Bioplastics tipping point:drop-in or non-drop-in?

The forecasted bioplastic production capacity has signaled a strong growth in the next years, but with higher participation of drop-ins. Drop-in bioplastics are nonbiodegradable materials, identical to their fossil counterparts although obtained from renewable raw materials. The present paper examines why drop-ins have presented growth rates higher than non-drop-ins, analyzing some critical factors of their adoption by end users and whether the bioplastics tipping point has been reached. This comparison between drop-in and non-drop-in bioplastic innovation dynamics, which involves investment and complementary assets, will contribute to a better understanding of the critical factors that lead to bioplastics tipping point

FATOR DE ASSIMETRIA E DEFORMAÇÕES NEOTECTÔNICAS NA BACIA PARAÍBA, NORDESTE DO BRASIL

Um número crescente de publicações tem sugerido eventos de reativações tectônicas Cenozóicas na Bacia Paraíba, apesar de sua localização em margem passiva. O objetivo deste estudo é contribuir para ampliar esse registro com o uso do FSTT na caracterização tectônica em dois compartimentos morfologicamente distintos dessa bacia. Para isso, aplicou-se o FSTT a partir de MDE-SRTM. Os resultados sugerem dois estilos de deformações tectônicas nesses compartimentos: rúptil a oeste e dúctil a leste

Mineralization of Sialoliths Investigated by Ex Vivo and In Vivo X-ray Computed Tomography

The fraction of organic matter present affects the fragmentation behavior of sialoliths; thus, pretherapeutic information on the degree of mineralization is relevant for a correct selection of lithotripsy procedures. This work proposes a methodology for in vivo characterization of salivary calculi in the pretherapeutic context. Sialoliths were characterized in detail by X-ray computed microtomography (μCT) in combination with atomic emission spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Correlative analysis of the same specimens was performed by in vivo and ex vivo helical computed tomography (HCT) and ex vivo μCT. The mineral matter in the sialoliths consisted essentially of apatite (89 vol%) and whitlockite (11 vol%) with average density of 1.8 g/cm3. In hydrated conditions, the mineral mass prevailed with 53 ± 13 wt%, whereas the organic matter, with a density of 1.2 g/cm3, occupied 65 ± 10% of the sialoliths' volume. A quantitative relation between sialoliths mineral density and X-ray attenuation is proposed for both HCT and μCT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Spontaneous emission between an unusual pair of plates

We compute the modification in the spontaneous emission rate for a two-level atom when it is located between two parallel plates of different nature: a perfectly conducting plate $(\epsilon\to \infty)$ and an infinitely permeable one $(\mu\to \infty)$. We also discuss the case of two infinitely permeable plates. We compare our results with those found in the literature for the case of two perfectly conducting plates.Comment: latex file 4 pages, 4 figure

Poultry shelf-life enhancing potential of nanofibers and nanoparticles containing Porphyra dioica extracts

Aqueous extracts of commercially available red macroalgae Porphyra dioica were integrated as inner coatings of food-grade polypropylene (PP) films through use of electrospinning and electrospraying technologies. Two coating formulations (A = 5 wt% P. dioica extract and 7.5 wt% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA); B = 1 wt% P. dioica extract, 1 wt% PVA, and 17% gelatine) were evaluated as to their capacity to delay spoilage of minced chicken breasts, through monitoring of microbial growth (total mesophile aerobic colony counts), colour stability, lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)), and sensory analysis over a 4-day refrigerated storage. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging revealed an increased nanofiber and nanoparticle density on extract-enriched fibers, without compromise to their morphology or the homogeneity of the coatings. Total microbial counts on coating B samples was significantly (p < 0.001) reduced compared to uncoated plastic wraps. The coated samples also exhibited fewer colour degradation, though the coatings did not di er substantially from uncoated plastic wrap. Sensory analysis test subjects successfully distinguished the raw samples based on their treatment and gave a positive approval rating (66.7%) to the extract-enriched coatings when asked about edibility post storage.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Global persistence exponent of the two-dimensional Blume-Capel model

The global persistence exponent $\theta_g$ is calculated for the two-dimensional Blume-Capel model following a quench to the critical point from both disordered states and such with small initial magnetizations. Estimates are obtained for the nonequilibrium critical dynamics on the critical line and at the tricritical point. Ising-like universality is observed along the critical line and a different value $\theta_g =1.080(4)$ is found at the tricritical point.Comment: 7 pages with 3 figure

