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Sample records for monomer aggregation interpreted

  1. Effects of monomer shape on the formation of aggregates from a power law monomer distribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perry, J; Kimery, J; Matthews, L S; Hyde, T W

    2013-01-01

    The coagulation of dust aggregates is an important process in many physical systems such as the Earth's upper atmosphere, comet tails and protoplanetary discs. Numerical models which study the aggregation in these systems typically involve spherical monomers. There is evidence, however, via the polarization of sunlight in the interstellar medium, as well as optical and LIDAR observations of high-altitude particles in Earth's atmosphere (70–100 km), which indicate that dust monomers may not necessarily be spherical. This study investigates the influence of different ellipsoidal monomer shapes on the morphology of aggregates given various distributions of monomer sizes. Populations of aggregates are grown from a single monomer using a combination of ballistic particle–cluster aggregation and ballistic cluster–cluster aggregation regimes incorporating the rotation of monomers and aggregates. The resulting structures of the aggregates are then compared via the compactness factor, geometric cross-section and friction time. (paper)

  2. A model study of aggregates composed of spherical soot monomers with an acentric carbon shell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Jie; Zhang, Yongming; Zhang, Qixing

    2018-01-01

    Influences of morphology on the optical properties of soot particles have gained increasing attentions. However, studies on the effect of the way primary particles are coated on the optical properties is few. Aimed to understand how the primary particles are coated affect the optical properties of soot particles, the coated soot particle was simulated using the acentric core-shell monomers model (ACM), which was generated by randomly moving the cores of concentric core-shell monomers (CCM) model. Single scattering properties of the CCM model with identical fractal parameters were calculated 50 times at first to evaluate the optical diversities of different realizations of fractal aggregates with identical parameters. The results show that optical diversities of different realizations for fractal aggregates with identical parameters cannot be eliminated by averaging over ten random realizations. To preserve the fractal characteristics, 10 realizations of each model were generated based on the identical 10 parent fractal aggregates, and then the results were averaged over each 10 realizations, respectively. The single scattering properties of all models were calculated using the numerically exact multiple-sphere T-matrix (MSTM) method. It is found that the single scattering properties of randomly coated soot particles calculated using the ACM model are extremely close to those using CCM model and homogeneous aggregate (HA) model using Maxwell-Garnett effective medium theory. Our results are different from previous studies. The reason may be that the differences in previous studies were caused by fractal characteristics but not models. Our findings indicate that how the individual primary particles are coated has little effect on the single scattering properties of soot particles with acentric core-shell monomers. This work provides a suggestion for scattering model simplification and model selection.

  3. Simultaneous membrane interaction of amphipathic peptide monomers, self-aggregates and cargo complexes detected by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasconcelos, Luís; Lehto, Tõnis; Madani, Fatemeh; Radoi, Vlad; Hällbrink, Mattias; Vukojević, Vladana; Langel, Ülo

    2018-02-01

    Peptides able to translocate cell membranes while carrying macromolecular cargo, as cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), can contribute to the field of drug delivery by enabling the transport of otherwise membrane impermeable molecules. Formation of non-covalent complexes between amphipathic peptides and oligonucleotides is driven by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Here we investigate and quantify the coexistence of distinct molecular species in multiple equilibria, namely peptide monomer, peptide self-aggregates and peptide/oligonucleotide complexes. As a model for the complexes, we used a stearylated peptide from the PepFect family, PF14 and siRNA. PF14 has a cationic part and a lipid part, resembling some characteristics of cationic lipids. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (FCCS) were used to detect distinct molecular entities in solution and at the plasma membrane of live cells. For that, we labeled the peptide with carboxyrhodamine 6G and the siRNA with Cyanine 5. We were able to detect fluorescent entities with diffusional properties characteristic of the peptide monomer as well as of peptide aggregates and peptide/oligonucleotide complexes. Strategies to avoid peptide adsorption to solid surfaces and self-aggregation were developed and allowed successful FCS measurements in solution and at the plasma membrane. The ratio between the detected molecular species was found to vary with pH, peptide concentration and the proximity to the plasma membrane. The present results suggest that the diverse cellular uptake mechanisms, often reported for amphipathic CPPs, might result from the synergistic effect of peptide monomers, self-aggregates and cargo complexes, distributed unevenly at the plasma membrane. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Monomer-dependent secondary nucleation in amyloid formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linse, Sara

    2017-08-01

    Secondary nucleation of monomers on the surface of an already existing aggregate that is formed from the same kind of monomers may lead to autocatalytic amplification of a self-assembly process. Such monomer-dependent secondary nucleation occurs during the crystallization of small molecules or proteins and self-assembled materials, as well as in protein self-assembly into fibrous structures. Indications of secondary nucleation may come from analyses of kinetic experiments starting from pure monomers or monomers supplemented with a low concentration of pre-formed aggregates (seeds). More firm evidence requires additional experiments, for example those employing isotope labels to distinguish new aggregates arising from the monomer from those resulting from fragmentation of the seed. In cases of amyloid formation, secondary nucleation leads to the formation of toxic oligomers, and inhibitors of secondary nucleation may serve as starting points for therapeutic developments. Secondary nucleation displays a high degree of structural specificity and may be enhanced by mutations or screening of electrostatic repulsion.

  5. Adsorption and Orientation of Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (hIAPP Monomer at Anionic Lipid Bilayers: Implications for Membrane-Mediated Aggregation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guanghong Wei

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Protein misfolding and aggregation cause serious degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and type II diabetes. Human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP is the major component of amyloid deposits found in the pancreas of type II diabetic patients. Increasing evidence suggests that β-cell death is related to the interaction of hIAPP with the cellular membrane, which accelerates peptide aggregation. In this study, as a first step towards understanding the membrane-mediated hIAPP aggregation, we investigate the atomic details of the initial step of hIAPP-membrane interaction, including the adsorption orientation and conformation of hIAPP monomer at an anionic POPG lipid bilayer by performing all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. We found that hIAPP monomer is quickly adsorbed to bilayer surface, and the adsorption is initiated from the N-terminal residues driven by strong electrostatic interactions of the positively-charged residues K1 and R11 with negatively-charged lipid headgroups. hIAPP binds parallel to the lipid bilayer surface as a stable helix through residues 7–22, consistent with previous experimental study. Remarkably, different simulations lead to the same binding orientation stabilized by electrostatic and H-bonding interactions, with residues R11, F15 and S19 oriented towards membrane and hydrophobic residues L12, A13, L16 and V17 exposed to solvent. Implications for membrane-mediated hIAPP aggregation are discussed.

  6. Discrepancies over the onset of surfactant monomer aggregation interpreted by fluorescence, conductivity and surface tension methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria de Fátima Carvalho Costa

    1998-06-01

    Full Text Available Molecular probe techniques have made important contributions to the determination of microstructure of surfactant assemblies such as size, stability, micropolarity and conformation. Conductivity and surface tension were used to determine the critical aggregation concentration (cac of polymer-surfactant complexes and the critical micellar concentration (cmc of aqueous micellar aggregates. The results are compared with those of fluorescent techniques. Several surfactant systems were examined, 1-butanol-sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS mixtures, solutions containing poly(ethylene oxide-SDS, poly(vinylpyrrolidone-SDS and poly(acrylic acid-alkyltrimethylammonium bromide complexes. We found differences between the cac and cmc values obtained by conductivity or surface tension and those obtained by techniques which use hydrophobic probe.

  7. Aggregation and pH-temperature phase behavior for aggregates of an IgG2 antibody.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahin, Erinc; Weiss, William F; Kroetsch, Andrew M; King, Kevin R; Kessler, R Kendall; Das, Tapan K; Roberts, Christopher J

    2012-05-01

    Monomer unfolding and thermally accelerated aggregation kinetics to produce soluble oligomers or insoluble macroscopic aggregates were characterized as a function of pH for an IgG2 antibody using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). Aggregate size was quantified via laser light scattering, and aggregate solubility via turbidity and visual inspection. Interestingly, nonnative oligomers were soluble at pH 5.5 above approximately 15°C, but converted reversibly to visible/insoluble particles at lower temperatures. Lower pH values yielded only soluble aggregates, whereas higher pH resulted in insoluble aggregates, regardless of the solution temperature. Unlike the growing body of literature that supports the three-endotherm model of IgG1 unfolding in DSC, the results here also illustrate limitations of that model for other monoclonal antibodies. Comparison of DSC with monomer loss (via SEC) from samples during thermal scanning indicates that the least conformationally stable domain is not the most aggregation prone, and that a number of the domains remain intact within the constituent monomers of the resulting aggregates. This highlights continued challenges with predicting a priori which domain(s) or thermal transition(s) is(are) most relevant for product stability with respect to aggregation. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Application of linear pH gradients for the modeling of ion exchange chromatography: Separation of monoclonal antibody monomer from aggregates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kluters, Simon; Wittkopp, Felix; Jöhnck, Matthias; Frech, Christian

    2016-02-01

    The mobile phase pH is a key parameter of every ion exchange chromatography process. However, mechanistic insights into the pH influence on the ion exchange chromatography equilibrium are rare. This work describes a mechanistic model capturing salt and pH influence in ion exchange chromatography. The pH dependence of the characteristic protein charge and the equilibrium constant is introduced to the steric mass action model based on a protein net charge model considering the number of amino acids interacting with the stationary phase. This allows the description of the adsorption equilibrium of the chromatographed proteins as a function of pH. The model parameters were determined for a monoclonal antibody monomer, dimer, and a higher aggregated species based on a manageable set of pH gradient experiments. Without further modification of the model parameters the transfer to salt gradient elution at fixed pH is demonstrated. A lumped rate model was used to predict the separation of the monoclonal antibody monomer/aggregate mixture in pH gradient elution and for a pH step elution procedure-also at increased protein loadings up to 48 g/L packed resin. The presented model combines both salt and pH influence and may be useful for the development and deeper understanding of an ion exchange chromatography separation. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Protein aggregation studied by forward light scattering and light transmission analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penzkofer, A.; Shirdel, J.; Zirak, P.; Breitkreuz, H.; Wolf, E.

    2007-12-01

    The aggregation of the circadian blue-light photo-receptor cryptochrome from Drosophila melanogaster (dCry) is studied by transmission and forward light scattering measurement in the protein transparent wavelength region. The light scattering in forward direction is caused by Rayleigh scattering which is proportional to the degree of aggregation. The light transmission through the samples in the transparent region is reduced by Mie light scattering in all directions. It depends on the degree of aggregation and the monomer volume fill factor of the aggregates (less total scattering with decreasing monomer volume fill factor of protein globule) allowing a distinction between tightly packed protein aggregation (monomer volume fill factor 1) and loosely packed protein aggregation (monomer volume fill factor less than 1). An increase in aggregation with temperature, concentration, and blue-light exposure is observed. At a temperature of 4 °C and a protein concentration of less than 0.135 mM no dCry aggregation was observed, while at 24 °C and 0.327 mM gelation occurred (loosely packed aggregates occupying the whole solution volume).

  10. GENERAL: Kinetic Behaviors of Catalysis-Driven Growth of Three-Species Aggregates on Base of Exchange-Driven Aggregations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Yun-Fei; Chen, Dan; Lin, Zhen-Quan; Ke, Jian-Hong

    2009-06-01

    We propose a solvable aggregation model to mimic the evolution of population A, asset B, and the quantifiable resource C in a society. In this system, the population and asset aggregates themselves grow through self-exchanges with the rate kernels K1(k, j) = K1kj and K2(k, j) = K2kj, respectively. The actions of the population and asset aggregations on the aggregation evolution of resource aggregates are described by the population-catalyzed monomer death of resource aggregates and asset-catalyzed monomer birth of resource aggregates with the rate kernels J1(k, j) = J1k and J2(k, j) = J2k, respectively. Meanwhile, the asset and resource aggregates conjunctly catalyze the monomer birth of population aggregates with the rate kernel I1(k, i, j) = I1kiμjη, and population and resource aggregates conjunctly catalyze the monomer birth of asset aggregates with the rate kernel I2(k, i, j) = I2kivjη. The kinetic behaviors of species A, B, and C are investigated by means of the mean-field rate equation approach. The effects of the population-catalyzed death and asset-catalyzed birth on the evolution of resource aggregates based on the self-exchanges of population and asset appear in effective forms. The coefficients of the effective population-catalyzed death and the asset-catalyzed birth are expressed as J1e = J1/K1 and J2e = J2/K2, respectively. The aggregate size distribution of C species is found to be crucially dominated by the competition between the effective death and the effective birth. It satisfies the conventional scaling form, generalized scaling form, and modified scaling form in the cases of J1e J2e, respectively. Meanwhile, we also find the aggregate size distributions of populations and assets both fall into two distinct categories for different parameters μ, ν, and η: (i) When μ = ν = η = 0 and μ = ν = 0, η = 1, the population and asset aggregates obey the generalized scaling forms; and (ii) When μ = ν = 1, η = 0, and μ = ν = η = 1, the

  11. One-Pot Click Access to a Cyclodextrin Dimer-Based Novel Aggregation Induced Emission Sensor and Monomer-Based Chiral Stationary Phase

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    Xiaoli Li

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available A ‘two birds, one stone’ strategy was developed via a one-pot click reaction to simultaneously prepare a novel cyclodextrin (CD dimer based aggregation induced emission (AIE sensor (AIE-DCD and a monomer based chiral stationary phase (CSP-MCD for chiral high performance liquid chromatography (CHPLC. AIE-DCD was found to afford satisfactory AIE response for specific detection of Zn2+ with a detection limit of 50 nM. CSP-MCD exhibits excellent enantioseparation ability toward dansyl amino acids, where the resolution of dansyl amino leucine reaches 5.43.

  12. Kinetic Behaviors of Catalysis-Driven Growth of Three-Species Aggregates on Base of Exchange-Driven Aggregations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Yunfei; Chen Dan; Lin Zhenquan; Ke Jianhong

    2009-01-01

    We propose a solvable aggregation model to mimic the evolution of population A, asset B, and the quantifiable resource C in a society. In this system, the population and asset aggregates themselves grow through self-exchanges with the rate kernels K 1 (k, j) = K 1 kj and K 2 (k, j) = K 2 kj, respectively. The actions of the population and asset aggregations on the aggregation evolution of resource aggregates are described by the population-catalyzed monomer death of resource aggregates and asset-catalyzed monomer birth of resource aggregates with the rate kernels J 1 (k, j) = J 1 k and J 2 (k, j) = J 2 k, respectively. Meanwhile, the asset and resource aggregates conjunctly catalyze the monomer birth of population aggregates with the rate kernel I 1 (k, i, j) = I 1 ki μ j η , and population and resource aggregates conjunctly catalyze the monomer birth of asset aggregates with the rate kernel I 2 (k, i, j) = I 2 ki v j η . The kinetic behaviors of species A, B, and C are investigated by means of the mean-field rate equation approach. The effects of the population-catalyzed death and asset-catalyzed birth on the evolution of resource aggregates based on the self-exchanges of population and asset appear in effective forms. The coefficients of the effective population-catalyzed death and the asset-catalyzed birth are expressed as J 1e = J 1 /K 1 and J 2e = J 2 /K 2 , respectively. The aggregate size distribution of C species is found to be crucially dominated by the competition between the effective death and the effective birth. It satisfies the conventional scaling form, generalized scaling form, and modified scaling form in the cases of J 1e 2e , J 1e = J 2e , and J 1e > J 2e , respectively. Meanwhile, we also find the aggregate size distributions of populations and assets both fall into two distinct categories for different parameters μ, ν, and η: (i) When μ = ν = η = 0 and μ = ν = 0, η = 1, the population and asset aggregates obey the generalized

  13. Solid-support Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Studies of Aβ40 Monomers Reveal a Structured State with Three Ordered Segments*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Lei; Ngo, Sam; Guo, Zhefeng

    2012-01-01

    Alzheimer disease is associated with the pathological accumulation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in the brain. Soluble Aβ oligomers formed during early aggregation process are believed to be neurotoxins and causative agents in Alzheimer disease. Aβ monomer is the building block for amyloid assemblies. A comprehensive understanding of the structural features of Aβ monomer is crucial for delineating the mechanism of Aβ oligomerization. Here we investigated the structures of Aβ40 monomer using a solid-support approach, in which Aβ40 monomers are tethered on the solid support via an N-terminal His tag to prevent further aggregation. EPR spectra of tethered Aβ40 with spin labels at 18 different positions show that Aβ40 monomers adopt a completely disordered structure under denaturing conditions. Under native conditions, however, EPR spectra suggest that Aβ40 monomers adopt both a disordered state and a structured state. The structured state of Aβ40 monomer has three more ordered segments at 14–18, 29–30, and 38–40. Interactions between these segments may stabilize the structured state, which likely plays an important role in Aβ aggregation. PMID:22277652

  14. Hydrogen-bonding recognition-induced aggregation of gold nanoparticles for the determination of the migration of melamine monomers using dynamic light scattering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Long; Chen, Kun; Lu, Zhicheng; Li, Tingting; Shao, Kang; Shao, Feng; Han, Heyou

    2014-10-03

    The migration of melamine monomers from food contact materials has aroused particular attention since the 2008 melamine-tainted milk scandal in China. However, the determination of melamine monomer's migratory quantity (MMMQ) has remained an open question because of the complex sample pretreatment and the low sensitivity. Based on the hydrogen bonding interaction between DNA thymine and melamine, this paper described a simple and rapid method focusing on the measurement of MMMQ from melamine tableware by gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). With the presence of probe DNA (p-DNA), the GNPs were stable in NaCl solution (0.06 M), whereas they became aggregated when the p-DNA hybridized with melamine. The change in the hydrodynamic diameter of GNPs could be detected by DLS technology. Under the optimal conditions, the average diameter increased linearly with the concentration of melamine over the range from 5.0 to 320.0 μg L(-1), and showed a detection limit of 2.0 μg L(-1) (3σ/slope). The MMMQ was investigated within a range from 6.00×10(-4) to 2.58×10(-1) mg dm(-2) (n≥3) in four different food simulants at different temperatures and time points. The results suggest that the DLS method has great potential in the analysis of the migration of melamine monomers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Conformational alteration in alpha-toxin from Staphylococcus aureus concomitant with the transformation of the water-soluble monomer to the membrane oligomer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikigai, H; Nakae, T

    1985-07-16

    The membrane-damaging alpha-toxin aggregate of Staphylococcus aureus was characterized physicochemically. The aggregate weight of the toxin formed by various methods appeared to be 6 times higher than the molecular weight of the monomer as determined by the laser light scattering technique, suggesting the presence of a hexamer in the membrane. The aggregates fluoresced 20 to 50% more than the monomer at 336 nm. Circular dichroism measurements revealed that both the monomer and the oligomer showed essentially beta-sheet structure with the maximum ellipticity about -8,400 deg.cm2.dmol-1 at 215 nm. Circular dichroism spectrum of the oligomers showed ellipticity difference of -6,600, -44 and +84 deg.cm2.dmol-1, at 200, 250 and 280 nm, respectively, compared with the monomer. All these results suggest that the conformational change in the toxin molecule occurs concomitant with the transformation of the water-soluble monomer to the membrane-embedded hexamer.

  16. Effect of pH and Monomer Dosing Rate in the Anionic Polymerization of Ethyl Cyanoacrylate in Semicontinuous Operation

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    Hened Saade

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Nanoparticles of poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate with more than 10% solids content were prepared by semicontinuous heterophase polymerization at monomer-starved conditions varying the initial pH in the interval of 1–1.75 and at two monomer dosing rates. Measurements by scanning-transmission electron microscopy allowed us to identify an inverse dependence of particle size on pH. Furthermore, all the polymerizations conducted at the slower monomer dosing rate rendered two particle populations, with the larger one formed from the aggregation of a fraction of the smaller particles. It was believed that the so slow addition of the monomer caused the formation of very small but instable particles, thereby a fraction of which aggregated to reduce the total interface particles-aqueous phase, increasing the latex stability. An increase in the monomer dosing rate led to larger and more stable particles in such way that only one population of nanoparticles with around 40 nm in average diameter was obtained.

  17. The Off-rate of Monomers Dissociating from Amyloid-β Protofibrils*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grüning, Clara S. R.; Klinker, Stefan; Wolff, Martin; Schneider, Mario; Toksöz, Küpra; Klein, Antonia N.; Nagel-Steger, Luitgard; Willbold, Dieter; Hoyer, Wolfgang

    2013-01-01

    The interconversion of monomers, oligomers, and amyloid fibrils of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. The determination of the kinetics of the individual association and dissociation reactions is hampered by the fact that forward and reverse reactions to/from different aggregation states occur simultaneously. Here, we report the kinetics of dissociation of Aβ monomers from protofibrils, prefibrillar high molecular weight oligomers previously shown to possess pronounced neurotoxicity. An engineered binding protein sequestering specifically monomeric Aβ was employed to follow protofibril dissociation by tryptophan fluorescence, precluding confounding effects of reverse or competing reactions. Aβ protofibril dissociation into monomers follows exponential decay kinetics with a time constant of ∼2 h at 25 °C and an activation energy of 80 kJ/mol, values typical for high affinity biomolecular interactions. This study demonstrates the high kinetic stability of Aβ protofibrils toward dissociation into monomers and supports the delineation of the Aβ folding and assembly energy landscape. PMID:24247242

  18. Competition Between Self-birth and Catalyzed Death in Aggregation Growth with Catalysis Injection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Dan; Lin Zhenquan; Sun Yunfei; Ke Jianhong

    2009-01-01

    We propose two irreversible aggregation growth models of aggregates of two distinct species (A and B) to study the interactions between virus aggregates and medicine efficacy aggregates in the virus-medicine cooperative evolution system. The A-species aggregates evolve driven by self monomer birth and B-species aggregate-catalyzed monomer death in model I and by self birth, catalyzed death, and self monomer exchange reactions in model II, while the catalyst B-species aggregates are assumed to be injected into the system sustainedly or at a periodic time-dependent rate. The kinetic behaviors of the A-species aggregates are investigated by the rate equation approach based on the mean-field theory with the self birth rate kernel I A (k) = Ik, catalyzed death rate kernel J AB (k) = Jk and self exchange rate kernel K A (k, l) = Kkl. The kinetic behaviors of the A-species aggregates are mainly dominated by the competition between the two effects of the self birth (with the effective rate I) and the catalyzed death (with the effective rate JB 0 ), while the effects of the self exchanges of the A-species aggregates which appear in an effective rate KA 0 play important roles in the cases of I > JB 0 and I = JB 0 . The evolution behaviors of the total mass M A 1 (t) and the total aggregate number M A 0 (t) are obtained, and the aggregate size distribution α k (t) of species A is found to approach a generalized scaling form in the case of I ≥ JB 0 and a special modified scaling form in the case of I 0 . The periodical evolution of the B-monomers concentration plays an exponential form of the periodic modulation. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  19. Conformational Compatibility Is Essential for Heterologous Aggregation of α-Synuclein

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sidhu, Arshdeep; Segers-Nolten, Ine; Subramaniam, Vinod

    2016-01-01

    Under aggregation-prone conditions, soluble amyloidogenic protein monomers can self-assemble into fibrils or they can fibrillize on preformed fibrillar seeds (seeded aggregation). Seeded aggregations are known to propagate the morphology of the seeds in the event of cross-seeding. However, not all

  20. Thermodynamically stable amyloid-β monomers have much lower membrane affinity than the small oligomers

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    Bidyut eSarkar

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Amyloid beta (Aβ is an extracellular 39-43 residue long peptide present in the mammalian cerebrospinal fluid, whose aggregation is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Small oligomers of Aβ are currently thought to be the key to toxicity. However, it is not clear why the monomers of Aβ are non-toxic, and at what stage of aggregation toxicity emerges. Interactions of Aβ with cell membranes is thought to be the initiator of toxicity, but membrane-binding studies with different preparations of monomers and oligomers have not settled this issue. We have earlier found that thermodynamically stable Aβ monomers emerge spontaneously from oligomeric mixtures upon long term incubation in physiological solutions (Nag et al, JBC, 2011. Here we show that the membrane-affinity of these stable Aβ monomers is much lower than that of a mixture of small oligomers (containing dimers to decamers, providing a clue to the emergence of toxicity. Fluorescently labeled Aβ40 monomers show negligible binding to cell membranes of a neuronal cell line (RN46A at physiological concentrations (250 nM, while oligomers at the same concentrations show strong binding within 30 minutes of incubation. The increased affinity most likely does not require any specific neuronal receptor, since this difference in membrane-affinity was also observed in a somatic cell-line (HEK 293T. Similar results are also obtained for Aβ42 monomers and oligomers. Minimal amount of cell death is observed at these concentrations even after 36 hours of incubation. It is likely that membrane binding precedes subsequent slower toxic events induced by Aβ. Our results a provide an explanation for the non-toxic nature of Aβ monomers, b suggest that Aβ toxicity emerges at the initial oligomeric phase, and c provide a quick assay for monitoring the benign-to-toxic transformation of Aβ.

  1. Photo-induced reorganization of molecular packing of amphi-PIC J-aggregates (single J-aggregate spectroscopy)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malyukin, Yu.V.; Sorokin, A.V.; Yefimova, S.L.; Lebedenko, A.N.

    2005-01-01

    Confocal luminescence microscopy has been used to excite and collect luminescence from single amphi-PIC J-aggregate. Two types of J-aggregates have been revealed in the luminescence image: bead-like J-aggregates, which diameter is less than 1 μm and rod-like ones, which length is about 3 μm and diameter is less than 1 μm. It has been found that single rod-like and bead-like J-aggregates exhibit different luminescence bands with different decay parameters. At the off-resonance blue tail excitation, the J-aggregate exciton luminescence disappeared within a certain time period and a new band appeared, which cannot be attributed to the monomer emission. The luminescence image shows that the J-aggregate is not destroyed. However, J-aggregate storage in darkness does not recover its exciton luminescence

  2. Photophysics of aggregated 9-methylthiacarbocyanine bound to polyanions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chibisov, Alexander K.; Görner, Helmut

    2002-05-01

    The photophysical properties of 3,3 '-diethyl-9-methylthiacarbocyanine (DTC) were studied in the presence of polystyrene sulfonate (PSS), polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polymethacrylic acid (PMA). The absorption spectra reflect a monomer/dimer equilibrium in neat aqueous solution and a shift towards bound H-aggregates, bound dimers and bound monomers on increasing the ratio of polyanion residue to dye concentrations ( r). These equilibria also determine the photodeactivation modes of DTC. The fluorescence intensity is reduced, when dimers and aggregates are present and strongly enhanced for low dye loading ( r=10 4). In contrast, the quantum yield of intersystem crossing is enhanced for bound dimers ( r=10 3).

  3. Entanglement dynamics of J-aggregate systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thilagam, A, E-mail: Thilagam.Lohe@unisa.edu.au [Information Technology, Engineering and the Environment, Mawson Institute, University of South Australia, South Australia 5095 (Australia)

    2011-04-01

    The entanglement dynamics of one-dimensional J-aggregate systems are examined using entanglement measures such as the von Neumann entropy and Wootters concurrence. The effect of dispersion and resonance terms associated with the exciton-phonon interaction are analyzed using Green's function formalism. A probability propagator term, derived using the Markovian approximation, presents J-aggregate systems as potential channels for large scale energy propagation for a select range of parameters. We highlight the role of a critical number of coherently coupled monomer sites and two-exciton states in determining superradiance in J-aggregate systems.

  4. Considerably Unfolded Transthyretin Monomers Preceed and Exchange with Dynamically Structured Amyloid Protofibrils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Groenning, Minna; Campos, Raul I; Hirschberg, Daniel

    2015-01-01

    describe an unexpectedly dynamic TTR protofibril structure which exchanges protomers with highly unfolded monomers in solution. The protofibrils only grow to an approximate final size of 2,900 kDa and a length of 70 nm and a comparative HXMS analysis of native and aggregated samples revealed a much higher...... average solvent exposure of TTR upon fibrillation. With SAXS, we reveal the continuous presence of a considerably unfolded TTR monomer throughout the fibrillation process, and show that a considerable fraction of the fibrillating protein remains in solution even at a late maturation state. Together......, these data reveal that the fibrillar state interchanges with the solution state. Accordingly, we suggest that TTR fibrillation proceeds via addition of considerably unfolded monomers, and the continuous presence of amyloidogenic structures near the protofibril surface offers a plausible explanation...

  5. Volume fraction dependence and reorganization in cluster-cluster aggregation processes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Garderen, van H.F.; Dokter, W.H.; Beelen, T.P.M.; Santen, van R.A.; Pantos, E.; Michels, M.A.J.; Hilbers, P.A.J.

    1995-01-01

    Off-lattice diffusion limited cluster aggregation simulations in two dimensions have been performed in a wide volume fraction range between 0.001 and 0.60. Starting from a system of 10 000 monomers with radius 0.5, that follow Brownian trajectories, larger aggregates are generated by bond formation

  6. Aggregation Behaviors of a Two-Species System with Lose-Lose Interactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Meixia; Lin Zhenquan; Li Xiaodong; Ke Jianhong

    2010-01-01

    We propose an aggregation evolution model of two-species (A- and B-species) aggregates to study the prevalent aggregation phenomena in social and economic systems. In this model, A- and B-species aggregates perform self-exchange-driven growths with the exchange rate kernels K (k,l) = Kkl and L(k,l) = Lkl, respectively, and the two species aggregates perform self-birth processes with the rate kernels J 1 (k) = J 1 k and J 2 (k) = J 2 k, and meanwhile the interaction between the aggregates of different species A and B causes a lose-lose scheme with the rate kernel H(k,l) = Hkl. Based on the mean-field theory, we investigated the evolution behaviors of the two species aggregates to study the competitions among above three aggregate evolution schemes on the distinct initial monomer concentrations A 0 and B 0 of the two species. The results show that the evolution behaviors of A- and B-species are crucially dominated by the competition between the two self-birth processes, and the initial monomer concentrations A 0 and B 0 play important roles, while the lose-lose scheme play important roles in some special cases. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  7. Monomers and Monomer Mixtures Used in Impregnation of Fibrous Materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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    1968-10-15

    Some important properties of monomers and polymers in relation to their use for reinforcement of fibrous materials are listed. Some monomers and their properties important in impregnation of fibrous materials are also listed. In general it is not advantageous to use a pure monomer for impregnation but rather a mixture of monomers or a mixture of a monomer and a low molecular weight polymer such as unsaturated polyester. Some of these mixtures which have been well studied in connection with WPC are listed together with some of their properties when used in WPC. Other monomer mixtures may well come in question and other monomers can probably be used. For instance, it is reported from Japan that the cheap monomer ethyleneoxide, which cannot be polymerized by gamma radiation as such, can be polymerized (in bulk) as a mixture with methylmethacrylate. Good results with WPC have generally been obtained without swelling agents but more is grafted if some swelling agent is used, and it is possible that a swelling agent might be useful in the case of fibre-boards. Solvents, plasticizers, crosslinkable natural resins, aromatic chlorinated hydrocarbons, and retardants can be added, and with their use the properties of WPC can be widely modified. For example, a chlorinated wax can act as retardant, can reduce the total dose of radiation and can increase the flame resistance simultaneously.

  8. Physical mechanism for biopolymers to aggregate and maintain in non-equilibrium states.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Wen-Jong; Hu, Chin-Kun

    2017-06-08

    Many human or animal diseases are related to aggregation of proteins. A viable biological organism should maintain in non-equilibrium states. How protein aggregate and why biological organisms can maintain in non-equilibrium states are not well understood. As a first step to understand such complex systems problems, we consider simple model systems containing polymer chains and solvent particles. The strength of the spring to connect two neighboring monomers in a polymer chain is controlled by a parameter s with s → ∞ for rigid-bond. The strengths of bending and torsion angle dependent interactions are controlled by a parameter s A with s A  → -∞ corresponding to no bending and torsion angle dependent interactions. We find that for very small s A , polymer chains tend to aggregate spontaneously and the trend is independent of the strength of spring. For strong springs, the speed distribution of monomers in the parallel (along the direction of the spring to connect two neighboring monomers) and perpendicular directions have different effective temperatures and such systems are in non-equilibrium states.

  9. Self-Aggregation in Pyrrole:  Matrix Isolation, Solid State Infrared Spectroscopy, and DFT Study

    OpenAIRE

    Gómez-Zavaglia, Andrea; Fausto, Rui

    2004-01-01

    Pyrrole (C4H5N) was embedded in low-temperature solid inert matrixes (argon, xenon; T = 9 K) and both the monomer and low-order aggregates characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. The spectroscopic studies were complemented by extensive theoretical [DFT(B3LYP)/6-311++G(d,p)] structural and vibrational studies carried out for the monomer and their self-aggregates (up to four units). The calculated spectrum for monomeric pyrrole fits well those obtained immediately after deposition (at 9 K) of dilut...

  10. Deracemization of bilirubin as the marker of the chirality of micellar aggregates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sorrenti, Alessandro; Altieri, Barbara; Ceccacci, Francesca; Di Profio, Pietro; Germani, Raimondo; Giansanti, Luisa; Savelli, Gianfranco; Mancini, Giovanna

    2012-01-01

    The deracemization of bilirubin in micellar aggregates of structurally correlated chiral surfactants was studied by circular dichroism experiments and exploited as the marker of the expression of chirality of the aggregates. The obtained results suggest that the hydrophobic interactions control the transfer of chirality from the monomers to the aggregates, and that different regions of the same aggregate might feature opposite enantiorecognition capabilities. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  11. Distinct role of hydration water in protein misfolding and aggregation revealed by fluctuating thermodynamics analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chong, Song-Ho; Ham, Sihyun

    2015-04-21

    Protein aggregation in aqueous cellular environments is linked to diverse human diseases. Protein aggregation proceeds through a multistep process initiated by conformational transitions, called protein misfolding, of monomer species toward aggregation-prone structures. Various forms of aggregate species are generated through the association of misfolded monomers including soluble oligomers and amyloid fibrils. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms and driving forces involved in the misfolding and subsequent association has been a central issue for understanding and preventing protein aggregation diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and type II diabetes. In this Account, we provide a thermodynamic perspective of the misfolding and aggregation of the amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease through the application of fluctuating thermodynamics. This approach "dissects" the conventional thermodynamic characterization of the end states into the one of the fluctuating processes connecting them, and enables one to analyze variations in the thermodynamic functions that occur during the course of protein conformational changes. The central quantity in this approach is the solvent-averaged effective energy, f = Eu + Gsolv, comprising the protein potential energy (Eu) and the solvation free energy (Gsolv), whose time variation reflects the protein dynamics on the free energy landscape. Protein configurational entropy is quantified by the magnitude of fluctuations in f. We find that misfolding of the Aβ monomer when released from a membrane environment to an aqueous phase is driven by favorable changes in protein potential energy and configurational entropy, but it is also accompanied by an unfavorable increase in solvation free energy. The subsequent dimerization of the misfolded Aβ monomers occurs in two steps. The first step, where two widely separated monomers come into contact distance, is driven by water-mediated attraction, that is, by a

  12. Comparison of aggregation behaviors between ionic liquid-type imidazolium gemini surfactant [C12-4-C12im]Br2 and its monomer [C12mim]Br on silicon wafer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ao, Mingqi; Xu, Guiying; Pang, Jinyu; Zhao, Taotao

    2009-09-01

    The aggregation of ionic liquid-type imidazolium gemini surfactant [C(12)-4-C(12)im]Br(2) on silicon wafer, which is compared with its monomer [C(12)mim]Br, have been studied. AFM morphology images and contact angle measurements suggest that the aggregations of [C(12)-4-C(12)im]Br(2) and [C(12)mim]Br on silicon wafer follow different mechanisms. Below the critical surface aggregation concentrations (CSAC), both surfactant molecules are adsorbed with their hydrophobic tails facing the air. But above the CSAC, [C(12)-4-C(12)im]Br(2) molecules finally form a bilayer structure with hydrophilic head groups facing the air, whereas [C(12)mim]Br molecules form a multilayer structure, and with increasing its concentration, the layer numbers increase with the hydrophobic chains and hydrophilic head groups facing the air by turns. Besides, the watery wettability of [C(12)-4-C(12)im]Br(2)-treated silica surface is lower than that of [C(12)mim]Br at the concentration of 5.0 cmc, and the infrared spectroscopy suggests that the poorer watery wettability of [C(12)-4-C(12)im]Br(2) may be relative to the less-ordered packing of methylene chains inside the aggregate. These different aggregation behaviors for the two surfactants ascribe to the different molecular structures and electrostatic interactions. This work would have certain theoretical guidance meaning on the modification of solid surface.

  13. Kinetic Behavior of Aggregation-Exchange Growth Process with Catalyzed-Birth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han Anjia; Chen Yu; Lin Zhenquan; Ke Jianhong

    2007-01-01

    We propose an aggregation model of a two-species system to mimic the growth of cities' population and assets, in which irreversible coagulation reactions and exchange reactions occur between any two aggregates of the same species, and the monomer-birth reactions of one species occur by the catalysis of the other species. In the case with population-catalyzed birth of assets, the rate kernel of an asset aggregate B k of size k grows to become an aggregate B k+1 through a monomer-birth catalyzed by a population aggregate A j of size j is J(k,j) = Jkj λ . And in mutually catalyzed birth model, the birth rate kernels of population and assets are H(k,j) = Hkj η and J(k,j) = Jkj λ , respectively. The kinetics of the system is investigated based on the mean-field theory. In the model of population-catalyzed birth of assets, the long-time asymptotic behavior of the assets aggregate size distribution obeys the conventional or modified scaling form. In mutually catalyzed birth system, the asymptotic behaviors of population and assets obey the conventional scaling form in the case of η = λ = 0, and they obey the modified scaling form in the case of η = 0,λ = 1. In the case of η = λ = 1, the total mass of population aggregates and that of asset aggregates both grow much faster than those in population-catalyzed birth of assets model, and they approaches to infinite values in finite time.

  14. Effect of protein-surfactant interactions on aggregation of β-lactoglobulin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansted, Jon G; Wejse, Peter L; Bertelsen, Hans; Otzen, Daniel E

    2011-05-01

    The milk protein β-lactoglobulin (βLG) dominates the properties of whey aggregates in food products. Here we use spectroscopic and calorimetric techniques to elucidate how anionic, cationic and non-ionic surfactants interact with bovine βLG and modulate its heat-induced aggregation. Alkyl trimethyl ammonium chlorides (xTAC) strongly promote aggregation, while sodium alkyl sulfates (SxS) and alkyl maltopyranosides (xM) reduce aggregation. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) binds to non-aggregated βLG in several steps, but reduction of aggregation was associated with the first binding step, which occurs far below the critical micelle concentration. In contrast, micellar concentrations of xMs are required to reduce aggregation. The ranking order for reduction of aggregation (normalized to their tendency to self-associate) was C10-C12>C8>C14 for SxS and C8>C10>C12>C14>C16 for xM. xTAC promote aggregation in the same ranking order as xM reduce it. We conclude that SxS reduce aggregation by stabilizing the protein's ligand-bound state (the melting temperature t(m) increases by up to 10°C) and altering its charge potential. xM monomers also stabilize the protein's ligand-bound state (increasing t(m) up to 6°C) but in the absence of charged head groups this is not sufficient by itself to prevent aggregation. Although micelles of both anionic and non-ionic surfactants destabilize βLG, they also solubilize unfolded protein monomers, leaving them unavailable for protein-protein association and thus inhibiting aggregation. Cationic surfactants promote aggregation by a combination of destabilization and charge neutralization. The food compatible surfactant sodium dodecanoate also inhibited aggregation well below the cmc, suggesting that surfactants may be a practical way to modulate whey protein properties. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Preventing disulfide bond formation weakens non-covalent forces among lysozyme aggregates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijay Kumar Ravi

    Full Text Available Nonnative disulfide bonds have been observed among protein aggregates in several diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cataract and so on. The molecular mechanism by which formation of such bonds promotes protein aggregation is poorly understood. Here in this work we employ previously well characterized aggregation of hen eggwhite lysozyme (HEWL at alkaline pH to dissect the molecular role of nonnative disulfide bonds on growth of HEWL aggregates. We employed time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy, atomic force microscopy and single-molecule force spectroscopy to quantify the size, morphology and non-covalent interaction forces among the aggregates, respectively. These measurements were performed under conditions when disulfide bond formation was allowed (control and alternatively when it was prevented by alkylation of free thiols using iodoacetamide. Blocking disulfide bond formation affected growth but not growth kinetics of aggregates which were ∼50% reduced in volume, flatter in vertical dimension and non-fibrillar in comparison to control. Interestingly, single-molecule force spectroscopy data revealed that preventing disulfide bond formation weakened the non-covalent interaction forces among monomers in the aggregate by at least ten fold, thereby stalling their growth and yielding smaller aggregates in comparison to control. We conclude that while constrained protein chain dynamics in correctly disulfide bonded amyloidogenic proteins may protect them from venturing into partial folded conformations that can trigger entry into aggregation pathways, aberrant disulfide bonds in non-amyloidogenic proteins (like HEWL on the other hand, may strengthen non-covalent intermolecular forces among monomers and promote their aggregation.

  16. Structural insights into mechanisms for inhibiting amyloid β42 aggregation by non-catechol-type flavonoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanaki, Mizuho; Murakami, Kazuma; Akagi, Ken-ichi; Irie, Kazuhiro

    2016-01-15

    The prevention of 42-mer amyloid β-protein (Aβ42) aggregation is promising for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. We previously described the site-specific inhibitory mechanism for Aβ42 aggregation by a catechol-type flavonoid, (+)-taxifolin, targeting Lys16,28 after its autoxidation. In contrast, non-catechol-type flavonoids (morin, datiscetin, and kaempferol) inhibited Aβ42 aggregation without targeting Lys16,28 with almost similar potencies to that of (+)-taxifolin. We herein provided structural insights into their mechanisms for inhibiting Aβ42 aggregation. Physicochemical analyses revealed that their inhibition did not require autoxidation. The (1)H-(15)N SOFAST-HMQC NMR of Aβ42 in the presence of morin and datiscetin revealed the significant perturbation of chemical shifts of His13,14 and Gln15, which were close to the intermolecular β-sheet region, Gln15-Ala21. His13,14 also played a role in radical formation at Tyr10, thereby inducing the oxidation of Met35, which has been implicated in Aβ42 aggregation. These results suggest the direct interaction of morin and datiscetin with the Aβ42 monomer. Although only kaempferol was oxidatively-degraded during incubation, its degradation products as well as kaempferol itself suppressed Aβ42 aggregation. However, neither kaempferol nor its decomposed products perturbed the chemical shifts of the Aβ42 monomer. Aggregation experiments using 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol-treated Aβ42 demonstrated that kaempferol and its degradation products inhibited the elongation rather than nucleation phase, implying that they interacted with small aggregates of Aβ42, but not with the monomer. In contrast, morin and datiscetin inhibited both phases. The position and number of hydroxyl groups on the B-ring of non-catechol-type flavonoids could be important for their inhibitory potencies and mechanisms against Aβ42 aggregation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Effect of surfactants on the aggregation of pyronin B and pyronin Y in aqueous solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arik, Mustafa; Meral, Kadem [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Atatuerk University, 25240 Erzurum (Turkey); Onganer, Yavuz, E-mail: yonganer@atauni.edu.t [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Atatuerk University, 25240 Erzurum (Turkey)

    2009-06-15

    Molecular dynamics of pyronin B (PyB) and pyronin Y (PyY) in aqueous solution containing different surfactants were investigated by using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. First, the interactions of PyB and PyY with the negatively charged surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) were investigated in the below and above critical micelle concentration (cmc). The H-aggregate formation of the dye compounds was observed for below the cmc of SDS surfactant. The absorbance of H-aggregate absorption band of PyB and PyY decreased according to the aggregate-monomer equilibrium by increasing SDS surfactant concentration towards the cmc. Therefore, equilibrium constants of the aggregate formation and oscillator strengths of monomer and aggregate of the dye compounds were calculated from spectral studies. Moreover, aggregate formation dynamics was discussed in terms of thermodynamic functions by using temperature studies. The interactions of PyB and PyY with the positively charged hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and neutral Triton X-100 (TX-100) were also studied and it was observed that there was no aggregate formation on the absorption and fluorescence spectra for below and above the cmc.

  18. Covalent α-synuclein dimers: chemico-physical and aggregation properties.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Micaela Pivato

    Full Text Available The aggregation of α-synuclein into amyloid fibrils constitutes a key step in the onset of Parkinson's disease. Amyloid fibrils of α-synuclein are the major component of Lewy bodies, histological hallmarks of the disease. Little is known about the mechanism of aggregation of α-synuclein. During this process, α-synuclein forms transient intermediates that are considered to be toxic species. The dimerization of α-synuclein could represent a rate-limiting step in the aggregation of the protein. Here, we analyzed four covalent dimers of α-synuclein, obtained by covalent link of the N-terms, C-terms, tandem cloning of two sequences and tandem juxtaposition in one protein of the 1-104 and 29-140 sequences. Their biophysical properties in solution were determined by CD, FT-IR and NMR spectroscopies. SDS-induced folding was also studied. The fibrils formation was analyzed by ThT and polarization fluorescence assays. Their morphology was investigated by TEM and AFM-based quantitative morphometric analysis. All dimers were found to be devoid of ordered secondary structure under physiological conditions and undergo α-helical transition upon interaction with SDS. All protein species are able to form amyloid-like fibrils. The reciprocal orientation of the α-synuclein monomers in the dimeric constructs affects the kinetics of the aggregation process and a scale of relative amyloidogenic propensity was determined. Structural investigations by FT IR spectroscopy, and proteolytic mapping of the fibril core did not evidence remarkable difference among the species, whereas morphological analyses showed that fibrils formed by dimers display a lower and diversified level of organization in comparison with α-synuclein fibrils. This study demonstrates that although α-synuclein dimerization does not imply the acquisition of a preferred conformation by the participating monomers, it can strongly affect the aggregation properties of the molecules. The results

  19. Kinetics of aggregation growth with competition between catalyzed birth and catalyzed death

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Haifeng; Gao Yan; Lin Zhenquan

    2008-01-01

    An aggregation growth model of three species A, B and C with the competition between catalyzed birth and catalyzed death is proposed. Irreversible aggregation occurs between any two aggregates of the like species with the constant rate kernels I n (n = 1,2,3). Meanwhile, a monomer birth of an A species aggregate of size k occurs under the catalysis of a B species aggregate of size j with the catalyzed birth rate kernel K(k,j) = Kkj v and a monomer death of an A species aggregate of size k occurs under the catalysis of a C species aggregate of size j with the catalyzed death rate kernel L(k,j)=Lkj v , where v is a parameter reflecting the dependence of the catalysis reaction rates of birth and death on the size of catalyst aggregate. The kinetic evolution behaviours of the three species are investigated by the rate equation approach based on the mean-field theory. The form of the aggregate size distribution of A species a k (t) is found to be dependent crucially on the competition between the catalyzed birth and death of A species, as well as the irreversible aggregation processes of the three species: (1) In the v k (t) satisfies the conventional scaling form; (2) In the v ≥ 0 case, the competition between the catalyzed birth and death dominates the process. When the catalyzed birth controls the process, a k (t) takes the conventional or generalized scaling form. While the catalyzed death controls the process, the scaling description of the aggregate size distribution breaks down completely

  20. High-speed atomic force microscopy reveals structural dynamics of α -synuclein monomers and dimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yuliang; Hashemi, Mohtadin; Lv, Zhengjian; Williams, Benfeard; Popov, Konstantin I.; Dokholyan, Nikolay V.; Lyubchenko, Yuri L.

    2018-03-01

    α-Synuclein (α-syn) is the major component of the intraneuronal inclusions called Lewy bodies, which are the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease. α-Syn is capable of self-assembly into many different species, such as soluble oligomers and fibrils. Even though attempts to resolve the structures of the protein have been made, detailed understanding about the structures and their relationship with the different aggregation steps is lacking, which is of interest to provide insights into the pathogenic mechanism of Parkinson's disease. Here we report the structural flexibility of α-syn monomers and dimers in an aqueous solution environment as probed by single-molecule time-lapse high-speed AFM. In addition, we present the molecular basis for the structural transitions using discrete molecular dynamics (DMD) simulations. α-Syn monomers assume a globular conformation, which is capable of forming tail-like protrusions over dozens of seconds. Importantly, a globular monomer can adopt fully extended conformations. Dimers, on the other hand, are less dynamic and show a dumbbell conformation that experiences morphological changes over time. DMD simulations revealed that the α-syn monomer consists of several tightly packed small helices. The tail-like protrusions are also helical with a small β-sheet, acting as a "hinge". Monomers within dimers have a large interfacial interaction area and are stabilized by interactions in the non-amyloid central (NAC) regions. Furthermore, the dimer NAC-region of each α-syn monomer forms a β-rich segment. Moreover, NAC-regions are located in the hydrophobic core of the dimer.

  1. Application of mid-infrared free-electron laser tuned to amide bands for dissociation of aggregate structure of protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawasaki, Takayasu; Yaji, Toyonari; Ohta, Toshiaki; Tsukiyama, Koichi

    2016-01-01

    A mid-infrared free-electron laser (FEL) is a linearly polarized, high-peak powered pulse laser with tunable wavelength within the mid-infrared absorption region. It was recently found that pathogenic amyloid fibrils could be partially dissociated to the monomer form by the irradiation of the FEL targeting the amide I band (C=O stretching vibration), amide II band (N-H bending vibration) and amide III band (C-N stretching vibration). In this study, the irradiation effect of the FEL on keratin aggregate was tested as another model to demonstrate an applicability of the FEL for dissociation of protein aggregates. Synchrotron radiation infrared microscopy analysis showed that the α-helix content in the aggregate structure decreased to almost the same level as that in the monomer state after FEL irradiation tuned to 6.06 µm (amide I band). Both irradiations at 6.51 µm (amide II band) and 8.06 µm (amide III band) also decreased the content of the aggregate but to a lesser extent than for the irradiation at the amide I band. On the contrary, the irradiation tuned to 5.6 µm (non-absorbance region) changed little the secondary structure of the aggregate. Scanning-electron microscopy observation at the submicrometer order showed that the angular solid of the aggregate was converted to non-ordered fragments by the irradiation at each amide band, while the aggregate was hardly deformed by the irradiation at 5.6 µm. These results demonstrate that the amide-specific irradiation by the FEL was effective for dissociation of the protein aggregate to the monomer form.

  2. Two-photon absorption of a supramolecular pseudoisocyanine J-aggregate assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belfield, Kevin D.; Bondar, Mykhailo V.; Hernandez, Florencio E.; Przhonska, Olga V.; Yao, Sheng

    2006-01-01

    Linear spectral properties, including excitation anisotropy, of pseudoisocyanine or 1,1'-diethyl-2,2'-cyanine iodide (PIC) J-aggregates in aqueous solutions with J-band position at 573 nm were investigated. Two-photon absorption of PIC J-aggregates and monomer molecules was studied using an open aperture Z-scan technique. A strong enhancement of the two-photon absorption cross-section of PIC in the supramolecular J-aggregate assembly was observed in aqueous solution. This enhancement is attributed to a strong coupling of the molecular transition dipoles. No two-photon absorption at the peak of the J-band was detected

  3. Monomers capable of forming four hydrogen bridges and supramolecular polymers formed by copolymerization of these monomers with regular monomers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    2004-01-01

    The invention relates to the synthesis of polymers containing self-complementary quadruple hydrogen groups by copolymerizing monomers containing a quadruple hydrogen bonding group with one or more monomers of choice. The resulting polymers show unique new characteristics due to the presence of

  4. monomers transiently sample oligomer and fibril-like configurations: ensemble characterization using a combined MD/NMR approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenman, David J; Connors, Christopher R; Chen, Wen; Wang, Chunyu; García, Angel E

    2013-09-23

    Amyloid β (Aβ) peptides are a primary component of fibrils and oligomers implicated in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the intrinsic flexibility of these peptides has frustrated efforts to investigate the secondary and tertiary structure of Aβ monomers, whose conformational landscapes directly contribute to the kinetics and thermodynamics of Aβ aggregation. In this work, de novo replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) simulations on the microseconds-per-replica timescale are used to characterize the structural ensembles of Aβ42, Aβ40, and M35-oxidized Aβ42, three physiologically relevant isoforms with substantially different aggregation properties. J-coupling data calculated from the REMD trajectories were compared to corresponding NMR-derived values acquired through two different pulse sequences, revealing that all simulations converge on the order of hundreds of nanoseconds-per-replica toward ensembles that yield good agreement with experiment. Though all three Aβ species adopt highly heterogeneous ensembles, these are considerably more structured compared to simulations on shorter timescales. Prominent in the C-terminus are antiparallel β-hairpins between L17-A21, A30-L36, and V39-I41, similar to oligomer and fibril intrapeptide models that expose these hydrophobic side chains to solvent and may serve as hotspots for self-association. Compared to reduced Aβ42, the absence of a second β-hairpin in Aβ40 and the sampling of alternate β topologies by M35-oxidized Aβ42 may explain the reduced aggregation rates of these forms. A persistent V24-K28 bend motif, observed in all three species, is stabilized by buried backbone to side-chain hydrogen bonds with D23 and a cross-region salt bridge between E22 and K28, highlighting the role of the familial AD-linked E22 and D23 residues in Aβ monomer folding. These characterizations help illustrate the conformational landscapes of Aβ monomers at atomic resolution and provide insight into

  5. The molecular aggregation of pyronin Y in natural bentonite clay suspension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meral, Kadem; Yilmaz, Nuray; Kaya, Mehmet; Tabak, Ahmet; Onganer, Yavuz

    2011-01-01

    The molecular aggregation and spectroscopic properties of Pyronin Y (PyY) in the suspension containing natural bentonite clay were studied using molecular absorption, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. Interaction between the clay particles and the cationic dye compounds in aqueous solution resulted in significant changes in spectral properties of PyY compared to its molecular behavior in deionized water at the same concentration. These changes were due to the formation of dimer and aggregate of PyY in the clay suspension as well as the presence of the dye monomer. The H-type aggregates of PyY in the clay suspension were identified by the observation of a blue-shifted absorption band of the dye compared to that of its monomer. In spite of diluted dye concentrations, the H-aggregate of PyY in the clay suspension was formed. The intensive aggregation in the clay suspension attributed to the localized high dye concentration on the negatively charged clay surfaces. Adsorption sites of PyY on the clay particles were discussed by deconvulated absorption and excitation spectra. Fluorescence spectroscopy studies revealed that the fluorescence intensity of PyY in the clay suspension is decreased by H-aggregates drastically. Moreover, the presence of H-aggregates in the clay suspension resulted in the decrease of fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield of PyY compared to those in deionized water. - Highlights: → Molecular behavior of PyY adsorbed on clay surface was followed spectroscopically. → H-aggregates of PyY in the clay suspension were formed at very low dye concentrations. → The intensive H-aggregate structure drastically reduced the fluorescence intensity of PyY. → The fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield of PyY in the clay suspension was discussed.

  6. Assembly of one-dimensional supramolecular objects: From monomers to networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sayar, Mehmet; Stupp, Samuel I.

    2005-07-01

    One-dimensional supramolecular aggregates can form networks at exceedingly low concentrations. Recent experiments in several laboratories, including our own, have demonstrated the formation of gels by these systems at concentrations well under 1% by weight. The systems of interest in our laboratory form either cylindrical nanofibers or ribbons as a result of strong noncovalent interactions among monomers. The stiffness and interaction energies among these thread-like objects can vary significantly depending on the chemical structure of the monomers used. We have used Monte Carlo simulations to study the structure of the threads and their ability to form networks through bundle formation. The persistence length of the threads was found to be strongly affected not only by stiffness, but also by the strength of attractive two-body interactions among thread segments. The relative values of stiffness and attractive two-body interaction strength determine if threads collapse or create bundles. Only in the presence of sufficiently long threads and bundle formation can these systems assemble into networks of high connectivity.

  7. INTERDISCIPLINARY PHYSICS AND RELATED AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Aggregation Behaviors of a Two-Species System with Lose-Lose Interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Mei-Xia; Lin, Zhen-Quan; Li, Xiao-Dong; Ke, Jian-Hong

    2010-06-01

    We propose an aggregation evolution model of two-species (A- and B-species) aggregates to study the prevalent aggregation phenomena in social and economic systems. In this model, A- and B-species aggregates perform self-exchange-driven growths with the exchange rate kernels K (k,l) = Kkl and L(k,l) = Lkl, respectively, and the two species aggregates perform self-birth processes with the rate kernels J1(k) = J1k and J2(k) = J2k, and meanwhile the interaction between the aggregates of different species A and B causes a lose-lose scheme with the rate kernel H(k,l) = Hkl. Based on the mean-field theory, we investigated the evolution behaviors of the two species aggregates to study the competitions among above three aggregate evolution schemes on the distinct initial monomer concentrations A0 and B0 of the two species. The results show that the evolution behaviors of A- and B-species are crucially dominated by the competition between the two self-birth processes, and the initial monomer concentrations A0 and B0 play important roles, while the lose-lose scheme play important roles in some special cases.

