A series of cation exchange membranes was produced by impregnating and coating both sides of a quartz web with a Nafion solution (1100 EW, 10%wt in water). Inert filler particles (SiO_2, ZrO_2 or TiO_2; 5-20%wt) were incorporated into the aqueous Nafion solution to produce robust, compositemembranes. Ion-exchange capacity/equivalent weight, water take-up, thickness change on hydration and ionic and electrical conductivity were measured in 1 mol dm"-"3 sulfuric acid at 298 K. The TiO_2 filler significantly impacted on these properties, producing higher water take-up and increased conductivity. Such membranes may be beneficial for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell operation at low humidification. The PEM fuel cell performance of the compositemembranes containing SiO_2 fillers was examined in a ...
Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been used to explore the nanometer-scale structure of Nafion, the widely used fuel cell membrane, and its composites. We have shown that solid-state NMR can characterize chemical structure and composition, domain size and morphology, internuclear distances, molecular dynamics, etc. The newly-developed water channel model of Nafion has been confirmed, and important characteristic length-scales established. Nafion-based organic and inorganic composites with special properties have also been characterized and their structures elucidated. The morphology of Nafion varies with hydration level, and is reflected in the changes in surface-to-volume (S/V) ratio of the polymer obtained by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The S/V ratios of different Nafion ...
A sulfonated fluoroalkyl graft polymer (FGP) membrane was prepared as a polymer electrolyte. First, the FGP membrane was grafted with styrene under UV irradiation. The grafted FGP was then sulfonated to functionalize it for proton conductivity. The grafting degree of the membrane increased with increasing grafting time during UV irradiation. The proton conductivity of the membrane increased with increasing grafting degree. The swelling ratio was independent of the grafting time, however, the water uptake increased with increasing grafting degree. Based on these results, it was found that the UV-initiated styrene grafting occurred along the membrane thickness direction. Moreover, the membrane was embedded within the glass fibers of the composite. This composite electrolytic membrane had 1.15 times the ...
Mesoporous films of platinized carbon nanotube-zirconia-Nafioncomposite have been used for the immobilization of tris(2,2prime-bipyridyl)ruthenium (II) (Ru(bpy)32+) on an electrode surface to yield a solid-state electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor. The composite films of Pt-CNT-zirconia-Nafion exhibit much larger pore diameter (3.55 nm) than that of Nafion (2.82 nm) and thus leading to much larger ECL response for tripropylamine (TPA) because of the fast diffusion of the analyte within the films. Due to the conducting and electrocatalytic features of CNTs and Pt nanoparticles, their incorporation into the zirconia-Nafioncomposite films resulted in the decreased electron transfer resistance within the films. The present ECL sensor based on the Pt-CNT-zirconia-Nafion gave a lin...
Water transport in the ionomeric membrane, typically Nafion{reg_sign}, has profound influence on the performance of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell, in terms of internal resistance and overall water balance. In this work, high resolution neutron imaging of the Nafion{reg_sign} membrane is presented in order to measure water content and through-plane gradients in situ under disparate temperature and humidification conditions.
A highly sensitive and stable tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)_3 "2"+) electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor was developed based on carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersed in mesoporous composite films of sol-gel titania and perfluorosulfonated ionomer (Nafion). Single-wall (SWCNT) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) can be easily dispersed in the titania-Nafioncomposite solution. The hydrophobic CNT in the titania-Nafioncomposite films coated on a glassy carbon electrode certainly increased the amount of Ru(bpy)_3 "2"+ immobilized in the ECL sensor by adsorption of Ru(bpy)_3 "2"+ onto CNT surface, the electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of hydrophobic analytes, and the electronic conductivity of the composite films. Therefore, the present ECL sensor based on the CNT-titania-Nafion showed ...
A highly sensitive and stable tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy){sub 3} {sup 2+}) electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor was developed based on carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersed in mesoporous composite films of sol-gel titania and perfluorosulfonated ionomer (Nafion). Single-wall (SWCNT) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) can be easily dispersed in the titania-Nafioncomposite solution. The hydrophobic CNT in the titania-Nafioncomposite films coated on a glassy carbon electrode certainly increased the amount of Ru(bpy){sub 3} {sup 2+} immobilized in the ECL sensor by adsorption of Ru(bpy){sub 3} {sup 2+} onto CNT surface, the electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of hydrophobic analytes, and the electronic conductivity of the composite films. Therefore, the present ECL sensor based on the ...
A highly sensitive and stable tris(2,2prime-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)32+) electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor was developed based on carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersed in mesoporous composite films of sol-gel titania and perfluorosulfonated ionomer (Nafion). Single-wall (SWCNT) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) can be easily dispersed in the titania-Nafioncomposite solution. The hydrophobic CNT in the titania-Nafioncomposite films coated on a glassy carbon electrode certainly increased the amount of Ru(bpy)32+ immobilized in the ECL sensor by adsorption of Ru(bpy)32+ onto CNT surface, the electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of hydrophobic analytes, and the electronic conductivity of the composite films. Therefore, the present ECL sensor based on the CNT-...
Mesoporous V2O5/Nafioncomposite films have been used for the immobilization of tris(2,2prime-bipyridyl)ruthenium (II) (Ru(bpy)$\\rm{ {_{3}^{2+}}}$) on an electrode surface to yield a solid-state electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor. The electrochemical and ECL behavior of Ru(bpy)$\\rm{ {_{3}^{2+}}}$ ion-exchanged into the composite films has been characterized as a function of the amount of Nafion incorporated into the V2O5/Nafioncomposite. The composite film with 80% Nafion content has the largest pore diameter (4.19 nm) and yields the maximum ECL response for tripropylamine (TPA) because of the fast diffusion of analyte into the film with large pores. Due to the enlarged pore size and enhanced conductivity of the V2O5/Nafioncomposite, the present ECL sensor based ...
Cu[sup 2+] is a sensitive electron spin resonance (ESR) probe for the penetration of various polar solvents in membranes made of Nafion and as an indicator for the replacement of one solvent by another. The ESR parameters (g and [sup 63]Cu hyperfine tensors) can be translated into a structure of the solvent around the cation. The replacement of a solvent in the membrane by another depends on the polarity of the two solvents. The solvent with the largest dielectric constant, N-methylformamide (NMF), can be replaced by water but not by methanol or acetonitrile (dielectric constants 182, 78.5, 32.7, and 37.5, respectively). Preferential solvation of the cation by water in three water/acetonitrile mixtures (9:1, 1:1, and 1:9 by volume) in contact with silica gel, Sephadex, and Nafion has been observed in various degrees. Nafion is most selective, followed by Sephadex and by silica gel. ...
The conductivity of the membrane is a limiting factor for the efficiency and power density of PEFCs. Because this conductivity is strongly dependent on the membrane hydration, water management is an important aspect of PEFC optimisation. Single cell model experiments were made in order to determine the in-plane hydration of a Nafion{sup R} membrane under fuel cell conditions as function of the gas humidities. (author) 4 fig., 3 refs.
We have performed a detailed analysis of water clustering and percolation in hydrated Nafion configurations generated by classical molecular dynamics simulations. Our results show that at low hydration levels H2O molecules are isolated and a continuous hydrogen-bonded network forms as the hydration level is increased. Our quantitative analysis has established a hydration level (?) between 5 and 6 H2O/SO3- as the percolation threshold of Nafion. We have also examined the effect of such a network on proton transport by studying the structural diffusion of protons using the quantum hopping molecular dynamics method. The mean residence time of the proton on a water molecule decreases by two orders of magnitude when the ? value is increased from 5 to 15. The proton diffusion coefficient in Nafion at a ? value of 15 is about 1.1x10-5 cm2/s in agreement with experiment. The results provide quantitative atomic-level evidence of ...
Amphiphilic block copolymers are synthesized by sulfonation of poly(styrene-b-methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) using acetyl sulfate, and are blended with poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) to prepare a new proton exchange membrane, in which PMMA is miscible with PVDF. The morphology and the transport properties of the membranes are investigated as functions of the degree of sulfonation as well as the blend ratio. Notable transition of phase-separated morphology is observed as the PVDF content of the blend is increased. Both the proton conductivity and the ion-exchange capacity (IEC) of the membrane increase with increasing the degree of sulfonation of PS-b-PMMA, and they are also enhanced as the phase-separated domains of blend membrane are well-ordered. Unlike the Nafionmembrane, the proton conductivity of the blend membrane increases up to ...
Two perfluorosulfonic acid membranes, Nafion{sup R} 105 and Nafion{sup R} 115 with the same thickness but different equivalent weights (EW = 1000 g/eq. resp. 1100 g/eq.) were characterised by conductivity measurements at different water vapour activities in the temperature range of 25-70{sup o}C. The results demonstrate that a lower membrane equivalent weight opens the possibility to obtain the needed proton conductivity at lower water vapour activity. This is especially important for those fuel cell applications, in which the cell is operated without external humidification of the fuel gases. (author) 5 figs., 5 refs.
Durability is a major limitation of current proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Mechanical stress due to hygro-thermal cycling is one failure mechanism of the polymer electrolyte membrane. In previous work the cyclic rate, temperature, and hydration dependent elastic-viscoplastic mechanical behavior of Nafion has been extensively investigated in uniaxial and biaxial tension, serving as a data basis and means of validation for a three-dimensional constitutive model. Here, the important effect of loading via constrained swelling is studied. Specifically, two types of loading are investigated: partially constrained swelling via a bimaterial swelling test and hygro-thermal cycling within a fuel cell. The bimaterial swelling conditions are examined via experiments in conjunction with modeling....
Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) membranes with various degrees of sulfonation (DS) have been prepared as a potential membrane material for proton exchange membrane by sulfonation process using mixtures of (15-30% concentration) fuming sulfuric acid and (95-98%) concentrated sulfuric acid as the sulfonating agent. The sulfonation process was conducted at room temperature by varying the acid ratio and reaction time. The produced membranes were then characterized by evaluating the ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake, thermal stability, proton conductivity and methanol permeability as a function of degree of sulfonation. The proton conductivity of the sulfonated PEEK membranes with various DS was within the magnitude of 10"-"3 and 10"-"2 S cm"-"1 at room temperature and the methanol permeability was in the range of 3.45 x 10"-"7 to 2.73 x 10"-"6 cm"2 s"-"1. The overall ...
Incorporation of TiO{sub 2}, into perfluoroionomer membrane by treatment with TiC1{sub 4}-methanol has been described. Platinum was used as an electrocatalyst. In order to make the system electronically as well as ionically conducting, the electrode was modified with polypyrrole (PPy). Photopolymerisation of pyrrole was accomplished by immersing TiO{sub 2}-Pt-NaF in pyrrole solution. UV-visible and FT-IR Spectroscopic studies were preformed with regards to the formation of the TiO{sub 2}, Pt and PPy within Nafion matrix. We report the construction and evaluation of this integrated system and establish the feasibility of hydrogen generation thereof. (Author)
A new class of hybrid organic-inorganic materials, and methods of synthesis, that can be used as a proton exchange membrane in a direct methanol fuel cell. In contrast with Nafion.RTM. PEM materials, which have random sulfonation, the new class of materials have ordered sulfonation achieved through self-assembly of alternating polyimide segments of different molecular weights comprising, for example, highly sulfonated hydrophilic PDA-DASA polyimide segment alternating with an unsulfonated hydrophobic 6FDA-DAS polyimide segment. An inorganic phase, e.g., 0.5 5 wt % TEOS, can be incorporated in the sulfonated polyimide copolymer to further improve its properties. The new materials exhibit reduced swelling when exposed to water, increased thermal stability, and decreased O.sub.2 and H.sub.2 gas permeability, while retaining proton conductivities similar to Nafion.RTM.. These improved properties may allow direct methanol fuel ...
The biophysical properties of membrane phospholipids are controlled by the composition of their constituent fatty acids and are tightly regulated in Escherichia...Full Text Available
A novel method for the determination of metoclopramide (MCP) using electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) is presented. A tris(2,2prime-bipyridyl)dichlororuthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)32+)-doped silica (RuDS) nanoparticle/perfluoinated ion-exchange resin (Nafion) with nanocomposite membrane modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) is used. The Ru(bpy)32+ encapsulation interior of the silica nanoparticle maintains its electrochemical activities and also reduces Ru(bpy)32+ leaching from the silica matrix when immersed in water due to the electrostatic interaction. The analytical performance of this ECL sensor for MCP is shown in detail. Under optimal experimental conditions, it has good linearity in the concentration range from 2x10-8mol/L to 1x10-5mol/L (R=0.9989) with a detection limit of 7x10-9mo...
This paper aims to study fundamentally the impacts of membrane properties on the reactive dye removal from dye/salt mixtures by nanofiltration membranes. To begin with, two types of nanofiltration membranes of similar pore size, namely asymmetric cellulose acetate membrane and thin-film composite polyamide membrane were fabricated, and their key physical, chemical and performance properties were characterized. After that, these resultant membranes were employed to perform dye removal experiments with aqueous solutions of reactive black 5 and NaCl under different operational parameters. The dye removal rate and steady permeate flux were determined and correlated with the measured membrane properties. It was found that there were significant differences between the dye removal performances o...
Graphical abstract: - Abstract: Low loading platinum-cobalt (Pt-Co) cathode catalyst on a Nafion(Na+)-bonded carbon layer is fabricated by using galvanostatic pulse technique to show the advantage of electrodeposition for high utilization of catalyst in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). We observed that Pt-Co catalysts evenly exist on the surface of carbon electrode and its thickness is about 5.8 ?m, which is four times thinner than conventional Pt/C. Improved single cell power performance of Pt-Co cathode catalysts with a ratio of 3.2:1 compared with Pt/C is clearly presented.
Microporous membranes are suitable for the CO{sub 2}-MEA (monoethanolamine) system because the overall mass transfer coefficient K of the membrane is approximately 10 times larger than that of compositemembranes consisting of microporous membranes and homogeneous membranes. The overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient K{center_dot} of the hollow-fiber contact is more than 5 times larger than that of a conventional packed bed, which suggests that adorption using the present method has the advantage of making the absorption more compact. 8 refs., 7 figs., 4 tabs.
AMPA receptors (AMPARs) are critical for synaptic plasticity, and are subject to alterations based on subunit composition and receptor trafficking to and from the plasma membrane. One of the...Full Text Available
To investigate the variation in the fine structure of polyamide thin-film composite (TFC) membranes prepared via two different interfacial polymerization conditions (IP-I and IP-II), experiments on Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), water contact angle, and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) coupled to a slow positron beam were conducted. Polyamide TFC membranes were prepared via the interfacial polymerization reaction between triethylenetetramine (TETA) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) on the surface of a modified polyacrylonitrile (mPAN) membrane. Compared with the polyamide TFC membrane prepared via IP-I, the polyamide layer prepared via IP-II showed a shorter S plateau length (thinner thickness), a higher o-Ps intensity I3 value (higher free-volume con...
The anodic reaction kinetics and interfacial mass transport of a direct polymer electrolyte membrane formic acid fuel cell have been investigated in an all solid-state electrochemical cell using a highly active nanostructured palladium-gold alloy microelectrode as an in situ probe. Well-defined 'S-shaped' steady-state cyclic voltammograms exhibiting current-rising region at lower overpotentials and limiting current region at higher overpotentials have been first obtained for the electrochemical oxidation of formic acid at varying temperature. The 'S-shaped' steady state polarization curves and chronoamperometric curves enable convenient measurements of the anodic reaction kinetics and interfacial mass transport of formic acid under real polymer electrolyte membrane conditions. It is encouragingly found that formic acid can be directly oxidized to CO2 with the first electron transfer being the likely rate-determining step and the formation of ...
A novel thin-film composite polyamide nanofiltration membrane was prepared through interfacial polymerization of polymeric polyamine polyvinylamine (PVAm) with isophthaloyl chloride (IPC) on a polysulfone supporting film. The compositemembranes were prepared under different conditions and characterized in terms of chemical and morphological structures, surface zeta potential, pure water permeability, and rejection to different solutes including electrolytes and sucrose. The results showed that the membrane performance was significantly affected by the content of amine units of PVAm and the concentrations of PVAm and IPC. The increase of the content of amine units of PVAm and the concentration of IPC resulted in an augment in salt rejection and a decrease in permeability, while the increas...
Gas separation membranes with polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)/polystyrene(PS) were prepared by using the sequential interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) method with various PS contents (10?70wt%). These gas separation membranes can be applied to reduce the smoke density in the emission gas of diesel engines. PS content has a pronounced effect on the membrane performance. It was found that the optimized PS contents in the final membrane were 50wt%. The emission capacities of diesel engines used in this study were 632 cc and 11,149 cc. When the oxygen separation membrane was used in the diesel engines, the smoke density of both diesel engines was remarkably reduced (35?73%). The oxygen concentration in the inlet air affects the composition of the emission gases. Especially, hydrocarbon (HC) dec...
This study examined the oxygen permeation behavior of Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-d (Gadolinium-Doped Ceria, GDC)/Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-d (BSCF) compositemembranes fabricated using a conventional sintering technique. GDC/BSCF compositemembranes with a relative density >95% could be obtained when a green compact of BSCF and GDC was sintered at 1150^oC for 5h. It appears that GDC serves as a grain growth inhibitor because the average grain size of the composite decreased with increasing GDC content. The oxygen permeability of the BSCF and GDC/BSCF compositemembranes strongly depends on the grain size and membrane thickness. The addition of GDC to BSCF resulted in a small grain size, low thermal expansion coefficient and high hardness. However, it is believed that oxygen permeation was blocked by GDC, a...
Several thin film composite nanofiltration membranes have been prepared by spin coating a sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) solution on a polyethersulfone support, followed by thermal treatment. The most optimal developed nanofiltration membrane shows a clean water permeance of ~4.5Lm^-^2h^-^1bar^-^1 and a molecular weight cut off (MWCO) of ~500gmol^-^1. No irreversible changes in membrane performance have been observed after prolonged exposure (up to several weeks) of this membrane to solutions with a pH in the range 0-14. Compared to Desal-5-DK, the developed membrane displays a similar water permeance and a higher NaCl retention. In comparison to commercially available pH stable membranes, MPF-34 and NP030P, it reveals a higher water permeance. Permeance and MWCO analysis at varying p...
A novel composite charged mosaic membrane (CCMM) was prepared via interfacial polymerization (IP) of polyamine [poly(epichlorohydrin amine)] and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) on the polyethersulfone (PES) support. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and water contact angle analysis were applied to characterize the resulted CCMM. The FT-IR spectrum indicates that TMC reacts sufficiently with polyamine. ESEM and AFM pictures show that the IP process produces a dense selective layer on the support membrane. The water contact angle of the CCMM is smaller than that of the substrate membrane because of the cross-linked hydrophilic polyamine network. Several factors affecting the IP reaction and the performan...
Certain allelochemicals of the marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense cause lysis of a broad spectrum of target protist cells but the lytic mechanism is poorly defined. We first hypothesized that membrane sterols serve as molecular targets of these lytic compounds, and that differences in sterol composition among donor and target cells may cause insensitivity of Alexandrium and sensitivity of targets to lytic compounds. We investigated Ca^2^+ influx after application of lytic fractions to a model cell line PC12 derived from a pheochromocytoma of the rat adrenal medulla to establish how the lytic compounds affect ion flux associated with lysis of target membranes. The lytic compounds increased permeability of the cell membrane for Ca^2^+ ions even during blockade of Ca^2^+ channels wit...
Functional properties of commercial and membrane processed pea protein isolates (PPI) prepared from yellow peas were investigated. Four protein isolates were prepared from yellow pea flour using water and KCl extractions at 25^oC followed by ultrafiltration and diafiltration (UF and DF) at pHs of 7.5 and 7.5 or 6 respectively. Following assessment of compositional attributes; solubility, foaming, flow and dynamic rheology, emulsification ability and heat-induced textural and rheological properties of prepared PPIs and a commercially available PPI were tested and compared. Membrane purification of proteins resulted in 28% to 68% reduction in phytic acid and enhanced, comparatively, the tested functional properties. Solubility of membrane processed PPIs, at all tested pHs, was superior and t...
Two different reverse osmosis systems were investigated. The first was a 50-element plant-scale system that is used to treat 2200 m"3 of AECL liquid radwastes annually.It uses thin-film composite (TFC) membranes and operates at an applied pressure of 2760 kPa, with a fixed crossflow of about 40 L/min. The other system uses the same thin-film compositemembranes for waste processing but is a two-element pilot-scale system. It is operated at pressures m ranging between 1500 and 7000 kPa, at a fixed crossflow of 55 L/min. The average lifetime of the thin-film compositemembranes in the plant-scale processing application at AECL is about 3000 h. After this service life has expired the rejection efficiency declines rapidly from 99.5% to about 95% as the membranes become impaired from chemical cleaning procedures that are required after each 100 ...
Details of a series of reactions for the production of ethylene glycol using a catalyst of Nafion solid perfluorosulfonic acid resin was detailed. The reactions included the carbonylation of formaldehyde and esterification and then hydrogenation of the product of the carbonylation, glycolic acid. Other preparations included in the work included methyl glycolate, acetylglycolic acid, methyl acetylglycolate, and methyl methoxyacetate.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are attractive because of their high conversion efficiency, low pollution, lightweight, and high power density. A major area of challenges is the design and engineering of active, robust, and low-cost electrocatalysts. This report discusses recent findings of our investigations of the design and nano-engineering of platinum-vanadium-iron catalysts for use in PEMFC. The membrane electrode assembly was prepared using nano-engineered PtVFe nanoparticles with controlled composition and size supported on carbon as cathode electrocatalysts. The electrocatalytic activity and stability of the catalysts have been characterized by both rotating disk electrode and membrane electrode assembly measurements. The trimetallic catalysts have been shown to exhibit excellent electrocatalytic performance in PEMFC in comparison with commercial platinum catalysts. The results ...
