Sugar recovery of enzymatic hydrolysed oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber by chemical pretreatment

An investigation was conducted to study the effect of solvent composition and temperature on the efficiency of pretreatment prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. The aim was to improve the sugar recovery of oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber (EFBF) through enzymatic hydrolysis. Two types of pretreatments, namely, acidified-glycerol (AC-g) pretreatment and alkaline-glycerol (AL-g) pretreatment were conducted. The study proved that AL-g pretreatment promoted higher delignification and enzymatic hydrolyzed sugar yield compared to AC-g pretreatment. Total sugar recovery of 81.44 and 96.55 % was achieved from AL-g pretreatment at 80 and 120 °C respectively, following the enzymatic hydrolysis. However, downstream industrial processes, involving enzyme treatment along the processing line have the preference of acidic condition. Thus, AC-g pretreatment was favorable. Approximately 51.74 % total sugar had been recovered successfully from enzymatic hydrolysis of EFBF after 3 h of pretreatment by using solvent comprising of 50 % acetic acid and 80 % aqueous glycerol at a ratio of 97:3 at 120 °C.     

1,3‐Dipolar Cycloadditions of Aldehydes or Imines with Carbonyl Ylides Generated from Epoxides: Classical Heating and Microwave Irradiation

Abstract

Cycloadditions of aldehydes with carbonyl ylides to give dioxolanes have been carried out without solvent under microwave irradiation. The reactions proceeded in similar yields and stereoselectivities, but in shorter reaction times, than those obtained in toluene at reflux using an oil bath. Cycloadditions conducted between imines and carbonyl ylides using the same protocol were less efficient because the oxazolidines formed proved unstable under the reaction conditions.     

Synthesis of New (4‐Acetonylidene‐2,6,8,9‐tetramethyl‐7H‐imidazo[1,5,4‐e,f][1,5]benzodiazepine) Derivatives

Imidazobenzodiazepine derivatives were obtained by cyclization of the condensation products 7‐amino‐2,5,6‐trimethylbenzimidazole with acetylacetone and ethyl acetoacetate. By careful examination of spectroscopic data and the open‐chain intermediate isolation, we have identified the formed compound structure.     

An Improved Procedure for the Ring Opening of Benzylidene Acetals with N-Bromosuccinimide

A new procedure for the ring opening of 4,6-O-benzylidene acetals of carbohydrates with N-bromosuccinimide using calcium carbonate in stoechiometric amount instead of excess barium carbonate is described. This procedure is successfully applied to some highly functionnalized substrates without side reactions.     

Thermal degradation behaviour of a nearly alternating copolymer of vinylidene cyanide with 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate

The thermal decomposition under non-oxidative conditions of a copolymer of vinylidene cyanide (VCN) and 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate (MATRIF) was investigated by thermogravimetry (TG) and Pyrolysis-GC-MS. The type and composition of the pyrolytic products and the shape of the TG curve indicate that both the main thermal degradation process, with onset at 368 °C, and a minor weight loss at around 222 °C are mainly associated with random main-chain scission. The kinetic parameters were determined by means of dynamic and, in the case of the main degradation stage, also isothermal methods. The results obtained from the dynamic methods (Friedman, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa, and Kissinger, respectively) are in good agreement with those obtained from isothermal TG data. The activation energy was in the 177-213 kJ/mol range for the first stage, and 224-295 kJ/mol for the second stage, the highest respective values being determined from the kinetic analysis according to the Kissinger method.     

Two-dimensional dopant profiling of silicon with submicron resolution using near field optics on silicon/electrolyte contacts

We demonstrate the possibility to use near field optics to perform two-dimensional dopant profiling on silicon surface, with deep submicron spatial resolution. The sample surface is contacted by an aqueous electrolyte giving a reverse biased junction that is illuminated by a subwavelength optical source, in near filed conditions. A staircase calibration structure was used with several boron-doped layers with either 4 μm or 0.4 μm thickness and doping between 10¹⁷ and 10²⁰ at/cm³. Measurements were performed on the sample cross section. It is shown that photocurrent surface mapping shows up the doped areas with a lateral resolution better than 100 nm.     

Characterisation of a 3 nanosecond pulsed atmospheric pressure argon microplasma

This study details the generation and characterisation of a 3 nanosecond pulsed atmospheric pressure argon microdischarge, and provides a comparison with a comparable DC microplasma. There is a growing interest in short pulsed excitation of microplasmas as a gateway to access highly non-equilibrium discharge chemistry that is inaccessible using other excitation mechanisms. By combining time-resolved electrical and optical diagnostics the repetitive 3 nanosecond pulses considered in this study are shown to produce a highly transient plasma with a peak dissipated power above 160 kW and electron densities in excess of 10¹⁷ cm^-3. During the afterglow period electrons rapidly cool below the excitation threshold suggesting emission from excited argon neutrals should also diminish rapidly. However, argon emissions are observed for several microseconds after each applied pulse, far in excess of their radiative lifetimes. Potential repopulation mechanisms are considered and it is concluded that electron-ion recombination is the most likely repopulation process.     

Excitation frequency effects on atmospheric-pressure helium RF microplasmas: plasma density,electron energy and plasma impedance

The effects of the driving RF frequency on the properties of low temperature atmospheric pressure helium microplasmas are discussed in light of simulation results of a 500 μm microdischarge driven at constant input power with a 10 MHz–2.45 GHz voltage source. The electron density is found to be a non-monotonic function of the driving frequency and agrees with experimental observations made in different frequency bands with different devices. The physics underpinning this non-monotonic behaviour are investigated and the increasing penetration of the electric field as frequency increases is identified as a key factor. Additionally, the relationship between the plasma impedance and the mean plasma density is studied, and the validity and accuracy of equations commonly used to infer the plasma density from experimental impedance measurements discussed. While this method can provide quantitative estimations, the accuracy suffers when the discharge operates in the γ-mode or when the displacement current across the bulk plasma is not negligible.     

Determining uterine blood flow in pregnancy with magnetic resonance imaging

Objective

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of measuring total uterine blood flow in pregnancy using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique.

Methods

Uterine blood flow was determined in pregnant women in whom MRI was being carried out to assess a fetal anomaly. A two-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance (MR) angiogram sequence was performed. Scout images and a peripherally gated phase contrast MR sequence were planned to study simultaneous blood flow in the uterine and ovarian arteries.

Results

The MR pelvic angiogram sequence was completed in 13 women. The uterine arteries were visualized and their cross-sectional area determined. The complexity of the pelvic blood supply prevented the calculation of blood flow velocity and, thus, total uterine blood flow.

Conclusion

The measurement of total uterine blood flow during pregnancy was not possible using our MR technique. The ovarian vessels were not consistently visualized. Doppler ultrasonography remains the best modality by which to estimate total uterine blood flow in pregnancy.