  8. Scattering Studies of Hydrophobic Monomers in Liposomal Bilayers: An Expanding Shell Model of Monomer Distribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richter, Andrew; Dergunov, Sergey; Ganus, Bill; Thomas, Zachary; Pingali, Sai Venkatesh; Urban, Volker S.; Liu, Yun; Porcar, Lionel; Pinkhassik, Eugene

    2011-01-01

    Hydrophobic monomers partially phase separate from saturated lipids when loaded into lipid bilayers in amounts exceeding a 1:1 monomer/lipid molar ratio. This conclusion is based on the agreement between two independent methods of examining the structure of monomer-loaded bilayers. Complete phase separation of monomers from lipids would result in an increase in bilayer thickness and a slight increase in the diameter of liposomes. A homogeneous distribution of monomers within the bilayer would not change the bilayer thickness and would lead to an increase in the liposome diameter. The increase in bilayer thickness, measured by the combination of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), was approximately half of what was predicted for complete phase separation. The increase in liposome diameter, measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS), was intermediate between values predicted for a homogeneous distribution and complete phase separation. Combined SANS, SAXS, and DLS data suggest that at a 1.2 monomer/lipid ratio approximately half of the monomers are located in an interstitial layer sandwiched between lipid sheets. These results expand our understanding of using self-assembled bilayers as scaffolds for the directed covalent assembly of organic nanomaterials. In particular, the partial phase separation of monomers from lipids corroborates the successful creation of nanothin polymer materials with uniform imprinted nanopores. Pore-forming templates do not need to span the lipid bilayer to create a pore in the bilayer-templated films.

  9. Protein A chromatography increases monoclonal antibody aggregation rate during subsequent low pH virus inactivation hold

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazzer, Alice R.; Perraud, Xavier; Halley, Jennifer; O’Hara, John; Bracewell, Daniel G.

    2015-01-01

    Protein A chromatography is a near-ubiquitous method of mAb capture in bioprocesses. The use of low pH buffer for elution from protein A is known to contribute to product aggregation. Yet, a more limited set of evidence suggests that low pH may not be the sole cause of aggregation in protein A chromatography, rather, other facets of the process may contribute significantly. This paper presents a well-defined method for investigating this problem. An IgG4 was incubated in elution buffer after protein A chromatography (typical of the viral inactivation hold) and the quantity of monomer in neutralised samples was determined by size exclusion chromatography; elution buffers of different pH values predetermined to induce aggregation of the IgG4 were used. Rate constants for monomer decay over time were determined by fitting exponential decay functions to the data. Similar experiments were implemented in the absence of a chromatography step, i.e. IgG4 aggregation at low pH. Rate constants for aggregation after protein A chromatography were considerably higher than those from low pH exposure alone; a distinct shift in aggregation rates was apparent across the pH range tested. PMID:26346187

  10. Distinct Internalization Pathways of Human Amylin Monomers and Its Cytotoxic Oligomers in Pancreatic Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trikha, Saurabh; Jeremic, Aleksandar M.

    2013-01-01

    Toxic human amylin oligomers and aggregates are implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (TTDM). Although recent studies have shown that pancreatic cells can recycle amylin monomers and toxic oligomers, the exact uptake mechanism and trafficking routes of these molecular forms and their significance for amylin toxicity are yet to be determined. Using pancreatic rat insulinoma (RIN-m5F) beta (β)-cells and human islets as model systems we show that monomers and oligomers cross the plasma membrane (PM) through both endocytotic and non-endocytotic (translocation) mechanisms, the predominance of which is dependent on amylin concentrations and incubation times. At low (≤100 nM) concentrations, internalization of amylin monomers in pancreatic cells is completely blocked by the selective amylin-receptor (AM-R) antagonist, AC-187, indicating an AM-R dependent mechanism. In contrast at cytotoxic (µM) concentrations monomers initially (1 hour) enter pancreatic cells by two distinct mechanisms: translocation and macropinocytosis. However, during the late stage (24 hours) monomers internalize by a clathrin-dependent but AM-R and macropinocytotic independent pathway. Like monomers a small fraction of the oligomers initially enter cells by a non-endocytotic mechanism. In contrast a majority of the oligomers at both early (1 hour) and late times (24 hours) traffic with a fluid-phase marker, dextran, to the same endocytotic compartments, the uptake of which is blocked by potent macropinocytotic inhibitors. This led to a significant increase in extra-cellular PM accumulation, in turn potentiating amylin toxicity in pancreatic cells. Our studies suggest that macropinocytosis is a major but not the only clearance mechanism for both amylin’s molecular forms, thereby serving a cyto-protective role in these cells. PMID:24019897

  11. Curcumin inhibits aggregation of alpha-synuclein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, Neeraj; Strider, Jeffrey; Nolan, William C; Yan, Sherry X; Galvin, James E

    2008-04-01

    Aggregation of amyloid-beta protein (Abeta) is a key pathogenic event in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Curcumin, a constituent of the Indian spice Turmeric is structurally similar to Congo Red and has been demonstrated to bind Abeta amyloid and prevent further oligomerization of Abeta monomers onto growing amyloid beta-sheets. Reasoning that oligomerization kinetics and mechanism of amyloid formation are similar in Parkinson's disease (PD) and AD, we investigated the effect of curcumin on alpha-synuclein (AS) protein aggregation. In vitro model of AS aggregation was developed by treatment of purified AS protein (wild-type) with 1 mM Fe3+ (Fenton reaction). It was observed that the addition of curcumin inhibited aggregation in a dose-dependent manner and increased AS solubility. The aggregation-inhibiting effect of curcumin was next investigated in cell culture utilizing catecholaminergic SH-SY5Y cell line. A model system was developed in which the red fluorescent protein (DsRed2) was fused with A53T mutant of AS and its aggregation examined under different concentrations of curcumin. To estimate aggregation in an unbiased manner, a protocol was developed in which the images were captured automatically through a high-throughput cell-based screening microscope. The obtained images were processed automatically for aggregates within a defined dimension of 1-6 microm. Greater than 32% decrease in mutant alpha-synuclein aggregation was observed within 48 h subsequent to curcumin addition. Our data suggest that curcumin inhibits AS oligomerization into higher molecular weight aggregates and therefore should be further explored as a potential therapeutic compound for PD and related disorders.

  12. A study of radiative properties of fractal soot aggregates using the superposition T-matrix method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Liu; Mishchenko, Michael I.; Patrick Arnott, W.

    2008-01-01

    We employ the numerically exact superposition T-matrix method to perform extensive computations of scattering and absorption properties of soot aggregates with varying state of compactness and size. The fractal dimension, D f , is used to quantify the geometrical mass dispersion of the clusters. The optical properties of soot aggregates for a given fractal dimension are complex functions of the refractive index of the material m, the number of monomers N S , and the monomer radius a. It is shown that for smaller values of a, the absorption cross section tends to be relatively constant when D f f >2. However, a systematic reduction in light absorption with D f is observed for clusters with sufficiently large N S , m, and a. The scattering cross section and single-scattering albedo increase monotonically as fractals evolve from chain-like to more densely packed morphologies, which is a strong manifestation of the increasing importance of scattering interaction among spherules. Overall, the results for soot fractals differ profoundly from those calculated for the respective volume-equivalent soot spheres as well as for the respective external mixtures of soot monomers under the assumption that there are no electromagnetic interactions between the monomers. The climate-research implications of our results are discussed

  13. Synthesis of the diazonium (perfluoroalkyl) benzenesulfonimide monomer from Nafion monomer for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mei, Hua; D'Andrea, Dan; Nguyen, Tuyet-Trinh; Nworie, Chima

    2014-02-01

    One diazonium (perfluoroalkyl) benzenesulfonimide monomer, perfluoro-3, 6-dioxa-4-methyl-7-octene benzenesulfonyl imide, has been synthesized from Nafion monomer for the first time. With trifluorovinyl ether and diazonium precursors, the partially-fluorinated diazonium PFSI monomer can be polymerized and will provide chemically bonding with carbon electrode in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. A systematic study of the synthesis and characterization of this diazonium PFSI monomer has been conducted by varying reaction conditions. The optimized synthesis method has been established in the lab.

  14. Catanionic aggregates stability and structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vautrin, Claire

    2004-01-01

    The catanionic system cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium hydroxide - myristic acid - water studied here has the advantage to produce aggregates with controlled charge. So, the ternary phase diagram presents some interesting aggregates (micelle, vesicle, disc, lamellar phase). The study of the CMC put in evidence some strong interactions between monomers: the interaction parameter is equal to -10 kT. On a microscopic point of view, the alkyl chains packing is hexagonal and we proved by WAXS and WANS that the head groups are liquid ordered. Moreover, the hydrogen bonds participate to the bilayer cohesion. The mechanical properties of the catanionic membrane are similar to the properties of phospholipids. We estimated the Young modulus to 100 MPa by compressibility measurements (acoustic propagation and Langmuir trough). The thermodynamic properties studied by DSC showed that the chain melting transition depends on the sample composition. (author) [fr

  15. On the characterization of intermediates in the isodesmic aggregation pathway of hen lysozyme at alkaline pH.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijay Kumar Ravi

    Full Text Available Protein aggregation leading to formation of amyloid fibrils is a symptom of several diseases like Alzheimer's, type 2 diabetes and so on. Elucidating the poorly understood mechanism of such phenomena entails the difficult task of characterizing the species involved at each of the multiple steps in the aggregation pathway. It was previously shown by us that spontaneous aggregation of hen-eggwhite lysozyme (HEWL at room temperature in pH 12.2 is a good model to study aggregation. Here in this paper we investigate the growth kinetics, structure, function and dynamics of multiple intermediate species populating the aggregation pathway of HEWL at pH 12.2. The different intermediates were isolated by varying the HEWL monomer concentration in the 300 nM-0.12 mM range. The intermediates were characterized using techniques like steady-state and nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence, atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Growth kinetics of non-fibrillar HEWL aggregates were fitted to the von Bertalanffy equation to yield a HEWL concentration independent rate constant (k = (6.6 ± 0.6 × 10(-5 s(-1. Our results reveal stepwise changes in size, molecular packing and enzymatic activity among growing HEWL aggregates consistent with an isodesmic aggregation model. Formation of disulphide bonds that crosslink the monomers in the aggregate appear as a unique feature of this aggregation. AFM images of multiple amyloid fibrils emanating radially from amorphous aggregates directly confirmed that on-pathway fibril formation was feasible under isodesmic polymerization. The isolated HEWL aggregates are revealed as polycationic protein nanoparticles that are robust at neutral pH with ability to take up non-polar molecules like ANS.

  16. Copolymerization of Carbon–carbon Double-bond Monomer (Styrene with Cyclic Monomer (Tetrahydrofuran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sari Fouad

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available We reported in this work that the cationic copolymerization in one step takes place between carbon–carbon double-bond monomer styrene with cyclic monomer tetrahydrofuran. The comonomers studied belong to different families: vinylic and cyclic ether. The reaction is initiated with maghnite-H+ an acid exchanged montmorillonite as acid solid ecocatalyst. Maghnite-H+ is already used as catalyst for polymerization of many vinylic and heterocyclic monomers. The oxonium ion of tetrahydrofuran and carbonium ion of styrene propagated the reaction of copolymerization. The acetic anhydride is essential for the maintenance of the ring opening of tetrahydrofuran and the entry in copolymerization. The temperature was kept constant at 40°C in oil bath heating for 6 hours. A typical reaction product was analyzed by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and IR and the formation of the copolymer was confirmed. The reaction was proved by matched with analysis. The maghnite-H+ allowed us to obtain extremely pure copolymer in good yield by following a simples operational conditions. Copyright © 2012 by BCREC UNDIP. All rights reservedReceived: 29th October 2012; Revised: 29th November 2012; Accepted: 29th November 2012[How to Cite: S. Fouad, M.I. Ferrahi, M. Belbachir. (2012. Copolymerization of Carbon–carbon Double-bond Monomer (Styrene with Cyclic Monomer (Tetrahydrofuran. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 7(2: 165-171. (doi:10.9767/bcrec.7.2.4074.165-171][How to Link / DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.7.2.4074.165-171 ] | View in 

  17. Interpretation of Wild 2 Dust Fine Structure: Comparison of Stardust Aluminium Foil Craters to the Three-Dimensional Shape of Experimental Impacts by Artificial Aggregate Particles and Meteorite Powders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kearsley, A T; Burchell, M J; Price, M C; Graham, G A; Wozniakiewicz, P J; Cole, M J; Foster, N J; Teslich, N

    2009-12-10

    New experimental results show that Stardust crater morphology is consistent with interpretation of many larger Wild 2 dust grains being aggregates, albeit most of low porosity and therefore relatively high density. The majority of large Stardust grains (i.e. those carrying most of the cometary dust mass) probably had density of 2.4 g cm{sup -3} (similar to soda-lime glass used in earlier calibration experiments) or greater, and porosity of 25% or less, akin to consolidated carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, and much lower than the 80% suggested for fractal dust aggregates. Although better size calibration is required for interpretation of the very smallest impacting grains, we suggest that aggregates could have dense components dominated by {micro}m-scale and smaller sub-grains. If porosity of the Wild 2 nucleus is high, with similar bulk density to other comets, much of the pore-space may be at a scale of tens of micrometers, between coarser, denser grains. Successful demonstration of aggregate projectile impacts in the laboratory now opens the possibility of experiments to further constrain the conditions for creation of bulbous (Type C) tracks in aerogel, which we have observed in recent shots. We are also using mixed mineral aggregates to document differential survival of pristine composition and crystalline structure in diverse fine-grained components of aggregate cometary dust analogues, impacted onto both foil and aerogel under Stardust encounter conditions.

  18. Thermodynamics of monomer partitioning in polymer latices: effect of molar volume of the monomers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schoonbrood, H.A.S.; German, A.L.

    1994-01-01

    A model of the thermodn. of partitioning of moderately water-sol. monomers in polymer latex systems is developed to show deviations that occur when the molar vols. of the monomers are not similar. The model, as well as expts. with Me acrylate and cyclohexyl methacrylate in polystyrene latex systems,

  19. DETERMINATION OF THE THERMODYNAMICS OF β-LACTOGLOBULIN AGGREGATION USING ULTRA VIOLET LIGHT SCATTERING SPECTROSCOPY

    OpenAIRE

    Belton, Daniel; Austerberry, James

    2018-01-01

    The problem of protein aggregation is widely studied across a number of disciplines, where understanding the behaviour of the protein monomer, and its behaviour with co-solutes is imperative in order to devise solutions to the problem. Here we present a method for measuring the kinetics of protein aggregation based on ultra violet light scattering spectroscopy (UVLSS) across a range of NaCl conditions. Through measurement of wavelength dependant scattering and using the model protein β-lactog...

  20. Vibrational spectra of methyllithium and its aggregates: a new interpretation from ab initio anharmonic calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gohaud, Neil; Begue, Didier; Pouchan, Claude

    2005-01-01

    The complete quartic force field of methyllithium (CH 3 Li) is computed at the B3LYP/cc-pVTZ level of theory. The vibrational energy levels calculated from a perturbational and a variational procedure are in agreement with the observed spectra except for the C-Li stretching and the symmetric methyl deformation modes for which a disagreement with the experimental assignment given by Andrews is apparent. This discrepancy between experiment and theory is so large that questions are raised either about a correct characterization of, or correct calculations for the monomeric species CH 3 Li. Our theoretical study of methyllithium aggregates (CH 3 Li) n , with n = 2, 3, 4 and 6, gives a new interpretation of the experimental data

  1. Fragmentation approach to the point-island model with hindered aggregation: Accessing the barrier energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    González, Diego Luis; Pimpinelli, Alberto; Einstein, T. L.

    2017-07-01

    We study the effect of hindered aggregation on the island formation process in a one- (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) point-island model for epitaxial growth with arbitrary critical nucleus size i . In our model, the attachment of monomers to preexisting islands is hindered by an additional attachment barrier, characterized by length la. For la=0 the islands behave as perfect sinks while for la→∞ they behave as reflecting boundaries. For intermediate values of la, the system exhibits a crossover between two different kinds of processes, diffusion-limited aggregation and attachment-limited aggregation. We calculate the growth exponents of the density of islands and monomers for the low coverage and aggregation regimes. The capture-zone (CZ) distributions are also calculated for different values of i and la. In order to obtain a good spatial description of the nucleation process, we propose a fragmentation model, which is based on an approximate description of nucleation inside of the gaps for 1D and the CZs for 2D. In both cases, the nucleation is described by using two different physically rooted probabilities, which are related with the microscopic parameters of the model (i and la). We test our analytical model with extensive numerical simulations and previously established results. The proposed model describes excellently the statistical behavior of the system for arbitrary values of la and i =1 , 2, and 3.

  2. An ionic force-field study of monomers, dimers and higher polymers in pentafluoride vapors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cicek Onem, Z. [Department of Physics, Istanbul University, Istanbul (Turkey); Akdeniz, Z. [Department of Physics, Istanbul University, Istanbul (Turkey); Classe di Scienze, Scuola Normale Superiore, I-56126 Pisa (Italy)], E-mail: zakdeniz@istanbul.edu.tr; Tosi, M.P. [Classe di Scienze, Scuola Normale Superiore, I-56126 Pisa (Italy)], E-mail: tosim@sns.it

    2008-08-01

    Pentafluoride compounds such as NbF{sub 5} and TaF{sub 5} have been reported in the literature to admit various states of polymerization coexisting with monomers in their vapor phase, in relative concentrations that vary with temperature and pressure. We construct a microscopic interionic force-field model for the molecular monomer of these compounds (including VF{sub 5}, SbF{sub 5} and MoF{sub 5} in addition to NbF{sub 5} and TaF{sub 5}), the stable form of the monomer being in the shape of a D{sub 3h} trigonal bipyramid in all cases. The model emulates chemical bonds by allowing for electrical and short-range overlap polarizabilities of the fluorines, and is used to evaluate the structure and the stability of (MF{sub 5}){sub n} molecules with n running from 2 to 6. The dimer is formed by two distorted edge-sharing octahedral, while the trimer and the higher polymers can form rings of distorted corner-sharing octahedra. A chain-like configuration is also found for the trimer of NbF{sub 5}, which consists of a seven-fold coordinated Nb bonded to two distorted octahedra via edge sharing. Comparison of calculated vibrational frequencies and bond lengths with experimental data is made whenever possible. We find that there is a small net gain of energy in the formation of a dimer, while otherwise the static energy of the n-mer is very close to that of n separated monomers. High sensitivity of the state of molecular aggregation to the thermodynamic conditions of the vapor is clearly indicated by our calculations.

  3. Preparation of supramolecular polymers by copolymerization of monomers containing quadruple hydrogen bonding units with regular monomers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    2004-01-01

    The invention relates to the synthesis of polymers containing self-complementary quadruple hydrogen groups by copolymerizing monomers containing a quadruple hydrogen bonding group with one or more monomers of choice. The resulting polymers show unique new characteristics due to the presence of

  4. Measurement of net electric charge and dipole moment of dust aggregates in a complex plasma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yousefi, Razieh; Davis, Allen B; Carmona-Reyes, Jorge; Matthews, Lorin S; Hyde, Truell W

    2014-09-01

    Understanding the agglomeration of dust particles in complex plasmas requires knowledge of basic properties such as the net electrostatic charge and dipole moment of the dust. In this study, dust aggregates are formed from gold-coated mono-disperse spherical melamine-formaldehyde monomers in a radiofrequency (rf) argon discharge plasma. The behavior of observed dust aggregates is analyzed both by studying the particle trajectories and by employing computer models examining three-dimensional structures of aggregates and their interactions and rotations as induced by torques arising from their dipole moments. These allow the basic characteristics of the dust aggregates, such as the electrostatic charge and dipole moment, as well as the external electric field, to be determined. It is shown that the experimental results support the predicted values from computer models for aggregates in these environments.

  5. LIGHT SCATTERING BY FRACTAL DUST AGGREGATES. I. ANGULAR DEPENDENCE OF SCATTERING

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tazaki, Ryo [Department of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Tanaka, Hidekazu [Astronomical Institute, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan); Okuzumi, Satoshi; Nomura, Hideko [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551 (Japan); Kataoka, Akimasa, E-mail: rtazaki@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, Heidelberg University, Albert-Ueberle-Strasse 2, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany)

    2016-06-01

    In protoplanetary disks, micron-sized dust grains coagulate to form highly porous dust aggregates. Because the optical properties of these aggregates are not completely understood, it is important to investigate how porous dust aggregates scatter light. In this study, the light scattering properties of porous dust aggregates were calculated using a rigorous method, the T -matrix method, and the results were then compared with those obtained using the Rayleigh–Gans–Debye (RGD) theory and Mie theory with the effective medium approximation (EMT). The RGD theory is applicable to moderately large aggregates made of nearly transparent monomers. This study considered two types of porous dust aggregates—ballistic cluster–cluster agglomerates (BCCAs) and ballistic particle–cluster agglomerates. First, the angular dependence of the scattered intensity was shown to reflect the hierarchical structure of dust aggregates; the large-scale structure of the aggregates is responsible for the intensity at small scattering angles, and their small-scale structure determines the intensity at large scattering angles. Second, it was determined that the EMT underestimates the backward scattering intensity by multiple orders of magnitude, especially in BCCAs, because the EMT averages the structure within the size of the aggregates. It was concluded that the RGD theory is a very useful method for calculating the optical properties of BCCAs.

  6. Preparation of supramolecular polymers by copolymerization of monomers containing quadruple hydrogen bonding units with regular monomers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    2004-01-01

    The invention relates to the synthesis of polymers contg. self-complementary quadruple H groups by copolymg. monomers contg. a quadruple H bonding group with ³1 monomers of choice. The resulting polymers show unique new characteristics due to the presence of addnl. phys. interactions between the

  7. α-helix to β-hairpin transition of human amylin monomer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Sadanand; Chiu, Chi-cheng; Reddy, Allam S.; de Pablo, Juan J.

    2013-04-01

    The human islet amylin polypeptide is produced along with insulin by pancreatic islets. Under some circumstances, amylin can aggregate to form amyloid fibrils, whose presence in pancreatic cells is a common pathological feature of Type II diabetes. A growing body of evidence indicates that small, early stage aggregates of amylin are cytotoxic. A better understanding of the early stages of the amylin aggregation process and, in particular, of the nucleation events leading to fibril growth could help identify therapeutic strategies. Recent studies have shown that, in dilute solution, human amylin can adopt an α-helical conformation, a β-hairpin conformation, or an unstructured coil conformation. While such states have comparable free energies, the β-hairpin state exhibits a large propensity towards aggregation. In this work, we present a detailed computational analysis of the folding pathways that arise between the various conformational states of human amylin in water. A free energy surface for amylin in explicit water is first constructed by resorting to advanced sampling techniques. Extensive transition path sampling simulations are then employed to identify the preferred folding mechanisms between distinct minima on that surface. Our results reveal that the α-helical conformer of amylin undergoes a transformation into the β-hairpin monomer through one of two mechanisms. In the first, misfolding begins through formation of specific contacts near the turn region, and proceeds via a zipping mechanism. In the second, misfolding occurs through an unstructured coil intermediate. The transition states for these processes are identified. Taken together, the findings presented in this work suggest that the inter-conversion of amylin between an α-helix and a β-hairpin is an activated process and could constitute the nucleation event for fibril growth.

  8. Interference of functional monomers with polymerization efficiency of adhesives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanabusa, Masao; Yoshihara, Kumiko; Yoshida, Yasuhiro; Okihara, Takumi; Yamamoto, Takatsugu; Momoi, Yasuko; Van Meerbeek, Bart

    2016-04-01

    The degree of conversion (DC) of camphorquinone/amine-based adhesives is affected by acidic functional monomers as a result of inactivation of the amine co-initiator through an acid-base reaction. During bonding, functional monomers of self-etch adhesives chemically interact with hydroxyapatite (HAp). Here, we tested in how far the latter interaction of functional monomers with HAp counteracts the expected reduction in DC of camphorquinone/amine-based adhesives. The DC of three experimental adhesive formulations, containing either of the two functional monomers [10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (10-MDP) or 4-methacryloxyethyl trimellitic acid anhydride (4-META)] or no functional monomer (no-FM; control), was measured with and without HAp powder added to the adhesive formulations. Both the variables 'functional monomer' and 'HAp' were found to be significant, with the functional monomer reducing the DC and HAp counteracting this effect. It is concluded that the functional monomers 10-MDP and 4-META interfere with the polymerization efficiency of adhesives. This interference is less prominent in the presence of HAp, which would clinically correspond to when these two functional monomers of the adhesive simultaneously interact with HAp in tooth tissue. © 2016 Eur J Oral Sci.

  9. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic investigation of a low-pH native insulin monomer with flexible behaviour.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Youshang; Whittingham, Jean L; Turkenburg, Johan P; Dodson, Eleanor J; Brange, Jens; Dodson, G Guy

    2002-01-01

    Insulin naturally aggregates as dimers and hexamers, whose structures have been extensively analysed by X-ray crystallography. Structural determination of the physiologically relevant insulin monomer, however, is an unusual challenge owing to the difficulty in finding solution conditions in which the concentration of insulin is high enough for crystallization yet the molecule remains monomeric. By utilizing solution conditions known to inhibit insulin assembly, namely 20% acetic acid, crystals of insulin in the monomeric state have been obtained. The crystals are strongly diffracting and a data set extending to 1.6 A has recently been collected. The crystals nominally belong to the space group I422, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 57.80, c = 54.61 A, giving rise to one molecule in the asymmetric unit. Preliminary electron-density maps show that whilst most of the insulin monomer is well ordered and similar in conformation to other insulin structures, parts of the B-chain C-terminus main chain adopt more than one conformation.

  10. Ionic Liquid Epoxy Resin Monomers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paley, Mark S. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    Ionic liquid epoxide monomers capable of reacting with cross-linking agents to form polymers with high tensile and adhesive strengths. Ionic liquid epoxide monomers comprising at least one bis(glycidyl) N-substituted nitrogen heterocyclic cation are made from nitrogen heterocycles corresponding to the bis(glycidyl) N-substituted nitrogen heterocyclic cations by a method involving a non-nucleophilic anion, an alkali metal cation, epichlorohydrin, and a strong base.

  11. Molecular Mechanism of the Early Stage of Amyloidogenic Hexapeptides (NFGAIL) Aggregation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi Bi-Yun; Zhou Bo; Cai Zhuo-Wei; Yang Zai-Xing; Xiu Peng

    2013-01-01

    Peptides/proteins aggregation can give rise to pathological conditions of many human diseases. Small partially ordered oligomers formed in the early stage of aggregation, rather than mature fibrils, are thought to be the main toxicity agent for the living cell. Thus, understanding the pathway and the underlying physical mechanism in the early stage of aggregation is very important for prevention and treatment of these protein functional diseases. Herein we use all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to study the aggregation of four NFGAIL hexapeptides (NFGAIL peptide is a core segment of human islet amyloid polypeptide and exhibits similar aggregation kinetics as the full-length polypeptide). We observe that the peptide monomers in water mainly adopt non-structural coil configurations; the four peptides which are randomly placed in water aggregate spontaneously to partially ordered oligomer (β-sheets) through dimerization or trimerization, with the dimerization predominated. Both parallel and anti-parallel β-sheets are observed. The hydrophobic interactions drive the initial peptides associations, and the subsequent conformational fluctuations promote the formation of more hydrogen bonds between the dangling hydrogen sites in the main chains of peptides. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  12. Oligonucleotides with 1,4-dioxane-based nucleotide monomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Andreas S; Wengel, Jesper

    2012-01-01

    An epimeric mixture of H-phosphonates 5R and 5S has been synthesized in three steps from known secouridine 1. Separation of the epimers has been accomplished by RP-HPLC, allowing full characterization and incorporation of monomers X and Y into 9-mer oligonucleotides using H-phosphonates building...... blocks 5R and 5S, respectively. A single incorporation of either monomer X or monomer Y in the central position of a DNA 9-mer results in decreased thermal affinity toward both DNA and RNA complements (ΔT(m) = -3.5 °C/-3.5 °C for monomer X and ΔT(m) = -11.0 °C/-6.5 °C for monomer Y). CD measurements do...

  13. Surface active monomers synthesis, properties, and application

    CERN Document Server

    Borzenkov, Mykola

    2014-01-01

    This brief includes information on the background?of and development of synthesis of various types of surface active monomers. The authors explain the importance of utilization of surface active monomers for creation of surface active polymers? and the various biomedical applications of such compounds . This brief introduces techniques for the synthesis of novel types of surface active monomers, their colloidal and polymerizable properties and application for needs of medicine and biology.

  14. Empirical Relationships Between Optical Properties and Equivalent Diameters of Fractal Soot Aggregates at 550 Nm Wavelength.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, Apoorva; Chakrabarty, Rajan K.; Liu, Li; Mishchenko, Michael I.

    2015-01-01

    Soot aggregates (SAs)-fractal clusters of small, spherical carbonaceous monomers-modulate the incoming visible solar radiation and contribute significantly to climate forcing. Experimentalists and climate modelers typically assume a spherical morphology for SAs when computing their optical properties, causing significant errors. Here, we calculate the optical properties of freshly-generated (fractal dimension Df = 1.8) and aged (Df = 2.6) SAs at 550 nm wavelength using the numericallyexact superposition T-Matrix method. These properties were expressed as functions of equivalent aerosol diameters as measured by contemporary aerosol instruments. This work improves upon previous efforts wherein SA optical properties were computed as a function of monomer number, rendering them unusable in practical applications. Future research will address the sensitivity of variation in refractive index, fractal prefactor, and monomer overlap of SAs on the reported empirical relationships.

  15. Kinetic behaviours of aggregate growth driven by time-dependent migration, birth and death

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Shengqing; Yang Shunyou; Ke Jianhong; Lin Zhenquan

    2008-01-01

    We propose a dynamic growth model to mimic some social phenomena, such as the evolution of cities' population, in which monomer migrations occur between any two aggregates and monomer birth/death can simultaneously occur in each aggregate. Considering the fact that the rate kernels of migration, birth and death processes may change with time, we assume that the migration rate kernel is ijf(t), and the self-birth and death rate kernels are ig 1 (t) and ig 2 (t), respectively. Based on the mean-field rate equation, we obtain the exact solution of this model and then discuss semi-quantitatively the scaling behaviour of the aggregate size distribution at large times. The results show that in the long-time limit, (i) if ∫ t 0 g 1 (t') dt'/∫ t 0 g 2 (t') dt' ≥ 1 or exp{∫ t 0 [g 2 (t') - g 1 (t')] dt'}/∫ t 0 f(t') dt' → 0, the aggregate size distribution a k (t) can obey a generalized scaling form; (ii) if ∫ t 0 g 1 (t') dt'/∫ t 0 g 2 (t') dt' → 0 and exp ∫ t 0 [g 2 (t') - g 1 (t') dt'/∫ t 0 f(t') dt' → ∞, a k (t) can take a scale-free form and decay exponentially in size k; (iii) a k (t) will satisfy a modified scaling law in the remaining cases. Moreover, the total mass of aggregates depends strongly on the net birth rate g 1 (t) - g 2 (t) and evolves exponentially as exp{∫ t 0 [g 1 (t') - g 2 (t')] dt'}, which is in qualitative agreement with the evolution of the total population of a country in real world

  16. Synergetic interaction between neighbouring platinum monomers in CO2 hydrogenation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Hongliang; Wang, Liangbing; Dai, Yizhou; Pu, Zhengtian; Lao, Zhuohan; Chen, Yawei; Wang, Menglin; Zheng, Xusheng; Zhu, Junfa; Zhang, Wenhua; Si, Rui; Ma, Chao; Zeng, Jie

    2018-05-01

    Exploring the interaction between two neighbouring monomers has great potential to significantly raise the performance and deepen the mechanistic understanding of heterogeneous catalysis. Herein, we demonstrate that the synergetic interaction between neighbouring Pt monomers on MoS2 greatly enhanced the CO2 hydrogenation catalytic activity and reduced the activation energy relative to isolated monomers. Neighbouring Pt monomers were achieved by increasing the Pt mass loading up to 7.5% while maintaining the atomic dispersion of Pt. Mechanistic studies reveal that neighbouring Pt monomers not only worked in synergy to vary the reaction barrier, but also underwent distinct reaction paths compared with isolated monomers. Isolated Pt monomers favour the conversion of CO2 into methanol without the formation of formic acid, whereas CO2 is hydrogenated stepwise into formic acid and methanol for neighbouring Pt monomers. The discovery of the synergetic interaction between neighbouring monomers may create a new path for manipulating catalytic properties.

  17. 21 CFR 888.4220 - Cement monomer vapor evacuator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Cement monomer vapor evacuator. 888.4220 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES ORTHOPEDIC DEVICES Surgical Devices § 888.4220 Cement monomer vapor evacuator. (a) Identification. A cement monomer vapor evacuator is a device intended for use during surgery to contain or remove...

  18. An investigation of the chemical stability of a monomer/polymer gel dosimeter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Deene, Y.; De Wagter, C.; De Neve, W.; Achten, E.

    2000-01-01

    The aim of this work is to investigate the temporal stability of a polyacrylamide gelatin hydrogel used for 3D monomer/polymer gel dosimetry techniques involving different methods of analysis. Long-term instabilities for a similar gel have recently been reported, but differ markedly from those described in this work. Two kinds of long-term instabilities are described. One affects the slope of the dose-R 2 plot and is related to post-irradiation polymerization of the comonomer/polymer aggregates. It is observed that post-irradiation polymerization only lasts 12 hours after irradiation. The other instability affects the intercept of the dose-R 2 plot, lasts for up to 30 days and is related to the gelation process of gelatin. Further studies were performed on gelatin gels of varying compositions to obtain a better understanding of the molecular mechanism that causes the instability due to gelation. The studies included observations of the spin-spin and spin-lattice relaxation rates in combination with diffusion measurements and optical measurements. It is shown that the heating history during the manufacture of the gel affects the absolute R 2 value of the gel but not its variation. The findings presented in this study may help in producing more stable and reproducible monomer/polymer gel dosimeters. (author)

  19. Atomic Force Microscope Imaging of the Aggregation of Mouse Immunoglobulin G Molecules

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ke Xia

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Mouse immunoglobulin G (Ig G1 and the mixture of Ig G1 and Ig G2 deposited on mica were imaged with an atomic force microscope at room temperature and ambient pressure. At a concentration around 1.0mg/L, the molecules were well dispersed. 2~3 days after sample preparation, both Ig G1 and the mixture could self- assemble into different shapes and further form some types of local-ordered toroidal aggregations (monotoroidal, intercrossed toroidal, concentric toroidal, etc.. The number of monomers was not identical in the different toroidal aggregations but in a same circle, the shapes of polymer self-assembled by several monomolecules were found to be almost the same. There was difference between the aggregation behavior of Ig G1 and the mixture. The mechanism of Ig G molecule aggregation was ascribed to the “Y” shape and loops structure of Ig G molecule.

  20. Capital-energy complementarity in aggregate energy-economic analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hogan, W.W.

    1979-10-01

    The interplay between capital and energy will affect the outcome of energy-policy initiatives. A static model clarifies the interpretation of the conflicting empirical evidence on the nature of this interplay. This resolves an apparent conflict between engineering and economc interpretations and points to an additional ambiguity that can be resolved by distinguishing between policy issues at aggregated and disaggregated levels. Restrictions on aggregate energy use should induce reductions in the demand for capital and exacerbate the economic impacts of the energy policy. 32 references.

  1. Opposed Effects of Dityrosine Formation in Soluble and Aggregated α-Synuclein on Fibril Growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wördehoff, Michael M; Shaykhalishahi, Hamed; Groß, Luca; Gremer, Lothar; Stoldt, Matthias; Buell, Alexander K; Willbold, Dieter; Hoyer, Wolfgang

    2017-10-13

    Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. It is characterized by aggregation of the protein α-synuclein (α-syn) in Lewy bodies, mitochondrial dysfunction, and increased oxidative stress in the substantia nigra. Oxidative stress leads to several modifications of biomolecules including dityrosine (DiY) crosslinking in proteins, which has recently been detected in α-syn in Lewy bodies from Parkinson's disease patients. Here we report that α-syn is highly susceptible to ultraviolet-induced DiY formation. We investigated DiY formation of α-syn and nine tyrosine-to-alanine mutants and monitored its effect on α-syn fibril formation in vitro. Ultraviolet irradiation of intrinsically disordered α-syn generates DiY-modified monomers and dimers, which inhibit fibril formation of unmodified α-syn by interfering with fibril elongation. The inhibition depends on both the DiY group and its integration into α-syn. When preformed α-syn fibrils are crosslinked by DiY formation, they gain increased resistance to denaturation. DiY-stabilized α-syn fibrils retain their high seeding efficiency even after being exposed to denaturant concentrations that completely depolymerize non-crosslinked seeds. Oxidative stress-associated DiY crosslinking of α-syn therefore entails two opposing effects: (i) inhibition of aggregation by DiY-modified monomers and dimers, and (ii) stabilization of fibrillar aggregates against potential degradation mechanisms, which can lead to promotion of aggregation, especially in the presence of secondary nucleation. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  2. Comparison and Analysis of 3,4 dihydrocylmandelic acid (DHMA) and noremetanephrine (NMN) on Amyloid-Beta 40 Monomer for treatment of Alzheimer's Disease using Molecular Dynamics Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Woosung; Jee, Sang Eun; Jang, Seung Soon

    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is type of degenerative dementia caused memory loss and behavior problem. Main reason of AD is Amyloid-Beta 40(A β) mostly composed of α -helix form misfolds to insoluble fibrils and soluble oilgomer. This insoluble fibrils aggregate with beta sheet structure and form the plaque which is caused nurotoxicity in brain. Both 3,4 dihydrocylmandelic acid (DHMA) and noremetanephrine (NMN) are the metabolite of norepinephrine in brain . Also these are inhibit the changing formation of fibrils and maintain the α -helix structure. In this computational modeling study, both NMN and DHMA molecules were modified and analyzed for specific effect on the A β-monomer using molecular dynamics simulation. Using molecular dynamic simulation, NMN and DHMA act as modulator on three A β-monomer batches and could observe the conformational changing of these A β-monomer under the physiologocal condition. This computational experiment is designed to compare and analyze both of chemicals for determining which chamecal would be more effective on the conformation of A β 40 monomer.

  3. Highly Efficient Synthesis of Allopurinol Locked Nucleic Acid Monomer by C6 Deamination of 8-Aza-7-bromo-7-deazaadenine Locked Nucleic Acid Monomer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kosbar, Tamer Reda El-Saeed; Sofan, M.; Abou-Zeid, L.

    2013-01-01

    An allopurinol locked nucleic acid (LNA) monomer was prepared by a novel strategy through C6 deamination of the corresponding 8-aza-7-bromo-7-deazaadenine LNA monomer with aqueous sodium hydroxide. An 8-aza-7-deazaadenine LNA monomer was also synthesized by a modification of the new synthetic...... the required LNA monomers....

  4. α-Synuclein aggregation, seeding and inhibition by scyllo-inositol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ibrahim, Tarek [Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute (Canada); Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, M4N 3M5, ON (Canada); McLaurin, JoAnne, E-mail: jmclaurin@sri.utoronto.ca [Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute (Canada); Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, M4N 3M5, ON (Canada)

    2016-01-15

    Recent literature demonstrates the accelerated aggregation of α-synuclein, a protein implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), by the presence of preformed fibrillar conformers in vitro. Furthermore, these preformed fibrillar seeds are suggested to accelerate pathological induction in vivo when injected into the brains of mice. Variation in the results of in vivo studies is proposed to be caused by α-synuclein conformational variants. To investigate the impact of amino acid sequence on seeding efficiency, human and mouse α-synuclein seeds, which vary at 7 amino acid residues, were generated and cross-seeding kinetics studied. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we confirmed that mouse α-synuclein aggregated more rapidly than human α-synuclein. Subsequently, we determined that seeding of human and mouse α-synuclein was more rapid in the presence of seeds generated from the same species. In addition, an established amyloid inhibitor, scyllo-inositol, was examined for potential inhibitory effects on α-synuclein aggregation. TEM analysis of protein:inhibitor assays demonstrated that scyllo-inositol inhibits the aggregation of α-synuclein, suggesting the therapeutic potential of the small molecule in PD. - Highlights: • Mouse α-syn fibrillizes in a significantly shorter timeframe than human α-syn. • Seeding of monomers is more efficient when seeds originate from the same species. • scyllo-Inositol has anti-aggregation effects on mouse and human α-syn.

  5. Step growth of two flexible ABf monomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cameron, Colin; Fawcett, Allan H.; Hetherington, Cecil R.

    2000-01-01

    A three-dimensional lattice model was used to simulate the competition between the growth of hyperbranched structures and cycle formation that occurs when flexible ABf monomers undergo step growth. The monomers in the model are mapped onto several lattice sites. The effect of functionality...

  6. Thermodynamics of swelling of latex particles with two monomers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Maxwell, I.A.; Kurja, J.; van Doremaele, G.H.J.; German, A.L.

    1992-01-01

    The partitioning of 2 monomers between the latex particle, monomer droplet, and aq. phases of an emulsion polymer latex are measured at satn. swelling of the latex particle phase (corresponding to intervals I and II of an emulsion polymn.). The monomer (Me acrylate, Bu acrylate, styrene) and polymer

  7. Computational design and biophysical characterization of aggregation-resistant point mutations for γD crystallin illustrate a balance of conformational stability and intrinsic aggregation propensity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahin, Erinc; Jordan, Jacob L; Spatara, Michelle L; Naranjo, Andrea; Costanzo, Joseph A; Weiss, William F; Robinson, Anne Skaja; Fernandez, Erik J; Roberts, Christopher J

    2011-02-08

    γD crystallin is a natively monomeric eye-lens protein that is associated with hereditary juvenile cataract formation. It is an attractive model system as a multidomain Greek-key protein that aggregates through partially folded intermediates. Point mutations M69Q and S130P were used to test (1) whether the protein-design algorithm RosettaDesign would successfully predict mutants that are resistant to aggregation when combined with informatic sequence-based predictors of peptide aggregation propensity and (2) how the mutations affected relative unfolding free energies (ΔΔG(un)) and intrinsic aggregation propensity (IAP). M69Q was predicted to have ΔΔG(un) ≫ 0, without significantly affecting IAP. S130P was predicted to have ΔΔG(un) ∼ 0 but with reduced IAP. The stability, conformation, and aggregation kinetics in acidic solution were experimentally characterized and compared for the variants and wild-type (WT) protein using circular dichroism and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy, calorimetric and chemical unfolding, thioflavin-T binding, chromatography, static laser light scattering, and kinetic modeling. Monomer secondary and tertiary structures of both variants were indistinguishable from WT, while ΔΔG(un) > 0 for M69Q and ΔΔG(un) < 0 for S130P. Surprisingly, despite being the least conformationally stable, S130P was the most resistant to aggregation, indicating a significant decrease of its IAP compared to WT and M69Q.

  8. Cationic Organochalcogen with Monomer/Excimer Emissions for Dual-Color Live Cell Imaging and Cell Damage Diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao, Xi-Juan; Wang, Kang-Nan; Sun, Li-Li; Cao, Qian; Ke, Zhuo-Feng; Cao, Du-Xia; Mao, Zong-Wan

    2018-04-25

    Studies on the development of fluorescent organic molecules with different emission colors for imaging of organelles and their biomedical application are gaining lots of focus recently. Here, we report two cationic organochalcogens 1 and 2, both of which exhibit very weak green emission (Φ 1 = 0.12%; Φ 2 = 0.09%) in dilute solution as monomers, but remarkably enhanced green emission upon interaction with nucleic acids and large red-shifted emission in aggregate state by the formation of excimers at high concentration. More interestingly, the monomer emission and excimer-like emission can be used for dual color imaging of different organelles. Upon passively diffusing into cells, both probes selectively stain nucleoli with strong green emission upon 488 nm excitation, whereas upon 405 nm excitation, a completely different stain pattern by staining lysosomes (for 1) or mitochondria (for 2) with distinct red emission is observed because of the highly concentrated accumulation in these organelles. Studies on the mechanism of the accumulation in lysosomes (for 1) or mitochondria (for 2) found that the accumulations of the probes are dependent on the membrane permeabilization, which make the probes have great potential in diagnosing cell damage by sensing lysosomal or mitochondrial membrane permeabilization. The study is demonstrative, for the first time, of two cationic molecules for dual-color imaging nucleoli and lysosomes (1)/mitochondria (2) simultaneously in live cell based on monomer and excimer-like emission, respectively, and more importantly, for diagnosing cell damage.

  9. New monomers for high performance polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gratz, Roy F.

    1993-01-01

    This laboratory has been concerned with the development of new polymeric materials with high thermo-oxidative stability for use in the aerospace and electronics industries. Currently, there is special emphasis on developing matrix resins and composites for the high speed civil transport (HSCT) program. This application requires polymers that have service lifetimes of 60,000 hr at 350 F (177 C) and that are readily processible into void-free composites, preferably by melt-flow or powder techniques that avoid the use of high boiling solvents. Recent work has focused on copolymers which have thermally stable imide groups separated by flexible arylene ether linkages, some with trifluoromethyl groups attached to the aromatic rings. The presence of trifluoromethyl groups in monomers and polymers often improves their solubility and processibility. The goal of this research was to synthesize several new monomers containing pendant trifluoromethyl groups and to incorporate these monomers into new imide/arylene ether copolymers. Initially, work was begun on the synthesis of three target compounds. The first two, 3,5-dihydroxybenzo trifluoride and 3-amino 5-hydroxybenzo trifluoride, are intermediates in the synthesis of more complex monomers. The third, 3,5-bis (3-amino-phenoxy) benzotrifluoride, is an interesting diamine that could be incorporated into a polyimide directly.

  10. GPCR homomers and heteromers: a better choice as targets for drug development than GPCR monomers?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casadó, Vicent; Cortés, Antoni; Mallol, Josefa; Pérez-Capote, Kamil; Ferré, Sergi; Lluis, Carmen; Franco, Rafael; Canela, Enric I

    2009-11-01

    G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) are targeted by many therapeutic drugs marketed to fight against a variety of diseases. Selection of novel lead compounds are based on pharmacological parameters obtained assuming that GPCR are monomers. However, many GPCR are expressed as dimers/oligomers. Therefore, drug development may consider GPCR as homo- and hetero-oligomers. A two-state dimer receptor model is now available to understand GPCR operation and to interpret data obtained from drugs interacting with dimers, and even from mixtures of monomers and dimers. Heteromers are distinct entities and therefore a given drug is expected to have different affinities and different efficacies depending on the heteromer. All these concepts would lead to broaden the therapeutic potential of drugs targeting GPCRs, including receptor heteromer-selective drugs with a lower incidence of side effects, or to identify novel pharmacological profiles using cell models expressing receptor heteromers.

  11. In-vitro transdentinal diffusion of monomers from adhesives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putzeys, Eveline; Duca, Radu Corneliu; Coppens, Lieve; Vanoirbeek, Jeroen; Godderis, Lode; Van Meerbeek, Bart; Van Landuyt, Kirsten L

    2018-06-01

    Biocompatibility of adhesives is important since adhesives may be applied on dentin near the pulp. Accurate knowledge of the quantity of monomers reaching the pulp is important to determine potential side effects. The aim of this study was to assess the transdentinal diffusion of residual monomers from dental adhesive systems using an in-vitro pulp chamber model. Dentin disks with a thickness of 300 µm were produced from human third molars. These disks were fixed between two open-ended glass tubes, representing an in-vitro pulp chamber. The etch-and-rinse adhesive OptiBond FL and the self-etch adhesive Clearfil SE Bond were applied to the dentin side of the disks, while on in the pulpal side, the glass tube was filled with 600 µL water. The transdentinal diffusion of different monomers was quantified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The monomers HEMA, CQ, BisGMA, GPDM, 10-MDP and UDMA eluted from the dental materials and were able to diffuse through the dentin disks to a certain extent. Compounds with a lower molecular weight (uncured group: HEMA 7850 nmol and CQ 78.2 nmol) were more likely to elute and diffuse compared to monomers with a higher molecular weight (uncured group: BisGMA 0.42 nmol). When the adhesives were left uncured, diffusion was up to 10 times higher compared to the cured conditions. This in-vitro research resulted in the quantification of various monomers able to diffuse through dentin and therefore contributes to a more detailed understanding about the potential exposure of the dental pulp to monomers from dental adhesives. Biocompatibility of adhesives is important since adhesives may be applied on dentin near the pulp, where tubular density and diameter are greatest. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. The effect of monomer molecular weight on grafting reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Minghong; Ding Zhongli; Ma Zueteh

    1995-01-01

    In this paper, some condensed ethylene glycol acrylate monomers with different molecular weight being grafted to the PE film by means of pre-irradiation is reported. The effect of molecular weight of monomer on grafting reaction and the hydrophilicity of grafting sample have been discussed. The experimental results show: molar degrees of grafting decreased non-linearly with the increasement of molecular weight of monomer, the grafting reaction of polymer is greater effected by the swelling degree of PE film, the greater the swelling degree of grafting material, the higher the grating degree grafting is, the initial rate of grafting reaction decreased with the increasement of molecular weight of monomer. (author)

  13. Absorption Spectroscopy, Molecular Dynamics Calculations, and Multivariate Curve Resolution on the Phthalocyanine Aggregation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ajloo, Davood; Ghadamgahi, Maryam; Shaheri, Freshte; Zarei, Kobra [Damghan Univ., Damghan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2014-05-15

    Co(II)-tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (CoTSP) is known to be aggregated to dimer at high concentration levels in water. A study on the aggregation of CoTSP using multivariate curve resolution analysis of the visible absorbance spectra over a concentration range of 30, 40 and 50 μM in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), dimethyl formamide (DMF), acetonitrile (AN) and ethanol (EtOH) in the concentration range of 0 to 3.57 M is conducted. A hard modeling-based multivariate curve resolution method was applied to determine the dissociation constants of the CoTSP aggregates at various temperatures ranging from 25, 45 and 65 .deg. C and in the presence of various co-solvents. Dissociation constant for aggregation was increased and then decrease by temperature and concentration of phthalocyanine, respectively. Utilizing the vant Hoff relation, the enthalpy and entropy of the dissociation equilibriums were calculated. For the dissociation of both aggregates, the enthalpy and entropy changes were positive and negative, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulation of cosolvent effect on CoTSP aggregation was done to confirm spectroscopy results. Results of radial distribution function (RDF), root mean square deviation (RMSD) and distance curves confirmed more effect of polar solvent to decrease monomer formation.

  14. Absorption Spectroscopy, Molecular Dynamics Calculations, and Multivariate Curve Resolution on the Phthalocyanine Aggregation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ajloo, Davood; Ghadamgahi, Maryam; Shaheri, Freshte; Zarei, Kobra

    2014-01-01

    Co(II)-tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (CoTSP) is known to be aggregated to dimer at high concentration levels in water. A study on the aggregation of CoTSP using multivariate curve resolution analysis of the visible absorbance spectra over a concentration range of 30, 40 and 50 μM in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), dimethyl formamide (DMF), acetonitrile (AN) and ethanol (EtOH) in the concentration range of 0 to 3.57 M is conducted. A hard modeling-based multivariate curve resolution method was applied to determine the dissociation constants of the CoTSP aggregates at various temperatures ranging from 25, 45 and 65 .deg. C and in the presence of various co-solvents. Dissociation constant for aggregation was increased and then decrease by temperature and concentration of phthalocyanine, respectively. Utilizing the vant Hoff relation, the enthalpy and entropy of the dissociation equilibriums were calculated. For the dissociation of both aggregates, the enthalpy and entropy changes were positive and negative, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulation of cosolvent effect on CoTSP aggregation was done to confirm spectroscopy results. Results of radial distribution function (RDF), root mean square deviation (RMSD) and distance curves confirmed more effect of polar solvent to decrease monomer formation

  15. Photopolymerizable silicone monomers, oligomers, and resins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobine, A.F.; Nakos, S.T.

    1992-01-01

    The purpose of this chapter is to acquaint the general photopolymer researcher with the historical development of the chemistry and technology of photopolymerizable silicone monomers, fluids, and resins. The current status of research in these areas is assessed. The focus of this chapter is not only on the polymer chemistry and application of this technology, but also on important aspects of the synthetic chemistry involved in the preparation of UV-curable silicone monomers, oligomers, and resins. 236 refs., 6 tabs

  16. Dynamic conformations of nucleophosmin (NPM1 at a key monomer-monomer interface affect oligomer stability and interactions with granzyme B.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei D Duan-Porter

    Full Text Available Nucleophosmin (NPM1 is an abundant, nucleolar tumor antigen with important roles in cell proliferation and putative contributions to oncogenesis. Wild-type NPM1 forms pentameric oligomers through interactions at the amino-terminal core domain. A truncated form of NPM1 found in some hepatocellular carcinoma tissue formed an unusually stable oligomer and showed increased susceptibility to cleavage by granzyme B. Initiation of translation at the seventh methionine generated a protein (M7-NPM that shared all these properties. We used deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (DXMS to perform a detailed structural analysis of wild-type NPM1 and M7-NPM, and found dynamic conformational shifts or local "unfolding" at a specific monomer-monomer interface which included the β-hairpin "latch." We tested the importance of interactions at the β-hairpin "latch" by replacing a conserved tyrosine in the middle of the β-hairpin loop with glutamic acid, generating Y67E-NPM. Y67E-NPM did not form stable oligomers and further, prevented wild-type NPM1 oligomerization in a dominant-negative fashion, supporting the critical role of the β-hairpin "latch" in monomer-monomer interactions. Also, we show preferential cleavage by granzyme B at one of two available aspartates (either D161 or D122 in M7-NPM and Y67E-NPM, whereas wild-type NPM1 was cleaved at both sites. Thus, we observed a correlation between the propensity to form oligomers and granzyme B cleavage site selection in nucleophosmin proteins, suggesting that a small change at an important monomer-monomer interface can affect conformational shifts and impact protein-protein interactions.

  17. Polymerization of impregnated monomer in wood by microwave irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawase, Kaoru; Hayakawa, Kiyoshi

    1976-01-01

    The manufacturing of a wood-plastic combination (WPC) by irradiation of microwave (2,450 and 915 +- 50 MHz) or gamma-ray was carried out. After the impregnation of dry woods (Hinoki: Chamaecyparis obtusa Endl., Buna: Acer mono Maxim., and Kaede: Fagus crenata Blume) with the mixture of the vinyl monomers and chemical reagents, the monomer in wood was polymerized by irradiation. In case of polymerization with microwave (2,450 MHz) the effect of oxygen was not recognized, but in the case of gamma-ray the rate of polymerization remarkably decreased in the presence of oxygen. The polymerization of various monomers was carried out also in the air, and the conversions of styrene, methyl-, ethyl-, n-propyl-, and n-butyl-methacrylate were 51.8 -- 89.1%, but that of vinyl acetate was lower (4.3 -- 8.2%). The conversion of monomers with irradiation of 915 MHz microwave was very low (2.6 -- 33.5%). The conversion of monomers increased when toluylene diisocyanate was added in the monomers. The percentage of extraction with hot benzene of WPC (chip) decreased by the addition of toluylene diisocyanate. It was concluded from C.H.N. analyses that the reaction took place among the wood, toluylene diisocyanate and methyl methacrylate. (auth.)

  18. Influence of template/functional monomer/cross‐linking monomer ratio on particle size and binding properties of molecularly imprinted nanoparticles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yoshimatsu, Keiichi; Yamazaki, Tomohiko; Chronakis, Ioannis S.

    2012-01-01

    A series of molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles have been synthesized employing various template/functional monomer/crosslinking monomer ratio and characterized in detail to elucidate the correlation between the synthetic conditions used and the properties (e.g., particle size and templat...... tuning of particle size and binding properties are required to fit practical applications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012...