The goal of the present study is to elucidate the effect of lipid domain formation on activities of Naja naja atra and Bungarus multicinctus phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) enzymes. Sphingomyelin inhibited enzymatic activity and membrane-damaging activity of PLA(2) against egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (EYPC), while cholesterol and cholesterol sulfate abrogated the inhibitory effect of sphingomyelin. The ability of cholesterol and cholesterol sulfate to abolish the inhibitory effect of sphingomyelin was closely related to their capacity to induce domain formation in EYPC/sphingomyelin vesicles. Laurdan fluorescence measurement revealed that membrane packing of EYPC/sphingomyelin vesicles was differently affected by cholesterol and cholesterol sulfate. Unlike cholesterol, cholesterol sulfate was unable to promote domain formation in dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles. Cholesterol increased but cholesterol sulfate reduced PLA(2) activity ...
Excitation of low temperature helium or helium/water plasma and subsequent exposure to air of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) ultrafiltration membranes was used to hydrophilize the surface of these materials. We analyzed the effectiveness of this approach as a function of plasma operating variables including gas phase composition, plasma power, treatment time and system pressure. Following the changes in physical and chemical composition of the PAN surface resulting from these modifications was a major aspect of this work. Techniques such as the captive bubble contact angle method, ellipsometry, ESCA, and FTIR-ATR were all used. In addition, the formation and life-time of peroxides during these processes were determined. At low powers (<25W) and short treatment periods ({<=}30 sec), the main chemical conversion of PAN surfaces was simultaneous hydrophilization and stabilization via PAN cyclization. Relatively small water ...
Mechanisms that govern transport, accumulation and toxicity of persistent pollutants at interfaces in aquatic ecosystems were the foci of this thesis. Specific attention was paid to humic substances, their occurrence, composition, and role in exchange processes across interfaces. It was concluded that: The composition of humic substances in aquatic surface microlayers is different from that of the subsurface water and terrestrial humic matter. Levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the aquatic surface microlayer reflect the DOC levels in the subsurface water. While the levels and enrichment of DOC in the microlayer generally show small variations, the levels and enrichment of particulate organic carbon (POC) vary to a great extent. Similarities exist between aquatic surface films, artificial semi-permeable and biological membranes regarding their structure and functioning. Acidification and liming of freshwater ...
A cellular membrane exchanges substances into and from the cell and protects the cell interior by maintaining semi-fluidity rather than be being solid. It is known that microorganisms maintain the fluidity in correspondence with varying environmental temperatures by changing and adjusting the composition of fatty acids which constitute the cellular membrane lipids. As part of the studies to elucidate the pressure withstanding mechanism in deep-sea bacteria, this paper investigates what variations the fatty acid composition, which constitutes cellular membranes of the DSS12 strain, a pressure withstanding bacterium growing well under either normal pressure or high pressures, will show under different culturing temperatures and pressures. Culture under low temperatures and culture under high pressures increase content of unsaturated fatty acids including icosapentanoic acid. Culture ...
The exceptional ability of marine sponges to adapt to often drastic changes of their environments could be due to special structural features in cell membranes, including firstly phospholipids (PL). Thus, PL class composition was investigated in marine sponges (22 species from 19 genera to 15 families) originating from various locations (East Atlantic, North Atlantic, South-West Pacific, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Arabian?Persian Gulf). The quantitative determination of PL class composition was obtained by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) with scanning densitometry of the different spots. Previous reports have shown phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) as the major PL class in marine sponges, followed by phosphatidylcholine (PC), while other papers described PC as a minor class...
In this work, a highly-sensitive polymeric membrane ion selective electrode for determination of tetracycline was constructed by using molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) particles as quasi-ionophore. The water-compatible MIP particles targeting tetracycline were synthesized with tetracycline as a template molecule, methacrylic acid as a functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linker, 2,2?-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator and lanthanum ion as a mediator. Benefited from the distinctive performance of the quasi-ionophore and the optimized composition of the membrane and the inner filling solution, the lower detection limit of the electrode was decreased to about 1 ? 10?8 mol/l. It exhibited a good electrode slope 59.8 mV/decade near the theoretical Nernstian one, ...
This project has received DOE support since July 1, 1978. During this period, 40 papers have been published dealing predominantly with chlorophyll-photosensitized electron transfer reactions in a variety of media (solutions, polymer films, lipid bilayer membranes). The overall theme of this work has been to develop mechanistic strategies f or photochemical energy storage via chlorophyll, using the green plant photosynthetic system as a paradigm for designing in vitro systems. Microheterogeneous lipid vesicle suspensions allow ready application of time-resolved optical spectroscopy to follow the course of light-induced electron transfer processes. Both the yields and the lifetimes of electron transfer products were markedly improved in the vesicle systems. In subsequent studies, this compartmentalization was favorably manipulated by controlling the electrical charge on the membrane surface, by controlling the solubility properties of the ...
Protonic ceramic membrane fuel cells (PCMFCs) based on proton-conducting electrolytes have attracted much attention because of many advantages, such as low activation energy and high energy efficiency. A stable, easily sintered perovskite oxide BaCe_0_._5Zr_0_._3Y_0_._1_6Zn_0_._0_4O_3_-_#delta# (BCZYZ) as electrolyte for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with Sm_0_._5Sr_0_._5CoO_3_-_#delta# (SSC) composite cathode is investigated. By fabricating thin membrane BCZYZ electrolyte (#approx#20 #mu#m) synthesized by a modified Pechini method on NiO-BCZYZ anode support, PCMFCs are assembled and tested by selecting SSC perovskite cathode with high mixed ionic and electronic conductivities. An open-circuit potential of 1.015 V, a maximal power density of 528 mW cm"-"2, and a low polarization resistance of the electrodes of 0.15 #OMEGA# cm"2 is achieved at 700 "oC. The results indicate that BCZYZ proton-conducting ...
Separations of metal ions on the basis of Donnan dialysis across anion-exchange membranes should be possible if the receiver electrolyte composition favors the formation of selected anionic complexes of the sample metal ions. Moreover, such a separation has the possibility of being better suited from some applications than batch or column experiments with anion-exchange resins. The above hypothesis are tested on the platinum-group metal ions, Pt(IV), Rh(III), Pd(II), Ir(III), and Ir(IV). 13 references, 4 tables.
A electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor for itopride was developed based on tris(2,2-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)32+)-doped silica (RuDS) nanoparticles/biopolymer chitosan compositesmembrane modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The RuDS nanoparticles (52+-5nm) were prepared by a modified Stber synthesis method and were characterized by electrochemical, fluorometric and transmission electron microscopy technology. The Ru(bpy)32+ encapsulation interior of the silica nanoparticle maintains its electrochemical activities and also reduces Ru(bpy)32+ leaching from the silica matrix when immersed in water due to the electrostatic interaction. The ECL analytical performances of this ECL sensor for itopride based on its enhancement ECL emission of Ru(bpy)32+ were investigated in d...
Reichert's membrane, an extraembryonic membrane present in developing rodents, has been proposed as an in vivo model for the study of basement membranes. We have used this membrane as a source for isolation...Full Text Available
Graphical abstract: Ordered mesoporous organic-inorganic composite film has been achieved by sol-gel and spin-coating techniques. We believe that the mesoporous composite films have a potential application as a protect coating of bipolar plate material. Display Omitted Research highlights: ? Ordered mesoporous composite film was deposited on the 304 stainless steel. ? This composite film exhibited excellent protective performance in 0.5 M H_2SO_4. ? The film exhibited a high surface tension with water contact angle close to 90"o. - Abstract: The organic-inorganic composite film was deposited on the 304 stainless steel as bipolar plate material for proton exchange membrane fuel cells by spin-coating method. As shown by XRD, N_2 adsorption-desorption and TEM, the composite films exhibit ordered mesoporous structures. The corrosion tests in 0.5 ...
The preparation and performance of membranes for application to hydrogen separation from coal-derived gas is described. The membrane material investigated was dense amorphous silica deposited on a suitable support by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Two types of support materials were pursued. One type consisted of a two-layer composite, zeolite silicalite/{alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, in the form of tubes approximately 0.7 cm in diameter. The other type was porous glass tubes of diameter below 0.2 cm. The first type of support was prepared starting from {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} tubes of 1{micro}m mean pore diameter and growing by hydrothermal reaction a zeolite silicalite layer inside the pores of the alumina at the OD side. After calcination to remove the organic template used in the hydrothermal reaction, CVD was carried out to deposit the final silica layer. CVD was carried out by alternating exposure of the surface with ...
The plastic displacements around Knoop indentations made in hard titanium/aluminum multilayered films on soft aluminum alloy substrates have been studied. Indentations were cross-sectioned and imaged using the focused-ion-beam (FIB) milling and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The FIB milling method has the advantage of removing material in a localized region without producing mechanical damage to the specimen. The micrographs of the cross-sectioned indentations indicate that most of the plastic deformation around the indentation is dominated by the soft aluminum substrate. There is a very small change in the multilayered film thickness around the indentation{emdash}less than 10{percent}. The plastic deformation of the thin film resembles a membrane being deflected by a localized pressure gradient across the membrane. Stress-induced voids are also observed in the multilayered film, especially in the area around ...
Membrane protein structural biology is still a largely unconquered area, given that approximately 25% of all proteins are membrane proteins and yet less than 150 unique structures are available. Membrane...Full Text Available
Integration of solid-state biosensors and lipid bilayer membranes is important for membrane protein research and drug discovery. In these sensors, it is critical that the solid-state sensing...Full Text Available
Ozone has in recent years been increasingly investigated for its potential use in the control of insect pests of stored cereals. Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent that can react directly, or via production of reactive oxygen species, with proteins, DNA and double bonds of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The aim of the present study was to investigate the mode of action in ozone toxicity using the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), as a relevant model. Transcription of focal genes thought to be involved in protection against ozone, and repair of cellular damage caused by ozone exposure, was studied together with the composition of storage lipid fatty acids and membrane phospholipid fatty acids in order to detect lipid peroxidation. Contrary to expectations, transcription ...
...Basic Information | Fuel Cells & Vehicles | US EPA This web page provides basic information on EPA's Fuel Cells & Vehicles web site ...including the chemical composition of fuel cell technology, how it works, descriptions of the various types of fuel cells , their availability and ... background,electrochemical,hydrogen,fuel cell,fuel cell vehicle,fuel reformer,performace,improved fuel economy,increased engine efficiency,lower emissions,zero emissions,availablity,fuel cell types,diagram,Proton ...Exchange Membrane,PEM Basic Information | Fuel Cells & Vehicles | US EPA background,electrochemical,hydrogen,fuel cell,fuel cell vehicle,fuel reformer,performace,improved fuel economy,...
In the course of designing a catalytic porous membrane reactor for experimental studies, both inside and outside of the non-reaction zones as well as the two ends of the membrane need to be completely sealed to ensure that there is no flow across the membrane in the non-reaction zone. Experiments show that up to 50% of the total flow across the membrane may be contributed by the axial flow along the wall of the non-reaction zones if only one side of the membrane is sealed. Another problem that cannot be solved by sealing is the capillary flow of the catalyst along the tube wall into the non-reaction zones when the catalyst is doped on the membrane. One of the best ways to avoid this axial flow of catalyst would be to use non-porous tubes in the non-reaction zones and join them with the porous membrane tube. In doing so, the cost of the ...
Cardiac contractile function is dependent on the integrity and function of the sarcolemmal membrane. Swimming exercise training is known to increase cardiac contractile performance. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether a swimming exercise program would alter sarcolemmal enzyme activity, ion flux, and composition in rat hearts. After approximately 11 wk of exercise training, cardiac myosin and actomyosin Ca2+-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) activity was significantly higher in exercised rat hearts than in sedentary control rat hearts. Glycogen content was increased in plantaris and gastrocnemius muscles from exercised animals as was succinic dehydrogenase activity in gastrocnemius muscle of exercised rats in comparison to sedentary rat preparations. Sarcolemmal vesicles were isolated from hearts of exercise-trained and control rats. Sarcolemmal Na+-K+-ATPase and K+-p-nitrophenylphosphatase activities, Na+-Ca2+ exchange, and ...
In vitro the binding of polyribosomes to smooth endoplasmic-reticulum membranes is more sensitive to ionic strength than is the binding to rough endoplasmic-reticulum membranes. Polyribosomes...Full Text Available
Factors affecting the membrane filtration of food suspensions were studied for 58 foods and 13 membrane filters. Lot number within a brand, pore size (0.45 or 0.8 micrometer), and time elapsed before...Full Text Available
In the presence of electrochemical energy, several branched-chain neutral and acidic amino acids were found to accumulate in membrane vesicles of Bacillus stearothermophilus. The membrane vesicles contained...Full Text Available
The curvature elastic modulus (bending stiffness) of stearoyloleoyl phosphatidylcholine (SOPC) bilayer membrane is determined from membrane tether formation experiments. R. E. Waugh and R. M. Hochmuth...Full Text Available
Spontaneous rupture of membranes (ROM) is a normal component of labor and delivery. Premature ROM (PROM) refers to rupture of the fetal membranes prior to the onset of labor irrespective of gestational...Full Text Available
... Mirrors (Preprint) Ryan Conk et al. 15 September 2006 ... 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Stress Coatings for Large Scale Membrane Mirrors (Preprint) 5a. ...
A biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA)/poly(glycolide-co-lactide) copolymer (PLGA) membrane with polyglycolic acid (PGA) mesh was prepared to aid the effective regeneration of defective periodontal tissues. The microporous membrane used in this study consists of biodegradable polymers, and seems to have a structure to provide appropriate properties for periodontal tissue regeneration. Based on the albumin permeation test, it is known that the biodegradable membrane exhibits the suitable permeability of nutrients. The membrane maintained its physical integrity for 6-8 weeks, which could be sufficient to retain space in the periodontal pocket. Cell attachment and cytotoxicity tests were performed with respect to the evaluation of biocompatibility of the membrane. As a result, the membrane did not show any cytotoxicity. The safety and therapeutic efficacies of the ...
Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are energy sources that have the ... for H2 /02 PEM fuel cells because their catalysts have properties suitable for 0 ...
Laser-induced phase-separation polymerization of a porous acrylate polymer is used for in-situ fabrication of dialysis membranes inside glass microchannels. A shaped 355 nm laser beam is used to produce a porous polymer membrane with a thickness of about 15 .mu.m, which bonds to the glass microchannel and forms a semi-permeable membrane. Differential permeation through a membrane formed with pentaerythritol triacrylate was observed and quantified by comparing the response of the membrane to fluorescein and fluorescently tagging 200 nm latex microspheres. Differential permeation was observed and quantified by comparing the response to rhodamine 560 and lactalbumin protein in a membrane formed with SPE-methylene bisacrylamide. The porous membranes illustrate the capability for the present technique to integrate sample cleanup into chip-based ...
AbstractWe propose a mechanism for the formation of membrane oscillations and traveling waves, which arise due to the coupling between the actin cytoskeleton and the calcium flux through...Full Text Available
Thin PTFE membranes were prepared by coating the PTFE dispersion onto the aluminum films. Thus the thin crosslinked PTFE (RX-PTFE) membranes were obtained by means of electron beam irradiation above the melting temperature of PTFE under oxygen-free atmosphere. The RX-PTFE membranes were pre-irradiated and grafted by styrene with or without divinylbenzene (DVB) in liquid phase. The existence of DVB accelerated the initial grafting rate. The styrene grafted RX-PTFE membranes are white colored, on the other hand, the styrene/DVB grafted RX-PTFE membranes are colorless. The proton exchange membranes (PEMs) were obtained by sulfonating the grafted membranes using chlorosulfonic acid. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) values of the PEMs ranging from 1.5 to 2.8 meq/g were obtained. The PEMs made from the styrene/DVB grafted ...
Although the mechanism is unknown, Calculus Bovis and its active components, cholic acid analogs (CAAs), have been used in China to treat a wide range of diseases. Based on the previous finding that the potency of CAA is strongly dependent on the intrinsic surface activity, this paper aimed to investigate the role of the plasma membrane in the pharmacological activity of CAAs. First, CAAs (0.1 mM) caused a surface activity-dependent depression on ATPase activity in the cell membrane extract, but it had no effects on other cellular extracts, suggesting an indispensable role of the membrane environment for pharmacological activity. Second, CAAs lowered the membrane fluidity of cultured Caco-2 cells with the same rank-order of potency sequence. Third, the hypothesis that any functional protein located on the membrane is influenced by changes in cellular membrane ...
Thermal (gas) nitridation of stainless steels can yield low interfacial contact resistance (ICR), electrically-conductive and corrosion-resistant nitride containing surfaces (Cr2N, CrN, TiN, V2N, VN, etc) of interest for fuel cells, batteries, and sensors. This paper presents the results of scale up studies to determine the feasibility of extending the nitridation approach to thin 0.1 mm stainless steel alloy foils for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) bipolar plates. A major emphasis was placed on selection of alloy foil composition and nitidation conditions potentially capable of meeting the stringent cost goals for automotive PEMFC applications. Developmental Fe-20Cr-4V alloy and type 2205 stainless steel foils were treated by pre-oxidation and nitridation to form low-ICR, corrosion-resistant surfaces. Promising behavior was observed under simulated aggressive anode- and cathode- side bipolar plate conditions for both materials. ...
Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) evaluated the previous monosodium titanate (MST) purchase specifications for particle size and strontium decontamination factor. Based on the measured particle size and filtration performance characteristics of several MST samples with simulated waste solutions and various filter membranes we recommend changing the particle size specification as follows. The recommended specification varies with the size and manufacturer of the filter membrane as shown below. We recommend that future batches of MST received at SRS be tested for particle size and filtration performance. This will increase the available database and provide increased confidence that particle size parameters are an accurate prediction of filtration performance. Testing demonstrated the feasibility of a non-radiochemical method for evaluating strontium removal performance of MST samples. Using this analytical methodology we recommend that ...
This study evaluated whether differences in design of 3-dimensional polylactic acid barriers (EPi-Guide and Guidor) would influence hard tissue results in the treatment of Grade II furcations in humans. A multicenter study was conducted, using 40 patients with moderate to advanced bilateral chronic adult periodontitis of the mandibular first or second molars. After flap access, debridement, and root preparation, surgical bone level measurements were taken and membranes were placed on a random basis. Surgical reentry occurred at 1 year. Data collected from all 3 investigative centers were pooled and analyzed using an analysis of variance appropriate for a counterbalancing design. Both barrier materials resulted in significant gains of attachment level and defect reduction. The composite reduction in the vertical component of the osseous defects was greater in the sites treated with Epi-Guide as compared to those treated with Guidor; the ...
Antitumor platinum(II) complexes derived from N-alkyl-propanediamine differing in the length of their carbon chain (C8, C10, C12 and C14) were incorporated in liposomes and the cytotoxic activity of these formulations was evaluated against tumor (A{sub 549}, MDA-MB-231, B16-F1 and B16-F10) and non-tumor (BHK-21 and CHO) cell lines. Stable and monodisperse liposome suspensions incorporating the platinum complexes were obtained from the lipid composition consisting of distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, cholesterol and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero- 3-phosphoethanolamine-N-(methoxy(polyethylene glycol)-2000) at 5:3:0.3 molar ratio. The entrapment efficiency (EE%) of the platinum complexes in liposomes increased with the carbon chain length. EE% was higher than 80% in C12- and C14-derivatives. The effect of liposome encapsulation on the cytotoxic activity of the complexes was found to depend on the carbon chain length. These data indicate that the highest drug ...
Alkaline fuel cells (AFCs) provide a less corrosive environment and can provide higher electrode reaction kinetics than proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The alkaline media also allows for the replacement of platinum (Pt) based electrocatalysts with non-Pt electrocatalysts. Studies have shown that palladium (Pd) and silver (Ag) form a homogenous solid solution with a face-centred cubic structure within a large range of temperatures. This study described the results of an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on lead-silver (Pd-Ag) alloy electrodes in alkaline media. The reaction was compared with Pd and Ag electrodes. The alloys were synthesized as thin films using a sequential electroless deposition of Pd and Ag on stainless steel discs followed by an annealing procedure in an Ar stream. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to characterize catalyst structure, morphology, and ...
A bioartificial kidney, which is composed of a membrane cartridge with renal epithelial cells, can substitute important kidney functions in patients with renal failure. A particular challenge is the maintenance of monolayer integrity and specialized renal epithelial cell functions ex vivo. We hypothesized that this can be improved by electro-spun, supramolecular polymer membranes which show clear benefits in ease of processability. We found that after 7?d, in comparison to conventional microporous membranes, renal tubular cells cultured on top of our fibrous supramolecular membranes formed polarized monolayers, which is prerequisite for a well-functioning bioartificial kidney. In future, these supramolecular membranes allow for incorporation of peptides that may increase cell function even further. PMID:20715132
During the past decades polymer membrane technology has been applied in various industries for a myriad of separation duties. They are also an important candidate for the solution of separation problems associated with the recovery of carbon dioxide in power plants. The application of membrane technology for carbon dioxide removal is discussed for two different ways of operation in present and future power plants. First, pressure driven operations are discussed, followed by a discussion of the use of membranes in absorbers. The pressure driven processes based on currently available gas separation membranes are shown to have poor separation characteristics. Further membrane development work appears to be necessary, especially in the area of temperature resistant membranes. Membrane selectivity goals are presented for present and future power ...
