Using the method of pyrolytic mass spectrometry in the study of biodegradable polymeric materials

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-53
Author(s):  
V.V. Boyko ◽  
◽  
S.V. Riabov ◽  
L.V. Kobrina ◽  
T.V. Dmitrieva ◽  
...  

The results of pyrolytic mass spectrometry studies of biodegradable polymeric materials based on polyolefins and segmented polyurethanes with various functional additives are summarized. The structure and composition of initial and after exposure in soil, climate chamber and after exposure to microorganisms (bacteria, yeast) composites are characterized. In the research presented, influence of acetates and complexonates of metals, including cobalt, copper and zinc, on the structural changes in the high pressure polyethylene (HPPE) occurring under the impact of factors such as temperature, humidity and UV-radiation is investigated. It was established, that samples of HPPE, modified by cobalt acetate and cobalt and copper complexonates are responsive and most sensitive to the action of above-mentioned physical factors. Investigation of a segmented polyurethanes (SPU) of a different chemical structure influenced by a factors, modeling of the environmental conditions was conducted. It was shown using pyrolytic mass-spectrometry method and monitoring of samples’ weight loss that under the influence of above-mentioned environmental factors in the SPU occurs processes, resulting to changing its micro heterogeneous structure. It is established that SPU having ester links in its structure and being exposured in soil for 120 days is predominantly attacked by microorganisms, then the main active factor appears to be soil’ pH value – after 300 days in soil with alkaline or acid solution SPU sample decomposes into a separate fragments. Features of the chemical structure of urethane polymers synthesized on the base of hydroxylated rapeseed oil (polyol) were examined. Analysis of the results showed that the macromolecular compounds obtained are segmented polyurethanes which thermal degradation occurs in two stages: hard blocks are destroyed at the first stage, while polyol part (soft blocks) decomposes at the second stage, allowing to identify the temperature area of polymer destruction and thus its temperature region of operation. It is shown that the most suitable from the viewpoint of environmental friendly is polyurethane composition containing more than 50% of polyol. Thermal mass-spectrometry (TMS) has been employed to investigate processes of thermal destruction of segmented polyurethane and it’s compositions filled by polysaccharides: starch, dextrin, chitosan. The features of thermal destruction for segmented polyurethane and related compositions before and after their storage in a soil have been determined. Application TMS is shown to permit the processes of biodegradation of polymeric materials to investigate.

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 22-36
Author(s):  

Практика показывает, что для сварных конструкций, эксплуатируемых в условиях Крайнего Севера необходимо уделять внимание работоспособности сварных соединений при низких температурах. Металл сварных соединений в процессе воздействия обработки изменяет свои свойства, снижается ударная вязкость, образуется гетерогенная структура с большой степенью разнозернистости. Чтобы оценивать и иметь возможность правильно контролировать термическое воздействие и последствия сварочного процесса, требуется решить задачу аналитического определения ударной вязкости для всех зон сварного соединения. В настоящей статье представлен инженерный метод оценки ударной вязкости, применимый для любой зоны сварного соединения, в которой имеется острый или особый концентратор напряжений – трещина. Разработанный аналитический метод расчета ударной вязкости отражает качественную и количественную картину взаимосвязи структурно-механических характеристик и работы развития трещины в диапазоне температур 77…300 К. Предложенная схематизация зависимости критического коэффициента интенсивности напряжений от температуры позволила найти коэффициенты, характеризующие свойства материала, и выполнить расчеты изменения предела текучести и предела прочности от температуры эксплуатации. Построены графики зависимости работы развития трещины от температуры эксплуатации для сталей 15ГС и 17ГС, сравнение которых с экспериментальными данными показывает удовлетворительное согласование. Найдено, что при напряжениях предела выносливости отношение работы развития трещины к критической длине трещины постоянно, не зависит от температуры и для сталей 15ГС и 17ГС равно около 10. Ключевые слова: ударная вязкость, работа разрушения, коэффициент интенсивности напряжений, трещина, феррито-перлитная сталь, зона термического влияния. For welded structures under operation in the Far North, attention must be paid to the performance of welded joints at low temperatures. The properties of metal of welded joints are changed in the process of treatment, its toughness decreases, and a heterogeneous structure with a large range of different grain sizes is formed. In order to evaluate and be able to correctly control the thermal effect and the consequences of the welding process, it is necessary to solve the problem of analytical determination of impact strength for all zones of the welded joint. The paper presents an engineering method for evaluation of the impact strength applicable to any area of the welded joint in which there is a sharp or super sharp stress concentrator – a crack. The developed analytical method for calculating the impact strength reflects a qualitative and quantitative codependency of structural and mechanical characteristics and the process of crack development in the temperature range of 77–300 K. The proposed schematization of dependence of the critical coefficient of stress intensity on the temperature made it possible to find coefficients characterizing the properties of the material and to perform calculations of changes in yield strength and tensile strength on operating temperature. Graphs of the crack development process dependency on the operating temperature for 15ГС and 17ГС steels were constructed, and their comparison with experimental data displays satisfactory agreement. It was found that at endurance limit stresses, the ratio of the crack development process to the critical crack length is constant, non-dependent on temperature, and is equal to 10 for 15ГС and 17ГС steels. Keywords: impact strength, fracture work, stress intensity factor, crack, ferrite-pearlite steel, heat affected zone, steel tempering.


