Enhancement of thermal stability, strength and extensibility of lipid-based polyurethanes with cellulose-based nanofibers

Cellulose was extracted from lignocellulosic fibers and nanocrystalline cellulose (NC) prepared by alkali treatment of the fiber, steam explosion of the mercerized fiber, bleaching of the steam exploded fiber and finally acid treatment by 5% oxalic acid followed again by steam explosion. The average length and diameter of the NC were between 200-250 nm and 4-5 nm, respectively, in a monodisperse distribution. Different concentrations of the NC (0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5% by weight) were dispersed non-covalently into a completely bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) derived entirely from oleic acid. The physical properties of the TPU nanocomposites were assessed by Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and Mechanical Properties Analysis. The nanocomposites demonstrated enhanced stress and elongation at break and improved thermal stability compared to the neat TPU. The best results were obtained with 0.5% of NC in the TPU. The elongation at break of this sample was improved from 178% to 269% and its stress at break from 29.3 to 40.5 MPa. In this and all other samples the glass transition temperature, melting temperature and crystallization behavior were essentially unaffected. This finding suggests a potential method of increasing the strength and the elongation at break of typically brittle and weak lipid-based TPUs without alteration of the other physico-chemical properties of the polymer. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure, morphology and thermal characteristics of banana nano fibers obtained by steam explosion

In this work, cellulose nanofibers were extracted from banana fibers via a steam explosion technique. The chemical composition, morphology and thermal properties of the nanofibers were characterized to investigate their suitability for use in bio-based composite material applications. Chemical characterization of the banana fibers confirmed that the cellulose content was increased from 64% to 95% due to the application of alkali and acid treatments. Assessment of fiber chemical composition before and after chemical treatment showed evidence for the removal of non-cellulosic constituents such as hemicelluloses and lignin that occurred during steam explosion, bleaching and acid treatments. Surface morphological studies using SEM and AFM revealed that there was a reduction in fiber diameter during steam explosion followed by acid treatments. Percentage yield and aspect ratio of the nanofiber obtained by this technique is found to be very high in comparison with other conventional methods. TGA and DSC results showed that the developed nanofibers exhibit enhanced thermal properties over the untreated fibers. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Taenia solium DNA is present in the cerebrospinal fluid of neurocysticercosis patients and can be used for diagnosis

Neurocysticercosis is the most frequent parasitic infection of the CNS and the main cause of acquired epilepsy worldwide. Seizures are the most common symptoms of the disease, together with headache, involuntary movements, psychosis and a global mental deterioration. Absolute diagnostic criteria include the identification of cysticerci, with scolex, in the brain by MRI imaging. We demonstrate here, for the first time, that T. solium DNA is present in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients. The PCR amplification of the parasite DNA in the CSF enabled the correct identification of 29/30 cases (96.7 %). The PCR diagnosis of parasite DNA in the CSF may be a strong support for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis.

Electromagnetic energy-momentum and forces in matter

We discuss the electromagnetic energy-momentum distribution and the mechanical forces of the electromagnetic field in material media. There is a long-standing controversy on these notions. The Minkowski and the Abraham energy-momentum tensors are the most well-known ones. We propose a solution of this problem which appears to be natural and self-consistent from both a theoretical and an experimental point of view. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

A class of soliton solutions for the N=2 super mKdV/Sinh-Gordon hierarchy

Employing Hirota's method, a class of soliton solutions for the N = 2 super mKdV equations is proposed in terms of a single Grassmann parameter. Such solutions are shown to satisfy two copies of N = 1 supersymmetric mKdV equations connected by nontrivial algebraic identities. Using the super Miura transformation, we obtain solutions of the N = 2 super KdV equations. These are shown to generalize solutions derived previously. By using them KdV/sinh-Gordon hierarchy properties we generate the solutions of the N = 2 super sinh-Gordon as well.

Permutability of Backlund transformation for N=1 supersymmetric sinh-Gordon

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Nonautonomous mixed mKdV-sinh-Gordon hierarchy

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The higher grading structure of the WKI hierarchy and the two-component short pulse equation

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A symmetry reduction technique for higher order Painleve systems

The symmetry reduction of higher order Painleve systems is formulated in terms of Dirac procedure. A set of canonical variables that admit Dirac reduction procedure is proposed for Hamiltonian structures governing the A(2M)((1)) and A(2M-1)((1)) Painleve systems for M = 2,3,.... (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A class of mixed integrable models

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Negative even grade mKdV hierarchy and its soliton solutions

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Integrablility of a classical N=2 super sinh-Gordon model with jump defects

The Lagrangian formalism for the N = 2 supersymmetric sinh-Gordon model with a jump defect is considered. The modified conserved momentum and energy are constructed in terms of border functions. The supersymmetric Backlund transformation is given and an one-soliton solution is obtained.The Lax formulation based on the affine super Lie algebra sl(2, 2) within the space split by the defect leads to the integrability of the model and henceforth to the existence of an infinite number of constants of motion.