Ionic Liquids Matrices for Laser Assisted Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) are molten salts with melting point below 100 °C. They have distinctive properties and thus they were used for catalysis, separations, mass spectrometry, and other.

They have been applied as ion pairing reagent for electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), solvent for liquid-liquid extraction, stationary phases for chromatography and as solvents in electrochemistry. The materials have many properties that enhanced and improved the analysis using mass spectrometry.

In general, the typical mass spectrometer is consist of five parts; inlet for the sample, ion source, analyzer, detector and vacuum. The main roles of ionic liquids in mass spectrometry are mainly focused in the improvement of the analyte ionization, as solvent and as ion-pairing reagent for ESI-MS.The present review is a tutorial article for researchers who seek about the application of ionic liquids for mass spectrometry.

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Nanotechnology in Preparation of Semipermeable Polymers

Chemical engineering as a branch of engineering applies physical, chemical and life sciences with applied mathematics and economics to design large-scale processes for converting raw materials into useful forms and products. Advancement in chemical engineering helps in optimizing the industrial outputs.

Chemical Engineering Journal is an open access international peer reviewed publication that publishes recent advances on these topics. Seven research articles and a review article have been published in volume 6 issue 2 of the journal. Ahamed et al. in their research article described the synthesis of aminoguanidyl-chitosan imprinted polymers (AGCIPs) for the recovery of precious metals like gold and silver from aqueous solutions.

In the research article published by Shehu et al., the authors have successfully developed mesoporous membrane by using dip coated silica and zeolite for selectively removing Carbon dioxide from methane and to produce quality pipelines meant for natural gas. Shil et al. in their research article described the process of preparing Aluminum oxide from the industrial wastes by acid and alkali methods.

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Modern High Performance Liquid Chromatography and HPLC 2016 International Symposium

This year, our worldwide chromatography community will be celebrating 50 year anniversary of high performance liquid chromatography. 13 August 1966 Csaba Horvath and Seymour Lipsky are published in Nature their report about first high pressure separation of organic compounds on a self-packed ion exchange chromatographic column, entitled. “Use of Liquid Ion Exchange Chromatography for the Separation of Organic Compounds”.

Year latter was introduced first commercial HPLC instrument by Waters. To emphasize the major technological difference from typical at that time low pressure applications, HPLC meaning was “High Pressure Liquid Chromatography”.

Before 1966 liquid chromatography utilized either gravity flow or low pressure pumps for an eluent delivery. Typical applications there are protein separations using ion exchange and gel filtration, inorganic anion exchange chromatography and normal phase separations of various organic substances using self – packed silica columns. Isolation range was varied from analytical to preparative.

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Experimental Determination and Modeling of the Drying Curves of Eucalyptus camaldulensis

The aromatic and medicinal plants are more used for several applications in pharmacy, medicine and food processing therefore the necessity of their preservation. Eucalyptus camaldulensis is usually used for medicine for several aims such as anti-inflammatory of the respiratory tract.

In addition, Eucalyptus camaldulensis oil is an important, most popular and widely used essential oil. In order to preserve this seasonal plant, and make it available to consumers during the whole year, it undergoes specific technological treatments, such as drying.The leaves are perishable in nature because of high moisture content. For the effective utilization of the leaves, the postharvest processing aspect is important so that the quality of the leaves can be preserved with enhanced shelf life.

Dehydration is a useful method of preserving the leaves; it enhances the resistance of high humid products against degradation by decreasing their water activity. Conventional air drying is the most frequently used dehydration operation in food and chemical industry due to its controllable conditions and less dependency on climatic conditions. However, studies on the drying characteristics of Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaves are scarce in the literature.

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A Novel Catechol Electrochemical Sensor Based on Cobalt Hexacyanoferrate

Recent decades, considerable efforts have been invested in the determination of phenolic compounds in environmental, industrial, agricultural, and food fields [1,2]. Phenolic compounds are released into environment by a large number of industries, such as coal mining, oil refinery, paint, polymer and pharmaceutical preparation.

Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites. They are not involved in growth and energy metabolism and are usually generated in response to environmental stress. Some of these phenolic compounds like phenol, hydroquinone, are also harmful to humans and animals. Catechol (CC, 1,2-dihydroxybenzene) is a phenolic derivative with several applications such as an antifungal preservative on potato plantations, a photographic and fur dye developer, and as an antioxidant.

Therefore, the determination of catechol is very important in environmental protection. Catechol undergoes oxidation under mild conditions to give benzoquinone. Benzoquinone is said to be antimicrobial, which slows the spoilage of wounded fruits and other plant parts. Catechol is produced by the reversible two-electron, twoproton reduction of 1,2-benzoquinone.

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Physical, Thermal and Spectroscopic Characterization of Biofield Treated p-Chloro-m-cresoln

P-Chloro-m-cresol (PCMC) which is also known as chlorocresol,  is used as an external germicide and bactericide agent. It has bactericidal activity against Gram positive and Gram negative organisms, along with yeasts, moulds and spores. It is also used as preservative for various pharmaceutical preparations like cosmetics, lotions, tanning agents, and topical corticosteroids. Other than that, it is also used in glues, paints and varnishes, and leather goods.

Moreover, it is used widely in eye drops, injections, shampoos and emulsions due to its disinfectant and antifungal properties. Its antiseptic property makes it suitable for use in heparin solutions, and in various creams for skin care and dermatological care. Apart from that, it is reported as potent activator of Ca2+ release mediated by ruthenium red/caffeine-sensitive Ca2+ release channel in skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Although PCMC is widely used in pharmaceutical preparations but its effectiveness was reduced due to some problems related to solubility and stability. Hence some alternative strategies are needed which can modulate the physicochemical properties of PCMC. The biofield treatment is an alternative strategy which is known to alter the properties of living and non-living materials.

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Assessment Of Heavy Metal Pollution And Contaminants In The Cattle Meat

Heavy metal toxicity is one of the major current environment health problems and is potentially dangerous because of bio-accumulation through the food chain (Aycicek et al., 2008) and this can cause hazardous effects on livestock and human health (Aschner, 2002). In general, the hazardous effects of these toxic elements depends upon the dietary concentration of the element, absorption of the element by the system.

Homeostatic control of the body for the element and also the species of the animal involved (Underwood, 1977). Heavy metal pollution has become a serious health concern in recent years, because of industrial and agricultural development.

Heavy metals of industrial bio-waste contaminate drinking water, food and air. The toxic heavy metals of great concern are Cd, Pb and Hg which are usually associated with harmful effects in men and animals. It is recognized that heavy metals may exercise a definite influence on the control of biological functions, affecting hormone system and growth of different body tissues (Teresa et al., 1997). 

Thermodynamic Calculation of a Heat of First-Order Phase Transitions

A transition heat is the most important characteristics of first-order phase transitions. Black was first who discovered in 1762 that in the transfer of water to vapor, some quantity of heat is absorbed, which he termed the latent evaporation heat. In spite of more than the two-hundred-year period of the heat transfer concept existence there are no analytical expressions relating the transition heat with other parameters of phase transitions.

For example, the fundamental "Physics Encyclopedia", articles devoted to the transition heat, evaporation heat, and so on, comprises no formulae but only tables of experimental data. One can also mention monographs which have no relationships except for the conventional definition of the transition heat λ=TΔS.

Hence, obtaining the relationships between the transition heat and other parameters of first-order phase transitions will be a substantial contribution into the theory of first-order phase transitions.  The conventional expression for a transition heat λ=TΔS has two substantial drawbacks. First, in some phase transitions, for example, in evaporation, not only entropy changes but a system does the work, which can only be supplied by an external source of heat.

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Growth Rate and Morphology of a Single Calcium Carbonate Crystal on Polysulfone Film Measured with Time Lapse Raman Micro Spectroscopy

The abovementioned physico-chemical factors play an important role in crystal growth on a surface and hence in the performance over time of membrane materials. An understanding of the kinetics governing formation and growth of calcium carbonate crystals on surface is important to gain the ability to predict, control and direct or stop this process.

