In-situ measurements of the optical absorption of dioxythiophene-based conjugated polymers

Conjugated polymers can be reversibly doped by electrochemical means. This doping introduces new sub-bandgap optical absorption bands in the polymer while decreasing the bandgap absorption. To study this behavior, we have prepared an electrochemical cell allowing measurements of the optical properties of the polymer. The cell consists of a thin polymer film deposited on gold-coated Mylar behind which is another polymer that serves as a counterelectrode. An infrared transparent window protects the upper polymer from ambient air. By adding a gel electrolyte and making electrical connections to the polymer-on-gold films, one may study electrochromism in a wide spectral range. As the cell voltage (the potential difference between the two electrodes) changes, the doping level of the conjugated polymer films is changed reversibly. Our experiments address electrochromism in poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxy-thiophene) (PEDOT) and poly(3,4-dimethyl-propylene-dioxy-thiophene) (PProDOT-Me$_2$). This closed electrochemical cell allows the study of the doping induced sub-bandgap features (polaronic and bipolaronic modes) in these easily oxidized and highly redox switchable polymers. We also study the changes in cell spectra as a function of polymer thickness and investigate strategies to obtain cleaner spectra, minimizing the contributions of water and gel electrolyte features

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition is associated with rapamycin resistance

Rapamycin analogues have antitumor efficacy in several tumor types, however few patients demonstrate tumor regression. Thus, there is a pressing need for markers of intrinsic response/resistance and rational combination therapies. We hypothesized that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) confers rapamycin resistance. We found that the epithelial marker E-cadherin protein is higher in rapamycin sensitive (RS) cells and mesenchymal breast cancer cell lines selected by transcriptional EMT signatures are less sensitive to rapamycin. MCF7 cells, transfected with constitutively active mutant Snail, had increased rapamycin resistance (RR) compared to cells transfected with wild-type Snail. Conversely, we transfected two RR mesenchymal cell lines—ACHN and MDA-MB-231—with miR-200b/c or ZEB1 siRNA to promote mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition. This induced E-cadherin expression in both cell lines, and ACHN demonstrated a significant increase in RS. Treatment of ACHN and MDA-MB-231 with trametinib modulated EMT in ACHN cells in vitro. Treatment of MDA-MB-231 and ACHN xenografts with trametinib in combination with rapamycin resulted in significant growth inhibition in both but without an apparent effect on EMT. Future studies are needed to determine whether EMT status is predictive of sensitivity to rapalogs and to determine whether combination therapy with EMT modulating agents can enhance antitumor effects of PI3K/mTOR inhibitors

Categorization by Organizations: Manipulation of Disability Categories in a Racially Desegregated School District

The authors propose and test the concept of categorical manipulation, a process in which subordinate group demands for greater access to high-status categories are met with reversals in the hierarchy of existing categories. The analysis addresses a school district’s response to pressure from a racial desegregation movement to improve black access to a high-status majority-white disability category. The district complied, but it also allowed whites to migrate to a low-status majority-black category, from which blacks then were excluded. This category was enhanced with benefits desirable to whites. The original categorical hierarchy was restored during resegregation 20 years later. In categorical manipulation, subordinate groups gain greater access to high-status categories, but these categories suffer in value as dominant groups reaffiliate with previously low-status categories, which may be revised for improvements. This is different from more familiar forms of resistance to change such as symbolic compliance, ritualization, and tokenism

Categorization by Organization: Manipulation of Disability Categories in a Racially Desegregated School District

We propose and test the concept of categorical manipulation, a process in which subordinate group demands for greater access to high status categories are met with reversals in the hierarchy of existing categories. The analysis addresses a school district’s response to pressure from a racial desegregation movement to improve black access to a high status majority-white disability category. The district complied, but it also allowed whites to migrate to a low status majority-black category, from which blacks then were excluded. This category was enhanced with benefits desirable to whites. The original categorical hierarchy was restored during resegregation 20 years later. In categorical manipulation, subordinate groups gain greater access to high status categories, but these categories suffer in value as dominant groups reaffiliate with previously low status categories, which may be revised for improvements. This is different from more familiar forms of resistance to change such as symbolic compliance, ritualization, and tokenism.Division of Social and Economic Sciences of the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 1154843

