The O-H Bond Dissociation Energies of Substituted Phenols and Proton Affinities of Substituted Phenoxide Ions: A DFT Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadafumi Uchimaru

2002-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract: The accurate O-H bond dissociation enthalpies for a series of meta and para substituted phenols (X-C6H4-OH, X=H, F, Cl, CH3, OCH3, OH, NH2, CF3, CN, and NO2 have been calculated by using the (ROB3LYP procedure with 6-311G(d,p and 6-311++G(2df,2p basis sets. The proton affinities of the corresponding phenoxide ions (XC6H4-O- have also been computed at the same level of theory. The effect of change of substituent position on the energetics of substituted phenols has been analyzed. The correlations of Hammett’s substituent constants with the bond dissociation enthalpies of the O-H bonds of phenols and proton affinities of phenoxide ions have been explored.

Protein-phosphotyrosine proteome profiling by superbinder-SH2 domain affinity purification mass spectrometry, sSH2-AP-MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Jiefei; Cao, Biyin; Martyn, Gregory D; Krieger, Jonathan R; Taylor, Paul; Yates, Bradley; Sidhu, Sachdev S; Li, Shawn S C; Mao, Xinliang; Moran, Michael F

2017-03-01

Recently, "superbinder" SH2 domain variants with three amino acid substitutions (sSH2) were reported to have 100-fold or greater affinity for protein-phosphotyrosine (pY) than natural SH2 domains. Here we report a protocol in which His-tagged Src sSH2 efficiently captures pY-peptides from protease-digested HeLa cell total protein extracts. Affinity purification of pY-peptides by this method shows little bias for pY-proximal amino acid sequences, comparable to that achieved by using antibodies to pY, but with equal or higher yield. Superbinder-SH2 affinity purification mass spectrometry (sSH2-AP-MS) therefore provides an efficient and economical approach for unbiased pY-directed phospho-proteome profiling without the use of antibodies. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Higher-order momentum distributions and locally affine LDDMM registration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sommer, Stefan Horst; Nielsen, Mads; Darkner, Sune

2013-01-01

description of affine transformations and subsequent compact description of non-translational movement in a globally nonrigid deformation. The resulting representation contains directly interpretable information from both mathematical and modeling perspectives. We develop the mathematical construction......To achieve sparse parametrizations that allow intuitive analysis, we aim to represent deformation with a basis containing interpretable elements, and we wish to use elements that have the description capacity to represent the deformation compactly. To accomplish this, we introduce in this paper...... higher-order momentum distributions in the large deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping (LDDMM) registration framework. While the zeroth-order moments previously used in LDDMM only describe local displacement, the first-order momenta that are proposed here represent a basis that allows local...

Comparing Multi-Step IMAC and Multi-Step TiO2 Methods for Phosphopeptide Enrichment

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Xiaoshan; Schunter, Alissa; Hummon, Amanda B.

2016-01-01

Phosphopeptide enrichment from complicated peptide mixtures is an essential step for mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomic studies to reduce sample complexity and ionization suppression effects. Typical methods for enriching phosphopeptides include immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) or titanium dioxide (TiO2) beads, which have selective affinity and can interact with phosphopeptides. In this study, the IMAC enrichment method was compared with the TiO2 enrichment method, using a multi-step enrichment strategy from whole cell lysate, to evaluate their abilities to enrich for different types of phosphopeptides. The peptide-to-beads ratios were optimized for both IMAC and TiO2 beads. Both IMAC and TiO2 enrichments were performed for three rounds to enable the maximum extraction of phosphopeptides from the whole cell lysates. The phosphopeptides that are unique to IMAC enrichment, unique to TiO2 enrichment, and identified with both IMAC and TiO2 enrichment were analyzed for their characteristics. Both IMAC and TiO2 enriched similar amounts of phosphopeptides with comparable enrichment efficiency. However, phosphopeptides that are unique to IMAC enrichment showed a higher percentage of multi-phosphopeptides, as well as a higher percentage of longer, basic, and hydrophilic phosphopeptides. Also, the IMAC and TiO2 procedures clearly enriched phosphopeptides with different motifs. Finally, further enriching with two rounds of TiO2 from the supernatant after IMAC enrichment, or further enriching with two rounds of IMAC from the supernatant TiO2 enrichment does not fully recover the phosphopeptides that are not identified with the corresponding multi-step enrichment. PMID:26237447

High-throughput identification of higher-κ dielectrics from an amorphous N2-doped HfO2–TiO2 library

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, K.-S.; Lu, W.-C.; Wu, C.-Y.; Feng, H.-C.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Amorphous N 2 -doped HfO 2 –TiO 2 libraries were fabricated using sputtering. • Structure and quality of the dielectric and interfacial layers were investigated. • κ (54), J L < 10 −6 A/cm 2 , and equivalent oxide thickness (1 nm) were identified. - Abstract: High-throughput sputtering was used to fabricate high-quality, amorphous, thin HfO 2 –TiO 2 and N 2 -doped HfO 2 –TiO 2 (HfON–TiON) gate dielectric libraries. Electron probe energy dispersive spectroscopy was used to investigate the structures, compositions, and qualities of the dielectric and interfacial layers of these libraries to determine their electrical properties. A κ value of approximately 54, a leakage current density <10 −6 A/cm 2 , and an equivalent oxide thickness of approximately 1 nm were identified in an HfON–TiON library within a composition range of 68–80 at.% Ti. This library exhibits promise for application in highly advanced metal–oxide–semiconductor (higher-κ) gate stacks

Argonaute pull-down and RISC analysis using 2'-O-methylated oligonucleotides affinity matrices.

Science.gov (United States)

Jannot, Guillaume; Vasquez-Rifo, Alejandro; Simard, Martin J

2011-01-01

During the last decade, several novel small non-coding RNA pathways have been unveiled, which reach out to many biological processes. Common to all these pathways is the binding of a small RNA molecule to a protein member of the Argonaute family, which forms a minimal core complex called the RNA-induced silencing complex or RISC. The RISC targets mRNAs in a sequence-specific manner, either to induce mRNA cleavage through the intrinsic activity of the Argonaute protein or to abrogate protein synthesis by a mechanism that is still under investigation. We describe here, in details, a method for the affinity chromatography of the let-7 RISC starting from extracts of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Our method exploits the sequence specificity of the RISC and makes use of biotinylated and 2'-O-methylated oligonucleotides to trap and pull-down small RNAs and their associated proteins. Importantly, this technique may easily be adapted to target other small RNAs expressed in different cell types or model organisms. This method provides a useful strategy to identify the proteins associated with the RISC, and hence gain insight in the functions of small RNAs.

Solution structure of the Grb2 SH2 domain complexed with a high-affinity inhibitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogura, Kenji; Shiga, Takanori; Yokochi, Masashi; Yuzawa, Satoru; Burke, Terrence R.; Inagaki, Fuyuhiko

2008-01-01

The solution structure of the growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (Grb2) SH2 domain complexed with a high-affinity inhibitor containing a non-phosphorus phosphate mimetic within a macrocyclic platform was determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Unambiguous assignments of the bound inhibitor and intermolecular NOEs between the Grb2 SH2 domain and the inhibitor was accomplished using perdeuterated Grb2 SH2 protein. The well-defined solution structure of the complex was obtained and compared to those by X-ray crystallography. Since the crystal structure of the Grb2 SH2 domain formed a domain-swapped dimer and several inhibitors were bound to a hinge region, there were appreciable differences between the solution and crystal structures. Based on the binding interactions between the inhibitor and the Grb2 SH2 domain in solution, we proposed a design of second-generation inhibitors that could be expected to have higher affinity

Dipeptide model prodrugs for the intestinal oligopeptide transporter. Affinity for and transport via hPepT1 in the human intestinal Caco-2 cell line

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, C U; Andersen, R; Brodin, Birger

2001-01-01

-moieties for benzyl alcohol have been shown to maintain affinity for hPepT1. The primary aim of the present study was to investigate if modifications of the benzyl alcohol model drug influence the corresponding D-Glu-Ala and D-Asp-Ala model prodrugs' affinity for hPepT1 in Caco-2 cells. A second aim...... was to investigate the transepithelial transport and hydrolysis parameters for D-Asp(BnO)-Ala and D-Glu(BnO)-Ala across Caco-2 cell monolayers. In the present study, all investigated D-Asp-Ala and D-Glu-Ala model prodrugs retained various degrees of affinity for hPepT1 in Caco-2 cells. These affinities are used....... Transepithelial transport studies performed using Caco-2 cells of D-Asp(BnO)-Ala and D-Glu(BnO)-Ala showed that the K(m) for transepithelial transport was not significantly different for the two compounds. The maximal transport rate of the carrier-mediated flux component does not differ between the two model...

The synthesis of higher alcohols using modified Cu/ZnO/Al@#2@#O@#3@# catalysts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slaa, J.C.; Slaa, J.C.; van Ommen, J.G.; Ross, J.R.H.; Ross, J.R.H.

1992-01-01

This paper gives a review of research work in the synthesis of higher alcohols over catalysts based on Cu/ZnO/Al2O3, emphasizing three main topics: (i) the effect on selectivity of the addition of several compounds to this catalyst, (ii) the effect on selectivity of the reaction conditions used, and

Metal-loaded SBA-16-like silica – Correlation between basicity and affinity towards hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouargli-Saker, R.; Bouazizi, N.; Boukoussa, B.; Barrimo, Diana; Paola-Nunes-Beltrao, Ana; Azzouz, A.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Metal dispersion in longitudinal channels confers adsorption properties to SBA-16. • Both Fe"0-NPs and Cu"0-NPs seem to be responsible of this effect. • Effect of the repetitive adsorption-desorption cycles on CO_2 and water sorption. • Hydrogen storage on the functionalized materials. - Abstract: Nanoparticles of Cu"o (CuNPs) and Fe"o (FeNPs) were dispersed in SBA-16-like silica, resulting metal-loaded materials (Cu-SBA-16 and Fe-SBA-16) with improved affinity towards hydrogen. Electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that MNP dispersion occurs mainly inside SBA-16 channels. MNP incorporation was found to confer affinity to the silica surface, since higher CO_2 retention capacity (CRC) was registered Cu/SBA-16 and Fe/SBA-16. This was accompanied by a significant improvement of the affinity towards hydrogen, as supported by hydrogen adsorption tests. This was explained in terms of strong hydrogen interaction with MNP and lattice oxygen atoms. The results reported herein open new prospects for SBA-16 as potential adsorbents for hydrogen storage.

Metal-loaded SBA-16-like silica – Correlation between basicity and affinity towards hydrogen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ouargli-Saker, R. [Department of Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology, El M’naouer, BP 1505, Oran (Algeria); Nanoqam, Department of Chemistry, University of Quebec at Montreal, H3C3P8 (Canada); Bouazizi, N. [Nanoqam, Department of Chemistry, University of Quebec at Montreal, H3C3P8 (Canada); Unité de recherche, Electrochimie, Matériaux et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences de Gabès, Université de Gabès, Cité Erriadh, 6072 Gabès (Tunisia); Boukoussa, B. [Department of Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology, El M’naouer, BP 1505, Oran (Algeria); Lqamb, Laboratório de Química Analítica Ambiental, Faculdade de Química, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil); Barrimo, Diana [Nanoqam, Department of Chemistry, University of Quebec at Montreal, H3C3P8 (Canada); Paola-Nunes-Beltrao, Ana [Nanoqam, Department of Chemistry, University of Quebec at Montreal, H3C3P8 (Canada); Laboratory of Materials Chemistry L.C.M, University of Oran1 Ahmed Ben Bella, BP 1524, El-Mnaouer, 31000 Oran (Algeria); Azzouz, A., E-mail: azzouz.a@uqam.ca [Nanoqam, Department of Chemistry, University of Quebec at Montreal, H3C3P8 (Canada)

2017-07-31

Highlights: • Metal dispersion in longitudinal channels confers adsorption properties to SBA-16. • Both Fe{sup 0}-NPs and Cu{sup 0}-NPs seem to be responsible of this effect. • Effect of the repetitive adsorption-desorption cycles on CO{sub 2} and water sorption. • Hydrogen storage on the functionalized materials. - Abstract: Nanoparticles of Cu{sup o} (CuNPs) and Fe{sup o} (FeNPs) were dispersed in SBA-16-like silica, resulting metal-loaded materials (Cu-SBA-16 and Fe-SBA-16) with improved affinity towards hydrogen. Electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that MNP dispersion occurs mainly inside SBA-16 channels. MNP incorporation was found to confer affinity to the silica surface, since higher CO{sub 2} retention capacity (CRC) was registered Cu/SBA-16 and Fe/SBA-16. This was accompanied by a significant improvement of the affinity towards hydrogen, as supported by hydrogen adsorption tests. This was explained in terms of strong hydrogen interaction with MNP and lattice oxygen atoms. The results reported herein open new prospects for SBA-16 as potential adsorbents for hydrogen storage.

Two amino acid residues confer different binding affinities of Abelson family kinase SRC homology 2 domains for phosphorylated cortactin.

Science.gov (United States)

Gifford, Stacey M; Liu, Weizhi; Mader, Christopher C; Halo, Tiffany L; Machida, Kazuya; Boggon, Titus J; Koleske, Anthony J

2014-07-11

The closely related Abl family kinases, Arg and Abl, play important non-redundant roles in the regulation of cell morphogenesis and motility. Despite similar N-terminal sequences, Arg and Abl interact with different substrates and binding partners with varying affinities. This selectivity may be due to slight differences in amino acid sequence leading to differential interactions with target proteins. We report that the Arg Src homology (SH) 2 domain binds two specific phosphotyrosines on cortactin, a known Abl/Arg substrate, with over 10-fold higher affinity than the Abl SH2 domain. We show that this significant affinity difference is due to the substitution of arginine 161 and serine 187 in Abl to leucine 207 and threonine 233 in Arg, respectively. We constructed Abl SH2 domains with R161L and S187T mutations alone and in combination and find that these substitutions are sufficient to convert the low affinity Abl SH2 domain to a higher affinity "Arg-like" SH2 domain in binding to a phospho-cortactin peptide. We crystallized the Arg SH2 domain for structural comparison to existing crystal structures of the Abl SH2 domain. We show that these two residues are important determinants of Arg and Abl SH2 domain binding specificity. Finally, we expressed Arg containing an "Abl-like" low affinity mutant Arg SH2 domain (L207R/T233S) and find that this mutant, although properly localized to the cell periphery, does not support wild type levels of cell edge protrusion. Together, these observations indicate that these two amino acid positions confer different binding affinities and cellular functions on the distinct Abl family kinases. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

New inorganic (an)ion exchangers with a higher affinity for arsenate and a competitive removal capacity towards fluoride, bromate, bromide, selenate, selenite, arsenite and borate

KAUST Repository

Chubar, Natalia

2011-12-01

Highly selective materials and effective technologies are needed to meet the increasingly stronger drinking water standards for targeted ionic species. Inorganic ion exchangers based on individual and mixed-metal hydrous oxides (or mixed adsorbents that contain inorganic ion exchangers in their composition) are adsorptive materials that are capable of lowering the concentrations of anionic contaminants, such as H 2AsO 4 -, H 3AsO 3, F -, Br -, BrO 3 -, HSeO 4 -, HSeO 3 - and H 3BO 3, to 10 μg/L or less. To achieve a higher selectivity towards arsenate, a new ion exchanger based on Mg-Al hydrous oxides was developed by a novel, cost-effective and environmentally friendly synthesis method via a non-traditional (alkoxide-free) sol-gel approach. The exceptional adsorptive capacity of the Mg-Al hydrous oxides towards H 2AsO 4 - (up to 200 mg[As]/gdw) is due to the high affinity of this sorbent towards arsenate (steep equilibrium isotherms) and its fast adsorption kinetics. Because of the mesoporous (as determined by N 2 adsorption and SEM) and layered (as determined by XRD and FTIR) structure of the ion-exchange material as well as the abundance of anion exchange sites (as determined by XPS and potentiometric titration) on its surface the material demonstrated very competitive (or very high) removal capacity towards other targeted anions, including fluoride, bromide, bromate, selenate, selenite, and borate. © 2011 IWA Publishing.

Influences of Mg Doping on the Electrochemical Performance of TiO2 Nanodots Based Biosensor Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. S. H. Al-Furjan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Electrochemical biosensors are essential for health monitors to help in diagnosis and detection of diseases. Enzyme adsorptions on biosensor electrodes and direct electron transfer between them have been recognized as key factors to affect biosensor performance. TiO2 has a good protein adsorption ability and facilitates having more enzyme adsorption and better electron transfer. In this work, Mg ions are introduced into TiO2 nanodots in order to further improve electrode performance because Mg ions are considered to have good affinity with proteins or enzymes. Mg doped TiO2 nanodots on Ti substrates were prepared by spin-coating and calcining. The effects of Mg doping on the nanodots morphology and performance of the electrodes were investigated. The density and size of TiO2 nanodots were obviously changed with Mg doping. The sensitivity of 2% Mg doped TiO2 nanodots based biosensor electrode increased to 1377.64 from 897.8 µA mM−1 cm−2 and its KMapp decreases to 0.83 from 1.27 mM, implying that the enzyme achieves higher catalytic efficiency due to better affinity of the enzyme with the Mg doped TiO2. The present work could provide an alternative to improve biosensor performances.

The synthesis of higher alcohols using modified Cu/ZnO/Al@#2@#O@#3@# catalysts

OpenAIRE

Slaa, J.C.; Slaa, J.C.; van Ommen, J.G.; Ross, J.R.H.; Ross, J.R.H.

1992-01-01

This paper gives a review of research work in the synthesis of higher alcohols over catalysts based on Cu/ZnO/Al2O3, emphasizing three main topics: (i) the effect on selectivity of the addition of several compounds to this catalyst, (ii) the effect on selectivity of the reaction conditions used, and (iii) the reaction network leading to the different products found. Although the use of alkali compounds has been studied most extensively, other compounds, for example those containing manganese,...

Correlated ab initio calculations of spectroscopic parameters of SnO within the framework of the higher-order generalized Douglas-Kroll transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, Alexander; Reiher, Markus; Hess, Bernd Artur

2004-05-08

The first molecular calculations with the generalized Douglas-Kroll method up to fifth order in the external potential (DKH5) are presented. We study the spectroscopic parameters and electron affinity of the tin oxide molecule SnO and its anion SnO(-) applying nonrelativistic as well as relativistic calculations with higher orders of the DK approximation. In order to guarantee highly accurate results close to the basis set limit, an all-electron basis for Sn of at least quintuple-zeta quality has been constructed and optimized. All-electron CCSD(T) calculations of the potential energy curves of both SnO and SnO(-) reproduce the experimental values very well. Relative energies and valence properties are already well described with the established standard second-order approximation DKH2 and the higher-order corrections DKH3-DKH5 hardly affect these quantities. However, an accurate description of total energies and inner-shell properties requires superior relativistic schemes up to DKH5. (c) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

High-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy of TiO3H2-: Probing the TiO2- + H2O dissociative adduct

Science.gov (United States)

DeVine, Jessalyn A.; Abou Taka, Ali; Babin, Mark C.; Weichman, Marissa L.; Hratchian, Hrant P.; Neumark, Daniel M.

2018-06-01

Slow electron velocity-map imaging spectroscopy of cryogenically cooled TiO3H2- anions is used to probe the simplest titania/water reaction, TiO20/- + H2O. The resultant spectra show vibrationally resolved structure assigned to detachment from the cis-dihydroxide TiO(OH)2- geometry based on density functional theory calculations, demonstrating that for the reaction of the anionic TiO2- monomer with a single water molecule, the dissociative adduct (where the water is split) is energetically preferred over a molecularly adsorbed geometry. This work represents a significant improvement in resolution over previous measurements, yielding an electron affinity of 1.2529(4) eV as well as several vibrational frequencies for neutral TiO(OH)2. The energy resolution of the current results combined with photoelectron angular distributions reveals Herzberg-Teller coupling-induced transitions to Franck-Condon forbidden vibrational levels of the neutral ground state. A comparison to the previously measured spectrum of bare TiO2- indicates that reaction with water stabilizes neutral TiO2 more than the anion, providing insight into the fundamental chemical interactions between titania and water.

Repairable and nonrepairable inactivation of irradiated aqueous papain: effect of OH, O2-, e/sub aq-/, and H2O2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, W.S.; Clement, J.R.; Gaucher, G.M.; Armstrong, D.A.

1975-01-01

Repairable inactivation of papain irradiated in dilute aqueous solutions saturated with air or nitrous oxide is caused predominantly by reversible oxidation of Cys 25 SH by H 2 O 2 . The same process occurs in nitrogen-saturated solutions but the yield of repairable product decreases at higher doses, probably because of the consumption of H 2 O 2 by intermediates formed from e - /sub aq/ and papain. The OH radical produces only nonrepairable damage, with the fraction of the OH radical causing nonrepairable inactivation (f/sub OH//sup n.r./) equal to 0.1 and this is accompanied by, if not solely due to, SH loss. The O 2 - radical with f/sub O 2 //sup -n.r. = 0.4 also causes nonrepairable damage resulting from or accompanied by SH loss. In addition, there is evidence that every O 2 - reacts with papain to produce a hydrogen peroxide molecule, thus causing a marked increase in the repairable yield. The solvated electron for which f/sub e//Sup n.r./ is 0.07 does not appear to destroy Cys 25 SH, and must, therefore, inactivate papain by damaging other essential residues or changing the active site geometry. The inactivation yields for the present papain solutions prepared by affinity chromatography are compared with other work. Discrepancies in previous determinations of sulfhydryl loss are attributed to the special properties of the sulfenic acid product of the H 2 O 2 -papain reaction and its different effects on pHMB and DTNB assays. (U.S.)

IA-2 autoantibody affinity in children at risk for type 1 diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Krause, Stephanie; Chmiel, Ruth; Bonifacio, Ezio; Scholz, Marlon; Powell, Michael; Furmaniak, Jadwiga; Rees Smith, Bernard; Ziegler, Anette-G; Achenbach, Peter

2012-12-01

Autoantibodies to insulinoma-associated protein 2 (IA-2A) are associated with increased risk for type 1 diabetes. Here we examined IA-2A affinity and epitope specificity to assess heterogeneity in response intensity in relation to pathogenesis and diabetes risk in 50 children who were prospectively followed from birth. At first IA-2A appearance, affinity ranged from 10(7) to 10(11)L/mol and was high (>1.0×10(9)L/mol) in 41 (82%) children. IA-2A affinity was not associated with epitope specificity or HLA class II haplotype. On follow-up, affinity increased or remained high, and IA-2A were commonly against epitopes within the protein tyrosine phosphatase-like IA-2 domain and the homologue protein IA-2β. IA-2A were preceded or accompanied by other islet autoantibodies in 49 (98%) children, of which 34 progressed to diabetes. IA-2A affinity did not stratify diabetes risk. In conclusion, the IA-2A response in children is intense with rapid maturation against immunogenic epitopes and a strong association with diabetes development. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the ER-Targeted Low Affinity Ca2+ Probe D4ER

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Elisa Greotti

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Calcium ion (Ca2+ is a ubiquitous intracellular messenger and changes in its concentration impact on nearly every aspect of cell life. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER represents the major intracellular Ca2+ store and the free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+] within its lumen ([Ca2+]ER can reach levels higher than 1 mM. Several genetically-encoded ER-targeted Ca2+ sensors have been developed over the last years. However, most of them are non-ratiometric and, thus, their signal is difficult to calibrate in live cells and is affected by shifts in the focal plane and artifactual movements of the sample. On the other hand, existing ratiometric Ca2+ probes are plagued by different drawbacks, such as a double dissociation constant (Kd for Ca2+, low dynamic range, and an affinity for the cation that is too high for the levels of [Ca2+] in the ER lumen. Here, we report the characterization of a recently generated ER-targeted, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET-based, Cameleon probe, named D4ER, characterized by suitable Ca2+ affinity and dynamic range for monitoring [Ca2+] variations within the ER. As an example, resting [Ca2+]ER have been evaluated in a known paradigm of altered ER Ca2+ homeostasis, i.e., in cells expressing a mutated form of the familial Alzheimer’s Disease-linked protein Presenilin 2 (PS2. The lower Ca2+ affinity of the D4ER probe, compared to that of the previously generated D1ER, allowed the detection of a conspicuous, more clear-cut, reduction in ER Ca2+ content in cells expressing mutated PS2, compared to controls.

Mobile Technology Affinity in Renal Transplant Recipients.

Science.gov (United States)

Reber, S; Scheel, J; Stoessel, L; Schieber, K; Jank, S; Lüker, C; Vitinius, F; Grundmann, F; Eckardt, K-U; Prokosch, H-U; Erim, Y

Medication nonadherence is a common problem in renal transplant recipients (RTRs). Mobile health approaches to improve medication adherence are a current trend, and several medication adherence apps are available. However, it is unknown whether RTRs use these technologies and to what extent. In the present study, the mobile technology affinity of RTRs was analyzed. We hypothesized significant age differences in mobile technology affinity and that mobile technology affinity is associated with better cognitive functioning as well as higher educational level. A total of 109 RTRs (63% male) participated in the cross-sectional study, with an overall mean age of 51.8 ± 14.2 years. The study included the Technology Experience Questionnaire (TEQ) for the assessment of mobile technology affinity, a cognitive test battery, and sociodemographic data. Overall, 57.4% of the patients used a smartphone or tablet and almost 45% used apps. The TEQ sum score was 20.9 in a possible range from 6 (no affinity to technology) to 30 (very high affinity). Younger patients had significantly higher scores in mobile technology affinity. The only significant gender difference was found in having fun with using electronic devices: Men enjoyed technology more than women did. Mobile technology affinity was positively associated with cognitive functioning and educational level. Young adult patients might profit most from mobile health approaches. Furthermore, high educational level and normal cognitive functioning promote mobile technology affinity. This should be kept in mind when designing mobile technology health (mHealth) interventions for RTRs. For beneficial mHealth interventions, further research on potential barriers and desired technologic features is necessary to adapt apps to patients' needs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hemoglobin affinity in Andean rodents

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HRVOJ OSTOJIC

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Blood hemoglobin oxygen affinity (P50 was measured in three Andean species and in the laboratory rat (control, all raised near sea level. Chinchilla lanigera (Molina, 1792 has an altitudinal habitat range from low Andean slopes up to 3000 m., while Chinchilla brevicaudata (Waterhouse, 1848 has an altitudinal range from 3000 to 5000 m. The laboratory type guinea pig, wild type guinea pig (Cavia porcellus, (Waterhouse, 1748, and laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus were also raised at sea level. The Andean species had high hemoglobin oxygen affinities (low P50 compared with the rat. Chinchilla brevicaudata had a higher affinity than Chinchilla lanigera. The wild type guinea pig had a higher affinity than the laboratory type. As has been shown in other species, this is another example of an inverse correlation between the altitude level and the P50 values. This is the first hemoglobin oxygen affinity study in Chinchilla brevicaudata.

Homogeneity of peraluminous SiO2-B2O3-Al2O3-Na2O-CaO-Nd2O3 glasses: Effect of neodymium content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gasnier, E.; Bardez-Giboire, I.; Massoni, N.; Montouillout, V.; Pellerin, N.; Allix, M.; Ory, S.; Cabie, M.; Poissonnet, S.; Massiot, D.

2014-01-01

Considering the interest of developing new glass matrices able to immobilize higher concentration of high level nuclear wastes than currently used nuclear borosilicate compositions, glasses containing high rare earth contents are of particular interest. This study focuses on a peraluminous alumino borosilicate system SiO 2 -B 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 -Na 2 O-CaO-Nd 2 O 3 defined by a per-alkaline/peraluminous ratio RP = ([Na 2 O] + [CaO])/ ([Na 2 O] + [CaO] + [Al 2 O 3 ]) ≤ 0.5. Samples with various contents of Nd 2 O 3 from 0 to 10 mol% were studied using DSC, XRD, SEM, TEM, STEM and EMPA methods. The glasses present a high thermal stability even after a slow cooling treatment from the melt. Only a slight mullite crystallization is detected for low Nd 2 O 3 content (≤2.3 mol%) and crystallization of a neodymium borosilicate crystalline phase combined to a phase separation occurred at high Nd 2 O 3 content (≥8 mol%). The solubility of neodymium in the presence of aluminum is demonstrated, with higher neodymium incorporation amounts than in per-alkaline glasses. (authors)

A Family of Finite-Dimensional Representations of Generalized Double Affine Hecke Algebras of Higher Rank

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Yuchen; Shelley-Abrahamson, Seth

2016-06-01

We give explicit constructions of some finite-dimensional representations of generalized double affine Hecke algebras (GDAHA) of higher rank using R-matrices for U_q(sl_N). Our construction is motivated by an analogous construction of Silvia Montarani in the rational case. Using the Drinfeld-Kohno theorem for Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov differential equations, we prove that the explicit representations we produce correspond to Montarani's representations under a monodromy functor introduced by Etingof, Gan, and Oblomkov.

Importance of Hypervariable Region 2 for Stability and Affinity of a Shark Single-Domain Antibody Specific for Ebola Virus Nucleoprotein.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George P Anderson

Full Text Available Single-domain antibodies derived from the unique New Antigen Receptor found in sharks have numerous potential applications, ranging from diagnostic reagents to therapeutics. Shark-derived single-domain antibodies possess the same characteristic ability to refold after heat denaturation found in single-domain antibodies derived from camelid heavy-chain-only antibodies. Recently, two shark derived single-domain antibodies specific for the nucleoprotein of Ebola virus were described. Our evaluation confirmed their high affinity for the nucleoprotein, but found their melting temperatures to be low relative to most single-domain antibodies. Our first approach towards improving their stability was grafting antigen-binding regions (complementarity determining regions of one of these single-domain antibodies onto a high melting temperature shark single-domain antibody. This resulted in two variants: one that displayed excellent affinity with a low melting temperature, while the other had poor affinity but a higher melting temperature. These new proteins, however, differed in only 3 amino acids within the complementarity determining region 2 sequence. In shark single-domain antibodies, the complementarity determining region 2 is often referred to as hypervariable region 2, as this segment of the antibody domain is truncated compared to the sequence in camelid single-domain antibodies and conventional heavy chain variable domains. To elucidate which of the three amino acids or combinations thereof were responsible for the affinity and stability we made the 6 double and single point mutants that covered the intermediates between these two clones. We found a single amino acid change that achieved a 10°C higher melting temperature while maintaining sub nM affinity. This research gives insights into the impact of the shark sdAb hypervariable 2 region on both stability and affinity.

Antibody affinity maturation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skjødt, Mette Louise

Yeast surface display is an effective tool for antibody affinity maturation because yeast can be used as an all-in-one workhorse to assemble, display and screen diversified antibody libraries. By employing the natural ability of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to efficiently recombine multiple DNA...... laboratory conditions. A particular emphasis was put on using molecular techniques in conjunction with microenvironmental measurements (O2, pH, irradiance), a combination that is rarely found but provides a much more detailed understanding of “cause and effect” in complex natural systems...

Toxic metals (Ni2+, Pb2+, Hg2+) binding affinity of dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from different ages municipal landfill leachate

Science.gov (United States)

Rikta, S. Y.; Tareq, Shafi M.; Uddin, M. Khabir

2018-03-01

Solid waste production is rapidly increasing in Bangladesh and landfill leachate is the consequence of the decomposition of this waste. These leachates contain heavy metals and significant amount of dissolved organic matter (DOM). DOM is known to have considerable role in heavy metals speciation. Hence, it is important to characterize DOM/leachate and evaluate toxic metals binding affinity of DOM. The objectives of this study were to characterize the DOM in landfill leachate through physico-chemical and optical analyses and to investigate the toxic metals (Ni2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+) binding affinity of three different ages (fresh sample L-1, young sample L-2 and mature sample L-3) DOM samples. Results suggested that leachate is a potential pollutant which contained very high organic pollutant load. Conditional stability constant (Log K) and percentages of fluorophores that correspond to metal binding (% f) values indicated that young DOM sample (L-2) had the highest binding affinity to all the three metals ions. In general, DOM samples showed the following order affinity to the metal ions; Ni2+ binding affinity: L-2 > L-3 > L-1, Pb2+ binding affinity: L-2 > L-3 > L-1 and Hg2+ binding affinity: L-2 > L-1 > L-3.

[3H]-DOB(4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenylisopropylamine) and [3H] ketanserin label two affinity states of the cloned human 5-hydroxytryptamine2 receptor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Branchek, T.; Adham, N.; Macchi, M.; Kao, H.T.; Hartig, P.R.

1990-01-01

The binding properties of the 5-hydroxytryptamine2 (5-HT2) receptor have been the subject of much interest and debate in recent years. The hallucinogenic amphetamine derivative 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenylisopropylamine (DOB) has been shown to bind to a small number of binding sites with properties very similar to [3H]ketanserin-labeled 5-HT2 receptors, but with much higher agonist affinities. Some researchers have interpreted this as evidence for the existence of a new subtype of 5-HT2 receptor (termed 5-HT2A), whereas others have interpreted these data as indicative of agonist high affinity and agonist low affinity states for the 5-HT2 receptor. In this investigation, a cDNA clone encoding the serotonin 5-HT2 receptor was transiently transfected into monkey kidney Cos-7 cells and stably transfected into mouse fibroblast L-M(TK-) cells. In both systems, expression of this single serotonin receptor cDNA led to the appearance of both [3H]DOB and [3H]ketanserin binding sites with properties that matched their binding characteristics in mammalian brain homogenates. Addition of guanosine 5'-(beta, gamma-imido) triphosphate [Gpp(NH)p] to this system caused a rightward shift and steepening of agonist competition curves for [3H] ketanserin binding, converting a two-site binding curve to a single low affinity binding state. Gpp(NH)p addition also caused a 50% decrease in the number of high affinity [3H]DOB binding sites, with no change in the dissociation constant of the remaining high affinity states. These data on a single human 5-HT2 receptor cDNA expressed in two different transfection host cells indicate that [3H]DOB and [3H]ketanserin binding reside on the same gene product, apparently interacting with agonist and antagonist conformations of a single human 5-HT2 receptor protein

Characterization of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor beta-arrestin 2 interaction: a high-affinity receptor phenotype

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jorgensen, Rasmus; Martini, Lene; Schwartz, Thue W

2005-01-01

To dissect the interaction between beta-arrestin ((beta)arr) and family B G protein-coupled receptors, we constructed fusion proteins between the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor and (beta)arr2. The fusion constructs had an increase in apparent affinity selectively for glucagon, suggesting...... that (beta)arr2 interaction locks the receptor in a high-affinity conformation, which can be explored by some, but not all, ligands. The fusion constructs adopted a signaling phenotype governed by the tethered (beta)arr2 with an attenuated G protein-mediated cAMP signal and a higher maximal internalization...... of that which has previously been characterized for family A G protein-coupled receptors, suggesting similarities in the effect of (beta)arr interaction between family A and B receptors also at the molecular level....

Genetically based low oxygen affinities of felid hemoglobins: lack of biochemical adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia in the snow leopard

Science.gov (United States)

Janecka, Jan E.; Nielsen, Simone S. E.; Andersen, Sidsel D.; Hoffmann, Federico G.; Weber, Roy E.; Anderson, Trevor; Storz, Jay F.; Fago, Angela

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Genetically based modifications of hemoglobin (Hb) function that increase blood–O2 affinity are hallmarks of hypoxia adaptation in vertebrates. Among mammals, felid Hbs are unusual in that they have low intrinsic O2 affinities and reduced sensitivities to the allosteric cofactor 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG). This combination of features compromises the acclimatization capacity of blood–O2 affinity and has led to the hypothesis that felids have a restricted physiological niche breadth relative to other mammals. In seeming defiance of this conjecture, the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) has an extraordinarily broad elevational distribution and occurs at elevations above 6000 m in the Himalayas. Here, we characterized structural and functional variation of big cat Hbs and investigated molecular mechanisms of Hb adaptation and allosteric regulation that may contribute to the extreme hypoxia tolerance of the snow leopard. Experiments revealed that purified Hbs from snow leopard and African lion exhibited equally low O2 affinities and DPG sensitivities. Both properties are primarily attributable to a single amino acid substitution, β2His→Phe, which occurred in the common ancestor of Felidae. Given the low O2 affinity and reduced regulatory capacity of feline Hbs, the extreme hypoxia tolerance of snow leopards must be attributable to compensatory modifications of other steps in the O2-transport pathway. PMID:26246610

Interaction between alkaline earth cations and oxo-ligands. DFT study of the affinity of the Ca2+ cation for carbonyl ligands.

Science.gov (United States)

da Costa, Leonardo Moreira; Carneiro, José Walkimar de Mesquita; Romeiro, Gilberto Alves; Paes, Lilian Weitzel Coelho

2011-02-01

The affinity of the Ca(2+) ion for a set of substituted carbonyl ligands was analyzed with both the DFT (B3LYP/6-31+G(d)) and semi-empirical (PM6) methods. Two types of ligands were studied: a set of monosubstituted [O=CH(R)] and a set of disubstituted ligands [O=C(R)(2)] (R=H, F, Cl, Br, OH, OCH(3), CH(3), CN, NH(2) and NO(2)), with R either directly bound to the carbonyl carbon atom or to the para position of a phenyl ring. The interaction energy was calculated to quantify the affinity of the Ca(2+) cation for the ligands. Geometric and electronic parameters were correlated with the intensity of the metal-ligand interaction. The electronic nature of the substituent is the main parameter that determines the interaction energy. Donor groups make the interaction energy more negative (stabilizing the complex formed), while acceptor groups make the interaction energy less negative (destabilizing the complex formed).

Higher spin currents in the critical O(N) vector model at 1/N2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manashov, A.N.; Strohmaier, M.

2017-06-01

We calculate the anomalous dimensions of higher spin singlet currents in the critical O(N) vector model at order 1/N 2 . The results are shown to be in agreement with the four-loop perturbative computation in φ 4 theory in 4-2ε dimensions. It is known that the order 1/N anomalous dimensions of higher-spin currents happen to be the same in the Gross-Neveu and the critical vector model. On the contrary, the order 1/N 2 corrections are different. The results can also be interpreted as a prediction for the two-loop computation in the dual higher-spin gravity.

