Optimisation of Interfacial Modification by Two-Stage Microwave Irradiation.

Microwave-assisted de-emulsification is attractive in the processes of petroleum production and refining. The main advantage of microwaves is their direct influence on the surfactant layer at the oil/water interface. Previously, an effective interfacial modification was demonstrated by pulsed microwave irradiation.

Ionic Distribution of an Unequal Electrolyte Near an Air/Water Surface.

The distribution of electrolytes near the air/water surface plays an essential role in many processes. While the general distribution is governed by classic Poisson-Boltzmann statistics, the analytical solution is only available for symmetric electrolytes. From the recent studies in the literature, it is evident that surface adsorption is dependent on specific ions as well as the H-bond structure at the surface.

Affinity of Amphiphilic Molecules to Air/Water Surface.

The affinity of amphiphiles to the water/air surface was modeled by adapting Eberhart's equation. The proposed method successfully describes surface tension for all amphiphilic structures, including alkanols, carboxylic acids, nonionic, ionic, and Gemini surfactants. The model is more effective than conventional analysis for amphiphiles with multiple ionic states.

Quantifying the Influence of Electrolytes on the Kinetics of Spontaneous Emulsification.

This study quantifies the influence of electrolytes on the kinetics of the spontaneous emulsification phenomenon (SEP) of heavy hydrocarbons in a nonionic surfactant solution. The rate of emulsifying hexadecane in Triton X-100, with the presence of sodium chloride and potassium chloride, has been measured using a technique of monitoring single oil droplet photography. The emulsion droplet size produced in the process was measured under the same conditions by using dynamic light scattering.

Synthesis of a Grease Thickener from Cashew Nut Shell Liquor.

Thickener, also known as a gelling agent, is a critical component of lubricating greases. The most critical property of thickener, temperature resistance, is determined by the molecular structure of the compounds. Currently, all high-temperature-resistant thickeners are based on 12-hydroxystearic acid, which is exclusively produced from castor oil.

Comparison between Cashew-Based and Petrochemical Hydroxyoximes: Insights from Molecular Simulations.

Solvent extraction has been ubiquitously used to recover valuable metals from wastes such as spent batteries and electrical boards. With increasing demands for energy transition, there is a critical need to improve the recycling rate of critical metals, including copper. Therefore, the sustainability of reagents is critical for the overall sustainability of the process.

Microwaves reduce water refractive index.

Microwaves, long used as a convenient household appliance, have been increasingly used in industrial processes such as organic synthesis and oil processing. It has been proposed that microwaves can enhance these chemical processes via a non-thermal effect. Here we report the instantaneous effect of microwaves on the permittivity and phase velocity of light in water through the in-situ measurement of changes in refractive index.

Effects of Size and Surface Properties of Nanodiamonds on the Immunogenicity of Plant-Based H5 Protein of A/H5N1 Virus in Mice.

Nanodiamond (ND) has recently emerged as a potential nanomaterial for nanovaccine development. Here, a plant-based haemagglutinin protein (H5.c2) of A/H5N1 virus was conjugated with detonation NDs (DND) of 3.

Impact of Crystal Habit on the Dissolution Rate and In Vivo Pharmacokinetics of Sorafenib Tosylate.

The dissolution rate is the rate-limiting step for Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) class II drugs to enhance their in vivo pharmacokinetic behaviors. There are some factors affecting the dissolution rate, such as polymorphism, particle size, and crystal habit. In this study, to improve the dissolution rate and enhance the in vivo pharmacokinetics of sorafenib tosylate (Sor-Tos), a BCS class II drug, two crystal habits of Sor-Tos were prepared.

Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Request for Labor Epidural Analgesia in a Tertiary Obstetric Hospital in Vietnam.

This study is aimed at examining the sociodemographic factors associated with the utilization of labor epidural analgesia at a large obstetric and gynecology hospital in Vietnam. This was a cross-sectional study of women who underwent vaginal delivery in September 2018 at the Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. The utilization of epidural analgesia during labor was determined.

Glucocerebrosidase reduces the spread of protein aggregation in a Drosophila melanogaster model of neurodegeneration by regulating proteins trafficked by extracellular vesicles.

Abnormal protein aggregation within neurons is a key pathologic feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). The spread of brain protein aggregates is associated with clinical disease progression, but how this occurs remains unclear. Mutations in glucosidase, beta acid 1 (GBA), which encodes glucocerebrosidase (GCase), are the most penetrant common genetic risk factor for PD and dementia with Lewy bodies and associate with faster disease progression.