Author(s):  
Nina M. Meshchakova ◽  
Marina P. Dyakovich ◽  
Salim F. Shayakhmetov

Introduction.Methanol and its derivatives occupy one of the leading places among the main organic synthesis intermediates in terms of their importance and scale of production. According to experts, by 2027 the global demand for methanol can reach 135 million tons, the annual growth will be about 5.5%. However, there is little information regarding the assessment of working conditions and occupational risks for workers in modern methanol production and its derivatives.The aim of the studyis hygienic assessment of working conditions and the formation of health risks in workers of modern production of methanol and methylamines.Materials and methods.The assessment of the main adverse factors of production is given. When studying the state of health, objective indicators (the results of an in-depth medical examination) and subjective (the results of a quantitative assessment of the risks of the main pathological syndromes associated with health) are considered.Results.According to long-term observations, the concentration of harmful substances in the air of the working area, indicators of labor severity, parameters of physical factors met hygienic requirements, with the exception of industrial noise exceeding the maximum permissible level, as well as labor intensity of 1 degree. The General assessment of working conditions corresponds to the category of harmful 2 degrees (3.2). According to the results of the medical examination and quantitative assessment of the risks of health disorders in workers, the most significant were functional disorders and diseases of the circulatory system. The levels of somatic pathology on the part of the main body systems were significantly higher in apparatchiks compared to the engineering and technical personnel (ETP).Conclusions:In the production of methyl alcohol and methylamines, the main hygienic importance is the impact on workers of the complex of harmful substances of 1-IV hazard classes in low concentrations, increased levels of industrial noise, labor intensity of 1 degree. According to the subjective assessment of health and medical examination, the greatest prevalence of health risks in workers was observed from the circulatory system, and the levels of the revealed somatic pathology were statistically significantly higher in apparatchiks compared with the ETP.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 2335
Author(s):  
Gabriella Pinto ◽  
Sabrina De Pascale ◽  
Maria Aponte ◽  
Andrea Scaloni ◽  
Francesco Addeo ◽  
...  

Plant polyphenols have beneficial antioxidant effects on human health; practices aimed at preserving their content in foods and/or reusing food by-products are encouraged. The impact of the traditional practice of the water curing procedure of chestnuts, which prevents insect/mould damage during storage, was studied to assess the release of polyphenols from the fruit. Metabolites extracted from pericarp and integument tissues or released in the medium from the water curing process were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and electrospray-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (ESI-qTOF-MS). This identified: (i) condensed and hydrolyzable tannins made of (epi)catechin (procyanidins) and acid ellagic units in pericarp tissues; (ii) polyphenols made of gallocatechin and catechin units condensed with gallate (prodelphinidins) in integument counterparts; (iii) metabolites resembling those reported above in the wastewater from the chestnut curing process. Comparative experiments were also performed on aqueous media recovered from fruits treated with processes involving: (i) tap water; (ii) tap water containing an antifungal Lb. pentosus strain; (iii) wastewater from a previous curing treatment. These analyses indicated that the former treatment determines a 6–7-fold higher release of polyphenols in the curing water with respect to the other ones. This event has a negative impact on the luster of treated fruits but qualifies the corresponding wastes as a source of antioxidants. Such a phenomenon does not occur in wastewater from the other curing processes, where the release of polyphenols was reduced, thus preserving the chestnut’s appearance. Polyphenol profiling measurements demonstrated that bacterial presence in water hampered the release of pericarp metabolites. This study provides a rationale to traditional processing practices on fruit appearance and qualifies the corresponding wastes as a source of bioactive compounds for other nutraceutical applications.


