) nanoparticles immobilized on the EDTA-modified Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanocatalyst was investigated in Suzuki-Miyaura and Heck cross-coupling reactions. This catalytic system displayed a greatly improved substrate scope for the carbon–carbon bond formations starting from a wide range of green and economical electrophiles aryl and heteroaryl carbamates and sulfamates via highly efficient method under mild, operationally simple reaction conditions. The synthesized heterogeneous catalyst was also fully characterized by FT-IR, TEM, XRD, DLS, FE-SEM, UV–Vis, EDX, XPS, TGA, NMR, VSM, ICP and elemental analysis techniques. The heterogeneous magnetic nanocatalyst can easily be recovered by an external magnetic field and reused for the next reactions for at least seven times with negligible leaching of catalyst and no substantial decrement in the activity. All these highlights have made the present protocol an interesting, simple and environmentally benign process with low catalyst loading and easy manipulations.     

Fe3O4@SiO2‐copper sucrose xanthate as a green nanocatalyst for N‐, O‐ and S‐arylation

Formation of C(sp²)–X bonds was carried out using a Fe₃O₄@SiO₂‐copper(I) sucrose xanthate nanoparticle catalyst with the aid of the copper(I) xanthate moiety in the catalyst which was prepared from the reaction between sucrose and carbon disulfide through an alkaline medium via the traditional Zeise approach. Various techniques were employed for the characterization of these novel nanoparticles. Three sorts of heteroatoms, N, O and S, successfully underwent heteroatom arylation to produce secondary or tertiary amines, ethers and thioethers, respectively.     

A unique combination of KI/ZnFe2O4 as a catalyst for oxidative Strecker reaction

α‐Aminonitriles as key intermediates for the preparation of α‐amino acid derivatives, amides, diamines, peptides, proteins and heterocycles were synthesized through methylarene oxidation in the Strecker reaction using a unique combination of KI/ZnFe₂O₄ as the best catalyst and aqueous tert‐butyl hydroperoxide as oxidant. A wide range of amines and methylarenes were converted to the corresponding products. Operational simplicity, short reaction time and recyclability of the catalyst are advantages of this protocol.     

The impact of using multiple modalities on students’ acquisition of fractional knowledge: An international study in embodied mathematics across semiotic cultures

Principled by the Embodied, Situated, and Distributed Cognition paradigm, the study investigated the impact of using a research-based curriculum that employs multiple modalities on the performance of grade 5 students on 3 subscales: concept of unit, fraction equivalence, and fraction comparison. The sample included five schools randomly selected from a population of 14 schools in Lebanon. Eighteen 5th grade classrooms were randomly assigned to experimental (using multimodal curriculum) and control (using a monomodal curriculum) groups. Three data sources were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data: tests, interviews, and classroom observations. Quantitative data were analyzed using two methods: reliability and MANOVA. Results of the quantitative data show that students taught using the multimodal curriculum outperformed their counterparts who were instructed using a monomodal curriculum on the three aforementioned subscales (at an alpha level = .001). Additionally, fine-grained analysis using the semiotic bundle model revealed different semiotic systems across experimental and control groups. The study findings support the multimodal approach to teaching fractions as it facilitates students’ conceptual understanding.     

A convenient one-pot synthesis of new chromeno[3,4-c]chromene and chromeno[3,4-c]pyridine derivatives in the presence of high surface area of magnesium oxide

In this investigation a new strategy involves the one-pot,three-component reaction of malononitrile,salycilaldehyde and phenol derivatives in the presence of high surface area of MgO is extended to the formation of chromeno[3,4-c]chromene derivatives in good to excellent yields in a short reaction time.Also,the three component reactions of an aldehyde such as salycilaldehyde and ketones with malononitril for the formation of chromeno[3,4-c]pyridines are investigated.     

Non-linear analysis of structures using two-point method

Non-linear algebraic equations must be solved by an iterative method, the non-linear equations being linearized by evaluating the non-linear terms with the known solution from the preceding iteration. The Newton-Raphson method, which is based on the Taylor series expansion and uses the tangent stiffness matrix, has been extensively used to solve non-linear problems. In this paper, a new Newton-Raphson algorithm is developed for analyses involving non-linear behavior. Our method, here named as a two-point method, is constructed as a predictor-corrector one, most frequently taking Newton's method in the first iteration. It should be noted that our concern in this research ignores the problem of passing limit points. The presented method incorporates the known information at each stage of the loading process to determine the subsequent unknown variables. Compared with the classic Newton-Raphson algorithm, it offers a strategy that can be deployed to reduce both the number of the iterations and the computing time involved in non-linear analysis of structures.     

Antioxidant activity of some lichen metabolites

Antioxidant activity of several classes of lichen metabolites were assessed in the in vitro superoxide radical (SOR), nitric oxide radical and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil radical scavenging assays. The despsides sekikaic acid and lecanoric acid showed promising antioxidant activity in SOR assay with IC?? values of 82.0?±?0.3?μmol and 91.5?±?2.1?μmol, respectively, while the depsidone lobaric acid exhibited an IC?? value of 97.9?±?1.6?μmol, all relative to the standard, propyl gallate (IC???=?106.0?±?1.7?μmol). One of the most abundant mononuclear phenolic compounds, methyl-β-orcinol carboxylate was found to be a potent NO scavenger (IC???=?84.7?± 0.1?μmol), compared to the standard rutin (IC???=?86.8?±?1.9?μmol).     

Pore formation in phospholipid bilayers by amphiphilic cavitands

Five new cavitands were prepared that have four pendant n-undecyl chains and "headgroups" connected by 2-carbon spacers. The headgroups were ~OCH(2)CONH-Ala-OCH(3), 1; ~OCH(2)CONH-Phe-OCH(3), 2; ~OCH(2)CONH-Ala-OH, 3; ~OCH(2)CONH-Phe-OH, 4; and ~OCH(2)CONHCH(2)CH(2)-thyminyl, 5. Pore formation by each cavitand was studied by use of the planar bilayer conductance experiment. All five compounds were found to form pores in asolectin bialyer membranes. Compounds 1-3 behaved in a generally similar fashion and exhibited open-close dynamics. Compounds 4 and 5 formed pores more rapidly, were more dynamic, and led more quickly to membrane rupture. Differences in the ion transport activity are rationalized in terms of structure and aggregate cavitand assemblies.