Affinity of Smectite and Divalent Metal Ions (Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Cu(2+)) with L-leucine: An Experimental and Theoretical Approach Relevant to Astrobiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, Pramod; Pant, Chandra Kala; Gururani, Kavita; Arora, Priyanka; Pandey, Neetu; Bhatt, Preeti; Sharma, Yogesh; Negi, Jagmohan Singh; Mehata, Mohan Singh

2015-12-01

Earth is the only known planet bestowed with life. Several attempts have been made to explore the pathways of the origin of life on planet Earth. The search for the chemistry which gave rise to life has given answers related to the formation of biomonomers, and their adsorption on solid surfaces has gained much attention for the catalysis and stabilization processes related to the abiotic chemical evolution of the complex molecules of life. In this communication, surface interactions of L-leucine (Leu) on smectite (SMT) group of clay (viz. bentonite and montmorillonite) and their divalent metal ion (Mg(2+), Ca(2+) and Cu(2+)) incorporated on SMT has been studied to find the optimal conditions of time, pH, and concentration at ambient temperature (298 K). The progress of adsorption was followed spectrophotometrically and further characterized by FTIR, SEM/EDS and XRD. Leu, a neutral/non polar amino acid, was found to have more affinity in its zwitterionic form towards Cu(2+)- exchanged SMT and minimal affinity for Mg(2+)- exchanged SMT. The vibrational frequency shifts of -NH3 (+) and -COO(-) favor Van der Waal's forces during the course of surface interaction. Quantum calculations using density functional theory (DFT) have been applied to investigate the absolute value of metal ion affinities of Leu (Leu-M(2+) complex, M = Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Cu(2+)) with the help of their physico-chemical parameters. The hydration effect on the relative stability and geometry of the individual species of Leu-M(2+) × (H2O)n, (n =2 and 4) has also been evaluated within the supermolecule approach. Evidence gathered from investigations of surface interactions, divalent metal ions affinities and hydration effects with biomolecules may be important for better understanding of chemical evolution, the stabilization of biomolecules on solid surfaces and biomolecular-metal interactions. These results may have implications for understanding the origin of life and the preservation of

Fatty acid and drug binding to a low-affinity component of human serum albumin, purified by affinity chromatography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vorum, H; Pedersen, A O; Honoré, B

1992-01-01

Binding equilibria for decanoate to a defatted, commercially available human serum albumin preparation were investigated by dialysis exchange rate determinations. The binding isotherm could not be fitted by the general binding equation. It was necessary to assume that the preparation was a mixture...... of two albumin components about 40% of the albumin having high affinity and about 60% having low affinity. By affinity chromatography we succeeded in purifying the low-affinity component from the mixture. The high-affinity component, however, could not be isolated. We further analyzed the fatty acid...... and drug binding abilities of the low-affinity component. The fatty acids decanoate, laurate, myristate and palmitate were bound with higher affinity to the mixture than to the low-affinity component. Diazepam was bound with nearly the same affinity to the low-affinity component as to the albumin mixture...

Fire increases the risk of higher soil N2O emissions from Mediterranean Macchia ecosystems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karhu, Kristiina; Dannenmann, M.; Kitzler, B.

2015-01-01

on climate change. However, the potential importance of indirect GHG emissions due to changes in soil biological and chemical properties after fire is less well known. Increased soil mineral nitrogen (N) concentrations after fire pose a risk for increased emissions of gaseous N, but studies on the post......-fire N2O production and soil N turnover rates (mineralization, nitrification, microbial immobilization, denitrification) are still rare. We determined N2O production, rates of N turnover and pathways for N2O production from the soil of burned and unburned plots of a Macchia shrubland in central Spain...... using a 15N labelling approach. Measurements were initiated before the controlled burning and continued for up to half a year after fire. Fire markedly increased the risk of N2O emissions from soil through denitrification (N2O production rate was 3 to ≈30 times higher in burned soils compared to control...

Thermokinetic model of borosilicate glass dissolution: contextual affinity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Advocat, T.; Vernaz, E.; Crovisier, J.L.; Fritz, B.

1989-01-01

Short and long-term geochemical interactions of R7T7 nuclear glass with water at 100 0 C were simulated with the DISSOL thermokinetic computer code. Both the dissolved glass quantity and the resulting water composition, saturation states and mineral quantities produced were calculated as a function of time. The rate equation used in the simulation was first proposed by Aagaard and Helgeson. It simulates a gradually diminishing dissolution rate as the reaction affinity diminishes. The best agreement with 1-year experimental data was obtained with a reaction affinity calculated from silica activity (Grambow's hypothesis) rather than taking into account the activity of all the glass components as proposed by Jantzen and Plodinec. The concept of residual affinity was introduced by Grambow to express the fact that the glass dissolution rate does not cease. We prefer to replace the term residual affinity by contextual affinity, which expresses the influence on the dissolution rate of three factors: the solution chemistry, the metastability of SiO 2 (m), and the possible precipitation of certain aluminosilicates such as zeolites. 19 refs

The phenomenon of phase separated in Na2O-B2O3-SiO2, Na2O-SiO2-P2O5 glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Procyk, B.; Bieniarz, P.; Plichta, E.; Pudelek, B.; Kucinski, G.; Staniewicz-Brudnik, B.

1997-01-01

During the thermal treatment, the phenomenon of phase separation has been observed in the some glasses. The glass has became opaque, due to the opalescence of phase separated. Investigations of the phenomenon of phase separation were conducted using the basic systems: Na 2 O-B 2 O 3 -SiO 2 , Na 2 O-SiO 2 -P 2 O 5 and theirs modifications. The occurrence of binodal and spinodal phase decomposition was observed by TEM. The phase separation inhomogeneities have drop-like character and with higher concentration shows a tendency for coalescence. The influence of the chemical composition, temperature and time on the phenomenon of phase separation in the investigated glasses has been defined. (author)

Experimental and theoretical study about sulfur deactivation of Ni/ CeO{sub 2} and Rh/CeO{sub 2} catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ocsachoque, Marco A., E-mail: ocmarco@quimica.unlp.edu.ar [Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas “Dr Jorge J. Ronco”, (CONICET, CCT La Plata), Departamento de Química, Facultad de Cs Exactas (UNLP), Calle 48 N° 257, 1900 La Plata (Argentina); Eugenio Russman, Juan I.; Irigoyen, Beatriz [Instituto de Tecnologías del Hidrógeno y Energías Sostenibles (ITHES), Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Ingeniería (UBA), Buenos Aires (Argentina); Gazzoli, Delia [Dipartimento di Chimia, Universitá di Roma “La Sapienza”, Roma (Italy); González, María G. [Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas “Dr Jorge J. Ronco”, (CONICET, CCT La Plata), Departamento de Química, Facultad de Cs Exactas (UNLP), Calle 48 N° 257, 1900 La Plata (Argentina)

2016-04-01

Sulfur deactivation of Ni/CeO{sub 2} and Rh/CeO{sub 2} catalysts were examined through an experimental and theoretical study. These catalysts were characterized by N{sub 2} adsorption, X-ray diffraction, temperature programmed reaction, thermogravimetric analysis, Uv–visible spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, and tested under the methane dry reforming reaction in the presence of H{sub 2}S. On the other hand, different possible interactions of sulfur with Rh, Ni or surface sites of the CeO{sub 2} support were evaluated by performing energy calculations with the density functional theory (DFT). Overall, the results indicate that tolerance to sulfur of Rh/CeO{sub 2} catalyst is higher than that of Ni/CeO{sub 2} one. In this sense, TPR measurements show that reduction of CeO{sub 2} is promoted by the presence of Rh. This effect, probably caused by hydrogen spillover to CeO{sub 2} support during the reduction of RhO{sub x} species, could be linked to a high oxygen donation capacity of Rh/CeO{sub 2} catalysts. Accordingly, the O{sup 2−} species existing on Rh/CeO{sub 2} catalysts, revealed by Raman spectra of these samples, could favor sulfur oxidation and prevent Rh–S interactions. Likewise, the theoretical calculations show that desorption of S–O species from Rh/CeO{sub 2} system is more favorable than that from Ni/CeO{sub 2} one. Therefore, our experimental and theoretical study about sulfur deactivation of Ni and Rh supported on CeO{sub 2} allow us to postulate that Rh can help to desorb SO{sub x} species formed on the support, retarding sulfur poisoning of the Rh/CeO{sub 2} catalysts. - Highlights: • CeO{sub 2} support can act as a sacrifice trap decreasing sulfur poisoning. • Theoretical calculations indicate an important nickel affinity with sulfur. • Rh would favor desorption of S–O species formed on the support. • The O{sup 2−} species present on the Rh–CeO{sub 2} sample favor sulfur removal.

Preparation of ZnO-SnO2 ceramic materials by a coprecipitation method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caballero, A. C.

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Tin (IV-doped zinc oxide ceramics find its main application as specific gas sensor devices. The sensor ability of the mixture and its particular affinity for a particular gas (selectivity depends both on the crystalline phases in the microstructure of the sintered semiconductor and on the degree of tin incorporation into ZnO lattice. By means of a highly reactive coprecipitation method it is revealed that the range of solid solution of tin in zinc oxide stays below 0.1 mol % of SnO2 since higher concentrations lead to segregation of a secondary Zn2SnO4 spinel type-phase.Los materiales cerámicos basados en óxido de cinc dopado con estaño (IV encuentran su principal aplicación como dispositivos sensores específicos de gases. La capacidad sensora de la mezcla de óxidos y su particular afinidad por un determinado gas específico (selectividad es función directa de cuáles sean las fases cristalinas presentes en la microestructura del semiconductor sinterizado, así como del grado de incorporación del estaño en la red del ZnO. La obtención del polvo cerámico de partida por un método de coprecipitación altamente reactivo revela que el rango de solución sólida del estaño en el óxido de cinc se encuentra por debajo del 0.1 % en moles de SnO2; concentraciones superiores llevan a la segregación de una fase secundaria, Zn2SnO4, con estructura de tipo espinela.

[Zn(phen)(O,N,O)(H2O)] and [Zn(phen)(O,N)(H2O)] with O,N,O is 2,6-dipicolinate and N,O is L-threoninate: synthesis, characterization, and biomedical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Chin, Lee-Fang; Kong, Siew-Ming; Seng, Hoi-Ling; Tiong, Yee-Lian; Neo, Kian-Eang; Maah, Mohd Jamil; Khoo, Alan Soo-Beng; Ahmad, Munirah; Hor, Tzi-Sum Andy; Lee, Hong-Boon; San, Swee-Lan; Chye, Soi-Moi; Ng, Chew-Hee

2012-10-01

Two ternary Zn(II) complexes, with 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) as the main ligand and a carboxylate-containing ligand [dipicolinate (dipico) or L-threoninate (L-Thr)] as the subsidiary ligand, were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform IR, UV, and fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, molar conductivity, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. X-ray structure analysis shows that both [Zn(phen)(dipico)(H(2)O)]·H(2)O (1) and [Zn(phen)(L-Thr)(H(2)O)Cl]·2H(2)O (2) have octahedral geometry about the Zn(II) atom. Both complexes can inhibit topoisomerase I, and have better anticancer activity than cisplatin against nasopharyngeal cancer cell lines, HK1 and HONE-1, with concentrations causing 50 % inhibition of cell proliferation (IC(50)) in the low micromolar range. Complex 2 has the highest therapeutic index for HK1. Both Zn(II) complexes can induce cell death by apoptosis. Changing the subsidiary ligand in the Zn(II) complexes affects the UV-fluorescence spectral properties of the coordinated phen ligand, the binding affinity for some DNA sequences, nucleobase sequence-selective binding, the phase at which cell cycle progression was arrested for treated cancer cells, and their therapeutic index.

One-pot synthesis of porphyrin functionalized γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanocomposites as peroxidase mimics for H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and glucose detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Qingyun, E-mail: qyliu@sdust.edu.cn; Zhang, Leyou; Li, Hui; Jia, Qingyan; Jiang, Yanling; Yang, Yanting; Zhu, Renren

2015-10-01

Meso-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)-porphyrin-functionalized γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles (H{sub 2}TCPP-γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) were successfully prepared by one-pot method under hydrothermal conditions and were found to possess intrinsic peroxidase-like activity. The H{sub 2}TCPP-γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanocomposites can catalytically oxidize peroxidase substrate 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} to produce a blue color reaction, which can be easily observed by the naked eye. Furthermore, kinetic studies indicate that the H{sub 2}TCPP-γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanocomposites have an even higher affinity to TMB than that of the natural enzyme, horseradish peroxidase (HRP). On the basis of the high activity, the reaction provides a simple, sensitive and selective method for colorimetric detection of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} over a range of 10–100 μM with a minimum detection limit of 1.73 μM. Moreover, H{sub 2}TCPP-γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/glucose oxidase (GOx)/TMB system provides a novel colorimetric sensor for glucose and shows good response toward glucose detection over a range of 5–25 μM with a minimum detection limit of 2.54 μM. The results indicated that it is a simple, cheap, convenient, highly selective, sensitive and easy handling colorimetric assay. Results of a fluorescent probe suggest that the catalase-mimic activity of the H{sub 2}TCPP-γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanocomposites effectively catalyze the decomposition of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} into H{sub 2}O and O{sub 2}. - Graphical abstract: 5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(4-carboxyl phenyl)-porphyrin (H{sub 2}TCPP)-γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanocomposites were demonstrated to possess intrinsic peroxidase-like activity and showed a higher catalytic activity, compared to that of γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles alone. - Highlights: • Porphyrin-functionalized γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles were prepared by one-pot method. • The porphyrin-γ-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanocomposites were found to possess

Fullerene C70 decorated TiO2 nanowires for visible-light-responsive photocatalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Er-Chieh; Ciou, Jing-Hao; Zheng, Jia-Huei; Pan, Job; Hsiao, Yu-Sheng; Lee, Kuen-Chan; Huang, Jen-Hsien

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • TiO 2 nanowire decorated with C 60 and C 70 derivatives has been synthesized. • The fullerenes impede the charge recombination due to its high electron affinity. • The fullerenes expand the utilization of solar light from UV to visible light. • The modified-TiO 2 has great biocompatibility. - Abstract: In this study, we have synthesized C 60 and C 70 -modified TiO 2 nanowire (NW) through interfacial chemical bonding. The results indicate that the fullerenes (C 60 and C 70 derivatives) can act as sinks for photogenerated electrons in TiO 2 , while the fullerene/TiO 2 is illuminated under ultraviolet (UV) light. Therefore, in comparison to the pure TiO 2 NWs, the modified TiO 2 NWs display a higher photocatalytic activity under UV irradiation. Moreover, the fullerenes also can function as a sensitizer to TiO 2 which expand the utilization of solar light from UV to visible light. The results reveal that the C 70 /TiO 2 NWs show a significant photocatalytic activity for degradation of methylene blue (MB) in visible light region. To better understand the mechanism responsible for the effect of fullerenes on the photocatalytic properties of TiO 2 , the electron only devices and photoelectrochemical cells based on fullerenes/TiO 2 are also fabricated and evaluated.

The utility of affine variables and affine coherent states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klauder, John R

2012-01-01

Affine coherent states are generated by affine kinematical variables much like canonical coherent states are generated by canonical kinematical variables. Although all classical and quantum formalisms normally entail canonical variables, it is shown that affine variables can serve equally well for many classical and quantum studies. This general purpose analysis provides tools to discuss two major applications: (1) the completely successful quantization of a nonrenormalizable scalar quantum field theory by affine techniques, in complete contrast to canonical techniques which only offer triviality; and (2) a formulation of the kinematical portion of quantum gravity that favors affine kinematical variables over canonical kinematical variables, and which generates a framework in which a favorable analysis of the constrained dynamical issues can take place. All this is possible because of the close connection between the affine and the canonical stories, while the few distinctions can be used to advantage when appropriate. This article is part of a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical devoted to ‘Coherent states: mathematical and physical aspects’. (review)

Higher spin currents in the critical O(N) vector model at 1/N{sup 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manashov, A.N. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). 2. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Regensburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Skvortsov, E.D. [Munich Univ. (Germany). Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics; Lebedev Institute of Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Strohmaier, M. [Regensburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik

2017-06-15

We calculate the anomalous dimensions of higher spin singlet currents in the critical O(N) vector model at order 1/N{sup 2}. The results are shown to be in agreement with the four-loop perturbative computation in φ{sup 4} theory in 4-2ε dimensions. It is known that the order 1/N anomalous dimensions of higher-spin currents happen to be the same in the Gross-Neveu and the critical vector model. On the contrary, the order 1/N{sup 2} corrections are different. The results can also be interpreted as a prediction for the two-loop computation in the dual higher-spin gravity.

Laser photoelectron spectroscopy of MnH - 2, FeH - 2, CoH - 2, and NiH - 2: Determination of the electron affinities for the metal dihydrides

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Amy E. S.; Feigerle, C. S.; Lineberger, W. C.

1986-04-01

The laser photoelectron spectra of MnH-2, FeH-2, CoH-2, and NiH-2 and the analogous deuterides are reported. Lack of vibrational structure in the spectra suggests that all of the dihydrides and their negative ions have linear geometries, and that the transitions observed in the spectra are due to the loss of nonbonding d electrons. The electron affinities for the metal dihydrides are determined to be 0.444±0.016 eV for MnH2, 1.049±0.014 eV for FeH2, 1.450±0.014 eV for CoH2, and 1.934±0.008 eV for NiH2. Electronic excitation energies are provided for excited states of FeH2, CoH2, and NiH2. Electron affinities and electronic excitation energies for the dideuterides are also reported. A limit on the electron affinity of CrH2 of ≥2.5 eV is determined. The electron affinities of the dihydrides directly correlate with the electron affinities of the high-spin states of the monohydrides, and with the electron affinities of the metal atoms. These results are in agreement with a qualitative model developed for bonding in the monohydrides.

Thermokinetic model of borosilicate glass dissolution: Contextual affinity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Advocat, T.; Vernaz, E.; Crovisier, J.L.; Fritz, B.

1990-01-01

Short and long-term geochemical interactions of R7T7 nuclear glass with water at 100C were simulated with the DISSOL thermokinetic computer code. Both the dissolved glass quantity and the resulting water composition, saturation states and mineral quantities produced were calculated as a function of time. The rate equation used in the simulation was first proposed by Aagaard and Hegelson: v = k + · S · a( H + ) -n · (1 - e -(A/RT) ). It simulates a gradually diminishing dissolution rate as the reaction affinity diminishes. The best agreement with 1-year experimental data was obtained with a reaction affinity calculated from silica activity (Grambow's hypothesis) rather than taking into account the activity of all the glass components as proposed by Jantzen and Plodinec. The concept of residual affinity was introduced by Grambow to express the fact that the glass dissolution rate does not cease. The authors prefer to replace the term residual affinity by contextual affinity, which expresses the influence on the dissolution rate of three factors: the solution chemistry, the metastability of SiO 2 (m), and the possible precipitation of certain aluminosilicates such as zeolites

The effect of MWCNT treatment by H2O2 and/or UV on fulvic acids sorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Czech, Bożena

2017-05-01

The carbon nanotubes (CNT) present in the wastewater subjected to treatment will possess altered physico-chemical properties. The changed properties will result in the unknown behavior of CNT in the environment after disposal; and it is expected to differ from their pristine analogues. In the present paper the effect of sorption of dissolved organic matter with fulvic acids (FA) as representatives onto UV and/or H 2 O 2 treated CNT was tested. Both kinetics and mechanism of sorption was estimated. The chemical adsorption was a rate limiting step and a pseudo-second order kinetics described the sorption of FA onto UV and/or H 2 O 2 treated CNT. The treating increased affinity towards FA and treating by UV and H 2 O 2 simultaneously possessed greater impact on k 2 than UV and H 2 O 2 separately. The greatest effect on CNT sorption capacity revealed H 2 O 2 . The sorption mechanism was described by Temkin (CNT-H 2 O 2 ) and Dubinin-Radushkevich model. The increase in CNT surface disorder caused by UV and/or H 2 O 2 treatment favored sorption of FA via π-π interactions (exfoliated surface and disordered CNT walls). FA sorption occurred between aromatic rings of FA and CNT and hydrogen bonds formed with the oxygen functional groups. The results indicate that UV and/or H 2 O 2 treatment affected the sorption capacity and affinity of CNT towards FA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combined use of O3/H2O2 and O3/Mn2+ in flotation of dairy wastewater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Cristina Silva Carvalho

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This work investigated the degradation of organic matter present in synthetic dairy wastewater by the combination of ozonation (ozone (O3/hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 and catalytic ozonation (ozone (O3/manganese (Mn2+ associated with dispersed air flotation process. The effect of independent factors such as O3 concentration, pH and H2O2 and Mn2+ concentration was evaluated. For the flotation/O3/H2O2 treatment, the significant variables (p ≤ 0.05 were: O3 concentration (linear and quadratic effect, H2O2 concentration linear and quadratic effect, pH values (linear and quadratic effect and interaction O3 concentration versus pH. For catalytic ozonation, it was observed that the significant variable was the linear effect of O3 concentration. According to the desirability function, it was concluded that the optimal condition for the treatment of flotation/O3/H2O2 can be obtained in acidic solution using O3 concentrations greater than 42.9 mg L-1 combined with higher concentrations of H2O2 to 1071.5 mg L-1. On other hand, at pH values higher than 9.0, the addition of O3 may be neglected when using higher concentrations than 1071.5 mg L-1 of H2O2. For flotation/ozonation catalyzed by Mn2+, it was observed that metal addition did not affect treatment, resulting in an optimum condition: 53.8 mg L-1 of O3 and pH 3.6.

Hierarchical NiO-SiO2 composite hollow microspheres with enhanced adsorption affinity towards Congo red in water.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Chunsheng; Zhu, Xiaofeng; Zhu, Bicheng; Yu, Jiaguo; Ho, Wingkei

2016-03-15

Hollow microspheres and hierarchical porous nanostructured materials with desired morphologies have gained remarkable attention for their potential applications in environmental technology. In this study, NiO-SiO2 hollow microspheres were prepared by co-precipitation with SiO2 and nickel salt as precursors, followed by dipping in alkaline solution and calcination. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The synthesized hollow spheres were composed of a SiO2 shell and hierarchical porous NiO nanosheets on the surface. Adsorption experiments suggested that NiO-SiO2 composite particles were powerful adsorbents for removal of Congo red from water, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 204.1 mg/g. The high specific surface areas, hollow structures, and hierarchical porous surfaces of the hollow composite particles are suitable for various applications, including adsorption of pollutants, chemical separation, and water purification. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, Biodistribution and In vitro Evaluation of Brain Permeable High Affinity Type 2 Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists [11C]MA2 and [18F]MA3.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahamed, Muneer; van Veghel, Daisy; Ullmer, Christoph; Van Laere, Koen; Verbruggen, Alfons; Bormans, Guy M

2016-01-01

The type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2) is a member of the endocannabinoid system and is known for its important role in (neuro)inflammation. A PET-imaging agent that allows in vivo visualization of CB2 expression may thus allow quantification of neuroinflammation. In this paper, we report the synthesis, radiosynthesis, biodistribution and in vitro evaluation of a carbon-11 ([ 11 C]MA2) and a fluorine-18 ([ 18 F]MA3) labeled analog of a highly potent N -arylamide oxadiazole CB2 agonist (EC 50 = 0.015 nM). MA2 and MA3 behaved as potent CB2 agonist (EC 50 : 3 nM and 0.1 nM, respectively) and their in vitro binding affinity for h CB2 was found to be 87 nM and 0.8 nM, respectively. Also MA3 (substituted with a fluoro ethyl group) was found to have higher binding affinity and EC 50 values when compared to the originally reported trifluoromethyl analog 12 . [ 11 C]MA2 and [ 18 F]MA3 were successfully synthesized with good radiochemical yield, high radiochemical purity and high specific activity. In mice, both tracers were efficiently cleared from blood and all major organs by the hepatobiliary pathway and importantly these compounds showed high brain uptake. In conclusion, [ 11 C]MA2 and [ 18 F]MA3 are shown to be high potent CB2 agonists with good brain uptake, these favorable characteristics makes them potential PET probes for in vivo imaging of brain CB2 receptors. However, in view of its higher affinity and selectivity, further detailed evaluation of MA3 as a PET tracer for CB2 is warranted.

Interspecific variation and plasticity in hemoglobin nitrite reductase activity and its correlation with oxygen affinity in vertebrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Frank B.; Kolind, Rasmus A. H.; Jensen, Natashia S.

2017-01-01

-dependent manner. The initial second order rate constant of the deoxyHb-mediated nitrite reduction showed a strong curvilinear correlation with oxygen affinity among all ectothermic vertebrates, and the relationship also applied to plastic variations of Hb properties via organic phosphates. The relationship...... determines oxygen affinity. In the present study we investigated nitrite reductase activity and O2 affinity in Hbs from ten different vertebrate species under identical conditions to disclose interspecific variations and allow an extended test for a correlation between the rate constant for nitrite reduction...... and O2 affinity. We also tested plastic changes in Hb properties via addition of T-structure-stabilizing organic phosphates (ATP and GTP). The decay in deoxyHb during its reaction with nitrite was exponential-like in ectotherms (Atlantic hagfish, carp, crucian carp, brown trout, rainbow trout, cane toad...

Generalized magnification in visual optics. Part 2: Magnification as affine transformation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. F. Harris

2010-12-01

Full Text Available In astigmatic systems magnification may be different in different directions.  It may also be accompanied by rotation or reflection.  These changes from object to image are examples of generalized magnification.  They are represented by  2 2×  matrices.  Because they are linear transformations they can be called linear magnifications.  Linear magnifications account for a change in appearance without regard to position.  Mathematical structure suggests a natural further generalization to a magnification that is complete in the sense that it accountsfor change in appearance and position.  It is represented by a  3 3×  matrix with a dummy third row. The transformation is called affine in linear algebra which suggests that these generalized magnifica-tions be called affine magnifications.  The purpose of the paper is to define affine magnification in the context of astigmatic optics.  Several examples are presented and illustrated graphically. (S Afr Optom 2010 69(4 166-172

Effect of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate on oxygen affinity of blood in sickle cell anemia

Science.gov (United States)

Charache, Samuel; Grisolia, Santiago; Fiedler, Adam J.; Hellegers, Andre E.

1970-01-01

Blood of patients with sickle cell anemia (SS) exhibits decreased affinity for oxygen, although the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin S is the same as that of hemoglobin A. SS red cells contain more 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) than normal erythrocytes. The oxygen affinity of hemolyzed red cells is decreased by added DPG, and hemolysates prepared from SS red cells do not differ from normal hemolysates in this regard. Reduction of oxygen affinity to the levels found in intact SS red cells required DPG concentrations in excess of those found in most SS patients. The same was true of oxygen affinity of patients with pyruvate kinase deficiency. Other organic phosphates, as well as inorganic ions, are known to alter the oxygen affinity of dilute solutions of hemoglobin. These substances, the state of aggregation of hemoglobin molecules, and cytoarchitectural factors probably play roles in determining oxygen affinity of both normal and SS red cells. PMID:5443181

Rank Two Affine Manifolds in Genus 3

OpenAIRE

Aulicino, David; Nguyen, Duc-Manh

2016-01-01

We complete the classification of rank two affine manifolds in the moduli space of translation surfaces in genus three. Combined with a recent result of Mirzakhani and Wright, this completes the classification of higher rank affine manifolds in genus three.

Sol–gel hybrid membranes loaded with meso/macroporous SiO2, TiO2–P2O5 and SiO2–TiO2–P2O5 materials with high proton conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro, Yolanda; Mosa, Jadra; Aparicio, Mario; Pérez-Carrillo, Lourdes A.; Vílchez, Susana; Esquena, Jordi; Durán, Alicia

2015-01-01

In this work, highly conductive hybrid organic–inorganic membranes loaded with SiO 2 , TiO 2 –P 2 O 5 and SiO 2 –TiO 2 –P 2 O 5 meso/macroporous particles were prepared via a sol–gel process. Meso/macroporous particles were incorporated to hybrid membranes, for improving water retention and enhancing electrochemical performance. These particles with a polymodal pore size distribution were prepared by templating in highly concentrated emulsions, the particles showed a specific surface area between 50 m 2 /g (TiO 2 –P 2 O 5 ) and 300 m 2 /g (SiO 2 –TiO 2 –P 2 O 5 ). The particles were dispersed in a hybrid silica sol and further sprayed onto glass paper. The films were polymerized and sintered; those loaded with meso/macroporous particles had a homogenous distribution. High temperature proton conductivity measurements confirmed a high water retention. Conductivity of these materials is higher than that of Nafion ® at higher temperatures (120 °C) (2·10 −2  S/cm). This study provides processing guideline to achieve hybrid electrolytes for efficient conduction of protons due to their high surface area and porous structure. - Highlights: • Hybrid electrolyte with meso/macroporous particles were synthesized by sol–gel. • Depositions of hybrid solutions by spraying onto glass substrates were performed. • Proton conductivity was evaluated as a function of composition and porous structure

The Effect of Volcanic Ash Composition on Ice Nucleation Affinity

Science.gov (United States)

Genareau, K. D.; Cloer, S.; Primm, K.; Woods, T.; Tolbert, M. A.

2017-12-01

Understanding the role that volcanic ash plays in ice nucleation is important for knowledge of lightning generation in both volcanic plumes and in clouds developing downwind from active volcanoes. Volcanic ash has long been suggested to influence heterogeneous ice nucleation following explosive eruptions, but determining precisely how composition and mineralogy affects ice nucleation affinity (INA) is poorly constrained. For the study presented here, volcanic ash samples with different compositions and mineral/glass contents were tested in both the deposition and immersion modes, following the methods presented in Schill et al. (2015). Bulk composition was determined with X-ray fluorescence (XRF), grain size distribution was determined with laser diffraction particle size analysis (LDPSA), and mineralogy was determined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results of the deposition-mode experiments reveal that there is no relationship between ice saturation ratios (Sice) and either mineralogy or bulk ash composition, as all samples have similar Sice ratios. In the immersion-mode experiments, frozen fractions were determined from -20 °C to -50 °C using three different amounts of ash (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 wt% of slurry). Results from the immersion freezing reveal that the rhyolitic samples (73 wt% SiO2) nucleate ice at higher temperatures compared to the basaltic samples (49 wt% SiO2). There is no observed correlation between frozen fractions and mineral content of ash samples, but the two most efficient ice nuclei are rhyolites that contain the greatest proportion of amorphous glass (> 90 %), and are enriched in K2O relative to transition metals (MnO and TiO2), the latter of which show a negative correlation with frozen fraction. Higher ash abundance in water droplets increases the frozen fraction at all temperatures, indicating that ash amount plays the biggest role in ice nucleation. If volcanic ash can reach sufficient abundance (�

Photolysis of H2O-H2O2 Mixtures: The Destruction of H2O2

Science.gov (United States)

Loeffler, M. J.; Fama, M.; Baragiola, R. A.; Carlson, R. W.

2013-01-01

We present laboratory results on the loss of H2O2 in solid H2O + H2O2 mixtures at temperatures between 21 and 145 K initiated by UV photolysis (193 nm). Using infrared spectroscopy and microbalance gravimetry, we measured the decrease of the 3.5 micrometer infrared absorption band during UV irradiation and obtained a photodestruction cross section that varies with temperature, being lowest at 70 K. We use our results, along with our previously measured H2O2 production rates via ionizing radiation and ion energy fluxes from the spacecraft to compare H2O2 creation and destruction at icy satellites by ions from their planetary magnetosphere and from solar UV photons. We conclude that, in many cases, H2O2 is not observed on icy satellite surfaces because the H2O2 photodestruction rate is much higher than the production rate via energetic particles, effectively keeping the H2O2 infrared signature at or below the noise level.

Gaussian-2 theory: Use of higher level correlation methods, quadratic configuration interaction geometries, and second-order Moller--Plesset zero-point energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curtiss, L.A.; Raghavachari, K.; Pople, J.A.

1995-01-01

The performance of Gaussian-2 theory is investigated when higher level theoretical methods are included for correlation effects, geometries, and zero-point energies. A higher level of correlation treatment is examined using Brueckner doubles [BD(T)] and coupled cluster [CCSD(T)] methods rather than quadratic configuration interaction [QCISD(T)]. The use of geometries optimized at the QCISD level rather than the second-order Moller--Plesset level (MP2) and the use of scaled MP2 zero-point energies rather than scaled Hartree--Fock (HF) zero-point energies have also been examined. The set of 125 energies used for validation of G2 theory [J. Chem. Phys. 94, 7221 (1991)] is used to test out these variations of G2 theory. Inclusion of higher levels of correlation treatment has little effect except in the cases of multiply-bonded systems. In these cases better agreement is obtained in some cases and poorer agreement in others so that there is no improvement in overall performance. The use of QCISD geometries yields significantly better agreement with experiment for several cases including the ionization potentials of CS and O 2 , electron affinity of CN, and dissociation energies of N 2 , O 2 , CN, and SO 2 . This leads to a slightly better agreement with experiment overall. The MP2 zero-point energies gives no overall improvement. These methods may be useful for specific systems

Coral-like CeO{sub 2}/NiO nanocomposites with efficient enzyme-mimetic activity for biosensing application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mu, Jianshuai; Zhao, Xin; Li, Jie [College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Functional Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Structure and Performance for Functional Molecules, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387 (China); Yang, En-Cui, E-mail: encui_yang@163.com [College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Functional Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Structure and Performance for Functional Molecules, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387 (China); Zhao, Xiao-Jun, E-mail: xiaojun_zhao15@163.com [College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Functional Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Structure and Performance for Functional Molecules, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300071 (China)

2017-05-01

Development of nanomaterials-based enzymatic mimics has gained considerable attention in recent years, because of their low cost, high stability and efficiently catalytic ability. Here, CeO{sub 2} was successfully incorporated into the coral-like NiO nanostructures assembled by nanoflakes with high surface area, forming the coral-like CeO{sub 2}/NiO nanocomposites. The morphology and composition of CeO{sub 2}/NiO nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, SEM, element mapping and XPS. The results of characterization showed that cerium was highly dispersed in the coral-like NiO nanostructures. The peroxidase-like activity of CeO{sub 2}/NiO nanocomposites was investigated, and they exhibited enhanced peroxidase-like activity in comparison to that of pure NiO or CeO{sub 2}. The catalytic activity was dependent on the cerium content, and the optimal content was 2.5%. The enhanced catalytic activity of CeO{sub 2}/NiO nanocomposites arised from their high ability of electron transfer because of cerium incorporation. The catalytic performance of CeO{sub 2}/NiO nanocomposites was evaluated by steady-state kinetic, which showed that the CeO{sub 2}/NiO nanocomposites exhibited higher affinity for the substrates and similar catalytic efficiency compared with natural peroxidase. Based on the efficient peroxidase-like activity, CeO{sub 2}/NiO was used for H{sub 2}O{sub 2} determination. The constructed colorimetric H{sub 2}O{sub 2} sensor had fast response for only 5 min, a wide linear range from 0.05 to 40 mM and a low detection limit with 0.88 μM. The CeO{sub 2}/NiO nanocomposites were expected to have potential applications in clinical diagnosis and biotechnology as enzymatic mimics. - Highlights: • Coral-like CeO{sub 2}/NiO nanocomposites with different Ce content were synthesized. • CeO{sub 2} was highly dispersed in the NiO matrixes with high surface area. • CeO{sub 2}/NiO nanocomposites exhibited efficient peroxidase-like activity. • A colorimetric H{sub 2}O

Synthesis, biodistribution and in vitro evaluation of brain permeable high affinity type 2 cannabinoid receptor agonists [11C]MA2 and [18F]MA3

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muneer Ahamed

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract The type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2 is a member of the endocannabinoid system and is known for its important role in (neuroinflammation. A PET-imaging agent that allows in vivo visualization of CB2 expression may thus allow quantification of neuroinflammation. In this paper, we report the synthesis, radiosynthesis, biodistribution and in vitro evaluation of a carbon-11 ([11C]MA2 and a fluorine-18 ([18F]MA3 labeled analogue of a highly potent N-arylamide oxadiazole CB2 agonist (EC50 = 0.015 nM. MA2 and MA3 behaved as potent CB2 agonist (EC50: 3 nM and 0.1 nM, respectively and their in vitro binding affinity for hCB2 was found to be 87 nM and 0.8 nM, respectively. Also MA3 (substituted with a fluoro ethyl group was found to have higher binding affinity and EC50 values when compared to the originally reported trifluoromethyl analogue 12. [11C]MA2 and [18F]MA3 were successfully synthesized with good radiochemical yield, high radiochemical purity and high specific activity. In mice, both tracers were efficiently cleared from blood and all major organs by the hepatobiliary pathway and importantly these compounds showed high brain uptake. In conclusion, [11C]MA2 and [18F]MA3 are shown to be high potent CB2 agonists with good brain uptake, these favorable characteristics makes them potential PET probes for in vivo imaging of brain CB2 receptors. However in view of its higher affinity and selectivity, further detailed evaluation of MA3 as a PET tracer for CB2 is warranted.

DNA intercalation studies and antimicrobial activity of Ag@ZrO2 core–shell nanoparticles in vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhanalekshmi, K.I.; Meena, K.S.

2016-01-01

Ag@ZrO 2 core–shell nanoparticles were prepared by one pot simultaneous reduction of AgNO 3 and hydrolysis of zirconium (IV) isopropoxide. The formation of core–shell nanoparticles was confirmed by absorption, XRD, and HR-TEM techniques. The antibacterial activity of Ag@ZrO 2 core–shell nanoparticles against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and the antifungal properties against Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus were examined by the agar diffusion method. DNA intercalation studies were carried out in CT-DNA. As a result ZrO 2 supported on the surface of AgNPs not only prevented aggregation, but also proved to have enhanced antimicrobial activity and DNA intercalation than the Ag nanoparticles. - Highlights: • Ag@ZrO 2 core–shell nanoparticles were prepared by one pot synthesis. • The ZrO 2 coated AgNPs prevent aggregation and enhanced stability. • The surfaced modified AgNPs showed higher antimicrobial activity. • DNA intercalation studies show better binding affinity of core–shell NPs.

Zoledronate complexes. III. Two zoledronate complexes with alkaline earth metals: [Mg(C(5)H(9)N(2)O(7)P(2))(2)(H(2)O)(2)] and [Ca(C(5)H(8)N(2)O(7)P(2))(H(2)O)](n).

Science.gov (United States)

Freire, Eleonora; Vega, Daniel R; Baggio, Ricardo

2010-06-01

Diaquabis[dihydrogen 1-hydroxy-2-(imidazol-3-ium-1-yl)ethylidene-1,1-diphosphonato-kappa(2)O,O']magnesium(II), [Mg(C(5)H(9)N(2)O(7)P(2))(2)(H(2)O)(2)], consists of isolated dimeric units built up around an inversion centre and tightly interconnected by hydrogen bonding. The Mg(II) cation resides at the symmetry centre, surrounded in a rather regular octahedral geometry by two chelating zwitterionic zoledronate(1-) [or dihydrogen 1-hydroxy-2-(imidazol-3-ium-1-yl)ethylidene-1,1-diphosphonate] anions and two water molecules, in a pattern already found in a few reported isologues where the anion is bound to transition metals (Co, Zn and Ni). catena-Poly[[aquacalcium(II)]-mu(3)-[hydrogen 1-hydroxy-2-(imidazol-3-ium-1-yl)ethylidene-1,1-diphosphonato]-kappa(5)O:O,O':O',O''], [Ca(C(5)H(8)N(2)O(7)P(2))(H(2)O)](n), consists instead of a Ca(II) cation in a general position, a zwitterionic zoledronate(2-) anion and a coordinated water molecule. The geometry around the Ca(II) atom, provided by six bisphosphonate O atoms and one water ligand, is that of a pentagonal bipyramid with the Ca(II) atom displaced by 0.19 A out of the equatorial plane. These Ca(II) coordination polyhedra are ;threaded' by the 2(1) axis so that successive polyhedra share edges of their pentagonal basal planes. This results in a strongly coupled rhomboidal Ca(2)-O(2) chain which runs along [010]. These chains are in turn linked by an apical O atom from a -PO(3) group in a neighbouring chain. This O-atom, shared between chains, generates strong covalently bonded planar arrays parallel to (100). Finally, these sheets are linked by hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional structure. Owing to the extreme affinity of zoledronic acid for bone tissue, in general, and with calcium as one of the major constituents of bone, it is expected that this structure will be useful in modelling some of the biologically interesting processes in which the drug takes part.