Testing of barrier properties of insulating materials against radon is usually based on the measurement of the radon diffusion coefficient. Presented report summarizes results of radon diffusion coefficients measurements in more than 120 insulating materials obtained throughout Europe. All measurements were performed by the Czech Technical University, Faculty of Civil Engineering in cooperation with the Radiation Protection Institute. We have found out that great differences exist in diffusion properties, because the diffusion coefficients vary within eight orders from 10"-"1"5 m"2/s to 10"-"8 m"2/s. For each material category of different chemical composition statistical evaluation of results is presented. Possibilities of usage of the radon diffusion coefficient for the design of radon resisting membranes are discussed. Based on the experience from the Czech Republic the paper is trying to show that controlling applicability of ...
Equivalent circuit and electrical parameters for H-doped NH_4UO_2PO_4.3H_2O self supported membranes have been determined by impedance spectroscopy. The measurements were carried out with a dry membrane, at different temperatures, and a wet membrane in contact with different electrolyte solutions. Resistance values for the dry membrane decrease with temperature increase, which agrees with the weak protonic character of the H-doped ammonium uranylphosphate. On the other hand, differences in the electrical parameters, depending on the electrolyte considered were also obtained and are attributed to different conduction mechanisms. (Author).
Early effects of 100 Kilorads of X-rays on muscle cell membrane properties have been measured in sartorius muscles from Leptodactylus ocellatus. Threshold strength for rectangular current pulses increased 10% after irradiation, and action potential propagation velocity decreased 10%. Passive membrane parameters were calculated from potential responses to sub-threshold current pulses, assuming conventional cable theory. Specific membrane conductance increased to 18% after irradiation, membrane capacitance increased 14%, and length constant decreased 10% but membrane time constant was unchanged. Cell diameter decreased 5%, and resting membrane potential decreased 8%. Membrane parameters during an action potential were also evaluated by the phase-plane and current-voltage plot techniques. Irradiation significantly decreased the action potential ...
Spice extracts under the form of essential oils were tested for their efficiency to increase the relative radiosensitivity of Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157H7 in culture media. The two pathogens were treated by gamma-irradiation alone or in combination with oregano essential oil to evaluate their mechanism of action. The membrane murein composition, and the intracellular and extracellular concentration of ATP was determined. The bacterial strains were treated with two irradiation doses: 1.2 kGy to induce cell damage and 3.5 kGy to cause cell death for L. monocytogenes. A dose of 0.4 kGy to induce cell damages, 1.1 kGy to obtain viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state and 1.3 kGy to obtain a lethal dose was also applied on E. coli O157H7. Oregano essential oil was used at 0.020% and 0.025% (w/v), which is the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for L. monocytogenes. For E. coli O157H7, a concentration of 0.006% and 0.025% ...
The trend towards more effective use of fossil fuels and reduced environmental pollution represents a major task of improvement within the refinery processes. The highly isomerized and high octane paraffins produced from isobutane and light olefins by alkylation fulfill all the requirements for reformulated gasoline. This doctoral thesis discusses new catalyst systems because of their potential in alkylation. A slurry reactor apparatus for solid-acid catalysed isobutane/butene alkylation was developed and used to investigate the performance of various heterogeneous catalysts. The selected materials were mainly zeolite types with faujasite structures. The samples were characterized by various methods before alkylation. In general, the order of decreasing catalyst activity after 3 h of reaction at 80{sup o}C was found to be: H-EMT >> H-FAU, dealuminated H-FAU >> NS.500, TA-Y, CeY-98 > Nafion-H. The order of decreasing alkylate selectivity of the ...
Research was performed to assess the feasibility of barrier membrane substances, for use within mining or associated high risk environments, in restricting the diffusion transport of radon gas quantities. Specific tests were conducted to determine permeability parameters of a variety of membrane materials with reference to radon flow capabilities. Tests were conducted both within laboratory and in-situ emanation environments where concentrations and diffusion flows of radon gas were known to exist. Equilibrium radon gas concentrations were monitored in initially radon-free chambers adjacent to gas sources, but separated by specified membrane substances. Membrane barrier effectiveness was demonstrated to result in reduced emanation concentrations of radon gas within the sampling chamber atmosphere. Minimum gas concentrations were evidenced where the barrier membrane material was ...
Low temperature Nonphotochemical Hole Burning (NPHB) Spectroscopy of the dye rhodamine 800 (MF680) was applied for the purpose of discerning differences between cultured normal and carcinoma ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells. Both the cell lines were developed and characterized at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), with the normal cell line having been transfected with a strain of temperature sensitive Simian Virus 40 Large T Antigen (SV40) for the purpose of extending the life of the cell culture without inducing permanent changes in the characteristics of the cell line. The cationic lipophilic fluorophore rhodamine 800 preferentially locates in in situ mitochondria due to the high lipid composition of mitochondria and the generation of a large negative membrane potential (relative to the cellular cytoplasm) for oxidative phosphorylation. Results presented for NPHB of MF680 located in the cells show significant differences between the two ...
Low temperature Nonphotochemical Hole Burning (NPHB) Spectroscopy of the dye rhodamine 800 (MF680) was applied for the purpose of discerning differences between cultured normal and carcinoma ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells. Both the cell lines were developed and characterized at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), with the normal cell line having been transfected with a strain of temperature sensitive Simian Virus 40 Large T Antigen (SV40) for the purpose of extending the life of the cell culture without inducing permanent changes in the characteristics of the cell line. The cationic lipophilic fluorophore rhodamine 800 preferentially locates in in situ mitochondria due to the high lipid composition of mitochondria and the generation of a large negative membrane potential (relative to the cellular cytoplasm) for oxidative phosphorylation. Results presented for NPHB of MF680 located in the cells show significant differences between the two ...
This study was designed to evaluate the suitability of a novel bioabsorbable material in treating bone defects. A poly(desaminotyrosyl-tyrosine-ethyl ester carbonate) (PDTE carbonate) membrane (thickness...Full Text Available
The canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays a pivotal role in regulating embryogenesis and tumorigenesis by promoting cell proliferation. BAMBI (BMP and activin membrane-bound inhibitor) has...Full Text Available
SYNOPSISRhomboid proteases are a fascinating class of enzymes that combine a serine protease active site within the core of an integral membrane protein. Despite having key roles...Full Text Available
Amino acid transport in membrane vesicles of Bacillus stearothermophilus was studied. A relatively high concentration of sodium ions is needed for uptake of L-alanine (Kt = 1.0 mM) and L-leucine (Kt...Full Text Available
A number of studies have indicated that plasma membrane calcium ATPases (PMCAs) are expressed in the brain and spinal cord and could play important roles not only in the maintenance of cellular calcium...Full Text Available
Electrospinning, a flexible jet-based fiber, scaffold, and membrane fabrication approach, has been elucidated as having significance to the heath sciences. Its capabilities have been most impressive...Full Text Available
Tubular membrane structures are widespread in eukaryotic cells, but the mechanisms underlying their formation and stability are not well understood. Previous work has focused on tube extrusion from...Full Text Available
We showed recently that secretion of glutamate in biotin-limited cells of Corynebacterium glutamicum is mediated by carrier systems in the plasma membrane (C. Hoischen and R. Krämer, Arch. Microbiol....Full Text Available
The localization of gold in the synovial membrane of rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with sodium aurothiomalate was examined and quantitative analysis of epon-embedded sections was carried out...Full Text Available
In whole-cell recording, the conductance of the plasma membrane of protoplasts isolated from mesophyll cells of leaves of oat (Avena sativa) was greater for inward than outward current....Full Text Available
Membranous dysmenorrhea is an unusual clinical entity. It is characterized by the expulsion of huge fragments of endometrium during the menses, favored by hormonal abnormality or drug intake. This report describes a case with clinical, US, and MRI findings before the expulsion. Differential diagnoses are discussed. (orig.)
IntroductionThe murine air pouch is a bursa-like space that resembles the human synovial membrane. Injection of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals into the pouch elicits an acute inflammatory...Full Text Available
Cell membranes are studded with protrusions that were thoroughly analyzed with electron microscopy. However, the nanometer-scale three-dimensional motions generated by cell membranes to fit the topography of foreign surfaces and initiate adhesion remain poorly understood. Here, we describe the dynamics of surface deformations displayed by monocytic cells bumping against fibronectin-coated surfaces. We observed membrane undulations with typically 5 nm amplitude and 5-10 second lifetime. Cell membranes behaved as independent units of micrometer size. Cells detected the presence of foreign surfaces at 50 nm separation, resulting in time-dependent amplification of membrane undulations. Molecular contact then ensued with apparent cell-membrane separation of 30-40 nm, and this distance steadily decreased during the following tens of seconds. Contact maturation was ...
Membrane cofactor protein (MCP or gp45-70) of the complement system is a cofactor for factor I-mediated cleavage of fluid-phase C3b and C3b-like C3, which opens the thioester bond. In the present study...Full Text Available
The binding of amphiphilic molecules to lipid bilayers is followed by 19F NMR using chemical shift and line shape differences between the solution and membrane-tethered states of...Full Text Available
In this observational study, we compared erythrocyte membrane fatty acids in infants consuming formula supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) with those consuming...Full Text Available
Objective: To evaluate effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the viability, membrane properties, and zinc distribution, with and without the presence of Zn2+, in human prostate...Full Text Available
Naturally occurring and contaminant ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic particles have been found within or near cells, and might allow pulsed magnetic fields to create transient cell membrane opening ("pores")....Full Text Available
Measurement of intrathylakoid aqueous volumes by electron spin resonance spectroscopy was used to study ionic permeability properties of thylakoid membranes isolated from Beta vulgaris...Full Text Available
The effect of blood lead on erythrocyte membrane proteins was studied in 28 workers from a scrap lead refining factory and in 18 controls working in railway construction. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide...Full Text Available
Electron spin resonance (ESR) studies have been performed on spin-labeled model membranes aligned using the isopotential spin-dry ultracentrifugation (ISDU) method of Clark and Rothschild. This method...Full Text Available
SpoIIIE is an FtsK-related protein that transports the forespore chromosome across the Bacillus subtilis sporulation septum. We use membrane photobleaching and protoplast assays to...Full Text Available
Transitions at 28-32°C in membranes of many kinds of seeds influence their germination and subsequent growth. Changes at 28-32°C in the rates of loss of endogenous amino acids from imbibed...Full Text Available
Amino acid transport was studied in membrane vesicles of the thermophilic anaerobic bacterium Clostridium fervidus. Neutral, acidic, and basic as well as aromatic amino acids were transported at 40...Full Text Available
The molecular diversity of the gene encoding the outer membrane protein A (OmpA) of Haemophilus parasuis has been unclear. In this study, the structural characteristics, sequence types,...Full Text Available
The flux ratio (influx/efflux) of K+ across the plasmalemma of beet cells at an external potassium concentration of 0.6 mm does not respond to changes of membrane potential in the...Full Text Available
Alterations in basement membrane components, notably proteoglycans, in a rat model of polycystic kidney disease have been investigated. Rats were fed phenol II (2-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl-5-phenyl thiazole)...Full Text Available
Biological membranes are lamellar structures composed of two leaflets capable of supporting different mechanical stresses. Stress differences between leaflets were generated during micromechanical experiments...Full Text Available
A new method of random data analysis has been developed with special implications for membrane noise. The integral spectrometer uses overlapping broad-band filters of simple design, whose bandwidth...Full Text Available
The data set consists of the following: - Biochemical analysis of Deschampsia leaves and root; - Chromatographic Analysis of membrane lipids (lipid profile) ...
This dissertation deals with membrane gas absorption in the application of CO{sub 2} removal by aqueous alkanolamines, using microporous PTFE hollow fiber membranes. A new lab-scale apparatus was constructed and an extensive experimental study executed to determine the performance of the membrane gas absorber, with aqueous solutions of monoethanolamine (MEA) and methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) as absorbents. The important operation parameters CO{sub 2} partial pressure, gas velocity, liquid velocity, temperature and liquid CO{sub 2} loading were systematically varied within the range typically experienced in a process for exhaust gas CO{sub 2}-removal
Basement membranes contain several proteoglycans, and those bearing heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans such as perlecan and agrin usually predominate. Most mammalian basement membranes also contain...Full Text Available
The diffusion of alkali vapours in the anode compartment of a DIR-MCFC produces the deactivation of the internal reforming catalyst. Sets of ceramic porous membranes purposed to limit the diffusion have been manufactured by different techniques and the influence of the preparation technique and of the preparative variables on the morphological characteristics of the membranes structures has been studied.
Since several years we apply the radiation-grafting technique to prepare polymeric membranes for application in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Our investigations presented here focus on changes in toughness of these materials after the various synthesis steps and the importance of membrane toughness for their application in PEFCs. (author) 2 figs., 4 refs.
This document provides stakeholder evaluations on innovative technologies to be used in the remediation of volatile organic compounds from soils and ground water. The technologies evaluated are; in-well vapor stripping, in-situ bioremediation, and gas membrane separation.
This report is a brief review of biological and medical applications of ion-track membranes. The review aims at informing nuclear physicists about alternative (i.e. non-fundamental-science) use of heavy ion accelerators such as production of micro- and nano-porous materials. The ion-track membranes produced this way are employed in life sciences and numerous technological applications. The author focuses on recent results from the Flerov laboratory in co-operation with other scientific institutions and industrial partners.
In this paper the simulation of hybrid processes containing membrane units will be discussed. For this purpose a user-defined module for simulation and design of membrane processes was implemented into the simulation program AspenPlus. The advantages can be summarized as follows: - any combination of membrane processes with all other units already implemented in AspenPlus is possible, including internal recycle streams, - utilization of the physical property models and data bases of AspenPlus is possible, - cost and sensitivity analysis can be performed. These benefits are demonstrated in detail for a membrane vapor recovery unit for the treatment of tank farm off-gas, for a two-stage reverse osmosis plant for organic/-organic separations and for a combination of distillation and pervaporation for the separation of a dimethylcarbonate/methanol mixture. (orig.)
The development of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) mineral scale in reverse osmosis (RO) membrane desalting was investigated by direct real-time observation of crystal growth. Gypsum scaling studies were conducted in a specially modified plate-and-frame reverse osmosis cell fitted with an optical window, with dark-field membrane lighting arrangement within the membrane cell to enhance crystal boundaries and allow recording of digital surface images magnified through an optical microscope. The evolution of the surface number density (SND) of gypsum crystals resembled a sigmoidal population growth process with an increasing rate of crystal formation at higher solution supersaturation (with respect to gypsum) at the membrane surface. The rate of formation of new crystals declined as the su...
Equivalent circuit and electrical parameters for H-doped NH{sub 4}UO{sub 2}PO{sub 4}.3H{sub 2}O self supported membranes have been determined by impedance spectroscopy. The measurements were carried out with a dry membrane, at different temperatures, and a wet membrane in contact with different electrolyte solutions. Resistance values for the dry membrane decrease with temperature increase, which agrees with the weak protonic character of the H-doped ammonium uranylphosphate. On the other hand, differences in the electrical parameters, depending on the electrolyte considered were also obtained and are attributed to different conduction mechanisms. (Author).
An electrochemistry model was developed to analyse the J-V characteristics of a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer for hydrogen production. The Butler-Volmer equation and water transport characteristics through electrolyte membrane were employed to simulate the electrode activation over-potential and membrane ohmic over-potential, respectively. The modeling results are found to agree reasonably well with experimental data published in the literature. The parametric simulations show that the ohmic over-potential is relatively small with typical water content in the membrane. Compared with the cathode over-potential, the anode over-potential is more significant and constitutes the major source of voltage loss. The high anode over-potential is due to the relatively slow oxidation kinetics, which is related to anode material property and microstructure. This model can be integrated with a ...
Since artificial organs are intended to replicate chemical processes, knowledge of chemical engineering is essential in their design so that they will function with the maximum efficiency. The most commonly used artificial organ is the artificial kidney, a machine that performs a treatment known as hemodialysis. This process cleanses the bodies of renal failure patients by dialysis and filtration which are simple physiochemical processes. Hemodialysis membranes act to remove accumulated uremia toxins, excess ions and water from the patient via the dialysate, and to supply from the dialysate those ions that are insufficient. This paper describes dialysis membranes and dialyzers for blood purification, the solute transport mechanism of the membrane, and a technical evaluation of the dialysis membrane. Lastly, the next generation of artificial kidney is reviewed. 71 refs., 12 figs., 7 tabs.
Current bioartificial extra-corporeal systems are bioreactors where cells are separated from the surrounding media by porous polymeric membranes. The present work focuses on the design of membranes that allow the differential diffusion of plasma metabolites and proteins such as immunoglobulin (IgG). This design will improve catabolites removal and reduce possible immune response and virus infection. We demonstrate the feasibility to synthesize the hydrogels confined to the macroporous structure of membranes by radiation-induced in situ polymerization. The hollow-fiber membranes were soaked in aqueous monomeric solution, rinsed and irradiated while submerged in oil. This procedure confined the hydrogel to the void internal volume of the pores of the membrane. Hydrogels of polyacrylamide and polyHEMA were synthesized this way by irradiation at 10 kGy. Hydraulic permeability and ...
The in situ assembly states of the glucose transport carrier protein in the plasma membrane and in the intracellular (microsomal) storage pool of rat adipocytes were assessed by studying radiation-induced inactivation of the D-glucose-sensitive cytochalasin B binding activities. High energy radiation inactivated the glucose-sensitive cytochalasin B binding of each of these membrane preparations by reducing the total number of the binding sites without affecting the dissociation constant. The reduction in total number of binding sites was analyzed as a function of radiation dose based on target theory, from which a radiation-sensitive mass (target size) was calculated. When the plasma membranes of insulin-treated adipocytes were used, a target size of approximately 58,000 daltons was obtained. For adipocyte microsomal membranes, we obtained target sizes of approximately 112,000 and 109,000 daltons prior ...
Abstract in english The tegument surface of the adult schistosome, bounded by a normal plasma membrane overlain by a secreted membranocalyx, holds the key to understanding how schistosomes evade host immune responses. Recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS), and the sequencing of the Schistosoma mansoni transcriptome/genome, have facilitated schistosome proteomics. We detached the tegument from the worm body and enriched its surface membranes by differential extraction, before subjecting t (more) he preparation to liquid chromatography-based proteomics to identify its constituents. The most exposed proteins on live worms were labelled with impearmeant biotinylation reagents, and we also developed methods to isolate the membranocalyx for analysis. We identified transporters for sugars, amino acids, inorganic ions and water, which confirm the importance of the tegument plasma membrane in nutrient acquisition and solute ...
Two methods were used to label pig kidney microvillar membrane proteins from the luminal and cytoplasmic surfaces of closed membrane vesicles. The first method was lactoperoxidase-catalysed radioiodination. Lactoperoxidase and glucose oxidase were positioned inside or outside the vesicles, iodination being initiated by adding glucose and "1"2"5I. After electrophoresis of the proteins, asymmetric labelling patterns on radioautographs were observed. However the major disadvantage of this method was the high degree of intramembrane labelling of the fatty acid chains of membrane lipids. The second method overcame this disadvantage. A new hydophilic photoreagent, 3,5-di("1"2"5I)iodo-4-azidobenzenesulphonate, was transported by a Na"+-dependent system into microvillar vesicles, thus permitting labelling from either side of the membrane when the vesicles were photolysed. The activity of several microvillar ...
Coal fired combined cycle power systems will be a sufficient way to increase the efficiency of coal combustion. However, combined cycle power systems require a reliable hot gas cleanup. Especially alkali metals, such as sodium and potassium, can lead to hot corrosion of the gas turbine blading if they condensate as sulphates. The actual work deals with the release and sorption of alkali metals in coal fired combined cycle power systems. The influence of coal composition, temperature and pressure on the release of alkali species in coal combustion was investigated and the relevant release mechanisms identified. Alumosilicate sorbents have been found that reduce the alkali concentration in the hot flue gas of the Circulating Pressurized Fluidized Bed Combustion 2{sup nd} Generation (CPFBC 2{sup nd} Gen.) at 750 C to values sufficient for use in a gas turbine. Accordingly, alumosilicate sorbents working at 1400 C have been found for the Pressurized Pulverized Coal ...
Previous studies have documented dissimilatory growth of bacteria on solid Mn{sup 4+} oxide, but Mn{sup 3+} oxides have not been previously studied; here the authors have demonstrated for the first time the bacterial reduction of manganite. Strain MR-4 of Shewanella putrefaciens was able to grow on and rapidly reduce insoluble needle-shaped crystals of synthetic manganite (MnOOH), converting them to soluble Mn{sup 2+} in the process. The rate of Mn{sup 3+} reduction was optimal at pH of 7.0 and 26 C consistent with an enzymatic reaction. In addition the rates of reduction were in proportion to the amount of manganite added, but nearly independent of the cell concentration present (e.g., cell number had only a small effect on the rate of Mn{sup 3+} reduction at early stages of growth) suggesting that surface properties were dictating the rates of metal reduction. This thesis was supported by major differences in reduction rates when Mn oxides of different surface areas were studied. ...