  19. Transient β-hairpin formation in α-synuclein monomer revealed by coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Hang; Ma, Wen [Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States); Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States); Han, Wei [Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States); Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States); Schulten, Klaus, E-mail: kschulte@ks.uiuc.edu [Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States); Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States); Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)

    2015-12-28

    Parkinson’s disease, originating from the intrinsically disordered peptide α-synuclein, is a common neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 5% of the population above age 85. It remains unclear how α-synuclein monomers undergo conformational changes leading to aggregation and formation of fibrils characteristic for the disease. In the present study, we perform molecular dynamics simulations (over 180 μs in aggregated time) using a hybrid-resolution model, Proteins with Atomic details in Coarse-grained Environment (PACE), to characterize in atomic detail structural ensembles of wild type and mutant monomeric α-synuclein in aqueous solution. The simulations reproduce structural properties of α-synuclein characterized in experiments, such as secondary structure content, long-range contacts, chemical shifts, and {sup 3}J(H{sub N}H{sub C{sub α}})-coupling constants. Most notably, the simulations reveal that a short fragment encompassing region 38-53, adjacent to the non-amyloid-β component region, exhibits a high probability of forming a β-hairpin; this fragment, when isolated from the remainder of α-synuclein, fluctuates frequently into its β-hairpin conformation. Two disease-prone mutations, namely, A30P and A53T, significantly accelerate the formation of a β-hairpin in the stated fragment. We conclude that the formation of a β-hairpin in region 38-53 is a key event during α-synuclein aggregation. We predict further that the G47V mutation impedes the formation of a turn in the β-hairpin and slows down β-hairpin formation, thereby retarding α-synuclein aggregation.

  20. How Hot Precursor Modify Island Nucleation: A Rate-Equation Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales-Cifuentes, Josue; Einstein, T. L.; Pimpinelli, Alberto

    2015-03-01

    We describe the analysis, based on rate equations, of the hot precursor model mentioned in the previous talk. Two key parameters are the competing times of ballistic monomers decaying into thermalized monomers vs. being captured by an island, which naturally define a ``thermalization'' scale for the system. We interpret the energies and dimmensionless parameters used in the model, and provide both an implicit analytic solution and a convenient asymptotic approximation. Further analysis reveals novel scaling regimes and nonmonotonic crossovers between them. To test our model, we applied it to experiments on parahexaphenyl (6P) on sputtered mica. With the resulting parameters, the curves derived from our analytic treatment account very well for the data at the 4 different temperatures. The fit shows that the high-flux regime corresponds not to ALA (attachment-limited aggregation) or HMA (hot monomer aggregation) but rather to an intermediate scaling regime related to DLA (diffusion-limited aggregation). We hope this work stimulates further experimental investigations. Work at UMD supported by NSF CHE 13-05892.

  1. Partial swelling of latex particles by two monomers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Noel, E.F.J.; Maxwell, I.A.; German, A.L.

    1993-01-01

    The swelling of polymeric latex particles with solvent and monomer is of great importance for the emulsion polymn. process in regard to compn. drift and rate of polymn. For the monomer combination, Me acrylate-vinyl acetate, both satn. and partial swelling were detd. exptl. Theories for satn.

  2. Keampferol-3-O-rhamnoside abrogates amyloid beta toxicity by modulating monomers and remodeling oligomers and fibrils to non-toxic aggregates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharoar Md

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Aggregation of soluble, monomeric β- amyloid (Aβ to oligomeric and then insoluble fibrillar Aβ is a key pathogenic feature in development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD. Increasing evidence suggests that toxicity is linked to diffusible Aβ oligomers, rather than to insoluble fibrils. The use of naturally occurring small molecules for inhibition of Aβ aggregation has recently attracted significant interest for development of effective therapeutic strategies against the disease. A natural polyphenolic flavone, Kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside (K-3-rh, was utilized to investigate its effects on aggregation and cytotoxic effects of Aβ42 peptide. Several biochemical techniques were used to determine the conformational changes and cytotoxic effect of the peptide in the presence and absence of K-3-rh. Results K-3-rh showed a dose-dependent effect against Aβ42 mediated cytotoxicity. Anti-amyloidogenic properties of K-3-rh were found to be efficient in inhibiting fibrilogenesis and secondary structural transformation of the peptide. The consequence of these inhibitions was the accumulation of oligomeric structural species. The accumulated aggregates were smaller, soluble, non-β-sheet and non-toxic aggregates, compared to preformed toxic Aβ oligomers. K-3-rh was also found to have the remodeling properties of preformed soluble oligomers and fibrils. Both of these conformers were found to remodel into non-toxic aggregates. The results showed that K-3-rh interacts with different Aβ conformers, which affects fibril formation, oligomeric maturation and fibrillar stabilization. Conclusion K-3-rh is an efficient molecule to hinder the self assembly and to abrogate the cytotoxic effects of Aβ42 peptide. Hence, K-3-rh and small molecules with similar structure might be considered for therapeutic development against AD.

  3. β-Hairpin of Islet Amyloid Polypeptide Bound to an Aggregation Inhibitor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirecka, Ewa A.; Feuerstein, Sophie; Gremer, Lothar; Schröder, Gunnar F.; Stoldt, Matthias; Willbold, Dieter; Hoyer, Wolfgang

    2016-01-01

    In type 2 diabetes, the formation of islet amyloid consisting of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) is associated with reduction in β-cell mass and contributes to the failure of islet cell transplantation. Rational design of inhibitors of IAPP amyloid formation has therapeutic potential, but is hampered by the lack of structural information on inhibitor complexes of the conformationally flexible, aggregation-prone IAPP. Here we characterize a β-hairpin conformation of IAPP in complex with the engineered binding protein β-wrapin HI18. The β-strands correspond to two amyloidogenic motifs, 12-LANFLVH-18 and 22-NFGAILS-28, which are connected by a turn established around Ser-20. Besides backbone hydrogen bonding, the IAPP:HI18 interaction surface is dominated by non-polar contacts involving hydrophobic side chains of the IAPP β-strands. Apart from monomers, HI18 binds oligomers and fibrils and inhibits IAPP aggregation and toxicity at low substoichiometric concentrations. The IAPP β-hairpin can serve as a molecular recognition motif enabling control of IAPP aggregation. PMID:27641459

  4. Folding Landscape of Mutant Huntingtin Exon1: Diffusible Multimers, Oligomers and Fibrils, and No Detectable Monomer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bankanidhi Sahoo

    Full Text Available Expansion of the polyglutamine (polyQ track of the Huntingtin (HTT protein above 36 is associated with a sharply enhanced risk of Huntington's disease (HD. Although there is general agreement that HTT toxicity resides primarily in N-terminal fragments such as the HTT exon1 protein, there is no consensus on the nature of the physical states of HTT exon1 that are induced by polyQ expansion, nor on which of these states might be responsible for toxicity. One hypothesis is that polyQ expansion induces an alternative, toxic conformation in the HTT exon1 monomer. Alternative hypotheses posit that the toxic species is one of several possible aggregated states. Defining the nature of the toxic species is particularly challenging because of facile interconversion between physical states as well as challenges to identifying these states, especially in vivo. Here we describe the use of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS to characterize the detailed time and repeat length dependent self-association of HTT exon1-like fragments both with chemically synthesized peptides in vitro and with cell-produced proteins in extracts and in living cells. We find that, in vitro, mutant HTT exon1 peptides engage in polyQ repeat length dependent dimer and tetramer formation, followed by time dependent formation of diffusible spherical and fibrillar oligomers and finally by larger, sedimentable amyloid fibrils. For expanded polyQ HTT exon1 expressed in PC12 cells, monomers are absent, with tetramers being the smallest molecular form detected, followed in the incubation time course by small, diffusible aggregates at 6-9 hours and larger, sedimentable aggregates that begin to build up at 12 hrs. In these cell cultures, significant nuclear DNA damage appears by 6 hours, followed at later times by caspase 3 induction, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death. Our data thus defines limits on the sizes and concentrations of different physical states of HTT exon1 along the

  5. Radiation-initiated emulsion copolymerization of styrene and carboxylic acid monomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egusa, S.; Makuuchi, K.

    1982-01-01

    The emulsion copolymerization of styrene and carboxylic acid monomers such as acrylic, methacrylic, and itaconic acids (AAc, MAAc, IAc) was studied by using 60 Co γ-rays as initiator and sodium dodecylsulfate as emulsifier. The polymerization behavior of these acid monomers was followed by simultaneous conductometric and potentiometric titrations for a latex sample taken in polymerization. The polymerization rate of these acid monomers increases in the following order of hydrophobicity: IAc < AAc < MAAc; this suggests that their polymerization sites are mainly the surface and/or subsurface regions of latex particles. The copolymerization rate of styrene and acid monomer increases with an increase in the acid monomer content for AAc and MAAc, whereas for IAc the rate decreases. The particle sizes determined by the stopped-flow method reveal that this variation of copolymerization rate cannot be explained by the number of growing particles and should be attributed to another factor; for instance, the transfer rate of styrene molecules from oil droplets to growing particles

  6. Use of Monomer Fraction Data in the Parametrization of Association Theories

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kontogeorgis, Georgios; Tsivintzelis, Ioannis; von Solms, Nicolas

    2010-01-01

    the monomer fraction of hydrogen bonding compounds and their mixtures. Monomer fraction data are obtained from spectroscopic measurements and they are available for a few compounds such as pure water and alcohols as well as for some alcohol–alkane and similar mixtures. These data are useful...... “improved” model parameters can be obtained if monomer fraction data are included in the parameter estimation together with vapor pressures and liquid densities. The expression “improved” implies parameters which can represent several pure compound properties as well as monomer fraction data for pure......, liquid densities and monomer fractions of water and alcohols. The 4C scheme is the best choice for water, while for methanol there is small difference between the 2B and 3B association schemes....

  7. A nanoscale bio-inspired light-harvesting system developed from self-assembled alkyl-functionalized metallochlorin nano-aggregates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ocakoglu, Kasim; Joya, Khurram S.; Harputlu, Ersan; Tarnowska, Anna; Gryko, Daniel T.

    2014-07-01

    Self-assembled supramolecular organization of nano-structured biomimetic light-harvesting modules inside solid-state nano-templates can be exploited to develop excellent light-harvesting materials for artificial photosynthetic devices. We present here a hybrid light-harvesting system mimicking the chlorosomal structures of the natural photosynthetic system using synthetic zinc chlorin units (ZnChl-C6, ZnChl-C12 and ZnChl-C18) that are self-aggregated inside the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nano-channel membranes. AAO nano-templates were modified with a TiO2 matrix and functionalized with long hydrophobic chains to facilitate the formation of supramolecular Zn-chlorin aggregates. The transparent Zn-chlorin nano-aggregates inside the alkyl-TiO2 modified AAO nano-channels have a diameter of ~120 nm in a 60 μm length channel. UV-Vis studies and fluorescence emission spectra further confirm the formation of the supramolecular ZnChl aggregates from monomer molecules inside the alkyl-functionalized nano-channels. Our results prove that the novel and unique method can be used to produce efficient and stable light-harvesting assemblies for effective solar energy capture through transparent and stable nano-channel ceramic materials modified with bio-mimetic molecular self-assembled nano-aggregates.Self-assembled supramolecular organization of nano-structured biomimetic light-harvesting modules inside solid-state nano-templates can be exploited to develop excellent light-harvesting materials for artificial photosynthetic devices. We present here a hybrid light-harvesting system mimicking the chlorosomal structures of the natural photosynthetic system using synthetic zinc chlorin units (ZnChl-C6, ZnChl-C12 and ZnChl-C18) that are self-aggregated inside the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nano-channel membranes. AAO nano-templates were modified with a TiO2 matrix and functionalized with long hydrophobic chains to facilitate the formation of supramolecular Zn-chlorin aggregates. The

  8. Scientific Datasets: Discovery and Aggregation for Semantic Interpretation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, L. A.; Scott, S.; Khalsa, S. J. S.; Duerr, R.

    2015-12-01

    One of the biggest challenges that interdisciplinary researchers face is finding suitable datasets in order to advance their science; this problem remains consistent across multiple disciplines. A surprising number of scientists, when asked what tool they use for data discovery, reply "Google", which is an acceptable solution in some cases but not even Google can find -or cares to compile- all the data that's relevant for science and particularly geo sciences. If a dataset is not discoverable through a well known search provider it will remain dark data to the scientific world.For the past year, BCube, an EarthCube Building Block project, has been developing, testing and deploying a technology stack capable of data discovery at web-scale using the ultimate dataset: The Internet. This stack has 2 principal components, a web-scale crawling infrastructure and a semantic aggregator. The web-crawler is a modified version of Apache Nutch (the originator of Hadoop and other big data technologies) that has been improved and tailored for data and data service discovery. The second component is semantic aggregation, carried out by a python-based workflow that extracts valuable metadata and stores it in the form of triples through the use semantic technologies.While implementing the BCube stack we have run into several challenges such as a) scaling the project to cover big portions of the Internet at a reasonable cost, b) making sense of very diverse and non-homogeneous data, and lastly, c) extracting facts about these datasets using semantic technologies in order to make them usable for the geosciences community. Despite all these challenges we have proven that we can discover and characterize data that otherwise would have remained in the dark corners of the Internet. Having all this data indexed and 'triplelized' will enable scientists to access a trove of information relevant to their work in a more natural way. An important characteristic of the BCube stack is that all

  9. Viscosity and transient electric birefringence study of clay colloidal aggregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakk, Audun; Fossum, Jon O; da Silva, Geraldo J; Adland, Hans M; Mikkelsen, Arne; Elgsaeter, Arnljot

    2002-02-01

    We study a synthetic clay suspension of laponite at different particle and NaCl concentrations by measuring stationary shear viscosity and transient electrically induced birefringence (TEB). On one hand the viscosity data are consistent with the particles being spheres and the particles being associated with large amount bound water. On the other hand the viscosity data are also consistent with the particles being asymmetric, consistent with single laponite platelets associated with a very few monolayers of water. We analyze the TEB data by employing two different models of aggregate size (effective hydrodynamic radius) distribution: (1) bidisperse model and (2) log-normal distributed model. Both models fit, in the same manner, fairly well to the experimental TEB data and they indicate that the suspension consists of polydisperse particles. The models also appear to confirm that the aggregates increase in size vs increasing ionic strength. The smallest particles at low salt concentrations seem to be monomers and oligomers.

  10. pH-Sensitive polymer assisted self-aggregation of bis(pyrene) in living cells in situ with turn-on fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duan, Zhongyu; Gao, Yu-Juan; Wang, Yongmei; Hou, Chunyuan; Qiao, Zeng-Ying; Qiao, Shenglin; Wang, Lei; Wang, Hao

    2015-01-01

    Supramolecular self-assemblies with various nanostructures in organic and aqueous solutions have been prepared with desired functions. However, in situ construction of self-assembled superstructures in physiological conditions to achieve expected biological functions remains a challenge. Here, we report a supramolecular system to realize the in situ formation of nanoaggregates in living cells. The bis(pyrene) monomers were dispersed inside of hydrophobic domains of pH-sensitive polymeric micelles and delivered to the lysosomes of cells. In the acidic lysosomes, the bis(pyrene) monomers were released and self-aggregated with turn-on fluorescence. We envision this strategy for in situ construction of supramolecular nanostructures in living cells will pave the way for molecular diagnostics in the future. (paper)

  11. Piecewise Polynomial Aggregation as Preprocessing for Data Numerical Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobronets, B. S.; Popova, O. A.

    2018-05-01

    Data aggregation issues for numerical modeling are reviewed in the present study. The authors discuss data aggregation procedures as preprocessing for subsequent numerical modeling. To calculate the data aggregation, the authors propose using numerical probabilistic analysis (NPA). An important feature of this study is how the authors represent the aggregated data. The study shows that the offered approach to data aggregation can be interpreted as the frequency distribution of a variable. To study its properties, the density function is used. For this purpose, the authors propose using the piecewise polynomial models. A suitable example of such approach is the spline. The authors show that their approach to data aggregation allows reducing the level of data uncertainty and significantly increasing the efficiency of numerical calculations. To demonstrate the degree of the correspondence of the proposed methods to reality, the authors developed a theoretical framework and considered numerical examples devoted to time series aggregation.

  12. In situ polymerization of vinyl monomers in polyester yarns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avny, Y.; Rebenfeld, L.; Weigmann, H.D.

    1978-01-01

    The effects of a pretreatment of polyester (PET) yarns with a strongly interacting solvent such as dimethylformamide (DMF) on vinyl monomer incorporation were investigated. When the DMF pretreatment is carried out at high temperatures (above 120 0 C), the swollen PET structure is stabilized by solvent-induced secondary crystallization. This substrate is highly suitable for the incorporation of vinyl monomers. In situ polymerization of vinyl monomers in DMF-treated PET was investigated using chemical and γ-irradiation polymerization techniques, both in the presence and in the absence of excess monomer outside the PET fibers. When polymerization was carried out in a system in which a constant supply of free radicals was available from the outside of the PET fibers, lower initiator concentrations and smaller γ-irradiation doses were necessary. These results are attributed to a low efficiency of the initiator inside the PET fiber due to mobility restrictions. Water uptake and moisture regain of PET yarns containing poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and poly(acrylic acid) were also investigated. When most of the vinyl polymer was inside the PET fiber, water absorption was limited. The changes in mechanical properties of the PET yarns resulting from the DMF pretreatment were partially reversed by in situ polymerization of vinyl monomers

  13. Base-catalyzed depolymerization of lignin : separation of monomers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vigneault, A. [Sherbrooke Univ., PQ (Canada). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Johnson, D.K. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States); Chornet, E. [Sherbrooke Univ., PQ (Canada). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States)

    2007-12-15

    Biofuels produced from residual lignocellulosic biomass range from ethanol to biodiesel. The use of lignin for the production of alternate biofuels and green chemicals has been studied with particular emphasis on the structure of lignin and its oxyaromatic nature. In an effort to fractionate lignocellulosic biomass and valorize specific constitutive fractions, the authors developed a strategy for the separation of 12 added value monomers produced during the hydrolytic base catalyzed depolymerization (BCD) of a Steam Exploded Aspen Lignin. The separation strategy was similar to vanillin purification to obtain pure monomers, but combining more steps after the lignin depolymerization such as acidification, batch liquid-liquid-extraction (LLE), followed by vacuum distillation, liquid chromatography (LC) and crystallization. The purpose was to develop basic data for an industrial size process flow diagram, and to evaluate both the monomer losses during the separation and the energy requirements. Experimentally testing of LLE, vacuum distillation and flash LC in the laboratory showed that batch vacuum distillation produced up to 4 fractions. Process simulation revealed that a series of 4 vacuum distillation columns could produce 5 distinct monomer streams, of which 3 require further chromatography and crystallization operations for purification. 22 refs., 4 tabs., 8 figs.

  14. Studies on curing effect of phosphite monomer by EB radiation in the air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiao, B.; Zhou, Y.; Li, S.; Luo, M.; Wang, X.; Zhao, P.

    2000-01-01

    A new type phosphite active monomer was synthesized. The resisting oxygen inhibition effect of this monomer and the effects of irradiation dose and concentration of phosphite active monomer on curing were studied. At the same time, curing results were analysed, through gel content and IR spectrum. The excellent resisting oxygen inhibition result of this phosphite active monomer was shown by experiments. EB radiation curing in the air was successfully carried out by the phosphite active monomer. (author)

  15. CO partial pressure dependence of the kinetics of melting of HbS aggregates studied in high concentration phosphate buffer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aroutiounian, Svetlana

    2002-10-01

    Deoxygenated sickle cell hemoglobin (HbS) monomers enter the polymer phase either by incorporation into a critical nucleus, through heterogeneous nucleation and or through linear growth of the polymers when the concentration of monomers exceeds the solubility. CO-bound, R-state HbS monomers do not polymerize. Thus, polymer melting is enhanced by binding of carbon monoxide (CO) to HbS polymerized monomers. In our study, the melting of HbS aggregates mediated by dilution and CO binding to polymerized monomers is observed with time-resolved extinction spectroscopy. The CO partial pressure (pCO) dependence of the kinetics of melting is studied for pCO = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 atm with difference progress curves. A phenomenological description with slow and fast relaxation modes reveals a variable relaxation time near the pCO=0.5 due to competition of kinetic mechanisms. The slow component increases with increasing pCO. It has a positive intercept due to the combined action of dilution of the sample and CO-ligation. The pCO dependence is near linear due to non-cooperative CO binding. Significant slowing down of aged samples, most likely due to gelation, is observed. As possible mechanism for variable relaxation time near pCO=0.5atm the fractional percolation threshold is discussed. This work was supported by NIH grant HL58091 (awarded to Daniel. B. Kim-Shapiro).

  16. Influence of the extracted solute on the aggregation of malonamide extractant in organic phases: Consequences for phase stability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berthon, L.; Martinet, L.; Testard, F.; Madic, Ch.; Zem, Th.

    2010-01-01

    Due to their amphiphilic properties, malonamide molecules in alkane are organized in reverse micelle type aggregates, composed of a polar core formed by the malonamide polar heads and the extracted solutes, and surrounded by a hydrophobic shell made up of the extractant alkyl chains. The aggregates interact with one another through an attractive potential, leading to the formation of a third phase. This occurs with the splitting of the organic phase into a light phase composed mostly of diluent, and a heavy third phase containing highly concentrated extractant and solutes. In this article, we show that the aggregation (monomer concentration, domain of stability, and attractive potential between micelles) greatly depends on the nature of the extracted solute, whereas the size of aggregate (aggregation number) is only slightly influenced by this. We describe the extraction of water, nitric acid, neodymium nitrate and uranyl nitrate. Strongly polarizable species induce consistently large attraction potentials and a small stability domain for the dispersion of nano-droplets in the solvent. Highly polarizable ions such as lanthanides or uranyl induce more long-range attractive interactions than do protons. (authors)

  17. Glass/Jamming Transition in Colloidal Aggregation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segre, Philip N.; Prasad, Vikram; Weitz, David A.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    We have studied colloidal aggregation in a model colloid plus polymer system with short-range attractive interactions. By varying the colloid concentration and the strength of the attraction, we explored regions where the equilibrium phase is expected to consist of colloidal crystallites in coexistance with colloidal gas (i.e. monomers). This occurs for moderate values of the potential depth, U approximately equal to 2-5 kT. Crystallization was not always observed. Rather, over an extended sub-region two new metastable phases appear, one fluid-like and one solid-like. These were examined in detail with light scattering and microscopy techniques. Both phases consist of a near uniform distribution of small irregular shaped clusters of colloidal particles. The dynamical and structural characteristics of the ergodic-nonergodic transition between the two phases share much in common with the colloidal hard sphere glass transition.

  18. Determination of critical nucleation number for a single nucleation amyloid-β aggregation model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Preetam; Vaidya, Ashwin; Kumar, Amit; Rangachari, Vijayaraghavan

    2016-03-01

    Aggregates of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide are known to be the key pathological agents in Alzheimer disease (AD). Aβ aggregates to form large, insoluble fibrils that deposit as senile plaques in AD brains. The process of aggregation is nucleation-dependent in which the formation of a nucleus is the rate-limiting step, and controls the physiochemical fate of the aggregates formed. Therefore, understanding the properties of nucleus and pre-nucleation events will be significant in reducing the existing knowledge-gap in AD pathogenesis. In this report, we have determined the plausible range of critical nucleation number (n(*)), the number of monomers associated within the nucleus for a homogenous aggregation model with single unique nucleation event, by two independent methods: A reduced-order stability analysis and ordinary differential equation based numerical analysis, supported by experimental biophysics. The results establish that the most likely range of n(*) is between 7 and 14 and within, this range, n(*) = 12 closely supports the experimental data. These numbers are in agreement with those previously reported, and importantly, the report establishes a new modeling framework using two independent approaches towards a convergent solution in modeling complex aggregation reactions. Our model also suggests that the formation of large protofibrils is dependent on the nature of n(*), further supporting the idea that pre-nucleation events are significant in controlling the fate of larger aggregates formed. This report has re-opened an old problem with a new perspective and holds promise towards revealing the molecular events in amyloid pathologies in the future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Structural Analysis and Aggregation Propensity of Pyroglutamate Aβ(3-40 in Aqueous Trifluoroethanol.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina Dammers

    Full Text Available A hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD is the accumulation of extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ plaques in the brains of patients. N-terminally truncated pyroglutamate-modified Aβ (pEAβ has been described as a major compound of Aβ species in senile plaques. pEAβ is more resistant to degradation, shows higher toxicity and has increased aggregation propensity and β-sheet stabilization compared to non-modified Aβ. Here we characterized recombinant pEAβ(3-40 in aqueous trifluoroethanol (TFE solution regarding its aggregation propensity and structural changes in comparison to its non-pyroglutamate-modified variant Aβ(1-40. Secondary structure analysis by circular dichroism spectroscopy suggests that pEAβ(3-40 shows an increased tendency to form β-sheet-rich structures in 20% TFE containing solutions where Aβ(1-40 forms α-helices. Aggregation kinetics of pEAβ(3-40 in the presence of 20% TFE monitored by thioflavin-T (ThT assay showed a typical sigmoidal aggregation in contrast to Aβ(1-40, which lacks ThT positive structures under the same conditions. Transmission electron microscopy confirms that pEAβ(3-40 aggregated to large fibrils and high molecular weight aggregates in spite of the presence of the helix stabilizing co-solvent TFE. High resolution NMR spectroscopy of recombinantly produced and uniformly isotope labeled [U-15N]-pEAβ(3-40 in TFE containing solutions indicates that the pyroglutamate formation affects significantly the N-terminal region, which in turn leads to decreased monomer stability and increased aggregation propensity.

  20. In situ polymerization of monomers for polyphenylquinoxaline-graphite fiber composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serafini, T. T.; Delvigs, P.; Vannucci, R. D.

    1974-01-01

    In situ polymerization of monomers was used to prepare graphite-fiber-reinforced polyphenylquinoxaline composites. Six different monomer combinations were investigated. Composite mechanical property retention characteristics were determined at 316 C (600 F) over an extended time period.

  1. Kinetics of the monomer-dimer reaction of yeast hexokinase PI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoggett, J G; Kellett, G L

    1992-10-15

    Kinetic studies of the glucose-dependent monomer-dimer reaction of yeast hexokinase PI at pH 8.0 in the presence of 0.1 M-KCl have been carried out using the fluorescence temperature-jump technique. A slow-relaxation effect was observed which was attributed from its dependence on enzyme concentration to the monomer-dimer reaction; the reciprocal relaxation times tau-1 varied from 3 s-1 at low concentrations of glucose to 42 s-1 at saturating concentrations. Rate constants for association (kass.) and dissociation (kdiss.) were determined as a function of glucose concentration using values of the equilibrium association constant of the monomer-dimer reaction derived from sedimentation ultracentrifugation studies under similar conditions, and also from the dependence of tau-2 on enzyme concentration. kass. was almost independent of glucose concentration and its value (2 x 10(5) M-1.s-1) was close to that expected for a diffusion-controlled process. The influence of glucose on the monomer-dimer reaction is entirely due to effects on kdiss., which increases from 0.21 s-1 in the absence of glucose to 25 s-1 at saturating concentrations. The monomer and dimer forms of hexokinase have different affinities and Km values for glucose, and the results reported here imply that there may be a significant lag in the response of the monomer-dimer reaction to changes in glucose concentrations in vivo with consequent hysteretic effects on the hexokinase activity.

  2. The LOMOsup(R) process: a solution for residual monomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Derbyshire, R.L.

    1979-01-01

    Regulatory activity over the last several years has addressed the potential problems associated with the migration of residual monomers from a number of commodity food packages. Regardless of the outcome of current debates, it will always be desirable to reduce monomer levels to as low a level as economically practicable so that they do not become indirect additives. The LOMO process is a body of technology inclusive of an ionizing radiation treatment which can result in sharp reduction of residual monomer levels in commodity plastic resins. The process may be applicable to factory intermediates, raw resins, or finished articles. Depending upon the individual system and its monomers, LOMO treatment can result in reductions to levels which press today's analytical test capability. Industrial radiation processing is normally accomplished with electron beam accelerators. Electron beam processing continues to gain in understanding and acceptance as one of the very few basic methods by which energy can be imparted to an industrial process system. Typically, whole factories are constructed around one accelerator. (author)

  3. Congo red and protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frid, Petrea; Anisimov, Sergey V; Popovic, Natalija

    2007-01-01

    Congo red is a commonly used histological dye for amyloid detection. The specificity of this staining results from Congo red's affinity for binding to fibril proteins enriched in beta-sheet conformation. Unexpectedly, recent investigations indicate that the dye also possesses the capacity to interfere with processes of protein misfolding and aggregation, stabilizing native protein monomers or partially folded intermediates, while reducing concentration of more toxic protein oligomers. Inhibitory effects of Congo red upon amyloid toxicity may also range from blockade of channel formation and interference with glycosaminoglycans binding or immune functions, to the modulation of gene expression. Particularly, Congo red exhibits ameliorative effect in models of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and prion diseases. Another interesting application of Congo red analogues is the development of imaging probes. Based on their small molecular size and penetrability through blood-brain barrier, Congo red congeners can be used for both antemortem and in vivo visualization and quantification of brain amyloids. Therefore, understanding mechanisms involved in dye-amyloidal fibril binding and inhibition of aggregation will provide instructive guides for the design of future compounds, potentially useful for monitoring and treating neurodegenerative diseases.

  4. Solubility of mixed monomers of tetrafluoroethylene and propylene in water and latex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, Hiromasa; Okamoto, Jiro

    1978-03-01

    For kinetical analysis of the emulsion copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene with propylene and selection of the optimum reaction conditions, the monomer concentrations and composition of the polymer particle were measured and the relations with reaction conditions were determined. Solubilities of tetrafluoroethylene and propylene in water increase with pressure. solubility of propylene is larger than that of tetrafluoroethylene. Solubility of the mixed monomers in water and latex increases with pressure and propylene concentration and decreases with temperature. Propylene concentration in the dissolved monomers is dependent on its concentration in the gas phase and independent of pressure and temperature. The monomer concentrations and the composition were estimated from measurements. Under propylene concentration in the gas phase of 0 to 40 wt % at 30 Kg/cm 2 G and 40 0 C, the monomer concentration and propylene fraction of the polymer particle are 17 -- 27% and 0 -- 62% respectively. The amount of propylene in the particle increases with its fraction in the gas phase, but the amount of tetrafluoroethylene is independent of its fraction in the gas phase. Monomer composition of the polymer particle is dependent on monomer composition of the gas phase and independent of temperature and pressure. The concentration in the polymer particle is 17% at propylene concentration 10 mole % in the gas phase. (auth.)

  5. Thermodynamics of swelling of latex particles with two monomers: a sensitivity analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Maxwell, I.A.; Noel, E.F.J.; Schoonbrood, H.A.S.; German, A.L.

    1993-01-01

    A sensitivity anal. is performed to det. at what conditions the simplified model for swelling of latex particles by two monomers or two solvents is valid. This model proposes that, inter alia, the fractions of two monomers in the latex particles and in the monomer droplets are equal. The model is a

  6. Engineered aggregation inhibitor fusion for production of highly amyloidogenic human islet amyloid polypeptide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirecka, Ewa Agnieszka; Gremer, Lothar; Schiefer, Stephanie; Oesterhelt, Filipp; Stoldt, Matthias; Willbold, Dieter; Hoyer, Wolfgang

    2014-12-10

    Human islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) is the major component of pancreatic amyloid deposits in type 2 diabetes. The structural conversion of IAPP from a monomeric state into amyloid assemblies is the subject of intense research. Recombinant production of IAPP is, however, difficult due to its extreme aggregation propensity. Here we describe a novel strategy for expression of IAPP in Escherichia coli, based on an engineered protein tag, which sequesters IAPP monomers and prevents IAPP aggregation. The IAPP-binding protein HI18 was selected by phage display from a β-wrapin library. Fusion of HI18 to IAPP enabled the soluble expression of the construct. IAPP was cleaved from the fusion construct and purified to homogeneity with a yield of 3mg of isotopically labeled peptide per liter of culture. In the monomeric state, IAPP was largely disordered as evidenced by far-UV CD and liquid-state NMR spectroscopy but competent to form amyloid fibrils according to atomic force microscopy. These results demonstrate the ability of the engineered β-wrapin HI18 for shielding the hydrophobic sequence of IAPP during expression and purification. Fusion of aggregation-inhibiting β-wrapins is a suitable approach for the recombinant production of aggregation-prone proteins. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. π–π-Induced aggregation and single-crystal fluorescence anisotropy of 5,6,10b-triazaacephenanthrylene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katarzyna Ostrowska

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The structural origin of absorption and fluorescence anisotropy of the single crystal of the π-conjugated heterocyclic system 5,6,10b-triazaacephenanthrylene, TAAP, is presented in this study. X-ray analysis shows that the crystal framework in the space group P\\overline{1} is formed by centrosymmetric dimers of face-to-face mutually oriented TAAP molecules joined by π–π non-covalent interactions. The conformation of the TAAP molecule is stabilized by intramolecular C—H...N(sp2, N(sp2H...π(CN, and C—H...O(sp2 hydrogen bonds. The presence of weak π–π interactions is confirmed by quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM and non-covalent interaction (NCI analysis. The analysis of the optical spectra of TAAP in solution and in the solid state does not allow the specification of the aggregation type. DFT calculations for the dimer in the gas phase indicate that the lowest singlet excitation is forbidden by symmetry, suggesting H-type aggregation, even though the overall absorption spectrum is bathochromically shifted as for the J-type. The experimental determination of the permanent dipole moment of a TAAP molecule in 1,4-dioxane solution indicates the presence of the monomer form. The calculated absorption and emission spectra of the crystal in a simple approximation are consistent with the experimentally determined orientation of the absorption and emission transition dipole moments in TAAP single crystals. The electrostatic interaction between monomers with a permanent dipole moment (ca 4 D each could result in the unusual spectroscopic JH-aggregate behaviour of the TAAP dimer.

  8. Evaluation of level of impregnation monomers in hydrotalcite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carmo, Danieli M. do; Machado, Jacson S.C.; Oliveira, Marcelo F.L.; Oliveira, Marcia G.; Soares, Bluma G.

    2011-01-01

    To evaluate the impregnation degree of 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate and 1,4-butanediol monomers in hydrotalcite clays it was prepared dispersions with mixing ratio 1:100 (clay/monomer), using the Ultraturrax and Ultrasound. Subsequently the samples were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction. Swelling tests and Tyndall effect were used to illustrate the different dispersions. The results indicated a strong interaction between the hydrotalcite with 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, favoring the formation of intercalated structures. (author)

  9. Step growth of an AB2 monomer, with cycle formation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cameron, Colin; Fawcett, Allan H.; Hetherington, Cecil R.

    1998-01-01

    A computer-based lattice model of the step growth reaction of an AB2 monomer, the next elaborate system after an AB monomer, has been devised that allows the simultaneous and explicit occurrence of inter- and intramolecular reactions of A and B groups of the flexible and moving molecules according...... with fractal characteristics. Growth stops when each molecule contains a cycle. For the model explored, in which six lattice sites are used for each monomer, the limiting value of the number average degree of polymerization, 〈x〉n,∞, is 14.6(±0.3) (after infinite time). The occurrence within the system of rings...... of m residues (m=1,2,3,...) is found to depend upon m and the extent of reaction of the A groups, pa, according to Rm=C0pm am-2.71, the constant C0 reflecting the structure of the lattice and the monomer, and being shown to determine the final degree of polymerization. The exponent of the integers m...

  10. Spectral and Temporal Properties of the Alpha and Beta Subunits and (alpha Beta) Monomer Isolated from Nostoc SP. Using Picosecond Laser Spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dagen, Aaron J.

    1985-12-01

    The fluorescence decay profiles, relative quantum yield and transmission of the (alpha), (beta) and ((alpha)(beta)) complexes from phycoerythrin isolated from the photosynthetic antenna system of Nostoc sp. and measured by single picosecond laser spectroscopic techniques is studied. The fluorescence decay profiles of all three complexes are found to be intensity independent for the intensity range investigated ((TURN)4 x 10('13) to (TURN)4 x 10('15) photons-cm('-2) per pulse). The apparent decrease in the relative quantum yield of all three complexes as intensity increases is offset by a corresponding increase in the relative transmission. This evidence, along with the intensity independent fluorescence kinetics, suggests that exciton annihilation is absent in these complexes. The decay profiles are fit to models assuming energy transfer amongst fluorescing chromophores. The intraprotein transfer rate is found to be 100 ps in the (alpha) subunit, 666 ps in the (beta) subunit. Constraining these rates to be identical in the monomer results in explaining the monomer kinetics by an increase in the nonradiative rate of the f(,(beta)) chromophore, an apparent result of aggregation effects.

  11. 46 CFR 151.50-34 - Vinyl chloride (vinyl chloride monomer).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Vinyl chloride (vinyl chloride monomer). 151.50-34... chloride (vinyl chloride monomer). (a) Copper, aluminum, magnesium, mercury, silver, and their alloys shall... equipment that may come in contact with vinyl chloride liquid or vapor. (b) Valves, flanges, and pipe...

  12. A nanoscale bio-inspired light-harvesting system developed from self-assembled alkyl-functionalized metallochlorin nano-aggregates

    KAUST Repository

    Ocakoǧlu, Kasim; Joya, Khurram Saleem; Harputlu, Ersan; Tarnowska, Anna; Gryko, Daniel T.

    2014-01-01

    Self-assembled supramolecular organization of nano-structured biomimetic light-harvesting modules inside solid-state nano-templates can be exploited to develop excellent light-harvesting materials for artificial photosynthetic devices. We present here a hybrid light-harvesting system mimicking the chlorosomal structures of the natural photosynthetic system using synthetic zinc chlorin units (ZnChl-C6, ZnChl-C12 and ZnChl-C 18) that are self-aggregated inside the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nano-channel membranes. AAO nano-templates were modified with a TiO2 matrix and functionalized with long hydrophobic chains to facilitate the formation of supramolecular Zn-chlorin aggregates. The transparent Zn-chlorin nano-aggregates inside the alkyl-TiO2 modified AAO nano-channels have a diameter of ∼120 nm in a 60 μm length channel. UV-Vis studies and fluorescence emission spectra further confirm the formation of the supramolecular ZnChl aggregates from monomer molecules inside the alkyl-functionalized nano-channels. Our results prove that the novel and unique method can be used to produce efficient and stable light-harvesting assemblies for effective solar energy capture through transparent and stable nano-channel ceramic materials modified with bio-mimetic molecular self-assembled nano-aggregates. © 2014 the Partner Organisations.

  13. Hail formation triggers rapid ash aggregation in volcanic plumes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Eaton, Alexa R; Mastin, Larry G; Herzog, Michael; Schwaiger, Hans F; Schneider, David J; Wallace, Kristi L; Clarke, Amanda B

    2015-08-03

    During explosive eruptions, airborne particles collide and stick together, accelerating the fallout of volcanic ash and climate-forcing aerosols. This aggregation process remains a major source of uncertainty both in ash dispersal forecasting and interpretation of eruptions from the geological record. Here we illuminate the mechanisms and timescales of particle aggregation from a well-characterized 'wet' eruption. The 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, incorporated water from the surface (in this case, a glacier), which is a common occurrence during explosive volcanism worldwide. Observations from C-band weather radar, fall deposits and numerical modelling demonstrate that hail-forming processes in the eruption plume triggered aggregation of ∼95% of the fine ash and stripped much of the erupted mass out of the atmosphere within 30 min. Based on these findings, we propose a mechanism of hail-like ash aggregation that contributes to the anomalously rapid fallout of fine ash and occurrence of concentrically layered aggregates in volcanic deposits.

  14. Synthesis and characterization of novel organotin carboxylate maleimide monomers and copolymers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Two novel tributyltin carboxylate maleimide monomers, tributyltin(maleimidoacetate and tributyltin(4-maleimidobenzoate, were synthesized by condensation reaction of maleimidoacetic acid or 4-maleimidobenzoic acid with bis(tributyltin oxide. Copolymerization of these monomers with styrene was carried in dioxane at 70°C using asobisisobutyronitrile as free radical initiator. The structures of monomers and copolymers were confirmed by FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared, 1H and 13C NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The copolymers were characterized by solubility and thermal analysis.

  15. Towards high resolution ^1H NMR spectra of tannin colloidal aggregates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirabel, M.; Glories, Y.; Pianet, I.; Dufourc, E. J.

    1999-10-01

    The time dependent colloidal formation of tannins in hydro-alcoholic medium has been studied by 1H-NMR. Line broadening observed with time can be cancelled by making use of magic angle sample spinning (MASS) thus yielding sharp lines that allow structural studies. We used as an example catechin, a constitutive monomer of Bordeaux young red wine tannins. Chemical shift variations of polyphenol protons allow monitoring the time course of aggregation. La formation de tanins colloïdaux au cours du temps, en milieu hydroalcoolique, a été suivie par RMN-^1H. Un élargissement marqué des résonances est observé et peut être supprimé par la rotation de l'échantillon à l'angle magique ce qui ouvre tout un champ d'études structurales sur ces composés colloïdaux. L'exemple proposé est celui de la catéchine, monomère constitutif de tannins présents en grande quantité dans les vins rouges jeunes de Bordeaux. Des variations du déplacement chimique de certains protons polyphénoliques permettent de suivre l'évolution temporelle de l'agrégation.

  16. Kinetics of monomer biodegradation in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siotto, Michela; Sezenna, Elena; Saponaro, Sabrina; Innocenti, Francesco Degli; Tosin, Maurizio; Bonomo, Luca; Mezzanotte, Valeria

    2012-01-01

    In modern intensive agriculture, plastics are used in several applications (i.e. mulch films, drip irrigation tubes, string, clips, pots, etc.). Interest towards applying biodegradable plastics to replace the conventional plastics is promising. Ten monomers, which can be applied in the synthesis of potentially biodegradable polyesters, were tested according to ASTM 5988-96 (standard respirometric test to evaluate aerobic biodegradation in soil by measuring the carbon dioxide evolution): adipic acid, azelaic acid, 1,4-butanediol, 1,2-ethanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, lactic acid, glucose, sebacic acid, succinic acid and terephthalic acid. Eight replicates were carried out for each monomer for 27-45 days. The numerical code AQUASIM was applied to process the CO₂ experimental data in order to estimate values for the parameters describing the different mechanisms occurring to the monomers in soil: i) the first order solubilization kinetic constant, K(sol) (d⁻¹); ii) the first order biodegradation kinetic constant, K(b) (d⁻¹); iii) the lag time in biodegradation, t(lag) (d); and iv) the carbon fraction biodegraded but not transformed into CO₂, Y (-). The following range of values were obtained: [0.006 d⁻¹, 6.9 d⁻¹] for K(sol), [0.1 d⁻¹, 1.2 d⁻¹] for K(b), and [0.32-0.58] for Y; t(lag) was observed for azelaic acid, 1,2-ethanediol, and terephthalic acid, with estimated values between 3.0 e 4.9 d. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Investigation on physical behavior of styrene wood-polymer in different concentrations of monomer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    maryam ghorbani

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This research was conducted to study the effect of different concentrations of styrene lumen monomer on the physical properties of beech wood. Physical test samples were prepared according to ASTM-D1037 standard and treated with vacuum-pressure method at five concentration levels; 0, 40, 60, 80 and 100 percent of soluble monomer. For polymerization, treated samples were heated in oven for two 24-hour period at 90 and 103ºC respectively. Monomer and polymer absorption, density variation, water absorption, swelling and anti-swelling efficiency (ASE were determined. According to the results, Monomer and polymer absorption were increment by monomer concentration increase, and they were reported 38.2% and 26% in highest level. With polymer absorption enhancement, density of wood increased from 0/63g/cm³ in control to 0/91g/cm³ in the highest monomer concentration level that reduces pores in wood-polymer structure. Absorbed polymer enhancement decreased hydrophilicity and dimensional changes of treated samples, so that water absorption and swelling volume of the samples saturated with 100% concentration of monomer were decreased 64% and 45.3% after the longest immersion time. Highest Anti-swelling efficiency of Styrene-saturated samples was determined 56.15% in the maximum concentration level of treatment.

  18. Binding interactions between suberin monomer components and pesticides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Olivella, M.À., E-mail: angels.olivella@udg.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering, Escola Politècnica Superior, Universitat de Girona, Maria Aurèlia Capmany, 61, 17071 Girona (Spain); Bazzicalupi, C.; Bianchi, A. [Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia, 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy); Río, J.C. del [Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, P.O. Box 1052, 41080 Seville (Spain); Fiol, N.; Villaescusa, I. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Escola Politècnica Superior, Universitat de Girona, Maria Aurèlia Capmany, 61, 17071 Girona (Spain)

    2015-09-15

    Understanding the role of biomacromolecules and their interactions with pollutants is a key for elucidating the sorption mechanisms and making an accurate assessment of the environmental fate of pollutants. The knowledge of the sorption properties of the different constituents of these biomacromolecules may furnish a significant contribution to this purpose. Suberin is a very abundant biopolymer in higher plants. In this study, suberin monomers isolated from cork were analyzed by thermally-assisted methylation with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) in a pyrolysis unit coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The isolated monomer mixture was used to study the sorption of three pesticides (isoproturon, methomyl and oxamyl). The modes of pesticide–sorbent interactions were analyzed by means of two modeling calculations, the first one representing only the mixture of suberin monomers used in the sorption study, and the second one including glycerol to the mixture of suberin monomers, as a building block of the suberin molecule. The results indicated that the highest sorption capacity exhibited by the sorbent was for isoproturon (33%) being methomyl and oxamyl sorbed by the main suberin components to a lesser extent (3% and < 1%, respectively). In addition to van der Waals interactions with the apolar region of sorbent and isoproturon, modeling calculations evidenced the formation of a hydrogen bond between the isoproturon NH group and a carboxylic oxygen atom of a suberin monomer. In the case of methomyl and oxamyl only weak van der Waals interactions stabilize the pesticide–sorbent adducts. The presence of glycerol in the model provoked significant changes in the interactions with isoproturon and methomyl. - Highlights: • Suberin has low affinity to retain pesticides of aliphatic character. • Suberin has a moderate affinity to adsorb isoproturon. • Modeling calculations show that apolar portion of suberin interacts with isoproturon.

  19. Binding interactions between suberin monomer components and pesticides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olivella, M.À.; Bazzicalupi, C.; Bianchi, A.; Río, J.C. del; Fiol, N.; Villaescusa, I.

    2015-01-01

    Understanding the role of biomacromolecules and their interactions with pollutants is a key for elucidating the sorption mechanisms and making an accurate assessment of the environmental fate of pollutants. The knowledge of the sorption properties of the different constituents of these biomacromolecules may furnish a significant contribution to this purpose. Suberin is a very abundant biopolymer in higher plants. In this study, suberin monomers isolated from cork were analyzed by thermally-assisted methylation with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) in a pyrolysis unit coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The isolated monomer mixture was used to study the sorption of three pesticides (isoproturon, methomyl and oxamyl). The modes of pesticide–sorbent interactions were analyzed by means of two modeling calculations, the first one representing only the mixture of suberin monomers used in the sorption study, and the second one including glycerol to the mixture of suberin monomers, as a building block of the suberin molecule. The results indicated that the highest sorption capacity exhibited by the sorbent was for isoproturon (33%) being methomyl and oxamyl sorbed by the main suberin components to a lesser extent (3% and < 1%, respectively). In addition to van der Waals interactions with the apolar region of sorbent and isoproturon, modeling calculations evidenced the formation of a hydrogen bond between the isoproturon NH group and a carboxylic oxygen atom of a suberin monomer. In the case of methomyl and oxamyl only weak van der Waals interactions stabilize the pesticide–sorbent adducts. The presence of glycerol in the model provoked significant changes in the interactions with isoproturon and methomyl. - Highlights: • Suberin has low affinity to retain pesticides of aliphatic character. • Suberin has a moderate affinity to adsorb isoproturon. • Modeling calculations show that apolar portion of suberin interacts with isoproturon.

  20. Synthesis and evaluation of novel siloxane-methacrylate monomers used as dentin adhesives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Xueping; Ye, Qiang; Song, Linyong; Misra, Anil; Spencer, Paulette

    2014-09-01

    The objectives of this study were to synthesize two new siloxane-methacrylate (SM) monomers for application in dentin adhesives and to investigate the influence of different functionality of the siloxane-containing monomers on the adhesive photopolymerization, water sorption, and mechanical properties. Two siloxane-methacrylate monomers (SM1 and SM2) with four and eight methacrylate groups were synthesized. Dentin adhesives containing BisGMA, HEMA and the siloxane-methacrylate monomers were photo-polymerized. The experimental adhesives were compared with the control adhesive (HEMA/BisGMA, 45/55, w/w) and characterized with regard to degree of conversion (DC), water miscibility of the liquid resin, water sorption and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The experimental adhesives exhibited improved water miscibility as compared to the control. When cured in the presence of 12 wt% water to simulate the wet environment of the mouth, the SM-containing adhesives showed DC comparable to the control. The experimental adhesives showed higher rubbery modulus than the control under dry conditions. Under wet conditions, the mechanical properties of the formulations containing SM monomer with increased functionality were comparable with the control, even with more water sorption. The concentration and functionality of the newly synthesized siloxane-methacrylate monomers affected the water miscibility, water sorption and mechanical properties of the adhesives. The experimental adhesives show improved water compatibility compared with the control. The mechanical properties were enhanced with an increase of the functionality of the siloxane-containing monomers. The results provide critical structure/property relationships and important information for future development of durable, versatile siloxane-containing dentin adhesives. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  1. The Aggregate Supply Curve: Keynes and Downwardly Sticky Money Wages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wells, Paul

    1985-01-01

    Keynes's explanation of both the rationale underlying downwardly sticky money wages and the consequences this phenomenon has for macroeconomic theory are reviewed. An aggregate supply curve appropriate to today's economy is then interpreted. (Author/RM)

  2. Self-assembly of actin monomers into long filaments: Brownian Dynamics simulations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shillcock, Julian C.

    2009-01-01

    Brownian dynamics simulations are used to study the dynamical process of self-assembly of actin monomers into long filaments containing up to 1000 actin protomers. In order to overcome the large separation of time scales between the diffusive motion of the freemonomers and the relatively slow....../detachment events. When a single filament is allowed to grow in a bath of constant concentration of free ADP-actin monomers, its growth rate increases linearly with the free monomer concentration in quantitative agreement with in vitro experiments. Theresults also show that the waiting time is governed by...

  3. High-speed centrifugation induces aggregation of extracellular vesicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linares, Romain; Tan, Sisareuth; Gounou, Céline; Arraud, Nicolas; Brisson, Alain R

    2015-01-01

    Plasma and other body fluids contain cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), which participate in physiopathological processes and have potential biomedical applications. In order to isolate, concentrate and purify EVs, high-speed centrifugation is often used. We show here, using electron microscopy, receptor-specific gold labelling and flow cytometry, that high-speed centrifugation induces the formation of EV aggregates composed of a mixture of EVs of various phenotypes and morphologies. The presence of aggregates made of EVs of different phenotypes may lead to erroneous interpretation concerning the existence of EVs harbouring surface antigens from different cell origins.

  4. High-speed centrifugation induces aggregation of extracellular vesicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Romain Linares

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Plasma and other body fluids contain cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs, which participate in physiopathological processes and have potential biomedical applications. In order to isolate, concentrate and purify EVs, high-speed centrifugation is often used. We show here, using electron microscopy, receptor-specific gold labelling and flow cytometry, that high-speed centrifugation induces the formation of EV aggregates composed of a mixture of EVs of various phenotypes and morphologies. The presence of aggregates made of EVs of different phenotypes may lead to erroneous interpretation concerning the existence of EVs harbouring surface antigens from different cell origins.

  5. Controlled grafting of vinylic monomers on polyolefins: a robust mathematical modeling approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saeb, Mohammad Reza; Rezaee, Babak; Shadman, Alireza; Formela, Krzysztof; Ahmadi, Zahed; Hemmati, Farkhondeh; Kermaniyan, Tayebeh Sadat; Mohammadi, Yousef

    2017-01-01

    Experimental and mathematical modeling analyses were used for controlling melt free-radical grafting of vinylic monomers on polyolefins and, thereby, reducing the disturbance of undesired cross-linking of polyolefins. Response surface, desirability function, and artificial intelligence methodologies were blended to modeling/optimization of grafting reaction in terms of vinylic monomer content, peroxide initiator concentration, and melt-processing time. An in-house code was developed based on artificial neural network that learns and mimics processing torque and grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) typical vinylic monomer on high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Application of response surface and desirability function enabled concurrent optimization of processing torque and GMA grafting on HDPE, through which we quantified for the first time competition between parallel reactions taking place during melt processing: (i) desirable grafting of GMA on HDPE; (ii) undesirable cross-linking of HDPE. The proposed robust mathematical modeling approach can precisely learn the behavior of grafting reaction of vinylic monomers on polyolefins and be placed into practice in finding exact operating condition needed for efficient grafting of reactive monomers on polyolefins.

  6. Evaluating the Cost of Line Capacity Limitations in Aggregations of Commercial Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ziras, Charalampos; Delikaraoglou, Stefanos; Kazempour, Jalal

    2017-01-01

    -ahead optimization strategy to assess the cost of imposing capacity limitations in the total consumption of individual buildings, as well as aggregations of buildings. We show that such capacity limitations lead to an increase for the buildings operational costs, which can be interpreted as the value...... of these limitations. Based on such calculations, the aggregator can value capacity-limitation services to the distribution system operator. Moreover, the value of aggregation is also highlighted, since it leads to lower costs than imposing the same total capacity limitation on individual buildings....

  7. Photokopolimerisasi monomer akrilat degan kulit kras sapi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dwi Wahini Nurhajati

    1997-06-01

    Full Text Available The research on photocopolymerization of acrylate monomer with cow crust hide had object to observe the resulted copolymer onto cow crust hide. Crust hides, saturated with aqueous emulsions containing 25 wt % of n-butyl acrylate (n-BA or tripropylene glycol diacrylate (TPGDA were irradiated by cobalt – 60 gamma rays with doses ranges from 5 to 25 kGy. The irradiated hides were washed with water, dried in air and extracted in soxhlet apparatus for 48 hours to remove homopolymer. The highest yield of photocopolymerization of n – butyl acrylate monomer with crust hides was found 17,7878% at dose 25 kGy, and for photocopolymerization of tripropylene glycol diacrylate with crust hides was found 39,4245% at dose 20 kGy.

  8. Radical copolymerization in homogenous medium and emulsion system monomers acrylonitrile/styrene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boussehel H.

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available This study examines the radical copolymerization in homogeneous and emulsion of the monomer system acrylonitrile/styrene. These copolymers are of great interest to the plastics industry, because they combine the good mechanical properties and implementation provided by the styrene units in the very high solvent resistance and extreme gas impermeability provided by the acrylonitrile units. The properties of a copolymer are directly related to its composition and distribution of monomer units in its macromolecular chains. Based on the reports of the couple reactivity's of monomers (AN/S found in the literature, the objective of the work is to provide theoretical simulation (by analytical and numerical integration of the equation of copolymerization: The kinetics of the reaction copolymerization of AN/S in a homogeneous medium and emulsion (drift composition, azeotropic and the microstructure (distribution of monomer sequences and the glass transition property of the macromolecular chains instant formed throughout the copolymerization reaction.

  9. Unveiling the Aggregation of Lycopene in Vitro and in Vivo: UV-Vis, Resonance Raman, and Raman Imaging Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishigaki, Mika; Meksiarun, Phiranuphon; Kitahama, Yasutaka; Zhang, Leilei; Hashimoto, Hideki; Genkawa, Takuma; Ozaki, Yukihiro

    2017-08-31

    The present study investigates the structure of lycopene aggregates both in vitro and in vivo using ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and Raman spectroscopies. The electronic absorption bands of the J- and H-aggregates in vitro shift to lower and higher energies, respectively, compared to that of the lycopene monomer. Along with these results, the frequencies of the ν 1 Raman bands were shifted to lower and higher frequencies, respectively. By plotting the frequencies of the ν 1 Raman band against the S 0 → S 2 transition energy, a linear relationship between the data set with different aggregation conformations can be obtained. Therefore, the band positions depending on the different conformations can be explained based on the idea that the effective conjugated C═C chain lengths within lycopene molecules are different due to the environmental effect (site-shift effect) caused by the aggregation conformation. Applying this knowledge to the in vivo measurement of a tomato fruit sample, the relationship between the aggregation conformation of lycopene and the spectral patterns observed in the UV-vis as well as Raman spectra in different parts of tomato fruits was discussed in detail. The results showed that the concentration of lycopene (particularly that of the J-aggregate) specifically increased, whereas that of chlorophyll decreased, with ripening. Furthermore, Raman imaging indicated that lycopene with different aggregate conformations was distributed inhomogeneously, even within one sample. The layer formation in tomato tissues with high concentrations of J- and H-aggregates was successfully visualized. In this manner, the presence of lycopene distributions with different aggregate conformations was unveiled in vivo.

