Calculation of Physicochemical Properties for Short- and Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins

Science.gov (United States)

Glüge, Juliane; Bogdal, Christian; Scheringer, Martin; Buser, Andreas M.; Hungerbühler, Konrad

2013-06-01

Short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins are potential PBT chemicals (persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic) and short-chain chlorinated paraffins are under review for inclusion in the UNEP Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Despite their high production volume of more than one million metric tonnes per year, only few data on their physicochemical properties are available. We calculated subcooled-liquid vapor pressure, subcooled-liquid solubility in water and octanol, Henry's law constant for water and octanol, as well as the octanol-water partition coefficient with the property calculation methods COSMOtherm, SPARC, and EPI Suite™, and compared the results to experimental data from the literature. For all properties, good or very good agreement between calculated and measured data was obtained for COSMOtherm; results from SPARC were in good agreement with the measured data except for subcooled-liquid water solubility, whereas EPI Suite™ showed the largest discrepancies for all properties. After critical evaluation of the three property calculation methods, a final set of recommended property data for short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins was derived. The calculated property data show interesting relationships with chlorine content and carbon chain length. Increasing chlorine content does not cause pronounced changes in water solubility and octanol-water partition coefficient (KOW) as long as it is below 55%. Increasing carbon chain length leads to strong increases in KOW and corresponding decreases in subcooled-liquid water solubility. The present data set can be used in further studies to assess the environmental fate and human exposure of this relevant compound class.

The conversion of BTEX compounds by single and defined mixed cultures to medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikodinovic, Jasmina; Kenny, Shane T; Babu, Ramesh P; Woods, Trevor; Blau, Werner J; O'Connor, Kevin E

2008-09-01

Here, we report the use of petrochemical aromatic hydrocarbons as a feedstock for the biotechnological conversion into valuable biodegradable plastic polymers--polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). We assessed the ability of the known Pseudomonas putida species that are able to utilize benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene (BTEX) compounds as a sole carbon and energy source for their ability to produce PHA from the single substrates. P. putida F1 is able to accumulate medium-chain-length (mcl) PHA when supplied with toluene, benzene, or ethylbenzene. P. putida mt-2 accumulates mcl-PHA when supplied with toluene or p-xylene. The highest level of PHA accumulated by cultures in shake flask was 26% cell dry weight for P. putida mt-2 supplied with p-xylene. A synthetic mixture of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, and styrene (BTEXS) which mimics the aromatic fraction of mixed plastic pyrolysis oil was supplied to a defined mixed culture of P. putida F1, mt-2, and CA-3 in the shake flasks and fermentation experiments. PHA was accumulated to 24% and to 36% of the cell dry weight of the shake flask and fermentation grown cultures respectively. In addition a three-fold higher cell density was achieved with the mixed culture grown in the bioreactor compared to shake flask experiments. A run in the 5-l fermentor resulted in the utilization of 59.6 g (67.5 ml) of the BTEXS mixture and the production of 6 g of mcl-PHA. The monomer composition of PHA accumulated by the mixed culture was the same as that accumulated by single strains supplied with single substrates with 3-hydroxydecanoic acid occurring as the predominant monomer. The purified polymer was partially crystalline with an average molecular weight of 86.9 kDa. It has a thermal degradation temperature of 350 degrees C and a glass transition temperature of -48.5 degrees C.

Production of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates by sequential feeding of xylose and octanoic acid in engineered Pseudomonas putida KT2440

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Le Meur Sylvaine

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is able to synthesize large amounts of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHAs. To reduce the substrate cost, which represents nearly 50% of the total PHA production cost, xylose, a hemicellulose derivate, was tested as the growth carbon source in an engineered P. putida KT2440 strain. Results The genes encoding xylose isomerase (XylA and xylulokinase (XylB from Escherichia coli W3110 were introduced into P. putida KT2440. The recombinant KT2440 exhibited a XylA activity of 1.47 U and a XylB activity of 0.97 U when grown on a defined medium supplemented with xylose. The cells reached a maximum specific growth rate of 0.24 h-1 and a final cell dry weight (CDW of 2.5 g L-1 with a maximal yield of 0.5 g CDW g-1 xylose. Since no mcl-PHA was accumulated from xylose, mcl-PHA production can be controlled by the addition of fatty acids leading to tailor-made PHA compositions. Sequential feeding strategy was applied using xylose as the growth substrate and octanoic acid as the precursor for mcl-PHA production. In this way, up to 20% w w-1 of mcl-PHA was obtained. A yield of 0.37 g mcl-PHA per g octanoic acid was achieved under the employed conditions. Conclusions Sequential feeding of relatively cheap carbohydrates and expensive fatty acids is a practical way to achieve more cost-effective mcl-PHA production. This study is the first reported attempt to produce mcl-PHA by using xylose as the growth substrate. Further process optimizations to achieve higher cell density and higher productivity of mcl-PHA should be investigated. These scientific exercises will undoubtedly contribute to the economic feasibility of mcl-PHA production from renewable feedstock.

Bioavailability of seocalcitol I: Relating solubility in biorelevant media with oral bioavailability in rats--effect of medium and long chain triglycerides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grove, Mette; Pedersen, Gitte P; Nielsen, Jeanet L

2005-01-01

Simulated intestinal media (SIM) containing bile salt (BS) and phospholipids (PL) with and without medium chain lipolytic products (MC-LP) or long chain lipolytic products (LC-LP) were developed to study the solubility of seocalcitol. Both MC-LP and LC-LP were studied in order to investigate...... the influence of fatty acid chain length on the in vitro solubility of seocalcitol. The same solubility of seocalcitol was found in media containing either MC-LP or LC-LP. The bioavailability after oral administration of seocalcitol dissolved in medium chain triglyceride (MCT), long chain triglyceride (LCT...

Finite fission chain length and symmetry around prompt-criticality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie Qilin; Yin Yanpeng; Gao Hui; Huang Po; Fang Xiaoqiang

2012-01-01

Probability distribution of finite fission chain length was derived by assuming that all neutrons behave identically. Finite fission chain length was also calculated using a zero-dimension Monte-Carlo method based on point kinetics. Then symmetry of finite fission chain length probability distribution around prompt-criticality was deduced, which helps understanding the emission rate of delayed neutrons and initiation of fission chain in super-prompt-critical system. (authors)

Production of Medium-Chain-Length Poly(3-Hydroxyalkanoates from Saponified Palm Kernel Oil by Pseudomonas putida: Kinetics of Batch and Fed-Batch Fermentations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annuar, M. S. M.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The kinetics of medium-chain-length poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates, PHAMCL production by Pseudomonas putida PGA1 in batch and fed-batch fermentations were studied. With saponified palm kernel oil (SPKO supplying the free fatty acids mixture as the sole carbon and energy source, PHAMCL accumulation is encouraged under ammonium-limited condition, which is a nitrogen stress environment. The amount of PHAMCL accumulated and its specific production rate, qPHA were influenced by the residual ammonium concentration level in the culture medium. It was observed that in both fermentation modes, when the residual ammonium was exhausted (< 0.05 gL-1, the PHAMCL accumulation (11.9% and qPHA (0.0062 h-1 were significantly reduced. However, this effect can be reversed by feeding low amount of ammonium to the culture, resulting in significantly improved PHAMCL yield (71.4% and specific productivity (0.6 h-1. It is concluded that the feeding of low ammonium concentration to the culture medium during the PHAMCL accumulation has a positive effect on sustaining the PHAMCL biosynthetic capability of the organism. It was also found that increasing SPKO concentration in the medium significantly reduced (up to 50% the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (KLa of the fermentation system.

Transcriptome analysis of Pseudomonas mediterranea and P. corrugata plant pathogens during accumulation of medium-chain-length PHAs by glycerol bioconversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Licciardello, Grazia; Ferraro, Rosario; Russo, Marcella; Strozzi, Francesco; Catara, Antonino F; Bella, Patrizia; Catara, Vittoria

2017-07-25

Pseudomonas corrugata and P. mediterranea are soil inhabitant bacteria, generally living as endophytes on symptomless plants and bare soil, but also capable of causing plant diseases. They share a similar genome size and a high proteome similarity. P. corrugata produces many biomolecules which play an important role in bacterial cell survival and fitness. Both species produce different medium-chain-length PHAs (mcl-PHAs) from the bioconversion of glycerol to a transparent film in P. mediterranea and a sticky elastomer in P. corrugata. In this work, using RNA-seq we investigated the transcriptional profiles of both bacteria at the early stationary growth phase with glycerol as the carbon source. Quantitative analysis of P. mediterranea transcripts versus P. corrugata revealed that 1756 genes were differentially expressed. A total of 175 genes were significantly upregulated in P. mediterranea, while 217 were downregulated. The largest group of upregulated genes was related to transport systems and stress response, energy and central metabolism, and carbon metabolism. Expression levels of most genes coding for enzymes related to PHA biosynthesis and central metabolic pathways showed no differences or only slight variations in pyruvate metabolism. The most relevant result was the significantly increased expression in P. mediterranea of genes involved in alginate production, an important exopolysaccharide, which in other Pseudomonas spp. plays a key role as a virulence factor or in stress tolerance and shows many industrial applications. In conclusion, the results provide useful information on the co-production of mcl-PHAs and alginate from glycerol as carbon source by P. mediterranea in the design of new strategies of genetic regulation to improve the yield of bioproducts or bacterial fitness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate production by Pseudomonas putida LS46 using biodiesel by-product streams.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Jilagamazhi; Sharma, Umesh; Sparling, Richard; Cicek, Nazim; Levin, David B

2014-07-01

Medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) production by Pseudomonas putida LS46 was analyzed in shake-flask-based batch reactions, using pure chemical-grade glycerol (PG), biodiesel-derived "waste" glycerol (WG), and biodiesel-derived "waste" free fatty acids (WFA). Cell growth, substrate consumption, mcl-PHA accumulation within the cells, and the monomer composition of the synthesized biopolymers were monitored. The patterns of mcl-PHA synthesis in P. putida LS46 cells grown on PG and WG were similar but differed from that of cells grown with WFA. Polymer accumulation in glycerol-based cultures was stimulated by nitrogen limitation and plateaued after 48 h in both PG and WG cultures, with a total accumulation of 17.9% cell dry mass and 16.3% cell dry mass, respectively. In contrast, mcl-PHA synthesis was independent of nitrogen concentration in P. putida LS46 cells cultured with WFA, which accumulated to 29% cell dry mass. In all cases, the mcl-PHAs synthesized consisted primarily of 3-hydroxyoctanoate (C(8)) and 3-hydroxydecanoate (C(10)). WG and WFA supported similar or greater cell growth and mcl-PHA accumulation than PG under the experimental conditions used. These results suggest that biodiesel by-product streams could be used as low-cost carbon sources for sustainable mcl-PHA production.

Optimization of Water/Oil/Surfactant System for Preparation of Medium-Chain-Length Poly-3-Hydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHA)-Incorporated Nanoparticles via Nanoemulsion Templating Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishak, K A; Annuar, M Suffian M; Ahmad, N

2017-12-01

Polymeric nanoparticles gain a widespread interest in food and pharmaceutical industries as delivery systems that encapsulate, protect, and release lipophilic compounds such as omega-3 fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, carotenoids, carvedilol, cyclosporine, and ketoprofen. In this study, medium-chain-length poly-3-hydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA)-incorporated nanoparticle was developed via facile organic solvent-free nanoemulsion templating technique. The water content (W/surfactant-to-oil (S/O)), S/O, and Cremophor EL-to-Span 80 (Cremo/Sp80) ratios were first optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) to obtain nanoemulsion template prior to incorporation of mcl-PHA. Their effects on nanoemulsion formation were investigated. The mcl-PHA-incorporated nanoparticle system showed a good preservation capability of β-carotene and extended storage stability.

Effect of temperature on atom-atom collision chain length in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makarov, A.A.; Demkin, N.A.; Lyashchenko, B.G.

1981-01-01

Focused atom-atom collision chain lengths are calculated for fcc-crystals with account of thermal oscillations. The model of solid spheres with the Born-Merier potential has been used in the calculations. The dependence of chain lengths on the temperature, energy and movement direction of the first chain atom for Cu, Au, Ag, Pb, Ni is considered. The plot presented shows that the chain lengths strongly decrease with temperature growth, for example, for the gold at T=100 K the chain length equals up to 37 interatomic spacings, whereas at T=1000 K their length decreases down to 5 interatomic distances. The dependence of the energy loss by the chain atoms on the atom number in the chain is obtained in a wide range of crystal temperature and the primary chain atom energy [ru

PEGylation on mixed monolayer gold nanoparticles: Effect of grafting density, chain length, and surface curvature.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jiaqi; Zhang, Heng; Morovati, Vahid; Dargazany, Roozbeh

2017-10-15

PEGylation on nanoparticles (NPs) is widely used to prevent aggregation and to mask NPs from the fast clearance system in the body. Understanding the molecular details of the PEG layer could facilitate rational design of PEGylated NPs that maximize their solubility and stealth ability without significantly compromising the targeting efficiency and cellular uptake. Here, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to understand the structural and dynamic the PEG coating of mixed monolayer gold NPs. Specifically, we modeled gold NPs with PEG grafting densities ranging from 0-2.76chain/nm 2 , chain length with 0-10 PEG monomers, NP core diameter from 5nm to 500nm. It is found that the area accessed by individual PEG chains gradually transits from a "mushroom" to a "brush" conformation as NP surface curvature become flatter, whereas such a transition is not evident on small NPs when grafting density increases. It is shown that moderate grafting density (∼1.0chain/nm 2 ) and short chain length are sufficient enough to prevent NPs from aggregating in an aqueous medium. The effect of grafting density on solubility is also validated by dynamic light scattering measurements of PEGylated 5nm gold NPs. With respect to the shielding ability, simulations predict that increase either grafting density, chain length, or NP diameter will reduce the accessibility of the protected content to a certain size molecule. Interestingly, reducing NP surface curvature is estimated to be most effective in promoting shielding ability. For shielding against small molecules, increasing PEG grafting density is more effective than increasing chain length. A simple model that includes these three investigated parameters is developed based on the simulations to roughly estimate the shielding ability of the PEG layer with respect to molecules of different sizes. The findings can help expand our current understanding of the PEG layer and guide rational design of PEGylated gold NPs for a particular

The diverse nature of saturated fats and the case of medium-chain triglycerides: how one recommendation may not fit all.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhavsar, Nilam; St-Onge, Marie-Pierre

2016-03-01

The adverse cardiovascular health effects of saturated fats have been debated recently since the publication of studies reporting no increase in cardiovascular risk with saturated fat intakes. We purport that this may be because of the varied nature of saturated fats, which range in length from 2 to over 20 carbon atoms, and review evidence surrounding the cardiovascular health effects of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). MCTs are saturated fats of shorter chain length than other, more readily consumed saturated fats. Studies have reported that consumption of MCT may lead to improvements in body composition without adversely affecting cardio-metabolic risk factors. There may also be synergistic actions between MCT and n-3 polyunsaturated fats that may lead to improvements in cardiovascular health. It is clinically relevant to distinguish between sources of saturated fats for cardiovascular health. Medium, and possibly shorter chain, saturated fats behave differently than long-chain saturated fats and should not be judged similarly when it comes to their cardio-metabolic health effects. Given their neutral, and potentially beneficial cardiovascular health effects, they should not be categorized together.

Knocking out the MFE-2 gene of Candida bombicola leads to improved medium-chain sophorolipid production.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Bogaert, Inge N A; Sabirova, Julia; Develter, Dirk; Soetaert, Wim; Vandamme, Erick J

2009-06-01

The nonpathogenic yeast Candida bombicola synthesizes sophorolipids. These biosurfactants are composed of the disaccharide sophorose linked to a long-chain hydroxy fatty acid and have potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and cleaning industries. In order to expand the range of application, a shift of the fatty acid moiety towards medium-chain lengths would be recommendable. However, the synthesis of medium-chain sophorolipids by C. bombicola is a challenging objective. First of all, these sophorolipids can only be obtained by fermentations on unconventional carbon sources, which often have a toxic effect on the cells. Furthermore, medium-chain substrates are partially metabolized in the beta-oxidation pathway. In order to redirect unconventional substrates towards sophorolipid synthesis, the beta-oxidation pathway was blocked on the genome level by knocking out the multifunctional enzyme type 2 (MFE-2) gene. The total gene sequence of the C. bombicola MFE-2 (6033 bp) was cloned (GenBank accession number EU371724), and the obtained nucleotide sequence was used to construct a knock-out cassette. Several knock-out mutants with the correct geno- and phenotype were evaluated in a fermentation on 1-dodecanol. All mutants showed a 1.7-2.9 times higher production of sophorolipids, indicating that in those strains the substrate is redirected towards the sophorolipid synthesis.

Dependence of the product chain-length on detergents for long-chain E-polyprenyl diphosphate synthases

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Jian-Jung; Ramamoorthy, Gurusankar; Poulter, C. Dale

2013-01-01

Long-chain E-polyprenyl diphosphate synthases (E-PDS) catalyze repetitive addition of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) to the growing prenyl chain of an allylic diphosphate. The polyprenyl diphosphate products are required for the biosynthesis of ubiquinones and menaquinones required for electron transport during oxidative phosphorylation to generate ATP. In vitro, the long-chain PDSs require addition of phospholipids or detergents to the assay buffer to enhance product release and maintain efficient turnover. During preliminary assays of product chain-length with anionic, zwitterionic, and non-ionic detergents, we discovered considerable variability. Examination of a series of non-ionic PEG detergents with several long-chain E-PDSs from different organisms revealed that in vitro incubations with nonaethylene glycol monododecyl ether or Triton X-100 typically gave chain lengths that corresponded to those of the isoprenoid moieties in respiratory quinones synthesized in vivo. In contrast incubations in buffer with n-butanol, CHAPS, DMSO, n-octyl-β-glucopyranoside, or β-cyclodextrin or in buffer without detergent typically proceeded more slowly and gave a broad range of chain lengths. PMID:23802587

The Chain-Length Distribution in Subcritical Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nolen, Steven Douglas

2000-01-01

The individual fission chains that appear in any neutron multiplying system provide a means, via neutron noise analysis, to unlock a wealth of information regarding the nature of the system. This work begins by determining the probability density distributions for fission chain lengths in zero-dimensional systems over a range of prompt neutron multiplication constant (K) values. This section is followed by showing how the integral representation of the chain-length distribution can be used to obtain an estimate of the system's subcritical prompt multiplication (MP). The lifetime of the chains is then used to provide a basis for determining whether a neutron noise analysis will be successful in assessing the neutron multiplication constant, k, of the system in the presence of a strong intrinsic source. A Monte Carlo transport code, MC++, is used to model the evolution of the individual fission chains and to determine how they are influenced by spatial effects. The dissertation concludes by demonstrating how experimental validation of certain global system parameters by neutron noise analysis may be precluded in situations in which the system K is relatively low and in which realistic detector efficiencies are simulated

The Chain-Length Distribution in Subcritical Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nolen, Steven Douglas [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)

2000-06-01

The individual fission chains that appear in any neutron multiplying system provide a means, via neutron noise analysis, to unlock a wealth of information regarding the nature of the system. This work begins by determining the probability density distributions for fission chain lengths in zero-dimensional systems over a range of prompt neutron multiplication constant (K) values. This section is followed by showing how the integral representation of the chain-length distribution can be used to obtain an estimate of the system's subcritical prompt multiplication (MP). The lifetime of the chains is then used to provide a basis for determining whether a neutron noise analysis will be successful in assessing the neutron multiplication constant, k, of the system in the presence of a strong intrinsic source. A Monte Carlo transport code, MC++, is used to model the evolution of the individual fission chains and to determine how they are influenced by spatial effects. The dissertation concludes by demonstrating how experimental validation of certain global system parameters by neutron noise analysis may be precluded in situations in which the system K is relatively low and in which realistic detector efficiencies are simulated.

Inhibition of gastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion by medium-chain triglycerides and long-chain triglycerides in healthy young men.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maas, M.I.M.; Hopman, W.P.M.; Katan, M.B.; Jansen, J.B.M.J.

1996-01-01

Long-chain triglycerides inhibit gastric acid secretion, but the effect of medium-chain triglycerides in humans is unknown. We compared the effects of intraduodenally perfused saline, medium-chain and long-chain triglycerides on gastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion and cholecystokinin release.

Synthesis of medium-chain length capsinoids from coconut oil catalyzed by Candida rugosa lipases.

Science.gov (United States)

Trbojević Ivić, Jovana; Milosavić, Nenad; Dimitrijević, Aleksandra; Gavrović Jankulović, Marija; Bezbradica, Dejan; Kolarski, Dušan; Veličković, Dušan

2017-03-01

A commercial preparation of Candida rugosa lipases (CRL) was tested for the production of capsinoids by esterification of vanillyl alcohol (VA) with free fatty acids (FA) and coconut oil (CO) as acyl donors. Screening of FA chain length indicated that C8-C12 FA (the most common FA found in CO triglycerides) are the best acyl-donors, yielding 80-85% of their specific capsinoids. Hence, when CO, which is rich in these FA, was used as the substrate, a mixture of capsinoids (vanillyl caprylate, vanillyl decanoate and vanillyl laurate) was obtained. The findings presented here suggest that our experimental method can be applied for the enrichment of CO with capsinoids, thus giving it additional health promoting properties. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure-guided investigation of lipopolysaccharide O-antigen chain length regulators reveals regions critical for modal length control.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalynych, Sergei; Ruan, Xiang; Valvano, Miguel A; Cygler, Miroslaw

2011-08-01

The O-antigen component of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) represents a population of polysaccharide molecules with nonrandom (modal) chain length distribution. The number of the repeat O units in each individual O-antigen polymer depends on the Wzz chain length regulator, an inner membrane protein belonging to the polysaccharide copolymerase (PCP) family. Different Wzz proteins confer vastly different ranges of modal lengths (4 to >100 repeat units), despite having remarkably conserved structural folds. The molecular mechanism responsible for the selective preference for a certain number of O units is unknown. Guided by the three-dimensional structures of PCPs, we constructed a panel of chimeric molecules containing parts of two closely related Wzz proteins from Salmonella enterica and Shigella flexneri which confer different O-antigen chain length distributions. Analysis of the O-antigen length distribution imparted by each chimera revealed the region spanning amino acids 67 to 95 (region 67 to 95), region 200 to 255, and region 269 to 274 as primarily affecting the length distribution. We also showed that there is no synergy between these regions. In particular, region 269 to 274 also influenced chain length distribution mediated by two distantly related PCPs, WzzB and FepE. Furthermore, from the 3 regions uncovered in this study, region 269 to 274 appeared to be critical for the stability of the oligomeric form of Wzz, as determined by cross-linking experiments. Together, our data suggest that chain length determination depends on regions that likely contribute to stabilize a supramolecular complex.

Effect of Amphiphilic Alkyl Chain Length Upon Purified LATEX Stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amira Amir Hassan; Amir Hashim Mohd Yatim

2015-01-01

Rubber particles in purified latex (PL) are stabilized by a film of protein and fatty acid soap (surfactant). Saturated straight-chain fatty acid soaps can assist an enhancement of latex stability. However, whether the alkyl chain length plays an important role in increasing the stability is still an issue. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of alkyl chain length of anionic surfactant on the stability of purified latex. The fatty acid soap of decanoate (9), laurate (11), sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) (12) and palmitate (15) were used. The numbers in parentheses indicating the number of carbon present in alkyl chain of the soap. The results showed that the impact of alkyl chain length on the stability of latex is in the order of laurate > decanoate > SDS > palmitate > purified latex accordingly. The alkyl chain length does giving a significant effect on latex stability after longer stirring time. The particle size of latex with the presence of surfactant is greater compare to a single particle itself due to extension of particles diameter. Thus suitable interaction of the nonpolar tail of surfactant with the hydrophobic regions of latex surface played a major role in maintaining a stable latex system. (author)

Megasphaera hexanoica sp. nov., a medium-chain carboxylic acid-producing bacterium isolated from a cow rumen.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Byoung Seung; Kim, Seil; Sang, Byoung-In

2017-07-01

Strain MHT, a strictly anaerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, spherical coccus or coccoid-shaped microorganism, was isolated from a cow rumen during a screen for hexanoic acid-producing bacteria. The microorganism grew at 30-40 °C and pH 5.5-7.5 and exhibited production of various short- and medium-chain carboxylic acids (acetic acid, butyric acid, pentanoic acid, isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, hexanoic acid, heptanoic acid and octanoic acid), as well as H2 and CO2 as biogas. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated that MHT represents a member of the genus Megasphaera, with the closest relatives being Megapsphaera indica NMBHI-10T (94.1 % 16S rRNA sequence similarity), Megasphaera elsdenii DSM 20460T (93.8 %) and Megasphaera paucivorans DSM 16981T (93.8 %). The major cellular fatty acids produced by MHT included C12 : 0, C16 : 0, C18 : 1cis 9, and C18 : 0, and the DNA G+C content of the MHT genome is 51.8 mol%. Together, the distinctive phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics of MHT indicate that this microorganism represents a novel species of the genus Megasphaera, for which the name Megasphaera hexanoica sp. nov. is herein proposed. The type strain of this species is MHT (=KCCM 43214T=JCM 31403T).

Nuclide transport of decay chain in the fractured rock medium: a model using continuous time Markov process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Younmyoung Lee; Kunjai Lee

1995-01-01

A model using continuous time Markov process for nuclide transport of decay chain of arbitrary length in the fractured rock medium has been developed. Considering the fracture in the rock matrix as a finite number of compartments, the transition probability for nuclide from the transition intensity between and out of the compartments is represented utilizing Chapman-Kolmogorov equation, with which the expectation and the variance of nuclide distribution for the fractured rock medium could be obtained. A comparison between continuous time Markov process model and available analytical solutions for the nuclide transport of three decay chains without rock matrix diffusion has been made showing comparatively good agreement. Fittings with experimental breakthrough curves obtained with nonsorbing materials such as NaLS and uranine in the artificial fractured rock are also made. (author)

Stochastic Simulation of a Full-Chain Reptation Model with Constraint Release, Chain-Length Fluctuations and Chain Stretching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neergaard, Jesper; Schieber, Jay D.

1999-01-01

A self-consistent reptation model that includes chain stretching, chain-length fluctuations, segment connectivity and constraint release is used to predict transient and steady flows. Quantitative comparisons are made with entangledsolution data. The model is able to capture quantitatively all...

Supply Chain adoption in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juhl, Mathias Thim; Bernon, Mike

Purpose: The importance of having a competitive supply chain strategy is not to be underestimated (Underwood & Agg 2012; Aronow et al. 2014). Despite the importance of creating strong supply chain capabilities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) find it difficult to implement supply chain...... and customer needs. Research Approach: An exploratory case study of five small and medium sized manufacturing companies was undertaken using in-depth interviews and business reports. Combined with relevant literature, the case study interviews provide basis for a discussion on the current adoption of supply...... needs and a low interaction in the supply chain, to having an “outside-in” perspective (Day & Moorman 2013) and development of capabilities that support long-term competitive advantage. The case studies revealed two significant factors to support consistency between supply chain capabilities...

Analysis of Value Chain Governance: Scenarios to Develop Small-Scale Furniture Producers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rika Harini Irawati

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Furniture industry had shown a long chain of production to consumption, from raw material producers (tree growers, semi-finished producers, finished product producers, and retailers to exporters. Jepara as a centre furniture industry in Indonesia incorporates around 15,000 business units and provide livelihoods to approximately 170,000 workers. This sector contributes about 27% of Jepara‘s people domestic income. Small and medium furniture enterprises (SMEs have significant roles in the furniture industry as production structures are characterized by them. Power and information imbalance throughout the furniture value chain have resulted in problems of uneven distribution of gains among actors of the industry. SME furniture producers have experienced an unfair value added distribution. Hence, development of SMEs is important for strengthening the industry and expected to result in a portion of value added distribution to them.  We are trying to develop scenarios for SME improvement in the furniture industry in Jepara by identifying their problems and implementing Value Chain Analysis (VCA. VCA is an approach to describe SME producer relations with other actors in the industry and the governance type of their relations. Data is collected by interviewing selected SMEs from the association of small scale producers in Jepara to get detailed maps of their value chain. The research will produce future scenarios and intervention points to improve small-scale producer sustainability and better value added distribution among furniture actors. The scenarios will not only benefit selected producers but also the furniture industry of Jepara, and can be adopted for similar industries throughout Indonesia and abroad. Keywords: furniture, value chain, governance, scenario, small-scale

Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waddell, Leigh; Wiley, Veronica; Carpenter, Kevin

2006-01-01

The fatty acid oxidation disorder most commonly identified by tandem mass spectrometry newborn screening is the potentially fatal medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCAD). In clinically presenting cases, 80% are homozygous for the common mutation, c.985A > G and 18% heterozygous. We ...

Direct observation of the edge spin structure and chain length dependence of a finite haldane chain by high field ESR measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Makoto; Ohta, Hitoshi; Ito, Toshimitsu; Ajiro, Yoshitami

2006-01-01

We have performed high field and multi-frequency ESR measurements of finite length S=1 antiferromagnetic chains in Y 2 BaNi 0.96 Mg 0.04 O 5 . Owing to the high spectral resolution by high fields and high frequencies, observed ESR signals can be separated into the contributions of the finite chains with various chain lengths. Our results clearly show that the edge spins actually interact with each other through the quantum spin chain and the interaction depends on the chain length N. (author)

Control of in vivo disposition and immunogenicity of polymeric micelles by adjusting poly(sarcosine) chain lengths on surface

Science.gov (United States)

Kurihara, Kensuke; Ueda, Motoki; Hara, Isao; Ozeki, Eiichi; Togashi, Kaori; Kimura, Shunsaku

2017-07-01

Four kinds of A3B-type amphiphilic polydepsipeptides, (poly(sarcosine))3- b-poly( l-lactic acid) (the degree of polymerization of poly(sarcosine) are 10, 33, 55, and 85; S10 3 , S33 3 , S55 3 , and S85 3 ) were synthesized to prepare core-shell type polymeric micelles. Their in vivo dispositions and stimulations to trigger immune system to produce IgM upon multiple administrations to mice were examined. With increasing poly(sarcosine) chain lengths, the hydrophilic shell became thicker and the surface density at the most outer surface decreased on the basis of dynamic and static light scattering measurements. These two physical elements of polymeric micelles elicited opposite effects on the immune response in light of the chain length therefore to show an optimized poly(sarcosine) chain length existing between 33mer and 55mer to suppress the accelerated blood clearance phenomenon associated with polymeric micelles.

Medium-chain, triglyceride-containing lipid emulsions increase human neutrophil beta2 integrin expression, adhesion, and degranulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wanten, G J; Geijtenbeek, T B; Raymakers, R A; van Kooyk, Y; Roos, D; Jansen, J B; Naber, A H

2000-01-01

To test the hypothesis that lipid emulsions with different triglyceride structures have distinct immunomodulatory properties, we analyzed human neutrophil adhesion and degranulation after lipid incubation. Neutrophils, isolated from the blood of 10 healthy volunteers, were incubated in medium or physiologic (2.5 mmol/L) emulsions containing long-chain (LCT), medium-chain (MCT), mixed LCT/MCT, or structured (SL) triglycerides. Expression of adhesion molecules and degranulation markers was evaluated by flow cytometry. Also, functional adhesion was investigated by means of a flow cytometric assay using fluorescent beads coated with the integrin ligand intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1. Although LCT and SL had no effect, LCT/MCT significantly increased expression of the beta2 integrins lymphocyte-function-associated antigen 1 (+18%), macrophage antigen 1 (+387%), p150,95 (+82%), and (alphaDbeta2 (+230%). Degranulation marker expression for azurophilic (CD63, +210%) and specific granules (CD66b, +370%) also significantly increased, whereas L-selectin (CD62L, -70%) decreased. The effects of LCT/MCT were mimicked by the MCT emulsion. ICAM-1 adhesion (% beads bound) was increased by LCT/MCT (34% +/- 4%), whereas LCT (19% +/-3%) and SL (20% +/- 2%) had no effect compared with medium (17% +/- 3%). LCT/MCT and MCT, contrary to LCT and SL emulsions, increased neutrophil beta2 integrin expression, adhesion, and degranulation. Apart from other emulsion constituents, triglyceride chain length might therefore be a key feature in the interaction of lipid emulsions and the phagocyte immune system.

Effect of bidispersity in grafted chain length on grafted chain conformations and potential of mean force between polymer grafted nanoparticles in a homopolymer matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Nitish; Wentzel, Nathaniel; Jayaraman, Arthi

2011-05-21

In efforts to produce polymeric materials with tailored physical properties, significant interest has grown around the ability to control the spatial organization of nanoparticles in polymer nanocomposites. One way to achieve controlled particle arrangement is by grafting the nanoparticle surface with polymers that are compatible with the matrix, thus manipulating the interfacial interactions between the nanoparticles and the polymer matrix. Previous work has shown that the molecular weight of the grafted polymer, both at high grafting density and low grafting density, plays a key role in dictating the effective inter-particle interactions in a polymer matrix. At high grafting density nanoparticles disperse (aggregate) if the graft molecular weight is higher (lower) than the matrix molecular weight. At low grafting density the longer grafts can better shield the nanoparticle surface from direct particle-particle contacts than the shorter grafts and lead to the dispersion of the grafted particles in the matrix. Despite the importance of graft molecular weight, and evidence of non-trivial effects of polydispersity of chains grafted on flat surfaces, most theoretical work on polymer grafted nanoparticles has only focused on monodisperse grafted chains. In this paper, we focus on how bidispersity in grafted chain lengths affects the grafted chain conformations and inter-particle interactions in an implicit solvent and in a dense homopolymer polymer matrix. We first present the effects of bidispersity on grafted chain conformations in a single polymer grafted particle using purely Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. This is followed by calculations of the potential of mean force (PMF) between two grafted particles in a polymer matrix using a self-consistent Polymer Reference Interaction Site Model theory-Monte Carlo simulation approach. Monte Carlo simulations of a single polymer grafted particle in an implicit solvent show that in the bidisperse polymer grafted particles

Characterization of amylose nanoparticles prepared via nanoprecipitation: Influence of chain length distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yanjiao; Yang, Jingde; Ren, Lili; Zhou, Jiang

2018-08-15

The influence of chain length distribution of amylose on size and structure of the amylose nanoparticles (ANPs) prepared through nanoprecipitation was investigated. Amylose with different chain length distributions was obtained by β-amylase treating amylose paste for different times and measured by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis (FACE). ANPs prepared via precipitation were characterized by using dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results showed that the β-amylase treatments led to decrease in chain length of amylose, and it was the most important factor affecting size of ANPs. When hydrolysis degree of amylose was 52.8%, mean size of ANPs decreased from 206.4 nm to 102.7 nm. All the ANPs displayed a V-type crystalline structure and the effect of amylose chain length on crystallinity of the precipitated ANPs was negligible in the investigated range. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The roles of productivity and ecosystem size in determining food chain length in tropical terrestrial ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Hillary S; McCauley, Douglas J; Dunbar, Robert B; Hutson, Michael S; Ter-Kuile, Ana Miller; Dirzo, Rodolfo

2013-03-01

Many different drivers, including productivity, ecosystem size, and disturbance, have been considered to explain natural variation in the length of food chains. Much remains unknown about the role of these various drivers in determining food chain length, and particularly about the mechanisms by which they may operate in terrestrial ecosystems, which have quite different ecological constraints than aquatic environments, where most food chain length studies have been thus far conducted. In this study, we tested the relative importance of ecosystem size and productivity in influencing food chain length in a terrestrial setting. We determined that (1) there is no effect of ecosystem size or productive space on food chain length; (2) rather, food chain length increases strongly and linearly with productivity; and (3) the observed changes in food chain length are likely achieved through a combination of changes in predator size, predator behavior, and consumer diversity along gradients in productivity. These results lend new insight into the mechanisms by which productivity can drive changes in food chain length, point to potential for systematic differences in the drivers of food web structure between terrestrial and aquatic systems, and challenge us to consider how ecological context may control the drivers that shape food chain length.

Molecular Characterization of the Elaeis guineensis Medium-Chain Fatty Acid Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase DGAT1-1 by Heterologous Expression in Yarrowia lipolytica.

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Laure Aymé

Full Text Available Diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGAT are involved in the acylation of sn-1,2-diacylglycerol. Palm kernel oil, extracted from Elaeis guineensis (oil palm seeds, has a high content of medium-chain fatty acids mainly lauric acid (C12:0. A putative E. guineensis diacylglycerol acyltransferase gene (EgDGAT1-1 is expressed at the onset of lauric acid accumulation in the seed endosperm suggesting that it is a determinant of medium-chain triacylglycerol storage. To test this hypothesis, we thoroughly characterized EgDGAT1-1 activity through functional complementation of a Yarrowia lipolytica mutant strain devoid of neutral lipids. EgDGAT1-1 expression is sufficient to restore triacylglycerol accumulation in neosynthesized lipid droplets. A comparative functional study with Arabidopsis thaliana DGAT1 highlighted contrasting substrate specificities when the recombinant yeast was cultured in lauric acid supplemented medium. The EgDGAT1-1 expressing strain preferentially accumulated medium-chain triacylglycerols whereas AtDGAT1 expression induced long-chain triacylglycerol storage in Y. lipolytica. EgDGAT1-1 localized to the endoplasmic reticulum where TAG biosynthesis takes place. Reestablishing neutral lipid accumulation in the Y. lipolytica mutant strain did not induce major reorganization of the yeast microsomal proteome. Overall, our findings demonstrate that EgDGAT1-1 is an endoplasmic reticulum DGAT with preference for medium-chain fatty acid substrates, in line with its physiological role in palm kernel. The characterized EgDGAT1-1 could be used to promote medium-chain triacylglycerol accumulation in microbial-produced oil for industrial chemicals and cosmetics.

Standard Review Risk Assessment on Medium-chain and Long-chain Chlorinated paraffin PMN submissions by Dover Chemical

Science.gov (United States)

This assessment was conducted under EPA’s TSCA Section 5 New Chemicals Program. EPA is assessing Medium-chain Chlorinated Paraffin (MCCP) and Long-Chain Chlorinated Paraffin (LCCP) chemicals as part of its New Chemicals Review program.

Standard Review Risk Assessment on Medium-chain and Long-chain Chlorinated paraffin PMN submissions by Qualice, LLC

Science.gov (United States)

This assessment was conducted under EPA’s TSCA Section 5 New Chemicals Program. EPA is assessing Medium-chain Chlorinated Paraffin (MCCP) and Long-Chain Chlorinated Paraffin (LCCP) chemicals as part of its New Chemicals Review program.

Medium-chain triglycerides in infant formulas and their relation to plasma ketone body concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, P Y; Edmond, J; Auestad, N; Rambathla, S; Benson, J; Picone, T

1986-04-01

A mild ketosis is known to prevail in the mother, fetus, and newborn infant during the 3rd trimester and in the early neonatal period. It has been shown that during an equivalent period in the rat ketone bodies are readily oxidized and serve as key substrates for lipogenesis in brain. Since medium-chain triglycerides are known to be ketogenic, preterm infants may benefit from dietary medium-chain triglycerides beyond the point of enhanced fat absorption. Our objective was to determine the ketogenic response in preterm infants (gestational age: 33 +/- 0.8 wk) fed three different isocaloric formulas by measuring the concentrations of 3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate in the plasma of these infants. At the time of entrance to the study the infants were receiving 110 kcal/kg/24 h. Study I (11 infants): the infants were fed sequentially in the order; PM 60/40 (PM), Special Care Formula (SCF), and Similac 20 (SIM). In SCF greater than 50% of the fat consists of medium-chain length fatty acids while PM and SIM contain about 25%. The concentration of 3-hydroxybutyrate in plasma was significantly higher when infants were fed SCF than PM and SIM [0.14 +/- 0.03, 0.06 +/- 0.01, and 0.05 +/- 0.01 mM, respectively (p less than 0.01)]. Study II (12 infants); the infants were fed SCF, then SIM, or the reverse. The concentration of acetoacetate in plasma was 0.05 +/- 0.01 and 0.03 +/- 0.01 mM when infants were fed SCF and SIM, respectively (0.1 greater than p greater than 0.05). The concentrations of 3-hydroxybutyrate in plasma were similar to those measured in study I for the respective formulas.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

How Chain Length and Charge Affect Surfactant Denaturation of Acyl Coenzyme A Binding Protein (ACBP)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Kell Kleiner; Otzen, Daniel

2009-01-01

maltoside (DDM). The aim has been to determine how surfactant chain length and micellar charge affect the denaturation mechanism. ACBP denatures in two steps irrespective of surfactant chain length, but with increasing chain length, the potency of the denaturant rises more rapidly than the critical micelle......Using intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, equilibria and kinetics of unfolding of acyl coenzyme A binding protein (ACBP) have been investigated in sodium alkyl sulfate surfactants of different chain length (8-16 carbon atoms) and with different proportions of the nonionic surfactant dodecyl...... constants increases linearly with denaturant concentration below the cmc but declines at higher concentrations. Both shortening chain length and decreasing micellar charge reduce the overall kinetics of unfolding and makes the dependence of unfolding rate constants on surfactant concentration more complex...

Novel Strategies for Production of Medium and High Chain Length Alcohols

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lopez Contreras, A.M.; Kuit, W.; Springer, J.; Claassen, P.A.M.

2011-01-01

Fermentation-derived ethanol is currently widely used as transport fuel, both as such or as a blending component in gasoline (Antoni et al. 2007; Mielenz 2001). However, longer chain alcohols have higher energy densities and are less soluble in water than ethanol, which are important advantages for

Effects of cloud-point grafting, chain length, and density of PEG layers on competitive adsorption of ocular proteins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kingshott, P.; Thissen, H.; Griesser, H.J.

2002-01-01

The effects of pinning density, chain length, and 'cloud point' (CP) versus non-CP grafting conditions have been studied on the ability of polyethylene glycol (PEG) layers to minimize adsorption from a multicomponent (lysozyme, human serum albumin (HSA), IgG and lactoferrin) protein solution...... density) r.f.g.d. polymer layers. The PEG graft density was varied also by increasing the temperature and salt (K2SO4) content of the grafting solution; it reached a maximum at the CP of the PEGs. The CP reaction conditions were critical for producing PEG layers capable of minimizing protein adsorption. X...... density and chain length are interrelated, but the key factor is optimization of PEG chain density by use of the CP conditions, provided that a sufficient density of pinning sites exists. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. Al l rights reserved....

Exploring the impact of the side-chain length on peptide/RNA binding events.

Science.gov (United States)

Sbicca, Lola; González, Alejandro López; Gresika, Alexandra; Di Giorgio, Audrey; Closa, Jordi Teixido; Tejedor, Roger Estrada; Andréola, Marie-Line; Azoulay, Stéphane; Patino, Nadia

2017-07-19

The impact of the amino-acid side-chain length on peptide-RNA binding events has been investigated using HIV-1 Tat derived peptides as ligands and the HIV-1 TAR RNA element as an RNA model. Our studies demonstrate that increasing the length of all peptide side-chains improves unexpectedly the binding affinity (K D ) but reduces the degree of compactness of the peptide-RNA complex. Overall, the side-chain length appears to modulate in an unpredictable way the ability of the peptide to compete with the cognate TAR RNA partner. Beyond the establishment of non-intuitive fundamental relationships, our results open up new perspectives in the design of effective RNA ligand competitors, since a large number of them have already been identified but few studies report on the modulation of the biological activity by modifying in the same way the length of all chains connecting RNA recognition motives to the central scaffold of a ligand.

Fermentative Extraction of Coconut Oil to Maintain a Quality of Medium Chain Fatty Acid

OpenAIRE

Salahudin, Farid; Supriyatna, Nana

2014-01-01

Coconut oil is healthy vegetable oil because it contains Medium Chain Fatty Acid (MCFA). The used of bleaching agent and excessive heating in coconut oil process will produce low quality oil (rancid). Therefore, it is necessary to processing that does not use chemicals and excessive heating such as fermentation using microbe and enzyme. The aim of this study was to find out the effect of bromelin enzyme concentration and Saccharomyces cereviceae fermentation to MCFA content in coconut oil. Th...

Standard Review Risk Assessment on Medium-chain and Long-chain Chlorinated paraffin PMN submissions by INEOS Chlor Americas

Science.gov (United States)

This assessment was conducted under EPA’s TSCA Section 5 New Chemicals Program. EPA is assessing Medium-chain Chlorinated Paraffin (MCCP) and Long-Chain Chlorinated Paraffin (LCCP) chemicals as part of its New Chemicals Review program.

Infinite coherence time of edge spins in finite-length chains

Science.gov (United States)

Maceira, Ivo A.; Mila, Frédéric

2018-02-01

Motivated by the recent observation that exponentially long coherence times can be achieved for edge spins in models with strong zero modes, we study the impact of level crossings in finite-length spin chains on the dynamics of the edge spins. Focusing on the X Y spin-1 /2 chain with a transverse or longitudinal magnetic field, two models relevant to understanding recent experimental results on cobalt adatoms, we show that the edge spins can remain coherent for an infinite time even for a finite-length chain if the magnetic field is tuned to a value at which there is a level crossing. Furthermore, we show that the edge spins remain coherent for any initial state for the integrable case of a transverse field because all states have level crossings at the same value of the field, while the coherence time is increasingly large for lower temperatures in the case of a longitudinal field, which is nonintegrable.

Incorporation of medium chain fatty acids into fish oil triglycerides by chemical and enzymatic inter esterification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feltes, M. M. C.; Oliveira de Pilot, L.; Gomes Correira, F.; Grimaldi, R.; Mara Block, J.; Ninow, J. L.

2009-07-01

Structured triglycerides (STs) containing both medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the same molecule offer nutritional and therapeutic benefits. The aim of this work was to establish the incorporation of MCFA into fish oil triglycerides (TAGs), while maintaining substantial levels of docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids. The effects of different acyl donors (capric acid methyl ester/MeC10 or medium chain triglyceride/TCM) and of the catalyst (chemical or enzymatic) on the fatty acid composition of the reaction product were studied. The fatty acid composition of the fish oil TAG was modified after inter esterification to contain MCFA, and it depended on the catalyst and on the substrates. Thermo grams obtained by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) showed that inter esterification promoted noteworthy changes in the melting profile of the samples. STs of clinical nutrition interest containing both EPA and DHA obtained from fish oil along with MCFA were successfully produced. (Author) 70 refs.

Impact of spherical inclusion mean chord length and radius distribution on three-dimensional binary stochastic medium particle transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brantley, Patrick S.; Martos, Jenny N.

2011-01-01

We describe a parallel benchmark procedure and numerical results for a three-dimensional binary stochastic medium particle transport benchmark problem. The binary stochastic medium is composed of optically thick spherical inclusions distributed in an optically thin background matrix material. We investigate three sphere mean chord lengths, three distributions for the sphere radii (constant, uniform, and exponential), and six sphere volume fractions ranging from 0.05 to 0.3. For each sampled independent material realization, we solve the associated transport problem using the Mercury Monte Carlo particle transport code. We compare the ensemble-averaged benchmark fiducial tallies of reflection from and transmission through the spatial domain as well as absorption in the spherical inclusion and background matrix materials. For the parameter values investigated, we find a significant dependence of the ensemble-averaged fiducial tallies on both sphere mean chord length and sphere volume fraction, with the most dramatic variation occurring for the transmission through the spatial domain. We find a weaker dependence of most benchmark tally quantities on the distribution describing the sphere radii, provided the sphere mean chord length used is the same in the different distributions. The exponential distribution produces larger differences from the constant distribution than the uniform distribution produces. The transmission through the spatial domain does exhibit a significant variation when an exponential radius distribution is used. (author)

Diffusion of radionuclide chains through an adsorbing medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkholder, H.C.; DeFigh-Price, C.

1977-01-01

The diffusion of radionuclide chains from an underground nuclear waste disposal site through the surrounding geologic medium to the surface is investigated for impulse and band releases. Numerical calculation of the analytical solutions shows that differences in adsorption characteristics among chain members and radioactive decay during transit reduce radionuclide discharges to the biosphere. Results suggest that molecular diffusion is unlikely to be an important transfer mechanism from geologic isolation, and that disposal of radionuclides in deep geologic formations and in the seabed under conditions of very low or nonexistent water flow is likely to be very effective in preventing radioactivity releases to the biosphere

Novel polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymers produced in Pseudomonas putida by metagenomic polyhydroxyalkanoate synthases.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Jiujun; Charles, Trevor C

2016-09-01

Bacterially produced biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) with versatile properties can be achieved using different PHA synthases (PhaCs). This work aims to expand the diversity of known PhaCs via functional metagenomics and demonstrates the use of these novel enzymes in PHA production. Complementation of a PHA synthesis-deficient Pseudomonas putida strain with a soil metagenomic cosmid library retrieved 27 clones expressing either class I, class II, or unclassified PHA synthases, and many did not have close sequence matches to known PhaCs. The composition of PHA produced by these clones was dependent on both the supplied growth substrates and the nature of the PHA synthase, with various combinations of short-chain-length (SCL) and medium-chain-length (MCL) PHA. These data demonstrate the ability to isolate diverse genes for PHA synthesis by functional metagenomics and their use for the production of a variety of PHA polymer and copolymer mixtures.

Neutron chain length distributions in subcritical systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nolen, S.D.; Spriggs, G.

1999-01-01

In this paper, the authors present the results of the chain-length distribution as a function of k in subcritical systems. These results were obtained from a point Monte Carlo code and a three-dimensional Monte Carlo code, MC++. Based on these results, they then attempt to explain why several of the common neutron noise techniques, such as the Rossi-α and Feynman's variance-to-mean techniques, are difficult to perform in highly subcritical systems using low-efficiency detectors

Superhydrophilic surfaces from short and medium chain solvo-surfactants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentin Romain

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Pure monoglycerides (GM-Cs and glycerol carbonate esters (GCE-Cs are two families of oleochemical molecules composed of a polar part, glycerol for GM-Cs, glycerol carbonate for GCE-Cs, and a fatty acid lipophilic part. From a chemical point of view, GM-Cs include two free oxygen atoms in the hydroxyl functions and one ester function between the fatty acid and the glycerol parts. GCE-Cs contain two blocked oxygen atoms in the cyclic carbonate backbone and three esters functions: two endocyclic in the five-membered cyclic carbonate function, one exocyclic between the fatty acid and glycerol carbonate parts. At the physico-chemical level, GMCs and GCE-Cs are multifunctional molecules with amphiphilic structures: a common hydrophobic chain to the both families and a polar head, glycerol for GMs and glycerol carbonate for GCE-Cs. Physicochemical properties depend on chain lengths, odd or even carbon numbers on the chain, and glyceryl or cyclocarbonic polar heads. The solvo-surfactant character of GM-Cs and overall GCE-Cs were discussed through the measurements of critical micellar concentration (CMC or critical aggregation concentration (CAC. These surface active glycerol esters/glycerol carbonate esters were classified following their hydrophilic/hydrophobic character correlated to their chain length (LogPoctanol/water = f(atom carbon number. Differential scanning calorimetry and optical polarized light microscopy allow us to highlight the selfassembling properties of the glycerol carbonate esters alone and in presence of water. We studied by thermal analysis the polymorphic behaviour of GCE-Cs, and the correlation between their melting points versus the chain lengths. Coupling the self-aggregation and crystallization properties, superhydrophilic surfaces were obtained by formulating GM-Cs and GCE-Cs. An efficient durable water-repellent coating of various metallic and polymeric surfaces was allowed. Such surfaces coated by self-assembled fatty acid

Novel odd/even effect of alkylene chain length on the photopolymerizability of organogelators.

Science.gov (United States)

Aoki, Ken'ichi; Kudo, Masabumi; Tamaoki, Nobuyuki

2004-10-28

[reaction: see text] Starting from diactylene diacarboxylic acids, we have synthesized a series of photopolymerizable organogelators that possess simple amide structures, different alkylene chain lengths, and either optically active or racemic 3,7-dimethyl-1-octylamine units. The alkylene chain length of these compounds exhibits a prominent odd/even effect with respect to the photopolymerization in the gel state and is accompanied by a stereostructural effect on the gelation ability.

The role of medium range order on phase transitions in chain silicates upon compression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serghiou, G; Chopelas, A; Boehler, R

2004-01-01

Raman spectroscopic measurements of the tetrahedrally coordinated crystal MnSiO 3 (rhodonite) in an argon pressure medium show that it becomes amorphous above 33 GPa. This observation consolidates our findings and explanation for the global structural trends exhibited by the extended chain silicate family AA'BO 3 (AA': Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe; B: Si) upon compression. In particular, crystals of this family are made of two types of building blocks coined P and C. Those crystals comprised solely of P blocks transform to dense higher coordinated crystalline phases; those comprised of P and C blocks, such as MnSiO 3 rhodonite, become amorphous; whereas those comprised solely of C blocks show both crystalline and amorphous regions upon compression. The reason that this medium range order length scale (building block scale) classification is correlated with the type of transitions taking place upon compression is due to the instability of C blocks and C-P interfaces with respect to P blocks and P-P interfaces at high pressures

An Assessment of Weight-Length Relationships for Muskellunge,Northern Pike, and Chain Pickerel In Carlander's Handbook of Freshwater Fishery Biology

OpenAIRE

Daviscourt, Joshua; Huertas, Joshua; Courtney, Michael

2011-01-01

Carlander's Handbook of Freshwater Fishery Biology (1969) contains life history data from many species of freshwater fish found in North America. It has been cited over 1200 times and used to produce standard-weight curves for some species. Recent work (Cole-Fletcher et al. 2011) suggests Carlander (1969) contains numerous errors in listed weight-length equations. This paper assesses the weight-length relationships listed in Carlander for muskellunge, northern pike, and chain pickerel by comp...

De novo fatty acid biosynthesis and elongation in very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase-deficient mice supplemented with odd or even medium-chain fatty acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucci, Sara; Behringer, Sidney; Spiekerkoetter, Ute

2015-11-01

An even medium-chain triglyceride (MCT)-based diet is the mainstay of treatment in very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD) deficiency (VLCADD). Previous studies with magnetic resonance spectroscopy have shown an impact of MCT on the average fatty acid chain length in abdominal fat. We therefore assume that medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are elongated and accumulate in tissue as long-chain fatty acids. In this study, we explored the hepatic effects of long-term supplementation with MCT or triheptanoin, an odd-chain C7-based triglyceride, in wild-type and VLCAD-deficient (VLCAD(-/-) ) mice after 1 year of supplementation as compared with a control diet. The de novo biosynthesis and elongation of fatty acids, and peroxisomal β-oxidation, were quantified by RT-PCR. This was followed by a comprehensive analysis of hepatic and cardiac fatty acid profiles by GC-MS. Long-term application of even and odd MCFAs strongly induced de novo biosynthesis and elongation of fatty acids in both wild-type and VLCAD(-/-) mice, leading to an alteration of the hepatic fatty acid profiles. We detected de novo-synthesized and elongated fatty acids, such as heptadecenoic acid (C17:1n9), eicosanoic acid (C20:1n9), erucic acid (C22:1n9), and mead acid (C20:3n9), that were otherwise completely absent in mice under control conditions. In parallel, the content of monounsaturated fatty acids was massively increased. Furthermore, we observed strong upregulation of peroxisomal β-oxidation in VLCAD(-/-) mice, especially when they were fed an MCT diet. Our data raise the question of whether long-term MCFA supplementation represents the most efficient treatment in the long term. Studies on the hepatic toxicity of triheptanoin are still ongoing. © 2015 FEBS.

With medium-chain triglycerides, higher and faster oxygen radical production by stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes occurs.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruimel, J W; Naber, A H; Curfs, J H; Wenker, M A; Jansen, J B

2000-01-01

Parenteral lipid emulsions are suspected of suppressing the immune function. However, study results are contradictory and mainly concern the conventional long-chain triglyceride emulsions. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes were preincubated with parenteral lipid emulsions. The influence of the lipid emulsions on the production of oxygen radicals by these stimulated leukocytes was studied by measuring chemiluminescence. Three different parenteral lipid emulsions were tested: long-chain triglycerides, a physical mixture of medium- and long-chain triglycerides, and structured triglycerides. Structured triglycerides consist of triglycerides where the medium- and long-chain fatty acids are attached to the same glycerol molecule. Stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes preincubated with the physical mixture of medium- and long-chain triglycerides showed higher levels of oxygen radicals (p triglycerides or structured triglycerides. Additional studies indicated that differences in results of various lipid emulsions were not caused by differences in emulsifier. The overall production of oxygen radicals was significantly lower after preincubation with the three lipid emulsions compared with controls without lipid emulsion. A physical mixture of medium- and long-chain triglycerides induced faster production of oxygen radicals, resulting in higher levels of oxygen radicals, compared with long-chain triglycerides or structured triglycerides. This can be detrimental in cases where oxygen radicals play either a pathogenic role or a beneficial one, such as when rapid phagocytosis and killing of bacteria is needed. The observed lower production of oxygen radicals by polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the presence of parenteral lipid emulsions may result in immunosuppression by these lipids.

Enabling the synthesis of medium chain alkanes and 1-alkenes in yeast

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Zhiwei; Zhou, Yongjin J.; Kang, Min Kyoung

2017-01-01

Microbial synthesis of medium chain aliphatic hydrocarbons, attractive drop-in molecules to gasoline and jet fuels, is a promising way to reduce our reliance on petroleum-based fuels. In this study, we enabled the synthesis of straight chain hydrocarbons (C7–C13) by yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae...