Normal fetal brain maturation can be studied by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from the 18th gestational week (GW) to term, and relies primarily on T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted (DW) sequences. These maturational changes must be interpreted with a knowledge of the histological background and the temporal course of the respective developmental steps. In addition, MR presentation of developing and transient structures must be considered. Signal changes associated with maturational processes can mainly be ascribed to the following changes in tissue composition and organization, which occur at the histological level: (1) a decrease in water content and increasing cell-density can be recognized as a shortening of T1- and T2-relaxation times, leading to increased T1-weighted and decreased T2-weighted intensity, respectively; (2) the arrangement of microanatomical structures to create a symmetrical or asymmetrical environment, leading to structural ...
The article deals with the problem of a humidity addition to thermal conductivity, diffusion and latent heat effects in heat transfer through building components. It shows with examples humidity effects for exterior walls with core insulation, with composite insulation system as well as for insulated roof membrane assemblies. From these it can be summarized that - sorption humidity is for today`s construction conditions (good thermal insulation and humidity protection) a suitable reference quantity for the determination of practice-oriented, substance-specific and physically correct humidity additions to the thermal conductivity of hygroscopic components; - diffusion and latent heat effects are in case of good rain imperviousness and low water absorbing capacity of the exterior component layers of secondary importance for transmission heat losses; - an increase in insulating layer thickness in order to improve the thermal insulation is possible ...
Light Weight Composite Mirrors for Science Instruments. Composite Optics, Inc. San Diego, CA. INNOVATION. Light weight, large aperture reflectors of graphite ...
Water transport in conifers occurs through single-celled tracheids that are connected to one another via intertracheid pit membranes. These membranes have two components: the porous margo, which allows water to pass through the membrane, and the impermeable torus, which functions to isolate gas-filled tracheids. During drought, tracheids can become air filled and thus hydraulically dysfunctional, a result of air entering through the pit membrane and nucleating cavitation in the water column. What are the hydraulic tradeoffs associated with cavitation resistance at the pit level, and how do they vary within the structural components of the intertracheid pit? To address these questions, we examined pit structure in 15 species of Cupressaceae exhibiting a broad range of cavitation resistances. Across species, cavitation resistance was most closely correlated to the ratio of the torus to pit aperture ...
The PERMCAT process chosen for the final clean-up stage of the Tokamak Exhaust Processing system of the ITER tritium plant combines in a single component a catalytic reactor and a permeator using Pd/Ag membranes. This study covers the mechanical behaviour of a Pd/Ag membrane under different operating conditions. The consequences of hydrogen uptake by the membrane during nominal operation but also during off-normal events are presented. Depending on the operating conditions, expansions around 2% and significant deformations are observed. Different mechanical designs of PERMCAT reactors are then discussed. The first generation comprises finger-type membranes and two new mechanical designs use either additional edge welded bellows or a special corrugated Pd/Ag membrane. These upgraded designs improve the robustness and simplify the geometry of the component. The experimental validation ...
The PERMCAT process chosen for the final clean-up stage of the Tokamak Exhaust Processing system of the ITER tritium plant combines in a single component a catalytic reactor and a permeator using Pd/Ag membranes. This study covers the mechanical behaviour of a Pd/Ag membrane under different operating conditions. The consequences of hydrogen uptake by the membrane during nominal operation but also during off-normal events are presented. Depending on the operating conditions, expansions around 2% and significant deformations are observed. Different mechanical designs of PERMCAT reactors are then discussed. The first generation comprises finger-type membranes and two new mechanical designs use either additional edge welded bellows or a special corrugated Pd/Ag membrane. These upgraded designs improve the robustness and simplify the geometry of the component. The experimental validation ...
This project will determine whether electrolytic dialysis has promise in the separation of charged particles in an aqueous solution. The ability to selectively move ions from one aqueous solution to another through a semipermeable membrane will be studied as a function of emf, amperage, and particle electrical charge. The ions selected for the study are Cl{sup -} and SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}. These ions are of particular interest because of their electrical conduction properties in aqueous solution resulting with their association with the corrosive action of metals. The studies will be performed with commercial membranes on solutions prepared in the laboratory from reagent salts. pH adjustments will be made with dilute reagent acid and base. Specific objectives of the project include testing a selected membrane currently available for electrolytic dialysis, membrane resistance to extreme pH conditions, the ...
An evaporator using a hydrophobic membrane made from a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was developed to improve DF (Decontamination Factor) and to reduce evaporator size. The membrane distillation, provided by the evaporator, is a new technique for liquid purification. Fundamental experiments were carried out to develop the membrane filter (tube type, outer diameter, 8 mm; membrane thickness, 500 {mu}m) for radioactive liquid treatment. The continuous operation test using actual liquid waste was also made during about 3,000 h. (This is almost equal to the operation time of an actual evaporator per year.) The evaporation rate decreased with increase an operation time due to contamination of waste impurity. But the rate was recovered by washing the membrane with hot water and then drying it. DF was over 10{sup 4} which is ten times larger than that for a conventional system. A pilot ...
This project is concerned with the structure and function of the unique antenna system found in the green photosynthetic bacteria. The antenna system in these organisms is contained within a vesicle known as a chlorosome, which is attached to the cytoplasmic side of the cell membrane. Additional antenna pigments and reaction centers are contained in integral membrane proteins. Energy absorbed by the bacteriochlorophyll c (BChl c) pigments in the chlorosome is transferred via a ``baseplate`` array of BChl a antenna pigments into the membrane and to the reaction center. This system is similar in some respects to the phycobilisome antenna system found in cyanobacteria and some types of algae, in that a membrane-associated structure absorbs light and transfers it to the membrane where conversion to chemical energy takes place. However, the overall structure, the type of pigments ...
Thermodynamic Stable Metal Compositions for Improvement of an Operational Safety of Constructional Materials under Conditions of Multifactor Loadings of an Aggressive Environment
A fuel composition comprising a liquid hydrocarbon fuel and a detergent amount of the product of reaction between a polyamine and a stearic acid is described.
the progressive simplification of composite sandwich panels. The equations ... The thermal and structural behavior of composite sandwich panels with a ...
We study the static potential of open bosonic membranes in the 1/d approximation, where d is the space-time dimensionality. For a fixed square boundary of side length R we find, in contrast to the string potential, no critical distance below which tachyons appear. Instead, we find a correction factor to the classical potential, V/sub cl/=kR/sup 2/, which for small distances shifts the perturbative ground state energy by a positive constant. We interpret the shift as the mass gap of this quantum membrane.
The analgesic, dipyrone (1,phenyl-2,3-dimethyl-5-pyrazolone-4-methylamino methane sulphonate sodium), at 20 mM concentration, inhibited the rejoining of single-strand scissions in DNA of Escherichia coli B/r cells induced by 20 krad gamma-radiation. The chemical altered the cell membrane structure as evidenced from the uptake of acriflavin, the efflux of potassium ions from the bacterial cells and the inhibition of alkaline phosphatase-a cell membrane associated enzyme. (author). 18 refs., 6 figures.
The analgesic, dipyrone (1,phenyl-2,3-dimethyl-5-pyrazolone-4-methylamino methane sulphonate sodium), at 20 mM concentration, inhibited the rejoining of single-strand scissions in DNA of Escherichia coli B/r cells induced by 20 krad gamma-radiation. The chemical altered the cell membrane structure as evidenced from the uptake of acriflavin, the efflux of potassium ions from the bacterial cells and the inhibition of alkaline phosphatase-a cell membrane associated enzyme. (author).
Nitrate microelectrodes and ORP microelectrodes were fabricated to study the denitrification characteristics of dynamic membrane at different COD loadings. The denitrification process was found at 0.6-1 mm depth beneath the interface of biofilm/bulk. The results of ORP microelectrode also demonstrated that the ORP value in the range of denitrification area was between 88.6 approximately -128.4 mV which was appropriate to denitrification. When the COD loading was 0.45 kg/(m3 x d), the denitrification rate (NO3- -N) was the maximum of 0.6347 x 10(-6 mol/(L x s). With the increase of COD loading, the denitrification area was increasing and two layers with different denitrification rates emerged in the dynamic membrane. The phenomenon implied the effect of organic concentration, oxygen concentration and bacterial competition on the denitrification rate. PMID:17117632
A study was made of the uncoupling action of polychlorinated biphenyls (Kanechlor-400) on oxidative phosphorylation in rat liver mitochondria. Kanechlor-400 (KC-400) at 20 ..mu..g/ml stimulated state 4 respiration of rat liver mitochondria more than 4-fold with ..cap alpha..-ketoglutarate/malate as a substrate, and released the oligomycin-inhibited state 3 respiration. KC-400 also dissipated the membrane potential across the mitochondrial membranes; thus, it acts as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation in rat liver mitochondria. KC-400 altered the permeability properties of mitochondrial membranes as evidenced by the release of endogenous K/sup +/ and the oxidation of exogenously supplied NADH. It is concluded that KC-400 produces a nonspecific increase in mitochondrial ion permeability, thereby dissipating membrane potential, which leads to the uncoupling.
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) is necessary to demonstrate presence or absence of pit membranes in possible perforations or the type of pit membrane remnants in perforations in vessel element end-walls of angiosperms, but it was unconfirmed and questionable whether pit membrane absence in pits was affected by the processing and handling before SEM observations. To solve this question, the secondary xylem of four woody species from primitive angiosperms, Illicium henryi Diels. (Illiciaceae), Schisandra rubriflora (Franch.) Rehd. et Wils. (Schisandraceae), Tetracentron sinensis Oliv. and Trochodendron aralioides Sieb. & Zucc. (Trochodendraceae) was chosen and the following techniques were used: (1) fresh materials were examined in low-vacuum with ESEM. (2) Air-dried materials were examin...
BackgroundWith the exception of vertebrates, most organisms have plasma membrane associated ammonium transporters which primarily serve to import a source of nitrogen for nutritional...Full Text Available
Decreased membrane rigidity is one of the characteristics of malignant cells, resulting in part from the desaturation of stearic acid into oleic acid. In this study we investigated the influence of...Full Text Available
Abstract The electrochemical properties of a perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membrane are estimated using a combination of molecular dynamics simulation and statistical thermodynamic model. We obtain all parameters in an ionic conductivity model from an atomistic simulation and remove all adjusted model parameters. From a microscopic point of view, the hydrated PFSA membrane shows micro-phase segregation which separated into hydrophilic and hydrophobic phases. Our present work originates with this phenomenon and we treat this phase segregation as if it is a continuous phase for each of which the proton (H+) is transported inside the PFSA membrane/solvent (water and alcohols) mixture. The chemical potential for a given system is estimated using a molecular simulation technique to predict the ...
A dense Pd-Ag membrane reactor (MR) with 100% hydrogen selectivity packed with either Rh/La2O3 or Rh/La2O3-SiO2 as catalysts was used to carry out the dry reforming of methane. The membrane reactor simulation was performed using a well-known reactor model. For this purpose, we employed the equations derived from complete kinetic studies of the dry reforming of methane reaction in connection with both catalysts. In addition, we developed the kinetic equation for the reverse water gas shift reaction (RWGS). The combination of detailed kinetic studies with the measured permeation flux for the Pd-Ag membrane allowed a complete comparison between experimental and simulated operation variables. The variables studied for both catalysts were methane conversion and hydrogen permeation as a function...
Diverse cell polarity networks require positive feedback for locally amplifying distributions of signalling molecules at the plasma membrane1. Additional...Full Text Available
Cellular actions of thyroid hormone may be initiated within the cell nucleus, at the plasma membrane, in cytoplasm, and at the mitochondrion. Thyroid hormone nuclear receptors (TRs) mediate the biological...Full Text Available
The PERMCAT is a membrane reactor proposed for processing fusion reactor plasma exhaust gas: tritium removal is obtained by isotopic swamping operating in counter-current mode. In this work, a membrane reactor using a permeator tube of length about 500 mm produced via diffusion welding of Pd-Ag thin foils is described. An appropriate mechanical design of the membrane module has been developed in order to avoid any significant compressive and bending stresses on the very long and thin wall permeator tube: two expanded bellows have been applied to the Pd-Ag tube, so that it has been pre-tensioned before operating. The elongation of the metal permeator under hydrogenation has been theoretically estimated and experimentally verified for properly designing the membrane reactor.
In situ synthesis of silver chloride (AgCl) nanoparticles was carried out under ambient conditions in nanoporous bacterial cellulose (BC) membranes as nanoreactors. The growth of the nanoparticles was readily obtained by alternating dipping of BC membranes in the solution of silver nitrate or sodium chloride followed by a rinse step. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated the existence of AgCl nanoparticles in the BC and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the AgCl nanoparticles well dispersed on the surface of BC and penetrated into the BC network. The AgCl nanoparticle-impregnated BC membranes exhibited high hydrophilic ability and strong antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive). The preparative proced...
Hydrophobic labelling is frequently used in the study of membrane-inserted domains of intrinsic proteins. However, the published procedures, fail to incorporate sufficient radioactivity into membrane immunoglobulins of B lymhocytes to permit investigation of their subunit structures and associations with other proteins. In order to increase the specific radioactivity of ["1"2"5I]iodonaphtylazide ["1"2"5I]INA), an improved method for the synthesis of the reagent was developed. In addition, the optimal conditions for labelling B lymhpocytes with ["1"2"5I]INA and commercially available reagent 3-(trifluoromethyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-3-(3'-["1"2"5Iliodophenyl)diazirine (["1"2"5I]TID were isolated and analysed in detail by SDS-PAGE. The usefulness of the two reagents for the investigation of lipid-embedded domains of membrane proteins is discussed. (author). 28 refs.; 4 figs.
Hyaluronan is a multifunctional glycosaminoglycan that forms the structural basis of the pericellular matrix. Hyaluronan is extruded directly through the plasma membrane by one of three hyaluronan...Full Text Available
In the present study the authors have shown that glycoproteins are present in the plasma membrane of Acanthamoeba castellanii by utilizing different radioactive labeling techniques. Plasma membrane proteins in the amoeba were iodinated by "1"2"5I-lactoperoxidase labeling and the solubilized radiolabeled glycoproteins were separated by lectin-Sepharose affinity chromatography followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The periodate/NaB"3H_4 and galactose oxidase/NaB"3H_4 labeling techniques were used for labeling of surface carbohydrates in the amoeba. Several surface-labeled glycoproteins were observed in addition to a diffusely labeled region with M_r of 55,000-75,000 seen on electrophoresis, which could represent glycolipids. The presence of glycoproteins in the plasma membrane of Acanthamoeba castellanii was confirmed by metabolic labeling with ["3"5S]methionine followed by lectin-Sepharose affinity chromatography ...
In this paper, the design of large thin PIN detector with a membrane stress avoidance configuration is proposed, and the related device fabrication process is developed. Ultra-thin PIN detector {approx} 1.13 cm{sup 2} in area is fabricated on a thin ( {approx} 35{mu}m) silicon membrane, and characterized. Detector performance improvement has been successfully demonstrated. With the membrane stress avoidance design, the improved detector exhibits a leakage of 6nA, which is at least 5 times lower than that of detector of identical junction area. The new detector features a full depleted capacitance of 110 pF, and a FWHM of 40.86 keV energy resolution for 5.486 MeV alpha particle spectrography.
We identify new organelles associated with the vacuolar system in plant cells. These organelles are defined biochemically by their internal content of three integral membrane proteins: a chimeric reporter...Full Text Available
This paper evaluates the performance of asphalt membranes by examining the chemical and permeability changes experienced by the asphalt during aging tests. The aging process was accelerated by exposing the asphalt to elevated temperatures, high oxygen concentrations, and increased strengths of aqueous oxidizing agents. The synergistic effects of the variables are evaluated by using a fractional factorial experimental design. The installation costs for a catalytically airblown asphalt liner are roughly half that of the typical polymeric materials, and also less than the rubberized asphalt membrane. The results of the initial accelerated aging tests of the asphalt membranes indicate that this material will provide stable, long-term leachate isolation in a mill tailings environment.
BackgroundThe permeabilization of mitochondrial membranes is a decisive event in apoptosis or necrosis culminating in cell death. One fundamental mechanism by which...Full Text Available
Symmetrical, extracellular fibrils, which are related to the "special fibrils" of the dermis described by Palade and Farquhar, have been found along the outer surface of the basement membrane covering...Full Text Available
In this research, hybrid composite materials were prepared from combination of oil palm Empty fruit bunches (EFB) fibre and jute fibre as reinforcement, epoxy as polymer matrix. This study intended to investigate the effect of jute fiber hybridization and different layering pattern on the physical properties of oil palm EFB-Epoxy composites. Water absorption and thickness swelling test reveal that hybrid composite shows a moderate water absorption which is 11.20% for hybrid EFB/Jute/EFB composite and 6.08% for hybrid Jute/EFB/Jute composite. The thickness swelling and water absorption of the hybrid composites slightly increased as the layering pattern of hybrid composites changed. Hybrid composites are more water resistance and dimensional stable compare to the pure EFB composites. This is...
The effect of particle/matrix interface debonding on composites consisting of elastic particles and viscoelastic matrix is studied. The interface debonding is represented by a nonlinear cohesive law for the high explosive PBX 9501. The Mori-Tanaka method gives the constitutive relation of the composite in terms of the properties of elastic particles, viscoelastic matrix, and nonlinear cohesive law for interfaces. For the example of a composite with spherical particles subject to hydrostatic tension, simple analytical expressions of the composite stress-strain relation are obtained. The strain rate and temperature have strong effects on the composite behavior. High strain rate and low temperature give high strength of the composite. However, the rate and temperature effects decrease as the ...
Although silicosis has been studied extensively, the mechanism is still not fully understood. Experiments do provide evidence that the actions of unique properties of silica surface on the cell membrane are the starting point of silicotic processes. This paper summarizes literature on chemical properties of silica surface, and the effect of particle size on silica toxicity. This paper also discusses the ways in which silica dusts are though to interact with the cell membrane, with emphasis on freshness, hydrogen bonding, and free-radical interactions.
Biological motors generally fall into two categories: (1) those that convert chemical into mechanical energy via hydrolysis of a nucleoside triphosphate, usually adenosine triphosphate, regarded as life's chemical currency of energy and (2) membrane bound motors driven directly by an ion gradient and/or membrane potential. Here we argue that electrostatic interactions play a vital role for both types of motors and, therefore, the tools of physics can greatly contribute to understanding biological motors.
French ... Title Synthese d'agregats metalliques par radiolyse de solutions aqueuses de sels simples ou complexes. Etude par M. E. du greffage des agregats sur membranes de carbone.
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to compare Brucella melitensis major outer membrane proteins (MOMP) and whole-cell heat-killed antigens (HK) in measuring antibrucella immunoglobulin G...Full Text Available
During apoptosis, the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins BAK and BAX form large oligomeric pores in the mitochondrial outer membrane. Apoptotic factors, including cytochrome c, are...Full Text Available
The serpin ZPI is a protein Z (PZ)-dependent specific inhibitor of membrane-associated factor Xa (fXa) despite having an unfavorable P1 Tyr. PZ accelerates the inhibition reaction ∼2000-fold...Full Text Available
A new organic-inorganic hybrid membrane has been prepared with exceptional performance in dewatering applications. The only precursor used in the sol-gel synthesis of the selective layer was organically linked 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTESE). The microporous structure of this layer enables selective molecular sieving of small molecules from larger ones. In the dehydration of n-butanol with 5% of water, the membrane shows a high separation factor of over 4000 and ultra-fast water transport at a rate of more than 20 kg m{sup -2} h{sup -1} at 150C. This can be related to the high adsorption capacity of the material and the sub-micron thickness of the selective layer. The selectivity has now remained constant over almost one and a half years under continuous process testing conditions. Apart from the hydrothermal stability, the membrane exhibits a high tolerance for acid contamination. A slow performance decline in flux ...
The soluble pool of alpha hemoglobin chains present in blood or bone marrow cells was measured with a new affinity method using a specific probe, beta A hemoglobin chain labeled with ["3H]N-ethylmaleimide. This pool of soluble alpha chains was 0.067 #+-# 0.017% of hemoglobin in blood of normal adult, 0.11 #+-# 0.03% in heterozygous beta thalassemia and ranged from 0.26 to 1.30% in homozygous beta thalassemia intermedia. This elevated pool of soluble alpha chains observed in human beta thalassemia intermedia decreased 33-fold from a value of 10% of total hemoglobin in bone marrow cells to 0.3% in the most dense red blood cells. The amount of insoluble alpha chains was measured by using the polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in urea and Triton X-100. In beta thalassemia intermedia the amount of insoluble alpha chains was correlated with the decreased spectrin content of red cell membrane and was associated with a decrease in ankyrin and with other abnormalities of ...
A tobermorite/hydroxyapatite composite was prepared by hydrothermal treatment using diatomaceous earth, ?-tricalcium phosphate and slaked lime starting materials. The XRD patterns of the composite confirmed that tobermorite and hydroxyapatite were formed after the hydrothermal process. The bending strength of the composite reached a level higher than 9?MPa after the hydrothermal process. The development of the bending strength was due to the formation of tobermorite and hydroxyapatite during the hydrothermal process. The composite had a high specific surface area due to these newly formed crystals.
Silicon/carbon composite anode materials were prepared by pyrolyzing the phenol-formaldehyde resin (PFR) mixed with silicon and graphite powders. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observation showed that the morphology stability of the composite electrodes can be retained during cycling. A structure evolution mechanism is proposed to illuminate the enhancement of cycleability of the composite electrode. The composite used as anode material for lithium ion batteries possesses a reversible capacity of over 700 mAh/g.