Myoglobin oxygen affinity in aquatic and terrestrial birds and mammals.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Traver J; Davis, Randall W

2015-07-01

Myoglobin (Mb) is an oxygen binding protein found in vertebrate skeletal muscle, where it facilitates intracellular transport and storage of oxygen. This protein has evolved to suit unique physiological needs in the muscle of diving vertebrates that express Mb at much greater concentrations than their terrestrial counterparts. In this study, we characterized Mb oxygen affinity (P50) from 25 species of aquatic and terrestrial birds and mammals. Among diving species, we tested for correlations between Mb P50 and routine dive duration. Across all species examined, Mb P50 ranged from 2.40 to 4.85 mmHg. The mean P50 of Mb from terrestrial ungulates was 3.72±0.15 mmHg (range 3.70-3.74 mmHg). The P50 of cetaceans was similar to terrestrial ungulates ranging from 3.54 to 3.82 mmHg, with the exception of the melon-headed whale, which had a significantly higher P50 of 4.85 mmHg. Among pinnipeds, the P50 ranged from 3.23 to 3.81 mmHg and showed a trend for higher oxygen affinity in species with longer dive durations. Among diving birds, the P50 ranged from 2.40 to 3.36 mmHg and also showed a trend of higher affinities in species with longer dive durations. In pinnipeds and birds, low Mb P50 was associated with species whose muscles are metabolically active under hypoxic conditions associated with aerobic dives. Given the broad range of potential globin oxygen affinities, Mb P50 from diverse vertebrate species appears constrained within a relatively narrow range. High Mb oxygen affinity within this range may be adaptive for some vertebrates that make prolonged dives. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Evolution of Src Homology 2 (SH2) Domain to Recognize Sulfotyrosine.

Science.gov (United States)

Ju, Tong; Niu, Wei; Guo, Jiantao

2016-09-16

Protein tyrosine O-sulfation is considered as the most common type of post-translational tyrosine modification in nature and plays important roles in extracellular biomolecular interactions. To facilitate the mapping, biological study, and medicinal application of this type of post-translational modification, we seek to evolve a small protein scaffold that recognizes sulfotyrosine with high affinity. We focused our efforts on the engineering of the Src Homology 2 (SH2) domain, which represents the largest class of known phosphotyrosine-recognition domain in nature and has a highly evolvable binding pocket. By using phage display, we successfully engineered the SH2 domain to recognize sulfotyrosine with high affinity. The best mutant, SH2-60.1, displayed more than 1700 fold higher sulfotyrosine-binding affinity than that of the wild-type SH2 domain. We also demonstrated that the evolved SH2 domain mutants could be used to detect sulfoprotein levels on the cell surface. These evolved SH2 domain mutants can be potentially applied to the study of protein tyrosine O-sulfation with proper experimental designs.

Improving iron-enriched basalt with additions of ZrO2 and TiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reimann, G.A.; Kong, P.C.

1993-06-01

The iron-enriched basalt (IEB) waste form, developed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory a decade ago, was modified to IEB4 by adding sufficient ZrO 2 and TiO 2 to develop crystals of zirconolite upon cooling, in addition to the crystals that normally form in a cooling basalt. Zirconolite (CaZrTi 2 O 7 ) is an extremely leach-resistant mineral with a strong affinity for actinides. Zirconolite crystals containing uranium and thorium have been found that have endured more than 2 billion years of natural processes. On this basis, zirconolite was considered to be an ideal host crystal for the actinides contained in transuranic (TRU)-contaminated wastes. Crystals of zirconolite were developed in laboratory melts of IEB4 that contained 5% each of ZrO 2 and TiO 2 and that were slow-cooled in the 1200--1000 degrees C range. When actinide surrogates were added to IEB4, these oxides were incorporated into the crystals of zirconolite rather than precipitating in the residual glass phase. Zirconolite crystals developed in IEB4 should stabilize and immobilize the dilute TRUs in heterogeneous, buried low-level wastes as effectively as this same phase does in the various formulations of Synroc used for the more concentrated TRUs encountered in high-level wastes. Synroc requires hot-pressing equipment, while IEB4 precipitates zirconolite from a cooling basaltic melt

Catalase and ascorbate peroxidase-representative H2O2-detoxifying heme enzymes in plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Anjum, Naser A; Sharma, Pallavi; Gill, Sarvajeet S; Hasanuzzaman, Mirza; Khan, Ekhlaque A; Kachhap, Kiran; Mohamed, Amal A; Thangavel, Palaniswamy; Devi, Gurumayum Devmanjuri; Vasudhevan, Palanisamy; Sofo, Adriano; Khan, Nafees A; Misra, Amarendra Narayan; Lukatkin, Alexander S; Singh, Harminder Pal; Pereira, Eduarda; Tuteja, Narendra

2016-10-01

Plants have to counteract unavoidable stress-caused anomalies such as oxidative stress to sustain their lives and serve heterotrophic organisms including humans. Among major enzymatic antioxidants, catalase (CAT; EC 1.11.1.6) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX; EC 1.11.1.11) are representative heme enzymes meant for metabolizing stress-provoked reactive oxygen species (ROS; such as H2O2) and controlling their potential impacts on cellular metabolism and functions. CAT mainly occurs in peroxisomes and catalyzes the dismutation reaction without requiring any reductant; whereas, APX has a higher affinity for H2O2 and utilizes ascorbate (AsA) as specific electron donor for the reduction of H2O2 into H2O in organelles including chloroplasts, cytosol, mitochondria, and peroxisomes. Literature is extensive on the glutathione-associated H2O2-metabolizing systems in plants. However, discussion is meager or scattered in the literature available on the biochemical and genomic characterization as well as techniques for the assays of CAT and APX and their modulation in plants under abiotic stresses. This paper aims (a) to introduce oxidative stress-causative factors and highlights their relationship with abiotic stresses in plants; (b) to overview structure, occurrence, and significance of CAT and APX in plants; (c) to summarize the principles of current technologies used to assay CAT and APX in plants; (d) to appraise available literature on the modulation of CAT and APX in plants under major abiotic stresses; and finally, (e) to consider a brief cross-talk on the CAT and APX, and this also highlights the aspects unexplored so far.

Probing SH2-domains using Inhibitor Affinity Purification (IAP).

Science.gov (United States)

Höfener, Michael; Heinzlmeir, Stephanie; Kuster, Bernhard; Sewald, Norbert

2014-01-01

Many human diseases are correlated with the dysregulation of signal transduction processes. One of the most important protein interaction domains in the context of signal transduction is the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain that binds phosphotyrosine residues. Hence, appropriate methods for the investigation of SH2 proteins are indispensable in diagnostics and medicinal chemistry. Therefore, an affinity resin for the enrichment of all SH2 proteins in one experiment would be desirable. However, current methods are unable to address all SH2 proteins simultaneously with a single compound or a small array of compounds. In order to overcome these limitations for the investigation of this particular protein family in future experiments, a dipeptide-derived probe has been designed, synthesized and evaluated. This probe successfully enriched 22 SH2 proteins from mixed cell lysates which contained 50 SH2 proteins. Further characterization of the SH2 binding properties of the probe using depletion and competition experiments indicated its ability to enrich complexes consisting of SH2 domain bearing regulatory PI3K subunits and catalytic phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) subunits that have no SH2 domain. The results make this probe a promising starting point for the development of a mixed affinity resin with complete SH2 protein coverage. Moreover, the additional findings render it a valuable tool for the evaluation of PI3K complex interrupting inhibitors.

Effect of atomic layer deposition temperature on current conduction in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} films formed using H{sub 2}O oxidant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hiraiwa, Atsushi, E-mail: hiraiwa@aoni.waseda.jp, E-mail: qs4a-hriw@asahi-net.or.jp [Research Organization for Nano and Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda-Tsurumaki, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-0041 (Japan); Matsumura, Daisuke [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan); Kawarada, Hiroshi, E-mail: kawarada@waseda.jp [Research Organization for Nano and Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda-Tsurumaki, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-0041 (Japan); Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan); The Kagami Memorial Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology, Waseda University, 2-8-26 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-0051 (Japan)

2016-08-28

To develop high-performance, high-reliability gate insulation and surface passivation technologies for wide-bandgap semiconductor devices, the effect of atomic layer deposition (ALD) temperature on current conduction in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} films is investigated based on the recently proposed space-charge-controlled field emission model. Leakage current measurement shows that Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors formed on the Si substrates underperform thermally grown SiO{sub 2} capacitors at the same average field. However, using equivalent oxide field as a more practical measure, the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} capacitors are found to outperform the SiO{sub 2} capacitors in the cases where the capacitors are negatively biased and the gate material is adequately selected to reduce virtual dipoles at the gate/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interface. The Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} electron affinity increases with the increasing ALD temperature, but the gate-side virtual dipoles are not affected. Therefore, the leakage current of negatively biased Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} capacitors is approximately independent of the ALD temperature because of the compensation of the opposite effects of increased electron affinity and permittivity in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. By contrast, the substrate-side sheet of charge increases with increasing ALD temperature above 210 °C and hence enhances the current of positively biased Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} capacitors more significantly at high temperatures. Additionally, an anomalous oscillatory shift of the current-voltage characteristics with ALD temperature was observed in positively biased capacitors formed by low-temperature (≤210 °C) ALD. This shift is caused by dipoles at the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/underlying SiO{sub 2} interface. Although they have a minimal positive-bias leakage current, the low-temperature-grown Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} films cause the so-called blisters problem when heated above 400 °C. Therefore, because of the absence of blistering, a 450�

2D Affine and Projective Shape Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryner, Darshan; Klassen, Eric; Huiling Le; Srivastava, Anuj

2014-05-01

Current techniques for shape analysis tend to seek invariance to similarity transformations (rotation, translation, and scale), but certain imaging situations require invariance to larger groups, such as affine or projective groups. Here we present a general Riemannian framework for shape analysis of planar objects where metrics and related quantities are invariant to affine and projective groups. Highlighting two possibilities for representing object boundaries-ordered points (or landmarks) and parameterized curves-we study different combinations of these representations (points and curves) and transformations (affine and projective). Specifically, we provide solutions to three out of four situations and develop algorithms for computing geodesics and intrinsic sample statistics, leading up to Gaussian-type statistical models, and classifying test shapes using such models learned from training data. In the case of parameterized curves, we also achieve the desired goal of invariance to re-parameterizations. The geodesics are constructed by particularizing the path-straightening algorithm to geometries of current manifolds and are used, in turn, to compute shape statistics and Gaussian-type shape models. We demonstrate these ideas using a number of examples from shape and activity recognition.

Synthesis and mechanical properties of stabilized zirconia ceramics: MgO-ZrO_2 and Y_2O_3-MgO- ZrO_2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamagata, C.; Mello-Castanho, S.R.H.; Paschoal, J.O.A.

2014-01-01

Precursor MgO-ZrO_2 and Y_2O_3-MgO-ZrO_2 ceramic powders were synthesized by the method of co-precipitation and characterized by techniques such as laser diffraction, QELS (Quasi Elastic Light Scattering), XRD, BET, and SEM. Nanoscale powders with specific surface area higher than 60 m"2. g"-"1 was achieved. Sintered ceramic obtained from the synthesized powders, were characterized to mechanical tests using Vickers indentation technique. The addition of Y_2O_3 promoted an increase in hardness of the ceramics and total cubic crystalline phase stabilization. (author)

DNA intercalation studies and antimicrobial activity of Ag@ZrO{sub 2} core–shell nanoparticles in vitro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dhanalekshmi, K.I., E-mail: dhanamveni88@gmail.com; Meena, K.S.

2016-02-01

Ag@ZrO{sub 2} core–shell nanoparticles were prepared by one pot simultaneous reduction of AgNO{sub 3} and hydrolysis of zirconium (IV) isopropoxide. The formation of core–shell nanoparticles was confirmed by absorption, XRD, and HR-TEM techniques. The antibacterial activity of Ag@ZrO{sub 2} core–shell nanoparticles against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and the antifungal properties against Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus were examined by the agar diffusion method. DNA intercalation studies were carried out in CT-DNA. As a result ZrO{sub 2} supported on the surface of AgNPs not only prevented aggregation, but also proved to have enhanced antimicrobial activity and DNA intercalation than the Ag nanoparticles. - Highlights: • Ag@ZrO{sub 2} core–shell nanoparticles were prepared by one pot synthesis. • The ZrO{sub 2} coated AgNPs prevent aggregation and enhanced stability. • The surfaced modified AgNPs showed higher antimicrobial activity. • DNA intercalation studies show better binding affinity of core–shell NPs.

Monastrol, a 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-thione, as structural scaffold for the development of modulators for GHB high-affinity binding sites and α1β2δ GABAA receptors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgaard, Maria; Al-Khawaja, Anas; Nittegaard-Nielsen, Mia

2017-01-01

-affinity binding and is furthermore reported as an allosteric modulator selective for the α1β2δ GABAARs. Therefore, structural determinants for selectivity at the two targets were investigated. 39 structural diverse monastrol analogues were synthesized by employing the Biginelli cyclocondensation and examined......-affinity binding. However, three analogues of monastrol (11, 12 and 24) enhanced the maximal binding of [(3)H]NCS-382 to a higher maximal level than seen for monastrol itself. Selected compounds were further characterized as modulators at α1β2δ, α1β2γ2s and α1β2 GABAARs. Most of these modulators were shown to have...... δ-specific GABA-potentiating effects. The dual effect shown for monastrol to modulate the GHB high-affinity binding and α1β2δ GABAAR activity was also shown for the compounds 11, 18 and 24. Compound 29 displayed minimal modulatory effect on GABAARs and therefore appears to be a GHB high...

The far infrared radiation characteristics for Li2O.Al2O3.4SiO2(LAS) glass-ceramics and transition-metal oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huh, Nam Jung; Yang, Joong Sik

1991-01-01

The far infrared radiation characteristic for Li 2 O.Al 2 O 3 .4SiO 2 (LAS) glass, the LAS glass-ceramic and sintered transition metal oxides such as CuO, Fe 2 O 3 and Co 3 O 4 , were investigated. LAS glass and LAS glass-ceramic was higher than that of the LAS glass. Heat-treated CuO and Co 3 o 4 had radiation characteristic of high efficiency infrared radiant, and heat-treated Fe 2 O 3 had radiation characteristic that infrared emissivity decreased in higher was length above 15μm. (Author)

Modifiers of hemoglobin/oxygen affinity as sensitizers of tumors to radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirst, D.G.; Wood, P.J.

1987-01-01

A powerful mechanism in the control of oxygen delivery to tissues is the allosteric modification of hemoglobin. Increased or decreased release of oxygen can be achieved by altering the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen. Several studies have shown that tumor radiosensitivity is dependent on this relationship. The authors studied affinity changes produced in two distinctly different ways. Tumor bearing mice were given isovolemic exchange blood transfusions with the blood from donor mice which had been exposed to abnormal oxygen tensions, leading to increased or slightly decreased levels of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3 DPG) in their blood. When the recipient mice were irradiated, those receiving the blood with higher 2,3 DPG levels showed greater tumor sensitivity to radiation. An alternative strategy is the use of drugs which directly alter hemoglobin/oxygen affinity. The authors studied three antihyperlipoproteinemia drugs, all of which have produced markedly reduced affinities in vivo. Preliminary data indicate that the radiosensitization produced by at least one of these compounds is less than would have been expected from the 2,3 DPG experiments

Thermal, structural and optical properties of new TeO2sbnd Sb2O3sbnd GeO2 ternary glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, C.; Barbosa, J.; Cassanjes, F. C.; Gonçalves, R. R.; Ribeiro, S. J. L.; Poirier, G.

2016-12-01

In this work the novel glass system TeO2sbnd Sb2O3sbnd GeO2 was investigated and promising glass compositions were selected for further specific studies. Glass samples in the (80-0.8x)TeO2-(20-0.2x)Sb2O3-xGeO2 molar composition were prepared by the melt-quenching method with a glass-forming domain from x = 10 to x = 90. Samples were investigated by XRD, DSC, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy and UV-visible absorption. The XRD and DSC results bring informations about the non-crystalline state and thermal properties of these materials. It has been observed that higher GeO2 contents lead to higher glass transition temperatures and thermal stabilities against crystallization. FTIR and Raman spectroscopies suggest a progressive incorporation of GeO2 in the covalent network of TeO2 with conversion of structural units TeO4 to TeO3. Absorption spectra revealed the high visible transparency of these samples and an increase of the optical band gap with GeO2 addition, in agreement with a decreasing polarizability of the glass network. Er3+ doped and Er3+/Yb3+ codoped samples were also studied with respect to their infrared emission properties and higher GeO2 contents lead to an increase in IR emission intensity at 1,5 μm as well as longer radiative lifetimes. Finally, upconversion emission in the visible were also recorded and were shown to be strongly dependent of the composition.

Fullerene C{sub 70} decorated TiO{sub 2} nanowires for visible-light-responsive photocatalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Er-Chieh [Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan (China); Ciou, Jing-Hao [Department of Fragrance and Cosmetic Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan (China); Zheng, Jia-Huei; Pan, Job [Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan (China); Hsiao, Yu-Sheng, E-mail: yshsiao@mail.mcut.edu.tw [Department of Materials Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 24301, Taiwan (China); Lee, Kuen-Chan, E-mail: kclee@kmu.edu.tw [Department of Fragrance and Cosmetic Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan (China); Huang, Jen-Hsien, E-mail: 295604@cpc.com.tw [Department of Green Material Technology, Green Technology Research Institute, CPC Corporation, Kaohsiung 30010, Taiwan (China)

2015-11-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • TiO{sub 2} nanowire decorated with C{sub 60} and C{sub 70} derivatives has been synthesized. • The fullerenes impede the charge recombination due to its high electron affinity. • The fullerenes expand the utilization of solar light from UV to visible light. • The modified-TiO{sub 2} has great biocompatibility. - Abstract: In this study, we have synthesized C{sub 60} and C{sub 70}-modified TiO{sub 2} nanowire (NW) through interfacial chemical bonding. The results indicate that the fullerenes (C{sub 60} and C{sub 70} derivatives) can act as sinks for photogenerated electrons in TiO{sub 2}, while the fullerene/TiO{sub 2} is illuminated under ultraviolet (UV) light. Therefore, in comparison to the pure TiO{sub 2} NWs, the modified TiO{sub 2} NWs display a higher photocatalytic activity under UV irradiation. Moreover, the fullerenes also can function as a sensitizer to TiO{sub 2} which expand the utilization of solar light from UV to visible light. The results reveal that the C{sub 70}/TiO{sub 2} NWs show a significant photocatalytic activity for degradation of methylene blue (MB) in visible light region. To better understand the mechanism responsible for the effect of fullerenes on the photocatalytic properties of TiO{sub 2}, the electron only devices and photoelectrochemical cells based on fullerenes/TiO{sub 2} are also fabricated and evaluated.

Influence of organic matter on the solubility of ThO2 and geochemical modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Dejun; Luo Tian; Maes, N.; Bruggeman, C.

2014-01-01

Thorium (IV) is widely considered in laboratory experiments as a suitable chemical analogue for long-lived tetravalent actinides. Th (IV) is redox-insensitive, as an analogue for U (IV) to study the influence of natural organic matter on the solubility. The solubility of crystalline ThO 2 (cr) has been measured under geochemical conditions representative for the Boom Clay using Real Boom Clay Water containing organic matter to assess its influence on the ThO 2 (cr) solubility. For the purpose of comparison, Aldrich Humic Acid was also investigated. Solubility measurements of ThO 2 (cr) were approached from under-saturation in an anaerobic glove box with a controlled Ar0.4%CO 2 atmosphere. Th concentration is determined after 30000 MWCO, 300000 MWCO, and 0.45 μm filtration to distinguish solid (0.45 μm), larger colloids (300000 MWCO), and small dissolved species(30000 MWCO). X-ray diffraction was carried out to investigate the transformation of ThO 2 (cr) phase during the contact with Boom Clay Water. In Synthetic Boom Clay Water (without organic matter) the concentrations of Th (IV) are 5 × l0 -ll mol/L, 4 × lO -10 mol/L, and 8 × lO -8 mol/L after 30000 MWCO, 300000 MWCO, and 0. 45 μm filtration, respectively. It indicated the existence of inorganic colloids in solution. The increase of the total Th solution concentration with increasing organic matter concentration revealed a complexation-like interaction between Th and organic matter. All the experimental data could be modeled by Tipping humic ion-binding model VI using a combination of solubility calculations and complexation reactions between Th (IV) and organic matter functional groups. Similar to the investigation of Eu 3+ solubility, the affinity of organic matter for Th was higher for Aldrich humic acid compared to Boom Clay organic matter. However, Boom Clay organic matter with different size had the similar complexation affinity with Th (IV). (authors)

Sequence2Vec: A novel embedding approach for modeling transcription factor binding affinity landscape

KAUST Repository

Dai, Hanjun

2017-07-26

Motivation: An accurate characterization of transcription factor (TF)-DNA affinity landscape is crucial to a quantitative understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning endogenous gene regulation. While recent advances in biotechnology have brought the opportunity for building binding affinity prediction methods, the accurate characterization of TF-DNA binding affinity landscape still remains a challenging problem. Results: Here we propose a novel sequence embedding approach for modeling the transcription factor binding affinity landscape. Our method represents DNA binding sequences as a hidden Markov model (HMM) which captures both position specific information and long-range dependency in the sequence. A cornerstone of our method is a novel message passing-like embedding algorithm, called Sequence2Vec, which maps these HMMs into a common nonlinear feature space and uses these embedded features to build a predictive model. Our method is a novel combination of the strength of probabilistic graphical models, feature space embedding and deep learning. We conducted comprehensive experiments on over 90 large-scale TF-DNA data sets which were measured by different high-throughput experimental technologies. Sequence2Vec outperforms alternative machine learning methods as well as the state-of-the-art binding affinity prediction methods.

Modulating uranium binding affinity in engineered calmodulin EF-hand peptides: effect of phosphorylation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romain Pardoux

Full Text Available To improve our understanding of uranium toxicity, the determinants of uranyl affinity in proteins must be better characterized. In this work, we analyzed the contribution of a phosphoryl group on uranium binding affinity in a protein binding site, using the site 1 EF-hand motif of calmodulin. The recombinant domain 1 of calmodulin from A. thaliana was engineered to impair metal binding at site 2 and was used as a structured template. Threonine at position 9 of the loop was phosphorylated in vitro, using the recombinant catalytic subunit of protein kinase CK2. Hence, the T(9TKE(12 sequence was substituted by the CK2 recognition sequence TAAE. A tyrosine was introduced at position 7, so that uranyl and calcium binding affinities could be determined by following tyrosine fluorescence. Phosphorylation was characterized by ESI-MS spectrometry, and the phosphorylated peptide was purified to homogeneity using ion-exchange chromatography. The binding constants for uranyl were determined by competition experiments with iminodiacetate. At pH 6, phosphorylation increased the affinity for uranyl by a factor of ∼5, from K(d = 25±6 nM to K(d = 5±1 nM. The phosphorylated peptide exhibited a much larger affinity at pH 7, with a dissociation constant in the subnanomolar range (K(d = 0.25±0.06 nM. FTIR analyses showed that the phosphothreonine side chain is partly protonated at pH 6, while it is fully deprotonated at pH 7. Moreover, formation of the uranyl-peptide complex at pH 7 resulted in significant frequency shifts of the ν(as(P-O and ν(s(P-O IR modes of phosphothreonine, supporting its direct interaction with uranyl. Accordingly, a bathochromic shift in ν(as(UO(2(2+ vibration (from 923 cm(-1 to 908 cm(-1 was observed upon uranyl coordination to the phosphorylated peptide. Together, our data demonstrate that the phosphoryl group plays a determining role in uranyl binding affinity to proteins at physiological pH.

Modulating uranium binding affinity in engineered Calmodulin EF-hand peptides: effect of phosphorylation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pardoux, Romain; Sauge-Merle, Sandrine; Lemaire, David; Guilloreau, Luc; Berthomieu, Catherine; Delangle, Pascale; Adriano, Jean-Marc

2012-01-01

To improve our understanding of uranium toxicity, the determinants of uranyl affinity in proteins must be better characterized. In this work, we analyzed the contribution of a phosphoryl group on uranium binding affinity in a protein binding site, using the site 1 EF-hand motif of calmodulin. The recombinant domain 1 of calmodulin from A. thaliana was engineered to impair metal binding at site 2 and was used as a structured template. Threonine at position 9 of the loop was phosphorylated in vitro, using the recombinant catalytic subunit of protein kinase CK2. Hence, the T 9 TKE 12 sequence was substituted by the CK2 recognition sequence TAAE. A tyrosine was introduced at position 7, so that uranyl and calcium binding affinities could be determined by following tyrosine fluorescence. Phosphorylation was characterized by ESI-MS spectrometry, and the phosphorylated peptide was purified to homogeneity using ion-exchange chromatography. The binding constants for uranyl were determined by competition experiments with iminodiacetate. At pH 6, phosphorylation increased the affinity for uranyl by a factor of ∼5, from K d =25±6 nM to K d =5±1 nM. The phosphorylated peptide exhibited a much larger affinity at pH 7, with a dissociation constant in the sub-nanomolar range (K d = 0.25±0.06 nM). FTIR analyses showed that the phospho-threonine side chain is partly protonated at pH 6, while it is fully deprotonated at pH 7. Moreover, formation of the uranyl-peptide complex at pH 7 resulted in significant frequency shifts of the ν as (P-O) and ν s (P-O) IR modes of phospho-threonine, supporting its direct interaction with uranyl. Accordingly, a bathochromic shift in ν as (UO 2 ) 2+ vibration (from 923 cm -1 to 908 cm -1 ) was observed upon uranyl coordination to the phosphorylated peptide. Together, our data demonstrate that the phosphoryl group plays a determining role in uranyl binding affinity to proteins at physiological pH. (authors)

Kinetic removal of haloacetonitrile precursors by photo-based advanced oxidation processes (UV/H2O2, UV/O3, and UV/H2O2/O3).

Science.gov (United States)

Srithep, Sirinthip; Phattarapattamawong, Songkeart

2017-06-01

The objective of the study is to evaluate the performance of conventional treatment process (i.e., coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and sand filtration) on the removals of haloacetonitrile (HAN) precursors. In addition, the removals of HAN precursors by photo-based advanced oxidation processes (Photo-AOPs) (i.e., UV/H 2 O 2 , UV/O 3 , and UV/H 2 O 2 /O 3 ) are investigated. The conventional treatment process was ineffective to remove HAN precursors. Among Photo-AOPs, the UV/H 2 O 2 /O 3 was the most effective process for removing HAN precursors, followed by UV/H 2 O 2 , and UV/O 3 , respectively. For 20min contact time, the UV/H 2 O 2 /O 3 , UV/H 2 O 2 , and UV/O 3 suppressed the HAN formations by 54, 42, and 27% reduction. Increasing ozone doses from 1 to 5 mgL -1 in UV/O 3 systems slightly improved the removals of HAN precursors. Changes in pH (6-8) were unaffected most of processes (i.e., UV, UV/H 2 O 2 , and UV/H 2 O 2 /O 3 ), except for the UV/O 3 system that its efficiency was low in the weak acid condition. The pseudo first-order kinetic constant for removals of dichloroacetonitrile precursors (k' DCANFP ) by the UV/H 2 O 2 /O 3 , UV/H 2 O 2 and standalone UV systems were 1.4-2.8 orders magnitude higher than the UV/O 3 process. The kinetic degradation of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) tended to be higher than the k' DCANFP value. This study firstly differentiates the kinetic degradation between DON and HAN precursors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Affinity for a malignant tumor and organs of sup(99m)Tc-citrate complex

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ando, A; Sanada, S; Hiraki, T [Kanazawa Univ. (Japan). School of Paramedicine; Hisada, K; Nakazawa, N

1976-12-01

In order to investigate the tumor affinity of sup(99m)Tc-citrate complex, it was synthesized in three different ways. By (1) reducing sup(99m)TcO/sub 4//sup -/ with FeCl/sub 3//sup -/ ascorbic acid in 0.15 M sodium citrate, (2) reducing sup(99m)TcO/sub 4//sup -/ with SnCl/sub 2/ solution in 0.15 M sodium citrate, and (3) reducing sup(99m)TcO/sub 4//sup -/ with NaBH/sub 4/ in 0.45 sodium citrate. It was presumed from thinlayer chromatography that the sup(99m)Tc-citrate complexes synthesized in three ways were chemically different. These sup(99m)Tc-citrate complexes were injected intravenously into the rats subcutaneously transplanted with Yoshida sarcoma. These rats were sacrificed at one hour and three hours after injection. The radioactivity of the tumor, blood, muscle, liver, kidney, spleen and urine was measured by well-type scintillation counter. The retention values in these organs and the excretion rates in the urine were calculated. sup(99m)Tc-citrate complex synthesized by reducing sup(99m)TcO/sub 4//sup -/ with SnCl/sub 2/ solution had very strong affinity for the malignant tumor but the other two sup(99m)Tc-citrate complexes had no affinity to the malignant tumor. Excretion rates (% dose) of sup(99m)Tc-citrate complexes in one hour were from 65% to 75%.

Affine and quasi-affine frames for rational dilations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bownik, Marcin; Lemvig, Jakob

2011-01-01

In this paper we extend the investigation of quasi-affine systems, which were originally introduced by Ron and Shen [J. Funct. Anal. 148 (1997), 408-447] for integer, expansive dilations, to the class of rational, expansive dilations. We show that an affine system is a frame if, and only if......, the corresponding family of quasi-affine systems are frames with uniform frame bounds. We also prove a similar equivalence result between pairs of dual affine frames and dual quasi-affine frames. Finally, we uncover some fundamental differences between the integer and rational settings by exhibiting an example...

Affinity (tropism) of caprine arthritis encephalitis virus for brain cells

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-11-19

Nov 19, 2008 ... Full Length Research Paper. Affinity (tropism) of caprine arthritis encephalitis virus for brain cells. Adebayo, I. A.1*, Awoniyi, T. A. M. 1 and Olaleye, O. D.2. 1Department of Animal Production and Health, Animal Parasitology and Microbiology Research Unit, Federal University of Technology, P M B 704, ...

Exploring the possibility to store the mixed oxygen-hydrogen cluster in clathrate hydrate in molar ratio 1:2 (O2+2H2).

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Yan; Du, Qi-Shi; Xie, Neng-Zhong; Li, Jian-Xiu; Huang, Ri-Bo

2017-05-01

An interesting possibility is explored: storing the mixture of oxygen and hydrogen in clathrate hydrate in molar ratio 1:2. The interaction energies between oxygen, hydrogen, and clathrate hydrate are calculated using high level quantum chemical methods. The useful conclusion points from this study are summarized as follows. (1) The interaction energies of oxygen-hydrogen mixed cluster are larger than the energies of pure hydrogen molecular cluster. (2) The affinity of oxygen molecules with water molecules is larger than that of the hydrogen molecules with water molecules. (3) The dimension of O 2 -2H 2 interaction structure is smaller than the dimension of CO 2 -2H 2 interaction structure. (4) The escaping energy of oxygen molecules from the hydrate cell is larger than that of the hydrogen molecules. (5) The high affinity of the oxygen molecules with both the water molecules and the hydrogen molecules may promote the stability of oxygen-hydrogen mixture in the clathrate hydrate. Therefore it is possible to store the mixed (O 2 +2H 2 ) cluster in clathrate hydrate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Binding affinities of anti-acetylcholine receptor autoantibodies in myasthenia gravis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bray, J.J.; Drachman, D.B.

1982-01-01

Antibodies directed against acetylcholine (ACh) receptors are present in the sera of nearly 90% of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), and are involved in the pathogenesis of this autoimmune disease. However, the antibody titers measured by the standard radioimmunoassay correspond poorly with the clinical severity of the disease. To determine whether this disparity could be accounted for by differences in the binding affinities of anti-ACh receptor antibodies in different patients, we have measured the binding affinities of these autoantibodies in 15 sera from MG patients. The affinity constants (K/sub o/), as determined by Scatchard analysis, were all in the range of 10/sup 10/ M/sup -1/, comparable to the highest values reported in immunized animals. The affinity constants were truly representative of the population of autoantibodies detected by the radioimmunoassay, as shown by the remarkable linearity of the Scatchard plots (r/sup 2/>0.90) and the close correlation between the antibody titers determined by extrapolation of the Scatchard plots and by saturation analysis (r = 0.99; p < 0.001). There was only a 6-fold variation in affinity constants measured in this series of patients despite widely differing antibody titers and severity of the disease. Factors other than the titer and affinity of anti-ACh receptor antibodies may correlate better with the clinical manifestations of MG.

Air Plasma-Sprayed La2Zr2O7-SrZrO3 Composite Thermal Barrier Coating Subjected to CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 (CMAS)

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Lili; Ma, Wen; Ma, Bole; Guo, Feng; Chen, Weidong; Dong, Hongying; Shuang, Yingchai

2017-08-01

La2Zr2O7-SrZrO3 composite thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) were prepared by air plasma spray (APS). The La2Zr2O7-SrZrO3 composite TBCs covered with calcium-magnesium-aluminum-silicate (CMAS) powder, as well as the powder mixture of CMAS and spray-dried La2Zr2O7-SrZrO3 composite powder, were heat-treated at 1250 °C in air for 1, 4, 8, and 12 h. The phase constituents and microstructures of the reaction products were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Experimental results showed that the La2Zr2O7-SrZrO3 composite TBCs had higher CMAS resistance than 8YSZ coating. A dense new layer developed between CMAS and La2Zr2O7-SrZrO3 composite TBCs during interaction, and this new layer consisted mostly of apatite (Ca2La8(SiO4)6O2) and c-ZrO2. The newly developed layer effectively protected the La2Zr2O7-SrZrO3 composite TBCs from further CMAS attack.

Stabilization of the high coercivity ε-Fe2O3 phase in the CeO2–Fe2O3/SiO2 nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mantlikova, A.; Poltierova Vejpravova, J.; Bittova, B.; Burianova, S.; Niznansky, D.; Ardu, A.; Cannas, C.

2012-01-01

We have investigated the processes leading to the formation of the Fe 2 O 3 and CeO 2 nanoparticles in the SiO 2 matrix in order to stabilize the ε-Fe 2 O 3 as the major phase. The samples with two different concentrations of the Fe were prepared by sol–gel method, subsequently annealed at different temperatures up to 1100 °C, and characterized by the Mössbauer spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and magnetic measurements. The evolution of the different Fe 2 O 3 phases under various conditions of preparation was investigated, starting with the preferential appearance of the γ-Fe 2 O 3 phase for the sample with low Fe concentration and low annealing temperature and stabilization of the major ε-Fe 2 O 3 phase for high Fe concentration and high annealing temperature, coexisting with the most stable α-Fe 2 O 3 phase. A continuous increase of the particle size of the CeO 2 nanocrystals with increasing annealing temperature was also observed. - Graphical abstract: The graphical abstract displays the most important results of our work. The significant change of the phase composition due to the variation of preparation conditions is demonstrated. As a result, significant change of the magnetic properties from superparamagnetic γ-Fe 2 O 3 phase with negligible coercivity to the high coercivity ε-Fe 2 O 3 phase has been observed. Highlights: ► Research of the stabilization of the high coercivity ε-Fe 2 O 3 in CeO 2 –Fe 2 O 3 /SiO 2 . ► Samples with two different concentrations of Fe and three annealing temperatures. ► Phase transition γ→ε→(β)→α with increasing annealing temperature and particle size. ► Elimination of the superparamagnetic phases in samples with higher content of Fe. ► Best conditions for high coercivity ε-Fe 2 O 3 —higher Fe content and T A =1100°C.

Optical characteristics of a RF DBD plasma jet in various {Ar}/ {O}_{2}Ar/O2 mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Falahat, A.; Ganjovi, A.; Taraz, M.; Ravari, M. N. Rostami; Shahedi, A.

2018-02-01

In this paper, using the optical emission spectroscopy (OES) technique, the optical characteristics of a radiofrequency (RF) plasma jet are examined. The Ar/O2 mixture is taken as the operational gas and, the Ar percentage in the Ar/O2 mixture is varied from 70% to 95%. Using the optical emission spectrum analysis of the RF plasma jet, the excitation temperature is determined based on the Boltzmann plot method. The electron density in the plasma medium of the RF plasma jet is obtained by the Stark broadening of the hydrogen Balmer H_{β }. It is mostly seen that, the radiation intensity of Ar 4p→ 4s transitions at higher argon contributions in Ar/O2 mixture is higher. It is found that, at higher Ar percentages, the emission intensities from atomic oxygen (O) are higher and, the line intensities from the argon atoms and ions including O atoms linearly increase. It is observed that the quenching of Ar^{*} with O2 results in higher O species with respect to O2 molecules. In addition, at higher percentages of Ar in the Ar/O2 mixture, while the excitation temperature is decreased, the electron density is increased.

INFORMATION BEHAVIOR AND TECHNOLOGY AFFINITY AMONG HIGHER INSTITUTION LEARNERS IN BORNEO

OpenAIRE

Johari, Nurul Muizzah

2016-01-01

This study aims to provide an understanding of information behavior with technology based on gender. It also to investigate the relationship between information behavior and degree of technology affinity. This research has been conducted quantitatively and using survey to gain data from participants.  Participant are selected randomly across Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak. The instrument are adopted from Mills, Knezek, and Wakefield (2013) which taking interest into information behavior...