Thermofield Dynamics and Casimir Effect for Fermions

A generalization of the Bogoliubov transformation is developed to describe a space compactified fermionic field. The method is the fermionic counterpart of the formalism introduced earlier for bosons (J. C. da Silva, A. Matos Neto, F. C. Khanna and A. E. Santana, Phys. Rev. A 66 (2002) 052101), and is based on the thermofield dynamics approach. We analyse the energy-momentum tensor for the Casimir effect of a free massless fermion field in a $d$-dimensional box at finite temperature. As a particular case the Casimir energy and pressure for the field confined in a 3-dimensional parallelepiped box are calculated. It is found that the attractive or repulsive nature of the Casimir pressure on opposite faces changes depending on the relative magnitude of the edges. We also determine the temperature at which the Casimir pressure in a cubic boc changes sign and estimate its value when the edge of the cybe is of the order of confining lengths for baryons.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Annals of Physic

Caracterização química e avaliação das atividades antibacteriana, antifúngica, antimicobacteriana e citotóxica de Talinum paniculatum

In this study, the bioactivity of Talinum paniculatum was evaluated, a plant widely used in folk medicine. The extract from the T. paniculatum leaves (LE) was obtained by percolation with ethanol-water and then subjecting it to liquid-liquid partitions, yielding hexane (HX), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), butanol (BuOH), and aqueous (Aq) fractions. Screening for antimicrobial activity of the LE and its fractions was evaluated in vitro through broth microdilution method, against thirteen pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms, and the antimycobacterial activity was performed through agar diffusion assay. The cytotoxic concentrations (CC90) for LE, HX, and EtOAc were obtained on BHK-21 cells by using MTT reduction assay. The LE showed activity against Serratia marcescens and Staphylococcus aureus, with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values of 250 and 500 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, HX demonstrated outstanding activity against Micrococcus luteus and Candida albicans with a MIC of 31.2 µg/mL in both cases. The MIC for EtOAc also was 31.2 µg/mL against Escherichia coli. Conversely, BuOH and Aq were inactive against all tested microorganisms and LE proved inactive against Mycobacterium tuberculosisand Mycobacterium bovisas well. Campesterol, stigmasterol, and sitosterol were the proposed structures as main compounds present in the EF and HX/EtOAc fractions, evidenced by mass spectrometry. Therefore, LE, HX, and EtOAc from T. paniculatumshowed potential as possible sources of antimicrobial compounds, mainly HX, for presenting low toxicity on BHK-21 cells with excellent Selectivity Index (SI = CC90/MIC) of 17.72 against C. albicans.Neste estudo foi avaliada a bioatividade de Talinum paniculatum, planta amplamente utilizada na medicina popular. O extrato das folhas (EF) de T. paniculatum foi obtido por percolação com etanol-água e, em seguida, submetido à partição líquido-líquido, obtendo-se as frações hexânica (HX), acetato-etílica (AcOEt), butanólica (BuOH) e aquosa (Aq). A triagem para a atividade antimicrobiana do EF e de suas frações foram avaliadas in vitro através do método de microdiluição em caldo contra treze micro-organismos patogênicos e não-patogênicos e, a atividade antimicobacteriana, foi avaliada através do teste de difusão em ágar. As concentrações citotóxicas (CC90) do EF e das frações HX e AcOEt foram obtidas sobre células da linhagem BHK-21 através do ensaio de redução do MTT. O EF mostrou atividade contra Serratia marcescens e Staphylococcus aureus, com valores de concentração inibitória mínima (CIM) de 250 e 500 µg/mL, respectivamente. Além disso, HX demonstrou excelente atividade contra Micrococcus luteus e Candida albicans com uma CIM de 31,2 µg/mL, em ambos os casos. Contra Escherichia coli, a CIM para AcOEt foi também de 31,2 µg/mL. Por outro lado, as frações BuOH e Aq foram inativas contra todos os micro-organismos testados, assim como o EF contra Mycobacterium tuberculosis e Mycobacterium bovis. Campesterol, estigmasterol e sitosterol foram as estruturas propostas como principais compostos presentes no EF e nas frações HX e AcOEt, evidenciadas através de espectrometria de massas. Portanto, o extrato da folha e as frações HX e AcOEt provenientes de T. paniculatum apresentaram potencial como possíveis fontes de compostos antimicrobianos, HX principalmente, por ter apresentado uma baixa toxicidade sobre células BHK-21 com um bom índice de seletividade (IS = CC90/MIC) de 17,72 contra C. albicans

Universality and scaling study of the critical behavior of the two-dimensional Blume-Capel model in short-time dynamics

In this paper we study the short-time behavior of the Blume-Capel model at the tricritical point as well as along the second order critical line. Dynamic and static exponents are estimated by exploring scaling relations for the magnetization and its moments at early stage of the dynamic evolution. Our estimates for the dynamic exponents, at the tricritical point, are $z= 2.215(2)$ and $\theta= -0.53(2)$.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figure