A process is provided for conducting organic compound conversion over a catalyst composition comprising a supported crystalline zeolite having a high initial silica-to-alumina mole ratio, said supported zeolite being prepared by compositing said crystalline zeolite with alumina, reacting the composite with a particular hydrogen fluoride solution in a specified way, drying the hydrogen fluoride reacted composite, treating the dried composite by hydrolysis, ammonolysis and/or by contact with an ammonium salt solution, and calcining the resulting material.
Effect of nitrogen-containing additives in the study of wood plastic composites of MMA with simul and mango wood of Bangladesh has been investigated. Nine different additives were used and the additives containing carboamide group induce the highest tensile strength to the composite. (author).
Effect of nitrogen-containing additives in the study of wood plastic composites of MMA with simul and mango wood of Bangladesh has been investigated. Nine different additives were used and the additives containing carboamide group induce the highest tensile strength to the composite. (author).
Effect of nitrogen-containing additives in the study of wood plastic composites of MMA with simul and mango wood of Bangladesh has been investigated. Nine different additives were used and the additives containing carboamide group induce the highest tensile strength to the composite.
A composite is any combination of two or more resources held together by some type of mastic or matrix. This report will describe several different types of composites with regard to thermoplasticization, improved mechanical properties, and stiffness.
This study investigated weathering effects on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) based wood plastic composites (WPC), with a focus on the color and structure that is attributed to the material composition. It is directed towards quantifying the main chemical modifi...
Dimethacrylate polymers and composites are seeing increased usage in orthopedics. As these applications require the material to integrate with the surrounding tissues, direct contact cytotoxicity...Full Text Available
We have successfully incorporated high surface area particles of titanate ion exchange materials (monosodium titanate and crystalline silicotitanate) with acceptable particle size distribution into porous and inert support membrane fibrils consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon(reg_sign)), polyethylene and cellulose materials. The resulting membrane sheets, under laboratory conditions, were used to evaluate the removal of surrogate radioactive materials for cesium-137 and strontium-90 from high caustic nuclear waste simulants. These membrane supports met the nominal requirement for nonchemical interaction with the embedded ion exchange materials and were porous enough to allow sufficient liquid flow. Some of this 47-mm size stamped out prototype titanium impregnated ion exchange membrane discs was found to remove more than 96% of dissolved cesium-133 and strontium-88 from a caustic nuclear waste ...
The sol-gel-immobilized Tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) [Ru(bpy)_3 "2"+] electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor was applied to the reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) determination of phenothiazine derivatives (promazine, chlorpromazine, triflupromazine, thioridazine, and trifluoperazine) and erythromycin in human urine samples. In this method, Ru(bpy)_3 "2"+ was immobilized in sol-gel-derived titania (TiO_2)-Nafion nanocomposite films coated on a dual platinum electrode. This method eliminates an extra pump needed for the delivery of Ru(bpy)_3 "2"+ reagent into a reaction/observation zone in front of photomultiplier tube because the immobilized-Ru(bpy)_3 "2"+ is recycled on the electrode surface by an applied potential at +1.3 V versus Ag/AgCl (3 M NaCl) reference electrode. The resulting analytical performances such as detection limit, working range, sensitivity, and measurement precision were slightly worse than those obtained ...
The sol-gel-immobilized Tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) [Ru(bpy){sub 3} {sup 2+}] electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor was applied to the reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) determination of phenothiazine derivatives (promazine, chlorpromazine, triflupromazine, thioridazine, and trifluoperazine) and erythromycin in human urine samples. In this method, Ru(bpy){sub 3} {sup 2+} was immobilized in sol-gel-derived titania (TiO{sub 2})-Nafion nanocomposite films coated on a dual platinum electrode. This method eliminates an extra pump needed for the delivery of Ru(bpy){sub 3} {sup 2+} reagent into a reaction/observation zone in front of photomultiplier tube because the immobilized-Ru(bpy){sub 3} {sup 2+} is recycled on the electrode surface by an applied potential at +1.3 V versus Ag/AgCl (3 M NaCl) reference electrode. The resulting analytical performances such as detection limit, working range, sensitivity, and measurement ...
This report presents a brief description of the fabrication and advantages of a composite, carbon-metal fiber material which does not require lubrication.
The relative role of the maternal source and the filial sink in controlling the composition of maize (Zea mays L.) kernels is unclear and may be influenced by the genotype and the N...Full Text Available
Composite Sandwich Panels under Different Thermal Environments, Composite Structures, Vol. 25,. July 1993, pp. 227239. 11. Ko, William L., Mechanical and ...
As a new composition of matter, alkali metal or ammonium or tetraalkylammonium diazidoperfluorophthalocyanatoferrate. Other embodiments of the invention comprise compositions wherein the metal of the coordination complex is cobalt, manganese and chromium.
This article addresses the need for new data on indirect effects of natural and anthropogenic aerosol particles on atmospheric ice clouds. Simultaneous measurements of the concentration and composition...Full Text Available
Aesthetic dentistry continues to evolve through innovations in bonding agents, restorative materials, and conservative preparation techniques. The use of direct composite restoration in posterior teeth...Full Text Available
hlgh fiber content composites met the minlmum requirements. (1400 O F ) , the hlgher fiber content as-fabricated composites have impact strengths distinctly ...
structures made out of composite laminates and/or composite sandwich panels. A Spectral Finite Element Method (SFEM) [19, 20] is used for evaluating the ...
The objectives of the Phase-I research address the development of mechanics- based structural integrity analysis methodologies for composite sandwich panels ...
A Composite Architecture for Network Security at JPL. Robert B. Mead, Tom G. Dearmond, and Joseph S. Sherif. JPL, California Institute of Technology ...
We advance a tentative composite model for computer security at JPL, together with inter and intra networking with other NASA centers and overseas clients.
Eugenol, the principal chemical component of clove oil from Eugenia aromatica has been long known for its analgesic, local anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. The interaction of the eugenol with ten different hydrophobic and hydrophilic antibiotics was studied against five different Gram negative bacteria. The MIC of the combination was found to decrease by a factor of 5-1000 with respect to their individual MIC. This synergy is because of the membrane damaging nature of eugenol, where 1mM of its concentration is able to damage nearly 50% of the bacterial membrane. Eugenol was also able to enhance the activities of lysozyme, Triton X-100 and SDS in damaging the bacterial cell membrane. The hydrophilic antibiotics such as vancomycin and b-lactam antibiotics which have ...
Even the presence of very low concentrations of dyes (1mgL-1) in the effluent is highly visible and is considered aesthetically undesirable. It must be removed from wastewater completely. This study systematically evaluates the performance of adsorption (three kinds of powdered activated carbons), coagulation (AlCl36H2O) and membrane (submerged hollow fiber microfiltration) processes individually in treating two kinds of reactive dyes (Orange 16 and Black 5) and then using a hybrid process with combined coagulation-adsorption-membrane treatment system. Adsorption capacity and kinetics of Orange 16 were much higher and faster than those of Black 5. The dye removal efficiency by coagulation was highly dependent on dye concentration and solution pH. The hybrid process performance was far more...
A major goal in optomechanics is to observe and control quantum behavior in a system consisting of a mechanical resonator coupled to an optical cavity. Work towards this goal has focused on increasing the strength of the coupling between the mechanical and optical degrees of freedom; however, the form of this coupling is crucial in determining which phenomena can be observed in such a system. Here we demonstrate that avoided crossings in the spectrum of an optical cavity containing a flexible dielectric membrane allow us to realize several different forms of the optomechanical coupling. These include cavity detunings that are (to lowest order) linear, quadratic, or quartic in the membrane's displacement, and a cavity finesse that is linear in (or independent of) the membrane's displacement. All these couplings are realized in a single device with extremely low optical loss and can be tuned over a wide range in situ; in ...
Mechanistic studies on a charged ultrafiltration (UF) membrane fouled with natural organic matter (NOM) and colloidal particles are systematically investigated to understand the relative role of each NOM fraction and the presence of colloidal particulate to membrane fouling. Humic acid (HA), dextran, and kaolin were employed as surrogate model foulants representing the organic hydrophobic acid NOM, hydrophilic neutral NOM, and inorganic colloidal materials, respectively. The results obtained showed that the organic NOM of hydrophilic surrogate (dextran) plays a primary role in promoting membrane fouling, followed by hydrophobic acids and inorganic kaolin, but to a lesser extent than organic NOM compounds. Significant differences in the extent of fouling between dextran and HA have been obs...
We present a synchrotron x-ray diffraction study of melting in stacks of two-dimensional crystalline arrays of the membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin. Two distinct regimes have been found as a function of the intermembrane distance d . In the {open_quotes}coupled{close_quotes} regime for d{lt}250 {Angstrom} the temperature (T{sub m}) of the melting transition decreases with increasing d , demonstrating the effect of the repulsive membrane interactions on the intramembrane protein ordering. For d{gt}250 {Angstrom} a {open_quotes}decoupled{close_quotes} regime is found with higher T{sup *}{sub m} independent of d . Below T{sup *}{sub m} a solid-liquid-solid reentrant behavior is observed as d is increased. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
Abstract Objectives- Cyclodextrins are useful solubilizing excipients that have gained currency in the formulator's armamentarium based on their ability to temporarily camouflage undesirable physicochemical properties. In this context cyclodextrins can increase oral bioavailability, stabilize compounds to chemical and enzymatic degradation and can affect permeability through biological membranes under certain circumstances. This latter property is examined herein as a function of the published literature as well as work completed in our laboratories. Key findings- Cyclodextrins can increase the uptake of drugs through biological barriers if the limiting barrier component is the unstirred water layer (UWL) that exists between the membrane and bulk water. This means that cyclodextrins are mo...
Nanowires, films, and membranes comprising ordered porous manganese oxide-based octahedral molecular sieves, and methods of making, are disclosed. A single crystal ultra-long nanowire includes an ordered porous manganese oxide-based octahedral molecular sieve, and has an average length greater than about 10 micrometers and an average diameter of about 5 nanometers to about 100 nanometers. A film comprises a microporous network comprising a plurality of single crystal nanowires in the form of a layer, wherein a plurality of layers is stacked on a surface of a substrate, wherein the nanowires of each layer are substantially axially aligned. A free standing membrane comprises a microporous network comprising a plurality of single crystal nanowires in the form of a layer, wherein a plurality of layers is aggregately stacked, and wherein the nanowires of each layer are substantially axially aligned.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of collagen membrane and Bio-Oss coverage in healing of an onlay graft to the mandible. Twelve adult sheep each received an onlay bone graft (experiment 1), bone graft+Bio-Gide (experiment 2), and bone graft+Bio-Oss/Bio-Gide (experiment 3) on the lateral surface of the mandible. The animals were euthanized at 4, 8, 12 or 16 weeks after surgery, and findings were analysed by routine microscopy and immunohistochemistry for proliferation (Ki67) and apoptotic (Caspase-3) markers. Grafts were fully incorporated in all specimens. Pronounced resorption was observed in experiment 1. Minimal loss of graft volume was seen in experiment 2 specimens without membrane displacement. A remarkable increase in the augmented region of the mandible was obse...
Abstract A series of studies performed at our center demonstrates that gaseous microemboli (GME) remain a challenge in cardiac surgical procedures. Evaluation of novel oxygenators must address hemodynamic parameters and microemboli capture capability. The objective of this study is to compare two neonatal membrane oxygenators, the Quadrox i (MAQUET Cardiopulmonary AG, Hirrlingen, Germany) and the Capiox RX05 (Terumo Corporation, Tokyo, Japan), with respect to GME capture and hemodynamic energy delivery. The experimental circuit included a Maquet HL 20 heart lung machine, a Heater Cooler Unit HCU 30 (MAQUET Cardiopulmonary AG), a membrane oxygenator (Quadrox i Neonatal or Capiox RX05), and inch tubing from the COBE Heart/Lung Perfusion Pack (COBE Cardiovascular, Inc., Arvada, CO, USA). A Ca...
Tests on a sample of trench water from the Maxey Flats burial ground effectively demonstrated the new Reverse Osmosis Pilot Plant. The effluent from the 50% salt-rejection membrane was decontaminated well enough with the exception of tritium to be discharged to the environment. The performance of the 97% salt-rejection membrane was superior to that of the 50% membrane. A breakthrough and capacity experiment was conducted with Durasil 10 on a simulated Three Mile Island solution. The maximum decontamination factor was extrapolated to be 10/sup 6/, which would reduce the cesium level of TMI water to below the discard limit. Capacity (1/DF = 0.5) was reached at 1260 column volumes. Several adsorbents were tested in the engineering columns for decontamination of cesium-bearing solutions. Under the conditions of the experiment, these adsorbents were ineffective in removing cesium from the solution.
The growth of a middle ear cholesteatoma behind a normal tympanic membrane is a rate though possible event. In such cases, CT may provide useful information for diagnosis. The results are presented of a CT study carried out on 14 patients affected with unilateral conductive hearing loss and with normal tympanic membrane. CT allowed the diagnosis of meddle ear cholesteatoma to be made in all cases. All patients were treated with surgery: 8 of them underwent tympanoplasty and 6 explorative tympanotomy. While the diagnosis of cholesteatoma was confirmed in 13 patients, in 1 case tympanosclerosis was diagnosed. CT diagnosis of middle ear cholesteatoma is based on the demonstration of a low-density soft-tissue mass, in association with bone erosion or ossicular dislocation. The author emphasizes the difficulty of a CT diagnosis of cholesteatoma in the patients with middle ear soft-tissue masses in the absence of bone alterations.
Two lines of mouse tumor cells were shown to be capable of aggregating mouse and rabbit platelets in vitro. This process required higher Mg/sup 2 +/ concentrations than were needed by other commonly used platelet-aggregating agents. Platelet-aggregating activity was also found in tumor cell membrane fragments. This membrane-bound platelet-aggregating material contained protein, lipid, and carbohydrate moieties. The presence of all three appeared to be essential for stimulating platelet aggregation. Destruction of any component abolished its activity. Platelet aggregation induced by tumor cell membrane fragments was associated with a secretory release reaction. In this process, growth-promoting activity for tumor cells was also released from platelets. These results underline the importance of platelets in establishing tumor metastases.
Radon proof barriers are used for lowering of radon transport from the soil into the house and the determination of the radon diffusion coefficient is an important parameter to be determined in order to design the minimal thickness of the radon proof insulation. A method has been developed in our laboratory by using modified Lucas cells connected to a radon source and tightly closed onto the top by the tested membranes whose radon diffusion coefficients are being measured. Solving the time-dependent differential equation for radon diffusion in the membrane for well-defined experimental conditions the effective radon diffusion coefficient of the insulating material can be evaluated by comparing the radon concentration decrease in the cell for the first hours with the well-known radioactive decay. First results obtained in several preliminary tests carried out with a parafilm M barrier and two polyethylene membranes are shown ...
Autophagy is a ubiquitous catabolic process that ensures organism’s well-being by sequestering a wide array of undesired intracellular constituents into double-membrane vesicles termed...Full Text Available
Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) on the unilamellar vesicle populations (diameter 500 and 1000 angstrom) was used to characterize lipid vesicles from dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) at three phases (gel, ripple, and liquid). Parameters of vesicle populations and internal structure of the DMPC bilayer were characterized on the basis of the Separated Form Factor (SFF) model. Parameters of the internal bilayer structure (thickness of the membrane and the hydrophobic core, hydration, and surface area of lipid molecule) were determined on the basis of the Hydrophobic-Hydrophilic (HH) approximation of neutron scattering length density across the bilayer r(x) and of the Step Function (SF) approximation of r(x). It was demonstrated in frame of HH approximation that DMPC membrane thickness in liquid phase (T=30 degrees) depends on the membrane curvature. The dependence of the DMPC membrane thickness ...
Uptake of the lipophilic cation triphenylmethylphosphonium into mesophyll protoplasts of oat (Avena sativa L. cv. “Garry”) approaches equilibrium at 3 to 4 hours. The...Full Text Available
The LW blood group antigens reside on a 42-kDa erythrocyte membrane glycoprotein that was purified by immunoaffinity and partially sequenced. From this information, a specific PCR-amplified DNA fragment...Full Text Available
The plant hormone cytokinin is perceived by membrane-located sensor histidine kinases. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) possesses three cytokinin receptors: ARABIDOPSIS HISTIDINE...Full Text Available
ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters) utilize the energy of ATP hydrolysis to translocate an unusually diverse set of substrates across cellular membranes. ABCA4, also known as...Full Text Available
One membrane oxygen enricher (Oxygen Enrichment Company OE-4E) and four molecular sieve (MS) concentrators (Mountain Medical Econo2, De Vilbiss MINI DeVO2, Cryogenic Roomate III, and Mountain Medical...Full Text Available
Since membrane structures such as domes have been constructed in snowy regions, how to dispose snow on the roof has become a big problem. In the case of disposing snow on the roof by sliding off, it is required to know the distance and range of snow dispersion after the fall from the roof from the aspect of disaster prevention. This paper describes the experimental study on the effects of snow depth, sliding distance and angle on the distance and range of snow dispersion using an outdoor apparatus to slide the snow off which can adjust the conditions for sliding. As a result, the distance of snow dispersion was influenced not only by the sliding distance and angle but also the depth (as well as the weight) of the snow. When the snow was sliding on the membrane structure, it was neccesary to consider viscostic resisting force of water between the snow and the membrane in addition to kinetic friction force. After the fall ...
On rod disc membranes, single photoactivated rhodopsin (R*) molecules catalytically activate many copies of the G-protein (Gt), which in turn binds and activates the effector (phosphodiesterase). We...Full Text Available
Patients with Alport syndrome progressively lose renal function as a result of defective type IV collagen in their glomerular basement membrane. In mice lacking the α3 chain of type IV collagen...Full Text Available
Photosynthetic (Ps) electron transport pathways often contain multiple electron carriers with overlapping functions. Here we focus on two c-type cytochromes (cyt) in facultative phototrophic...Full Text Available
Septa can be demonstrated in sections of Escherichia coli strains B and B/r after fixation with acrolein and glutaraldehyde. The septum consists of an ingrowth of the cytoplasmic membrane...Full Text Available
The performance of a 6 kW proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer was modeled using a semiempirical equation. Total cell voltage was represented as a sum of the Nernst voltage, activation overpotential and ohmic overpotential. A temperature and pressure dependent Nernst potential, derived from thermodynamic principles, was used to model the 20 cell PEM electrolyzer stack. The importance of including the temperature dependence of various model components is clearly demonstrated. The reversible potential without the pressure effect decreases with increasing temperature in a linear fashion. The exchange current densities at both the electrodes and the membrane conductivity were the coefficients of the semiempirical equation. An experimental system designed around a 6 kW PEM electrolyzer was used to obtain the current-voltage characteristics at different stack temperatures. A nonlinear curve fitting method was employed to determine the equation ...
Phosphatidic acid (PA) is postulated to have both structural and signaling functions during membrane dynamics in animal cells. In this study, we show that before a critical time period during rhabdomere...Full Text Available
1. The structural requirements of an allosteric barbiturate binding site on acetylcholine receptor-rich membranes isolated from Torpedo electroplaques have been characterized by the ability of fourteen...Full Text Available
The extensive membrane network of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is physically juxtaposed to and functionally entwined with essentially all other cellular compartments. Therefore, the ER must sense...Full Text Available
The H+-translocating inorganic pyrophosphatase (H+-PPase) associated with vesicles of the vacuolar membrane (tonoplast) isolated from beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is...Full Text Available
The adenovirus fiber knob causes the first step in the interaction of adenovirus with cell membrane receptors. To obtain information on the receptor binding site(s), the interaction of labeled cell...Full Text Available
In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii y-1, newly synthesized chlorophyll a/b-binding apoproteins are degraded when chlorophylls are not present for assembly of stable light-harvesting...Full Text Available
Results are reported from studies of the diffusion rate of xenon through frog abdominal skin and toad urinary bladders, typical epithelial membranes. It was concluded that intracellular water serves as the principal barrier for xenon passage through epithelial tissue.