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 502
Author(s):  
Junior Corneille Fingu-Mabola ◽  
Frédéric Francis

Aphids are responsible for the spread of more than half of the known phytovirus species. Virus transmission within the plant–aphid–phytovirus pathosystem depends on vector mobility which allows the aphid to reach its host plant and on vector efficiency in terms of ability to transmit phytoviruses. However, several other factors can influence the phytoviruses transmission process and have significant epidemiological consequences. In this review, we aimed to analyse the aphid behaviours and influencing factors affecting phytovirus spread. We discussed the impact of vector host-seeking and dispersal behaviours mostly involved in aphid-born phytovirus spread but also the effect of feeding behaviours and life history traits involved in plant–aphid–phytovirus relationships on vector performances. We also noted that these behaviours are influenced by factors inherent to the interactions between pathosystem components (mode of transmission of phytoviruses, vector efficiency, plant resistance, …) and several biological, biochemical, chemical or physical factors related to the environment of these pathosystem components, most of them being manipulated as means to control vector-borne diseases in the crop fields.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 441
Author(s):  
Yan Yan ◽  
Shuang Chen ◽  
Yao Nie ◽  
Yan Xu

Pyrazines are important compounds in soy sauce aroma type Baijiu (SSAB). In this work, a total of 16 pyrazines were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) in SSAB. The quantitative results showed that 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine and 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine were the three most concentrated pyrazines. The highest odor activity value (OAV) was determined for 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine. Quantitative analysis combined with descriptive sensory analysis revealed that sub-threshold pyrazines (2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,3-diethylpyrazine, 2,3-diethyl-5-methylpyrazine and 2-acetyl-3-methylpyrazine) are significantly correlated with the roasted aroma in SSAB. Our study focused on the impact of sub-threshold pyrazines on the perception of roasted aroma in SSAB. The effect of the sub-threshold pyrazines was detected by the addition of various pyrazines in SSAB samples, despite their sub-threshold concentrations. Furthermore, the presence of sub-threshold pyrazines in dilute alcohol solution resulted in a significant reduction in the odor thresholds of supra-threshold pyrazines. Sensory investigation indicated that pyrazines have a synergistic effect on the perception of roasted aroma. The results highlighted the contribution of some pyrazines to the roasted aroma in SSAB despite their sub-threshold concentrations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 883-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Zubair Israr ◽  
Dennis Bernieh ◽  
Andrea Salzano ◽  
Shabana Cassambai ◽  
Yoshiyuki Yazaki ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundMatrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) has been used for more than 30 years. Compared with other analytical techniques, it offers ease of use, high throughput, robustness, cost-effectiveness, rapid analysis and sensitivity. As advantages, current clinical techniques (e.g. immunoassays) are unable to directly measure the biomarker; rather, they measure secondary signals. MALDI-MS has been extensively researched for clinical applications, and it is set for a breakthrough as a routine tool for clinical diagnostics.ContentThis review reports on the principles of MALDI-MS and discusses current clinical applications and the future clinical prospects for MALDI-MS. Furthermore, the review assesses the limitations currently experienced in clinical assays, the advantages and the impact of MALDI-MS to transform clinical laboratories.SummaryMALDI-MS is widely used in clinical microbiology for the screening of microbial isolates; however, there is scope to apply MALDI-MS in the diagnosis, prognosis, therapeutic drug monitoring and biopsy imaging in many diseases.OutlookThere is considerable potential for MALDI-MS in clinic as a tool for screening, profiling and imaging because of its high sensitivity and specificity over alternative techniques.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 281
Author(s):  
Tomasz Jarosz ◽  
Przemyslaw Ledwon