Structural and sensing characteristics of Gd2Ti2O7, Er2TiO5 and Lu2Ti2O7 sensing membrane electrolyte–insulator–semiconductor for bio-sensing applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Tung-Ming; Liao, Pei-You; Chang, Kung-Yuan; Chi, Lifeng

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The structural and sensing properties of Gd 2 Ti 2 O 7 , Er 2 TiO 5 and Lu 2 Ti 2 O 7 sensing films grown on Si substrates by reactive co-sputtering. ► The EIS device incorporating a Lu 2 Ti 2 O 7 sensing film exhibited a higher sensitivity, a larger drift rate, a higher hysteresis voltage, and a larger hysteresis gap than other sensing films. ► The impedance effect of EIS sensors has been investigated using C–V method. -- Abstract: This paper describes the structural and sensing characteristics of Gd 2 Ti 2 O 7 , Er 2 TiO 5 , and Lu 2 Ti 2 O 7 sensing membranes deposited on Si substrates through reactive co-sputtering for electrolyte–insulator–semiconductor (EIS) pH sensors. In this work, the structural properties of Gd 2 Ti 2 O 7 , Er 2 TiO 5 , and Lu 2 Ti 2 O 7 membranes were investigated by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The observed structural properties were then correlated with the resulting pH sensing performances. The EIS device incorporating a Lu 2 Ti 2 O 7 sensing film exhibited a higher sensitivity (59.32 mV pH −1 ), a larger drift rate (0.55 mV h −1 ), a higher hysteresis voltage (5 mV), and a larger hysteresis gap (∼70 mV) compared to those of the other sensing films. This result is attributed to the higher surface roughness and the formation of a thicker interfacial layer at the oxide–Si interface. Furthermore, the impedance effect of EIS sensors has been investigated using capacitance–voltage (C–V) method (frequency-dependent C–V curves). From the impedance spectroscopy analysis, we find that the diameter of a semicircle of an EIS sensor becomes smaller due to a gradual decrease in the bulk resistance of the device with degree of pH value

Affinity of Iresine herbstii and Brugmansia arborea extracts on different cerebral receptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Nencini, Cristina; Cavallo, Federica; Bruni, Giancarlo; Capasso, Anna; De Feo, Vincenzo; De Martino, Laura; Giorgi, Giorgio; Micheli, Lucia

2006-05-24

Iresine herbstii Hook. (Amaranthaceae) and Brugmansia arborea (L.) Lagerheim (Solanaceae) are used in the northern Peruvian Andes for magic-therapeutical purposes. The traditional healers use Iresine herbstii with the ritual aim to expel bad spirits from the body. Furthermore, Iresine herbstii was used in association with other plants, such as Trichocereus pachanoi Britt. et Rose, for divination, to diagnose diseases, and to take possession of another identity. Also, species of Brugmansia have been reported to be used during ritual practices for magical and curative purposes. Given the above evidence, the aim of the present study is to evaluate if the central effects of Iresine herbstii and Brugmansia arborea could be associated with interaction with SNC receptors. Two Iresine herbstii extracts (methanolic and aqueous) and one Brugmansia arborea aqueous extract were tested for in vitro affinity on 5-HT(1A), 5-HT(2A), 5-HT(2C), D1, D2, alpha(1), and alpha(2) receptors by radioligand binding assays. The biological materials for binding assay (cerebral cortex) were taken from male Sprague-Dawley rats. The extracts affinity for receptors is definite as inhibition percentage of radioligand/receptor binding and measured as the radioactivity of remaining complex radioligand/receptor. The data obtained for Iresine extracts have shown a low affinity for the 5-HT(1A) receptor and no affinity for 5-HT(2A) receptor. Otherwise the methanolic extract showed affinity for 5-HT(2C) receptor (IC(50): 34.78 microg/ml) and for D1 receptor (IC(50): 19.63 microg/ml), instead the Iresine aqueous extract displayed a lower affinity for D1 (48.3% at the maximum concentration tested) and a higher value of affinity for D2 receptors (IC(50): 32.08 microg/ml). The Brugmansia aqueous extract displayed affinity for D1 receptors (IC(50): 17.68 microg/ml), D2 receptors (IC(50): 15.95 microg/ml) and weak affinity for the serotoninergic receptors. None of the three extracts showed relevant affinity

Tris-(hydroxyamino)triazines: high-affinity chelating tridentate O,N,O-hydroxylamine ligand for the cis-V(V)O2(+) cation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolakis, Vladimiros A; Exarchou, Vassiliki; Jakusch, Tamás; Woolins, J Derek; Slawin, Alexandra M Z; Kiss, Tamás; Kabanos, Themistoklis A

2010-10-14

The treatment of the trichloro-1,3,5-triazine with N-methylhydroxylamine hydrochloride results in the replacement of the three chlorine atoms of the triazine ring with the function -N(OH)CH(3) yielding the symmetrical tris-(hydroxyamino)triazine ligand H(3)trihyat. Reaction of the ligand H(3)trihyat with NaV(V)O(3) in aqueous solution followed by addition of Ph(4)PCl gave the mononuclear vanadium(V) compound Ph(4)P[V(V)O(2)(Htrihyat)] (1). The structure of compound 1 was determined by X-ray crystallography and indicates that this compound has a distorted square-pyramidal arrangement around vanadium. The ligand Htrihyat(2-) is bonded to vanadium atom in a tridentate fashion at the triazine ring nitrogen atom and the two deprotonated hydroxylamido oxygen atoms. The high electron density of the triazine ring nitrogen atoms, which results from the resonative contribution of electrons of exocyclic nitrogen atoms, leads to a very strong V-N bond. The cis-[V(V)O(2)(Htrihyat)](-) species exhibits high hydrolytic stability in aqueous solution over a wide pH range, 2.5-11.5, as was evidenced by potentiometry.

Improving image segmentation by learning region affinities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prasad, Lakshman [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Yang, Xingwei [TEMPLE UNIV.; Latecki, Longin J [TEMPLE UNIV.

2010-11-03

We utilize the context information of other regions in hierarchical image segmentation to learn new regions affinities. It is well known that a single choice of quantization of an image space is highly unlikely to be a common optimal quantization level for all categories. Each level of quantization has its own benefits. Therefore, we utilize the hierarchical information among different quantizations as well as spatial proximity of their regions. The proposed affinity learning takes into account higher order relations among image regions, both local and long range relations, making it robust to instabilities and errors of the original, pairwise region affinities. Once the learnt affinities are obtained, we use a standard image segmentation algorithm to get the final segmentation. Moreover, the learnt affinities can be naturally unutilized in interactive segmentation. Experimental results on Berkeley Segmentation Dataset and MSRC Object Recognition Dataset are comparable and in some aspects better than the state-of-art methods.

Sol–gel hybrid membranes loaded with meso/macroporous SiO{sub 2}, TiO{sub 2}–P{sub 2}O{sub 5} and SiO{sub 2}–TiO{sub 2}–P{sub 2}O{sub 5} materials with high proton conductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castro, Yolanda, E-mail: castro@icv.csic.es [Instituto de Cerámica y Vidrio, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICV-CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Mosa, Jadra, E-mail: jmosa@icv.csic.es [Instituto de Cerámica y Vidrio, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICV-CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Aparicio, Mario [Instituto de Cerámica y Vidrio, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICV-CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Pérez-Carrillo, Lourdes A.; Vílchez, Susana; Esquena, Jordi [Instituto de Química Avanzada de Cataluña, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IQAC-CSIC), CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona (Spain); Durán, Alicia [Instituto de Cerámica y Vidrio, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICV-CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain)

2015-01-15

In this work, highly conductive hybrid organic–inorganic membranes loaded with SiO{sub 2}, TiO{sub 2}–P{sub 2}O{sub 5} and SiO{sub 2}–TiO{sub 2}–P{sub 2}O{sub 5} meso/macroporous particles were prepared via a sol–gel process. Meso/macroporous particles were incorporated to hybrid membranes, for improving water retention and enhancing electrochemical performance. These particles with a polymodal pore size distribution were prepared by templating in highly concentrated emulsions, the particles showed a specific surface area between 50 m{sup 2}/g (TiO{sub 2}–P{sub 2}O{sub 5}) and 300 m{sup 2}/g (SiO{sub 2}–TiO{sub 2}–P{sub 2}O{sub 5}). The particles were dispersed in a hybrid silica sol and further sprayed onto glass paper. The films were polymerized and sintered; those loaded with meso/macroporous particles had a homogenous distribution. High temperature proton conductivity measurements confirmed a high water retention. Conductivity of these materials is higher than that of Nafion{sup ®} at higher temperatures (120 °C) (2·10{sup −2} S/cm). This study provides processing guideline to achieve hybrid electrolytes for efficient conduction of protons due to their high surface area and porous structure. - Highlights: • Hybrid electrolyte with meso/macroporous particles were synthesized by sol–gel. • Depositions of hybrid solutions by spraying onto glass substrates were performed. • Proton conductivity was evaluated as a function of composition and porous structure.

Current-voltage characteristics of SnO2-Co3O4-Cr2O3-Sb2O5 ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguilar-Martinez, J A; Glot, A B; Gaponov, A V; Hernandez, M B; Guerrero-Paz, J

2009-01-01

The effect of mechanical treatment in a planetary mill on the microstructure and electrical properties of tin dioxide based varistor ceramics in the system SnO 2 -Co 3 O 4 -Cr 2 O 3 -Sb 2 O 5 sintered in the range 1150-1450 0 C was studied. The mechanical treatment leads to an increase in shrinkage, decrease in porosity, decrease in sample diameter, change in colour of the sintered samples from grey to black and enhancement of nonlinearity. For the sample sintered at 1350 0 C the mechanical treatment enhances the nonlinearity coefficient from 11 to 31 and decreases the electric field E 1 (at 10 -3 A cm -2 ) from 3500 to 2800 V cm -1 . The observed changes in physical properties are explained in terms of an additional size reduction of oxide particles and a better mixing of oxide powder followed by the formation of potential barriers at the grain boundaries throughout the whole sample. In spite of the low porosity, the low-field electrical conductivity of mechanically treated ceramics is significantly increased with the growth of relative humidity. A higher humidity sensitivity is found for mechanically treated ceramics with higher barrier height and higher nonlinearity coefficient.

Lanthanide ions induce hydrolysis of hemoglobin-bound 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG), conformational changes of globin and bidirectional changes of 2,3-DPG-hemoglobin's oxygen affinity.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Y; Lin, H; Xue, D; Li, R; Wang, K

2001-02-14

The changes in structure and function of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate-hemoglobin (2,3-DPG-Hb) induced by Ln(3+) binding were studied by spectroscopic methods. The binding of lanthanide cations to 2,3-DPG is prior to that to Hb. Ln(3+) binding causes the hydrolysis of either one from the two phosphomonoester bonds in 2,3-DPG non-specifically. The results using the ultrafiltration method indicate that Ln(3+) binding sites for Hb can be classified into three categories: i.e. positive cooperative sites (N(I)), non-cooperative strong sites (N(S)) and non-cooperative weak sites (N(W)) with binding constants in decreasing order: K(I)>K(S)>K(W). The total number of binding sites amounts to about 65 per Hb tetramer. Information on reaction kinetics was obtained from the change of intrinsic fluorescence in Hb monitored by stopped-flow fluorometry. Fluctuation of fluorescence dependent on Ln(3+) concentration and temperature was observed and can be attributed to the successive conformational changes induced by Ln(3+) binding. The results also reveal the bidirectional changes of the oxygen affinity of Hb in the dependence on Ln(3+) concentration. At the range of [Ln(3+)]/[Hb]<2, the marked increase of oxygen affinity (P(50) decrease) with the Ln(3+) concentration can be attributed to the hydrolysis of 2,3-DPG, while the slight rebound of oxygen affinity in higher Ln(3+) concentration can be interpreted by the transition to the T-state of the Hb tetramer induced by Ln(3+) binding. This was indicated by the changes in secondary structure characterized by the decrease of alpha-helix content.

CoO-doped MgO-Al2O3-SiO2-colored transparent glass-ceramics with high crystallinity

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Wufu; Zhang, Qian; Luo, Zhiwei; Yu, Jingbo; Gao, Xianglong; Li, Yunxing; Lu, Anxian

2018-02-01

To obtain CoO-doped MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 (MAS)-colored transparent glass-ceramics with high crystallinity, the glass with the composition 21MgO-21Al2O3-54SiO2-4B2O3-0.2CoO (in mol %) was prepared by conventional melt quenching technique and subsequently thermal treated at several temperatures. The crystallization behavior of the glass, the precipitated crystalline phases and crystallinity were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The microstructure of the glass-ceramics was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FSEM). The transmittance of glass-ceramic was measured by UV spectrophotometer. The results show that a large amount of α-cordierite (indianite) with nano-size was precipitated from the glass matrix after treatment at 1020 °C for 3 h. The crystallinity of the transparent glass-ceramic reached up to 97%. Meanwhile, the transmittance of the glass-ceramic was 74% at 400 nm with a complex absorption band from 450 nm to 700 nm. In addition, this colored transparent glass-ceramic possessed lower density (2.469 g/cm3), lower thermal expansion coefficient (1.822 × 10-6 /℃), higher Vickers hardness (9.1 GPa) and higher bending strength (198 MPa) than parent glass.

Catalytic combustion of trichloroethylene over TiO2-SiO2 supported catalysts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kulazynski, M.; van Ommen, J.G.; Trawczynski, J.; Walendziewski, J.

2002-01-01

Combustion of trichloroethylene (TCE) on Cr2O3, V2O5, Pt or Pd catalysts supported on TiO2-SiO2 as a carrier has been investigated. It was found that oxide catalysts are very active but their activity quickly diminishes due to loss of the active component, especially at higher reaction temperatures

A comparative study of the magnetization in transition metal ion doped CeO2, TiO2 and SnO2 nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Apostolov, A. T.; Apostolova, I. N.; Wesselinowa, J. M.

2018-05-01

Using the microscopic s-d model taking into account anharmonic spin-phonon interactions we have studied the magnetic properties of Co and Cu ion doped CeO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles and compared them with those of SnO2. By Co-doping there is a maximum in the magnetization M(x) curve for all nanoparticles observed in the most transition metal doped ones. The s-d interaction plays an important role by the decrease of M at higher dopant concentration. We have discussed the magnetization in dependence of different model parameters. By small Cu-ion doping there are some differences. In CeO2M decreases with the Cu-concentration, whereas in TiO2 and SnO2M increases. For higher Cu dopant concentrations M(X) decreases in TiO2 nanoparticles. We obtain room temperature ferromagnetism also in Zn doped CeO2, TiO2 and SnO2 nanoparticles, i.e. in non-transition metal ion doped ones. The different behavior of M in Co and Cu doped nanoparticles is due to a combination effect of multivalent metal ions, oxygen vacancies, different radius of cation dopants, connection between lattice and magnetism, as well as competition between the s-d and d-d ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic interactions.

Influence of heme environment structure on dioxygen affinity for the dual function Amphitrite ornata hemoglobin/dehaloperoxidase. Insights into the evolutional structure-function adaptations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Shengfang; Sono, Masanori; Wang, Chunxue; Du, Jing; Lebioda, Lukasz; Dawson, John H. [SC

2014-05-15

Sea worm, Amphitrite ornata, has evolved its globin (an O₂ carrier) also to serves as a dehaloperoxidase (DHP) to detoxify haloaromatic pollutants generated by competing species. A previous mutagenesis study by our groups on both DHP and sperm whale myoglobin (SW Mb) revealed some structural factors that influence the dehaloperoxidase activities (significantly lower for Mb) of both proteins. Using an isocyanide/O₂ partition constant measurement method in this study, we have examined the effects of these structural factors on the O₂ equilibrium constants (K_O2) of DHP, SW Mb, and their mutants. A clear trend of decreasing O₂ affinity and increasing catalytic activity along with the increase in the distal His N^ε–heme iron distance is observed. An H93K/T95H Mb double mutant mimicking the DHP proximal His positioning exhibited markedly enhanced O₂ affinity, confirming the essential effect of proximal His rotation on the globin function of DHP. For DHP, the L100F, T56G and M86E variants showed the effects of distal volume, distal His flexibility and proximal electronic push, respectively, on the O₂ affinity. This study provides insights into how DHP has evolved its heme environment to gain significantly enhanced peroxidase capability without compromising its primary function as an O₂ carrier.

Characterization of high affinity [3H]triazolam binding in rat brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Earle, M.; Concas, A.; Yamamura, H.I.

1986-01-01

The hypnotic Triazolam (TZ), a triazolo (1,4)-benzodiazepine, displays a short physiological half life and has been used for the treatment of insomnia related to anxiety states. Specific binding properties of this recently tritiated TZ were characterized. The authors major objectives were the direct measurement of the temperature dependence and the GABA effect on [ 3 H]TZ binding. Saturation studies showed a shift to lower affinity at 37 0 C (K/sub d/ = 0.25 +/- 0.01 nM at O 0 C; K/sub d/ = 1.46 +/- 0.03 nM at 37 0 C) while the B/sub max/ values remained unchanged (1003 +/- 37 fmoles/mg prot. at 0 0 C and 1001 +/- 43 fmoles/mg prot. at 37 0 C). Inhibition studies showed that [ 3 H]TZ binding displayed no GABA shift at 0 0 C(K/sub i/ 0.37 +/- 0.03 nM/- GABA and K/sub i/ = 0.55 +/- 0.13 nM/+GABA) but a nearly two-fold shift was apparent at 37 0 C (K/sub i/ = 2.92 +/- 0.2 nM/-GABA; K/sub i/ = 1.37 +/- 0.11 mM/+GABA). These results were also confirmed by saturation studies in the presence or absence of GABA showing a shift to higher affinity in the presence of GABA only at 37 0 C. In Ro 15-1788/[ 3 H]TZ competition experiments the presence of GABA did not affect the inhibitory potency of Ro 15-1788 on [ 3 H]TZ binding at both temperatures. In conclusion [ 3 H]TZ binding showed an extremely high affinity for benzodiazepine receptors. In contrast to reported literature, the findings suggest that TZ interacts with benzodiazepine receptors similar to other benzodiazepine agonists

Hemoglobin oxygen affinity in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dieter Böning

Full Text Available In patients with cystic fibrosis lung damages cause arterial hypoxia. As a typical compensatory reaction one might expect changes in oxygen affinity of hemoglobin. Therefore position (standard half saturation pressure P50st and slope (Hill's n of the O2 dissociation curve as well as the Bohr coefficients (BC for CO2 and lactic acid were determined in blood of 14 adult patients (8 males, 6 females and 14 healthy controls (6 males, 8 females. While Hill's n amounted to approximately 2.6 in all subjects, P50st was slightly increased by 1 mmHg in both patient groups (controls male 26.7 ± 0.2, controls female 27.0 ± 0.1, patients male 27.7 ± 0.5, patients female 28.0 ± 0.3 mmHg; mean and standard error, overall p<0.01. Main cause was a rise of 1-2 µmol/g hemoglobin in erythrocytic 2,3-biphosphoglycerate concentration. One patient only, clearly identified as an outlier and with the mutation G551D, showed a reduction of both P50st (24.5 mmHg and [2,3-biphosphoglycerate] (9.8 µmol/g hemoglobin. There were no differences in BCCO2, but small sex differences in the BC for lactic acid in the controls which were not detectable in the patients. Causes for the right shift of the O2 dissociation curve might be hypoxic stimulation of erythrocytic glycolysis and an increased red cell turnover both causing increased [2,3-biphosphoglycerate]. However, for situations with additional hypercapnia as observed in exercising patients a left shift seems to be a more favourable adaptation in cystic fibrosis. Additionally when in vivo PO2 values were corrected to the standard conditions they mostly lay left of the in vitro O2 dissociation curve in both patients and controls. This hints to unknown fugitive factors influencing oxygen affinity.

Improving iron-enriched basalt with additions of ZrO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reimann, G.A.; Kong, P.C.

1993-06-01

The iron-enriched basalt (IEB) waste form, developed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory a decade ago, was modified to IEB4 by adding sufficient ZrO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2} to develop crystals of zirconolite upon cooling, in addition to the crystals that normally form in a cooling basalt. Zirconolite (CaZrTi{sub 2}O{sub 7}) is an extremely leach-resistant mineral with a strong affinity for actinides. Zirconolite crystals containing uranium and thorium have been found that have endured more than 2 billion years of natural processes. On this basis, zirconolite was considered to be an ideal host crystal for the actinides contained in transuranic (TRU)-contaminated wastes. Crystals of zirconolite were developed in laboratory melts of IEB4 that contained 5% each of ZrO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2} and that were slow-cooled in the 1200--1000{degrees}C range. When actinide surrogates were added to IEB4, these oxides were incorporated into the crystals of zirconolite rather than precipitating in the residual glass phase. Zirconolite crystals developed in IEB4 should stabilize and immobilize the dilute TRUs in heterogeneous, buried low-level wastes as effectively as this same phase does in the various formulations of Synroc used for the more concentrated TRUs encountered in high-level wastes. Synroc requires hot-pressing equipment, while IEB4 precipitates zirconolite from a cooling basaltic melt.

The dynamics of metric-affine gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vitagliano, Vincenzo; Sotiriou, Thomas P.; Liberati, Stefano

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The role and the dynamics of the connection in metric-affine theories is explored. → The most general second order action does not lead to a dynamical connection. → Including higher order invariants excites new degrees of freedom in the connection. → f(R) actions are also discussed and shown to be a non- representative class. - Abstract: Metric-affine theories of gravity provide an interesting alternative to general relativity: in such an approach, the metric and the affine (not necessarily symmetric) connection are independent quantities. Furthermore, the action should include covariant derivatives of the matter fields, with the covariant derivative naturally defined using the independent connection. As a result, in metric-affine theories a direct coupling involving matter and connection is also present. The role and the dynamics of the connection in such theories is explored. We employ power counting in order to construct the action and search for the minimal requirements it should satisfy for the connection to be dynamical. We find that for the most general action containing lower order invariants of the curvature and the torsion the independent connection does not carry any dynamics. It actually reduces to the role of an auxiliary field and can be completely eliminated algebraically in favour of the metric and the matter field, introducing extra interactions with respect to general relativity. However, we also show that including higher order terms in the action radically changes this picture and excites new degrees of freedom in the connection, making it (or parts of it) dynamical. Constructing actions that constitute exceptions to this rule requires significant fine tuned and/or extra a priori constraints on the connection. We also consider f(R) actions as a particular example in order to show that they constitute a distinct class of metric-affine theories with special properties, and as such they cannot be used as representative toy

Interaction of Ce{sub 1−x}Er{sub x}O{sub 2−y} nanoparticles with SiO{sub 2}-effect of temperature and atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kepinski, L., E-mail: L.Kepinski@int.pan.wroc.pl; Krajczyk, L.; Mista, W.

2014-01-15

Morphology, microstructure and phase evolution of homogeneous, nanocrystalline Ce{sub 1−x}Er{sub x}O{sub 2−x/2} mixed oxide (x=0.3 and 0.5), prepared by microemulsion method, supported on amorphous SiO{sub 2} was studied in oxidizing and reducing atmosphere by XRD, TEM, SEM-EDS and N{sub 2} adsorption. The system is structurally and chemically stable in the oxidizing atmosphere up to 1000 °C, exhibiting only a small increase of the mean crystallite size of the oxide to ∼4 nm. At 1100 °C formation of Er silicate with unusual structure isomorphic with y-Y{sub 2}Si{sub 2}O{sub 7} (yttrialite), stabilized by Ce{sup 4+} ions was observed. In the reducing atmosphere the Ce{sub 1−x}Er{sub x}O{sub 2−x/2} reacted with SiO{sub 2} already at 900 °C, due to high affinity of the reduced Ce{sup 3+} to form a silicate phase. At higher temperature the silicate crystallized into the tetragonal, low temperature A-(Ce{sub 1−x}Er{sub x}){sub 2}Si{sub 2}O{sub 7} polymorph. Such systems, containing nanocrystalline silicate particles with Er{sup 3+} ions placed in well defined sites embedded in silica matrix, may be interesting as highly efficient active components of optical waveguides amplifiers integrated with Si microelectronics. The nanocrystalline Ce–Er–O/SiO{sub 2} system prepared by the impregnation of the silica with the aqueous solution of nitrates appeared to be chemically inhomogeneous and less stable in both oxidising and reducing atmosphere. - Graphical abstract: Structure evolution of Ce{sub 0.5}Er{sub 0.5}O{sub 1.75} in air and in H{sub 2}. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Homogeneous 3 nm Ce{sub 1−x}Er{sub x}O{sub 2−y} particles were prepared and uniformly dispersed on SiO{sub 2}. • Er diffusion to SiO{sub 2} determines the stability of the mixed oxide in air to ∼1000 °C. • Spreading of Ce{sub 1−x}Er{sub x}O{sub 2−y} onto SiO{sub 2} occurs in hydrogen at 900 °C. • Nanocrystalline A-(Ce,Er){sub 2}Si{sub 2}O{sub 7} silicate forms in H

Affine field theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadavid, A.C.

1989-01-01

The author constructs a non-Abelian field theory by gauging a Kac-Moody algebra, obtaining an infinite tower of interacting vector fields and associated ghosts, that obey slightly modified Feynman rules. She discusses the spontaneous symmetry breaking of such theory via the Higgs mechanism. If the Higgs particle lies in the Cartan subalgebra of the Kac-Moody algebra, the previously massless vectors acquire a mass spectrum that is linear in the Kac-Moody index and has additional fine structure depending on the associated Lie algebra. She proceeds to show that there is no obstacle in implementing the affine extension of supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories. The result is valid in four, six and ten space-time dimensions. Then the affine extension of supergravity is investigated. She discusses only the loop algebra since the affine extension of the super-Poincare algebra appears inconsistent. The construction of the affine supergravity theory is carried out by the group manifold method and leads to an action describing infinite towers of spin 2 and spin 3/2 fields that interact subject to the symmetries of the loop algebra. The equations of motion satisfy the usual consistency check. Finally, she postulates a theory in which both the vector and scalar fields lie in the loop algebra of SO(3). This theory has an expanded soliton sector, and corresponding to the original 't Hooft-Polyakov solitonic solutions she now finds an infinite family of exact, special solutions of the new equations. She also proposes a perturbation method for obtaining an arbitrary solution of those equations for each level of the affine index

Role of β/δ101Gln in Regulating the Effect of Temperature and Allosteric Effectors on Oxygen Affinity in Woolly Mammoth Hemoglobin†

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Yue; Byrd, Catherine; Shen, Tong-Jian; Simplaceanu, Virgil; Tam, Tsuey Chyi S.; Ho, Chien

2013-01-01

The oxygen affinity of woolly mammoth hemoglobin (rHb WM) is less affected by temperature change than that of Asian elephant hemoglobin (rHb AE) or human adult hemoglobin (Hb A). We report here a biochemical-biophysical study of Hb A, rHb AE, rHb WM and three rHb WM mutants with amino acid substitutions at β/δ101 (β/δ101Gln→Glu, Lys, or Asp) plus a double and a triple mutant, designed to clarify the role of the β/δ101 residue. The β/δ101Gln residue is important for responding to allosteric effectors, such as phosphate, inositol hexaphosphate (IHP), and chloride. The rHb WM mutants studied generally have higher affinity for oxygen under various conditions of pH, temperature, and salt concentration, and in the presence or absence of organic phosphate, than do rHb WM, rHb AE and Hb A. Titrations for the O2 affinity of these mutant rHbs as a function of chloride concentration indicate a lower heterotopic effect of this anion due to the replacement of β/δ101Gln in rHb WM. The alkaline Bohr effect of rHb WM and its mutants is reduced by 20–50% compared to that of Hb A and is independent of changes in temperature, in contrast to what has been observed in the hemoglobins of most mammalian species, including human. The results of our study on the temperature dependence of the O2 affinity of rHb WM and its mutant rHbs illustrate the important role of β/δ101Gln in regulating the functional properties of these hemoglobins. PMID:24228693

Graphene and TiO_2 co-modified flower-like Bi_2O_2CO_3: A novel multi-heterojunction photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ao, Yanhui; Xu, Liya; Wang, Peifang; Wang, Chao; Hou, Jun; Qian, Jin; Li, Yi

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: A novel multi-heterojunction photocatalyst (graphene and TiO_2 co-modified flower-like Bi_2O_2CO_3) was prepared for the first time. The as-obtained samples showed much higher activity compared to pure Bi_2O_2CO_3, TiO_2 and GR–Bi_2O_2CO_3 for dye degradation, which is almost 14 times higher than that of pure Bi_2O_2CO_3 and also much higher than the sum of graphene–Bi_2O_2CO_3 and TiO_2. - Highlights: • Graphene and TiO_2 co-modified flower-like Bi_2O_2CO_3 was prepared for the first time. • The sample shows enhanced photocatalytic activity due to the formation of multi-heterojunction. • The sample also exhibits a synergetic effect of graphene and TiO_2. • The composite photocatalyst shows a good stability for dye degradation. - Abstract: In this paper, graphene (GR) and titania co-modified flower-like Bi_2O_2CO_3 multi-heterojunction composite photocatalysts were prepared by a simple and feasible two step hydrothermal process. The prepared samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrometry (DRS), photoluminescence (PL), N_2 adsorption–desorption isotherm, and photo-induced current. The photocatalytic activity was investigated by the degradation of MO under UV light irradiation. The as prepared multi-heterojunction GR/Bi_2O_2CO_3/TiO_2 composites exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than pure Bi_2O_2CO_3, TiO_2 and GR–Bi_2O_2CO_3. The higher performance of GR/Bi_2O_2CO_3/TiO_2 can be ascribed to the formation of multi-heterojunctions, which promote the effective separation of photo-induced electron–hole pairs. Moreover, the higher photocatalytic activity can also be ascribed to the high surface area of GR and TiO_2, which offers more active sites for the photodegradation reaction. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of GR/Bi_2O_2CO_3/TiO_2 remained without striking decrease after five cycles

Rheological phase synthesis of nanosized α-LiFeO_2 with higher crystallinity degree for cathode material of lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Haowen; Ji, Panyin; Han, Xiaoyan

2016-01-01

In this paper, rheological phase method has been successfully applied to synthesize nanosized α-LiFeO_2, a promising cathode material of lithium-ion batteries. The formation, structure and morphology of the as-prepared powder were characterized by Thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses (TGA/DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The particle size of the obtained α-LiFeO_2 ranged from 100 to 300 nm. It exhibited an initial discharge capacity 169 mAh g"−"1 at 0.1 C between 1.5 and 4.3 V, especially excellent cycling retention from the 10th to the 50th cycle (96.8%) between 1.5 and 4.3 V. The higher crystallinity degree might be responsible for the cyclability improvement. - Highlights: • α-LiFeO_2 with higher crystallinity degree has been synthesized. • The obtained samples were investigated by TGA/DTA, FTIR, SEM, XRD. • The prepared α-LiFeO_2 indicated excellent cycling retention.

Molecular electron affinities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuda, E.K.

1983-01-01

Molecular electron affinities have historically been difficult quantities to measure accurately. These difficulties arise from differences in structure between the ion and neutral as well as the existence of excited negative ion states. To circumvent these problems, relative electron affinities were determined in this dissertation by studying equilibrium electron transfer reactions using a pulsed ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) spectrometer. Direct measurement of ion and neutral concentrations for reactions of the general type, A - + B = B - + A, allow calculation of the equilibrium constant and, therefore, the free energy change. The free energy difference is related to the difference in electron affinities between A and B. A relative electron affinity scale covering a range of about 45 kcal/mol was constructed with various substituted p-benzoquinones, nitrobenzenes, anhydrides, and benzophenones. To assign absolute electron affinities, various species with accurately known electron affinities are tied to the scale via ion-cyclotron double resonance bracketing techniques. After the relative scale is anchored to these species with well-known electron affinities, the scale is then used as a check on other electron affinity values as well as generating new electron affinity values. Many discrepancies were found between the electron affinities measured using the ICR technique and previous literature determinations

Structure of Greyhound hemoglobin: origin of high oxygen affinity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatt, Veer S; Zaldívar-López, Sara; Harris, David R; Couto, C Guillermo; Wang, Peng G; Palmer, Andre F

2011-05-01

This study presents the crystal structure of Greyhound hemoglobin (GrHb) determined to 1.9 Å resolution. GrHb was found to crystallize with an α₁β₁ dimer in the asymmetric unit and belongs to the R2 state. Oxygen-affinity measurements combined with the fact that GrHb crystallizes in the R2 state despite the high-salt conditions used for crystallization strongly indicate that GrHb can serve as a model high-oxygen-affinity hemoglobin (Hb) for higher mammals, especially humans. Structural analysis of GrHb and its comparison with the R2-state of human Hb revealed several regions that can potentially contribute to the high oxygen affinity of GrHb and serve to rationalize the additional stability of the R2-state of GrHb. A previously well studied hydrophobic cluster of bar-headed goose Hb near α119 was also incorporated in the comparison between GrHb and human Hb. Finally, a structural comparison with generic dog Hb and maned wolf Hb was conducted, revealing that in contrast to GrHb these structures belong to the R state of Hb and raising the intriguing possibility of an additional allosteric factor co-purifying with GrHb that can modulate its quaternary structure.

Studies of Eu2O3 - Bi2O3 - B2O3 glasses using Raman and IR spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pop, Lidia; Culea, Eugen N.; Bratu, I.

2004-01-01

The bismuth borate (3Bi 2 O 3 ·B 2 O 3 ) glasses were prepared with different concentrations of Eu 3+ . The structure of these systems were investigated by Raman and IR spectroscopy. The structural study reveals that the glasses contain BiO 3 , BiO 6 , BO 3 , BO 4 and Eu-O structural units. For the samples with a higher content of Eu 2 O 3 , the spectra became very large indicating a more disordered structure. The hygroscopic character of the 3Bi 2 O 3 ·B 2 O 3 glass matrix and the progressive decrease of this behaviour with increasing the Eu 2 O 3 content was observed. Therefore, we conclude that the europium oxide acts as a network modifier in these glasses. (authors)

N-Oxide analogs of WAY-100635 : new high affinity 5-HT (1A) receptor antagonists

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oberwinkler - Marchais, Sandrine; Nowicki, B; Pike, VW; Halldin, C; Sandell, J; Chou, YH; Gulyas, B; Brennum, LT; Farde, L; Wikstrom, H V

2005-01-01

WAY-100635 [N-(2-(1-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazinyl)ethyl))-N-(2-pyridinyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide] 1 and its O-des-methyl derivative DWAY 2 are well-known high affinity 5-HT1A receptor antagonists. which when labeled with carbon-II (beta(+): t(1/2) 20.4min) in the carbonyl group are effective

Realization of Robertson-Walker spacetimes as affine hypersurfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Bangyen

2007-01-01

Due to the growing interest in embeddings of spacetimes in higher dimensional spaces, we consider a special type of embedding. We prove that Robertson-Walker spacetimes can be embedded as centroaffine hypersurfaces and graph hypersurfaces in some affine spaces in such a way that the induced relative metrics are exactly the Lorentzian metrics on the Robertson-Walker spacetimes. Such realizations allow us to view Robertson-Walker spacetimes and their submanifolds as affine submanifolds in a natural way. Consequently, our realizations make it possible to apply the tools of affine differential geometry to study Robertson-Walker spacetimes and their submanifolds

Hemoglobins: models of physiological adaptation, with special reference to O2 availability and temperature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weber, Roy E.

In transporting O2 from the respiratory surfaces to the respiring tissues of animals, hemoglobin (Hb) directly links aerobic metabolism with O2 availability and is a paradigm for studying mechanisms of molecular adaptations. Hb-O2 binding is cooperative (described by sigmoid O2 binding curves......) and decreased by allosteric effectors (protons, CO2, lactate, organic phosphates and chloride ions) that modulate O2 binding in response to changes in environmental and metabolic dictates. Hb-O2 affinity moreover decreases with rising temperature. This increases O2 unloading in warm tissues that consume more O2......, but may be maladaptive – and thus is reduced - in regional heterothermic animals where it may hamper O2 unloading (in cold extremities of Artic mammals) or cause excessive O2 release (in warm organs of fast-swimming fish). Illustrated with case studies (estivating lungfish, high altitude frogs, birds...

USING MICROSCALE THERMOPHORESIS TO EASILY MEASURE BINDING AFFINITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dennis Breitsprecher*

2018-03-01

Full Text Available While it’s very common for biologists and chemists to test whether or not two molecules interact with each other, it’s much more useful to gather information on the nature of that interaction. How strong is it? How long will it last? What does that mean for its biological function? One way to answer these questions is to study affinity. Binding affinity is defined as the strength of the binding interaction between a single biomolecule to its binding partner, or ligand, and it can be quantifiably measured, providing information on whether or not molecules are interacting, as well as assigning a value to the affinity. When measuring binding affinity, there are several parameters to look at, but the dissociation constant (Kd, which defines the likelihood that an interaction between two molecules will break, is a very common measurement. The smaller the dissociation constant, the more tightly bound the ligand is, and the higher the affinity is between the two molecules.

Photocatalytic performance of TiO2 catalysts modified by H3PW12O40, ZrO2 and CeO2

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

CAI Tiejun; LIAO Yuchao; PENG Zhenshan; LONG Yunfei; WEI Zongyuan; DENG Qian

2009-01-01

The binary composite photo-catalysts CeO2/TiO2, ZrO2/TiO2 and the ternary composite photo-catalysts H3PW12O40-CeO2/TiO2,H2PW12O40-ZrO2/TiO2 were prepared by sol-gel method. The catalysts were characterized by thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The photocatalyfic elimination of methanol was used as model reaction to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the composite catalysts under ultraviolet light irradiation. The effects of doped content, activation temperature, time, initial concentration of methanol and gas flow rate on the catalytic activity were investigated. The results showed that after doping a certain amount of CeO2 and ZrO2, crystaniTation process of TiO2 was restrained, particles of catalysts are smaller and more uniform. Doping ZrO2 not only significantly improved the catalytic activity, but also increased thermal stability. Doping H3PW12O40 also enhanced the catalytic activity. The catalytic activities of binary and ternary composite photocatalysts were significantly higher than tin-doped TiO2. The dynamics law of photocatalytic reaction over the binary CeO2/TiO2 and ZrO2/TiO2 catalysts has been studied. The activation energy 15.627 and 15.631 kJ/mol and pre-exponential factors 0.5176 and 0.9899 s-1 over each corresponding catalyst were obtained. This reaction accords to the first order dynamics law.