A reduction in growth rate of Pseudomonas putida KT2442 counteracts productivity advances in medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate production from gluconate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zinn Manfred

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The substitution of plastics based on fossil raw material by biodegradable plastics produced from renewable resources is of crucial importance in a context of oil scarcity and overflowing plastic landfills. One of the most promising organisms for the manufacturing of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHA is Pseudomonas putida KT2440 which can accumulate large amounts of polymer from cheap substrates such as glucose. Current research focuses on enhancing the strain production capacity and synthesizing polymers with novel material properties. Many of the corresponding protocols for strain engineering rely on the rifampicin-resistant variant, P. putida KT2442. However, it remains unclear whether these two strains can be treated as equivalent in terms of mcl-PHA production, as the underlying antibiotic resistance mechanism involves a modification in the RNA polymerase and thus has ample potential for interfering with global transcription. Results To assess PHA production in P. putida KT2440 and KT2442, we characterized the growth and PHA accumulation on three categories of substrate: PHA-related (octanoate, PHA-unrelated (gluconate and poor PHA substrate (citrate. The strains showed clear differences of growth rate on gluconate and citrate (reduction for KT2442 > 3-fold and > 1.5-fold, respectively but not on octanoate. In addition, P. putida KT2442 PHA-free biomass significantly decreased after nitrogen depletion on gluconate. In an attempt to narrow down the range of possible reasons for this different behavior, the uptake of gluconate and extracellular release of the oxidized product 2-ketogluconate were measured. The results suggested that the reason has to be an inefficient transport or metabolization of 2-ketogluconate while an alteration of gluconate uptake and conversion to 2-ketogluconate could be excluded. Conclusions The study illustrates that the recruitment of a pleiotropic mutation, whose effects might

The importance of chain length for the polyphosphate enhancement of acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, Brendan J; Adcock, Jacqui L; Nesterenko, Pavel N; Peristyy, Anton; Stevenson, Paul G; Barnett, Neil W; Conlan, Xavier A; Francis, Paul S

2014-09-09

Sodium polyphosphate is commonly used to enhance chemiluminescence reactions with acidic potassium permanganate through a dual enhancement mechanism, but commercially available polyphosphates vary greatly in composition. We have examined the influence of polyphosphate composition and concentration on both the dual enhancement mechanism of chemiluminescence intensity and the stability of the reagent under analytically useful conditions. The average chain length (n) provides a convenient characterisation, but materials with similar values can exhibit markedly different distributions of phosphate oligomers. There is a minimum polyphosphate chain length (∼6) required for a large enhancement of the emission intensity, but no further advantage was obtained using polyphosphate materials with much longer average chain lengths. Providing there is a sufficient average chain length, the optimum concentration of polyphosphate is dependent on the analyte and in some cases, may be lower than the quantities previously used in routine detection. However, the concentration of polyphosphate should not be lowered in permanganate reagents that have been partially reduced to form high concentrations of the key manganese(III) co-reactant, as this intermediate needs to be stabilised to prevent formation of insoluble manganese(IV). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Minor amounts of plasma medium-chain fatty acids and no improved time trial performance after consuming lipids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vistisen, Bodil; Nybo, L.; Xu, Xuebing

2003-01-01

after consumption of specific structured triacylglycerol, consisting of a mixture of medium-chain fatty acids and long-chain fatty acids, to prevent the adverse effects observed by MCT (pure medium-chain fatty acids) regarding gastrointestinal distress. Seven well-trained subjects cycled 3 h at 55......% of maximum 02 uptake during which they ingested CHO or CHO plus specific structured triacylglycerols. Immediately after the constant-load cycling, the subjects performed a time trial of similar to50-min duration. Breath and blood samples were obtained regularly during the experiment. Fatty acid composition...... of plasma triacylglycerols, fatty acids, and phospholipids was determined. Performance was similar after administration of CHO plus specific structured triacylglycerol [medium-, long-, and medium-chain fatty acid (MLM)] compared with CHO (50.0 +/- 1.8 and 50.8 +/- 3.6 min, respectively). No plasma 8...

Quantum discord length is enhanced while entanglement length is not by introducing disorder in a spin chain.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadhukhan, Debasis; Roy, Sudipto Singha; Rakshit, Debraj; Prabhu, R; Sen De, Aditi; Sen, Ujjwal

2016-01-01

Classical correlation functions of ground states typically decay exponentially and polynomially, respectively, for gapped and gapless short-range quantum spin systems. In such systems, entanglement decays exponentially even at the quantum critical points. However, quantum discord, an information-theoretic quantum correlation measure, survives long lattice distances. We investigate the effects of quenched disorder on quantum correlation lengths of quenched averaged entanglement and quantum discord, in the anisotropic XY and XYZ spin glass and random field chains. We find that there is virtually neither reduction nor enhancement in entanglement length while quantum discord length increases significantly with the introduction of the quenched disorder.

Risk assessment of Short and Medium Chain Chlorinated Paraffin’s (SCCP and MCCP)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Frans Møller; Olsen, Stig Irving

2002-01-01

findings of the Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffin (SCCP) and the draft Medium Chain Chlorinated Paraffin (MCCP) risk assessments. The political actions taken as a consequence of the assessments are also described. The risk assessments have been prepared according to the EU Technical Guidance Document (TGD...

Photoluminescence decay lifetime measurements of hemicyanine derivatives of different alkyl chain lengths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shim, Taekyu; Lee, Myounghee; Kim, Sungho; Sung, Jaeho; Rhee, Bum Ku; Kim, Doseok; Kim, Hyunsung; Yoon, Kyung Byung

2004-01-01

The fluorescence upconversion setup for the detection of photoluminescence (PL) decay lifetime with subpicosecond time resolution was constructed, and the photoluminescence phenomena of several hemicyanine dyes with alkyl chains of different chain lengths tethered to the N atom of the pyridine moiety (HC-n, n=6, 15, 22) in methanol were investigated. The average decay lifetimes of the solutions determined from the measured data by multi-order exponential decay curve fitting were ∼27 ps at the PL peak wavelength. It was found that the PL decay properties did not depend on the alkyl chain length in the molecule, implying that the twist of the alkylpyridinium ring of the molecule is not possible as a nonfluorescing relaxation pathway. The time-dependent PL spectra constructed from the PL lifetime data showed the dynamic Stokes shift of ∼1000 cm -1

Diversion of phagosome trafficking by pathogenic Rhodococcus equi depends on mycolic acid chain length.

Science.gov (United States)

Sydor, Tobias; von Bargen, Kristine; Hsu, Fong-Fu; Huth, Gitta; Holst, Otto; Wohlmann, Jens; Becken, Ulrike; Dykstra, Tobias; Söhl, Kristina; Lindner, Buko; Prescott, John F; Schaible, Ulrich E; Utermöhlen, Olaf; Haas, Albert

2013-03-01

Rhodococcus equi is a close relative of Mycobacterium spp. and a facultative intracellular pathogen which arrests phagosome maturation in macrophages before the late endocytic stage. We have screened a transposon mutant library of R. equi for mutants with decreased capability to prevent phagolysosome formation. This screen yielded a mutant in the gene for β-ketoacyl-(acyl carrier protein)-synthase A (KasA), a key enzyme of the long-chain mycolic acid synthesizing FAS-II system. The longest kasA mutant mycolic acid chains were 10 carbon units shorter than those of wild-type bacteria. Coating of non-pathogenic E. coli with purified wild-type trehalose dimycolate reduced phagolysosome formation substantially which was not the case with shorter kasA mutant-derived trehalose dimycolate. The mutant was moderately attenuated in macrophages and in a mouse infection model, but was fully cytotoxic.Whereas loss of KasA is lethal in mycobacteria, R. equi kasA mutant multiplication in broth was normal proving that long-chain mycolic acid compounds are not necessarily required for cellular integrity and viability of the bacteria that typically produce them. This study demonstrates a central role of mycolic acid chain length in diversion of trafficking by R. equi. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Effects of solubilization of short and medium-chain molecules in the self-assembly of two amphiphilic drugs in solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbosa, Silvia; Cheema, Mohammad Arif; Siddiq, Mohammad; Taboada, Pablo; Mosquera, Victor

2009-01-01

The effect of short and medium chain length alcohols ethanol, propanol, and butanol on the thermodynamic properties of aqueous solutions of the ionic amphiphilic antidepressants imipramine and clomipramine hydrochlorides has been investigated at T = 293 K. Critical concentrations of the drugs were obtained from ultrasound velocity measurements. Experimental results have shown a strong dependence of the ultrasound velocity with the alcohol concentration and chain length. Differences in the aggregate properties of both amphiphiles arise from the presence of the extra Cl - substituent on the ring system of clomipramine. Density and ultrasound measurements have been used to obtain the apparent molar volumes, V φ , and isentropic apparent molar compressibilities, K φ(S) , for the aqueous drug/water-alcohol solutions. The distribution coefficient of the amount solubilized between water and the aggregates, K, has been determined using an indirect method based on the pseudo-phase model by using apparent molar volume values. This method allows the calculation of the distribution coefficients at concentrations below saturation. The standard molar Gibbs free energy change on transfer from the aqueous to the micellar, ΔG 0 , phase was calculated from the partition coefficient. The results have highlighted the structural differences between both amphiphiles

Selective deuteration for molecular insights into the digestion of medium chain triglycerides.

Science.gov (United States)

Salentinig, Stefan; Yepuri, Nageshwar Rao; Hawley, Adrian; Boyd, Ben J; Gilbert, Elliot; Darwish, Tamim A

2015-09-01

Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) are a unique form of dietary fat that have a wide range of health benefits. They are molecules with a glycerol backbone esterified with medium chain (6-12 carbon atoms) fatty acids on the two outer (sn-1 and sn-3) and the middle (sn-2) positions. During lipid digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, pancreatic lipase stereoselectively hydrolyses the ester bonds of these triglycerides on the sn-1 and sn-3 positions resulting in sn-2 monoglyceride and fatty acids as major products. However, the sn-2 monoglycerides are thermodynamically less stable than their sn-1/3 counterparts. Isomerization or fatty acid migration from the sn-2 monoglyceride to sn-1/3 monoglyceride may occur spontaneously and would lead to glycerol and fatty acid as final products. Here, tricaprin (C10) with selectively deuterated fatty acid chains was used for the first time to monitor chain migration and the stereoselectivity of the pancreatic lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of ester bonds. The intermediate and final digestion products were studied using NMR and mass spectrometry under biologically relevant conditions. The hydrolysis of the sn-2 monocaprin to glycerol and capric acid did not occur within biologically relevant timescales and fatty acid migration occurs only in limited amounts as a result of the presence of undigested diglyceride species over long periods of time in the digestion medium. The slow kinetics for the exchange of the sn-2 fatty acid chain and the stereoselectivity of pancreatic lipase on MCTs is relevant for industrial processes that involve enzymatic interesterification and the production of high-value products such as specific structured triacylglycerols, confectionery fats and nutritional products. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extraction of medium chain fatty acids from organic municipal waste and subsequent production of bio-based fuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Kannengiesser, Jan; Sakaguchi-Söder, Kaori; Mrukwia, Timo; Jager, Johannes; Schebek, Liselotte

2016-01-01

This paper provides an overview on investigations for a new technology to generate bio-based fuel additives from bio-waste. The investigations are taking place at the composting plant in Darmstadt-Kranichstein (Germany). The aim is to explore the potential of bio-waste as feedstock in producing different bio-based products (or bio-based fuels). For this investigation, a facultative anaerobic process is to be integrated into the normal aerobic waste treatment process for composting. The bio-waste is to be treated in four steps to produce biofuels. The first step is the facultative anaerobic treatment of the waste in a rotting box namely percolate to generate a fatty-acid rich liquid fraction. The Hydrolysis takes place in the rotting box during the waste treatment. The organic compounds are then dissolved and transferred into the waste liquid phase. Browne et al. (2013) describes the hydrolysis as an enzymatically degradation of high solid substrates to soluble products which are further degraded to volatile fatty acids (VFA). This is confirmed by analytical tests done on the liquid fraction. After the percolation, volatile and medium chain fatty acids are found in the liquid phase. Concentrations of fatty acids between 8.0 and 31.5 were detected depending on the nature of the input material. In the second step, a fermentation process will be initiated to produce additional fatty acids. Existing microorganism mass is activated to degrade the organic components that are still remaining in the percolate. After fermentation the quantity of fatty acids in four investigated reactors increased 3-5 times. While fermentation mainly non-polar fatty acids (pentanoic to octanoic acid) are build. Next to the fermentation process, a chain-elongation step is arranged by adding ethanol to the fatty acid rich percolate. While these investigations a chain-elongation of mainly fatty acids with pair numbers of carbon atoms (acetate, butanoic and hexanoic acid) are demonstrated. After

Enhanced Bioavailability of Curcumin Nanoemulsions Stabilized with Phosphatidylcholine Modified with Medium Chain Fatty Acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Ochoa-Flores, Angélica A; Hernández-Becerra, Josafat A; Cavazos-Garduño, Adriana; Soto-Rodríguez, Ida; Sanchez-Otero, Maria Guadalupe; Vernon-Carter, Eduardo J; García, Hugo S

2017-01-01

Curcumin is a natural, oil-soluble polyphenolic compound with potent anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. In its free form, it is very poorly absorbed in the gut due to its very low solubility. The use of nanoemulsions as carrier is a feasible way for improving curcumin bioavailability. To this end, the choice of emulsifying agent for stabilizing the nanoemulsions is of the upmost importance for achieving a desired functionality. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidycholine enriched (PCE) with medium chain fatty acids (42.5 mol %) in combination with glycerol as co-surfactant, were used for preparing oil-in water nanoemulsions coded as NEPC and NEPCE, respectively. NEPCE displayed significantly smaller mean droplet size (30 nm), equal entrapment efficiency (100%), better droplet stability and suffered lower encapsulation efficiency loss (3%) during storage time (120 days, 4ºC) than NEPC. Bioavailability, measured in terms of area under the curve of curcumin concentration versus time, and maximum curcumin plasma concentration, was in general terms significantly higher for NEPCE than for NEPC, and for curcumin coarse aqueous suspension (CCS). Also, NEPCE produced significantly higher curcumin concentrations in liver and lung than NEPC and CCS. These data support the role of phosphatidylcholine enriched with medium chain fatty acids to increase the bioavailability of nanoemulsions for therapeutic applications. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Critical determinant of intestinal permeability and oral bioavailability of pegylated all trans-retinoic acid prodrug-based nanomicelles: Chain length of poly (ethylene glycol) corona.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhenbao; Han, Xiaopeng; Zhai, Yinglei; Lian, He; Zhang, Dong; Zhang, Wenjuan; Wang, Yongjun; He, Zhonggui; Liu, Zheng; Sun, Jin

2015-06-01

Pegylation method is widely used to prolong the blood circulation time of proteins and nanoparticles after intravenous administration, but the effect of surface poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain length on oral absorption of the pegylated nanoparticles is poorly reported. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of PEG corona chain length on membrane permeability and oral bioavailability of the amphiphilic pegylated prodrug-based nanomicelles, taking all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) as a model drug. The amphiphilic ATRA-PEG conjugates were synthesized by esterification reaction between all trans-retinoic acid and mPEGs (mPEG500, mPEG1000, mPEG2000, and mPEG5000). The conjugates could self-assemble in aqueous medium to form nanomicelles by emulsion-solvent evaporation method. The resultant nanomicelles were in spherical shape with an average diameter of 13-20 nm. The drug loading efficiency of ATRA-PEG500, ATRA-PEG1000, ATRA-PEG2000, and ATRA-PEG5000 was about 38.4, 26.6, 13.1, and 5.68 wt%, respectively. With PEG chain length ranging from 500 to 5000, ATRA-PEG nanomicelles exhibited a bell shape of chemical stability in different pH buffers, intestinal homogenate and plasma. More importantly, they were all rapidly hydrolyzed into the parent drug in hepatic homogenate, with the half-time values being 0.3-0.4h. In comparison to ATRA solution and ATRA prodrug-based nanomicelles, ATRA-PEG1000 showed the highest intestinal permeability. After oral administration, ATRA-PEG2000 and ATRA-PEG5000 nanomicelles were not nearly absorbed, while the oral bioavailability of ATRA-PEG500 and ATRA-PEG1000 demonstrated about 1.2- and 2.0-fold higher than ATRA solution. Our results indicated that PEG1000 chain length of ATRA-PEG prodrug nanomicelles has the optimal oral bioavailability probably due to improved stability and balanced mucus penetration capability and cell binding, and that the PEG chain length on a surface of nanoparticles cannot exceed a key threshold with

Abnormal glycogen chain length pattern, not hyperphosphorylation, is critical in Lafora disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Nitschke, Felix; Sullivan, Mitchell A; Wang, Peixiang; Zhao, Xiaochu; Chown, Erin E; Perri, Ami M; Israelian, Lori; Juana-López, Lucia; Bovolenta, Paola; Rodríguez de Córdoba, Santiago; Steup, Martin; Minassian, Berge A

2017-07-01

Lafora disease (LD) is a fatal progressive epilepsy essentially caused by loss-of-function mutations in the glycogen phosphatase laforin or the ubiquitin E3 ligase malin. Glycogen in LD is hyperphosphorylated and poorly hydrosoluble. It precipitates and accumulates into neurotoxic Lafora bodies (LBs). The leading LD hypothesis that hyperphosphorylation causes the insolubility was recently challenged by the observation that phosphatase-inactive laforin rescues the laforin-deficient LD mouse model, apparently through correction of a general autophagy impairment. We were for the first time able to quantify brain glycogen phosphate. We also measured glycogen content and chain lengths, LBs, and autophagy markers in several laforin- or malin-deficient mouse lines expressing phosphatase-inactive laforin. We find that: (i) in laforin-deficient mice, phosphatase-inactive laforin corrects glycogen chain lengths, and not hyperphosphorylation, which leads to correction of glycogen amounts and prevention of LBs; (ii) in malin-deficient mice, phosphatase-inactive laforin confers no correction; (iii) general impairment of autophagy is not necessary in LD We conclude that laforin's principle function is to control glycogen chain lengths, in a malin-dependent fashion, and that loss of this control underlies LD. © 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

Vaporization enthalpies of imidazolium based ionic liquids. A thermogravimetric study of the alkyl chain length dependence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verevkin, Sergey P.; Zaitsau, Dzmitry H.; Emel’yanenko, Vladimir N.; Ralys, Ricardas V.; Yermalayeu, Andrei V.; Schick, Christoph

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Enthalpies of vaporization of ionic liquids were measured with thermogravimetry. ► We studied 1-alkyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide. ► The linear alkyl chain length was 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 C-atoms. ► A linear dependence on the chain length of the alkyl-imidazolium cation was found. - Abstract: Vaporization enthalpies for a series of ten ionic liquids (ILs) 1-alkyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide [C n mim][NTf 2 ], with the alkyl chain length n = 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 were determined using the thermogravimetric method. An internally consistent set of experimental data and vaporization enthalpies at 540 K was obtained. Vaporization enthalpies at 540 K have shown a linear dependence on the chain length of the alkyl-imidazolium cation in agreement with the experimental results measured previously with a quartz crystal microbalance. Ambiguity of Δ l g C pm o -values required for the extrapolation of experimental vaporization enthalpies to the reference temperature 298 K has been discussed.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management in Small and Medium Enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Kot

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The sector of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs plays a key role in the economies of all of the countries in the world. These entities constitute the basis for the development of the national and global economies. In a contemporary complex and competitive business environment, the adaptation of appropriate strategies is a particularly important effort to furthering the development of companies from the SMEs sector. In this context, the application of the concept of sustainable supply chain management (SCM in the operation strategy of SMEs seems to be a very important function. This supply chain also covers all three aspects of sustainable development: business, environmental, and social. The purpose of this article is to present the current state of the research in sustainable development in relation to managing the supply chain of SMEs, as well as the empirical findings in this area. The results found that all of the sustainability areas were very important in the supply chain management practices of the studied SMEs, despite the imbalance described in the literature. The study also presents the most important elements in the particular sustainability areas of SCM and SMEs.

Esterification of fatty acids using nylon-immobilized lipase in n-hexane: kinetic parameters and chain-length effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaidi, A; Gainer, J L; Carta, G; Mrani, A; Kadiri, T; Belarbi, Y; Mir, A

2002-02-28

The esterification of long-chain fatty acids in n-hexane catalyzed by nylon-immobilized lipase from Candida rugosa has been investigated. Butyl oleate (22 carbon atoms), oleyl butyrate (22 carbon atoms) and oleyl oleate (36 carbon atoms) were produced at maximum reaction rates of approximately equal to 60 mmol h(-1) g(-1) immobilized enzyme when the substrates were present in equimolar proportions at an initial concentration of 0.6 mol l(-1). The observed kinetic behavior of all the esterification reactions is found to follow a ping-pong bi-bi mechanism with competitive inhibition by both substrates. The effect of the chain-length of the fatty acids and the alcohols could be correlated to some mechanistic models, in accordance with the calculated kinetic parameters.

Mechanisms of action for the medium-chain triglyceride ketogenic diet in neurological and metabolic disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Augustin, Katrin; Khabbush, Aziza; Williams, Sophie; Eaton, Simon; Orford, Michael; Cross, J Helen; Heales, Simon J R; Walker, Matthew C; Williams, Robin S B

2018-01-01

High-fat, low-carbohydrate diets, known as ketogenic diets, have been used as a non-pharmacological treatment for refractory epilepsy. A key mechanism of this treatment is thought to be the generation of ketones, which provide brain cells (neurons and astrocytes) with an energy source that is more efficient than glucose, resulting in beneficial downstream metabolic changes, such as increasing adenosine levels, which might have effects on seizure control. However, some studies have challenged the central role of ketones because medium-chain fatty acids, which are part of a commonly used variation of the diet (the medium-chain triglyceride ketogenic diet), have been shown to directly inhibit AMPA receptors (glutamate receptors), and to change cell energetics through mitochondrial biogenesis. Through these mechanisms, medium-chain fatty acids rather than ketones are likely to block seizure onset and raise seizure threshold. The mechanisms underlying the ketogenic diet might also have roles in other disorders, such as preventing neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease, the proliferation and spread of cancer, and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. Analysing medium-chain fatty acids in future ketogenic diet studies will provide further insights into their importance in modified forms of the diet. Moreover, the results of these studies could facilitate the development of new pharmacological and dietary therapies for epilepsy and other disorders. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Well-defined block copolymers for gene delivery to dendritic cells: probing the effect of polycation chain-length.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Rupei; Palumbo, R Noelle; Nagarajan, Lakshmi; Krogstad, Emily; Wang, Chun

2010-03-03

The development of safe and efficient polymer carriers for DNA vaccine delivery requires mechanistic understanding of structure-function relationship of the polymer carriers and their interaction with antigen-presenting cells. Here we have synthesized a series of diblock copolymers with well-defined chain-length using atom transfer radical polymerization and characterized the influence of polycation chain-length on the physico-chemical properties of the polymer/DNA complexes as well as the interaction with dendritic cells. The copolymers consist of a hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) block and a cationic poly(aminoethyl methacrylate) (PAEM) block. The average degree of polymerization (DP) of the PAEM block was varied among 19, 39, and 75, with nearly uniform distribution. With increasing PAEM chain-length, polyplexes formed by the diblock copolymers and plasmid DNA had smaller average particle size and showed higher stability against electrostatic destabilization by salt and heparin. The polymers were not toxic to mouse dendritic cells (DCs) and only displayed chain-length-dependent toxicity at a high concentration (1mg/mL). In vitro gene transfection efficiency and polyplex uptake in DCs were also found to correlate with chain-length of the PAEM block with the longer polymer chain favoring transfection and cellular uptake. The polyplexes induced a modest up-regulation of surface markers for DC maturation that was not significantly dependent on PAEM chain-length. Finally, the polyplex prepared from the longest PAEM block (DP of 75) achieved an average of 20% enhancement over non-condensed anionic dextran in terms of uptake by DCs in the draining lymph nodes 24h after subcutaneous injection into mice. Insights gained from studying such structurally well-defined polymer carriers and their interaction with dendritic cells may contribute to improved design of practically useful DNA vaccine delivery systems. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Option contracts in fresh produce supply chain with circulation loss

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chong Wang

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate management decisions via option contracts in a two-stage supply chain in which a fresh produce supplier sells to a retailer, considering the circulation loss of the fresh produce. Design/methodology/approach: Authors propose a Stackelberg model to analyze the supply chain members’ decisions in the decentralized supply chain compared with the integrated one under the newsvendor framework. Findings: The results illustrate that there exists a unique optimal option order quantity for the retailer and a unique optimal option order price for the supplier giving certain conditions; furthermore, option contracts cannot coordinate the fresh produce supply chain when the retailer only orders options. Originality/value: Agricultural products especially fresh produce’s characteristics such as circulation loss and high risk are considered. Option contracts and game theory are combined to manage the fresh produce supply chain’s risk. The proposed tool and models are hoped to shed light to the future works in the field of supply chain risk management.

Measurement of Debye length in laser-produced plasma.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehler, W.

1973-01-01

The Debye length of an expanded plasma created by placing an evacuated chamber with an entrance slit in the path of a freely expanding laser produced plasma was measured, using the slab geometry. An independent measurement of electron density together with the observed value for the Debye length also provided a means for evaluating the plasma electron temperature. This temperature has applications in ascertaining plasma conductivity and magnetic field necessary for confinement of the laser produced plasma. Also, the temperature obtained would be useful in analyzing electron-ion recombination rates in the expanded plasma and the dynamics of the cooling process of the plasma expansion.

Resonance chains in open systems, generalized zeta functions and clustering of the length spectrum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barkhofen, S; Faure, F; Weich, T

2014-01-01

In many non-integrable open systems in physics and mathematics, resonances have been found to be surprisingly ordered along curved lines in the complex plane. In this article we provide a unifying approach to these resonance chains by generalizing dynamical zeta functions. By means of a detailed numerical study we show that these generalized zeta functions explain the mechanism that creates the chains of quantum resonance and classical Ruelle resonances for three-disk systems as well as geometric resonances on Schottky surfaces. We also present a direct system-intrinsic definition of the continuous lines on which the resonances are strung together as a projection of an analytic variety. Additionally, this approach shows that the existence of resonance chains is directly related to a clustering of the classical length spectrum on multiples of a base length. Finally, this link is used to construct new examples where several different structures of resonance chains coexist. (paper)

Knotting dynamics of DNA chains of different length confined in nanochannels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suma, Antonio; Micheletti, Cristian; Orlandini, Enzo

2015-01-01

Langevin dynamics simulations are used to characterize the typical mechanisms governing the spontaneous tying, untying and the dynamical evolution of knots in coarse-grained models of DNA chains confined in nanochannels. In particular we focus on how these mechanisms depend on the chain contour length, L c , at a fixed channel width D = 56 nm corresponding to the onset of the Odijk scaling regime where chain backfoldings and hence knots are disfavoured but not suppressed altogether. We find that the lifetime of knots grows significantly with L c , while that of unknots varies to a lesser extent. The underlying kinetic mechanisms are clarified by analysing the evolution of the knot position along the chain. At the considered confinement, in fact, knots are typically tied by local backfoldings of the chain termini where they are eventually untied after a stochastic motion along the chain. Consequently, the lifetime of unknots is mostly controlled by backfoldings events at the chain ends, which is largely independent of L c . The lifetime of knots, instead, increases significantly with L c because knots can, on average, travel farther along the chain before being untied. The observed interplay of knots and unknots lifetimes underpins the growth of the equilibrium knotting probability of longer and longer chains at fixed channel confinement. (paper)

Overexpression of O-polysaccharide chain length regulators in Gram-negative bacteria using the Wzx-/Wzy-dependent pathway enhances production of defined modal length O-polysaccharide polymers for use as haptens in glycoconjugate vaccines.

Science.gov (United States)

Hegerle, N; Bose, J; Ramachandran, G; Galen, J E; Levine, M M; Simon, R; Tennant, S M

2018-03-30

O-polysaccharide (OPS) molecules are protective antigens for several bacterial pathogens, and have broad utility as components of glycoconjugate vaccines. Variability in the OPS chain length is one obstacle towards further development of these vaccines. Introduction of sizing steps during purification of OPS molecules of suboptimal or of mixed lengths introduces additional costs and complexity while decreasing the final yield. The overall goal of this study was to demonstrate the utility of engineering Gram-negative bacteria to produce homogenous O-polysaccharide populations that can be used as the basis of carbohydrate vaccines by overexpressing O-polysaccharide chain length regulators of the Wzx-/Wzy-dependent pathway. The O-polysaccharide chain length regulators wzzB and fepE from Salmonella Typhimurium I77 and wzz2 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 were cloned and expressed in the homologous organism or in other Gram-negative bacteria. Overexpression of these Wzz proteins in the homologous organism significantly increased the proportion of long or very long chain O-polysaccharides. The same observation was made when wzzB was overexpressed in Salmonella Paratyphi A and Shigella flexneri, and wzz2 was overexpressed in two other strains of P. aeruginosa. Overexpression of Wzz proteins in Gram-negative bacteria using the Wzx/Wzy-dependant pathway for lipopolysaccharide synthesis provides a genetic method to increase the production of an O-polysaccharide population of a defined size. The methods presented herein represent a cost-effective and improved strategy for isolating preferred OPS vaccine haptens, and could facilitate the further use of O-polysaccharides in glycoconjugate vaccine development. © 2018 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Branched-chain fatty acid biosynthesis in a branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase mutant of Staphylococcus carnosus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beck, Hans Christian

2005-01-01

Fatty acid biosynthesis by a mutant strain of Staphylococcus carnosus deficient in branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase (IlvE) activity was analysed. This mutant was unable to produce the appropriate branched-chain alpha-ketoacid precursors for branched-chain fatty acid biosynthesis from...... in rich medium and growth in defined medium supplemented with 2-methylpropanoic acid lead to extensive alteration of the fatty acid composition in the cell membrane. In rich medium, a change from 51.7% to 17.1% anteiso-C15:0, and from 3.6% to 33.9% iso-C14:0 fatty acids as compared to the wild-type strain...... for 2-methylpropanoic acid production, revealing that the IlvE protein plays an important, but not essential role in the biosynthesis of branched-chain fatty acids and secondary metabolites in S. carnosus....

Expected value of finite fission chain lengths of pulse reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jianjun; Zhou Zhigao; Zhang Ben'ai

2007-01-01

The average neutron population necessary for sponsoring a persistent fission chain in a multiplying system, is discussed. In the point reactor model, the probability function θ(n, t 0 , t) of a source neutron at time t 0 leading to n neutrons at time t is dealt with. The non-linear partial differential equation for the probability generating function G(z; t 0 , t) is derived. By solving the equation, we have obtained an approximate analytic solution for a slightly prompt supercritical system. For the pulse reactor Godiva-II, the mean value of finite fission chain lengths is estimated in this work and shows that the estimated value is reasonable for the experimental analysis. (authors)

Increasing the Thermal Conductivity of Graphene-Polyamide-6,6 Nanocomposites by Surface-Grafted Polymer Chains: Calculation with Molecular Dynamics and Effective-Medium Approximation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yangyang; Müller-Plathe, Florian

2016-02-25

By employing reverse nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations in a full atomistic resolution, the effect of surface-grafted chains on the thermal conductivity of graphene-polyamide-6.6 (PA) nanocomposites has been investigated. The interfacial thermal conductivity perpendicular to the graphene plane is proportional to the grafting density, while it first increases and then saturates with the grafting length. Meanwhile, the intrinsic in-plane thermal conductivity of graphene drops sharply as the grafting density increases. The maximum overall thermal conductivity of nanocomposites appears at an intermediate grafting density because of these two competing effects. The thermal conductivity of the composite parallel to the graphene plane increases with the grafting density and grafting length which is attributed to better interfacial coupling between graphene and PA. There exists an optimal balance between grafting density and grafting length to obtain the highest interfacial and parallel thermal conductivity. Two empirical formulas are suggested, which quantitatively account for the effects of grafting length and density on the interfacial and parallel thermal conductivity. Combined with effective medium approximation, for ungrafted graphene in random orientation, the model overestimates the thermal conductivity at low graphene volume fraction (f 10%). For unoriented grafted graphene, the model matches the experimental results well. In short, this work provides some valuable guides to obtain the nanocomposites with high thermal conductivity by grafting chain on the surface of graphene.

Comparison of Chain-Length Preferences and Glucan Specificities of Isoamylase-Type α-Glucan Debranching Enzymes from Rice, Cyanobacteria, and Bacteria.

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Taiki Kobayashi

Full Text Available It has been believed that isoamylase (ISA-type α-glucan debranching enzymes (DBEs play crucial roles not only in α-glucan degradation but also in the biosynthesis by affecting the structure of glucans, although molecular basis on distinct roles of the individual DBEs has not fully understood. In an attempt to relate the roles of DBEs to their chain-length specificities, we analyzed the chain-length distribution of DBE enzymatic reaction products by using purified DBEs from various sources including rice, cyanobacteria, and bacteria. When DBEs were incubated with phytoglycogen, their chain-length specificities were divided into three groups. First, rice endosperm ISA3 (OsISA3 and Eschericia coli GlgX (EcoGlgX almost exclusively debranched chains having degree of polymerization (DP of 3 and 4. Second, OsISA1, Pseudomonas amyloderamosa ISA (PsaISA, and rice pullulanase (OsPUL could debranch a wide range of chains of DP≧3. Third, both cyanobacteria ISAs, Cyanothece ATCC 51142 ISA (CytISA and Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 ISA (ScoISA, showed the intermediate chain-length preference, because they removed chains of mainly DP3-4 and DP3-6, respectively, while they could also react to chains of DP5-10 and 7-13 to some extent, respectively. In contrast, all these ISAs were reactive to various chains when incubated with amylopectin. In addition to a great variation in chain-length preferences among various ISAs, their activities greatly differed depending on a variety of glucans. Most strikingly, cyannobacteria ISAs could attack branch points of pullulan to a lesser extent although no such activity was found in OsISA1, OsISA3, EcoGlgX, and PsaISA. Thus, the present study shows the high possibility that varied chain-length specificities of ISA-type DBEs among sources and isozymes are responsible for their distinct functions in glucan metabolism.

Ion solvation in polymer blends and block copolymer melts: effects of chain length and connectivity on the reorganization of dipoles.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Issei

2014-05-29

We studied the thermodynamic properties of ion solvation in polymer blends and block copolymer melts and developed a dipolar self-consistent field theory for polymer mixtures. Our theory accounts for the chain connectivity of polymerized monomers, the compressibility of the liquid mixtures under electrostriction, the permanent and induced dipole moments of monomers, and the resultant dielectric contrast among species. In our coarse-grained model, dipoles are attached to the monomers and allowed to rotate freely in response to electrostatic fields. We demonstrate that a strong electrostatic field near an ion reorganizes dipolar monomers, resulting in nonmonotonic changes in the volume fraction profile and the dielectric function of the polymers with respect to those of simple liquid mixtures. For the parameter sets used, the spatial variations near an ion can be in the range of 1 nm or larger, producing significant differences in the solvation energy among simple liquid mixtures, polymer blends, and block copolymers. The solvation energy of an ion depends substantially on the chain length in block copolymers; thus, our theory predicts the preferential solvation of ions arising from differences in chain length.

Opinions on Fresh Produce Food Safety and Quality Standards by Fresh Produce Supply Chain Experts from the Global South and North.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacxsens, Liesbeth; Van Boxstael, Sigrid; Nanyunja, Jessica; Jordaan, Danie; Luning, Pieternel; Uyttendaele, Mieke

2015-10-01

This study describes the results of an on-line survey of fresh produce supply chain experts who work with producers from the Global North (n = 41, 20 countries) and the Global South (n = 63, 29 countries). They expressed their opinion using 1 to 5 Likert scales on several items related to four types of food safety and quality standards and legislation: Codex Alimentarius standards, European Union legislation, national legislation, and private standards. The results reflect the different circumstances under which the Southern and Northern producers operate in relation to the local organization, regulation, and support of the sector; but they also indicate similar challenges, in particular, the challenge of private standards, which were perceived to demand a higher implementation effort than the other three types of standards. Private standards were also strongly perceived to exclude Southern and Northern small- and medium-scale producers from high-value markets, whereas European Union legislation was perceived to strongly exclude, in particular, small- and medium-scale Southern producers. The results further highlight concerns about costly control measures and third-party certification that are required by downstream buyers but that are mostly paid for by upstream suppliers. Food standards are seen in their dual role as a catalyst for implementation of structured food safety management systems on the one hand and as a nontariff barrier to trade on the other hand. The results of the survey also pointed up the advantages of enforcing food safety and food quality standards in terms of knowledge spillover to noncertified activities, increased revenues, and improved food safety of delivered produce. Survey results highlight the importance of technical assistance and support of producers by governments and producer cooperatives or trade associations in the implementation and certification of food standards, along with increased awareness of and training of individuals in

Spectral sensitization of TiO2 by new hemicyanine dyes in dye solar cell yielding enhanced photovoltage: Probing chain length effect on performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fadadu, Kishan B.; Soni, Saurabh S.

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: New hemicyanine dyes based on indolenine moiety were utilized as light harvesting materials in dye sensitized solar cell. Chain lengths of the molecules were varied in order to study its effect of chain length on the performance of DSSC. Electron transfer kinetic of the solar cell was studied and it was found that the chain length changes the electron transfer kinetic. We have achieved remarkable photovoltage and overall performance of DSSC. Highlights: ► New hemicyanine dyes based on indolenine moiety were utilized as light harvesting materials in dye sensitized solar cell. ► Chain lengths of the molecules were varied in order to study its effect of chain length on the performance of DSSC. ► Electron transfer kinetic of the solar cell was studied and it was found that the chain length changes the electron transfer kinetic. -- Abstract: New hemicyanine dyes having indole nucleus with different alkyl chain length were synthesized and characterized using 1 H NMR and mass spectroscopy. These dyes were used to sensitize the TiO 2 film in dye sensitized solar cell. Nanocrystalline dye solar cells were fabricated and characterized using various electrochemical techniques. It has been found that the alkyl chain length present in the dye molecules greatly affects the overall performance of dye solar cell. Molecules having longer alkyl chain are having better sensitizers which enhance V oc to significant extent. Chain length dependent performance was further investigated using Tafel polarization and impedance method. Hemicyanine dye having hexyl chain has outperformed by attaining 2.9% solar to electricity conversion efficiency

Optimization of the alkyl side chain length of fluorine-18-labeled 7α-alkyl-fluoroestradiol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Mayumi; Shibayama, Hiromitsu; Naka, Kyosuke; Kitagawa, Yuya; Ishiwata, Kiichi; Shimizu, Isao; Toyohara, Jun

2016-01-01

Introduction: Several lines of evidence suggest that 7α-substituted estradiol derivatives bind to the estrogen receptor (ER). In line with this hypothesis, we designed and synthesized 18 F-labeled 7α-fluoroalkylestradiol (Cn-7α-[ 18 F]FES) derivatives as molecular probes for visualizing ERs. Previously, we successfully synthesized 7α-(3-[ 18 F]fluoropropyl)estradiol (C3-7α-[ 18 F]FES) and showed promising results for quantification of ER density in vivo, although extensive metabolism was observed in rodents. Therefore, optimization of the alkyl side chain length is needed to obtain suitable radioligands based on Cn-7α-substituted estradiol pharmacophores. Methods: We synthesized fluoromethyl (23; C1-7α-[ 18 F]FES) to fluorohexyl (26; C6-7α-[ 18 F]FES) derivatives, except fluoropropyl (C3-7α-[ 18 F]FES) and fluoropentyl derivatives (C5-7α-[ 18 F]FES), which have been previously synthesized. In vitro binding to the α-subtype (ERα) isoform of ERs and in vivo biodistribution studies in mature female mice were carried out. Results: The in vitro IC 50 value of Cn-7α-FES tended to gradually decrease depending on the alkyl side chain length. C1-7α-[ 18 F]FES (23) showed the highest uptake in ER-rich tissues such as the uterus. Uterus uptake also gradually decreased depending on the alkyl side chain length. As a result, in vivo uterus uptake reflected the in vitro ERα affinity of each compound. Bone uptake, which indicates de-fluorination, was marked in 7α-(2-[ 18 F]fluoroethyl)estradiol (C2-7α-[ 18 F]FES) (24) and 7α-(4-[ 18 F]fluorobutyl)estradiol (C4-7α-[ 18 F]FES) (25) derivatives. However, C1-7α-[ 18 F]FES (23) and C6-7α-[ 18 F]FES (26) showed limited uptake in bone. As a result, in vivo bone uptake (de-fluorination) showed a bell-shaped pattern, depending on the alkyl side chain length. C1-7α-[ 18 F]FES (23) showed the same levels of uptake in uterus and bone compared with those of 16α-[ 18 F]fluoro-17β-estradiol. Conclusions: The optimal alkyl

The effect of carbon chain length of starting materials on the formation of carbon dots and their optical properties

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Xiaohua; Zhang, Yan; Sun, Xiaobo; Pan, Wei; Yu, Guifeng; Si, Shuxin; Wang, Jinping

2018-04-01

Carbon dots (CDs) have attracted increasing attention due to their high performances and potential applications in wide range of areas. However, their emission mechanism is not clear so far. In order to reveal more factors contributing to the emission of CDs, the effect of carbon chain length of starting materials on the formation of CDs and their optical properties was experimentally investigated in this work. In order to focus on the effect of carbon chain length, the starting materials with C, O, N in fully identical forms and only carbon chain lengths being different were selected for synthesizing CDs, including citric acid (CA) and adipic acid (AA) as carbon sources, and diamines with different carbon chain lengths (H2N(CH2)nNH2, n = 2, 4, 6) as nitrogen sources, as well as ethylenediamine (EDA) as nitrogen source and diacids with different carbon chain lengths (HOOC(CH2)nCOOH, n = 0, 2, 4, 6) as carbon sources. Therefore, the effect of carbon chain length of starting materials on the formation and optical properties of CDs can be systematically investigated by characterizing and comparing the structures and optical properties of as-prepared nine types of CDs. Moreover, the density of –NH2 on the surface of the CDs was quantitatively detected by a spectrophotometry so as to elucidate the relationship between the –NH2 related surface state and the optical properties.

Fabrication and tribological properties of self-assembled monolayer of n-alkyltrimethoxysilane on silicon: Effect of SAM alkyl chain length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huo, Lixia; Du, Pengcheng; Zhou, Hui; Zhang, Kaifeng; Liu, Peng

2017-01-01

Highlights: • n-Alkyltrimethoxysilanes with various chain lengths were self-assembled on silicon. • Effect of alkyl chain lengths (C6, C12, or C18) on the SAMs was investigated. • Surface roughness of the SAMs decreased with increasing the alkyl chain lengths. • The C 12 -SAM possessed superior friction reduction and wear resistance. - Abstract: It is well known that the self-assembled organic molecules on a solid surface exhibit the friction-reducing performance. However, the effect of the molecular size of the self-assembled organic molecules has not been established. In the present work, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of n-alkyltrimethoxysilanes with different alkyl chain lengths (C 6 , C 12 , or C 18 ) were fabricated on silicon substrate. The water contact angles of the SAMs increased from 26.8° of the hydroxylated silicon substrate to near 60° after self-assembly. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis results showed that the mean roughness (R a ) of the SAMs decreased with increasing the alkyl chain length. The tribological properties of the SAMs sliding against Al 2 O 3 ball were evaluated on an UMT-2 tribometer, and the worn surfaces of the samples were analyzed by means of Nano Scratch Tester and surface profilometry. It was found that lowest friction coefficient and smallest width of wear were achieved with the SAMs of C 12 alkyl chain (C 12 -SAM). The superior friction reduction and wear resistance of the SAMs in comparison with the bare silicon substrate are attributed to good adhesion of the self-assembled films to the substrate, especially the C 12 -SAM with desirable alkyl chain length.

Characterization of Binary Organogels Based on Some Azobenzene Compounds and Alkyloxybenzoic Acids with Different Chain Lengths

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Yongmei Hu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this work the gelation behaviors of binary organogels composed of azobenzene amino derivatives and alkyloxybenzoic acids with different lengths of alkyl chains in various organic solvents were investigated and characterized. The corresponding gelation behaviors in 20 solvents were characterized and shown as new binary organic systems. It showed that the lengths of substituent alkyl chains in compounds have played an important role in the gelation formation of gelator mixtures in present tested organic solvents. Longer methylene chains in molecular skeletons in these gelators seem more suitable for the gelation of present solvents. Morphological characterization showed that these gelator molecules have the tendency to self-assemble into various aggregates from lamella, wrinkle, and belt to dot with change of solvents and gelator mixtures. Spectral characterization demonstrated different H-bond formation and hydrophobic force existing in gels, depending on different substituent chains in molecular skeletons. Meanwhile, these organogels can self-assemble to form monomolecular or multilayer nanostructures owing to the different lengths of due to alkyl substituent chains. Possible assembly modes for present xerogels were proposed. The present investigation is perspective to provide new clues for the design of new nanomaterials and functional textile materials with special microstructures.

Parenteral medium-chain triglyceride-induced neutrophil activation is not mediated by a Pertussis Toxin sensitive receptor.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Versleijen, M.W.J.; Esterik, J.C. van; Schaap-Roelofs, H.M.J.; Emst-de Vries, S.E. van; Willems, P.H.G.M.; Wanten, G.J.A.

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Lipid-induced immune modulation might contribute to the increased infection rate that is observed in patients using parenteral nutrition. We previously showed that emulsions containing medium-chain triglycerides (LCT/MCTs or pure MCTs), but not pure long-chain triglycerides

Health risks posed to infants in rural China by exposure to short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in breast milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Dan; Gao, Li-Rong; Zheng, Ming-Hui; Li, Jing-Guang; Zhang, Lei; Wu, Yong-Ning; Qiao, Lin; Tian, Qi-Chang; Huang, Hui-Ting; Liu, Wen-Bin; Su, Gui-Jin; Liu, Guo-Rui

2017-06-01

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are complex mixtures of synthetic chemicals found widely in environmental matrices. Short-chain CPs (SCCPs) are candidate persistent organic pollutants under the Stockholm Convention. There should be great concern about human exposure to SCCPs. Data on CP concentrations in human breast milk is scarce. This is the first study in which background SCCP and medium-chain CP (MCCP) body burdens in the general rural population of China have been estimated and health risks posed to nursing infants by CPs in breast milk assessed. The concentrations of 48 SCCP and MCCP formula congeners were determined in 24 pooled human milk samples produced from 1412 individual samples from eight provinces in 2007 and 16 provinces in 2011. The samples were analyzed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography electron capture negative ionization high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The median SCCP and MCCP concentrations were 303 and 35.7ngg -1 lipid weight, respectively, for the 2007 samples and 360 and 45.4ngg -1 lipid weight, respectively, for the 2011 samples. The C 10 and C 14 homologs were the dominant CP carbon-chain-length groups, contributing 51% and 82% of the total SCCP and MCCP concentrations, respectively. There are probably multiple CP sources to the general Chinese population and numerous exposure pathways. The median estimated daily SCCP and MCCP intakes for nursing infants were 1310 and 152ngkg -1 d -1 , respectively, in 2007 and 1520 and 212ngkg -1 d -1 , respectively, in 2011. SCCPs do not currently pose significant risks to infants in China. However, it is necessary to continuously monitor CP concentrations and health risks because CP concentrations in Chinese human breast milk are increasing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structured medium and long chain triglycerides show short-term increases in fat oxidation, but no changes in adiposity in men.

Science.gov (United States)

Roynette, Catherine E; Rudkowska, Iwona; Nakhasi, Dilip K; Jones, Peter J H

2008-05-01

Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) have been suggested as modulators of human energy expenditure (EE) and thus may influence total and regional body fat distribution. To investigate in overweight men the effects of structured medium and long chain triglycerides on EE, substrate oxidation and body adiposity, compared to extra virgin olive oil (OO). In a 6 week single-blind crossover study, 23 overweight men were randomly assigned to consume a standard high-fat diet of which 75% total fat was provided as either structured medium and long chain triglycerides referred to as structured oil (StO), or OO. EE and body composition were measured using indirect calorimetry and magnetic resonance imaging, respectively, at weeks 1 and 6 of each phase. Body weight decreased (pstructured medium and long chain triglyceride oil increases short-term fat oxidation but fails to modulate body weight or adiposity through a change in EE.

Volatile compounds in samples of cork and also produced by selected fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Barreto, M C; Vilas Boas, L; Carneiro, L C; San Romão, M V

2011-06-22

The production of volatile compounds by microbial communities of cork samples taken during the cork manufacturing process was investigated. The majority of volatiles were found in samples collected at two stages: resting after the first boiling and nontreated cork disks. Volatile profiles produced by microbiota in both stages are similar. The releasable volatile compounds and 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) produced in cork-based culture medium by five isolated fungal species in pure and mixed cultures were also analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS).The results showed that 1-octen-3-ol and esters of fatty acids (medium chain length C8-C20) were the main volatile compounds produced by either pure fungal species or their mixture. Apparently, Penicillium glabrum is the main contributor to the overall volatile composition observed in the mixed culture. The production of releasable TCA on cork cannot be attributed to any of the assayed fungal isolates.

The Role of GPR84 in Medium-chain Saturated Fatty Acid Taste Transduction

OpenAIRE

Liu, Yan

2016-01-01

Previous research has shown the gustatory recognition of the long-chain unsaturated fatty acids. In this study, I showed for the first time that medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs) are effective taste stimuli at both the cellular and behavioral levels. The mechanisms of gustatory recognition of MCFAs in mice were also partially elucidated using pharmaceutical approaches. The inward currents induced by capric acid in mouse taste cells were significantly inhibited by the antagonists of G...

Fabrication and tribological properties of self-assembled monolayer of n-alkyltrimethoxysilane on silicon: Effect of SAM alkyl chain length

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huo, Lixia [National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Vacuum Technology and Physics, Lanzhou Institute of Physics, Lanzhou, Gansu 730010 (China); Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Gansu 730000 (China); Du, Pengcheng [Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Gansu 730000 (China); Zhou, Hui; Zhang, Kaifeng [National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Vacuum Technology and Physics, Lanzhou Institute of Physics, Lanzhou, Gansu 730010 (China); Liu, Peng, E-mail: pliu@lzu.edu.cn [Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Gansu 730000 (China)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • n-Alkyltrimethoxysilanes with various chain lengths were self-assembled on silicon. • Effect of alkyl chain lengths (C6, C12, or C18) on the SAMs was investigated. • Surface roughness of the SAMs decreased with increasing the alkyl chain lengths. • The C{sub 12}-SAM possessed superior friction reduction and wear resistance. - Abstract: It is well known that the self-assembled organic molecules on a solid surface exhibit the friction-reducing performance. However, the effect of the molecular size of the self-assembled organic molecules has not been established. In the present work, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of n-alkyltrimethoxysilanes with different alkyl chain lengths (C{sub 6}, C{sub 12}, or C{sub 18}) were fabricated on silicon substrate. The water contact angles of the SAMs increased from 26.8° of the hydroxylated silicon substrate to near 60° after self-assembly. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis results showed that the mean roughness (R{sub a}) of the SAMs decreased with increasing the alkyl chain length. The tribological properties of the SAMs sliding against Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ball were evaluated on an UMT-2 tribometer, and the worn surfaces of the samples were analyzed by means of Nano Scratch Tester and surface profilometry. It was found that lowest friction coefficient and smallest width of wear were achieved with the SAMs of C{sub 12} alkyl chain (C{sub 12}-SAM). The superior friction reduction and wear resistance of the SAMs in comparison with the bare silicon substrate are attributed to good adhesion of the self-assembled films to the substrate, especially the C{sub 12}-SAM with desirable alkyl chain length.

Medium chain fatty acids are selective peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR γ activators and pan-PPAR partial agonists.

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Marcelo Vizoná Liberato

Full Text Available Thiazolidinediones (TZDs act through peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR γ to increase insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes (T2DM, but deleterious effects of these ligands mean that selective modulators with improved clinical profiles are needed. We obtained a crystal structure of PPARγ ligand binding domain (LBD and found that the ligand binding pocket (LBP is occupied by bacterial medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs. We verified that MCFAs (C8-C10 bind the PPARγ LBD in vitro and showed that they are low-potency partial agonists that display assay-specific actions relative to TZDs; they act as very weak partial agonists in transfections with PPARγ LBD, stronger partial agonists with full length PPARγ and exhibit full blockade of PPARγ phosphorylation by cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (cdk5, linked to reversal of adipose tissue insulin resistance. MCFAs that bind PPARγ also antagonize TZD-dependent adipogenesis in vitro. X-ray structure B-factor analysis and molecular dynamics (MD simulations suggest that MCFAs weakly stabilize C-terminal activation helix (H 12 relative to TZDs and this effect is highly dependent on chain length. By contrast, MCFAs preferentially stabilize the H2-H3/β-sheet region and the helix (H 11-H12 loop relative to TZDs and we propose that MCFA assay-specific actions are linked to their unique binding mode and suggest that it may be possible to identify selective PPARγ modulators with useful clinical profiles among natural products.

Self-Assembly of Alkylammonium Chains on Montmorillonite: Effect of Interlayer Cations, CEC, and Chain Length

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hua; Li, Yingjun; Zhou, Yuanlin; Wang, Shanqiang; Zheng, Jian; He, Jiacai

2017-12-01

Recently, polymeric materials have been filled with synthetic or natural inorganic compounds in order to improve their properties. Especially, polymer clay nanocomposites have attracted both academic and industrial attention. Currently, the structure and physical phenomena of organoclays at molecular level are difficultly explained by existing experimental techniques. In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was executed using the CLAYFF and CHARMM force fields to evaluate the structural properties of organoclay such as basal spacing, interlayer density, energy and the arrangement of alkyl chains in the interlayer spacing. Our results are in good agreement with available experimental or other simulation data. The effects of interlayer cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+), the cation exchange capacity, and the alkyl chain length on the basal spacing and the structural properties are estimated. These simulations are expected to presage the microstructure of organo-montmorillonite and lead relevant engineering applications.

effect of side chain length on the stability and structural properties of 3

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We report on the effect of the alkoxy chain length on the thermodynamic ... studied by Hartree-Fock (HF) and Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods. ..... with longer alkoxy substituents on the phenyl ring have lesser value of change in Gibbs ...

Development of selective medium for IMP-type carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in stool specimens.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Norihisa; Kawahara, Ryuji; Akeda, Yukihiro; Shanmugakani, Rathina Kumar; Yoshida, Hisao; Hagiya, Hideharu; Hara, Naohiro; Nishi, Isao; Yukawa, Satomi; Asada, Rumiko; Sasaki, Yumi; Maeda, Kazuhiro; Sakamoto, Noriko; Hamada, Shigeyuki; Tomono, Kazunori

2017-03-24

Identification of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) in faecal specimens is challenging. This fact is particularly critical because low-level carbapenem-resistant organisms such as IMP-producing CPE are most prevalent in Japan. We developed a modified selective medium more suitable for IMP-type CPE. Fifteen reference CPE strains producing different types of β-lactamases were used to evaluate the commercially available CHROMagar KPC and chromID CARBA as well as the newly prepared MC-ECC medium (CHROMagar ECC supplemented with meropenem, cloxacillin, and ZnSO 4 ) and M-ECC medium (CHROMagar ECC supplemented with meropenem and ZnSO 4 ). A total of 1035 clinical samples were then examined to detect CPE using chromID CARBA and M-ECC medium. All tested strains producing NDM-, KPC-, and OXA-48-carbapenemases were successfully cultured in the media employed. Although most of the IMP-positive strains did not grow in CHROMagar KPC, chromID CARBA, or MC-ECC, all tested strains grew on M-ECC. When faecal samples were applied to the media, M-ECC medium allowed the best growth of IMP-type CPE with a significantly higher sensitivity (99.3%) than that of chromID CARBA (13.9%). M-ECC medium was determined as the most favourable selective medium for the detection of IMP-type CPE as well as other types of CPE.

Effect of side chain length on charge transport, morphology, and photovoltaic performance of conjugated polymers in bulk heterojunction solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duan, C.; Willems, R.E.M.; van Franeker, J.J.; Bruijnaers, B.J.; Wienk, M.M.; Janssen, R.A.J.

2016-01-01

The effect of side chain length on the photovoltaic properties of conjugated polymers is systematically investigated with two sets of polymers that bear different alkyl side chain lengths based on benzodithiophene and benzo[2,1,3]thiadiazole or 5,6-difluorobenzo[2,1,3]thiadiazole. Characterization

Communication disruption of guava moth (Coscinoptycha improbana) using a pheromone analog based on chain length.

Science.gov (United States)

Suckling, D M; Dymock, J J; Park, K C; Wakelin, R H; Jamieson, L E

2013-09-01

The guava moth, Coscinoptycha improbana, an Australian species that infests fruit crops in commercial and home orchards, was first detected in New Zealand in 1997. A four-component pheromone blend was identified but is not yet commercially available. Using single sensillum recordings from male antennae, we established that the same olfactory receptor neurons responded to two guava moth sex pheromone components, (Z)-11-octadecen-8-one and (Z)-12-nonadecen-9-one, and to a chain length analog, (Z)-13-eicosen-10-one, the sex pheromone of the related peach fruit moth, Carposina sasakii. We then field tested whether this non-specificity of the olfactory neurons might enable disruption of sexual communication by the commercially available analog, using male catch to synthetic lures in traps in single-tree, nine-tree and 2-ha plots. A disruptive pheromone analog, based on chain length, is reported for the first time. Trap catches for guava moth were disrupted by three polyethylene tubing dispensers releasing the analog in single-tree plots (86% disruption of control catches) and in a plots of nine trees (99% disruption). Where peach fruit moth pheromone dispensers were deployed at a density of 1000/ha in two 2-ha areas, pheromone traps for guava moth were completely disrupted for an extended period (up to 470 days in peri-urban gardens in Mangonui and 422 days in macadamia nut orchards in Kerikeri). In contrast, traps in untreated areas over 100 m away caught 302.8 ± 128.1 moths/trap in Mangonui and 327.5 ± 78.5 moths/ trap in Kerikeri. The longer chain length in the pheromone analog has greater longevity than the natural pheromone due to its lower volatility. Chain length analogs may warrant further investigation for mating disruption in Lepidoptera, and screening using single-sensillum recording is recommended.

Influence of the chain length on the biological behaviour of 131I fatty acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riche, F.; Mathieu, J.P.; Comet, M.; Vidal, M.; Pernin, C.; Marti-Batlle, D.; Busquet, G.; Bardy, A.

1983-01-01

Saturated and acetylenic fatty acids labeled with 131 I in ω position, differing by their chain length (C8 to C20) and the number odd or even of their carbon atoms are injected in mice. The evolution of the activity in myocardium, blood, liver and kidney is measured until 10 minutes after injection. The myocardial activity increases with chain length from C8 to C16 then decreases for C18 and C20. The odd or even number of carbon atoms does not influence myocardial activity but in the liver, activity is inferior with the odd fatty acids. The presence of a triple bond accelerates the output of activity from the myocardium and these fatty acids are not well suited for the study of myocardial metabolism [fr

Tuning the Mechanical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites Filled with Grafted Nanoparticles by Varying the Grafted Chain Length and Flexibility

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Zixuan Wang

2016-08-01

Full Text Available By employing coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation, we simulate the spatial organization of the polymer-grafted nanoparticles (NPs in homopolymer matrix and the resulting mechanical performance, by particularly regulating the grafted chain length and flexibility. The morphologies ranging from the agglomerate, cylinder, sheet, and string to full dispersion are observed, by gradually increasing the grafted chain length. The radial distribution function and the total interaction energy between NPs are calculated. Meanwhile, the stress–strain behavior of each morphology and the morphological evolution during the uniaxial tension are simulated. In particular, the sheet structure exhibits the best mechanical reinforcement compared to other morphologies. In addition, the change of the grafted chain flexibility to semi-flexibility leads to the variation of the morphology. We also find that at long grafted chain length, the stress–strain behavior of the system with the semi-flexible grafted chain begins to exceed that of the system with the flexible grafted chain, attributed to the physical inter-locking interaction between the matrix and grafted polymer chains. A similar transition trend is as well found in the presence of the interfacial chemical couplings between grafted and matrix polymer chains. In general, this work is expected to help to design and fabricate high performance polymer nanocomposites filled with grafted NPs with excellent and controllable mechanical properties.

