Structural and optical behavior of electrodeposited black chrome‐graphite encapsulated FeCo nanoparticles composite coatings

Black chrome‐graphite encapsulated FeCo nanoparticles (BC‐GEFeCo NPs) composite coatings were electrodeposited on substrates such as stainless steel, Cu, and Ni‐coated Cu. The major content of the deposited film is contributed by Cr, Fe‐Cr, Fe₂AlCr, and FeCr_0.29Ni_0.16C_0.06 as deduced from X‐ray diffraction. The root‐mean‐square roughness value of black chrome on Ni‐coated Cu employing PbSb anode is measured by atomic force microscopy (nanoindentation) studies as 57.176 nm, which is in satisfactory agreement with the literature value of 53.83 nm. With the addition of GEFeCo Nps, the root‐mean‐square roughness value for BC‐GEFeCo composite coatings on Ni‐coated Cu increases approximately 6.1 times that of black chrome surface. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Financial modeling and quantum mathematics

Financial instruments have a random evolution and can be described by a stochastic process. It is shown that another approach for modeling financial instruments–considered as a (classical) random system–is by employing the mathematics that results from the formalism of quantum mechanics. Financial instruments are described by the elements of a linear vector state space and its evolution is determined by a Hamiltonian operator. It is further shown that interest rates can be described by a random function–which is mathematically equivalent to a two dimensional Euclidean quantum field.     

Structural development Of TMMA and SSQXN‐8 as porous chelating resins

Superfast kinetics of Nd⁺³, Eu⁺³, and Gd⁺³ ions were studied on the surfaces of N,N,N^\,N^\‐tetramethylmalonamide (TMMA) and silsesquioxane (SSQXN‐8) resins. TMMA and SSQXN‐8 were prepared by suspension polymerization and sol–gel routes, respectively. They were identified using elemental analysis, FTIR, H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, MIP, and BET surface area. Kinetic investigations were performed in batch conditions and different models were used to fit the data; Boyd and Helfferich models were found the best. The diffusion of the ions through the resins were very fast and found to be in the order of 10^?16 m²/S. Effective diffusions of the studied ions were found to be 10^?15 order of magnitude and directly proportional to the kinetic energy of the transition state. ΔS* values from ?166.044 to ?179.297 J mol^?1 K^?1 were estimated as entropy stability factors of the system. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Determination of Ethopabate Residues in Chicken Muscles, Liver, and Eggs after Aqueous SDS Extraction by Micellar Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection with Application to Baby Food

A simple and sensitive liquid chromatographic method was optimized and validated for the analysis of ethopabate residues in chicken muscles, liver, and eggs. Aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution was used for extraction. Analytical separation was performed in less than 8 min using a C18 column (150?×?4.6 mm internal diameter, 5 μm particle size) with fluorescence detection at 271/364 nm. A micellar solution composed of 0.1 M SDS, 10 % 1-propanol, and 0.3 % triethylamine in 0.02 M phosphoric acid adjusted to pH?4 was used as the mobile phase. The method was fully validated in accordance with International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The micellar method was successfully applied to quantitatively determine ethopabate residues in spiked chicken muscles, liver, and eggs. It was also extended to the determination of ethopabate residues in chicken-based baby food. The recoveries obtained were in the 93.81–115.67 % range. The limit of detection was found to be 1.6 ng/g. High extraction efficiency for ethopabate was obtained without matrix interference and in the subsequent chromatographic determination. No organic solvent was used during the pretreatment step.     

Traveling wave behavior in a two-phase flow model of tumor growth

Tumor growth which undergoes complex bio-mechanical processes has been a significant focus for mathematical modeling, with particular interest in its dynamic behavior. In this paper, we consider a two-phase flow model for describing the dynamics of tumor growth. The model accounts for aggregate cell movement and mechanical interactions between tumor cells as well as cell proliferation. In suitable limits, by using the dynamical systems theory approach, tumor growth in this mechanical model is shown to occur in the form of traveling waves that can propagate either forward or backward, depending on the values of the parameters. Our results, in particular, the wave profiles of tumor cell density are more realistic and explain those obtained in a recently developed simple, experiment-based, model for studying non-spatial dynamics of tumor cells.     

Antifungal activity of Lactobacillus fermentum Te007, Pediococcus pentosaceus Te010, Lactobacillus pentosus G004, and L. paracasi D5 on selected foods

In the search for new preservatives from natural resources to replace or to reduce the use of chemical preservatives 4 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were selected to be evaluated for their antifungal activity on selected foods. The supernatants of the selected strains delayed the growth of fungi for 23 to 40 d at 4 °C and 5 to 6 d at 20 and 30 °C in tomato puree, 19 to 29 d at 4 °C and 6 to 12 d at 20 and 30 °C in processed cheese, and 27 to 30 d at 4 °C and 12 to 24 d at 20 and 30 °C in commercial bread. The shelf life of bread with added LAB cells or their supernatants were longer than normal bread. This study demonstrates that Lactobacillus fermentum Te007, Pediococcus pentosaceus Te010, L. pentosus G004, and L. paracasi D5 either the cells or their supernatants could be used as biopreservative in bakery products and other processed foods. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The heat stability nature of the antifungal compounds produced by the LAB isolates offers a promising application of L. fermentum Te007, P. pentosaceus Te010, L. pentosus G004, and L. paracasi D5 as biopreservative in bakery products or other processed foods to replace or reduce the use of chemical preservatives.     

Infrared thermography (IRT) and ultraviolet fluorescence (UVF) for the nondestructive evaluation of ballast tanks’ coated surfaces

This paper quantifies the detectability limits of infrared thermography (IRT) and ultraviolet fluorescence (UVF) techniques in the thickness measurements of the naval protective coatings applied on ship ballast tanks. The change in signal per unit thickness (25 μm) is used to describe each technique resolution, when using a pulsed-thermographic procedure and a UVF spectroscopic analysis. Furthermore, Tanimoto criterion in addition to a local signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) computation measure the revealability of pinholes, the IRT technique provides an 83% revealability while the UVF imaging has a 66% value. The goal of this work is to benchmark the novel UVF approach against that of the IRT procedures.     

De novo expansion of intermediate alleles in spinocerebellar ataxia 7

Spinocerebellar ataxia 7 (SCA7) is the eighth neurodegenerative disorder caused by a translated CAG repeat expansion. Normal SCA7 alleles carry from four to 35 CAG repeats, whereas pathological alleles carry from 37 to approximately 200. Intermediate alleles (IAs), with 28-35 repeats in the SCA7 gene are exceedingly rare in the general population and are not associated with the SCA7 phenotype, although they have been found among relatives of four SCA7 families. In two of these families, IAs bearing 35 and 28 CAG repeats gave rise, during paternal transmission, to SCA7 expansions of 57 and 47 repeats, respectively, that were confirmed by haplotype reconstructions in one case and by inference in the other. Furthermore, the four haplotypes segregating with IAs were identical to the expanded alleles in each kindred, but differed among the families, indicating multiple origins of the SCA7 mutation in these families with different geographical origins. Our results provide the first evidence of de novo SCA7 expansions from IAs that are not associated with the phenotype but can expand to the pathological range during some paternal transmissions. IAs that segregate in unaffected branches of the pedigrees might, therefore, constitute a reservoir for future de novo mutations that occur in a recurrent but random manner. This would explain the persistence of the disease in spite of the great anticipation (approximately 20 years/generation) characteristic of SCA7. So far, de novo expansions among the disorders caused by polyglutamine repeats have only been demonstrated in Huntington's disease.