On the influence of Si:Al ratio and hierarchical porosity of FAU zeolites in solid acid catalysed esterification pretreatment of bio-oil

A family of faujasite (FAU) zeolites with different Si:Al ratio, and/or hierarchical porosity introduced via post-synthetic alkaline desilication treatment, have been evaluated as solid acid catalysts for esterification pretreatments of pyrolysis bio-oil components. Acetic acid esterification with aliphatic and aromatic alcohols including methanol, anisyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, p-cresol and n-butanol was first selected as a model reaction to identify the optimum zeolite properties. Materials were fully characterised using N2 porosimetry, ICP, XRD, XPS, FT-IR, pyridine adsorption, NH3 TPD, In-situ ATR and inverse gas chromatography (IGC). IGC demonstrates that the surface polarity and hence hydrophobicity of FAU decreases with increased Si:Al ratio. Despite possessing a higher acid site loading and acetic acid adsorption capacity, high Al-content FAU possess weaker acidity than more siliceous catalysts. Esterification activity increases with acid strength and decreasing surface polarity following the order FAU30>FAU6>FAU2.6. The introduction of mesoporosity through synthesis of a hierarchical HFAU30 material further enhances esterification activity through improved acid site accessibility and hydrophobicity. Methanol was the most reactive alcohol for esterification, and evaluated with HFAU30 for the pretreatment of a real pyrolysis bio-oil, reducing the acid content by 76% under mild conditions

Mesoporous sulfonic acid silicas for pyrolysis bio-oil upgrading via acetic acid esterification

Propylsulfonic acid derivatised SBA-15 catalysts have been prepared by post modification of SBA-15 with mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) for the upgrading of a model pyrolysis bio-oil via acetic acid esterification with benzyl alcohol in toluene. Acetic acid conversion and the rate of benzyl acetate production was proportional to the PrSO3H surface coverage, reaching a maximum for a saturation adlayer. Turnover frequencies for esterification increase with sulfonic acid surface density, suggesting a cooperative effect of adjacent PrSO3H groups. Maximal acetic acid conversion was attained under acid-rich conditions with aromatic alcohols, outperforming Amberlyst or USY zeolites, with additional excellent water tolerance

Temporal settling of holidays and annual customs in villages at the foot of the Avala mountain

The life of rural population in villages at the foot of the Avala Mountain was marked by a constant shift of working days - when the local population had to ensure its existence - and idle days. Various holiday occasions altered the regularities of everyday life. During a holiday celebration the whole village community, as well as individuals, had to adopt a new way of behavior - i.e., to discontinue all work obligations that filled regular working days. In the past, these idle days were equally important for families and their members, and for the rural community in general. On the whole, the holidays appear in an annual cycle, discernible in a parallel mode: 1, Weekly and 2, Annual celebrations. The Weekly cycle is celebrated on Sundays, while the annual cycle celebrated various family' holidays or just days marked as "holidays". During the celebration of holidays participants departed from their everyday existing conditions and attuned to the Holy time, generated during holidays. Various rituals and customs used to be performed that not only added to the holiday ambiance, but also ensured the well-being of the family and rural community, and protected in this way, against misfortune. This period was marked by profound changes in family and community organizations. The changes in rural areas are the result of the rural population mass relocation in search for work and the beginning of urbanization. The process of industrialization along with the influx of the authorities onto traditional folk culture have left permanent consequences in the rural community settings and inherited folk culture

Memorial service: A means of communication with the dead

A specific relationship toward the dead characterizes the traditional Serbian culture; this cult exists even today, in somewhat changed form. A death is always followed by the appropriate, traditional, ritual obligations that served to regulate behavior of a family, or even wider community members that has lost one of its members. The relationship with the dead does not cease after the funeral, but it continues to be maintained during general holidays dedicated to the dead-memorial service. These are the days dedicated to all dead, and when offerings were made especially for the deceased. The memorial services take place in particular days of the year: most often on Saturdays, on Saturdays before another holiday, the Spirits, and on Saturdays before the holiday Mitrovdan; memorial services are also connected with some other holidays during the year. In addition to the general memorial service dedicated to all dead, there are so-called special memorial services, which take place only in special occasions (on holidays like Petrovdan, Saint Ilija, Velika Gospojina, Trojice and more). Many different rituals performed during memorial services, as well as ritual objects used should provide the deceased with a safe residence in their new environment. The most important rituals that enabled the communication with the dead include: preparing and sharing food and drinks, visits to a cemetery, lighting candles, incense of graves, vine spilling, decoration with flowers and basilica. The most important ritual objects are: graves, food, drinks, candles, incense, vine, flowers and basilica

National costumes of the Ivanjica region - Kušici , Deretin, Maskova and Ravna Gora

National costumes in the villages: Kusici, Deretin, Maskova and Ravna Gora, belong to the old Vlach style, worn in all areas of the Ivanjica region. The inhabitants of this region are mainly migrants from the so-called Dinara region. In its basic characteristics the costume is similar to that of the Dinara region with additions imposed through time, by the new environment, and later influences from outside. Regardless of the relative isolation and lack of connection in communication between the investigated territories and other regions, change penetrated even this area and was reflected not only in daily life but also in the adoption of new, or abandoned old, pieces of dress for practical or functional reasons. Some dress pieces, particularly from the older costume at end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, are recognizable in the dress of Montenegro, Herzegovina and early Bosnia from where the greater number of the inhabitants originate. The oldest pieces of costume are very similar to those in the place of origin e.g. male and female shirts, female waistcoats, gunj, aljina, red cap, male fez with shawl, zubun, pelengiri, kabanica. After the First World War the so-called Šumadija costume (anterija, fermen) became the national costume of this region. The facts indicate that this national costume, in villages of the Ivanjica region, had practically disappeared in the nineties of the 20th century, "Old" dress disappeared under the pressure of industrial, uncontrolled production

Prophylactic thyroidectomy for asymptomatic 3-year-old boy with positive multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A mutation (codon 634)

Introduction. The multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A) syndrome, comprising medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), pheochromocytoma and primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is most frequently caused by codon 634 activating mutations of the RET (rearranged during transfection) proto-oncogene on chromosome 10. For this codon-mutation carriers, earlier thyroidectomy (before the age of 5 years) would be advantageous in limiting the potential for the development of MTC as well as parathyroid adenomas. Case Outline. This is a case report of 3-year-old boy from the MEN 2A family (the boy’s father and grandmother and paternal aunt) in which cysteine substitutes for phenylalanine at codon 634 in exon 11 of the RET proto-oncogene, who underwent thyroidectomy solely on the basis of genetic information. A boy had no thyromegaly, thyroidal irregularities or lymphadenopathy and no abnormality on the neck ultrasound examination. The pathology finding of thyroid gland was negative for MTC. Two years after total thyroidectomy, 5-year-old boy is healthy with permanent thyroxine replacement. His serum calcitonin level is <2 pg/ml (normal <13 pg/ml), has normal serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels and negative urinary catecholamines. Long-term follow-up of this patient is required to determine whether very early thyroidectomy improves the long-term outcome of PHPT. Conclusion. Children with familial antecedents of MEN 2A should be genetically studied for the purpose of determining the risk of MTC and assessing the possibilities of making prophylactic thyroidectomy before the age of 5 years