Decolorization of reactive dyes under batch anaerobic condition by mixed microbial culture

Decolorization of reactive dyes, which are used in textile industry, under batch anaerobic conditions by mixed microbial culture was investigated in this study. Decolorization of C.I. Reactive Black 5 (RB 5), C.I. Reactive Red 24 (RR 24) and C.I. Reactive Blue 49 (RB 49) with initial concentrations ranging from150 to 2400 mg/L was investigated. Decolorization efficiencies obtained were 93.4% for RB 5 and 98.9% for RR 24 both with initial concentration of 2400 mg/L after 24 h incubation period. However, decolorization was lower for the dye of RB 49 than other two dyes in all concentrations despite 72 hincubation period by mixed anaerobic culture. All of the three dyes correlated with 1st order reaction kinetic with respect to decolorization kinetics. The results of the study demonstrated that high decolorization was obtained under anaerobic condition depending on chemical structure of the dye

Management of sour cherry processing industry wastewater by super critical fluid method: Sequential recovery and treatment

he fruit processing industry wastewater contains a significant amount of bioactive substances. In the sustainability framework and the circular economy, the by-product can be transformed into valuable resources before being treated. By integrating management strategies, the industry can minimize its environmental footprint, promote economic benefits, and support the sustainability of freshwater resources. This study subjected consecutively recovery (supercritical CO2: SC-CO2) and treatment (supercritical water oxidation: SCWO) by using the supercritical fluid method. In this study, sour cherry UF retentate with high-load organics, which include especially valuable phenolics was used. The mean COD and total phenolic substance content (TPC) were determined as 15,650 mg/L and 457 mg GAE/L, respectively. Recovery efficiencies of TPC and total flavonoid substance content (TFC) of extracts were up to 5 % and 10 % with SC-CO2 extraction, respectively. Additionally, the highest enrichment efficiencies were determined as 35 % and 140 %. While the TPC of sour cherry UF retentate was 72 mg/100 g sample, it increased up to 278 mg/100 g in the extract obtained under 40 °C and 30 MPa. Flavonoids from phenolic substances had high recoverability in SC-CO2 compared to the other phenolic groups. Following extraction, the samples were treated using the supercritical water oxidation process. Wastewater with high organic load was effectively treated in a short time (15 min) and the removal efficiencies changed between 78 % and 98 %. Additionally, toxicity tests were conducted in selected optimum extraction (27 MPa and 40 °C) and oxidation (1.68 DOD and 3 min) conditions, and the toxicity units of extracted and treated wastewaters decreased compared to those obtained from raw wastewater for Daphnia magna and Vibrio fischeri toxicity tests. These findings show that the supercritical fluid method can be a favorable alternative for management of fruit juice industry wastewater

An electrochromic ionic liquid: design, characterisation and performance in a solid state platform

This work describes the synthesis and characteristics of a novel electrochromic ionic liquid (IL) based on a phosphonium core tethered to a viologen moiety. When integrated into a solid-state electrochromic platform, the viologen modified IL behaved as both the electrolyte and the electrochromic material. Platform fabrication was achieved through in situ photo-polymerisation and encapsulation of this novel IL within a hybrid sol-gel. Important parameters of the platform performance, including its coloration efficiency, switching kinetics and optical properties were characterised using UV/Vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry in tandem. The electrochromic platform exhibits a coloration efficiency of 10.72 cm2C-1, and a varied optical output as a function of the incident current. Despite the rather viscous nature of the material, the platform exhibited approximately two orders of magnitude faster switching kinetics (221 seconds to reach 95 % absorbance) when compared to previously reported electrochromic ILs (18,000 seconds)

Financing profitability optimization: case study on sharia business unit of regional development banks in Indonesia