Evaluation of even- and odd-chain medium-chain triglycerides as energy sources for neonatal piglets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Odle, J.

1989-01-01

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) were evaluated as a supplemental energy source for the newborn piglet. In three experiments, piglets were force-fed 12 mi of MCT, varying in fatty acid (FA) composition. Blood fatty acid and ketone body concentrations peaked 1-2 h after force feeding then returned to baseline by 4 h, illustrating rapid digestion, absorption and oxidation. Peak 3-OH-butyrate concentrations never exceeded 80 μM which is dramatically lower than observed in rats (>2 mM). Improved clinical energy status was also documented by elevated blood glucose concentration and lower nitrogen excretion than observed in fasted controls. Piglets showed an improvement in ability to utilize MCT between 6 and 18 h of age based on a two fold increase in blood concentration of FA and 3-OH-butyrate but no further change between 18 and 48 h. Peak plasma FA concentration decreased progressively as triglyceride-FA chain length increased from C7 (2.1 mM) to C10 (0.4 mM). In two subsequent experiments, hepatocyte metabolism of FA was studied. Hepatocytes oxidized [1- 14 C]- C7 or C9 (1 mM) greater than 40% faster and consumed oxygen 7% faster than cells given C8 or C10. L-carnitine (1 mM) was without effect. Theoretical calculations from FA flux accounted for 95-140% of observed O 2 consumption, indicating the FA were the major fuel source for the cells. Hepatocytes from 2 d pigs oxidized FA 48% faster than cells from 6 h pigs, but this was likely due to an increased metabolic rate observed in the older animals. No differences were detected in ability of small (700-950 g) pigs to oxidize FA relative to large (1,050-1,800 g) littermates. In a final in vivo experiment, pigs were continuously infused with 10 μCi of [1- 14 C]-C7,C8, C9 or C10 via a catheter passed through the umbilical artery to the heart at a rate of 20, 50 or 100 mole FA/min for 5 h

Effect of hydrocarbon chain length of aliphatic diluents on hydrodynamic properties of irradiated solutions of extractant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gumenyuk, V.E.; Pribush, A.G.; Egorov, G.F.

1990-01-01

To optimize the composition of n-paraffin mixtures with different molecular weight, used as a diluent (D) of extractant during extraction reprocessing of spent fuel, interrelation between D hydrocarbon chain length and change in hydrodynamic properties of extraction mixture on D basis depending on the dose has been considered. It is shown that the value of threshold dose loading (D crit ), at which a sharp change in hydrodynamic properties of tri-n-butyl phosphate solutions in D is observed, decreases with hydrocarbon chain length growth. Empiric ratio relating D crit value and the number of carbon atoms of D is obtained

Effect of Acylglycerol Composition and Fatty Acyl Chain Length on Lipid Digestion in pH-Stat Digestion Model and Simulated In Vitro Digestion Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Jin F; Jia, Cai H; Shin, Jung A; Woo, Jeong M; Wang, Xiang Y; Park, Jong T; Hong, Soon T; Lee, K-T

2016-02-01

In this study, a pH-stat digestion model and a simulated in vitro digestion model were employed to evaluate the digestion degree of lipids depending on different acylglycerols and acyl chain length (that is, diacylglycerol [DAG] compared with soybean oil representing long-chain triacylglycerol compared with medium-chain triacylglycerol [MCT]). In the pH-stat digestion model, differences were observed among the digestion degrees of 3 oils using digestion rate (k), digestion half-time (t1/2 ), and digestion extent (Φmax). The results showed the digestion rate order was MCT > soybean oil > DAG. Accordingly, the order of digestion half-times was MCT digestion model, digestion rates (k') and digestion half-times (t'1/2 ) were also obtained and the results showed a digestion rate order of MCT (k' = 0.068 min(-1) ) > soybean oil (k' = 0.037 min(-1) ) > DAG (k' = 0.024 min(-1) ). Consequently, the order of digestion half-times was MCT (t'1/2 = 10.20 min) digested faster than soybean oil, and that soybean oil was digested faster than DAG. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Effect of the alkyl chain length of the ionic liquid anion on polymer electrolytes properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leones, Rita; Sentanin, Franciani; Nunes, Sílvia Cristina; Esperança, José M.S.S.; Gonçalves, Maria Cristina

2015-01-01

New polymer electrolytes (PEs) based on chitosan and three ionic liquid (IL) families ([C 2 mim][C n SO 3 ], [C 2 mim][C n SO 4 ] and [C 2 mim][diC n PO 4 ]) were synthesized by the solvent casting method. The effect of the length of the alkyl chain of the IL anion on the thermal, morphological and electrochemical properties of the PEs was studied. The solid polymer electrolytes SPE membranes were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), polarized optical microscopy (POM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), complex impedance spectroscopy (ionic conductivity) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The obtained results evidenced an influence of the alkyl chain length of the IL anion on the temperature of degradation, birefringence, surface roughness and ionic conductivity of the membranes. The DSC, XRD and CV results showed independency from the length of the IL-anion-alkyl chain. The PEs displayed an predominantly amorphous morphology, a minimum temperature of degradation of 135 °C, a room temperature (T = 25 °C) ionic conductivity of 7.78 × 10 −4 S cm −1 and a wide electrochemical window of ∼ 4.0 V.

Critical temperatures and a critical chain length in saturated diacylphosphatidylcholines: calorimetric, ultrasonic and Monte Carlo simulation study of chain-melting/ordering in aqueous lipid dispersions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kharakoz, Dmitry P; Panchelyuga, Maria S; Tiktopulo, Elizaveta I; Shlyapnikova, Elena A

2007-12-01

Chain-ordering/melting transition in a series of saturated diacylphosphatidylcholines (PCs) in aqueous dispersions have been studied experimentally (calorimetric and ultrasonic techniques) and theoretically (an Ising-like lattice model). The shape of the calorimetric curves was compared with the theoretical data and interpreted in terms of the lateral interactions and critical temperatures determined for each lipid studied. A critical chain length has been found (between 16 and 17 C-atoms per chain) which subdivides PCs into two classes with different phase behavior. In shorter lipids, the transition takes place above their critical temperatures meaning that this is an intrinsically continuous transition. In longer lipids, the transition occurs below the critical temperatures of the lipids, meaning that the transition is intrinsically discontinuous (first-order). This conclusion was supported independently by the ultrasonic relaxation sensitive to density fluctuations. Interestingly, it is this length that is the most abundant among the saturated chains in biological membranes.

Effect of side chain length and degree of polymerization on the decomposition and crystallization behaviour of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinze, D.; Mang, Th.; Popescu, C.; Weichold, O.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal behaviour of telomerized polyvinyl esters is investigated. • Thermal stability relies mainly on the contribution of side chains. • At equal molecular weights thermal stability is dictated by length of side chain. • Increasing the length of side chains improves also the packing degree of polymer. - Abstract: Four members of a homologous series of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers CCl_3–(CH_2CH (OCO(CH_2)_mCH_3))_n–Cl with degrees of polymerization of 10 and 20 were prepared by telomerisation using carbon tetrachloride. The number of side chain carbon atoms ranges from 2 (poly(vinyl acetate) to 18 (poly(vinyl stearate)). The effect of the n-alkyl side chain length and of the degree of polymerization on the thermal stability and crystallization behaviour of the synthesized compounds was investigated. All oligomers degrade in two major steps by first losing HCl and side chains with subsequent breakdown of the backbone. The members with short side chains, up to poly(vinyl octanoate), are amorphous and show internal plasticization, whereas those with high number of side chain carbon atoms are semi-crystalline due to side-chain crystallization. A better packing for poly(vinyl stearate) is also noticeable. The glass transition and melting temperatures as well as the onset temperature of decomposition are influenced to a larger extent by the side chain length than by the degree of polymerization. Thermal stability is improved if both the size and number of side chains increase, but only a long side chain causes a significant increase of the resistance to degradation. This results in a stabilization of PVAc so that oligomers from poly(vinyl octanoate) on are stable under atmospheric conditions. Thus, the way to design stable, chlorinated PVEs oligomers is to use a long n-alkyl side chain.

Effect of side chain length and degree of polymerization on the decomposition and crystallization behaviour of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heinze, D.; Mang, Th. [Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Heinrich-Mussmann-Str. 1, 52428 Jülich (Germany); Popescu, C., E-mail: crisan.popescu@kao.com [KAO Germany GmbH, Pfungstädterstr. 98-100, 64297 Darmstadt (Germany); Weichold, O., E-mail: weichold@ibac.rwth-aachen.de [Institute of Building Materials Research, Schinkelstr. 3, 52062 Aachen (Germany)

2016-08-10

Highlights: • Thermal behaviour of telomerized polyvinyl esters is investigated. • Thermal stability relies mainly on the contribution of side chains. • At equal molecular weights thermal stability is dictated by length of side chain. • Increasing the length of side chains improves also the packing degree of polymer. - Abstract: Four members of a homologous series of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers CCl{sub 3}–(CH{sub 2}CH (OCO(CH{sub 2}){sub m}CH{sub 3})){sub n}–Cl with degrees of polymerization of 10 and 20 were prepared by telomerisation using carbon tetrachloride. The number of side chain carbon atoms ranges from 2 (poly(vinyl acetate) to 18 (poly(vinyl stearate)). The effect of the n-alkyl side chain length and of the degree of polymerization on the thermal stability and crystallization behaviour of the synthesized compounds was investigated. All oligomers degrade in two major steps by first losing HCl and side chains with subsequent breakdown of the backbone. The members with short side chains, up to poly(vinyl octanoate), are amorphous and show internal plasticization, whereas those with high number of side chain carbon atoms are semi-crystalline due to side-chain crystallization. A better packing for poly(vinyl stearate) is also noticeable. The glass transition and melting temperatures as well as the onset temperature of decomposition are influenced to a larger extent by the side chain length than by the degree of polymerization. Thermal stability is improved if both the size and number of side chains increase, but only a long side chain causes a significant increase of the resistance to degradation. This results in a stabilization of PVAc so that oligomers from poly(vinyl octanoate) on are stable under atmospheric conditions. Thus, the way to design stable, chlorinated PVEs oligomers is to use a long n-alkyl side chain.

Subdivision of the MDR superfamily of medium-chain dehydrogenases/reductases through iterative hidden Markov model refinement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Persson Bengt

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Medium-chain Dehydrogenases/Reductases (MDR form a protein superfamily whose size and complexity defeats traditional means of subclassification; it currently has over 15000 members in the databases, the pairwise sequence identity is typically around 25%, there are members from all kingdoms of life, the chain-lengths vary as does the oligomericity, and the members are partaking in a multitude of biological processes. There are profile hidden Markov models (HMMs available for detecting MDR superfamily members, but none for determining which MDR family each protein belongs to. The current torrential influx of new sequence data enables elucidation of more and more protein families, and at an increasingly fine granularity. However, gathering good quality training data usually requires manual attention by experts and has therefore been the rate limiting step for expanding the number of available models. Results We have developed an automated algorithm for HMM refinement that produces stable and reliable models for protein families. This algorithm uses relationships found in data to generate confident seed sets. Using this algorithm we have produced HMMs for 86 distinct MDR families and 34 of their subfamilies which can be used in automated annotation of new sequences. We find that MDR forms with 2 Zn2+ ions in general are dehydrogenases, while MDR forms with no Zn2+ in general are reductases. Furthermore, in Bacteria MDRs without Zn2+ are more frequent than those with Zn2+, while the opposite is true for eukaryotic MDRs, indicating that Zn2+ has been recruited into the MDR superfamily after the initial life kingdom separations. We have also developed a web site http://mdr-enzymes.org that provides textual and numeric search against various characterised MDR family properties, as well as sequence scan functions for reliable classification of novel MDR sequences. Conclusions Our method of refinement can be readily applied to

Interaction and dynamics of (alkylamide + electrolyte) deep eutectics: Dependence on alkyl chain-length, temperature, and anion identity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guchhait, Biswajit; Das, Suman; Daschakraborty, Snehasis; Biswas, Ranjit

2014-01-01

Here we investigate the solute-medium interaction and solute-centered dynamics in (RCONH 2 + LiX) deep eutectics (DEs) via carrying out time-resolved fluorescence measurements and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations at various temperatures. Alkylamides (RCONH 2 ) considered are acetamide (CH 3 CONH 2 ), propionamide (CH 3 CH 2 CONH 2 ), and butyramide (CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 CONH 2 ); the electrolytes (LiX) are lithium perchlorate (LiClO 4 ), lithium bromide (LiBr), and lithium nitrate (LiNO 3 ). Differential scanning calorimetric measurements reveal glass transition temperatures (T g ) of these DEs are ∼195 K and show a very weak dependence on alkyl chain-length and electrolyte identity. Time-resolved and steady state fluorescence measurements with these DEs have been carried out at six-to-nine different temperatures that are ∼100–150 K above their individual T g s. Four different solute probes providing a good spread of fluorescence lifetimes have been employed in steady state measurements, revealing strong excitation wavelength dependence of probe fluorescence emission peak frequencies. Extent of this dependence, which shows sensitivity to anion identity, has been found to increase with increase of amide chain-length and decrease of probe lifetime. Time-resolved measurements reveal strong fractional power dependence of average rates for solute solvation and rotation with fraction power being relatively smaller (stronger viscosity decoupling) for DEs containing longer amide and larger (weaker decoupling) for DEs containing perchlorate anion. Representative all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of (CH 3 CONH 2 + LiX) DEs at different temperatures reveal strongly stretched exponential relaxation of wavevector dependent acetamide self dynamic structure factor with time constants dependent both on ion identity and temperature, providing justification for explaining the fluorescence results in terms of temporal heterogeneity and amide clustering in these multi

Effect of Hydrophobic Chain Length on the Stability and Guest Exchange Behavior of Shell-Sheddable Micelles Formed by Disulfide-Linked Diblock Copolymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Haiyan; Li, Yixia; Yang, Jinxian; Ye, Xiaodong

2017-10-19

Reduction-responsive micelles hold enormous promise for application as drug carriers due to the fast drug release triggered by reducing conditions and high anticancer activity. However, the effect of hydrophobic chain length on the stability and guest exchange of reduction-responsive micelles, especially for the micelles formed by diblock copolymers containing single disulfide group, is not fully understood. Here, shell-sheddable micelles formed by a series of disulfide-linked copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEG-SS-PCL) containing the same chain length of PEG but different chain lengths of hydrophobic block PCL were prepared and well characterized. The influence of the chain length of hydrophobic PCL block on the stability and guest exchange of PEG-SS-PCL micelles was studied by the use of both dynamic laser light scattering (DLS) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The results show that longer PCL chains lead to a slower aggregation rate and guest exchange of micelles in the aqueous solutions containing 10 mM dithiothreitol (DTT). The cell uptake of the shell-sheddable PEG-SS-PCL micelles in vitro shows that the amount of internalization of dyes loaded in PEG-SS-PCL micelles increases with the chain length of hydrophobic PCL block investigated by flow cytometric analysis and confocal fluorescence microscopy.

Does alkyl chain length really matter? Structure–property relationships in thermochemistry of ionic liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verevkin, Sergey P.; Zaitsau, Dzmitry H.; Emel’yanenko, Vladimir N.; Ralys, Ricardas V.; Yermalayeu, Andrei V.; Schick, Christoph

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: We have shown that enthalpies of formation, enthalpies of vaporization, and lattice potential energies of alkylsubstituted imidazolium, pyridinium, and pyrrolidinium based ionic liquids with Cl and Br anions are linearly dependant on the alkyl chain length. The thermochemical properties of ILs are generally obey the group additivity rules and the values of the additivity parameters for enthalpies of formation and vaporization are very close to those for molecular compounds. - Highlights: • Alkyl substituted imidazolium, pyridinium, and pyrrolidinium based ionic liquids with anions [Cl] and [Br] were studied using DSC and ab initio methods. • The thermochemical properties of ILs generally obey the group additivity rules. • A linear dependence on the chain length of the alkyl chain of cation was found. - Abstract: DSC was used for determination of reaction enthalpies of synthesis of ionic liquids [C n mim][Cl]. A combination of DSC with quantum chemical calculations presents an indirect way to study thermodynamics of ionic liquids. The indirect procedure for vaporization enthalpy was validated with the direct experimental measurements by using thermogravimetry. First-principles calculations of the enthalpy of formation in the gaseous phase have been performed for the ionic species using the CBS-QB3 and G3 (MP2) theory. Experimental DSC data for homologous series of alkyl substituted imidazolium, pyridinium, and pyrrolidinium based ionic liquids with anions [Cl] and [Br] were collected from the literature. We have shown that enthalpies of formation, enthalpies of vaporization, and lattice potential energies are linearly dependant on the alkyl chain length. The thermochemical properties of ILs generally obey the group additivity rules and the values of the additivity parameters for enthalpies of formation and vaporization seem to be very close to those for molecular compounds

Self-consistent field theoretic simulations of amphiphilic triblock copolymer solutions: Polymer concentration and chain length effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X.-G. Han

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Using the self-consistent field lattice model, polymer concentration φP and chain length N (keeping the length ratio of hydrophobic to hydrophilic blocks constant the effects on temperature-dependent behavior of micelles are studied, in amphiphilic symmetric ABA triblock copolymer solutions. When chain length is increased, at fixed φP, micelles occur at higher temperature. The variations of average volume fraction of stickers φcos and the lattice site numbers Ncols at the micellar cores with temperature are dependent on N and φP, which demonstrates that the aggregation of micelles depends on N and φP. Moreover, when φP is increased, firstly a peak appears on the curve of specific heat CV for unimer-micelle transition, and then in addition a primary peak, the secondary peak, which results from the remicellization, is observed on the curve of CV. For a long chain, in intermediate and high concentration regimes, the shape of specific heat peak markedly changes, and the peak tends to be a more broad peak. Finally, the aggregation behavior of micelles is explained by the aggregation way of amphiphilic triblock copolymer. The obtained results are helpful in understanding the micellar aggregation process.

Anomaly in the Chain Length Dependence of n-Alkane Diffusion in ZIF-4 Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Seungtaik; Gopalan, Arun; Hovestadt, Maximilian; Piepenbreier, Frank; Chmelik, Christian; Hartmann, Martin; Snurr, Randall Q; Kärger, Jörg

2018-03-15

Molecular diffusion is commonly found to slow down with increasing molecular size. Deviations from this pattern occur in some host materials with pore sizes approaching the diameters of the guest molecules. A variety of theoretical models have been suggested to explain deviations from this pattern, but robust experimental data are scarcely available. Here, we present such data, obtained by monitoring the chain length dependence of the uptake of n- alkanes in the zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-4. A monotonic decrease in diffusivity from ethane to n- butane was observed, followed by an increase for n- pentane, and another decrease for n- hexane. This observation was confirmed by uptake measurements with n- butane/ n -pentane mixtures, which yield faster uptake of n- pentane. Further evidence is provided by the observation of overshooting effects, i.e., by transient n- pentane concentrations exceeding the (eventually attained) equilibrium value. Accompanying grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations reveal, for the larger n- alkanes, significant differences between the adsorbed and gas phase molecular configurations, indicating strong confinement effects within ZIF-4, which, with increasing chain length, may be expected to give rise to configurational shifts facilitating molecular propagation at particular chain lengths.

Anomaly in the Chain Length Dependence of n-Alkane Diffusion in ZIF-4 Metal-Organic Frameworks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seungtaik Hwang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Molecular diffusion is commonly found to slow down with increasing molecular size. Deviations from this pattern occur in some host materials with pore sizes approaching the diameters of the guest molecules. A variety of theoretical models have been suggested to explain deviations from this pattern, but robust experimental data are scarcely available. Here, we present such data, obtained by monitoring the chain length dependence of the uptake of n-alkanes in the zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-4. A monotonic decrease in diffusivity from ethane to n-butane was observed, followed by an increase for n-pentane, and another decrease for n-hexane. This observation was confirmed by uptake measurements with n-butane/n-pentane mixtures, which yield faster uptake of n-pentane. Further evidence is provided by the observation of overshooting effects, i.e., by transient n-pentane concentrations exceeding the (eventually attained equilibrium value. Accompanying grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations reveal, for the larger n-alkanes, significant differences between the adsorbed and gas phase molecular configurations, indicating strong confinement effects within ZIF-4, which, with increasing chain length, may be expected to give rise to configurational shifts facilitating molecular propagation at particular chain lengths.

Improvement of medium chain fatty acid content and antimicrobial activity of coconut oil via solid-state fermentation using a Malaysian Geotrichum candidum.

Science.gov (United States)

Khoramnia, Anahita; Ebrahimpour, Afshin; Ghanbari, Raheleh; Ajdari, Zahra; Lai, Oi-Ming

2013-01-01

Coconut oil is a rich source of beneficial medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) particularly lauric acid. In this study, the oil was modified into a value-added product using direct modification of substrate through fermentation (DIMOSFER) method. A coconut-based and coconut-oil-added solid-state cultivation using a Malaysian lipolytic Geotrichum candidum was used to convert the coconut oil into MCFAs-rich oil. Chemical characteristics of the modified coconut oils (MCOs) considering total medium chain glyceride esters were compared to those of the normal coconut oil using ELSD-RP-HPLC. Optimum amount of coconut oil hydrolysis was achieved at 29% moisture content and 10.14% oil content after 9 days of incubation, where the quantitative amounts of the modified coconut oil and MCFA were 0.330 mL/g of solid media (76.5% bioconversion) and 0.175 mL/g of solid media (53% of the MCO), respectively. MCOs demonstrated improved antibacterial activity mostly due to the presence of free lauric acid. The highest MCFAs-rich coconut oil revealed as much as 90% and 80% antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. The results of the study showed that DIMOSFER by a local lipolytic G. candidum can be used to produce MCFAs as natural, effective, and safe antimicrobial agent. The produced MCOs and MCFAs could be further applied in food and pharmaceutical industries.

An IEEE 802.3 Compatible Real Time Medium Access Control with Length-based Priority

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2006-01-01

A new medium access control method is proposed over the predominant Ethernet broadcast channel. Taking advantages of intrinsic variable length characteristic of standard Ethernet frame, message-oriented dynamic priority mechanism is established. Prioritized medium access control operates under a so-called block mode in event of collisions.High priority messages have a chance to preempt block status incurred by low priority ones. By this means, the new MAC provides a conditional deterministic real time performance beyond a statistical one. Experiments demonstrate effectiveness and attractiveness of the proposed scheme. Moreover, this new MAC is completely compatible with IEEE802.3.

The Effect of the Chain Length on MMA Free Radicl Polymerization

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2001-01-01

In the polymerization process of methyl methacrylate (MMA), the Arrhenius parameters (activation energy and frequency factor) of propagating reaction monotonically decrease with increasing monomer conversion. At the beginning and middle stage of the propagating reaction, the increase of radical chain length is the main reason of above mentioned change. And at the end stage, the sharp decrease of kp indicates that the activation energy is approximately incline to zero and the propagating reaction is controlled by molecular diffusion motion.

Medium chain glycerides of coconut oil for microwave-enhanced conversion of polycarbonate into polyols

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Beneš, Hynek; Paruzel, Aleksandra; Trhlíková, Olga; Paruzel, Bartosz

2017-01-01

Roč. 86, January (2017), s. 173-187 ISSN 0014-3057 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1507 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : medium chain triglycerides * coconut oil * polycarbonate Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry OBOR OECD: Polymer science Impact factor: 3.531, year: 2016

Photoluminescence and self-assembly of cesium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals: Effects of chain length of organic amines and reaction temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Yi; Liu, Zheming; Liu, Zhenyang; Peng, Lan; Li, Yongjie; Tang, Aiwei

2017-01-01

Highlights: • CsPbBr_3 perovskite nanocrystals have been synthesized in the presence of organic amines with different hydrocarbon length. • The photoluminescence of the CsPbBr_3 nanocrystals is affected by the varying the carbon length of the organic amines. • The lower reaction temperature and hydrocarbon chain length of the organic ligands play a significant role in the self-assembly of CsPbBr_3 nanocrystals. - Abstract: All-inorganic halide perovskites have become one of the most prospective materials for lightening and display technology due to their color-tunable and narrow-band emission. Herein, we have systematically studied the effects of organic amines with different hydrocarbon chain length on the optical properties and morphology as well as the crystal structure of colloidal CsPbBr_3 nanocrystals (NCs), which were synthesized in the presence of oleic acid (OA) and organic amines by using a simple hot-injection approach. The hydrocarbon chain length has shown an independent correlation to the morphology and crystal structure of the as-obtained CsPbBr_3 NCs at 160 °C, but their optical properties can be affected to some extent. The photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of the CsPbBr_3 NCs synthesized in the presence of organic amines with long carbon chain length are generally in the range of 55–80% for different reaction time, but the PLQYs of less than 20% are obtained for the products synthesized in the presence of octylamine (OTAm) with short carbon chain length. The effects of the reaction temperature on the optical properties, size and crystal structure of the CsPbBr_3 NCs synthesized in the presence of cetylamine (CTAm) are studied. Interestingly, some nanoplates also appear in these CsPbBr_3 NCs obtained at relatively low temperatures (120 and 140 °C), which have a strong tendency to self-assemble into face-to-face nanostructures. Such a similar self-assembly behavior is also observed in the product synthesized in the presence of

Photoluminescence and self-assembly of cesium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals: Effects of chain length of organic amines and reaction temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuan, Yi; Liu, Zheming; Liu, Zhenyang; Peng, Lan; Li, Yongjie; Tang, Aiwei, E-mail: awtang@bjtu.edu.cn

2017-05-31

Highlights: • CsPbBr{sub 3} perovskite nanocrystals have been synthesized in the presence of organic amines with different hydrocarbon length. • The photoluminescence of the CsPbBr{sub 3} nanocrystals is affected by the varying the carbon length of the organic amines. • The lower reaction temperature and hydrocarbon chain length of the organic ligands play a significant role in the self-assembly of CsPbBr{sub 3} nanocrystals. - Abstract: All-inorganic halide perovskites have become one of the most prospective materials for lightening and display technology due to their color-tunable and narrow-band emission. Herein, we have systematically studied the effects of organic amines with different hydrocarbon chain length on the optical properties and morphology as well as the crystal structure of colloidal CsPbBr{sub 3} nanocrystals (NCs), which were synthesized in the presence of oleic acid (OA) and organic amines by using a simple hot-injection approach. The hydrocarbon chain length has shown an independent correlation to the morphology and crystal structure of the as-obtained CsPbBr{sub 3} NCs at 160 °C, but their optical properties can be affected to some extent. The photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of the CsPbBr{sub 3} NCs synthesized in the presence of organic amines with long carbon chain length are generally in the range of 55–80% for different reaction time, but the PLQYs of less than 20% are obtained for the products synthesized in the presence of octylamine (OTAm) with short carbon chain length. The effects of the reaction temperature on the optical properties, size and crystal structure of the CsPbBr{sub 3} NCs synthesized in the presence of cetylamine (CTAm) are studied. Interestingly, some nanoplates also appear in these CsPbBr{sub 3} NCs obtained at relatively low temperatures (120 and 140 °C), which have a strong tendency to self-assemble into face-to-face nanostructures. Such a similar self-assembly behavior is also observed in the

Promoting chain elongation in mixed culture acidification reactors by addition of ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grootscholten, T.I.M.; Kinsky dal Borgo, F.; Hamelers, H.V.M.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2013-01-01

In this research we investigate a microbial production process to produce medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) based on the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). In this microbial production process, called chain elongation, bacteria produce medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) from ethanol and volatile fatty acids (VFAs). MCFAs could be used as new biomass based building blocks for the chemical and fuel industry. The objective of this article is to investigate whether chain elongation can be promoted during acidification of OFMSW by addition of ethanol. The results show that chain elongation can be promoted during acidification of OFMSW by addition of ethanol. However, the hydrolysis rate and the carboxylic acid yield of the OFMSW in reactors with ethanol additions were lower than the hydrolysis rate and the carboxylic acid yield than in reactors without ethanol additions. Further research is required to determine whether a combined chain elongation and acidification reactor or a separated reactor system is more advantageous for MCFA production from OFMSW. -- Highlights: ► Production of medium chain fatty acids from municipal solid waste and ethanol. ► Insight in production of caproate and consumption of in-situ produced ethanol. ► Ethanol additions reduced propionate, butyrate and valerate concentrations. ► Ethanol additions hardly reduced acetate concentrations. ► Hydrolysis rate was lower in experiments with ethanol additions

Glycogen with short average chain length enhances bacterial durability

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Liang; Wise, Michael J.

2011-09-01

Glycogen is conventionally viewed as an energy reserve that can be rapidly mobilized for ATP production in higher organisms. However, several studies have noted that glycogen with short average chain length in some bacteria is degraded very slowly. In addition, slow utilization of glycogen is correlated with bacterial viability, that is, the slower the glycogen breakdown rate, the longer the bacterial survival time in the external environment under starvation conditions. We call that a durable energy storage mechanism (DESM). In this review, evidence from microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology will be assembled to support the hypothesis of glycogen as a durable energy storage compound. One method for testing the DESM hypothesis is proposed.

Screening of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in selected riverine sediments and sludge from the Czech Republic.

Science.gov (United States)

Pribylová, Petra; Klánová, Jana; Holoubek, Ivan

2006-11-01

Wide distribution of chlorinated paraffins in the environment has already been demonstrated in several studies; however, information about their levels in the Central Europe is still very limited. First study focused on the SCCP contamination of the Czech aquatic environment have been performed recently, and its results motivated the authors to analyze sediments from a wide set of the Czech rivers in order to obtain more detailed information. Thirty-six sediment samples from eleven rivers and five drainage vents neighboring the chemical factories were analyzed; special attention was paid to the industrial areas. For the first time in the Czech Republic, medium-chain in addition to short-chain chlorinated paraffins were analyzed using GC-ECNI-MS. Chlorinated paraffins were detected in sediment samples on the concentration levels up to 347 ngg(-1) for short-chain chlorinated paraffins, and 5575 ngg(-1) for medium-chain chlorinated paraffins. Average chlorination degree of SCCPs was 65%.

Influence of the chain length on the biological behaviour of /sup 131/I fatty acids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riche, F.; Mathieu, J.P.; Comet, M.; Vidal, M.; Pernin, C.; Marti-Batlle, D.; Busquet, G. (Universite de Grenoble, 38 (France)); Bardy, A. (C.E.A.-ORIS, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France))

1983-01-01

Saturated and acetylenic fatty acids labeled with /sup 131/I in ..omega.. position, differing by their chain length (C8 to C20) and the number odd or even of their carbon atoms are injected in mice. The evolution of the activity in myocardium, blood, liver and kidney is measured until 10 minutes after injection. The myocardial activity increases with chain length from C8 to C16 then decreases for C18 and C20. The odd or even number of carbon atoms does not influence myocardial activity but in the liver, activity is inferior with the odd fatty acids. The presence of a triple bond accelerates the output of activity from the myocardium and these fatty acids are not well suited for the study of myocardial metabolism.

Research on Coordination of Fresh Produce Supply Chain in Big Market Sales Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Juning; Liu, Chenguang

2014-01-01

In this paper, we propose two decision models for decentralized and centralized fresh produce supply chains with stochastic supply and demand and controllable transportation time. The optimal order quantity and the optimal transportation time in these two supply chain systems are derived. To improve profits in a decentralized supply chain, based on analyzing the risk taken by each participant in the supply chain, we design a set of contracts which can coordinate this type of fresh produce supply chain with stochastic supply and stochastic demand, and controllable transportation time as well. We also obtain a value range of contract parameters that can increase profits of all participants in the decentralized supply chain. The expected profits of the decentralized setting and the centralized setting are compared with respect to given numerical examples. Furthermore, the sensitivity analyses of the deterioration rate factor and the freshness factor are performed. The results of numerical examples show that the transportation time is shorter, the order quantity is smaller, the total profit of whole supply chain is less, and the possibility of cooperation between supplier and retailer is higher for the fresh produce which is more perishable and its quality decays more quickly. PMID:24764770

Research on coordination of fresh produce supply chain in big market sales environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Juning; Wu, Jiebing; Liu, Chenguang

2014-01-01

In this paper, we propose two decision models for decentralized and centralized fresh produce supply chains with stochastic supply and demand and controllable transportation time. The optimal order quantity and the optimal transportation time in these two supply chain systems are derived. To improve profits in a decentralized supply chain, based on analyzing the risk taken by each participant in the supply chain, we design a set of contracts which can coordinate this type of fresh produce supply chain with stochastic supply and stochastic demand, and controllable transportation time as well. We also obtain a value range of contract parameters that can increase profits of all participants in the decentralized supply chain. The expected profits of the decentralized setting and the centralized setting are compared with respect to given numerical examples. Furthermore, the sensitivity analyses of the deterioration rate factor and the freshness factor are performed. The results of numerical examples show that the transportation time is shorter, the order quantity is smaller, the total profit of whole supply chain is less, and the possibility of cooperation between supplier and retailer is higher for the fresh produce which is more perishable and its quality decays more quickly.

Quantification and characterization of enzymatically produced hyaluronan with fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kooy, F.K.; Muyuan Ma,; Beeftink, H.H.; Eggink, G.; Tramper, J.; Boeriu, C.G.

2009-01-01

Hyaluronan (HA) is a polysaccharide with high-potential medical applications, depending on the chain length and the chain length distribution. Special interest goes to homogeneous HA oligosaccharides, which can be enzymatically produced using Pasteurella multocida hyaluronan synthase (PmHAS). We

Novel extracellular medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate depolymerase from Streptomyces exfoliatus K10 DSMZ 41693

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martinez, Virginia; de Santos, Patricia Gómez; García-Hidalgo, Javier

2015-01-01

reaction product. Markedly, PhaZSex2 is able to degrade functionalized polymers containing thioester groups in the side chain (PHACOS), releasing functional thioester-based monomers and oligomers demonstrating the potentiality of this novel biocatalyst for the industrial production of enantiopure (R)-3...

Oxidative stabilization of mixed mayonnaises made with linseed oil and saturated medium-chain triglyceride oil

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Raudsepp, P.; Brüggemann, D.A.; Lenferink, Aufrid T.M.; Otto, Cornelis; Andersen, M.L.

2014-01-01

Mayonnaises, made with either saturated medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil or unsaturated purified linseed oil (LSO), were mixed. Raman confocal microspectrometry demonstrated that lipid droplets in mixed mayonnaise remained intact containing either MCT oil or LSO. Peroxide formation during storage

Molecular characterization of medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gregersen, N; Andresen, B S; Bross, P

1991-01-01

. All clones sequenced from the patient exhibited a single base substitution from adenine (A) to guanine (G) at position 985 in the MCAD cDNA as the only consistent base-variation compared with control cDNA. In contrast, the parents contained cDNA with the normal and the mutated sequence, revealing......A series of experiments has established the molecular defect in the medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase (MCAD) gene in a family with MCAD deficiency. Demonstration of intra-mitochondrial mature MCAD indistinguishable in size (42.5-kDa) from control MCAD, and of mRNA with the correct...... size of 2.4 kb, indicated a point-mutation in the coding region of the MCAD gene to be disease-causing. Consequently, cloning and DNA sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified complementary DNA (cDNA) from messenger RNA of fibroblasts from the patient and family members were performed...

Relationships between food producers and retail chains seen as shared meanings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skytte, Hans

This paper presents a new theory on relationships between producers and retail chains. This theory is a result of a project which investigated the cooperation between Danish abattoirs and food processors, and retail chains in four countries. The new theory's main point is that relationships betwe...

Improvement of Medium Chain Fatty Acid Content and Antimicrobial Activity of Coconut Oil via Solid-State Fermentation Using a Malaysian Geotrichum candidum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anahita Khoramnia

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Coconut oil is a rich source of beneficial medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs particularly lauric acid. In this study, the oil was modified into a value-added product using direct modification of substrate through fermentation (DIMOSFER method. A coconut-based and coconut-oil-added solid-state cultivation using a Malaysian lipolytic Geotrichum candidum was used to convert the coconut oil into MCFAs-rich oil. Chemical characteristics of the modified coconut oils (MCOs considering total medium chain glyceride esters were compared to those of the normal coconut oil using ELSD-RP-HPLC. Optimum amount of coconut oil hydrolysis was achieved at 29% moisture content and 10.14% oil content after 9 days of incubation, where the quantitative amounts of the modified coconut oil and MCFA were 0.330 mL/g of solid media (76.5% bioconversion and 0.175 mL/g of solid media (53% of the MCO, respectively. MCOs demonstrated improved antibacterial activity mostly due to the presence of free lauric acid. The highest MCFAs-rich coconut oil revealed as much as 90% and 80% antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. The results of the study showed that DIMOSFER by a local lipolytic G. candidum can be used to produce MCFAs as natural, effective, and safe antimicrobial agent. The produced MCOs and MCFAs could be further applied in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Research on Coordination of Fresh Produce Supply Chain in Big Market Sales Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juning Su

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose two decision models for decentralized and centralized fresh produce supply chains with stochastic supply and demand and controllable transportation time. The optimal order quantity and the optimal transportation time in these two supply chain systems are derived. To improve profits in a decentralized supply chain, based on analyzing the risk taken by each participant in the supply chain, we design a set of contracts which can coordinate this type of fresh produce supply chain with stochastic supply and stochastic demand, and controllable transportation time as well. We also obtain a value range of contract parameters that can increase profits of all participants in the decentralized supply chain. The expected profits of the decentralized setting and the centralized setting are compared with respect to given numerical examples. Furthermore, the sensitivity analyses of the deterioration rate factor and the freshness factor are performed. The results of numerical examples show that the transportation time is shorter, the order quantity is smaller, the total profit of whole supply chain is less, and the possibility of cooperation between supplier and retailer is higher for the fresh produce which is more perishable and its quality decays more quickly.

Alignment of Supply Chain Strategy with Marketing and Sales activities in Bosnian Small and Medium Enterprises

OpenAIRE

Muhammed Kürşad Özlen; Azra Muratovic; Nedzma Begic

2013-01-01

The objective of this research is to identify the alignment of supply chain strategies with marketing and financial activities in Bosnian small and medium enterprises. Regarding the methodology used, we have conducted a survey and collected the data in an excel spreadsheet and then analyzed descriptively. The research achieved poor marketing strategies and no customer centric view in these marketing strategies, furthermore, not efficient and effective supply chain management strategy and comp...

Screening of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in selected riverine sediments and sludge from the Czech Republic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pribylova, Petra; Klanova, Jana; Holoubek, Ivan

2006-01-01

Wide distribution of chlorinated paraffins in the environment has already been demonstrated in several studies; however, information about their levels in the Central Europe is still very limited. First study focused on the SCCP contamination of the Czech aquatic environment have been performed recently, and its results motivated the authors to analyze sediments from a wide set of the Czech rivers in order to obtain more detailed information. Thirty-six sediment samples from eleven rivers and five drainage vents neighboring the chemical factories were analyzed; special attention was paid to the industrial areas. For the first time in the Czech Republic, medium-chain in addition to short-chain chlorinated paraffins were analyzed using GC-ECNI-MS. Chlorinated paraffins were detected in sediment samples on the concentration levels up to 347 ng g -1 for short-chain chlorinated paraffins, and 5575 ng g -1 for medium-chain chlorinated paraffins. Average chlorination degree of SCCPs was 65%. - Data on contamination of sediments from industrial areas fill the informational gap in the field of contamination of the Central Europe by chlorinated paraffins

Manipulating the morphology and textural property of γ-AlOOH by modulating the alkyl chain length of cation in ionic liquid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tang, Zhe, E-mail: tangzhe1983@163.com; Hu, Xiaofu, E-mail: hjj19850922@126.cn; Liang, Jilei, E-mail: liang.jilei_ttplan@126.com; Zhao, Jinchong, E-mail: Dr.zhaojc@gmail.com; Liu, Yunqi, E-mail: liuyq@upc.edu.cn; Liu, Chenguang, E-mail: cgliu@upc.edu.cn

2013-06-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • γ-AlOOH was the only product in all experiments. • Different morphology of γ-AlOOH was obtained according to the alkyl chain length. • The textural property of γ-AlOOH was changed according to the alkyl chain length. • The possible formation mechanisms for hollow sphere and microflower were proposed. - Abstract: We demonstrated that the morphology and textural property of γ-AlOOH can be tuned by modulating the alkyl chain length of cation in [C{sub n}mim]{sup +}Cl{sup −} (n = 4, 8, 16). Using the short alkyl chain length-based [C{sub 4}mim]{sup +}Cl{sup −} as the structure-directed reagent, the morphology of γ-AlOOH was not changed and preserved as the hollow sphere structure in all experiments. The specific area and the number of small meso-pores of γ-AlOOH increased with the increase of [C{sub 4}mim]{sup +}Cl{sup −} dosage. While, using the larger alkyl chain length-based ionic liquids as the soft-template, such as [C{sub 8}mim]{sup +}Cl{sup −} and [C{sub 16}mim]{sup +}Cl{sup −}, the morphologies of γ-AlOOH were changed from initiative hollow spheres into the final microflowers. The specific areas of γ-AlOOH firstly increased then decreased with the increase of their dosage. The samples were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Furthermore, the possible formation mechanisms of γ-AlOOH have been proposed.

A Review of Supply Chain Collaboration Practices for Small and Medium-sized Manufacturers

Science.gov (United States)

Wee, SY; Thoo, AC; Z, Sulaiman; FM, Muharam

2016-05-01

For the decades, organizations have endeavored to look for external sources for opportunities to achieve efficient and responsive supply chain with their partners especially for small and medium manufacturers (SMM). In this scenario, supply chain collaboration (SCC) is an interaction between supply chain members with the purpose of utilizes the knowledge and resources of customers and suppliers, and integrates the flows of products and information in order to achieve a common goal and obtain mutual benefit. The essential SCC dimensions for SMMs comprised of information sharing, joint knowledge creation, joint decision making, goal congruence and incentive sharing. The successful implementation of SCC can give SMMs an edge over their competitors. This paper aims to introduce a review of SCC practices for SMM. Overall, the findings provide managerial insights for the SMM in SCC implementation owing to resource scarcity and the need to draw SCC in order to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage.

Application of nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes (δ(15N and δ(13C to quantify food chain length and trophic structure.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew J Perkins

Full Text Available Increasingly, stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ(15N and carbon (δ(13C are used to quantify trophic structure, though relatively few studies have tested accuracy of isotopic structural measures. For laboratory-raised and wild-collected plant-invertebrate food chains spanning four trophic levels we estimated nitrogen range (NR using δ(15N, and carbon range (CR using δ(13C, which are used to quantify food chain length and breadth of trophic resources respectively. Across a range of known food chain lengths we examined how NR and CR changed within and between food chains. Our isotopic estimates of structure are robust because they were calculated using resampling procedures that propagate variance in sample means through to quantified uncertainty in final estimates. To identify origins of uncertainty in estimates of NR and CR, we additionally examined variation in discrimination (which is change in δ(15N or δ(13C from source to consumer between trophic levels and among food chains. δ(15N discrimination showed significant enrichment, while variation in enrichment was species and system specific, ranged broadly (1.4‰ to 3.3‰, and importantly, propagated variation to subsequent estimates of NR. However, NR proved robust to such variation and distinguished food chain length well, though some overlap between longer food chains infers a need for awareness of such limitations. δ(13C discrimination was inconsistent; generally no change or small significant enrichment was observed. Consequently, estimates of CR changed little with increasing food chain length, showing the potential utility of δ(13C as a tracer of energy pathways. This study serves as a robust test of isotopic quantification of food chain structure, and given global estimates of aquatic food chains approximate four trophic levels while many food chains include invertebrates, our use of four trophic level plant-invertebrate food chains makes our findings relevant for a majority

Application of Nitrogen and Carbon Stable Isotopes (δ15N and δ13C) to Quantify Food Chain Length and Trophic Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, Matthew J.; McDonald, Robbie A.; van Veen, F. J. Frank; Kelly, Simon D.; Rees, Gareth; Bearhop, Stuart

2014-01-01

Increasingly, stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) are used to quantify trophic structure, though relatively few studies have tested accuracy of isotopic structural measures. For laboratory-raised and wild-collected plant-invertebrate food chains spanning four trophic levels we estimated nitrogen range (NR) using δ15N, and carbon range (CR) using δ13C, which are used to quantify food chain length and breadth of trophic resources respectively. Across a range of known food chain lengths we examined how NR and CR changed within and between food chains. Our isotopic estimates of structure are robust because they were calculated using resampling procedures that propagate variance in sample means through to quantified uncertainty in final estimates. To identify origins of uncertainty in estimates of NR and CR, we additionally examined variation in discrimination (which is change in δ15N or δ13C from source to consumer) between trophic levels and among food chains. δ15N discrimination showed significant enrichment, while variation in enrichment was species and system specific, ranged broadly (1.4‰ to 3.3‰), and importantly, propagated variation to subsequent estimates of NR. However, NR proved robust to such variation and distinguished food chain length well, though some overlap between longer food chains infers a need for awareness of such limitations. δ13C discrimination was inconsistent; generally no change or small significant enrichment was observed. Consequently, estimates of CR changed little with increasing food chain length, showing the potential utility of δ13C as a tracer of energy pathways. This study serves as a robust test of isotopic quantification of food chain structure, and given global estimates of aquatic food chains approximate four trophic levels while many food chains include invertebrates, our use of four trophic level plant-invertebrate food chains makes our findings relevant for a majority of ecological systems

Application of nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes (δ(15)N and δ(13)C) to quantify food chain length and trophic structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, Matthew J; McDonald, Robbie A; van Veen, F J Frank; Kelly, Simon D; Rees, Gareth; Bearhop, Stuart

2014-01-01

Increasingly, stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ(15)N) and carbon (δ(13)C) are used to quantify trophic structure, though relatively few studies have tested accuracy of isotopic structural measures. For laboratory-raised and wild-collected plant-invertebrate food chains spanning four trophic levels we estimated nitrogen range (NR) using δ(15)N, and carbon range (CR) using δ(13)C, which are used to quantify food chain length and breadth of trophic resources respectively. Across a range of known food chain lengths we examined how NR and CR changed within and between food chains. Our isotopic estimates of structure are robust because they were calculated using resampling procedures that propagate variance in sample means through to quantified uncertainty in final estimates. To identify origins of uncertainty in estimates of NR and CR, we additionally examined variation in discrimination (which is change in δ(15)N or δ(13)C from source to consumer) between trophic levels and among food chains. δ(15)N discrimination showed significant enrichment, while variation in enrichment was species and system specific, ranged broadly (1.4‰ to 3.3‰), and importantly, propagated variation to subsequent estimates of NR. However, NR proved robust to such variation and distinguished food chain length well, though some overlap between longer food chains infers a need for awareness of such limitations. δ(13)C discrimination was inconsistent; generally no change or small significant enrichment was observed. Consequently, estimates of CR changed little with increasing food chain length, showing the potential utility of δ(13)C as a tracer of energy pathways. This study serves as a robust test of isotopic quantification of food chain structure, and given global estimates of aquatic food chains approximate four trophic levels while many food chains include invertebrates, our use of four trophic level plant-invertebrate food chains makes our findings relevant for a majority of

Photoluminescence and self-assembly of cesium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals: Effects of chain length of organic amines and reaction temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Yi; Liu, Zheming; Liu, Zhenyang; Peng, Lan; Li, Yongjie; Tang, Aiwei

2017-05-01

All-inorganic halide perovskites have become one of the most prospective materials for lightening and display technology due to their color-tunable and narrow-band emission. Herein, we have systematically studied the effects of organic amines with different hydrocarbon chain length on the optical properties and morphology as well as the crystal structure of colloidal CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (NCs), which were synthesized in the presence of oleic acid (OA) and organic amines by using a simple hot-injection approach. The hydrocarbon chain length has shown an independent correlation to the morphology and crystal structure of the as-obtained CsPbBr3 NCs at 160 °C, but their optical properties can be affected to some extent. The photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of the CsPbBr3 NCs synthesized in the presence of organic amines with long carbon chain length are generally in the range of 55-80% for different reaction time, but the PLQYs of less than 20% are obtained for the products synthesized in the presence of octylamine (OTAm) with short carbon chain length. The effects of the reaction temperature on the optical properties, size and crystal structure of the CsPbBr3 NCs synthesized in the presence of cetylamine (CTAm) are studied. Interestingly, some nanoplates also appear in these CsPbBr3 NCs obtained at relatively low temperatures (120 and 140 °C), which have a strong tendency to self-assemble into face-to-face nanostructures. Such a similar self-assembly behavior is also observed in the product synthesized in the presence of oleylamine (OLAm), but only flat nanoplates are observed in the products in the presence of OTAm at 120 °C. The results indicate that the lower reaction temperature and hydrocarbon chain length of the organic ligands play a significant role in the self-assembly of CsPbBr3 NCs. This work opens up an alternative approach to controllable-synthesis of perovskite NCs through varying the carbon chain length of organic surfactants, and enlightens

Micellar dipolar rearrangement is sensitive to hydrophobic chain length: Implication for structural switchover of piroxicam.

Science.gov (United States)

Sethy, Dasaratha; Chakraborty, Hirak

2016-10-01

The interfacial properties of the membrane are exceptionally vital in drug-membrane interaction. They not only select out a particular prototropic form of the drug molecule for incorporation, but are also potent enough to induce structural switchover of these drugs in several cases. In this work, we quantitatively monitored the change in dipolar rearrangement of the micellar interface (as a simplified membrane mimic) by measuring the dielectric constant and dipole potential with the micellization of SDS at pH 3.6. The dielectric constant and dipole potential were measured utilizing the fluorescence of polarity sensitive probe, pyrene and potential-sensitive probe, di-8-ANEPPS, respectively. Our study demonstrates that the change in dipolar rearrangement directly influences the switchover equilibrium between the anionic and neutral from of piroxicam. We have further extended our work to evaluate the effect of hydrophobic chain length of the surfactants on the dipolar rearrangement and its effect on the structural switchover of piroxicam. It is interesting that the extent of switchover of piroxicam is directly correlated with the dipolar rearrangement induced bythe varying hydrophobic chain length of the surfactants. To the best of our knowledge, our results constitute the first report to show the dependence of dipole potential on the hydrophobic chain length of the surfactant and demonstrate that the dipolar rearrangement directly tunes the extent of structural switchover of piroxicam, which was so far only intuitive. We consider that this new finding would have promising implication in drug distribution and drug efficacy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of the alkyl chain length on binding of imidazolium-based ionic liquids to bovine serum albumin

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Mengyue; Wang, Ying; Zhang, Hongmei; Cao, Jian; Fei, Zhenghao; Wang, Yanqing

2018-05-01

The effects of six imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) with different alkyl chain length ([CnMim]Cl, n = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) on the structure and functions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied by multi-spectral methods and molecular docking. ILs with the longer alkyl chain length have the stronger binding interaction with BSA and the greater conformational damage to protein. The effects of ILs on the functional properties of BSA were further studied by the determination of non-enzyme esterase activity, β-fibrosis and other properties of BSA. The thermal stability of BSA was reduced, the rate of the formation of beta sheet structures of BSA was lowered, and the esterase-like activity of BSA were decreased with the increase of ILs concentration. Simultaneous molecular modeling technique revealed the favorable binding sites of ILs on protein. The hydrophobic force and polar interactions were the mainly binding forces of them. The calculated results are in a good agreement with the spectroscopic experiments. These studies on the impact of the alkyl chain length on binding of imidazolium-based ionic liquids to BSA are of great significance for understanding and developing the application of ionic liquid in life and physiological system.

Liposomes coated with hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose: Influence of hydrophobic chain length and degree of modification.

Science.gov (United States)

Smistad, Gro; Nyström, Bo; Zhu, Kaizheng; Grønvold, Marthe Karoline; Røv-Johnsen, Anne; Hiorth, Marianne

2017-08-01

Nanoparticulate systems with an uncharged hydrophilic surface may have a great potential in mucosal drug delivery. In the present study liposomes were coated with hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose (HM-HEC) to create a sterically stabilized liposomal system with an uncharged surface. The aim was to clarify the influence of the amount of hydrophobic modification of HEC and the length of the hydrophobic moiety, on the stability of the system and on the release properties. HM-HEC with different degrees of hydrophobic modification (1 and 2mol%) and hydrophobic groups with different chain lengths (C8, C12, C16) were included in the study, as well as fluid phase and gel phase liposomes. Both types of liposomes were successfully coated with HM-HEC containing 1mol% of hydrophobic groups, while 2mol% did not work for the intended pharmaceutical applications. The polymer coated gel phase liposomes were stable (size, zeta potential, leakage) for 24 weeks at 4°C, with no differences between the C8 and C16 HM-HEC coating. For the fluid phase liposomes a size increase was observed after 24 weeks at 4°C for all formulations; the C8 HM-HEC coated liposomes increased the most. No differences in the leakage during storage at 4°C or in the release at 35°C were observed between the fluid phase formulations. To conclude; HM-HEC with a shorter hydrophobic chain length resulted in a less stable product for the fluid phase liposomes, while no influence of the chain length was observed for the gel phase liposomes (1mol% HM). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interaction and dynamics of (alkylamide + electrolyte) deep eutectics: Dependence on alkyl chain-length, temperature, and anion identity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guchhait, Biswajit; Das, Suman; Daschakraborty, Snehasis; Biswas, Ranjit, E-mail: ranjit@bose.res.in [Department of Chemical, Biological and Macromolecular Sciences, S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Block-JD, Sector-III, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700098 (India)

2014-03-14

Here we investigate the solute-medium interaction and solute-centered dynamics in (RCONH{sub 2} + LiX) deep eutectics (DEs) via carrying out time-resolved fluorescence measurements and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations at various temperatures. Alkylamides (RCONH{sub 2}) considered are acetamide (CH{sub 3}CONH{sub 2}), propionamide (CH{sub 3}CH{sub 2}CONH{sub 2}), and butyramide (CH{sub 3}CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}CONH{sub 2}); the electrolytes (LiX) are lithium perchlorate (LiClO{sub 4}), lithium bromide (LiBr), and lithium nitrate (LiNO{sub 3}). Differential scanning calorimetric measurements reveal glass transition temperatures (T{sub g}) of these DEs are ∼195 K and show a very weak dependence on alkyl chain-length and electrolyte identity. Time-resolved and steady state fluorescence measurements with these DEs have been carried out at six-to-nine different temperatures that are ∼100–150 K above their individual T{sub g}s. Four different solute probes providing a good spread of fluorescence lifetimes have been employed in steady state measurements, revealing strong excitation wavelength dependence of probe fluorescence emission peak frequencies. Extent of this dependence, which shows sensitivity to anion identity, has been found to increase with increase of amide chain-length and decrease of probe lifetime. Time-resolved measurements reveal strong fractional power dependence of average rates for solute solvation and rotation with fraction power being relatively smaller (stronger viscosity decoupling) for DEs containing longer amide and larger (weaker decoupling) for DEs containing perchlorate anion. Representative all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of (CH{sub 3}CONH{sub 2} + LiX) DEs at different temperatures reveal strongly stretched exponential relaxation of wavevector dependent acetamide self dynamic structure factor with time constants dependent both on ion identity and temperature, providing justification for explaining the fluorescence results in

Molecular dynamics simulation of radiation grafted FEP films as proton exchange membranes: Effects of the side chain length

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Xue; Zhao, Yang; Li, Weiwei

2017-01-01

In order to study the microstructure of the prepared potential proton exchange membrane (PEM), molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to lucubrate the transport behavior of water molecules and hydronium ions inside the hydrated sulfonated styrene grafted fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP...... whereas larger water clusters formed. The results of the mean square displacements (MSDs) show that the proton conductivities of the membranes with the proposed side chain lengths were about three fifths of the experimental data, of which the membrane with side chain length of 7 sulfonic styrene units...... was supposed to exhibit the highest proton conductivity, that is 115.69 mS cm-1. All of the supposed membrane models presented good proton conductivity that could definitely meet the application requirements of the proton exchange membranes. The MD simulations can provide an insight to the chain structure...

The addition of medium-chain triglycerides to a purified fish oil-based diet alters inflammatory profiles in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Sarah J; Nandivada, Prathima; Chang, Melissa I; Mitchell, Paul D; O'Loughlin, Alison; Cowan, Eileen; Gura, Kathleen M; Nose, Vania; Bistrian, Bruce R; Puder, Mark

2015-02-01

Parenteral nutrition associated liver disease (PNALD) is a deadly complication of long term parenteral nutrition (PN) use in infants. Fish oil-based lipid emulsion has been shown in recent years to effectively treat PNALD. Alternative fat sources free of essential fatty acids have recently been investigated for health benefits related to decreased inflammatory response. We hypothesized that the addition of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) to a purified fish oil-based diet would decrease the response to inflammatory challenge in mice, while allowing for sufficient growth and development. Six groups of ten adult male C57/Bl6 mice were pair-fed different dietary treatments for a period of twelve weeks, varying only in fat source (percent calories by weight): 10.84% soybean oil (SOY), 10% coconut oil (HCO), 10% medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), 3% purified fish oil (PFO), 3% purified fish oil with 3% medium-chain triglycerides (50:50 MCT:PFO) and 3% purified fish oil with 7.59% medium-chain triglycerides (70:30 MCT:PFO). An endotoxin challenge was administered to half of the animals in each group at the completion of dietary treatment. All groups demonstrated normal growth throughout the study period. Groups fed MCT and HCO diets demonstrated biochemical essential fatty acid deficiency and decreased IL-6 and TNF-α response to endotoxin challenge. Groups containing PFO had increased inflammatory response to endotoxin challenge, and the addition of MCT to PFO mitigated this inflammatory response. These results suggest that the addition of MCT to PFO formulations may decrease the host response to inflammatory challenge, which may pose potential for optimized PN formulations. Inclusion of MCT in lipid emulsions given with PN formulations may be of use in therapeutic interventions for disease states resulting from chronic inflammation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phase behaviour of an ionic microemulsion system as a function of the cosurfactant chain length

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kegel, W.K.; Lekkerkerker, H.N.W.