Polypyrrole is a classical, well-known conjugated polymer that is produced from a simple heterocyclic system. Numerous pyrrole derivatives exhibit biological activity, and the repeat unit is a common building block present in the chemical structure of many polymeric materials, finding wide application, primarily in optoelectronics and sensing. In this work, we focus on the variety of copolymers and their material properties that can be produced electrochemically, even though all these systems are obtained from mixtures of the “simple” pyrrole monomer and its derivatives with different conjugated and non-conjugated species.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnelle Löbbert ◽  
Sonja Schanzer ◽  
Henrik Krehenwinkel ◽  
Franz Bracher ◽  
Christoph Müller

A novel, validated QuEChERS-based GC-MS/MS method was developed, which will allow the assessment of the impact of pesticides on forest ecosystems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 5112
Author(s):  
Julia Vega ◽  
Geniane Schneider ◽  
Bruna R. Moreira ◽  
Carolina Herrera ◽  
José Bonomi-Barufi ◽  
...  

Macroalgae belong to a diverse group of organisms that could be exploited for biomolecule application. Among the biocompounds found in this group, mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are highlighted mainly due to their photoprotection, antioxidant properties, and high photo and thermo-stability, which are attractive characteristics for the development of cosmeceutical products. Therefore, here we revise published data about MAAs, including their biosynthesis, biomass production, extraction, characterization, identification, purification, and bioactivities. MAAs can be found in many algae species, but the highest concentrations are found in red macroalgae, mainly in the order Bangiales, as Porphyra spp. In addition to the species, the content of MAAs can vary depending on environmental factors, of which solar radiation and nitrogen availability are the most influential. MAAs can confer photoprotection due to their capacity to absorb ultraviolet radiation or reduce the impact of free radicals on cells, among other properties. To extract these compounds, different approaches can be used. The efficiency of these methods can be evaluated with characterization and identification using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), associated with other apparatus such as mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Therefore, the data presented in this review allow a broad comprehension of MAAs and show perspectives for their inclusion in cosmeceutical products.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Giorgia Grassi ◽  
Elisa Polledri ◽  
Silvia Fustinoni ◽  
Iacopo Chiodini ◽  
Ferruccio Ceriotti ◽  
...  

The identification of hyperandrogenism in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is concerning because of the poor accuracy of the androgen immunoassays (IA) and controversies regarding which androgens should be measured. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of the assessment of testosterone (T) and androstenedione (A) by liquid chromatography in tandem with mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS), in the diagnosis of PCOS. We evaluated 131 patients referred for suspected PCOS. Fourteen patients in total were excluded, some because of other diagnosis (n = 7) or incomplete diagnostic workup (n = 7). We measured T and A both by IA and LC-MS/MS in the 117 subjects included. We calculated free T (fT) by the Vermeulen formula and recorded clinical and metabolic data. 73 healthy females served as controls to derive immunoassays (IA) and LC-MS/MS reference intervals for T, fT and A. PCOS was confirmed in 90 subjects by IA and in 93 (+3.3%) by LC-MS/MS. The prevalence of biochemical hyperandrogenism in PCOS by LC-MS/MS increased from 81.7% to 89.2% if A was also considered. The most frequently elevated androgens were fT (73.1%) and A (64.5%) and they had similar levels of accuracy in differentiating PCOS and controls (0.34 ng/dL, Sn 91% Sp 89%; 1.16 ng/mL, Sn 91% Sp 88%, respectively). Free testosterone correlated with body mass index (BMI), homeostatic model assessment (HOMA)-index, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and sex-binding globulin (SHBG). The results confirm that LC-MS/MS is slightly more sensitive than IA in the diagnosis of PCOS with LC-MS/MS detecting higher levels of fT and A. Moreover, assessment of fT and A by LC-MS/MS had a similar level of accuracy in discriminating between PCOs and control subjects. Lastly, fT by LC-MS/MS correlates with adverse metabolic parameters.


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