Concentration of Bioactive Phenolic Compounds in Olive Mill Wastewater by Direct Contact Membrane Distillation

Olive mill wastewater (OMW), generated as a by-product of olive oil production, is considered one of the most polluting effluents produced by the agro-food industry, due to its high concentration of organic matter and nutrients. However, OMW is rich in several polyphenols, representing compounds with remarkable biological properties. This study aimed to analyze the chemical profile as well as the antioxidant and anti-obesity properties of concentrated fractions obtained from microfiltered OMW treated by direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) analyses were applied to quantify some phenols selected as phytochemical markers. Moreover, α-Amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase inhibitory activity were investigated together with the antioxidant activity by means of assays, namely β-carotene bleaching, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic) acid (ABTS) diammonium salts, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, and Ferric Reducing Activity Power (FRAP) tests. MD retentate—which has content of about five times greater of hydroxytyrosol and verbascoside and about 7 times greater of oleuropein than the feed—was more active as an antioxidant in all applied assays. Of interest is the result obtained in the DPPH test (an inhibitory concentration 50% (IC₅₀) of 9.8 μg/mL in comparison to the feed (IC₅₀ of 97.2 μg/mL)) and in the ABTS assay (an IC₅₀ of 0.4 μg/mL in comparison to the feed (IC₅₀ of 1.2 μg/mL)).     

beta-Hydrogen Kinetic Effect

A combined kinetic and DFT study of the uncatalyzed isomerization of cationic solvent complexes of the type cis-[Pt(R')(S)(PR3)2]+ (R' = linear and branched alkyls or aryls and S = solvents) to their trans isomers has shown that the reaction goes through the rate-determining dissociative loss of the weakly bonded molecule of the solvent and the interconversion of two geometrically distinct T-shaped 14-electron three-coordinate intermediates. The Pt-S dissociation energy is strongly dependent on the coordinating properties of S and independent of the nature of R'. The energy barrier for the fluxional motion of [Pt(R')(PR3)2]+ is comparatively much lower ( approximately 8-21 kJ mol-1). The presence of beta-hydrogens on the alkyl chain (R' = Et, Prn, and Bun) produces a great acceleration of the reaction rate. This accelerating effect has been defined as the beta-hydrogen kinetic effect, and it is a consequence of the stabilization of the transition state and of the cis-like three-coordinate [Pt(R')(PR3)2]+ intermediate through an incipient agostic interaction. The DFT optimization of [Pt(R')(PMe3)2]+ (R' = Et, Prn, and Bun) reproduces a classical dihapto Pt....eta2-HC agostic mode between the unsaturated metal and a dangling C-H bond. The value of the agostic stabilization energy (in the range of approximately 21-33 kJ mol-1) was estimated by both kinetic and computational data and resulted in being independent of the length of the hydrocarbon chain of the organic moiety. A better understanding of such interactions in elusive reaction intermediates is of primary importance in the control of reaction pathways, especially for alkane activation by metal complexes.     

Tuning porphyrin/DNA supramolecular assemblies by competitive binding

Addition of an intercalating but nonaggregating porphyrin, AuT4, to a preformed adduct between DNA and a strongly aggregating porphyrin, t-H2Pagg, permits control of the extent of aggregation of the latter. The size and the intensity of the ICD and RLS signals depend linearly on the concentration of the intercalating dye and decrease markedly on increasing the concentration of the available binding sites on the biopolymer template.     

Single line particle focusing induced by viscoelasticity of the suspending liquid: theory, experiments and simulations to design a micropipe flow-focuser

We perform 3D numerical simulations, heuristic modeling and microfluidic experiments to demonstrate, for the first time, the presence of a bistability scenario for transversal migration of particles suspended in a viscoelastic liquid flowing in a pipe. Our results show that particle migration, either at the centerline or at the wall, can be controlled by the rheological properties of the suspending liquid and by the relative dimensions of the particle and tube. Proper selection of these parameters can promote strict aligning of particles on a line, i.e., 3-D focusing. Simple design rules are given to rationally control particle focusing under flow in micropipes.     

A note on the congruence \left( {_{mp^k }^{np^k } } \right) \equiv \left( {_m^n } \right) (mod p r )

In the paper we discuss the following type congruences: $$\left( {_{mp^k }^{np^k } } \right) \equiv \left( {_m^n } \right)(\bmod p^r ),$$ where p is a prime, n, m, k and r are various positive integers with n ? m ? 1, k ? 1 and r ? 1. Given positive integers k and r, denote by W(k, r) the set of all primes p such that the above congruence holds for every pair of integers n ? m ? 1. Using Ljunggren’s and Jacobsthal’s type congruences, we establish several characterizations of sets W(k, r) and inclusion relations between them for various values k and r. In particular, we prove that W(k + i, r) = W(k ? 1, r) for all k ? 2, i ? 0 and 3 ? r ? 3k, and W(k, r) = W(1, r) for all 3 ? r ? 6 and k ? 2. We also noticed that some of these properties may be used for computational purposes related to congruences given above.     

Aggregation properties of hyperporphyrins with hydroxyphenyl substituents

Acidification of tetrakis(4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin (THPP) and tetrakis(3,5-dihydroxyphenyl)porphyrin (OHPP) in dichloromethane solutions has been investigated as a function of the nature of the counteranion. These porphyrins exhibit different patterns of behavior, and extended aggregates are formed displaying broad extinction features together with intense components due to resonant light scattering. Especially in the case of haloacids, J-aggregated species are obtained exhibiting large bathochromic shifts both for B- and Q-bands, which extend in the far red region. The optical characteristics of the aggregated and monomeric protonated species are strongly influenced by the nature of the counteranions. A comparison with tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin (TMPP), which remains always in a monomeric form, demonstrates the key role played by the peripheral hydroxyl groups in stabilizing various porphyrin aggregates.     

The recovery of biophenols from wastewaters of olive oil production

In this article, the phenolic composition of wastewaters prepared from different cultivars of Olea europaea have been described. The main aim is the recovery of these compounds for technological utilization.     

Time in Quantum Physics: From an External Parameter to an Intrinsic Observable

In the Schrödinger equation, time plays a special role as an external parameter. We show that in an enlarged system where the time variable denotes an additional degree of freedom, solutions of the Schrödinger equation give rise to weights on the enlarged algebra of observables. States in the associated GNS representation correspond to states on the original algebra composed with a completely positive unit preserving map. Application of this map to the functions of the time operator on the large system delivers the positive operator valued maps which were previously proposed by two of us as time observables. As an example we discuss the application of this formalism to the Wheeler-DeWitt theory of a scalar field on a Robertson-Walker spacetime.     

Pure spin currents generation in magnetic tunnel junctions by means of adiabatic quantum pumping

We study the spin polarized currents generation in a magnetic (ferromagnetic/ferromagnetic) tunnel junction by means of adiabatic quantum pumping. Using a scattering matrix approach, it is shown that a pure spin current can be pumped from one ferromagnetic lead into the adjacent one by adiabatic modulation of the magnetization and the height of the barrier at the interface in absence of external bias voltage. We numerically study the characteristic features of the pure spin current and discuss its behavior for realistic values of the parameters. We show that the generated pure spin current is robust with respect to the variation of the magnetization strength, a very important feature for a realistic device, and that the proposed device can operate close to the optimal pumping regime. An experimental realization of a pure spin current injector is also discussed.