Cyclodextrin-based host-guest complexes loaded with regorafenib for colorectal cancer treatment.

The malignancy of colorectal cancer (CRC) is connected with inflammation and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), but effective therapeutics for CRC are limited. To integrate therapeutic targeting with tumor microenvironment (TME) reprogramming, here we develop biocompatible, non-covalent channel-type nanoparticles (CNPs) that are fabricated through host-guest complexation and self-assemble of mannose-modified γ-cyclodextrin (M-γ-CD) with Regorafenib (RG), RG@M-γ-CD CNPs. In addition to its carrier role, M-γ-CD serves as a targeting device and participates in TME regulation.

AIEgen-Lipid Conjugate for Rapid Labeling of Neutrophils and Monitoring of Their Behavior.

Studies on neutrophil-based nanotherapeutic engineering have shown great potentials in treating infection and inflammation disorders. Conventional neutrophil labeling methods are time-consuming and often result in undesired contamination and activation since neutrophils are terminal-differentiated cells with a half-life span of only 7 h. A simple, fast, and biocompatible strategy to construct engineered neutrophils is highly desirable but remains difficult to achieve.

Surface Potential of the Air/Water Interface.

The surface charge/surface potential of the air/water interface plays a key role in many natural and industrial processes. Since the first decade of the 20 century, there are many theoretical proposals to describe the surface charge in the presence of different moieties. However, a complete and consistent description of the interfacial layer remains elusive.

Backbone and side-chain chemical shift assignments for the ribosome-inactivating protein trichobakin (TBK).

Trichobakin (TBK) is a type-I ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP-I), acting as an extremely potent inhibitor of protein synthesis in the cell-free translation system of rabbit reticulocyte lysate (IC: 3.5 pM). In this respect, TBK surpasses the well-studied highly homologous RIP-I trichosanthin (IC: 20-27 pM), therefore creation of recombinant toxins based on it is of great interest.

Metal nanoparticles as effective promotors for Maize production.

Zero-valent metal nanoparticles (Cu, Fe and Co) were prepared by the reactive method from their oxide with hydrogen. The energy-rich solutions of metal nanoparticles were used for treatment Maize seeds prior to sowing. The treatment significantly improved the germination rate and early growth.

Micellar formation of cationic surfactants.

The micellar structure of six alkyl trimethylammonium halides was studied via conductivity. It was found that the aggregation number increased with the decreasing carbon chain length. Furthermore, Br significantly enhanced the micellar formation over Cl.

Micelle and Surface Tension of Double-Chain Cationic Surfactants.

Since the early 20th century, the slightly disparate measurements of a surfactant's critical micelle concentration, via either surface tension or electrical conductivity, have been assumed one and the same. As a consequence, the possibility that micelles can adsorb at the air/water surface has been disregarded and has led to some abnormalities in the literature that remain as yet unresolved. In this paper, we closely examined the two critical concentrations for a double-chain cationic surfactant.

Influence of Hydrophilicity on the Thermal-Driven Surfactant Flow at the Air/Water Surface.

A series of Triton surfactants with increasing number of ethylene oxide (EO) groups were applied to investigate thermal-driven surface flow. It was found that the thermal gradient is proportional to the number of EO groups on the surface. This correlation leads to the linear correlation between the surfactant structure and the driving force of the surface flow.

A putative enoyl-CoA hydratase contributes to biofilm formation and the antibiotic tolerance of .

has attracted increasing attention as an emerging pathogen in patients with cystic fibrosis. Intrinsic resistance to several classes of antimicrobials and the ability to form robust biofilms in vivo contribute to the clinical manifestations of persistent infection. Still, much of biofilm formation remains uncharacterized due to the scarcity of existing genetic tools.

Performance and dynamic modelling of biochar and kaolin packed bed adsorption column for aqueous phase methylene blue (MB) dye removal.

A practical continuous adsorption study in a packed-bed column was conducted by using two separate layers of kaolin and pine cone based biochar packed bed adsorbents for the removal of methylene blue (MB) dye from its aqueous solution. A series of column experiments were performed to determine the breakthrough curves (BTCs) by varying bed height (3-7 cm), inlet flow rate (13-17 ml/min) and initial dye concentration (50-150 mg/L). The Thomas, Yoon-Nelson, Bed Depth Service Time (BDST) and Dose response (DR) dynamic models were applied to column experimental data under various operational conditions to predict the column breakthrough curves (BTC) using both nonlinear regression and linear regression and to determine various characteristic parameters such as percentage removal of dye, breakthrough time, used bed length, mass transfer zone (MTZ) and dye adsorption density that are useful for process design.