  10. On-line measurement of residual monomer during polymerisation of acrylamide using ultrasonics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ponraju, D.; Sebastian, Letha; Viswanathan, S.; Natarajan, A.; Palanichamy, P.; Jayakumar, T.; Baldev Raj

    1996-01-01

    An ultrasonic technique for the estimation of residual acrylamide monomer during the polymerization of aqueous acrylamide solution has been investigated. Polyacrylamide gel medium serves as a sensitive medium for detection and dosimetry of fast and thermal neutrons. This technique is based on the fact that the velocity of ultrasonic wave increases with the increase in elasticity due to polymerization. The percentage of residual acrylamide monomer is estimated using ultraviolet spectrophotometric analysis. The ultrasonic velocity is correlated with the residual monomer concentration

  11. NMR of α-synuclein–polyamine complexes elucidates the mechanism and kinetics of induced aggregation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández, Claudio O; Hoyer, Wolfgang; Zweckstetter, Markus; Jares-Erijman, Elizabeth A; Subramaniam, Vinod; Griesinger, Christian; Jovin, Thomas M

    2004-01-01

    The aggregation of α-synuclein is characteristic of Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative synucleinopathies. The 140-aa protein is natively unstructured; thus, ligands binding to the monomeric form are of therapeutic interest. Biogenic polyamines promote the aggregation of α-synuclein and may constitute endogenous agents modulating the pathogenesis of PD. We characterized the complexes of natural and synthetic polyamines with α-synuclein by NMR and assigned the binding site to C-terminal residues 109–140. Dissociation constants were derived from chemical shift perturbations. Greater polyamine charge (+2 → +5) correlated with increased affinity and enhancement of fibrillation, for which we propose a simple kinetic mechanism involving a dimeric nucleation center. According to the analysis, polyamines increase the extent of nucleation by ∼104 and the rate of monomer addition ∼40-fold. Significant secondary structure is not induced in monomeric α-synuclein by polyamines at 15°C. Instead, NMR reveals changes in a region (aa 22–93) far removed from the polyamine binding site and presumed to adopt the β-sheet conformation characteristic of fibrillar α-synuclein. We conclude that the C-terminal domain acts as a regulator of α-synuclein aggregation. PMID:15103328

  12. 1H NMR spectrum of the native human insulin monomer. Evidence for conformational differences between the monomer and aggregated forms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, M; Lee, R W; Brange, J; Dunn, M F

    1990-04-05

    The effects of high dilution on the 1H Fourier transform NMR spectrum of native human insulin at pH* 8.0 and 9.3 have been examined at 500 MHz resolution. The dependence of the spectrum on concentration and comparison with the spectrum of a biologically highly potent monomeric insulin mutant (SerB9----Asp) establish that at 36 microM (pH* 9.3) or 18 microM (pH* 8) and no added buffer or salts, human insulin is monomeric. Under these conditions of dilution, ionic strength, and pH*, human insulin and the SerB9----Asp mutant exhibit nearly identical 1H NMR spectra. At higher concentrations (i.e. greater than 36 microM to 0.91 mM), native human insulin dimerizes, and this aggregation causes a change in insulin conformation. Although there are many changes in the spectrum, the TyrB26 ring H3,5 proton signals located at 6.63 ppm and the methyl signal located at 0.105 ppm (characteristics of monomeric insulin) are particularly distinct signatures of the conformation change that accompanies dimerization. Magnetization transfer experiments show that the 0.105 ppm methyl signal shifts downfield to a new position at 0.45 ppm. We conclude that the 0.105 ppm methyl signal is due to a conformation in which a Leu methyl group is centered over and in van der Waals contact with the ring of an aromatic side chain. Dimerization causes a conformation change that alters this interaction, thereby causing the downfield shift. Nuclear Overhauser studies indicate that the methyl group involved is located within a cluster of aromatic side chains and that the closest ring-methyl group interaction is with the ring of PheB24.

  13. The radiation grafting of vinyl monomers to cotton fabrics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shiraishi, N.; Williams, J.L.; Stannett, V.

    1982-01-01

    Cobalt 60 γ and electron beam radiation were used to graft diethylphosphatoethyl methacrylate, pure and in 90:10 methanol solution, to cotton cloth. This monomer, with an 11.64% phosphorus content, was especially developed by the Scott Paper Co. to develop fire retardancy. A simple pad and squeeze application followed by direct irradiation under a nitrogen atmosphere was used. Although excess monomer could be removed by washing with water, no solvent for the polymer was found so only the total 'add-ons' could be measured. With 60 Co irradiation, total polymerization was obtained with more than 1 Mrad but with electron beam irradiation only about 50% conversion was obtained even with 10 Mrad. No acceleration in the rates could be achieved with the viscous pure monomer as opposed to in solution. Yields adequate to impart reasonable fire retardancy could, however, be obtained with about 3 Mrad with electrons. No noticeable degradation of the polymer occurred at the doses used. (author)

  14. Elution of Monomers from Provisional Composite Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Daniel Schulz

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the elution of substances from different materials used for the manufacturing of temporary indirect restorations, after storage in saliva and ethanol 75%. 10 samples of three chemically cured materials (Protemp 3 Garant, Systemp.c&b, and Trim and one light-cured material (Clip F were stored in saliva and ethanol 75% for 24 h, 7, and days 28 days. From the storage media at each time period, samples were prepared and analysed by LC-MS/MS, in order to access the elution of monomers. The results differed among the materials (P ≤ 0.05. No monomers were detected in the samples of Protemp 3 Garant and Clip F. Substances were detected only in ethanol samples of Systemp.c&b and Trim. The amount of BisGMA, TEGDMA, and UDMA 2 released from Systemp.c&b was higher compared to Trim. Storage time affected the release of substances (P ≤ 0.05. The highest release was observed within the first 24 h. It can be concluded that provisional resin composite materials do not show high release of monomers and this release is material dependent. However, the detection of additional peaks during the analysis, suggesting the formation of by-products of the eluted substances, may not be in favour of these materials with respect to their toxicity.

  15. Radiation curing of mixtures of diallylphthalate prepolymer and vinyl monomer, 9

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gotoda, Masao; Kitada, Yoshinori.

    1975-01-01

    Radiation curing, mainly by electron beams was studied with mixtures of low molecular weight diallylphthalate prepolymer (DAPsub(p).L) and vinyl monomers with special reference to their workability. Among the vinyl monomers, acrylonitrile gave a solution of low viscosity and methyl acrylate gave a solution of low dose curing. Radiation curing of DAPsub(p).L/vinyl monomer mixtures impregnated in wood was also tried. To obtain uniform wood-polymer composites, γ-irradiation after impregnation at 10 kg/cm 2 was found to be required for thick plate (110 mm), while electron beam irradiation after impregnation at normal pressure was sufficient for thin plate. (author)

  16. Effect of monomer composition on the properties of high temperature polymer concretes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zeldin, A.; Kukacka, L.E.; Carciello, N.

    1980-01-01

    The effects of organic monomer composition on the thermomechanical properties of polymer concrete (PC) containing sand-cement mixtures as an agregate filler were investigated. The effects of various monomer mixtures on compressive strength and hydrolytic stability are discussed. Composites were fabricated in the same way as ordinary concrete, with monomer solutions of various compositions and concentrations used to bind the sand-cement mixture. The compressive strengths of th composites before and after exposure to air and to brine solutions at 240/sup 0/C are discussed.

  17. A functional monomer is not enough: principal component analysis of the influence of template complexation in pre-polymerization mixtures on imprinted polymer recognition and morphology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golker, Kerstin; Karlsson, Björn C G; Rosengren, Annika M; Nicholls, Ian A

    2014-11-10

    In this report, principal component analysis (PCA) has been used to explore the influence of template complexation in the pre-polymerization phase on template molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) recognition and polymer morphology. A series of 16 bupivacaine MIPs were studied. The ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA)-crosslinked polymers had either methacrylic acid (MAA) or methyl methacrylate (MMA) as the functional monomer, and the stoichiometry between template, functional monomer and crosslinker was varied. The polymers were characterized using radioligand equilibrium binding experiments, gas sorption measurements, swelling studies and data extracted from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of all-component pre-polymerization mixtures. The molar fraction of the functional monomer in the MAA-polymers contributed to describing both the binding, surface area and pore volume. Interestingly, weak positive correlations between the swelling behavior and the rebinding characteristics of the MAA-MIPs were exposed. Polymers prepared with MMA as a functional monomer and a polymer prepared with only EGDMA were found to share the same characteristics, such as poor rebinding capacities, as well as similar surface area and pore volume, independent of the molar fraction MMA used in synthesis. The use of PCA for interpreting relationships between MD-derived descriptions of events in the pre-polymerization mixture, recognition properties and morphologies of the corresponding polymers illustrates the potential of PCA as a tool for better understanding these complex materials and for their rational design.

  18. Perturbation of the Monomer-Monomer Interfaces of the Benzoylformate Decarboxylase Tetramer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andrews, Forest H.; Rogers, Megan P.; Paul, Lake N.; McLeish, Michael J. [IUPUI; (Purdue)

    2014-08-14

    The X-ray structure of benzoylformate decarboxylase (BFDC) from Pseudomonas putida ATCC 12633 shows it to be a tetramer. This was believed to be typical of all thiamin diphosphate-dependent decarboxylases until recently when the structure of KdcA, a branched-chain 2-keto acid decarboxylase from Lactococcus lactis, showed it to be a homodimer. This lent credence to earlier unfolding experiments on pyruvate decarboxylase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae that indicated that it might be active as a dimer. To investigate this possibility in BFDC, we sought to shift the equilibrium toward dimer formation. Point mutations were made in the noncatalytic monomer–monomer interfaces, but these had a minimal effect on both tetramer formation and catalytic activity. Subsequently, the R141E/Y288A/A306F variant was shown by analytical ultracentrifugation to be partially dimeric. It was also found to be catalytically inactive. Further experiments revealed that just two mutations, R141E and A306F, were sufficient to markedly alter the dimer–tetramer equilibrium and to provide an ~450-fold decrease in kcat. Equilibrium denaturation studies suggested that the residual activity was possibly due to the presence of residual tetramer. The structures of the R141E and A306F variants, determined to <1.5 Å resolution, hinted that disruption of the monomer interfaces will be accompanied by movement of a loop containing Leu109 and Leu110. As these residues contribute to the hydrophobicity of the active site and the correct positioning of the substrate, it seems that tetramer formation may well be critical to the catalytic activity of BFDC.

  19. In situ polymerization of monomers for polyphenylquinoxaline/graphite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serafini, T. T.; Delvigs, P.; Vannucci, R. D.

    1973-01-01

    Methods currently used to prepare fiber reinforced, high temperature resistant polyphenylquinoxaline (PPQ) composites employ extremely viscous, low solids content solutions of high molecular weight PPQ polymers. An improved approach, described in this report, consists of impregnating the fiber with a solution of the appropriate monomers instead of a solution of previously synthesized high molecular weight polymer. Polymerization of the monomers occurs in situ on the fiber during the solvent removal and curing stages. The in situ polymerization approach greatly simplifies the fabrication of PPQ graphite fiber composites. The use of low viscosity monomeric type solutions facilitates fiber wetting, permits a high solids content, and eliminates the need for prior polymer synthesis.

  20. A comment on water’s structure using monomer fraction data and theories

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liang, Xiaodong; Maribo-Mogensen, Bjørn; Tsivintzelis, Ioannis

    2016-01-01

    Monomer fraction data for water (and other compounds) can provide useful information about their structure and can be used in “advanced” equations of state, which account explicitly for association phenomena. Recent findings about the performance of association theories in representing the monomer...... fraction of water are reviewed. Three such theories are considered and all of them perform qualitatively similar. They can all represent phase equilibria for water solutions qualitatively well but with parameters which are not in good agreement with Luck’s famous monomer fraction data. While this could set...... the theoretical basis of these theories in doubt, we also show in this work that the findings with these association models are in agreement with a recently presented theory which links monomer fraction to dielectric constants. This new theory, like the three thermodynamic models, predicts more hydrogen bonding...

  1. Vogel-Fulcher dependence of relaxation rates in a nematic monomer and elastomer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shenoy, D.; Filippov, S.; Aliev, F.; Keller, P.; Thomsen, D.; Ratna, B.

    2000-12-01

    Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy is used to study the relaxation processes in a nematic monomer and the corresponding cross-linked polymer nematic liquid crystal (elastomer). In the frequency window 10 mHz to 2 GHz the monomer liquid crystal shows a single relaxation whereas the polymer exhibits three relaxation processes, two of which are quantitatively analyzed. The temperature dependence of relaxation times in both the monomer and polymer follows a Vogel-Fulcher behavior. The relaxation processes are identified with specific molecular motions and activation energies are calculated in a linear approximation for comparison with literature data.

  2. DFT approach to (benzylthio)acetic acid: Conformational search, molecular (monomer and dimer) structure, vibrational spectroscopy and some electronic properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sienkiewicz-Gromiuk, Justyna

    2018-01-01

    The DFT studies were carried out with the B3LYP method utilizing the 6-31G and 6-311++G(d,p) basis sets depending on whether the aim of calculations was to gain the geometry at equilibrium, or to calculate the optimized molecular structure of (benzylthio)acetic acid (Hbta) in the forms of monomer and dimer. The minimum conformational energy search was followed by the potential energy surface (PES) scan of all rotary bonds existing in the acid molecule. The optimized geometrical monomeric and dimeric structures of the title compound were compared with the experimental structural data in the solid state. The detailed vibrational interpretation of experimental infrared and Raman bands was performed on the basis of theoretically simulated ESFF-scaled wavenumbers calculated for the monomer and dimer structures of Hbta. The electronic characteristics of Hbta is also presented in terms of Mulliken atomic charges, frontier molecular orbitals and global reactivity descriptors. Additionally, the MEP and ESP surfaces were computed to predict coordination sites for potential metal complex formation.

  3. Nanomolar oligomerization and selective co-aggregation of α-synuclein pathogenic mutants revealed by single-molecule fluorescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sierecki, Emma; Giles, Nichole; Bowden, Quill; Polinkovsky, Mark E.; Steinbeck, Janina; Arrioti, Nicholas; Rahman, Diya; Bhumkar, Akshay; Nicovich, Philip R.; Ross, Ian; Parton, Robert G.; Böcking, Till; Gambin, Yann

    2016-01-01

    Protein aggregation is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, notably Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is characterized by the presence of Lewy bodies, abnormal aggregates mainly composed of α-synuclein. Moreover, cases of familial Parkinson’s disease have been linked to mutations in α-synuclein. In this study, we compared the behavior of wild-type (WT) α-synuclein and five of its pathological mutants (A30P, E46K, H50Q, G51D and A53T). To this end, single-molecule fluorescence detection was coupled to cell-free protein expression to measure precisely the oligomerization of proteins without purification, denaturation or labelling steps. In these conditions, we could detect the formation of oligomeric and pre-fibrillar species at very short time scale and low micromolar concentrations. The pathogenic mutants surprisingly segregated into two classes: one group forming large aggregates and fibrils while the other tending to form mostly oligomers. Strikingly, co-expression experiments reveal that members from the different groups do not generally interact with each other, both at the fibril and monomer levels. Together, this data paints a completely different picture of α-synuclein aggregation, with two possible pathways leading to the development of fibrils. PMID:27892477

  4. The difference of acrylic resin residual monomer levels with various polymerization method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sherman Salim

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: After polymerization process, heat cured acrylic resin denture base actually still contains residual monomers that can become potential irritants later in oral cavity. Polymerization process is essential to obtain acrylic resin which can meet the requirements of the biocompatible and good physical properties. To meet the requirements, there are several methods of polymerization process used. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the differences of the residual monomer levels of acrylic resin processed by various polymerization methods. Methods: Acrylic resin powder and liquid were mixed based on the rules of factory, and sample was made with size of 30 mm × 50 mm × 3 mm and then polymerized by using microwave at 70° C for 24 hours based on the methods of Japan Industrial Standard (JIS. Each group of samples was cut with weight of ± 0.2 g, dissolved in 5 ml of methyl ethyl ketone in test tubes, and then stored at ± 5° C for four days. Residual monomer level was conducted by using gas chromatograph mass spectrometer. Data obtained were then analyzed by using One-Way ANOVA test with p < 0.05. Results: After the level of polymerizing residual monomer with JIS method was compared to that at 70° C for 24 hours using microwave, it is known that there were significant differences (p < 0.05. Conclusion: The highest level of residual monomer of acrylic resin was that polymerized at 70° C for 24 hours.Latar belakang: Basis gigi tiruan yang berbahan dasar resin akrilik jenis heat cured setelah proses polimerisasi selesai masih mengandung monomer sisa yang berpotensi sebagai bahan iritan dalam rongga mulut. Proses polimerisasi sangat penting untuk mendapatkan resin akrilik yang memenuhi persyaratan biokompatibilitas dan fisik yang baik. Untuk persyaratan tersebut digunakan berbagai macam proses polimerisasi. Tujuan: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan kadar monomer sisa resin akrilik yang diproses dengan metode

  5. The mutual diffusion coefficient for (meth)acrylate monomers as determined with a nuclear microprobe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leewis, Christian M.; Mutsaers, Peter H.A.; Jong, Arthur M. de; Ijzendoorn, Leo J. van; Voigt, Martien J.A. de; Ren, Min Q.; Watt, Frank; Broer, Dirk J.

    2004-01-01

    The value of the mutual diffusion coefficient D V of two acrylic monomers is determined with nuclear microprobe measurements on a set of polymer films. These films have been prepared by allowing the monomers to diffuse into each other for a certain time and subsequently applying fast ultraviolet photo-polymerization, which freezes the concentration profile. The monomer diffusion profiles are studied with a scanning 2.1 MeV proton microprobe. Each monomer contains a marker element, e.g., Cl and Si, which are easily detected with proton induced x-ray emission. From the diffusion profiles, it is possible to determine the mutual diffusion coefficient. The mutual diffusion coefficient is dependent of concentration, which is concluded from the asymmetry in the Cl- and Si-profiles. A linear dependence of the mutual diffusion coefficient on the composition is used as a first order approximation. The best fits are obtained for a value of b=(0.38±0.15), which is the ratio of the diffusion coefficient of 1,3-bis(3-methacryloxypropyl)-1, 1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane in pure 2-chloroethyl acrylate and the diffusion coefficient of 2-chloroethyl acrylate in pure 1,3-bis(3-methacryloxypropyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane. Under the assumption of a linear dependence of the mutual diffusion coefficient D V on monomer composition, it follows that D V =(2.9±0.6)·10 -10 m 2 /s at a 1:1 monomer ratio. With Flory-Huggins expressions for the monomer chemical potentials, one can derive approximate values for the individual monomer diffusion coefficients

  6. Effect of food simulating liquids on release of monomers from two dental resin composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghavam M

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available "nBackground and Aims: The elution of residual monomers from cured dental composites to oral cavity has a harmful effect on human health and can affect their clinical durability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the amount of eluted monomers (Bis-GMA, TEGDMA, UDMA from two types of composites (Gradia and P60 after exposure to food simulating liquids such as ethanol (25, 50, 75 % and heptane 50 % for 24 hours and 7 days. "nMaterials and Methods: Forty specimens of each composite were prepared. Equal numbers of each composite were immersed in tubes containing 2cc volumes of 25, 50, 75 % ethanole and 50 % heptane. The amount of eluted monomers in standard condition such as Bis-GMA, TEGDMA and UDMA was measured by GC/MS (Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy and results were statistically analysed by three way and one way ANOVA. P<0.05 was considered as the level of significancy. "nResults: The results showed that Gradia released more TEGDMA than P60. In assessing the effect of environment, the result showed that ethanol caused releasing monomers more than heptane and the concentration rate of 75 % ethanole resulted in most releasing of monomers. In assessing the effect of time, the observation showed that more monomers were released 7 days compared to 24 hours. Bis-GMA and UDMA were not detected in any solutions in these conditions. "nConclusion: Ethanole caused more release of monomers than heptane and 75 % ethanole released the most amount of monomers. Gradia released more amount of TEGDMA than P60.

  7. Valve seat pores sealed with thermosetting monomer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olmore, A. B.

    1966-01-01

    Hard anodic coating provides a smooth wear resistant value seating surface on a cast aluminum alloy valve body. Vacuum impregnation with a thermosetting monomer, diallyl phthalate, seals the pores on the coating to prevent galvanic corrosion.

  8. Do CAD/CAM dentures really release less monomer than conventional dentures?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinmassl, Patricia-Anca; Wiedemair, Verena; Huck, Christian; Klaunzer, Florian; Steinmassl, Otto; Grunert, Ingrid; Dumfahrt, Herbert

    2017-06-01

    Computer-aided design (CAD)/computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) dentures are assumed to have more favourable material properties than conventionally fabricated dentures, among them a lower methacrylate monomer release. The aim of this study was to test this hypothesis. CAD/CAM dentures were generated from ten different master casts by using four different CAD/CAM systems. Conventional, heat-polymerised dentures served as control group. Denture weight and volume were measured; the density was calculated, and the denture surface area was assessed digitally. The monomer release after 7 days of water storage was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Whole You Nexteeth and Wieland Digital Dentures had significantly lower mean volume and weight than conventional dentures. Baltic Denture System and Whole You Nexteeth had a significantly increased density. Baltic Denture System had a significantly smaller surface area. None of the CAD/CAM dentures released significantly less monomer than the control group. All tested dentures released very low amounts of methacrylate monomer, but not significantly less than conventional dentures. A statistically significant difference might nevertheless exist in comparison to other, less recommendable denture base materials, such as the frequently used autopolymerising resins. CAD/CAM denture fabrication has numerous advantages. It enables the fabrication of dentures with lower resin volume and lower denture weight. Both could increase the patient comfort. Dentures with higher density might exhibit more favourable mechanical properties. The hypothesis that CAD/CAM dentures release less monomer than conventional dentures could, however, not be verified.

  9. Growth of monodisperse mesoscopic metal-oxide colloids under constant monomer supply

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nozawa, Koh; Delville, Marie-Hélène; Ushiki, Hideharu; Panizza, Pascal; Delville, Jean-Pierre

    2005-07-01

    In closed systems, control over the size of monodisperse metal-oxide colloids is generally limited to submicrometric dimensions. To overcome this difficulty, we explore the formation and growth of silica particles under constant monomer supply. The monomer source is externally driven by the progressive addition into the system of one of the precursors. Monodisperse spherical particles are produced up to a mesoscopic size. We analyze their growth versus the monomer addition rate at different temperatures. Our results show that in the presence of a continuous monomer addition, growth is limited by diffusion over the investigated temporal window. Using the temperature variation of the growth rate, we prove that rescaling leads to a data reduction onto a single master curve. Contrary to the growth process, the final particle’s size reached after the end of the reagent supply strongly depends on the addition rate. The variation of the final particle size versus addition rate can be deduced from an analogy with crystal formation in jet precipitation. Within this framework, and using the temperature dependences of both the particle growth law and the final size, we determine the value of the molecular heat of dissolution associated to the silica solubility. These observations support the fact that classical theories of phase-ordering dynamics can be extended to the synthesis of inorganic particles. The emergence of a master behavior in the presence of continuous monomer addition also suggests the extension of these theories to open systems.

  10. The binding of glucose to yeast hexokinase monomers is independent of ionic strength.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayes, E L; Hoggett, J G; Kellett, G L

    1982-05-01

    Hoggett & Kellett [Eur. J. Biochem. 66, 65-77 (1976)] have reported that the binding of glucose to the monomer of hexokinase PII isoenzyme is independent of ionic strength, in contrast to the subsequent claim of Feldman & Kramp [Biochemistry 17, 1541-1547 (1978)] that the binding is strongly dependent on ionic strength. Since measurements with native hexokinase P forms are complicated by the fact that the enzyme exists in a monomer-dimer association-dissociation equilibrium, we have now studied the binding of glucose to the proteolytically-modified S forms which are monomeric. At pH 8.5, the affinity of glucose for both SI and SII monomers is independent of salt concentration over the range of KCl concentrations 0-1.0 mol . dm-3 and is in good agreement with that of the corresponding P forms in both low and high salt. These observations confirm that the binding of glucose to hexokinase P monomers is independent of ionic strength and that the affinity of glucose for the hexokinase PII monomer is about an order of magnitude greater than that for the dimer.

  11. Structure of human insulin monomer in water/acetonitrile solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bocian, Wojciech; Sitkowski, Jerzy; Bednarek, Elzbieta; Tarnowska, Anna; Kawecki, Robert; Kozerski, Lech

    2008-01-01

    Here we present evidence that in water/acetonitrile solvent detailed structural and dynamic information can be obtained for important proteins that are naturally present as oligomers under native conditions. An NMR-derived human insulin monomer structure in H 2 O/CD 3 CN, 65/35 vol%, pH 3.6 is presented and compared with the available X-ray structure of a monomer that forms part of a hexamer (Acta Crystallogr. 2003 Sec. D59, 474) and with NMR structures in water and organic cosolvent. Detailed analysis using PFGSE NMR, temperature-dependent NMR, dilution experiments and CSI proves that the structure is monomeric in the concentration and temperature ranges 0.1-3 mM and 10-30 deg. C, respectively. The presence of long-range interstrand NOEs, as found in the crystal structure of the monomer, provides the evidence for conservation of the tertiary structure. Starting from structures calculated by the program CYANA, two different molecular dynamics simulated annealing refinement protocols were applied, either using the program AMBER in vacuum (AMBER V C), or including a generalized Born solvent model (AMBER G B)

  12. Universal timescales in the rheology of spheroid cell aggregates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Miao; Mahtabfar, Aria; Beleen, Paul; Foty, Ramsey; Zahn, Jeffrey; Shreiber, David; Liu, Liping; Lin, Hao

    2017-11-01

    The rheological properties of tissue play important roles in key biological processes including embryogenesis, cancer metastasis, and wound healing. Spheroid cell aggregate is a particularly interesting model system for the study of these phenomena. In the long time, they behave like drops with a surface tension. In the short, viscoelasticity also needs to be considered. In this work, we discover two coupled and universal timescales for spheroid aggregates. A total of 12 aggregate types (total aggregate number n =290) derived from L and GBM (glioblastoma multiforme) cells are studied with microtensiometer to obtain their surface tension. They are also allowed to relax upon release of the compression forces. The two timescales are observed during the relaxation process; their values do not depend on compression time nor the degree of deformation, and are consistent among all 12 types. Following prior work (Yu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 115:128303; Liu et al., J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 98:309-329) we use a rigorous mathematical theory to interpret the results, which reveals intriguing properties of the aggregates on both tissue and cellular levels. The mechanics of multicellular organization reflects both complexity and regularity due to strong active regulation.

  13. pKa value and buffering capacity of acidic monomers commonly used in self-etching primers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salz, Ulrich; Mücke, Angela; Zimmermann, Jörg; Tay, Franklin R; Pashley, David H

    2006-06-01

    The aim of this investigation was to characterize acidic monomers used in self-etching primers/adhesives by determination of their pKa values and by calculation of their calcium dissolving capacity in comparison with phosphoric and hydrochloric acid. The following acidic monomers were included in this study: 4-methacryloyloxyethyl trimellitate anhydride (4-META), 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP), dimethacryloyloxyethyl hydrogen phosphate (di-HEMA-phosphate), ethyl 2-[4-(dihydroxyphosphoryl)-2-oxabutyl]acrylate (EAEPA), 2-[4-(dihydroxyphosphoryl)-2-ox-abutyl]acrylic acid (HAEPA), and 2,4,6 trimethylphenyl 2-[4-(dihydroxyphosphoryl)-2-oxabutyl]acrylate (MAEPA). The pKa values were obtained by titration with 0.1 mol/l NaOH in aqueous solution. The inflection points of the resulting potentiometric titration curve were determined as pKa values. In the case of the sparingly water-soluble acidic monomers MAEPA and 4-META, the co-solvent method using different water/ethanol ratios for MAEPA or water/acetone ratios for 4-META was used. The dissolving capacity of each acidic monomer is defined as the amount of hydroxyapatite (HA) dissolved by 1 g of acid. For each monomer, the HA dissolving capacity was calculated bythe corresponding pKa value and the molecular weight. To confirm the calculated dissolving capacities, increasing amounts of HA powder (100 mg portions) were slowly added to 15 mmol/l aqueous solutions of the monomers to determine how much HA could be dissolved in the acidic solutions. For all the investigated acidic monomers, pKal values between 1.7 to 2.5 were observed. The pKa2 values for the phosphate/phosphonate derivatives are between 7.0 and 7.3, and are comparable to phosphoric acid. For dicarboxylic acid derivatives, the pKa2 values are in the range of 4.2 to 4.5. Due to their comparable molecular weights and pKal values, the three tested acids di-HEMA phosphate, MDP and 4-META all possess comparable dissolving capacities for HA (ie, 0

  14. Redesign of the monomer-monomer interface of Cre recombinase yields an obligate heterotetrameric complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chi; Myers, Connie A; Qi, Zongtai; Mitra, Robi D; Corbo, Joseph C; Havranek, James J

    2015-10-15

    Cre recombinase catalyzes the cleavage and religation of DNA at loxP sites. The enzyme is a homotetramer in its functional state, and the symmetry of the protein complex enforces a pseudo-palindromic symmetry upon the loxP sequence. The Cre-lox system is a powerful tool for many researchers. However, broader application of the system is limited by the fixed sequence preferences of Cre, which are determined by both the direct DNA contacts and the homotetrameric arrangement of the Cre monomers. As a first step toward achieving recombination at arbitrary asymmetric target sites, we have broken the symmetry of the Cre tetramer assembly. Using a combination of computational and rational protein design, we have engineered an alternative interface between Cre monomers that is functional yet incompatible with the wild-type interface. Wild-type and engineered interface halves can be mixed to create two distinct Cre mutants, neither of which are functional in isolation, but which can form an active heterotetramer when combined. When these distinct mutants possess different DNA specificities, control over complex assembly directly discourages recombination at unwanted half-site combinations, enhancing the specificity of asymmetric site recombination. The engineered Cre mutants exhibit this assembly pattern in a variety of contexts, including mammalian cells. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  15. The single scattering properties of the aerosol particles as aggregated spheres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Y.; Gu, X.; Cheng, T.; Xie, D.; Yu, T.; Chen, H.; Guo, J.

    2012-01-01

    The light scattering and absorption properties of anthropogenic aerosol particles such as soot aggregates are complicated in the temporal and spatial distribution, which introduce uncertainty of radiative forcing on global climate change. In order to study the single scattering properties of anthorpogenic aerosol particles, the structures of these aerosols such as soot paticles and soot-containing mixtures with the sulfate or organic matter, are simulated using the parallel diffusion limited aggregation algorithm (DLA) based on the transmission electron microscope images (TEM). Then, the single scattering properties of randomly oriented aerosols, such as scattering matrix, single scattering albedo (SSA), and asymmetry parameter (AP), are computed using the superposition T-matrix method. The comparisons of the single scattering properties of these specific types of clusters with different morphological and chemical factors such as fractal parameters, aspect ratio, monomer radius, mixture mode and refractive index, indicate that these different impact factors can respectively generate the significant influences on the single scattering properties of these aerosols. The results show that aspect ratio of circumscribed shape has relatively small effect on single scattering properties, for both differences of SSA and AP are less than 0.1. However, mixture modes of soot clusters with larger sulfate particles have remarkably important effects on the scattering and absorption properties of aggregated spheres, and SSA of those soot-containing mixtures are increased in proportion to the ratio of larger weakly absorbing attachments. Therefore, these complex aerosols come from man made pollution cannot be neglected in the aerosol retrievals. The study of the single scattering properties on these kinds of aggregated spheres is important and helpful in remote sensing observations and atmospheric radiation balance computations.

  16. A Functional Monomer Is Not Enough: Principal Component Analysis of the Influence of Template Complexation in Pre-Polymerization Mixtures on Imprinted Polymer Recognition and Morphology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kerstin Golker

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available In this report, principal component analysis (PCA has been used to explore the influence of template complexation in the pre-polymerization phase on template molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP recognition and polymer morphology. A series of 16 bupivacaine MIPs were studied. The ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA-crosslinked polymers had either methacrylic acid (MAA or methyl methacrylate (MMA as the functional monomer, and the stoichiometry between template, functional monomer and crosslinker was varied. The polymers were characterized using radioligand equilibrium binding experiments, gas sorption measurements, swelling studies and data extracted from molecular dynamics (MD simulations of all-component pre-polymerization mixtures. The molar fraction of the functional monomer in the MAA-polymers contributed to describing both the binding, surface area and pore volume. Interestingly, weak positive correlations between the swelling behavior and the rebinding characteristics of the MAA-MIPs were exposed. Polymers prepared with MMA as a functional monomer and a polymer prepared with only EGDMA were found to share the same characteristics, such as poor rebinding capacities, as well as similar surface area and pore volume, independent of the molar fraction MMA used in synthesis. The use of PCA for interpreting relationships between MD-derived descriptions of events in the pre-polymerization mixture, recognition properties and morphologies of the corresponding polymers illustrates the potential of PCA as a tool for better understanding these complex materials and for their rational design.

  17. Prediction of monomer reactivity in radical copolymerizations from transition state quantum chemical descriptors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhengde Tan

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In comparison with the Q-e scheme, the Revised Patterns Scheme: the U, V Version (the U-V scheme has greatly improved both its accessibility and its accuracy in interpreting and predicting the reactivity of a monomer in free-radical copolymerizations. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR models were developed to predict the reactivity parameters u and v of the U-V scheme, by applying genetic algorithm (GA and support vector machine (SVM techniques. Quantum chemical descriptors used for QSAR models were calculated from transition state species with structures C¹H3 - C²HR³• or •C¹H2 - C²H2R³ (formed from vinyl monomers C¹H²=C²HR³ + H•, using density functional theory (DFT, at the UB3LYP level of theory with 6-31G(d basis set. The optimum support vector regression (SVR model of the reactivity parameter u based on Gaussian radial basis function (RBF kernel (C = 10, ε = 10- 5 and γ = 1.0 produced root-mean-square (rms errors for the training, validation and prediction sets being 0.220, 0.326 and 0.345, respectively. The optimal SVR model for v with the RBF kernel (C = 20, ε = 10- 4 and γ = 1.2 produced rms errors for the training set of 0.123, the validation set of 0.206 and the prediction set of 0.238. The feasibility of applying the transition state quantum chemical descriptors to develop SVM models for reactivity parameters u and v in the U-V scheme has been demonstrated.

  18. Copolymerization parameters of N-Methacryloyloxy tetrabromophthalimide with different vinyl monomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahmoud, A.A.

    2005-01-01

    N-Methacryloyloxytetrabromophthalimide (NMTP) was synthesized by the reaction of N-hydroxytetrabromophthalimide with either methacryloyl chloride or methacrylic acid in the presence of triethylamine or N, Ndicyclohexylcarbodiimide respectively. Binary copolymerization reactions of the prepared monomer with ethyl acrylate (EA), n-butyl methacrylate (n.BMA), tertiary butylacrylate (t.BA) and vinyl acetate (VA) were performed in methylene chloride at 65 degree C using 1 mol % azobisisobutylronitrile (AIBN) as initiator. The structure of the prepared monomer was investigated by IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The copolymer compositions were determined from bromine analysis. Copolymerization parameters for each system were calculated by the Fineman-Ross and Kelen-Tudos methods. The monomer reactivity ratios for the systems NMTP-EA, NMTP-n.BMA, NMTP-t.BA and NMTP-VA were found to be r1 0.180, r2 = 0.893, r1 = 0.025, r2 = 0.680, r1 0.014, r2 0.956 and r1 1.002, r2 1.004 respectively

  19. Improved i-motif thermal stability by insertion of anthraquinone monomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gouda, Alaa S; Amine, Mahasen S.; Pedersen, Erik Bjerregaard

    2017-01-01

    In order to gain insight into how to improve thermal stability of i-motifs when used in the context of biomedical and nanotechnological applications, novel anthraquinone-modified i-motifs were synthesized by insertion of 1,8-, 1,4-, 1,5- and 2,6-disubstituted anthraquinone monomers into the TAA...... loops of a 22mer cytosine-rich human telomeric DNA sequence. The influence of the four anthraquinone linkers on the i-motif thermal stability was investigated at 295 nm and pH 5.5. Anthraquinone monomers modulate the i-motif stability in a position-depending manner and the modulation also depends...... unlocked nucleic acid monomers or twisted intercalating nucleic acid. The 2,6-disubstituted anthraquinone linker replacing T10 enabled a significant increase of i-motif thermal melting by 8.2 °C. A substantial increase of 5.0 °C in i-motif thermal melting was recorded when both A6 and T16 were modified...

  20. Guidelines To Select the N-Heterocyclic Carbene for the Organopolymerization of Monomers with a Polar Group

    KAUST Repository

    Falivene, Laura; Cavallo, Luigi

    2017-01-01

    be tuned by the hindrance of the NHC and the nature of the monomer. In addition to rationalize existing systems, the 45 NHC/monomer combinations we examined can be used as a guideline to predict the behavior of a new NHC/monomer combination.

  1. Ortho-substituted triptycene-based diamines, monomers, and polymers, methods of making and uses thereof

    KAUST Repository

    Ghanem, Bader Saleh

    2017-04-13

    Described herein are ortho-dimethyl-substituted and tetramethyi-substituted triptycene-containing diamine monomers and microporous triptycene-based poiyimides and poiyamides, and methods of making the monomers and polymers.

  2. Ortho-substituted triptycene-based diamines, monomers, and polymers, methods of making and uses thereof

    KAUST Repository

    Ghanem, Bader Saleh; Pinnau, Ingo

    2017-01-01

    Described herein are ortho-dimethyl-substituted and tetramethyi-substituted triptycene-containing diamine monomers and microporous triptycene-based poiyimides and poiyamides, and methods of making the monomers and polymers.

  3. Structure of human insulin monomer in water/acetonitrile solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bocian, Wojciech; Sitkowski, Jerzy; Bednarek, Elzbieta [National Medicines Institute (Poland); Tarnowska, Anna; Kawecki, Robert [Institute of Organic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland); Kozerski, Lech [National Medicines Institute (Poland)], E-mail: lkoz@icho.edu.pl

    2008-01-15

    Here we present evidence that in water/acetonitrile solvent detailed structural and dynamic information can be obtained for important proteins that are naturally present as oligomers under native conditions. An NMR-derived human insulin monomer structure in H{sub 2}O/CD{sub 3}CN, 65/35 vol%, pH 3.6 is presented and compared with the available X-ray structure of a monomer that forms part of a hexamer (Acta Crystallogr. 2003 Sec. D59, 474) and with NMR structures in water and organic cosolvent. Detailed analysis using PFGSE NMR, temperature-dependent NMR, dilution experiments and CSI proves that the structure is monomeric in the concentration and temperature ranges 0.1-3 mM and 10-30 deg. C, respectively. The presence of long-range interstrand NOEs, as found in the crystal structure of the monomer, provides the evidence for conservation of the tertiary structure. Starting from structures calculated by the program CYANA, two different molecular dynamics simulated annealing refinement protocols were applied, either using the program AMBER in vacuum (AMBER{sub V}C), or including a generalized Born solvent model (AMBER{sub G}B)

  4. Determination of unreacted monomers in restorative dental resins based on dimethacrylate by NMR hydrogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Correa, Ivo Carlos; Miranda Junior, Walter G.; Tavares, Maria Ines B.

    2001-01-01

    The presence of unreacted monomers after photo-activation of dental composites causes mechanical and biological properties to decrease and could be detected by NMR analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the percentage of leachable monomers of light-cured composites under the effect of variations of exposure time of photo activation by nuclear magnetic resonance of hydrogen in solution (NMR 1 H). The composite resins tested Z250 and Fill Magic obtained similar values of unreacted monomers (%) at photo curing time suggested by the manufacturer and values were also lower than Durafill and A110 concentrations. From the NMR results, one day extractable time was efficient to quantify the amount of residual monomers in the dental composites tested, unless for Durafill composite. (author)

  5. Photopolymerizable phosphate acrylates as comonomers in dental adhesives with or without triclosan monomer units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melinte, Violeta; Buruiana, Tinca; Aldea, Horia; Matiut, Simona; Silion, Mihaela; Buruiana, Emil C.

    2014-01-01

    Phosphate diacrylates (CO-DAP, TMP-DAP) based on castor oil or trimethylolpropane were synthesized and evaluated in dental adhesive formulations in comparison with 3-acryloyloxy-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate phosphate (AMP-P). In an attempt to promote antibacterial activity, another photopolymerizable monomer (TCS-UMA) containing 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol moiety (triclosan) was prepared and incorporated in adhesive resins. Each of these monomers had a molecular structure confirmed by spectral methods. The photopolymerization rates for monomers (0.063–0.088 s −1 ) were lower than those determined in the monomer combinations (0.116–0.158 s −1 ) incorporating phosphate diacrylate (11 wt.%), BisGMA (33 wt.%), TEGDMA (10 wt.%), UDMA (10 wt.%) and HEMA (15 wt.%), the degree of conversion varying between 63.4 and 74.5%. The formed copolymers showed high values for water sorption (18.65–57.02 μg/mm 3 ) and water solubility (3.51–13.38 μg/mm 3 ), and the contact angle was dependent on the presence of CO-DAP (θ F1 : 66.67°), TMP-DAP (θ F2 : 55.05°) or AMP-P (θ F3 : 52.90°) in the photocrosslinked specimens compared to the sample without phosphate monomer (θ F4 : 82.14°). The scanning electron microscopy image of the dentin–resin composite interface after applying our F1 formulation (pH: 4.1) and its light-curing for 20 s supports the evidence of the formation of the hybrid layer with the tooth structure created by self-etching approach, with no gaps or cracks in the adhesive. A comparative analysis of the adhesion achieved with commercial adhesive systems (Single Bond Universal, C-Bond) rather indicates similarities than differences between them. The addition of triclosan methacrylate (1 wt.%) into the formulation inhibited the bacterial growth of the Streptococcus mutans and Escherichia coli in the direct contact area due to the covalently linked antibacterial monomer. - Highlights: • Synthesis of photopolymerizable phosphate acrylate

  6. Oligodeoxynucleotides containing 2'-amino-LNA nucleotides as constrained morpholino phosphoramidate and phosphorodiamidate monomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Kim Vejlegaard; Paul, Sibasish; Kosbar, Tamer

    2017-01-01

    Incorporation in a 2'→5' direction of a phosphorodiamidite 2'-amino-LNA-T nucleotide as the morpholino phosphoramidate and N,N-dimethylamino phosphorodiamidate monomers into six oligonucleotides is reported. Thermal denaturation studies showed that the novel 2'-amino-LNA-based morpholino monomers...

  7. Monomer-Polymer Chemistry and the Impregnation Process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stannett, V. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States)

    1968-10-15

    A brief outline of early polymerization techniques is followed by a description of polymerization process chemistry, impregnation and polymerization methods and criteria for the choice of monomer. General considerations, including the effects of polymerization inhibitors, swelling agents, radiation dose rate and sample thickness, are enumerated. (author)

  8. Radiation-induced graft polymerization of amphiphilic monomers with different polymerization characteristics onto hydrophobic polysilane

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanaka, Hidenori; Iwasaki, Isao; Kunai, Yuichiro [Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Asashironishi 2-1010, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494 (Japan); Sato, Nobuhiro, E-mail: sato-n@rri.kyoto-u.ac.j [Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Asashironishi 2-1010, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494 (Japan); Matsuyama, Tomochika [Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Asashironishi 2-1010, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494 (Japan)

    2011-08-15

    The structures of poly(methyl-n-propylsilane) (PMPrS) amphiphilically modified through {gamma}-ray-induced graft polymerization were investigated with {sup 1}H NMR measurement. By the use of methyl methacrylate (MMA) or diethyl fumarate (DEF) as monomers for the graft polymerization, grafting yield rose with increasing total absorption dose and monomer concentrations, but decreased with increasing dose rate. This result means that grafting yield of modified PMPrS can be controlled by changing irradiation conditions. However, the number of PMMA or PDEF graft chains per PMPrS chain was estimated to be less than 1.0 by analysis of {sup 1}H NMR spectra, and this value was lower than that we had expected. To improve graft density, maleic anhydride (MAH), which is known as a non-homopolymerizable monomer in radical polymerization, was used as a monomer for grafting. As a result, high density grafting (one MAH unit for 4.2 silicon atoms) was attained. It demonstrates that the structure of {gamma}-ray-modified polysilane strongly depends on the polymerization characteristics of grafted monomers.

  9. Dynamic mechanical properties of photopolymerizable poly(vinyl alcohol)-acrylate monomer blends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koshiba, M.; Yamaoka, T.; Tsunoda, T.

    1983-01-01

    Dynamic mechanical properties of photopolymerizable poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-monoacrylate blends were investigated by measuring dynamic shear modulus G' and loss tangent, tan delta. The dynamic mechanical properties of the blends before being exposed to UV irradiation were governed by the weight percent of the monomers which act as plasticizers. On the other hand, the UV-irradiated blends seemed to be typical two-phase materials since they revealed two tan delta maxima whose positions were independent of the monomer content. Those two maxima were assigned to PVA and photopolymerized acrylates with reference to the dynamic mechanical data of PVA and a PVA-polyacrylamide polyblend. Those dynamic mechanical data suggested that insolubilization of the blend type photopolymers should be caused by a decrease in solubility due to graft polymerization of acrylate monomers onto PVA. 9 figures, 3 tables

  10. Macroradical initiated polymerisation of acrylic and methacrylic monomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mijangos, Irene; Guerreiro, António; Piletska, Elena; Whitcombe, Michael J; Karim, Kal; Chianella, Iva; Piletsky, Sergey

    2009-10-01

    An approach has been developed for the grafting of monomers onto poly(trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) (polyTRIM) particles using 2,2-diethyl dithiocarbamic acid benzyl ester (DDCABE) as an initiator. A set of polymers was prepared with this technique over different lengths of time and the kinetics of the reaction studied experimentally. It was found that the grafting of initiator to the polymeric support followed a second order reaction, while the subsequent addition of monomers from solution into the polyTRIM macroradicals followed a first order reaction. The living nature of the iniferter modified macroradicals permits easy consecutive grafting of multiple polymeric layers, allowing straightforward functionalisation of particles. However, the effectiveness of the grafted initiator decreased with each cycle of polymerisation. This technique can be used for a wide range of applications in analytical and biochemistry.

  11. Residual monomer content determination in some acrylic denture base materials and possibilities of its reduction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kostić Milena

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. Polymethyl methacrylate is used for producing a denture basis. It is a material made by the polymerization process of methyl methacrylate. Despite of the polymerization type, there is a certain amount of free methyl methacrylate (residual monomer incorporated in the denture, which can cause irritation of the oral mucosa. The aim of this study was to determine the amount of residual monomer in four different denture base acrylic resins by liquid chromatography and the possibility of its reduction. Methods. After the polymerization, a postpolymerization treatment was performed in three different ways: in boiling water for thirty minutes, with 500 W microwaves for three minutes and in steam bath at 22º C for one to thirty days. Results. The obtained results showed that the amount of residual monomer is significantly higher in cold polymerizing acrylates (9.1-11%. The amount of residual monomer after hot polymerization was in the tolerance range (0.59- 0.86%. Conclusion. The obtained results denote a low content of residual monomer in the samples which have undergone postpolymerization treatment. A lower percent of residual monomer is established in samples undergone a hot polymerization.

  12. Guidelines To Select the N-Heterocyclic Carbene for the Organopolymerization of Monomers with a Polar Group

    KAUST Repository

    Falivene, Laura

    2017-02-13

    We report on the DFT stability of zwitterion and spirocycle adducts of five polar monomers with nine N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC), covering the most typical classes of monomers and NHCs used in organopolymerization. Results indicate that the relative stability of the two adducts is dominated by the singlet-triplet energy gap of the free NHC, with low energy gaps favoring the spirocycle adduct, while high energy gaps favor the zwitterionic adduct. This basic structure/property relationship can be tuned by the hindrance of the NHC and the nature of the monomer. In addition to rationalize existing systems, the 45 NHC/monomer combinations we examined can be used as a guideline to predict the behavior of a new NHC/monomer combination.

  13. Reactivity of vinyl ethers and vinyl ribosides in UV-initiated free radical copolymerization with acceptor monomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pichavant, Loic; Guillermain, Céline; Coqueret, Xavier

    2010-09-13

    The reactivity of various vinyl ethers and vinyloxy derivatives of ribose in the presence of diethyl fumarate or diethyl maleate was investigated for evaluating the potential of donor-acceptor-type copolymerization applied to unsaturated monomers derived from renewable feedstock. The photochemically induced polymerization of model monomer blends in the bulk state was monitored by infrared spectroscopy. The method allowed us to examine the influence of monomer pair structure on the kinetic profiles. The simultaneous consumption of both monomers was observed, supporting an alternating copolymerization mechanism. A lower reactivity of the blends containing maleates compared with fumarates was confirmed. The obtained kinetic data revealed a general correlation between the initial polymerization rate and the Hansen parameter δ(H) associated with the H-bonding aptitude of the donor monomer.

  14. Radiation cured and monomer modified silicon elastomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eldred, R.J.

    1979-01-01

    A method is described for the production of a tear resistant silicone elastomer, which has improved elongation properties. This elastomer is the radiation induced reaction product of a noncured methyl vinyl silicone resin (VMQ) and uniformly dispersed therein a blend of a polyfunctional acrylic crosslinking monomer and a filler

  15. Softening and elution of monomers in ethanol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Benetti, Ana Raquel; Asmussen, Erik; Munksgaard, E Christian

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of light-curing protocol on softening and elution of monomers in ethanol as measured on a model polymer. It was a further aim to correlate the measured values with previously reported data on degree of conversion and glass transition...

  16. Polyfunctional monomers as additives for enhancing the radiation copolymerization of styrene with polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ang, C.H.; Garnett, J.L.; Levot, R.; Long, M.A.

    1982-01-01

    Additives which can increase the yield in the radiation grafting of monomers to polymers are useful. The use of polyfunctional monomers as additives (approx. = 1% v/v) are shown to enhance significantly the copolymerization yields of styrene in methanol to films of polyethylene and polypropylene under certain radiation conditions. The results obtained when the polyolefins are replaced by PVC as backbone polymer in these accelerated grafting reactions are reported. Divinylbenzene (DVB) and trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) were used as representative polyfunctional monomers for the enhancement effect. When polypropylene was used as backbone polymer, the inclusion of DVB significantly enhanced the radiation grafting of styrene in methanol at all monomer concentrations studied above 35%. At certain monomer concentrations (50% , 60%), the yield of graft copolymer was almost doubled by the addition of DVB. 3 tables. (DP)

  17. Sustainable Poly(Ionic Liquids) for CO2 Capture Based on Deep Eutectic Monomers

    KAUST Repository

    Isik, Mehmet; Zulfiqar, Sonia; Edhaim, Fatimah; Ruiperez, Fernando; Rothenberger, Alexander; Mecerreyes, David

    2016-01-01

    The design of high performance solid sorbent materials for CO2 capture is a technology which has been employed to mitigate global warming. However, the covalent incorporation of functionalities into polymeric supports usually involves multistep energy-intensive chemical processes. This fact makes the net CO2 balance of the materials negative even though they possess good properties as CO2 sorbents. Here we show a new family of polymers which are based on amines, amidoximes, and natural carboxylic acids and can be obtained using sustainable low energy processes. Thus, deep eutectic monomers based on natural carboxylic acids, amidoximes, and amines have been prepared by just mixing with cholinium type methacrylic ammonium monomer. The formation of deep eutectic monomers was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry measurements. In all cases, the monomers displayed glass transition temperatures well below room temperature. Computational studies revealed that the formation of eutectic complexes lengthens the distance between the cation and the anion causing charge delocalization. The liquid nature of the resulting deep eutectic monomers (DEMs) made it possible to conduct a fast photopolymerization process to obtain the corresponding poly(ionic liquids). Materials were characterized by means of nuclear magnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction to evaluate the properties of the polymers. The polymers were then used as solid sorbents for CO2 capture. It has been shown that the polymers prepared with citric acid displayed better performance both experimentally and computationally. The current endeavor showed that sustainable poly(ionic liquids) based on deep eutectic monomers can be easily prepared to produce low-energy-cost alternatives to the materials currently being researched for CO2 capture. © 2016 American Chemical Society.

  18. Sustainable Poly(Ionic Liquids) for CO2 Capture Based on Deep Eutectic Monomers

    KAUST Repository

    Isik, Mehmet

    2016-10-05

    The design of high performance solid sorbent materials for CO2 capture is a technology which has been employed to mitigate global warming. However, the covalent incorporation of functionalities into polymeric supports usually involves multistep energy-intensive chemical processes. This fact makes the net CO2 balance of the materials negative even though they possess good properties as CO2 sorbents. Here we show a new family of polymers which are based on amines, amidoximes, and natural carboxylic acids and can be obtained using sustainable low energy processes. Thus, deep eutectic monomers based on natural carboxylic acids, amidoximes, and amines have been prepared by just mixing with cholinium type methacrylic ammonium monomer. The formation of deep eutectic monomers was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry measurements. In all cases, the monomers displayed glass transition temperatures well below room temperature. Computational studies revealed that the formation of eutectic complexes lengthens the distance between the cation and the anion causing charge delocalization. The liquid nature of the resulting deep eutectic monomers (DEMs) made it possible to conduct a fast photopolymerization process to obtain the corresponding poly(ionic liquids). Materials were characterized by means of nuclear magnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction to evaluate the properties of the polymers. The polymers were then used as solid sorbents for CO2 capture. It has been shown that the polymers prepared with citric acid displayed better performance both experimentally and computationally. The current endeavor showed that sustainable poly(ionic liquids) based on deep eutectic monomers can be easily prepared to produce low-energy-cost alternatives to the materials currently being researched for CO2 capture. © 2016 American Chemical Society.

  19. Functionalized Nanoporous Polymer Membranes with Well-Defined Pore Architectures via Lyotropic Liquid-Crystalline Monomers

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Gin, Douglas

    1997-01-01

    .... Two lyotropic liquid-crystalline monomer platforms have been synthesized. The interchannel separations in the polymerizable materials can be varied in the 30-40 A range by the choice of counterion on the ionic headgroup of the monomers...

  20. Photopolymerizable phosphate acrylates as comonomers in dental adhesives with or without triclosan monomer units

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Melinte, Violeta [Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41 A Gr. Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi (Romania); Buruiana, Tinca, E-mail: tbur@icmpp.ro [Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41 A Gr. Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi (Romania); Aldea, Horia [Gr. T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Dentistry, Iasi (Romania); Matiut, Simona [Praxis Medical Investigations, 33 Independence, 700102 Iasi (Romania); Silion, Mihaela; Buruiana, Emil C. [Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41 A Gr. Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi (Romania)

    2014-01-01

    Phosphate diacrylates (CO-DAP, TMP-DAP) based on castor oil or trimethylolpropane were synthesized and evaluated in dental adhesive formulations in comparison with 3-acryloyloxy-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate phosphate (AMP-P). In an attempt to promote antibacterial activity, another photopolymerizable monomer (TCS-UMA) containing 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol moiety (triclosan) was prepared and incorporated in adhesive resins. Each of these monomers had a molecular structure confirmed by spectral methods. The photopolymerization rates for monomers (0.063–0.088 s{sup −1}) were lower than those determined in the monomer combinations (0.116–0.158 s{sup −1}) incorporating phosphate diacrylate (11 wt.%), BisGMA (33 wt.%), TEGDMA (10 wt.%), UDMA (10 wt.%) and HEMA (15 wt.%), the degree of conversion varying between 63.4 and 74.5%. The formed copolymers showed high values for water sorption (18.65–57.02 μg/mm{sup 3}) and water solubility (3.51–13.38 μg/mm{sup 3}), and the contact angle was dependent on the presence of CO-DAP (θ{sub F1}: 66.67°), TMP-DAP (θ{sub F2}: 55.05°) or AMP-P (θ{sub F3}: 52.90°) in the photocrosslinked specimens compared to the sample without phosphate monomer (θ{sub F4}: 82.14°). The scanning electron microscopy image of the dentin–resin composite interface after applying our F1 formulation (pH: 4.1) and its light-curing for 20 s supports the evidence of the formation of the hybrid layer with the tooth structure created by self-etching approach, with no gaps or cracks in the adhesive. A comparative analysis of the adhesion achieved with commercial adhesive systems (Single Bond Universal, C-Bond) rather indicates similarities than differences between them. The addition of triclosan methacrylate (1 wt.%) into the formulation inhibited the bacterial growth of the Streptococcus mutans and Escherichia coli in the direct contact area due to the covalently linked antibacterial monomer. - Highlights: • Synthesis of

  1. Dependence of aggregation behavior on concentration in triblock copolymer solutions: The effect of chain architecture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Xiang-Gang; Zhang, Xue-Feng

    2015-01-01

    Using the self-consistent field lattice technique, the effects of concentration and hydrophobic middle block length (where the chain length remains constant) on aggregation behavior are studied in amphiphilic symmetric triblock copolymer solutions. The heat capacity peak for the unimer-micelle transition and the distribution peaks for the different degrees of aggregation for micelles and small aggregates (submicelles) are calculated. Analysis of the conducted computer simulations shows that the transition broadness dependence on concentration is determined by the hydrophobic middle block length, and this dependence is distinctly different when the length of the hydrophobic middle block changes. Different size for small aggregates simultaneously appear in the transition region. As temperature decreases, the number of different size small aggregates for the large hydrophobic middle block length first ascends and then descends in aggregation degree order. These results indicate that any transition broadness change with concentration is related to the mechanism of fragmentation and fusion. These results are helpful for interpreting the aggregation process of amphiphilic copolymers at equilibrium

  2. Do the monomers release from the composite resins after artificial aging?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tokay, Ugur; Koyuturk, Alp Erdin; Aksoy, Abdurrahman; Ozmen, Bilal

    2015-04-01

    The aim of this study is to measure the effect of thermal cycling on the amount of monomer released from three different composite materials by HPLC analysis method. Three different composite materials, inlay composite, posterior composite and micro-hybrid composite were used. Sixty cylinder specimens each with a dimension of approximately 1 cm width and 3 mm depth, were prepared before experiments were carried out. Inlay composite material was polymerized according to manufacturers' instructions. Thermal cycling device was used to simulate thermal differences which occur in the mouth media. Monomers were analyzed using HPLC technic after thermal cycling process. The amount of ethoxylated Bis-GMA and urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) in inlay composite material, the amount of ethoxylated Bis-GMA in posterior composite material, the amount of ethoxylated Bis-GMA and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) in micro-hybrid composite material were investigated. Monomer release of thermal cycles levels showed a linear increase in UDMA and TEGDMA (P < 0.05). In terms of thermal cycles levels, Bis-EMA released from posterior composite showed a cubic change (P < 0.001). It was observed that use of additional polymerization processes might have positive effect on the decrease of residual monomer. In the light of the results, we suggest that indirect composite resins have more outstanding features than direct composite resins in terms of biocompatibility. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Time-resolved small angle neutron scattering measurements of asphaltene nanoparticle aggregation kinetics in incompatible crude oil mixtures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mason, Thomas G.; Lin, Min Y.