1993-01-01

The phase behaviour of a microemulsion system consisting of equal volumes of brine and oil, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as surfactant and alcohols of different chain lengths (pentanol, hexanol and heptanol) as cosurfactant was studied. In the case of pentanol, at low surfactant concentrations and

Biosynthesis of Colabomycin E, a New Manumycin-Family Metabolite, Involves an Unusual Chain-Length Factor

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Petříčková, Kateřina; Pospíšil, Stanislav; Kuzma, Marek; Tylová, Tereza; Jágr, Michal; Tomek, P.; Chroňáková, Alica; Brabcová, E.; Anděra, Ladislav; Krištůfek, Václav; Petříček, Miroslav

2014-01-01

Roč. 15, č. 9 (2014), s. 1334-1345 ISSN 1439-4227 R&D Projects: GA MZd(CZ) NT13012 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 ; RVO:60077344 ; RVO:68378050 Keywords : biosynthesis * chain-length factors * manumycins Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 3.088, year: 2014

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia diagnosed by double-balloon enteroscopy and treated by medium-chain triglycerides: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Yu; Yu, Tao; Qiao, Xiao-Yu; Zhao, Li-Na; Chen, Qi-Kui

2013-01-14

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia is a disorder characterized by exudative enteropathy resulting from morphologic abnormalities of the intestinal lymphatics. Intestinal lymphangiectasia can be primary or secondary, so the diagnosis of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia must first exclude the possibility of secondary intestinal lymphangiectasia. A double-balloon enteroscopy and biopsy, as well as the pathology can be used to confirm the diagnosis of intestinal lymphangiectasia. A polymeric diet containing medium-chain triglycerides and total parenteral nutrition may be a useful therapy. A 17-year-old girl of Mongoloid ethnicity was admitted to our hospital with a history of diarrhea and edema. She was diagnosed with protein-losing enteropathy caused by intestinal lymphangiectasia. This was confirmed by a double-balloon enteroscopy and multi-dot biopsy. After treatment with total parenteral nutrition in hospital, which was followed by a low-fat and medium-chain triglyceride diet at home, she was totally relieved of her symptoms. Intestinal lymphangiectasia can be diagnosed with a double-balloon enteroscopy and multi-dot biopsy, as well as the pathology of small intestinal tissue showing edema of the submucosa and lymphangiectasia. Because intestinal lymphangiectasia can be primary or secondary, the diagnosis of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia must first exclude the possibility of secondary intestinal lymphangiectasia. A positive clinical response to the special diet therapy, namely a low-fat and medium-chain triglyceride diet, can further confirm the diagnosis of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia.

Relationships between food producers and retail chains: From a constructivist perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skytte, Hans

This paper presents preliminary results from a large project in which we developed a new way of looking at interaction and relationships between companies. Our main focus of interest in the project was the relationships between food producers and retail chains. The project investigated the cooper......This paper presents preliminary results from a large project in which we developed a new way of looking at interaction and relationships between companies. Our main focus of interest in the project was the relationships between food producers and retail chains. The project investigated...... the cooperation between Danish food producers and retail chains in four countries regarding trade in pork and pork-based products. The paradigmatic outset in the project was the constructivist paradigm. Based on theories on organisational identity, organisational image, organisational fields, plausibility......, product development, and construction of meaning and shared meaning, an analytical framework was developed. The theoretical framework subsequently - founded on a grounded theory approach - was used as the basis for the analysis. The paper concludes with a number of recommen¬dations for food producers...

Fabrication and tribological properties of self-assembled monolayer of n-alkyltrimethoxysilane on silicon: Effect of SAM alkyl chain length

Science.gov (United States)

Huo, Lixia; Du, Pengcheng; Zhou, Hui; Zhang, Kaifeng; Liu, Peng

2017-02-01

It is well known that the self-assembled organic molecules on a solid surface exhibit the friction-reducing performance. However, the effect of the molecular size of the self-assembled organic molecules has not been established. In the present work, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of n-alkyltrimethoxysilanes with different alkyl chain lengths (C6, C12, or C18) were fabricated on silicon substrate. The water contact angles of the SAMs increased from 26.8° of the hydroxylated silicon substrate to near 60° after self-assembly. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis results showed that the mean roughness (Ra) of the SAMs decreased with increasing the alkyl chain length. The tribological properties of the SAMs sliding against Al2O3 ball were evaluated on an UMT-2 tribometer, and the worn surfaces of the samples were analyzed by means of Nano Scratch Tester and surface profilometry. It was found that lowest friction coefficient and smallest width of wear were achieved with the SAMs of C12 alkyl chain (C12-SAM). The superior friction reduction and wear resistance of the SAMs in comparison with the bare silicon substrate are attributed to good adhesion of the self-assembled films to the substrate, especially the C12-SAM with desirable alkyl chain length.

Dependence of micelle size and shape on detergent alkyl chain length and head group.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryan C Oliver

Full Text Available Micelle-forming detergents provide an amphipathic environment that can mimic lipid bilayers and are important tools for solubilizing membrane proteins for functional and structural investigations in vitro. However, the formation of a soluble protein-detergent complex (PDC currently relies on empirical screening of detergents, and a stable and functional PDC is often not obtained. To provide a foundation for systematic comparisons between the properties of the detergent micelle and the resulting PDC, a comprehensive set of detergents commonly used for membrane protein studies are systematically investigated. Using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS, micelle shapes and sizes are determined for phosphocholines with 10, 12, and 14 alkyl carbons, glucosides with 8, 9, and 10 alkyl carbons, maltosides with 8, 10, and 12 alkyl carbons, and lysophosphatidyl glycerols with 14 and 16 alkyl carbons. The SAXS profiles are well described by two-component ellipsoid models, with an electron rich outer shell corresponding to the detergent head groups and a less electron dense hydrophobic core composed of the alkyl chains. The minor axis of the elliptical micelle core from these models is constrained by the length of the alkyl chain, and increases by 1.2-1.5 Å per carbon addition to the alkyl chain. The major elliptical axis also increases with chain length; however, the ellipticity remains approximately constant for each detergent series. In addition, the aggregation number of these detergents increases by ∼16 monomers per micelle for each alkyl carbon added. The data provide a comprehensive view of the determinants of micelle shape and size and provide a baseline for correlating micelle properties with protein-detergent interactions.

Effects of medium-chain triacylglycerols on Maillard reaction in bread baking.

Science.gov (United States)

Toyosaki, Toshiyuki

2018-06-01

To investigate the relationship between the fatty acid composition of medium-chain triacylglycerols (MCTs) and the Maillard reaction induced during bread baking, a comparison with various fatty acids was conducted. Saturated fatty acids had a remarkable inhibitory effect on the amount of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) generated from the Maillard reaction in bread baking compared to unsaturated fatty acids. The amount of AGEs produced by each fatty acid (mg kg -1 ) was as follows: C18:0, 18.7; C12:0, 35.2; C16:0, 21.4; C18:0, 38.2; C18:1, 68.7; C18:2, 80.1; C20:4, 80.8; C22:4, 89.8. Saturated fatty acids were possibly involved in the Maillard reaction and, as a result, acted to inhibit it. In the case of unsaturated fatty acids, amounts of AGEs during the Maillard reaction in baking tended to increase as the degree of unsaturation increased. In other words, there was a positive correlation between the degree of unsaturation and the amount of AGEs. It was also confirmed that the air pore distribution in baked bread was closely related to AGEs. These results led us to conclude that the fatty acid composition of the added lipids also influences properties that determine the tastiness of bread. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Analytical solution to the diffusion, sorption and decay chain equation in a saturated porous medium between two reservoirs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzman, Juan; Maximov, Serguei; Escarela-Perez, Rafael; López-García, Irvin; Moranchel, Mario

2015-01-01

The diffusion and distribution coefficients are important parameters in the design of barrier systems used in radioactive repositories. These coefficients can be determined using a two-reservoir configuration, where a saturated porous medium is allocated between two reservoirs filled by stagnant water. One of the reservoirs contains a high concentration of radioisotopes. The goal of this work is to obtain an analytical solution for the concentration of all radioisotopes in the decay chain of a two-reservoir configuration. The analytical solution must be obtained by taking into account the diffusion and sorption processes. Concepts such as overvalued concentration, diffusion and decay factors are employed to this end. It is analytically proven that a factor of the solution is identical for all chains (considering a time scaling factor), if certain parameters do not change. In addition, it is proven that the concentration sensitivity, due to the distribution coefficient variation, depends of the porous medium thickness, which is practically insensitive for small porous medium thicknesses. The analytical solution for the radioisotope concentration is compared with experimental and numerical results available in literature. - Highlights: • Saturated porous media allocated between two reservoirs. • Analytical solution of the isotope transport equation. • Transport considers diffusion, sorption and decay chain

The Effects of Long-or Medium-Chain Fat Diets on Glucose Toleance and Myocellular Content of Lipid Intermediates in Rats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vogel-van den Bosch, de H.M.; Hoeks, J.; Timmers, S.; Houten, S.M.; Dijk, P.J.; Boon, W.P.C.; Beurden, van D.; Schaart, G.; Kersten, A.H.; Voshol, P.J.; Wanders, R.J.A.; Hesselink, M.K.; Schrauwen, P.

2011-01-01

Accumulation of triacylglycerols (TAGs) and acylcarnitines in skeletal muscle upon high-fat (HF) feeding is the resultant of fatty acid uptake and oxidation and is associated with insulin resistance. As medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are preferentially ß-oxidized over long-chain fatty acids, we

Productivity, disturbance and ecosystem size have no influence on food chain length in seasonally connected rivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Warfe, Danielle M; Jardine, Timothy D; Pettit, Neil E; Hamilton, Stephen K; Pusey, Bradley J; Bunn, Stuart E; Davies, Peter M; Douglas, Michael M

2013-01-01

The food web is one of the oldest and most central organising concepts in ecology and for decades, food chain length has been hypothesised to be controlled by productivity, disturbance, and/or ecosystem size; each of which may be mediated by the functional trophic role of the top predator. We characterised aquatic food webs using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes from 66 river and floodplain sites across the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia to determine the relative importance of productivity (indicated by nutrient concentrations), disturbance (indicated by hydrological isolation) and ecosystem size, and how they may be affected by food web architecture. We show that variation in food chain length was unrelated to these classic environmental determinants, and unrelated to the trophic role of the top predator. This finding is a striking exception to the literature and is the first published example of food chain length being unaffected by any of these determinants. We suggest the distinctive seasonal hydrology of northern Australia allows the movement of fish predators, linking isolated food webs and potentially creating a regional food web that overrides local effects of productivity, disturbance and ecosystem size. This finding supports ecological theory suggesting that mobile consumers promote more stable food webs. It also illustrates how food webs, and energy transfer, may function in the absence of the human modifications to landscape hydrological connectivity that are ubiquitous in more populated regions.

Productivity, disturbance and ecosystem size have no influence on food chain length in seasonally connected rivers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danielle M Warfe

Full Text Available The food web is one of the oldest and most central organising concepts in ecology and for decades, food chain length has been hypothesised to be controlled by productivity, disturbance, and/or ecosystem size; each of which may be mediated by the functional trophic role of the top predator. We characterised aquatic food webs using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes from 66 river and floodplain sites across the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia to determine the relative importance of productivity (indicated by nutrient concentrations, disturbance (indicated by hydrological isolation and ecosystem size, and how they may be affected by food web architecture. We show that variation in food chain length was unrelated to these classic environmental determinants, and unrelated to the trophic role of the top predator. This finding is a striking exception to the literature and is the first published example of food chain length being unaffected by any of these determinants. We suggest the distinctive seasonal hydrology of northern Australia allows the movement of fish predators, linking isolated food webs and potentially creating a regional food web that overrides local effects of productivity, disturbance and ecosystem size. This finding supports ecological theory suggesting that mobile consumers promote more stable food webs. It also illustrates how food webs, and energy transfer, may function in the absence of the human modifications to landscape hydrological connectivity that are ubiquitous in more populated regions.

Phase Behavior and Evaporation Profile of Tween 20 - Eugenol System. Effect of Different Alkane Chain Length and Solvent System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kassim, A.; Lim, W.H.; Kuangl, D.; Rusmawati, W.W.M.; Abdullah, A.H.; Teoh, S.P.

2003-01-01

The isotropic region of Tween 20/eugenol/n-alkane in aqueous systems was determined. The solubilisation trend of isotropic solution formed in the presence of eugenol was studied as a function of different alkyl chain length of n-alkane. The solubility of solvent in surfactant solution is dependent on their molecular polarity. An increase in n-alkane chain length (lower polarity) lead to smaller isotropic region which will affect the surfactant partitioning between the interface, the oil phase and the aqueous phase of the microemulsion as the oil chain length is varied. The changes of evaporation behaviour were affected strongly by the types of phases existed in the systems. The increment of n-alkane and water content led to higher evaporation rate. But the formation of w/o microemulsion would lower the evaporation rate because water molecules were trapped in the core of aggregates. In solubilisation system, evaporation rate is dependent on the solvent content and the interaction between Tween 20 and solvent molecules in the mixed composition. (author)

Accumulation of medium-chain, saturated fatty acyl moieties in seed oils of transgenic Camelina sativa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaohui Hu

Full Text Available With its high seed oil content, the mustard family plant Camelina sativa has gained attention as a potential biofuel source. As a bioenergy crop, camelina has many advantages. It grows on marginal land with low demand for water and fertilizer, has a relatively short life cycle, and is stress tolerant. As most other crop seed oils, camelina seed triacylglycerols (TAGs consist of mostly long, unsaturated fatty acyl moieties, which is not desirable for biofuel processing. In our efforts to produce shorter, saturated chain fatty acyl moieties in camelina seed oil for conversion to jet fuel, a 12:0-acyl-carrier thioesterase gene, UcFATB1, from California bay (Umbellularia californica Nutt. was expressed in camelina seeds. Up to 40% of short chain laurate (C12:0 and myristate (C14:0 were present in TAGs of the seed oil of the transgenics. The total oil content and germination rate of the transgenic seeds were not affected. Analysis of positions of these two fatty acyl moieties in TAGs indicated that they were present at the sn-1 and sn-3 positions, but not sn-2, on the TAGs. Suppression of the camelina KASII genes by RNAi constructs led to higher accumulation of palmitate (C16:0, from 7.5% up to 28.5%, and further reduction of longer, unsaturated fatty acids in seed TAGs. Co-transformation of camelina with both constructs resulted in enhanced accumulation of all three medium-chain, saturated fatty acids in camelina seed oils. Our results show that a California bay gene can be successfully used to modify the oil composition in camelina seed and present a new biological alternative for jet fuel production.

Production of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate by Pseudomonas oleovorans grown in sugary cassava extract supplemented with andiroba oil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Aires da Silva

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Pseudomonas oleovorans were grown on sugary cassava extracts supplemented with andiroba oil for the synthesis of a mediumchain- length polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA MCL. The concentration of total sugars in the extract was approximately: 40 g/L in culture 1, 15 g/L in cultures 2 and 3, and 10 g/L in culture 4. Supplementation with 1% andiroba oil and 0.2 g/L of (NH42HPO4 was performed 6.5 hours after growth in culture 3, and supplementation with the same amount of andiroba oil and 2.4 g/L of (NH42HPO4 was performed at the beginning of growth in culture 4. The synthesis resulted mainly in 3-hydroxy-decanoate and 3-hydroxy-dodecanoate units; 3-hydroxy-butyrate, 3-hydroxy-hexanoate; and 3-hydroxy-octanoate monomers were also produced but in smaller proportions. P. oleovorans significantly accumulated PHA MCL in the deceleration phase of growth with an oxygen limitation but with sufficient nitrogen concentration to maintain cell growth. The sugary cassava extract supplemented with andiroba oil proved to be a potential substrate for PHA MCL production.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytochrome c551 denaturation by five systematic urea derivatives that differ in the alkyl chain length.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Shinya; Fujii, Sotaro; Koga, Aya; Wakai, Satoshi; Matubayasi, Nobuyuki; Sambongi, Yoshihiro

2017-07-01

Reversible denaturation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytochrome c 551 (PAc 551 ) could be followed using five systematic urea derivatives that differ in the alkyl chain length, i.e. urea, N-methylurea (MU), N-ethylurea (EU), N-propylurea (PU), and N-butylurea (BU). The BU concentration was the lowest required for the PAc 551 denaturation, those of PU, EU, MU, and urea being gradually higher. Furthermore, the accessible surface area difference upon PAc 551 denaturation caused by BU was found to be the highest, those by PU, EU, MU, and urea being gradually lower. These findings indicate that urea derivatives with longer alkyl chains are stronger denaturants. In this study, as many as five systematic urea derivatives could be applied for the reversible denaturation of a single protein, PAc 551 , for the first time, and the effects of the alkyl chain length on protein denaturation were systematically verified by means of thermodynamic parameters.

Extending producer responsibility up and down the supply chain, challenges and limitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheijgrond, Jan-Willem

2011-09-01

Producers are given increasing responsibility by governmental organizations to address environmental and human rights issues along the supply chain. While producers indeed have a responsibility to address these issues, governments' expectations of producers are often too high and in some cases unrealistic. Ruggie's framework to protect, respect and remedy provides a useful tool to determine the responsibilities of government and business in relation to human rights. If it is applied to product-related environmental aspects, which affect human rights, it offers a good tool to evaluate whether producer responsibility has been implemented in a way to institutionally align business and governments. An analysis of extended producer responsibility up and down the supply chain on the basis of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) legislation, REACH legislation and conflict minerals shows that such alignment has not been achieved.

Soliton scatterings by impurities in a short-length sine-Gordon chain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dikande, A.M.; Kofane, T.C.

1995-07-01

The scattering of soliton by impurities at the frontiers of a finite-length region of an infinite sine-Gordon chain is analyzed. The impurities consist of two isotopic inhomogeneities installed at the boundaries of the finite-length region. The soliton solution in the region is found in term of snoidal sine-Gordon soliton which properly takes into account the effects of the boundaries. By contrast, the soliton solutions in the neighboring sides of the region are obtained in terms of the so-called large-amplitude, localized kinks with limiting spatial extensions at x → ± ∞, which is equal ±π. Using the continuity of these soliton solutions at the frontiers as well as appropriate boundary conditions, it is shown that the soliton may be either i) reflected by the incident impurity; ii) trapped (with oscillating motions) between the two impurities (i.e. inside the infinite region); or iii) transmitted by the second impurity into the third, infinitely extended region. The threshold velocities for the reflection and transmission into different regions are found and shown to vary exponentially as a function of the length of the bounded region. The frequency of soliton oscillations between the impurities has also been calculated in some acceptable limit. (author). 28 refs, 1 fig

Medium-chain fatty acids inhibit mitochondrial metabolism in astrocytes promoting astrocyte-neuron lactate and ketone body shuttle systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Thevenet, Jonathan; De Marchi, Umberto; Domingo, Jaime Santo; Christinat, Nicolas; Bultot, Laurent; Lefebvre, Gregory; Sakamoto, Kei; Descombes, Patrick; Masoodi, Mojgan; Wiederkehr, Andreas

2016-05-01

Medium-chain triglycerides have been used as part of a ketogenic diet effective in reducing epileptic episodes. The health benefits of the derived medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are thought to result from the stimulation of liver ketogenesis providing fuel for the brain. We tested whether MCFAs have direct effects on energy metabolism in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived human astrocytes and neurons. Using single-cell imaging, we observed an acute pronounced reduction of the mitochondrial electrical potential and a concomitant drop of the NAD(P)H signal in astrocytes, but not in neurons. Despite the observed effects on mitochondrial function, MCFAs did not lower intracellular ATP levels or activate the energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase. ATP concentrations in astrocytes were unaltered, even when blocking the respiratory chain, suggesting compensation through accelerated glycolysis. The MCFA decanoic acid (300 μM) promoted glycolysis and augmented lactate formation by 49.6%. The shorter fatty acid octanoic acid (300 μM) did not affect glycolysis but increased the rates of astrocyte ketogenesis 2.17-fold compared with that of control cells. MCFAs may have brain health benefits through the modulation of astrocyte metabolism leading to activation of shuttle systems that provide fuel to neighboring neurons in the form of lactate and ketone bodies.-Thevenet, J., De Marchi, U., Santo Domingo, J., Christinat, N., Bultot, L., Lefebvre, G., Sakamoto, K., Descombes, P., Masoodi, M., Wiederkehr, A. Medium-chain fatty acids inhibit mitochondrial metabolism in astrocytes promoting astrocyte-neuron lactate and ketone body shuttle systems. © FASEB.

Chain length dependence of the helix orientation in Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers of alpha-helical diblock copolypeptides

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nguyen, Le-Thu T.; Ardana, Aditya; Vorenkamp, Eltjo J.; ten Brinke, Gerrit; Schouten, Arend J.

2010-01-01

The effect of chain length on the helix orientation of alpha-helical diblock copolypeptides in Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers is reported for the first time. Amphiphilic diblock copolypeptides (PLGA-b-PMLGSLGs) of poly(alpha-L-glutamic acid) (PLGA) and

The effect of chain length and lipid phase transitions on the selective permeability properties of liposomes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blok, M.C.; Neut-Kok, E.C.M. van der; Deenen, L.L.M. van; Gier, J. de

1975-01-01

This paper describes experiments showing the importance of the fatty acid chain length on the barrier properties of liposomal bilayers, prepared from saturated lecithins, under conditions of lateral phase separation. 1. 1.|Above the gel to liquid crystalline phase transition temperature,

Modification of eucalyptus pulp fiber using silane coupling agents with aliphatic side chains of different length

Science.gov (United States)

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of three silane coupling agents with different aliphatic chain lengths on the hydrophobicity of eucalyptus pulp fiber. The three silanes coupling agents used (isobutyltrimethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, and n-octyltriethoxysilane [OTES]) we...

Effect of Chain Length Compatibility of Alcohols on Muscovite Flotation by Dodecyl Amine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Wang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A portion of dodecyl amine (DDA in a muscovite flotation system was replaced with alcohols with different carbon-chain lengths. These alcohols included octanol (OCT; decanol (DEC; dodecanol (DOD; and tetradecanol (TER. The muscovite adsorption behavior of the mixed DDA and alcohol systems were investigated through zeta potential; contact angle; and adsorption quantity tests. Single-mineral flotation tests showed that the muscovite-collecting power of the mixed DDA/alcohol (OCT, DEC, or DOD system was stronger than that of the pure DDA system. The muscovite-collecting power of the collector systems decreased in the following order: DDA/DEC > DDA/OCT > DDA/DEC > DDA > DDA/TER. Zeta potential and contact angle analysis indicated that when combined with DDA; alcohols physically adsorbed on the surfaces of muscovite. This behavior improved the hydrophobicity of muscovite. Furthermore, adsorption analysis revealed that synergy between DDA and alcohol enhanced the adsorption of alcohol on muscovite. DDA has a dominant role in synergistic adsorption; whereas alcohol has a supporting role. Among all tested alcohols; DDA and DOD exhibit the highest synergetic adsorption effect because of their similar carbon-chain lengths. This similarity promotes the formation of a compact adsorption layer on the muscovite surface.

Effects of medium-chain fatty acids and oleic acid on blood lipids, lipoproteins, glucose, insulin, and lipid transfer protein activities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tholstrup, T.; Ehnholm, C.; Jauhiainen, M.

2004-01-01

Background: Dietary medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are of nutritional interest because they are more easily absorbed from dietary medium-chain triacylglycerols (MCTs) than are long-chain fatty acids from, for example, vegetable oils. It has generally been claimed that MCFAs do not increase plasma...... cholesterol, although this claim is poorly documented. Objective: We compared the effects of a diet rich in either MCFAs or oleic acid on fasting blood lipids, lipoproteins, glucose, insulin, and lipid transfer protein activities in healthy men. Design: In a study with a double-blind, randomized, crossover...... plasma total triacylglycerol (P = 0.0361), and higher plasma glucose (P = 0.033). Plasma HDL-cholesterol and insulin concentrations and activities of cholesterol ester transfer protein and phospholipid transfer protein did not differ significantly between the diets. Conclusions: Compared with fat high...

The effect of the chain length distribution of free fatty acids on the mixing properties of stratum corneum model membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Oguri, Masashi; Gooris, Gert S; Bito, Kotatsu; Bouwstra, Joke A

2014-07-01

The stratum corneum (SC) plays a fundamental role in the barrier function of the skin. The SC consists of corneocytes embedded in a lipid matrix. The main lipid classes in the lipid matrix are ceramides (CERs), cholesterol (CHOL) and free fatty acids (FFAs). The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the chain length of FFAs on the thermotropic phase behavior and mixing properties of SC lipids. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman imaging spectroscopy were used to study the mixing properties using either protonated or deuterated FFAs. We selected SC model lipid mixtures containing only a single CER, CHOL and either a single FFA or a mixture of FFAs mimicking the FFA SC composition. The single CER consists of a sphingoid base with 18 carbon atoms and an acyl chain with a chain length of 24 carbon atoms. When using lignoceric acid (24 carbon atoms) or a mixture of FFAs, the CER and FFAs participated in mixed crystals, but hydration of the mixtures induced a slight phase separation between CER and FFA. The mixed crystalline structures did not phase separate during storage even up to a time period of 3months. When using palmitic acid (16 carbon atoms), a slight phase separation was observed between FFA and CER. This phase separation was clearly enhanced during hydration and storage. In conclusion, the thermotropic phase behavior and the mixing properties of the SC lipid mixtures were shown to strongly depend on the chain length and chain length distribution of FFAs, while hydration enhanced the phase separation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lipid polymorphism of mixtures of dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine and saturated and monounsaturated phosphatidylcholines of various chain lengths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tate, M.W.; Gruner, S.M.

1987-01-01

The L/sub α/-H/sub II/ phase transition behavior of many lipid-water liquid crystals is dominated by the competition between the tendency to curl the lipid layers to an intrinsic radius of curvature and opposing hydrocarbon packing constraints. In particular, packing constraints can increase the free energy of the inverted hexagonal (H/sub II/) phase as compared to that of the lamellar (L/sub α/) phase. This is especially true where the lipid molecule is not long enough to reach into the corners of the lattice in large hexagonal structures necessitated by a large radius of curvature.In this paper it is shown that the addition of a minor fraction long-chain lipid to a system of otherwise uniform chain composition can also relax packing constraints, thereby lowering the lamellar to hexagonal transition temperature. For the specific systems used, dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (di-18:1/sub c/-PE) with minor fractions of 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholines [di-n:1/sub c/-PC (n = 14, 18, 22, and 24)], the observed H/sub II/lattices systematically increased in size with increasing chain length suggesting that the chain length also may affect the intrinsic curvature of the mixture. These experiments demonstrate that the lipid shape concept, which is a qualitative expression of the concept quantitatively described by the intrinsic radius of curvature, is insufficient to understand the L/sub α/-H/sub II/ transition. It is necessary to, at least, consider the competition between curvature and packing

Production of medium-chain fatty acids and higher alcohols by a synthetic co-culture grown on carbon monoxide or syngas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Diender, M.; Stams, A.J.M.; Machado de Sousa, D.Z.

2016-01-01

Background
Synthesis gas, a mixture of CO, H2, and CO2, is a promising renewable feedstock for bio-based production of organic chemicals. Production of medium-chain fatty acids can be performed via chain elongation, utilizing acetate and ethanol as main substrates. Acetate and ethanol are main

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia diagnosed by double-balloon enteroscopy and treated by medium-chain triglycerides: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lai Yu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia is a disorder characterized by exudative enteropathy resulting from morphologic abnormalities of the intestinal lymphatics. Intestinal lymphangiectasia can be primary or secondary, so the diagnosis of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia must first exclude the possibility of secondary intestinal lymphangiectasia. A double-balloon enteroscopy and biopsy, as well as the pathology can be used to confirm the diagnosis of intestinal lymphangiectasia. A polymeric diet containing medium-chain triglycerides and total parenteral nutrition may be a useful therapy. Case presentation A 17-year-old girl of Mongoloid ethnicity was admitted to our hospital with a history of diarrhea and edema. She was diagnosed with protein-losing enteropathy caused by intestinal lymphangiectasia. This was confirmed by a double-balloon enteroscopy and multi-dot biopsy. After treatment with total parenteral nutrition in hospital, which was followed by a low-fat and medium-chain triglyceride diet at home, she was totally relieved of her symptoms. Conclusion Intestinal lymphangiectasia can be diagnosed with a double-balloon enteroscopy and multi-dot biopsy, as well as the pathology of small intestinal tissue showing edema of the submucosa and lymphangiectasia. Because intestinal lymphangiectasia can be primary or secondary, the diagnosis of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia must first exclude the possibility of secondary intestinal lymphangiectasia. A positive clinical response to the special diet therapy, namely a low-fat and medium-chain triglyceride diet, can further confirm the diagnosis of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia.

Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of complementary DNA encoding rat mammary gland medium-chain S-acyl fatty acid synthetase thio ester hydrolase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safford, R.; de Silva, J.; Lucas, C.

1987-01-01

Poly(A) + RNA from pregnant rat mammary glands was size-fractionated by sucrose gradient centrifugation, and fractions enriched in medium-chain S-acyl fatty acid synthetase thio ester hydrolase (MCH) were identified by in vitro translation and immunoprecipitation. A cDNA library was constructed, in pBR322, from enriched poly(A) + RNA and screened with two oligonucleotide probes deduced from rat MCH amino acid sequence data. Cross-hybridizing clones were isolated and found to contain cDNA inserts ranging from ∼ 1100 to 1550 base pairs (bp). A 1550-bp cDNA insert, from clone 43H09, was confirmed to encode MCH by hybrid-select translation/immunoprecipitation studies and by comparison of the amino acid sequence deduced from the DNA sequence of the clone to the amino acid sequence of the MCH peptides. Northern blot analysis revealed the size of the MCH mRNA to be 1500 nucleotides, and it is therefore concluded that the 1550-bp insert (including G x C tails) of clone 43H09 represents a full- or near-full-length copy of the MCH gene. The rat MCH sequence is the first reported sequence of a thioesterase from a mammalian source, but comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of MCH and the recently published mallard duck medium-chain S-acyl fatty acid synthetase thioesterase reveals significant homology. In particular, a seven amino acid sequence containing the proposed active serine of the duck thioesterase is found to be perfectly conserved in rat MCH

The effect of the alkyl chain length on physicochemical features of (ionic liquids + γ-butyrolactone) binary mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papović, Snežana; Bešter-Rogač, Marija; Vraneš, Milan; Gadžurić, Slobodan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Influence of alkyl substituent length on IL properties was studied. • Nature of interactions between studied [C_nC_1im][NTf_2] and GBL were discussed. • Angell strength parameter indicates [C_nC_1im][NTf_2] are fragile liquids. • ILs properties regularly change with increase of the alkyl chain length. • Absence of GBL self-association upon addition of IL is observed. - Abstract: Densities and viscosities were determined and analysed for γ-butyrolactone (GBL) binary mixtures with 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquids (where alkyl = ethyl, hexyl, octyl) as a function of temperature at atmospheric pressure (p = 0.1 MPa) and over the whole composition range. Excess molar volumes have been calculated from the experimental densities and were fitted using Redlich–Kister’s polynomial equation. Other volumetric parameters have been also calculated in order to obtain information about interactions between GBL and imidazolium based ionic liquids with different alkyl chain length. From the viscosity measurements, the Angell strength parameter was calculated for pure ionic liquids indicating that all investigated electrolytes are “fragile” liquids.

Scaling behaviour of the correlation length for the two-point correlation function in the random field Ising chain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lange, Adrian; Stinchcombe, Robin [Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom)

1996-07-07

We study the general behaviour of the correlation length {zeta}(kT:h) for two-point correlation function of the local fields in an Ising chain with binary distributed fields. At zero field it is shown that {zeta} is the same as the zero-field correlation length for the spin-spin correlation function. For the field-dominated behaviour of {zeta} we find an exponent for the power-law divergence which is smaller than the exponent for the spin-spin correlation length. The entire behaviour of the correlation length can be described by a single crossover scaling function involving the new critical exponent. (author)

PRODUCTION OF MEDIUM-CHAIN ACYLGLYCEROLS BY LIPASE ESTERIFICATION IN PACKED BED REACTOR: PROCESS OPTIMIZATION BY RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZANARIAH MOHD DOM

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Medium-chain acylglycerols (or glycerides are formed of mono-, di- and triacylglycerol classes. In this study, an alternative method to produce MCA from esterifying palm oil fatty acid distillate (PFAD with the presence of oil palm mesocarp lipase (OPML which is a plant-sourced lipase and PFAD is also cheap by-product is developed in a packed bed reactor. The production of medium-chain acylglycerols (MCA by lipase-catalysed esterification of palm oil fatty acid distillate with glycerol are optimize in order to determine the factors that have significant effects on the reaction condition and high yield of MCA. Response surface methodology (RSM was applied to optimize the reaction conditions. The reaction conditions, namely, the reaction time (30-240 min, enzyme load (0.5-1.5 kg, silica gel load (0.2-1.0 kg, and solvent amount (200-600 vol/wt. Reaction time, enzyme loading and solvent amount strongly effect MCA synthesis (p0.05 influence on MCA yield. Best-fitting models were successfully established for MCA yield (R 2 =0.9133. The optimum MCA yield were 75% from the predicted value and 75.4% from the experimental data for 6 kg enzyme loading, a reaction time of 135min and a solvent amount of 350 vol/wt at 65ºC reaction temperature. Verification of experimental results under optimized reaction conditions were conducted, and the results agreed well with the predicted range. Esterification products (mono-, di- and triacylglycerol from the PBR were identified using Thin Layer Chromatography method. The chromatograms showed the successful fractionation of esterified products in this alternative method of process esterification.

Analytic study of the chain dark decomposition reaction of iodides - atomic iodine donors - in the active medium of a pulsed chemical oxygen-iodine laser: 1. Criteria for the development of the branching chain dark decomposition reaction of iodides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andreeva, Tamara L; Kuznetsova, S V; Maslov, Aleksandr I; Sorokin, Vadim N

2009-01-01

The scheme of chemical processes proceeding in the active medium of a pulsed chemical oxygen-iodine laser (COIL) is analysed. Based on the analysis performed, the complete system of differential equations corresponding to this scheme is replaced by a simplified system of equations describing in dimensionless variables the chain dark decomposition of iodides - atomic iodine donors, in the COIL active medium. The procedure solving this system is described, the basic parameters determining the development of the chain reaction are found and its specific time intervals are determined. The initial stage of the reaction is analysed and criteria for the development of the branching chain decomposition reaction of iodide in the COIL active medium are determined. (active media)

Immune activation by medium-chain triglyceride-containing lipid emulsions is not modulated by n-3 lipids or toll-like receptor 4

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olthof, E.D.; Gulich, A.F.; Renne, M.F.; Landman, S.; Joosten, L.A.B.; Roelofs, H.M.; Wanten, G.J.A.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Saturated medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) as part of the parenteral lipid regimen (50% MCT and 50% long chain triglycerides (LCT)) activate the immune system in vitro. Fish oil (FO)-derived n-3 fatty acids (FA) inhibit saturated FA-induced immune activation via a toll-like receptor

Evidence for medium chain triglycerides in the treatment of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, A P; Guvenc, B H; Carachi, R

2009-08-01

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia is an uncommon congenital anomaly. It is an intrinsic abnormality of the intestinal lymphatics system. Over the years, various treatment options such as diuretics, albumin transfusions and a medium chain triglycerides (MCT) diet as well as surgical options such as resection of isolated segments and peritoneal-venous shunts have been used. An MCT diet, which is a low fat, high protein diet, is increasingly used in the management of this anomaly. The aim was to review the evidence for medium chain triglycerides as a therapeutic option in patients with primary intestinal lymphangiectasia. A literature search was performed and individual case details were extracted. We found 55 cases, of which 3 were from our own institute. The cases were divided in 2 groups: Group A (n=27) consisted of patients treated with MCT, and Group B (n=28) consisted patients not treated with MCT. Cases were analysed for symptomatic response to MCT as well as mortality. 17 of 27 cases (63%) treated with MCT had complete resolution of symptoms while only 10 of 28 (35.7%) patients in group B showed complete resolution. Mortality for Group A was 1 out of 27 (3.7%), while mortality in group B was 5 of 28 (17.85%) patients. We conclude that, although an MCT diet is not completely curative in all cases, it does improve the symptoms of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia and reduces mortality. Hence it is a valid option in the paediatric age group. Copyright Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart . New York.

Cognition and Synaptic-Plasticity Related Changes in Aged Rats Supplemented with 8- and 10-Carbon Medium Chain Triglycerides.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongmei Wang

Full Text Available Brain glucose hypometabolism is a common feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD. Previous studies have shown that cognition is improved by providing AD patients with an alternate energy source: ketones derived from either ketogenic diet or supplementation with medium chain triglycerides (MCT. Recently, data on the neuroprotective capacity of MCT-derived medium chain fatty acids (MCFA suggest 8-carbon and 10-carbon MCFA may have cognition-enhancing properties which are not related to ketone production. We investigated the effect of 8 week treatment with MCT8, MCT10 or sunflower oil supplementation (5% by weight of chow diet in 21 month old Wistar rats. Both MCT diets increased ketones plasma similarly compared to control diet, but MCT diets did not increase ketones in the brain. Treatment with MCT10, but not MCT8, significantly improved novel object recognition memory compared to control diet, while social recognition increased in both MCT groups. MCT8 and MCT10 diets decreased weight compared to control diet, where MCFA plasma levels were higher in MCT10 groups than in MCT8 groups. Both MCT diets increased IRS-1 (612 phosphorylation and decreased S6K phosphorylation (240/244 but only MCT10 increased Akt phosphorylation (473. MCT8 supplementation increased synaptophysin, but not PSD-95, in contrast MCT10 had no effect on either synaptic marker. Expression of Ube3a, which controls synaptic stability, was increased by both MCT diets. Cortex transcription via qPCR showed that immediate early genes related to synaptic plasticity (arc, plk3, junb, egr2, nr4a1 were downregulated by both MCT diets while MCT8 additionally down-regulated fosb and egr1 but upregulated grin1 and gba2. These results demonstrate that treatment of 8- and 10-carbon length MCTs in aged rats have slight differential effects on synaptic stability, protein synthesis and behavior that may be independent of brain ketone levels.

Key conditions for successful value chain partnerships : A multiple case study in Ethiopia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S. Drost (Sarah); J.C.A.C. van Wijk (Jeroen); F. Mandefro (Fenta)

2012-01-01

textabstractThis paper explores the black box of value chain partnerships, by showing how these partnerships can facilitate institutional change that is needed to include smallholder producers and small-and medium sized enterprises into (global) food value chains. It draws on agricultural value

Molecular diagnosis and characterization of medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andresen, B S; Bross, P; Jensen, T G

1995-01-01

Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency is the most common defect in mitochondrial beta-oxidation in humans. It is an autosomal recessive disorder which usually presents in infancy. The disease manifests itself in periods of metabolic stress to the beta-oxidation system and may...... of correct enzyme structure, and does not directly affect the catalytically active regions of the enzyme. We find that our diagnostic set up, consisting of an initial testing by the G985 assay, followed by semi-automated sequencing of DNA from those patients who were indicated to be compound heterozygous...

The domain-specific and temperature-dependent protein misfolding phenotype of variant medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jank, Johanna M.; Maier, Esther M.; Reiβ, Dunja D.; Haslbeck, Martin; Kemter, Kristina F.; Truger, Marietta S.; Sommerhoff, Christian P.; Ferdinandusse, Sacha; Wanders, Ronald J.; Gersting, Søren W.; Muntau, Ania C.

2014-01-01

The implementation of expanded newborn screening programs reduced mortality and morbidity in medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD) caused by mutations in the ACADM gene. However, the disease is still potentially fatal. Missense induced MCADD is a protein misfolding disease with a

Proton conducting graft copolymers with tunable length and density of phosphonated side chains for fuel cell membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dimitrov, Ivaylo; Takamuku, Shogo; Jankova Atanasova, Katja

2014-01-01

Polysulfones functionalized with highly phosphonated poly(pentafluorostyrene) side chains of different lengths were synthesized applying controlled polymerization and modification methods. The graft copolymers' thermal properties were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermal...... gravimetrical analyses. The proton conductivity of membrane prepared from the graft copolymer with the shortest phosphonated side chains was 134 mS cm(-1) at 100 degrees C under fully immersed conditions. The graft copolymer TEM image shows a nanophase separation of ion-rich segments within the polysulfone...

The interacting effects of temperature and food chain length on trophic abundance and ecosystem function.

Science.gov (United States)

Beveridge, Oliver S; Humphries, Stuart; Petchey, Owen L

2010-05-01

1. While much is known about the independent effects of trophic structure and temperature on density and ecosystem processes, less is known about the interaction(s) between the two. 2. We manipulated the temperature of laboratory-based bacteria-protist communities that contained communities with one, two, or three trophic levels, and recorded species' densities and bacterial decomposition. 3. Temperature, food chain length and their interaction produced significant responses in microbial density and bacterial decomposition. Prey and resource density expressed different patterns of temperature dependency during different phases of population dynamics. The addition of a predator altered the temperature-density relationship of prey, from a unimodal trend to a negative one. Bacterial decomposition was greatest in the presence of consumers at higher temperatures. 4. These results are qualitatively consistent with a recent model of direct and indirect temperature effects on resource-consumer population dynamics. Results highlight and reinforce the importance of indirect effects of temperature mediated through trophic interactions. Understanding and predicting the consequences of environmental change will require that indirect effects, trophic structure, and individual species' tolerances be incorporated into theory and models.

Relationship between Length and Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Signal Strength in Metal Nanoparticle Chains: Ideal Models versus Nanofabrication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristen D. Alexander

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We have employed capillary force deposition on ion beam patterned substrates to fabricate chains of 60 nm gold nanospheres ranging in length from 1 to 9 nanoparticles. Measurements of the surface-averaged SERS enhancement factor strength for these chains were then compared to the numerical predictions. The SERS enhancement conformed to theoretical predictions in the case of only a few chains, with the vast majority of chains tested not matching such behavior. Although all of the nanoparticle chains appear identical under electron microscope observation, the extreme sensitivity of the SERS enhancement to nanoscale morphology renders current nanofabrication methods insufficient for consistent production of coupled nanoparticle chains. Notwithstanding this fact, the aggregate data also confirmed that nanoparticle dimers offer a large improvement over the monomer enhancement while conclusively showing that, within the limitations imposed by current state-of-the-art nanofabrication techniques, chains comprising more than two nanoparticles provide only a marginal signal boost over the already considerable dimer enhancement.

Simulated glass-forming polymer melts: dynamic scattering functions, chain length effects, and mode-coupling theory analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Frey, S; Weysser, F; Meyer, H; Farago, J; Fuchs, M; Baschnagel, J

2015-02-01

We present molecular-dynamics simulations for a fully flexible model of polymer melts with different chain length N ranging from short oligomers (N = 4) to values near the entanglement length (N = 64). For these systems we explore the structural relaxation of the supercooled melt near the critical temperature T c of mode-coupling theory (MCT). Coherent and incoherent scattering functions are analyzed in terms of the idealized MCT. For temperatures T > T c we provide evidence for the space-time factorization property of the β relaxation and for the time-temperature superposition principle (TTSP) of the α relaxation, and we also discuss deviations from these predictions for T ≈ T c. For T larger than the smallest temperature where the TTSP holds we perform a quantitative analysis of the dynamics with the asymptotic MCT predictions for the late β regime. Within MCT a key quantity, in addition to T c, is the exponent parameter λ. For the fully flexible polymer models studied we find that λ is independent of N and has a value (λ = 0.735 ) typical of simple glass-forming liquids. On the other hand, the critical temperature increases with chain length toward an asymptotic value T c (∞) . This increase can be described by T c (∞) - T c(N) ∼ 1/N and may be interpreted in terms of the N dependence of the monomer density ρ, if we assume that the MCT glass transition is ruled by a soft-sphere-like constant coupling parameter Γ c = ρ c T c (-1/4), where ρ c is the monomer density at T c. In addition, we also estimate T c from a Hansen-Verlet-like criterion and MCT calculations based on structural input from the simulation. For our polymer model both the Hansen-Verlet criterion and the MCT calculations suggest T c to decrease with increasing chain length, in contrast to the direct analysis of the simulation data.

Effects of chain length, chlorination degree, and structure on the octanol-water partition coefficients of polychlorinated n-alkanes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilger, Bettina; Fromme, Hermann; Völkel, Wolfgang; Coelhan, Mehmet

2011-04-01

Log octanol-water partition coefficients (log Kow) of 40 synthesized polychlorinated n-alkanes (PCAs) with different chlorination degrees were determined using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). In addition, log Kow values of a technical mixture namely Cereclor 63L as well as 15 individual in house synthesized C10, C11, and C12 chloroalkanes with known chlorine positions were estimated. Based on these results, the effects of chain length, chlorination degree, and structure were explored. The estimated log Kow values ranged from 4.10 (polychlorinated n-decanes with 50.2% chlorine content) to 11.34 (polychlorinated n-octacosanes with 54.8% chlorine content) for PCAs and from 3.82 (1,2,5,6,9,10-hexachlorodecane) to 7.75 (1,1,1,3,9,11,11,11-octachlorododecane) for the individual chloroalkanes studied. The results showed that log Kow value was influenced linearly at a given chlorine content by chain length, while a polynominal effect was observed in dependence on the chlorination degree of an alkane chain. Chlorine substitution pattern influenced markedly the log Kow value of chloroalkanes.

Upgrading and Strategic Options of Garment Producers in the Global Value Chain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Olav Jull; Kuada, John; Schaumburg-Müller, Henrik

2006-01-01

Focus of this study of the garment industry in Malaysia, Vietnam and Ghana is on the industry's position in the global value chain and the strategic options available for the local garment producers. The study indicates a number of optional strategies for the entreprenurial garment producers....

The Peroxisomal Enzyme L-PBE Is Required to Prevent the Dietary Toxicity of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Ding

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Specific metabolic pathways are activated by different nutrients to adapt the organism to available resources. Although essential, these mechanisms are incompletely defined. Here, we report that medium-chain fatty acids contained in coconut oil, a major source of dietary fat, induce the liver ω-oxidation genes Cyp4a10 and Cyp4a14 to increase the production of dicarboxylic fatty acids. Furthermore, these activate all ω- and β-oxidation pathways through peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR α and PPARγ, an activation loop normally kept under control by dicarboxylic fatty acid degradation by the peroxisomal enzyme L-PBE. Indeed, L-pbe−/− mice fed coconut oil overaccumulate dicarboxylic fatty acids, which activate all fatty acid oxidation pathways and lead to liver inflammation, fibrosis, and death. Thus, the correct homeostasis of dicarboxylic fatty acids is a means to regulate the efficient utilization of ingested medium-chain fatty acids, and its deregulation exemplifies the intricate relationship between impaired metabolism and inflammation.

Effects of medium-chain triglycerides, long-chain triglycerides, or 2-monododecanoin on fatty acid composition in the portal vein, intestinal lymph, and systemic circulation in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

You, Yi-Qian Nancy; Ling, Pei-Ra; Qu, Jason Zhensheng; Bistrian, Bruce R

2008-01-01

Fatty acid absorption patterns can have a major impact on the fatty acid composition in the portal, intestinal lymph, and systemic circulation. This study sought to determine the effects of long-chain triglycerides (LCT), medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), and 2-monododecanoin (2mono) on intestinal fatty acid composition during continuous feeding over a brief period. The lipid sources were 100% LCT, 100% MCT, a 50:50 mixture of LCT and MCT (LCT/MCT), and a 50:50 mixture of LCT and 2mono (LCT/2mono). A total of 27 rats were randomly given 1 of the 4 diets at 200 kcal/kg/d, with 30% of total calories from lipids over 3 hours. MCT significantly increased each of the medium-chain fatty acids (C6:0, C8:0, and C10:0) as free fatty acids in the portal vein and about 10%/mol of C10:0 as triglycerides in the lymph compared with the other groups. There was significantly less C10:0 in lymphatic triglycerides with LCT/MCT than with MCT, but more than in the LCT and LCT/2mono diets. MCT also significantly increased the contents of C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, and C20:4 in the lymphatic triglycerides compared with all other groups including LCT/MCT. The amount of linoleic acid (C18:2) in lymphatic triglycerides followed the relative amounts of this fatty acid in the diet, with the greatest in LCT followed by LCT/MCT and LCT/2mono and least in MCT. A so-called structured lipid composed of the medium-chain fatty acid dodecanoic acid on the 2 position and long-chain fatty acids on the 1 and 3 positions appeared to be endogenously synthesized in response to the LCT/2mono diet. The original differences in MCT and LCT content in the diets were preserved in the fatty acid composition in the intestinal free fatty acids and triglycerides during feeding. In addition, the duration of lipid administration can play a role in altering fatty acid composition in the intestine.

Effects of Medium-Chain Triglycerides, Long-Chain Triglycerides, or 2-Monododecanoin on Fatty Acid Composition in the Portal Vein, Intestinal Lymph, and Systemic Circulation in Rats

Science.gov (United States)

Nancy You, Yi-Qian; Ling, Pei-Ra; Qu, Jason Zhensheng; Bistrian, Bruce R.

2011-01-01

Background Fatty acid absorption patterns can have a major impact on the fatty acid composition in the portal, intestinal lymph, and systemic circulation. This study sought to determine the effects of long-chain triglycerides (LCT), medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), and 2-monododecanoin (2mono) on intestinal fatty acid composition during continuous feeding over a brief period. Methods The lipid sources were 100% LCT, 100% MCT, a 50:50 mixture of LCT and MCT (LCT/MCT), and a 50:50 mixture of LCT and 2mono (LCT/2mono). A total of 27 rats were randomly given 1 of the 4 diets at 200 kcal/kg/d, with 30% of total calories from lipids over 3 hours. Results MCT significantly increased each of the medium-chain fatty acids (C6:0, C8:0, and C10:0) as free fatty acids in the portal vein and about 10%/mol of C10:0 as triglycerides in the lymph compared with the other groups. There was significantly less C10:0 in lymphatic triglycerides with LCT/MCT than with MCT, but more than in the LCT and LCT/2mono diets. MCT also significantly increased the contents of C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, and C20:4 in the lymphatic triglycerides compared with all other groups including LCT/MCT. The amount of linoleic acid (C18:2) in lymphatic triglycerides followed the relative amounts of this fatty acid in the diet, with the greatest in LCT followed by LCT/MCT and LCT/2mono and least in MCT. A so-called structured lipid composed of the medium-chain fatty acid dodecanoic acid on the 2 position and long-chain fatty acids on the 1 and 3 positions appeared to be endogenously synthesized in response to the LCT/2mono diet. Conclusions The original differences in MCT and LCT content in the diets were preserved in the fatty acid composition in the intestinal free fatty acids and triglycerides during feeding. In addition, the duration of lipid administration can play a role in altering fatty acid composition in the intestine. PMID:18407910

σ-Bond Electron Delocalization in Oligosilanes as Function of Substitution Pattern, Chain Length, and Spatial Orientation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johann Hlina

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Polysilanes are known to exhibit the interesting property of σ-bond electron delocalization. By employing optical spectroscopy (UV-vis, it is possible to judge the degree of delocalization and also differentiate parts of the molecules which are conjugated or not. The current study compares oligosilanes of similar chain length but different substitution pattern. The size of the substituents determines the spatial orientation of the main chain and also controls the conformational flexibility. The chemical nature of the substituents affects the orbital energies of the molecules and thus the positions of the absorption bands.

Effects of alkyl chain length and substituent pattern of fullerene bis-adducts on film structures and photovoltaic properties of bulk heterojunction solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Ran; Umeyama, Tomokazu; Kurotobi, Kei; Imahori, Hiroshi

2014-10-08

A series of alkoxycarbonyl-substituted dihydronaphthyl-based [60]fullerene bis-adduct derivatives (denoted as C2BA, C4BA, and C6BA with the alkyl chain of ethyl, n-butyl, and n-hexyl, respectively) have been synthesized to investigate the effects of alkyl chain length and substituent pattern of fullerene bis-adducts on the film structures and photovoltaic properties of bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells. The shorter alkyl chain length caused lower solubility of the fullerene bis-adducts (C6BA > C4BA > C2BA), thereby resulting in the increased separation difficulty of respective bis-adduct isomers. The device performance based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and the fullerene bis-adduct regioisomer mixtures was enhanced by shortening the alkyl chain length. When using the regioisomerically separated fullerene bis-adducts, the devices based on trans-2 and a mixture of trans-4 and e of C4BA exhibited the highest power conversion efficiencies of ca. 2.4%, which are considerably higher than those of the C6BA counterparts (ca. 1.4%) and the C4BA regioisomer mixture (1.10%). The film morphologies as well as electron mobilities of the P3HT:bis-adduct blend films were found to affect the photovoltaic properties considerably. These results reveal that the alkyl chain length and substituent pattern of fullerene bis-adducts significantly influence the photovoltaic properties as well as the film structures of bulk heterojunction solar cells.

Effect of GPR84 deletion on obesity and diabetes development in mice fed long chain or medium chain fatty acid rich diets.

Science.gov (United States)

Du Toit, Eugene; Browne, Liam; Irving-Rodgers, Helen; Massa, Helen M; Fozzard, Nicolette; Jennings, Michael P; Peak, Ian R

2017-04-20

Although there is good evidence showing that diets rich in medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) have less marked obesogenic and diabetogenic effects than diets rich in long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), the role of the pro-inflammatory, medium chain fatty acid receptor (GPR84) in the aetiology of obesity and glucose intolerance is not well characterised. We set out to determine whether GPR84 expression influences obesity and glucose intolerance susceptibility in MCFA and LCFA rich diet fed mice. Wild type (WT) and GPR84 knockout (KO) mice were fed a control, MCFA or LCFA diet, and body mass, heart, liver and epididymal fat mass was assessed, as well as glucose tolerance and adipocyte size. LCFA diets increased body mass and decreased glucose tolerance in both WT and GPR84 KO animals while MCFA diets had no effect on these parameters. There were no differences in body weight when comparing WT and GPR84 KO mice on the respective diets. Glucose tolerance was also similar in WT and GPR84 KO mice irrespective of diet. Liver mass was increased following LCFA feeding in WT but not GPR84 KO mice. Hepatic triglyceride content was increased in GPR84 KO animals fed MCFA, and myocardial triglyceride content was increased in GPR84 KO animals fed LCFA. GPR84 deletion had no effects on body weight or glucose tolerance in mice fed either a high MCFA or LCFA diet. GPR84 may influence lipid metabolism, as GPR84 KO mice had smaller livers and increased myocardial triglyceride accumulation when fed LCFA diets, and increased liver triglyceride accumulation in responses to increased dietary MCFAs.

Patients with medium-chain acyl-coenzyme a dehydrogenase deficiency have impaired oxidation of fat during exercise but no effect of L-carnitine supplementation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, K L; Preisler, N; Orngreen, M C

2013-01-01

It is not clear to what extent skeletal muscle is affected in patients with medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD). l-Carnitine is commonly used as a supplement in patients with MCADD, although its beneficial effect has not been verified.......It is not clear to what extent skeletal muscle is affected in patients with medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD). l-Carnitine is commonly used as a supplement in patients with MCADD, although its beneficial effect has not been verified....

Studies on the solvation dynamics of coumarin 153 in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium alkylsulfate ionic liquids: dependence on alkyl chain length.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Sudhir Kumar; Sarkar, Moloy

2012-08-06

Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence behavior of coumarin 153 (C153) is investigated in a series of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium alkylsulfate ([C(2)mim][C(n)OSO(3)]) ionic liquids differing only in the length of the linear alkyl chain (n = 4, 6, and 8) in the anion. The aim of the present study is to understand the role of alkyl chain length in solute rotation and solvation dynamics of C153 in these ionic liquids. The blueshift observed in the steady-state absorption and emission maxima of C153 on going from the C(4)OSO(3) to the C(8)OSO(3) system indicates increasing nonpolar character of the microenvironment of the solute with increasing length of the alkyl side chain of the anion of the ionic liquids. The average solvation time is also found to increase on changing the substituent from butyl to octyl, and this is attributed to the increase in the bulk viscosity of the ILs. A steady blueshift of the time-zero maximum of the fluorescence spectrum with increasing alkyl chain length also indicates that the probe molecule experiences a less polar environment in the early part of the dynamics. Rotational dynamics of C153 are also analyzed by using the Stokes-Einstein-Debye (SED), Gierer-Wirtz (GW), and Dote-Kivelson-Schwartz (DKS) theories. Analyses of the results seem to suggest decoupling of the rotational motion of the probe from solvent viscosity. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Understanding Supply Chain Management Practices for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Science.gov (United States)

Thoo, AC; Sulaiman, Z.; Choi, SL; Kohar, UHA

2017-06-01

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are a major source of dynamism, innovation and flexibility for emerging and developing countries, as well as for the economies of the most industrialised nations. However, the survival and growth of SMEs can be difficult in the current competitive business environment and global marketplace. It can be a real challenge to deliver the right product and service at the most opportune time and at the lowest possible cost to the right customer. The challenge stresses the importance of managing cross-boundary relationships between business partners. For gaining a competitive advantage, supply chain management (SCM) is an effective tool to SMEs. Therefore, this paper aims to review the tenet of SCM, its benefits and practices to SMEs.

Medium chain triglycerides dose-dependently prevent liver pathology in a rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Science.gov (United States)

Metabolic syndrome is often accompanied by development of hepatic steatosis and less frequently by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) leading to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Replacement of corn oil with medium chain triacylglycerols (MCT) in the diets of alcohol-fed rats has been show...

Bond length and electric current oscillation of long linear carbon chains: Density functional theory, MpB model, and quantum spin transport studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oeiras, R. Y.; Silva, E. Z. da

2014-01-01

Carbon linear atomic chains attached to graphene have experimentally been produced. Motivated by these results, we study the nature of the carbon bonds in these nanowires and how it affects their electrical properties. In the present study we investigate chains with different numbers of atoms and we observe that nanowires with odd number of atoms present a distinct behavior than the ones with even numbers. Using graphene nanoribbons as leads, we identify differences in the quantum transport of the chains with the consequence that even and odd numbered chains have low and high electrical conduction, respectively. We also noted a dependence of current with the wire size. We study this unexpected behavior using a combination of first principles calculations and simple models based on chemical bond theory. From our studies, the electrons of carbon nanowires present a quasi-free electron behavior and this explains qualitatively the high electrical conduction and the bond lengths with unexpected values for the case of odd nanowires. Our study also allows the understanding of the electric conduction dependence with the number of atoms and their parity in the chain. In the case of odd number chains a proposed π-bond (MpB) model describes unsaturated carbons that introduce a mobile π-bond that changes dramatically the structure and transport properties of these wires. Our results indicate that the nature of bonds plays the main role in the oscillation of quantum electrical conduction for chains with even and odd number of atoms and also that nanowires bonded to graphene nanoribbons behave as a quasi-free electron system, suggesting that this behavior is general and it could also remain if the chains are bonded to other materials

Dependence of adenine isolation efficiency on the chain length evidenced using paramagnetic particles and voltammetry measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huska, Dalibor; Adam, Vojtech; Trnkova, Libuse; Kizek, Rene

2009-01-01

The main aim of this work was to study the dependence of oligoadenine isolation efficiency on the chain length by using paramagnetic particles covered by homo-deoxythymidines ((dT)25) with subsequent detection by adsorptive transfer technique coupled with square wave voltammetry. For this purpose, the oligonucleotides of the length A5, A10, A15, A20, A25, A30, A35, A40 and poly(A) in various concentrations were chosen. We determined that the isolation efficiency defined as 'isolated oligonucleotide concentration'/'given oligonucleotide concentration' was about 55% on average. Sequence A25 demonstrated the best binding onto microparticles surface.