Many studies have been performed of calcium carbonate crystal growth on a macroscopic scale using indirect methods that monitor changes of solution chemistry. These studies have revealed a dependence of growth kinetics upon parameters such as pH, supersaturation ratio, ionic strength or temperature. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has been extensively used to study mechanisms and growth rates of single crystals from solution, including calcite crystals. The high resolution of AFM can visualize monomolecular steps on atomically flat crystal surfaces. It has been also observed that the AFM tip can influence the growth rate under supersaturated conditions.

 Vertical scanning interferometry is an alternative approach to study growth rates and morphology of single barite crystals. In these approaches the mineralization was studied after seeding. Therefore a measured growth rate is dependent on e.g., seed preparation method. In another study, cryo-electron tomography was used to investigate self-nucleated, template controlled growth of CaCO3 crystals from the solution–phase. Early crystallization events of a few nanometer were observed.

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Characterization of Royal Jelly by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Fingerprinting

You are what you eat; and honeybees seem to know this principle well, hence to make a queen bee they feed larvae with royal jelly (RJ). Since the queen bee is fertile, larger and lives longer than most (Apis mellifera) honeybees, this has led humans to consume RJ in traditional medicine and as a health food. The beneficial effect of RJ on human health is still under debate and investigation.

RJ has a complex composition and recent studies have identified lists of volatile and polar components ; but it is generally accepted that RJ is composed of approximately 60% water, proteins (42-41% of dry matter), carbohydrates (30% of dry matter), lipids (8-19% of dry matter) and small amounts of minerals, polyphenols and vitamins. Lyophilized RJ is considered to have less than 5% water and to preserve the same proportions of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates in terms of dry mass.

Since RJ is obtained in much smaller amounts, as compared to most apicultural products, and reaches a high market price, it has been a major target for adulteration. In an evaluation of the physicochemical properties of RJ by different methods, the addition of substantial amounts of yoghurt, egg white, and/or corn starch was detected. The possibility of contamination of RJ with toxic compounds, such as melamine, has also been explored.

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Inhibitory Study for Joint Reactions of Hydrodesulfurization and Hydrodenitrogenation during Hydrotreating of Vacuum Gas Oil

HDS of petroleum fractions is one of the most important processes in the petroleum industry to produce clean fuels. In particular, sulfur removal in diesel fuels is now strongly desirable for environmental and technical reasons. For instance, HDS is used to prevent atmospheric pollution by sulfur oxides produced during the combustion of petroleum-based fuels, to prevent poisoning of sulfur-sensitive metal catalysts used in subsequent reforming reactions and in the catalytic converter for exhaust emission treatment.

Finally, to avoid corrosion problems in engines. The basic nature of these compounds causes them to adsorb onto Lewis acid sites on the catalyst surface, inhibiting the availability of the sites. This poisoning may be reversible or irreversible, depending on the HDS conditions.

 High concentrations of organic nitrogen compounds can cause significant deactivation for reforming, cracking, hydro treating, or any other type of hydro processing catalysts. The present work aims to study the inhibition effect of nitrogen compounds for HDS of DBT in VGO at using carbazole and acridine as non basic and basic compounds respectively over and prepared catalyst (PtMo/alumina) by finding inhibition factor and adsorption constant for each compound in a trickle bed reactor.

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Microemulsification-Based Method: Coupling with Separation Technique

Point-of-use devices represent currently a key field in quantitative analytical sciences. These platforms are low-cost, fast, portable, and simple to use eliminating the necessity for qualified operators. Rapid tests enable in-situ measurements presenting substantial social and economic implications at industry, environment, and medicine. One potential output to perform point-of-use analyses is the accomplishment of the tests in solution with naked eye detection using disposable systems. It allows the determination of different analytes from the use of modified nanomaterial.

Naked eye methods bypasses the use of instrumental readers, an essential feature for in-situ technologies. Furthermore, the analyses in solution surpass precisionrelated downsides when making the tests on substrates such as paper. In this case, the diverse paper substrates that are employed to fabricate the devices affect the flow rates and interactions with analytes.