    2003-01-01

    We use time-resolved-small angle neutron scattering to study the kinetics of asphaltene nanoparticle aggregation in incompatible crude oil mixtures. We induce asphaltene aggregation by mixing asphaltene-rich Syrian crude oil (SACO) with a paraffinic British crude oil and observe the scattered neutron intensity, I, as a function of wave number, q, over times, t, ranging from twenty minutes to about a week. We observe a growth in I at low q as the nanoscale asphaltenes agglomerate into microscale aggregates and interpret this growth as an increase in surface scattering from the aggregates. We fit I(q,t) to an empirical model and measure the growth in the power-law exponent, α, associated with the low-q logarithmic slope of I(q). We define a time, τ α , associated with the first appearance of the aggregates when α>3; τ α increases as a function of the volume fraction, φ m , of SACO in the mixture. The surface scattering intensity initially increases and then saturates at long times when the aggregate structures no longer evolve at the length scales we probe. Based on this saturation, we define a time scale, τ I , which is larger than τ α but has essentially the same dependence on φ m . We interpret τ α (φ m ) and τ I (φ m ) in terms of a simple aggregation model based on diffusion-limited kinetics and a repulsive potential barrier that models the effective solvent quality

  4. Inhibition of odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp cells by dental resin monomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Ji Hyun; Park, Hee Chul; Zhu, Tingting; Yang, Hyeong-Cheol

    2015-01-01

    Dental resin monomers that are leached from the resin matrix due to incomplete polymerization can affect the viability and various functions of oral tissues and cells. In this study, the effects of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) on odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) were examined. To mimic clinical situations, dental pulp cells were treated with resin monomers for 24 h prior to the analysis of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mRNA expression of genes related to pulp cell differentiation. To elucidate the underlying signaling pathways, regulation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases by resin monomers was also investigated. The ALP activity of HDPCs was reduced by TEGDMA and HEMA at noncytotoxic concentrations. The mRNA expression of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), osteocalcin (OCN), and osteopontin (OPN) was also downregulated by resin monomers. However, DSPP expression was not affected by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Among the MAP kinases examined, ERK activation (ERK phosphorylation) was not affected by either resin monomers or H2O2, whereas JNK was phosphorylated by TEGDMA and HEMA. Phospho-p38 was upregulated by HEMA, while TEGDMA and H2O2 suppressed p38 phosphorylation. Exposure to TEGDMA and HEMA for a limited period suppresses differentiation of HDPCs via different signaling pathways.

  5. Sustainability in Supply Chain Management: Aggregate Planning from Sustainability Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Türkay, Metin; Saraçoğlu, Öztürk; Arslan, Mehmet Can

    2016-01-01

    Supply chain management that considers the flow of raw materials, products and information has become a focal issue in modern manufacturing and service systems. Supply chain management requires effective use of assets and information that has far reaching implications beyond satisfaction of customer demand, flow of goods, services or capital. Aggregate planning, a fundamental decision model in supply chain management, refers to the determination of production, inventory, capacity and labor usage levels in the medium term. Traditionally standard mathematical programming formulation is used to devise the aggregate plan so as to minimize the total cost of operations. However, this formulation is purely an economic model that does not include sustainability considerations. In this study, we revise the standard aggregate planning formulation to account for additional environmental and social criteria to incorporate triple bottom line consideration of sustainability. We show how these additional criteria can be appended to traditional cost accounting in order to address sustainability in aggregate planning. We analyze the revised models and interpret the results on a case study from real life that would be insightful for decision makers.

  6. Sustainability in Supply Chain Management: Aggregate Planning from Sustainability Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Türkay, Metin; Saraçoğlu, Öztürk; Arslan, Mehmet Can

    2016-01-01

    Supply chain management that considers the flow of raw materials, products and information has become a focal issue in modern manufacturing and service systems. Supply chain management requires effective use of assets and information that has far reaching implications beyond satisfaction of customer demand, flow of goods, services or capital. Aggregate planning, a fundamental decision model in supply chain management, refers to the determination of production, inventory, capacity and labor usage levels in the medium term. Traditionally standard mathematical programming formulation is used to devise the aggregate plan so as to minimize the total cost of operations. However, this formulation is purely an economic model that does not include sustainability considerations. In this study, we revise the standard aggregate planning formulation to account for additional environmental and social criteria to incorporate triple bottom line consideration of sustainability. We show how these additional criteria can be appended to traditional cost accounting in order to address sustainability in aggregate planning. We analyze the revised models and interpret the results on a case study from real life that would be insightful for decision makers. PMID:26807848

  7. Net expansion of dried demineralized dentin matrix produced by monomer/alcohol saturation and solvent evaporation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agee, Kelli A; Becker, Thomas D; Joyce, Anthony P; Rueggeberg, Frederick A; Borke, James L; Waller, Jennifer L; Tay, Franklin R; Pashley, David H

    2006-11-01

    The purpose of this work was to determine if nonaqueous methacrylate monomer/alcohol mixtures could expand dried collapsed demineralized dentin matrix. Thin disks (ca. 200 microm) of human dentin were demineralized and placed in wells beneath contact probes of linear variable differential transformers. The probes were placed on water-saturated expanded matrices to record the shrinkage associated with drying. Monomer mixtures containing hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2,2-bis[4-(2-hydroxy-3 methacryloyloxy)propoxyphenyl] propane, or triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate were mixed with methanol or ethanol at alcohol/monomer mass fraction % of 90/10, 70/30, 50/50, or 30/70. They were randomly applied to the dried matrices to determine the rate and magnitude of expansion; then shrinkage was recorded during evaporation of the alcohols. The results indicated that matrix expansion was positively correlated with the Hoy's solubility parameters for hydrogen bonding forces (delta(h)) of the monomer/solvent mixtures (p methanol-containing than with ethanol-containing monomer mixtures. For the test solutions, triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate-containing mixtures produced the slowest rate of matrix expansion and hydroxyethyl methacrylate-containing mixtures the most rapid expansion. When the solvents were evaporated, the matrix shrank in proportion to the solvent content and the delta(h) of the monomer-solvent mixtures. The results indicate that expansion of dried, collapsed dentin matrices requires that the delta(h) of the mixtures be larger than 17 (J/cm(3))(1/2). The greater the delta(h) of the monomer solutions, the greater the rate and extent of expansion.

  8. Synthesis of phosphate monomers and bonding to dentin: esterification methods and use of phosphorus pentoxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogliari, Fabrício Aulo; da Silva, Eduardo de Oliveira; Lima, Giana da Silveira; Madruga, Francine Cardozo; Henn, Sandrina; Bueno, Márcia; Ceschi, Marco Antônio; Petzhold, Cesar Liberato; Piva, Evandro

    2008-03-01

    The aim of this study was to synthesize an acidic monomer using an alternative synthetic pathway and to evaluate the influence of the acidic monomer concentration on the microtensile bond strength to dentin. The intermediary 5-hydroxypentyl methacrylate (HPMA) was synthesized through methacrylic acid esterification with 1,5-pentanediol, catalyzed by p-toluenesulfonic acid. To displace the reaction balance, the water generated by esterification was removed by three different methods: anhydrous sodium sulfate; molecular sieves or azeotropic distillation. In the next step, a phosphorus pentoxide (4.82 mmol) slurry was formed in cold acetone and 29 mmol of HPMA was slowly added by funnel addition. After the reaction ended, solvent was evaporated and the product was characterized by 1HNMR and FTIR. The phosphate monomer was introduced in a self-etch primer at concentrations of 0, 15, 30, 50, 70 and 100 wt%. Clearfil SE Bond was used as commercial reference. Microtensile bond strength to dentin was evaluated 24h after the bonding procedures, followed by fracture analysis (n=20). Data was submitted to ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test. The highest yield was obtained (62%) when azeotropic distillation was used, while the reaction with molecular sieves was not feasible. The phosphoric moiety attachment to the monomer was successfully performed with a quantitative yield that reached around 100%. The acidic monomer concentration significantly affected the bond strength and the highest mean (55.1+/-12.8 MPa) was obtained when 50% of acidic monomer was used. The synthesis pathways described in the present study appear to be a viable alternative for developing phosphate monomers.

  9. Triptycene-based ladder monomers and polymers, methods of making each, and methods of use

    KAUST Repository

    Pinnau, Ingo; Ghanem, Bader; Swaidan, Raja

    2015-01-01

    Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a triptycene-based A-B monomer, a method of making a triptycene-based A-B monomer, a triptycene-based ladder polymer, a method of making a triptycene-based ladder polymers, a method of using

  10. Effects of multiple scattering on radiative properties of soot fractal aggregates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yon, Jérôme; Liu, Fengshan; Bescond, Alexandre; Caumont-Prim, Chloé; Rozé, Claude; Ouf, François-Xavier; Coppalle, Alexis

    2014-01-01

    The in situ optical characterization of smokes composed of soot particles relies on light extinction, angular static light scattering (SLS), or laser induced incandescence (LII). These measurements are usually interpreted by using the Rayleigh–Debye–Gans theory for Fractal Aggregates (RDG-FA). RDG-FA is simple to use but it completely neglects the impact of multiple scattering (MS) within soot aggregates. In this paper, based on a scaling approach that takes into account MS effects, an extended form of the RDG-FA theory is proposed in order to take into account these effects. The parameters of this extended theory and their dependency on the number of primary sphere inside the aggregate (1 p <1006) and on the wavelength (266nm<λ<1064nm) are evaluated thanks to rigorous calculations based on discrete dipole approximation (DDA) and generalized multi-sphere Mie-solution (GMM) calculations. This study shows that size determination by SLS is not distorted by MS effect. On the contrary, it is shown that fractal dimension can be misinterpreted by light scattering experiments, especially at short wavelengths. MS effects should be taken into account for the interpretation of absorption measurements that are involved in LII or extinction measurements. -- Highlights: • We incorporate multiple scattering effects in a scaling approach for fractal aggregates. • A generalized structure factor is introduced for implementation in RDG-FA theory. • Forward scattering is affected by multiple scattering as well as power law regime. • Absorption cross sections are affected by multiple scattering. • Absorption cross sections are 11% higher than that for forward scattering

  11. McSnow: A Monte-Carlo Particle Model for Riming and Aggregation of Ice Particles in a Multidimensional Microphysical Phase Space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brdar, S.; Seifert, A.

    2018-01-01

    We present a novel Monte-Carlo ice microphysics model, McSnow, to simulate the evolution of ice particles due to deposition, aggregation, riming, and sedimentation. The model is an application and extension of the super-droplet method of Shima et al. (2009) to the more complex problem of rimed ice particles and aggregates. For each individual super-particle, the ice mass, rime mass, rime volume, and the number of monomers are predicted establishing a four-dimensional particle-size distribution. The sensitivity of the model to various assumptions is discussed based on box model and one-dimensional simulations. We show that the Monte-Carlo method provides a feasible approach to tackle this high-dimensional problem. The largest uncertainty seems to be related to the treatment of the riming processes. This calls for additional field and laboratory measurements of partially rimed snowflakes.

  12. Synthesis and characterization of copolymers from hindered amines and vinyl monomers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo Aparecido Chinelatto

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available New copolymers from hindered amines and vinyl monomers were synthesized by radical chain polymerization. To obtain polymeric HALS, acrylamide-(1ATP and acrylate-(4ATP monomers, derivatives from 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine and 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinol were synthesized. The radical chain polymerization of 1ATP with styrene (Sty using 1-butanethiol (BTN resulted in a copolymer with 95 units of Sty and 15 units of 1ATP. The radical chain polymerization of 1ATP and vinyl acetate (VAc has produced only 1ATP homopolymer. In the chain polymerization of 4ATP with Sty or VAc, the hydrogen atom bonded to the nitrogen of 4ATP is labile enough to originate another radical at this site. The steric hindrance imposed by methyl groups on this bonding site hampers its reaction with other propagating species and the formation of a copolymer or network structure will be dependent on the size of the pendent group in the vinyl monomer.

  13. Testing of residual monomer content reduction possibility on acrilic resins quality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kostić Milena

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Poly (methyl methacrylate (PMMA is material widely used in dentistry. Despite the various methods used to initiate the polymerization of acrylic resins, the conversion of monomer to polymer is not complete thus leaving some unreacted methyl methacrylate (MMA, known as residual monomer (RM, in denture structure. RM in dental acrylic resins has deleterious effects on their mechanical properties and their biocompatibility. The objective of the work was to test the residual monomer reduction possibility by applying the appropriate postpolymerization treatment as well as to determine the effects of this reduction on pressure yields stress and surface structure characteristics of the acrylic resins. Postpolymerization treatments and water storage induced reduction of RM amount in cold-polymerized acrylic resins improved their mechanical properties and the homogenized surface structure. After the polymerization of heat-polymerized acrylic resins the post-polymerization treatments for improving the quality of this material type are not necessary.

  14. Effect of Aggregation on Squaraine Fullerene Bulk-Heterojunction Organic Photovoltaic Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jalan, Ishita

    Organic photovoltaics (OPV) offer great promise as a low-cost renewable energy source, the relative low efficiency still challenges its commercialization potential. Small conjugated molecules like Squaraine (SQ) molecules show promising advancement in organic photovoltaics (OPV). Advantages of SQ over other materials is that it has a high extinction coefficient (>105), decent photo-stability, good synthetic reproducibility, and tunable molecular structure. With small chemical modifications, the squaraines can have substantial impact on photophysical properties and aggregation pattern, and thus on operational OPV efficiency. The squaraine molecule that will be studied in this work is a symmetric aniline-based squaraine with n-hexyl chain on the molecular arm with di hydroxyl substituents on the aniline, this will be referred to DHSQ(OH) 2. In this work, the assignment of the monomer and aggregate peak is discussed. It is known that crystallinity is important for efficient charge transport and exciton diffusion in the BHJ, this thesis focuses on thermal and solvent vapor annealing the as-cast films to reduce the amorphous regions. It is observed that crystallinity is improved but often at the expense of larger crystal size. Therefore, to achieve optimal OPV efficiency, this tradeoff is controlled to improve the crystallinity while maintaining a small, highly mixed BHJ morphology.

  15. Visualization of monomer and polymer inside porous stones by using X-ray tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brunetti, Antonio; Princi, Elisabetta; Vicini, Silvia; Pincin, Silvia; Bidali, Simone; Mariani, Alberto

    2004-01-01

    Estimate of sorption of liquid materials inside porous stones is an important parameter in industrial material testing and cultural heritage conservation. In the latter case, a suitable polymer can be used for both consolidation and conservation, it being applied either in the final form or as its parent monomer, which is subsequently allowed to polymerize in situ by the classical method or by frontal polymerization. However, the sorption of such materials through the stone is often difficult because of their viscosity and/or stone porosity. For this reason, the amount of monomer (or polymer) is a parameter of great interest in order to determine the extent of protection reachable by the treatment. In this paper a new methodology based on X-ray tomography is presented. The methodology makes use of a contrast agent added to the monomer that does not interact with its propagation inside the stone and allows to increase the absorption coefficient and so to observe the monomer inside the sample, which is finally frontally polymerized

  16. Radiation Induced Crosslinking of Polyethylene in the Presence of Bifunctional Vinyl Monomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Joshi, M. S.; Singer, Klaus Albert Julius; Silverman, J.

    1977-01-01

    Several reports have been published showing that the radiation induced grafting of bifunctional vinyl monomers to low density polyethylene results in a product with an unusually high density of crosslinks. The same grafting reactions are shown to reduce the incipient gel dose by more than a factor...... of fifty. This paper is concerned with the apparent crosslinking produced by the radiation grafting of two monomers to polyethylene: acrylic acid and acrylonitrile....

  17. The influence of monomer concentration on the optical properties of electrochemically synthesized polypyrrole thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thombare, J. V.; Fulari, V. J.; Rath, M. C.; Han, S. H.

    2013-01-01

    Polypyrrole (PPy) thin films were deposited on stainless steel and ITO coated glass substrate at a constant deposition potential of 0.8 V versus saturated calomel electrode (SCE) by using the electrochemical polymerization method. The PPy thin films were deposited at room temperature at various monomer concentrations ranging from 0.1 M to 0.3 M pyrrole. The structural and optical properties of the polypyrrole thin films were investigated using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultraviolet—visible (UV—vis) spectroscopy. The XRD results show that polypyrrole thin films have a semi crystalline structure. Higher monomer concentration results in a slight increase of crystallinity. The polypyrrole thin films deposited at higher monomer concentration exhibit high visible absorbance. The refractive indexes of the polypyrrole thin films are found to be in the range of 1 to 1.3 and vary with monomer concentration as well as wavelength. The extinction coefficient decreases slightly with monomer concentration. The electrochemically synthesized polypyrrole thin film shows optical band gap energy of 2.14 eV. (semiconductor materials)

  18. Improved thrombin binding aptamer by incorporation of a single unlocked nucleic acid monomer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pasternak, Anna; Hernandez, Frank J; Rasmussen, Lars Melholt

    2011-01-01

    A 15-mer DNA aptamer (named TBA) adopts a G-quadruplex structure that strongly inhibits fibrin-clot formation by binding to thrombin. We have performed thermodynamic analysis, binding affinity and biological activity studies of TBA variants modified by unlocked nucleic acid (UNA) monomers. UNA...... that a UNA monomer is allowed in many positions of the aptamer without significantly changing the thrombin-binding properties. The biological effect of a selection of the modified aptamers was tested by a thrombin time assay and showed that most of the UNA-modified TBAs possess anticoagulant properties......, and that the construct with a UNA-U monomer in position 7 is a highly potent inhibitor of fibrin-clot formation....

  19. Two Populations Mean-Field Monomer-Dimer Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alberici, Diego; Mingione, Emanuele

    2018-04-01

    A two populations mean-field monomer-dimer model including both hard-core and attractive interactions between dimers is considered. The pressure density in the thermodynamic limit is proved to satisfy a variational principle. A detailed analysis is made in the limit of one population is much smaller than the other and a ferromagnetic mean-field phase transition is found.

  20. In situ polymerization of monomers for polyphenylquinoxaline/graphite fiber composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serafini, T. T.; Delvigs, P.; Vannucci, R. D.

    1974-01-01

    Methods currently used to prepare fiber reinforced, high temperature resistant polyphenylquinoxaline (PPQ) composites employ extremely viscous, low solids content solutions of high molecular weight PPQ polymers. An improved approach, described in this report, consists of impregnating the fiber with a solution of the appropriate monomers instead of a solution of previously synthesized high molecular weight polymer. Polymerization of the monomers occurs in situ on the fiber during the solvent removal and curing stages. The in situ polymerization approach greatly simplifies the fabrication of PPQ graphite fiber composites. The use of low viscosity monomeric type solutions facilitates fiber wetting, permits a high solids content, and eliminates the need for prior polymer synthesis.

  1. Calculation of vibrational spectra for dioxouranium monochloride monomer and dimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umreiko, D. S.; Shundalau, M. B.; Zazhogin, A. P.; Komyak, A. I.

    2010-09-01

    Structural models were built and spectral characteristics were calculated based on ab initio calculations for the monomer and dimers of dioxouranium monochoride UO2Cl. The calculations were carried out in the effective core potential LANL2DZ approximation for the uranium atom and all-electron basis sets using DFT methods for oxygen and chlorine atoms (B3LYP/cc-pVDZ). The monomer UO2Cl was found to possess an equilibrium planar (close to T-shaped) configuration with C2v symmetry. The obtained spectral characteristics were analyzed and compared with experimental data. The adequacy of the proposed models and the qualitative agreement between calculation and experiment were demonstrated.

  2. Correlation among extinction efficiency and other parameters in an aggregate dust model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhar, Tanuj Kumar; Sekhar Das, Himadri

    2017-10-01

    We study the extinction properties of highly porous Ballistic Cluster-Cluster Aggregate dust aggregates in a wide range of complex refractive indices (1.4≤ n≤ 2.0, 0.001≤ k≤ 1.0) and wavelengths (0.11 {{μ }}{{m}}≤ {{λ }}≤ 3.4 {{μ }} m). An attempt has been made for the first time to investigate the correlation among extinction efficiency ({Q}{ext}), composition of dust aggregates (n,k), wavelength of radiation (λ) and size parameter of the monomers (x). If k is fixed at any value between 0.001 and 1.0, {Q}{ext} increases with increase of n from 1.4 to 2.0. {Q}{ext} and n are correlated via linear regression when the cluster size is small, whereas the correlation is quadratic at moderate and higher sizes of the cluster. This feature is observed at all wavelengths (ultraviolet to optical to infrared). We also find that the variation of {Q}{ext} with n is very small when λ is high. When n is fixed at any value between 1.4 and 2.0, it is observed that {Q}{ext} and k are correlated via a polynomial regression equation (of degree 1, 2, 3 or 4), where the degree of the equation depends on the cluster size, n and λ. The correlation is linear for small size and quadratic/cubic/quartic for moderate and higher sizes. We have also found that {Q}{ext} and x are correlated via a polynomial regression (of degree 3, 4 or 5) for all values of n. The degree of regression is found to be n and k-dependent. The set of relations obtained from our work can be used to model interstellar extinction for dust aggregates in a wide range of wavelengths and complex refractive indices.

  3. Monomer-dimer problem on random planar honeycomb lattice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ren, Haizhen [School of Mathematical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian (China); Department of Mathematics, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, Qinghai (China); Zhang, Fuji; Qian, Jianguo, E-mail: jqqian@xmu.edu.cn [School of Mathematical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian (China)

    2014-02-15

    We consider the monomer-dimer (MD) problem on a random planar honeycomb lattice model, namely, the random multiple chain. This is a lattice system with non-periodic boundary condition, whose generating process is inspired by the growth of single walled zigzag carbon nanotubes. By applying algebraic and combinatorial techniques we establish a calculating expression of the MD partition function for bipartite graphs, which corresponds to the permanent of a matrix. Further, by using the transfer matrix argument we show that the computing problem of the permanent of high order matrix can be converted into some lower order matrices for this family of lattices, based on which we derive an explicit recurrence formula for evaluating the MD partition function of multiple chains and random multiple chains. Finally, we analyze the expectation of the number of monomer-dimer arrangements on a random multiple chain and the asymptotic behavior of the annealed MD entropy when the multiple chain becomes infinite in width and length, respectively.

  4. Anisotropy of the monomer random walk in a polymer melt: local-order and connectivity effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernini, S; Leporini, D

    2016-01-01

    The random walk of a bonded monomer in a polymer melt is anisotropic due to local order and bond connectivity. We investigate both effects by molecular-dynamics simulations on melts of fully-flexible linear chains ranging from dimers (M  =  2) up to entangled polymers (M  =  200). The corresponding atomic liquid is also considered a reference system. To disentangle the influence of the local geometry and the bond arrangements, and to reveal their interplay, we define suitable measures of the anisotropy emphasising either the former or the latter aspect. Connectivity anisotropy, as measured by the correlation between the initial bond orientation and the direction of the subsequent monomer displacement, shows a slight enhancement due to the local order at times shorter than the structural relaxation time. At intermediate times—when the monomer displacement is comparable to the bond length—a pronounced peak and then decays slowly as t −1/2 , becoming negligible when the displacement is as large as about five bond lengths, i.e. about four monomer diameters or three Kuhn lengths. Local-geometry anisotropy, as measured by the correlation between the initial orientation of a characteristic axis of the Voronoi cell and the subsequent monomer dynamics, is affected at shorter times than the structural relaxation time by the cage shape with antagonistic disturbance by the connectivity. Differently, at longer times, the connectivity favours the persistence of the local-geometry anisotropy, which vanishes when the monomer displacement exceeds the bond length. Our results strongly suggest that the sole consideration of the local order is not enough to understand the microscopic origin of the rattling amplitude of the trapped monomer in the cage of the neighbours. (paper)

  5. Low-temperature radiation-induced polymerization of vinyl monomers in the crystal matrix of polydimethyl siloxane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mujdinov, M.R.; Kiryukhin, D.P.; Barkalov, I.M.; Gol'danskij, V.I.

    1979-01-01

    It is shown that in the process of the slow cooling of vinyl monomer solution in dimethyl siloxane rubber (SKT mark) crystallization of SKT takes place, at that, considerable part of vinyl monomers (up to 70 wt. % of rubber) is sorbed in the pores of crystal matrix and it does not form its proper crystal phase. Slight anomalies in heat capacity in the 120-140 K range, the melting of non-sorbed part of MA and the melting of SKT + MA ''complex'' have been observed on the calorimetric curve at the SKT - methylacrylate (MA) system heating. In the process of heating such samples, irradiated at 77 K by γ-rays of 60 Co, heat evolution connected with sorbed monomer polarization, has been observed starting from 125-130 K. In the 140-200 K range already before MA and SKT melting intense polymerization takes place, which results in practically full monomer consumption and formation of graft copolymer. Radiation-chemical yield of monomer reduction reaches G(-M) approximately equal to 2x10 5 molecules for 100 eV, radiation yield of postpolymerization of crystal MA does not exceed G(-M) approximately equal to 50 molecules for 100 eV

  6. Effect of solubility parameter of monomers on electron beam induced graft-polymerization onto polyethylene films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mori, Koji; Koshiishi, Kenji; Masuhara, Ken-ichi

    1991-01-01

    Electron beam induced graft-polymerization by the mutual irradiation technique of monomers with different solubility parameters δ onto low density polyethylene films (LDPE) and high density polyethylene films (HDPE) were investigated at high dose rates (25 Mrad per second). Graft-polymerization mechanisms were discussed on the basis of grafting rates, surface tensions, atomic ratios of surface by XPS, and SEM images of the grafted films. Grafting rates decreased with increasing δ of monomers, and grafting rates onto LDPE were larger than those onto HDPE. Graft chain contents on surface, which were evaluated in terms of surface tensions and atomic ratios of the surface, increased with increasing δ of monomers, and graft chain contents on surface of HDPE were higher than those of LDPE. It is assumed that mutual solubility of PE and monomers, i.e., infiltration of monomers into PE during graft-polymerization influence grafting rates and graft sites in films. In case of high mutual solubility, grafting rates were large and graft sites spread from the surface into bulk. On the other hand, in case of low mutual solubility, grafting rates were small and graft sites localized on the surface of films. (author)

  7. Study on grafting of different types of acrylic monomers onto natural rubber by γ-rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dafader, N.C.; Haque, M.E.; Akhtar, F.; Ahmad, M.U.

    2006-01-01

    A comparative study of various acrylic monomers for grafting onto natural rubber was done. The stability of natural rubber latex (NRL) against coagulum with monomer, mechanical properties of grafted rubbers and percent of grafting were investigated. The NRL with monomers, methylacrylate (MA), ethylacrylate (EA) and n-butylacrylate (n-BA), is unstable but it is stable with methyl methacrylate (MMA), n-butyl methacrylate (BMA) and cyclohexyl methacrylate (CHMA). The mechanical properties and degree of grafting attained a maximum at a total radiation dose of 4 kGy. The values of tensile properties of MMA and CHMA grafted rubbers are almost similar, and higher than those of BMA grafted rubbers. On the other hand, the degree of grafting for CHMA is higher than those of MMA and BMA grafted rubbers. The infrared (IR) spectra of monomer grafted natural rubber were also studied

  8. Effect of reactive monomer on PS-b-P2VP film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, H J; Shin, D M

    2014-08-01

    Poly(styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) lamellar film which is hydrophobic block-hydrophilic polyelectrolyte block polymer of 52 kg/mol-b-57 kg/mol and PS-b-P2VP film with reactive monomer (RM257) were prepared for photonic gel films. The lamellar stacks, which is alternating layer of hydrophilic and hydrophobic moiety of PS-b-P2VP, were obtained by exposing the spin coated film under chloroform vapor. The lamellar films were quaternized with 5 wt% of iodomethane diluted by n-hexane. We reported about the influence of reactive monomer on those photonic gel films. Added reactive monomer photonic gel film had higher absorbance than pure photonic gel films. As a result the photonic gel film with RM had more clear color. The lamellar films were swollen by DI water, ethanol (aq) and calcium carbonate solution. The band gaps of the lamellar films were drastically shifted to longer wavelength swollen by calcium carbonate solution. And the lamellar films were shifted to shorter wave length swollen by ethanol. So each lamellar film showed different color.

  9. Hydrophobic Coatings on Cotton Obtained by in Situ Plasma Polymerization of a Fluorinated Monomer in Ethanol Solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molina, Ricardo; Teixidó, Josep Maria; Kan, Chi-Wai; Jovančić, Petar

    2017-02-15

    Plasma polymerization using hydrophobic monomers in the gas phase is a well-known technology to generate hydrophobic coatings. However, synthesis of functional hydrophobic coatings using plasma technology in liquids has not yet been accomplished. This work is consequently focused on polymerization of a liquid fluorinated monomer on cotton fabric initiated by atmospheric plasma in a dielectric barrier discharge configuration. Functional hydrophobic coatings on cotton were successfully achieved using in situ atmospheric plasma-initiated polymerization of fluorinated monomer dissolved in ethanol. Gravimetric measurements reveal that the amount of polymer deposited on cotton substrates can be modulated with the concentration of monomer in ethanol solution, and cross-linking reactions occur during plasma polymerization of a fluorinated monomer even without the presence of a cross-linking agent. FTIR and XPS analysis were used to study the chemical composition of hydrophobic coatings and to get insights into the physicochemical processes involved in plasma treatment. SEM analysis reveals that at high monomer concentration, coatings possess a three-dimensional pattern with a characteristic interconnected porous network structure. EDX analysis reveals that plasma polymerization of fluorinated monomers takes place preferentially at the surface of cotton fabric and negligible polymerization takes place inside the cotton fabric. Wetting time measurements confirm the hydrophobicity of cotton coatings obtained although equilibrium moisture content was slightly decreased. Additionally, the abrasion behavior and resistance to washing of plasma-coated cotton has been evaluated.

  10. 21 CFR 864.7300 - Fibrin monomer paracoagulation test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Fibrin monomer paracoagulation test. 864.7300 Section 864.7300 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES HEMATOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY DEVICES Hematology Kits and Packages § 864.7300 Fibrin...

  11. Sustainability in Supply Chain Management: Aggregate Planning from Sustainability Perspective.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Metin Türkay

    Full Text Available Supply chain management that considers the flow of raw materials, products and information has become a focal issue in modern manufacturing and service systems. Supply chain management requires effective use of assets and information that has far reaching implications beyond satisfaction of customer demand, flow of goods, services or capital. Aggregate planning, a fundamental decision model in supply chain management, refers to the determination of production, inventory, capacity and labor usage levels in the medium term. Traditionally standard mathematical programming formulation is used to devise the aggregate plan so as to minimize the total cost of operations. However, this formulation is purely an economic model that does not include sustainability considerations. In this study, we revise the standard aggregate planning formulation to account for additional environmental and social criteria to incorporate triple bottom line consideration of sustainability. We show how these additional criteria can be appended to traditional cost accounting in order to address sustainability in aggregate planning. We analyze the revised models and interpret the results on a case study from real life that would be insightful for decision makers.

  12. Effect of Laser-assisted and Conventional In-office Bleaching on Monomer Release from Microhybrid and Nanohybrid Composite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omrani, Ladan Ranjbar; Farjadfar, Shayan; Pedram, Parham; Sadray, Sima; Kamangar, Sedighe Sadat Hashemi; Chiniforoush, Nasim

    2017-06-30

    Bleaching might affect structural properties of composite materials, and lead to monomer release. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Laser-assisted and conventional in-office bleaching on the release of BIS-GMA, TEGDMA, and UDMA monomers from a nanohybrid and a microhybrid BIS-GMA based composite. 32 samples of each composite, were divided into 4 subgroups; subgroup 1: Conventional in-office bleaching (CIB) with the Opalescence Boost PF 38% gel, subgroup 2: Laser-assisted bleaching (LBO) with the Opalescence Boost PF 38% gel, subgroup 3: Laser-assisted bleaching (LBH) with the JW Power bleaching gel, subgroup 4: (CO) control without bleaching. All the samples were immersed in tubes of 2cc Ethanol 75% medium. The released monomers were analyzed using the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method 24 h, 7, and 28 days. Data's were analyzed by Univariate Analysis of Variance test followed by Tukeys HSD. The amount of TEGDMA monomer released was not significant. However, nanohybrid composites showed significantly more monomer release than microhybrid composites (P Bleaching by laser with JW Power Bleaching gel led to more monomer release in nanohybrid composite.

  13. Characterisation of polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymers with controllable four-monomer composition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Yu; Lambert, Lynette; Yuan, Zhiguo; Keller, Jurg

    2008-03-20

    Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymers comprising the four monomers 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV), 3-hydroxy-2-methylvalerate (3HMV) and 3-hydroxy-2-methylbutyrate (3HMB) were generated using the recently discovered Defluviicoccus vanus-related glycogen accumulating organisms (DvGAOs) under anaerobic conditions without applying any nutrient limitations. The composition could be manipulated in a defined range by modifying the ratio of propionate and acetate provided in the feed stream. The PHAs produced were characterised as random copolymers (from propionate alone) or a mixture of random copolymers (from mixture of propionate and acetate) through microstructure analysis using 13C NMR spectroscopy. The sequence distribution of all eight comonomer pairs in the carbonyl region of 3HB and 3HV was identified and assigned with confidence utilising two-dimensional heteronuclear multiple bond coherence (HMBC) spectroscopy. Weight average molecular weights were in the range 390-560 kg/mol. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) traces showed that the melting temperature (Tm) varied between 70 and 161 degrees C and glass transition temperature (Tg) ranged from -8 to 0 degrees C. The incorporation of considerable amounts of 3HMV and 3HMB monomer units introduced additional "defects" into the PHBV copolymer structure and hence greatly lowered the crystallinity. The data indicate the potential of these four-monomer PHAs to be employed for practical applications, considering their favourable properties and the cost-effective production process using a mixed culture and simple carbon sources.

  14. Design and Applications of Biodegradable Polyester Tissue Scaffolds Based on Endogenous Monomers Found in Human Metabolism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Devin G. Barrett

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Synthetic polyesters have deeply impacted various biomedical and engineering fields, such as tissue scaffolding and therapeutic delivery. Currently, many applications involving polyesters are being explored with polymers derived from monomers that are endogenous to the human metabolism. Examples of these monomers include glycerol, xylitol, sorbitol, and lactic, sebacic, citric, succinic, α-ketoglutaric, and fumaric acids. In terms of mechanical versatility, crystallinity, hydrophobicity, and biocompatibility, polyesters synthesized partially or completely from these monomers can display a wide range of properties. The flexibility in these macromolecular properties allows for materials to be tailored according to the needs of a particular application. Along with the presence of natural monomers that allows for a high probability of biocompatibility, there is also an added benefit that this class of polyesters is more environmentally friendly than many other materials used in biomedical engineering. While the selection of monomers may be limited by nature, these polymers have produced or have the potential to produce an enormous number of successes in vitro and in vivo.

  15. Polymerization kinetics of monomers of importance in biomedicine investigated by γirradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bebe, S.; Monteiro, M.J.; Ganachaud, F.; Napper, D.H.; Gilbert, R.G.

    1998-01-01

    Gamma irradiation was used to initiate the polymerization of NIPAM in water below the LCST. Conversion as a function of time was followed with automated tracking dilatometry. The data were used to show that classical kinetics were obeyed. Relaxation experiments (i.e. where the dilatometer is removed from the γ source) then provide reliable values for the reactivity ratio, k i /k p , the ratio of the termination to propagation rate coefficients. It was found at a monomer concentration of 0.442 M, k i k p had a value of 8.1 at 27 deg C . This suggested that either k t was very low, perhaps because the radicals are constrained to some complexation or aggregation mechanism, or k p is extraordinarily high. Pulsed laser polymerizations (in conjunction with size exclusion chromatography, SEC) were performed to obtain accurate k p values for NIPAM in water over a temperature range below the LCST (2 - 27 deg C ). The main difficulty with most functional polymers is obtaining quantitative data from SEC. PNIPAM is no exception to the rule, and meticulous care in molecular weight analysis was necessary. Special insights were developed into sample preparation to obtain accurate molecular weight distributions (MWD). The value k p was found to be high, but not extraordinarily so, and hence the high value of k t must be due to a constrained polymer radical

  16. In vitro aggregation behavior of a non-amyloidogenic λ light chain dimer deriving from U266 multiple myeloma cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paolo Arosio

    Full Text Available Excessive production of monoclonal light chains due to multiple myeloma can induce aggregation-related disorders, such as light chain amyloidosis (AL and light chain deposition diseases (LCDD. In this work, we produce a non-amyloidogenic IgE λ light chain dimer from human mammalian cells U266, which originated from a patient suffering from multiple myeloma, and we investigate the effect of several physicochemical parameters on the in vitro stability of this protein. The dimer is stable in physiological conditions and aggregation is observed only when strong denaturating conditions are applied (acidic pH with salt at large concentration or heating at melting temperature T(m at pH 7.4. The produced aggregates are spherical, amorphous oligomers. Despite the larger β-sheet content of such oligomers with respect to the native state, they do not bind Congo Red or ThT. The impossibility to obtain fibrils from the light chain dimer suggests that the occurrence of amyloidosis in patients requires the presence of the light chain fragment in the monomer form, while dimer can form only amorphous oligomers or amorphous deposits. No aggregation is observed after denaturant addition at pH 7.4 or at pH 2.0 with low salt concentration, indicating that not a generic unfolding but specific conformational changes are necessary to trigger aggregation. A specific anion effect in increasing the aggregation rate at pH 2.0 is observed according to the following order: SO(4(-≫Cl(->H(2PO(4(-, confirming the peculiar role of sulfate in promoting protein aggregation. It is found that, at least for the investigated case, the mechanism of the sulfate effect is related to protein secondary structure changes induced by anion binding.

  17. Jellium-model calculation for monomer and dimer decays of some potassium clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saito, Susumu; Cohen, M.L.; Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA

    1989-01-01

    We have studied several decay processes of potassium clusters and found that a dimer-decay mechanism can explain the observed lowest abundance of K 10 in the K n mass spectra. Total-energy curves for decay processes are calculated using a jellium-background model for positive-ion cores and the local-spin-density-functional approximation for valence electrons. The energy-barrier height for a dimer decay of K 10 from the energy-minimum point is found to be 0.18 eV, which is a reasonable magnitude for the decay to take place thermally in the experiment. The monomer decay of K 9 and the dimer decay of K 11 , which are expected to be the most favorable decays of K 9 and K 11 , are found to have high barriers. Monomer and dimer decays of K 8 are also studied and the monomer decay is found to be more favorable, in accord with the high-nozzle-temperature mass spectrum. (orig.)

  18. Interpretation of data on the aggregate composition of typical chernozems under different land use by cluster and principal component analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kholodov, V. A.; Yaroslavtseva, N. V.; Lazarev, V. I.; Frid, A. S.

    2016-09-01

    Cluster analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) have been used for the interpretation of dry sieving data. Chernozems from the treatments of long-term field experiments with different land-use patterns— annually mowed steppe, continuous potato culture, permanent black fallow, and untilled fallow since 1998 after permanent black fallow—have been used. Analysis of dry sieving data by PCA has shown that the treatments of untilled fallow after black fallow and annually mowed steppe differ most in the series considered; the content of dry aggregates of 10-7 mm makes the largest contribution to the distribution of objects along the first principal component. This fraction has been sieved in water and analyzed by PCA. In contrast to dry sieving data, the wet sieving data showed the closest mathematical distance between the treatment of untilled fallow after black fallow and the undisturbed treatment of annually mowed steppe, while the untilled fallow after black fallow and the permanent black fallow were the most distant treatments. Thus, it may be suggested that the water stability of structure is first restored after the removal of destructive anthropogenic load. However, the restoration of the distribution of structural separates to the parameters characteristic of native soils is a significantly longer process.

  19. Conformationally locked aryl C-nucleosides: synthesis of phosphoramidite monomers and incorporation into single-stranded DNA and LNA (locked nucleic acid)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Babu, B. Ravindra; Prasad, Ashok K.; Trikha, Smriti

    2002-01-01

    . The phosphoramidite approach was used for automated incorporation of the LNA-type beta-configured C-aryl monomers 17a-17e into short DNA and 2'-OMe-RNA/LNA strands. It is shown that universal hybridization can be obtained with a conformationally restricted monomer as demonstrated most convincingly for the pyrene LNA...... monomer 17d, both in a DNA context and in an RNA-like context. Increased binding affinity of oligonucleotide probes for universal hybridization can be induced by combining the pyrene LNA monomer 17d with affinity-enhancing 2'-OMe-RNA/LNA monomers....

  20. Design of interpretable fuzzy systems

    CERN Document Server

    Cpałka, Krzysztof

    2017-01-01

    This book shows that the term “interpretability” goes far beyond the concept of readability of a fuzzy set and fuzzy rules. It focuses on novel and precise operators of aggregation, inference, and defuzzification leading to flexible Mamdani-type and logical-type systems that can achieve the required accuracy using a less complex rule base. The individual chapters describe various aspects of interpretability, including appropriate selection of the structure of a fuzzy system, focusing on improving the interpretability of fuzzy systems designed using both gradient-learning and evolutionary algorithms. It also demonstrates how to eliminate various system components, such as inputs, rules and fuzzy sets, whose reduction does not adversely affect system accuracy. It illustrates the performance of the developed algorithms and methods with commonly used benchmarks. The book provides valuable tools for possible applications in many fields including expert systems, automatic control and robotics.

  1. Modulation of i-motif thermodynamic stability by the introduction of UNA (unlocked nucleic acid) monomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pasternak, Anna; Wengel, Jesper

    2011-01-01

    The influence of acyclic RNA derivatives, UNA (unlocked nucleic acid) monomers, on i-DNA thermodynamic stability has been investigated. The 22 nt human telomeric fragment was chosen as the model sequence for stability studies. UNA monomers modulate i-motif stability in a position-depending manner...

  2. Graft copolymers of polyurethane with various vinyl monomers via radiation-induced miniemulsion polymerization: Influential factors to grafting efficiency and particle morphology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang Hua [CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Wang Mozhen [CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China)], E-mail: pstwmz@ustc.edu.cn; Ge Xuewu [CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China)], E-mail: xwge@ustc.edu.cn

    2009-02-15

    Graft copolymers of polyurethane (PU) with various vinyl monomers were synthesized through a one-pot but two-step miniemulsion polymerization process. Firstly, the polycondensation of isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) with hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) had been performed in aqueous miniemulsion at 40 deg. C in order to obtain PU dispersions. Consecutively, an in-situ graft copolymerization of the vinyl monomers with the synthesized PU was initiated by {gamma}-ray radiation at room temperature. The grafting efficiency of PU with vinyl monomer (G{sub PU/monomer}) was calculated from {sup 1}H NMR spectra and the particle morphology of the final hybrid latex was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As there was no monomer transferring in miniemulsion system, homogenous hybrid particles would be synthesized provided that the monomer was miscible with PU, such as styrene. With the increase of the polarity of the monomer, the compatibility of PU with monomer decreased. G{sub PU/monomer} varied as G{sub PU/styrene}(37%)>G{sub PU/butyl} {sub acrylate} {sub (BA)}(21%)>G{sub PU/methyl} {sub methacrylate} {sub (MMA)}(12%). The proportion of homogeneous nucleation would increase as the hydrophilicity of the monomer increased. High temperature would destabilize the miniemulsion so as to result in a less grafting efficiency. Compared to the phase separation during the seeded emulsion polymerization, the miniemulsion polymerization method facilitated the preparation of homogeneous materials owing to its monomer droplet nucleation mechanism.

  3. Occurrence and fate of acrylamide in water-recycling systems and sludge in aggregate industries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Junqua, Guillaume; Spinelli, Sylvie; Gonzalez, Catherine

    2015-05-01

    Acrylamide is a hazardous substance having irritant and toxic properties as well as carcinogen, mutagen, and impaired fertility possible effects. Acrylamide might be found in the environment as a consequence of the use of polyacrylamides (PAMs) widely added as a flocculant for water treatment. Acrylamide is a monomer used to produce polyacrylamide (PAM) polymers. This reaction of polymerization can be incomplete, and acrylamide molecules can be present as traces in the commercial polymer. Thus, the use of PAMs may generate a release of acrylamide in the environment. In aggregate industries, PAM is widely involved in recycling process and water reuse (aggregate washing). Indeed, these industries consume large quantities of water. Thus, European and French regulations have favored loops of recycling of water in order to reduce water withdrawals. The main goal of this article is to study the occurrence and fate of acrylamide in water-recycling process as well as in the sludge produced by the flocculation treatment process in aggregate production plants. Moreover, to strengthen the relevance of this article, the objective is also to demonstrate if the recycling system leads to an accumulation effect in waters and sludge and if free acrylamide could be released by sludge during their storage. To reach this objective, water sampled at different steps of recycling water process has been analyzed as well as different sludge corresponding to various storage times. The obtained results reveal no accumulation effect in the water of the water-recycling system nor in the sludge.

  4. Dispersion of nano-silica in monomer casting nylon6 and its effect on the structure and properties of composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available To promote dispersion of nano-silica in monomer casting nylon6 (MC nylon6, nano-silica was dispersed in melted caprolactam with the assistance of ultrasound, anionic polymerization was then initiated to form silica/MC nylon6 in-situ nanocomposites. It was found that hydrogen bonds were formed between nano-silica and caprolactam, in the meantime, ultrasound helped to break the nanoparticles aggregations into smaller ones or even mono-dispersing particles. Therefore, the agglomerated nanoparticles were pulled apart and stabilized by caprolactam. Additionally, the rapid anionic polymerization of caprolactam also contributed to the avoidance of re-agglomeration and deposition of nanoparticles during the polymerization process, leading to the uniform distribution of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. Mechanical tests indicated that the silica/MC nylon6 in-situ nanocomposites prepared according to the above strategy were simultaneously toughened, strengthened and stiffened. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA results showed that thermal stability of nanocomposites was notably improved compared to neat MC nylon6.

  5. Penelitian penggunaan monomer n-butil akrilat untuk peningkatan mutu kulit secara iradiasi

    OpenAIRE

    Dwi Wahini Nurhajati; Suliestiyah Wiryodiningrat; Kadarijah Kadarijah; Penny Setyowati

    1996-01-01

    Research on the utilization of n-butyl acrylate monomer for quality improvement leather by irradiation cobalt-60 gamma-rays is carried out as follows: Javanese crust hide was impregnated with water emulsions of n-butyl acrylate monomer for 2 hours, packed in to poly ethylene bags, sealed, then irradiated by cobalt-60 gamma rays (doses : 5 to 25 kGy). The irradiated leather was washed by water, dried and then physical tested. The results of physical test of leather modified with n-butyl acryl...

  6. A study on radiation-induced graft copolymerization of monomer onto natural silk fabric

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiang Zhengyu; Wan Dairong; He Qian

    1995-02-01

    In order to improve the properties of natural silk fabric, the mechanism and method of the radiation induced graft copolymerization of monomers onto natural silk fabric were studied. Three monomers, acrylamide, methylacrylamide and hydroxymethyl acrylamide, were selected for grafting test according to requirements of graft processing. The processing conditions of monomer infusion were studied. The properties of grafted samples were measured. The results are as follows: the rate of weight increasing is 10%∼29%; the rate of thickness increasing is 5%∼20%; the abrupt elasticity rose by 30%; the retarded elasticity rose by 12%; wet elasticity rose by 40%; and the brightness of colour and lustre were improved. It is concluded that while the radiation grafted silk kept its natural characteristics, other properties were improved. It became even chubby and thicker. (4 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs.)

  7. Rydberg aggregates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wüster, S.; Rost, J.-M.

    2018-02-01

    We review Rydberg aggregates, assemblies of a few Rydberg atoms exhibiting energy transport through collective eigenstates, considering isolated atoms or assemblies embedded within clouds of cold ground-state atoms. We classify Rydberg aggregates, and provide an overview of their possible applications as quantum simulators for phenomena from chemical or biological physics. Our main focus is on flexible Rydberg aggregates, in which atomic motion is an essential feature. In these, simultaneous control over Rydberg-Rydberg interactions, external trapping and electronic energies, allows Born-Oppenheimer surfaces for the motion of the entire aggregate to be tailored as desired. This is illustrated with theory proposals towards the demonstration of joint motion and excitation transport, conical intersections and non-adiabatic effects. Additional flexibility for quantum simulations is enabled by the use of dressed dipole-dipole interactions or the embedding of the aggregate in a cold gas or Bose-Einstein condensate environment. Finally we provide some guidance regarding the parameter regimes that are most suitable for the realization of either static or flexible Rydberg aggregates based on Li or Rb atoms. The current status of experimental progress towards enabling Rydberg aggregates is also reviewed.

  8. Radiation crosslinking of PVC with polyfunctional monomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dobo, J.; Takacs, E.; Csato, P.

    1984-01-01

    The radiation crosslinking of PVC in the presence of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) and of trimethylol propane trimethacrylate (TMPTM) was investigated. The effect of PVC powders of different types on the polymerization rate of these monomers was studied by a Calvet-type microcalorimeter. In the milled PVC sheets containing 50 part EGDM a high concentration of trapped free radicals was found by ESR after 16 months storage. (author)

  9. Inhibition of odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp cells by dental resin monomers

    OpenAIRE

    Kwon, Ji Hyun; Park, Hee Chul; Zhu, Tingting; Yang, Hyeong-Cheol

    2015-01-01

    Background Dental resin monomers that are leached from the resin matrix due to incomplete polymerization can affect the viability and various functions of oral tissues and cells. In this study, the effects of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) on odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) were examined. To mimic clinical situations, dental pulp cells were treated with resin monomers for 24?h prior to the analysis of alkaline p...

  10. Triptycene-based ladder monomers and polymers, methods of making each, and methods of use

    KAUST Repository

    Pinnau, Ingo

    2015-02-05

    Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a triptycene-based A-B monomer, a method of making a triptycene-based A-B monomer, a triptycene-based ladder polymer, a method of making a triptycene-based ladder polymers, a method of using triptycene-based ladder polymers, a structure incorporating triptycene-based ladder polymers, a method of gas separation, and the like.

  11. Initial Reactivity of Linkages and Monomer Rings in Lignin Pyrolysis Revealed by ReaxFF Molecular Dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Tingting; Li, Xiaoxia; Guo, Li

    2017-10-24

    The initial conversion pathways of linkages and their linked monomer units in lignin pyrolysis were investigated comprehensively by ReaxFF MD simulations facilitated by the unique VARxMD for reaction analysis. The simulated molecular model contains 15 920 atoms and was constructed on the basis of Adler's softwood lignin model. The simulations uncover the initial conversion ratio of various linkages and their linked aryl monomers. For linkages and their linked monomer aryl rings of α-O-4, β-O-4 and α-O-4 & β-5, the C α /C β ether bond cracking dominates the initial pathway accounting for at least up to 80% of their consumption. For the linkage of β-β & γ-O-α, both the C α -O ether bond cracking and its linked monomer aryl ring opening are equally important. Ring-opening reactions dominate the initial consumption of other 4-O-5, 5-5, β-1, β-2, and β-5 linkages and their linked monomers. The ether bond cracking of C α -O and C β -O occurs at low temperature, and the aryl ring-opening reactions take place at relatively high temperature. The important intermediates leading to the stable aryl ring opening are the phenoxy radicals, the bridged five-membered and three-membered rings and the bridged six-membered and three-membered rings. In addition, the reactivity of a linkage and its monomer aryl ring may be affected by other linkages. The ether bond cracking of α-O-4 and β-O-4 linkages can activate its neighboring linkage or monomer ring through the formed phenoxy radicals as intermediates. The important intermediates revealed in this article should be of help in deepening the understanding of the controlling mechanism for producing aromatic chemicals from lignin pyrolysis.

  12. Synthesis and ATRP of novel fluorinated aromatic monomer with pendant sulfonate group

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dimitrov, Ivaylo; Jankova Atanasova, Katja; Hvilsted, Søren

    2013-01-01

    Novel, fluorinated monomer with pendant sulfonate group was synthesized utilizing a two-step derivatization of 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene (FS). The first step was a nucleophilic substitution of the fluorine atom in para position by hydroxyl group followed by sulfopropylation. The monomer...... was polymerized under aqueous ATRP conditions to yield phenyl-fluorinated aromatic homopolymer bearing pendant sulfonates on each repeating unit. Furthermore, this polymer was used as macroinitiator for the ATRP of poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate. The polymers were characterized by 1H NMR, SEC and FTIR...

  13. Synthesis of New Vinyl Monomers for Chemical Agent Sensing Applications

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Hogen-Esch, Thieo

    2001-01-01

    The synthesis of styrene momomer p-vinylbenzoylacetophenone (monomer i) has been carried by the acetylation of 2- chloroethylbenzene and base elimination of the resulting 4-acetyl-2-chloroethylbenzene to give 4-acetylstyrene...

