A framework for waste heat energy recovery within manufacturing

One third of energy consumption is attributed to the industrial sector, with as much as half ultimately wasted as heat. Consequently, research has focused on providing a framework for waste heat energy recovery within manufacturing. A decision support tool is hence developed based on the framework to deliver a streamlined and optimised heat recovery strategy. Substantial improvement in plant energy efficiency together with financial and environmental benefit from heat recovery has been demonstrated

Infrared monitoring of aluminium milling processes for reduction of environmental impacts

In modern manufacturing contexts, process monitoring is an important tool aimed at ensuring quality standard fulfilment whilst maximising throughput. In this work, a monitoring system comprised of an infrared (IR) camera was employed for tool state identification and surface roughness assessment with the objective of reducing environmental impacts of a milling process. Two data processing techniques, based on statistical parameters and polynomial fitting, were applied to the temperature signal acquired from the IR camera during milling operations in order to extract significant features. These features were inputted to two different neural network based procedures: pattern recognition and fitting, for decision making support on tool condition and surface roughness evaluation respectively. These capabilities are discussed in terms of reducing waste products and energy consumption whilst further improving productivity

A decision support system for waste heat recovery in manufacturing

One third of energy consumption is attributable to the industrial sector, with as much as half ultimately wasted as heat. Consequently, research has focused on technologies for harvesting this waste heat energy, however, the adoption of such technologies can be costly with long payback time. A decision support tool is presented which computes the compatibility of waste heat source(s) and sink(s), namely the exergy balance and temporal availability, along with economic and environmental benefits of available heat exchanger technologies to propose a streamlined and optimised heat recovery strategy. Substantial improvement in plant energy efficiency together with reduction in the payback time for heat recovery has been demonstrated in the included case study

A Framework for Recovering Waste Heat Energy from Food Processing Effluent

Effluent water from food processing retains considerable heat energy after emission from treatment systems. Heat recovery technologies that may be appropriate for implementation in the food processing industry have been widely explored, and selection of the most suitable methodologies has been pursued. A four-stage framework is introduced in this paper to evaluate the potential recoverability of waste heat along with acceptor streams. The systematic approach utilizes thermal and temporal compatibility tools and cost–benefit analyses to determine the ideal heat-recovery equipment for food processing effluent. The applicability of this framework is demonstrated through an industrial case study undertaken in a vegetable canning processing facility. Based on the findings, the framework yields an efficient and optimized heat recovery approach to reducing the total energy demand of the facility

Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed Olefinic C–H Alkynylation of Acrylamides Using Tosyl-Imide as Directing Group

The Rh­(III)-catalyzed C–H alkynylation of acrylamide derivative is realized using a hypervalent alkynyl iodine reagent. The use of a weakly coordinating directing group proved to be of critical importance. This reaction displays broad functional group tolerance and high efficiency, which opens a new synthetic pathway to access functionalized 1,3-enyne skeletons

Cucurbit[10]uril-Based Orthogonal Supramolecular Polymers with Host–Guest and Coordination Interactions and Its Applications in Anion Classification

A novel orthogonal supramolecular polymer (Q[10]-TPDPB-Lu3+) in a host–guest ratio of 2:1 was successfully constructed utilizing the specificity and excellent cavity matching of Q[10] with the tripyridine derivatives (TPDPB). Significantly, non-covalent interactions between Q[10]’s hydrophobic cavities and Lu3+ were used to induce charge transfer of TPDPB to TPDPB and TPDPB to Lu3+, resulting in the construction of structurally interesting orthogonal assemblies with excellent fluorescence properties. Finally, the Q[10]-TPDPB-Lu3+ assemblies were shown to have good recognition and classification of strong and weak acid anions as well as iodide anions, and the classification was accompanied by a clear fluorescence emission change allowing visual observation

Dual-Aptamer-Based Biosensing of Toxoplasma Antibody

A panel of seven aptamers to antitoxoplasma IgG is first discovered in this report. The aptamers are selected using systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) technology, cloned, and identified by sequencing and affinity assay. Among them, two aptamers (TGA6 and TGA7) with the highest affinities are employed as capture probe and detection probe in developing a quantum dots-labeled dual aptasensor (Q-DAS). In the presence of antitoxoplasma IgG, an aptamer–protein–aptamer sandwich complex (TGA6–IgG–TGA7) is formed and captured on a multiwell microplate, whose fluorescence can be read out using quantum dots as the fluorescence label, ensuring highly sensitive and specific sensing of antitoxoplasma IgG. The operating characteristics of the proposed assay are guaranteed using dual aptamers as the recognizing probes when compared with antibody-based immunoassay. Q-DAS has a linearity within the range of 0.5–500 IU with a lowest detection of 0.1 IU. Receiver operating curves of 212 clinical samples show a 94.8% sensitivity and 95.7% specificity when the cutoff value is set as 6.5 IU, indicating the proposed Q-DAS is a promising assay in large-scale screening of toxoplasmosis