We have developed and validated a microporous poly(ethylene terephthalate) membrane-based indirect co-culture system for human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) propagation, which allows real-time...Full Text Available
Auxin-induced pea (Pisum sativum) stem section elongation is enhanced at levels of 3 to 40 micromolar by six new classes of alkane derivatives additional to those described earlier,...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of heritable diseases that manifest as blistering and erosions of the skin and mucous membranes. In the dystrophic forms of EB (DEB), the diagnostic...Full Text Available
Cleavage of membrane-associated proteins with the release of biologically active macromolecules is an emerging theme in biology. However, little is known about the nature and regulation of the involved...Full Text Available
Peripartal serum alkaline phosphatase activity and lactate dehydrogenase activity were measured in 30 dairy cows in order to examine the association between retained fetal membranes and enzyme activity....Full Text Available
Antibodies against feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and the feline oncornavirus-associated cell membrane antigen (FOCMA) were transferred from pregnant cats to their suckling kittens. All of these kittens...Full Text Available
Low membrane permeability is one of the major obstacles to the successful cryopreservation of zebrafish embryos. The aim of the present study was to explore if this could be overcome by yolk...Full Text Available
The Aer protein in Escherichia coli is a membrane-bound, FAD-containing aerotaxis and energy sensor that putatively monitors the redox state of the electron transport system. Binding...Full Text Available
Osterix (Osx) is a zinc-finger-containing transcription factor that is expressed in osteoblasts of all endochondral and membranous bones. In Osx null ...Full Text Available
Effects of physical environment on plasma membrane semipermeability and osmotic induction of changes in aqueous cytoplasmic volume were studied in vegetative and spore cells of a plant pathogenic fungus,...Full Text Available
Cells of oat coleoptiles (Avena sativa L. cv. “Garry”) have been osmotically shocked in order to observe the effect of alterations of the plasma membrane on some auxin...Full Text Available
The biodegradation of nylon by lignin-degrading fungi was investigated. The fungus IZU-154 significantly degraded nylon-66 membrane under ligninolytic conditions. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis...Full Text Available
Some laboratory experiments have suggested that power-frequency electric and magnetic fields (EMF) may be capable of influencing calcium efflux from cell membranes, pineal function, and circadian rhythms....Full Text Available
To confirm that Mycobacterium tuberculosis chaperonin 10 (Cpn10) is secreted outside the live bacillus, infected macrophages were examined by electron microscopy. This revealed that...Full Text Available
The 37/67-kd laminin receptor, LAMR, is a multifunctional protein that associates with the 40S ribosomal subunit and also localizes to the cell membrane to interact with the extracellular matrix. LAMR...Full Text Available
BackgroundCalcium signaling plays an important role in B lymphocyte survival and activation, and is critically dependent on the inositol-1,4,5-tris-phosphate-induced...Full Text Available
The primary aim of this study was to develop a model system that uses epidermal cells (keratinocytes and accessory pigmented cells) cultured on a reconstituted basement membrane biomatrix for use in...Full Text Available
Mitochondrial DNA is constantly exposed to oxidative injury. Due to its location close to the main site of reactive oxygen species, the inner mitochondrial membrane, mtDNA is more susceptible...Full Text Available
Choline (Cho)-containing phospholipids are the most abundant phospholipids in cellular membranes and play fundamental structural as well as regulatory roles in cell metabolism and signaling. Although...Full Text Available
Cross-resistance to cefoxitin (FOX), chloramphenicol (CMP), and quinolones (nalidixic acid [NAL]) related to a putative efflux system overexpression has recently been reported for Klebsiella...Full Text Available
Citrate transport via CitS of Klebsiella pneumoniae has been shown to depend on the presence of Na+. This transport system has been expressed in Escherichia coli, and uptake of citrate in E. coli membrane...Full Text Available
The mechanism of metabolic energy production by malolactic fermentation in Lactococcus lactis has been investigated. In the presence of L-malate, a proton motive force composed of a membrane potential...Full Text Available
Dysregulation of the alternative pathway of complement activation, caused by mutations or polymorphisms in the genes encoding factor H, membrane co-factor protein, factor I or factor B, is associated...Full Text Available
The water permeability of tissues was investigated by measuring the efflux of 3HHO from previously loaded (in darkness) etiolated bean buds (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Red...Full Text Available
The responses of the vacuolar membrane (tonoplast) proton-pumping inorganic pyrophosphatase (H+-PPase) from oat (Avena sativa L.) roots to changes in Mg2+ and...Full Text Available
Exosomes are small membrane vesicles secreted from various types of cells. Tumor-derived exosomes contain MHC class I molecules and tumor-specific antigens, receiving attention as a potential cancer...Full Text Available
The main function of white adipose tissue is to store nutrient energy in the form of triglycerides. The mechanism by which free fatty acids (FFA) move into and out of the adipocyte has not been resolved....Full Text Available
The agglutination of human platelets by ristocetin and von Willebrand factor was inhibited by aggregated immunoglobulin (Ig)G and by Fc fragments of IgG, but not by Fab, F(ab′)2 or...Full Text Available
Local anesthetics are able to induce pain relief by binding to the sodium channels of excitable membranes, blocking the influx of sodium ions and the propagation of the nervous impulse. Ropivacaine...Full Text Available
The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) controls signal transmission between cells in the nervous system. Abused drugs such as cocaine inhibit this receptor. Transient kinetic investigations indicate...Full Text Available
Sphingomyelin (SM) is an abundant phospholipid in cell membranes and in lipoproteins. In human plasma, SM is mainly found in atherogenic lipoproteins; therefore, higher levels of SM may promote atherogenesis....Full Text Available
An immunoglobulin Mk monoclonal (F8IVE9) antibody raised against oat (Avena sativa cv Garry) root homogenate has been produced and characterized. The predominant target...Full Text Available
An aqueous house dust mite extract was separated by SDS-PAGE and transferred to nitrocellulose membranes by Western Blotting. Two major allergens, Der pI and Der pII associated with the mite faeces...Full Text Available
The sucrose derivative 6'-deoxy-6'-(2-hydroxy-4-azido)benzamidosucrose (6'-HABS) was prepared from sucrose (via 6'-deoxy-6'-aminosucrose) and 4-amino-salicylic acid. 6'-HABS is a competitive inhibitor of sucrose influx into protoplasts from developing soybean cotyledons and of sucrose binding to membranes from the bacteria P. saccharophila. The Ki for inhibition in the soybean protoplasts was 75..mu..M. 6'-Deoxy-6'-(2-hydroxy-3-/sup 125/Iodo-4-azido)benzamidosucrose was prepared by lactoperoxidase iodination of 6'-HABS. Upon photolysis in the presence of membranes from P saccharophila, label from the photoprobe is incorporated into a sucrose inducible polypeptide of mass 84 KD in SDS-PAGE. The polypeptide is protected from labeling by the inclusion of sucrose in the photolysis mixture. Photolysis conditions which lead to specific labeling of the sucrose protectable ...
Mitochondria must uptake some phospholipids from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for the biogenesis of their membranes. They convert one of these lipids, phosphatidylserine, to phosphatidylethanolamine,...Full Text Available
BackgroundLentiviral vectors (LVs) can efficiently transduce a broad spectrum of cells and tissues, including dividing and non-dividing cells. So far the most widely used method...Full Text Available
An advanced process for the separation of hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) from coal gasification product streams through an electrochemical membrane is being developed. H{sub 2}S is removed from the syn-gas stream, split into hydrogen, which enriches the exiting syn-gas, and sulfur, which is condensed from an inert sweep gas stream. The process allows removal of H{sub 2}S without cooling the gas stream and with negligible pressure loss through the separator. The process is made economically attractive by the lack of need for a Claus process for sulfur recovery. Membrane manufacturing coupled with full-cell experimentation was the primary focus this quarter. A tape-casted zirconia membrane was developed and utilized in one full-cell experiment (run 25); run 24 utilized a fabricated membrane purchased from Zircar Corporation. Results are discussed.
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a continuous membrane system comprising the nuclear envelope, ribosome-studded peripheral sheets and an interconnected network of smooth tubules extending throughout...Full Text Available
Effects of MgCl2 and free fatty acids (FFA) on galactolipid:galactolipid galactosyltransferase (GGGT) and UDP-galactose: 1,2-diacylglycerol galactosyltransferase (UDGT) in chloroplast envelope...Full Text Available
The delivery of proteins and organelles to the vacuole by autophagy involves membrane rearrangements that result in the formation of large vesicles called autophagosomes. The mechanism underlying autophagosome...Full Text Available
Peroxisomes, glyoxysomes, glycosomes, and hydrogenosomes have each been classified as microbodies, i.e., subcellular organelles with an electron-dense matrix that is bound by a single membrane. We investigated...Full Text Available
We analyze transport through conical channels due to the difference in particle concentration on the two sides of the membrane. Because of the detailed balance, fluxes of non-interacting particles...Full Text Available
The cell is modeled as an ellipsoid with shell and the surface stress distribution calculated by means of the Maxwell Stress Tensor. The cell membrane is treated as incompressible material having both bending and shear energies of deformation. Employing the principle of virtual work, cell volume (and hence shape) is computed as a function of the external field strength and orientation with respect to the field. The following results were obtained: (1) The surface stresses that develop or the cell membrane are distributed having both normal and tangential components that act together to produce a rounding of the cell. (2) If the tangential component of the stress is ignored, then higher field strengths are needed to produce similar deformation (shape change) of cells. (3) The threshold value of the applied field, i.e, the field strength at which the volume (shape) of the cell changes abruptly, occurs at approximately 55V/cm. Above the threshold ...
BackgroundPerfluorocarbons (PFC) are used to improve gas exchange in diseased lungs. PFC have been shown to affect various cell types. Thus, effects on alveolar type II (ATII) cells...Full Text Available
FXYD1 (phospholemman) is a member of an evolutionarily conserved family of membrane proteins that regulate the function of the Na,K-ATPase enzyme complex in specific tissues and specific physiological...Full Text Available
The interaction of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) with mixed bilayers composed of sphingomylein and cholesterol (Chol) above and below the accepted stable complexation...Full Text Available
Background:Continuous renal replacement therapy is used to manage fluid and solute imbalances in critically ill patients but may affect the clearance of concurrently administered...Full Text Available
In-vitro experiments using 203Pb were performed to identify the lead binding components in human peripheral blood. The distribution of lead in plasma, in the red cell membrane, and within the red cell...Full Text Available
Oxygenated sterol compounds (OSC), when incubated for 1 hr with human erythrocytes in lipoprotein-depleted medium at concentrations of 0.625-5 x 10/sup -5/M, are inserted into the cell membrane and remain there despite subsequent washing of the cells. The insertion results in expansion of the surface area of the red cell ghost membrane, an increase in critical hemolytic volume, and as a consequence, in dimished osmotic fragility of the erythrocytes. This effect is seen with echinocyte-forming as well as with non-echinocyte-forming OSC. Erythrocytes treated with OSC do not differ from control cells with respect to their mean cell volume (MCV) in isotonic solution, water content, ion fluxes, and filterability through polycarbonate filters. The shift of the osmotic fragility curve toward lower NaCl concentrations is proportional to the amount of OSC inserted into the red cell membrane. 7BETA-Hydroxycholesterol, ...
In voltage-gated Na+, K+, and Ca2+ channels, four voltage-sensor domains operate on a central pore domain in response to membrane voltage. In contrast, the voltage-gated...Full Text Available
Experiments were performed to investigate the involvement of the cell membrane in the excision DNA repair process in Escherichia coli. Two membrane-binding drugs, procaine and phenethyl alcohol (PEA), inhibited liquid-holding recovery (LBR) in u.v.-irradiated E. coli wild-type and recA strains. In uvrB and polA strains where, after u.v.-irradiation, LHR was absent the two drugs had no effect. Both drugs markedly reduced the removal of u.v.-induced thymine dimers in the DNA of wild-type cells (H/r30). Analysis by alkaline sucrose gradients revealed that PEA inhibited the incision step in excision repair. In contrast, procaine had no effect on incision but apparently inhibited the late steps in excision repair. PEA dissociated DNA from the cell membrane, whereas procaine did not. The results suggest that the two drugs PEA and procaine inhibit LHR and the excision repair process operating on u.v.-induced damage in E. coli by ...
Despite their structural resemblance, a pair of cyclic halogenated compounds, 1-chloro-1,2,2-trifluorocyclobutane (F3) and 1,2-dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane (F6), exhibit completely different anesthetic...Full Text Available
Colonies of toxin-producing Pasteurella multocida were detected with peroxidase-labeled monoclonal antibodies by a membrane assay. Examination of the specificity of the assay with 29 P. multocida cultures...Full Text Available
Merozoite surface proteins have been implicated in the initial attachment to the host red blood cell membrane that begins the process of invasion, an important step in the life cycle of the malaria...Full Text Available
Cyclophilins (Cyps), the intracellular receptors for Cyclosporine A (CsA), are responsible for peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerisation and for chaperoning several membrane proteins. Those functions...Full Text Available
The procedure currently used for isolating legionellae from environmental samples recommend filtration through a 0.2-microns-pore-size polycarbonate filter. In this study we evaluated the performance...Full Text Available
Cellular cholesterol homeostasis is controlled by sterol-regulated proteolysis of membrane-bound transcription factors called sterol-regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs). CPP32, a cysteine protease,...Full Text Available
A balanced application of chemiosmosis to plant mitochondria is presented. Electron transport carriers are sequenced to achieve proton translocation across the inner membrane. The processes of proton translocation, use, and release are integrated to yield a description of the effective proton gradient available for metabolite transport and ATP synthesis. 27 references, 6 figures.
The membrane properties of isolated cultured microglia have been extensively studied but it is important to understand their properties in situ, where they protect the brain against...Full Text Available
The synthesis of an extracellular ribbon of cellulose in the bacterium Acetobacter xylinum takes place from linearly arranged, membrane-localized, cellulose-synthesizing and extrusion complexes that...Full Text Available
Cd36 is a small-molecular-weight integral membrane protein expressed in a diverse, but select, range of cell types. It has an equally diverse range of ligands and physiological functions, which has...Full Text Available
E-cadherins belong to a family of membrane-bound, cellular adhesion proteins. Their adhesive properties mainly involve the two N-terminal extracellular domains (EC1 and EC2). The junctions between these...Full Text Available
A review of the research activities carried out by the authors on biosorption of heavy metals is reported in this work. In particular, biomass characterisation, biosorption equilibrium with single metal system, biomass immobilisation in polymeric matrix and related kinetics, biosorption in membrane reactor systems are the main aspects reported in the paper. (orig.)
Kinetics and thermodynamics of the binding of a fluorescent lipid amphiphile, Rhodamine Green™-tetradecylamide (RG-C14:0), to bovine serum albumin were characterized in an equilibrium...Full Text Available
Atg9 is a transmembrane protein essential for autophagy which cycles between the Golgi network, late endosomes and LC3-positive autophagosomes in mammalian cells during starvation through a mechanism...Full Text Available
The acetylcholine receptor from the electric tissue of Torpedo californica is a large, integral membrane protein containing four different types of polypeptide chains. The structure of the purified...Full Text Available
The expression of tripartite multidrug efflux pumps such as MexA-MexB-OprM in Pseudomonas aeruginosa contributes to intrinsic resistance to a wide variety of antimicrobials, including...Full Text Available
Amino acid transport was studied in membranes of the peptidolytic, thermophilic, anaerobic bacterium Clostridium fervidus. Uptake of the negatively charged amino acid L-glutamate, the neutral amino...Full Text Available
The adhesive proteins secreted by marine mussels form a natural glue that cures rapidly to form strong and durable bonds in aqueous environments. These mussel adhesive proteins contain an unusual...Full Text Available
Electrostatic nature of plant plasma membrane (PM) plays significant roles in the ion uptake and toxicity. Electrical potential at the PM exterior surface (ψ0o) influences...Full Text Available
The ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) plays a central role in the regulation of the female reproductive behavior lordosis, a behavior dependent upon the sequential activation of receptors for the ovarian...Full Text Available
international vehicles, control centers, and ground support personnel. ... consists of thin membranes made from a polymer-based film and ..... (including airplanes and submarines), environmental monitoring, and control ...... sciences can use it to analyze the birth and death of stars, the formation of solar ...
P granules are non-membrane-bound organelles found in the germ-line cytoplasm throughout Caenorhabditis elegans development. Like their “germ granule” counterparts in...Full Text Available
MOM22 is a component of the protein import complex of the mitochondrial outer membrane of Neurospora crassa. Using the newly developed procedure of 'sheltered disruption', we created a heterokaryotic...Full Text Available
Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are energy conversion devices that produce electricity from a supply of fuel, such as hydrogen. One of the major challenges in achieving efficient energy conversion is the development of cost-effective materials that can act as electrocatalysts for PEMFCs. In this letter, we demonstrate that, instead of conventional noble metals, such as platinum, chromium nitride nanocrystals of fcc structure exhibit attractive catalytic activity for PEMFCs. Device testing indicates good stability of nitride nanocrystals in low temperature fuel cell operational environment.
The authors describe the production of two mouse hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies to antigenic determinants of the surface membranes of human neutrophils, activated T lymphocytes, and acute leukemic blast cells. The degree of lymphocyte stimulation was estimated from incorporation of /sup 3/H-thymidine with parallel microculture. Monoclonal antibodies of supernatants of hybridoma cultures shown here reacted in both immunofluorescence test and cytotoxicity test with surface membrane antigens on the majority of neutrophils and PHA-activated peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy subjects, but did not give positive reactions with unactivated lymphocytes, adherent monocytes, erythrocytes, and alloantigen-stimulated lymphocytes.
The electrolyte was brought into contact with air and potassium carbonate was measured with various contact time in order to check the defect of carbon dioxide in the air on zinc-air cell. The relationship between potassium carbonate concentration in electrolyte and battery capacity was also studied. The potassium carbonate concentration in the electrolyte. The rate of carbon dioxide absorption was mainly affected by the pore size of hydrophobic membrane. Our study showed that adapting the pore of hydrophobic membrane decreased the loss of cell discharge performance due to the presence of carbon dioxide or water vapor in the atmosphere. 7 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.
The objective of this contract is to research, develop and demonstrate a novel ceramic membrane reactor system for the low-cost conversion of natural gas to synthesis gas and hydrogen for liquid transportation fuels: the ITM Syngas process. Through an eight-year, three-phase program, the technology will be developed and scaled up to obtain the technical, engineering, operating and economic data necessary for the final step to full commercialization of the Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) conversion technology. This report is a summary of activities through February 1999.
The objective of this contract is to research, develop and demonstrate a novel ceramic membrane reactor system for the low-cost conversion of natural gas to synthesis gas and hydrogen for liquid transportation fuels: the ITM Syngas process. Through an eight-year, three-phase program, the technology will be developed and scaled up to obtain the technical, engineering, operating and economic data necessary for the final step to full commercialization of the Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) conversion technology. This report is a summary of activities through September 1999.
We propose unsteady-state reverse osmosis cell modelling in two dimensions. The convection-diffusion equation describing the concentration of the relevant chemical species is solved by a finite difference technique, while the velocity field is described by empirical expressions for spiral-wound membrane cells. A non-constant permeability is introduced to take into account the effects of membrane compaction at high operating pressures. The role of concentration polarization is discussed for different values of the parameters describing the global process. Finally, the model is applied to predict the effects of a pulsating flow where a cyclic pressure feed is adopted to enhance the permeate flux. In this context, an experimental validation of the model is proposed.
There is increasing demand to functionalize meso- and nano-porous materials by coating and make the porous substrate biocompatible or environment friendly. However, coating on a meso-porous substrate poses great challenges, especially if the pore aspect ratio is high. In the current work the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method is used for coating Ni{sub 3}Al-based meso-porous membranes with diamond-like carbon (DLC) layers of high thickness homogeneity and adhesion. (orig.)
In this paper, model analysis into the time-dependent transmembrane potential at the outer cell membrane is presented, for applied high-intensity electric pulses having durations in the nanosecond range or smaller. It is argued that the frequency-dependent dielectric response of cell membranes could be used to advantage for stronger bioeffects by employing shorter pulses. Our model calculations predict faster transmembrane voltages and larger electroporation densities for a given external energy with pulse durations in the subnanosecond regime. This temporal regime would be used, for example, in the electrotherapy of mixed cell ensembles having different dielectric response properties. PMID:21937300
A back-up system is provided for a pumping plant or a pressure reservoir system used to maintain insulating oil under pressure in high voltage submarine power cables which includes a gas driven membrane pump to insure a small outflow of oil at a rupture point in the power cable to prevent water from penetrating the cable. The proper operation of the membrane pump is insured by introducing degasified oil at the drive side of the pump during the stand-by and test modes of operation of the back-up system. 11 drawings.
The high temperature abrasive wear resistant of the composites with different Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} volume fractions, particle coating and size were investigated and the failure action of composites under different conditions at high temperature was analyzed. The results showed that the high temperature abrasive wear resistant of composite with Ni coating and wide size and 39% volume fraction of particle is the best among all composites examined. (orig.)
... and testing of unidirectional composites, there are serious doubts about the possibility of obtaining a true ultimate compressive strength for this kind ...
The method of production of xAl{sub 2}O{sub 3}-yTiO{sub 2} compositions provides for the depth distribution of coating components and specifies its mechanical properties. In case of the composition obtained by cladding, titanium is mainly concentrated at the substrate. In case of mechanical mixture or composition obtained by sintering the oxides, the depth distribution of coating components is random.
Characteristics of advanced composites are investigated. The fibers considered are Kevlar and carbon. The greatest advantage of composites over metals is emphasized, and lies in their permitting designers to obtain properties in exactly the locations desired. Kevlar replaced S-glass on the Trident 2 missile, saving 800 lbs. and adding 800 miles to its range. Military aircraft builders find that advanced carbon composites more often than not win out over Kevlar.
Among the membrane filtration techniques, continuous cross-flow ultrafiltration (UF) is an innovative method to separate solid/liquid or liquid/liquid phases at a lower pressure of 5--150 psi compared to reverse osmosis (RO) in which the applied pressure is an order of magnitude higher. Recently, attempts have been made to combine processes of UF and other treatments for many applications. However, there is very little knowledge about the filtration process which combined coagulation and UF, and very few attempts have been made to apply coagulated UF to the treatment of fuel oil contaminated water. During the UF treatment of organic contaminants rapid declines in flux will occur due to the membrane fouling. Oil as a foulant plants an important role in the flux decrease. However, there are very limited pretreatment processes which can effectively remove fuel oil from water and hence solve the fouling problem. The purpose of the study was to ...
A preliminary investigation was conducted on ion specific membranes. This investigation concentrated on testing candidate organic compounds for transporting cesium ions through a membrane composed of the organic compound supported on a substrate. Solid PVC membranes were initially tried, but were found to be too slow. Thereafter, only liquid membranes were tested. These were faster and cesium concentration factors up to 2.96 were achieved in a single membrane cell. A cell with two membranes achieved a cesium concentration factor of 4.19. Cesium precipitation with sodium tetraphenyl borate in high sodium concentrations was explored. No interference from sodium was found until the sodium nitrite concentration reached 4.5 moles. Concurrently, cesium concentrations as high as 5.4 g/L were precipitated. Potassium tetraphenyl borate is being investigated for use in ...