  14. Clarifying the use of aggregated exposures in multilevel models: self-included vs. self-excluded measures.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Etsuji Suzuki

    Full Text Available Multilevel analyses are ideally suited to assess the effects of ecological (higher level and individual (lower level exposure variables simultaneously. In applying such analyses to measures of ecologies in epidemiological studies, individual variables are usually aggregated into the higher level unit. Typically, the aggregated measure includes responses of every individual belonging to that group (i.e. it constitutes a self-included measure. More recently, researchers have developed an aggregate measure which excludes the response of the individual to whom the aggregate measure is linked (i.e. a self-excluded measure. In this study, we clarify the substantive and technical properties of these two measures when they are used as exposures in multilevel models.Although the differences between the two aggregated measures are mathematically subtle, distinguishing between them is important in terms of the specific scientific questions to be addressed. We then show how these measures can be used in two distinct types of multilevel models-self-included model and self-excluded model-and interpret the parameters in each model by imposing hypothetical interventions. The concept is tested on empirical data of workplace social capital and employees' systolic blood pressure.Researchers assume group-level interventions when using a self-included model, and individual-level interventions when using a self-excluded model. Analytical re-parameterizations of these two models highlight their differences in parameter interpretation. Cluster-mean centered self-included models enable researchers to decompose the collective effect into its within- and between-group components. The benefit of cluster-mean centering procedure is further discussed in terms of hypothetical interventions.When investigating the potential roles of aggregated variables, researchers should carefully explore which type of model-self-included or self-excluded-is suitable for a given situation

  15. Concomitant sensitization to glutaraldehyde and methacrylic monomers among dentists and their patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maya Grigorievna Lyapina

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: A multitude of methacrylic monomers is used in dentistry. Glutaraldehyde (G is used in dental practice and consumer products as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the frequency and the risk of concomitant sensitization to some methacrylic monomers (methyl methacrylate (MMA, triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA, 2,2-bis-[4-(2-hydroxy-3-methacrylo-xypropoxyphenyl]-propane (Bis-GMA, 2-hydroxy-ethyl methacrylate (2-HEMA and tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate (THFMA and glutaraldehyde in students of dentistry, students from the dental technician school, dental professionals and dental patients. Material and Methods: A total of 262 participants were included in the study: students of dentistry, students from the dental technician school, dental professionals, and dental patients as a control group. All were patch-tested with methacrylic monomers and glutaraldehyde. The results were subject to the statistical analysis (p < 0.05. Results: Among the group of dental students, the highest frequency of concomitant sensitization was to TEGDMA and G (15.5%. In the group of patients the highest frequency of concomitant sensitization was to EGDMA and G (16.4%. The frequency of concomitant sensitization among dental professionals was much lower, with the highest rate to TEGDMA and G (7.7%, too. We consider the students from the dental technician school, where the exposure to glutaraldehyde is less likely, to be the group at a lesser risk of concomitant sensitization. Conclusions: Dental students and dental patients could be outlined as groups at the risk of concomitant sensitization to glutaraldehyde and methacrylic monomers. For dental professionals, we assumed an increased risk for concomitant sensitization to TEGDMA and aldehydes that are commonly used in dentistry. We consider the students from the dental technician school to be the group at a lesser risk of

  16. TEGDMA and UDMA monomers released from composite dental material polymerized with diode and halogen lamps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wacławczyk, Agnieszka; Postek-Stefańska, Lidia; Pietraszewska, Daria; Birkner, Ewa; Zalejska-Fiolka, Jolanta; Wysoczańska-Jankowicz, Iwona

    2018-03-20

    More than 35 substances released from composite fillings have been identified. Among these, basic monomers and the so-called co-monomers are most often reported. The substances released from polymer-based materials demonstrate allergenic, cytotoxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, embryotoxic, teratogenic, and estrogenic properties. The aim of this study was to measure the amounts of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) monomers released from composite dental fillings to citrate-phosphate buffer with the pH of 4, 6, 8 after 24 h and 6 months from the polymerization. Ten samples for each polymerization method had been made from the composite material (Filtek Supreme XT, 3M ESPE, St. Paul, USA), which underwent polymerization using the following lamps: halogen lamp (Translux CL, Heraeus Kulzer, Hanau, Germany) (sample H) and diode lamp (Elipar Freelight 2, 3M ESPE), with soft start function (group DS) and without that function (group DWS). It has been demonstrated that the type of light-curing units has a significant impact on the amount of TEGDMA and UDMA released. The amount of UDMA and TEGDMA monomers released from composite fillings differed significantly depending on the source of polymerization applied, as well as the pH of the solution and sample storage time. Elution of the monomers from composite material polymerized using halogen lamp was significantly greater as compared to curing with diode lamps.

  17. Photoligation of self-assembled DNA constructs containing anthracene-functionalized 2'-amino-LNA monomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pasternak, Karol; Pasternak, Anna; Gupta, Pankaj

    2011-01-01

    Efficient synthesis of a novel anthracene-functionalized 2'-amino-LNA phosphoramidite derivative is described together with its incorporation into oligodeoxynucleotides. Two DNA strands with the novel 2'-N-anthracenylmethyl-2'-amino-LNA monomers can be effectively cross-linked by photoligation...... at 366nm in various types of DNA constructs. Successful application of three differently functionalized 2'-amino-LNA monomers in self-assembled higher ordered structures for simultaneous cross-linking and monitoring of assembly formation is furthermore demonstrated....

  18. Enhanced fuzzy-connective-based hierarchical aggregation network using particle swarm optimization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fang-Fang; Su, Chao-Ton

    2014-11-01

    The fuzzy-connective-based aggregation network is similar to the human decision-making process. It is capable of aggregating and propagating degrees of satisfaction of a set of criteria in a hierarchical manner. Its interpreting ability and transparency make it especially desirable. To enhance its effectiveness and further applicability, a learning approach is successfully developed based on particle swarm optimization to determine the weights and parameters of the connectives in the network. By experimenting on eight datasets with different characteristics and conducting further statistical tests, it has been found to outperform the gradient- and genetic algorithm-based learning approaches proposed in the literature; furthermore, it is capable of generating more accurate estimates. The present approach retains the original benefits of fuzzy-connective-based aggregation networks and is widely applicable. The characteristics of the learning approaches are also discussed and summarized, providing better understanding of the similarities and differences among these three approaches.

  19. Syringyl Methacrylate, a Hardwood Lignin-Based Monomer for High-Tg Polymeric Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmberg, Angela L; Reno, Kaleigh H; Nguyen, Ngoc A; Wool, Richard P; Epps, Thomas H

    2016-05-17

    As viable precursors to a diverse array of macromolecules, biomass-derived compounds must impart wide-ranging and precisely controllable properties to polymers. Herein, we report the synthesis and subsequent reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization of a new monomer, syringyl methacrylate (SM, 2,6-dimethoxyphenyl methacrylate), that can facilitate widespread property manipulations in macromolecules. Homopolymers and heteropolymers synthesized from SM and related monomers have broadly tunable and highly controllable glass transition temperatures ranging from 114 to 205 °C and zero-shear viscosities ranging from ∼0.2 kPa·s to ∼17,000 kPa·s at 220 °C, with consistent thermal stabilities. The tailorability of these properties is facilitated by the controlled polymerization kinetics of SM and the fact that one vs two o -methoxy groups negligibly affect monomer reactivity. Moreover, syringol, the precursor to SM, is an abundant component of depolymerized hardwood (e.g., oak) and graminaceous (e.g., switchgrass) lignins, making SM a potentially sustainable and low-cost candidate for tailoring macromolecular properties.

  20. Aggregation behavior of gemini pyrrolidine-based ionic liquids 1,1'-(butane-1,4-diyl)bis(1-alkylpyrrolidinium) bromide ([C(n)py-4-C(n)py][Br2]) in aqueous solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shaohua; Yan, Han; Zhao, Mingwei; Zheng, Liqiang

    2012-04-15

    Three gemini pyrrolidine-based ionic liquids, 1,1'-(butane-1,4-diyl)bis(1-alkylpyrrolidinium) bromide ([C(n)py-4-C(n)py][Br(2)], n=10, 12, 14), were synthesized. Their aggregation behavior in aqueous solution was systematically investigated by surface tension, electrical conductivity, and steady-state fluorescence. Compared with their corresponding monomers, N-alkyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bromide (C(n)MPB), [C(n)py-4-C(n)py][Br(2)], have higher surface activity. The special structure of [C(n)py-4-C(n)py][Br(2)] that has a spacer in their hydrophilic head groups results in a lower surface excess concentration (Γ(max)) and a larger molecular cross-sectional area (A(min)). Electrical conductivity studies show a lower degree of counter-ion binding to the aggregates. A smaller aggregation number (N(agg)) is observed by the pyrene fluorescence quenching method. A series of thermodynamic parameters (ΔG(agg)(0),ΔH(agg)(0),-TΔS(agg)(0)) of aggregation derived from electrical conductivity indicate that the aggregation of [C(n)py-4-C(n)py][Br(2)] is enthalpy-driven, while aggregation of C(n)MPB is entropy-driven at low temperatures but enthalpy-driven at high temperatures. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Casein Aggregates Built Step-by-Step on Charged Polyelectrolyte Film Surfaces Are Calcium Phosphate-cemented*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagy, Krisztina; Pilbat, Ana-Maria; Groma, Géza; Szalontai, Balázs; Cuisinier, Frédéric J. G.

    2010-01-01

    The possible mechanism of casein aggregation and micelle buildup was studied in a new approach by letting α-casein adsorb from low concentration (0.1 mg·ml−1) solutions onto the charged surfaces of polyelectrolyte films. It was found that α-casein could adsorb onto both positively and negatively charged surfaces. However, only when its negative phosphoseryl clusters remained free, i.e. when it adsorbed onto a negative surface, could calcium phosphate (CaP) nanoclusters bind to the casein molecules. Once the CaP clusters were in place, step-by-step building of multilayered casein architectures became possible. The presence of CaP was essential; neither Ca2+ nor phosphate could alone facilitate casein aggregation. Thus, it seems that CaP is the organizing motive in the casein micelle formation. Atomic force microscopy revealed that even a single adsorbed casein layer was composed of very small (in the range of tens of nanometers) spherical forms. The stiffness of the adsorbed casein layer largely increased in the presence of CaP. On this basis, we can imagine that casein micelles emerge according to the following scheme. The amphipathic casein monomers aggregate into oligomers via hydrophobic interactions even in the absence of CaP. Full scale, CaP-carrying micelles could materialize by interlocking these casein oligomers with CaP nanoclusters. Such a mechanism would not contradict former experimental results and could offer a synthesis between the submicelle and the block copolymer models of casein micelles. PMID:20921229

  2. Fluorescent oligonucleotides containing a novel perylene 2′-amino-α-L-LNA monomer: Synthesis and analytical potential

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Astakhova, Irina; Kumar, Santhosh T.; Wengel, Jesper

    2011-01-01

    efficiency of the resulting perylene-2'-amino-alpha-L-LNA monomer (T*) into synthetic oligonucleotides was significantly improved by replacement of the typically used 1H-tetrazole activator with pyridine hydrochloride. Generally, oligonucleotides containing monomer T* showed high binding affinity towards...... incorporations of monomers T* was quenched (quantum yield Phi(F) = 0.21) relative to duplexes of this probe with complementary DNA and RNA (Phi(F) = 0.42 and 0.35, respectively). On the contrary, a strong fluorescence quenching upon target binding was demonstrated by two short oligonucleotides of analogues...... sequences containing monomers T* at 5'- and 3'-terminal positions. We explain the hybridization-induced light-up effect observed for double-labeled probe by a reduction of fluorescence quenching due to precise positioning of the fluorophores within the double-stranded complexes. Furthermore, we propose...

  3. Using monomer vibrational wavefunctions to compute numerically exact (12D) rovibrational levels of water dimer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiao-Gang; Carrington, Tucker

    2018-02-01

    We compute numerically exact rovibrational levels of water dimer, with 12 vibrational coordinates, on the accurate CCpol-8sf ab initio flexible monomer potential energy surface [C. Leforestier et al., J. Chem. Phys. 137, 014305 (2012)]. It does not have a sum-of-products or multimode form and therefore quadrature in some form must be used. To do the calculation, it is necessary to use an efficient basis set and to develop computational tools, for evaluating the matrix-vector products required to calculate the spectrum, that obviate the need to store the potential on a 12D quadrature grid. The basis functions we use are products of monomer vibrational wavefunctions and standard rigid-monomer basis functions (which involve products of three Wigner functions). Potential matrix-vector products are evaluated using the F matrix idea previously used to compute rovibrational levels of 5-atom and 6-atom molecules. When the coupling between inter- and intra-monomer coordinates is weak, this crude adiabatic type basis is efficient (only a few monomer vibrational wavefunctions are necessary), although the calculation of matrix elements is straightforward. It is much easier to use than an adiabatic basis. The product structure of the basis is compatible with the product structure of the kinetic energy operator and this facilitates computation of matrix-vector products. Compared with the results obtained using a [6 + 6]D adiabatic approach, we find good agreement for the inter-molecular levels and larger differences for the intra-molecular water bend levels.

  4. Effect of reactive monomer on PS-b-P2VP film with UV irradiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, H. J.; Shin, D. M.

    2012-03-01

    Poly(styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) lamellar film which is hydrophobic block hydrophilic polyelectrolyte block polymer of 52 kg/mol -b- 57 kg/mol and PS-b-P2VP film with reactive monomer (RM257) were prepared for photonic gel films. The lamellar stacks, which is alternating layer of hydrophilic and hydrophobic part of PS-b-P2VP. We reported about the influence of reactive monomer on those photonic gel films. Added reactive monomer photonic gel film had higher absorbance than pure photonic gel films. And band gaps of the lamellar films shifted by the time of UV light irradiation. That Photonic gel films were measured with the UV spectrophotometer. As a result the photonic gel film with reactive monomer had more clear color. The lamellar films were swollen by DI water, Ethyl alcohol (aq) and calcium carbonate solution. Since the domain spacing of dried photonic gel films were not showing any color in visible wavelength. The band gap of the lamellar films were drastically shifted to longer wavelength swollen by calcium carbonate solution (absorbance peak 565nm-->617nm). And the lamellar films were shifted to shorter wave length swollen by ethanol (absorbance peak 565nm-->497nm). So each Photonic gel film showed different color.

  5. Semantic Approach to Smart Home Data Aggregation Multi-sensor Data Processing for Smart Environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fano Ramparany

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available One salient feature of data produced by the IoT is its heterogeneity. Despite this heterogeneity, future IoT applications including Smart Home, Smart City, Smart Energy services, will require that all data be easily compared, correlated and merged, and that interpretation of this resulting aggregate into higher level context better matches people needs and requirements. In this paper we propose a framework based on semantic technologies for aggregating IoT data. Our approach has been assessed in the domain of the Smart Home with real data provided by Orange Homelive solution. We show that our approach enables simple reasoning mechanisms to be conducted on the aggregated data, so that contexts such as the presence, activities of people as well as abnormal situations requiring corrective actions, be inferred.

  6. Zn(II)- and Cu(II)-induced non-fibrillar aggregates of amyloid-beta (1-42) peptide are transformed to amyloid fibrils, both spontaneously and under the influence of metal chelators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tõugu, Vello; Karafin, Ann; Zovo, Kairit; Chung, Roger S; Howells, Claire; West, Adrian K; Palumaa, Peep

    2009-09-01

    Aggregation of amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides is a central phenomenon in Alzheimer's disease. Zn(II) and Cu(II) have profound effects on Abeta aggregation; however, their impact on amyloidogenesis is unclear. Here we show that Zn(II) and Cu(II) inhibit Abeta(42) fibrillization and initiate formation of non-fibrillar Abeta(42) aggregates, and that the inhibitory effect of Zn(II) (IC(50) = 1.8 micromol/L) is three times stronger than that of Cu(II). Medium and high-affinity metal chelators including metallothioneins prevented metal-induced Abeta(42) aggregation. Moreover, their addition to preformed aggregates initiated fast Abeta(42) fibrillization. Upon prolonged incubation the metal-induced aggregates also transformed spontaneously into fibrils, that appear to represent the most stable state of Abeta(42). H13A and H14A mutations in Abeta(42) reduced the inhibitory effect of metal ions, whereas an H6A mutation had no significant impact. We suggest that metal binding by H13 and H14 prevents the formation of a cross-beta core structure within region 10-23 of the amyloid fibril. Cu(II)-Abeta(42) aggregates were neurotoxic to neurons in vitro only in the presence of ascorbate, whereas monomers and Zn(II)-Abeta(42) aggregates were non-toxic. Disturbed metal homeostasis in the vicinity of zinc-enriched neurons might pre-dispose formation of metal-induced Abeta aggregates, subsequent fibrillization of which can lead to amyloid formation. The molecular background underlying metal-chelating therapies for Alzheimer's disease is discussed in this light.

  7. Inverse opal pH sensors with various protic monomers copolymerized with polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate hydrogel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Jinsub; Han, Sung Gu; Lee, Wonmok

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We polymerized four different inverse opal pH sensors by using vinyl monomers containing acidic or basic substituents. ► Stepwise swelling response from polyprotic acid sensor was investigated. ► Opposite color changing responses were obtained for acidic and basic sensors. ► Composite pH sensor with wide pH sensing range was fabricated by mixing different monomers. ► Both acid and base sensors show the response time as fast as ∼10 s. - Abstract: pH sensitive inverse opal sensors were synthesized using various vinyl monomers containing acidic or basic substituents. Acrylic acid (AA), vinylphosphonic acid (VPA), vinylimidazole (VI), and dimethylaminoethylmethacrylic acid (DMAEMA) were respectively copolymerized with hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA), the building block monomer of the hydrogel via UV-initiated photopolymerization. Opal templating and subsequent template removal enabled the fabrication of four inverse opal (IO) hydrogel colorimetric sensors, which responded to pH in different fashions. pH-dependent swelling of the IO hydrogel induced the red-shift of the diffracted color. The sensors containing AA or VPA, the proton donating monomers showed the color shifts from green to red with pH increase due to the increased concentration of carboxylate anions bound to the hydrogel. Diprotic VPA sensor exhibited two-step increases of diffracted wavelengths at its pK a1 and pK a2 respectively. The sensors containing proton acceptors, VI and DMAEMA showed the pH-dependent color changes in an opposite way to the AA sensor and the VPA sensor since their ionizations take place by lowering pH due to the protonation at the amino groups. The shapes of pH response curves of VI and DMAEMA sensors were similar but pK b s were different from each other. Optical diffraction responses of four sensors were compared with the calculated concentration ratios of the ionized species to the total monomer with pH variation, and a deswelling effect in the

  8. Polymeric reaction of polymer-monomer system for pressure sensitive adhesives by low energy electron beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takiguchi, R.; Uryu, T.

    1985-01-01

    Application of low-energy electron beam to non-solvent type pressure sensitive adhesives is investigated. The adhesive properties such as peel strength and holding time (dead-load strength) were closely related to the reaction of acrylate polymer-monomer systems. The reaction behavior is elucidated by combining the measurement of gel fraction, infrared spectrum of gel, and the molecular weight distribution detected by gel permeation chromatography. It was important for the production of pressure sensitive adhesives by electron beam that the adhesive with high peel strength and long holding time is composed of a proper combination of three factors, that is, about 35% gel fraction, 25% monomer units in gel, and 15% graft efficiency by irradiating the polymer-monomer system containing low molecular weight poly (butyl acrylate). (author)

  9. Bioaccumulation study of acrylate monomers in algae (Chlorella Kessleri) by PY-GC and PY-GC/MS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halas, L.; Orinak, A.; Adamova, M.; Ladomersky, J.

    2004-01-01

    Acrylate monomers methylmethacrylate (MMA) and cyclohexylmethacrylate (CHMA) bioaccumulation has been determined in aquatic organism, algae (Chlorella kessleri). Algae were collected in amount of 0.4 mg and directly injected to the paralytic cell. In algae bodies accumulated monomers were analysed by pyrolysis gas chromatography (Py-GC) and pyrolysis gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Traces of the accumulated monomers in algae body can be determined after 1-, 2 -, 3-weeks of incubation. Maximum content of MMA was determined after 3-week of experiment, contrariwise in the case of CHMA after 2-week exposition. Relationship with pyrolysis temperature has also been studied. (authors)

  10. Effect of radiation combined with Chinese medicinal monomers on Me180 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geng Chuanying; Xu Bo; Li Hongyan; Chen Zhihua; Xia Qisheng; Xu Mei; Liu Xuan; Xiang Qing; Liu Yufeng

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To observe the effect of radiation treatment combined with Chinese medicinal monomers on the proliferation function, telomerase activity, expressions of apoptosis- and proliferation-related genes of Me180 cells. Methods: Me180 cells were cultured in the medium with oleanolic acid, curcumin and allicin. The survival rates of cells were detected by the methods of MTT, the telomerase activity by the method of telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) and the apoptosis -and proliferation-related genes by the method of reverse transeriptase-PCR. Me180 cells were cultured in the medium with Chinese medicinal monomers, and exposed to X-ray irradiation and the survival rates were detected. Results: The results of MTY showed that survival rates of tumor cells exposed to X rays in combination with oleanolic acid, curcumin and allicin were decreased significantly(t=2.81, 4.16, and 3.42, P<0.05). Chinese medicinal monomers inhibited the telomerase activity of MelS0 cells and the inhibiting function changed with time. At 16 h, the telomerase activities of MelS0 cells administered with oleanolic acid and allicin were reduced markedly (t=5.11 and 5.29, P<0.05). After 48 h, the telomerase activities returned to the normal level. The gene expressions of p21 and p16 in Me180 cells treated with oleanolic acid were 2.43 and 2.78 times higher than the control, respectively, while those of cyclin D1 and CDK4 were 56% and 41% of the control, respectively. Conclusions: Chinese medicinal monomers could effectively kill tumor cells, inhibit the telomerase activity and the expression of proliferation-related genes, and enhance the radiosensitivity of tumor cells. (authors)

  11. Sulfonated copolyimide membranes derived from a novel diamine monomer with pendant benzimidazole groups for fuel cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Wei; Guo, Xiaoxia; Aili, David

    2015-01-01

    . A series of sulfonated copolyimides (SPI) are prepared via random copolymerizatio of 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTDA) with a new diamine monomer with pendant benzimidazole groups, 2,2'-bis(4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)phenoxy)benzidine (BIPOB), and a sulfonated diamine monomer 4,4'-bis...

  12. Low temperature irradiation of vitrifiable mixtures of unsaturated monomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaetsu, I.; Ito, A.; Hayashi, K.

    1975-01-01

    A specific mixture containing at least one polymerizable unsaturated monomer which is not vitrifiable by itself can advantageously be polymerized by irradiating the mixture at a temperature not higher than 100 0 C above glass transition temperature of the mixture with an ionizing radiation and/or a light. 12 claims, 6 drawings, figures

  13. Mutually catalyzed birth of population and assets in exchange-driven growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Zhenquan; Ke, Jianhong; Ye, Gaoxiang

    2006-10-01

    We propose an exchange-driven aggregation growth model of population and assets with mutually catalyzed birth to study the interaction between the population and assets in their exchange-driven processes. In this model, monomer (or equivalently, individual) exchange occurs between any pair of aggregates of the same species (population or assets). The rate kernels of the exchanges of population and assets are K(k,l)=Kkl and L(k,l)=Lkl , respectively, at which one monomer migrates from an aggregate of size k to another of size l . Meanwhile, an aggregate of one species can yield a new monomer by the catalysis of an arbitrary aggregate of the other species. The rate kernel of asset-catalyzed population birth is I(k,l)=Iklμ [and that of population-catalyzed asset birth is J(k,l)=Jklν ], at which an aggregate of size k gains a monomer birth when it meets a catalyst aggregate of size l . The kinetic behaviors of the population and asset aggregates are solved based on the rate equations. The evolution of the aggregate size distributions of population and assets is found to fall into one of three categories for different parameters μ and ν : (i) population (asset) aggregates evolve according to the conventional scaling form in the case of μ⩽0 (ν⩽0) , (ii) population (asset) aggregates evolve according to a modified scaling form in the case of ν=0 and μ>0 ( μ=0 and ν>0 ), and (iii) both population and asset aggregates undergo gelation transitions at a finite time in the case of μ=ν>0 .

  14. Regulation of the PI3K pathway through a p85a monomer-homodimer equilibrium

    KAUST Repository

    Aljedani, Safia Salim Eid

    2017-01-08

    The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase a (PI3Ka) is heterodimeric enzyme that is composed of p85a regulatory subunit and a p110a catalytic subunit. PI3Ka plays a key role in cell survival, growth and differentation. Owing to its role as a key regulator, the PI3Ka pathway is the most frequently mutated pathway in human cancers, and is targeted by many viruses to insure their survival and successful reproduction. Previous studies have shown that the equilibrium of p85 monomers and dimers regulates the PI3K pathway, suggesting that interrupting this equilibrium could lead to disease development. Moreover, studies suggest that the p85a monomers and dimers have opposing effects on PI3Ka signaling as only the p85a dimers bind to the PTEN phosphatase, whereas p85a monomers bind to the catalytic p110 subunit. However, the mechanism for dimerisation is controversial, and it is unknown why PTEN or p110a bind only dimer or monomer. Therefore, we combine molecular biology, biophsical, computational and structural methods to investigate the suprosingly complex p85 dimerisation mechanism and its control by ligands. Results may inspire novel theraputic approaches.

  15. Marine Synechococcus Aggregation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neuer, S.; Deng, W.; Cruz, B. N.; Monks, L.

    2016-02-01

    Cyanobacteria are considered to play an important role in the oceanic biological carbon pump, especially in oligotrophic regions. But as single cells are too small to sink, their carbon export has to be mediated by aggregate formation and possible consumption by zooplankton producing sinking fecal pellets. Here we report results on the aggregation of the ubiquitous marine pico-cyanobacterium Synechococcus as a model organism. We first investigated the mechanism behind such aggregation by studying the potential role of transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP) and the effects of nutrient (nitrogen or phosphorus) limitation on the TEP production and aggregate formation of these pico-cyanobacteria. We further studied the aggregation and subsequent settling in roller tanks and investigated the effects of the clays kaolinite and bentonite in a series of concentrations. Our results show that despite of the lowered growth rates, Synechococcus in nutrient limited cultures had larger cell-normalized TEP production, formed a greater volume of aggregates, and resulted in higher settling velocities compared to results from replete cultures. In addition, we found that despite their small size and lack of natural ballasting minerals, Synechococcus cells could still form aggregates and sink at measureable velocities in seawater. Clay minerals increased the number and reduced the size of aggregates, and their ballasting effects increased the sinking velocity and carbon export potential of aggregates. In comparison with the Synechococcus, we will also present results of the aggregation of the pico-cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus in roller tanks. These results contribute to our understanding in the physiology of marine Synechococcus as well as their role in the ecology and biogeochemistry in oligotrophic oceans.

  16. Kinetics of Infection-Driven Growth Model with Birth and Death

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Shunyou; Zhu Shengqing; Ke Jianhong; Lin Zhenquan

    2008-01-01

    We propose a two-species infection model, in which an infected aggregate can gain one monomer from a healthy one due to infection when they meet together. Moreover, both the healthy and infected aggregates may lose one monomer because of self-death, but a healthy aggregate can spontaneously yield a new monomer. Consider a simple system in which the birth/death rates are directly proportional to the aggregate size, namely, the birth and death rates of the healthy aggregate of size k are J 1 k and J 2 k while the self-death rate of the infected aggregate of size k is J 3 k. We then investigate the kinetics of such a system by means of rate equation approach. For the J 1 > J 2 case, the aggregate size distribution of either species approaches the generalized scaling form and the typical size of either species increases wavily at large times. For the J 1 = J 2 case, the size distribution of healthy aggregates approaches the generalized scaling form while that of infected aggregates satisfies the modified scaling form. For the J 1 2 case, the size distribution of healthy aggregates satisfies the modified scaling form, but that of infected aggregates does not scale

  17. Vinyl Monomers Double as UV Stabilizers: 179th ACS Meeting Houston.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chemical and Engineering News, 1980

    1980-01-01

    Synthesis and polymerization of vinyl monomers that double as stabilizers against degradation of plastics by ultraviolet light has been accomplished. Potential applications include protection of photovoltaic cells in solar power plants. (Author/RE)

  18. Effect of monomer concentration on the kinetics of emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization of Vinyl Acetate and Methyl Acrylate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohammad Beigi, H. R.

    2001-01-01

    The effect of monomer concentration on the kinetics of the emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate and methyl acrylate were studied. The polymerizations were carried out using potassium persulfate as the initiator. Form the electron micrographs of the resulting lattices, monodisperse PVAc and PMA lattices with particle diameters varying between 149-443 mm and 112-497 nm, respectively were processed. Uniformity of particle size indicated that nucleation of stable particle occurs early in the polymerization process. The polymerization rate was found to be proportional to the 0.88 and 1.5 power of the initial monomer concentration of vinyl acetate and methyl acrylate, respectively. Higher monomer concentration results in fewer particles and larger final particle diameter. With increasing monomer solubility in water the size of particle decreases and its distribution broadens

  19. Enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of dentin adhesives containing a new urethane-based trimethacrylate monomer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jong-Gu; Ye, Qiang; Topp, Elizabeth M.; Spencer, Paulette

    2009-01-01

    A new trimethacrylate monomer with urethane-linked groups, 1,1,1-tri-[4-(methacryloxyethylamino-carbonyloxy)-phenyl]ethane (MPE), was synthesized, characterized, and used as a co-monomer in dentin adhesives. Dentin adhesives containing 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA, 45% w/w) and 2,2-bis[4(2-hydroxy-3-methacryloyloxy-propyloxy)-phenyl] propane (BisGMA, 30% w/w) in addition to MPE (25% w/w) were formulated with H2O at 0 (MPE0), 8 (MPE8) and 16 wt % water (MPE16) to simulate the wet demineralized dentin matrix and compared with controls [HEMA/BisGMA, 45/55 w/w, at 0 (C0), 8 (C8) and 16 wt% water (C16)]. The new adhesive showed a degree of double bond conversion and mechanical properties comparable with control, with good penetration into the dentin surface and a uniform adhesive/dentin interface. On exposure to porcine liver esterase, the net cumulative methacrylic acid (MAA) release from the new adhesives was dramatically (P < 0.05) decreased relative to the control, suggesting that the new monomer improves esterase resistance. PMID:19582843

  20. NGAL (Lcn2) monomer is associated with tubulointerstitial damage in chronic kidney disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nickolas, Thomas L; Forster, Catherine S; Sise, Meghan E; Barasch, Nicholas; Solá-Del Valle, David; Viltard, Melanie; Buchen, Charles; Kupferman, Shlomo; Carnevali, Maria Luisa; Bennett, Michael; Mattei, Silvia; Bovino, Achiropita; Argentiero, Lucia; Magnano, Andrea; Devarajan, Prasad; Mori, Kiyoshi; Erdjument-Bromage, Hediye; Tempst, Paul; Allegri, Landino; Barasch, Jonathan

    2012-09-01

    The type and the extent of tissue damage inform the prognosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD), but kidney biopsy is not a routine test. Urinary tests that correlate with specific histological findings might serve as surrogates for the kidney biopsy. We used immunoblots and ARCHITECT-NGAL assays to define the immunoreactivity of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in CKD, and we used mass spectroscopy to identify associated proteins. We analyzed kidney biopsies to determine whether specific pathological characteristics associated with the monomeric NGAL species. Advanced CKD urine contained the NGAL monomer as well as novel complexes of NGAL. When these species were separated, we found a significant correlation between the NGAL monomer and glomerular filtration rate (r=-0.53, P<0.001), interstitial fibrosis (mild vs. severe disease; mean 54 vs. 167 μg uNGAL/g Cr, P<0.01), and tubular atrophy (mild vs. severe disease; mean 54 vs. 164 μg uNGAL/g Cr, P<0.01). Monospecific assays of the NGAL monomer demonstrated a correlation with histology that typifies progressive, severe CKD.

  1. Modification of polyethersulfone films by grafting hydrophilic monomers with 60Co γ-rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hou Zhengchi; Deng Bo; Li Jing

    2006-01-01

    Polyethersulfone (PES), with its high strength, high temperature resistance, corrosion- resistance, oxidation resistance and applicability under wide pH range, is used extensively as ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membrane. However, PES membranes foul easily in such an application because of hydrophobic nature of PES raw materials. Improving the hydrophilicity of PES by grafting hydrophilic monomers onto it is of potential to solve the problem. At present, common approaches to improve hydrophilicity of PES membranes are UV grafting modification, plasma modification, and chemical modification, whereas grafting and modifying PES films by 60 Co γ-rays has rarely been reported. Studies have been carried out in our laboratory to graft hydrophilic monomers onto PES membranes directly or PES powders via simultaneous radiation grafting with the rays. Acrylic acid, methyl acrylic acid or acrylamide was used to study effects of the monomer concentration, irradiation dose and dose rate, solvent, inhibitor and pH of the grafting solution on the degree of grafting. The results showed that hydrophilicity of all the PES membranes could be improved, with the extent of improvement being dependent on the grafting conditions. (authors)

  2. Two Functionally Distinct Sources of Actin Monomers Supply the Leading Edge of Lamellipodia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vitriol, Eric A.; McMillen, Laura M.; Kapustina, Maryna; Gomez, Shawn M.; Vavylonis, Dimitrios; Zheng, James Q.

    2015-01-01

    Summary Lamellipodia, the sheet-like protrusions of motile cells, consist of networks of actin filaments (F-actin) regulated by the ordered assembly from and disassembly into actin monomers (G-actin). Traditionally, G-actin is thought to exist as a homogeneous pool. Here, we show that there are two functionally and molecularly distinct sources of G-actin that supply lamellipodial actin networks. G-actin originating from the cytosolic pool requires the monomer binding protein thymosin β4 (Tβ4) for optimal leading edge localization, is targeted to formins, and is responsible for creating an elevated G/F-actin ratio that promotes membrane protrusion. The second source of G-actin comes from recycled lamellipodia F-actin. Recycling occurs independently of Tβ4 and appears to regulate lamellipodia homeostasis. Tβ4-bound G-actin specifically localizes to the leading edge because it doesn’t interact with Arp2/3-mediated polymerization sites found throughout the lamellipodia. These findings demonstrate that actin networks can be constructed from multiple sources of monomers with discrete spatiotemporal functions. PMID:25865895

  3. Facile synthesis of allyl resinate monomer in an aqueous solution ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The synthesized monomer product appeared as a viscous liquid, with a viscosity of 460 mPa·s at 25◦C and a density of ... ated under high reaction temperature, which reduces the ... The use of DMF as an organic solvent also comes with.

  4. Complex-radical copolymerization of vinyl monomers on organoelemental initiators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grishin, D.F.

    1993-01-01

    Data on regularities of the initiation and growth of the (co)polymerization of polar vinyl series monomers on organo-elemental initiator, organo-boron in particular, are generalized. The effect of organo-metallic compounds and some phenol type inhibitors on the rate of acrylate (co)polymerization is analyzed from view of the change of electroacceptor properties (electrophilicity) of macroradicals

  5. N-Acetyl Cysteine Depletes Reactive Oxygen Species and Prevents Dental Monomer-Induced Intrinsic Mitochondrial Apoptosis In Vitro in Human Dental Pulp Cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Jiao

    Full Text Available To investigate the involvement of intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis in dental monomer-induced cytotoxicity and the influences of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC on this process.Human dental pulp cells (hDPCs were exposed to several dental monomers in the absence or presence of NAC, and cell viability, intracellular redox balance, morphology and function of mitochondria and key indicators of intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis were evaluated using various commercial kits.Dental monomers exerted dose-dependent cytotoxic effects on hDPCs. Concomitant to the over-production of reactive oxygen species (ROS and depletion of glutathione (GSH, differential changes in activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase were detected. Apoptosis, as indicated by positive Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI staining and activation of caspase-3, was observed after dental monomer treatment. Dental monomers impaired the morphology and function of mitochondria, and induced intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis in hDPCs via up-regulation of p53, Bax and cleaved caspase-3, and down-regulation of Bcl-2. NAC restored cell viability, relieved oxidative stress and blocked the apoptotic effects of dental monomers.Dental monomers induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial intrinsic apoptosis in hDPCs. NAC could reduce the oxidative stress and thus protect hDPCs against dental monomer-induced apoptosis.

  6. Principles and equations for measuring and interpreting protein stability: From monomer to tetramer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bedouelle, Hugues

    2016-02-01

    The ability to measure the thermodynamic stability of proteins with precision is important for both academic and applied research. Such measurements rely on mathematical models of the protein denaturation profile, i.e. the relation between a global protein signal, corresponding to the folding states in equilibrium, and the variable value of a denaturing agent, either heat or a chemical molecule, e.g. urea or guanidinium hydrochloride. In turn, such models rely on a handful of physical laws: the laws of mass action and conservation, the law that relates the protein signal and concentration, and the one that relates stability and denaturant value. So far, equations have been derived mainly for the denaturation profiles of homomeric proteins. Here, we review the underlying basic physical laws and show in detail how to derive model equations for the unfolding equilibria of homomeric or heteromeric proteins up to trimers and potentially tetramers, with or without folding intermediates, and give full demonstrations. We show that such equations cannot be derived for pentamers or higher oligomers except in special degenerate cases. We expand the method to signals that do not correspond to extensive protein properties. We review and expand methods for uncovering hidden intermediates of unfolding. Finally, we review methods for comparing and interpreting the thermodynamic parameters that derive from stability measurements for cognate wild-type and mutant proteins. This work should provide a robust theoretical basis for measuring the stability of complex proteins. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

  7. Interactions between resin monomers and commercial composite resins with human saliva derived esterases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaffer, F; Finer, Y; Santerre, J P

    2002-04-01

    Cholesterol esterase (CE) and pseudocholinesterase (PCE) have been reported to degrade commercial and model composite resins containing bisphenylglycidyl dimethacrylate (BisGMA), triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) or the latter in combination with urethane modified BisGMA monomer systems. In addition, human saliva has been shown to contain esterase like activities similar to CE and PCE. Hence, it was the aim of the current study to determine to what extent human saliva could degrade two common commercial composite resins (Z250 from 3M Inc. and Spectrum TPH from L.D. Caulk) which contain the above monomer systems. Saliva samples from different volunteers were collected, processed, pooled, and freeze-dried. TEGDMA and BisGMA monomers were incubated with human saliva derived esterase activity (HSDEA) and their respective hydrolysis was monitored using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Both monomers were completely hydrolyzed within 25 h by HSDEA. Photopolymerized composites were incubated with buffer or human saliva (pH 7.0 and 37 C) for 2, 8 and 16 days. The incubation solutions were analyzed using HPLC and mass spectrometry. Surface morphology characterization was carried out using scanning electron microscopy. Upon biodegradation, the Z250 composite yielded higher amounts of BisGMA and TEGDMA related products relative to the TPH composite. However, there were higher amounts of ethoxylated bis-phenol A released from the TPH material. In terms of total mass of products released, human saliva demonstrated a greater ability to degrade Z250. In summary, HSDEA has been shown to contain esterase activities that can readily catalyze the biodegradation of current commercial composite resins.

  8. Defining and systematic analyses of aggregation indices to evaluate degree of calcium oxalate crystal aggregation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaiyarit, Sakdithep; Thongboonkerd, Visith

    2017-12-01

    Crystal aggregation is one of the most crucial steps in kidney stone pathogenesis. However, previous studies of crystal aggregation were rarely done and quantitative analysis of aggregation degree was handicapped by a lack of the standard measurement. We thus performed an in vitro assay to generate aggregation of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals with various concentrations (25-800 µg/ml) in saturated aggregation buffer. The crystal aggregates were analyzed by microscopic examination, UV-visible spectrophotometry, and GraphPad Prism6 software to define a total of 12 aggregation indices (including number of aggregates, aggregated mass index, optical density, aggregation coefficient, span, number of aggregates at plateau time-point, aggregated area index, aggregated diameter index, aggregated symmetry index, time constant, half-life, and rate constant). The data showed linear correlation between crystal concentration and almost all of these indices, except only for rate constant. Among these, number of aggregates provided the greatest regression coefficient (r=0.997; pr=0.993; pr=‑0.993; pr=0.991; p<0.001 for both). These five indices are thus recommended as the most appropriate indices for quantitative analysis of COM crystal aggregation in vitro.

  9. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 stimulates synthesis of proteoglycan aggregates in calf articular cartilage organ cultures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morales, T.I.

    1991-01-01

    Previous work showed that transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), added alone to bovine cartilage organ cultures, stimulated [35S]sulfate incorporation into macromolecular material but did not investigate the fidelity of the stimulated system to maintain synthesis of cartilage-type proteoglycans. This paper provides evidence that chondrocytes synthesize the appropriate proteoglycan matrix under TGF-beta 1 stimulation: (1) there is a coordinated increase in hyaluronic acid and proteoglycan monomer synthesis, (2) link-stable proteoglycan aggregates are assembled, (3) the hybrid chondroitin sulfate/keratan sulfate monomeric species is synthesized, and (4) there is an increase in protein core synthesis. Some variation in glycosylation patterns was observed when proteoglycans synthesized under TGF-beta 1 stimulation were compared to those synthesized under basal conditions. Thus comparing TGF-beta 1 to basal samples respectively, the monomers were larger (Kav on Sepharose CL-2B = 0.29 vs 0.41), the chondroitin sulfate chains were longer by approximately 3.5 kDa, the percentage of total glycosaminoglycan in keratan sulfate increased slightly from approximately 4% (basal) to approximately 6%, and the unsulfated disaccharide decreased from 28% (basal) to 12%. All of these variations are in the direction of a more anionic proteoglycan. Since the ability of proteoglycans to confer resiliency to the cartilage matrix is directly related to their anionic nature, these changes would presumably have a beneficial effect on tissue function

  10. Precision design of ethylene- and polar-monomer-based copolymers by organometallic-mediated radical polymerization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kermagoret, Anthony; Debuigne, Antoine; Jérôme, Christine; Detrembleur, Christophe

    2014-03-01

    The copolymerization of ethylene with polar monomers is a major challenge when it comes to the manufacture of materials with potential for a wide range of commercial applications. In the chemical industry, free-radical polymerization is used to make a large proportion of such copolymers, but the forcing conditions result in a lack of fine control over the architecture of the products. Herein we introduce a synthetic tool, effective under mild experimental conditions, for the precision design of unprecedented ethylene- and polar-monomer-based copolymers. We demonstrate how an organocobalt species can control the growth of the copolymer chains, their composition and the monomer distribution throughout the chain. By fine tuning the ethylene pressure during polymerization and by exploiting a unique reactive mode of the end of the organometallic chain, novel block-like copolymer structures can be prepared. This highly versatile synthetic platform provides access to a diverse range of polymer materials.

  11. Sustainable aggregates production : green applications for aggregate by-products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-06-01

    Increased emphasis in the construction industry on sustainability and recycling requires production of : aggregate gradations with lower dust (cleaner aggregates) and smaller maximum sizeshence, increased : amount of quarry by-products (QBs). QBs ...

  12. High monomer content batch microemulsion polymerization of butyl acrylate initiated with gamma ray

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen Jun [Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China)]. E-mail: chjun04@mail.ustc.edu.cn; Zhang Zhicheng [Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China)]. E-mail: zczhang@ustc.edu.cn

    2007-05-15

    Radiation polymerization of butyl acrylate was performed in a microemulsion stabilized with a mixture of sodium of 12-acryloxy-9-octadecenoic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate in a weight ratio of 2 at room temperature. BA content in microemulsion can be successfully improved up to 40 wt% with low surfactant concentration (lower than 10 wt%). The resulted stable, translucent microlatex contain particles with average diameter from 28.1 to 38.1 nm with different monomer content. Particle size depends on the dose rate and surfactant concentration. Effects of monomer content and dose rate on the maximum polymerization rate are discussed.

  13. Analysis of long-term monomer elution from bulk-fill and conventional resin-composites using high performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alshali, Ruwaida Z; Salim, Nesreen A; Sung, Rehana; Satterthwaite, Julian D; Silikas, Nick

    2015-12-01

    The aim of this study was to assess monomer elution from bulk-fill and conventional resin-composites stored in different media using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for up to 3 months. Six bulk-fill (SureFil SDR, Venus Bulk Fill, X-tra base, Filtek Bulk Fill flowable, Sonic Fill, and Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill) and eight conventional resin-composites (Grandioso Flow, Venus Diamond Flow, X-Flow, Filtek Supreme XTE, Grandioso, Venus Diamond, TPH Spectrum, and Filtek Z250) were tested. Cylindrical samples (n=5) were immersed in water, 70% ethanol/water solution (70% E/W), and artificial saliva and stored at 37°C for 24h, 1 month, and 3 months. The storage solutions were analysed with HPLC. Data were analysed with repeated measures ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey post hoc test at α=0.05. Monomers detected in water and artificial saliva were TEGDMA, DEGDMA, UDMA, and TCD-DI-HEA. No eluted monomers were detected from X-tra base and Sonic fill in these media. All monomers showed a variable extent of elution into 70% E/W with significantly higher amounts than those detected in water and artificial saliva. Significantly higher elution was detected from UDMA-BisEMA based composites compared to BisGMA and BisGMA-BisEMA based systems in 70% E/W. The rate of elution into different media varied between different monomers and was highly dependent on the molecular weight of the eluted compounds. Elution from bulk-fill resin-composites is comparable to that of conventional materials despite their increased increment thickness. Monomer elution is highly dependent on the hydrophobicity of the base monomers and the final network characteristics of the resin-matrix. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Luminal and parenteral TFF2 and TFF3 dimer and monomer in two models of experimental colitis in the rat

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Steen Seier; Kissow, Hannelouise; Hare, Kristine

    2005-01-01

    % dextran sodium sulphate in the drinking water or by one intraperitoneal injection of mitomycin C, 3.75 mg/kg. TFF peptides were administered as subcutaneous injections or directly into the lumen via a catheter placed in the proximal colon. Treatments were saline, TFF2, TFF3 monomer or TFF3 dimer 5 mg......2 had positive effect only in DSS-induced colitis. The TFF3 monomer was without any effects in both models. Treatment effect was most pronounced in the middle part of the colon, closest to the tip of the catheter. Injected TFF peptides, especially the TFF3 monomer, aggravated the colitis score...... in both colitis models. CONCLUSIONS: Intracolonic administration of TFF3 dimer and TFF2 improves experimentally induced colitis in rats. The TFF3 monomer has no effect. Parenteral administration of TFF peptides aggravates the colitis especially the TFF3 monomer....

  15. Monomeric Amyloid Beta Peptide in Hexafluoroisopropanol Detected by Small Angle Neutron Scattering.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Zhang-Haagen

    Full Text Available Small proteins like amyloid beta (Aβ monomers are related to neurodegenerative disorders by aggregation to insoluble fibrils. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS is a nondestructive method to observe the aggregation process in solution. We show that SANS is able to resolve monomers of small molecular weight like Aβ for aggregation studies. We examine Aβ monomers after prolonged storing in d-hexafluoroisopropanol (dHFIP by using SANS and dynamic light scattering (DLS. We determined the radius of gyration from SANS as 1.0±0.1 nm for Aβ1-40 and 1.6±0.1 nm for Aβ1-42 in agreement with 3D NMR structures in similar solvents suggesting a solvent surface layer with 5% increased density. After initial dissolution in dHFIP Aβ aggregates sediment with a major component of pure monomers showing a hydrodynamic radius of 1.8±0.3 nm for Aβ1-40 and 3.2±0.4 nm for Aβ1-42 including a surface layer of dHFIP solvent molecules.

  16. Pulse radiolysis study of monomer and dimer cations of styrene, 1-methylstyrene and 1,1'-diphenylethylene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mehnert, R.; Helmstreit, W.; Boes, J.; Brede, O.

    1977-01-01

    In pulse-irradiated solutions of styrene, 1-methylstyrene and 1,1'-diphenylethylene, the decay kinetics of the olefin monomer cations and the formation kinetics of the corresponding dimer cations have been studied at room temperature. The solutions were irradiated with 15-nsec 15-ampere pulses of 1-MeV electrons from an Elit-type accelerator. The total dose per pulse was approximately 10 krad. The monomer cations were generated with rate constants of about 10 11 M -1 sec -1 . From the time decay of the monomer light absorption and the growth in time of the dimer absorption rate constants for the dimer formation between 0.8x10 10 and 1.2x10 10 M -1 sec -1 have been determined. (T.I.)

  17. Influence of Aggregate Wettability with Different Lithology Aggregates on Concrete Drying Shrinkage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanchen Guo

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The correlation of the wettability of different lithology aggregates and the drying shrinkage of concrete materials is studied, and some influential factors such as wettability and wetting angle are analyzed. A mercury porosimeter is used to measure the porosities of different lithology aggregates accurately, and the pore size ranges that significantly affect the drying shrinkage of different lithology aggregate concretes are confirmed. The pore distribution curve of the different coarse aggregates is also measured through a statistical method, and the contact angle of different coarse aggregates and concrete is calculated according to the linear fitting relationship. Research shows that concrete strength is determined by aggregate strength. Aggregate wettability is not directly correlated with concrete strength, but wettability significantly affects concrete drying shrinkage. In all types’ pores, the greatest impacts on wettability are capillary pores and gel pores, especially for the pores of the size locating 2.5–50 nm and 50–100 nm two ranges.

  18. Permeability of different types of medical protective gloves to acrylic monomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lönnroth, Emma-Christin; Wellendorf, Hanne; Ruyter, Eystein

    2003-10-01

    Dental personnel and orthopedic surgeons are at risk when manually handling products containing methyl methacrylate (MMA). Dental products may also contain cross-linking agents such as ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) or 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate (1,4-BDMA). Skin contact with monomers can cause hand eczema, and the protection given by gloves manufactured from different types of material is not well known. The aim of this study was to determine the breakthrough time (BTT, min) as a measure of protection (according to the EU standard EN-374-3) for a mixture consisting of MMA, EGDMA and 1,4-BDMA. Fifteen different gloves representing natural rubber latex material, synthetic rubber material (e.g. nitrile rubbers), and synthetic polymer material were tested. The smallest monomer MMA permeated within 3 min through all glove materials. A polyethylene examination glove provided the longest protection period to EGDMA and 1, 4-BDMA (> 120 min and 25.0 min), followed by the surgical glove Tactylon (6.0 min and 8.7 min) and the nitrile glove Nitra Touch (5.0 min and 8.7 min). This study showed that the breakthrough time (based on permeation rate) cannot be regarded as a 'safe limit'. When the permeation rate is low, monomers may have permeated before BTT can be determined. Using double gloves with a synthetic rubber inner glove and a natural rubber outer glove provided longer protection when the inner glove was rinsed in water before placing the outer glove on top.

  19. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SOIL MICROBIAL BIOMASS, AGGREGATE STABILITY AND AGGREGATE ASSOCIATED-C: A MECHANISTIC APPROACH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrizia Guidi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available For the identification of C pools involved in soil aggregation, a physically-based aggregate fractionation was proposed, and  additional pretreatments were used in the measurement of the 1-2 mm aggregate stability in order to elucidate the relevance of the role of soil microorganisms with respect to the different aggregate breakdown mechanisms. The study was carried out on three clay loam Regosols, developed on calcareous shales, known history of organic cultivation.Our results showed that the soil C pool controlling the process of stabilisation of aggregates was related to the microbial community. We identified the resistance to fast wetting as the major mechanism of aggregate stability driven by microorganims. The plausible hypothesis is that organic farming promotes fungi growth, improving water repellency of soil aggregates by fungal hydrophobic substances. By contrast, we failed in the identification of C pools controlling the formation of aggregates, probably because of the disturbance of mechanical tillage which contributes to the breakdown of soil aggregates.The physically-based aggregate fractionation proposed in this study resulted useful in the  mechanistically understanding of the role of microorganisms in soil aggregation and it might be suggested for studying the impact of management on C pools, aggregates properties and their relationships in agricultural soils.

  20. Dip-pen nanopatterning of photosensitive conducting polymer using a monomer ink

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Ming; Aslam, Mohammed; Fu, Lei; Wu, Nianqiang; Dravid, Vinayak P.

    2004-05-01

    Controlled patterning of conducting polymers at a micro- or nanoscale is the first step towards the fabrication of miniaturized functional devices. Here, we introduce an approach for the nanopatterning of conducting polymers using an improved monomer "ink" in dip-pen nanolithography (DPN). The nominal monomer "ink" is converted, in situ, to its conducting solid-state polymeric form after patterned. Proof-of-concept experiments have been performed with acid-promoted polymerization of pyrrole in a less reactive environment (tetrahydrofuran). The ratios of reactants are optimized to give an appropriate rate to match the operation of DPN. A similar synthesis process for the same polymer in its bulk form shows a high conductance and crystalline structure. The miniaturized conducting polymer sensors with light detection ability are fabricated by DPN using the improved ink formula, and exhibit excellent response, recovery, and sensitivity parameters.

  1. Dip-pen nanopatterning of photosensitive conducting polymer using a monomer ink

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su Ming; Aslam, Mohammed; Fu Lei; Wu Nianqiang; Dravid, Vinayak P.

    2004-01-01

    Controlled patterning of conducting polymers at a micro- or nanoscale is the first step towards the fabrication of miniaturized functional devices. Here, we introduce an approach for the nanopatterning of conducting polymers using an improved monomer 'ink' in dip-pen nanolithography (DPN). The nominal monomer 'ink' is converted, in situ, to its conducting solid-state polymeric form after patterned. Proof-of-concept experiments have been performed with acid-promoted polymerization of pyrrole in a less reactive environment (tetrahydrofuran). The ratios of reactants are optimized to give an appropriate rate to match the operation of DPN. A similar synthesis process for the same polymer in its bulk form shows a high conductance and crystalline structure. The miniaturized conducting polymer sensors with light detection ability are fabricated by DPN using the improved ink formula, and exhibit excellent response, recovery, and sensitivity parameters

  2. Cyclic 3-alkyl pyridinium alkaloid monomers from a New Zealand Haliclona sp. marine sponge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damodaran, Vidhiya; Ryan, Jason L; Keyzers, Robert A

    2013-10-25

    Bioassay and NMR approaches have been used to guide the isolation of one known and two new cyclic 3-alkyl pyridinium alkaloid (3-APA) monomers from the New Zealand marine sponge Haliclona sp. The new compounds, dehydrohaliclocyclins C (3) and F (4), are the first reported examples of cyclic 3-APA monomers with unsaturation in the alkyl chain. The known compound haliclocyclin C (2) was also isolated from a mixture with 4. The structures of compounds 2-4 were elucidated using NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and chemical degradation.

  3. Aggregation of fragmented chromatin associated with the appearance of products of its nuclease treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lobanenkov, V.V.; Mironov, N.M.; Kupriyanova, E.I.; Shapot, V.S.

    1986-01-01

    Isolated cell nuclei were incubated with nucleases, and then the chromatin was extracted with a low-salt buffer. When degradation of the nuclear chromatin DNase I or micrococcal nuclease is intensified, solubilization of the deoxyribonucleoprotein (DNP) in low-salt buffer at first increases, reaching a maximum in the case of hydrolysis of 2-4% of the nuclear DNA, but after intensive treatment with nucleases, it decreases sharply. Soluble fragmented chromatin is aggregated during treatment with DNase I. The addition of exogenous products of nuclease treatment of isolated nuclei to a preparation of gelatinous chromatin induces its aggregation. Pretreatment of nuclear chromatin with RNase prevents the solubilization of DNP by solutions with low ionic strength. Certain experimental data obtained using rigorous nuclease treatment are discussed; for their interpretation it is necessary to consider the effect of aggregation of fragmented chromatin by products of its nuclease degradation

  4. Influence of aggregate characteristics on the compressive strength of normal weight concrete

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qureshi, M.A.; Aslam, M.

    2015-01-01

    Experimental investigations on the properties of concrete have been performed around the globe and their correlation is interpreted in relevant design codes. The structural behavior of cement concrete significantly relies on the material resources, properties of the aggregates constituting the concrete and the local construction practice. These factors vary from place to place. Therefore, the compressive strength of concrete prepared from the aggregates available in one locality may not be directly applicable to the other areas. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Influence of locally available coarse aggregates on the compressive strength of normal weight concrete (NWC) prepared under local environmental conditions of district Khairpur Mir's, Sindh, Pakistan. The coarse aggregates were collected from five different quarries in the vicinity of Khairpur Mir's, Pakistan. In total; 180 cubes were tested. 10 different batches were formed in order to arrange individual characterization of concrete. Each batch was contained of 18 cubes and each quarry contains 2 batches making a total of 36 cube with four different ratios for each quarry. Dry density and compressive strength of concrete was calculated and a comparison is provided as a guideline for the future construction work in the local community. (author)

  5. New aromatic activated dihalides and bisphenol monomers for the preparation of novel poly(arylene ethers)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolfe, James F.

    1993-01-01

    The goal of this research program was to synthesize a series of unique monomers of type I to be utilized at NASA-Langley in the preparation of new poly(arylene ether ketones), poly(arylene ether ketosulfones), and poly(arylene ether ketophosphine oxides). These A-A and A-B monomer systems, which possess activated aryl halide and/or phenolic end groups, are accessible via condensation reactions of appropriately substituted aryl acetonitrile carbanions with activated aryl dihalides followed by oxidative decyanation.

  6. Radiation initiated grafting of hydrophilic and reactive monomers on polyetherurethane for biomedical application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jansen, B.; Ellinghorst, G.

    1981-01-01

    Hydrogels such poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate), poly (acrylamide) and poly(2,3-dihydroxypropylmethacrylate) are a class of well-known materials with good to excellent biomedical properties. Unfortunately the mechanical behaviour of the water-swollen gels is poor, and thus their application in pure state is limited. Much work has been done, especially by the grafting technique, on supporting the hydrogels by several techniques in order to improve their mechanical properties. In this work grafting of hydrogel forming or reactive monomers (which can be made hydrophilic by a following chemical process) onto a polyetherurethane was performed by a technique in which the trunk polymer is swollen in the graft monomer before irradiation. (author)

  7. Effect of microwave postpolymerization treatment on residual monomer content and the flexural strength of autopolymerizing reline resin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patil Padmakar

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Background : Microwave postpolymerization has been suggested as a method to improve the flexural strength of an autopolymerizing denture reline resin. However, the effect of microwave postpolymerization on the residual monomer content and its influence on flexural strength have not been investigated. Objectives : This study analyzed the effect of microwave postpolymerization on the residual monomer content and its influence on the flexural strength of an autopolymerizing reline resin (Denture Liner. Materials and Methods : A total of 70 specimens (64 Χ 10 Χ 3.3 mm were polymerized according to the manufacturer′s instructions and divided into 7 groups (n = 10. Control group specimens were not subjectedto any further processing. Before testing, the specimens were subjected to postpolymerization in a microwave oven using different power (550 and 650 W and time (3, 4, and 5 min settings. Two specimens of each group were then manually ground into fine powder and samples extracted from the specimens using reflux method. The samples were then subjected to gas chromatography for residual monomer determination in area%. Eight specimens were subjected to a three-point bending device with a span of 50 mm and crosshead speed of 5 mm/min, and the flexural strength was determined in MPa. Data analyses included Student′s t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Results : For the Denture Liner reline resin, the residual monomer content decreased and the flexural strength increased significantly with the application of microwave irradiation using different time/power combinations. The specimens with the lowest residual monomer content were the similar specimens which presented with the highest flexural strength. Conclusion : Microwave postpolymerization irradiation can be an effective method for increasing the flexural strength of denture liner (at 650 W for 5 min by reducing the residual monomer content by further polymerization at free radical sites.