This paper reports further investigations and application of the microemulsification-based method (MEC), a point-of-use platform that was recently proposed by these authors. It relies on solutionbased- detection with naked eyes. In contrast with colorimetric tools, MEC response depends on colloid thermodynamics by relying on effect of analyte on the entropy of emulsions or Winsor systems. It changes the formation of thermodynamically stable dispersions, the microemulsions. The minimum volume fraction of amphiphile needed to get MEs for a fixed water-oil ratio expressed the analytical signal of the method. The generation of nanodroplets in MEs  allows the naked eye detection of ΦME by monitoring the change of turbidity from the emulsions or Winsor systems. 

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Agriculture and Food Applications of Rhamnolipids and its Production by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

Microorganisms showed a high capacity of synthesizing a wide range of surface-active compounds, generally called biosurfactants. These compounds are mainly classified according to their molecular weight, physico-chemical properties and mode of action.Many surfactants including rhamnolipids alter the surface properties of liquids, even when present in small quantities. Like other surfactants, rhamnolipids present a lyophilic group and a lyophobic group which facilitate the orientation of the surfactant to reduce the liquid surface free energy and increase surface viscosity.

Some chemical surfactants decontaminated and maintain membrane performance as well as membrane integrity under mild operation conditions. Undefined cleaning activity together with its low biodegradability and high cost most possibly determine the much less frequent use of chemical surfactants in the industrial applications.

Rhamnolipids are potent natural glycolipid biosurfactants often biosynthesized by Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains through the fermentation process, with cheaper agro-based substrates and waste materials. They can be good substituents for chemical surfactants, in different industrial fields. Rhamnolipids are classified as mono-rhamnolipids and di-rhamnolipids, depending on one or two rhamnose sugars linked to a dimer of β-hydroxyacids (primarily β-hydroxydecanoate) which can rise up to three hydroxyl fatty acids containing 8– 14 carbons.

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The Study of Effective of Added Aluminum Oxide Nano Particles to the Drilling Fluid: The Evaluation of Two Synthesis Methods

The rheology is defined as the science of deformation and flow of matter. As a theoretical subject, the rheology is a branch of physics and physical chemistry; commonly classified as a branch of fluid mechanics. The rheology itself has been acknowledged as a separate scientific branch since the mid 1920’s. All real materials will deform to some extent when subjected to stress. If the material is an ideal liquid it may” deform continuously” or flow when a force is applied.

For ideal solids the deformation will be elastic. The relationship between the applied force and the resulting deformation is a unique function of each specific material. For fluids, i.e., liquids and gases, this function is known as a rheological property of the material. Fluids are classified by their rheological behavior American Petroleum Institute. All fluids are classified as either Newtonian or Non-Newtonian, the clearest distinction between different types of fluids.

Flow in circular pipes can behave in different ways. Most common fluids are transported in circular pipes.This is because pipes can withstand a large difference in pressure between the inside and outside of the pipe, without being significantly distorted. The theory behind fluid flow is commonly well understood, yet only fully developed laminar flow is theoretically obtained. Therefore flow with other characteristics, like turbulent flow, must rely on experimental and empirical relations. The borderlines between laminar, transitional and turbulent flow regimes are set by the Reynolds number of the flow.

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Features of N-Glycosylation of Immunoglobulins from Knockout Pig Models

For the first time, the N-glycosylation patterns of immunoglobulin G (IgGs) isolated from the serum of two varieties of knockout pigs (lacking N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) and/or α 1,3 galactose) were examined for the presence of potential glycan xenoantigens and compared to N-glycosylation patterns obtained for wild-type (WT) pig IgGs.

Glycopeptide analysis was chosen over glycan release, as protein-A eluates from pig serum may contain IgA and IgM as shown previously. The experiments focused on the analysis of tryptic glycopeptides EEQFNSTYR and AEQFNSTYR from IgGs, and excluded IgA and IgM, in which N-glycosylated peptides have different sequences and masses. WT pig IgG glycopeptides showed the presence of N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) and absence of N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac). Released glycans from the protein-A eluate, however, showed the presence of both types of sialic acids, allowing Neu5Ac to be attributed to IgA and/or IgM.

The WT IgG samples also showed the presence of glycans that could by composition have been α-galactosylated, but treatments with α- and β-galactosidases produced inconclusive results as to the linkage nature of the terminal Gal residues. Single knockout (α-Gal transferase) pig IgG was shown to contain Neu5Gc residues, and there was a definite absence of α-Gal.