Highly efficient enrichment of phosphopeptides from HeLa cells using hollow magnetic macro/mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Yayun; Zhan, Qiliang; Pu, Chenlu; Sheng, Qianying; Zhao, Hongli; Lan, Minbo

2018-09-01

In this work, hollow magnetic macro/mesoporous TiO 2 nanoparticles (denoted as Fe 3 O 4 @H-fTiO 2 ) were synthesized by a facile "hydrothermal etching assisted crystallization" route to improve the phosphopeptide enrichment efficiency. The porous nanostructure of TiO 2 shell and large hollow space endowed the Fe 3 O 4 @H-fTiO 2 with a high surface area (144.71 m 2 g -1 ) and a large pore volume (0.52 cm 3 g -1 ), which could provide more affinity sites for phosphopeptide enrichment. Besides, the large pore size of TiO 2 nanosheets and large hollow space could effectively prevent the "shadow effect", thereby facilitating the diffusion and release of phosphopeptides. Compared with the hollow magnetic mesoporous TiO 2 with small and deep pores (denoted as Fe 3 O 4 @H-mTiO 2 ) and solid magnetic macro/mesoporous TiO 2 , the Fe 3 O 4 @H-fTiO 2 nanoparticles showed a better selectivity (molar ratio of α-casein/BSA up to 1:10000) and a higher sensitivity (0.2 fmol/μL α-casein) for phosphopeptide enrichment. Furthermore, 1485 unique phosphopeptides derived from 660 phosphoproteins were identified from HeLa cell extracts after enrichment with Fe 3 O 4 @H-fTiO 2 nanoparticles, further demonstrating that the Fe 3 O 4 @H-fTiO 2 nanoparticles had a high-efficiency performance for phosphopeptide enrichment. Taken together, the Fe 3 O 4 @H-fTiO 2 nanoparticles will have unique advantages in phosphoproteomics analysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOTA-NOC, a high-affinity ligand of somatostatin receptor subtypes 2, 3 and 5 for labelling with various radiometals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wild, Damian; Schmitt, Joerg S.; Ginj, Mihaela; Maecke, Helmut R.; Bernard, Bert F.; Krenning, Eric; Jong, Marion de; Wenger, Sandra; Reubi, Jean-Claude

2003-01-01

Earlier studies have shown that modification of the octapeptide octreotide in positions 3 and 8 may result in compounds with increased somatostatin receptor affinity that, if radiolabelled, display improved uptake in somatostatin receptor-positive tumours. The aim of a recent research study in our laboratory was to employ the parallel peptide synthesis approach by further exchanging the amino acid in position 3 of octreotide and coupling the macrocyclic chelator DOTA(1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid) to these peptides for labelling with radiometals like gallium-67 or -68, indium-111, yttrium-90 and lutetium-177. The purpose was to find radiopeptides with an improved somatostatin receptor binding profile in order to extend the spectrum of targeted tumours. A first peptide, [ 111 In, 90 Y-DOTA]-1-Nal 3 -octreotide ( 111 In, 90 Y-DOTA-NOC), was isolated which showed an improved profile. In III -DOTA-NOC exhibited the following IC 50 values (nM) when studied in competition with [ 125 I][Leu 8 , d-Trp 22 , Tyr 25 ]somatostatin-28 (values for Y III -DOTA-NOC are shown in parentheses): sstr2, 2.9±0.1 (3.3±0.2); sstr3, 8±2 (26±1.9); sstr5, 11.2±3.5 (10.4±1.6). Affinity towards sstr1 and 4 was very low or absent. In III -DOTA-NOC is superior to all somatostatin-based radiopeptides having this particular type of binding profile, including DOTA-lanreotide, and has three to four times higher binding affinity to sstr2 than In III ,Y III -DOTA-Tyr 3 -octreotide (In III ,Y III -DOTA-TOC). In addition, [ 111 In]DOTA-NOC showed a specific and high rate of internalization into AR4-2J rat pancreatic tumour cells which, after 4 h, was about two times higher than that of [ 111 In]DOTA-TOC and three times higher than that of [ 111 In]DOTA-octreotide ([ 111 In]DOTA-OC). The internalized radiopeptides were externalized intact upon 2 h of internalization followed by an acid wash. After 2-3 h of externalization a plateau is reached, indicating a steady

Crystallization behavior of Li2O-SiO2, Na2O-SiO2 and Na2O-CaO-SiO2 glasses; Li2O-SiO2, Na2O-SiO2, Na2O-CaO-SiO2 kei glass no kessho sekishutsu kyodo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsutsumi, K.; Otake, J.; Nagasaka, T.; Hino, M. [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan)

1998-06-01

It has been known that crystallization of mold powder is effective on the disturbance of heat transfer between mold and solidified shell in production of middle carbon steel slabs in continuous casting process. But it has not yet been made clear which composition of mold powder is the most suitable for crystallization. The crystallization behavior of Li2O-SiO2, Na2O-SiO2 and Na2O-CaO-SiO2 glasses was observed by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and hot-thermocouple methods with DTA in the present work. As a result, addition of alkaline metal and alkaline earth metal oxides to SiO2 increased the critical cooling rate for glass formation in binary system of Li2O-SiO2 and Na2O-SiO2 and Li2O-SiO2 system crystallized easier than Na2O-SiO2 system. In ternary system of Na2O-CaO-SiO2, addition of Na2O hurried the critical cooling rate at CaO/SiO2=0.93 mass ratio, but the rate was almost constant in the composition range of more than 15 mass% Na2O. The slag of CaO/SiO2=0.93 made the rate faster than the slag of CaO/SiO2=0.47 at constant content of 10mass% Na2O. 17 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs.

Effective role of CaO/P2O5 ratio on SiO2-CaO-P2O5 glass system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Kiran

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In the present work, the effect of the CaO/P2O5 ratio on the composition of sol-gel synthesized 58SiO2-(19 − xP2O5–(23 + xCaO (x = 0, 5, 10 and 15 mol% glass samples was studied. Further, the effect of NBO/BO ratio on hydroxy carbonated apatite layer (HCA forming ability based on dissolution behavior in simulated body fluid (SBF solution was also investigated. CaO/P2O5 ratios of synthesized glass samples were 1.2, 2, 3.6, and 9.5, respectively. NBO/BO ratios were obtained using Raman spectroscopic analysis as 0.58, 1.20, 1.46, and 1.78, respectively. All samples were soaked in the SBF solution for 7 days. The calculated weight losses of these samples were 58%, 64%, 83%, and 89% for corresponding NBO/BO ratios. The increase in CaO/P2O5 ratio increases the NBO/BO ratios. However, the increase in NBO/BO ratio increases HCA forming ability of SBF treated samples. The HCA crystalline layer formation was confirmed through X-ray Diffraction (XRD, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM, Raman and Infrared spectroscopic analysis. Higher CaO/P2O5 ratio favors the increase in HCA formation for SBF treated calcium phospho silicate glasses.

Low temperature formation of higher-k cubic phase HfO{sub 2} by atomic layer deposition on GeO{sub x}/Ge structures fabricated by in-situ thermal oxidation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, R., E-mail: zhang@mosfet.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp [School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 2-11-16 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Department of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Huang, P.-C.; Taoka, N.; Yokoyama, M.; Takenaka, M.; Takagi, S. [School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 2-11-16 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan)

2016-02-01

We have demonstrated a low temperature formation (300 °C) of higher-k HfO{sub 2} using atomic layer deposition (ALD) on an in-situ thermal oxidation GeO{sub x} interfacial layer. It is found that the cubic phase is dominant in the HfO{sub 2} film with an epitaxial-like growth behavior. The maximum permittivity of 42 is obtained for an ALD HfO{sub 2} film on a 1-nm-thick GeO{sub x} form by the in-situ thermal oxidation. It is suggested from physical analyses that the crystallization of cubic phase HfO{sub 2} can be induced by the formation of six-fold crystalline GeO{sub x} structures in the underlying GeO{sub x} interfacial layer.

[Affinity of the elements in group VI of the periodic table to tumors and organs].

Science.gov (United States)

Ando, A; Hisada, K; Ando, I

1976-10-01

In order to investigate the tumor affinity radioisotopes, chromium (51Cr), molybdenum (99Mo), tungsten (181W), selenium (75Se) and tellurium (127mTe)--the elements of group VI in the periodic table--were examined, using the rats which were subcutaneously transplanted with Yoshida sarcoma. Seven preprarations, sodium chromate (Na251CrO4), chromium chloride (51CrCl3), normal ammonium molybdate ((NH4)299MoO7), sodium tungstate (Na2181WO4), sodium selenate (Na275SeO4), sodium selenite (Na275SeO3) and tellurous acid (H2127mTeO3) were injected intravenously to each group of tumor bearing rats. These rats were sacrificed at various periods after injection of each preparation: 3 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours in all preparations. The radioactivities of the tumor, blood, muscle, liver, kidney and spleen were measured by a well-type scintillation counter, and retention values (in every tissue including the tumor) were calculated in percent of administered dose per g-tissue weight. All of seven preparations did not have any affinity for malignant tumor. Na251CrO4 and H2127mTeO3 had some affinity for the kidneys, and Na275SeO3 had some affinity for the liver. Na2181WO4 and (NH4)299MoO4 disappeared very rapidly from the blood and soft tissue, and about seventy-five percent of radioactivity was excreted in urine within first 3 hours.

The Role of Peroxiredoxins in the Transduction of H2O2 Signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhee, Sue Goo; Woo, Hyun Ae; Kang, Dongmin

2018-03-01

Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is produced on stimulation of many cell surface receptors and serves as an intracellular messenger in the regulation of diverse physiological events, mostly by oxidizing cysteine residues of effector proteins. Mammalian cells express multiple H 2 O 2 -eliminating enzymes, including catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and peroxiredoxin (Prx). A conserved cysteine in Prx family members is the site of oxidation by H 2 O 2 . Peroxiredoxins possess a high-affinity binding site for H 2 O 2 that is lacking in catalase and GPx and which renders the catalytic cysteine highly susceptible to oxidation, with a rate constant several orders of magnitude greater than that for oxidation of cysteine in most H 2 O 2 effector proteins. Moreover, Prxs are abundant and present in all subcellular compartments. The cysteines of most H 2 O 2 effectors are therefore at a competitive disadvantage for reaction with H 2 O 2 . Recent Advances: Here we review intracellular sources of H 2 O 2 as well as H 2 O 2 target proteins classified according to biochemical and cellular function. We then highlight two strategies implemented by cells to overcome the kinetic disadvantage of most target proteins with regard to H 2 O 2 -mediated oxidation: transient inactivation of local Prx molecules via phosphorylation, and indirect oxidation of target cysteines via oxidized Prx. Critical Issues and Future Directions: Recent studies suggest that only a small fraction of the total pools of Prxs and H 2 O 2 effector proteins localized in specific subcellular compartments participates in H 2 O 2 signaling. Development of sensitive tools to selectively detect phosphorylated Prxs and oxidized effector proteins is needed to provide further insight into H 2 O 2 signaling. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 28, 537-557.

Ultraefficient separation and sensing of mercury and methylmercury ions in drinking water by using aminonaphthalimide-functionalized Fe(3)O(4)@SiO(2) core/shell magnetic nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Minsung; Seo, Sungmin; Lee, In Su; Jung, Jong Hwa

2010-07-07

A new fluorogenic based aminonaphthalimide-functionalized Fe(3)O(4)@SiO(2) core/shell magnetic nanoparticles 1 has been prepared, and its abilities to sense and separate metal ions were evaluated by fluorophotometry. The nanoparticles 1 exhibited a high affinity and selectivity for Hg(2+) and CH(3)Hg(+) ions over competing metal ions.

Photocatalytic activity of TiO2/Nb2O5/PANI and TiO2/Nb2O5/RGO as new nanocomposites for degradation of organic pollutants.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarrin, Saviz; Heshmatpour, Felora

2018-06-05

In this study, highly active titanium dioxide modified by niobium oxide (Nb 2 O 5 ), polymer (PANI) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) were successfully prepared. The morphology, structure, surface area and light absorption properties of the present nanocomposites for removal of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) were investigated and compared with those of TiO 2 /Nb 2 O 5 and TiO 2 nanoparticles. The characterization techniques such as XRD, FT-IR, UV-vis, SEM, EDX, BET and TEM were employed in order to identify the nanocomposites. Also, photocatalytic properties of TiO 2 /Nb 2 O 5 /PANI and TiO 2 /Nb 2 O 5 /RGO nanocomposites under visible light irradiation were studied. In this way, the obtained results were compared to each other and also compared to TiO 2 /Nb 2 O 5 and TiO 2 nanoparticles. In this context, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal follows the photodegradation in observed performance. The results indicate that reduced TiO 2 /Nb 2 O 5 nanocomposite is effectively modified by graphene oxide to give TiO 2 /Nb 2 O 5 /RGO composite. The TiO 2 /Nb 2 O 5 /RGO exhibits significantly higher photocatalytic activity in degradation of organic dyes under visible light rather than that of TiO 2 /Nb 2 O 5 /PANI, TiO 2 /Nb 2 O 5 and pure TiO 2 . Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Amyloid-beta binds catalase with high affinity and inhibits hydrogen peroxide breakdown.

OpenAIRE

Milton, N G

1999-01-01

Amyloid-beta (Abeta) specifically bound purified catalase with high affinity and inhibited catalase breakdown of H(2)O(2). The Abeta-induced catalase inhibition involved formation of the inactive catalase Compound II and was reversible. CatalaseAbeta interactions provide rapid functional assays for the cytotoxic domain of Abeta and suggest a mechanism for some of the observed actions of Abeta plus catalase in vitro.

Crack-resistant Al2O3-SiO2 glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosales-Sosa, Gustavo A; Masuno, Atsunobu; Higo, Yuji; Inoue, Hiroyuki

2016-04-07

Obtaining "hard" and "crack-resistant" glasses have always been of great important in glass science and glass technology. However, in most commercial glasses both properties are not compatible. In this work, colorless and transparent xAl2O3-(100-x)SiO2 glasses (30 ≤ x ≤ 60) were fabricated by the aerodynamic levitation technique. The elastic moduli and Vickers hardness monotonically increased with an increase in the atomic packing density as the Al2O3 content increased. Although a higher atomic packing density generally enhances crack formation in conventional oxide glasses, the indentation cracking resistance increased by approximately seven times with an increase in atomic packing density in binary Al2O3-SiO2 glasses. In particular, the composition of 60Al2O3 • 40SiO2 glass, which is identical to that of mullite, has extraordinary high cracking resistance with high elastic moduli and Vickers hardness. The results indicate that there exist aluminosilicate compositions that can produce hard and damage-tolerant glasses.

Higher spins and Yangian symmetries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaberdiel, Matthias R. [Institut für Theoretische Physik, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich (Switzerland); Gopakumar, Rajesh [International Centre for Theoretical Sciences-TIFR, Survey No. 151, Shivakote, Hesaraghatta Hobli, Bengaluru North 560 089 (India); Li, Wei [CAS Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics,Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,100190 Beijing (China); Peng, Cheng [Department of Physics, Brown University, 182 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02912 (United States)

2017-04-26

The relation between the bosonic higher spin W{sub ∞}[λ] algebra, the affine Yangian of gl{sub 1}, and the SH{sup c} algebra is established in detail. For generic λ we find explicit expressions for the low-lying W{sub ∞}[λ] modes in terms of the affine Yangian generators, and deduce from this the precise identification between λ and the parameters of the affine Yangian. Furthermore, for the free field cases corresponding to λ=0 and λ=1 we give closed-form expressions for the affine Yangian generators in terms of the free fields. Interestingly, the relation between the W{sub ∞} modes and those of the affine Yangian is a non-local one, in general. We also establish the explicit dictionary between the affine Yangian and the SH{sup c} generators. Given that Yangian algebras are the hallmark of integrability, these identifications should pave the way towards uncovering the relation between the integrable and the higher spin symmetries.

Affinity Programs and the Real Estate Brokerage Industry

OpenAIRE

G Stacy Sirmans; David A. Macpherson

2001-01-01

This study surveys active real estate brokers obtaining information on involvement in affinity programs and referral/relocation networks. Some results regarding affinity involvement are: (a) 13% of respondents reported affinity affilliations, 75% reported no affiliations, and 12% indicated plans to become involved within the next year; (b) about half having affinity affiliations were involved with 2-4 groups; (c) affinity relationships were most often with membership organizations, corporatio...

Phase I hydroxylated metabolites of the K2 synthetic cannabinoid JWH-018 retain in vitro and in vivo cannabinoid 1 receptor affinity and activity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa K Brents

Full Text Available K2 products are synthetic cannabinoid-laced, marijuana-like drugs of abuse, use of which is often associated with clinical symptoms atypical of marijuana use, including hypertension, agitation, hallucinations, psychosis, seizures and panic attacks. JWH-018, a prevalent K2 synthetic cannabinoid, is structurally distinct from Δ(9-THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Since even subtle structural differences can lead to differential metabolism, formation of novel, biologically active metabolites may be responsible for the distinct effects associated with K2 use. The present study proposes that K2's high adverse effect occurrence is due, at least in part, to distinct JWH-018 metabolite activity at the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R.JWH-018, five potential monohydroxylated metabolites (M1-M5, and one carboxy metabolite (M6 were examined in mouse brain homogenates containing CB1Rs, first for CB1R affinity using a competition binding assay employing the cannabinoid receptor radioligand [(3H]CP-55,940, and then for CB1R intrinsic efficacy using an [(35S]GTPγS binding assay. JWH-018 and M1-M5 bound CB1Rs with high affinity, exhibiting K(i values that were lower than or equivalent to Δ(9-THC. These molecules also stimulated G-proteins with equal or greater efficacy relative to Δ(9-THC, a CB1R partial agonist. Most importantly, JWH-018, M2, M3, and M5 produced full CB1R agonist levels of activation. CB1R-mediated activation was demonstrated by blockade with O-2050, a CB1R-selective neutral antagonist. Similar to Δ(9-THC, JWH-018 and M1 produced a marked depression of locomotor activity and core body temperature in mice that were both blocked by the CB1R-preferring antagonist/inverse agonist AM251.Unlike metabolites of most drugs, the studied JWH-018 monohydroxylated compounds, but not the carboxy metabolite, retain in vitro and in vivo activity at CB1Rs. These observations, combined with higher CB1R affinity and activity relative to Δ(9

Two-parameter quantum affine algebra Ur,s(sln-circumflex), Drinfeld realization and quantum affine Lyndon basis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Naihong; Rosso, M.; Zhang Honglian

2006-12-01

We further find the defining structure of a two-parameter quantum affine algebra U r,s (sl n -circumflex) (n > 2) in the sense of Benkart-Witherspoon [BW1] after the work of [BGH1], [HS] and [BH], which turns out to be a Drinfeld double. Of more importance for the 'affine' cases is that we work out the compatible two-parameter version of the Drinfeld realization as a quantum affinization of U r,s (sl n ) and establish the Drinfeld isomorphism Theorem in the two-parameter setting via developing a new remarkable combinatorial approach - quantum 'affine' Lyndon basis with an explicit valid algorithm, based on the Drinfeld realization. (author)

Energy-band alignment of (HfO2)x(Al2O3)1-x gate dielectrics deposited by atomic layer deposition on β-Ga2O3 (-201)

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Lei; Zhang, Hongpeng; Jia, Renxu; Guo, Lixin; Zhang, Yimen; Zhang, Yuming

2018-03-01

Energy band alignments between series band of Al-rich high-k materials (HfO2)x(Al2O3)1-x and β-Ga2O3 are investigated using X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The results exhibit sufficient conduction band offsets (1.42-1.53 eV) in (HfO2)x(Al2O3)1-x/β-Ga2O3. In addition, it is also obtained that the value of Eg, △Ec, and △Ev for (HfO2)x(Al2O3)1-x/β-Ga2O3 change linearly with x, which can be expressed by 6.98-1.27x, 1.65-0.56x, and 0.48-0.70x, respectively. The higher dielectric constant and higher effective breakdown electric field of (HfO2)x(Al2O3)1-x compared with Al2O3, coupled with sufficient barrier height and lower gate leakage makes it a potential dielectric for high voltage β-Ga2O3 power MOSFET, and also provokes interest in further investigation of HfAlO/β-Ga2O3 interface properties.

Structures and electron affinity of XO30,-, XOF40,- and XO2F20,- (X = P, As, Sb, Bi): a theoretical study of novel superhalogen formulae and exceptions of superhalogen formulae

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yi-Fan; Cui, Zhong-Hua; Ding, Yi-Hong

2015-03-01

Most superhalogen species are in the form of oxides or halides. To enrich the family of superhalogen species, herein, we investigated the structures and electron affinity (EA) values of higher group 15 elements (X = P, As, Sb, Bi) oxyfluoride species XO30,-, XOF40,- and XO2F20,-, at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ-pp & aug-cc-pVTZ //B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ-pp & aug-cc-pVTZ levels (aug-cc-pVTZ-pp for X = Sb and Bi). Some oxyfluoride species, i.e., PO2F20,-, AsO2F20,-, SbO2F20,-, POF40,-, AsOF40,-, SbOF40,- and BiOF40,-, were found to possess higher EA (VDE: 5.0-6.2 eV; ADE: 4.5-5.5 eV) than halogens (F: 3.4 eV; Cl: 3.6 eV). Thus, we recommended that the oxyfluorides in the form of XO2F20,- and XOF40,- should be considered as potential superhalogens, which have not been considered previously. Surprisingly, we showed that BiO3 and BiO2F2, in superhalogen formulae, possess a high vertical detachment energy (VDE) yet a low adiabatic detachment energy (ADE). This is in marked contrast to the previously reported superhalogens, which generally contain both the high VDE and high ADE values. It is the first report about exceptions of superhalogen formulae. These findings revealed that for the analogous main-group compounds with the same structural formula, the difference in the metallic property of the core element could lead to the significant difference in the ground structures of either the anionic or neutral structures, which would result in the much differed superhalogen features.

Higher spin currents in orthogonal Wolf space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Changhyun; Paeng, Jinsub

2015-01-01

For the N=4 superconformal coset theory by ((SO(N+4))/(SO(N)×SU(2)))×U(1) (that contains an orthogonal Wolf space) with N = 4, the N=2 WZW affine current algebra is obtained. The 16 generators (or 11 generators) of the large N=4 linear (or nonlinear) superconformal algebra are described by these WZW affine currents explicitly. Along the line of large N=4 holography, the extra 16 currents with spins (2,(5/2),(5/2),3), ((5/2),3,3,(7/2)), ((5/2),3,3,(7/2)), and (3,(7/2),(7/2),4) are obtained in terms of the WZW affine currents. The lowest spin of this N=4 multiplet is two rather than one, which is for a unitary Wolf space. The operator product expansions between the above 11 currents and these extra 16 higher spin currents are found explicitly. (paper)

Report: Affinity Chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Walters, Rodney R.

1985-01-01

Supports, affinity ligands, immobilization, elution methods, and a number of applications are among the topics considered in this discussion of affinity chromatography. An outline of the basic principles of affinity chromatography is included. (JN)

Dependence of glass-forming ability on starting compositions in Y2O3–Al2O3–SiO2 system

OpenAIRE

Yixiang Chen; Zengchao Yang; Bin He; Guanghua Liu; Jiangtao Li; Liang Wu

2011-01-01

The dependence of glass-forming ability on starting compositions in Y2O3–Al2O3–SiO2 (YAS) system has been investigated by melting experiment. Transparent YAS glasses have been prepared under the condition of furnace cooling instead of quenching. It is found that, in the YAS ternary phase diagram, the compositions on the Y3Al5O12–SiO2 line and with 52-68 mol% SiO2 have a higher glass-forming ability to produce pure glass. For the compositions with too much or less SiO2 or with Y/Al = 5/3, 1/1,...

Characterizing low affinity epibatidine binding to α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors with ligand depletion and nonspecific binding

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Person Alexandra M

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Along with high affinity binding of epibatidine (Kd1≈10 pM to α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR, low affinity binding of epibatidine (Kd2≈1-10 nM to an independent binding site has been reported. Studying this low affinity binding is important because it might contribute understanding about the structure and synthesis of α4β2 nAChR. The binding behavior of epibatidine and α4β2 AChR raises a question about interpreting binding data from two independent sites with ligand depletion and nonspecific binding, both of which can affect equilibrium binding of [3H]epibatidine and α4β2 nAChR. If modeled incorrectly, ligand depletion and nonspecific binding lead to inaccurate estimates of binding constants. Fitting total equilibrium binding as a function of total ligand accurately characterizes a single site with ligand depletion and nonspecific binding. The goal of this study was to determine whether this approach is sufficient with two independent high and low affinity sites. Results Computer simulations of binding revealed complexities beyond fitting total binding for characterizing the second, low affinity site of α4β2 nAChR. First, distinguishing low-affinity specific binding from nonspecific binding was a potential problem with saturation data. Varying the maximum concentration of [3H]epibatidine, simultaneously fitting independently measured nonspecific binding, and varying α4β2 nAChR concentration were effective remedies. Second, ligand depletion helped identify the low affinity site when nonspecific binding was significant in saturation or competition data, contrary to a common belief that ligand depletion always is detrimental. Third, measuring nonspecific binding without α4β2 nAChR distinguished better between nonspecific binding and low-affinity specific binding under some circumstances of competitive binding than did presuming nonspecific binding to be residual [3H]epibatidine binding after

Characterizing low affinity epibatidine binding to α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors with ligand depletion and nonspecific binding

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Along with high affinity binding of epibatidine (Kd1≈10 pM) to α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), low affinity binding of epibatidine (Kd2≈1-10 nM) to an independent binding site has been reported. Studying this low affinity binding is important because it might contribute understanding about the structure and synthesis of α4β2 nAChR. The binding behavior of epibatidine and α4β2 AChR raises a question about interpreting binding data from two independent sites with ligand depletion and nonspecific binding, both of which can affect equilibrium binding of [3H]epibatidine and α4β2 nAChR. If modeled incorrectly, ligand depletion and nonspecific binding lead to inaccurate estimates of binding constants. Fitting total equilibrium binding as a function of total ligand accurately characterizes a single site with ligand depletion and nonspecific binding. The goal of this study was to determine whether this approach is sufficient with two independent high and low affinity sites. Results Computer simulations of binding revealed complexities beyond fitting total binding for characterizing the second, low affinity site of α4β2 nAChR. First, distinguishing low-affinity specific binding from nonspecific binding was a potential problem with saturation data. Varying the maximum concentration of [3H]epibatidine, simultaneously fitting independently measured nonspecific binding, and varying α4β2 nAChR concentration were effective remedies. Second, ligand depletion helped identify the low affinity site when nonspecific binding was significant in saturation or competition data, contrary to a common belief that ligand depletion always is detrimental. Third, measuring nonspecific binding without α4β2 nAChR distinguished better between nonspecific binding and low-affinity specific binding under some circumstances of competitive binding than did presuming nonspecific binding to be residual [3H]epibatidine binding after adding a large concentration of

Eosin Y-sensitized nanostructured SnO{sup 2}/TiO{sup 2} solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tai, Weon-Pil [Institute of Advanced Materials, Inha University, Yonghyun-dong, Nam-ku, Inchon 402-751 (South Korea); Inoue, Kozo [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tosu, Saga 841-0052 (Japan)

2003-02-01

The photoelectrochemical behaviors of eosin Y (organic dye)-sensitized nanostructured SnO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} coupled and SnO{sub 2}+TiO{sub 2} composite solar cells were studied. The value of incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) in the coupled system was higher than the composite system. A maximum IPCE value, 63%, was reached at 525 nm wavelength in the coupled cell with 3.5-{mu}m-thick SnO{sub 2} and 7-{mu}m-thick TiO{sub 2}. The IPCE difference in the coupled and composite cells sensitized by eosin Y dye is discussed.

The effect of CaO/SiO2 molar ratio of CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 glasses on their structure and reactivity in alkali activated system.

Science.gov (United States)

Kucharczyk, Sylwia; Sitarz, Maciej; Zajac, Maciej; Deja, Jan

2018-04-05

The influence of CaO/SiO 2 molar ratio of calcium aluminosilicate glasses on resulting structure and reactivity was investigated. Chemical compositions of glasses were chosen to mimic the composition of the fly ash and slag amorphous phase. Understanding the reactivity of these materials is of high importance allowing further development of the composite cements to limit the environmental footprint of cement industry. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy were employed to examine the structure of glasses. Reactivity of the glasses was analyzed on paste samples after 1, 2, 7, 28 and 90days of curing by means of thermogravimetry (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR. Spectroscopic results emphasize dependence of the structure on the chemical composition of the glasses. The higher CaO/SiO 2 the more depolymerized the glass network is, though there is no direct correlation with the reactivity. Significant differences in reactivity is observed primarily between the glasses of peraluminous (CaO/Al 2 O 3 1). Amongst the pastes made of glasses of percalcic region a higher degree of reaction at later ages is observed for the paste containing glass of lower CaO/SiO 2 molar ratio. This is due to both degree of depolimerization and the nature of these glasses (pozzolanic and hydraulic materials). No difference of degree of reaction has been observed within the glasses of CaO/SiO 2 lower than 1. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of CaO/SiO2 molar ratio of CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 glasses on their structure and reactivity in alkali activated system

Science.gov (United States)

Kucharczyk, Sylwia; Sitarz, Maciej; Zajac, Maciej; Deja, Jan

2018-04-01

The influence of CaO/SiO2 molar ratio of calcium aluminosilicate glasses on resulting structure and reactivity was investigated. Chemical compositions of glasses were chosen to mimic the composition of the fly ash and slag amorphous phase. Understanding the reactivity of these materials is of high importance allowing further development of the composite cements to limit the environmental footprint of cement industry. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy were employed to examine the structure of glasses. Reactivity of the glasses was analyzed on paste samples after 1, 2, 7, 28 and 90 days of curing by means of thermogravimetry (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR. Spectroscopic results emphasize dependence of the structure on the chemical composition of the glasses. The higher CaO/SiO2 the more depolymerized the glass network is, though there is no direct correlation with the reactivity. Significant differences in reactivity is observed primarily between the glasses of peraluminous (CaO/Al2O3 1). Amongst the pastes made of glasses of percalcic region a higher degree of reaction at later ages is observed for the paste containing glass of lower CaO/SiO2 molar ratio. This is due to both degree of depolimerization and the nature of these glasses (pozzolanic and hydraulic materials). No difference of degree of reaction has been observed within the glasses of CaO/SiO2 lower than 1.

Influence of Molecular Structure on O2-Binding Properties and Blood Circulation of Hemoglobin‒Albumin Clusters.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kana Yamada

Full Text Available A hemoglobin wrapped covalently by three human serum albumins, a Hb-HSA3 cluster, is an artificial O2-carrier with the potential to function as a red blood cell substitute. This paper describes the synthesis and O2-binding properties of new hemoglobin‒albumin clusters (i bearing four HSA units at the periphery (Hb-HSA4, large-size variant and (ii containing an intramolecularly crosslinked Hb in the center (XLHb-HSA3, high O2-affinity variant. Dynamic light scattering measurements revealed that the Hb-HSA4 diameter is greater than that of either Hb-HSA3 or XLHb-HSA3. The XLHb-HSA3 showed moderately high O2-affinity compared to the others because of the chemical linkage between the Cys-93(β residues in Hb. Furthermore, the blood circulation behavior of 125I-labeled clusters was investigated by assay of blood retention and tissue distribution after intravenous administration into anesthetized rats. The XLHb-HSA3 was metabolized faster than Hb-HSA3 and Hb-HSA4. Results suggest that the molecular structure of the protein cluster is a factor that can influence in vivo circulation behavior.

Interactions between alkaline earth cations and oxo ligands. DFT study of the affinity of the Mg²+ cation for phosphoryl ligands.

Science.gov (United States)

da Costa, Leonardo Moreira; de Mesquita Carneiro, José Walkimar; Paes, Lilian Weitzel Coelho

2011-08-01

DFT (B3LYP/6-31+G(d)) calculations of Mg(2+) affinities for a set of phosphoryl ligands were performed. Two types of ligands were studied: a set of trivalent [O = P(R)] and a set of pentavalent phosphoryl ligands [O = P(R)(3)] (R = H, F, Cl, Br, OH, OCH(3), CH(3), CN, NH(2) and NO(2)), with R either bound directly to the phosphorus atom or to the para position of a phenyl ring. The affinity of the Mg(2+) cation for the ligands was quantified by means of the enthalpy for the substitution of one water molecule in the [Mg(H(2)O)(6)](2+) complex for a ligand. The enthalpy of substitution was correlated with electronic and geometric parameters. Electron-donor groups increase the interaction between the cation and the ligand, while electron-acceptor groups decrease the interaction enthalpy.

Plasma-polymerized films providing selective affinity to the polarity of vaporized organic solvents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akimoto, Takuo; Ikeshita, Yusuke; Terashima, Ryo; Karube, Isao

2009-01-01

Plasma-polymerized films (PPFs) were fabricated as recognition membranes for a vapor-sensing device, and their affinity to vaporized organic solvents was evaluated with surface plasmon resonance. The affinity we intended to create is the selective sorption of the vaporized organic solvents depending on their polarity. For this purpose, acetonitrile, ethylenediamine (EDA), styrene, hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO), and hexamethyldisilazane were used to fabricate PPFs. Vaporized methanol, ethanol, and 1-propanol were used as high-polar solvents to be analyzed. Hexane, toluene, and p-xylene were used as low-polar solvents. As a result, the HMDSO-PPF with 97.3 o of contact angle was found to provide affinity to the low-polar solvents. In contrast, the EDA-PPF with 7.1 o of contact angle provided affinity to the high-polar solvents. Observations of the surface morphology of the HMDSO- and EDA-PPFs with a scanning electron microscope revealed that they are composed of nano-scale islands.

Study of directionally solidified eutectic Al2O3-ZrO2(3%Y2O3 doped with TiO2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peña, J. I.

2007-06-01

Full Text Available An study of directionally grown samples of the eutectic composition in the Al2O3-ZrO2 (3 mol% Y2O3 system, with small TiO2 additions (1 wt%, is presented. The microstructural changes induced by this addition are analysed using SEM (EDX techniques. The mechanical changes, when TiO2 is added, are studied by measuring the flexural strength by three point bending. Also, the toughness is determined by Vickers indentation method. When slow growth rates (10 mm/h are used, interpenetratred and homogeneous microstructure is obtained, independently of the TiO2 doping. When growth rates are higher (300 and 1000 mm/h the structure changes and the phases are organized in form of colonies or cells, which have smaller size when TiO2 is present. This size reduction is accompanied with an increase of the toughness.Este trabajo presenta un estudio de muestras crecidas direccionalmente del sistema Al2O3-ZrO2 (3 mol% Y2O3 en su composición eutéctica con pequeñas adiciones de óxido de titanio (1% de TiO2 en peso. Se analizan los cambios microestructurales inducidos por esta adición mediante SEM (EDX y se estudian los cambios en su comportamiento mecánico medido por flexión en tres puntos, así como la tenacidad de fractura mediante indentación Vickers. Con velocidades lentas de solidificación (10 mm/h se obtiene en ambos casos una microestructura homogénea e interpenetrada, mientras que a velocidades mayores, 300 y 1000 mm/h, se forma una estructura en las que las fases se organizan en forma de colonias o células, siendo éstas de menor tamaño en las muestras dopadas. Esta disminución en el tamaño viene acompañada de un aumento de la tenacidad de fractura medida por indentación.

The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) binds independently to both sites of the IgG homodimer with identical affinity.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdiche, Yasmina Noubia; Yeung, Yik Andy; Chaparro-Riggers, Javier; Barman, Ishita; Strop, Pavel; Chin, Sherman Michael; Pham, Amber; Bolton, Gary; McDonough, Dan; Lindquist, Kevin; Pons, Jaume; Rajpal, Arvind

2015-01-01

The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) is expressed by cells of epithelial, endothelial and myeloid lineages and performs multiple roles in adaptive immunity. Characterizing the FcRn/IgG interaction is fundamental to designing therapeutic antibodies because IgGs with moderately increased binding affinities for FcRn exhibit superior serum half-lives and efficacy. It has been hypothesized that 2 FcRn molecules bind an IgG homodimer with disparate affinities, yet their affinity constants are inconsistent across the literature. Using surface plasmon resonance biosensor assays that eliminated confounding experimental artifacts, we present data supporting an alternate hypothesis: 2 FcRn molecules saturate an IgG homodimer with identical affinities at independent sites, consistent with the symmetrical arrangement of the FcRn/Fc complex observed in the crystal structure published by Burmeister et al. in 1994. We find that human FcRn binds human IgG1 with an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) of 760 ± 60 nM (N = 14) at 25°C and pH 5.8, and shows less than 25% variation across the other human subtypes. Human IgG1 binds cynomolgus monkey FcRn with a 2-fold higher affinity than human FcRn, and binds both mouse and rat FcRn with a 10-fold higher affinity than human FcRn. FcRn/IgG interactions from multiple species show less than a 2-fold weaker affinity at 37°C than at 25°C and appear independent of an IgG's variable region. Our in vivo data in mouse and rat models demonstrate that both affinity and avidity influence an IgG's serum half-life, which should be considered when choosing animals, especially transgenic systems, as surrogates.

High affinity binding of [3H]cocaine to rat liver microsomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Maghrabi, E.A.; Calligaro, D.O.; Eldefrawi, M.E.

1988-01-01

] 3 H]cocaine bound reversible, with high affinity and stereospecificity to rat liver microsomes. Little binding was detected in the lysosomal, mitochondrial and nuclear fractions. The binding kinetics were slow and the kinetically calculated K/sub D/ was 2 nM. Induction of mixed function oxidases by phenobarbital did not produce significant change in [ 3 H]cocaine binding. On the other hand, chronic administration of cocaine reduced [ 3 H]cocaine binding drastically. Neither treatment affected the affinity of the liver binding protein for cocaine. Microsomes from mouse and human livers had less cocaine-binding protein and lower affinity for cocaine than those from rat liver. Binding of [ 3 H]cocaine to rat liver microsomes was insensitive to monovalent cations and > 10 fold less sensitive to biogenic amines than the cocaine receptor in rat striatum. However, the liver protein had higher affinity for cocaine and metabolites except for norcocaine. Amine uptake inhibitors displaced [ 3 H]cocaine binding to liver with a different rank order of potency than their displacement of [ 3 H]cocaine binding to striatum. This high affinity [ 3 H]cocaine binding protein in liver is not likely to be monooxygenase, but may have a role in cocaine-induced hepatotoxicity

Uptake properties of Ni2+ by nCaO.Al2O3.2SiO2 (n=1-4) prepared from solid-state reaction of kaolinite and calcite.

Science.gov (United States)

Jha, Vinay Kumar; Kameshima, Yoshikazu; Nakajima, Akira; Okada, Kiyoshi; MacKenzie, Kenneth J D

2005-08-31

A series of nCaO.Al2O3.2SiO2 samples (n=1-4) were prepared by solid-state reaction of mechanochemically treated mixtures of kaolinite and calcite fired at 600-1000 degrees C for 24 h. All the samples were X-ray amorphous after firing at 600-800 degrees C but had crystallized by 900 degrees C. The main crystalline phases were anorthite (n=1), gehlenite (n=2 and 3) and larnite (n=4). The uptake of Ni2+ by nCaO.Al2O3.2SiO2 samples fired at 800 and 900 degrees C was investigated at room temperature using solutions with initial Ni2+ concentrations of 0.1-50 mmol/l. Amorphous samples (fired at 800 degrees C) showed a higher Ni2+ uptake capacity than crystalline samples (fired at 900 degrees C). Ni2+ uptake was found to increase with increasing of CaO content. Amorphous 4CaO.Al2O3.2SiO2 showed the highest Ni2+ uptake capacity (about 9 mmol/g). The Ni2+ uptake abilities of the present samples are higher than those of other materials reported in the literature. Since the sorbed Ni2+/released Ca2+ ratios of these samples are close to unity, ion replacement of Ni2+ for Ca2+ is thought to be the principal mechanism of Ni2+ uptake by the present samples.