Meta-Analysis of Structured Triglyceride versus Physical Mixture Medium- and Long-Chain Triglycerides for PN in Liver Resection Patients

OpenAIRE

Zhao, Yajie; Wang, Chengfeng

2017-01-01

Background. The use of total parenteral nutrition can affect liver function, causing a series of problems such as cholestasis. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare structured triglyceride- (STG-) based lipid emulsions with physical medium-chain triglyceride (MCT)/long-chain triglyceride (LCT) mixtures in patients who had undergone liver surgery to identify any differences between these two types of parenteral nutrition. Methods. We searched the databases of PubMed, the Cochrane Librar...

Supply chain risks and smallholder fresh produce farmers in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A survey of 52 smallholder fresh produce farmers was conducted in the Gauteng province of South Africa to grasp how risk and its management affect the mainstreaming of smallholder farmers into formal, high-value markets. The study employed a supply chain analysis approach, which focused on the functions and risks ...

Is DNA a worm-like chain in Couette flow? In search of persistence length, a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rittman, Martyn; Gilroy, Emma; Koohya, Hashem; Rodger, Alison; Richards, Adair

2009-01-01

Persistence length is the foremost measure of DNA flexibility. Its origins lie in polymer theory which was adapted for DNA following the determination of BDNA structure in 1953. There is no single definition of persistence length used, and the links between published definitions are based on assumptions which may, or may not be, clearly stated. DNA flexibility is affected by local ionic strength, solvent environment, bound ligands and intrinsic sequence-dependent flexibility. This article is a review of persistence length providing a mathematical treatment of the relationships between four definitions of persistence length, including: correlation, Kuhn length, bending, and curvature. Persistence length has been measured using various microscopy, force extension and solution methods such as linear dichroism and transient electric birefringence. For each experimental method a model of DNA is required to interpret the data. The importance of understanding the underlying models, along with the assumptions required by each definition to determine a value of persistence length, is highlighted for linear dichroism data, where it transpires that no model is currently available for long DNA or medium to high shear rate experiments.

Incorporation of medium chain fatty acids into fish oil triglycerides by chemical and enzymatic interesterification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Structured triglycerides (STs containing both medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA in the same molecule offer nutritional and therapeutic benefits. The aim of this work was to establish the incorporation of MCFA into fish oil triglycerides (TAGs, while maintaining substantial levels of docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids. The effects of different acyl donors (capric acid methyl ester/MeC10 or medium chain triglyceride/TCM and of the catalyst (chemical or enzymatic on the fatty acid composition of the reaction product were studied. The fatty acid composition of the fish oil TAG was modified after interesterification to contain MCFA, and it depended on the catalyst and on the substrates. Thermograms obtained by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC showed that interesterification promoted noteworthy changes in the melting profile of the samples. STs of clinical nutrition interest containing both EPA and DHA obtained from fish oil along with MCFA were successfully produced.

Triglicéridos estructurados (SL conteniendo ácidos grasos de cadena media (MCFA y ácidos grasos poliinsaturados (PUFA en la misma molécula de glicerol tienen ventajas nutricionales y terapéuticas. Se establece la incorporación de MCFA a los triglicéridos (TAGs de aceite de pescado, conservando un contenido considerable de ácidos docosahexaenóico (DHA y eicosapentaenóico (EPA. El efecto de diferentes acil donadores (éster metílico de ácido cáprico/MeC10 o triglicéridos de cadena media/TCM y de catalizador (químico o enzimático sobre la composición del producto de las reacciones fue estudiado. La composición de ácidos grasos de los TAGs del aceite de pescado fue modificada después de las reacciones para contener MCFA y dependió del catalizador y de los substratos. Los termogramas obtenidos por Calorimetría Diferencial de Barrido (DSC indicaron que la interesterificación provocó alteraciones considerables de

Analysis of supply chain management of shallots in Medan

Science.gov (United States)

Alam, M. C.; Supriana, T.

2018-02-01

Supply chain is important for business. One of supply chain that needs to be studied is the shallots supply chain. Medan have high demand while the supply of shallots is limited. This study aims to analyze the flow of shallots supply chain distribution in Medan. The method used was survey by using questionnaires to shallots producers, collecting traders, distributors, traders as well as government involved in shallots supply chain. Descriptive analysis was used to explain the shallots supply chain distribution flow. The results showed that there are two shallots supply chain model in Medan that was local shallots model and imported shallots model. Local shallots model could be distinguished based on three producer area, those were models of Medan Marelan, Samosir, and Simalungun. Medan Marelan and Simalungun models have seven supply chains, while the Samosir Model has eight supply chains. This condition indicates that the local shallots supply chain management in Medan was not efficient because of the length of the distribution channel. Supply chain imported shallots was more efficient because it had a shorter distribution flow with five supply chains.

Unit and internal chain profiles of maca amylopectin.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ling; Li, Guantian; Yao, Weirong; Zhu, Fan

2018-03-01

Unit chain length distributions of amylopectin and its φ, β-limit dextrins, which reflect amylopectin internal structure from three maca starches, were determined by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection after debranching, and the samples were compared with maize starch. The amylopectins exhibited average chain lengths ranging from 16.72 to 17.16, with ranges of total internal chain length, external chain length, and internal chain length of the maca amylopectins at 12.49 to 13.68, 11.24 to 11.89, and 4.27 to 4.48. The average chain length, external chain length, internal chain length, and total internal chain length were comparable in three maca amylopectins. Amylopectins of the three maca genotypes studied here presented no significant differences in their unit chain length profiles, but did show significant differences in their internal chain profiles. Additional genetic variations between different maca genotypes need to be studied to provide unit- and internal chain profiles of maca amylopectin. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effect of the Alkyl Chain Length on the Adsorption Properties of Malonamide Chelating Resins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ismail, I.M.; Nogami, M.; Suzuki, K.

2004-01-01

In order to investigate the effect of the alkyl chain length of malonamide chelating resins on the rate of uptake of U(VI) ions and Ce(III) Ions, lV,N,N',N'-tetraethyl malonamide (TEMA), N,N,N',N'-tetra-n-propyl malonamide (TPrMA), lV,lV,N',N'-tetra-n-butyl malonamide (TBMA) and N,l V,N',N'-tetra-n-pentyl malonamide (Tamp) chelating resins were synthesized by chemically bonding these function groups to CMS-DVB co-polymer beads. N,lV,N',N'-tetraphenyl malonamide (TPhMA) chelating resin was also investigated and the results of these resins were compared with those of N,lY,N',N-tetra methylmalonamide (TMMA) previously reported. The batch technique was used to study the thermodynamic equilibrium, in terms of distribution coefficient, and the kinetics of the adsorption U(VI) and Ce(III) ions from 3 M HNO 3 , Acid, and 3 M NaNO 3 + 0.05 M HNO 3 , Salt, media. The introduction ratio of the function group into the polymer base and the uptake of U(VI) ions and C(III) ions were found to decrease with the increase in the alkyl chain length. The uptake was found to diminish in case of TPhMA resin due to the decrease of the function group ratio and the steric-hinder effect

Immobilization of lipases on alkyl silane modified magnetic nanoparticles: effect of alkyl chain length on enzyme activity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiqian Wang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Biocatalytic processes often require a full recycling of biocatalysts to optimize economic benefits and minimize waste disposal. Immobilization of biocatalysts onto particulate carriers has been widely explored as an option to meet these requirements. However, surface properties often affect the amount of biocatalysts immobilized, their bioactivity and stability, hampering their wide applications. The aim of this work is to explore how immobilization of lipases onto magnetite nanoparticles affects their biocatalytic performance under carefully controlled surface modification. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Magnetite nanoparticles, prepared through a co-precipitation method, were coated with alkyl silanes of different alkyl chain lengths to modulate their surface hydrophobicity. Candida rugosa lipase was then directly immobilized onto the modified nanoparticles through hydrophobic interaction. Enzyme activity was assessed by catalytic hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate. The activity of immobilized lipases was found to increase with increasing chain length of the alkyl silane. Furthermore, the catalytic activities of lipases immobilized on trimethoxyl octadecyl silane (C18 modified Fe(3O(4 were a factor of 2 or more than the values reported from other surface immobilized systems. After 7 recycles, the activities of the lipases immobilized on C18 modified nanoparticles retained 65%, indicating significant enhancement of stability as well through hydrophobic interaction. Lipase immobilized magnetic nanoparticles facilitated easy separation and recycling with high activity retaining. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The activity of immobilized lipases increased with increasing alkyl chain length of the alkyl trimethoxy silanes used in the surface modification of magnetite nanoparticles. Lipase stability was also improved through hydrophobic interaction. Alkyl silane modified magnetite nanoparticles are thus highly attractive carriers for

Immobilization of lipases on alkyl silane modified magnetic nanoparticles: effect of alkyl chain length on enzyme activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jiqian; Meng, Gang; Tao, Kai; Feng, Min; Zhao, Xiubo; Li, Zhen; Xu, Hai; Xia, Daohong; Lu, Jian R

2012-01-01

Biocatalytic processes often require a full recycling of biocatalysts to optimize economic benefits and minimize waste disposal. Immobilization of biocatalysts onto particulate carriers has been widely explored as an option to meet these requirements. However, surface properties often affect the amount of biocatalysts immobilized, their bioactivity and stability, hampering their wide applications. The aim of this work is to explore how immobilization of lipases onto magnetite nanoparticles affects their biocatalytic performance under carefully controlled surface modification. Magnetite nanoparticles, prepared through a co-precipitation method, were coated with alkyl silanes of different alkyl chain lengths to modulate their surface hydrophobicity. Candida rugosa lipase was then directly immobilized onto the modified nanoparticles through hydrophobic interaction. Enzyme activity was assessed by catalytic hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate. The activity of immobilized lipases was found to increase with increasing chain length of the alkyl silane. Furthermore, the catalytic activities of lipases immobilized on trimethoxyl octadecyl silane (C18) modified Fe(3)O(4) were a factor of 2 or more than the values reported from other surface immobilized systems. After 7 recycles, the activities of the lipases immobilized on C18 modified nanoparticles retained 65%, indicating significant enhancement of stability as well through hydrophobic interaction. Lipase immobilized magnetic nanoparticles facilitated easy separation and recycling with high activity retaining. The activity of immobilized lipases increased with increasing alkyl chain length of the alkyl trimethoxy silanes used in the surface modification of magnetite nanoparticles. Lipase stability was also improved through hydrophobic interaction. Alkyl silane modified magnetite nanoparticles are thus highly attractive carriers for enzyme immobilization enabling efficient enzyme recovery and recycling.

Bacterial membrane activity of a-peptide/b-peptoid chimeras: Influence of amino acid composition and chain length on the activity against different bacterial strains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hein-Kristensen, Line; Knapp, Kolja M; Franzyk, Henrik

2011-01-01

and subsequent killing is usually not tested. In this report, six α-peptide/β-peptoid chimeras were examined for the effect of amino acid/peptoid substitutions and chain length on the membrane perturbation and subsequent killing of food-borne and clinical bacterial isolates. RESULTS: All six AMP analogues...... acid only had a minor effect on MIC values, whereas chain length had a profound influence on activity. All chimeras were less active against Serratia marcescens (MICs above 46 μM). The chimeras were bactericidal and induced leakage of ATP from Staphylococcus aureus and S. marcescens with similar time...... of onset and reduction in the number of viable cells. EDTA pre-treatment of S. marcescens and E. coli followed by treatment with chimeras resulted in pronounced killing indicating that disintegration of the Gram-negative outer membrane eliminated innate differences in susceptibility. Chimera chain length...

Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of short and medium chain polychlorinated paraffins in different species of fish from Liaodong Bay, North China

OpenAIRE

Huang, Huiting; Gao, Lirong; Xia, Dan; Qiao, Lin

2017-01-01

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are highly complex technical mixtures, and the short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are classed as persistent and have been included in the Stockholm Convention. However, there have been few studies of SCCPs and medium chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) and their bioaccumulation and biomagnification in different species of fish. The present study investigated the levels, congener group profiles, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification of SCCPs and MCCPs in diff...

Simulation of Supply-Chain Networks: A Source of Innovation and Competitive Advantage for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giacomo Liotta

2012-11-01

Full Text Available On a daily basis, enterprises of all sizes cope with the turbulence and volatility of market demands, cost variability, and severe pressure from globally distributed competitors. Managing uncertainty about future demand requirements and volumes in supply-chain networks has become a priority. One of the ways to deal with uncertainty is the utilization of simulation techniques and tools, which provide greater predictability of decision-making outcomes. For example, simulation has been widely applied in decision-making processes related to global logistics and production networks at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels, where it is used to predict the impact of decisions before their implementation in complex and uncertain environments. Large enterprises are inclined to use simulation tools whereas small and medium-sized enterprises seem to underestimate its advantages. The objective of this article is to emphasize the relevance of simulation for the design and management of supply-chain networks from the perspective of small and medium-sized firms.

Role of medium-chain fatty acids in the emulsification mechanistics of self-micro-emulsifying lipid formulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, Naser M Y

2014-12-01

The objective of the present study was to design and develop stable o/w microemulsions comprising Miglyol 812, Imwitor 988 and Tagat TO as a non ionic surfactant. This was based on particle size measurements and phase behavior studies. The empirical role of incorporating medium-chain mono/di-glycerides in the lipid matrix in the mechanistic processes of emulsification was also established in various simulating physiological conditions. The efficiency of self-emulsification was evaluated under conditions of varying key compositions in the lipid mixtures; oil, cosurfactant and surfactant. Droplet diameter was measured using laser diffraction and light scattering techniques. Equilibrium phase studies were performed and phase boundaries were determined for the lipid-water systems. Microemulsion systems were produced from blends of Miglyol 812, Imwitor 988 and Tagat TO. An optimized formulation consisted of {Miglyol 812/Imwitor 988} and Tagat TO spontaneously self-emulsified in water producing dispersions with droplet diameters of ∼50 nm. Phase equilibrium diagrams have revealed significant enhancement in the water-solubilized region (L2) without any presence of liquid crystalline materials. Potential SMEDDS formulations for the bioavailability enhancement of poorly water-soluble compounds were developed by mixing blends of {Miglyol 812/Imwitor 988} and Tagat TO as a non-ionic surfactant. 'Diffusion and stranding' appears to be the dominant mechanism of emulsification.

Dependence of adenine isolation efficiency on the chain length evidenced using paramagnetic particles and voltammetry measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huska, Dalibor [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Adam, Vojtech [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Department of Animal Nutrition and Forage Production, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Trnkova, Libuse [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Kizek, Rene [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno (Czech Republic)], E-mail: kizek@sci.muni.cz

2009-05-15

The main aim of this work was to study the dependence of oligoadenine isolation efficiency on the chain length by using paramagnetic particles covered by homo-deoxythymidines ((dT)25) with subsequent detection by adsorptive transfer technique coupled with square wave voltammetry. For this purpose, the oligonucleotides of the length A5, A10, A15, A20, A25, A30, A35, A40 and poly(A) in various concentrations were chosen. We determined that the isolation efficiency defined as 'isolated oligonucleotide concentration'/'given oligonucleotide concentration' was about 55% on average. Sequence A25 demonstrated the best binding onto microparticles surface.

The effect of the cation alkyl chain length on density and diffusion in dialkylpyrrolidinium bis(mandelato)borate ionic liquids.

Science.gov (United States)

Filippov, Andrei; Taher, Mamoun; Shah, Faiz Ullah; Glavatskih, Sergei; Antzutkin, Oleg N

2014-12-28

The physicochemical properties of ionic liquids are strongly affected by the selective combination of the cations and anions comprising the ionic liquid. In particular, the length of the alkyl chains of ions has a clear influence on the ionic liquid's performance. In this paper, we study the self-diffusion of ions in a series of halogen-free boron-based ionic liquids (hf-BILs) containing bis(mandelato)borate anions and dialkylpyrrolidinium cations with long alkyl chains CnH2n+1 with n from 4 to 14 within a temperature range of 293-373 K. It was found that the hf-BILs with n = 4-7 have very similar diffusion coefficients, while hf-BILs with n = 10-14 exhibit two liquid sub-phases in almost the entire temperature range studied (293-353 K). Both liquid sub-phases differ in their diffusion coefficients, while values of the slower diffusion coefficients are close to those of hf-BILs with shorter alkyl chains. To explain the particular dependence of diffusion on the alkyl chain length, we examined the densities of the hf-BILs studied here. It was shown that the dependence of the density on the number of CH2 groups in long alkyl chains of cations can be accurately described using a "mosaic type" model, where regions of long alkyl chains of cations (named 'aliphatic' regions) and the residual chemical moieties in both cations and anions (named 'ionic' regions) give additive contributions. Changes in density due to an increase in temperature and the number of CH2 groups in the long alkyl chains of cations are determined predominantly by changes in the free volume of the 'ionic' regions, while 'aliphatic' regions are already highly compressed by van der Waals forces, which results in only infinitesimal changes in their free volumes with temperature.

Association mapping of starch chain length distribution and amylose content in pea (Pisum sativum L.) using carbohydrate metabolism candidate genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Margaret A; Shaw, Martin; Cooper, Rebecca D; Frew, Tonya J; Butler, Ruth C; Murray, Sarah R; Moya, Leire; Coyne, Clarice J; Timmerman-Vaughan, Gail M

2017-08-01

Although starch consists of large macromolecules composed of glucose units linked by α-1,4-glycosidic linkages with α-1,6-glycosidic branchpoints, variation in starch structural and functional properties is found both within and between species. Interest in starch genetics is based on the importance of starch in food and industrial processes, with the potential of genetics to provide novel starches. The starch metabolic pathway is complex but has been characterized in diverse plant species, including pea. To understand how allelic variation in the pea starch metabolic pathway affects starch structure and percent amylose, partial sequences of 25 candidate genes were characterized for polymorphisms using a panel of 92 diverse pea lines. Variation in the percent amylose composition of extracted seed starch and (amylopectin) chain length distribution, one measure of starch structure, were characterized for these lines. Association mapping was undertaken to identify polymorphisms associated with the variation in starch chain length distribution and percent amylose, using a mixed linear model that incorporated population structure and kinship. Associations were found for polymorphisms in seven candidate genes plus Mendel's r locus (which conditions the round versus wrinkled seed phenotype). The genes with associated polymorphisms are involved in the substrate supply, chain elongation and branching stages of the pea carbohydrate and starch metabolic pathways. The association of polymorphisms in carbohydrate and starch metabolic genes with variation in amylopectin chain length distribution and percent amylose may help to guide manipulation of pea seed starch structural and functional properties through plant breeding.

4-N, 4-S & 4-O Chloroquine Analogues: Influence of Side Chain Length and Quinolyl Nitrogen pKa on Activity vs. Chloroquine Resistant Malaria+, #

OpenAIRE

Natarajan, Jayakumar K.; Alumasa, John; Yearick, Kimberly; Ekoue-Kovi, Kekeli A.; Casabianca, Leah B.; de Dios, Angel C.; Wolf, Christian; Roepe, Paul D.

2008-01-01

Using predictions from heme – quinoline antimalarial complex structures, previous modifications of chloroquine (CQ), and hypotheses for chloroquine resistance (CQR), we synthesize and assay CQ analogues that test structure – function principles. We vary side chain length for both monoethyl and diethyl 4N CQ derivatives. We alter the pKa of the quinolyl N by introducing alkylthio or alkoxy substituents into the 4 position, and vary side chain length for these analogues. We introduce an additio...

PEGylation of Phytantriol-Based Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Particles-The Effect of Lipid Composition, PEG Chain Length, and Temperature on the Internal Nanostructure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nilsson, Christa; Ostergaard, Jesper; Larsen, Susan Weng

2014-01-01

of these lipidic nonlamellar liquid crystalline particles by using DSPE-mPEGs with three different block lengths of the hydrophilic PEG segment. The effects of lipid composition, PEG chain length, and temperature on the morphology and internal nanostructure of these self-assembled lipidic aqueous dispersions based...

Influence of trehalose 6,6'-diester (TDX) chain length on the physicochemical and immunopotentiating properties of DDA/TDX liposomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kallerup, Rie Selchau; Madsen, Cecilie Maria; Schiøth, Mikkel Lohmann

2015-01-01

Linking physicochemical characterization to functional properties is crucial for defining critical quality attributes during development of subunit vaccines toward optimal safety and efficacy profiles. We investigated how the trehalose 6,6'-diester (TDX) chain length influenced the physicochemical...... and immunopotentiating properties of the clinically tested liposomal adjuvant composed of dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DDA) bromide and analogues of trehalose-6,6'-dibehenate (TDB). TDB analogues with symmetrically shortened acyl chains [denoted X: arachidate (A), stearate (S), palmitate (P), myristate (Myr) and laurate...

The role of discharge variation in scaling of drainage area and food chain length in rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Sabo, John L.; Finlay, Jacques C.; Kennedy, Theodore A.; Post, David M.

2010-01-01

Food chain length (FCL) is a fundamental component of food web structure. Studies in a variety of ecosystems suggest that FCL is determined by energy supply, environmental stability, and/or ecosystem size, but the nature of the relationship between environmental stability and FCL, and the mechanism linking ecosystem size to FCL, remain unclear. Here we show that FCL increases with drainage area and decreases with hydrologic variability and intermittency across 36 North American rivers. Our analysis further suggests that hydrologic variability is the mechanism underlying the correlation between ecosystem size and FCL in rivers. Ecosystem size lengthens river food chains by integrating and attenuating discharge variation through stream networks, thereby enhancing environmental stability in larger river systems.

Synthesis of Diblock copolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate -block-poly-3-hydroxyhexanoate [PHB-b-PHHx] by a β-oxidation weakened Pseudomonas putida KT2442

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tripathi, Lakshmi; Wu, Lin-Ping; Chen, Jinchun

2012-01-01

), thermo- and mechanical analysis. NMR confirmed the existence of diblock copolymers consisting of 58 mol% PHB as the short chain length block with 42 mol% PHHx as the medium chain length block. The block copolymers had two glass transition temperatures (Tg) at 2.7°C and -16.4°C, one melting temperature...... (Tm) at 172.1°C and one cool crystallization temperature (Tc) at 69.1°C as revealed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. This is the first microbial short-chain-length (scl) and medium-chain-length (mcl) PHA block copolymer reported. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to produce PHA......BACKGROUND: Block polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) were reported to be resistant against polymer aging that negatively affects polymer properties. Recently, more and more attempts have been directed to make PHA block copolymers. Diblock copolymers PHB-b-PHHx consisting of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB...

Nonclinical safety and pharmacokinetics of Miglyol 812: A medium chain triglyceride in exenatide once weekly suspension.

Science.gov (United States)

Buss, Nicholas; Ryan, Patricia; Baughman, Todd; Roy, Denis; Patterson, Claire; Gordon, Carolyn; Dixit, Rakesh

2018-05-28

Exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist was originally developed as either a twice daily or once weekly injectable therapeutic for patients with type 2 diabetes. Exenatide QW suspension was developed for use with an autoinjector device, in which the microspheres are suspended in Miglyol 812, a mixture of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs are a class of lipids whose fatty acid chains contain from six to 12 carbon atoms (medium chain fatty acids or MCFAs). While MCTs are edible oils present in many foods, including foodstuffs containing coconut and palm kernel oils, limited information is available regarding the oral and subcutaneous bioavailability of MCTs as well as safety following subcutaneous injection. These studies were designed to investigate the non-clinical pharmacokinetics and safety of MCTs. In a single dose pharmacokinetic study, MCFAs were rapidly detected in the plasma of rats following oral administration of either Miglyol 812 or tricaprylin at doses of 10 or 9.48 g kg -1 , respectively. Following subcutaneous dosing with Miglyol 812, MCFAs were rapidly absorbed with a similar profile to that following oral dosing. Furthermore, the toxicity of Miglyol 812 alone was evaluated in a 3 month repeat dose toxicology studies in cynomolgus monkeys. In this study, weekly subcutaneous doses of 0.15 g kg -1 did not elicit any treatment-related effects in cynomolgus monkeys. In conclusion, these studies alongside the available literature data show that Miglyol 812 is a safe excipient for use in subcutaneously administered therapeutics. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Parenteral medium-chain triglyceride-induced neutrophil activation is not mediated by a Pertussis Toxin sensitive receptor.

Science.gov (United States)

Versleijen, Michelle W J; van Esterik, Joantine C J; Roelofs, Hennie M J; van Emst-de Vries, Sjenet E; Willems, Peter H G M; Wanten, Geert J A

2009-02-01

Lipid-induced immune modulation might contribute to the increased infection rate that is observed in patients using parenteral nutrition. We previously showed that emulsions containing medium-chain triglycerides (LCT/MCTs or pure MCTs), but not pure long-chain triglycerides (LCTs), impair neutrophil functions, modulate cell-signaling and induce neutrophil activation in vitro. It has recently been shown that medium-chain fatty acids are ligands for GPR84, a pertussis toxin (PT)-sensitive G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). This finding urged us to investigate whether MCT-induced neutrophil activation is mediated by PT-sensitive GPCRs. Neutrophils isolated from blood of healthy volunteers were pre-incubated with PT (0.5-1 microg/mL, 1.5 h) and analyzed for the effect of this pre-incubation on LCT/MCT (2.5 mmol/L)-dependent modulation of serum-treated zymosan (STZ)-induced intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization and on LCT/MCT (5 mmol/L)-induced expression of cell surface adhesion (CD11b) and degranulation (CD66b) markers and oxygen radical (ROS) production. PT did not inhibit the effects of LCT/MCT on the STZ-induced increase in cytosolic free Ca(2+) concentration. LCT/MCT increased ROS production to 146% of unstimulated cells. However, pre-incubation with PT did not inhibit the LCT/MCT-induced ROS production. Furthermore, the LCT/MCT-induced increase in CD11b and CD66b expression (196% and 235% of unstimulated cells, respectively) was not inhibited by pre-incubation with PT. LCT/MCT-induced neutrophil activation does not involve the action of a PT-sensitive G-protein-coupled receptor.

Screening of polyhydroxyalkanoate-producing bacteria and PhaC-encoding genes in two hypersaline microbial mats from Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina A. Martínez-Gutiérrez

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Hypersaline microbial mats develop through seasonal and diel fluctuations, as well as under several physicochemical variables. Hence, resident microorganisms commonly employ strategies such as the synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs in order to resist changing and stressful conditions. However, the knowledge of bacterial PHA production in hypersaline microbial mats has been limited to date, particularly in regard to medium-chain length PHAs (mcl-PHAs, which have biotechnological applications due to their plastic properties. The aim of this study was to obtain evidence for PHA production in two hypersaline microbial mats of Guerrero Negro, Mexico by searching for PHA granules and PHA synthase genes in isolated bacterial strains and environmental samples. Six PHA-producing strains were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing; three of them corresponded to a Halomonas sp. In addition, Paracoccus sp., Planomicrobium sp. and Staphylococcus sp. were also identified as PHA producers. Presumptive PHA granules and PHA synthases genes were detected in both sampling sites. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis showed that most of the phylotypes were distantly related to putative PhaC synthases class I sequences belonging to members of the classes Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria distributed within eight families, with higher abundances corresponding mainly to Rhodobacteraceae and Rhodospirillaceae. This analysis also showed that PhaC synthases class II sequences were closely related to those of Pseudomonas putida, suggesting the presence of this group, which is probably involved in the production of mcl-PHA in the mats. According to our state of knowledge, this study reports for the first time the occurrence of phaC and phaC1 sequences in hypersaline microbial mats, suggesting that these ecosystems may be a novel source for the isolation of short- and medium-chain length PHA producers.

Medium-Throughput Screen of Microbially Produced Serotonin via a G-Protein-Coupled Receptor-Based Sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrenworth, Amy M; Claiborne, Tauris; Peralta-Yahya, Pamela

2017-10-17

Chemical biosensors, for which chemical detection triggers a fluorescent signal, have the potential to accelerate the screening of noncolorimetric chemicals produced by microbes, enabling the high-throughput engineering of enzymes and metabolic pathways. Here, we engineer a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-based sensor to detect serotonin produced by a producer microbe in the producer microbe's supernatant. Detecting a chemical in the producer microbe's supernatant is nontrivial because of the number of other metabolites and proteins present that could interfere with sensor performance. We validate the two-cell screening system for medium-throughput applications, opening the door to the rapid engineering of microbes for the increased production of serotonin. We focus on serotonin detection as serotonin levels limit the microbial production of hydroxystrictosidine, a modified alkaloid that could accelerate the semisynthesis of camptothecin-derived anticancer pharmaceuticals. This work shows the ease of generating GPCR-based chemical sensors and their ability to detect specific chemicals in complex aqueous solutions, such as microbial spent medium. In addition, this work sets the stage for the rapid engineering of serotonin-producing microbes.

Formation of Anionic C, N-bearing Chains in the Interstellar Medium via Reactions of H- with HC x N for Odd-valued x from 1 to 7

Science.gov (United States)

Gianturco, F. A.; Satta, M.; Yurtsever, E.; Wester, R.

2017-11-01

We investigate the relative efficiencies of low-temperature chemical reactions in the interstellar medium with H- anion reacting in the gas phase with cyanopolyyne neutral molecules, leading to the formation of anionic {{{C}}}x{{{N}}}- linear chains of different lengths and of H2. All the reactions turn out to be without barriers, highly exothermic reactions that provide a chemical route to the formation of anionic chains of the same length. Some of the anions have been observed in the dark molecular clouds and in the diffuse interstellar envelopes. Quantum calculations are carried out for the corresponding reactive potential energy surfaces for all the odd-numbered members of the series (x = 1, 3, 5, 7). We employ the minimum energy paths to obtain the relevant transition state configurations and use the latter within the variational transition state model to obtain the chemical rates. The present results indicate that at typical temperatures around 100 K, a set of significantly larger rate values exists for x = 3 and x = 5, while the rate values are smaller for CN- and {{{C}}}7{{{N}}}-. At those temperatures, however, all the rates turn out to be larger than the estimates in the current literature for the radiative electron attachment (REA) rates, thus indicating the greater importance of the present chemical path with respect to REA processes at those temperatures. The physical reasons for our findings are discussed in detail and linked with the existing observational findings.

Shape control of the magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles under different chain length of reducing agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngoi, Kuan Hoon; Chia, Chin-Hua; Zakaria, Sarani; Chiu, Wee Siong

2015-01-01

We report on the effect of using reducing agents with different chain-length on the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles by thermal decomposition of iron (III) acetylacetonate in 1-octadecene. This modification allows us to control the shape of nanoparticles into spherical and cubic iron oxide nanoparticles. The highly monodisperse 14 nm spherical nanoparticles are obtained under 1,2-dodecanediol and average 14 nm edge-length cubic iron oxide nanoparticles are obtained under 1,2-tetradecanediol. The structural characterization such as transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows similar properties between two particles with different shapes. The vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) shows no significant difference between spherical and cubic nanoparticles, which are 36 emu/g and 37 emu/g respectively and superparamagnetic in nature

Shape control of the magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles under different chain length of reducing agents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ngoi, Kuan Hoon; Chia, Chin-Hua, E-mail: chia@ukm.edu.my; Zakaria, Sarani [School of Applied Physics, Faculty Science and Technology, University Kebangsaan Malaysia 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Chiu, Wee Siong [Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2015-09-25

We report on the effect of using reducing agents with different chain-length on the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles by thermal decomposition of iron (III) acetylacetonate in 1-octadecene. This modification allows us to control the shape of nanoparticles into spherical and cubic iron oxide nanoparticles. The highly monodisperse 14 nm spherical nanoparticles are obtained under 1,2-dodecanediol and average 14 nm edge-length cubic iron oxide nanoparticles are obtained under 1,2-tetradecanediol. The structural characterization such as transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows similar properties between two particles with different shapes. The vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) shows no significant difference between spherical and cubic nanoparticles, which are 36 emu/g and 37 emu/g respectively and superparamagnetic in nature.

Effects of a meal rich in medium-chain saturated fat on postprandial lipemia in relatives of type 2 diabetics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pietraszek, Anna; Hermansen, Kjeld; Pedersen, Steen B.

2013-01-01

tissue in REL and CON. METHODS: Seventeen REL and 17 CON received a fat-rich meal (79 energy percent from fat) based on medium-chain SFA (coconut oil). Plasma concentrations of triglycerides (TG), free-fatty acids, insulin, glucose, glucagon-like peptide-1, glucose-dependent insulintropic peptide...

Effect of alkyl chain length of imidazolium cations on the electron transport and recombination kinetics in ionic gel electrolytes based quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huo, Zhipeng; Tao, Li; Wang, Lu; Zhu, Jun; Chen, Shuanghong; Zhang, Changneng; Dai, Songyuan; Zhang, Bing

2015-01-01

Highlights: •A series of novel IGEs based on 12-hydroxystearicacid as LMOG were prepared. •The QS-DSSCs exhibit excellent stability during the accelerated aging tests. •The influence of Im + alkyl chain length on the electron kinetic process is investigated. -- Abstract: A series of stable quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (QS-DSSCs) are prepared by the 12-hydroxystearicacid as low molecular mass organogelator (LMOG) to gelate the ionic liquid with different alkyl chain lengths (3, 4, and 7). The influence of alkyl chain length of imidazolium cations (Im + ) on the kinetic processes of electron transport and recombination are investigated by Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy/intensity-modulated photovoltage spectroscopy (IMPS/IMVS). It is found that the ionic gel electrolytes (IGEs) with different alkyl chain lengths of Im + can influence the competitive adsorption effects of imidazolium cations (Im + ) and Li + , and further affect the charge diffusion, the electron recombination/transport processes, the shift of TiO 2 conduction band edge and surface states distribution. The IGE with longer alkyl chain length of Im + can prolong the electron recombination lifetime, promote the incidental photon-to-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) and the short circuit photocurrent density (J sc ). An excellent QS-DSSC based on the IGE with the longer alkyl chain of Im + gives the highest photoelectric conversion efficiency. Moreover, all the QS-DSSCs based on IGEs exhibit excellent durability without losing their photovoltaic performances during the accelerated thermal and light–soaking test. These results are very important to the researches on the electrochemical mechanism and application of QS-DSSCs based on IGEs

Influence of chain length of pyrene fatty acids on their uptake and metabolism by Epstein-Barr-virus-transformed lymphoid cell lines from a patient with multisystemic lipid storage myopathy and from control subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Radom, J; Salvayre, R; Levade, T; Douste-Blazy, L

1990-01-01

The uptake and intracellular metabolism of 4-(1-pyrene)butanoic acid (P4), 10-(1-pyrene)decanoic acid (P10) and 12-(1-pyrene)dodecanoic acid (P12) were investigated in cultured lymphoid cell lines from normal individuals and from a patient with multisystemic lipid storage myopathy (MLSM). The cellular uptake was shown to be dependent on the fatty-acid chain length, but no significant difference in the uptake of pyrene fatty acids was observed between MLSM and control lymphoid cells. After incubation for 1 h the distribution of fluorescent fatty acids taken up by the lymphoid cell lines also differed with the chain length, most of the fluorescence being associated with phospholipid and triacylglycerols. In contrast with P10 and P12, P4 was not incorporated into neutral lipids. When the cells were incubated for 24 h with the pyrene fatty acids, the amount of fluorescent lipids synthesized by the cells was proportional to the fatty acid concentration in the culture medium. After a 24 h incubation in the presence of P10 or P12, at any concentration, the fluorescent triacylglycerol content of MLSM cells was 2-5-fold higher than that of control cells. Concentrations of pyrene fatty acids higher than 40 microM seemed to be more toxic for mutant cells than for control cells. This cytotoxicity was dependent on the fluorescent-fatty-acid chain length (P12 greater than P10 greater than P4). Pulse-chase experiments permitted one to demonstrate the defect in the degradation of endogenously biosynthesized triacylglycerols in MLSM cells (residual activity was around 10-25% of controls on the basis of half-lives and initial rates of P10- or P12-labelled-triacylglycerol catabolism); MLSM lymphoid cells exhibited a mild phenotypic expression of the lipid storage (less severe than that observed in fibroblasts). P4 was not utilized in the synthesis of triacylglycerols, and thus did not accumulate in MLSM cells: this suggests that natural short-chain fatty acids might induce a lesser

Effect of temperature and cycle length on microbial competition in PHB-producing sequencing batch reactor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jiang, Y.; Marang, L.; Kleerebezem, R.; Muyzer, G.; van Loosdrecht, M.C.M.

2011-01-01

The impact of temperature and cycle length on microbial competition between polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-producing populations enriched in feast-famine sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) was investigated at temperatures of 20 °C and 30 °C, and in a cycle length range of 1-18 h. In this study, the

Link between lipid metabolism and voluntary food intake in rainbow trout fed coconut oil rich in medium-chain TAG

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Figueiredo-Silva, A.C.; Kaushik, S.; Terrier, F.; Schrama, J.W.; Médale, F.; Geurden, I.

2012-01-01

We examined the long-term effect of feeding coconut oil (CO; rich in lauric acid, C12) on voluntary food intake and nutrient utilisation in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), with particular attention to the metabolic use (storage or oxidation) of ingested medium-chain TAG. Trout were fed for 15

Comparative validity of brief to medium-length Big Five and Big Six Personality Questionnaires.

Science.gov (United States)

Thalmayer, Amber Gayle; Saucier, Gerard; Eigenhuis, Annemarie

2011-12-01

A general consensus on the Big Five model of personality attributes has been highly generative for the field of personality psychology. Many important psychological and life outcome correlates with Big Five trait dimensions have been established. But researchers must choose between multiple Big Five inventories when conducting a study and are faced with a variety of options as to inventory length. Furthermore, a 6-factor model has been proposed to extend and update the Big Five model, in part by adding a dimension of Honesty/Humility or Honesty/Propriety. In this study, 3 popular brief to medium-length Big Five measures (NEO Five Factor Inventory, Big Five Inventory [BFI], and International Personality Item Pool), and 3 six-factor measures (HEXACO Personality Inventory, Questionnaire Big Six Scales, and a 6-factor version of the BFI) were placed in competition to best predict important student life outcomes. The effect of test length was investigated by comparing brief versions of most measures (subsets of items) with original versions. Personality questionnaires were administered to undergraduate students (N = 227). Participants' college transcripts and student conduct records were obtained 6-9 months after data was collected. Six-factor inventories demonstrated better predictive ability for life outcomes than did some Big Five inventories. Additional behavioral observations made on participants, including their Facebook profiles and cell-phone text usage, were predicted similarly by Big Five and 6-factor measures. A brief version of the BFI performed surprisingly well; across inventory platforms, increasing test length had little effect on predictive validity. Comparative validity of the models and measures in terms of outcome prediction and parsimony is discussed.

Probing the Differential Tissue Distribution and Bioaccumulation Behavior of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances of Varying Chain-Lengths, Isomeric Structures and Functional Groups in Crucian Carp.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Yali; Vestergren, Robin; Nost, Therese Haugdahl; Zhou, Zhen; Cai, Yaqi

2018-04-17

Understanding the bioaccumulation mechanisms of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) across different chain-lengths, isomers and functional groups represents a monumental scientific challenge with implications for chemical regulation. Here, we investigate how the differential tissue distribution and bioaccumulation behavior of 25 PFASs in crucian carp from two field sites impacted by point sources can provide information about the processes governing uptake, distribution and elimination of PFASs. Median tissue/blood ratios (TBRs) were consistently 90% of the amount of PFASs in the organism. Principal component analyses of TBRs and RBBs showed that the functional group was a relatively more important predictor of internal distribution than chain-length for PFASs. Whole body bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) for short-chain PFASs deviated from the positive relationship with hydrophobicity observed for longer-chain homologues. Overall, our results suggest that TBR, RBB, and BAF patterns were most consistent with protein binding mechanisms although partitioning to phospholipids may contribute to the accumulation of long-chain PFASs in specific tissues.

Inulin-type fructan degradation capacity of Clostridium cluster IV and XIVa butyrate-producing colon bacteria and their associated metabolic outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Moens, F; De Vuyst, L

2017-05-30

Four selected butyrate-producing colon bacterial strains belonging to Clostridium cluster IV (Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum DSM 23266 T and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii DSM 17677 T ) and XIVa (Eubacterium hallii DSM 17630 and Eubacterium rectale CIP 105953 T ) were studied as to their capacity to degrade inulin-type fructans and concomitant metabolite production. Cultivation of these strains was performed in bottles and fermentors containing a modified medium for colon bacteria, including acetate, supplemented with either fructose, oligofructose, or inulin as the sole energy source. Inulin-type fructan degradation was not a general characteristic among these strains. B. pullicaecorum DSM 23266 T and E. hallii DSM 17630 could only ferment fructose and did not degrade oligofructose or inulin. E. rectale CIP 105953 T and F. prausnitzii DSM 17677 T fermented fructose and could degrade both oligofructose and inulin. All chain length fractions of oligofructose were degraded simultaneously (both strains) and both long and short chain length fractions of inulin were degraded either simultaneously (E. rectale CIP 105953 T ) or consecutively (F. prausnitzii DSM 17677 T ), indicating an extracellular polymer degradation mechanism. B. pullicaecorum DSM 23266 T and E. hallii DSM 17630 produced high concentrations of butyrate, CO 2 , and H 2 from fructose. E. rectale CIP 105953 T produced lactate, butyrate, CO 2 , and H 2 , from fructose, oligofructose, and inulin, whereas F. prausnitzii DSM 17677 T produced butyrate, formate, CO 2 , and traces of lactate from fructose, oligofructose, and inulin. Based on carbon recovery and theoretical metabolite production calculations, an adapted stoichiometrically balanced metabolic pathway for butyrate, formate, lactate, CO 2 , and H 2 production by members of both Clostridium cluster IV and XIVa butyrate-producing bacteria was constructed.

Food producers' product development: With regard to the requirements of retail chains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skytte, Hans

of technology evolution'. This model has been extended by theories on organizational identity, organizational fields, plausibility, and construction of meaning. Founded on a grounded theory approach the model was subsequently used for analysing the cooperation between Danish food producers and retail chains......This study investigates how it is possible for food producers and retailers to strengthen their competitiveness by coordinating food producers' product development process and retailers' assortment building process. The theoretical outset is taken in Garud and Rappa's model 'Socio-cognitive model...... in four countries regarding trade in pork and pork-based products. The paper concludes with a number of recommendations directed at food producers....

Topochemical approach to efficiently produce main-chain poly(bile acid)s with high molecular weights.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Weina; Li, Xuesong; Zhu, Wei; Li, Changxu; Xu, Dan; Ju, Yong; Li, Guangtao

2011-07-21

Based on a topochemical approach, a strategy for efficiently producing main-chain poly(bile acid)s in the solid state was developed. This strategy allows for facile and scalable synthesis of main-chain poly(bile acid)s not only with high molecular weights, but also with quantitative conversions and yields.

Producer Organisations and Market Chains: Facilitating Trajectories of Change in Developing Countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ton, G.; Bijman, J.; Oorthuizen, J.

2007-01-01

The role of producer organizations in market chains has received increasing attention in recent years, both from governments and donors. In order to lower transaction costs, markets demand that smallholder farmers operate in an organized manner. However, though the policy openings for support seem

Oxidative stabilization of mixed mayonnaises made with linseed oil and saturated medium-chain triglyceride oil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raudsepp, Piret; Brüggemann, Dagmar A.; Lenferink, Aufried

2014-01-01

Mayonnaises, made with either saturated medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil or unsaturated purified linseed oil (LSO), were mixed. Raman confocal microspectrometry demonstrated that lipid droplets in mixed mayonnaise remained intact containing either MCT oil or LSO. Peroxide formation during...... showed radicals are formed in the aqueous phase with the same rate independent of the lipids. This was also reflected in decay of α-tocopherol during storage being similar in MCT and LSO mayonnaises, but being stable in mixed oil mayonnaise and mixed mayonnaise. Results suggest that other effects than...

Dynamic photoinduced realignment processes in photoresponsive block copolymer films: effects of the chain length and block copolymer architecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Sano, Masami; Shan, Feng; Hara, Mitsuo; Nagano, Shusaku; Shinohara, Yuya; Amemiya, Yoshiyuki; Seki, Takahiro

2015-08-07

A series of block copolymers composed of an amorphous poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) block connected with an azobenzene (Az)-containing liquid crystalline (PAz) block were synthesized by changing the chain length and polymer architecture. With these block copolymer films, the dynamic realignment process of microphase separated (MPS) cylinder arrays of PBMA in the PAz matrix induced by irradiation with linearly polarized light was studied by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, and time-resolved grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GI-SAXS) measurements using a synchrotron beam. Unexpectedly, the change in the chain length hardly affected the realignment rate. In contrast, the architecture of the AB-type diblock or the ABA-type triblock essentially altered the realignment feature. The strongly cooperative motion with an induction period before realignment was characteristic only for the diblock copolymer series, and the LPL-induced alignment change immediately started for triblock copolymers and the PAz homopolymer. Additionally, a marked acceleration in the photoinduced dynamic motions was unveiled in comparison with a thermal randomization process.

Alignment-free Transcriptomic and Metatranscriptomic Comparison Using Sequencing Signatures with Variable Length Markov Chains.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Weinan; Ren, Jie; Wang, Kun; Wang, Shun; Zeng, Feng; Wang, Ying; Sun, Fengzhu

2016-11-23

The comparison between microbial sequencing data is critical to understand the dynamics of microbial communities. The alignment-based tools analyzing metagenomic datasets require reference sequences and read alignments. The available alignment-free dissimilarity approaches model the background sequences with Fixed Order Markov Chain (FOMC) yielding promising results for the comparison of microbial communities. However, in FOMC, the number of parameters grows exponentially with the increase of the order of Markov Chain (MC). Under a fixed high order of MC, the parameters might not be accurately estimated owing to the limitation of sequencing depth. In our study, we investigate an alternative to FOMC to model background sequences with the data-driven Variable Length Markov Chain (VLMC) in metatranscriptomic data. The VLMC originally designed for long sequences was extended to apply to high-throughput sequencing reads and the strategies to estimate the corresponding parameters were developed. The flexible number of parameters in VLMC avoids estimating the vast number of parameters of high-order MC under limited sequencing depth. Different from the manual selection in FOMC, VLMC determines the MC order adaptively. Several beta diversity measures based on VLMC were applied to compare the bacterial RNA-Seq and metatranscriptomic datasets. Experiments show that VLMC outperforms FOMC to model the background sequences in transcriptomic and metatranscriptomic samples. A software pipeline is available at https://d2vlmc.codeplex.com.

Pruned-enriched Rosenbluth method: Simulations of θ polymers of chain length up to 1000000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grassberger, P.

1997-01-01

We present an algorithm for simulating flexible chain polymers. It combines the Rosenbluth-Rosenbluth method with recursive enrichment. Although it can be applied also in more general situations, it is most efficient for three-dimensional θ polymers on the simple-cubic lattice. There it allows high statistics simulations of chains of length up to N=10 6 . For storage reasons, this is feasable only for polymers in a finite volume. For free θ polymers in infinite volume, we present very high statistics runs with N=10000. These simulations fully agree with previous simulations made by Hegger and Grassberger [J. Chem. Phys. 102, 6681 (1995)] with a similar but less efficient algorithm, showing that logarithmic corrections to mean field behavior are much stronger than predicted by field theory. But the finite volume simulations show that the density inside a collapsed globule scales with the distance from the θ point as predicted by mean field theory, in contrast to claims in the work mentioned above. In addition to the simple-cubic lattice, we also studied two versions of the bond fluctuation model, but with much shorter chains. Finally, we show that our method can be applied also to off-lattice models, and illustrate this with simulations of a model studied in detail by Freire et al. [Macromolecules 19, 452 (1986) and later work]. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

An examination on the influence of small and medium enterprise (SME) stakeholder on green supply chain management practices

Science.gov (United States)

Shahlan, M. Z.; Sidek, A. A.; Suffian, S. A.; Hazza, M. H. F. A.; Daud, M. R. C.

2018-01-01

In this paper, climate change and global warming are the biggest current issues in the industrial sectors. The green supply chain managements (GSCM) is one of the crucial input to these issues. Effective GSCM can potentially secure the organization’s competitive advantage and improve the environmental performance of the network activities. In this study, the aim is to investigate and examine how a small and medium enterprises (SMEs) stakeholder pressure and top management influence green supply chain management practices. The study is further advance green supply chain management research in Malaysia focusing on SMEs manufacturing sector using structural equation modelling. Structural equation modelling is a multivariate statistical analysis technique used to examine structural relationship. It is the combination of factor analysis and multi regression analysis and used to analyse structural relationship between measure variable and latent factor. This research found that top management support and stakeholder pressure is the major influence for SMEs to adopt green supply chain management. The research also found that top management is fully mediate with the relationship between stakeholder pressure and monitoring supplier environmental performance.

Effects of molecular and lattice structure on the thermal behaviours of some long chain length potassium(I) n-alkanoates

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Peter N.; Ellis, Henry A.; Taylor, Richard A.

2014-01-01

Lattice structures and thermal behaviours for some long chain potassium carboxylates (nc = 8-18, inclusive) are investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, X-ray Powder Diffraction, Solid State spin decoupled 13C NMR spectroscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Thermogravimetry. The measurements show that the carboxyl groups are coordinated to potassium atoms via asymmetric chelating bidentate bonding, with extensive carboxyl intermolecular interactions to yield tetrahedral metal centers, irrespective of chain length. Furthermore, the hydrocarbon chains are crystallized in the fully extended all-trans configuration and are arranged as non-overlapping lamellar bilayer structures with closely packed methyl groups from opposite layers. Additionally, odd-even alternation, observed in density and methyl group chemical shift, is ascribed to the relative vertical distances between layers in the bilayer, that are not in the same plane. Therefore, for even chain homologues, where this distances is less than for odd chain adducts, more intimate packing is indicated. The phase sequences for all compounds show several reversible crystal-crystal transition associated with kinetically controlled gauche-trans isomerism of the polymethylene chains which undergo incomplete fusion when heated to the melt. The compounds degrade above 785 K to yield carbon dioxide, water, potassium oxide and an alkene.

Nitrogen sparing effect of structured triglycerides containing both medium-and long-chain fatty acids in critically ill patients; a double blind randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindgren, B F; Ruokonen, E; Magnusson-Borg, K; Takala, J

2001-02-01

Patients with sepsis and trauma are characterised by hypermetabolism, insulin resistance and protein catabolism. Fat emulsions containing medium chain triglycerides have been suggested to be beneficial for these patients since medium chain fatty acids are a more readily available source of energy when compared to long chain fatty acids. The aim of this study was to compare a medium and long chain triglyceride emulsion consisting of structured triglycerides (ST) with a long chain triglyceride (LCT) emulsion in terms of effects on nitrogen balance, energy metabolism and safety. 30 ICU patients with sepsis or multiple injury received a fat emulsion with ST or 20% LCT (1.5 g triglycerides/kg body weight/day) as a component of total parenteral nutrition (TPN), for 5 days in a double blind randomised parallel group design. The main analysis was made on the 3 day per protocol population due to lack of patients at day 5. There were no differences in baseline characteristics of the two groups receiving either the LCT or the ST emulsion. The efficacy analysis was performed on the per protocol population (n=9 ST, n=11 LCT). There was a significant difference between the two treatments regarding daily nitrogen balances when the first 3 days were analysed P=0.0038). This resulted in an amelioration of the nitrogen balance on day 3 in the group on ST as compared to those on LCT (0.1+/-2.4 g vs -9.9+/-2.1 g P=0.01). The 3 day cumulative nitrogen balance was significantly better in the group receiving ST compared to those on LCT (-0.7+/-6.0 vs -16.7+/-3.9 P=0.03). This better cumulative nitrogen balance on day 3 was also preserved as a tendency (P=0.061) in the analysis of the intention to treat population, but on day 5 there was no significant difference (P=0.08). The ST emulsion was well tolerated and no difference was found compared to the LCT emulsion regarding respiratory quotient, energy expenditure, glucose or triglyceride levels during infusion. Administration of a

The frequency of a disease-causing point mutation in the gene coding for medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase in sudden infant death syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Banner, Jytte; Gregersen, N; Kølvraa, S

1993-01-01

A number of rare inherited metabolic disorders are known to lead to death in infancy. Deficiency of medium-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase has, on clinical grounds, been related particularly to sudden infant death syndrome. The contribution of this disorder to the etiology of sudden infant death...... syndrome is still a matter of controversy. The present study investigated 120 well-defined cases of sudden infant death syndrome in order to detect the frequency of the most common disease-causing point mutation in the gene coding for medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (G985) compared with the frequency...... in the general population. A highly specific polymerase chain reaction assay was applied on dried blood spots. No over-representation of homo- or heterozygosity for G985 appears to exist in such a strictly defined population, for which reason it may be more relevant to look at a broader spectrum of clinical...

Usefulness of food chain information provided by Dutch finishing pig producers to control antibiotic residues in pork.

Science.gov (United States)

van Wagenberg, Coen P A; Backus, Gé B C; van der Vorst, Jack G A J; Urlings, Bert A P

2012-11-01

The EU prescribes that food business operators must use food chain information to assist in food safety control. This study analyses usefulness of food chain information about antibiotic usage covering the 60-day period prior to delivery of pigs to slaughter in the control of antibiotic residues in pork. A dataset with 479 test results for antibiotic residues in tissue samples of finishing pigs delivered to a Dutch slaughter company was linked to information provided by pig producers about antibiotic usage in these finishing pigs. Results show that twice as many producers reported using antibiotics in the group of 82 producers with antibiotic residues (11.0%) compared to the group without antibiotic residues (5.5%) (p=0.0686). For 89% of consignments with a finishing pig with antibiotic residues, the producer reported 'did not use antibiotics'. Food chain information about antibiotic usage provided by Dutch pig producers was no guarantee for absence of antibiotic residues in delivered finishing pigs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Risk management in the broiler agro industrial chain: analysis of chicken producers´perspective in Ubá, Minas Gerais

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leandro Gomes Oliveira

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The broiler agro industrial chain is very important for Brazilian agribusiness. Despite employing vertical integration to coordinate its supply chain, risks events are inherent and can influence its operation and performance. This paper aims to identify risks that impact negatively on broiler chain, analyzing the perspective of producers from Ubá City, in Minas Gerais, as well as to identify which strategies are being used in this chain for mitigating them.A literature review to identify the main risks inherent to this chain was executed, followed by the application of a questionnaire answered by the producers. Lastly, an in-depth interview was done to understand the responses and to identify some mitigation strategies adopted in this chain. It was analyzed that more impactful risks in the broiler chain, according to producers’ perspective, was temperature increase, price received by the producer and risk related to investment. Less important risks were road conditions, contamination of animal´s food and increase in the price of chicken meat. It was also found that many of the risks identified in this research have already mitigation strategies, mainly by the use of new technologies and equipment.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of universal newborn screening for medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency in France

OpenAIRE

Hamers, Françoise F; Rumeau-Pichon, Catherine

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Five diseases are currently screened on dried blood spots in France through the national newborn screening programme. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is a technology that is increasingly used to screen newborns for an increasing number of hereditary metabolic diseases. Medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD) is among these diseases. We sought to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of introducing MCADD screening in France. Methods We developed a decision model t...

Quantification of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in environmental samples by gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Wei; Wu, Jing; Wang, Yawei; Jiang, Guibin

2016-06-24

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are technical products produced and used in bulk for a number of purposes. However, the analysis of CPs is challenging, as they are complex mixtures of compounds and isomers. We herein report the development of an analytical method for the analysis of short-chain CPs (SCCPs) and medium-chain CPs (MCCPs) using quadrupole time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-NCI-qTOF-HRMS). This method employs gas chromatography with a chemical ionization source working in negative mode. The linear relationship between chlorination and the CP total response factors was applied to quantify the CP content and the congener group distribution patterns. In a single injection, 24 SCCP formula groups and 24 MCCP formula groups were quantified. Extraction of accurate masses using qTOF-HRMS allowed the SCCPs and MCCPs to be distinguished, with interference from other chemicals (e.g., PCBs) being largely avoided. The SCCP and MCCP detection limits were 24-81ng/mL and 27-170ng/mL, respectively. Comparison of the obtained results with analytical results from gas chromatography coupled with electron capture negative ionization low-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-ECNI-LRMS) indicate that the developed technique is a more accurate and convenient method for the analysis of CPs in samples from a range of matrices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Food safety standards in the fresh produce supply chain: advantages and disadvantages

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Uyttendaele, M.; Jacxsens, L.; Boxstael, Van S.; Kirezieva, K.; Luning, P.

2015-01-01

Abstract : Food safety standards in the fresh produce supply chain are discussed in view of the outcomes of a European Union Directorates General (EU DG) Research project FP7 Veg-i-Trade ‘Impact of climate change and international trade on the safety of fresh produce’. Various standards are outlined

The Role of Chain Length in Nonergodicity Factor and Fragility of Polymers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dalle-Ferrie, Cecile; Niss, Kristine; Sokolov, Alexei

2010-01-01

The mechanism that leads to different fragility values upon approaching the glass transition remains a topic of active discussion. Many researchers are trying to find an answer in the properties of the frozen glassy state. Following this approach, we focus here on a previously proposed relationship...... between the fragility of glass-formers and their nonergodicity factor, determined by inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS) in the glass. We extend this molecular liquid study to two model polymers— polystyrene (PS) and polyisobutylene (PIB)—for which we change the molecular weight. Polymers offer...... the opportunity to change the fragility without altering the chemical structure, just by changing the chain length. Thus, we specifically chose PS and PIB because they exhibit opposite dependences of fragility with molecular weight. Our analysis for these two polymers reveals no unique correlation between...

Productivity, Disturbance and Ecosystem Size Have No Influence on Food Chain Length in Seasonally Connected Rivers

OpenAIRE

Warfe, Danielle M.; Jardine, Timothy D.; Pettit, Neil E.; Hamilton, Stephen K.; Pusey, Bradley J.; Bunn, Stuart E.; Davies, Peter M.; Douglas, Michael M.

2013-01-01

The food web is one of the oldest and most central organising concepts in ecology and for decades, food chain length has been hypothesised to be controlled by productivity, disturbance, and/or ecosystem size; each of which may be mediated by the functional trophic role of the top predator. We characterised aquatic food webs using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes from 66 river and floodplain sites across the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia to determine the relative importance of produ...

Evaluation of clay hybrid nanocomposites of different chain length as reinforcing agent for natural and synthetic rubbers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yehia, A.A.; Akelah, A.M.; Rehab, A.; El-Sabbagh, S.H.; El Nashar, D.E.; Koriem, A.A.