The study aims to examine the financing profitability optimization as recorded by Sharia Business Unit of Regional Development Banks (RDBs) in Indonesia. The profitability measured by Net Operating Margin (NOM) and predicted variables were tested with the ratio of Operational Cost to Operational Income (BOPO), Non-Performing Financing (NPF) and Profit Sharing Financing (PSF). On the basis of the literature review conducted, the study proposed five path coefficients to impact NOM, of which the constructed direct path to NOM was three and two for indirect paths. Time series data used were obtained from annual reports and publication reports. Using Pearson Correlation and Path Analysis, the study has found that BOPO, PSF, and NPF contributed to impact to NOM directly, and PSF impacted NOM indirectly through BOPO. Interestingly, PSF recorded a negative impact on NOM, suggesting inefficiency matters faced by SBU of RDBs not contributed from PSF. Another interesting finding, NPF was found insignificant to BOPO, indicating loan default is not a major matter for inefficiency issue, but could be a tight financing policy

TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES FOR MICROPOLLUTANT REMOVAL IN WASTEWATER

Present of micropollutants in aquatic environments has become an alarming environmental problem for both living creatures and environment. Micropollutants, also called as emerging contaminants arise from natural substances and increasing variety of anthropogenic events. Micropollutants consist of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, steroid hormones, industrial chemicals, pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and other recently seen compounds. These emerging contaminants are commonly found in very low concentration in different water bodies ranging from a few ng/L to several μg/L.     Many existing Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in all over the world are not especially designed for removing micropollutants. Low concentration and diversity of micropollutants complicate the dedection and analysis procedures during the treatment processes. Furthermore, entering micropollutants to the WWTPs continuously and stable structure of many micropollutants make difficult to eliminate these emerging compounds sufficiently. Therefore, many micropollutants of unknown concentration pass to aquatic environment from WWTPs. The occurence of micropollutants with a significant levels in aquatic environments disrupt the aquatic ecosystems with a number of adverse effects including short-term and long-term toxicity such as endocrine disrupting effects. Besides the known negative effects of micropollutants there are great number of micropollutants whose effects on living organisms are still unknown. As a result, removing these compounds is of a great importance both to protect environmental ecosystem and human health. Considering that the conventional methods are insufficient for removing the micropollutants other alternative treatment methods including coagulation–flocculation, activated carbon adsorption (powdered activated carbon and granular activated carbon), advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), membrane processes and membrane bioreactor can be applied for better removal.In this study, alternative treatments methods and removal efficiencies of each treatment methods on different micropollutants were investigated and all alternative treatment methods were compared between each other in terms of micropollutant removal rates

DERİ ENDÜSTRİSİ ATIK SULARININ BAŞYAYLA (KARAMAN) YÖRESİ PEKMEZ TOPRAĞI KULLANILARAK ARITILABİLİRLİKLERİNİN İNCELENMESİ

Atık suların arıtılmasında alternatif arıtım yöntemleri her geçen gün artmaktadır. Yapılan çalışmalara ve pratikteki uygulamalarına bakıldığında ilginin uygulanması kolay, ekonomik ve yüksek verime sahip yöntemler üzerinde yoğunlaştığı görülmektedir. Çalışmalarımızda Başyayla yöresi pekmez toprağı olarak bilinen ve pekmez yapımında çöktürme amaçlı olarak kullanılan kalsit ağırlıklı işlem görmemiş toprak numunesi kullanılmıştır. Bu bağlamda yaptığımız çalışmada toprak numunesinin kimyasal yapısı incelenerek arıtmada kullanılabilirliği araştırılmıştır. Deneysel çalışmalarda bir deri endüstrisi atık sularından kompozit olarak alınan numunede, KOİ (Kimyasal Oksijen İhtiyacı), AKM (Askıda Katı Madde), krom (VI) ve toplam krom parametrelerinin giderimi üzerine çalışılmıştır. Atık su numunesinde 2000 mg/L dozda ve pH 6'da %80'in üzerinde verimler elde edilmiştir. Alternative wastewater treatment methods were developed in recent years. According to experimental and practical applications, scientist's interest is focus on easy applicable, economical and optimum efficiency methods. In our experiments raw soil sample known as Basyayla region grape molasses soil was used. In this content, we investigated chemical structure of soil sample and its usage in water treatment. This soil which constituted of mostly calcite was used for sedimentation for making grape molasses. Experimental studies were taken place on removal of COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), SS (Suspended Solid), chromium (VI) and total chromium from composite sample of the tannery wastewater. About 80 percent removal efficiency was obtained for wastewater sample for 2000 mg/L dosage and pH 6