Heterojunction p-Cu2O/n-Ga2O3 diode with high breakdown voltage

Science.gov (United States)

Watahiki, Tatsuro; Yuda, Yohei; Furukawa, Akihiko; Yamamuka, Mikio; Takiguchi, Yuki; Miyajima, Shinsuke

2017-11-01

Heterojunction p-Cu2O/n-β-Ga2O3 diodes were fabricated on an epitaxially grown β-Ga2O3(001) layer. The reverse breakdown voltage of these p-n diodes reached 1.49 kV with a specific on-resistance of 8.2 mΩ cm2. The leakage current of the p-n diodes was lower than that of the Schottky barrier diode due to the higher barrier height against the electron. The ideality factor of the p-n diode was 1.31. It indicated that some portion of the recombination current at the interface contributed to the forward current, but the diffusion current was the dominant. The forward current more than 100 A/cm2 indicated the lower conduction band offset at the hetero-interface between Cu2O and Ga2O3 layers than that predicted from the bulk properties, resulting in such a high forward current without limitation. These results open the possibility of advanced device structures for wide bandgap Ga2O3 to achieve higher breakdown voltage and lower on-resistance.

Spark plasma sintering and mechanical properties of $ZrO_{2} (Y_{2}O_{3})-Al_{2}O_{3}$ composites

CERN Document Server

Jin Sheng H; Dalla Torre, S; Miyamoto, H; Miyamoto, K

2000-01-01

Spark plasma sintering (SPS) was conducted on nanocrystalline ZrO/sub 2/(Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/)-20 mol% Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ powder at a heat rate of 600 degrees C/min with a short holding time. Full density was obtained at sintering temperatures >1300 degrees C. Considerable grain growth occurred relative to the initial powder particles, but smaller grain size and higher density can be obtained as compared to hot-pressing. High flexural strength and fracture toughness were also achieved for the SPS-resulted composite. (8 refs).

Thermodynamic modeling of La2O3-SrO-Mn2O3-Cr2O3 for solid oxide fuel cell applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Povoden-Karadeniz, E.; Chen, Ming; Ivas, Toni

2012-01-01

The thermodynamic La–Sr–Mn–Cr–O oxide database is obtained as an extension of thermodynamic descriptions of oxide subsystems using the calculation of phase diagrams approach. Concepts of the thermodynamic modeling of solid oxide phases are discussed. Gibbs energy functions of SrCrO4, Sr2.67Cr2O8......, Sr2CrO4, and SrCr2O4 are presented, and thermodynamic model parameters of La–Sr–Mn–Chromite perovskite are given. Experimental solid solubilities and nonstoichiometries in La1xSrxCrO3d and LaMn1xCrxO3d are reproduced by the model. The presented oxide database can be used for applied computational...... thermodynamics of traditional lanthanum manganite cathode with Cr-impurities. It represents the fundament for extensions to higher orders, aiming on thermodynamic calculations in noble symmetric solid oxide fuel cells...

Synthesis of geopolymer from spent FCC: Effect of SiO2/Al2O<3 and Na2O/SiO2 molar ratios

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trochez, J. J.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper assesses the feasibility of using a spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst (SFCC as precursor for the production of geopolymers. The mechanical and structural characterization of alkali-activated SFCC binders formulated with different overall (activator + solid precursor SiO2/Al2O3 and Na2O/SiO2 molar ratios are reported. Formation of an aluminosilicate ‘geopolymer’ gel is observed under all conditions of activation used, along with formation of zeolites. Increased SiO2/Al2O3 induces the formation of geopolymers with reduced mechanical strength, for all the Na2O/SiO2 ratios assessed, which is associated with excess silicate species supplied by the activator. This is least significant at increased alkalinity conditions (higher Na2O/SiO2 ratios, as larger extents of reaction of the spent catalyst are achieved. SiO2/Al2O3 and Na2O/SiO2 ratios of 2.4 and 0.25, respectively, promote the highest compressive strength (67 MPa. This study elucidates the great potential of using SFCC as precursor to produce sustainable ceramic-like materials via alkali-activation.Este artículo estudia la factibilidad de usar un catalizador gastado del proceso de craqueo (SFCC para la producción de geopolímeros. Se evalúan las características mecánicas y estructurales de los geopolímeros producidos con diferentes relaciones molares (activador + precursor solido de SiO2/Al2O3 y Na2O/SiO2. La formación de un gel geopolimérico de tipo aluminosilicato se observa a las diferentes condiciones evaluadas, así como la formación de zeolitas. Un incremento en la relación SiO2/Al2O3 genera geopolímeros de baja resistencia mecánica, a las diferentes relaciones molares Na2O/SiO2 evaluadas, como consecuencia del exceso de especies silicato provenientes del activador. Este efecto es menos significativo al incrementar las condiciones de alcalinidad (mayores relaciones Na2O/SiO2, ya que un mayor grado de reacción del catalizador gastado es alcanzado. Las

Electronic states of SiO2-MxOy (MxOy=P205, TiO2 and ZrO2) glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kowada, Y [Hyogo Univ. of Teacher Education, Hyogo (Japan); Adachi, H [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Engineering; Minami, T [Univ. of Osaka Prefecture, Osaka (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

1993-12-01

Using the sol-gel method the surface of metal and glass substrates can be modified. For example, stainless steel sheets coated with the SiO2-ZrO2 glass films have higher resistance to corrosion and oxidation. The coating films contain high concentration of alkali ions diffusing from the glass substrates. It suggests that the sodium ions are trapped strongly within the coating films and are blocked to further diffuse to the surface. This behavior must be associated with the chemical bonding around the sodium ions in the SiO2-TiO2 and SiO2-ZrO2 films. For better understanding of the chemical bonding in the glasses, the electronic states of the SiO2-MxOy glasses were calculated by means of the DV-Xa cluster method. In this paper, the calculation method is explained, the results are discussed and the conclusion is stated. 17 refs., 6 figs.

Crack-resistant Al2O3–SiO2 glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Rosales-Sosa, Gustavo A.; Masuno, Atsunobu; Higo, Yuji; Inoue, Hiroyuki

2016-01-01

Obtaining “hard” and “crack-resistant” glasses have always been of great important in glass science and glass technology. However, in most commercial glasses both properties are not compatible. In this work, colorless and transparent xAl2O3–(100–x)SiO2 glasses (30 ≤ x ≤ 60) were fabricated by the aerodynamic levitation technique. The elastic moduli and Vickers hardness monotonically increased with an increase in the atomic packing density as the Al2O3 content increased. Although a higher atomic packing density generally enhances crack formation in conventional oxide glasses, the indentation cracking resistance increased by approximately seven times with an increase in atomic packing density in binary Al2O3–SiO2 glasses. In particular, the composition of 60Al2O3•40SiO2 glass, which is identical to that of mullite, has extraordinary high cracking resistance with high elastic moduli and Vickers hardness. The results indicate that there exist aluminosilicate compositions that can produce hard and damage-tolerant glasses. PMID:27053006

Ion channel regulation by phosphoinositides analyzed with VSPs – PI(4,5P2 affinity, phosphoinositide selectivity, and PI(4,5P2 pool accessibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra eRjasanow

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The activity of many proteins depends on the phosphoinositide (PI content of the membrane. E.g., dynamic changes of the concentration of PI(4,5P2 are cellular signals that regulate ion channels. The susceptibility of a channel to such dynamics depends on its affinity for PI(4,5P2. Yet, measuring affinities for endogenous PIs has not been possible directly, but has relied largely on the response to soluble analogs, which may not quantitatively reflect binding to native lipids.Voltage-sensitive phosphatases (VSPs turn over PI(4,5P2 to PI(4P when activated by depolarization. In combination with voltage-clamp electrophysiology VSPs are useful tools for rapid and reversible depletion of PI(4,5P2. Because cellular PI(4,5P2 is resynthesized rapidly, steady state PI(4,5P2 changes with the degree of VSP activation and thus depends on membrane potential.Here we show that titration of endogenous PI(4,5P2 with Ci-VSP allows for the quantification of relative PI(4,5P2 affinities of ion channels. The sensitivity of inward rectifier and voltage-gated K+ channels to Ci-VSP allowed for comparison of PI(4,5P2 affinities within and across channel subfamilies and detected changes of affinity in mutant channels. The results also reveal that VSPs are useful only for PI effectors with high binding specificity among PI isoforms, because PI(4,5P2 depletion occurs at constant overall PI level. Thus, Kir6.2, a channel activated by PI(4,5P2 and PI(4P was insensitive to VSP.Surprisingly, despite comparable PI(4,5P2 affinity as determined by Ci-VSP, the Kv7 and Kir channel families strongly differed in their sensitivity to receptor-mediated depletion of PI(4,5P2. While Kv7 members were highly sensitive to activation of PLC by Gq-coupled receptors, Kir channels were insensitive even when PI(4,5P2 affinity was lowered by mutation. We hypothesize that different channels may be associated with distinct pools of PI(4,5P2 that differ in their accessibility to PLC and VSPs.

Atenção primária, atenção psicossocial, práticas integrativas e complementares e suas afinidades eletivas Primary care, psychosocial care and complementary and alternative medicine: elective affinities

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Charles Dalcanale Tesser

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Discutem-se afinidades eletivas entre três fenômenos na área da saúde: a atenção primária à saúde (APS, a abordagem psicossocial no cuidado à Saúde Mental e uso crescente das práticas integrativas e complementares (PIC. Apesar de suas diferenças, eles convergem como críticas e respostas a problemas do modelo médico hegemônico. Embora regulamentados e em implantação no Sistema Único de Saúde (as PIC de forma quase incipiente, tais fenômenos portam um caráter contra-hegemônico. Suas concepções de objeto, de meios e de fins do trabalho ou cuidado apresentam relevantes afinidades, como: centramento nos sujeitos em seus contextos sociais/familiares; abordagens ampliadas e holísticas; valorização de saberes/práticas não-biomédicos e de múltiplas formas, vivências e técnicas de cuidado; estímulo à auto-cura, participação ativa e empoderamento dos usuários; abordagem familiar e comunitária. Na organização das práticas e no relacionamento com a clientela há afinidades quanto à adequação sócio-cultural; parceria, dialogicidade e democratização das relações; trabalho territorial e construção/exploração de vínculos terapêuticos. Assinalam-se também convergências quanto aos efeitos terapêuticos e ético-políticos e discute-se o caráter relativamente desmedicalizante desses fenômenos, mais acentuado na atenção psicossocial e na procura pelas PIC. Tais afinidades significam sinergia entre os três fenômenos, ora relativamente independentes e isolados entre si. O reconhecimento e exploração dessas afinidades pela Saúde Coletiva, pelos movimentos sociais, bem como de profissionais e gestores do SUS, podem contribuir para qualificar a APS e a atenção em saúde mental e sua abertura para as PIC, ampliando as possibilidades de cuidado e fortalecendo os três fenômenos tematizados.This article discusses the elective affinities between three phenomena in health: primary health care, the

Nonstoichiometric Zn Ferrite and ZnFe2O4/Fe2O3 Composite Spheres: Preparation, Magnetic Properties, and Chromium Removal

Science.gov (United States)

Hang, Chun-Liang; Yang, Li-Xia; Sun, Chang-Mei; Liang, Ying

2018-03-01

Monodisperse and porous nonstoichiometric Zn ferrite can be prepared by a solvothermal method. Such non-Zn ferrite was used to be the precursor for synthesis of ZnFe2O4/Fe2O3 composite via calcination at 600°C for 3 h in air. X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) proved the nonstoichiometry of Zn ferrite synthesized by solvothermal method and the formation of ZnFe2O4/Fe2O3 composite via calcination. TEM image showed that non-Zn ferrite spheres with wormlike nanopore structure were made of primary nanocrystals. BET surface area of non-Zn ferrite was much higher than that of ZnFe2O4/Fe2O3 composite. Saturation magnetization of non-Zn ferrites was significantly higher than that of ZnFe2O4/Fe2O3 composites. Calcination of non-Zn ferrite resulted in the formation of large amount of non-magnetic Fe2O3,which caused a low magnetization of composite. Because of higher BET surface area and higher saturation magnetization, non-Zn ferrite presented better Cr6+ adsorption property than ZnFe2O4/Fe2O3 composites.

Thermoelectric Properties in the TiO2/SnO2 System

Science.gov (United States)

Dynys, F.; Sayir, A.; Sehirlioglu, A.; Berger, M.

2009-01-01

Nanotechnology has provided a new interest in thermoelectric technology. A thermodynamically driven process is one approach in achieving nanostructures in bulk materials. TiO2/SnO2 system exhibits a large spinodal region with exceptional stable phase separated microstructures up to 1400 C. Fabricated TiO2/SnO2 nanocomposites exhibit n-type behavior with Seebeck coefficients greater than -300 .V/K. Composites exhibit good thermal conductance in the range of 7 to 1 W/mK. Dopant additions have not achieved high electrical conductivity (<1000 S/m). Formation of oxygen deficient composites, TixSn1-xO2-y, can change the electrical conductivity by four orders of magnitude. Achieving higher thermoelectric ZT by oxygen deficiency is being explored. Seebeck coeffcient, thermal conductivity, electrical conductance and microstructure will be discussed in relation to composition and doping.

Comparative Study of Catalytic Oxidation of Ethanol to Acetaldehyde Using Fe(III Dispersed on Sb2O5 Grafted on SiO2 and on Untreated SiO2 Surfaces

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Benvenutti Edilson V.

1998-01-01

Full Text Available Fe(III was supported on Sb(V oxide grafted on the silica gel surface and directly on the silica gel surface using ion-exchange and impregnation processes producing Fe/Sb/SiO2 and Fe/SiO2, respectively. The catalytic conversion of ethanol to acetaldehyde was much more efficient using Fe/Sb/SiO2 than Fe/SiO2 as catalyst. This higher efficiency of the former catalyst takes into account two aspects: a the new phase FeSbO4 formed when Fe/Sb/SiO2 is heat treated and, b it is higher dispersion on the matrix.

Fabrication and evaluation of osteoblastic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells on novel CaO-SiO2-P2O5-B2O3 glass-ceramics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jae Hyup; Seo, Jun-Hyuk; Lee, Kyung Mee; Ryu, Hyun-Seung; Baek, Hae-Ri

2013-07-01

Apatite-wollastonite glass-ceramics have high mechanical strength, and CaO-SiO2 -B2 O3 glass-ceramics showed excellent bioactivity and high biodegradability. A new type of CaO-SiO2 -P2 O5 -B2 O3 system of bioactive glass-ceramics (BGS-7) was fabricated, and the effect and usefulness was evaluated via bioactivity using simulated body fluid and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The purpose of this study was to compare BGS-7 and hydroxyapatite (HA) using hMSCs in order to evaluate the bioactivity of BGS-7 and its possibility as a bone graft extender. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, ALP activity, cell proliferation 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt (MTS) assay, Alizarin Red-S (AR-S) staining, calcium levels, the mRNA expression of ALP, osteocalcin, osteopontin, and runt-related transcription factor 2 (runx-2) using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the protein expression of osteocalcin and runx-2 using Western blot were measured by transplanting hMSC onto a tissue culture plate, HA, and BGS-7. The ALP staining and AR-S staining of BGS-7 was greater than that of HA and control. The ALP value of BGS-7 was significantly higher than that of HA and control. The MTS results showed that BGS-7 had a higher value than the groups transplanted onto HA and control on day 15. The calcium level was higher than the control in both HA and BGS-7, and was especially high in BGS-7. There were more mineral products on BGS-7 than on the HA when analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The mRNA expression of ALP, osteopontin, osteocalcin, and runx-2 were higher on BGS-7 than on HA and the control when analyzed by RT-PCR. The relative gene expression of osteopontin and runx-2 were found to be higher on BGS-7 than on HA and the control by Western blot. Accordingly, it is predicted that BGS-7 would have high biocompatibility and good osteoconductivity, and presents a possibility as a new

G2(+)M study on N-alkylamino cation affinities of neutral main-group element hydrides: trends across the periodic table.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Song; Wu, Ding-Lu; Yang, Jing; Wei, Xi-Guang; Zhu, Jun; Zhang, Hai-Bo; Ren, Yi; Lau, Kai-Chung

2014-05-08

We have made an extensive theoretical exploration of gas-phase N-alkylamino cation affinities (NAAMCA), including amino cation affinities (AMCA) and N-dimethylamino cation affinities (NDMAMCA), of neutral main-group element hydrides of groups 15-17 and periods 2-4 in the periodic table by using the G2(+)M method. Some similarities and differences are found between NAAMCA and the corresponding alkyl cation affinities (ACA) of H(n)X. Our calculations show that the AMCA and NDMAMCA are systematically lower than the corresponding proton affinities (PA) for H(n)X. In general, there is no linear correlation between NAAMCA and PA of H(n)X. Instead, the correlations exist only within the central elements X in period 2, or periods 3-4, which is significantly different from the reasonable correlations between ACA and PA for all H(n)X. NAAMCA (H(n)X) are weaker than NAAMCA (H(n-1)X(-)) by more than 700 kJ/mol and generally stronger than ACA (H(n)X), with three exceptions: H2ONR2(+)(R = H, Me) and HFNH2(+). These new findings can be rationalized by the negative hyperconjugation and Pauli repulsion.

In vivo evaluation of CaO-SiO2-P2O5-B2O3 glass-ceramics coating on Steinman pins.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jae Hyup; Hong, Kug Sun; Baek, Hae-Ri; Seo, Jun-Hyuk; Lee, Kyung Mee; Ryu, Hyun-Seung; Lee, Hyun-Kyung

2013-07-01

Surface coating using ceramics improves the bone bonding strength of an implant. We questioned whether a new type of glass-ceramics (BGS-7) coating (CaO-SiO2 -P2 O5 -B2 O3 ) would improve the osseointegration of Steinman pins (S-pins) both biomechanically and histomorphometrically. An in vivo study was performed using rabbits by inserting three S-pins into each iliac bone. The pins were 2.2-mm S-pins with a coating of 30-μm-thick BGS-7 and 550-nm-thick hydroxyapatite (HA), as opposed to an S-pin without coating. A tensile strength test and histomorphometrical evaluation was performed. In the 2-week group, the BGS-7 implant showed a significantly higher tensile strength than the S-pin. In the 4- and 8-week groups, the BGS-7 implants had significantly higher tensile strengths than the S-pins and HA implants. The histomorphometrical study revealed that the BGS-7 implant had a significantly higher contact ratio than the S-pin and HA implants in the 4-week group. The biomechanical and histomorphometrical tests showed that the BGS-7 coating had superior bone bonding properties than the groups without the coating from the initial stage of insertion. The BGS-7 coating of an S-pin will enhance the bone bonding strength, and there might also be an advantage in human bone bonding. © 2013, Copyright the Authors. Artificial Organs © 2013, International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preparation and Characterization of PbO-SrO-Na2O-Nb2O5-SiO2 Glass Ceramics Thin Film for High-Energy Storage Application

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Feihu; Zhang, Qingmeng; Zhao, Hongbin; Wei, Feng; Du, Jun

2018-03-01

PbO-SrO-Na2O-Nb2O5-SiO2 (PSNNS) glass ceramic thin films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition technology on heavily doped silicon substrates. The influence of annealing temperatures on microstructures, dielectric properties and energy storage performances of the as-prepared films were investigated in detail. X-ray diffraction studies indicate that Pb2Nb2O7 crystallizes at 800°C and disappears at 900°C, while NaNbO3 and PbNb2O6 are formed at the higher temperature of 900°C. The dielectric properties of the glass ceramics thin films have a strong dependence on the phase assemblages that are developed during heat treatment. The maximum dielectric constant value of 171 was obtained for the film annealed at 800°C, owing to the high electric breakdown field strength, The energy storage densities of the PSNNS films annealed at 800°C were as large as 36.9 J/cm3, These results suggest that PSNNS thin films are promising for energy storage applications.

Dependence of glass-forming ability on starting compositions in Y2O3–Al2O3–SiO2 system

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Yixiang Chen

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The dependence of glass-forming ability on starting compositions in Y2O3–Al2O3–SiO2 (YAS system has been investigated by melting experiment. Transparent YAS glasses have been prepared under the condition of furnace cooling instead of quenching. It is found that, in the YAS ternary phase diagram, the compositions on the Y3Al5O12–SiO2 line and with 52-68 mol% SiO2 have a higher glass-forming ability to produce pure glass. For the compositions with too much or less SiO2 or with Y/Al = 5/3, 1/1, or 1/3, crystallization occurs with the formation of Y3Al5O12, Y2Si2O7, Al6Si2O13, or SiO2. The densities of the YAS glasses increase with decreasing SiO2 contents and increasing Y/Al ratios, and for the samples with Y/Al = 3/5 there is a good linear relationship between the density and SiO2 content.

O2 binding and CO2 sensitivity in haemoglobins of subterranean African mole rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weber, Roy E.; Jarvis, Jennifer U. M.; Fago, Angela

2017-01-01

that predictably safeguard pulmonary loading under hypoxic and hypercapnic burrow conditions. The O2 binding characteristics are discussed in relation to available information on the primary structure of Hbs from adult and developmental stages of mammals subjected to hypoxia and hypercapnia and the molecular......Inhabiting deep and sealed subterranean burrows, mole rats exhibit a remarkable suite of specializations, including eusociality (living in colonies with single breeding queens), extraordinary longevity, cancer immunity and poikilothermy, and extreme tolerance of hypoxia and hypercapnia. With little...... and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG, the major allosteric modulator of Hb-O2 affinity in red blood cells) in four social and two solitary species of African mole rats (family Bathyergidae) originating from different biomes and soil types across Central and Southern Africa. We found no consistent patterns...

Electronic structures and Eu3+ photoluminescence behaviors in Y2Si2O7 and La2Si2O7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhiya; Wang Yuhua; Zhang Feng; Cao Haining

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Host excitation near the band gap of Y 2 Si 2 O 7 and La 2 Si 2 O 7 is analyzed. → The calculated result well explains Eu 3+ PL behaviors in Y 2 Si 2 O 7 and La 2 Si 2 O 7 . → The electronic structure and Eu 3+ VUV PL in La 2 Si 2 O 7 are first estimated. - Abstract: The electronic structures and linear optical properties of Y 2 Si 2 O 7 (YSO) and La 2 Si 2 O 7 (LSO) are calculated by LDA method based on the theory of DFT. Both YSO and LSO are direct-gap materials with the direct band gap of 5.89 and 6.06 eV, respectively. The calculated total and partial density of states indicate that in both YSO and LSO the valence band (VB) is mainly constructed from O 2p and the conduction band (CB) is mostly formed from Y 4d or La 5d. Both the calculated VB and CB of YSO exhibit relatively wider dispersion than that of LSO. In addition, the CB of YSO presents more electronic states. Meanwhile, the VB of LSO shows narrower energy distribution with higher electronic states density. The theoretical absorption of YSO shows larger bandwidth and higher intensity than that of LSO. The results are compared with the experimental host excitations and impurity photoluminescence in Eu 3+ -doped YSO and LSO.

Electrical resistivity surface for FeO-Fe2O3-P2O5 glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Vaughan, J. G.; Kinser, D. L.

1975-01-01

The dc electrical properties and microstructure of x(FeO-Fe2O3)-(100-x)P2O5 glasses were investigated up to a maximum of x = 75 mol %. Results indicate that, in general, the minimum resistivity of the glass does not occur at equal Fe(2+) and Fe(3+) concentrations, although for the special case where x = 55 mol % the minimum does occur at Fe(2+)/Fe total = 0.5, as reported by other investigators. Evidence presented shows that the position of the minimum resistivity is a function of total iron content. The minimum shifts to glasses richer in Fe(2+) at higher total iron concentrations.

Ni doping effect on the electronic and sensing properties of 2D SnO2

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Anjali; Roondhe, Basant; Jha, Prafulla K.

2018-05-01

In the present work using state of art first principles calculations under the frame work of density functional theory the effect of Nickel (Ni) doping on electronic as well as sensing properties of most stable two dimensional (2D) T-SnO2 phase towards ethanol (C2H5OH) has been observed. It has been found that Ni atom when dope on T-SnO2 causes prominent decrement in the band gap from 2.26 eV to 1.48 eV and improves the sensing phenomena of pristine T-SnO2 towards C2H5OH by increasing the binding energy from -0.18eV to -0.93eV. The comparative analysis of binding energy shows that Ni improves the binding of C2H5OH by 5.16 times the values for pristine T-SnO2. The doping of Ni into 2D T-SnO2 reduces the band gap through lowering of the conduction band minimum, thereby increasing the electron affinity which increases the sensing performance of T-SnO2. The variation in the electronic properties after and before the exposure of ethanol reinforced to use Ni:SnO2 nano structure for sensing applications. The results indicate that the Ni doped T-SnO2 can be utilized in improved optoelectronic as well as sensor devices in the future.

Affine Fullerene C60 in a GS-Quasigroup

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Volenec

2014-01-01

Full Text Available It will be shown that the affine fullerene C60, which is defined as an affine image of buckminsterfullerene C60, can be obtained only by means of the golden section. The concept of the affine fullerene C60 will be constructed in a general GS-quasigroup using the statements about the relationships between affine regular pentagons and affine regular hexagons. The geometrical interpretation of all discovered relations in a general GS-quasigroup will be given in the GS-quasigroup C(1/2(1+5.

Adsorption of endotoxins on Ca2+ -iminodiacetic acid by metal ion affinity chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopes, André Moreni; Romeu, Jorge Sánchez; Meireles, Rolando Páez; Perera, Gabriel Marquez; Morales, Rolando Perdomo; Pessoa, Adalberto; Cárdenas, Lourdes Zumalacárregui

2012-11-01

Endotoxins (also known as lipopolysaccharides (LPS)) are undesirable by-products of recombinant proteins, purified from Escherichia coli. LPS can be considered stable under a wide range of temperature and pH, making their removal one of the most difficult tasks in downstream processes during protein purification. The inherent toxicity of LPS makes their removal an important step for the application of these proteins in several biological assays and for a safe parenteral administration. Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) enables the affinity interactions between the metal ions (immobilized on the support through the chelating compound) and the target molecules, thus enabling high-efficiency separation of the target molecules from other components present in a mixture. Affinity chromatography is applied with Ca2+ -iminodiacetic acid (IDA) to remove most of the LPS contaminants from the end product (more than 90%). In this study, the adsorption of LPS on an IDA-Ca2+ was investigated. The adsorption Freundlich isotherm of LPS-IDA-Ca2+ provides a theoretical basis for LPS removal. It was found that LPS is bound mainly by interactions between the phosphate group in LPS and Ca2+ ligands on the beads. The factors such as pH (4.0 or 5.5) and ionic strength (1.0 mol/L) are essential to obtain effective removal of LPS for contaminant levels between endotoxin' concentration values less than 100 EU/mL and 100 000 EU/mL. This new protocol represents a substantial advantage in time, effort, and production costs.

Engineering an antibody with picomolar affinity to DOTA chelates of multiple radionuclides for pretargeted radioimmunotherapy and imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orcutt, Kelly Davis; Slusarczyk, Adrian L. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Cieslewicz, Maryelise [Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Ruiz-Yi, Benjamin [Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Bhushan, Kumar R. [Division of Hematology/Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Frangioni, John V. [Division of Hematology/Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Wittrup, K. Dane, E-mail: wittrup@mit.ed [Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

2011-02-15

Introduction: In pretargeted radioimmunotherapy (PRIT), a bifunctional antibody is administered and allowed to pre-localize to tumor cells. Subsequently, a chelated radionuclide is administered and captured by cell-bound antibody while unbound hapten clears rapidly from the body. We aim to engineer high-affinity binders to 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) chelates for use in PRIT applications. Methods: We mathematically modeled antibody and hapten pharmacokinetics to analyze hapten tumor retention as a function of hapten binding affinity. Motivated by model predictions, we used directed evolution and yeast surface display to affinity mature the 2D12.5 antibody to DOTA, reformatted as a single chain variable fragment (scFv). Results: Modeling predicts that for high antigen density and saturating bsAb dose, a hapten-binding affinity of 100 pM is needed for near-maximal hapten retention. We affinity matured 2D12.5 with an initial binding constant of about 10 nM to DOTA-yttrium chelates. Affinity maturation resulted in a 1000-fold affinity improvement to biotinylated DOTA-yttrium, yielding an 8.2{+-}1.9 picomolar binder. The high-affinity scFv binds DOTA complexes of lutetium and gadolinium with similar picomolar affinity and indium chelates with low nanomolar affinity. When engineered into a bispecific antibody construct targeting carcinoembryonic antigen, pretargeted high-affinity scFv results in significantly higher tumor retention of a {sup 111}In-DOTA hapten compared to pretargeted wild-type scFv in a xenograft mouse model. Conclusions: We have engineered a versatile, high-affinity, DOTA-chelate-binding scFv. We anticipate it will prove useful in developing pretargeted imaging and therapy protocols to exploit the potential of a variety of radiometals.

Removal of binary dyes mixtures with opposite and similar charges by adsorption, coagulation/flocculation and catalytic oxidation in the presence of CeO2/H2O2 Fenton-like system.

Science.gov (United States)

Issa Hamoud, Houeida; Finqueneisel, Gisèle; Azambre, Bruno

2017-06-15

In this study, the removal of binary mixtures of dyes with similar (Orange II/Acid Green 25) or opposite charges (Orange II/Malachite Green) was investigated either by simple adsorption on ceria or by the heterogeneous Fenton reaction in presence of H 2 O 2 . First, the CeO 2 nanocatalyst with high specific surface area (269 m 2 /g) and small crystal size (5 nm) was characterized using XRD, Raman spectroscopy and N 2 physisorption at 77 K. The adsorption of single dyes was studied either from thermodynamic and kinetic viewpoints. It is shown that the adsorption of dyes on ceria surface is highly pH-dependent and followed a pseudo-second order kinetic model. Adsorption isotherms fit well the Langmuir model with a complete monolayer coverage and higher affinity towards Orange II at pH 3, compared to other dyes. For the (Orange II/Acid Green 25) mixture, both the amounts of dyes adsorbed on ceria surface and discoloration rates measured from Fenton experiments were decreased by comparison with single dyes. This is due to the adsorption competition existing onto the same surface Ce x+ sites and the reaction competition with hydroxyl radicals, respectively. The behavior of the (Orange II/Malachite Green) mixture is markedly different. Dyes with opposite charges undergo paired adsorption on ceria as well as homogeneous and heterogeneous coagulation/flocculation processes, but can also be removed by heterogeneous Fenton process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparisons between TiO2- and SiO2-flux assisted TIG welding processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tseng, Kuang-Hung; Chen, Kuan-Lung

2012-08-01

This study investigates the effects of flux compounds on the weld shape, ferrite content, and hardness profile in the tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding of 6 mm-thick austenitic 316 L stainless steel plates, using TiO2 and SiO2 powders as the activated fluxes. The metallurgical characterizations of weld metal produced with the oxide powders were evaluated using ferritoscope, optical microscopy, and Vickers microhardness test. Under the same welding parameters, the penetration capability of TIG welding with TiO2 and SiO2 fluxes was approximately 240% and 292%, respectively. A plasma column made with SiO2 flux exhibited greater constriction than that made with TiO2 flux. In addition, an anode root made with SiO2 flux exhibited more condensation than that made with TiO2 flux. Results indicate that energy density of SiO2-flux assisted TIG welding is higher than that of TiO2-flux assisted TIG welding.

Proteína bruta e energia digestível em dietas para alevinos de curimbatá (Prochilodus affins Crude protein and digestible energy in the diets for curimbatá fingerlings (Prochilodus affins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos Antonio Delmondes Bomfim

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Objetivando-se determinar as exigências de proteína bruta (PB em função do nível de energia digestível (ED da dieta para alevinos de curimbatá (Prochilodus affins, foram utilizados 256 peixes com peso inicial de 2,72 ± 0,11 g, mantidos em 32 aquários de 100 L, dotados de abastecimento de água, temperatura controlada e aeração individuais. O experimento foi realizado seguindo-se esquema fatorial 4 x 2 (quatro níveis de PB: 18,0; 22,0; 26,0; e 30,0%, combinados com dois níveis de ED: 2.700 e 3.000 kcal/kg, em um delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com quatro repetições e oito peixes por unidade experimental. Os peixes foram alimentados ad libitum em duas refeições diárias durante 78 dias. Avaliaram-se o ganho de peso, o consumo aparente de racão, a conversão alimentar aparente, a taxa de crescimento específico, a taxa de eficiência protéica, a eficiência de retenção de nitrogênio, a umidade, a proteína e a gordura corporais e as porcentagens de nitrogênio e de gordura no ganho de peso. Verificou-se que não houve interação dos níveis de PB ´ ED, à exceção da porcentagem de gordura no ganho de peso. Com o nível de 3.000 kcal de ED/kg, obtiveram-se peixes com maiores níveis de matéria seca, gordura corporal e porcentagem de gordura no ganho de peso. Concluiu-se que a exigência de PB e ED para alevinos de curimbatá é de 26,05% e 2.700 kcal/kg, respectivamente, que corresponde a uma relação ED:PB de 10,36 kcal de ED/g de PB, por proporcionar as melhores respostas em ganho de peso e composição de carcaça.Two hundred and fifty six curimbatá (Prochilodus affins fingerlings averaging initial weight of 2.72 ± 0.11 g, stocked in 32 aquariums (100 L with water renewal, controlled temperature and individual aeration, were used to determine the dietary crude protein (CP requirements, according to the digestible energy level (DE. The experiment was carried out in to a 4 x 2 factorial scheme (four CP levels: 18

Hirota's solitons in the affine and the conformal affine Toda models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aratyn, H.; Constantinidis, C.P.; Ferreira, L.A.; Gomes, J.F.; Zimerman, A.H.

1993-01-01

We use Hirota's method formulated as a recursive scheme to construct a complete set of soliton solutions for the affine Toda field theory based on an arbitrary Lie algebra. Our solutions include a new class of solitons connected with two different types of degeneracies encountered in Hirota's perturbation approach. We also derive an universal mass formula for all Hirota's solutions to the affine Toda model valid for all underlying Lie groups. Embedding of the affine Toda model in the conformal affine Toda model plays a crucial role in this analysis. (orig.)

High-affinity hemoglobin and blood oxygen saturation in diving emperor penguins.

Science.gov (United States)

Meir, Jessica U; Ponganis, Paul J

2009-10-01

The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) thrives in the Antarctic underwater environment, diving to depths greater than 500 m and for durations longer than 23 min. To examine mechanisms underlying the exceptional diving ability of this species and further describe blood oxygen (O2) transport and depletion while diving, we characterized the O2-hemoglobin (Hb) dissociation curve of the emperor penguin in whole blood. This allowed us to (1) investigate the biochemical adaptation of Hb in this species, and (2) address blood O2 depletion during diving, by applying the dissociation curve to previously collected partial pressure of O2 (PO2) profiles to estimate in vivo Hb saturation (SO2) changes during dives. This investigation revealed enhanced Hb-O2 affinity (P50=28 mmHg, pH 7.5) in the emperor penguin, similar to high-altitude birds and other penguin species. This allows for increased O2 at low blood PO2 levels during diving and more complete depletion of the respiratory O2 store. SO2 profiles during diving demonstrated that arterial SO2 levels are maintained near 100% throughout much of the dive, not decreasing significantly until the final ascent phase. End-of-dive venous SO2 values were widely distributed and optimization of the venous blood O2 store resulted from arterialization and near complete depletion of venous blood O2 during longer dives. The estimated contribution of the blood O2 store to diving metabolic rate was low and highly variable. This pattern is due, in part, to the influx of O2 from the lungs into the blood during diving, and variable rates of tissue O2 uptake.

A Novel Affinity Tag, ABTAG, and Its Application to the Affinity Screening of Single-Domain Antibodies Selected by Phage Display

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Greg Hussack

2017-10-01

Full Text Available ABTAG is a camelid single-domain antibody (sdAb that binds to bovine serum albumin (BSA with low picomolar affinity. In surface plasmon resonance (SPR analyses using BSA surfaces, bound ABTAG can be completely dissociated from the BSA surfaces at low pH, over multiple cycles, without any reduction in the capacity of the BSA surfaces to bind ABTAG. A moderate throughput, SPR-based, antibody screening assay exploiting the unique features of ABTAG is described. Anti-carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 6 (CEACAM6 sdAbs were isolated from a phage-displayed sdAb library derived from the heavy chain antibody repertoire of a llama immunized with CEACAM6. Following one or two rounds of panning, enriched clones were expressed as ABTAG fusions in microtiter plate cultures. The sdAb-ABTAG fusions from culture supernatants were captured on BSA surfaces and CEACAM6 antigen was then bound to the captured molecules. The SPR screening method gives a read-out of relative expression levels of the fusion proteins and kinetic and affinity constants for CEACAM6 binding by the captured molecules. The library was also panned and screened by conventional methods and positive clones were subcloned and expressed for SPR analysis. Compared to conventional panning and screening, the SPR-based ABTAG method yielded a considerably higher diversity of binders, some with affinities that were three orders of magnitude higher affinity than those identified by conventional panning.

Effect of Ni/Al2O3-SiO2 and Ni/Al2O3-SiO2 with K2O Promoter Catalysts on H2, CO and CH4 Concentration by CO2 Gasification of Rosa Multiflora Biomass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tursunov Obid

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The thermal behaviour of the Rosa mutiflora biomass by thermogravimetric analysis was studied at heating rate 3 K min−1 from ambient temperature to 950 °C. TGA tests were performed in high purity carbon dioxide (99 998% with a flow rate 200 ml/min and 100 mg of sample, milled and sieved to a particle size below 250 µm. Moreover, yields of gasification products such as hydrogen (H2, carbon monoxide (CO and methane (CH4 were determined based on the thermovolumetric measurements of catalytic (Ni/Al2O3-SiO2 and Ni/Al2O3-SiO2 with K2O promoter catalysts and non-catalytic gasification of the Rosa multiflora biomass. Additionally, carbon conversion degrees are presented. Calculations were made of the kinetic parameters of carbon monoxide and hydrogen formation reaction in the catalytic and non-catalytic CO2 gasification processes. A high temperature of 950 °C along with Ni/Al2O3-SiO2and Ni/Al2O3-SiO2 with K2O promoter catalysts resulted in a higher conversion of Rosa multiflora biomass into gaseous yield production with greatly increasing of H2 and CO contents. Consequently, H2 and CO are the key factors to produce renewable energy and bio-gases (synthesis gas. The parameters obtained during the experimental examinations enable a tentative assessment of plant biomasses for the process of large-scale gasification in industrial sectors.