  8. Coupling of g proteins to reconstituted monomers and tetramers of the M2 muscarinic receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redka, Dar'ya S; Morizumi, Takefumi; Elmslie, Gwendolynne; Paranthaman, Pranavan; Shivnaraine, Rabindra V; Ellis, John; Ernst, Oliver P; Wells, James W

    2014-08-29

    G protein-coupled receptors can be reconstituted as monomers in nanodiscs and as tetramers in liposomes. When reconstituted with G proteins, both forms enable an allosteric interaction between agonists and guanylyl nucleotides. Both forms, therefore, are candidates for the complex that controls signaling at the level of the receptor. To identify the biologically relevant form, reconstituted monomers and tetramers of the purified M2 muscarinic receptor were compared with muscarinic receptors in sarcolemmal membranes for the effect of guanosine 5'-[β,γ-imido]triphosphate (GMP-PNP) on the inhibition of N-[(3)H]methylscopolamine by the agonist oxotremorine-M. With monomers, a stepwise increase in the concentration of GMP-PNP effected a lateral, rightward shift in the semilogarithmic binding profile (i.e. a progressive decrease in the apparent affinity of oxotremorine-M). With tetramers and receptors in sarcolemmal membranes, GMP-PNP effected a vertical, upward shift (i.e. an apparent redistribution of sites from a state of high affinity to one of low affinity with no change in affinity per se). The data were analyzed in terms of a mechanistic scheme based on a ligand-regulated equilibrium between uncoupled and G protein-coupled receptors (the "ternary complex model"). The model predicts a rightward shift in the presence of GMP-PNP and could not account for the effects at tetramers in vesicles or receptors in sarcolemmal membranes. Monomers present a special case of the model in which agonists and guanylyl nucleotides interact within a complex that is both constitutive and stable. The results favor oligomers of the M2 receptor over monomers as the biologically relevant state for coupling to G proteins. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  9. Polyimide, dianhydride monomers, and polymers, methods of making and uses thereof

    KAUST Repository

    Pinnau, Ingo; Ghanem, Bader Saleh; Abdulhamid, Mahmoud Atef

    2017-01-01

    Embodiments of the present disclosure include, a dianhydride monomer, a polyimide, a method of making a dianhydride, a method of making a polyimide, and the like. Embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in membrane-based gas separation applications.

  10. Polyimide, dianhydride monomers, and polymers, methods of making and uses thereof

    KAUST Repository

    Pinnau, Ingo

    2017-11-16

    Embodiments of the present disclosure include, a dianhydride monomer, a polyimide, a method of making a dianhydride, a method of making a polyimide, and the like. Embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in membrane-based gas separation applications.

  11. Simple introduction of sulfonic acid group onto polyethylene by radiation-induced cografting of sodium styrenesulfonate with hydrophilic monomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsuneda, Satoshi; Saito, Kyoichi; Furusaki, Shintaro; Sugo, Takanobu; Makuuchi, Keizo

    1993-01-01

    The sulfonic acid (SO 3 H) group was readily introduced into a polyethylene (PE) membrane by radiation-induced cografting of sodium styrenesulfonate (SSS) with hydrophilic monomers such as acrylic acid (AAc) and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The density of SSS grafted onto the PE membrane was determined as a function of molar ratio of hydrophilic monomer to SSS in the monomer mixture. Immersion of the electron-beam-irradiated PE membrane into the mixture of SSS and HEMA for 5 h at 323 K provided to the SO 3 H density of 2.5 mol/kg of the H-type product

  12. Patterns of [PSI+] aggregation allow insights into cellular organization of yeast prion aggregates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyedmers, Jens

    2012-01-01

    The yeast prion phenomenon is very widespread and mounting evidence suggests that it has an impact on cellular regulatory mechanisms related to phenotypic responses to changing environments. Studying the aggregation patterns of prion amyloids during different stages of the prion life cycle is a first key step to understand major principles of how and where cells generate, organize and turn-over prion aggregates. The induction of the [PSI+] state involves the actin cytoskeleton and quality control compartments such as the Insoluble Protein Deposit (IPOD). An initially unstable transitional induction state can be visualized by overexpression of the prion determinant and displays characteristic large ring- and ribbon-shaped aggregates consisting of poorly fragmented bundles of very long prion fibrils. In the mature prion state, the aggregation pattern is characterized by highly fragmented, shorter prion fibrils that form aggregates, which can be visualized through tagging with fluorescent proteins. The number of aggregates formed varies, ranging from a single large aggregate at the IPOD to multiple smaller ones, depending on several parameters discussed. Aggregate units below the resolution of light microscopy that are detectable by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy are in equilibrium with larger aggregates in this stage and can mediate faithful inheritance of the prion state. Loss of the prion state is often characterized by reduced fragmentation of prion fibrils and fewer, larger aggregates. PMID:22449721

  13. Quantitative analysis of detailed lignin monomer composition by pyrolysis-gas chromatography combined with preliminary acetylation of the samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonoda, T; Ona, T; Yokoi, H; Ishida, Y; Ohtani, H; Tsuge, S

    2001-11-15

    Detailed quantitative analysis of lignin monomer composition comprising p-coumaryl, coniferyl, and sinapyl alcohol and p-coumaraldehyde, coniferaldehyde, and sinapaldehyde in plant has not been studied from every point mainly because of artifact formation during the lignin isolation procedure, partial loss of the lignin components inherent in the chemical degradative methods, and difficulty in the explanation of the complex spectra generally observed for the lignin components. Here we propose a new method to quantify lignin monomer composition in detail by pyrolysis-gas chromatography (Py-GC) using acetylated lignin samples. The lignin acetylation procedure would contribute to prevent secondary formation of cinnamaldehydes from the corresponding alcohol forms during pyrolysis, which are otherwise unavoidable in conventional Py-GC process to some extent. On the basis of the characteristic peaks on the pyrograms of the acetylated sample, lignin monomer compositions in various dehydrogenative polymers (DHP) as lignin model compounds were determined, taking even minor components such as cinnamaldehydes into consideration. The observed compositions by Py-GC were in good agreement with the supplied lignin monomer contents on DHP synthesis. The new Py-GC method combined with sample preacetylation allowed us an accurate quantitative analysis of detailed lignin monomer composition using a microgram order of extractive-free plant samples.

  14. Dimer monomer transition and dimer re-formation play important role for ATM cellular function during DNA repair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du, Fengxia; Zhang, Minjie; Li, Xiaohua; Yang, Caiyun; Meng, Hao; Wang, Dong; Chang, Shuang; Xu, Ye; Price, Brendan; Sun, Yingli

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • ATM phosphorylates the opposite strand of the dimer in response to DNA damage. • The PETPVFRLT box of ATM plays a key role in its dimer dissociation in DNA repair. • The dephosphorylation of ATM is critical for dimer re-formation after DNA repair. - Abstract: The ATM protein kinase, is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is recruited and activated by DNA double-strand breaks, mediates responses to ionizing radiation in mammalian cells. Here we show that ATM is held inactive in unirradiated cells as a dimer and phosphorylates the opposite strand of the dimer in response to DNA damage. Cellular irradiation induces rapid intermolecular autophosphorylation of serine 1981 that causes dimer dissociation and initiates cellular ATM kinase activity. ATM cannot phosphorylate the substrates when it could not undergo dimer monomer transition. After DNA repair, the active monomer will undergo dephosphorylation to form dimer again and dephosphorylation is critical for dimer re-formation. Our work reveals novel function of ATM dimer monomer transition and explains why ATM dimer monomer transition plays such important role for ATM cellular activity during DNA repair

  15. Features of exciton dynamics in molecular nanoclusters (J-aggregates): Exciton self-trapping (Review Article)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malyukin, Yu. V.; Sorokin, A. V.; Semynozhenko, V. P.

    2016-06-01

    We present thoroughly analyzed experimental results that demonstrate the anomalous manifestation of the exciton self-trapping effect, which is already well-known in bulk crystals, in ordered molecular nanoclusters called J-aggregates. Weakly-coupled one-dimensional (1D) molecular chains are the main structural feature of J-aggregates, wherein the electron excitations are manifested as 1D Frenkel excitons. According to the continuum theory of Rashba-Toyozawa, J-aggregates can have only self-trapped excitons, because 1D excitons must adhere to barrier-free self-trapping at any exciton-phonon coupling constant g = ɛLR/2β, wherein ɛLR is the lattice relaxation energy, and 2β is the half-width of the exciton band. In contrast, very often only the luminescence of free, mobile excitons would manifest in experiments involving J-aggregates. Using the Urbach rule in order to analyze the low-frequency region of the low-temperature exciton absorption spectra has shown that J-aggregates can have both a weak (g 1) exciton-phonon coupling. Moreover, it is experimentally demonstrated that under certain conditions, the J-aggregate excited state can have both free and self-trapped excitons, i.e., we establish the existence of a self-trapping barrier for 1D Frenkel excitons. We demonstrate and analyze the reasons behind the anomalous existence of both free and self-trapped excitons in J-aggregates, and demonstrate how exciton-self trapping efficiency can be managed in J-aggregates by varying the values of g, which is fundamentally impossible in bulk crystals. We discuss how the exciton-self trapping phenomenon can be used as an alternate interpretation of the wide band emission of some J-aggregates, which has thus far been explained by the strongly localized exciton model.

  16. Effect of aggregate graining compositions on skid resistance of Exposed Aggregate Concrete pavement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wasilewska, Marta; Gardziejczyk, Wladysław; Gierasimiuk, Pawel

    2018-05-01

    The paper presents the evaluation of skid resistance of EAC (Exposed Aggregate Concrete) pavements which differ in aggregate graining compositions. The tests were carried out on concrete mixes with a maximum aggregate size of 8 mm. Three types of coarse aggregates were selected depending on their resistance to polishing which was determined on the basis of the PSV (Polished Stone Value). Basalt (PSV 48), gabbro (PSV 50) and trachybasalt (PSV 52) aggregates were chosen. For each type of aggregate three graining compositions were designed, which differed in the content of coarse aggregate > 4mm. Their content for each series was as follows: A - 38%, B - 50% and C - 68%. Evaluation of the skid resistance has been performed using the FAP (Friction After Polishing) test equipment also known as the Wehner/Schulze machine. Laboratory method enables to compare the skid resistance of different types of wearing course under specified conditions simulating polishing processes. In addition, macrotexture measurements were made on the surface of each specimen using the Elatexure laser profile. Analysis of variance showed that at significance level α = 0.05, aggregate graining compositions as well as the PSV have a significant influence on the obtained values of the friction coefficient μm of the tested EAC pavements. The highest values of the μm have been obtained for EAC with the lowest amount of coarse aggregates (compositions A). In these cases the resistance to polishing of the aggregate does not significantly affect the friction coefficients. This is related to the large areas of cement mortar between the exposed coarse grains. Based on the analysis of microscope images, it was observed that the coarse aggregates were not sufficiently exposed. It has been proved that PSV significantly affected the coefficient of friction in the case of compositions B and C. This is caused by large areas of exposed coarse aggregate. The best parameters were achieved for the EAC pavements

  17. Preparation of polyurethane foams using liquefied oil palm mesocarp fibre (OPMF) and renewable monomer from waste cooking oil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kormin, Shaharuddin; Rus, Anika Zafiah M.; Azahari, M. Shafiq M.

    2017-09-01

    The aim of this research is the production of polyurethane (PU) foams with biopolyols from liquefied oil palm mesocarp fibre (OPMF) and renewable monomer. Liquefaction of OPMF was studied using polyhydric alcohol (PA) which is PEG-400 as liquefaction solvents in conventional glass flask. In the second part of this paper was obtained the PU foams which presented good results when compared with commercial foams and include polyols from of fossil fuels. PU foams were prepared by mixing liquefied OPMF biopolyol, renewable monomer from waste cooking, additives and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). Water was used as an environmental friendly blowing agent. The factors that influence the cell structure of foams (i.e., catalyst, surfactant, dosage of blowing agent, and mass ratio of biopolyol to renewable monomer were studied. The synthesized PU foams were characterized by FTIR and SEM. The formulation of the PU foams should be improved, but the results show that is possible the use biopolyols and renewable monomer to produce industrial foams with lower cost.

  18. Kinetic behaviour of graft copolymerisation of nitrogenous heterocyclic monomer onto EB-irradiated ETFE films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paveswari Sithambaranathan; Arshad Ahmad; Mohamed Mahmoud Nasef; Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Campus, Kuala Lumpur

    2015-01-01

    Kinetic behaviour of graft copolymerisation of a nitrogenous heterocyclic monomer, 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP), onto electron beam irradiated poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) films was investigated in correlation with reaction parameters (absorbed dose, monomer concentration and reaction temperature). This was established by determination of initial polymerisation rate (r p0 ), characteristic radical recombination rate (γ) and delay time (t 0 ). The orders of the dependence of the initial rate of grafting on the absorbed dose and monomer concentration were found to be 2.28 and 3.49, respectively. The effect of temperature was investigated in the range of 50-70 deg C and the activation energy was determined. The incorporation of poly(4-VP) grafts and the accompanied chemical changes in the grafted ETFE films were monitored using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The results of the present study showed that a quantitative kinetic description for grafting of 4-VP onto ETFE can be established and the degree of grafting can be tuned by controlling the reaction parameters. (author)

  19. Concrete produced with recycled aggregates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. J. L. Tenório

    Full Text Available This paper presents the analysis of the mechanical and durable properties of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC for using in concrete. The porosity of recycled coarse aggregates is known to influence the fresh and hardened concrete properties and these properties are related to the specific mass of the recycled coarse aggregates, which directly influences the mechanical properties of the concrete. The recycled aggregates were obtained from construction and demolition wastes (CDW, which were divided into recycled sand (fine and coarse aggregates. Besides this, a recycled coarse aggregate of a specific mass with a greater density was obtained by mixing the recycled aggregates of the CDW with the recycled aggregates of concrete wastes (CW. The concrete was produced in laboratory by combining three water-cement ratios, the ratios were used in agreement with NBR 6118 for structural concretes, with each recycled coarse aggregates and recycled sand or river sand, and the reference concrete was produced with natural aggregates. It was observed that recycled aggregates can be used in concrete with properties for structural concrete. In general, the use of recycled coarse aggregate in combination with recycled sand did not provide good results; but when the less porous was used, or the recycled coarse aggregate of a specific mass with a greater density, the properties of the concrete showed better results. Some RAC reached bigger strengths than the reference concrete.

  20. Graph Aggregation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Endriss, U.; Grandi, U.

    Graph aggregation is the process of computing a single output graph that constitutes a good compromise between several input graphs, each provided by a different source. One needs to perform graph aggregation in a wide variety of situations, e.g., when applying a voting rule (graphs as preference

  1. Influence of Monomer Concentration on the Morphologies and Electrochemical Properties of PEDOT, PANI, and PPy Prepared from Aqueous Solution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shalini Kulandaivalu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxyhiophene (PEDOT, polyaniline (PANI, and polypyrrole (PPy were prepared on indium tin oxide (ITO substrate via potentiostatic from aqueous solutions containing monomer and lithium perchlorate. The concentration of monomers was varied between 1 and 10 mM. The effects of monomer concentration on the polymers formation were investigated and compared by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, cyclic voltammetry (CV, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS measurements. FTIR and Raman spectra showed no changes in the peaks upon the increment of the concentration. Based on the SEM images, the increment in monomer concentration gives significant effect on morphologies and eventually affects the electrochemical properties. PEDOT electrodeposited from 10 mM solution showed excellent electrochemical properties with the highest specific capacitance value of 12.8 mF/cm2.

  2. Immobilization of enzymes by radiation-induced polymerization of glass-forming monomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshida, M.; Kumakura, M.; Kaetsu, I.

    1979-01-01

    The effect of cooling rate of a monomeric system on the porosity and activity of an immobilized enzyme prepared by radiation-induced polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate at low temperatures has been studied. Slow cooling gave the same effect on porosity of the polymer as decreasing the monomer concentration. A glass-forming solvent such as diethylene glycol was added to water to study the effect of the supercooling tendency of the solvent. Addition of diethylene glycol decreased porosity and also enzymic activity. Water was replaced by the miscible solvent p-dioxane and the immiscible solvent n-decane in order to clarify the effect of solvent. p-Dioxane had a similar effect to water on the relation between the monomer concentration, porosity and activity. On the other hand, polymer prepared from the system containing n-decane showed different immobilization properties owing to the presence of independent pores in the matrix. (author)

  3. Comparative study of the monomer grafting: ethylene, acetylene, 1,3-butadiene and estyrene in the matrix of recycled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikari, Carolina T.; Rosner, Gerhardyne O.; Oliveira, Ana C.F.; Ferreto, Helio F.R.; Lima, Luiz F.C.P.; Lugao, Ademar B.; Moreira, Otavio M.

    2009-01-01

    In this study it is used the recycled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), that with the gamma radiation under inert atmosphere or in presence of air, it is obtained free radicals and a posterior the monomer grafting (ethylene, acetylene, styrene or 1.3 butadiene), obtaining the copolymer polytetrafluoroethylene-g-monomer. It is studied the obtention of the polymer by two methods: by direct way, via grafting, where the polymer is irradiated in presence of monomer, and via grafting when the polymer is irradiated in absence of monomer and under inert or air. The characterization of the copolymer was performed by the techniques of infrared region absorption spectroscopy with Fourier transformation (FTIR), thermogravimetric (TGA) and derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), and percentage of mass grafting (DOG)

  4. p53 Aggregates penetrate cells and induce the co-aggregation of intracellular p53.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karolyn J Forget

    Full Text Available Prion diseases are unique pathologies in which the infectious particles are prions, a protein aggregate. The prion protein has many particular features, such as spontaneous aggregation, conformation transmission to other native PrP proteins and transmission from an individual to another. Protein aggregation is now frequently associated to many human diseases, for example Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or type 2 diabetes. A few proteins associated to these conformational diseases are part of a new category of proteins, called prionoids: proteins that share some, but not all, of the characteristics associated with prions. The p53 protein, a transcription factor that plays a major role in cancer, has recently been suggested to be a possible prionoid. The protein has been shown to accumulate in multiple cancer cell types, and its aggregation has also been reproduced in vitro by many independent groups. These observations suggest a role for p53 aggregates in cancer development. This study aims to test the «prion-like» features of p53. Our results show in vitro aggregation of the full length and N-terminally truncated protein (p53C, and penetration of these aggregates into cells. According to our findings, the aggregates enter cells using macropinocytosis, a non-specific pathway of entry. Lastly, we also show that once internalized by the cell, p53C aggregates can co-aggregate with endogenous p53 protein. Together, these findings suggest prion-like characteristics for p53 protein, based on the fact that p53 can spontaneously aggregate, these aggregates can penetrate cells and co-aggregate with cellular p53.

  5. Graft copolymers of polypropylene films. 1. radiation induced grafting of mixed monomers. Vol. 3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Salmawi, K.M.; El-Naggar, A.M.; Said, H.M.; Zahran, A.H.

    1996-01-01

    Radiation graft copolymerization of co monomer mixtures of acrylic acid (AAC), and styrene (S) onto polypropylene (PP) film by mutual method has been investigated. The effects of different factors that may affect the grafting yield such as inhibitor concentration (Mohr's salt), solvent composition (MeOH and H 2 O), radiation dose and dose rate were considered. It was found that the role of Mohr's salt is very effective when the ratio of AAC in the co monomer mixtures was at lower values. However, the addition of 1.25 Wt% of Mohr's salt reduced the homo polymer formation and enhances the grafting process. Graft copolymerization in presence of solvent mixture composed of methanol and water was found to afford higher grafting than in pure methanol regardless of the composition of the co monomer mixture used. However, the highest degree of grafting was obtained at a solvent composition of 20% H 2 O:80%MeOH and a co monomer mixture of 20%AAC:80%sty. An attempt was made to determine each PAAC and PS fractions in the total graft yield obtained. Two methods of analysis based on using the reactivity ratios reported in literature, elemental analysis and IR spectroscopy. The determination of poly (acrylic acid) and polystyrene fractions by elemental analysis is believed more accurate than these by reactivity ratio. The precise results obtained by elemental analysis with respect to the chemical structure of known polymer prepared under identical conditions. The results obtained by IR measurements go well with that obtained with the reactivity ratio methods. 5 figs., 3 tabs

  6. A new label dosimetry system based on pentacosa-diynoic acid monomer for low dose applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abdel-Fattah, A.A.; Abdel-Rehim, F. [National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Atomic Energy Authority, P.O. Box 8029, Nasr City, Cairo (Egypt); Soliman, Y.S., E-mail: yasser_shabaan@hotmail.com [National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Atomic Energy Authority, P.O. Box 8029, Nasr City, Cairo (Egypt)

    2012-01-15

    The dosimetric characteristics of {gamma}-radiation sensitive labels based on polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and a conjugated diacetylene monomer, 10,12-pentacosa-diynoic acid (PCDA) have been investigated using reflectance colorimeter. Two types of labels (colourless and yellow) based on PCDA monomer were prepared using an Automatic Film Applicator System. Upon {gamma}-ray exposure, the colourless label turns progressively blue, while the yellow colour label turns to green then to dark blue. The colour intensity of the labels is proportional to the radiation absorbed dose. The useful dose range was 15 Gy-2 kGy depending on PCDA monomer concentration. The expanded uncertainty of dose measurement of the colourless label was 6.06 (2{sigma}). - Highlights: > Using 10,12-pentacosa-diynoic acid (PCDA) in preparation of label dosimeter. > PCDA polymerises upon {gamma}-rays exposure producing a blue coloured polymer. > Useful dose range is 15 Gy to 2 kGy depending on concentration of PCDA. > Overall uncertainty of label dosimeter was 6.06 at 2{sigma}.

  7. High-flexibility combinatorial peptide synthesis with laser-based transfer of monomers in solid matrix material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loeffler, Felix F; Foertsch, Tobias C; Popov, Roman; Mattes, Daniela S; Schlageter, Martin; Sedlmayr, Martyna; Ridder, Barbara; Dang, Florian-Xuan; von Bojničić-Kninski, Clemens; Weber, Laura K; Fischer, Andrea; Greifenstein, Juliane; Bykovskaya, Valentina; Buliev, Ivan; Bischoff, F Ralf; Hahn, Lothar; Meier, Michael A R; Bräse, Stefan; Powell, Annie K; Balaban, Teodor Silviu; Breitling, Frank; Nesterov-Mueller, Alexander

    2016-06-14

    Laser writing is used to structure surfaces in many different ways in materials and life sciences. However, combinatorial patterning applications are still limited. Here we present a method for cost-efficient combinatorial synthesis of very-high-density peptide arrays with natural and synthetic monomers. A laser automatically transfers nanometre-thin solid material spots from different donor slides to an acceptor. Each donor bears a thin polymer film, embedding one type of monomer. Coupling occurs in a separate heating step, where the matrix becomes viscous and building blocks diffuse and couple to the acceptor surface. Furthermore, we can consecutively deposit two material layers of activation reagents and amino acids. Subsequent heat-induced mixing facilitates an in situ activation and coupling of the monomers. This allows us to incorporate building blocks with click chemistry compatibility or a large variety of commercially available non-activated, for example, posttranslationally modified building blocks into the array's peptides with >17,000 spots per cm(2).

  8. From Aggregation to Interpretation: How Assessors Judge Complex Data in a Competency-Based Portfolio

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oudkerk Pool, Andrea; Govaerts, Marjan J. B.; Jaarsma, Debbie A. D. C.; Driessen, Erik W.

    2018-01-01

    While portfolios are increasingly used to assess competence, the validity of such portfolio-based assessments has hitherto remained unconfirmed. The purpose of the present research is therefore to further our understanding of how assessors form judgments when interpreting the complex data included in a competency-based portfolio. Eighteen…

  9. Graft copolymerization of water soluble mixed monomers onto polyethylene by the pre-irradiation method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Long Fu; Tang Liming; Zhao Jin; Gao Zhenyong

    1993-01-01

    Grafting of water soluble mixed monomers of acrylic acid (AA)/acrylamide (Am) and acrylic acid/methacrylic acid (MA) onto polyethylene film by the pre-irradiation grafting method was investigated. The results showed that the grafting proceeded successfully with the adding of ferric salt in the solution. In the case of AA/Am system, a synergistic effect was noticed. In the case of AA/MA system, the graft percent increased with the increase in the concentration of MA in the feed ratio. Furthermore, the effects of monomer concentration, radiation dose and temperature on the grafting were also studied

  10. Penelitian penggunaan monomer n-butil akrilat untuk peningkatan mutu kulit secara iradiasi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dwi Wahini Nurhajati

    1996-06-01

    Full Text Available Research on the utilization of n-butyl acrylate monomer for quality improvement leather by irradiation cobalt-60 gamma-rays is carried out as follows: Javanese crust hide was impregnated with water emulsions of n-butyl acrylate monomer for 2 hours, packed in to poly ethylene bags, sealed, then irradiated by cobalt-60 gamma rays (doses : 5 to 25 kGy. The irradiated leather was washed by water, dried and then physical tested. The results of physical test of leather modified with n-butyl acrylate showed the increasing of tensile strength and elongation, decreasing of water absorption, resistance against the flexing test of 20,000 times, and PH was constant. Organoleptic test showed that the softly of the modified leather was no different with unmodified leather.

  11. Modeling the structure and vibrational spectra for oxouranium dichloride monomer and dimer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umreiko, D. S.; Shundalau, M. B.; Trubina, O. V.

    2010-11-01

    Structural models are designed and spectral characteristics are computed for the monomer and dimer of the oxouranium dichloride (UOCl2) molecule based on ab initio calculations. The calculations were carried out in the LANL2DZ effective core potential approximation for the uranium atom and all-electron basis sets using DFT methods for oxygen and chlorine atoms (B3LYP/cc-pVDZ). A close-to-planar Y-shaped equilibrium configuration with Cs symmetry is obtained for the UOCl2 monomer. The formation of the dimer is accompanied by both significant changes in the structure of the monomeric fragments and the actual loss of their identities. The obtained spectral characteristics are analyzed and compared with experimental data. The adequacy of the proposed models and qualitative agreement between calculation and experiment are demonstrated.

  12. Information Aggregation in Organizations

    OpenAIRE

    Schulte, Elisabeth

    2006-01-01

    This dissertation contributes to the analysis of information aggregation procedures within organizations. Facing uncertainty about the consequences of a collective decision, information has to be aggregated before making a choice. Two main questions are addressed. Firstly, how well is an organization suited for the aggregation of decision-relevant information? Secondly, how should an organization be designed in order to aggregate information efficiently? The main part deals with information a...

  13. Computational Modeling and Theoretical Calculations on the Interactions between Spermidine and Functional Monomer (Methacrylic Acid in a Molecularly Imprinted Polymer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yujie Huang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper theoretically investigates interactions between a template and functional monomer required for synthesizing an efficient molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP. We employed density functional theory (DFT to compute geometry, single-point energy, and binding energy (ΔE of an MIP system, where spermidine (SPD and methacrylic acid (MAA were selected as template and functional monomer, respectively. The geometry was calculated by using B3LYP method with 6-31+(d basis set. Furthermore, 6-311++(d, p basis set was used to compute the single-point energy of the above geometry. The optimized geometries at different template to functional monomer molar ratios, mode of bonding between template and functional monomer, changes in charge on natural bond orbital (NBO, and binding energy were analyzed. The simulation results show that SPD and MAA form a stable complex via hydrogen bonding. At 1 : 5 SPD to MAA ratio, the binding energy is minimum, while the amount of transferred charge between the molecules is maximum; SPD and MAA form a stable complex at 1 : 5 molar ratio through six hydrogen bonds. Optimizing structure of template-functional monomer complex, through computational modeling prior synthesis, significantly contributes towards choosing a suitable pair of template-functional monomer that yields an efficient MIP with high specificity and selectivity.

  14. A Novel Method to Quantify Soil Aggregate Stability by Measuring Aggregate Bond Energies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Efrat, Rachel; Rawlins, Barry G.; Quinton, John N.; Watts, Chris W.; Whitmore, Andy P.

    2016-04-01

    Soil aggregate stability is a key indicator of soil quality because it controls physical, biological and chemical functions important in cultivated soils. Micro-aggregates are responsible for the long term sequestration of carbon in soil, therefore determine soils role in the carbon cycle. It is thus vital that techniques to measure aggregate stability are accurate, consistent and reliable, in order to appropriately manage and monitor soil quality, and to develop our understanding and estimates of soil as a carbon store to appropriately incorporate in carbon cycle models. Practices used to assess the stability of aggregates vary in sample preparation, operational technique and unit of results. They use proxies and lack quantification. Conflicting results are therefore drawn between projects that do not provide methodological or resultant comparability. Typical modern stability tests suspend aggregates in water and monitor fragmentation upon exposure to an un-quantified amount of ultrasonic energy, utilising a laser granulometer to measure the change in mean weight diameter. In this project a novel approach has been developed based on that of Zhu et al., (2009), to accurately quantify the stability of aggregates by specifically measuring their bond energies. The bond energies are measured operating a combination of calorimetry and a high powered ultrasonic probe, with computable output function. Temperature change during sonication is monitored by an array of probes which enables calculation of the energy spent heating the system (Ph). Our novel technique suspends aggregates in heavy liquid lithium heteropolytungstate, as opposed to water, to avoid exposing aggregates to an immeasurable disruptive energy source, due to cavitation, collisions and clay swelling. Mean weight diameter is measured by a laser granulometer to monitor aggregate breakdown after successive periods of calculated ultrasonic energy input (Pi), until complete dispersion is achieved and bond

  15. Structural similarity between β(3)-peptides synthesized from β(3)-homo-amino acids and aspartic acid monomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Sahar; Sprules, Tara; Kaur, Kamaljit

    2014-07-01

    Formation of stable secondary structures by oligomers that mimic natural peptides is a key asset for enhanced biological response. Here we show that oligomeric β(3)-hexapeptides synthesized from L-aspartic acid monomers (β(3)-peptides 1, 5a, and 6) or homologated β(3)-amino acids (β(3)-peptide 2), fold into similar stable 14-helical secondary structures in solution, except that the former form right-handed 14-helix and the later form left-handed 14-helix. β(3)-Peptides from L-Asp monomers contain an additional amide bond in the side chains that provides opportunities for more hydrogen bonding. However, based on the NMR solution structures, we found that β(3)-peptide from L-Asp monomers (1) and from homologated amino acids (2) form similar structures with no additional side-chain interactions. These results suggest that the β(3)-peptides derived from L-Asp are promising peptide-mimetics that can be readily synthesized using L-Asp monomers as well as the right-handed 14-helical conformation of these β(3)-peptides (such as 1 and 6) may prove beneficial in the design of mimics for right-handed α-helix of α-peptides. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Curcumin Attenuates Amyloid-β Aggregate Toxicity and Modulates Amyloid-β Aggregation Pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thapa, Arjun; Jett, Stephen D; Chi, Eva Y

    2016-01-20

    The abnormal misfolding and aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides into β-sheet enriched insoluble deposits initiates a cascade of events leading to pathological processes and culminating in cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In particular, soluble oligomeric/prefibrillar Aβ have been shown to be potent neurotoxins. The naturally occurring polyphenol curcumin has been shown to exert a neuroprotective effect against age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as AD. However, its protective mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of curcumin on the aggregation of Aβ40 as well as Aβ40 aggregate induced neurotoxicity. Our results show that the curcumin does not inhibit Aβ fibril formation, but rather enriches the population of "off-pathway" soluble oligomers and prefibrillar aggregates that were nontoxic. Curcumin also exerted a nonspecific neuroprotective effect, reducing toxicities induced by a range of Aβ conformers, including monomeric, oligomeric, prefibrillar, and fibrillar Aβ. The neuroprotective effect is possibly membrane-mediated, as curcumin reduced the extent of cell membrane permeabilization induced by Aβ aggregates. Taken together, our study shows that curcumin exerts its neuroprotective effect against Aβ induced toxicity through at least two concerted pathways, modifying the Aβ aggregation pathway toward the formation of nontoxic aggregates and ameliorating Aβ-induced toxicity possibly through a nonspecific pathway.

  17. High-resolution structure of a retroviral protease folded as a monomer

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Gilski, M.; Kazmierczyk, M.; Krzywda, S.; Zábranská, Helena; Cooper, S.; Popovic, Z.; Khatíb, F.; Dímaio, F.; Thompson, J.; Baker, D.; Pichová, Iva; Jaskolski, M.

    D67, č. 11 (2011), s. 907-914 ISSN 0907-4449 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 1M0508 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : M-PMV protease * crystal structure * monomer * dimerization inhibitors Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 12.619, year: 2011

  18. Recycled aggregates concrete: aggregate and mix properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    González-Fonteboa, B.

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available This study of structural concrete made with recycled concrete aggregate focuses on two issues: 1. The characterization of such aggregate on the Spanish market. This involved conducting standard tests to determine density, water absorption, grading, shape, flakiness and hardness. The results obtained show that, despite the considerable differences with respect to density and water absorption between these and natural aggregates, on the whole recycled aggregate is apt for use in concrete production. 2. Testing to determine the values of basic concrete properties: mix design parameters were established for structural concrete in non-aggressive environments. These parameters were used to produce conventional concrete, and then adjusted to manufacture recycled concrete aggregate (RCA concrete, in which 50% of the coarse aggregate was replaced by the recycled material. Tests were conducted to determine the physical (density of the fresh and hardened material, water absorption and mechanical (compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and modulus of elasticity properties. The results showed that, from the standpoint of its physical and mechanical properties, concrete in which RCA accounted for 50% of the coarse aggregate compared favourably to conventional concrete.

    Se aborda el estudio de hormigones estructurales fabricados con áridos reciclados procedentes de hormigón, incidiéndose en dos aspectos: 1. Caracterización de tales áridos, procedentes del mercado español. Para ello se llevan a cabo ensayos de densidad, absorción, granulometría, coeficiente de forma, índice de lajas y dureza. Los resultados obtenidos han puesto de manifiesto que, a pesar de que existen diferencias notables (sobre todo en cuanto a densidad y absorción con los áridos naturales, las características de los áridos hacen posible la fabricación de hormigones. 2. Ensayos sobre propiedades básicas de los hormigones: se establecen parámetros de dosificaci

  19. Towards General Temporal Aggregation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boehlen, Michael H.; Gamper, Johann; Jensen, Christian Søndergaard

    2008-01-01

    associated with the management of temporal data. Indeed, temporal aggregation is complex and among the most difficult, and thus interesting, temporal functionality to support. This paper presents a general framework for temporal aggregation that accommodates existing kinds of aggregation, and it identifies...

  20. Polymerization of Polar Monomers from a Theoretical Perspective

    KAUST Repository

    Alghamdi, Miasser

    2016-10-11

    Density functional theory calculations have been used to investigate catalytic mechanism of polymer formation containing polar groups, from the synthesis of the monomer to the synthesis of the macromolecule. In the spirit of a sustainable and green chemistry, we initially focused attention on the coupling of CO2 as economically convenient and recyclable C1 source with C2H4 to form acrylate and/or butirro-lactone, two important polar monomers. In this process formation of a mettallolactone via oxidative coupling of CO2 and C2H4 is an important intermediate. Given this background, we explored in detail (chapter-3) several Ni based catalysts for CO2 coupling with C2H4 to form acrylate. In this thesis we report on the competitive reaction mechanisms (inner vs outer sphere) for the oxidative coupling of CO2 and ethylene for a set of 11 Ni-based complexes containing bisphosphine ligands. In another effort, considering incorporation of a C=C bond into a metal-oxygen-Functional-Group moiety is a challenging step in several polymerization reactions, we explored the details of this reaction (chapter4) using two different catalysts that are capable to perform this reaction in the synthesis of heterocycles. Specifically, the [Rh]-catalyzed intramolecular alkoxyacylation ([Rh] = [RhI(dppp)+] (dppp, 1,3-Bis-diphenylphosphino-propane), and the [Pd]/BPh3 intramolecular alkoxyfunctionalizations. Rest of the thesis we worked on understanding the details of the polymerization of polar monomers using organocatalysts based on N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) or N-heterocyclic olefins (NHO). In particular (chapter-5) we studied the polymerization of N-methyl N-carboxy- anhydrides, towards cyclic poly(N-substituted glycine)s, promoted by NHC catalysts. In good agreement with the experimental findings, we demonstrated that NHC promoted ring opening polymerization of N-Me N-Carboxyanhydrides may proceed via two different catalytic pathways. In a similar effort we studied polymerization of

  1. Graft copolymers of polypropylene films. 1. radiation induced grafting of mixed monomers. Vol. 3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    El-Salmawi, K M; El-Naggar, A M; Said, H M; Zahran, A H [Radiation Chemistry Department, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, (Egypt)

    1996-03-01

    Radiation graft copolymerization of co monomer mixtures of acrylic acid (AAC), and styrene (S) onto polypropylene (PP) film by mutual method has been investigated. The effects of different factors that may affect the grafting yield such as inhibitor concentration (Mohr`s salt), solvent composition (MeOH and H{sub 2} O), radiation dose and dose rate were considered. It was found that the role of Mohr`s salt is very effective when the ratio of AAC in the co monomer mixtures was at lower values. However, the addition of 1.25 Wt% of Mohr`s salt reduced the homo polymer formation and enhances the grafting process. Graft copolymerization in presence of solvent mixture composed of methanol and water was found to afford higher grafting than in pure methanol regardless of the composition of the co monomer mixture used. However, the highest degree of grafting was obtained at a solvent composition of 20% H{sub 2} O:80%MeOH and a co monomer mixture of 20%AAC:80%sty. An attempt was made to determine each PAAC and PS fractions in the total graft yield obtained. Two methods of analysis based on using the reactivity ratios reported in literature, elemental analysis and IR spectroscopy. The determination of poly (acrylic acid) and polystyrene fractions by elemental analysis is believed more accurate than these by reactivity ratio. The precise results obtained by elemental analysis with respect to the chemical structure of known polymer prepared under identical conditions. The results obtained by IR measurements go well with that obtained with the reactivity ratio methods. 5 figs., 3 tabs.

  2. Zinc chlorophyll aggregates as hole transporters for biocompatible, natural-photosynthesis-inspired solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yue; Sasaki, Shin-ichi; Tamiaki, Hitoshi; Liu, Cheng-Liang; Song, Jiaxing; Tian, Wenjing; Zheng, Enqiang; Wei, Yingjin; Chen, Gang; Fu, Xueqi; Wang, Xiao-Feng

    2015-11-01

    The intriguing properties of extremely efficient delocalization and migration of excitons in chlorophyll (Chl) J-type aggregates have inspired intense research activities toward their structural understanding, functional interpretation and mimicry synthesis. Herein, we demonstrated the J-aggregates of zinc methyl 3-devinyl-3-hydroxymethyl-pyropheophorbide a (ZnChl-1) generated by spin-coating method for the application as a hole transporter in titania-based solar cells using methyl trans-32-carboxypyropheophorbide a (H2Chl-2) or its zinc complex (ZnChl-2) as the sensitizer. The effective carrier mobility of the J-aggregates films was determined by the organic field-effect transistor to be 6.2 × 10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1. Solar cells sharing the architecture of FTO/H2Chl-2 or ZnChl-2 on TiO2/(ZnChl-1)n/Ag were fabricated and the factors that presumably determine their photovoltaic performances were discussed. The photovoltaic devices studied herein employing inexpensive and pollution-free biomaterials provide a unique solution of utilizing solar energy with a care of the important environmental issue.

  3. Synthesis and spectroscopy of clay intercalated Cu(II) bio-monomer complexes: coordination of Cu(II) with purines and nucleotides

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Weckhuysen, B.M.; Leeman, H.; Schoonheydt, R.A.

    1999-01-01

    The spectroscopic properties of Cu(bio-monomer)nm+ complexes [BM=bio-monomer (purine, adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, 5-ADP and 5-GMP)] in saponite clays have been investigated by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) in the UV-Vis-NIR region and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) at X-band.

  4. Effect of polyfunctional monomers on properties of radiation crosslinked EPDM/waste tire dust blend

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasin, Tariq; Khan, Sajid; Nho, Young-Chang; Ahmad, Rashid

    2012-01-01

    In this study, waste tire dust is recycled as filler and blended with ethylene-propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber. Three different polyfuntional monomers (PFMs) are incorporated into the standard formulation and irradiated under electron beam at different doses up to maximum of 100 kGy. The combined effects of PFMs and absorbed dose on the physical properties of EPDM/WTD blend are measured and compared with sulfur crosslinked formulation. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that radiation developed better crosslinked network with higher thermal stability than sulfur crosslinked structure. The physical properties of radiation crosslinked blend are similar to the sulfur crosslinked blend. The absence of toxic chemicals/additives in radiation crosslinked blends made them an ideal candidate for many applications such as roof sealing sheets, water retention pond, playground mat, sealing profile for windows etc. - Highlights: ► We have recycled waste tire dust and blended it with EPDM. ► EB crosslinking is carried in the presence of polyfuntional monomers. ► Radiation gave better network with higher thermal stability than sulfur. ► The absence of toxic chemicals in EB blends will increase its acceptability.

  5. Characterization of molecularly imprinted polymers using a new polar solvent titration method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Di; Zhang, Yagang; Geer, Michael F; Shimizu, Ken D

    2014-07-01

    A new method of characterizing molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) was developed and tested, which provides a more accurate means of identifying and measuring the molecular imprinting effect. In the new polar solvent titration method, a series of imprinted and non-imprinted polymers were prepared in solutions containing increasing concentrations of a polar solvent. The polar solvent additives systematically disrupted the templation and monomer aggregation processes in the prepolymerization solutions, and the extent of disruption was captured by the polymerization process. The changes in binding capacity within each series of polymers were measured, providing a quantitative assessment of the templation and monomer aggregation processes in the imprinted and non-imprinted polymers. The new method was tested using three different diphenyl phosphate imprinted polymers made using three different urea functional monomers. Each monomer had varying efficiencies of templation and monomer aggregation. The new MIP characterization method was found to have several advantages. To independently verify the new characterization method, the MIPs were also characterized using traditional binding isotherm analyses. The two methods appeared to give consistent conclusions. First, the polar solvent titration method is less susceptible to false positives in identifying the imprinting effect. Second, the method is able to differentiate and quantify changes in binding capacity, as measured at a fixed guest and polymer concentration, arising from templation or monomer aggregation processes in the prepolymerization solution. Third, the method was also easy to carry out, taking advantage of the ease of preparing MIPs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  6. Proteins aggregation and human diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, Chin-Kun

    2015-01-01

    Many human diseases and the death of most supercentenarians are related to protein aggregation. Neurodegenerative diseases include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington's disease (HD), Parkinson's disease (PD), frontotemporallobar degeneration, etc. Such diseases are due to progressive loss of structure or function of neurons caused by protein aggregation. For example, AD is considered to be related to aggregation of Aβ40 (peptide with 40 amino acids) and Aβ42 (peptide with 42 amino acids) and HD is considered to be related to aggregation of polyQ (polyglutamine) peptides. In this paper, we briefly review our recent discovery of key factors for protein aggregation. We used a lattice model to study the aggregation rates of proteins and found that the probability for a protein sequence to appear in the conformation of the aggregated state can be used to determine the temperature at which proteins can aggregate most quickly. We used molecular dynamics and simple models of polymer chains to study relaxation and aggregation of proteins under various conditions and found that when the bending-angle dependent and torsion-angle dependent interactions are zero or very small, then protein chains tend to aggregate at lower temperatures. All atom models were used to identify a key peptide chain for the aggregation of insulin chains and to find that two polyQ chains prefer anti-parallel conformation. It is pointed out that in many cases, protein aggregation does not result from protein mis-folding. A potential drug from Chinese medicine was found for Alzheimer's disease. (paper)

  7. Proteins aggregation and human diseases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Chin-Kun

    2015-04-01

    Many human diseases and the death of most supercentenarians are related to protein aggregation. Neurodegenerative diseases include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington's disease (HD), Parkinson's disease (PD), frontotemporallobar degeneration, etc. Such diseases are due to progressive loss of structure or function of neurons caused by protein aggregation. For example, AD is considered to be related to aggregation of Aβ40 (peptide with 40 amino acids) and Aβ42 (peptide with 42 amino acids) and HD is considered to be related to aggregation of polyQ (polyglutamine) peptides. In this paper, we briefly review our recent discovery of key factors for protein aggregation. We used a lattice model to study the aggregation rates of proteins and found that the probability for a protein sequence to appear in the conformation of the aggregated state can be used to determine the temperature at which proteins can aggregate most quickly. We used molecular dynamics and simple models of polymer chains to study relaxation and aggregation of proteins under various conditions and found that when the bending-angle dependent and torsion-angle dependent interactions are zero or very small, then protein chains tend to aggregate at lower temperatures. All atom models were used to identify a key peptide chain for the aggregation of insulin chains and to find that two polyQ chains prefer anti-parallel conformation. It is pointed out that in many cases, protein aggregation does not result from protein mis-folding. A potential drug from Chinese medicine was found for Alzheimer's disease.

  8. Effect of mineral acid on polymer produced during radiation-induced grafting of styrene monomer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garnett, J.L.; Jankiewicz, S.V.; Sangster, D.F.

    1982-01-01

    The inclusion of mineral acid in a solution of styrene in methanol subjected to 60 Co γ irradiation markedly enhances the yield of monomer grafted to cellulose and other radiation grafting systems. Results were reported from a preliminary investigation into the mechanism of this acid effect through a study of the action of acid during the solution polymerization process. It was found that the presence of acid in a monomer solution such as styrene in 1, 4-dioxan led to an enhancement in the homopolymer yield of styrene; and it was showed that the acid also effected the number-average molecular weight of this homopolymer. 1 figure, 4 tables

  9. PrP N-terminal domain triggers PrPSc-like aggregation of Dpl

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erlich, Paul; Cesbron, Jean-Yves; Lemaire-Vieille, Catherine; Curt, Aurelie; Andrieu, Jean-Pierre; Schoehn, Guy; Jamin, Marc; Gagnon, Jean

    2008-01-01

    Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are fatal neurodegenerative disorders thought to be transmitted by self-perpetuating conformational conversion of a neuronal membrane glycoprotein (PrP C , for 'cellular prion protein') into an abnormal state (PrP Sc , for 'scrapie prion protein'). Doppel (Dpl) is a protein that shares significant biochemical and structural homology with PrP C . In contrast to its homologue PrP C , Dpl is unable to participate in prion disease progression or to achieve an abnormal PrP Sc -like state. We have constructed a chimeric mouse protein, composed of the N-terminal domain of PrP C (residues 23-125) and the C-terminal part of Dpl (residues 58-157). This chimeric protein displays PrP-like biochemical and structural features; when incubated in presence of NaCl, the α-helical monomer forms soluble β-sheet-rich oligomers which acquire partial resistance to pepsin proteolysis in vitro, as do PrP oligomers. Moreover, the presence of aggregates akin to protofibrils is observed in soluble oligomeric species by electron microscopy

  10. Computational studies at the density functional theory (DFT) level about the surface functionalization of hexagonal monolayers by chitosan monomer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebrahimi, Javad; Ahangari, Morteza Ghorbanzadeh; Jahanshahi, Mohsen

    2018-05-01

    Theoretical investigations based on density functional theory have been carried out to understand the underlying interactions between the chitosan monomer and several types of hexagonal monolayers consisting of pristine and defected graphene and boron-nitride nanosheets. Based on the obtained results, it was found that the type of the interaction for all the systems is of non-covalent nature and the chitosan monomer physically interacts with the surface of mentioned nanostructures. The interaction strength was evaluated by calculating the adsorption energies for the considered systems and it was found that the adsorption of chitosan monomer accompanies by the release of about -0.67 and -0.66 eV energy for pristine graphene and h-BN monolayer, respectively. The role of structural defect has also been considered by embedding a Stone-Wales defect within the structure of mentioned monolayers and it was found that the introduced defect enhances the interactions between the chitosan monomer and nanostructures. The role of dispersion interactions has also been taken into account and it was found that these long-range interactions play the dominating role in the attachment of chitosan monomer onto the graphene sheet, while having strong contribution together with the electrostatic interactions for the stabilization of chitosan onto the surface of h-BN monolayer. For all the cases, the adsorption of chitosan monomer did not change the inherent electronic properties of the nanostructures based on the results of charge transfer analysis and energy gap calculations. The findings of the present work would be very useful in future investigations to explore the potential applications of these hybrid materials in materials science and bio-related fields.

  11. Scaling in Rate-Changeable Birth and Death Processes with Random Removals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ke Jianhong; Lin Zhenquan; Chen Xiaoshuang

    2009-01-01

    We propose a monomer birth-death model with random removals, in which an aggregate of size k can produce a new monomer at a time-dependent rate I(t)k or lose one monomer at a rate J(t)k, and with a probability P (t) an aggregate of any size is randomly removed. We then analytically investigate the kinetic evolution of the model by means of the rate equation. The results show that the scaling behavior of the aggregate size distribution is dependent crucially on the net birth rate I(t) - J(t) as well as the birth rate I(t). The aggregate size distribution can approach a standard or modified scaling form in some cases, but it may take a scale-free form in other cases. Moreover, the species can survive finally only if either I(t) - J(t) ≥ P (t) or [J(t) + P (t) - I(t)]t ≅ 0 at t >> 1; otherwise, it will become extinct.

  12. A new label dosimetry system based on pentacosa-diynoic acid monomer for low dose applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdel-Fattah, A.A.; Abdel-Rehim, F.; Soliman, Y.S.

    2012-01-01

    The dosimetric characteristics of γ-radiation sensitive labels based on polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and a conjugated diacetylene monomer, 10,12-pentacosa-diynoic acid (PCDA) have been investigated using reflectance colorimeter. Two types of labels (colourless and yellow) based on PCDA monomer were prepared using an Automatic Film Applicator System. Upon γ-ray exposure, the colourless label turns progressively blue, while the yellow colour label turns to green then to dark blue. The colour intensity of the labels is proportional to the radiation absorbed dose. The useful dose range was 15 Gy-2 kGy depending on PCDA monomer concentration. The expanded uncertainty of dose measurement of the colourless label was 6.06 (2σ). - Highlights: → Using 10,12-pentacosa-diynoic acid (PCDA) in preparation of label dosimeter. → PCDA polymerises upon γ-rays exposure producing a blue coloured polymer. → Useful dose range is 15 Gy to 2 kGy depending on concentration of PCDA. → Overall uncertainty of label dosimeter was 6.06 at 2σ.

  13. 1 / n Expansion for the Number of Matchings on Regular Graphs and Monomer-Dimer Entropy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pernici, Mario

    2017-08-01

    Using a 1 / n expansion, that is an expansion in descending powers of n, for the number of matchings in regular graphs with 2 n vertices, we study the monomer-dimer entropy for two classes of graphs. We study the difference between the extensive monomer-dimer entropy of a random r-regular graph G (bipartite or not) with 2 n vertices and the average extensive entropy of r-regular graphs with 2 n vertices, in the limit n → ∞. We find a series expansion for it in the numbers of cycles; with probability 1 it converges for dimer density p diverges as |ln(1-p)| for p → 1. In the case of regular lattices, we similarly expand the difference between the specific monomer-dimer entropy on a lattice and the one on the Bethe lattice; we write down its Taylor expansion in powers of p through the order 10, expressed in terms of the number of totally reducible walks which are not tree-like. We prove through order 6 that its expansion coefficients in powers of p are non-negative.

  14. Denitrification in Soil Aggregate Analogues-Effect of Aggregate Size and Oxygen Diffusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steffen Schlüter

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Soil-borne nitrous oxide (N2O emissions have a high spatial and temporal variability which is commonly attributed to the occurrence of hotspots and hot moments for microbial activity in aggregated soil. Yet there is only limited information about the biophysical processes that regulate the production and consumption of N2O on microscopic scales in undisturbed soil. In this study, we introduce an experimental framework relying on simplified porous media that circumvents some of the complexities occuring in natural soils while fully accounting for physical constraints believed to control microbial activity in general and denitrification in particular. We used this framework to explore the impact of aggregate size and external oxygen concentration on the kinetics of O2 consumption, as well as CO2 and N2O production. Model aggregates of different sizes (3.5 vs. 7 mm diameter composed of porous, sintered glass were saturated with a defined growth medium containing roughly 109 cells ml−1 of the facultative anaerobic, nosZ-deficient denitrifier Agrobacterium tumefaciens with N2O as final denitrification product and incubated at five different oxygen levels (0–13 vol-%. We demonstrate that the onset of denitrification depends on the amount of external oxygen and the size of aggregates. Smaller aggregates were better supplied with oxygen due to a larger surface-to-volume ratio, which resulted in faster growth and an earlier onset of denitrification. In larger aggregates, the onset of denitrification was more gradual, but with comparably higher N2O production rates once the anoxic aggregate centers were fully developed. The normalized electron flow from the reduced carbon substrate to N-oxyanions (edenit-/etotal- ratio could be solely described as a function of initial oxygen concentration in the headspace with a simple, hyperbolic model, for which the two empirical parameters changed with aggregate size in a consistent way. These findings confirm the

  15. Effect of the Aggregate Size on Strength Properties of Recycled Aggregate Concrete

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ma Kang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The study on preparation technology of recycled concrete with economical and technical feasibility has gained more serious attention in each country due to its involvement and effect on the environment protection and the sustainable development of human society. In this study, we conducted a control variable test to investigate and assess the influence of the aggregate size on the strength characteristics of concrete with different diameters of recycled aggregates. Concrete with recycled aggregates of 5∼15 mm (A, 15∼20 mm (B, 20∼30 mm (C, and their combinations were subjected to a series of unconfined pressure tests after curing for 28 days. Based on the results obtained from the tests, an effort was made to study the relationship between the mechanical characteristics of recycled aggregate concrete and aggregate particle size. Also, a regression model of recycled concrete was proposed to predict the elasticity modulus and to adjust the design of mixture proportion. It is believed that these experiment results would contribute to adjust the remediation mixture for recycling plants by considering the influence of recycled aggregate size.

  16. Oil-Price Shocks: Beyond Standard Aggregate Demand/Aggregate Supply Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elwood, S. Kirk

    2001-01-01

    Explores the problems of portraying oil-price shocks using the aggregate demand/aggregate supply model. Presents a simple modification of the model that differentiates between production and absorption of goods, which enables it to better reflect the effects of oil-price shocks on open economies. (RLH)

  17. Stiparin: a glycoprotein from sea cucumber dermis that aggregates collagen fibrils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trotter, J A; Lyons-Levy, G; Luna, D; Koob, T J; Keene, D R; Atkinson, M A

    1996-07-01

    The interactions between collagen fibrils in many echinoderm connective tissues are rapidly altered by the secretions of resident neurosecretory cells. Recent evidence has suggested that a secreted protein is responsible for the interactions that lead to an increase in tissue stiffness (Trotter and Koob, 1995). Structurally intact collagen fibrils have been isolated from such a connective tissue- the dermis of the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa- and used in an assay in vitro to identify a protein that binds to them and causes them to aggregate. This protein has been purified by anion-exchange and molecular sieve chromatography. It is eluted from a MonoQ column at approximately 0.55 M NaCl. Its isoelectric point is 5.2. It elutes from a Superose-6 column in a position corresponding to a molecule with a Stokes radius of 11.5 nm. Its native molecular weight estimated from sedimentation equilibrium analysis under non-denaturing conditions is 375,000, and its monomer molecular weight, estimated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, is approximately 350,000. Sedimentation velocity measurements indicated for the native molecule a sedimentation coefficient of 11 x 10(-13)s, a diffusion coefficient of 3.274 x 10(-7) cm2s-1, and a frictional ratio of 1.95, which corresponds to a prolate ellipsoid of revolution with an axial ratio of 19. The highly asymmetric structure suggested by the above correlated well with the images obtained by transmission electron microscopy following rotary shadowing, which revealed a flexible structure approximately 125 nm long. Based on its ability to aggregate collagen fibrils, this protein has been named "stiparin," from the Latin stipare, "to pack together."