A preliminary investigation was conducted on ion specific membranes. This investigation concentrated on testing candidate organic compounds for transporting cesium ions through a membrane composed of the organic compound supported on a substrate. Solid PVC membranes were initially tried, but were found to be too slow. Thereafter, only liquid membranes were tested. These were faster and cesium concentration factors up to 2.96 were achieved in a single membrane cell. A cell with two membranes achieved a cesium concentration factor of 4.19. Cesium precipitation with sodium tetraphenyl borate in high sodium concentrations was explored. No interference from sodium was found until the sodium nitrite concentration reached 4.5 moles. Concurrently, cesium concentrations as high as 5.4 g/L were precipitated. Potassium tetraphenyl borate is being investigated for use in ...
Wood plastic composites are prepared under radiation of "6"0Co gamma source with simul, a low grade wood of Bangladesh using a water soluble monomer acrylamide (AM) mixed with a swelling solvent methanol, water or methanol/water (1:1) at different compositions in the presence of a number of additives and co-additives such as NVP (N-vinylpyrrolidone), TPGDA (tripropylene glycol diacrylate), TMPTA (trimethylol propane triacrylate), sulfuric acid, urea and copper sulfate. Polymer loading (PL) and tensile strength (TS) of the composites are measured. The role of these additives on the composites is also discussed. It is observed that nitrogen-atom containing-materials like urea, NVP and AM produce composites with the highest mechanical strength, and incorporation of copper into this system provides additional property of protection and preservation of the composites ...
The thermal properties of five types of radiation-induced wood-polymer composites based on a tropical hardwood, rubberwood (Hevea braziliensis), was studied by oxygen index measurement, differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetry (TG). The DTA and TG curves of composites were different from those of rubberwood, which can be attributed to the presence of the incorporated polymers. Of the five composites, the one impregnated with bis(2-chloroethyl)vinyl phosphonate reduced the initial temperature of decomposition, increased the peak temperatures of exothermic reactions, and increased the char yield. Comparison with physical blends of rubberwood and the corresponding polymer provided some evidence of chemical interaction of wood and polymer in some of the composites. (author).
Polymerizing effects of high energy radiation has been found suitable for preparation of wood-polymer composites. In the present work after evaluating polymer products that have been obtained by irradiation method, wood-polymer composites have been prepared by in situ polymerization of vinyl acetate, acrylic acid and acrylic acid/styrene mixture using two samples of Iranian hardwoods, Beech and Hornbeam. These woods and their composites have been tested for their physical and mechanical properties. The results have shown that chemical bonding between polymer and the cell wall component lead to better strength properties in the composites. (author).
Composites based on pure gypsum and polyester-styrene resin have been prepared using various doses of gamma radiation. Some physical properties of the prepared composites and the influence of irradiation dose on it have been studied as: compression strength, hardness, thermal decomposition temperature in nitrogen or oxygen, and the change in weight in aqueous solutions with different pH values. The glass transition temperature of the pure polymer and the composites increases with increasing the irradiation dose up to a plateau, and the glass transition temperature of the pure polymer is lower than that of the composites. The irradiation dose does not seem to affect the decomposition temperature of the pure polymer or the composites significantly and the decomposition temperature in presence of nitrogen is higher than that in presence of oxygen. Increasing the irradiation dose leads ...
There is growing interest in the use of natural fibres as the reinforcements for polymer composites in the automotive industry and as matrix for composites in building products application to replace synthetic fibres. In this respect the aim of this study is to develop an environmental friendly composites for furniture industry based on EFB fibres and sago starch. In this preliminary study, a basic composition and processing of EFB fibres-sago starch composites were established and the properties of the composites were determined. EFB fibre content was varied between 50-80% by weight. The amount of sago starch in liquid form was also varied and final weight percentage of sago starch added into the EFB fibres was adjusted accordingly. The mixtures of EFB fibres and sago starch were blended using Haake Rheomixer. The preliminary results indicate that the impact ...
Quasi-carbon fibers (QCFs) were prepared from Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor by pyrolysis in the temperature range from 400{degrees}C to 950{degrees}C. The QCF-reinforced composites were fabricated by impregnating the QCFs with the PAN resin. The microstructural changes of both QCFs and their composites were characterized by the X-ray diffraction method. The stacking size and the crystallinity of the QCFs increased with the increasing heat treatment temperature (HTT). The crystallinity of the PAN matrix in a composite was also affected by various QCFs. DSC data indicated that thermal reaction mechanism of the composite could be altered due to the interaction between the fiber and the matrix. DMTA studies showed that good adhesion existed at the interface of the QCF-reinforced composites containing lower HTT fibers. The modulus magnitudes of QCFs and their ...
To study the effect of CuO on the electrochemical properties of MgNi alloy, the MgNi-xCuO (x = 3, 5 and 10 wt%) composites were prepared by ball-milling method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the structures of the composites were amorphous. The cycle stability of the composites was improved compared to pure MgNi alloy due to the enhancement of the anti-corrosion property in the alkaline electrolyte, and the composite with 5 wt% CuO ball-milled for 15 h exhibited the best performance. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potential-step measurements indicated that the electrochemical kinetics of the composites was improved.
Tri layer hybrid composites of oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) and jute fibres was prepared by keeping oil palm EFB as skin material and jute as the core material and vice versa. The chemical resistance, void content and tensile properties of oil palm EFB/Jute composites was investigated with reference to the relative weight of oil palm EFB/Jute, i.e. 4:1, the fibre loading was optimized and different layering pattern were investigated. It is found from the chemical resistance test that all the composites are resistant to various chemicals. It was observed that marked reduction in void content of hybrid composites in different layering pattern. From the different layering pattern, the tensile properties were slightly higher for the composite having jute as skin and oil palm EFB as core ...
(-)-N6-(R-4-Hydroxyphenylisopropyl)adenosine (HPIA) was iodinated with NaI and trace /sup 125/I. Mono- and diiodinated reaction products and the starting material were separated by high pressure liquid chromatography and the structures of the reaction products were verified by NMR. (-)-N6-(R-Phenylisopropyl)adenosine (PIA), IHPIA, and I2HPIA decreased rat atrial contractility with ED50 values of 24, 28, and 33 nM, respectively. The contractile effects of these compounds were competitively blocked by theophylline (KI . 7.9 microM), but were not affected by adenosine deaminase. IHPIA also inhibited (-)isoproterenol-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in adipocytes with an ED50 (10 nM) and to an extent (83%) nearly identical to PIA. (/sup 125/I)HPIA prepared using carrier-free /sup 125/I bound to adenosine receptors on membranes from rat cerebral cortex, adipocyte ghosts, and heart ventricles. Binding was inhibited stereospecifically by PIA and by other adenosine ...
Incorporation of /sup 32/P from (gamma-32P)ATP into tyrosine residues of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-II receptor was observed in a Triton X-100-insoluble fraction of rat adipocyte plasma membranes. IGF-II receptor phosphorylation proceeded to a stoichiometry of approximately 0.5 mol of phosphate/IGF-II binding site after 10 min of incubation at 4 degrees C. A Km for ATP of 6 microM was calculated for this phosphorylation reaction. Addition of IGF-II caused an approximately 2-fold increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of the IGF-II receptor in this preparation. In contrast, phosphorylation of angiotensin II by the Triton X-100 washed membranes was not stimulated by IGF-II. Incubation of purified receptor immobilized on IGF-II agarose or of receptor-enriched low density microsomal membranes with (gamma-32P)ATP did not result in appreciable incorporation of (/sup 32/P)phosphate into the IGF-II receptor nor into ...
A novel multilayer mixed matrix membrane (MMM), consisting of poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO), large-pore mesoporous silica molecular sieve zeolite SBA-15, and a carbon molecular sieve (CMS)/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrate, was successfully fabricated using the procedure outlined in this paper. The membranes were cast by spin coating and exposed to different gases for the purpose of determining and comparing the permeability and selectivity of PPO/SBA-15 membranes to H{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, N{sub 2}, and CH{sub 4}. PPO/SBA-15/CMS/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} MMMs with different loading weights of zeolite SBA-15 were also studied. This new class of PPO/SBA-15/CMS/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} multilayer MMMs showed higher levels of gas permeability compared to PPO/SBA-15 membranes. The permselectivity of H{sub 2}/N{sub 2} and H{sub 2}/CH{sub 4} combinations increased remarkably, with values at 38.9 and 50.9, respectively, at 10 wt% ...
In-vitro experiments using "2"0"3Pb were performed to identify the lead binding components in human peripheral blood. The distribution of lead in plasma, in the red cell membrane, and within the red cell was also investigated. Studies of the distribution of "2"0"3Pb in the whole blood showed that at a lead concentration of 2.45 #mu#mol/l (50 #mu#g/100 ml) about 94% of lead had been incorporated by the erythrocytes and 6% remained in the plasma. After extraction of lipid by a methanol/chloroform mixture, about 75% of the lead was found to be associated with the protein fraction. The lipid contained about 21% of the "2"0"3Pb, the remainder being in the aqueous plasma. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of blood plasma showed that almost 90% of the "2"0"3Pb was present in the albumin fraction; the remainder was likely to be associated with high molecular weight globulins. Several binding sites were identified on the erythrocyte membrane. The ...
We have previously shown that budded viruses of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) enter the cell cytoplasm but do not migrate into the nuclei of non-permissive Sf9 cells that support a high titer of Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) multiplication. Here we show, using the syncytium formation assay, that low-pH-triggered membrane fusion of BmNPV GP64 protein (Bm-GP64) is significantly lower than that of AcMNPV GP64 protein (Ac-GP64). Mutational analyses of GP64 proteins revealed that a single amino acid substitution between Ac-GP64 H155 and Bm-GP64 Y153 can have significant positive or negative effects on membrane fusion activity. Studies using bacmid-based GP64 recombinant AcMNPV harboring point-mutated ac-gp64 and bm-gp64 genes showed that Ac-GP64 H155Y and Bm-GP64 Y153H substitutions decreased and increased, respectively, the multiplication and cell-to-cell spread of progeny viruses. These results ...
The purpose of this study was to assess changes in dairy herd milk production and milk composition associated with changes in Salmonella contamination of bulk milk on dairy farms in southwestern Ontario....Full Text Available
The effect of reinforcement in the cross-linked poly(propylene fumarate-co-caprolactone diol) thermoset composites based on Kevlar fibres and hydroxyapatite was studied. Cross-linked poly(propylene...Full Text Available
ABSTRACTPurpose: To describe previously reported locomotor muscle and whole-body composition factors related to mobility in older individuals.Methods:...Full Text Available
Superconducting Cu-rich composites containing the A-15 compounds V_3Si or V_3Ga were made by the ''Tsuei'' process (melting into ingots followed by cold working and heat treatment). Superconducting transition temperatures of the composites were measured. X-ray diffraction analyses were performed. Microstructures were studied using both the optical metallograph and the scanning electron microscope. For some composites containing V_3Ga, the critical current densities as functions of transverse magnetic field up to 60 kG, and as functions of temperature from 4.2 to 12"0K were measured. It was found that the Tsuei process does not work for the composites containing V_3Si, but works satisfactorily for V_3Ga; reasons are discussed. Relations between measured properties and various metallurgical factors such as alloy compositions, cross-section reduction ratios, and heat treatment are ...
Rheological properties of moderately concentrated solutions of cellulose in methylmorpholine N-oxide-dimethylformamide mixtures containing hydrophilic montmorillonite nanoparticles were studied. Film composite materials were prepared, and their physicomechanical properties and structural organization were studied.
In this study, we report the physico-chemical and biological properties of a novel biodegradable composite scaffold made of nano-hydroxyapatite and natural derived polymers of chitosan and carboxymethyl...Full Text Available
A polyolefin composition is described comprising: 100 parts by weight of polyolefin, not less than 0.5 part by weight of a polyamide selected from the group consisting of nylon 6 and nylon 66, and from 3 to 30 percent by weight of a novolak based on the weight of the polyamide.
The present invention relates to a method of acidizing a subterranean formation or well bore employing an acidic solution containing a corrosion inhibitor composition comprising an inhibiting effective amount of an acetylenic alcohol, a quaternary ammonium compound, an aromatic hydrocarbon and an antimony compound.
Ca #alpha#-sialon is a high hardness material that exhibits in-situ growth of elongated grains during pressureless sintering. This potentially gives the material very good fracture toughness. This paper examined the effects of a number of variables on microstructural development during sintering. The effect of composition was investigated by studying seven different compositions. Densification was seen to be hindered in compositions that produced only small quantities of liquid phase during sintering. Elongated #alpha#-sialon was observed in all the compositions. It was in combination with equiaxed #alpha#--sialon in low liquid compositions, but only elongated #alpha#-sialon was present in the liquid rich compositions. The effects of using P-Si_3N_4 instead of #alpha#-Si_3N_4 starting powders were also examined. Compositions using only ...
Improving the anti-demineralizing/remineralizing and mechanical properties of amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) composites has been the focus of our recent research. In this study, an ethoxylated...Full Text Available
This report documents the collaborative effort between the United States and Canada to investigate the impact of process-induced defects on strength and stiffness under static and fatigue loading and for low-cost composite aircraft structures, in particul...
This study compared the effectiveness of collaborative group composition and instructional method on reasoning gains and achievement in college biology. Based on initial student reasoning ability (i.e.,...Full Text Available
Thermal behaviors of eucalyptus wood residue (EWR) filled recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites have been measured applying the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning...Full Text Available
A summary of research conducted during the first year is presented. The research objectives were sought by conducting two tasks: (1) investigation of probabilistic design techniques for reliability-based design of composite sandwich panels, and (2) examin...
This investigation clearly demonstrates that through partial impregnation techniques wood-polymer composites can be formed from the Pinus species grown in South Africa with a considerable saving in monomer costs without sacrificing the important physical properties of these materials.
In this study we determined the composition and biogeochemistry of novel, brightly colored, white and orange microbial mats at the surface of a brine seep at the outer rim of the Chefren mud volcano....Full Text Available
The report gives results of an examination, including mutagenic screening, of the chemical composition of residual fuel oils and their column chromatography pre-fractions. A degree of correlation between composition and mutagenicity has been achieved. Radionuclide data has been o...
The objectives of this study were to quantify the effect of 16 ppm of dietary monensin on milk production and composition of dairy cows, and to investigate factors having a potential impact on this...Full Text Available
The following paper is focused on the numerical modelling of the transient radon diffusion through radon-proof membranes during the measurement of their radon diffusion coefficient. The major aim of such numerical modelling is to increase the accuracy of radon diffusion coefficients derived from the measured data sets. The developed complex ''transient'' numerical model is able to calculate the radon diffusion coefficient with sufficient accuracy from almost any data set - even from a short-time measurement with a non-linear course of results. This numerical model can also be used for various analyses of transient radon transfer processes (e.g. for the calculation of radon distribution curves within the membrane). The following paper presents governing equations for the simulation model, together with a brief description of algorithms incorporated in the newly developed software package, which can be used ...
Tripartite efflux systems are responsible for the export of toxins across both the inner and outer membranes of Gram negative bacteria. Previous work has indicated that EmrAB-TolC from Escherichia coli is such a tripartite system, comprised of EmrB an MFS transporter, EmrA, a membrane fusion protein and TolC, an outer membrane channel. The whole complex is predicted to form a continuous channel allowing direct export from the cytoplasm to the exterior of the cell. Little is known, however, about the interactions between the individual components of this system. Reconstitution of EmrA + EmrB resulted in co-elution of the two proteins from a gel filtration column indicating formation of the EmrAB complex. Electron microscopic single particle analysis of the reconstituted EmrAB complex revealed the presence of particles approximately 240 x 140 A, likely to correspond to two EmrAB dimers in a back-to-back arrangement, ...
In the present study, the authors examine the interactions of pentavalent technetium ions (TcO/sup 3+/) with the basic form of the lasalocid A in pure methanol solvent and in methanol-water mixtures. There are a number of reasons for such a study. First, the interactions of technetium ions with biologically important compounds are of considerable importance owing to the widespread use of /sup 99m/Tc in diagnostic radio-imaging. Second, lasalocid A is known to transport metal ions across phospholipid bilayer membranes and between the aqueous cores of phospholipid inverse micelles. Third, lasalocid A is known to bind and solubilize metal ions in bulk organic liquid phases. Fourth, the conformation adopted by lasalocid A on interaction with TcO/sup 3+/ appears to be different than those found in most other cases and circumstances. Fifth, it may also be possible to use the competition of TcO/sup 3+/ with other, physiologically relevant cations (Na/sup +/, K/sup +/, ...
A number of preparations of residual non-living brewery yeast were examined for their ability to remove lead from solution. Those preparations included washed and un-washed intact yeast and washed and un-washed homogenates of the yeast cells. Using biosorption isotherm analysis it was found that the washed and un-washed preparations of intact, non-living yeast exhibited maximum biosorption capacities for lead of 127 and 99 mg/g dry weight biomass, respectively. The washed and un-washed cell homogenates exhibited maximum biosorption capacities of 38 and 139 mg lead/g dry weight biomass, respectively. Since it had previously been shown that these preparations of biomass were capable of removing uranium from solution by combined biosorption and precipitation processes, it was decided to examine removal of lead from solution using a form of equilibrium dialysis in which the biomass was retained within a semi-permeable membrane during contact reactions. The results ...
We investigated the effect of irradiation on the kinetic characteristics of amino acid and glucose transport, and the effect on the activity of the cell membrane-bound enzyme 5'-nucleotidase and on the receptor-mediated stimulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate synthesis by prostaglandin E1. Irradiation inhibited the sodium-dependent amino acid transport by a reduced binding of the amino acid to the transport unit. The transport of glucose, which appeared to be a sodium-independent process, was temporarily stimulated by increased maximal velocity of the transport. No effect was found on the binding to the transport unit. Irradiation increased the 5'-nucleotidase activity and decreased the prostaglandin E1-stimulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate synthesis 48 h after exposure to 20 Gy. It is concluded that irradiation decreases sodium-dependent transport by impairment of the transport unit, does not impair a sodium-independent process, and has ...
Poster session: Abstract is full text. Track membranes are thin polymer foils irradiated by heavy ions. The defects created by the heavy ions are located along the ions trajectory, the track. It is possible to open channels by etching with a chemical agent. These channels are very uniform. Small Angle Scattering (of X rays and neutrons) give global information about the characteristics of the channel shape. As the nanochannels are strictly parallel, an excellent sample orientation is required to obtain interpretable spectra. Then shoulders due to the oscillations of the Bessel function (radial part of the channel shape Fourier transform) are easily seen in the scattered intensity in the PXY data treatment software of SAS spectra allow to determine the channel diameter with its dispersion law, to demonstrate the existence of a wall thickness with a linearly varying density, and to assess the roughness. PXY can also detect non cylindric shapes like single or double ...
The influence of membrane pH gradients on the transbilayer distribution of some common phospholipids has been investigated. The authors demonstrate that the transbilayer equilibrium of the acidic phospholipids egg phosphatidylglycerol (EPG) and egg phosphatidic acid (EPA) can be manipulated by membrane proton gradients, whereas phosphatidylethanolamine, a zwitterionic phospholipid, remains equally distributed between the inner and outer monolayers of large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs). Asymmetry of EPG is examined in detail and demonstrated by employing three independent techniques: ion-exchange chromatography, {sup 13}C NMR, and periodic acid oxidation of the (exterior) EPG headgroup. In the absence of a transmembrane pH gradient ({Delta}pH) EPG is equally distributed between the outer and inner monolayers of LuVs. When vesicles composed of either egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC) or DOPC together with 5 mol % EPG are prepared with a transmembrane ...
The multielement determination of major-to-ultratrace elements in salmon egg was carried out by ICP-AES and ICP-MS. First, salmon eggs (30 eggs used) were digested with conc. nitric acid and 60% perchloric acid by heating almost to dryness repeatedly. Finally, the residues of salmon eggs were dissolved in 1 M nitric acid and the sample solutions were analyzed by ICP-AES and ICP-MS. About 40 elements could be determined over the concentration range in 9 orders of magnitude. The concentrations of bio-essential elements, such as Zn, Fe, and Cu, in salmon egg were 10-100 times higher than those in human blood serum. In addition, the major-to-ultratrace elements in cell cytoplasm and cell membrane were separately determined in a similar manner to those in whole egg cell. The concentrations of most bio-essential elements were higher in cell cytoplasm than in cell membrane, while those of Fe and Cu were higher in cell membrane ...
Leakfree compression of gaseous liquids prevents impurities resulting from entry of lubricants and abrasive particles and is therefore an important requirement on modern compressors. Another requirement voiced increasingly often is the reduction or even prevention of problematic off-gases and contaminated residues of libricating oils. Further, compressors should have high corrosion resistance, low noise, a long service life and high reliability. Membrane compressors are largely able to meet these requirements. The article describes the technical concept and applications of membrane compressors. (orig.) [Deutsch] Umweltschutz und steigende Forderungen der Industrie an die Reinheit technischer Gase verlangen Kompressoren, die weitgehend leckagefrei verdichten und keine Verunreinigungen des Gases durch Schmierstoffe und Abrieb hervorrufen. Immer haeufiger wird in diesem Zusammenhang die Reduzierung oder sogar die Vermeidung von schwer zu ...