2012-01-01

Highlights: → The modified organo-clay (MMT-ATBN) markedly reinforce natural and synthetic rubbers. → The reinforcing efficiency of the organo-clay is much higher than HAF carbon black. → The reinforcing efficiency of MMT modified with different alkylamines greatly depend on the chain length. → The good compatibility of modified organo-clay with NBR can be attributed to the chemical nature. -- Abstract: Polymer nanocomposites are one of the highly discussed research topics in recent time. It has been reported in the present paper the preparation and the properties of different nanoclays based on sodium montmorillonite (bentonite) and some organic amines of varying chain lengths (dodecylamine, hexadecylamine and octadecylamine) beside amine-terminated butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer (ATBN). The hybrid clays have been characterized with the help of Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Wide angle X-ray diffractions (WXRD), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). X-ray results showed that the intergallery distance of the clay is increased as a result of the intercalation of the amines and ATBN. The nanocomposite clays were incorporated in natural and synthetic rubbers (NR, SBR and NBR). The physico-mechanical properties are greatly improved with loading low concentrations of the nanocomposite clays compared with carbon black.

Activation and Repression of Epstein-Barr Virus and Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Lytic Cycles by Short- and Medium-Chain Fatty Acids

Science.gov (United States)

Gorres, Kelly L.; Daigle, Derek; Mohanram, Sudharshan

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT The lytic cycles of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) are induced in cell culture by sodium butyrate (NaB), a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. Valproic acid (VPA), another SCFA and an HDAC inhibitor, induces the lytic cycle of KSHV but blocks EBV lytic reactivation. To explore the hypothesis that structural differences between NaB and VPA account for their functional effects on the two related viruses, we investigated the capacity of 16 structurally related short- and medium-chain fatty acids to promote or prevent lytic cycle reactivation. SCFAs differentially affected EBV and KSHV reactivation. KSHV was reactivated by all SCFAs that are HDAC inhibitors, including phenylbutyrate. However, several fatty acid HDAC inhibitors, such as isobutyrate and phenylbutyrate, did not reactivate EBV. Reactivation of KSHV lytic transcripts could not be blocked completely by any fatty acid tested. In contrast, several medium-chain fatty acids inhibited lytic activation of EBV. Fatty acids that blocked EBV reactivation were more lipophilic than those that activated EBV. VPA blocked activation of the BZLF1 promoter by NaB but did not block the transcriptional function of ZEBRA. VPA also blocked activation of the DNA damage response that accompanies EBV lytic cycle activation. Properties of SCFAs in addition to their effects on chromatin are likely to explain activation or repression of EBV. We concluded that fatty acids stimulate the two related human gammaherpesviruses to enter the lytic cycle through different pathways. IMPORTANCE Lytic reactivation of EBV and KSHV is needed for persistence of these viruses and plays a role in carcinogenesis. Our direct comparison highlights the mechanistic differences in lytic reactivation between related human oncogenic gammaherpesviruses. Our findings have therapeutic implications, as fatty acids are found in the diet and produced by the human microbiota

Medium-Chain Acyl-CoA Deficiency: Outlines from Newborn Screening, In Silico Predictions, and Molecular Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serena Catarzi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD is a disorder of fatty acid oxidation characterized by hypoglycemic crisis under fasting or during stress conditions, leading to lethargy, seizures, brain damage, or even death. Biochemical acylcarnitines data obtained through newborn screening by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS were confirmed by molecular analysis of the medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACADM gene. Out of 324.000 newborns screened, we identified 14 MCADD patients, in whom, by molecular analysis, we found a new nonsense c.823G>T (p.Gly275* and two new missense mutations: c.253G>C (p.Gly85Arg and c.356T>A (p.Val119Asp. Bioinformatics predictions based on both phylogenetic conservation and functional/structural software were used to characterize the new identified variants. Our findings confirm the rising incidence of MCADD whose existence is increasingly recognized due to the efficacy of an expanded newborn screening panel by LC-MS/MS making possible early specific therapies that can prevent possible crises in at-risk infants. We noticed that the “common” p.Lys329Glu mutation only accounted for 32% of the defective alleles, while, in clinically diagnosed patients, this mutation accounted for 90% of defective alleles. Unclassified variants (UVs or VUSs are especially critical when considering screening programs. The functional and pathogenic characterization of genetic variants presented here is required to predict their medical consequences in newborns.

Medium-Chain Acyl-CoA Deficiency: Outlines from Newborn Screening, In Silico Predictions, and Molecular Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Catarzi, Serena; Caciotti, Anna; Thusberg, Janita; Tonin, Rodolfo; Malvagia, Sabrina; la Marca, Giancarlo; Pasquini, Elisabetta; Cavicchi, Catia; Ferri, Lorenzo; Donati, Maria A.; Baronio, Federico; Guerrini, Renzo; Mooney, Sean D.; Morrone, Amelia

2013-01-01

Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD) is a disorder of fatty acid oxidation characterized by hypoglycemic crisis under fasting or during stress conditions, leading to lethargy, seizures, brain damage, or even death. Biochemical acylcarnitines data obtained through newborn screening by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were confirmed by molecular analysis of the medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACADM) gene. Out of 324.000 newborns screened, we identified 14 MCADD patients, in whom, by molecular analysis, we found a new nonsense c.823G>T (p.Gly275∗) and two new missense mutations: c.253G>C (p.Gly85Arg) and c.356T>A (p.Val119Asp). Bioinformatics predictions based on both phylogenetic conservation and functional/structural software were used to characterize the new identified variants. Our findings confirm the rising incidence of MCADD whose existence is increasingly recognized due to the efficacy of an expanded newborn screening panel by LC-MS/MS making possible early specific therapies that can prevent possible crises in at-risk infants. We noticed that the “common” p.Lys329Glu mutation only accounted for 32% of the defective alleles, while, in clinically diagnosed patients, this mutation accounted for 90% of defective alleles. Unclassified variants (UVs or VUSs) are especially critical when considering screening programs. The functional and pathogenic characterization of genetic variants presented here is required to predict their medical consequences in newborns. PMID:24294134

Effect of temperature and cycle length on microbial competition in PHB-producing sequencing batch reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yang; Marang, Leonie; Kleerebezem, Robbert; Muyzer, Gerard; van Loosdrecht, Mark C M

2011-05-01

The impact of temperature and cycle length on microbial competition between polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-producing populations enriched in feast-famine sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) was investigated at temperatures of 20 °C and 30 °C, and in a cycle length range of 1-18 h. In this study, the microbial community structure of the PHB-producing enrichments was found to be strongly dependent on temperature, but not on cycle length. Zoogloea and Plasticicumulans acidivorans dominated the SBRs operated at 20 °C and 30 °C, respectively. Both enrichments accumulated PHB more than 75% of cell dry weight. Short-term temperature change experiments revealed that P. acidivorans was more temperature sensitive as compared with Zoogloea. This is particularly true for the PHB degradation, resulting in incomplete PHB degradation in P. acidivorans at 20 °C. Incomplete PHB degradation limited biomass growth and allowed Zoogloea to outcompete P. acidivorans. The PHB content at the end of the feast phase correlated well with the cycle length at a constant solid retention time (SRT). These results suggest that to establish enrichment with the capacity to store a high fraction of PHB, the number of cycles per SRT should be minimized independent of the temperature.

Internet Usage In The Fresh Produce Supply Chainin China

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiaoxiao; Duan, Yanqing; Fu, Zetian; Liu, Xue

Although effective implementation of the Internet technologies has a great potential for improving efficiency and reducing wastage within the fresh produce supply chain. the situation of the Internet usage by SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) in the fresh produce supply chain is still unclear in China. As the main players, SMEs haven't been given enough attention from both academics and governments. Therefore, this research attempts to address this issue by, first, investigating the current usage of the Internet and related software by Chinese SMEs in the fresh produce supply chain, and then, by identifying enablers and barriers faced by SMEs to call government's attention. As a part of an EU-Asia IT&C funded project, a survey was carried out with SMEs in this industry from five major cities in China. The results reveal that in the relatively developed areas of China, SMEs in the fresh produce supply chain are rapidly adopting the Internet and software packages, but the level of adoption varies greatly and there is a significant lack of integration among the supply chain partners. Chinese SMEs are keen to embrace emerging technologies and have acted to adopt new software and tools. Given that cost of implementation is not a barrier, their concern over legal protection and online security must be addressed for further development.

Dietary medium-chain saturated fatty acids induce gene expression of energy metabolism-related pathways in adipose tissue of abdominally obese subjects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Matualatupauw, J.C.; Bohl, Mette; Gregersen, Søren; Hermansen, K.; Afman, L.A.

2017-01-01

Background:Dietary medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MC-SFAs) have been shown to reduce total body fat. Previously, we showed that MC-SFAs prevent body fat accumulation, despite weight gain. Here, we aim to explore potential molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effect of MC-SFAs on body

Inhibition of nuclear T3 binding by fatty acids: dependence on chain length, unsaturated bonds, cis-trans configuration and esterification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiersinga, W. M.; Platvoet-ter Schiphorst, M.

1990-01-01

1. Fatty acids have the capacity for inhibition of nuclear T3 binding (INB). The present studies were undertaken to describe the INB-activity of fatty acids as a function of chain length, unsaturated bonds, cis-trans configuration, and esterification. 2. Isolated rat liver nuclei were incubated with

COMPARISON OF PHYSICAL STABILITY PROPERTIES OF POMEGRANATE SEED OIL NANOEMULSION DOSAGE FORMS WITH LONG-CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDE AND MEDIUM-CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDE AS THE OIL PHASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sri Hartanti Yuliani

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Pomegranate seed oil has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and chemo preventive activities. Pomegranate seed oil is lipophilic substance suitable to be prepared in emulsion dosage forms. Long-chain triglyceride (LCT and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT are commonly used as oil phase in emulsion dosage forms. This research aimed to compare the use of LCT and MCT in the Nano emulsion formula of pomegranate seed oil dosage forms. Formulation of pomegranate seed oil Nano emulsion was conducted using high energy emulsification. Parameters observed were pH, Nano emulsion type, percent transmittance, viscosity, turbidity, and droplet size before and after 3 cycles of freeze-thaw. The result showed that there was no significant difference between physical properties of pomegranate oil Nano emulsion with LCT as oil phase and pomegranate oil Nano emulsion with MCT as oil phase. Moreover, physical stability of pomegranate oil Nano emulsion with LCT as oil phase was better than pomegranate oil Nano emulsion with MCT as oil phase.

Alkyl chain length impacts the antioxidative effect of lipophilized ferulic acid in fish oil enriched milk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Ann-Dorit Moltke; Lyneborg, Karina Sieron; Villeneuve, Pierre

2015-01-01

Lipophilization of phenolics by esterification with fatty alcohols may alter their localization in an emulsion and thereby their antioxidant efficacy. In this study, synthesized unbranched alkyl ferulates were evaluated as antioxidants in fish oil enriched milk. Lipid oxidation was determined...... by peroxide values and concentration of volatile oxidation products. A cut-off effect in the antioxidant efficacy in relation to the alkyl chain length was observed. The most efficient alkyl ferulate was methyl ferulate followed by ferulic acid and butyl ferulate, whereas octyl ferulate was prooxidative...

Effect of surfactant chain length on drug release kinetics from microemulsion-laden contact lenses.

Science.gov (United States)

Maulvi, Furqan A; Desai, Ankita R; Choksi, Harsh H; Patil, Rahul J; Ranch, Ketan M; Vyas, Bhavin A; Shah, Dinesh O

2017-05-30

The effect of surfactant chain lengths [sodium caprylate (C 8 ), Tween 20 (C 12 ), Tween 80 (C 18 )] and the molecular weight of block copolymers [Pluronic F68 and Pluronic F 127] were studied to determine the stability of the microemulsion and its effect on release kinetics from cyclosporine-loaded microemulsion-laden hydrogel contact lenses in this work. Globule size and dilution tests (transmittance) suggested that the stability of the microemulsion increases with increase in the carbon chain lengths of surfactants and the molecular weight of pluronics. The optical transmittance of direct drug-laden contact lenses [DL-100] was low due to the precipitation of hydrophobic drugs in the lenses, while in microemulsion-laden lenses, the transmittance was improved when stability of the microemulsion was achieved. The results of in vitro release kinetics revealed that drug release was sustained to a greater extent as the stability of microemulsion was improved as well. This was evident in batch PF127-T80, which showed sustained release for 15days in comparison to batch DL-100, which showed release up to 7days. An in vivo drug release study in rabbit tear fluid showed significant increase in mean residence time (MRT) and area under curve (AUC) with PF-127-T80 lenses (stable microemulsion) in comparison to PF-68-SC lenses (unstable microemulsion) and DL-100 lenses. This study revealed the correlation between the stability of microemulsion and the release kinetics of drugs from contact lenses. Thus, it was inferred that the stable microemulsion batches sustained the release of hydrophobic drugs, such as cyclosporine from contact lenses for an extended period of time without altering critical lens properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

4-N, 4-S & 4-O Chloroquine Analogues: Influence of Side Chain Length and Quinolyl Nitrogen pKa on Activity vs. Chloroquine Resistant Malaria+, #

Science.gov (United States)

Natarajan, Jayakumar K.; Alumasa, John; Yearick, Kimberly; Ekoue-Kovi, Kekeli A.; Casabianca, Leah B.; de Dios, Angel C.; Wolf, Christian; Roepe, Paul D.

2009-01-01

Using predictions from heme – quinoline antimalarial complex structures, previous modifications of chloroquine (CQ), and hypotheses for chloroquine resistance (CQR), we synthesize and assay CQ analogues that test structure – function principles. We vary side chain length for both monoethyl and diethyl 4N CQ derivatives. We alter the pKa of the quinolyl N by introducing alkylthio or alkoxy substituents into the 4 position, and vary side chain length for these analogues. We introduce an additional titratable amino group to the side chain of 4O analogues with promising CQR strain selectivity and increase activity while retaining selectivity. We solve atomic resolution structures for complexes formed between representative 4N, 4S and 4O derivatives vs. μ-oxo dimeric heme, measure binding constants for monomeric vs. dimeric heme, and quantify hemozoin (Hz) formation inhibition in vitro. The data provide additional insight for the design of CQ analogues with improved activity vs. CQR malaria. PMID:18512900

Ultrasonic Relaxation Study of 1-Alkyl-3-methylimidazolium-Based Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids: Probing the Role of Alkyl Chain Length in the Cation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zorębski, Michał; Zorębski, Edward; Dzida, Marzena; Skowronek, Justyna; Jężak, Sylwia; Goodrich, Peter; Jacquemin, Johan

2016-04-14

Ultrasound absorption spectra of four 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides were determined as a function of the alkyl chain length on the cation from 1-propyl to 1-hexyl from 293.15 to 323.15 K at ambient pressure. Herein, the ultrasound absorption measurements were carried out using a standard pulse technique within a frequency range from 10 to 300 MHz. Additionally, the speed of sound, density, and viscosity have been measured. The presence of strong dissipative processes during the ultrasound wave propagation was found experimentally, i.e., relaxation processes in the megahertz range were observed for all compounds over the whole temperature range. The relaxation spectra (both relaxation amplitude and relaxation frequency) were shown to be dependent on the alkyl side chain length of the 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ring. In most cases, a single-Debye model described the absorption spectra very well. However, a comparison of the determined spectra with the spectra of a few other imidazolium-based ionic liquids reported in the literature (in part recalculated in this work) shows that the complexity of the spectra increases rapidly with the elongation of the alkyl chain length on the cation. This complexity indicates that both the volume viscosity and the shear viscosity are involved in relaxation processes even in relatively low frequency ranges. As a consequence, the sound velocity dispersion is present at relatively low megahertz frequencies.

Tunnel current across linear homocatenated germanium chains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuura, Yukihito

2014-01-01

The electronic transport properties of germanium oligomers catenating into linear chains (linear Ge chains) have been theoretically studied using first principle methods. The conduction mechanism of a Ge chain sandwiched between gold electrodes was analyzed based on the density of states and the eigenstates of the molecule in a two-probe environment. Like that of silicon chains (Si chains), the highest occupied molecular orbital of Ge chains contains the extended σ-conjugation of Ge 4p orbitals at energy levels close to the Fermi level; this is in contrast to the electronic properties of linear carbon chains. Furthermore, the conductance of a Ge chain is expected to decrease exponentially with molecular length L. The decay constant β, which is defined as e −βL , of a Ge chain is similar to that of a Si chain, whereas the conductance of the Ge chains is higher than that of Si chains even though the Ge–Ge bond length is longer than the Si–Si bond length

Mesoscale simulation of semiflexible chains. I. Endpoint distribution and chain dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Groot, Robert D.

2013-06-01

The endpoint distribution and dynamics of semiflexible fibers are studied by numerical simulation. A brief overview is given over the analytical theory of flexible and semiflexible polymers. In particular, a closed expression is given for the relaxation spectrum of wormlike chains, which determines polymer diffusion and rheology. Next a simulation model for wormlike chains with full hydrodynamic interaction is described, and relations for the bending and torsion modulus are given. Two methods are introduced to include torsion stiffness into the model. The model is validated by simulating single chains in a heat bath, and comparing the endpoint distribution of the chains with established Monte Carlo results. It is concluded that torsion stiffness leads to a slightly shorter effective persistence length for a given bending stiffness. To further validate the simulation model, polymer diffusion is studied for fixed persistence length and varying polymer length N. The diffusion constant shows crossover from Rouse (D ∝ N-1) to reptation behaviour (D ∝ N-2). The terminal relaxation time obtained from the monomer displacement is consistent with the theory of wormlike chains. The probability for chain crossing has also been studied. This probability is so low that it does not influence the present results.

Comparison of diet-induced thermogenesis of foods containing medium- versus long-chain triacylglycerols.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasai, Michio; Nosaka, Naohisa; Maki, Hideaki; Suzuki, Yoshie; Takeuchi, Hiroyuki; Aoyama, Toshiaki; Ohra, Atsushi; Harada, Youji; Okazaki, Mitsuko; Kondo, Kazuo

2002-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 5-10 g of medium-chain triacylglycerols (MCT) on diet-induced thermogenesis in healthy humans. The study compared diet-induced thermogenesis after ingestion of test foods containing MCT and long-chain triacylglycerols (LCT), using a double-blind, crossover design. Eight male and eight female subjects participated in study 1 and study 2, respectively. In both studies, the LCT was a blend of rapeseed oil and soybean oil. In study 1, the liquid meals contained 10 g MCT (10M), a mixture of 5 g MCT and 5 g LCT (5M5L), and 10 g LCT (10L). In study 2, the subjects were given a meal (sandwich and clear soup) with the mayonnaise or margarine containing 5 g of MCT or LCT. Postprandial energy expenditure was measured by indirect calorimetry before and during the 6 h after ingestion of the test meals. Diet-induced thermogenesis was significantly greater after 5M5L and 10M Ingestion as compared to 10L ingestion. Ingestion of the mayonnaise or margarine containing 5 g MCT caused significantly larger diet-induced thermogenesis as compared to that of LCT. These results suggest that, in healthy humans, the intake of 5-10 g of MCT causes larger diet-induced thermogenesis than that of LCT, irrespective of the form of meal containing the MCT.

Chain Assembly and Disassembly Processes Differently Affect the Conformational Space of Ubiquitin Chains.

Science.gov (United States)

Kniss, Andreas; Schuetz, Denise; Kazemi, Sina; Pluska, Lukas; Spindler, Philipp E; Rogov, Vladimir V; Husnjak, Koraljka; Dikic, Ivan; Güntert, Peter; Sommer, Thomas; Prisner, Thomas F; Dötsch, Volker

2018-02-06

Ubiquitination is the most versatile posttranslational modification. The information is encoded by linkage type as well as chain length, which are translated by ubiquitin binding domains into specific signaling events. Chain topology determines the conformational space of a ubiquitin chain and adds an additional regulatory layer to this ubiquitin code. In particular, processes that modify chain length will be affected by chain conformations as they require access to the elongation or cleavage sites. We investigated conformational distributions in the context of chain elongation and disassembly using pulsed electron-electron double resonance spectroscopy in combination with molecular modeling. Analysis of the conformational space of diubiquitin revealed conformational selection or remodeling as mechanisms for chain recognition during elongation or hydrolysis, respectively. Chain elongation to tetraubiquitin increases the sampled conformational space, suggesting that a high intrinsic flexibility of K48-linked chains may contribute to efficient proteasomal degradation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantifying Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffin Congener Groups

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yuan, Bo; Bogdal, Christian; Berger, Urs; MacLeod, Matthew; Gebbink, Wouter A.; Alsberg, Tomas; Wit, de Cynthia A.

2017-01-01

Accurate quantification of short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) poses an exceptional challenge to analytical chemists. SCCPs are complex mixtures of chlorinated alkanes with variable chain length and chlorination level; congeners with a fixed chain length (n) and number of chlorines (m) are

Barriers to the development of the short supply chain for local food producers in Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lavinia DOVLEAC

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This article highlights the importance of short food supply chains for the development of rural areas in Romania, considering the increasing demand of the population for healthy food. A proper functionality of these local food supply chains brings benefits to producers, consumers and the local community, but some issues must be solved. This article presents the results of a qualitative marketing research study conducted for identifying the difficulties in this sector. The study aimed to identify the small producers’ opinions on the barriers to the development of these supply chains and how they could be helped to sell their products at a fair price.

Effect of surfactant alkyl chain length on the dispersion, and thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of LDPE/organo-LDH composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Low density polyethylene/layered double hydroxide (LDH composites were prepared via melt compounding using different kinds of organo-LDHs and polyethylene-grafted maleic anhydride as the compatibilizer. The organo-LDHs were successfully prepared by converting a commercial MgAl-carbonate LDH into a MgAl-nitrate LDH, which was later modified by anion exchange with linear and branched sodium alkyl sulfates having different alkyl chain lengths (nc = 6, 12 and 20. It was observed that, depending on the size of the surfactant alkyl chain, different degrees of polymer chain intercalation were achieved, which is a function of the interlayer distance of the organo-LDHs, of the packing level of the alkyl chains, and of the different interaction levels between the surfactant and the polymer chains. In particular, when the number of carbon atoms of the surfactant alkyl chain is larger than 12, the intercalation of polymer chains in the interlayer space and depression of the formation of large aggregates of organo-LDH platelets are favored. A remarkable improvement of the thermal-oxidative degradation was evidenced for all of the composites; whereas only a slight increase of the crystallization temperature and no significant changes of both melting temperature and degree of crystallinity were achieved. By thermodynamic mechanical analysis, it was evidenced that a softening of the matrix is may be due to the plasticizing effect of the surfactant.

Modeling Dynamic Processes in Smallholder Dairy Value Chains in Nicaragua: A System Dynamics Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helene Lie

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In Nicaragua, the production of dairy and beef is the most important source of household income for many smallholder producers. However, erratic volumes and quality of milk limit the participation of small- and medium-scale cattle farmers into higher-value dairy value chains. This research uses a system dynamics (SD approach to analyze the Matiguás dairy value chain in Nicaragua. The paper presents the conceptual framework of the model and highlights the dynamic processes in the value chain, with a focus on improving feeding systems to achieve higher milk productivity and increased income for producers. The model was developed using a participatory group model building (GMB technique to jointly conceptualize and validate the model with stakeholders.

The entry of Brazilian fresh fruit small and medium producers into the global market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberta de Castro Souza

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to identify some elements which contribute to the entry of small and medium producers into the global market. Specifically, it analyses the case of the greatest Brazilian mango and grape exported region - the Petrolina-Juazeiro (P-J. The conceptual background consists of two approaches. The first conceptual framework is the Global Value Chain (GVC approach which is mainly concerned with the entry of local economies, from developing countries, into the global market. The second approach is the dynamic capability which is mainly concerned with the way the firm could acquire capabilities. The method selected for the empirical part was the multiple-case studies which were made viable by means of semi-structured questionnaires conducted with mango and grape producer agents from P-J Region in Brazil and European buyers. This study indicates that some institutions have been supporting the export activities in terms of irrigation techniques, new techniques of cultivation, financial support and the introduction of some certificates such as EurepGap. Lastly, the mango and grape producers have been undertaking upgrading of product, process and functional.O objetivo deste artigo foi identificar os elementos que contribuem para a entrada de pequenos e médios produtores no mercado global. Especificamente foi analisado o caso da maior região brasileira exportadora de manga e uva in natura, a de Petrolina (PE e Juazeiro (BA. Os aportes teóricos utilizados neste artigo foram: cadeia de valor global e capacitações dinâmicas. O método selecionado para a realização da parte empírica foi o estudo de casos múltiplos. Para a coleta de dados, foram elaborados questionários semi-estruturados e realizadas entrevistas presenciais com produtores de manga e uva, associações de produtores, instituições de apoio localizadas em Petrolina e Juazeiro e compradores europeus de manga e uva. O estudo indicou que algumas institui

Dynamics of quality as a strategic variable in complex food supply chain network competition: The case of fresh produce

Science.gov (United States)

Nagurney, Anna; Besik, Deniz; Yu, Min

2018-04-01

In this paper, we construct a competitive food supply chain network model in which the profit-maximizing producers decide not only as to the volume of fresh produce produced and distributed using various supply chain network pathways, but they also decide, with the associated costs, on the initial quality of the fresh produce. Consumers, in turn, respond to the various producers' product outputs through the prices that they are willing to pay, given also the average quality associated with each producer or brand at the retail outlets. The quality of the fresh produce is captured through explicit formulae that incorporate time, temperature, and other link characteristics with links associated with processing, shipment, storage, etc. Capacities on links are also incorporated as well as upper bounds on the initial product quality of the firms at their production/harvesting sites. The governing concept of the competitive supply chain network model is that of Nash Equilibrium, for which alternative variational inequality formulations are derived, along with existence results. An algorithmic procedure, which can be interpreted as a discrete-time tatonnement process, is then described and applied to compute the equilibrium produce flow patterns and accompanying link Lagrange multipliers in a realistic case study, focusing on peaches, which includes disruptions.

Path-integral approach to the dynamics of a random chain with rigid constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrari, Franco; Paturej, Jaroslaw; Vilgis, Thomas A.

2008-01-01

In this work the dynamics of a chain consisting of a set of beads attached to the ends of segments of fixed lengths is investigated. The chain fluctuates at constant temperature in a viscous medium. For simplicity, all interactions among the beads have been switched off and the number of spatial dimensions has been limited to two. In the limit in which the chain becomes a continuous system, its behavior may be described by a path integral, in which the rigid constraints coming from the infinitesimally small segments are imposed by means of a functional δ function. In this way a model of the dynamics of the chain is obtained, which closely resembles a two-dimensional nonlinear σ model. The partition function of this generalized nonlinear σ model is computed explicitly for a ring-shaped chain in the semiclassical approximation. The behavior of the chain at both long and short scales of time and distances is investigated. The connection between the generalized nonlinear σ model presented here and the Rouse model is discussed

Room temperature ionic liquids: A simple model. Effect of chain length and size of intermolecular potential on critical temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapela, Gustavo A; Guzmán, Orlando; Díaz-Herrera, Enrique; del Río, Fernando

2015-04-21

A model of a room temperature ionic liquid can be represented as an ion attached to an aliphatic chain mixed with a counter ion. The simple model used in this work is based on a short rigid tangent square well chain with an ion, represented by a hard sphere interacting with a Yukawa potential at the head of the chain, mixed with a counter ion represented as well by a hard sphere interacting with a Yukawa potential of the opposite sign. The length of the chain and the depth of the intermolecular forces are investigated in order to understand which of these factors are responsible for the lowering of the critical temperature. It is the large difference between the ionic and the dispersion potentials which explains this lowering of the critical temperature. Calculation of liquid-vapor equilibrium orthobaric curves is used to estimate the critical points of the model. Vapor pressures are used to obtain an estimate of the triple point of the different models in order to calculate the span of temperatures where they remain a liquid. Surface tensions and interfacial thicknesses are also reported.

4-N-, 4-S-, and 4-O-chloroquine analogues: influence of side chain length and quinolyl nitrogen pKa on activity vs chloroquine resistant malaria.

Science.gov (United States)

Natarajan, Jayakumar K; Alumasa, John N; Yearick, Kimberly; Ekoue-Kovi, Kekeli A; Casabianca, Leah B; de Dios, Angel C; Wolf, Christian; Roepe, Paul D

2008-06-26

Using predictions from heme-quinoline antimalarial complex structures, previous modifications of chloroquine (CQ), and hypotheses for chloroquine resistance (CQR), we synthesize and assay CQ analogues that test structure-function principles. We vary side chain length for both monoethyl and diethyl 4-N CQ derivatives. We alter the pKa of the quinolyl N by introducing alkylthio or alkoxy substituents into the 4 position and vary side chain length for these analogues. We introduce an additional titratable amino group to the side chain of 4-O analogues with promising CQR strain selectivity and increase activity while retaining selectivity. We solve atomic resolution structures for complexes formed between representative 4-N, 4-S, and 4-O derivatives vs mu-oxo dimeric heme, measure binding constants for monomeric vs dimeric heme, and quantify hemozoin (Hz) formation inhibition in vitro. The data provide additional insight for the design of CQ analogues with improved activity vs CQR malaria.

Biosynthesis and characterization of polyhydroxyalkanoates copolymers produced by Pseudomonas putida Bet001 isolated from palm oil mill effluent.

Science.gov (United States)

Gumel, Ahmad Mohammed; Annuar, Mohamad Suffian Mohamad; Heidelberg, Thorsten

2012-01-01

The biosynthesis and characterization of medium chain length poly-3-hydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHA) produced by Pseudomonas putida Bet001 isolated from palm oil mill effluent was studied. The biosynthesis of mcl-PHA in this newly isolated microorganism follows a growth-associated trend. Mcl-PHA accumulation ranging from 49.7 to 68.9% on cell dry weight (CDW) basis were observed when fatty acids ranging from octanoic acid (C(8:0)) to oleic acid (C(18:1)) were used as sole carbon and energy source. Molecular weight of the polymer was found to be ranging from 55.7 to 77.7 kDa. Depending on the type of fatty acid used, the (1)H NMR and GCMSMS analyses of the chiral polymer showed a composition of even and odd carbon atom chain with monomer length of C4 to C14 with C8 and C10 as the principal monomers. No unsaturated monomer was detected. Thermo-chemical analyses showed the accumulated PHA to be semi-crystalline polymer with good thermal stability, having a thermal degradation temperature (T(d)) of 264.6 to 318.8 (± 0.2) (o)C, melting temperature (T(m)) of 43. (± 0.2) (o)C, glass transition temperature (T(g)) of -1.0 (± 0.2) (o)C and apparent melting enthalpy of fusion (ΔH(f)) of 100.9 (± 0.1) J g(-1).

The Role of Short-Chain Conjugated Poly-(R-3-Hydroxybutyrate (cPHB in Protein Folding

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Rosetta N. Reusch

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Poly-(R-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB, a linear polymer of R-3-hydroxybutyrate (R-3HB, is a fundamental constituent of biological cells. Certain prokaryotes accumulate PHB of very high molecular weight (10,000 to >1,000,000 residues, which is segregated within granular deposits in the cytoplasm; however, all prokaryotes and all eukaryotes synthesize PHB of medium-chain length (~100–200 residues which resides within lipid bilayers or lipid vesicles, and PHB of short-chain length (<12 residues which is conjugated to proteins (cPHB, primarily proteins in membranes and organelles. The physical properties of cPHB indicate it plays important roles in the targeting and folding of cPHB-proteins. Here we review the occurrence, physical properties and molecular characteristics of cPHB, and discuss its influence on the folding and structure of outer membrane protein A (OmpA of Escherichia coli.

Chain-modified radioiodinated fatty acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otto, C.A.

1987-01-01

Several carbon chain manipulations have been studied in terms of their effects on myocardial activity levels and residence time. The manipulations examined included: chain length, chain branching, chain unsaturation, and carbon-iodine bond stabilization. It was found that chain length affects myocardial activity levels for both straight-chain alkyl acids and branched chain alkyl and aryl acids. Similar results have been reported for the straight-chain aryl acids. Generally, the longer chain lengths correlated with higher myocardial activity levels and longer residence times. This behavior is attributed to storage as triglycerides. Branched chain acids are designed to be anti-metabolites but only the aryl β-methyl acids possessed the expected time course of constant or very slowly decreasing activity levels. The alkyl β-methyl acids underwent rapid deiodination - a process apparently independent of β-oxidation. Inhibition of β-oxidation by incorporation of carbon-carbon double and triple bonds was studied. Deiodination of ω-iodo alkyl fatty acids prevented an assessment of suicide inhibition using an unsaturated alkynoic acid. Stabilization of the carbon-iodine bond by attachment of iodine to a vinylic or aryl carbon was studied. The low myocardial values and high blood values observed for an eleven carbon ω-iodo vinylic fatty acid were not encouraging but ω-iodo aryl fatty acids appear to avoid the problems of rapid deiodination. (Auth.)

Value Chain Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wæhrens, Brian Vejrum; Slepniov, Dmitrij

2015-01-01

This workbook is recommended for the attention of students of and managers in Danish small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Danish SMEs are currently facing a number of key challenges related to their position in global value chains. This book provides an insight into value chain management t...

Antiaromatic bisindeno-[n]thienoacenes with small singlet biradical characters: Syntheses, structures and chain length dependent physical properties

KAUST Repository

Shi, Xueliang

2014-01-01

Recent studies demonstrated that aromaticity and biradical character play important roles in determining the ground-state structures and physical properties of quinoidal polycyclic hydrocarbons and oligothiophenes, a kind of molecular materials showing promising applications for organic electronics, photonics and spintronics. In this work, we designed and synthesized a new type of hybrid system, the so-called bisindeno-[n]thienoacenes (n = 1-4), by annulation of quinoidal fused α-oligothiophenes with two indene units. The obtained molecules can be regarded as antiaromatic systems containing 4n π electrons with small singlet biradical character (y0). Their ground-state geometry and electronic structures were studied by X-ray crystallographic analysis, NMR, ESR and Raman spectroscopy, assisted by density functional theory calculations. With extension of the chain length, the molecules showed a gradual increase of the singlet biradical character accompanied by decreased antiaromaticity, finally leading to a highly reactive bisindeno[4]thienoacene (S4-TIPS) which has a singlet biradical ground state (y0= 0.202). Their optical and electronic properties in the neutral and charged states were systematically investigated by one-photon absorption, two-photon absorption, transient absorption spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry, which could be correlated to the chain length dependent antiaromaticity and biradical character. Our detailed studies revealed a clear structure-aromaticity-biradical character-physical properties-reactivity relationship, which is of importance for tailored material design in the future. This journal is

Disrupted fat distribution and composition due to medium-chain triglycerides in mice with a β-oxidation defect.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucci, Sara; Flögel, Ulrich; Sturm, Marga; Borsch, Elena; Spiekerkoetter, Ute

2011-08-01

Because of the enhanced recognition of inherited long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders by worldwide newborn screening programs, an increasing number of asymptomatic patients receive medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) supplements to prevent the development of cardiomyopathy and myopathy. MCT supplementation has been recognized as a safe dietary intervention, but long-term observations into later adulthood are still not available. We investigated the consequences of a prolonged MCT diet on abdominal fat distribution and composition and on liver fat. Mice with very-long-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency (VLCAD(-/-)) were supplemented for 1 y with a diet in which MCTs replaced long-chain triglycerides without increasing the total fat content. The dietary effects on abdominal fat accumulation and composition were analyzed by in vivo (1)H- and (13)C-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (9.4 Tesla). After 1 y of MCT supplementation, VLCAD(-/-) mice accumulated massive visceral fat and had a dramatic increase in the concentration of serum free fatty acids. Furthermore, we observed a profound shift in body triglyceride composition, ie, concentrations of physiologically important polyunsaturated fatty acids dramatically decreased. (1)H-Magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis and histologic evaluation of the liver also showed pronounced fat accumulation and marked oxidative stress. Although the MCT-supplemented diet has been reported to prevent the development of cardiomyopathy and skeletal myopathy in fatty acid oxidation disorders, our data show that long-term MCT supplementation results in a severe clinical phenotype similar to that of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and the metabolic syndrome.

Supplemental Dietary Inulin of Variable Chain Lengths Alters Intestinal Bacterial Populations in Young Pigs123

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Jannine K.; Yasuda, Koji; Welch, Ross M.; Miller, Dennis D.; Lei, Xin Gen

2010-01-01

Previously, we showed that supplementation of diets with short-chain inulin (P95), long-chain inulin (HP), and a 50:50 mixture of both (Synergy 1) improved body iron status and altered expression of the genes involved in iron homeostasis and inflammation in young pigs. However, the effects of these 3 types of inulin on intestinal bacteria remain unknown. Applying terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, we determined the abundances of luminal and adherent bacterial populations from 6 segments of the small and large intestines of pigs (n = 4 for each group) fed an iron-deficient basal diet (BD) or the BD supplemented with 4% of P95, Synergy 1, or HP for 5 wk. Compared with BD, all 3 types of inulin enhanced (P inulin on bacterial populations in the lumen contents were found. Meanwhile, all 3 types of inulin suppressed the less desirable bacteria Clostridium spp. and members of the Enterobacteriaceae in the lumen and mucosa of various gut segments. Our findings suggest that the ability of dietary inulin to alter intestinal bacterial populations may partially account for its iron bioavailability-promoting effect and possibly other health benefits. PMID:20980641

N-terminal fatty acylated His-dPhe-Arg-Trp-NH(2) tetrapeptides: influence of fatty acid chain length on potency and selectivity at the mouse melanocortin receptors and human melanocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Todorovic, Aleksandar; Holder, Jerry Ryan; Bauzo, Rayna M; Scott, Joseph Walker; Kavanagh, Renny; Abdel-Malek, Zalfa; Haskell-Luevano, Carrie

2005-05-05

The melanocortin system is involved in the regulation of a diverse number of physiologically important pathways including pigmentation, feeding behavior, weight and energy homeostasis, inflammation, and sexual function. All the endogenous melanocortin agonist ligands possess the conserved His-Phe-Arg-Trp tetrapeptide sequence that is postulated to be important for melanocortin receptor molecular recognition and stimulation. Previous studies by our laboratory resulted in the discovery that increasing alkyl chain length at the N-terminal "capping" region of the His-dPhe-Arg-Trp-NH(2) tetrapeptide resulted in a 100-fold increased melanocortin receptor agonist potency. This study was undertaken to systematically evaluate the pharmacological effects of increasing N-capping alkyl chain length of the CH(3)(CH(2))(n)CO-His-dPhe-Arg-Trp-NH(2) (n = 6-16) tetrapeptide template. Twelve analogues were synthesized and pharmacologically characterized at the mouse melanocortin receptors MC1R and MC3R-MC5R and human melanocytes known to express the MC1R. These peptides demonstrated melanocortin receptor selectivity profiles different from those of previously published tetrapeptides. The most notable results of enhanced ligand potency (20- to 200-fold) and receptor selectivity were observed at the MC1R. Tetrapeptides that possessed greater than nine alkyl groups were superior to alpha-MSH in terms of the stimulation of human melanocyte tyrosinase activity. Additionally, the n-pentadecanoyl derivative had a residual effect on tyrosinase activity that existed for at least 4 days after the peptide was removed from the human melanocyte culture medium. These data demonstrate the utility, potency, and residual effect of melanocortin tetrapeptides by adding N-terminal fatty acid moieties.

Thermoresponsive Poly(2-oxazoline) Molecular Brushes by Living Ionic Polymerization: Kinetic Investigations of Pendant Chain Grafting and Cloud Point Modulation by Backbone and Side Chain Length Variation

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Ning

2012-04-17

Molecular brushes of poly(2-oxazoline)s were prepared by living anionic polymerization of 2-iso-propenyl-2-oxazoline to form the backbone and subsequent living cationic ring-opening polymerization of 2-n- or 2-iso-propyl-2-oxazoline for pendant chain grafting. In situ kinetic studies indicate that the initiation efficiency and polymerization rates are independent from the number of initiator functions per initiator molecule. This was attributed to the high efficiency of oxazolinium salt and the stretched conformation of the backbone, which is caused by the electrostatic repulsion of the oxazolinium moieties along the macroinitiator. The resulting molecular brushes showed thermoresponsive properties, that is, having a defined cloud point (CP). The dependence of the CP as a function of backbone and side chain length as well as concentration was studied. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effect of supplementing coconut or krabok oil, rich in medium-chain fatty acids on ruminal fermentation, protozoa and archaeal population of bulls

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Panyakaew, P.; Boon, N.; Goel, G.; Yuangklang, C.; Schonewille, J.T.; Hendriks, W.H.; Fievez, V.

2013-01-01

Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), for example, capric acid (C10:0), myristic (C14:0) and lauric (C12:0) acid, have been suggested to decrease rumen archaeal abundance and protozoal numbers. This study aimed to compare the effect of MCFA, either supplied through krabok (KO) or coconut (CO) oil, on

DMFC Performance of Polymer Electrolyte Membranes Prepared from a Graft-Copolymer Consisting of a Polysulfone Main Chain and Styrene Sulfonic Acid Side Chains

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Nobutaka Endo

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC applications were prepared from a graft-copolymer (PSF-g-PSSA consisting of a polysulfone (PSF main chain and poly(styrene sulfonic acid (PSSA side chains with various average distances between side chains (Lav and side chain lengths (Lsc. The polymers were synthesized by grafting ethyl p-styrenesulfonate (EtSS on macro-initiators of chloromethylated polysulfone with different contents of chloromethyl (CM groups, and by changing EtSS content in the copolymers by using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP. The DMFC performance tests using membrane electrode assemblis (MEAs with the three types of the PEMs revealed that: a PSF-g-PSSA PEM (SF-6 prepared from a graft copolymer with short average distances between side chains (Lav and medium Lsc had higher DMFC performance than PEMs with long Lav and long Lsc or with short Lav and short Lsc. SF-6 had about two times higher PDmax (68.4 mW/cm2 than Nafion® 112 at 30 wt % of methanol concentration. Furthermore, it had 58.2 mW/cm2 of PDmax at 50 wt % of methanol concentration because of it has the highest proton selectivity during DMFC operation of all the PSF-g-PSSA PEMs and Nafion® 112.

Polymer chain alignment and transistor properties of nanochannel-templated poly(3-hexylthiophene) nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Seungjun; Hayakawa, Ryoma; Pan, Chengjun; Sugiyasu, Kazunori; Wakayama, Yutaka

2016-08-01

Nanowires of semiconducting poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) were produced by a nanochannel-template technique. Polymer chain alignment in P3HT nanowires was investigated as a function of nanochannel widths (W) and polymer chain lengths (L). We found that the ratio between chain length and channel width (L/W) was a key parameter as regards promoting polymer chain alignment. Clear dichroism was observed in polarized ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectra only at a ratio of approximately L/W = 2, indicating that the L/W ratio must be optimized to achieve uniaxial chain alignment in the nanochannel direction. We speculate that an appropriate L/W ratio is effective in confining the geometries and conformations of polymer chains. This discussion was supported by theoretical simulations based on molecular dynamics. That is, the geometry of the polymer chains, including the distance and tilting angles of the chains in relation to the nanochannel surface, was dominant in determining the longitudinal alignment along the nanochannels. Thus prepared highly aligned polymer nanowire is advantageous for electrical carrier transport and has great potential for improving the device performance of field-effect transistors. In fact, a one-order improvement in carrier mobility was observed in a P3HT nanowire transistor.

Medium chain acylcarnitines dominate the metabolite pattern in humans under moderate intensity exercise and support lipid oxidation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rainer Lehmann

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Exercise is an extreme physiological challenge for skeletal muscle energy metabolism and has notable health benefits. We aimed to identify and characterize metabolites, which are components of the regulatory network mediating the beneficial metabolic adaptation to exercise. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: First, we investigated plasma from healthy human subjects who completed two independent running studies under moderate, predominantly aerobic conditions. Samples obtained prior to and immediately after running and then 3 and 24 h into the recovery phase were analyzed by a non-targeted (NT- metabolomics approach applying liquid chromatography-qTOF-mass spectrometry. Under these conditions medium and long chain acylcarnitines were found to be the most discriminant plasma biomarkers of moderately intense exercise. Immediately after a 60 min (at 93% V(IAT or a 120 min run (at 70% V(IAT a pronounced, transient increase dominated by octanoyl-, decanoyl-, and dodecanoyl-carnitine was observed. The release of acylcarnitines as intermediates of partial beta-oxidation was verified in skeletal muscle cell culture experiments by probing (13C-palmitate metabolism. Further investigations in primary human myotubes and mouse muscle tissue revealed that octanoyl-, decanoyl-, and dodecanoyl-carnitine were able to support the oxidation of palmitate, proving more effective than L-carnitine. CONCLUSIONS: Medium chain acylcarnitines were identified and characterized by a functional metabolomics approach as the dominating biomarkers during a moderately intense exercise bout possessing the power to support fat oxidation. This physiological production and efflux of acylcarnitines might exert beneficial biological functions in muscle tissue.

Kondo length in bosonic lattices

Science.gov (United States)

Giuliano, Domenico; Sodano, Pasquale; Trombettoni, Andrea

2017-09-01

Motivated by the fact that the low-energy properties of the Kondo model can be effectively simulated in spin chains, we study the realization of the effect with bond impurities in ultracold bosonic lattices at half filling. After presenting a discussion of the effective theory and of the mapping of the bosonic chain onto a lattice spin Hamiltonian, we provide estimates for the Kondo length as a function of the parameters of the bosonic model. We point out that the Kondo length can be extracted from the integrated real-space correlation functions, which are experimentally accessible quantities in experiments with cold atoms.

Effect of the Alkyl Chain Length Incorporated into Donor Part on the Optoelectronic Properties of the Carbazole Based Dyes: Theoretical Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Souad El Mzioui

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we report a theoretical study using density functional theory (DFT and time-dependent (TD-DFT for R-D-π-A systems with various alkyl chains (R. Results show that the LUMO of the dye lies above the semiconductor conduction band, promoting the injection of electrons; the lower HOMO level promotes dye regeneration. The incorporation of methyl chain (CH3 has a significant reduction in the gap energy, improved red-shift absorption spectrum and increase the molar extinction coefficient at the maximum absorption wavelength compared to D. While, the increase in alkyl chain length from C2H5 to C6H13 present a relatively reduce of gap energies, low effect on the wavelength (438 nm and converged excitation energies. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v9i5.1003 

Distribution of medium-chain FA in different lipid classes after administration of specific structured TAG in rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mu, Huiling; Høy, Carl-Erik

2002-01-01

Structured TAG (STAG) containing medium-chain FA (MCFA) in the sn-1,3 positions and essential FA in the sn-2 position were synthesized by lipase-catalyzed acidolysis. In our previous studies we found that part of the MCFA from STAG could be absorbed in the small intestine; however, it was unclear...... how they were absorbed. In order to get a better understanding of the metabolism of STAG to improve future design and application of STAG, in the present study lymph lipids collected after feeding STAG were fractionated into different classes and the FA composition of each lipid class was studied...

Visual target distance, but not visual cursor path length produces shifts in motor behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nike eWendker

2014-03-01

Full Text Available When using tools effects in body space and distant space often do not correspond. Findings so far demonstrated that in this case visual feedback has more impact on action control than proprioceptive feedback. The present study varies the dimensional overlap between visual and proprioceptive action effects and investigates its impact on aftereffects in motor responses. In two experiments participants perform linear hand movements on a covered digitizer tablet to produce ∩-shaped cursor trajectories on the display. The shape of hand motion and cursor motion (linear vs. curved is dissimilar and therefore does not overlap. In one condition the length of hand amplitude and visual target distance is similar and constant while the length of the cursor path is dissimilar and varies. In another condition the length of the hand amplitude varies while the lengths of visual target distance (similar or dissimilar and cursor path (dissimilar are constant. First, we found that aftereffects depended on the relation between hand path length and visual target distance, and not on the relation between hand and cursor path length. Second, increasing contextual interference did not reveal larger aftereffects. Finally, data exploration demonstrated a considerable benefit from gain repetitions across trials when compared to gain switches. In conclusion, dimensional overlap between visual and proprioceptive action effects modulates human information processing in visually controlled actions. However, adjustment of the internal model seems to occur very fast for this kind of simple linear transformation, so that the impact of prior visual feedback is fleeting.

Insulin, glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate responses to a medium-chain triglyceride-based sports supplement: A pilot study

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Thomas R. Wood

2017-03-01

Full Text Available There is a current trend in endurance sports to move athletes towards a low-carbohydrate diet or use periods of low carbohydrate consumption to increase both health and performance. As a result, a market is developing for sports supplements to provide nutritional support during training and racing for athletes who follow a low-carbohydrate lifestyle. PHAT FIBRE (PF is a powdered sports supplement that includes medium-chain triglycerides suspended in a digestion-resistant carbohydrate and is tailored to the needs of low-carb athletes. Eleven healthy participants were administered 25 g of PF after an overnight fast. After 30 minutes, median blood glucose increased by 6 mg/dl from 94 mg/dl to 100 mg/dl (p = 0.002. At the same time points, median blood beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB increased from 0.3 mmol/L to 0.5 mmol/L. The increase in BHB was significant (p = 0.02 after excluding one outlier who had elevated levels of fasting BHB. Insulin levels did not change significantly at any point during the study. In a single participant, a revised formulation of PF (PFv2 produced a 0.6 mmol/L increase in BHB with no effect on blood glucose. These data suggest that PF can provide a source of energy for the low-carb athlete by supporting ketone production without negatively impacting insulin or blood glucose levels.

EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to medium-chain triglycerides and reduction in body weight (ID 643, 677, 1614) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tetens, Inge

claims in relation to medium-chain triglycerides and reduction in body weight. The scientific substantiation is based on the information provided by the Member States in the consolidated list of Article 13 health claims and references that EFSA has received from Member States or directly from...... stakeholders. The food constituent that is the subject of the health claims is medium-chain triglycerides. In the context of the references provided, the Panel assumes that the food constituent which is the subject of the health claims is medium-chain fatty acids, which should replace long-chain fatty acids...... in triglycerides in order to obtain the claimed effect. The Panel considers that the food constituent, medium-chain fatty acids, which is the subject of the health claims, is sufficiently characterised in relation to the claimed effect. The claimed effect is “weight management”. The target population is assumed...

Equivalent chain lengths of all C4-C23 saturated monomethyl branched fatty acid methyl esters on methylsilicone OV-1 stationary phase.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubinec, Róbert; Blaško, Jaroslav; Górová, Renáta; Addová, Gabriela; Ostrovský, Ivan; Amann, Anton; Soják, Ladislav

2011-04-01

Isomer mixtures of monomethyl branched saturated C7-C23 fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were prepared by performing a methylene insertion reaction to the straight chain FAME and this study model was completed by using commercially available standards of C4-C7 FAME. The equivalent chain lengths (ECL) of all 220 C4-C23 monomethyl branched FAME on OV-1 stationary phase were measured, achieving an average repeatability of ±0.0004 ECL units. The monomethyl branched FAME was identified by GC on the basis of regularity of the fractional chain lengths (FCL) dependence on the number of carbon atoms (C(z)) of individual homologous series of methyl 2-, 3-, …, 21-FAME. The prediction of retention of the first homologues, having the new position of methyl group beginning at higher carbon atoms number, and analogously for the second, third, fourth, and other members of the homologous series, allowed the dependence FCL=f(C(z)) for the first and subsequent members of beginning homologous of monomethyl derivatives of FAME. The identification was confirmed by mass spectrometry. All of the methyl isomers of FAME, which could not be completely separated by gas chromatography due to having a methyl group in surroundings of the middle of the carbon chain, were resolved by mass spectrometry using deconvolution in a SIM-mode. Measured gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric data were applied for identification of the monomethyl branched saturated FAME in tongue coating. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a Selective Medium for the Fungal Pathogen Fusarium graminearum Using Toxoflavin Produced by the Bacterial Pathogen Burkholderia glumae

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Boknam Jung

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The ascomycete fungus Fusarium graminearum is a major causal agent for Fusarium head blight in cereals and produces mycotoxins such as trichothecenes and zearalenone. Isolation of the fungal strains from air or cereals can be hampered by various other airborne fungal pathogens and saprophytic fungi. In this study, we developed a selective medium specific to F. graminearum using toxoflavin produced by the bacterial pathogen Burkholderia glumae. F. graminearum was resistant to toxoflavin, while other fungi were sensitive to this toxin. Supplementing toxoflavin into medium enhanced the isolation of F. graminearum from rice grains by suppressing the growth of saprophytic fungal species. In addition, a medium with or without toxoflavin exposed to wheat fields for 1 h had 84% or 25%, respectively, of colonies identified as F. graminearum. This selection medium provides an efficient tool for isolating F. graminearum, and can be adopted by research groups working on genetics and disease forecasting.

Laser optically pumped by laser-produced plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silfvast, W.T.; Wood, O.R. II.

1975-01-01

Laser solids, liquids and gases are pumped by a new technique in which the output from an efficient molecular laser, such as a CO 2 laser, ionizes a medium, such as xenon, into a generally cylindrical plasma volume, in proximity to the pumped laser body. Breakdown yields a visible and ultraviolet-radiation-emitting plasma in that volume to pump the laser body. The spectral radiance of the plasma is significantly higher than that produced by a dc-discharge-heated plasma at nearly all wavelengths in the plasma spectrum. The risetime of radiation from the laser-produced plasma can also be significantly shorter than that of a dc heated plasma. A further advantage resides in the fact that in some applications the attenuating walls needed by flashlamps may be eliminated with the result that laser threshold is more readily reached. Traveling wave excitation may be provided by oblique incidence of the pumping laser beam through the ionizable medium to create sequential ionization of portions of that medium along the length of the pumped laser body. (auth)

Antimicrobial medium- and long-chain free fatty acids prevent PrfA-dependent activation of virulence genes in Listeria monocytogenes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sternkopf Lillebæk, Eva Maria; Lambert Nielsen, Stine; Scheel Thomasen, Rikke; Færgeman, Nils J; Kallipolitis, Birgitte H

The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of the invasive disease listeriosis. Infection by L. monocytogenes involves bacterial crossing of the intestinal barrier and intracellular replication in a variety of host cells. The PrfA protein is the master regulator of virulence factors required for bacterial entry, intracellular replication and cell-to-cell spread. PrfA-dependent activation of virulence genes occurs primarily in the blood and during intracellular infection. In contrast, PrfA does not play a significant role in regulation of virulence gene expression in the intestinal environment. In the gastrointestinal phase of infection, the bacterium encounters a variety of antimicrobial agents, including medium- and long-chain free fatty acids that are commonly found in our diet and as active components of bile. Here we show that subinhibitory concentrations of specific antimicrobial free fatty acids act to downregulate transcription of PrfA-activated virulence genes. Interestingly, the inhibitory effect is also evident in cells encoding a constitutively active variant of PrfA. Collectively, our data suggest that antimicrobial medium- and long-chain free fatty acids may act as signals to prevent PrfA-mediated activation of virulence genes in environments where PrfA activation is not required, such as in food and the gastrointestinal tract. Copyright © 2017 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Relation of Stump Length with Various Gait Parameters in Trans-tibial Amputee

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koyel Majumdar

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is evaluating the impact of stump length of unilateral below knee amputees (BKA on different gait parameters. Nine unilateral BKA were chosen and divided into three groups comprising patients with short, medium, and long stump length. Each of them underwent gait analysis test by Computer Dynography (CDG system to measure the gait parameters. It was found that the ground reaction force is higher in the patients with medium stump length whereas the velocity, step length both for the prosthetic and sound limb and cadence were high in longer stump length. Statistical analysis shows a significant difference (p<0.05 between the gait parameters of BKA with medium and longer stump length. The patients with longer stump length were more efficient than medium and short stump patients as they consumed comparatively lesser energy while walking with self-selected velocity and conventional (Solid ankle cushioned heel SACH foot.

Aggregation behavior and intermicellar interactions of cationic Gemini surfactants: Effects of alkyl chain, spacer lengths and temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hajy Alimohammadi, Marjan; Javadian, Soheila; Gharibi, Hussein; Tehrani-Bagha, Ali reza; Alavijeh, Mohammad Rashidi; Kakaei, Karim

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Highlights: → Enthalpy-entropy compensation relation was found between and for gemini surfactants. → The intermicellar interaction parameters are influenced with increasing the lengths of the tail and the spacer of gemini surfactants. → Increasing temperature decreases the intermicellar interaction parameters. → The changes in micellar surface charge density, and phase transition between spherical and rod geometries explain the data. - Abstract: The aggregation behavior of the cationic Gemini surfactants C m H 2m+1 N(CH 3 ) 2 (CH 2 ) S (CH 3 ) 2 N C m H 2m+1 ,2Br - with m = 12, 14 and s = 2, 4 were studied by performing surface tension, electrical conductivity, pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements over the temperature range 298 K to 323 K. The critical micelle concentration (CMC), surface excess (Γ max ), mean molecular surface area (A min ), degree of counter ion dissociation (α), and the thermodynamic parameters of micellization were determined from the surface tension and conductance data. An enthalpy-entropy compensation effect was observed and all the plots of enthalpy-entropy compensation exhibit excellent linearity. The micellar self-diffusion coefficients (D m ) and intermicellar interaction parameters (k d ) were obtained from the PFG-NMR and CV measurements. These results are discussed in terms of the intermicellar interactions, the effects of the chain and spacer lengths on the micellar surface charge density, and the phase transition between spherical and rod geometries. The intermicellar interaction parameters were found to decrease slightly with increasing temperature for 14-4-14, which suggests that the micellar surface charge density decreases with increasing temperature. The mean values of the hydrodynamic radius, R h , and the aggregation number, N agg , of the Gemini surfactants'm-4-m micelles were calculated from the micellar self-diffusion coefficient

Effects of Chain Length and Saturability of Fatty Acids on Phospholipids and Proteins in Plasma Membranes of Bovine Mammary Gland.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Qiongxian; Tang, Shaoxun; Han, Xuefeng; Bamikole, Musibau Adungbe; Zhou, Chuanshe; Kang, Jinhe; Wang, Min; Tan, Zhiliang

2016-12-01

Free fatty acids (FFAs) in plasma are essential substrates for de novo synthesis of milk fat, or directly import into mammary cells. The physico-chemical properties of mammary cells membrane composition affected by FFAs with different chain lengths and saturability are unclear yet. Employing GC, FTIR and fluorescence spectroscopy, the adsorption capacity, phospholipids content, membrane proteins conformation, lipid peroxidation product, and free sulfhydryl of plasma membranes (PMs) interacted with different FFAs were determined. The mammary cells PMs at 38 and 39.5 °C showed different adsorption capacities: acetic acid (Ac) > stearic acid (SA) > β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) > trans10, cis12 CLA. In the FTIR spectrum, the major adsorption peaks appeared at 2920 and 2850 cm -1 for phospholipids, and at 1628 and 1560 cm -1 for membrane proteins. The intensities of PMs-FFAs complexes were varied with the FFAs species and their initial concentrations. The β-sheet and turn structures of membrane proteins were transferred into random coil and α-helix after BHBA, SA and trans10, cis12 CLA treatments compared with Ac treatment. The quenching effects on the fluorescence of endogenous membrane protein, 1, 8-ANS, NBD-PE, and DHPE entrapped in PMs by LCFA were different from those of short chain FFAs. These results indicate that the adsorption of FFAs could change membrane protein conformation and polarity of head group in phospholipids. This variation of the mammary cells PMs was regulated by carbon chain length and saturability of FFAs.