Evaluation of dyes adsorption properties of TiO2-alginate biohybrid material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrón Zambrano, J A; Ávila Ortega, A; Muñoz Rodríguez, D; Carrera Figueiras, C; Sánchez Morales, G

2013-01-01

In this study a TiO 2 -alginate biohybrid material was obtained by the sol gel method and its adsorption properties were compared to those of its precursors using eosin B (anionic) as model dye. The results showed that the TiO 2 and biohybrid have a greater affinity for eosine B than alginate. The maximum adsorption capacity for the eosin B was obtained at pH = 10. Kinetic studies showed that the biohybrid has greater rate and adsorption capacity than its precursors. Kinetic data were fitted to a pseudo-second order kinetic model. The experimental isotherms were fitted to the Langmuir model.

The solutions of affine and conformal affine Toda field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papadopoulos, G.; Spence, B.

1994-02-01

We give new formulations of the solutions of the field equations of the affine Toda and conformal affine Toda theories on a cylinder and two-dimensional Minkowski space-time. These solutions are parameterised in terms of initial data and the resulting covariant phase spaces are diffeomorphic to the Hamiltonian ones. We derive the fundamental Poisson brackets of the parameters of the solutions and give the general static solutions for the affine theory. (authors). 10 refs

Specificity and affinity motifs for Grb2 SH2-ligand interactions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kessels, Helmut W. H. G.; Ward, Alister C.; Schumacher, Ton N. M.

2002-01-01

Protein-protein interactions are often mediated by the recognition of short continuous amino acid stretches on target proteins by specific binding domains. Affinity-based selection strategies have successfully been used to define recognition motifs for a large series of such protein domains.

On the structure of self-affine convex bodies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voynov, A S [M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2013-08-31

We study the structure of convex bodies in R{sup d} that can be represented as a union of their affine images with no common interior points. Such bodies are called self-affine. Vallet's conjecture on the structure of self-affine bodies was proved for d = 2 by Richter in 2011. In the present paper we disprove the conjecture for all d≥3 and derive a detailed description of self-affine bodies in R{sup 3}. Also we consider the relation between properties of self-affine bodies and functional equations with a contraction of an argument. Bibliography: 10 titles.

Detecting obstructive sleep apnea in children by self-affine visualization of oximetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Garde, Ainara; Dekhordi, Parastoo; Petersen, Christian L; Ansermino, J Mark; Dumont, Guy A

2017-07-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), characterized by cessations of breathing during sleep due to upper airway collapse, can affect the healthy growth and development of children. The gold standard for OSA diagnosis, polysomnography(PSG), is expensive and resource intensive, resulting in long waiting lists to perform a PSG. Previously, we investigated the time-frequency analysis of blood oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) to screen for OSA. We used overnight pulse oximetry from 146 children, collected using a smartphone-based pulse oximeter (Phone Oximeter), simultaneously with standard PSG. Sleep technicians manually scored PSG and provided the average of apnea/hypoapnea events per hour (AHI). In this study, we proposed an alternative method for analyzing SpO 2 , in which a set of contracting transformations form a self-affine set with a 2D attractor, previously developed for qualitative visualization of the photoplethysmogram and electroencephalogram. We applied this technique to the overnight SpO 2 signal from individual patients and extracted features based on the distribution of points (radius and angle) in the visualization. The cloud of points in children without OSA (NonOSA) was more confined than in children with OSA, which was reflected by more empty pixels (radius and angles). The maximum value, skewness and standard deviation of the distribution of points located at different radius and angles were significantly (Bonferroni corrected) higher in NonOSA compared to OSA children. To detect OSA defined at different levels (AHI≥5, AHI≥10 and AHI≥15), three multivariate logistic regression models were implemented using a stepwise feature selection and internally validated through bootstrapping. The models (AHI≥5, AHI≥10, AHI≥15), consisting of 3, 4 and 1 features respectively, provided a bootstrap-corrected AUC of 73%, 81%, 73%. Thus, applying this visualization to nocturnal SpO 2 could yield both visual and quantitative information that might be useful for

Fission gas release from ThO2 and ThO2--UO2 fuels (LWBR development program)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldberg, I.; Spahr, G.L.; White, L.S.; Waldman, L.A.; Giovengo, J.F.; Pfennigwerth, P.L.; Sherman, J.

1978-08-01

Fission gas release data are presented from 51 fuel rods irradiated as part of the LWBR irradiations test program. The fuel rods were Zircaloy-4 clad and contained ThO 2 or ThO 2 -UO 2 fuel pellets, with UO 2 compositions ranging from 2.0 to 24.7 weight percent and fuel densities ranging from 77.8 to 98.7 percent of theoretical. Rod diameters ranged from 0.25 to 0.71 inches and fuel active lengths ranged from 3 to 84 inches. Peak linear power outputs ranged from 2 to 22 kw/ft for peak fuel burnups up to 56,000 MWD/MTM. Measured fission gas release was quite low, ranging from 0.1 to 5.2 percent. Fission gas release was higher at higher temperature and burnup and was lower at higher initial fuel density. No sensitivity to UO 2 composition was evidenced

On Affine Fusion and the Phase Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark A. Walton

2012-11-01

Full Text Available A brief review is given of the integrable realization of affine fusion discovered recently by Korff and Stroppel. They showed that the affine fusion of the su(n Wess-Zumino-Novikov-Witten (WZNW conformal field theories appears in a simple integrable system known as the phase model. The Yang-Baxter equation leads to the construction of commuting operators as Schur polynomials, with noncommuting hopping operators as arguments. The algebraic Bethe ansatz diagonalizes them, revealing a connection to the modular S matrix and fusion of the su(n WZNW model. The noncommutative Schur polynomials play roles similar to those of the primary field operators in the corresponding WZNW model. In particular, their 3-point functions are the su(n fusion multiplicities. We show here how the new phase model realization of affine fusion makes obvious the existence of threshold levels, and how it accommodates higher-genus fusion.

Contractions of affine spherical varieties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arzhantsev, I V

1999-01-01

The language of filtrations and contractions is used to describe the class of G-varieties obtainable as the total spaces of the construction of contraction applied to affine spherical varieties, which is well-known in invariant theory. These varieties are local models for arbitrary affine G-varieties of complexity 1 with a one-dimensional categorical quotient. As examples, reductive algebraic semigroups and three-dimensional SL 2 -varieties are considered

Neutron irradiation damage in Al2O3 and Y2O3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clinard, F.W. Jr.; Bunch, J.M.; Ranken, W.A.

1975-01-01

Two ceramics under consideration for use in fusion reactors, Al 2 O 3 and Y 2 O 3 , were irradiated in the EBR-II fission reactor at 650, 875, and 1025 0 K to fluences between 2 and 6 x 10 21 n/cm 2 (E greater than 0.1 MeV). Samples evaluated include sapphire, Lucalox, alumina, Y 2 O 3 , and Y 2 O 3 -10 percent ZrO 2 (Yttralox). All Al 2 O 3 specimens swelled significantly (1 to 3 percent), with most of the growth observed in sapphire along the c-axis at the higher temperatures. Al 2 O 3 samples irradiated at 875 to 1025 0 K contained a high density of small aligned ''pores''. Irradiated Y 2 O 3 -based ceramics exhibited dimensional stability and a defect content consisting primarily of unresolved damage and/or dislocation loops. The behavior of these ceramics under irradiation is discussed, and the relevance of fission neutron damage studies to fusion reactor applications is considered. (auth)

Hexachlorobenzene stimulates uroporphyria in low affinity AHR mice without increasing CYP1A2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorman, Nadia; Trask, Heidi S.; Robinson, Susan W.; Sinclair, Jacqueline F.; Gerhard, Glenn S.; Smith, Andrew G.; Sinclair, Peter R.

2007-01-01

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), a weak ligand of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), causes hepatic uroporphyrin (URO) accumulation (uroporphyria) in humans and animals. CYP1A2 has been shown to be necessary in the development of uroporphyria in mice. Using mice expressing the low affinity form of the AH receptor (AHRd), we investigated whether the enhancement of uroporphyria by HCB involves an obligatory increase in CYP1A2 as measured by specific enzyme assays and immunoblotting. We compared the ability of HCB, in combination with iron dextran and the porphyrin precursor, 5-aminolevulinate (ALA), to cause uroporphyria in a strain of mice (C57BL/6) which expresses the high affinity form of the receptor (AHRb 1 ), with three strains of mice (SWR and two 129 sublines) expressing the low affinity AHRd. In C57BL/6 mice, HCB-enhanced uroporphyria was associated with a doubling of CYP1A2. HCB treatment produced uroporphyria in iron-loaded mice expressing AHRd, even though there was little or no increase in CYP1A2. Cyp1a2(-/-) mice in a 129 background were completely resistant to HCB-induced uroporphyria, and female Hfe(-/-) 129 mice, in which the levels of hepatic CYP1A2 were half of those of the male levels, responded poorly. The effect of exogenous iron, administered in the form of iron dextran, on HCB enhancement of uroporphryia could be replicated utilizing the endogenous hepatic iron accumulated in 129 Hfe(-/-) mice. In conclusion, some minimal basal expression of CYP1A2 is essential for HCB-mediated enhancement of uroporphyria, but increases in CYP1A2 above that level are not essential

Silica-supported Macroporous Chitosan Bead for Affinity Purification of Trypsin Inhibitor

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Feng Na XI; Jian Min WU; Ming Ming LUAN

2005-01-01

Macroporous cross-linking chitosan layer coated on silica gel (CTS-SiO2) was prepared by phase inversion and polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecular imprinting methods. Formation of macroporous surface was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and BET analysis.The prepared bead was activated by reacting with 1,2-ethylene diglycidyl ether for introducing epoxy groups, and trypsin could be efficiently immobilized on the bead as a biospecific ligand.The bead bearing trypsin was employed to purify trypsin inhibitor (TIs) from egg white as affinity adsorbent.

Role of CeO2 promoter in NiO/α-Al2O3 catalyst for dry reforming of methane

Science.gov (United States)

Loc, Luu Cam; Phuong, Phan Hong; Tri, Nguyen

2017-09-01

A series of Ni/α-Al2O3 (NiAl) catalysts promoted by CeO2 was prepared by co-impregnation methods with content of (NiO+CeO2) being in the range of 10-30 wt%. The NiO:CeO2 weight ratio was fluctuated at 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3. Several techniques, including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to investigate catalysts' physico-chemical properties. The activity of these catalysts in dry reforming of CH4 was investigated at temperature range of 550-800 °C. The results revealed that the most suitable CeO2 promoted Ni catalyst contained 20 wt% of (NiO+CeO2) and NiO:CeO2 weight ratio of 1:2. The best catalytic performance of catalyst [20(1Ni2Ce)Al] due to a better reducibility resulted in a higher amount of free small particle NiO. At 700 °C and CH4:CO2 molar ratio of 1:1, the conversion of CH4 and CO2 on the most suitable CeO2 promoted Ni catalyst reached 86% and 67%, respectively; H2 and CO selectivity of 90% and H2:CO molar ratio of 1.15 were obtained. Being similar to MgO [1], promoter CeO2 could improve catalytic activity of Ni/α-Al2O3 catalyst at a lower range of temperature. Besides, both MgO and CeO2 had a great impact on improving coke resistance of Ni catalysts. At higher temperature, the role of CeO2 as well as MgO in preventing coke formation on catalyst was clarified by temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) technique. Coke amount formed after 30-h TOS on 20(1Ni2Ce) catalyst was found to be 22.18 mgC/gcat, being less than on non-promoted catalyst (36.75 mgC/gcat), but more than on 20(1Ni2Mg)Al one (5.25 mgC/gcat).

Photocatalytic degradation of RhB over MgFe2O4/TiO2 composite materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Lei; He, Yiming; Wu Ying; Wu Tinghua

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Novel composite MgFe 2 O 4 /TiO 2 as catalyst. → Higher activity for the photodegradation of RhB under visible light irradiation. → Calcination temperature of catalyst has effect on photocatalytic activity. → Different photocatalysis mechanism under UV and visible light irradiation. - Abstract: MgFe 2 O 4 /TiO 2 (MFO/TiO 2 ) composite photocatalysts were successfully synthesized using a mixing-annealing method. The synthesized composites exhibited significantly higher photocatalytic activity than a naked semiconductor in the photodegradation of Rhodamine B. Under UV and visible light irradiation, the optimal percentages of doped MgFe 2 O 4 (MFO) were 2 wt.% and 3 wt.%, respectively. The effects of calcination temperature on photocatalytic activity were also investigated. The origin of the high level of activity was discussed based on the results of X-ray diffraction, UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen physical adsorption. The enhanced activity of the catalysts was mainly attributed to the synergetic effect between the two semiconductors, the band potential of which matched suitably.

Lectin affinity electrophoresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Yuka

2014-01-01

An interaction or a binding event typically changes the electrophoretic properties of a molecule. Affinity electrophoresis methods detect changes in the electrophoretic pattern of molecules (mainly macromolecules) that occur as a result of biospecific interactions or complex formation. Lectin affinity electrophoresis is a very effective method for the detection and analysis of trace amounts of glycobiological substances. It is particularly useful for isolating and separating the glycoisomers of target molecules. Here, we describe a sensitive technique for the detection of glycoproteins separated by agarose gel-lectin affinity electrophoresis that uses antibody-affinity blotting. The technique is tested using α-fetoprotein with lectin (Lens culinaris agglutinin and Phaseolus vulgaris agglutinin)-agarose gels.

Preparation and characterization of PbO2–ZrO2 nanocomposite electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao Yingwu; Zhao Chunmei; Zhu Jin

2012-01-01

PbO 2 –ZrO 2 nanocomposite electrodes were prepared by the anodic codeposition in the lead nitrate plating bath containing ZrO 2 nanoparticles. The influences of the ZrO 2 nanoparticles concentration, current density, temperature and stirring rate of the plating bath on the composition of the nanocomposite electrodes were investigated. The surface morphology and the structure of the nanocomposite electrodes were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The experimental results show that the addition of ZrO 2 nanoparticles in the electrodeposition process of lead dioxide significantly increases the lifetime of nanocomposite electrodes. The PbO 2 –ZrO 2 nanocomposite electrodes have a service life of 141 h which is almost four times longer than that of the pure PbO 2 electrodes. The morphology of PbO 2 –ZrO 2 nanocomposite electrodes is more compact and finer than that of PbO 2 electrodes. The relative surface area of the composite electrodes is approximately 2 times that of the pure PbO 2 electrodes. The structure test shows that the addition of ZrO 2 nanoparticles into the plating bath decreases the grain size of the PbO 2 –ZrO 2 nanocomposite electrodes. The anodic polarization curves show that the oxygen evolution overpotential of PbO 2 –ZrO 2 nanocomposite electrodes is higher than PbO 2 electrodes. The pollutant anodic oxidation experiment show that the PbO 2 –ZrO 2 nanocomposite electrode exhibited the better performance for the degradation of 4-chlorophenol than PbO 2 electrode, the removal ratio of COD reached 96.2%.

Current-voltage characteristics of SnO{sub 2}-Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Sb{sub 2}O{sub 5} ceramics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguilar-Martinez, J A [Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados, S.C. (CIMAV), Alianza Norte 202, Parque de Investigacion e Innovacion Tecnologica (PIIT), Nueva Carretera Aeropuerto km. 10, Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, CP 66600 (Mexico); Glot, A B [Posgrado, Universidad Tecnologica de la Mixteca, Carretera Acatlima Km. 2.5, Huajuapan de Leon, Oaxaca, CP 69000 (Mexico); Gaponov, A V [Department of Radioelectronics, Dniepropetrovsk National University, Dniepropetrovsk 49050 (Ukraine); Hernandez, M B [Instituto de Mineria, Universidad Tecnologica de la Mixteca, Carretera Acatlima Km. 2.5, Huajuapan de Leon, Oaxaca, CP 69000 (Mexico); Guerrero-Paz, J, E-mail: josue.aguilar@cimav.edu.m [Particulate Materials Lab, Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Pachuca, CP 42184 (Mexico)

2009-10-21

The effect of mechanical treatment in a planetary mill on the microstructure and electrical properties of tin dioxide based varistor ceramics in the system SnO{sub 2}-Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}-Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}-Sb{sub 2}O{sub 5} sintered in the range 1150-1450 {sup 0}C was studied. The mechanical treatment leads to an increase in shrinkage, decrease in porosity, decrease in sample diameter, change in colour of the sintered samples from grey to black and enhancement of nonlinearity. For the sample sintered at 1350 {sup 0}C the mechanical treatment enhances the nonlinearity coefficient from 11 to 31 and decreases the electric field E{sub 1} (at 10{sup -3} A cm{sup -2}) from 3500 to 2800 V cm{sup -1}. The observed changes in physical properties are explained in terms of an additional size reduction of oxide particles and a better mixing of oxide powder followed by the formation of potential barriers at the grain boundaries throughout the whole sample. In spite of the low porosity, the low-field electrical conductivity of mechanically treated ceramics is significantly increased with the growth of relative humidity. A higher humidity sensitivity is found for mechanically treated ceramics with higher barrier height and higher nonlinearity coefficient.

Efficiency enhancement using a Zn1- x Ge x -O thin film as an n-type window layer in Cu2O-based heterojunction solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Minami, Tadatsugu; Nishi, Yuki; Miyata, Toshihiro

2016-05-01

Efficiency enhancement was achieved in Cu2O-based heterojunction solar cells fabricated with a zinc-germanium-oxide (Zn1- x Ge x -O) thin film as the n-type window layer and a p-type Na-doped Cu2O (Cu2O:Na) sheet prepared by thermally oxidizing Cu sheets. The Ge content (x) dependence of the obtained photovoltaic properties of the heterojunction solar cells is mainly explained by the conduction band discontinuity that results from the electron affinity difference between Zn1- x Ge x -O and Cu2O:Na. The optimal value of x in Zn1- x Ge x -O thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition was observed to be 0.62. An efficiency of 8.1% was obtained in a MgF2/Al-doped ZnO/Zn0.38Ge0.62-O/Cu2O:Na heterojunction solar cell.

Femtomolar Ln(III) affinity in peptide-based ligands containing unnatural chelating amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Niedźwiecka, Agnieszka; Cisnetti, Federico; Lebrun, Colette; Delangle, Pascale

2012-05-07

The incorporation of unnatural chelating amino acids in short peptide sequences leads to lanthanide-binding peptides with a higher stability than sequences built exclusively from natural residues. In particular, the hexadentate peptide P(22), which incorporates two unnatural amino acids Ada(2) with aminodiacetate chelating arms, showed picomolar affinity for Tb(3+). To design peptides with higher denticity, expected to show higher affinity for Ln(3+), we synthesized the novel unnatural amino acid Ed3a(2) which carries an ethylenediamine triacetate side-chain and affords a pentadentate coordination site. The synthesis of the derivative Fmoc-Ed3a(2)(tBu)(3)-OH, with appropriate protecting groups for direct use in the solid phase peptide synthesis (Fmoc strategy), is described. The two high denticity peptides P(HD2) (Ac-Trp-Ed3a(2)-Pro-Gly-Ada(2)-Gly-NH(2)) and P(HD5) (Ac-Trp-Ada(2)-Pro-Gly-Ed3a(2)-Gly-NH(2)) led to octadentate Tb(3+) complexes with femtomolar stability in water. The position of the high denticity amino acid Ed3a(2) in the hexapeptide sequence appears to be critical for the control of the metal complex speciation. Whereas P(HD5) promotes the formation of polymetallic species in excess of Ln(3+), P(HD2) forms exclusively the mononuclear complex. The octadentate coordination of Tb(3+) by both P(HD) leads to total dehydration of the metal ion in the mononuclear complexes with long luminescence lifetimes (>2 ms). Hence, we demonstrated that unnatural amino acids carrying polyaminocarboxylate side-chains are interesting building blocks to design high affinity Ln-binding peptides. In particular the novel peptide P(HD2) forms a unique octadentate Tb(3+) complex with femtomolar stability in water and an improvement of the luminescence properties with respect to the trisaquo TbP(22) complex by a factor of 4.

Design and Synthesis of Hierarchical SiO2@C/TiO2 Hollow Spheres for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying; Zhao, Yan; Cao, Shunsheng; Yin, Zhengliang; Cheng, Li; Wu, Limin

2017-09-06

TiO 2 has been widely investigated as an electrode material because of its long cycle life and good durability, but the relatively low theoretical capacity restricts its practical application. Herein, we design and synthesize novel hierarchical SiO 2 @C/TiO 2 (HSCT) hollow spheres via a template-directed method. These unique HSCT hollow spheres combine advantages from both TiO 2 such as cycle stability and SiO 2 with a high accessible area and ionic transport. In particular, the existence of a C layer is able to enhance the electrical conductivity. The SiO 2 layer with a porous structure can increase the ion diffusion channels and accelerate the ion transfer from the outer to the inner layers. The electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the HSCT-hollow-sphere-based electrode manifests a high specific capacitance of 1018 F g -1 at 1 A g -1 which is higher than those for hollow TiO 2 (113 F g -1 ) and SiO 2 /TiO 2 (252 F g -1 ) electrodes, and substantially higher than those of all the previously reported TiO 2 -based electrodes.

Optical spectroscopy of Sm(3+) doped Na2O-ZnO-La2O3-TeO2 glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Sobczyk, Marcin

2015-10-05

Telluride glasses with the composition xSm2O3-(7-x)La2O3-3Na2O-25ZnO-65TeO2 (where x=0.1, 1, 2, 5 and 7 mol%) were obtained by the melt quenching technique. Electronic absorption and fluorescence spectra as well as fluorescence dynamics of the Sm(3+)-doped title glasses are presented and analysed in detail. A Judd-Ofelt intensity analysis of the absorption spectrum at 300 K has been applied for determination of Ωλ parameters (Ω2=3.10, Ω4=3.80, Ω6=1.61×10(-20) cm(2)) which in turn have been used for calculations of the radiative transition probabilities (AT), the natural (radiative) lifetimes (τR) of the (4)G5/2 level of Sm(3+), the fluorescence branching ratios (β) and the emission cross-sections (σem). The τR value of the (4)G5/2 level amount to 1546 μs and is slightly higher than the measured decay time of 1306 μs. With the increasing of Sm2O3 concentration from 0.1 to 7.0 mol% the experimental lifetime of the fluorescent level decreases from 1306 to 41 μs. An analysis of the non-radiative decay was based on the cross-relaxation mechanisms. The optical achieved results indicate that the investigated glasses are potentially applicable as an orange and/or red laser host. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Catalytic Decomposition of N2O over Cu–Zn/ZnAl2O4 Catalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoying Zheng

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The catalytic decomposition of N2O was investigated over Cu-Zn/ZnAl2O4 catalysts in the temperature range of 400–650 °C Catalytic samples have been prepared by wet impregnation method. Prepared catalysts were characterized using several techniques like BET surface area, X-ray diffraction (XRD, and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM. The Cu-Zn/ZnAl2O4 showed higher catalytic performance along with long term stability during N2O decomposition. The Cu-Zn/ZnAl2O4 catalysts yielded 100% N2O conversion at 650 °C. The Cu-Zn/ZnAl2O4 catalysts are promising for decrease this strong greenhouse gas in the chemical industry.

The interaction of soil phototrophs and fungi with pH and their impact on soil CO2, CO18O and OCS exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Sauze, Joana; Ogée, Jérôme; Maron, Pierre-Alain; Crouzet, Olivier; Nowak, Virginie; Wohl, Steven; Kaisermann, Aurore; Jones, Sam P; Wingate, Lisa

2017-12-01

The stable oxygen isotope composition of atmospheric CO 2 and the mixing ratio of carbonyl sulphide (OCS) are potential tracers of biospheric CO 2 fluxes at large scales. However, the use of these tracers hinges on our ability to understand and better predict the activity of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) in different soil microbial groups, including phototrophs. Because different classes of the CA family (α, β and γ) may have different affinities to CO 2 and OCS and their expression should also vary between different microbial groups, differences in the community structure could impact the 'community-integrated' CA activity differently for CO 2 and OCS. Four soils of different pH were incubated in the dark or with a diurnal cycle for forty days to vary the abundance of native phototrophs. Fluxes of CO 2 , CO 18 O and OCS were measured to estimate CA activity alongside the abundance of bacteria, fungi and phototrophs. The abundance of soil phototrophs increased most at higher soil pH. In the light, the strength of the soil CO 2 sink and the CA-driven CO 2 -H 2 O isotopic exchange rates correlated with phototrophs abundance. OCS uptake rates were attributed to fungi whose abundance was positively enhanced in alkaline soils but only in the presence of increased phototrophs. Our findings demonstrate that soil-atmosphere CO 2 , OCS and CO 18 O fluxes are strongly regulated by the microbial community structure in response to changes in soil pH and light availability and supports the idea that different members of the microbial community express different classes of CA, with different affinities to CO 2 and OCS.

Investigating the influence of Na+ and Sr2+ on the structure and solubility of SiO2-TiO2-CaO-Na2O/SrO bioactive glass.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Y; Placek, L M; Coughlan, A; Laffir, F R; Pradhan, D; Mellott, N P; Wren, A W

2015-02-01

This study was conducted to determine the influence that network modifiers, sodium (Na+) and strontium (Sr2+), have on the solubility of a SiO2-TiO2-CaO-Na2O/SrO bioactive glass. Glass characterization determined each composition had a similar structure, i.e. bridging to non-bridging oxygen ratio determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) confirmed structural similarities as each glass presented spectral shifts between -84 and -85 ppm. Differential thermal analysis and hardness testing revealed higher glass transition temperatures (Tg 591-760 °C) and hardness values (2.4-6.1 GPa) for the Sr2+ containing glasses. Additionally the Sr2+ (~250 mg/L) containing glasses displayed much lower ion release rates than the Na+ (~1,200 mg/L) containing glass analogues. With the reduction in ion release there was an associated reduction in solution pH. Cytotoxicity and cell adhesion studies were conducted using MC3T3 Osteoblasts. Each glass did not significantly reduce cell numbers and osteoblasts were found to adhere to each glass surface.

Glass forming in La2O3-TiO2-ZrO2 ternary system by containerless processing

Science.gov (United States)

Kaneko, Masashi; Kentei Yu, Yu; Kumar, Vijaya; Masuno, Atsunobu; Inoue, Hiroyuki; Odawara, Osamu; Yoda, Shinichi

The containerless processing is an appropriate method to create new glasses, because it sup-presses nucleation at the boundary between liquid and crucible during solidification and it enables molten samples to be solidified without crystallization. Recently, we have succeeded in forming BaTi2 O5 glass in the bulk state by using an aerodynamic levitation furnace. BaTi2 O5 glass includes no traditional glass network former and it possesses high electric permittivity [1, 2]. From the point of view of optical application, BaTi2 O5 glass has high refractive indices over 2.1. BaTi2 O5 glass, however, vitrify only in a small sphere, and it crystallize when its diameter exceed 1.5 mm. In order to synthesize new titanate oxide glasses which possess higher refractive indices and larger diameter than BaTi2 O5 , La and Zr can be used as substitutive components. When Ba is replaced with La, refractive indices are expected to increase because of the heavier element. The addition of a third element is thought to be effective for enhance-ment of glass formation ability and Zr can be a candidate because Ti and Zr are homologous. In this research, we have succeeded in forming new bulk glass in La2 O3 -TiO2 -ZrO2 ternary system by means of the aerodynamic levitation furnace. We investigated the glass forming region, thermal properties and optical properties of La2 O3 -TiO2 -ZrO2 glass. Glass transition temperature, crystallization temperature, density, refractive indices and transmittance spectra were varied depending on the chemical composition. Reference [1] J. Yu et al, "Fabrication of BaTi2O5 Glass-Ceramics with Unusual Dielectric Properties during Crystallization", Chem-istry of Materials, 18 (2006) 2169-2173. [2] J. Yu et al., "Comprehensive Structural Study of Glassy and Metastable Crystalline BaTi2O5", Chemistry of Materials, 21 (2009) 259-263.

Solar degradation of 5-amino-6-methyl-2-benzimidazolone by TiO2 and iron(III) catalyst with H2O2 and O2 as electron acceptors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarria, Victor; Peringer, Paul; Caceres, Julia; Blanco, Julian; Malato, Sixto; Pulgarin, Cesar

2004-01-01

Wastewater containing mainly 5-amino-6-methyl-2-benzimidazolone (AMBI), used in the manufacture of dyes, was characterized as bio-recalcitrant by means of different biodegradability tests. In order to enhance the biodegradability of this important pollutant, solar photocatalytic degradation methods were explored. The systems light/TiO 2 /O 2 , light/TiO 2 /H 2 O 2 , light/Fe 3+ /O 2 and light/Fe 3+ /H 2 O 2 were compared under direct sunlight at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria (Spain), using a Compound Parabolic Collector (CPC). The iron photo-assisted systems exhibited the most interesting behaviour, from the kinetic and engineering points of view, especially if their combination (as pre-treatment) with a biological process is considered. To compare the efficiency of these systems, the evolution of the following parameters were studied: (a) the dissolved organic carbon and initial compound concentration, (b) the toxicity, and (c) the biodegradability of treated solution. At lab scale, using a solar lamp, the degradation rate of the system light/Fe 3+ /H 2 O 2 was two times higher than the system light/Fe 3+ /O 2 but this last system does not need H 2 O 2 addition, improving the economical requirements of the system

Au/CeO2-chitosan composite film for hydrogen peroxide sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Wei; Xie Guoming; Li Shenfeng; Lu Lingsong; Liu Bei

2012-01-01

Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) were in situ synthesized at the cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO 2 NPs)-chitosan (CS) composite film by one-step direct chemical reduction, and the resulting Au/CeO 2 -CS composite were further modified for enzyme immobilization and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) biosensing. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV-vis spectra and electrochemical techniques have been utilized for characterization of the prepared composite. The stepwise assembly process and electrochemical performances of the biosensor were characterized by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and typical amperometric response (i-t). The Au/CeO 2 -CS composite exhibited good conductibility and biocompatibility, and the developed biosensor exhibited excellent response to hydrogen peroxide in the linear range of 0.05-2.5 mM (r = 0.998) with the detection limit of 7 μM (S/N = 3). Moreover, the biosensor presented high affinity (K m app =1.93mM), good reproducibility and storage stability. All these results demonstrate that the Au/CeO 2 -CS composite film can provide a promising biointerface for the biosensor designs and other biological applications.

Exact S-matrices for dn+1(2) affine Toda solitons and their bound states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gandenberger, G.M.; MacKay, N.J.

1995-01-01

We conjecture an exact S-matrix for the scattering of solitons in d n+1 (2) affine Toda field theory in terms of the R-matrix of the quantum group U q (c n (1) ). From this we construct the scattering amplitudes for all scalar bound states (breathers) of the theory. This S-matrix conjecture is justified by detailed examination of its pole structure. We show that a breather-particle identification holds by comparing the S-matrix elements for the lowest breathers with the S-matrix for the quantum particles in real affine Toda field theory, and discuss the implications for various forms of duality. (orig.)

Lp-dual affine surface area

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Wang; Binwu, He

2008-12-01

According to the notion of Lp-affine surface area by Lutwak, in this paper, we introduce the concept of Lp-dual affine surface area. Further, we establish the affine isoperimetric inequality and the Blaschke-Santaló inequality for Lp-dual affine surface area. Besides, the dual Brunn-Minkowski inequality for Lp-dual affine surface area is presented.

Enhanced Adsorption of p-Arsanilic Acid from Water by Amine-Modified UiO-67 as Examined Using Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and Density Functional Theory Calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Chen; Zhao, Jian; Ou, Xinwen; Wan, Jieting; Cai, Yuepeng; Lin, Zhang; Dang, Zhi; Xing, Baoshan

2018-03-20

p-Arsanilic acid ( p-ASA) is an emerging organoarsenic pollutant comprising both inorganic and organic moieties. For the efficient removal of p-ASA, adsorbents with high adsorption affinity are urgently needed. Herein, amine-modified UiO-67 (UiO-67-NH 2 ) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized, and their adsorption affinities toward p-ASA were 2 times higher than that of the pristine UiO-67. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculation results revealed adsorption through a combination of As-O-Zr coordination, hydrogen bonding, and π-π stacking, among which As-O-Zr coordination was the dominant force. Amine groups played a significant role in enhancing the adsorption affinity through strengthening the As-O-Zr coordination and π-π stacking, as well as forming new adsorption sites via hydrogen bonding. UiO-67-NH 2 s could remove p-ASA at low concentrations (<5 mg L -1 ) in simulated natural and wastewaters to an arsenic level lower than that of the drinking water standard of World Health Organization (WHO) and the surface water standard of China, respectively. This work provided an emerging and promising method to increase the adsorption affinity of MOFs toward pollutants containing both organic and inorganic moieties, via modifying functional groups based on the pollutant structure to achieve synergistic adsorption effect.

Al2O3 doped TiO2 ceramic waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uno, Masayoshi; Kinoshita, Hajime; Sakai, Etsuro; Ikeda, Akira; Matsumoto, Y.; Yamanaka, Shinsuke

1999-01-01

Melting of the mixture of Nd 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , SrO, TiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 at 1673 K for 1 hour produced one RE 2 Ti 3 O 9 phase compound. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurement showed that the melting temperature of this compound was 1646 K. Density of the alumina doped oxide was higher than that of the oxide obtained by the pressing and sintering without alumina. Vickers hardness of the oxide obtained by the pressing and sintering was 5.3 GPa and nearly same as that of glass waste. That of the alumina doped oxide was around 7 GPa. 7 days Soxhlet leach test (MCC-5) followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry (ICP) showed that normalized leaching rate of Ti for the oxide obtained by the pressing and sintering was 5.54 x 10 -3 kg/m 2 and that for the alumina doped oxide was 2.24 x 10 -3 kg/m 2 . The value of Sr for the pressed and sintered sample was 0.034 x 10 -3 kg/m 2 but that for alumina doped sample was below the detection limit (0.01 x 10 -3 kg/m 2 ). Al was not detected from the leachate of the alumina doped sample. (author)

Influence of concentration of H2O2 on the phase stability of TiO2-anatase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montanhera, M.A.; Pereira, E.A.; Paula, F.R.; Spada, E.R.; Faria, R.M.

2014-01-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is a semiconductor what has attracted increasing attention because of its physical and chemical properties. In this work, we report the preparation of TiO 2 nanoparticles by dissolving of titanium oxysulfate (TiOSO 4 ) in aqueous solution containing hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and subsequent thermal treatment of the precipitated complex. The results of X-ray diffractometry showed that the first stage of heat treatment at 600°C generates the anatase phase at all concentrations of H 2 O 2 investigated. On the other hand, when treated at 825 deg C, prepared samples with lower concentrations of H 2 O 2 (0.009 and 0.017 mol/L) showed only the rutile phase and for concentrations starting from 0.088 mol/L, is obtained only anatase phase. When the heat treatment is performed at 900°C, phase-pure anatase is obtained only for concentrations higher than 0.122 mol/L. The stability of the phase anatase is related to the crystallite size obtained of the first stage of heat treatment. When the heat treatment is performed at 900°C, phase-pure anatase is obtained only at higher concentrations than 0.122 mol/L. The stability of the phase anatase is related to the crystallite sizes obtained in the first step of heat treatment. (author)

A pharmacological profile of the high-affinity GluK5 kainate receptor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møllerud, Stine; Kastrup, Jette Sandholm Jensen; Pickering, Darryl S

2016-01-01

-hydroxyisoxazol-4-yl)propionate (ATPA), dihydrokainate and (2 S,4 R)−4-methyl-glutamate (SYM2081) have higher affinity at GluK3 compared to GluK5. Since some studies have indicated that GluK5 is associated with various diseases in the central nervous system (e.g. schizophrenia, temporal lobe epilepsy, bipolar...

Sorption of diclofenac and naproxen onto MWCNT in model wastewater treated by H2O2 and/or UV.

Science.gov (United States)

Czech, Bożena; Oleszczuk, Patryk

2016-04-01

The application of oxidation processes such as UV and/or H2O2 will change the physicochemical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNT). It may affect the sorption affinity of CNT to different contaminants and then affect their fate in the environment. In the present study the adsorption of two very common used pharmaceuticals (diclofenac and naproxen) onto CNT treated by UV, H2O2 or UV/H2O2 was investigated. Four different adsorption models (Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin, Dubinin-Radushkevich) were tested. The best fitting of experimental data was observed for Freundlich or Langmuir model. The significant relationships between Q calculated from Langmuir model with O% and dispersity were observed. Kinetics of diclofenac and naproxen followed mainly pseudo-second order indicating for chemisorption limiting step of adsorption. The data showed that the mechanism of sorption was physical or chemical depending on the type of CNT modification. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High electrochemical performance of RuO_2–Fe_2O_3 nanoparticles embedded ordered mesoporous carbon as a supercapacitor electrode material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiang, Dong; Yin, Longwei; Wang, Chenxiang; Zhang, Luyuan

2016-01-01

The electrode materials RuO_2 or RuO_2–Fe_2O_3 nanoparticle embedded OMC (ordered mesoporous carbon) are prepared by the method of impregnation and heating in situ. The mesoporous structure optimized the electron and proton conducting pathways, leading to the enhanced capacitive performances of the composite materials. The average nanoparticle size of RuO_2 and RuO_2–Fe_2O_3 is 2.54 and 1.96 nm, respectively. The fine RuO_2–Fe_2O_3 nanoparticles are dispersed evenly in the pore channel wall of the two-dimensional mesoporous carbon without blocking the mesoporous channel, and they have a higher specific surface area, a larger pore volume, a proper pore size and a small charge transfer impedance value. The special electrochemical capacitance of RuO_2–Fe_2O_3/OMC tested in acid electrolyte (H_2SO_4) is measured to be as high as 1668 F g"−"1, which is higher than that of RuO_2/OMC. Meanwhile, the supercapacitor properties of the RuO_2–Fe_2O_3/OMC composites show a good cycling performance of 93% capacitance retention (3000 cycles), a better reversibility, a higher energy density (134 Wh kg"−"1) and power density (4000 W kg"−"1). The composite electrode of RuO_2–Fe_2O_3/OMC, which combines a double layer capacitance with pseudo-capacitance, is proved to be suitable for ideal high performance electrode material of a hybrid supercapacitor application. - Highlights: • The nanocomposites of RuO_2–Fe_2O_3/OMC are prepared by impregnation and heating in situ. • The fine RuO_2–Fe_2O_3 nanoparticles distribute in the pore channel wall of OMC. • We discuss a reversible redox reaction mechanism of RuO_2–Fe_2O_3/OMC in acid solutions. • RuO_2–Fe_2O_3 nanoparticles embedded OMC shows a higher supercapacitive performance.