Effects of ethanol in vitro on membrane vesicles were evaluated by monitoring "3"6Cl"- influx. Different assay parameters were tested to determine increased or decreased action of ethanol on GABA-activated chloride channels. The ability of 30 mM ethanol to augment "3"6Cl"- flux was seen at 0 degree C, in the absence of GABA, and at 34 degree C in the presence of GABA, using two different assay procedures. Picrotoxin blocked the direct effects of ethanol suggesting GABA_a involvement. Endogenous GABA in the medium surrounding the microsacs was assayed at different temperatures both in the presence and absence of GABA and ethanol. The direct effect of ethanol did not appear to involve the action of endogenous GABA. In addition to temperature effects on the assay, time of membrane storage also influenced ethanol action. Microsacs stored on ice for 2 hours or more lost their ability to respond to ethanol but not to GABA, pentobarbital or ...
In this study, adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) were cocultured with nucleus pulposus (NP) cells using a porous membrane to investigate the effect of NP cell phenotype on ASC chondrogenic differentiation. Human NP cells were collected from 14 patients and classified into two groups (normal vs. degenerative) depending on the level of type II collagen, aggrecan (AGG), type I collagen, and bax gene expression. Human ASCs were then cocultured with each group of NP cells on porous membranes in the absence of chondrogenic supplements. After 2 weeks, real-time-polymerase chain reaction results showed that ASCs cocultured with normal NP cells had much higher type II collagen and AGG gene expression than ASCs cocultured with degenerative NP cells. The production of AGG was also observed only in th...
A novel bioelectrochemical membrane reactor (BEMR), which takes advantage of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and microbial fuel cells (MFC), is developed for wastewater treatment and energy recovery. In this system, stainless steel mesh with biofilm formed on it serves as both the cathode and the filtration material. Oxygen reduction reactions are effectively catalyzed by the microorganisms attached on the mesh. The effluent turbidity from the BEMR system was low during most of the operation period, and the chemical oxygen demand and NH(4)(+)-N removal efficiencies averaged 92.4% and 95.6%, respectively. With an increase in hydraulic retention time and a decrease in loading rate, the system performance was enhanced. In this BEMR process, a maximum power density of 4.35 W/m(3) and a current density of 18.32 A/m(3) were obtained at a hydraulic retention time of 150 min and external resister of 100 ?. The Coulombic efficiency was 8.2%. Though the ...
One of the important aspects in an absorption system is the effectiveness in which the gas and liquid phases come into contact with each other. An effective absorption process will provide sufficient contacting area for the gas and liquid phases to interact upon. With this in mind, work was conducted to evaluate carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) absorption into aqueous solutions of monoethanolamine (MEA) using two different types of contacting devices: gas absorption membrane (GAM) modules and traditional packed columns. The performance of these two absorption devices was compared to one another using the overall mass transfer coefficient (K{sub G}a{sub v}) as a basis. The GAM module contained microporous polypropylene hollow fibre membranes and the packed absorption column contained Sulzer DX structured packing. The results indicate that GAM modules tend to have slightly larger K{sub G}a{sub v} values, potentially opening the door for smaller ...
The production of de-inked tailings in Quebec has significantly increased during the last decade. From less than 100,000 wet tons in 1990, the production of de-inked tailings reached 500,000 wet tons in 1995, and 510,000 wet tons in 1999. The geotechnical, hydraulic, and physico-chemical properties of de-inked tailings are favorable for its use as soil cover for the prevention of acid mine drainage at mining sites. In this presentation, the authors discussed the three-year monitoring of the behaviour of a membrane covering an old mining site with the potential to produce acid mine drainage. The site is located at the Clinton Mine, near Woburn, Quebec. The mine shaft was filled with the tailings and waste rock scattered around the site and covered with a protective membrane which included de-inked tailings. The profile of the membrane was discussed, as well as construction details. The results confirmed the good performance ...
Orientational constraints obtained from solid state NMR experiments on anisotropic samples are used here in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for determining the structure and dynamics of several different membrane-bound molecules. The new MD technique is based on the inclusion of orientation dependent pseudo-forces in the COSMOS-NMR force field. These forces drive molecular rotations and re-orientations in the simulation, such that the motional time-averages of the tensorial NMR properties approach the experimentally measured parameters. The orientational-constraint-driven MD simulations are universally applicable to all NMR interaction tensors, such as chemical shifts, dipolar couplings and quadrupolar interactions. The strategy does not depend on the initial choice of coordinates, and is in principle suitable for any flexible molecule. To test the method on three systems of increasing complexity, we used as constraints some deuterium quadrupolar couplings from ...
Orientational constraints obtained from solid state NMR experiments on anisotropic samples are used here in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for determining the structure and dynamics of several different membrane-bound molecules. The new MD technique is based on the inclusion of orientation dependent pseudo-forces in the COSMOS-NMR force field. These forces drive molecular rotations and re-orientations in the simulation, such that the motional time-averages of the tensorial NMR properties approach the experimentally measured parameters. The orientational-constraint-driven MD simulations are universally applicable to all NMR interaction tensors, such as chemical shifts, dipolar couplings and quadrupolar interactions. The strategy does not depend on the initial choice of coordinates, and is in principle suitable for any flexible molecule. To test the method on three systems of increasing complexity, we used as constraints some deuterium quadrupolar couplings from ...
Orientational constraints obtained from solid state NMR experiments on anisotropic samples are used here in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for determining the structure and dynamics of several different membrane-bound molecules. The new MD technique is based on the inclusion of orientation dependent pseudo-forces in the COSMOS-NMR force field. These forces drive molecular rotations and re-orientations in the simulation, such that the motional time-averages of the tensorial NMR properties approach the experimentally measured parameters. The orientational-constraint-driven MD simulations are universally applicable to all NMR interaction tensors, such as chemical shifts, dipolar couplings and quadrupolar interactions. The strategy does not depend on the initial choice of coordinates, and is in principle suitable for any flexible molecule. To test the method on three systems of increasing complexity, we used as constraints some deuterium quadrupolar couplings from ...
Ex situ and in situ fuel cell degradation of a sPAEK membrane were investigated. Post-mortem analyses of the aged membrane and of the degradation products eluted in water were carried out by NMR, IR, SEC and EDX. Ex situ agings were performed in a low concentration H{sub 2}O{sub 2} solution (0.07%) without any metallic catalyst. We exemplify that ex situ accelerated aging tests in such hydrogen peroxide solution are relevant to the chemical degradation in fuel cell. We have shown that a 500 h fuel cell test at moderate temperature (60 C) induces significant modifications on the macromolecules such as a 40% molecular weight reduction. Degradation appears heterogeneous and limited to the cathode side. The model compound approach developed in the previous article (Perrot et al.) has allowed the identification of the aging path in fuel cell. Phenolic and carboxylic acid chain ends have been identified as the main products resulting from polymer ...
Using acrylic-group containing isocyanates together with methyl methacrylate as impregnating mixture and gamma rays for curing wood-plastic composites have been produced, which show high-dimensional stability and toughness (low brittleness) compared to commonly used wood-plastics. The syntheses of proper acrylic-group containing isocyanates are as well described as the properties of the produced composites, made from maple wood. Also the direct use of the initial compounds, necessary for the syntheses, resulted in products of similar properties. These wood-plastic composites are to be suggested for the production of high-class products, e.g. wood-wind instruments. (author).
The load-carrying capacity and ultimate deformation capacity of timber-concrete composite systems can be significantly influenced by the ductility of the connection between the two materials. The use of more ductile connections can increase the load-carrying capacity of the composite system as well as its ultimate deformation capacity. In this work, the potential increase that might be expected for these two parameters due to the use of ductile connections will be assessed through numerical simulations, taking the non-linear behaviour of the connections into account. Furthermore, the connection ductility required to achieve the maximum load capacity depends on the mechanical properties of the connection as well as on the geometric and mechanical properties of the composite system. There ar...
One of the greatest opportunities for using of biomass as a precursor in the production of polymeric materials is the lignocellulose composites that can combine high performance with low costs. This work is a initial study on the production of a lignocellulose reinforced polyethylene composite. A compatibilization made by a induced gamma radiation grafting reaction was used to increase the adhesion between the matrix and the reinforced or filled fibers. The lignocellulose materials were exposed to gamma radiation in order to promote a molecular degradation and increase its reactivity. The polymer, the lignocellulose material and the compatibilization were processed by extrusion and the composite produced by this process were characterized by mechanical tests. (author)
This is a preliminary study on the sound absorption properties of two tropical hardwoods, Light Red Meranti and Ramin, and their wood-polymer composites. Sound absorption is measured using a standing wave apparatus. The samples are of one thickness (7 mm) and cut longitudinally. Wood-polymer composites are made by impregnating the samples with methyl methacrylate which is polymerized in situ through #gamma#-irradiation. Both woods and their composites are better sound absorbers at higher sound frequencies. With partial impregnation, the absorption coefficients are improved upon particularly in the region between 1-3 kHz. (author).
Compositions (oligomers with suitable properties and Al, Fe, Cu, Ta, W powders) were hardured by the flux of accelerated electrons at 10 mA beam current and 1.5 MeV energy. Dielectric and mechanical properties of metal-filled polymeric compositions as well as their radioply sicl properties in SHF-range are studied. It is shown that the produced compositions belong tot he absorbing protective materials in which the protection effect is mainly achieved through the absorption losses. 6 refs.; 3 tabs.
... interactive surfaces and interfaces, and 3) the more complex a ... carbonate or calcium phosphate with a thin interface ... diameter) for nerve prosthesis. ...
Analytical models for predicting the deformation and failure of composite sandwich panels subjected to blast and projectile impact loading are presented in this paper. The analytical predictions of the transient deformations and damage initiation in the composite sandwich panels were compared with finite element solutions using ABAQUS Explicit. For the blast model, the predicted transient deformation of the sandwich panel was within 7%of FEA results, while the predicted damage initiation using Hashin's composite failure criteria was about 15%higher than FEA results in most cases. For the high velocity impact model, the predicted transient deformations were within 20%of FEA results.
... The task consisted of determination of the most economical composition of the charge of the cupola furnace of the foundry. 21s was no simple task. ...
A heat storage compostion comprises sodium sulfate decahydrate as main component, a supercooling inhibitor, and a solid-liquid separation inhibitor. The composition is characterized in that hydraulic calcium sulfate and/or calcium sulfate dihydrate is contained as the solid-liquid separation inhibitor in an amount of 2-15 wt% base on the whole weight of the composition, whereby the solid-liquid separation, i.e. the sedimentation of the anhydrous sodium sulfate during the phase transition, is effectively prevented and the long-term stability is improved. The long-term stabilty of the composition can be more improved by addition of a silcia series of thickener.
The Cu- and Ni-based bulk metallic glass matrix composites were fabricated by spark plasma sintering of a mixture of gas-atomized metallic glass powders and ductile brass powders. The brass powders added for the enhancement of plasticity are well distributed in the matrix after consolidation. The matrix of the composite materials remains as a fully amorphous phase after consolidation process. With increasing the brass content, the level of plasticity strain increased, although the level of strength decreased. The successful consolidation of metallic glass matrix composite with high density was attributed to viscous flow in the supercooled liquid state during spark plasma sintering.
A variety of engineering and experimental applications require primary support structures which are self-centering. High mechanical strength, low-density, carbon fiber/epoxy matrix composite springs are used in unique planar, cylindrical, conical, and spherical configurations to self-center components. The sinusoidal and triangular-shaped composite springs are readily manufactured and assembled into component hardware. Design considerations, flexural strength properties, load bearing and centering data plus procedures for the manufacture of composite springs are presented.
... energy absorption characteristics of composite sandwich panels, thermoplastic energy-absorbing subfloor structures, and shoulder belt pre- tensioners. ...
A new high capacity anode composite based on mesoporous silicon is proposed. By virtue of a structure that resembles a pseudo one-dimensional phase, ...
A flutter-motion equation is presently derived for a 2D composite sandwich panel considering the total lateral displacement of the plate as the sum of the displacement due to bending of the plate, and that which is due to shear deformation at the core. The effects of core thickness and stacking sequence of the faces on the flutter boundary of the plate are discussed; it is shown that the sandwich panel greatly improves the flutter boundary over that of a composite laminate panel, provided it has sufficient core thickness.
The physics and technology of a new class of efficient composite piezoelectrics are described. This material combines nanostructured and micropiezoelectric matrix composites. They consist of a polymer matrix, an insulating nanodimensional phase, and a microdimensional piezoelectric phase. It is shown that the nanostructuring of the near-surface region of polymer-PZT piezoelectric composites greatly improves their piezoelectric, mechanical, and electromechanical characteristics. A plausible mechanism underlying this effect is suggested.
A new method for the determination of the cmc using a dialysis technique which allows monometric species to diffuse through but no micelles has been applied for determining the mixed micelle composition. The method is based on determining the amount of surfactant that diffuses through at two different times which allows for the calculation of the cmc by use of the appropriate equation. This method requires the preparation of only one concentration of solution and lends itself particularly well to the determination of the composition of mixed micelles. (orig.)
X-ray scattering methods suitable for the investigation of the morphology and chemical composition of self-organized quantum dots and quantum wires are reviewed. Their application is demonstrated in experimental examples showing that a combination of small angle X-ray scattering with high-resolution X-ray diffraction can reveal both the shape and the chemical composition of the self-organized objects. (author)
The structure and properties of composite powder coatings on the base of titanium carbide are studied. It is shown the electron-beam welding deposition of powders on the base of nickel and titanium carbide allows to produce of high-quality wear-resistant coatings which superior in density and hardness compared with sputtered ones. Changes of hardening phase volume percentage as well as composition of metal matrix make possible to control coatings hardness
Annealing of magnetostrictive Metglas foils, subsequently incorporated into laminated Metglas/Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 magnetoelectric (ME) composites, is shown to result in improved magnetic properties, as well as ME coefficients. Annealing of the foils at 350 ?C resulted in partial crystallization, without oxidation or magnetic cluster formation that would reduce the magnetization. Laminate composites made with these annealed Metglas foils had improved ME coefficients.
The gas composition of recent thermal waters is in perfect conformity with their geologic-tectonic positions. The composition of gas-liquid inclusions in the basic-hyperbasic xenoliths of basaltoid lavas depends on the depth from which xenoliths are supplied. (The depth is determined by using the methods of geological thermobarometers). By comparing available data the conclusion was drawn that the gas compositions of thermal waters reflect the depth of generation of deep fluid which heats them and depends on the penetration depth of the fluid-conducting fissure zones.
Radiation processed wood-polymer composites (WPC) can replace conventional wood in many industrial applications. However, for proper utilization of the composites, adequate testing and evaluation programmes are essential. The paper briefly describes the development of WPC at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay, and the evaluation of WPC for various applications in greater details. The various mechanical properties and their significance in overall performance of WPC are also discussed. (author).
The separation of humic substances by polysulfone has been done. Thisinvestigation aims at separating the humic substances contained in theestuary environment. Because of without sample pre-treatment, cheap and easythis method has been to choice. At preliminary study proved that byincreasing the pressure until 50 psia, the yield of flux was 13.5 l/m"2.jamand the reject coefficient was 90.98%, so that polysulfone membrane isappropriate to be applied. More over the pressure could be increased morethan 50 psia. The feed concentration should be lower than 150 ppm, though thevolume should be greater. The pH condition should be alkaline (pH> 7), sinceat this condition the filtration process is easily conducted and the rejectcoefficient could reach 95.09%. (author)
When labeled cAMP is incubated with isolated mitochondria from rat liver, it penetrates not only through the outer membrane of the mitochondria but also into the mitoplasts, where it is accumulated chiefly in the matrix. Damage to the mitochondrial membrane by freezing-thawing promotes not an influx but an efflux of cAMP out of the mitoplasts. A substantial part of the labeled nucleotide in all the investigated submitochondrial fractions was identified as intact cAMP by the method of thin-layer chromatography. The transport of cAMP into the mitochondria can explain the activation of their functions by the hormones that activate cytoplasmic adenylate cyclase and by extramitochondrial (cytosol) cAMP, as well as the presence of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and cAMP-phosphodiesterase in the mitochondria.
The physicochemical properties of binary lipid mixtures of diether C25,25 lipids and dipalmitoyl-L-a-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) were studied using photon correlation, fluorescence and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. These two types of lipids can be mixed at all molar ratios to form unilamellar and multilamellar liposomes. Fluorescence anisotropy of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatrien in mixed liposomes indicates that the abrupt changes in order parameter in the hydrophobic part of bilayer membranes made of DPPC lipids disappears with increasing mol%C25,25 lipids. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy shows that at temperatures below 50^oC, the interfacial regions of membrane bilayer of mixed liposomes is more fluid than for pure DPPC lipo...
Spatial Fluorescence Cross Correlation Spectroscopy is a rarely investigated version of Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy, in which the fluorescence signals from differ-ent observation volumes are cross-correlated. In the reported experiments, two observation volumes, typically shifted by a few $\\mu$m, are produced, with a Spatial Light Modulator and two adjustable pinholes. We illustrated the feasibility and potentiality of this technique by: i) measuring molecular flows, in the range 0.2 - 1.5 $\\mu$m/ms, of solutions seeded with fluorescent nanobeads or rhodamine molecules (simulating active transport phenomenons); ii) investigating the perme-ability of phospholipidic membrane of Giant Unilamellar Vesicles versus hydrophilic or hydrophobic molecules (in that case the laser spots were set on both sides of the mem-brane). Theoretical descriptions are proposed together with a discussion about FCS based, alternative methods.
Gas nitridation has shown excellent promise to form dense, electrically conductive and corrosion-resistant Cr-nitride surface layers on Ni-Cr base alloys for use as proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) bipolar plates. Due to the high cost of nickel, Fe-base bipolar plate alloys are needed to meet the cost targets for many PEMFC applications. Unfortunately, nitridation of Fe-base stainless steel alloys typically leads to internal Cr-nitride precipitation rather than the desired protective surface nitride layer formation, due to the high permeability of nitrogen in these alloys. This paper reports the finding that it is possible to form a continuous, protective Cr-nitride (CrN and Cr2N) surface layer through nitridation of Fe-base stainless steel alloys. The key to form a protective Cr...
The class of Spirochetes comprises a wide array of clinically important pathogens, including Treponema pallidum causing syphilis as well as Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease (LD). Diseases caused by spirochetes are characterized by specific sequelae of host reactions, and also by characteristic antibody response patterns. Over the last decades, research on the interaction of spirochetes with the hosts immune system had a strong emphasis on outer membrane lipoproteins. In fact, these structures have been convincingly shown to activate immune cells via CD14 and Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2, and recent data also indicate an interaction with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (LBP). In particular, the interaction of B. burgdorferi with TLR-2 could not only be demonstrated in ...
The scale-down of a liquid mini-pump (order of 10 mm) to a micrometre scale has been attempted using a novel valveless nozzle-diffuser design and new application of an organic physical vapor-deposited membrane. The micropump employs no moving parts other than the membrane and accomplishes the rectification of fluid flow due to pressure recovery differences in the nozzle and diffuser flow directions. More specifically, liquids flow with less resistance (i.e. conduct more fluid) in the diffuser direction than the nozzle direction, for a given pressure differential. At the micrometre scale, the fabrication of the critical nozzle and diffuser elements was performed by focused ion beam (FIB) microlithography of glass slides. Etched slides were sandwiched to make two-dimensional venturis. Sternme and Sternme noted the importance of a lower Reynolds Number linfit on the desired pressure recovery which challenged the fabrication of this pump design at ...
Cooling water is sprayed on the outer surface of an upper portion of a container, and a pool is formed by the cooling water flowing down while cooling the container. Further, the cooling water stored in the cooling water pool is recycled by a pump for spraying the cooling water on the outer surface of the upper portion of the container. Sufficient amount of cooling water is supplied for spraying the cooling water to the outer surface of the upper portion of the container so that the outer surface of the container is free from drying and a liquid membrane is formed on the entire surface. The amount of the cooling water is made greater than that of the cooling water evaporated when the entire amount of the heat generate in the reactor core of the reactor is transferred to the cooling water. Since the liquid membrane is formed on the entire surface of the container with no drying of the outer surface, the area of cooling surface of the container ...
Sinus lifting and reconstruction of localized alveolar defects are often required after closure of a large oroantral fistula (OAF) to allow for subsequent implant installation. This study describes a combined surgical technique that involves sinus lifting, bony closure, and reconstruction of the alveolar defect at the site of an OAF. The sinus membrane was reconstructed as a continuous layer by combining the residual sinus membrane with a rotated part of oral mucosa around the OAF. Autogenous bone from the chin and/or ramus was grafted into the prepared sinus space and alveolar defect, and the graft was covered by a buccal advancement flap. This technique was used to treat 8 patients who had large OAFs in the posterior maxillary region. The treatment was successful in all cases, and the te...
Culturing human prostate PC-3 cells for 4, 24, or 72 h in the presence of 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA), an inhibitor of arachidonic acid metabolism and cholesterol biosynthesis, markedly altered the morphology and reduced the number of mitochondria in the treated cells. Using quantitative electron microscopic morphometry, we documented changes in the number, form, area, matrix density, and integrity of the cristae and limiting membranes of mitochondria in cells cultured with ETYA. The inhibition of cholesterol synthesis or the substitution of ETYA for polyunsaturated fatty acids in the inner membrane may participate in the disruption of the mitochondria, which resembles the morphologic sequelae of oxidative stress. If sufficiently extensive, these changes could contribute to the inhibition of cellular proliferation by ETYA.