Fatty acid biosynthesis VII. Substrate control of chain-length of products synthesised by rat liver fatty acid synthetase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Heinz Johs. Max; Carey, E.M.; Dils, R.

1970-01-01

- 1. Gas-liquid and paper chromatography have been used to determine the chain-lengths of fatty acids synthesised by purified rat liver fatty acid synthetase from [1-14C]acetyl-CoA, [1,3-14C2]malonyl-CoA and from [1-14C]acetyl-CoA plus partially purified rat liver acetyl-CoA carboxylase. - 2....... A wide range (C4:0–C18:0) of fatty acids was synthesised and the proportions were modified by substrate concentrations in the same manner as for purified rabbit mammary gland fatty acid synthetase. - 3. The relative amount of radioactivity incorporated from added acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA depended...... of long-chain fatty acids was synthesised from carboxylated acetyl-CoA than from added malonyl-CoA. - 5. It is suggested that acetyl-CoA carboxylase may carboxylate acetate bound to fatty acid synthetase....

Meta-Analysis of Structured Triglyceride versus Physical Mixture Medium- and Long-Chain Triglycerides for PN in Liver Resection Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yajie; Wang, Chengfeng

2017-01-01

The use of total parenteral nutrition can affect liver function, causing a series of problems such as cholestasis. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare structured triglyceride- (STG-) based lipid emulsions with physical medium-chain triglyceride (MCT)/long-chain triglyceride (LCT) mixtures in patients who had undergone liver surgery to identify any differences between these two types of parenteral nutrition. We searched the databases of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Chinese Biomedicine Database from January 2007 to March 2017 and included studies that compared STG-based lipid emulsions with physical MCT/LCT mixtures for surgical patients with liver disease. The STG was more beneficial than physical MCT/LCT on recovery of liver function and immune function. Therefore, STGs may represent a promising alternative to other types of lipid emulsions for hepatic surgery patients.

Effects of calcitriol, seocalcitol, and medium-chain triglyceride on a canine transitional cell carcinoma cell line

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaewsakhorn, T.; Kisseberth, W.C.; Capen, C.C.

2005-01-01

Background: Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) in dogs is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Calcitriol and its analog seocalcitol, combined with medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), have potential for the treatment of this disease. Materials and Methods: TCC cells were treated with calcitr...... inhibited TCC cell growth via induction of cell cycle arrest and MCT enhanced this effect. Therefore, calcitriol and seocalcitol with MCT may have therapeutic potential for canine bladder cancer....... with calcitriol or seocalcitol, alone or combined with MCT. Cell growth, cell cycle kinetics, vitamin D receptor (VDR) localization and expression, and Bcl-2 expression were measured. Results: Canine TCC expresses high levels of nuclear VDR. Furthermore, calcitriol and seocalcitol significantly inhibited cell...

Treatment with medium chain fatty acids milk of CD36-deficient preschool children.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagasaka, Hironori; Hirano, Ken-Ichi; Yorifuji, Tohru; Komatsu, Haruki; Takatani, Tomonozumi; Morioka, Ichiro; Hirayama, Satoshi; Miida, Takashi

2018-06-01

CD36 deficiency is characterized by limited cellular long chain fatty acid uptake in the skeletal and cardiac muscles and often causes energy crisis in these muscles. However, suitable treatment for CD36 deficiency remains to be established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and metabolic effects of medium chain triacylglycerols (MCTs) in two CD36-deficient preschool children who often developed fasting hypoglycemia and exercise-induced myalgia. Fasting blood glucose, total ketone bodies, and free fatty acids were examined and compared for usual supper diets and for diets with replacement of one component with 2 g/kg of 9% MCT-containing milk (MCT milk). Changes in serum creatine kinase and alanine aminotransferase levels, resulting from replacement of glucose water intake with 1 g/kg of MCT milk and determined by using bicycle pedaling tasks, were examined and compared. Hypoglycemic and/or myalgia episodes in daily life were also investigated. Biochemically, participants' blood glucose and total ketone bodies levels after overnight fasting substantially increased after dietary suppers containing MCT milk. Increases in serum creatine kinase and alanine aminotransferase levels resulting from the bicycle pedaling task were suppressed by MCT milk. Hypoglycemia leading to unconsciousness and tachycardia before breakfast decreased after introduction of dietary suppers containing MCT milk. Occurrence of myalgia in the lower limbs also decreased after intakes of MCT milk before long and/or strenuous exercising. Our results suggest that MCTs can prevent fasting hypoglycemia and exercise-induced myalgia in CD36-deficient young children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of two mutations detected in medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD)-deficient patients on folding, oligomer assembly, and stability of MCAD enzyme

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bross, P; Jespersen, C; Jensen, T G

1995-01-01

We have used expression of human medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) in Escherichia coli as a model system for dissecting the molecular effects of two mutations detected in patients with MCAD deficiency. We demonstrate that the R28C mutation predominantly affects polypeptide folding...

High levels of medium-chain chlorinated paraffins and polybrominated diphenyl ethers on the inside of several household baking oven doors.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallistl, Christoph; Sprengel, Jannik; Vetter, Walter

2018-02-15

Fat obtained by wipe tests on the inner surface of 21 baking ovens from Stuttgart (Germany) were analyzed for halogenated flame retardants (HFRs), namely polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), dechlorane plus (DP), short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs, MCCPs), as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In ~50% of the samples chlorinated paraffins (CPs) were present in the mg/g fat range, i.e. three to four orders of magnitude higher concentrated than the sum of all other target compounds. In contrast the remaining ~50% of the samples were free of CPs, while the other HFRs were comparable in CP-positive and CP-negative samples. The exceptionally high concentrations and exclusive presence of CPs in half of the samples produced strong evidence that these compounds were released from the baking oven itself. This hypothesis was supported by detection of MCCPs at even higher concentrations in the inner components of one dismantled baking oven. The release of substantial amounts of HFRs from the oven casing during its use may contribute to human exposure to these compounds, especially MCCPs and SCCPs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Randomized clinical trial of new intravenous lipid (SMOFlipid 20%) versus medium-chain triglycerides/long-chain triglycerides in adult patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ming-Hsun; Wang, Ming-Yang; Yang, Chin-Yao; Kuo, Min-Liang; Lin, Ming-Tsan

2014-09-01

SMOFlipid 20% is intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) containing long-chain triglycerides (LCT), medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), olive oil, and fish oil as a mixed emulsion containing α-tocopherol. The aim was to assess the efficacy of this new ILE in gastrointestinal surgery compared with MCT/LCT. In this prospective study, 40 patients were randomized to SMOFlipid 20% or MCT/LCT (Lipovenoes 20%) group. Clinical and biochemistry data were collected. Inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, TGF-β1) and oxidative stress (ROS and superoxide) were measured. Thirty-five patients (17 males and 18 females) with a mean age of 57 years completed the study. The patients' demographic characteristics (age, gender, height, body weight, and BMI) were similar without significant differences between groups. The increment of triglyceride on day 6 from baseline was significantly lower in SMOFlipid group than in Lipovenoes MCT/LCT group. Inflammatory markers, as well as superoxide radical and total oxygen radical were not different between groups. Despite the comparable effect on inflammatory response, because of its well-balanced fatty acid pattern, relatively low n-6:n-3 ratio, and high vitamin E content, SMOFlipid had a better triglyceride-lowering effect as compared with MCT/LCT in adult patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery. © 2013 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

Novel phytoceramides containing fatty acids of diverse chain lengths are better than a single C18-ceramide N-stearoyl phytosphingosine to improve the physiological properties of human stratum corneum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oh MJ

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Myoung Jin Oh,1 Young Hoon Cho,1 So Yoon Cha,1 Eun Ok Lee,2 Jin Wook Kim,2 Sun Ki Kim,2 Chang Seo Park1 1Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Dongguk University, Chung-gu, Seoul, 2LCS Biotech, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea Abstract: Ceramides in the human stratum corneum (SC are a mixture of diverse N-acylated fatty acids (FAs with different chain lengths. C24 is the major class of FAs of ceramides. However, there are also other classes of ceramides with diverse chain lengths of FAs, and these lengths generally range from C16 to C26. This study aimed to prepare several types of phytoceramide containing diverse chain lengths of N-acylated FAs and compare them with C18-ceramide N-stearoyl phytosphingosine (NP in terms of their effects on the physiological properties of the SC. We chose natural oils, such as horse fat oil, shea butter, sunflower oil, and a mixture of macadamia nut, shea butter, moringa, and meadowfoam seed oil, as sources of FAs and phytosphingosine as a sphingoid backbone to synthesize diverse phytoceramides. Each phytoceramide exhibited a distinctive formation of the lamellar structure, and their FA profiles were similar to those of their respective natural oil. The skin barrier properties, as analyzed in human skin, clearly demonstrated that all the phytoceramides improved the recovery rate of the damaged SC and enhanced hydration better than C18-ceramide NP did. In conclusion, natural oil-derived phytoceramides could represent a novel class of ceramides for cosmetic applications in the development of an ideal skin barrier moisturizer. Keywords: fatty acid, chain length, phytoceramide, skin barrier, natural oil

Synthesis of Diblock copolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate -block-poly-3-hydroxyhexanoate [PHB-b-PHHx] by a β-oxidation weakened Pseudomonas putida KT2442.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathi, Lakshmi; Wu, Lin-Ping; Chen, Jinchun; Chen, Guo-Qiang

2012-04-05

Block polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) were reported to be resistant against polymer aging that negatively affects polymer properties. Recently, more and more attempts have been directed to make PHA block copolymers. Diblock copolymers PHB-b-PHHx consisting of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) block covalently bonded with poly-3-hydroxyhexanoate (PHHx) block were for the first time produced successfully by a recombinant Pseudomonas putida KT2442 with its β-oxidation cycle deleted to its maximum. The chloroform extracted polymers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), thermo- and mechanical analysis. NMR confirmed the existence of diblock copolymers consisting of 58 mol% PHB as the short chain length block with 42 mol% PHHx as the medium chain length block. The block copolymers had two glass transition temperatures (Tg) at 2.7°C and -16.4°C, one melting temperature (Tm) at 172.1°C and one cool crystallization temperature (Tc) at 69.1°C as revealed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. This is the first microbial short-chain-length (scl) and medium-chain-length (mcl) PHA block copolymer reported. It is possible to produce PHA block copolymers of various kinds using the recombinant Pseudomonas putida KT2442 with its β-oxidation cycle deleted to its maximum. In comparison to a random copolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate (P(HB-co-HHx)) and a blend sample of PHB and PHHx, the PHB-b-PHHx showed improved structural related mechanical properties.

Size properties of colloidal nanoparticles produced by nanosecond pulsed laser ablation and studying the effects of liquid medium and laser fluence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahdieh, Mohammad Hossein; Fattahi, Behzad

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Colloidal aluminum- and titanium-based nanoparticles fabricated by laser ablation. • Various liquid environments and laser fluences were applied as variable parameters. • Physical characteristics of liquid medium influence ablation process and nanoparticle formation. • Size properties of prepared nanoparticles depend on liquid medium and laser fluence. • Ablation of both metals in ethanol results in nanoparticles with smaller size. - Abstract: In this paper, pulsed laser ablation method was used for synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles of aluminum and titanium targets in distilled water, ethanol, and acetone as liquid environments. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) absorption spectrophotometer and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used for characterization of produced nanoparticles. Using image processing technique and analyzing the SEM images, nanoparticles’ mean size and size distribution were achieved. The results show that liquid medium has strong effect on size properties of produced nanoparticles. From the results, it was found that ablation of both metal targets in ethanol medium leads to formation of smaller size nanoparticles with narrower size distributions. The influence of laser fluence was also investigated. According to the results, higher laser fluence produces larger mean size nanoparticles with broader size distribution

Size properties of colloidal nanoparticles produced by nanosecond pulsed laser ablation and studying the effects of liquid medium and laser fluence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahdieh, Mohammad Hossein, E-mail: mahdm@iust.ac.ir; Fattahi, Behzad

2015-02-28

Highlights: • Colloidal aluminum- and titanium-based nanoparticles fabricated by laser ablation. • Various liquid environments and laser fluences were applied as variable parameters. • Physical characteristics of liquid medium influence ablation process and nanoparticle formation. • Size properties of prepared nanoparticles depend on liquid medium and laser fluence. • Ablation of both metals in ethanol results in nanoparticles with smaller size. - Abstract: In this paper, pulsed laser ablation method was used for synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles of aluminum and titanium targets in distilled water, ethanol, and acetone as liquid environments. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) absorption spectrophotometer and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used for characterization of produced nanoparticles. Using image processing technique and analyzing the SEM images, nanoparticles’ mean size and size distribution were achieved. The results show that liquid medium has strong effect on size properties of produced nanoparticles. From the results, it was found that ablation of both metal targets in ethanol medium leads to formation of smaller size nanoparticles with narrower size distributions. The influence of laser fluence was also investigated. According to the results, higher laser fluence produces larger mean size nanoparticles with broader size distribution.

[Contamination characteristics of short-chain chlorinated paraffins in edible fish of Shanghai].

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Guo; Chen, Lai-guo; He, Qiu-sheng; Meng, Xiang-zhou; Feng, Yong-bin; Huang, Yu-mei; Tang, Cai-ming

2013-09-01

According to the local habit of eating fish, in a total of 68 samples, 8 kinds of different trophic levels of edible fish collected in Shanghai were determined in terms of concentration and distribution profile of short chain chlorinated paraffin (SCCPs) in muscles to investigate the pollution status of SCCPs in edible fish from the Yangtze River Delta region. The results indicated that the concentrations (dw) of SCCPs in edible fish were in the range of 36-801 ng x g(-1). With the increase in carbon chain length, the concentration of SCCPs decreased. In addition, lower chlorinated (Cl6-Cl8) and shorter chain (Cl10, C11) congeners were the dominant chlorine and carbon homologues groups, respectively, contributing a total relative abundance of 61.46%-82.50% to the total abundance of SCCPs. The levels of SCCPs in fish of Shanghai were in the medium level worldwide, and the distribution pattern was in line with those of the domestic and foreign studies.

Energy metabolism of medium-chain triglycerides versus carbohydrates during exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Décombaz, J; Arnaud, M J; Milon, H; Moesch, H; Philippossian, G; Thélin, A L; Howald, H

1983-01-01

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) are known to be rapidly digested and oxidized. Their potential value as a source of dietary energy during exercise was compared with that of maltodextrins (MD). Twelve subjects exercised for 1 h on a bicycle ergometer (60% VO2 max), 1 h after the test meal (1MJ). The metabolism of MCT was followed using 1-13C-octanoate (Oc) as tracer and U-13C-glucose (G) was added to the 13C-naturally enriched MD. After MCT ingestion no insulin peak was observed with some accumulation of ketone bodies (KB), blood levels not exceeding 1 mM. Total losses of KB during exercise in urine, sweat and as breath acetone were small (less than 0.2 mmol X h-1). Hence, the influence of KB loss and storage on gas exchange data was negligible. The partition of fat and carbohydrate utilization during exercise as obtained by indirect calorimetry was practically the same after the MCT and the CHO meals. Oxidation over the 2-h period was 30% of dose for Oc and 45% for G. Glycogen decrements in the Vastus lateralis muscle were equal. It appears that with normal carbohydrate stores, a single meal of MCT or CHO did not alter the contribution of carbohydrates during 1 h of high submaximal exercise. The moderate ketonemia after MCT, despite substantial oxidation of this fat, led to no difference in muscle glycogen sparing between the diets.

The color tuning of PS-b-P2VP lamellar films with changing the alkyl chain length of 1-iodoalkanes.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Sung-Eui; Kim, Su-Young; Shin, Dong-Myung

2011-05-01

Photonic crystals with tunability in the visible or near-infrared region have drawn increasing attention for controlling and processing light for the active components of future display. We prepared polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) lamellar films which is hydrophobic block-hydrophilic polyelectrolyte block polymer of 57 kg/mol-b-57 kg/mol. The lamellar stacks, which is alternating layer of hydrophilic and hydrophobic moiety of PS-b-P2VP, are obtained by exposing the spin coated film under chloroform vapor. The band gaps of the lamellar films interestingly varied after immersion into the quaternizing solvents containing 5 wt% of iodomethane, iodoethane, 1-iodobutane, 1-iodopentane, 1-iodohexane and 1-iodooctane solubilized in n-hexane. The iodoalkanes reacted with pyridine groups in PS-b-P2VP and generated the alkyl pyridinium salts readily. The degree of quaternization, alkyl chain length of iodoalkane and the salt water concentration affects the spacing of layer structure of PS-b-P2VP. The iodomethane and iodohexane produced similar band gaps and salt concentration dependence. These results are very much dependent on the hydrophobic-hydrophilic characters of PS-b-P2VP lamellar surface.

Method of producing nano-scaled inorganic platelets

Science.gov (United States)

Zhamu, Aruna; Jang, Bor Z.

2012-11-13

The present invention provides a method of exfoliating a layered material (e.g., transition metal dichalcogenide) to produce nano-scaled platelets having a thickness smaller than 100 nm, typically smaller than 10 nm. The method comprises (a) dispersing particles of a non-graphite laminar compound in a liquid medium containing therein a surfactant or dispersing agent to obtain a stable suspension or slurry; and (b) exposing the suspension or slurry to ultrasonic waves at an energy level for a sufficient length of time to produce separated nano-scaled platelets. The nano-scaled platelets are candidate reinforcement fillers for polymer nanocomposites.

Mixed-chain phosphatidylcholine bilayers: structure and properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattai, J.; Sripada, P.K.; Shipley, G.G.

1987-01-01

Calorimetric and x-ray diffraction data are reported for two series of saturated mixed-chain phosphatidylcholines (PCs), 18:0/n:0-PC and n:0/18:0-PC, where the sn-1 and sn-2 fatty acyl chains on the glycerol backbone are systematically varied by two methylene groups from 18:0 to 10:0 (n = 18, 16, 14, 12, or 10). Fully hydrated PCs were annealed at -4 0 C and their multilamellar dispersions characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and x-ray diffraction. All mixed-chain PCs form low-temperature crystalline bilayer phases following low-temperature incubation, except 18:0/10:0-PC. The subtransition temperature (T/sub s/) shifts toward the main (chain melting) transition temperature (T/sub m/) as the sn-1 or sn-2 fatty acyl chain is reduced in length. T/sub m/ decreases with acyl chain length for both series of PCs except 18:0/10:0-PC, while for the positional isomers, n:0/18:0-PC and 18:0/n:0-PC, T/sub m/ is higher for the isomer with the longer acyl chain in the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone. The conversion from the crystalline bilayer L/sub c/phase to the liquid-crystalline L/sub α/ phase with melted hydrocarbon chains occurs through a series of phase changes which are chain length dependent. Molecular models indicate that the bilayer gel phases for the more asymmetric PC series, 18:0/n:0-PC, must undergo progressive interdigitation with chain length reduction to maintain maximum chain-chain interaction. The L/sub β/* phase of 18:0/10:p-PC is the most stable structure for this PC below T/sub m/. The formation and stability of the triple-chain structures can be rationalized from molecular models

Porosity effects in flame length of the porous burners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Bahadori

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Furnaces are the devices for providing heat to the industrial systems like boilers, gas turbines and etc. The main challenge of furnaces is emission of huge air pollutants. However, porous burners produce less contaminant compared to others. The quality of the combustion process in the porous burners depends on the length of flame in the porous medium. In this paper, the computational fluid dynamic (CFD is used to investigate the porosity effects on the flame length of the combustion process in porous burner. The simulation results demonstrate that increasing the porosity increases the flame length and the combustion zone extends forward. So, combustion quality increases and production of carbon monoxide decrease. It is possible to conclude that temperature distribution in low porosity burner is lower and more uniform than high porosity one. Therefore, by increasing the porosity of the burner, the production of nitrogen oxides increases. So, using an intermediate porosity in the burner appears to be reasonable.

Grazer-induced chain lenght plasticity reduces grazing risk in a marine diatom

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergkvist, Johanna; Thor, Peter; Jakobsen, Hans Henrik

2012-01-01

. marinoi was exposed to chemical cues from caged A. tonsa without physical contact with the responding cells. The reductions in chain length significantly reduced copepod grazing; grazing rates on chains (four cells or more) were several times higher compared to that of single cells. This suggests...... that chain length plasticity is a means for S. marinoi to reduce copepod grazing. In contrast, chain length was not suppressed in cultures exposed to the microzooplankton grazer Gyrodinium dominans. Size-selective predation may have played a key role in the evolution of chain formation and chain length...... plasticity in diatoms...

Biosynthesis and characterization of polyhydroxyalkanoates copolymers produced by Pseudomonas putida Bet001 isolated from palm oil mill effluent.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Mohammed Gumel

Full Text Available The biosynthesis and characterization of medium chain length poly-3-hydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHA produced by Pseudomonas putida Bet001 isolated from palm oil mill effluent was studied. The biosynthesis of mcl-PHA in this newly isolated microorganism follows a growth-associated trend. Mcl-PHA accumulation ranging from 49.7 to 68.9% on cell dry weight (CDW basis were observed when fatty acids ranging from octanoic acid (C(8:0 to oleic acid (C(18:1 were used as sole carbon and energy source. Molecular weight of the polymer was found to be ranging from 55.7 to 77.7 kDa. Depending on the type of fatty acid used, the (1H NMR and GCMSMS analyses of the chiral polymer showed a composition of even and odd carbon atom chain with monomer length of C4 to C14 with C8 and C10 as the principal monomers. No unsaturated monomer was detected. Thermo-chemical analyses showed the accumulated PHA to be semi-crystalline polymer with good thermal stability, having a thermal degradation temperature (T(d of 264.6 to 318.8 (± 0.2 (oC, melting temperature (T(m of 43. (± 0.2 (oC, glass transition temperature (T(g of -1.0 (± 0.2 (oC and apparent melting enthalpy of fusion (ΔH(f of 100.9 (± 0.1 J g(-1.

Medium-chain fatty acid-sensing receptor, GPR84, is a proinflammatory receptor.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Masakatsu; Takaishi, Sachiko; Nagasaki, Miyuki; Onozawa, Yoshiko; Iino, Ikue; Maeda, Hiroaki; Komai, Tomoaki; Oda, Tomiichiro

2013-04-12

G protein-coupled receptor 84 (GPR84) is a putative receptor for medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), whose pathophysiological roles have not yet been clarified. Here, we show that GPR84 was activated by MCFAs with the hydroxyl group at the 2- or 3-position more effectively than nonhydroxylated MCFAs. We also identified a surrogate agonist, 6-n-octylaminouracil (6-OAU), for GPR84. These potential ligands and the surrogate agonist, 6-OAU, stimulated [(35)S]GTP binding and accumulated phosphoinositides in a GPR84-dependent manner. The surrogate agonist, 6-OAU, internalized GPR84-EGFP from the cell surface. Both the potential ligands and 6-OAU elicited chemotaxis of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and macrophages and amplified LPS-stimulated production of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-8 from PMNs and TNFα from macrophages. Furthermore, the intravenous injection of 6-OAU raised the blood CXCL1 level in rats, and the inoculation of 6-OAU into the rat air pouch accumulated PMNs and macrophages in the site. Our results indicate a proinflammatory role of GPR84, suggesting that the receptor may be a novel target to treat chronic low grade inflammation associated-disease.

cDNA cloning of rat and human medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsubara, Y.; Kraus, J.P.; Rosenberg, L.E.; Tanaka, K.

1986-01-01

MCAD is one of three mitochondrial flavoenzymes which catalyze the first step in the β-oxidation of straight chain fatty acids. It is a tetramer with a subunit Mr of 45 kDa. MCAD is synthesized in the cytosol as a 49 kDa precursor polypeptide (pMCAD), imported into mitochondria, and cleaved to the mature form. Genetic deficiency of MCAD causes recurrent episodes of hypoglycemic coma accompanied by medium chain dicarboxylic aciduria. Employing a novel approach, the authors now report isolation of partial rat and human cDNA clones encoding pMCAD. mRNA encoding pMCAD was purified to near homogeneity by polysome immunoadsorption using polyclonal monospecific antibody. Single-stranded [ 32 P]labeled cDNA probe was synthesized using the enriched mRNA as template, and was used to screen directly 16,000 colonies from a total rat liver cDNA library constructed in pBR322. One clone (600 bp) was detected by in situ hybridization. Hybrid-selected translation with this cDNA yielded a 49 kDa polypeptide indistinguishable in size from rat pMCAD and immunoprecipitable with anti-MCAD antibody. Using the rat cDNA as probe, 43,000 colonies from a human liver cDNA library were screened. Four identical positive clones (400 bp) were isolated and positively identified by hybrid-selected translation and immunoprecipitation. The sizes of rat and human mRNAs encoding pMCAD were 2.2 kb and 2.4 kb, respectively, as determined by Northern blotting

Meta-Analysis of Structured Triglyceride versus Physical Mixture Medium- and Long-Chain Triglycerides for PN in Liver Resection Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yajie Zhao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The use of total parenteral nutrition can affect liver function, causing a series of problems such as cholestasis. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare structured triglyceride- (STG- based lipid emulsions with physical medium-chain triglyceride (MCT/long-chain triglyceride (LCT mixtures in patients who had undergone liver surgery to identify any differences between these two types of parenteral nutrition. Methods. We searched the databases of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Chinese Biomedicine Database from January 2007 to March 2017 and included studies that compared STG-based lipid emulsions with physical MCT/LCT mixtures for surgical patients with liver disease. Conclusion. The STG was more beneficial than physical MCT/LCT on recovery of liver function and immune function. Therefore, STGs may represent a promising alternative to other types of lipid emulsions for hepatic surgery patients.

Critical Length Criterion and the Arc Chain Model for Calculating the Arcing Time of the Secondary Arc Related to AC Transmission Lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cong Haoxi; Li Qingmin; Xing Jinyuan; Li Jinsong; Chen Qiang

2015-01-01

The prompt extinction of the secondary arc is critical to the single-phase reclosing of AC transmission lines, including half-wavelength power transmission lines. In this paper, a low-voltage physical experimental platform was established and the motion process of the secondary arc was recorded by a high-speed camera. It was found that the arcing time of the secondary arc rendered a close relationship with its arc length. Through the input and output power energy analysis of the secondary arc, a new critical length criterion for the arcing time was proposed. The arc chain model was then adopted to calculate the arcing time with both the traditional and the proposed critical length criteria, and the simulation results were compared with the experimental data. The study showed that the arcing time calculated from the new critical length criterion gave more accurate results, which can provide a reliable criterion in term of arcing time for modeling and simulation of the secondary arc related with power transmission lines. (paper)

Multiple scales and phases in discrete chains with application to folded proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Sinelnikova, A.; Niemi, A. J.; Nilsson, Johan; Ulybyshev, M.

2018-05-01

Chiral heteropolymers such as large globular proteins can simultaneously support multiple length scales. The interplay between the different scales brings about conformational diversity, determines the phase properties of the polymer chain, and governs the structure of the energy landscape. Most importantly, multiple scales produce complex dynamics that enable proteins to sustain live matter. However, at the moment there is incomplete understanding of how to identify and distinguish the various scales that determine the structure and dynamics of a complex protein. Here we address this impending problem. We develop a methodology with the potential to systematically identify different length scales, in the general case of a linear polymer chain. For this we introduce and analyze the properties of an order parameter that can both reveal the presence of different length scales and can also probe the phase structure. We first develop our concepts in the case of chiral homopolymers. We introduce a variant of Kadanoff's block-spin transformation to coarse grain piecewise linear chains, such as the C α backbone of a protein. We derive analytically, and then verify numerically, a number of properties that the order parameter can display, in the case of a chiral polymer chain. In particular, we propose that in the case of a chiral heteropolymer the order parameter can reveal traits of several different phases, contingent on the length scale at which it is scrutinized. We confirm that this is the case with crystallographic protein structures in the Protein Data Bank. Thus our results suggest relations between the scales, the phases, and the complexity of folding pathways.

Improving competitiveness of small medium Batik printing industry on quality & productivity using value chain benchmarking (Case study SME X, SME Y & SME Z)

Science.gov (United States)

Fauzi, Rizky Hanif; Liquiddanu, Eko; Suletra, I. Wayan

2018-02-01

Batik printing is made by way of night printing as well as conventional batik & through the dyeing process like batik making in general. One of the areas that support the batik industry in Karisidenan Surakarta is Kliwonan Village, Masaran District, Sragen. Masaran district is known as one of batik centers originated from batik workers in Laweyan Solo area from Masaran, they considered that it would be more economical to produce batik in their village which is Masaran Sragen because it is impossible to do production from upstream to downstream in Solo. SME X is one of SME batik in Kliwonan Village, Masaran, Sragen which has been able to produce batik printing with sales coverage to national. One of the key SME X in selling its products is by participating in various national & international exhibitions that are able to catapult its name. SME Y & SME Z are also SMEs in Kliwonan Village, Masaran, Sragen producing batik printing. From the observations made there are several problems that must be fixed in SME Y & SME Z. The production process is delayed from schedule, maintenance of used equipment, procedures for batik workmanship, supervision of operators as well as unknown SMEY & SMEZ products are the problems found. The purpose of this research is to improve the primary activity in SME Y & Z value chain on batik prioting product by benchmarking to small & medium scale industries (SME) X which have better competence.

Characterization of the fine specificity of peptide antibodies to HLA-DQ beta-chain molecules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, J S; Atar, D; Karlsen, Alan E

1990-01-01

In an attempt to produce epitope specific antisera which could distinguish two closely associated HLA-DQ beta-chain alleles, we immunized 20 rabbits with synthetic peptides representing sequences from the first domain of the HLA-DQw8 and -DQw7 beta-chain molecules, differing only by one amino acid...... in position 57. Several of the antisera in immunoblotting specifically recognized either the HLA-DQw7 or the HLA-DQw8 beta-chain allele as previously reported. The fine specificity of the antisera was tested in ELISA using synthetic peptides of varying length as solid phase antigen. Two out of the 20 antisera...

Efficacious Intestinal Permeation Enhancement Induced by the Sodium Salt of 10-undecylenic Acid, A Medium Chain Fatty Acid Derivative

OpenAIRE

Brayden, David J.; Walsh, Edwin

2014-01-01

10-undecylenic acid (UA) is an OTC antifungal therapy and a nutritional supplement. It is an unsaturated medium chain fatty acid (MCFA) derivative, so our hypothesis was that its 11-mer sodium salt, uC11, would improve intestinal permeation similar to the established enhancer, sodium caprate (C10), but without the toxicity of the parent saturated MCFA, decylenic acid (C11). MTT assay and high-content screening (HCS) confirmed a cytotoxicity ranking in Caco-2 cells: C11 > C10 = uC11. Five to t...

Quantifying Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffin Congener Groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Bo; Bogdal, Christian; Berger, Urs; MacLeod, Matthew; Gebbink, Wouter A; Alsberg, Tomas; de Wit, Cynthia A

2017-09-19

Accurate quantification of short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) poses an exceptional challenge to analytical chemists. SCCPs are complex mixtures of chlorinated alkanes with variable chain length and chlorination level; congeners with a fixed chain length (n) and number of chlorines (m) are referred to as a "congener group" C n Cl m . Recently, we resolved individual C n Cl m by mathematically deconvolving soft ionization high-resolution mass spectra of SCCP mixtures. Here we extend the method to quantifying C n Cl m by introducing C n Cl m specific response factors (RFs) that are calculated from 17 SCCP chain-length standards with a single carbon chain length and variable chlorination level. The signal pattern of each standard is measured on APCI-QTOF-MS. RFs of each C n Cl m are obtained by pairwise optimization of the normal distribution's fit to the signal patterns of the 17 chain-length standards. The method was verified by quantifying SCCP technical mixtures and spiked environmental samples with accuracies of 82-123% and 76-109%, respectively. The absolute differences between calculated and manufacturer-reported chlorination degrees were -0.9 to 1.0%Cl for SCCP mixtures of 49-71%Cl. The quantification method has been replicated with ECNI magnetic sector MS and ECNI-Q-Orbitrap-MS. C n Cl m concentrations determined with the three instruments were highly correlated (R 2 > 0.90) with each other.

A medium-chain fatty acid as an alternative energy source in mouse preimplantation development.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Mitsutoshi; Takanashi, Kazumi; Hamatani, Toshio; Hirayama, Akiyoshi; Akutsu, Hidenori; Fukunaga, Tomoko; Ogawa, Seiji; Sugawara, Kana; Shinoda, Kosaku; Soga, Tomoyoshi; Umezawa, Akihiro; Kuji, Naoaki; Yoshimura, Yasunori; Tomita, Masaru

2012-01-01

To further optimize the culturing of preimplantation embryos, we undertook metabolomic analysis of relevant culture media using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOFMS). We detected 28 metabolites: 23 embryo-excreted metabolites including 16 amino acids and 5 media-derived metabolites (e.g., octanoate, a medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA)). Due to the lack of information on MCFAs in mammalian preimplantation development, this study examined octanoate as a potential alternative energy source for preimplantation embryo cultures. No embryos survived in culture media lacking FAs, pyruvate, and glucose, but supplementation of octanoate rescued the embryonic development. Immunoblotting showed significant expression of acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, important enzymes for ß-oxidation of MCFAs, in preimplantation embryo. Furthermore, CE-TOFMS traced [1-(13)C(8)] octanoate added to the culture media into intermediate metabolites of the TCA cycle via ß-oxidation in mitochondria. These results are the first demonstration that octanoate could provide an efficient alternative energy source throughout preimplantation development.

Parental Experiences of Raising a Child With Medium Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hilary Piercy

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Newborn screening enabling early diagnosis of medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD has dramatically improved health outcomes in children with MCADD. Achieving those outcomes depends on effective management by parents. Understanding parental management strategies and associated anxieties and concerns is needed to inform provision of appropriate care and support. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of parents of children aged 2 to 12 years. Thematic analysis identified two main themes. Managing dietary intake examined how parents managed day-to-day dietary intake to ensure adequate intake and protection of safe fasting intervals. Managing and preventing illness events explored parental experiences of managing illness events and their approach to preventing these events. Management strategies were characterized by caution and vigilance and influenced by a lack of confidence in others to manage the condition. The study identifies the need for increased awareness of the condition, particularly in relation to emergency treatment.

Heavy Chain Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

... of heavy chain produced: Alpha Gamma Mu Alpha Heavy Chain Disease Alpha heavy chain disease (IgA heavy ... the disease or lead to a remission. Gamma Heavy Chain Disease Gamma heavy chain disease (IgG heavy ...

Critical effects of alkyl chain length on fibril structures in benzene-trans(RR)- or (SS)-N,N'-alkanoyl-1,2-diaminocyclohexane gels.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Hisako; Nakae, Takahiro; Morimoto, Kazuya; Tamura, Kenji

2012-02-28

Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra were recorded on benzene-d(6) gels formed by chiral low molecular mass gelators (LMGs), trans(RR)- or trans(SS)-N,N'-alkanoyl-1,2-diaminocyclohexane (denoted by RR-C(n) or SS-C(n), respectively; n = the number of carbon atoms in an introduced alkanoyl group). Attention was focused on the effects of alkyl chain length on the structures of the gels. When n was changed from 6 to 12, the signs of the coupled peaks around 1550 cm(-1) in the VCD spectra, which were assigned to the symmetric and asymmetric C=O stretching vibrations from the higher to lower wavenumber, respectively, critically depended on the alkyl chain length. In the case of RR-C(n), for example, the signs of the couplet were plus and minus for n = 8, 9, 10 and 12, while the signs of the same couplet were reversed for n = 6 and 7. The conformations of LMGs in fibrils were determined by comparing the observed IR and VCD spectra with those calculated for a monomeric molecule. The observed reversal of signs in the C=O couplet was rationalized in terms of the different modes of hydrogen bonding. In the case of C(8), C(9), C(10) and C(12), gelator molecules were stacked with their cyclohexyl rings in parallel, forming double anti-parallel chains of intermolecular hydrogen bonds using two pairs of >NH and >C=O groups. In case of C(6) and C(7), gelator molecules were stacked through a single chain of intermolecular hydrogen bonds using a pair of >NH and >C=O groups. The remaining pair of >NH and >C=O groups formed an intramolecular hydrogen bond.

What is the Entanglement Length in a Polymer Melt?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grest, Gary S.; Kremer, Kurt; Putz, Mathias

1999-01-01

We present the results of molecular dynamics simulations of very long model polymer chains analyzed by various experimentally relevant techniques. The segment motion of the chains is found to be in very good agreement with the reptation model. We also calculated the plateau modulus G 0 N . The predictions of the entanglement length N e from G 0 N and from the mean square displacement of the chain segments disagree by a factor of about 2.2(2), indicating an error in the prefactor in the standard formula for G 0 N . We show that recent neutron spin echo measurements were carried out for chain lengths which are too small to allow for a correct determination of N e

Phase behaviour of polyethylene knotted ring chains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen Xiao-Hui; Xia A-Gen; Chen Hong-Ping; Zhang Lin-Xi

2011-01-01

The phase behaviour of polyethylene knotted ring chains is investigated by using molecular dynamics simulations. In this paper, we focus on the collapse of the polyethylene knotted ring chain, and also present the results of linear and ring chains for comparison. At high temperatures, a fully extensive knot structure is observed. The mean-square radius of gyration per bond (S 2 )/(Nb 2 ) and the shape factor (δ*) depend on not only the chain length but also the knot type. With temperature decreasing, chain collapse is observed, and the collapse temperature decreases with the chain length increasing. The actual collapse transition can be determined by the specific heat capacity C v , and the knotted ring chain undergoes gas—liquid—solid-like transition directly. The phase transition of a knotted ring chain is only one-stage collapse, which is different from the polyethylene linear and ring chains. This investigation can provide some insights into the statistical properties of knotted polymer chains. (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

Segregation of chain ends to polymer melt surfaces and interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, W.; Zhao, X.; Rafailovich, M.H.; Sokolov, J.; Composto, R.J.; Smith, S.D.; Satkowski, M.; Russell, T.P.; Dozier, W.D.; Mansfield, T.

1993-01-01

The conformation of polymer chains in the melt near an impenetrable boundary has recently been studied by molecular dynamics and off-lattice Monte Carlo simulations. Both types of calculations show an enhancement of the chain end density within a distance of approximately two polymer segment lengths of the interface relative to the bulk. In the absence of preferential interactions between monomers and the interface, the segregation arises from minimizing the loss of conformational entropy near an impenetrable boundary; i.e., by positioning an end near the surface, only one unit rather than two is reflected. In order to obtain an experimental measure of this effect, monodisperse polystyrene (PS) chains of molecular weight 63 000 with short blocks of deuterated polystyrene (dPS) at each end were prepared. The block length was kept as short as possible, while yet producing sufficient neutron scattering contrast in order to minimize any preferential surface segregation due to isotopic effects. The synthesis was carried out via living anionic polymerization of a purified styrene monomer in cyclohexane at 60 C, utilizing sec-butyllithium as the initiator. The process was terminated using degassed methanol

Characterisation of Toxoplasma gondii isolates using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the non-coding Toxoplasma gondii (TGR)-gene sequences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høgdall, Estrid; Vuust, Jens; Lind, Peter

2000-01-01

of using TGR gene variants as markers to distinguish among T. gondii isolates from different animals and different geographical sources. Based on the band patterns obtained by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified TGR sequences, the T...

Dietary Intake of Structured Lipids with Different Contents of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids on Obesity Prevention in C57BL/6J Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Shengmin; Wang, Yueqiang; Jiang, Yuanrong; Zhang, Zhongfei; Sun, Xiangjun; Yu, Liangli Lucy

2017-08-01

Three medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols (MLCT) with different contents of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) (10% to 30%, w/w) were prepared and evaluated for their anti-obesity potential in C57BL/6J mice. The group fed with a high fat diet of MLCT containing 30% (w/w) MCFA showed significantly decreased body weight and fat mass (P obesity-inducing high fat rapeseed oil diet. In addition, serum parameters including triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1 and apolipoprotein B in the treatment group fed with 30% (w/w) MCFA were close to those of mice fed with a low fat rapeseed oil diet, but significantly different (P obesity control group. Moreover, the intake of MLCT with high content of MCFA reduced the size of adipocytes. In addition, the visceral fat and liver weights, as well as the liver triacylglycerol for 3 treatment groups were lower than those of the obesity control group. These results demonstrate the great potential of MLCT with high content of MCFA in weight loss. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Understanding the length dependence of molecular junction thermopower

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karlström, Sven Olov Harald; Strange, Mikkel; Solomon, Gemma

2014-01-01

Thermopower of molecular junctions is sensitive to details in the junction and may increase, decrease, or saturate with increasing chain length, depending on the system. Using McConnell's theory for exponentially suppressed transport together with a simple and easily interpretable tight binding...... model, we show how these different behaviors depend on the molecular backbone and its binding to the contacts. We distinguish between resonances from binding groups or undercoordinated electrode atoms, and those from the periodic backbone. It is demonstrated that while the former gives a length......-independent contribution to the thermopower, possibly changing its sign, the latter determines its length dependence. This means that the question of which orbitals from the periodic chain that dominate the transport should not be inferred from the sign of the thermopower but from its length dependence. We find...

Effect of alkyl length of cationic surfactants on desorption of Cs from contaminated clay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Bo Hyun; Park, Chan Woo; Yang, Hee Man; Seo, Bum Kyoung; Lee, Kune Woo [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, So Jin [Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-15

In this study, desorption characteristics of Cs from clay according to the hydrophobic alkyl chain length of the cationic surfactant were investigated. Alkyltrimethylammonium bromide was used as a cationic surfactant, and the length of the hydrophobic alkyl chain of the cationic surfactant was varied from –octyl to –cetyl. The adsorbed amount of the cationic surfactant on montmorillonite increased with the length of the hydrophobic alkyl chain, and intercalation of the cationic surfactant into the clay interlayer increased the interlayer distances. The Cs removal efficiency was also enhanced with increasing alkyl chain length, and the cationic surfactant with the cetyl group showed a maximum Cs removal efficiency of 99±2.9%.

Chain networking revealed by molecular dynamics simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yexin; Tsige, Mesfin; Wang, Shi-Qing

Based on Kremer-Grest model for entangled polymer melts, we demonstrate how the response of a polymer glass depends critically on the chain length. After quenching two melts of very different chain lengths (350 beads per chain and 30 beads per chain) into deeply glassy states, we subject them to uniaxial extension. Our MD simulations show that the glass of long chains undergoes stable necking after yielding whereas the system of short chains is unable to neck and breaks up after strain localization. During ductile extension of the polymer glass made of long chain significant chain tension builds up in the load-bearing strands (LBSs). Further analysis is expected to reveal evidence of activation of the primary structure during post-yield extension. These results lend support to the recent molecular model 1 and are the simulations to demonstrate the role of chain networking. This work is supported, in part, by a NSF Grant (DMR-EAGER-1444859)

Alterations of hippocampal glucose metabolism by even versus uneven medium chain triglycerides

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Tanya S; Tan, Kah Ni; Hodson, Mark P; Borges, Karin

2014-01-01

Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) are used to treat neurologic disorders with metabolic impairments, including childhood epilepsy and early Alzheimer's disease. However, the metabolic effects of MCTs in the brain are still unclear. Here, we studied the effects of feeding even and uneven MCTs on brain glucose metabolism in the mouse. Adult mice were fed 35% (calories) of trioctanoin or triheptanoin (the triglycerides of octanoate or heptanoate, respectively) or a matching control diet for 3 weeks. Enzymatic assays and targeted metabolomics by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry were used to quantify metabolites in extracts from the hippocampal formations (HFs). Both oils increased the levels of β-hydroxybutyrate, but no other significant metabolic alterations were observed after triheptanoin feeding. The levels of glucose 6-phosphate and fructose 6-phosphate were increased in the HF of mice fed trioctanoin, whereas levels of metabolites further downstream in the glycolytic pathway and the pentose phosphate pathway were reduced. This indicates that trioctanoin reduces glucose utilization because of a decrease in phosphofructokinase activity. Trioctanoin and triheptanoin showed similar anticonvulsant effects in the 6 Hz seizure model, but it remains unknown to what extent the anticonvulsant mechanism(s) are shared. In conclusion, triheptanoin unlike trioctanoin appears to not alter glucose metabolism in the healthy brain. PMID:24169853

Foreign direct investment and agribusiness chains of Costa Rica: toward a typology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivania García Cascante

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Using an overall human development index and data from the 2000 and 2011 census, this paper shows how districts with a stronger FDI presence (that is districts producing pineapple and bananas are concentrated in social and economic development positions lower than those districts with mixed or national investment, which are concentrated in intermediate positions (that is districts producing coffee and flowers. This condition is due to the governance exercised by larger companies on the agricultural chains, which generates dependence from small and medium producers to market their products as well as intensive use of low-paid production factors such as workforce.

Effects of alkyl chain length and solvents on thermodynamic dissociation constants of the ionic liquids with one carboxyl group in the alkyl chain of imidazolium cations.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yuehua; Wang, Huiyong; Wang, Jianji

2014-05-01

Thermodynamic dissociation constants of the Brønsted acidic ionic liquids (ILs) are important for their catalytic and separation applications. In this work, a series of imidazolium bromides with one carboxylic acid substitute group in their alkyl chain ([{(CH2)nCOOH}mim]Br, n = 1,3,5,7) have been synthesized, and their dissociation constants (pKa) at different ionic strengths have been determined in aqueous and aqueous organic solvents at 0.1 mole fraction (x) of ethanol, glycol, iso-propanol, and dimethyl sulfoxide by potentiometric titrations at 298.2 K. The standard thermodynamic dissociation constants (pKa(T)) of the ILs in these solvents were calculated from the extended Debye-Hückel equation. It was found that the pKa values increased with the increase of ionic strength of the media and of the addition of organic solvent in water. The pKa(T) values also increased with the increase of the alkyl chain length of cations of the ILs. In addition, the effect of solvent nature on pKa(T) values is interpreted from solvation of the dissociation components and their Gibbs energy of transfer from water to aqueous organic solutions.

Synthesis of Ag nanocubes 18-32 nm in edge length: the effects of polyol on reduction kinetics, size control, and reproducibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yi; Zheng, Yiqun; Huang, Cheng Zhi; Xia, Younan

2013-02-06

This article describes a robust method for the facile synthesis of small Ag nanocubes with edge lengths controlled in the range of 18-32 nm. The success of this new method relies on the substitution of ethylene glycol (EG)--the solvent most commonly used in a polyol synthesis--with diethylene glycol (DEG). Owing to the increase in hydrocarbon chain length, DEG possesses a higher viscosity and a lower reducing power relative to EG. As a result, we were able to achieve a nucleation burst in the early stage to generate a large number of seeds and a relatively slow growth rate thereafter; both factors were critical to the formation of Ag nanocubes with small sizes and in high purity (>95%). The edge length of the Ag nanocubes could be easily tailored in the range of 18-32 nm by quenching the reaction at different time points. For the first time, we were able to produce uniform sub-20 nm Ag nanocubes in a hydrophilic medium and on a scale of ∼20 mg per batch. It is also worth pointing out that the present protocol was remarkably robust, showing good reproducibility between different batches and even for DEGs obtained from different vendors. Our results suggest that the high sensitivity of synthesis outcomes to the trace amounts of impurities in a polyol, a major issue for reproducibility and scale up synthesis, did not exist in the present system.

Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) mutations identified by MS/MS-based prospective screening of newborns differ from those observed in patients with clinical symptoms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andresen, B S; Dobrowolski, S F; O'Reilly, L

2001-01-01

Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency is the most frequently diagnosed mitochondrial beta-oxidation defect, and it is potentially fatal. Eighty percent of patients are homozygous for a common mutation, 985A-->G, and a further 18% have this mutation in only one disease allele. In a...

Monte-Carlo Generation of Time Evolving Fission Chains

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verbeke, Jerome M. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Kim, Kenneth S. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Prasad, Manoj K. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Snyderman, Neal J. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2013-08-01

About a decade ago, a computer code was written to model neutrons from their “birth” to their final “death” in thermal neutron detectors (³He tubes): SrcSim had enough physics to track the neutrons in multiplying systems, appropriately increasing and decreasing the neutron population as they interacted by absorption, fission and leakage. The theory behind the algorithms assumed that all neutrons produced in a fission chain were all produced simultaneously, and then diffused to the neutron detectors. For cases where the diffusion times are long compared to the fission chains, SrcSim is very successful. Indeed, it works extraordinarily well for thermal neutron detectors and bare objects, because it takes tens of microseconds for fission neutrons to slow down to thermal energies, where they can be detected. Microseconds are a very long time compared to the lengths of the fission chains. However, this inherent assumption in the theory prevents its use to cases where either the fission chains are long compared to the neutron diffusion times (water-cooled nuclear reactors, or heavily moderated object, where the theory starts failing), or the fission neutrons can be detected shortly after they were produced (fast neutron detectors). For these cases, a new code needs to be written, where the underlying assumption is not made. The purpose of this report is to develop an algorithm to generate the arrival times of neutrons in fast neutron detectors, starting from a neutron source such as a spontaneous fission source (²⁵²Cf) or a multiplying source (Pu). This code will be an extension of SrcSim to cases where correlations between neutrons in the detectors are on the same or shorter time scales as the fission chains themselves.

Tunable evolutions of shock absorption and energy partitioning in magnetic granular chains

Science.gov (United States)

Leng, Dingxin; Liu, Guijie; Sun, Lingyu

2018-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the tunable characteristics of shock waves propagating in one-dimensional magnetic granular chains at various chain lengths and magnetic flux densities. According to the Hertz contact theory and Maxwell principle, a discrete element model with coupling elastic and field-induced interaction potentials of adjacent magnetic grains is proposed. We also present hard-sphere approximation analysis to describe the energy partitioning features of magnetic granular chains. The results demonstrate that, for a fixed magnetic field strength, when the chain length is greater than two times of the wave width of the solitary wave, the chain length has little effect on the output energy of the system; for a fixed chain length, the shock absorption and energy partitioning features of magnetic granular chains are remarkably influenced by varying magnetic flux densities. This study implies that the magnetic granular chain is potential to construct adaptive shock absorption components for impulse mitigation.

Kinematics and Dynamics of Roller Chain Drives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuglede, Niels

There are two main subjects of this work: Kinematic and dynamic modeling and analysis of roller chain drives. In the kinematic analysis we contribute first with a complete treatment of the roller chain drive modeled as a four-bar mechanism. This includes a general, exact and approximate analysis...... which is useful for predicting the characteristic loading of the roller chain drive. As a completely novel contribution, a kinematic model and analysis is presented which includes both spans and sprockets in a simple chain drive system. A general procedure for determination of the total wrapping length...... is presented, which also allows for exact sprocket center positions for a chain with a given number of links. Results show that the total chain wrapping length varies periodically with the tooth frequency. These results are of practical importance to both the design, installation and operation of roller chain...

Polyurethanes elastomers with amide chain extenders of uniform length

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Schuur, J.M.; Noordover, B.A.J.; Noordover, Bart; Gaymans, R.J.

2006-01-01

Toluene diisocyanate based polyurethanes with amide extenders were synthesized poly(propylene oxide) with a number average molecular weight of 2000 and endcapped with toluene diisocyanate was used as the polyether segment. The chain extenders were based on poly(hexamethylene terephthalamide):

Polyuretehane elastomers with amide chain extenders of uniform length

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schuur, van der M.; Noordover, B.A.J.; Gaymans, R.J.

2006-01-01

Toluene diisocyanate based polyurethanes with amide extenders were synthesized poly(propylene oxide) with a number average molecular weight of 2000 and endcapped with toluene diisocyanate was used as the polyether segment. The chain extenders were based on poly(hexamethylene terephthalamide):

MEANS FOR PRODUCING PLUTONIUM CHAIN REACTIONS

Science.gov (United States)

Wigner, E.P.; Weinberg, A.M.

1961-01-24

A neutronic reactor is described with an active portion capable of operating at an energy level of 0.5 to 1000 ev comprising discrete bodies of Pu/ sup 239/ disposed in a body of water which contains not more than 5 molecules of water to one atom of plutonium, the total amount of Pu/sup 239/ being sufficient to sustain a chain reaction. (auth)

Importance of nutritional status in recovery from acute cholecystitis: benefit from enteral nutrition supplementation including medium chain triglycerides.

Science.gov (United States)

Nomura, Yukinobu; Inui, Kazuo; Yoshino, Junji; Wakabayashi, Takao; Okushima, Kazumu; Kobayashi, Takashi; Miyoshi, Hironao; Nakamura, Yuta

2007-09-01

This study was undertaken to clarify the importance of nutritional status in patients with acute cholecystitis, and also evaluate whether they benefited from enteral nutrition supplementation, including medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), during the convalescent stage. Patients with acute cholecystitis admitted to our hospital between April 1994 and March 2002 were classified into a poor nutrition group (n=40; total serum proteinnutrition group (n=71; >5.0 g/dl). Patients with poor nutrition were significantly more elderly than those with fair nutrition, and had significantly higher serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations. The two groups did not differ significantly with respect to other laboratory data, gender distribution, or medical treatment. We supplemented ordinary meals with enteral nutrition including MCT in 16 patients during the convalescent stage (MCT group). We compared their length of hospital stay and days required to recovery to pre-admission functional status for activities of daily living (ADL) with the same intervals in 16 patients without supplementation (non-MCT group) selected to match for age, gender, and fair or poor nutritional status from among 111 patients. Hospitalizations were significantly longer in the poor nutrition group (43.0+/-2.2 days) than in the fair nutrition group (27.0+/-8.2 days). Significantly more days were required to recover ADL status in the poor nutrition group (12.0+/-7.2 days) than in the fair group (9.4+/-5.2 days). Hospitalizations were significantly shorter in the MCT group (20.1+/-15 days) than in the non-MCT group (35.4+/-12.8 days). Significantly fewer days were required to recover ADL status in the MCT group (10.9+/-7 days) than in the non-MCT group (13.1+/-6.8 days). Administration of enteral nutrition including MCT during convalescence from acute cholecystitis thus appears to promote functional recovery shorten hospital stay.

The effects of different pot length and growing media on seedling ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this study was to determine appropriate pot length and growing medium for Crimean Juniper seedlings (Juniperus excelsa Bieb.), which will be used for afforestation of extreme areas. For this purpose, polyethylene pots of 11 cm width and 20, 25 and 30 cm lengths were used. As growing medium, 13 different ...

Production of Medium Chain Fatty Acids by Yarrowia lipolytica: Combining Molecular Design and TALEN to Engineer the Fatty Acid Synthase.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigouin, Coraline; Gueroult, Marc; Croux, Christian; Dubois, Gwendoline; Borsenberger, Vinciane; Barbe, Sophie; Marty, Alain; Daboussi, Fayza; André, Isabelle; Bordes, Florence

2017-10-20

Yarrowia lipolytica is a promising organism for the production of lipids of biotechnological interest and particularly for biofuel. In this study, we engineered the key enzyme involved in lipid biosynthesis, the giant multifunctional fatty acid synthase (FAS), to shorten chain length of the synthesized fatty acids. Taking as starting point that the ketoacyl synthase (KS) domain of Yarrowia lipolytica FAS is directly involved in chain length specificity, we used molecular modeling to investigate molecular recognition of palmitic acid (C16 fatty acid) by the KS. This enabled to point out the key role of an isoleucine residue, I1220, from the fatty acid binding site, which could be targeted by mutagenesis. To address this challenge, TALEN (transcription activator-like effector nucleases)-based genome editing technology was applied for the first time to Yarrowia lipolytica and proved to be very efficient for inducing targeted genome modifications. Among the generated FAS mutants, those having a bulky aromatic amino acid residue in place of the native isoleucine at position 1220 led to a significant increase of myristic acid (C14) production compared to parental wild-type KS. Particularly, the best performing mutant, I1220W, accumulates C14 at a level of 11.6% total fatty acids. Overall, this work illustrates how a combination of molecular modeling and genome-editing technology can offer novel opportunities to rationally engineer complex systems for synthetic biology.

Critical success factors for implementation of supply chain management in Indian small and medium enterprises and their impact on performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ravinder Kumar

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Globalization of the economy, e-business, and introduction of new technologies pose new challenges to all organizations especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs. In this scenario, successful implementation of supply chain management (SCM can give SMEs an edge over their competitors. However, SMEs in India and other developing countries face problems in SCM implementation due to lack of resources and direction. Against this backdrop, this paper identified 13 critical success factors (CSFs for implementation of SCM in SMEs and studied their impact on performance of Indian SMEs. Top management commitment, long–term vision, focus on core strengths, devoted resources for supply chain, and development of effective SCM strategy emerged as the most pertinent CSFs. To measure improvement in performance, the authors considered different measures related to customer service and satisfaction, innovation and growth, financial performance, and internal business. Results are analysed by testing research propositions using standard statistical tools.

Cloning and expression of recombinant, functional ricin B chain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, M.S.; Russell, D.W.; Uhr, J.W.; Vitetta, E.S.

