A Novel GC-FID Analytical Strategy Reveals Adulteration of Fuels by Vegetable Oil.

BACKGROUND: Adulteration of diesel fuel by the addition of vegetable oil is a problem that touches several countries around the world and bypasses the complexity of the specifications regarding the automotive diesel fuel distinguishing between customs, fiscal, and commercial-environmental specifications. At an international level, the adoption of the same analysis methods is important for the harmonization processes and the fluidity of the market. In this context, we assist to the diffusion of the same fraud touching several countries or continents since the limit of the same methods are common to many specifications. For several European countries, the revenue lost as a result of this adulteration consists of billions of euros per year. This enormous amount of illicit money feeds organized criminal networks with huge social and environmental damages. OBJECTIVE: This work presents a GC method to quantify vegetable oils in the range of 0.2-7% (w/w) in adulterated diesel fuel, intended for use as motor fuel, with or without extraneous heavy mineral oil. METHODS: Our study was realized on 100 fraudulent samples collected by the Italian fiscal police in regular oil stations and by the Italian fiscal police and customs officers as a consequence of controls on trucks transporting, in suspicious circumstances, "oil" often declared "antistick and anticorrosion oil" or "protective oil." Conclusions and Highlights: High reliability of results, external validity, ease of replication, simple instrumentation, and sample preparation make this method well suited for a new "smart" protocol for diesel fuels analysis for customs, fiscal, and antifraud purposes.

Fonoaudiologia e dermatologia: um trabalho conjunto e pioneiro na suavização das rugas de expressão facial / Speech pathology and dermatology: conjoined and pioneer work in the softening of facial expression wrinkles

Este artigo tem por objetivo relatar, a partir de um estudo de caso, com se iniciou o trabalho de Motricidade Oral diretamente relacionado à suavização das rugas de expressão facial, bem como a parceria entre as áreas da fonoaudiologia e da dermatologia. Percebeu-se, através desse estudo, a existência de um estreito relacionamento entre as marcas/vincos de expressão e o uso que se faz ao longo do tempo da musculatura orofacial. Diante dessas constatações, iniciou-se um trabalho conjunto, visando a prevenção e a diminuição dessas rugas, através do reequilíbrio das funções estomatognáticas e do relaxamento da musculatura.

On lead(II) glycocholate solubility.

The solubility of lead(II) glycocholate was studied as a function of glycocholate ion concentration at 25 degrees C and in 0.100, 0.500 and 0.800 mol dm-3 N(CH3)4Cl as a constant ionic medium. For this purpose the total concentration of lead(II) was determined by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry and polarography measurements in solution equilibrated with solid lead(II) glycocholate at known hydrogen ion concentration. The free concentration of lead(II) and hydrogen ions was determined by measuring the electromotive force(e.m.f.) of galvanic cells involving lead amalgam and glass electrode. The e.m.f. measurements were carried out both in clear solutions before precipitation and in the presence of the precipitate. The results of the solubility and e.m.f. measurements could be explained by assuming the presence of associated species between lead(II) and glycocholate. The solubility product and the association constants were determined for all the ionic medium concentrations.