Quantitative Investigation of Methylation Heterogeneity by Digital Melting Curve Analysis on a SlipChip for Atrial Fibrillation

Methylation is an essential epigenetic modification involved in regulating gene expression and maintaining genome stability. Methylation patterns can be heterogeneous, exhibiting variations in both level and density. However, current methods of methylation analysis, including sequencing, methylation-specific PCR, and high-resolution melting curve analysis (HRM), face limitations of high cost, time-consuming workflows, and the difficulty of both accurate heterogeneity analysis and precise quantification. Here, a droplet array SlipChip-based (da-SlipChip-based) digital melting curve analysis (MCA) method was developed for the accurate quantification of both methylation level (ratio of methylated molecules to total molecules) and methylation density (ratio of methylated CpG sites to total CpG sites). The SlipChip-based digital MCA system supplements an in situ thermal cycler with a fluorescence imaging module for real-time MCA. The da-SlipChip can generate 10,656 droplets of 1 nL each, which can be separated into four lanes, enabling the simultaneous analysis of four samples. This method’s clinical application was demonstrated by analyzing samples from ten healthy individuals and twenty patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia. This method can distinguish healthy individuals from those with AF of both the paroxysmal and persistent types. It also holds potential for broader application in various research and clinical settings requiring methylation analysis

Polycyclic Polyprenylated Acylphloroglucinols Bearing a Lavandulyl-Derived Substituent from <i>Garcinia xanthochymus</i> Fruits

Many type B polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs) bear a lavandulyl-derived substituent, and the configurational assignment of this side chain can be difficult and sometimes leads to erroneous conclusions. In this study, 21 PPAPs, including the new xanthochymusones A–I (1–9), have been isolated from the fruits of Garcinia xanthochymus and structurally characterized. The relative configuration of the C-30 stereocenter was assigned by a combination of chemical transformations, 1H–1H coupling constants, conformational analysis, and NOE experiments. The configurational assignment of compound 7 indicates that the relative configuration at C-30 of PPAPs is not always the same. The absolute configurations of the new compounds were assigned by ECD and X-ray diffraction data, as well as by biosynthetic considerations. Analysis of NMR data enabled the configurational revision of garcicowins C and D. All the isolated PPAPs were tested for antiproliferative activity against three human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, including Huh-7, Hep 3B, and HepG2. Compounds 5 and 6, 7-epi-isogarcinol (16), and coccinone C (17) exhibited moderate antiproliferative activity. Compounds 6 and 16 induced apoptosis and inhibited cell migration in Huh-7 cells, probably through downregulating the STAT3 signaling pathway. This study provides effective methods for configurational assignments of type B PPAPs

Polycyclic Polyprenylated Acylphloroglucinols Bearing a Lavandulyl-Derived Substituent from <i>Garcinia xanthochymus</i> Fruits

Many type B polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs) bear a lavandulyl-derived substituent, and the configurational assignment of this side chain can be difficult and sometimes leads to erroneous conclusions. In this study, 21 PPAPs, including the new xanthochymusones A–I (1–9), have been isolated from the fruits of Garcinia xanthochymus and structurally characterized. The relative configuration of the C-30 stereocenter was assigned by a combination of chemical transformations, 1H–1H coupling constants, conformational analysis, and NOE experiments. The configurational assignment of compound 7 indicates that the relative configuration at C-30 of PPAPs is not always the same. The absolute configurations of the new compounds were assigned by ECD and X-ray diffraction data, as well as by biosynthetic considerations. Analysis of NMR data enabled the configurational revision of garcicowins C and D. All the isolated PPAPs were tested for antiproliferative activity against three human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, including Huh-7, Hep 3B, and HepG2. Compounds 5 and 6, 7-epi-isogarcinol (16), and coccinone C (17) exhibited moderate antiproliferative activity. Compounds 6 and 16 induced apoptosis and inhibited cell migration in Huh-7 cells, probably through downregulating the STAT3 signaling pathway. This study provides effective methods for configurational assignments of type B PPAPs