1987-01-01

The cDNA encoding the B chain of the plant toxin ricin has been cloned and expressed in monkey kidney COS-M6 cells. The recombinant B chain was detected by labeling the transfected cells with [ 35 S]methionine and [ 35 S]-cysteine and demonstrating the secretion of a protein with a M/sub r/ of 30,000-32,000 that was not present in the medium of mock-transfected COS-M6 cells. This protein was specifically immunoprecipitated by an anti-ricin or anti-B-chain antibody and the amount of recombinant B chain secreted by the COS-M6 cells was determined by a radioimmunoassay. Virtually all of the recombinant B chain formed active ricin when mixed with native A chain; it could also bind to the galactose-containing glycoprotein asialofetuin as effectively as native B chain.These results indicate that the vast majority of recombinant B chains secreted into the medium of the COS-M6 cells retain biological function

Synthesis of Ag Nanocubes 18–32 nm in Edge Length: The Effects of Polyol on Reduction Kinetics, Size Control, and Reproducibility

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yi; Zheng, Yiqun; Huang, Cheng Zhi; Xia, Younan

2013-01-01

This article describes a robust method for the facile synthesis of small Ag nanocubes with edge lengths controlled in the range of 18–32 nm. The success of this new method relies on the substitution of ethylene glycol (EG) -- the solvent most commonly used in a polyol synthesis -- with diethylene glycol (DEG). Owing to the increase in hydrocarbon chain length, DEG possesses a higher viscosity and a lower reducing power relative to EG. As a result, we were able to achieve a nucleation burst in the early stage to generate a large number of seeds and a relatively slow growth rate thereafter; both factors were critical to the formation of Ag nanocubes with small sizes and in high purity (>95%). The edge length of the Ag nanocubes could be easily tailored in the range of 18–32 nm by quenching the reaction at different time points. For the first time, we were able to produce uniform sub-20 nm Ag nanocubes in a hydrophilic medium and on a scale of ~20 mg per batch. It is also worth pointing out that the present protocol was remarkably robust, showing good reproducibility between different batches and even for DEGs obtained from different vendors. Our results suggest that the high sensitivity of synthesis outcomes to the trace amounts of impurities in a polyol, a major issue for reproducibility and scale up synthesis, did not exist in the present system. PMID:23317148

Tracking Dietary Sources of Short- and Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in Marine Mammals through a Subtropical Marine Food Web.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Lixi; Lam, James C W; Chen, Hui; Du, Bibai; Leung, Kenneth M Y; Lam, Paul K S

2017-09-05

Our previous study revealed an elevated accumulation of short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) in marine mammals from Hong Kong waters in the South China Sea. To examine the bioaccumulation potential and biomagnification in these apex predators, we sampled the dietary items of marine mammals and tracked the sources of SCCPs and MCCPs through a marine food web in this region. Sixteen fish species, seven crustacean species, and four mollusk species were collected, and the main prey species were identified for two species of marine mammals. Concentrations of ∑SCCPs and ∑MCCPs in these collected species suggested a moderate pollution level in Hong Kong waters compared to the global range. Lipid content was found to mediate congener-specific bioaccumulation in these marine species. Significantly positive correlations were observed between trophic levels and concentrations of ∑SCCPs or ∑MCCPs (p mammals was observed. This is the first report of dietary source tracking of SCCPs and MCCPs in marine mammals. The elevated biomagnification between prey and marine mammals raises environmental concerns about these contaminants.

Primitive-path statistics of entangled polymers: mapping multi-chain simulations onto single-chain mean-field models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steenbakkers, Rudi J A; Schieber, Jay D; Tzoumanekas, Christos; Li, Ying; Liu, Wing Kam; Kröger, Martin

2014-01-01

We present a method to map the full equilibrium distribution of the primitive-path (PP) length, obtained from multi-chain simulations of polymer melts, onto a single-chain mean-field ‘target’ model. Most previous works used the Doi–Edwards tube model as a target. However, the average number of monomers per PP segment, obtained from multi-chain PP networks, has consistently shown a discrepancy of a factor of two with respect to tube-model estimates. Part of the problem is that the tube model neglects fluctuations in the lengths of PP segments, the number of entanglements per chain and the distribution of monomers among PP segments, while all these fluctuations are observed in multi-chain simulations. Here we use a recently proposed slip-link model, which includes fluctuations in all these variables as well as in the spatial positions of the entanglements. This turns out to be essential to obtain qualitative and quantitative agreement with the equilibrium PP-length distribution obtained from multi-chain simulations. By fitting this distribution, we are able to determine two of the three parameters of the model, which govern its equilibrium properties. This mapping is executed for four different linear polymers and for different molecular weights. The two parameters are found to depend on chemistry, but not on molecular weight. The model predicts a constant plateau modulus minus a correction inversely proportional to molecular weight. The value for well-entangled chains, with the parameters determined ab initio, lies in the range of experimental data for the materials investigated. (paper)

Human health risk assessment of long chain alcohols (LCOH)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Veenstra, Gauke; Sanderson, Hans; Webb, Catherine

2009-01-01

evidence of activity in genetic toxicity tests or to the reproductive system or the developing organism. These chemicals also are not sensitizers. Irritation is dependant on chain length; generally, alcohols in the range C6-C11 are considered as irritant, intermediate chain lengths (C12-C16) alcohols...... are considered to be mild irritants and chain lengths of C18 and above are considered non-irritants. These chemicals are broadly used across the consumer products industry with highest per person consumer exposures resulting from use in personal care products. Margins of exposure adequate for the protection...

Effect of alkyl chain length on the rotational diffusion of nonpolar and ionic solutes in 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium-bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides.

Science.gov (United States)

Gangamallaiah, V; Dutt, G B

2013-10-10

Rotational diffusion of a nonpolar solute 9-phenylanthracene (9-PA) and a cationic solute rhodamine 110 (R110) has been examined in a series of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium (alkyl = octyl, decyl, dodecyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl, and octadecyl) bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides to understand the influence of alkyl chain length on solute rotation. In this study, reorientation times (τr) have been measured as a function of viscosity (η) by varying the temperature (T) of the solvents. These results have been analyzed using the Stokes-Einstein-Debye (SED) hydrodynamic theory along with the ones obtained for the same solutes in 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium (alkyl = methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, and hexyl) bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides (Gangamallaiah and Dutt, J. Phys. Chem. B 2012, 116, 12819-12825). It has been noticed that the data for 9-PA and R110 follows the relation τr = A(η/T)(n) with A being the ratio of hydrodynamic volume of the solute to the Boltzmann constant and n = 1 as envisaged by the SED theory. However, upon increasing the alkyl chain length from methyl to octadecyl significant deviations from the SED theory have been observed especially from the octyl derivative onward. From methyl to octadecyl derivatives, the value of A decreases by a factor of 3 for both the solutes and n by a factor of 1.4 and 1.6 for 9-PA and R110, respectively. These observations have been rationalized by taking into consideration the organized structure of the ionic liquids, whose influence appears to be pronounced when the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain attached to the imidazolium cation exceeds eight.

Angular distribution of scattered electron and medium energy electron spectroscopy for metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oguri, Takeo; Ishioka, Hisamichi; Fukuda, Hisashi; Irako, Mitsuhiro

1986-01-01

The angular distribution (AD) of scattered electrons produced by medium energy incident electrons (E P = 50 ∼ 300 eV) from polycrystalline Ti, Fe, Ni, Cu and Au were obtained by the angle-resolved medium energy electron spectrometer. The AD of the energy loss peaks are similar figures to AD of the elastically reflected electron peaks. Therefore, the exchanged electrons produced by the knock-on collision between the incident electrons and those of metals without momentum transfer are observed as the energy loss spectra (ELS). This interpretation differs from the inconsequent interpretation by the dielectric theory or the interband transition. The information depth and penetration length are obtained from AD of the Auger electron peaks. The contribution of the surface to spectra is 3 % at the maximum for E P = 50 eV. The true secondary peaks representing the secondary electron emission spectroscopy (SES) are caused by the emissions of the energetic electrons (kT e ≥ 4 eV), and SES is the inversion of ELS. The established fundamental view is that the medium energy electron spectra represent the total bulk density of states. (author)

No effect of embryo culture media on birthweight and length of newborns.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Shengli; Li, Ming; Lian, Ying; Chen, Lixue; Liu, Ping

2013-07-01

Does the type of media used to culture embryos for IVF influence the birthweight and length of neonates? No significant differences were observed in birthweight and length among the three embryo culture media used for in vitro embryo culture. Since the establishment of IVF as an assisted reproductive technology (ART), many different culture systems have been used for the development of human embryos. Some studies have shown that the types of culture media influence the newborn birthweight; however, other studies have shown no effect. To further explore this contradictory issue, we compared the birthweight and length of neonates born after the transfer of embryos cultured in one of three commercially available media. This retrospective analysis of birthweight and length of newborns included 1201 women who delivered singletons and 445 women who delivered twins. The following three commercially available culture media were used: G5™, Global and Quinn's advantage media. Women who underwent IVF-ET cycles between 2008 and 2010 were analyzed. Patients younger than 40 years of age with a body mass index (BMI) culture medium. Inter-twin mean birthweight and length disparities were analyzed, but were not shown to be significantly different. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that maternal weight, maternal height, gestational age and infant gender were significantly related to birthweight, and paternal height, gestational age and newborn complications were significantly associated with birth length. The current study showed that birthweight and length of newborns were not associated with the embryo culture medium. More research needs to be performed to analyze the effects of other culture medium formulations and to evaluate the long-term effects of embryo culture medium on the health of children conceived through ART. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THESE FINDINGS: Our retrospective study suggests that embryo culture medium does not influence neonatal birthweight and length

Influence of alkyl chain length and temperature on thermophysical properties of ammonium-based ionic liquids with molecular solvent.

Science.gov (United States)

Kavitha, T; Attri, Pankaj; Venkatesu, Pannuru; Devi, R S Rama; Hofman, T

2012-04-19

Mixing of ionic liquids (ILs) with molecular solvent can expand the range of structural properties and the scope of molecular interactions between the molecules of the solvents. Exploiting of these phenomena essentially require a basic fundamental understanding of mixing behavior of ILs with molecular solvents. In this context, a series of protic ILs possessing tetra-alkyl ammonium cation [R(4)N](+) with commonly used anion hydroxide [OH](-) were synthesized and characterized by temperature dependent thermophysical properties. The ILs [R(4)N](+)[OH](-) are varying only in the length of alkyl chain (R is methyl, ethyl, propyl, or butyl) of tetra-alkyl ammonium on the cationic part. The ILs used for the present study included tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide [(CH(3))(4)N](+)[OH](-) (TMAH), tetraethyl ammonium hydroxide [(C(2)H(5))(4)N](+)[OH](-) (TEAH), tetrapropyl ammonium hydroxide [(C(3)H(7))(4)N](+)[OH](-) (TPAH) and tetrabutyl ammonium hydroxide [(C(4)H(9))(4)N](+)[OH](-) (TBAH). The alkyl chain length effect has been analyzed by precise measurements such as densities (ρ), ultrasonic sound velocity (u), and viscosity (η) of these ILs with polar solvent, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), over the full composition range as a function of temperature. The excess molar volume (V(E)), the deviation in isentropic compressibility (Δκ(s)) and deviation in viscosity (Δη) were predicted using these properties as a function of the concentration of ILs. Redlich-Kister polynomial was used to correlate the results. A qualitative analysis of the results is discussed in terms of the ion-dipole, ion-pair interactions, and hydrogen bonding between ILs and NMP molecules. Later, the hydrogen bonding features between ILs and NMP were also analyzed using a molecular modeling program with the help of HyperChem 7.

Effects of hydrophobic helix length and side chain chemistry on biomimicry in peptoid analogues of SP-C.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Nathan J; Wu, Cindy W; Seurynck-Servoss, Shannon L; Barron, Annelise E

2008-02-12

The hydrophobic proteins of lung surfactant (LS), SP-B and SP-C, are critical constituents of an effective surfactant replacement therapy for the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome. Because of concerns and difficulties associated with animal-derived surfactants, recent investigations have focused on the creation of synthetic analogues of the LS proteins. However, creating an accurate mimic of SP-C that retains its biophysical surface activity is extraordinarily challenging given the lipopeptide's extreme hydrophobicity and propensity to misfold and aggregate. One successful approach that overcomes these difficulties is the use of poly-N-substituted glycines, or peptoids, to mimic SP-C. To develop a non-natural, bioactive mimic of SP-C and to investigate the effects of side chain chemistry and length of the helical hydrophobic region, we synthesized, purified, and performed in vitro testing of two classes of peptoid SP-C mimics: those having a rigid alpha-chiral aromatic helix and those having a biomimetic alpha-chiral aliphatic helix. The length of the two classes of mimics was also systematically altered. Circular dichroism spectroscopy gave evidence that all of the peptoid-based mimics studied here emulated SP-C's secondary structure, forming stable helical structures in solution. Langmuir-Wilhelmy surface balance, fluorescence microscopy, and pulsating bubble surfactometry experiments provide evidence that the aromatic-based SP-C peptoid mimics, in conjunction with a synthetic lipid mixture, have superior surface activity and biomimetic film morphology in comparison to the aliphatic-based mimics and that there is an increase in surface activity corresponding to increasing helical length.

Telomere length and long-term endurance exercise: does exercise training affect biological age? A pilot study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ida Beate Ø Østhus

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Telomeres are potential markers of mitotic cellular age and are associated with physical ageing process. Long-term endurance training and higher aerobic exercise capacity (VO(2max are associated with improved survival, and dynamic effects of exercise are evident with ageing. However, the association of telomere length with exercise training and VO(2max has so far been inconsistent. Our aim was to assess whether muscle telomere length is associated with endurance exercise training and VO(2max in younger and older people. METHODS: Twenty men; 10 young (22-27 years and 10 old (66-77 years, were studied in this cross-sectional study. Five out of 10 young adults and 5 out of 10 older were endurance athletes, while other halves were exercising at a medium level of activity. Mean telomere length was measured as telomere/single copy gene-ratio (T/S-ratio using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. VO(2max was measured directly running on a treadmill. RESULTS: Older endurance trained athletes had longer telomere length compared with older people with medium activity levels (T/S ratio 1.12±0.1 vs. 0.92±0.2, p = 0.04. Telomere length of young endurance trained athletes was not different than young non-athletes (1.47±0.2 vs. 1.33±0.1, p = 0.12. Overall, there was a positive association between T/S ratio and VO(2max (r = 0.70, p = 0.001. Among endurance trained athletes, we found a strong correlation between VO(2max and T/S ratio (r = 0.78, p = 0.02. However, corresponding association among non-athlete participants was relatively weak (r = 0.58, p = 0.09. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that VO(2max is positively associated with telomere length, and we found that long-term endurance exercise training may provide a protective effect on muscle telomere length in older people.

The critical main-chain length for helix formation in water: determined in a peptide series with alternating Aib and Ala residues exclusively and detected with ECD spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Longo, Edoardo; Moretto, Alessandro; Formaggio, Fernando; Toniolo, Claudio

2011-10-01

Critical main-chain length for peptide helix formation in the crystal (solid) state and in organic solvents has been already reported. In this short communication, we describe our results aiming at assessing the aforementioned parameter in water solution. To this goal, we synthesized step-by-step by solution procedures a complete series of N-terminally acetylated, C-terminally methoxylated oligopeptides, characterized only by alternating Aib and Ala residues, from the dimer to the nonamer level. All these compounds were investigated by electronic circular dichroism in the far-UV region in water solution as a function of chemical structure, namely presence/absence of an ester moiety or a negative charge at the C-terminus, and temperature. We find that the critical main-chain lengths for 3(10)- and α-helices, although still formed to a limited extent, in aqueous solution are six and eight residues, respectively. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Alkyl chain interaction at the surface of room temperature ionic liquids: systematic variation of alkyl chain length (R = C(1)-C(4), C(8)) in both cation and anion of [RMIM][R-OSO(3)] by sum frequency generation and surface tension.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Cherry S; Baldelli, Steven

2009-01-29

The gas-liquid interface of halide-free 1,3-dialkylimidazolium alkyl sulfates [RMIM][R-OSO(3)] with R chain length from C(1)-C(4) and C(8) has been studied systematically using the surface-specific sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy and surface tension measurements. From the SFG spectra, vibrational modes from the methyl group of both cation and anion are observed for all ionic liquid samples considered in the present study. These results suggest the presence of both ions at the gas-liquid interface, which is further supported by surface tension measurements. Surface tension data show a decreasing trend as the alkyl chain in the imidazolium cation is varied from methyl to butyl chain, with a specific anion. A similar trend is observed when the alkyl chain of the anion is modified and the cation is fixed.

Development of a bioprocess to convert PET derived terephthalic acid and biodiesel derived glycerol to medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kenny, Shane T.; Nikodinovic Runic, Jasmina; O' Connor, Kevin E. [University College Dublin (Ireland). School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Sciences; Kaminsky, Walter [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry; Woods, Trevor; Babu, Ramesh P. [Dublin Univ. (Ireland). Materials Ireland Polymer Research Center

2012-08-15

Sodium terephthalate (TA) produced from a PET pyrolysis product and waste glycerol (WG) from biodiesel manufacture were supplied to Pseudomonas putida GO16 in a fed-batch bioreactor. Six feeding strategies were employed by altering the sequence of TA and WG feeding. P. putida GO16 reached 8.70 g/l cell dry weight (CDW) and 2.61 g/l PHA in 48 h when grown on TA alone. When TA and WG were supplied in combination, biomass productivity (g/l/h) was increased between 1.3- and 1.7-fold and PHA productivity (g/l/h) was increased 1.8- to 2.2-fold compared to TA supplied alone. The monomer composition of the PHA accumulated from TA or WG was predominantly composed of 3-hydroxydecanoic acid. PHA monomers 3-hydroxytetradeeanoic acid and 3-hydroxytetradecenoic acid were not present in PHA accumulated from TA alone but were present when WG was supplied to the fermentation. When WG was either the sole carbon source or the predominant carbon source supplied to the fermentation the molecular weight of PHA accumulated was lower compared to PHA accumulated when TA was supplied as the sole substrate. Despite similarities in data for the properties of the polymers, PHAs produced with WG present in the PHA accumulation phase were tacky while PHA produced where TA was the sole carbon substrate in the polymer accumulation phase exhibited little or no tackiness at room temperature. The co-feeding of WG to fermentations allows for increased utilisation of TA. The order of feeding of WG and TA has an effect on TA utilisation and polymer properties. (orig.)

Coconut oil has less satiating properties than medium chain triglyceride oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinsella, R; Maher, T; Clegg, M E

2017-10-01

It is well established that the consumption of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) can increase satiety and reduce food intake. Many media articles promote the use of coconut oil for weight loss advocating similar health benefits to that of MCT. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of MCT oil compared to coconut oil and control oil on food intake and satiety. Following an overnight fast, participants consumed a test breakfast smoothie containing 205kcal of either (i) MCT oil (ii) coconut oil or (iii) vegetable oil (control) on three separate test days. Participants recorded appetite ratings on visual analogue scales and were presented with an ad libitum lunch meal of preselected sandwiches 180min after consumption of the breakfast. The results showed a significant difference in energy and macronutrient intakes at the ad libitum meal between the three oils with the MCT oil reducing food intake compared to the coconut and control oil. Differences in food intake throughout the day were found for energy and fat, with the control having increased food intake compared to the MCT and coconut. The MCT also increased fullness over the three hours after breakfast compared to the control and coconut oils. The coconut oil was also reported as being less palatable than the MCT oil. The results of this study confirm the differences that exist between MCT and coconut oil such that coconut oil cannot be promoted as having similar effects to MCT oil on food intake and satiety. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and characterisation of new types of side chain cholesteryl polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bin; Du, Haiyan; Zhang, Junhua

2011-01-01

A series of cholesterol derivatives have been synthesised via the alkylation reaction of the 3-hydroxyl group with the aliphatic bromide compounds with different chain lengths, namely 3β-alkyloxy-cholesterol. The double bond between the C5 and C6 positions in these cholesterol derivatives was oxidised into epoxy, followed by an epoxy-ring-opening reaction with the treatment with acrylic acid, resulting in a series of 3β-alkyloxy-5α-hydroxy-6β-acryloyloxycholesterol, C(n)OCh (n=1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12), The acrylate group is connected to the C6 position, which is confirmed by the single crystal structure analysis. The corresponding polymers, PC(n)OCh, were prepared via free radical polymerisation. The structure of monomers and the resulting polymers were characterised with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The thermal properties of PC(n)OCh were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). To determine the secondary structure of polymers, circular dichroism (CD) spectra were performed. It was found that not all monomers produce high-molecular-weight polymers because of steric hindrance. However, all polymers have a helical structure, which can be enhanced by increasing the alkoxy chain length. In addition, increasing the alkoxy chain length decreases the glass transition temperature and increases the decomposition temperature of the polymers. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and evaluation of N,N-di-alkyl-2-methoxyacetamides for the separation of U(VI) and Pu(IV) from nitric acid medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumaresan, R.; Prathibha, T.; Selvan, B. Robert; Venkatesan, K.A.; Antony, M.P. [Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam (India). Fuel Chemistry Div.

2017-07-01

The homologs of N,N-di-alkyl-2-methoxyacetamides (DAMeOA) having three different alkyl chains varying from hexyl to decyl (C{sub 6}, C{sub 8} and C{sub 10}) were synthesized and characterized by NMR and IR spectral analyses. Extraction behavior of U(VI) and Pu(IV) from nitric acid medium in a solution of 0.5 M of DAMeOA in n-dodecane (n-DD) was studied and the results were compared with those obtained using N,N-di-hexyloctanamide (DHOA) in n-dodecane. The effect of various parameters on the distribution ratio of U(VI) and Pu(IV) in DAMeOA was studied. The extraction of nitric acid increased with decrease in chain length of alkyl group attached to amidic nitrogen atom of DAMeOA and the conditional nitric acid extraction constant was determined. The extraction of nitric acid in DAMeOA/n-DD resulted in the formation of third phase in organic phase and the third phase occurred early with DAMeOA having smaller alkyl chain length. In contrast to this, the distribution ratio (D) of U(VI) and Pu(IV) in DAMeOA/n-DD increased with increase in the concentration of nitric acid and with increase in the chain length of alkyl group attached to amidic nitrogen atom of DAMeOA. The stoichiometry of the metal - solvate was determined from the slope of extraction data. Quantitative recovery of uranium and plutonium from the loaded organic phase was achieved using dilute nitric acid.

Equivalence of chain conformations in the surface region of a polymer melt and a single Gaussian chain under critical conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Skvortsov, A M; Leermakers, F A M; Fleer, G J

2013-08-07

In the melt polymer conformations are nearly ideal according to Flory's ideality hypothesis. Silberberg generalized this statement for chains in the interfacial region. We check the Silberberg argument by analyzing the conformations of a probe chain end-grafted at a solid surface in a sea of floating free chains of concentration φ by the self-consistent field (SCF) method. Apart from the grafting, probe chain and floating chains are identical. Most of the results were obtained for a standard SCF model with freely jointed chains on a six-choice lattice, where immediate step reversals are allowed. A few data were generated for a five-choice lattice, where such step reversals are forbidden. These coarse-grained models describe the equilibrium properties of flexible atactic polymer chains at the scale of the segment length. The concentration was varied over the whole range from φ = 0 (single grafted chain) to φ = 1 (probe chain in the melt). The number of contacts with the surface, average height of the free end and its dispersion, average loop and train length, tail size distribution, end-point and overall segment distributions were calculated for a grafted probe chain as a function of φ, for several chain lengths and substrate∕polymer interactions, which were varied from strong repulsion to strong adsorption. The computations show that the conformations of the probe chain in the melt do not depend on substrate∕polymer interactions and are very similar to the conformations of a single end-grafted chain under critical conditions, and can thus be described analytically. When the substrate∕polymer interaction is fixed at the value corresponding to critical conditions, all equilibrium properties of a probe chain are independent of φ, over the whole range from a dilute solution to the melt. We believe that the conformations of all flexible chains in the surface region of the melt are close to those of an appropriate single chain in critical conditions, provided

The Relationship between the Monomer Chain Length and the Electro-Optical Properties of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu J.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Five polymers dispersed liquid crystalline (LC films were fabricated using photo-polymerizable monomers with different lengths of carbon chains. These LC films have shown different electro-optical (EO properties. Through their SEM pictures, the relationship between the linear electro-optical effect and the mesh size of the polymer network was explored. With the increase of number of photo-polymerizable monomers, the mesh size of the polymer network would become larger. So the liquid crystal molecules would be easily oriented in the electric field and therefore, the threshold voltage and saturation voltage would decrease. The open state response times were also reduced and the off state response times would be extended. The DFT simulations have shown principal role of the ground state dipole moments in the observed electro-optical efficiency.

Markov chain solution of photon multiple scattering through turbid slabs.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ying; Northrop, William F; Li, Xuesong

2016-11-14

This work introduces a Markov Chain solution to model photon multiple scattering through turbid slabs via anisotropic scattering process, i.e., Mie scattering. Results show that the proposed Markov Chain model agree with commonly used Monte Carlo simulation for various mediums such as medium with non-uniform phase functions and absorbing medium. The proposed Markov Chain solution method successfully converts the complex multiple scattering problem with practical phase functions into a matrix form and solves transmitted/reflected photon angular distributions by matrix multiplications. Such characteristics would potentially allow practical inversions by matrix manipulation or stochastic algorithms where widely applied stochastic methods such as Monte Carlo simulations usually fail, and thus enable practical diagnostics reconstructions such as medical diagnosis, spray analysis, and atmosphere sciences.

Sequence-Based Discovery Demonstrates That Fixed Light Chain Human Transgenic Rats Produce a Diverse Repertoire of Antigen-Specific Antibodies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherine E. Harris

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We created a novel transgenic rat that expresses human antibodies comprising a diverse repertoire of heavy chains with a single common rearranged kappa light chain (IgKV3-15-JK1. This fixed light chain animal, called OmniFlic, presents a unique system for human therapeutic antibody discovery and a model to study heavy chain repertoire diversity in the context of a constant light chain. The purpose of this study was to analyze heavy chain variable gene usage, clonotype diversity, and to describe the sequence characteristics of antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs isolated from immunized OmniFlic animals. Using next-generation sequencing antibody repertoire analysis, we measured heavy chain variable gene usage and the diversity of clonotypes present in the lymph node germinal centers of 75 OmniFlic rats immunized with 9 different protein antigens. Furthermore, we expressed 2,560 unique heavy chain sequences sampled from a diverse set of clonotypes as fixed light chain antibody proteins and measured their binding to antigen by ELISA. Finally, we measured patterns and overall levels of somatic hypermutation in the full B-cell repertoire and in the 2,560 mAbs tested for binding. The results demonstrate that OmniFlic animals produce an abundance of antigen-specific antibodies with heavy chain clonotype diversity that is similar to what has been described with unrestricted light chain use in mammals. In addition, we show that sequence-based discovery is a highly effective and efficient way to identify a large number of diverse monoclonal antibodies to a protein target of interest.

Hepatic beta-oxidation and carnitine palmitoyltransferase I in neonatal pigs after dietary treatments of clofibric acid, isoproterenol, and medium-chain triglycerides.

Science.gov (United States)

Peffer, Pasha Lyvers; Lin, Xi; Odle, Jack

2005-06-01

A suckling piglet model was used to study nutritional and pharmacologic means of stimulating hepatic fatty acid beta-oxidation. Newborn pigs were fed milk diets containing either long- or medium-chain triglycerides (LCT or MCT). The long-chain control diet was supplemented further with clofibric acid (0.5%) or isoproterenol (40 ppm), and growth was monitored for 10-12 days. Clofibrate increased rates of hepatic peroxisomal and mitochondrial beta-oxidation of [1-(14)C]-palmitate by 60 and 186%, respectively. Furthermore, malonyl-CoA sensitive carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT I) activity increased 64% (P clofibrate. Increased CPT I activity was not congruent with changes in message, as elevated abundance of CPT I mRNA was not detected (P = 0.16) when assessed by qRT-PCR. Neither rates of beta-oxidation nor CPT activities were affected by dietary MCT or by isoproterenol treatment (P > 0.1). Collectively, these findings indicate that clofibrate effectively induced hepatic CPT activity concomitant with increased fatty acid beta-oxidation.

Chain length effects on the vibrational structure and molecular interactions in the liquid normal alkyl alcohols

Science.gov (United States)

Kiefer, Johannes; Wagenfeld, Sabine; Kerlé, Daniela

2018-01-01

Alkyl alcohols are widely used in academia, industry, and our everyday lives, e.g. as cleaning agents and solvents. Vibrational spectroscopy is commonly used to identify and quantify these compounds, but also to study their structure and behavior. However, a comprehensive investigation and comparison of all normal alkanols that are liquid at room temperature has not been performed, surprisingly. This study aims at bridging this gap with a combined experimental and computational effort. For this purpose, the alkyl alcohols from methanol to undecan-1-ol have been analyzed using infrared and Raman spectroscopy. A detailed assignment of the individual peaks is presented and the influence of the alkyl chain length on the hydrogen bonding network is discussed. A 2D vibrational mapping allows a straightforward visualization of the effects. The conclusions drawn from the experimental data are backed up with results from Monte Carlo simulations using the simulation package Cassandra.

HLA-DPB1 typing with polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism technique in Danes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hviid, Thomas Vauvert F.; Madsen, Hans O; Morling, Niels

1992-01-01

We have used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in combination with the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique for HLA-DBP1 typing. After PCR amplification of the polymorphic second exon of the HLA-DPB1 locus, the PCR product was digested with seven allele-specific restriction...... endonucleases: RsaI, FokI, ApaI, SacI, BstUI, EcoNI, and DdeI, and the DNA fragments were separated by electrophoresis in agarose gels. Altogether, 71 individuals were investigated and 16 different HLA-DPB1 types were observed in 26 different heterozygotic combinations, as well as five possible homozygotes....... Four heterozygotes could not be unequivocally typed with the PCR-RFLP method. The HLA-DPB1 typing results obtained with the PCR-RFLP method were compared with the typing results obtained with PCR allele-specific oligonucleotides (PCR-ASO) in 50 individuals. The results obtained with the two methods...

Dissecting the structure of surface stabilizer on the dispersion of inorganic nanoparticles in aqueous medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, Yong; Yu, Zongzhi; Zheng, Junping, E-mail: jpzheng@tju.edu.cn [Tianjin University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering (China)

2017-03-15

Dispersing inorganic nanoparticles in aqueous solutions is a key requirement for a great variety of products and processes, including carriers in drug delivery or fillers in polymers. To be highly functional in the final product, inorganic particles are required to be finely dispersed in nanoscale. In this study, silica was selected as a representative inorganic particle. Surface stabilizers with different chain length and charged group were designed to reveal the influence of electrostatic and van der Waals forces between silica and stabilizer on the dispersion of silica particles in aqueous medium. Results showed surface stabilizer with longer alkyl chain and charged group exerted best ability to deaggregate silica, leading to a hydrodynamic size of 51.1 nm. Surface stabilizer designing with rational structure is a promising solution for deagglomerating and reducing process time and energy. Giving the designability and adaptability of surface stabilizer, this method is of potential for dispersion of other inorganic nanoparticles.

Dissecting the structure of surface stabilizer on the dispersion of inorganic nanoparticles in aqueous medium

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Yong; Yu, Zongzhi; Zheng, Junping

2017-03-01

Dispersing inorganic nanoparticles in aqueous solutions is a key requirement for a great variety of products and processes, including carriers in drug delivery or fillers in polymers. To be highly functional in the final product, inorganic particles are required to be finely dispersed in nanoscale. In this study, silica was selected as a representative inorganic particle. Surface stabilizers with different chain length and charged group were designed to reveal the influence of electrostatic and van der Waals forces between silica and stabilizer on the dispersion of silica particles in aqueous medium. Results showed surface stabilizer with longer alkyl chain and charged group exerted best ability to deaggregate silica, leading to a hydrodynamic size of 51.1 nm. Surface stabilizer designing with rational structure is a promising solution for deagglomerating and reducing process time and energy. Giving the designability and adaptability of surface stabilizer, this method is of potential for dispersion of other inorganic nanoparticles.

Synthesis, characterisation and physicochemical properties of hydrophobically modified inulin using long-chain fatty acyl chlorides.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Lingyu; Ratcliffe, I; Williams, P A

2017-12-15

A series of inulin derivatives were synthesized in aqueous solution using acyl chlorides with varying alkyl chain length (C10-C16). They were characterised using a number of techniques including MALDI TOF-MS, 1 H NMR and FTIR and their degree of substitution determined. The solution properties of the hydrophobically modified inulins were investigated using dye solubilisation and surface tension and it was confirmed that the molecules aggregated in solution above a critical concentration (critical aggregation concentration, CAC). The value of the CAC was found to be reasonably consistent between the different techniques and was shown to decrease with increasing hydrophobe chain length. It was found that the C10, C12 and C14 derivatives formed stable oil-in-water emulsions and the emulsion droplet size decreased with increasing alkyl chain length. The C16 derivative was not able to produce stable oil-in-water emulsions; however, it was able to form stable water-in-oil emulsions. The fact that the derivatives are able to form micellar-like aggregates and stabilise emulsions makes them suitable candidates for the encapsulation and delivery of active compounds with potential application in food, cosmetic, personal care and pharmaceutical formulations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A general algorithm for radioactive decay with branching and loss from a medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strenge, D.L.

1995-07-01

Many areas in the field of health physics require evaluation of the change of radionuclide quantity in a medium with time. A general solution to first-order compartmental models is presented in this paper for application to systems consisting of one physical medium that contains any number of radionuclide decay chain members. The general analytical solution to the problem is first described mathematically, and then extended to four applications: (1) evaluation of the quantity of radionuclides as a function of time, (2) evaluation of the time integral of the quantity during a time period, (3) evaluation of the amount in a medium as a function of time following deposition at a constant rate, and (4) evaluation of the time integral of the amount in a medium after deposition at a constant rate for a time. The solution can be applied to any system involving physical transfers from the medium and radioactive chain decay with branching in the medium. The general solution is presented for quantities expressed in units of atoms and activity. Unlike many earlier mathematical solutions, this solution includes chain decay with branching explicitly in the equations

Adsorption of short-chain fluids at solid substrates from density functional theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryk, P.; Bucior, K.; Sokolowski, S.; Zukocinski, G.

2005-01-01

We use microscopic density functional theory to investigate the adsorption of short-chains at solid surfaces. The fluid is modeled as freely-jointed tangent spheres that interact via a short-ranged attractive potential. Within the framework of fundamental measure theory we study how the structure and surface phase behaviour of adsorbed fluid changes when the chain length is increased. We observe that the wetting temperature rescaled by the bulk critical temperature decreases with an increase of the chain length. For longer chains this temperature reaches a plateau. For the surface critical temperature an inverse effect is observed, i.e. the surface critical temperature increases with the chain length and then attains a plateau. Furthermore, we analyze how the layering transitions change with the change of the chain length and with relative strength of the fluid-solid interaction. The critical temperature of the first layering transition, rescaled by the bulk critical temperature increases slightly with an increase of the chain length. We have found that for longer chains the layering transitions within consecutive layers are shifted towards very low temperatures and that their sequence is finally replaced by a single transition. Finally we investigate capillary condensation of chain fluid in slit-like pores. We find that for a fluid of chains consisting of a larger number of segments we observe an inversion effect. Namely, the critical temperature of capillary condensation decreases with increasing pore width for a certain interval of values of the pore width. This anomalous behavior is also influenced by the interaction between molecules and pore walls. (author)

Forced reptation revealed by chain pull-out simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulacu, Monica; van der Giessen, Erik

2009-08-14

We report computation results obtained from extensive molecular dynamics simulations of tensile disentanglement of connector chains placed at the interface between two polymer bulks. Each polymer chain (either belonging to the bulks or being a connector) is treated as a sequence of beads interconnected by springs, using a coarse-grained representation based on the Kremer-Grest model, extended to account for stiffness along the chain backbone. Forced reptation of the connectors was observed during their disentanglement from the bulk chains. The extracted chains are clearly seen following an imaginary "tube" inside the bulks as they are pulled out. The entropic and energetic responses to the external deformation are investigated by monitoring the connector conformation tensor and the modifications of the internal parameters (bonds, bending, and torsion angles along the connectors). The work needed to separate the two bulks is computed from the tensile force induced during debonding in the connector chains. The value of the work reached at total separation is considered as the debonding energy G. The most important parameters controlling G are the length (n) of the chains placed at the interface and their areal density. Our in silico experiments are performed at relatively low areal density and are disregarded if chain scission occurs during disentanglement. As predicted by the reptation theory, for this pure pull-out regime, the power exponent from the scaling G proportional, variant n(a) is a approximately 2, irrespective of chain stiffness. Small variations are found when the connectors form different number of stitches at the interface, or when their length is randomly distributed in between the two bulks. Our results show that the effects of the number of stitches and of the randomness of the block lengths have to be considered together, especially when comparing with experiments where they cannot be controlled rigorously. These results may be significant for

γ-Oryzanol nanoemulsions produced by a low-energy emulsification method: an evaluation of process parameters and physicochemical stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Jinfeng; Liu, Xiong; Wang, Yonghua; Qin, Xiaoli; Li, Zeling

2017-06-21

γ-Oryzanol is a natural antioxidant and nutraceutical compound, which makes it a good candidate for nutraceuticals, food supplements and pharmaceutical preparations. However, the incorporation of γ-oryzanol into aqueous formulations is rather difficult and its bioavailability can be severely decreased because of its water-insoluble property. In this study, γ-oryzanol-enriched nanoemulsion based fish oil and medium-chain triglyceride as carrier oils were proposed. The main objective was to optimize process parameters to form stable nanoemulsions and evaluate their physicochemical stability. The formulations of stable γ-oryzanol nanoemulsions were composed of 10% mixed carrier oils (weight ratio of fish oil to medium-chain triglyceride = 3 : 7) and 10% mixed surfactants (weight ratio of Tween 80 to Span 20 = 3 : 1). The nanoemulsions were stable at a broad pH range of 2-7 and high salt concentrations (≤0.8 mol L -1 ) and sucrose levels (≤16%). The nanoemulsions were much more stable at heating temperatures below 50 °C than at elevated heating temperatures (60 and 70 °C). The nanoemulsions maintained their physical stability at various storage temperatures (5-37 °C) for 18 days. Nanoemulsions at 5 and 23 °C had lower peroxide values and anisidine values than those at an elevated storage temperature (37 °C). These results demonstrate that the low-energy emulsification method can produce γ-oryzanol-enriched nanoemulsions using fish oil and medium-chain triglyceride as carrier oils, and provide useful information for producing bioactive lipids-loaded nanoemulsions for food systems, personal care and pharmaceutical products.

On optimal length of hydrocarbon chain of fatty-acid collectors of rare earth ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skrylev, L.D.; Sazonova, V.F.; Markina, Eh.L.

1978-01-01

The mechanism of the effect of the length of alkyl chain in fatty-acid collectors on the efficiency of flotation separation of the ions of rare earth elements (REE) collected by them has been investigated. REE flotation separation was studied on gadolinium chloride. Aqueous solutions of potassium caprinata, indecanate, laurate, tridecanate, myristate, pentadecanate and palmitate were used as collectors of Gd ions. The interaction of Gd ions with these compounds proceeds rapidly and is accompanied by stable colloidal solutions of Gd soaps being formed. Infrared spectra and radiograms of the sublates have been studied. It has been found that, with the number of carbon atoms in the collector molecule increasing from 10 to 16, the rate of flotation separation of Gd ions from solutions with pH 6 and 8 at first practically does not change (for potassium caprinate, undecanate and laurate), then drops sharply (potassium tridecanate and myristate), after which is again increases sharply (potassium pentadecanata and palmitate). The separation rate of Gd ions does not rise in solutions with pH 10. The nature of the sublate is shown to be determined by the solubility of the corresponing fatty acids and gadolinium soaps

Medium-chain Triglyceride Ketogenic Diet, An Effective Treatment for Drug-resistant Epilepsy and A Comparison with Other Ketogenic Diets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yeou-mei Christiana Liu

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The ketogenic diet (KD is one of the most effective therapies for drug-resistant epilepsy. The efficacy of the medium-chain triglyceride KD (MCTKD is as excellent as the classic KD (CKD, which has been documented in several subsequent retrospective, prospective, and randomized studies. MCT oil is more ketogenic than long-chain triglycerides. Therefore, the MCTKD allows more carbohydrate and protein food, which makes the diet more palatable than the CKD. The MCTKD is not based on diet ratios as is the CKD, but uses a percentage of calories from MCT oil to create ketones. There has also been literature which documents the associated gastrointestinal side effects from the MCTKD, such as diarrhea, vomiting, bloating, and cramps. Therefore, the MCTKD has been an underutilized diet therapy for intractable epilepsy among children.The author has used up to >70% MCTKD diet to maximize seizure control with gastrointestinal side effects optimally controlled. As long as health care professionals carefully manage MCTKD, many more patients with epilepsy who are not appropriate for CKD or modified Atkins diet or low glycemic index treatment will benefit from this treatment. A comparison between the MCTKD and other KDs is also discussed.

Role of Medium Chain Triglycerides (Axona®) in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Alok; Bemis, Marc; Desilets, Alicia R

2014-08-01

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists provides symptomatic relief but do not prevent its progression. Thus, additional approaches aimed at slowing the progression of the disease have been investigated. Reports detailing reduced brain glucose metabolism in the early stages of AD led to the hypothesis that alternate energy sources aimed at increasing neuronal metabolism may protect neurons and thus benefit patients with AD. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are metabolized to ketone bodies that serve as an alternative source of energy for neurons. Data from clinical trials suggest that MCTs improve cognition in patients with mild to moderate AD in apolipoprotein E4-negative patients. Adverse events observed were mild and included minor gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, dyspepsia, and flatulence. However, since genomic profiles are not routinely conducted in patients with AD in a clinical setting, the role of MCTs in clinical practice seems to be minimal. © The Author(s) 2014.

Parametric analysis of the growth of colloidal ZnO nanoparticles synthesized in alcoholic medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonseca, A. S.; Figueira, P. A.; Pereira, A. S.; Santos, R. J.; Trindade, T.; Nunes, M. I.

2017-01-01

The growth kinetics of nanosized ZnO was studied considering the influence of different parameters (mixing degree, temperature, alcohol chain length, reactant concentration and Zn/OH ratios) on the synthesis reaction and modelling the outputs using typical kinetic growth models, which were then evaluated by means of a sensitivity analysis. The Zn/OH ratio, the temperature and the alcohol chain length were found to be essential parameters to control the growth of ZnO nanoparticles, whereas zinc acetate concentration (for Zn/OH = 0.625) and the stirring during the ageing stage were shown to not have significant influence on the particle size growth. This last operational parameter was for the first time investigated for nanoparticles synthesized in 1-pentanol, and it is of outmost importance for the implementation of continuous industrial processes for mass production of nanosized ZnO and energy savings in the process. Concerning the nanoparticle growth modelling, the results show a different pattern from the more commonly accepted diffusion-limited Ostwald ripening process, i.e. the Lifshitz–Slyozov–Wagner (LSW) model. Indeed, this study shows that oriented attachment occurs during the early stages whereas for the later stages the particle growth is well represented by the LSW model. This conclusion contributes to clarify some controversy found in the literature regarding the kinetic model which better represents the ZnO NPs’ growth in alcoholic medium.

Parametric analysis of the growth of colloidal ZnO nanoparticles synthesized in alcoholic medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fonseca, A. S. [National Research Centre for the Working Environment (Denmark); Figueira, P. A.; Pereira, A. S. [Universidade de Aveiro, Departamento de Química—CICECO (Portugal); Santos, R. J. [Universidade do Porto, Laboratory of Separation and Reaction Engineering-Laboratory of Catalysis and Materials (LSRE-LCM), Faculdade de Engenharia (Portugal); Trindade, T. [Universidade de Aveiro, Departamento de Química—CICECO (Portugal); Nunes, M. I., E-mail: isanunes@ua.pt [Universidade de Aveiro, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Dep. de Ambiente e Ordenamento (Portugal)

2017-02-15

The growth kinetics of nanosized ZnO was studied considering the influence of different parameters (mixing degree, temperature, alcohol chain length, reactant concentration and Zn/OH ratios) on the synthesis reaction and modelling the outputs using typical kinetic growth models, which were then evaluated by means of a sensitivity analysis. The Zn/OH ratio, the temperature and the alcohol chain length were found to be essential parameters to control the growth of ZnO nanoparticles, whereas zinc acetate concentration (for Zn/OH = 0.625) and the stirring during the ageing stage were shown to not have significant influence on the particle size growth. This last operational parameter was for the first time investigated for nanoparticles synthesized in 1-pentanol, and it is of outmost importance for the implementation of continuous industrial processes for mass production of nanosized ZnO and energy savings in the process. Concerning the nanoparticle growth modelling, the results show a different pattern from the more commonly accepted diffusion-limited Ostwald ripening process, i.e. the Lifshitz–Slyozov–Wagner (LSW) model. Indeed, this study shows that oriented attachment occurs during the early stages whereas for the later stages the particle growth is well represented by the LSW model. This conclusion contributes to clarify some controversy found in the literature regarding the kinetic model which better represents the ZnO NPs’ growth in alcoholic medium.

Expression and developmental control of platelet-derived growth factor A-chain and B-chain/Sis genes in rat aortic smooth muscle cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majesky, M.W.; Benditt, E.P.; Schwartz, S.M.

1988-01-01

Cultured arterial smooth muscle cells (SMC) can produce platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-like molecules. This property raises the possibility that SMC-derived PDGFs function as autocrine/paracrine regulators in the formation and maintenance of the artery wall. In this study the authors have asked if levels of mRNAs directing synthesis of PDFG are modulated in aortic SMC during postnatal development. The authors report here that genes encoding PDGF A- and B-chain precursors are expressed at similar low levels in intact aortas from newborn and adult rats. Marked differences in regulation of transcript abundance of these genes were revealed when aortic SMC were grown in cell culture. PDGF B-chain transcripts accumulated in passaged newborn rat SMC but not adult rat SMC, whereas PDGF A-chain RNA was found in comparable amounts in SMC from both age groups. Similarly, SMC from newborn rats secreted at least 60-fold more PDGF-like activity into conditioned medium than did adult rat SMC. These results show that PDGF A- and B-chain genes are transcribed in the normal rat aorta and provide evidence for age-related change in the control of PDGF B-chain gene expression in aortic SMC. Independent regulation of transcript levels in cultured SMC leaves open the possibility that PDGFs of different composition (AA, AB, BB) play different roles in normal function of the artery wall

The snakelike chain character of unstructured RNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, David R; McIntosh, Dustin B; Saleh, Omar A

2013-12-03

In the absence of base-pairing and tertiary structure, ribonucleic acid (RNA) assumes a random-walk conformation, modulated by the electrostatic self-repulsion of the charged, flexible backbone. This behavior is often modeled as a Kratky-Porod "wormlike chain" (WLC) with a Barrat-Joanny scale-dependent persistence length. In this study we report measurements of the end-to-end extension of poly(U) RNA under 0.1 to 10 pN applied force and observe two distinct elastic-response regimes: a low-force, power-law regime characteristic of a chain of swollen blobs on long length scales and a high-force, salt-valence-dependent regime consistent with ion-stabilized crumpling on short length scales. This short-scale structure is additionally supported by force- and salt-dependent quantification of the RNA ion atmosphere composition, which shows that ions are liberated under stretching; the number of ions liberated increases with increasing bulk salt concentration. Both this result and the observation of two elastic-response regimes directly contradict the WLC model, which predicts a single elastic regime across all forces and, when accounting for scale-dependent persistence length, the opposite trend in ion release with salt concentration. We conclude that RNA is better described as a "snakelike chain," characterized by smooth bending on long length scales and ion-stabilized crumpling on short length scales. In monovalent salt, these two regimes are separated by a characteristic length that scales with the Debye screening length, highlighting the determining importance of electrostatics in RNA conformation. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Molecular identification of Giardia duodenalis in Ecuador by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Atherton

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the genetic diversity of Giardia duodenalis present in a human population living in a northern Ecuadorian rain forest. All Giardia positive samples (based on an ELISA assay were analysed using a semi-nested polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay that targets the glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh gene; those amplified were subsequently genotyped using NlaIV and RsaI enzymes. The gdh gene was successfully amplified in 74 of 154 ELISA positive samples; 69 of the 74 samples were subsequently genotyped. Of these 69 samples, 42 (61% were classified as assemblage B (26 as BIII and 16 as BIV, 22 (32% as assemblage A (3 as AI and 19 as AII and five (7% as mixed AII and BIII types. In this study site we observe similar diversity in genotypes to other regions in Latin America, though in contrast to some previous studies, we found similar levels of diarrheal symptoms in those individuals infected with assemblage B compared with those infected with assemblage A.

Electrostatic stiffening and induced persistence length for coassembled molecular bottlebrushes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Storm, Ingeborg M.; Stuart, Martien A.C.; Vries, de Renko; Leermakers, Frans A.M.

2018-01-01

A self-consistent field analysis for tunable contributions to the persistence length of isolated semiflexible polymer chains including electrostatically driven coassembled deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) bottlebrushes is presented. When a chain is charged, i.e., for polyelectrolytes, there is, in

Antibacterial Activity of Long-Chain Fatty Alcohols against Staphylococcus aureus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshihiro Inoue

2007-02-01

Full Text Available The antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus of long-chain fatty alcohols was investigated, with a focus on normal alcohols. The antibacterial activity varied with the length of the aliphatic carbon chain and not with the water/octanol partition coefficient. 1-Nonanol, 1-decanol and 1-undecanol had bactericidal activity and membrane-damaging activity. 1-Dodecanol and 1-tridecanol had the highest antibacterial activity among the long-chain fatty alcohols tested, but had no membrane-damaging activity. Consequently, it appears that not only the antibacterial activity but also the mode of action of long-chain fatty alcohols might be determined by the length of the aliphatic carbon chain.

The role of cooperatives in food safety management of fresh produce chains: Case studies in four strawberry cooperatives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kirezieva, K.K.; Bijman, J.; Jacxsens, L.; Luning, P.A.

2016-01-01

Recent outbreaks with fresh produce have raised questions regarding management of quality and safety in the complex supply chains, where cooperatives play a central role. The overall objective of this article was to investigate the role of cooperatives in food quality and safety management in the

Bargaining power and revenue distribution in the Costa Rican mango chain: a gaming simulation approach with local producers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zuniga Arias, G.E.; Meijer, S.; Ruben, R.; Hofstede, G.J.

2007-01-01

By the time a European consumer eats a Costa Rican mango, the product has been traded in several transactions between producers, traders, retailers and consumers. This paper investigates the position of Costa Rican smallholders in the mango supply chain in terms of bargaining power and revenue

Thermal conductivity of the Lennard-Jones chain fluid model.

Science.gov (United States)

Galliero, Guillaume; Boned, Christian

2009-12-01

Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to estimate, analyze, and correlate the thermal conductivity of a fluid composed of short Lennard-Jones chains (up to 16 segments) over a large range of thermodynamic conditions. It is shown that the dilute gas contribution to the thermal conductivity decreases when the chain length increases for a given temperature. In dense states, simulation results indicate that the residual thermal conductivity of the monomer increases strongly with density, but is weakly dependent on the temperature. Compared to the monomer value, it has been noted that the residual thermal conductivity of the chain was slightly decreasing with its length. Using these results, an empirical relation, including a contribution due to the critical enhancement, is proposed to provide an accurate estimation of the thermal conductivity of the Lennard-Jones chain fluid model (up to 16 segments) over the domain 0.8values of the Lennard-Jones chain fluid model merge on the same "universal" curve when plotted as a function of the excess entropy. Furthermore, it is shown that the reduced configurational thermal conductivity of the Lennard-Jones chain fluid model is approximately proportional to the reduced excess entropy for all fluid states and all chain lengths.

LCA Study of Oleaginous Bioenergy Chains in a Mediterranean Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniele Cocco

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper reports outcomes of life cycle assessments (LCAs of three different oleaginous bioenergy chains (oilseed rape, Ethiopian mustard and cardoon under Southern Europe conditions. Accurate data on field practices previously collected during a three-year study at two sites were used. The vegetable oil produced by oleaginous seeds was used for power generation in medium-speed diesel engines while the crop residues were used in steam power plants. For each bioenergy chain, the environmental impact related to cultivation, transportation of agricultural products and industrial conversion for power generation was evaluated by calculating cumulative energy demand, acidification potential and global warming potential. For all three bioenergy chains, the results of the LCA study show a considerable saving of primary energy (from 70 to 86 GJ·ha−1 and greenhouse gas emissions (from 4.1 to 5.2 t CO2·ha−1 in comparison to power generation from fossil fuels, although the acidification potential of these bioenergy chains may be twice that of conventional power generation. In addition, the study highlights that land use changes due to the cultivation of the abovementioned crops reduce soil organic content and therefore worsen and increase greenhouse gas emissions for all three bioenergy chains. The study also demonstrates that the exploitation of crop residues for energy production greatly contributes to managing environmental impact of the three bioenergy chains.

Molecular cloning and expression in mammalian cells of ricin B chain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, M.

1987-01-01

In these studies, the cDNA encoding the B chain of ricin has been cloned and expressed in monkey kidney COS-M6 cells. The recombinant B chain was detected by labeling the transfected cells with 35 S-methionine and 35 S-cysteine and demonstrating secretion of a protein with a Mr of 30-32,000 which was not present in the medium of mock-transfected COS-M6 cells. This protein was specifically immunoprecipitated by an anti-ricin or anti-B chain antibody. The amount of recombinant B chain secreted by the COS-M6 cells was determined by radioimmunoassay to be 1-10 ng/ml of media. Virtually all the recombinant B chain formed active ricin when mixed with native A chain; it could also bind as effectively as native B chain to the galactose-containing glycoprotein, asialofetuin. These results indicate that the vast majority of recombinant B chains secreted into the medium of the COS-M6 cells retain biological function

A photoionization instability in the early intergalactic medium

Science.gov (United States)

Hogan, Craig J.

1992-01-01

It is argued that any fairly uniform source of ionizing photons can be the cause of an instability in the pregalactic medium on scales larger than a photon path length. Underdense regions receive more ionizing energy per atom and reach higher temperature and entropy, driving the density down still further. Fluctuations created by this instability can lead to the formation of structures resembling protogalaxies and intergalactic clouds, obviating the need for gas clouds or density perturbations of earlier cosmological provenance, as is usually assumed in theories of galaxy and structure formation. Characteristic masses for clouds produced by the instability, with log mass in solar units plotted against log radius in kpc, are illustrated.

A Review of the Wood Pellet Value Chain, Modern Value/Supply Chain Management Approaches, and Value/Supply Chain Models

OpenAIRE

Hughes, Natalie M.; Shahi, Chander; Pulkki, Reino

2014-01-01

We reviewed 153 peer-reviewed sources to provide identification of modern supply chain management techniques and exploration of supply chain modeling, to offer decision support to managers. Ultimately, the review is intended to assist member-companies of supply chains, mainly producers, improve their current management approaches, by directing them to studies that may be suitable for direct application to their supply chains and value chains for improved efficiency and profitability. We found...

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Silica Nanoparticles Grafted with Poly(ethylene oxide) Oligomer Chains

KAUST Repository

Hong, Bingbing

2012-03-01

A molecular model of silica nanoparticles grafted with poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers has been developed for predicting the transport properties of nanoparticle organic-hybrid materials (NOHMs). Ungrafted silica nanoparticles in a medium of poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers were also simulated to clarify the effect of grafting on the dynamics of nanoparticles and chains. The model approximates nanoparticles as solid spheres and uses a united-atom representation for chains, including torsional and bond-bending interactions. The calculated viscosities from Green-Kubo relationships and temperature extrapolation are of the same order of magnitude as experimental data but show a smaller activation energy relative to real NOHMs systems. Grafted systems have higher viscosities, smaller diffusion coefficients, and slower chain dynamics than the ungrafted ones at high temperatures. At lower temperatures, grafted systems exhibit faster dynamics for both nanoparticles and chains relative to ungrafted systems, because of lower aggregation of particles and enhanced correlations between nanoparticles and chains. This agrees with the experimental observation that NOHMs have liquidlike behavior in the absence of a solvent. For both grafted and ungrafted systems at low temperatures, increasing chain length reduces the volume fraction of nanoparticles and accelerates the dynamics. However, at high temperatures, longer chains slow down nanoparticle diffusion. From the Stokes-Einstein relationship, it was determined that the coarse-grained treatment of nanoparticles leads to slip on the nanoparticle surfaces. Grafted systems obey the Stokes-Einstein relationship over the temperature range simulated, but ungrafted systems display deviations from it. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Antimicrobial medium- and long-chain free fatty acids prevent PrfA-dependent activation of virulence genes in Listeria monocytogenes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sternkopf Lillebæk, Eva Maria; Lambert Nielsen, Stine; Scheel Thomasen, Rikke

2017-01-01

of virulence factors required for bacterial entry, intracellular replication and cell-to-cell spread. PrfA-dependent activation of virulence genes occurs primarily in the blood and during intracellular infection. In contrast, PrfA does not play a significant role in regulation of virulence gene expression...... antimicrobial free fatty acids act to downregulate transcription of PrfA-activated virulence genes. Interestingly, the inhibitory effect is also evident in cells encoding a constitutively active variant of PrfA. Collectively, our data suggest that antimicrobial medium- and long-chain free fatty acids may act...... as signals to prevent PrfA-mediated activation of virulence genes in environments where PrfA activation is not required, such as in food and the gastrointestinal tract....

Medium Duty Electric Vehicle Demonstration Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mackie, Robin J. D. [Smith Electric Vehicles Corporation, Kansas City, MO (United States)

2015-05-31

The Smith Electric Vehicle Demonstration Project (SDP) was integral to the Smith business plan to establish a manufacturing base in the United States (US) and produce a portfolio of All Electric Vehicles (AEV’s) for the medium duty commercial truck market. Smith focused on the commercial depot based logistics market, as it represented the market that was most ready for the early adoption of AEV technology. The SDP enabled Smith to accelerate its introduction of vehicles and increase the size of its US supply chain to support early market adoption of AEV’s that were cost competitive, fully met the needs of a diverse set of end users and were compliant with Federal safety and emissions requirements. The SDP accelerated the development and production of various electric drive vehicle systems to substantially reduce petroleum consumption, reduce vehicular emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), and increase US jobs.

Self-organization of Au–CdSe hybrid nanoflowers at different length scales via bi-functional diamine linkers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

AbouZeid, Khaled Mohamed [Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Chemistry (United States); Mohamed, Mona Bakr [Cairo University, National Institute of Laser Enhanced Science (NILES) (Egypt); El-Shall, M. Samy, E-mail: mselshal@vcu.edu [Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Chemistry (United States)

2016-01-15

This work introduces a series of molecular bridging bi-functional linkers to produce laterally self-assembled nanostructures of the Au–CdSe nanoflowers on different length scales ranging from 10 nm to 100 microns. Assembly of Au nanocrystals within amorphous CdSe rods is found in the early stages of the growth of the Au–CdSe nanoflowers. The Au–CdSe nanoflowers are formed through a one-pot low temperature (150 °C) process where CdSe clusters are adsorbed on the surface of the Au cores, and they then start to form multiple arms and branches resulting in flower-shaped hybrid nanostructures. More complex assembly at a micron length scale can be achieved by means of bi-functional capping agents with appropriate alkyl chain lengths, such as 1,12-diaminododecane.

The liquid-vapour interface of chain molecules investigated using a density functional approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryk, P; Bucior, K; Sokolowski, S; Zukocinski, G

2004-01-01

A microscopic density functional theory is used to investigate the liquid-vapour interface of fluids composed of short linear chains. We analyse the structure of the interface and evaluate the dependence of the surface tension and of the interfacial width on the temperature. The difference in chain length leads to differences in the thermodynamic properties of the fluids. The liquid-phase parts of the interfacial profiles of shorter chains exhibit oscillations at low temperatures. These oscillations vanish for longer chains. The surface tension and the interfacial width at a given temperature are found to increase with the chain length. Both the surface tension and the interfacial width scale as power laws upon approaching the critical point with critical exponents characteristic of mean-field-type theories and with prefactors depending on the chain length only