Catalase-dependent H2O2 consumption by cardiac mitochondria and redox-mediated loss in insulin signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Rindler, Paul M; Cacciola, Angela; Kinter, Michael; Szweda, Luke I

2016-11-01

We have recently demonstrated that catalase content in mouse cardiac mitochondria is selectively elevated in response to high dietary fat, a nutritional state associated with oxidative stress and loss in insulin signaling. Catalase and various isoforms of glutathione peroxidase and peroxiredoxin each catalyze the consumption of H 2 O 2 Catalase, located primarily within peroxisomes and to a lesser extent mitochondria, has a low binding affinity for H 2 O 2 relative to glutathione peroxidase and peroxiredoxin. As such, the contribution of catalase to mitochondrial H 2 O 2 consumption is not well understood. In the current study, using highly purified cardiac mitochondria challenged with micromolar concentrations of H 2 O 2 , we found that catalase contributes significantly to mitochondrial H 2 O 2 consumption. In addition, catalase is solely responsible for removal of H 2 O 2 in nonrespiring or structurally disrupted mitochondria. Finally, in mice fed a high-fat diet, mitochondrial-derived H 2 O 2 is responsible for diminished insulin signaling in the heart as evidenced by reduced insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation. While elevated mitochondrial catalase content (∼50%) enhanced the capacity of mitochondria to consume H 2 O 2 in response to high dietary fat, the selective increase in catalase did not prevent H 2 O 2 -induced loss in cardiac insulin signaling. Taken together, our results indicate that mitochondrial catalase likely functions to preclude the formation of high levels of H 2 O 2 without perturbing redox-dependent signaling. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Affinity Crystallography: A New Approach to Extracting High-Affinity Enzyme Inhibitors from Natural Extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Aguda, Adeleke H; Lavallee, Vincent; Cheng, Ping; Bott, Tina M; Meimetis, Labros G; Law, Simon; Nguyen, Nham T; Williams, David E; Kaleta, Jadwiga; Villanueva, Ivan; Davies, Julian; Andersen, Raymond J; Brayer, Gary D; Brömme, Dieter

2016-08-26

Natural products are an important source of novel drug scaffolds. The highly variable and unpredictable timelines associated with isolating novel compounds and elucidating their structures have led to the demise of exploring natural product extract libraries in drug discovery programs. Here we introduce affinity crystallography as a new methodology that significantly shortens the time of the hit to active structure cycle in bioactive natural product discovery research. This affinity crystallography approach is illustrated by using semipure fractions of an actinomycetes culture extract to isolate and identify a cathepsin K inhibitor and to compare the outcome with the traditional assay-guided purification/structural analysis approach. The traditional approach resulted in the identification of the known inhibitor antipain (1) and its new but lower potency dehydration product 2, while the affinity crystallography approach led to the identification of a new high-affinity inhibitor named lichostatinal (3). The structure and potency of lichostatinal (3) was verified by total synthesis and kinetic characterization. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of isolating and characterizing a potent enzyme inhibitor from a partially purified crude natural product extract using a protein crystallographic approach.

Photochemical process of divalent germanium responsible for photorefractive index change in GeO2-SiO2 glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakoh, Akifumi; Takahashi, Masahide; Yoko, Toshinobu; Nishii, Junji; Nishiyama, Hiroaki; Miyamoto, Isamu

2003-10-20

The photoluminescence spectra of the divalent Ge (Ge2+) center in GeO2-SiO2 glasses with different photosensitivities were investigated by means of excitation-emission energy mapping. The ultraviolet light induced photorefractivity has been correlated with the local structure around the Ge2+ centers. The glasses with a larger photorefractivity tended to exhibit a greater band broadening of the singlet-singlet transition on the higher excitation energy side accompanied by an increase in the Stokes shifts. This strongly suggests the existence of highly photosensitive Ge2+ centers with higher excitation energies. It is also found that the introduction of a hydroxyl group or boron species in GeO2-SiO2 glasses under appropriate conditions modifies the local environment of Ge2+ leading to an enhanced photorefractivity.

Enhanced Optical and Electrical Properties of TiO_2 Buffered IGZO/TiO_2 Bi-Layered Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Hyun-Joo; Kim, Daeil

2016-01-01

In and Ga doped ZnO (IGZO, 100-nm thick) thin films were deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering without intentional substrate heating on a bare glass substrate and a TiO_2-deposited glass substrate to determine the effect of the thickness of a thin TiO_2 buffer layer on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of the films. The thicknesses of the TiO_2 buffer layers were 5, 10 and 15 nm, respectively. As-deposited IGZO films with a 10 nm-thick TiO_2 buffer layer had an average optical transmittance of 85.0% with lower resistivity (1.83×10-2 Ω cm) than that of IGZO single layer films. The figure of merit (FOM) reached a maximum of 1.44×10-4 Ω-1 for IGZO/10 nm-thick TiO_2 bi-layered films, which is higher than the FOM of 6.85×10-5 Ω-1 for IGZO single layer films. Because a higher FOM value indicates better quality transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films, the IGZO/10 nm-thick TiO_2 bi-layered films are likely to perform better in TCO applications than IGZO single layer films.

Ce2O3-SO3-H2O system at 150 and 200 deg C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belokoskov, V.I.; Trofimov, G.V.; Govorukhina, O.A.

1978-01-01

The solubility, solid phase composition and crystal characteristics in the Ce 2 O 3 -SO 3 -H 2 O system have been studied in a broad range of sulfuric acid concentrations (25 to 80% SO 3 ) at temperatures from 150 to 200 deg C. It has been established that in the system the equilibrium had been reached after 15 to 20 days. At 150 deg C, Ce 2 (SO 4 ) 3 x2H 2 O, Ce 2 (SO 4 ) 3 xH 2 O sulfates and Ce 2 (SO 4 ) 3 x3H 2 SO 4 acid salt crystallize in the system. At 200 deg C, the same sulfates crystallize in the system, except that the bisaturation points of the system are shifted, with respect to 150 deg C, into the region of higher SO 3 concentration and correspond to solutions with a SO 3 concentration of 57.8 and 65%. The solubility of cerium(3) at 150 deg C is about 0.5% Ce 2 O 3 . An increase in temperature up to 200 deg C leads to a slightly higher solubility of cerium sulfates

A saxitoxin-binding aptamer with higher affinity and inhibitory activity optimized by rational site-directed mutagenesis and truncation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, X; Hu, B; Gao, S X; Liu, D J; Sun, M J; Jiao, B H; Wang, L H

2015-07-01

Saxitoxin (STX), a member of the family of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins, poses toxicological and ecotoxicological risks. To develop an analytical recognition element for STX, a DNA aptamer (APT(STX1)) was previously discovered via an iterative process known as Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) by Handy et al. Our study focused on generating an improved aptamer based on APT(STX1) through rational site-directed mutation and truncation. In this study, we generated the aptamer, M-30f, with a 30-fold higher affinity for STX compared with APT(STX1). The Kd value for M-30f was 133 nM, which was calculated by Bio-Layer Interferometry. After optimization, we detected and compared the interaction of STX with aptamers (APT(STX1) or M-30f) through several techniques (ELISA, cell bioassay, and mouse bioassay). Both aptamers' STX-binding ability was demonstrated in all three methods. Moreover, M-30f performs better than its parent sequence with higher suppressive activity against STX. As a molecular recognition element, M-30f has good prospects for practical application. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Affine coherent states and Toeplitz operators

Science.gov (United States)

Hutníková, Mária; Hutník, Ondrej

2012-06-01

We study a parameterized family of Toeplitz operators in the context of affine coherent states based on the Calderón reproducing formula (= resolution of unity on L_2( {R})) and the specific admissible wavelets (= affine coherent states in L_2( {R})) related to Laguerre functions. Symbols of such Calderón-Toeplitz operators as individual coordinates of the affine group (= upper half-plane with the hyperbolic geometry) are considered. In this case, a certain class of pseudo-differential operators, their properties and their operator algebras are investigated. As a result of this study, the Fredholm symbol algebras of the Calderón-Toeplitz operator algebras for these particular cases of symbols are described. This article is part of a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical devoted to ‘Coherent states: mathematical and physical aspects’.

Low temperature formation of higher-k cubic phase HfO2 by atomic layer deposition on GeOx/Ge structures fabricated by in-situ thermal oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, R.; Huang, P.-C.; Taoka, N.; Yokoyama, M.; Takenaka, M.; Takagi, S.

2016-01-01

We have demonstrated a low temperature formation (300 °C) of higher-k HfO 2 using atomic layer deposition (ALD) on an in-situ thermal oxidation GeO x interfacial layer. It is found that the cubic phase is dominant in the HfO 2 film with an epitaxial-like growth behavior. The maximum permittivity of 42 is obtained for an ALD HfO 2 film on a 1-nm-thick GeO x form by the in-situ thermal oxidation. It is suggested from physical analyses that the crystallization of cubic phase HfO 2 can be induced by the formation of six-fold crystalline GeO x structures in the underlying GeO x interfacial layer

Removal of Organic Dyes from Industrial Wastewaters Using UV/H2O2, UV/H2O2/Fe (II, UV/H2O2/Fe (III Processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nezamaddin Daneshvar

2007-03-01

Full Text Available UV/H2O2, UV/H2O2/Fe (II and UV/H2O2/Fe (III processes are very effective in removing pollutants from wastewater and can be used for treatment of dyestuff units wastewaters. In this study, Rhodamine B was used as a typical organic dye. Rhodamine B has found wide applications in wax, leather, and paper industries. The results from this study showed that this dye was degradable in the presence of hydrogen peroxide under UV-C irradiation (30W mercury light and Photo-Fenton process. The dye was resistant to UV irradiation. In the absence of UV irradiation, the decolorization efficiency was very negligible in the presence of hydrogen. The effects of different system variables such as initial dye concentration, duration of UV irradiation, and initial hydrogen peroxide concentration were investigated in the UV/H2O2 process. Investigation of the kinetics of the UV/H2O2 process showed that the semi-log plot of the dye concentration versus time was linear, suggesting a first order reaction. It was found that Rhodamine B decolorization efficiencies in the UV/H2O2/Fe (II and UV/H2O2/Fe (III processes were higher than that in the UV/H2O2 process. Furthermore, a solution containing 20 ppm of Rhodamine B was decolorized in the presence 18 mM of H2O2 under UV irradiation for 15 minutes. It was also found that addition of 0.1 mM Fe(II or Fe(III to the solution containing  20  ppm of the dye and 5 mM H2O2 under UV light  illumination decreased removal time to 10 min.

Crystallization kinetics of bioactive glasses in the ZnO-Na2O-CaO-SiO2 system.

Science.gov (United States)

Malavasi, Gianluca; Lusvardi, Gigliola; Pedone, Alfonso; Menziani, Maria Cristina; Dappiaggi, Monica; Gualtieri, Alessandro; Menabue, Ledi

2007-08-30

The crystallization kinetics of Na(2)O.CaO.2SiO(2) (x = 0) and 0.68ZnO.Na(2)O.CaO.2SiO(2) (x = 0.68, where x is the ZnO stoichiometric coefficient in the glass formula) bioactive glasses have been studied using both nonisothermal and isothermal methods. The results obtained from isothermal XRPD analyses have showed that the first glass crystallizes into the isochemical Na(2)CaSi(2)O(6) phase, whereas the Na(2)ZnSiO(4) crystalline phase is obtained from the Zn-rich glass, in addition to Na(2)CaSi(2)O(6). The activation energy (Ea) for the crystallization of the Na(2)O.CaO.2SiO(2) glass is 193 +/- 10 and 203 +/- 5 kJ/mol from the isothermal in situ XRPD and nonisothermal DSC experiments, respectively. The Avrami exponent n determined from the isothermal method is 1 at low temperature (530 degrees C), and its value increases linearly with temperature increase up to 2 at 607 degrees C. For the crystallization of Na(2)CaSi(2)O(6) from the Zn-containing glass, higher values of both the crystallization temperature (667 and 661 degrees C) and Ea (223 +/- 10 and 211 +/- 5 kJ/mol) have been found from the isothermal and nonisothermal methods, respectively. The Na(2)ZnSiO(4) crystalline phase crystallizes at lower temperature with respect to Na(2)CaSi(2)O(6), and the Ea value is 266 +/- 20 and 245 +/- 15 kJ/mol from the isothermal and nonisothermal methods, respectively. The results of this work show that the addition of Zn favors the crystallization from the glass at lower temperature with respect to the Zn-free glass. In fact, it causes an increase of Ea for the Na diffusion process, determined using MD simulations, and consequently an overall increase of Ea for the crystallization process of Na(2)CaSi(2)O(6). Our results show good agreement between the Ea and n values obtained with the two different methods and confirm the reliability of the nonisothermal method applied to kinetic crystallization of glassy systems. This study allows the determination of the temperature

Human leucocyte antigen class I-redirected anti-tumour CD4+ T cells require a higher T cell receptor binding affinity for optimal activity than CD8+ T cells.

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Tan, M P; Dolton, G M; Gerry, A B; Brewer, J E; Bennett, A D; Pumphrey, N J; Jakobsen, B K; Sewell, A K

2017-01-01

CD4 + T helper cells are a valuable component of the immune response towards cancer. Unfortunately, natural tumour-specific CD4 + T cells occur in low frequency, express relatively low-affinity T cell receptors (TCRs) and show poor reactivity towards cognate antigen. In addition, the lack of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class II expression on most cancers dictates that these cells are often unable to respond to tumour cells directly. These deficiencies can be overcome by transducing primary CD4 + T cells with tumour-specific HLA class I-restricted TCRs prior to adoptive transfer. The lack of help from the co-receptor CD8 glycoprotein in CD4 + cells might result in these cells requiring a different optimal TCR binding affinity. Here we compared primary CD4 + and CD8 + T cells expressing wild-type and a range of affinity-enhanced TCRs specific for the HLA A*0201-restricted NY-ESO-1- and gp100 tumour antigens. Our major findings are: (i) redirected primary CD4 + T cells expressing TCRs of sufficiently high affinity exhibit a wide range of effector functions, including cytotoxicity, in response to cognate peptide; and (ii) optimal TCR binding affinity is higher in CD4 + T cells than CD8 + T cells. These results indicate that the CD4 + T cell component of current adoptive therapies using TCRs optimized for CD8 + T cells is below par and that there is room for substantial improvement. © 2016 The Authors. Clinical & Experimental Immunology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Society for Immunology.

Linear Interaction Energy Based Prediction of Cytochrome P450 1A2 Binding Affinities with Reliability Estimation.

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Luigi Capoferri

Full Text Available Prediction of human Cytochrome P450 (CYP binding affinities of small ligands, i.e., substrates and inhibitors, represents an important task for predicting drug-drug interactions. A quantitative assessment of the ligand binding affinity towards different CYPs can provide an estimate of inhibitory activity or an indication of isoforms prone to interact with the substrate of inhibitors. However, the accuracy of global quantitative models for CYP substrate binding or inhibition based on traditional molecular descriptors can be limited, because of the lack of information on the structure and flexibility of the catalytic site of CYPs. Here we describe the application of a method that combines protein-ligand docking, Molecular Dynamics (MD simulations and Linear Interaction Energy (LIE theory, to allow for quantitative CYP affinity prediction. Using this combined approach, a LIE model for human CYP 1A2 was developed and evaluated, based on a structurally diverse dataset for which the estimated experimental uncertainty was 3.3 kJ mol-1. For the computed CYP 1A2 binding affinities, the model showed a root mean square error (RMSE of 4.1 kJ mol-1 and a standard error in prediction (SDEP in cross-validation of 4.3 kJ mol-1. A novel approach that includes information on both structural ligand description and protein-ligand interaction was developed for estimating the reliability of predictions, and was able to identify compounds from an external test set with a SDEP for the predicted affinities of 4.6 kJ mol-1 (corresponding to 0.8 pKi units.

Catalytic Oxidation of NO over MnOx–CeO2 and MnOx–TiO2 Catalysts

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Xiaolan Zeng

2016-11-01

Full Text Available A series of MnOx–CeO2 and MnOx–TiO2 catalysts were prepared by a homogeneous precipitation method and their catalytic activities for the NO oxidation in the absence or presence of SO2 were evaluated. Results show that the optimal molar ratio of Mn/Ce and Mn/Ti are 0.7 and 0.5, respectively. The MnOx–CeO2 catalyst exhibits higher catalytic activity and better resistance to SO2 poisoning than the MnOx–TiO2 catalyst. On the basis of Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET, X-ray diffraction (XRD, and scanning transmission electron microscope with mapping (STEM-mapping analyses, it is seen that the MnOx–CeO2 catalyst possesses higher BET surface area and better dispersion of MnOx over the catalyst than MnOx–TiO2 catalyst. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS measurements reveal that MnOx–CeO2 catalyst provides the abundance of Mn3+ and more surface adsorbed oxygen, and SO2 might be preferentially adsorbed to the surface of CeO2 to form sulfate species, which provides a protection of MnOx active sites from being poisoned. In contrast, MnOx active sites over the MnOx–TiO2 catalyst are easily and quickly sulfated, leading to rapid deactivation of the catalyst for NO oxidation. Furthermore, temperature programmed desorption with NO and O2 (NO + O2-TPD and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared transform spectroscopy (in situ DRIFTS characterizations results show that the MnOx–CeO2 catalyst displays much stronger ability to adsorb NOx than the MnOx–TiO2 catalyst, especially after SO2 poisoning.

Atomic-Scale Structure of Al2O3-ZrO2 Mixed Oxides Prepared by Laser Ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Xiuchun; Dubiel, M.; Hofmeister, H.; Riehemann, W.

2007-01-01

By means of x-ray diffractometry (XRD) and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, the phase composition and atomic structure of laser evaporated ZrO2 and ZrO2-Al2O3 nanopowders have been studied. The results indicate that pure ZrO2 exists in the form of tetragonal structure, Al2O3 doped ZrO2 nanoparticles, however, have cubic structure. Compared to bulk tetragonal ZrO2, pure tetragonal ZrO2 nanoparticles have a shorter Zr-O- and Zr-Zr shell, indicating that the lattice contracts with decreasing particle size. For Al2O3 doped ZrO2 solid solution, the distances of first Zr-O and Zr-Zr (Al) coordination decrease with increasing solid solubility. The disorder degree of the ZrO2 lattice increases with increasing solid solubility. The coevaporated ZrO2-Al2O3 is quickly solidified into amorphous phase when it is ablated in a higher pressure. The amorphous phase contains Zr-O-Zr (Al) clusters and has shorter Zr-O distance and tower Zr-O coordination number

On the Stability of NaO2 in Na-O2 Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chenjuan; Carboni, Marco; Brant, William R; Pan, Ruijun; Hedman, Jonas; Zhu, Jiefang; Gustafsson, Torbjörn; Younesi, Reza

2018-04-25

Na-O 2 batteries are regarded as promising candidates for energy storage. They have higher energy efficiency, rate capability, and chemical reversibility than Li-O 2 batteries; in addition, sodium is cheaper and more abundant compared to lithium. However, inconsistent observations and instability of discharge products have inhibited the understanding of the working mechanism of this technology. In this work, we have investigated a number of factors that influence the stability of the discharge products. By means of in operando powder X-ray diffraction study, the influence of oxygen, sodium anode, salt, solvent, and carbon cathode were investigated. The Na metal anode and an ether-based solvent are the main factors that lead to the instability and decomposition of NaO 2 in the cell environment. This fundamental insight brings new information on the working mechanism of Na-O 2 batteries.

Nanotextured Spikes of α-Fe2O3/NiFe2O4 Composite for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Oxidation of Water.

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Hussain, Shabeeb; Tavakoli, Mohammad Mahdi; Waleed, Aashir; Virk, Umar Siddique; Yang, Shihe; Waseem, Amir; Fan, Zhiyong; Nadeem, Muhammad Arif

2018-03-27

We demonstrate for the first time the application of p-NiFe 2 O 4 /n-Fe 2 O 3 composite thin films as anode materials for light-assisted electrolysis of water. The p-NiFe 2 O 4 /n-Fe 2 O 3 composite thin films were deposited on planar fluorinated tin oxide (FTO)-coated glass as well as on 3D array of nanospike (NSP) substrates. The effect of substrate (planar FTO and 3D-NSP) and percentage change of each component (i.e., NiFe 2 O 4 and Fe 2 O 3 ) of composite was studied on photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation reaction. This work also includes the performance comparison of p-NiFe 2 O 4 /n-Fe 2 O 3 composite (planar and NSP) devices with pure hematite for PEC water oxidation. Overall, the nanostructured p-NiFe 2 O 4 /n-Fe 2 O 3 device with equal molar 1:1 ratio of NiFe 2 O 4 and Fe 2 O 3 was found to be highly efficient for PEC water oxidation as compared with pure hematite, 1:2 and 1:3 molar ratios of composite. The photocurrent density of 1:1 composite thin film on planar substrate was equal to 1.07 mA/cm 2 at 1.23 V RHE , which was 1.7 times higher current density as compared with pure hematite device (0.63 mA/cm 2 at 1.23 V RHE ). The performance of p-NiFe 2 O 4 /n-Fe 2 O 3 composites in PEC water oxidation was further enhanced by their deposition over 3D-NSP substrate. The highest photocurrent density of 2.1 mA/cm 2 at 1.23 V RHE was obtained for the 1:1 molar ratio p-NiFe 2 O 4 /n-Fe 2 O 3 composite on NSP (NF1-NSP), which was 3.3 times more photocurrent density than pure hematite. The measured applied bias photon-to-current efficiency (ABPE) value of NF1-NSP (0.206%) was found to be 1.87 times higher than that of NF1-P (0.11%) and 4.7 times higher than that of pure hematite deposited on FTO-coated glass (0.044%). The higher PEC water oxidation activity of p-NiFe 2 O 4 /n-Fe 2 O 3 composite thin film as compared with pure hematite is attributed to the Z-path scheme and better separation of electrons and holes. The increased surface area and greater light

17O solid-state NMR spectroscopy of A2B2O7 oxides: quantitative isotopic enrichment and spectral acquisition?

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Arantxa; Moran, Robert F; Sneddon, Scott; Dawson, Daniel M; McKay, David; Bignami, Giulia P M; Blanc, Frédéric; Whittle, Karl R; Ashbrook, Sharon E

2018-02-13

The potential of 17 O NMR spectroscopy for the investigation of A 2 B 2 O 7 ceramic oxides important in the encapsulation of radioactive waste is demonstrated, with post-synthetic enrichment by exchange with 17 O 2 gas. For Y 2 Sn 2 O 7 , Y 2 Ti 2 O 7 and La 2 Sn 2 O 7 pyrochlores, enrichment of the two distinct O species is clearly non quantitative at lower temperatures (∼700 °C and below) and at shorter times, despite these being used in prior work, with preferential enrichment of OA 2 B 2 favoured over that of OA 4 . At higher temperatures, the 17 O NMR spectra suggest that quantitative enrichment has been achieved, but the integrated signal intensities do not reflect the crystallographic 1 : 6 (O1 : O2) ratio until corrected for differences in T 1 relaxation rates and, more importantly, the contribution of the satellite transitions. 17 O NMR spectra of Y 2 Zr 2 O 7 and Y 2 Hf 2 O 7 defect fluorites showed little difference with any variation in enrichment temperature or time, although an increase in the absolute level of enrichment (up to ∼7.5%) was observed at higher temperature. DFT calculations show that the six distinct resonances observed cannot be assigned unambiguously, as each has contributions from more than one of the five possible next nearest neighbour environments. For La 2 Ti 2 O 7 , which adopts a layered perovskite-like structure, little difference in the spectral intensities is observed with enrichment time or temperature, although the highest absolute levels of enrichment (∼13%) were obtained at higher temperature. This work demonstrates that 17 O NMR has the potential to be a powerful probe of local structure and disorder in oxides, but that considerable care must be taken both in choosing the conditions for 17 O enrichment and the experimental acquisition parameters if the necessary quantitative measurements are to be obtained for more complex systems.

[Effect of almitrine administered by the oral route on levels of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and on the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen in healthy subjects].

Science.gov (United States)

Clerbaux, T; Frans, A

1985-02-01

Clinical and pharmacological studies have shown that almitrine increased arterial blood oxygen partial pressure (PaO2) and tissular oxygenation. We have verified whether this drug could also increase the 2,3 diphosphoglycerate (DPG) level and so modify the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve (ODC). Determinations performed 3 hours and 5 days after daily oral administration (1,5 mg/kg) of the drug showed no alterations of DPG and ODC in normal subjects. The presence of almitrine does not explain the observed PaO2 increase by means of a direct effect on the hemoglobin oxygen affinity. However, one cannot exclude almitrine long term effect; indeed, after 15 days, DPG levels and Hill coefficient increased significantly (p less than 0.05) but no the P50 (respectively + 1,5 mumole/gHb; +0.1 and 26.0 vs 26.5 mmHg).

The Study of Electrical Properties for Multilayer La2O3/Al2O3 Dielectric Stacks and LaAlO3 Dielectric Film Deposited by ALD.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Xing-Yao; Liu, Hong-Xia; Wang, Xing; Zhao, Lu; Fei, Chen-Xi; Liu, He-Lei

2017-12-01

The capacitance and leakage current properties of multilayer La 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 dielectric stacks and LaAlO 3 dielectric film are investigated in this paper. A clear promotion of capacitance properties is observed for multilayer La 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 stacks after post-deposition annealing (PDA) at 800 °C compared with PDA at 600 °C, which indicated the recombination of defects and dangling bonds performs better at the high-k/Si substrate interface for a higher annealing temperature. For LaAlO 3 dielectric film, compared with multilayer La 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 dielectric stacks, a clear promotion of trapped charges density (N ot ) and a degradation of interface trap density (D it ) can be obtained simultaneously. In addition, a significant improvement about leakage current property is observed for LaAlO 3 dielectric film compared with multilayer La 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 stacks at the same annealing condition. We also noticed that a better breakdown behavior for multilayer La 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 stack is achieved after annealing at a higher temperature for its less defects.

Different endothelin receptor affinities in dog tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loeffler, B.M.L.; Loehrer, W.

1991-01-01

Endothelin (ET) is a long-lasting potent vasoconstrictor-peptide. Here the authors report different binding affinities of endothelin-1 (ET-1) to ET-receptors of various dog tissues. Crude microsomal fractions were prepared after homogenisation of dog tissues in 50 mM Tris/HCl, 20 mM MnCl2, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.4 by differential centrifugation. Aliquots of microsomal fractions (70 micrograms of protein) were incubated at 25 degrees C for 180 min in the presence of 20 pM 125I-ET-1 and various concentrations of cold ET-1. Four different ET-1 receptor binding affinities were found: adrenals, cerebrum, liver, heart, skeletal muscle and stomach microsomal membranes contained high affinity binding sites (Kd 50 - 80 pM, Bmax 60 - 250 fmol/mg). In cerebellum and spleen medium affinity ET-1 receptors (Kd 350 pM, Bmax 880 and 1200 fmol/mg respectively) were present. In comparison lung and kidney microsomes contained a low affinity ET-1 receptor (Kd 800 and 880 pM, Bmax 1600 and 350 fmol/mg). Receptors of even lower affinity were present in heart, intestine and liver microsomes with Kd values of 3 - 6 nM

O 1s core levels in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parmigiani, F.; Shen, Z.X.; Mitzi, D.B.; Lindau, I.; Spicer, W.E.; Kapitulnik, A.

1991-01-01

High-quality Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ superconducting single crystals, annealed at different oxygen partial pressures, have been studied using angular-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with a resolution higher than that used in any previous study. Two states of the oxygen, separated by ∼0.7 eV, are unambiguously observed. Examining these components at different angles makes it possible to distinguish bulk from surface components. Using this capability we discover that annealing under lower oxygen partial pressure (1 atm) results in oxygen intercalation beneath the Bi-O surface layer of the crystal, whereas for higher-pressure anneals (12 atm) additional oxygen is found on the Bi-O surfaces. This steplike intercalation mechanism is also confirmed by the changes observed in the Cu and Bi core lines as a function of the annealing oxygen partial pressure

TiO2 effect on crystallization mechanism and physical properties of nano glass-ceramics of MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 glass system.

Science.gov (United States)

Jo, Sinae; Kang, Seunggu

2013-05-01

The effect of TiO2 on the degree of crystallization, thermal properties and microstructure for MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 glass-ceramics system containing 0-13 wt% TiO2 and 0-1.5 wt% B2O3 in which the cordierite is the main phase was studied. Using Kissinger and Augis-Bennett equations, the activation energy, 510 kJ/mol and Avrami constant, 1.8 were calculated showing the surface-oriented crystallization would be preferred. The alpha-cordierite phase was generated in the glass-ceramics of containing TiO2 of 0-5.6 wt%. However, for the glass-ceramics of TiO2 content above 7 wt%, an alpha-cordierite disappeared and micro-cordierite phase was formed. The glass-ceramics of no TiO2 added had spherical crystals of few tens nanometer size spread in the matrix. As TiO2 content increased up to 5.6 wt%, a lump of dendrite was formed. In the glass-ceramics containing TiO2 7-13 wt%, in which the main phase is micro-cordierite, the dendrite crystal disappeared and a few hundred nanometer sized crystal particles hold tightly each other were generated. The thermal conductivity of glass-ceramics of both a-cordierite and micro-cordierite base decreased with TiO2 contend added. The thermal conductivity of glass-ceramics of 1.5 wt% TiO2 added was 3.4 W/mK which is 36% higher than that of glass-ceramics of no TiO2 added. The sintering temperature for 1.5 wt% TiO2 glass-ceramics was 965 degrees C which could be concluded as to apply to LTCC process for LED packaging.

Investigations on the local structures of Cu2+ at various BaO concentrations in 59B2O3-10K2O-(30-x)ZnO-xBaO-1CuO glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Jia-Rui; Wu, Shao-Yi; Hong, Jian; Liu, Shi-Nan; Song, Min-Xian; Teng, Bao-Hua; Wu, Ming-He

2017-11-01

The local structures and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) parameters for Cu2+ in 59B2O3-10K2O-(30-x)ZnO-xBaO-1CuO (BKZBC) glasses are theoretically investigated with distinct modifier BaO concentrations x (= 0, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 mol %). The ? clusters are found to undergo the relative tetragonal elongations of about 13.5 and 5.0% at zero and higher BaO concentrations. The concentration dependences of the measured d-d transition bands, g factors and A// are suitably reproduced from the Fourier type functions or sign functions of the relevant quantities with x by using only six adjustable parameters. The features of the EPR parameters and the local structures of Cu2+ are analysed in a consistent way by considering the differences in the local ligand field strength and electronic cloud admixtures around Cu2+ under addition of Ba2+ with the highest ionicity and polarisability. The present theoretical studies would be helpful to the researches on the structures, optical and EPR properties for the similar potassium barium zinc borate glasses containing copper with variation concentration of modifier BaO.

Design of flexible PANI-coated CuO-TiO2-SiO2 heterostructure nanofibers with high ammonia sensing response values

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Zengyuan; Nie, Qingxin; Lv, Pengfei; Yu, Jian; Huang, Fenglin; Wei, Qufu

2017-06-01

We report a room-temperature ammonia sensor with extra high response values and ideal flexibility, including polyaniline (PANI)-coated titanium dioxide-silicon dioxide (TiO2-SiO2) or copper oxide-titanium dioxide-silicon dioxide (CuO-TiO2-SiO2) composite nanofibers. Such flexible inorganic TiO2-SiO2 and CuO-TiO2-SiO2 composite nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning, followed by calcination. Then, in situ polymerization of aniline monomers was carried out with inorganic TiO2-SiO2 and CuO-TiO2-SiO2 composite nanofibers as templates. Gas sensing tests at room temperature indicated that the obtained CuO-TiO2-SiO2/PANI composite nanofibers had much higher response values to ammonia gas (ca. 45.67-100 ppm) than most of those reported before as well as the prepared TiO2-SiO2/PANI composite nanofibers here. These excellent sensing properties may be due to the P-N, P-P heterojunctions and a structure similar to field-effect transistors formed on the interfaces between PANI, TiO2, and CuO, which is p-type, n-type, and p-type semiconductor, respectively. In addition, the prepared free-standing CuO-TiO2-SiO2/PANI composite nanofiber membrane was easy to handle and possessed ideal flexibility, which is promising for potential applications in wearable sensors in the future.

Emission analysis of Tb3+ -and Sm3+ -ion-doped (Li2 O/Na2 O/K2 O) and (Li2 O + Na2 O/Li2 O + K2 O/K2 O + Na2 O)-modified borosilicate glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Naveen Kumar Reddy, B; Sailaja, S; Thyagarajan, K; Jho, Young Dahl; Sudhakar Reddy, B

2018-05-01

Four series of borosilicate glasses modified by alkali oxides and doped with Tb 3+ and Sm 3+ ions were prepared using the conventional melt quenching technique, with the chemical composition 74.5B 2 O 3 + 10SiO 2 + 5MgO + R + 0.5(Tb 2 O 3 /Sm 2 O 3 ) [where R = 10(Li 2 O /Na 2 O/K 2 O) for series A and C, and R = 5(Li 2 O + Na 2 O/Li 2 O + K 2 O/K 2 O + Na 2 O) for series B and D]. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of all the prepared glasses indicate their amorphous nature. The spectroscopic properties of the prepared glasses were studied by optical absorption analysis, photoluminescence excitation (PLE) and photoluminescence (PL) analysis. A green emission corresponding to the 5 D 4 → 7 F 5 (543 nm) transition of the Tb 3+ ions was registered under excitation at 379 nm for series A and B glasses. The emission spectra of the Sm 3+ ions with the series C and D glasses showed strong reddish-orange emission at 600 nm ( 4 G 5/2 → 6 H 7/2 ) with an excitation wavelength λ exci = 404 nm ( 6 H 5/2 → 4 F 7/2 ). Furthermore, the change in the luminescence intensity with the addition of an alkali oxide and combinations of these alkali oxides to borosilicate glasses doped with Tb 3+ and Sm 3+ ions was studied to optimize the potential alkali-oxide-modified borosilicate glass. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ion-irradiation-induced phase transformation in rare earth sesquioxides (Dy2O3,Er2O3,Lu2O3)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, M.; Lu, P.; Valdez, J.A.; Sickafus, K.E.

2006-01-01

Polycrystalline pellets of cubic C-type rare earth structure (Ia3) Dy 2 O 3 , Er 2 O 3 , and Lu 2 O 3 were irradiated at cryogenic temperature (120 K) with 300 keV Kr ++ ions to a maximum fluence of 1x10 20 Kr/m 2 . Irradiated specimens were examined using grazing incidence x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Ion irradiation leads to different radiation effects in these three materials. First, Dy 2 O 3 begins to transform to a monoclinic B-type rare earth structure (C2/m) at a peak dose of ∼5 displacements per atom (dpa) (corresponding to a fluence of 2x10 19 Kr/m 2 ). This transformation is nearly complete at a peak dose of 25 dpa (a fluence of 1x10 20 Kr/m 2 ). Er 2 O 3 also transforms to the B-type structure, but the transformation starts at a higher irradiation dose of about 15-20 dpa [a fluence of about (6-8)x10 19 Kr/m 2 ]. Lu 2 O 3 was found to maintain the C-type structure even at the highest irradiation dose of 25 dpa (a fluence of 1x10 20 Kr/m 2 ). No C-to-B transformation was observed in Lu 2 O 3 . The irradiation dose dependence of the C-to-B phase transformation observed in Dy 2 O 3 , Er 2 O 3 , and Lu 2 O 3 is closely related to the temperature dependence of the C-to-B phase transformation found in phase diagrams for these three materials

Characterization of self-affinity in the global regime

Science.gov (United States)

Neimark, Alexander V.

1994-11-01

Methods for characterization of self-affine surfaces and measurements of their roughness exponents H are developed. It is shown that for smoothed surfaces, which underwent particular coarse graining or averaging of the small-scale fluctuations, the excess surface area Sex and the mean square root radius of curvature ac are related by two distinct asymptotic power laws if ac is well below or well above a certain crossover scale acr. In the local regime of self-affinity, when acSex~(ac/acr)-(1-H). In the global regime of self-affinity, when ac>>acr, Sex~(ac/acr)-2(1-H)/(2-H). The former scaling relationship is consistent with the well known definition of local fractal dimensions dloc=dtop+1-H. The latter scaling relationship offers alternatives for characterization of self-affinity over large scales by means of excess dimensions defined as dex=dtop+2(1-H)/(2-H) and can be used for determination of roughness exponents from the measurements provided in the global regime. The thermodynamic method of fractal analysis, proposed earlier for self-similar surfaces (A.V. Neimark, Pis'ma Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 51, 535 (1990) [JETP Lett. 51, 607 (1990)]; Physica A 191, 258 (1992)), is extended for self-affine surfaces for determination of fractal dimensions and roughness exponents from adsorption and capillary experimental data.

In{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Bi{sub 2}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} heterostructured nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xing, Yonglei [Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, International Center for Dielectric Research, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Que, Wenxiu, E-mail: wxque@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, International Center for Dielectric Research, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Yin, Xingtian; He, Zuoli; Liu, Xiaobin; Yang, Yawei; Shao, Jinyou [Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, International Center for Dielectric Research, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi (China); Kong, Ling Bing, E-mail: ELBKong@ntu.edu.sg [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798 (Singapore)

2016-11-30

Highlights: • Visible-light photocatalytic activities of the nanostructured In{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Bi{sub 2}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} heterostructures were studied. • Effect of In{sub 2}O{sub 3} content on the photocatalytic activity of the In{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Bi{sub 2}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} heterostructure was evaluated. • 0.1In{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Bi{sub 2}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} heterostructure photocatalyst shows a superior photocatalytic activity. • Based on Mott-Schottky analysis and active species detection, a mechanism for the separation of photogenerated carriers is proposed. • The effective separation process of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs was testified by photocurrent test. - Abstract: In{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Bi{sub 2}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} composite photocatalysts with various contents of cubic In{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles were fabricated by using impregnation method. A thriving modification of Bi{sub 2}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} by an introduction of In{sub 2}O{sub 3} was confirmed by using X-ray diffraction, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The samples composed of hybrids of In{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Bi{sub 2}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} exhibited a much higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light, as compared with pure In{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Bi{sub 2}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} nanoparticles. Optimized composition of the composite photocatalysts was 0.1In{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Bi{sub 2}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7}, which shows a rate constant higher than those of pure In{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Bi{sub 2}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} by 4.06 and 3.21 times, respectively. Based on Mott-Schottky analysis and active species detection, the photoexcited electrons in the conduction band of In{sub 2}O{sub 3} and the holes in the valence band of Bi{sub 2}Sn{sub 2}O{sub 7} participated in reduction and oxidation reactions, respectively. Hence, ·OH, ·O{sub 2}{sup −} and h