  18. High performance dental resin composites with hydrolytically stable monomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaohong; Huyang, George; Palagummi, Sri Vikram; Liu, Xiaohui; Skrtic, Drago; Beauchamp, Carlos; Bowen, Rafael; Sun, Jirun

    2018-02-01

    The objectives of this project were to: 1) develop strong and durable dental resin composites by employing new monomers that are hydrolytically stable, and 2) demonstrate that resin composites based on these monomers perform superiorly to the traditional bisphenol A glycidyl dimethacrylate/triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (Bis-GMA/TEGDMA) composites under testing conditions relevant to clinical applications. New resins comprising hydrolytically stable, ether-based monomer, i.e., triethylene glycol divinylbenzyl ether (TEG-DVBE), and urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) were produced via composition-controlled photo-polymerization. Their composites contained 67.5wt% of micro and 7.5wt% of nano-sized filler. The performances of both copolymers and composites were evaluated by a battery of clinically-relevant assessments: degree of vinyl conversion (DC: FTIR and NIR spectroscopy); refractive index (n: optical microscopy); elastic modulus (E), flexural strength (F) and fracture toughness (K IC ) (universal mechanical testing); Knoop hardness (HK; indentation); water sorption (W sp ) and solubility (W su ) (gravimetry); polymerization shrinkage (S v ; mercury dilatometry) and polymerization stress (tensometer). The experimental UDMA/TEG-DVBE composites were compared with the Bis-GMA/TEGDMA composites containing the identical filler contents, and with the commercial micro hybrid flowable composite. UDMA/TEG-DBVE composites exhibited n, E, W sp , W su and S v equivalent to the controls. They outperformed the controls with respect to F (up to 26.8% increase), K IC (up to 27.7% increase), modulus recovery upon water sorption (full recovery vs. 91.9% recovery), and stress formation (up to 52.7% reduction). In addition, new composites showed up to 27.7% increase in attainable DC compared to the traditional composites. Bis-GMA/TEGDMA controls exceeded the experimental composites with respect to only one property, the composite hardness. Significantly, up to 18.1% lower HK values in

  19. Effect of increased exposure times on amount of residual monomer released from single-step self-etch adhesives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altunsoy, Mustafa; Botsali, Murat Selim; Tosun, Gonca; Yasar, Ahmet

    2015-10-16

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of increased exposure times on the amount of residual Bis-GMA, TEGDMA, HEMA and UDMA released from single-step self-etch adhesive systems. Two adhesive systems were used. The adhesives were applied to bovine dentin surface according to the manufacturer's instructions and were polymerized using an LED curing unit for 10, 20 and 40 seconds (n = 5). After polymerization, the specimens were stored in 75% ethanol-water solution (6 mL). Residual monomers (Bis-GMA, TEGDMA, UDMA and HEMA) that were eluted from the adhesives (after 10 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, 7 days and 30 days) were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The data were analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance and Tukey HSD tests. Among the time periods, the highest amount of released residual monomers from adhesives was observed in the 10th minute. There were statistically significant differences regarding released Bis-GMA, UDMA, HEMA and TEGDMA between the adhesive systems (p<0.05). There were no significant differences among the 10, 20 and 40 second polymerization times according to their effect on residual monomer release from adhesives (p>0.05). Increasing the polymerization time did not have an effect on residual monomer release from single-step self-etch adhesives.

  20. The specific monomer/dimer equilibrium of the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 1 is established in the endoplasmic reticulum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teichmann, Anke; Gibert, Arthur; Lampe, André; Grzesik, Paul; Rutz, Claudia; Furkert, Jens; Schmoranzer, Jan; Krause, Gerd; Wiesner, Burkhard; Schülein, Ralf

    2014-08-29

    G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the most important drug targets. Although the smallest functional unit of a GPCR is a monomer, it became clear in the past decades that the vast majority of the receptors form dimers. Only very recently, however, data were presented that some receptors may in fact be expressed as a mixture of monomers and dimers and that the interaction of the receptor protomers is dynamic. To date, equilibrium measurements were restricted to the plasma membrane due to experimental limitations. We have addressed the question as to where this equilibrium is established for the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 1. By developing a novel approach to analyze single molecule fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy data for intracellular membrane compartments, we show that the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 1 has a specific monomer/dimer equilibrium that is already established in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). It remains constant at the plasma membrane even following receptor activation. Moreover, we demonstrate for seven additional GPCRs that they are expressed in specific but substantially different monomer/dimer ratios. Although it is well known that proteins may dimerize in the ER in principle, our data show that the ER is also able to establish the specific monomer/dimer ratios of GPCRs, which sheds new light on the functions of this compartment. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  1. Studies on recycled aggregates-based concrete.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakshvir, Major; Barai, Sudhirkumar V

    2006-06-01

    Reduced extraction of raw materials, reduced transportation cost, improved profits, reduced environmental impact and fast-depleting reserves of conventional natural aggregates has necessitated the use of recycling, in order to be able to conserve conventional natural aggregate. In this study various physical and mechanical properties of recycled concrete aggregates were examined. Recycled concrete aggregates are different from natural aggregates and concrete made from them has specific properties. The percentages of recycled concrete aggregates were varied and it was observed that properties such as compressive strength showed a decrease of up to 10% as the percentage of recycled concrete aggregates increased. Water absorption of recycled aggregates was found to be greater than natural aggregates, and this needs to be compensated during mix design.

  2. Fatty Acid-Based Monomers as Styrene Replacements for Liquid Molding Resins

    Science.gov (United States)

    2005-05-01

    fatty acid length and unsaturation level on resin and polymer properties. Fig. 2. The addition of fatty acids ( oleic acid ) to glycidyl methacylate to...the synthetic route used to form the methacrylated fatty acids (MFA). The carboxylic acid of fatty acids undergoes a simple addition reaction with... form methacrylated fatty acid monomer

  3. Preparation of poly (vinyl alcohol) membranes grafted with n-vinyl pyridine/ acrylic acid binary monomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ajji, A.; Ali, A.

    2014-03-01

    Poly(vinyl alcohol) films were grafted with two monomers using gamma radiation, acrylic acid and N-vinyl pyridine. The influence of different parameters on the grafting yield was investigated as: the comonomer concentration and composition, and irradiation dose. The suitable conditions of the process had been determined to prepare PVA membranes have both properties of the two monomers, acrylic acid and vinyl pyridine as comonomer concentration and composition, and irradiation dose. Some properties of the membranes had been investigated as maximum swelling and grafting. Also the ability of the grafted films to adsorb some heavy metals and dyes was elaborated and discussed.(author)

  4. Biocatalytic synthesis and polymerization via ROMP of new biobased phenolic monomers: a greener process towards sustainable antioxidant polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diot-Néant, Florian; Migeot, Loïs; Hollande, Louis; Reano, Felix A.; Domenek, Sandra; Allais, Florent

    2017-12-01

    Antioxidant norbornene-based monomers bearing biobased sterically hindered phenols (SHP) - NDF (norbornene dihydroferulate) and NDS (norbornene dihydrosinapate) - have been successfully prepared through biocatalysis from naturally occurring ferulic and sinapic acids, respectively, in presence of Candida antarctica Lipase B (Cal-B). The ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of these monomers was investigated according to ruthenium catalyst type (GI) vs. (HGII) and monomer to catalyst molar ratio ([M]/[C]). The co-polymerization of antioxidant functionalized monomer (NDF or NDS) and non-active norbornene (N) has also been performed in order to adjust the number of SHP groups present per weight unit and tune the antioxidant activity of the copolymers. The polydispersity of the resulting copolymers was readily improved by a simple acetone wash to provide antioxidant polymers with well-defined structures. After hydrogenation with p-toluenesulfonylhydrazine (p-TSH), the radical scavenging ability of the resulting saturated polymers was evaluated using α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) analysis. Results demonstrated that polymers bearing sinapic acid SHP exhibited higher antiradical activity than the polymer bearing ferulic acid SHP. In addition it was also shown that only a small SHP content was needed in the copolymers to exhibit a potent antioxidant activity.

  5. An exact approach for aggregated formulations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gamst, Mette; Spoorendonk, Simon; Røpke, Stefan

    Aggregating formulations is a powerful approach for problems to take on tractable forms. Aggregation may lead to loss of information, i.e. the aggregated formulation may be an approximation of the original problem. In branch-and-bound context, aggregation can also complicate branching, e.g. when...... optimality cannot be guaranteed by branching on aggregated variables. We present a generic exact solution method to remedy the drawbacks of aggregation. It combines the original and aggregated formulations and applies Benders' decomposition. We apply the method to the Split Delivery Vehicle Routing Problem....

  6. A new mass mortality of juvenile Protoceratops and size-segregated aggregation behaviour in juvenile non-avian dinosaurs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David W E Hone

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Monodominant bonebeds are a relatively common occurrence for non-avian dinosaurs, and have been used to infer associative, and potentially genuinely social, behavior. Previously known assemblages are characterized as either mixed size-classes (juvenile and adult-sized specimens together or single size-classes of individuals (only juveniles or only adult-sized individuals within the assemblage. In the latter case, it is generally unknown if these kinds of size-segregated aggregations characterize only a particular size stage or represent aggregations that happened at all size stages. Ceratopsians ("horned dinosaurs" are known from both types of assemblages. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we describe a new specimen of the ceratopsian dinosaur Protoceratops andrewsi, Granger and Gregory 1923 from Mongolia representing an aggregation of four mid-sized juvenile animals. In conjunction with existing specimens of groups of P. andrewsi that includes size-clustered aggregations of young juveniles and adult-sized specimens, this new material provides evidence for some degree of size-clustered aggregation behaviour in Protoceratops throughout ontogeny. This continuity of size-segregated (and presumably age-clustered aggregation is previously undocumented in non-avian dinosaurs. CONCLUSIONS: The juvenile group fills a key gap in the available information on aggregations in younger ceratopsians. Although we support the general hypothesis that many non-avian dinosaurs were gregarious and even social animals, we caution that evidence for sociality has been overstated and advocate a more conservative interpretation of some data of 'sociality' in dinosaurs.

  7. A new mass mortality of juvenile Protoceratops and size-segregated aggregation behaviour in juvenile non-avian dinosaurs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hone, David W E; Farke, Andrew A; Watabe, Mahito; Shigeru, Suzuki; Tsogtbaatar, Khishigjav

    2014-01-01

    Monodominant bonebeds are a relatively common occurrence for non-avian dinosaurs, and have been used to infer associative, and potentially genuinely social, behavior. Previously known assemblages are characterized as either mixed size-classes (juvenile and adult-sized specimens together) or single size-classes of individuals (only juveniles or only adult-sized individuals within the assemblage). In the latter case, it is generally unknown if these kinds of size-segregated aggregations characterize only a particular size stage or represent aggregations that happened at all size stages. Ceratopsians ("horned dinosaurs") are known from both types of assemblages. Here we describe a new specimen of the ceratopsian dinosaur Protoceratops andrewsi, Granger and Gregory 1923 from Mongolia representing an aggregation of four mid-sized juvenile animals. In conjunction with existing specimens of groups of P. andrewsi that includes size-clustered aggregations of young juveniles and adult-sized specimens, this new material provides evidence for some degree of size-clustered aggregation behaviour in Protoceratops throughout ontogeny. This continuity of size-segregated (and presumably age-clustered) aggregation is previously undocumented in non-avian dinosaurs. The juvenile group fills a key gap in the available information on aggregations in younger ceratopsians. Although we support the general hypothesis that many non-avian dinosaurs were gregarious and even social animals, we caution that evidence for sociality has been overstated and advocate a more conservative interpretation of some data of 'sociality' in dinosaurs.

  8. Properties of Concrete with Tire Derived Aggregate Partially Replacing Coarse Aggregates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siringi, Gideon; Abolmaali, Ali; Aswath, Pranesh B

    2015-01-01

    Tire derived aggregate (TDA) has been proposed as a possible lightweight replacement for mineral aggregate in concrete. The role played by the amount of TDA replacing coarse aggregate as well as different treatment and additives in concrete on its properties is examined. Conventional concrete (without TDA) and concrete containing TDA are compared by examining their compressive strength based on ASTM C39, workability based on ASTM C143, splitting tensile strength based on ASTM C496, modulus of rupture (flexural strength) based on ASTM C78, and bond stress based on ASTM C234. Results indicate that while replacement of coarse aggregates with TDA results in reduction in strength, it may be mitigated with addition of silica fume to obtain the desired strength. The greatest benefit of using TDA is in the development of a higher ductile product while utilizing recycled TDA.

  9. Protein aggregate turbidity: Simulation of turbidity profiles for mixed-aggregation reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Damien; Zhao, Ran; Dehlsen, Ian; Bloomfield, Nathaniel; Williams, Steven R; Arisaka, Fumio; Goto, Yuji; Carver, John A

    2016-04-01

    Due to their colloidal nature, all protein aggregates scatter light in the visible wavelength region when formed in aqueous solution. This phenomenon makes solution turbidity, a quantity proportional to the relative loss in forward intensity of scattered light, a convenient method for monitoring protein aggregation in biochemical assays. Although turbidity is often taken to be a linear descriptor of the progress of aggregation reactions, this assumption is usually made without performing the necessary checks to provide it with a firm underlying basis. In this article, we outline utilitarian methods for simulating the turbidity generated by homogeneous and mixed-protein aggregation reactions containing fibrous, amorphous, and crystalline structures. The approach is based on a combination of Rayleigh-Gans-Debye theory and approximate forms of the Mie scattering equations. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Aggregates from mineral wastes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baic Ireneusz

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The problem concerning the growing demand for natural aggregates and the need to limit costs, including transportation from remote deposits, cause the increase in growth of interest in aggregates from mineral wastes as well as in technologies of their production and recovery. The paper presents the issue related to the group of aggregates other than natural. A common name is proposed for such material: “alternative aggregates”. The name seems to be fully justified due to adequacy of this term because of this raw materials origin and role, in comparison to the meaning of natural aggregates based on gravel and sand as well as crushed stones. The paper presents characteristics of the market and basic application of aggregates produced from mineral wastes, generated in the mining, power and metallurgical industries as well as material from demolished objects.

  11. Design, synthesis and characterization of a highly luminescent Eu-complex monomer featuring thenoyltrifluoroacetone and 5-acryloxyethoxymethyl-8-hydroxyquinoline

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu Cunjin [State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); College of Material, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036 (China); Li Bogeng, E-mail: bgli@zju.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Wan Jintao; Bu Zhiyang [State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)

    2011-08-15

    A multi-functional ligand, 5-acryloxyethoxymethyl-8-hydroxyquinoline (Hamq), was synthesized, which contained a polymerizable C=C double bond for the copolymerization with other vinyl monomers and acted as photon antenna able to transfer energy to Eu{sup 3+} ions effectively. The triplet state energy of Hamq was determined to be 22,370 cm{sup -1} via the phosphorescence spectra of Hamq and its gadolinium complex. The title complex monomer Eu(tta){sub 2}(amq) was prepared by coordination reaction of Hamq with europium isopropoxide and 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone (Htta) in dry organic solvents under argon atmosphere and characterized by elemental analysis and IR spectrum. The photophysical properties of the complex were studied in detail with UV-vis, luminescence spectra, luminescence lifetime and quantum yield. The complex exhibited nearly monochromatic red emission at 612 nm, a remarkable luminescence quantum yield at room temperature (30.6%) upon ligand excitation and a long {sup 5}D{sub 0} lifetime (389 {mu}s), which indicated that the ligand Hamq could sensitize the luminescence of Eu(III) ion efficiently in Eu(tta){sub 2}(amq), resulting in a strong luminescence of its copolymer poly[MMA-co-Eu(TTA){sub 2}(amq)] under UV excitation. The excellent luminescence properties of the complex made it not only a promising light-conversion molecular device but also an excellent luminescent monomer. - Highlights: >iWe designed and synthesized a highly luminescent Eu-complex monomer. > Quantum yield and lifetime of the complex are 30.6% and 389 {mu}s, respectively. > Excellent luminescence of the complex made it an excellent luminescent monomer.

  12. Aggregated Computational Toxicology Online Resource

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Aggregated Computational Toxicology Online Resource (AcTOR) is EPA's online aggregator of all the public sources of chemical toxicity data. ACToR aggregates data...

  13. Enzymatic polymerization of bio-based monomers for applications in hydrogels and coatings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoffmann, Christian; Nguyen, Hiep Dinh; Storgaard, Thomas

    of the enzymatic catalysts that can provide control over polymer structure in functional polymers. Lipase catalyzed polymerizations (specifically CALB) has been applied to prepare functional polyesters and to evaluate the possibilities of using less stable bio-based monomers such as itaconic acid or its...

  14. Quenching of chlorophyll a singlets and triplets by carotenoids in light-harvesting complex of photosystem II: comparison of aggregates with trimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naqvi, K. Razi; Melø, T. B.; Raju, B. Bangar; Jávorfi, Tamás; Simidjiev, Ilian; Garab, Gyözö

    1997-12-01

    Laser-induced changes in the absorption spectra of isolated light-harvesting chlorophyll a/ b complex (LHC II) associated with photosystem II of higher plants have been recorded under anaerobic conditions and at ambient temperature by using multichannel detection with sub-microsecond time resolution. Difference spectra (Δ A) of LHC II aggregates have been found to differ from the corresponding spectra of trimers on two counts: (i) in the aggregates, the carotenoid (Car) triplet-triplet absorption band (Δ A>0) is red-shifted and broader; and (ii) the features attributable to the perturbation of the Qy band of a chlorophyll a (Chl a) by a nearby Car triplet are more pronounced, than in trimers. Aggregation, which is known to be accompanied by a reduction in the fluorescence yield of Chl a, is shown to cause a parallel decline in the triplet formation yield of Chl a; on the other hand, the efficiency (100%) of Chl a-to-Car transfer of triplet energy and the lifetime (9.3 μs) of Car triplets are not affected by aggregation. These findings are rationalized by postulating that the antenna Cars transact, besides light-harvesting and photoprotection, a third process: energy dissipation within the antenna. The suggestion is advanced that luteins, which are buried inside the LHC II monomers, as well as the other, peripheral, xanthophylls (neoxanthin and violaxanthin) quench the excited singlet state of Chl a by catalyzing internal conversion, a decay channel that competes with fluorescence and intersystem crossing; support for this explanation is presented by recalling reports of similar behaviour in bichromophoric model compounds in which one moiety is a Car and the other a porphyrin or a pyropheophorbide.

  15. Synthesis and Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization of Second-Generation Dendronized Poly(ether Monomers Initiated by Ruthenium Carbenes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guzmán Pablo E.

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP of second-generation dendronized monomers is described. Using the highly active and fast-initiating third-generation ruthenium complex [(H2IMes(pyr2Cl2RuCHPh], moderate to high molecular weight polymers (430-2230 kDa are efficiently synthesized with low dispersities (Ð = 1.01-1.17. This study highlights the power of the metathesis approach toward polymer synthesis in a context where monomer structure can significantly impede polymerization.

  16. A radiation-sensitive monomer of 2,4-hexadiyn-1,6-bis(p-toluene sulphonyl urethane) in PVA as a radiochromic film dosimeter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soliman, Yasser S.; Abdel-Fattah, A. A.; Hamed, A. A.; Bayomi, A. M. M.

    2018-03-01

    A conjugated monomer 2,4-hexadiyn-1,6-bis(p-toluene sulphonyl urethane) (HDTU) was synthesized. Thereafter, it was incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and coated on self-adhesive sheet, thus to prepare film dosimeters. The monomer and films were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR spectroscopy and specular reflectance colorimetry. This monomer polymerizes in the films by radiation and turns progressively blue in proportion to absorbed dose, indicating the formation of π-conjugated colored poly-HDTU. Color development was investigated at 480 nm and 610 nm for dose monitoring ranging from 10 Gy to 15 kGy. HDTU in PVA film is highly ordered and crystalline and, upon irradiation, it forms a semi-crystalline polymer with nearly the same interplanar distances as the monomer, indicating the occurrence of topochemical polymerization. During irradiation, polymerization of the monomer is nearly independent of humidity in the range of 0-53% and temperature in the range of 25-45 °C. The uncertainty of this system is 5.16% at 95% confidence level.

  17. Properties of Concrete with Tire Derived Aggregate Partially Replacing Coarse Aggregates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siringi, Gideon; Abolmaali, Ali; Aswath, Pranesh B.

    2015-01-01

    Tire derived aggregate (TDA) has been proposed as a possible lightweight replacement for mineral aggregate in concrete. The role played by the amount of TDA replacing coarse aggregate as well as different treatment and additives in concrete on its properties is examined. Conventional concrete (without TDA) and concrete containing TDA are compared by examining their compressive strength based on ASTM C39, workability based on ASTM C143, splitting tensile strength based on ASTM C496, modulus of rupture (flexural strength) based on ASTM C78, and bond stress based on ASTM C234. Results indicate that while replacement of coarse aggregates with TDA results in reduction in strength, it may be mitigated with addition of silica fume to obtain the desired strength. The greatest benefit of using TDA is in the development of a higher ductile product while utilizing recycled TDA. PMID:26161440

  18. Properties of Concrete with Tire Derived Aggregate Partially Replacing Coarse Aggregates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gideon Siringi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Tire derived aggregate (TDA has been proposed as a possible lightweight replacement for mineral aggregate in concrete. The role played by the amount of TDA replacing coarse aggregate as well as different treatment and additives in concrete on its properties is examined. Conventional concrete (without TDA and concrete containing TDA are compared by examining their compressive strength based on ASTM C39, workability based on ASTM C143, splitting tensile strength based on ASTM C496, modulus of rupture (flexural strength based on ASTM C78, and bond stress based on ASTM C234. Results indicate that while replacement of coarse aggregates with TDA results in reduction in strength, it may be mitigated with addition of silica fume to obtain the desired strength. The greatest benefit of using TDA is in the development of a higher ductile product while utilizing recycled TDA.

  19. Alternative interpretations of statistics on health effects of low-level radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamilton, L.D.

    1983-01-01

    Four examples of the interpretation of statistics of data on low-level radiation are reviewed: (a) genetic effects of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, (b) cancer at Rocky Flats, (c) childhood leukemia and fallout in Utah, and (d) cancer among workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Aggregation of data, adjustment for age, and other problems related to the determination of health effects of low-level radiation are discussed. Troublesome issues related to post hoc analysis are considered

  20. Folding and unfolding pathway of chaperonin GroEL monomer and elucidation of thermodynamic parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puri, Sarita; Chaudhuri, Tapan K

    2017-03-01

    The conformation and thermodynamic stability of monomeric GroEL were studied by CD and fluorescence spectroscopy. GroEL denaturation with urea and dilution in buffer leads to formation of a folded GroEL monomer. The monomeric nature of this protein was verified by size-exclusion chromatography and native PAGE. It has a well-defined secondary and tertiary structure, folding activity (prevention of aggregation) for substrate protein and is resistant to proteolysis. Being a properly folded and reversibly refoldable, monomeric GroEL is amenable for the study of thermodynamic stability by unfolding transition methods. We present the equilibrium unfolding of monomeric GroEL as studied by urea and heat mediated unfolding processes. The urea mediated unfolding shows two transitions and a single transition in the heat mediated unfolding process. In the case of thermal unfolding, some residual structure unfolds at a higher temperature (70-75°C). The process of folding/unfolding is reversible in both cases. Analysis of folding/unfolding data provides a measure of ΔG NU H 2 O , T m , ΔH van and ΔS van of monomeric GroEL. The thermodynamic stability parameter ΔG NU H 2 O is similar with both CD and intrinsic fluorescence i.e. 7.10±1.0kcal/mol. The calculated T m , ΔH van and ΔS van from the thermal unfolding transition is 46±0.5°C, 43.3±0.1kcal/mol and 143.9±0.1cal/mol/k respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. An engineered transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) monomer that functions as a dominant negative to block TGF-β signaling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Sun Kyung; Barron, Lindsey; Hinck, Cynthia S.; Petrunak, Elyse M.; Cano, Kristin E.; Thangirala, Avinash; Iskra, Brian; Brothers, Molly; Vonberg, Machell; Leal, Belinda; Richter, Blair; Kodali, Ravindra; Taylor, Alexander B.; Du, Shoucheng; Barnes, Christopher O.; Sulea, Traian; Calero, Guillermo; Hart, P. John; Hart, Matthew J.; Demeler, Borries; Hinck, Andrew P. (Texas-HSC); (NRCC); (Pitt)

    2017-02-22

    The transforming growth factor β isoforms, TGF-β1, -β2, and -β3, are small secreted homodimeric signaling proteins with essential roles in regulating the adaptive immune system and maintaining the extracellular matrix. However, dysregulation of the TGF-β pathway is responsible for promoting the progression of several human diseases, including cancer and fibrosis. Despite the known importance of TGF-βs in promoting disease progression, no inhibitors have been approved for use in humans. Herein, we describe an engineered TGF-β monomer, lacking the heel helix, a structural motif essential for binding the TGF-β type I receptor (TβRI) but dispensable for binding the other receptor required for TGF-β signaling, the TGF-β type II receptor (TβRII), as an alternative therapeutic modality for blocking TGF-β signaling in humans. As shown through binding studies and crystallography, the engineered monomer retained the same overall structure of native TGF-β monomers and bound TβRII in an identical manner. Cell-based luciferase assays showed that the engineered monomer functioned as a dominant negative to inhibit TGF-β signaling with a Ki of 20–70 nM. Investigation of the mechanism showed that the high affinity of the engineered monomer for TβRII, coupled with its reduced ability to non-covalently dimerize and its inability to bind and recruit TβRI, enabled it to bind endogenous TβRII but prevented it from binding and recruiting TβRI to form a signaling complex. Such engineered monomers provide a new avenue to probe and manipulate TGF-β signaling and may inform similar modifications of other TGF-β family members.

  2. Silyl Ketene Acetals/B(C6F53 Lewis Pair-Catalyzed Living Group Transfer Polymerization of Renewable Cyclic Acrylic Monomers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lu Hu

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available This work reveals the silyl ketene acetal (SKA/B(C6F53 Lewis pair-catalyzed room-temperature group transfer polymerization (GTP of polar acrylic monomers, including methyl linear methacrylate (MMA, and the biorenewable cyclic monomers γ-methyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (MMBL and α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (MBL as well. The in situ NMR monitored reaction of SKA with B(C6F53 indicated the formation of Frustrated Lewis Pairs (FLPs, although it is sluggish for MMA polymerization, such a FLP system exhibits highly activity and living GTP of MMBL and MBL. Detailed investigations, including the characterization of key reaction intermediates, polymerization kinetics and polymer structures have led to a polymerization mechanism, in which the polymerization is initiated with an intermolecular Michael addition of the ester enolate group of SKA to the vinyl group of B(C6F53-activated monomer, while the silyl group is transferred to the carbonyl group of the B(C6F53-activated monomer to generate the single-monomer-addition species or the active propagating species; the coordinated B(C6F53 is released to the incoming monomer, followed by repeated intermolecular Michael additions in the subsequent propagation cycle. Such neutral SKA analogues are the real active species for the polymerization and are retained in the whole process as confirmed by experimental data and the chain-end analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS. Moreover, using this method, we have successfully synthesized well-defined PMMBL-b-PMBL, PMMBL-b-PMBL-b-PMMBL and random copolymers with the predicated molecular weights (Mn and narrow molecular weight distribution (MWD.

  3. Chimeric polymers formed from a monomer capable of free radical, oxidative and electrochemical polymerisation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakshmi, Dhana; Whitcombe, Michael J; Davis, Frank; Chianella, Iva; Piletska, Elena V; Guerreiro, Antonio; Subrahmanyam, Sreenath; Brito, Paula S; Fowler, Steven A; Piletsky, Sergey A

    2009-05-21

    A new monomer, which incorporates both aniline and methacrylamide functional groups, was shown to possess orthogonal polymerisation behaviour to produce conjugated polyaniline suitable for a wide range of applications.

  4. Inertial deposition of nanoparticle chain aggregates: Theory and comparison with impactor data for ultrafine atmospheric aerosols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barone, Teresa L.; Lall, Anshuman Amit; Zhu Yifang; Yu Rongchung; Friedlander, Sheldon K.

    2006-01-01

    Nanoparticle chain aggregates (NCAs) are often sized and collected using instruments that rely on inertial transport mechanisms. The instruments size segregate aggregates according to the diameter of a sphere with the same aerodynamic behavior in a mechanical force field. A new method of interpreting the aerodynamic diameter of NCAs is described. The method can be used to calculate aggregate surface area or volume. This is useful since inertial instruments are normally calibrated for spheres, and the calibrations cannot be directly used to calculate aggregate properties. A linear relationship between aggregate aerodynamic diameter and primary particle diameter based on published Monte-Carlo drag calculations is derived. The relationship shows that the aggregate aerodynamic diameter is independent of the number of primary particles that compose an aggregate, hence the aggregate mass. The analysis applies to aggregates with low fractal dimension and uniform primary particle diameter. This is often a reasonable approximation for the morphology of nanoparticles generated in high temperature gases. An analogy is the use of the sphere as an approximation for compact particles. The analysis is applied to the collection of NCAs by a low-pressure impactor. Our results indicate the low-pressure impactor collects aggregates with a known surface area per unit volume on each stage. Combustion processes often produce particles with aggregate structure. For diesel exhaust aggregates, the surface area per unit volume calculated by our method was about twice that of spheres with diameter equal to the aerodynamic diameter. Measurements of aggregates collected near a major freeway and at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) were made for two aerodynamic cutoff diameter diameters (d a,50 ), 50 and 75 nm. (Aerodynamic cutoff diameter refers to the diameter of particles collected with 50% efficiency on a low-pressure impactor stage.) Near-freeway aggregates were probably primarily a

  5. Evaluation of level of impregnation monomers in hydrotalcite; Avaliacao do grau de impregnacao de monomeros em hidrotalcita

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carmo, Danieli M. do, E-mail: danielimcarmo@hotmail.com [Instituto de Macromoleculas Professora Eloisa Mano - IMA, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, RJ (Brazil); Machado, Jacson S.C.; Oliveira, Marcelo F.L.; Oliveira, Marcia G. [Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia - INT, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Soares, Bluma G. [Instituto de Macromoleculas Professora Eloisa Mano - IMA, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, RJ (Brazil)

    2011-07-01

    To evaluate the impregnation degree of 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate and 1,4-butanediol monomers in hydrotalcite clays it was prepared dispersions with mixing ratio 1:100 (clay/monomer), using the Ultraturrax and Ultrasound. Subsequently the samples were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction. Swelling tests and Tyndall effect were used to illustrate the different dispersions. The results indicated a strong interaction between the hydrotalcite with 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, favoring the formation of intercalated structures. (author)

  6. Kinetics of aggregation with choice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Naim, E; Krapivsky, P L

    2016-12-01

    We generalize the ordinary aggregation process to allow for choice. In ordinary aggregation, two random clusters merge and form a larger aggregate. In our implementation of choice, a target cluster and two candidate clusters are randomly selected and the target cluster merges with the larger of the two candidate clusters. We study the long-time asymptotic behavior and find that as in ordinary aggregation, the size density adheres to the standard scaling form. However, aggregation with choice exhibits a number of different features. First, the density of the smallest clusters exhibits anomalous scaling. Second, both the small-size and the large-size tails of the density are overpopulated, at the expense of the density of moderate-size clusters. We also study the complementary case where the smaller candidate cluster participates in the aggregation process and find an abundance of moderate clusters at the expense of small and large clusters. Additionally, we investigate aggregation processes with choice among multiple candidate clusters and a symmetric implementation where the choice is between two pairs of clusters.

  7. Highly sensitive determination of poly(hexamethylene guanidine) by Rayleigh scattering using aggregation of silver nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Artemyeva, Anastasia A.; Sharov, Andrei V.; Beklemishev, Mikhail K.; Samarina, Tatyana O.; Abramchuk, Sergei S.; Ovcharenko, Elena O.; Dityuk, Alexander I.; Efimov, Konstantin M.

    2015-01-01

    We have found that low concentrations of the polycationic disinfectant poly(hexamethylene guanidine) hydrochloride (PHMG) induce the aggregation of citrate-stabilized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in aqueous solution. Based on this finding, we have worked out a method to the determination of PHMG. The protocol includes the steps of (a) centrifuging the water sample, (b) addition of an aliquot of the colloidal solution of the AgNPs, and (c) measurement of the intensity of scattered light. The method is surprisingly selective in that comparable concentrations of surfactants, humic acids and protein do not interfere. Besides, an up to 50 mM concentration NaCl, and up to 5 mM of Mg(II) or Ca(II) are tolerated. Other cationic polyelectrolytes, polyethyleneimine and poly(dimethyldiallyammonium chloride), also cause aggregation of AgNPs but to a lesser extent. The determination of PHMG was performed in spiked samples (run-off, tap and swimming pool waters) with detection limits of 2·10 −8 , 4·10 −7 , and 6·10 −6 M (by monomer unit), respectively. The linear ranges are wider and the detection limits are lower than those of known spectrophotometric methods. It is necessary, however, to correct the calibration plot for background scattering by the sample and to establish a calibration plot for each kind of water sample. Notwithstanding this, the approach is attractive because it is sensitive, rapid, and simple. (author)

  8. Research on Judgment Aggregation Based on Logic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Dai

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Preference aggregation and judgment aggregation are two basic research models of group decision making. And preference aggregation has been deeply studied in social choice theory. However, researches of social choice theory gradually focus on judgment aggregation which appears recently. Judgment aggregation focuses on how to aggregate many consistent logical formulas into one, from the perspective of logic. We try to start with judgment aggregation model based on logic and then explore different solutions to problem of judgment aggregation.

  9. Solubility enhancement of dioxins and PCBs by surfactant monomers and micelles quantified with polymer depletion techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schacht, Veronika J; Grant, Sharon C; Escher, Beate I; Hawker, Darryl W; Gaus, Caroline

    2016-06-01

    Partitioning of super-hydrophobic organic contaminants (SHOCs) to dissolved or colloidal materials such as surfactants can alter their behaviour by enhancing apparent aqueous solubility. Relevant partition constants are, however, challenging to quantify with reasonable accuracy. Partition constants to colloidal surfactants can be measured by introducing a polymer (PDMS) as third phase with known PDMS-water partition constant in combination with the mass balance approach. We quantified partition constants of PCBs and PCDDs (log KOW 5.8-8.3) between water and sodium dodecyl sulphate monomers (KMO) and micelles (KMI). A refined, recently introduced swelling-based polymer loading technique allowed highly precise (4.5-10% RSD) and fast (KMO. SHOC losses to experimental surfaces were substantial (8-26%) in monomer solutions, but had a low impact on KMO (0.10-0.16 log units). Log KMO for PCDDs (4.0-5.2) were approximately 2.6 log units lower than respective log KMI, which ranged from 5.2 to 7.0 for PCDDs and 6.6-7.5 for PCBs. The linear relationship between log KMI and log KOW was consistent with more polar and moderately hydrophobic compounds. Apparent solubility increased with increasing hydrophobicity and was highest in micelle solutions. However, this solubility enhancement was also considerable in monomer solutions, up to 200 times for OCDD. Given the pervasive presence of surfactant monomers in typical field scenarios, these data suggest that low surfactant concentrations may be effective long-term facilitators for subsurface transport of SHOCs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Heating of Porous Icy Dust Aggregates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sirono, Sin-iti [Earth and Environmental Sciences, Nagoya University, Tikusa-ku, Furo-cho, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan)

    2017-06-10

    At the beginning of planetary formation, highly porous dust aggregates are formed through coagulation of dust grains. Outside the snowline, the main component of an aggregate is H{sub 2}O ice. Because H{sub 2}O ice is formed in amorphous form, its thermal conductivity is extremely small. Therefore, the thermal conductivity of an icy dust aggregate is low. There is a possibility of heating inside an aggregate owing to the decay of radionuclides. It is shown that the temperature increases substantially inside an aggregate, leading to crystallization of amorphous ice. During the crystallization, the temperature further increases sufficiently to continue sintering. The mechanical properties of icy dust aggregates change, and the collisional evolution of dust aggregates is affected by the sintering.

  11. PMR Polyimide prepreg with improved tack characteristics. [Polymerization of Monomer Reactants applications to fiber reinforced plastics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serafini, T. T.; Delvigs, P.

    1978-01-01

    Current PMR Polyimide prepreg technology utilizes methanol or ethanol solvents for preparation of the PMR prepreg solutions. The volatility of these solvents limits the tack and drape retention characteristics of unprotected prepreg exposed to ambient conditions. Studies conducted to achieve PMR 15 Polyimide prepreg with improved tack and drape characteristics are described. Improved tack and drape retention were obtained by incorporation of an additional monomer. The effects of various levels of the added monomer on the thermo-oxidative stability and mechanical properties of graphite fiber reinforced PMR 15 composites exposed and tested at 316 C (600 F) are discussed.

  12. Selective extraction of bisphenol A from water by one-monomer molecularly imprinted magnetic nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Zhenkun; Zhang, Yanfang; Su, Yu; Qi, Jinxia; Jia, Yinhang; Huang, Changjiang; Dong, Qiaoxiang

    2018-01-15

    One-monomer molecularly imprinted magnetic nanoparticles were prepared as adsorbents for selective extraction of bisphenol A from water in this study. A single bi-functional monomer was adopted for preparation of the molecularly imprinted polymer, avoiding the tedious trial-and-error optimizations as traditional strategy. Moreover, bisphenol F was used as the dummy template for bisphenol A to avoid the interference from residual template molecules. These nanoparticles showed not only large adsorption capacity and good selectivity to the bisphenol A but also outstanding magnetic response performance. Furthermore, they were successfully used as magnetic solid-phase extraction adsorbents of bisphenol A from various water samples, including tap water, river water, and seawater. The developed method was found to be much more efficient, convenient, and economical for selective extraction of bisphenol A compared with the traditional solid-phase extraction. Separation of these nanoparticles can be easily achieved with an external magnetic field, and the optimized adsorption time was only 15 min. The recoveries of bisphenol A in different water samples ranged from 85.38 to 93.75%, with relative standard deviation lower than 7.47%. These results showed that one-monomer molecularly imprinted magnetic nanoparticles had the potential to be popular adsorbents for selective extraction of pollutants from water. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. The influence of mass transfer on solute transport in column experiments with an aggregated soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Paul V.; Goltz, Mark N.; Summers, R. Scott; Crittenden, John C.; Nkedi-Kizza, Peter

    1987-06-01

    The spreading of concentration fronts in dynamic column experiments conducted with a porous, aggregated soil is analyzed by means of a previously documented transport model (DFPSDM) that accounts for longitudinal dispersion, external mass transfer in the boundary layer surrounding the aggregate particles, and diffusion in the intra-aggregate pores. The data are drawn from a previous report on the transport of tritiated water, chloride, and calcium ion in a column filled with Ione soil having an average aggregate particle diameter of 0.34 cm, at pore water velocities from 3 to 143 cm/h. The parameters for dispersion, external mass transfer, and internal diffusion were predicted for the experimental conditions by means of generalized correlations, independent of the column data. The predicted degree of solute front-spreading agreed well with the experimental observations. Consistent with the aggregate porosity of 45%, the tortuosity factor for internal pore diffusion was approximately equal to 2. Quantitative criteria for the spreading influence of the three mechanisms are evaluated with respect to the column data. Hydrodynamic dispersion is thought to have governed the front shape in the experiments at low velocity, and internal pore diffusion is believed to have dominated at high velocity; the external mass transfer resistance played a minor role under all conditions. A transport model such as DFPSDM is useful for interpreting column data with regard to the mechanisms controlling concentration front dynamics, but care must be exercised to avoid confounding the effects of the relevant processes.

  14. Influence of the solvents on the γ-ray polymerization of acrylic acid. II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laborie, F.

    1977-01-01

    The presence of plurimolecular H-bonded aggregates in the acrylic acid allows the polymer to involve some stereoregular sequences. This effect is made easier when some polymer is already formed in the reacting medium: the aggregates are stabilized by hydrogen bonds with the polymer which gives rise to a matrix effect. Two groups of solvents have been characterized by examination of the monomer's association forms in solution. In a first group of solvents (methanol--dioxan--water), the aggregates are maintained and reinforced; in the second one, acrylic acid exists only as cyclic dimers (hydrocarbons--chlorinated solvents). The difference between the association forms of the monomer involves some important modifications on the kinetics of polymerization and the structure of the obtained polymers. In the solvents of the first group, the obtained polymers are crystallizable and may involve syndiotactic sequences, while in the presence of the solvents of the second group no crystallization or stereoregularity of the polymer can occur. A very close correlation is thus found between the aggregated structure of the monomer, the polymerization kinetics, and the structure of the polymers

  15. Model for amorphous aggregation processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stranks, Samuel D.; Ecroyd, Heath; van Sluyter, Steven; Waters, Elizabeth J.; Carver, John A.; von Smekal, Lorenz

    2009-11-01

    The amorphous aggregation of proteins is associated with many phenomena, ranging from the formation of protein wine haze to the development of cataract in the eye lens and the precipitation of recombinant proteins during their expression and purification. While much literature exists describing models for linear protein aggregation, such as amyloid fibril formation, there are few reports of models which address amorphous aggregation. Here, we propose a model to describe the amorphous aggregation of proteins which is also more widely applicable to other situations where a similar process occurs, such as in the formation of colloids and nanoclusters. As first applications of the model, we have tested it against experimental turbidimetry data of three proteins relevant to the wine industry and biochemistry, namely, thaumatin, a thaumatinlike protein, and α -lactalbumin. The model is very robust and describes amorphous experimental data to a high degree of accuracy. Details about the aggregation process, such as shape parameters of the aggregates and rate constants, can also be extracted.

  16. Reticuloendothelial hyperphagocytosis occurs in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Studies with colloidal carbon, albumin microaggregates, and soluble fibrin monomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cornell, R.P.

    1982-01-01

    In contrast to previous studies of diabetic humans and animals, which reported unchanged or depressed function, reticuloendothelial system (RES) hyperphagocytosis of colloidal carbon, 125 I-albumin microaggregates, and 125 I-fibrin monomers were observed in rats as early as 14 days after the induction of diabetes with streptozotocin (STZ). The fact that enhanced phagocytosis by RE macrophages was prevented by chronic insulin replacement therapy indicates that the diabetic internal environment of hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia was perhaps responsible for the observed changes. Experiments involving organ localization of intravenously administered particles, perfusion of isolated livers, and microscopic examination of the liver all suggested that increased Kupffer cell activity was the primary event in RES hyperphagocytosis by STZ-diabetic rats. Both hypertrophy and hyperplasia of Kupffer cells were apparent in livers of STZ-diabetic animals as evidenced by photomicrographs and hepatic cell quantification. Plasma fibronectin, which binds fibrin monomers to RE macrophages before phagocytosis, was significantly decreased in the circulation of STZ-diabetic rats, but the level of cell-associated fibronectin was not measured. Renal localization of urea-soluble 125 I-fibrin monomers exceeded splenic and pulmonary uptake in normal control rats and was enhanced in animals with STZ-diabetes. Changes in fibronectin levels, fibrin monomer localization, and Kupffer cell size and numbers in experimental diabetes in rats may have implications for the pathogenesis of vascular disease involving phagocytic mesangial and foam cells in diabetic humans

  17. Reticuloendothelial hyperphagocytosis occurs in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Studies with colloidal carbon, albumin microaggregates, and soluble fibrin monomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cornell, R P

    1982-02-01

    In contrast to previous studies of diabetic humans and animals, which reported unchanged or depressed function, reticuloendothelial system (RES) hyperphagocytosis of colloidal carbon, 125I-albumin microaggregates, and 125I-fibrin monomers were observed in rats as early as 14 days after the induction of diabetes with streptozotocin (STZ). The fact that enhanced phagocytosis by RE macrophages was prevented by chronic insulin replacement therapy indicates that the diabetic internal environment of hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia was perhaps responsible for the observed changes. Experiments involving organ localization of intravenously administered particles, perfusion of isolated livers, and microscopic examination of the liver all suggested that increased Kupffer cell activity was the primary event in RES hyperphagocytosis by STZ-diabetic rats. Both hypertrophy and hyperplasia of Kupffer cells were apparent in livers of STZ-diabetic animals as evidenced by photomicrographs and hepatic cell quantification. Plasma fibronectin, which binds fibrin monomers to RE macrophages before phagocytosis, was significantly decreased in the circulation of STZ-diabetic rats, but the level of cell-associated fibronectin was not measured. Renal localization of urea-soluble 125I-fibrin monomers exceeded splenic and pulmonary uptake in normal control rats and was enhanced in animals with STZ-diabetes. Changes in fibronectin levels, fibrin monomer localization, and Kupffer cell size and numbers in experimental diabetes in rats may have implications for the pathogenesis of vascular disease involving phagocytic mesangial and foam cells in diabetic humans.

  18. Radical Copolymerization Kinetics of Bio-Renewable Butyrolactone Monomer in Aqueous Solution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharmaine B. Luk

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The radical copolymerization kinetics of acrylamide (AM and the water-soluble monomer sodium 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-methylene butanoate (SHMeMB, formed by saponification of the bio-sourced monomer γ-methyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (MeMBL, are investigated to explain the previously reported slow rates of reaction during synthesis of superabsorbent hydrogels. Limiting conversions were observed to decrease with increased temperature during SHMeMB homopolymerization, suggesting that polymerization rate is limited by depropagation. Comonomer composition drift also increased with temperature, with more AM incorporated into the copolymer due to SHMeMB depropagation. Using previous estimates for the SHMeMB propagation rate coefficient, the conversion profiles were used to estimate rate coefficients for depropagation and termination (kt. The estimate for kt,SHMeMB was found to be of the same order of magnitude as that recently reported for sodium methacrylate, with the averaged copolymerization termination rate coefficient dominated by the presence of SHMeMB in the system. In addition, it was found that depropagation still controlled the SHMeMB polymerization rate at elevated temperatures in the presence of added salt.

  19. A comparative study on the aggregating effects of guanidine thiocyanate, guanidine hydrochloride and urea on lysozyme aggregation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Emadi, Saeed, E-mail: emadi@iasbs.ac.ir; Behzadi, Maliheh

    2014-08-08

    Highlights: • Lysozyme aggregated in guanidine thiocyanate (1.0 and 2.0 M). • Lysozyme aggregated in guanidine hydrochloride (4 and 5 M). • Lysozyme did not aggregated at any concentration (0.5–5 M) of urea. • Unfolding pathway is more important than unfolding per se in aggregation. - Abstract: Protein aggregation and its subsequent deposition in different tissues culminate in a diverse range of diseases collectively known as amyloidoses. Aggregation of hen or human lysozyme depends on certain conditions, namely acidic pH or the presence of additives. In the present study, the effects on the aggregation of hen egg-white lysozyme via incubation in concentrated solutions of three different chaotropic agents namely guanidine thiocyanate, guanidine hydrochloride and urea were investigated. Here we used three different methods for the detection of the aggregates, thioflavin T fluorescence, circular dichroism spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Our results showed that upon incubation with different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 M) of the chemical denaturants, lysozyme was aggregated at low concentrations of guanidine thiocyanate (1.0 and 2.0 M) and at high concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride (4 and 5 M), although no fibril formation was detected. In the case of urea, no aggregation was observed at any concentration.

  20. Chemo-enzymatic Synthesis of Clickable Xylo-oligosaccharide Monomers from Hardwood 4-O-Methylglucuronoxylan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacCormick, Benjamin; Vuong, Thu V; Master, Emma R

    2018-02-12

    A chemo-enzymatic pathway was developed to transform 4-O-methylglucuronic acid (MeGlcpA) containing xylo-oligosaccharides from beechwood into clickable monomers capable of polymerizing at room temperature and in aqueous conditions to form unique polytriazoles. While the gluco-oligosaccharide oxidase (GOOX) from Sarocladium strictum was used to oxidize C6-propargylated oligosaccharides, the acid-amine coupling reagents 1-ethyl-3-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl) carbodiimide (EDAC) and 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride (DMT-MM) were employed and compared for their ability to append click functionalities to carboxylic acid groups of enzyme-treated oligosaccharides. While DMT-MM was a superior coupling reagent for this application, a triazine side product was observed during C-1 amidation. Resulting bifunctional xylo-oligosaccharide monomers were polymerized using a Cu(I) catalyst, forming a soft gel which was characterized by 1 H NMR, confirming the triazole product.

  1. Interpreting the Customary Rules on Interpretation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Merkouris, Panos

    2017-01-01

    International courts have at times interpreted the customary rules on interpretation. This is interesting because what is being interpreted is: i) rules of interpretation, which sounds dangerously tautological, and ii) customary law, the interpretation of which has not been the object of critical

  2. The role of monomer fraction data in association theories—Can we improve the performance for phase equilibrium calculations?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tsivintzelis, Ioannis; Bøgh, David; Karakatsani, Eirini

    2014-01-01

    with different ethanol content as inhibitor. There are some differences in the performance of CPA with the two sets but on average the results are similar. This may indicate that monomer fraction data are not very useful in this case or that ethanol monomer fraction data are not accurate and both possibilities...... accurate and how useful are such data today and how successful is their use in the context of association models? In this work we attempt to answer these questions in the case of the CPA model and for ethanol. CPA has been already successfully used to describe thermodynamic properties of many ethanol...... containing mixtures, using an ethanol parameter set that was adjusted to experimental vapor pressure and liquid density data. We present in this work a new parameter set for ethanol which is estimated using experimental vapor pressure, liquid density data as well as the experimental monomer fractions...

  3. Estimating and interpreting a common stochastic component for the Brazilian industrial production index

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Picchetti

    2002-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper employs a state-space formulation to model a common stochastic component in four different series that constitute the aggregate index of industrial production in Brazil. This estimated common component is then interpreted as a measurement of behavior of fundamentals in the brazilian economy and compared to the actual aggregate index.A partir de uma formulação em espaço de estado, modelamos um componente estocástico comum para quatro séries distintas que compõem o índice agregado de produção industrial calculado pelo IBGE para o Brasil. Esse componente estocástico comum estimado é então interpretado como uma medida do comportamento de fundamentos da economia brasileira, e comparado com o índice agregado efetivo.

  4. Prediction of monomer isomery in Florine: a workflow dedicated to nonribosomal peptide discovery.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thibault Caradec

    Full Text Available Nonribosomal peptides represent a large variety of natural active compounds produced by microorganisms. Due to their specific biosynthesis pathway through large assembly lines called NonRibosomal Peptide Synthetases (NRPSs, they often display complex structures with cycles and branches. Moreover they often contain non proteogenic or modified monomers, such as the D-monomers produced by epimerization. We investigate here some sequence specificities of the condensation (C and epimerization (E domains of NRPS that can be used to predict the possible isomeric state (D or L of each monomer in a putative peptide. We show that C- and E- domains can be divided into 2 sub-regions called Up-Seq and Down-Seq. The Up-Seq region corresponds to an InterPro domain (IPR001242 and is shared by C- and E-domains. The Down-Seq region is specific to the enzymatic activity of the domain. Amino-acid signatures (represented as sequence logos previously described for complete C-and E-domains have been restricted to the Down-Seq region and amplified thanks to additional sequences. Moreover a new Down-Seq signature has been found for Ct-domains found in fungi and responsible for terminal cyclization of the peptides. The identification of these signatures has been included in a workflow named Florine, aimed to predict nonribosomal peptides from NRPS sequence analyses. In some cases, the prediction of isomery is guided by genus-specific rules. Florine was used on a Pseudomonas genome to allow the determination of the type of pyoverdin produced, the update of syringafactin structure and the identification of novel putative products.

  5. Influence of granitic aggregates from Northeast Brazil on the alkali-aggregate reaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gomes Neto, David de Paiva; Santana, Rodrigo Soares de; Barreto, Ledjane Silva, E-mail: pvgomes@uol.com.br [Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), Sao Cristovao, SE (Brazil). Dept. de Ciencias dos Materiais e Engenharia; Conceicao, Herbert; Lisboa, Vinicios Anselmo Carvalho [Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), Sao Cristovao, SE (Brazil). Dept. de Geologia

    2014-08-15

    The alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR) in concrete structures is a problem that has concerned engineers and researchers for decades. This reaction occurs when silicates in the aggregates react with the alkalis, forming an expanded gel that can cause cracks in the concrete and reduce its lifespan. The aim of this study was to characterize three coarse granitic aggregates employed in concrete production in northeastern Brazil, correlating petrographic analysis with the kinetics of silica dissolution and the evolution of expansions in mortar bars, assisted by SEM/EDS, XRD, and EDX. The presence of grains showing recrystallization into individual microcrystalline quartz subgrains was associated with faster dissolution of silica and greater expansion in mortar bars. Aggregates showing substantial deformation, such as stretched grains of quartz with strong undulatory extinction, experienced slower dissolution, with reaction and expansion occurring over longer periods that could not be detected using accelerated tests with mortar bars. (author)

  6. Phase separation in short-chain lecithin/gel-state long-chain lecithin aggregates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bian, J.; Roberts, M.F.

    1990-01-01

    Small bilayer particles for spontaneously from gel-state long-chain phospholipids such as dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and 0.2 mol fraction short-chain lecithins (e.g., diheptanoylphosphatidylcholine). When the particles are incubed at temperatures greater than the T m of the long-chain phosphatidylcholine (PC), the particles rapidly fuse (from 90-angstrom to ≥ 5,000-angstrom radius); this transition is reversible. A possible explanation for this behavior involves patching or phase separation of the short-chain component within the gel-state particle and randomization of both lipid species above T m . Differential scanning calorimetry, 1 H T 1 values of proteodiheptanoyl-PC in diheptanoyl-PC-d 26 /dipalmitoyl-PC-d 62 matrices of varying deuterium content, solid-state 2 H NMR spectroscopy as a function of temperature, and fluorescence pyrene excimer-to-monomer ratios as a function of mole fraction diheptanoyl-PC provide evidence that such phase separation must occur. These results are used to construct a phase diagram for the diheptanoyl-PC/dipalmitoyl-PC system, to propose detailed geometric models for the different lipid particles involved, and to understand phospholipase kinetics toward the different aggregates

  7. The Continuation Study of the Measurement of Residual Monomer from theDenture Base After Three Month Worn by Gas Chromatography on the Radiationand Non Radiation Worker

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isyuniarto; Winoto

    2000-01-01

    Residual monomer measurement on the radiation and non radiation workerafter three month worn the denture has been done. The aim of the research isto investigated residual monomer concentration on after three month worn. Thedenture base material, made of resin acrylic, sometimes is cause mucosairritation in the mouth, and dental irritation or allergic reaction, becauseof residual monomer that left on the mouth cavity. In this research two groupwere needed there are the radiation and non radiation worker, the level ofthe residual monomer count by gas chromatography analysis. The result of thisresearch showed that the level of residual monomer of two group are same orthere have same level of the limit value. The measurement result is in therange of 0.1783 ± 0.011 mg/l to 0.1790 ± 0.004 mg/l. (author)

  8. Environmental effects on the lignin model monomer, vanillyl alcohol, studied by raman spectroscopy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Kiki Lyster; Barsberg, Søren Talbro

    2011-01-01

    model monomer, vanillyl alcohol (G type), dissolved in different solvents were compared to investigate such effects on the Raman band shapes and positions. Density functional theory combined with the polarizable continuum model were applied to assign the observed bands and tested for prediction accuracy...

  9. High-resolution structure of a retroviral protease folded as a monomer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gilski, Miroslaw; Kazmierczyk, Maciej; Krzywda, Szymon; Zábranská, Helena; Cooper, Seth; Popović, Zoran; Khatib, Firas; DiMaio, Frank; Thompson, James; Baker, David; Pichová, Iva; Jaskolski, Mariusz

    2011-01-01

    The crystal structure of Mason–Pfizer monkey virus protease folded as a monomer has been solved by molecular replacement using a model generated by players of the online game Foldit. The structure shows at high resolution the details of a retroviral protease folded as a monomer which can guide rational design of protease dimerization inhibitors as retroviral drugs. Mason–Pfizer monkey virus (M-PMV), a D-type retrovirus assembling in the cytoplasm, causes simian acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (SAIDS) in rhesus monkeys. Its pepsin-like aspartic protease (retropepsin) is an integral part of the expressed retroviral polyproteins. As in all retroviral life cycles, release and dimerization of the protease (PR) is strictly required for polyprotein processing and virion maturation. Biophysical and NMR studies have indicated that in the absence of substrates or inhibitors M-PMV PR should fold into a stable monomer, but the crystal structure of this protein could not be solved by molecular replacement despite countless attempts. Ultimately, a solution was obtained in mr-rosetta using a model constructed by players of the online protein-folding game Foldit. The structure indeed shows a monomeric protein, with the N- and C-termini completely disordered. On the other hand, the flap loop, which normally gates access to the active site of homodimeric retropepsins, is clearly traceable in the electron density. The flap has an unusual curled shape and a different orientation from both the open and closed states known from dimeric retropepsins. The overall fold of the protein follows the retropepsin canon, but the C α deviations are large and the active-site ‘DTG’ loop (here NTG) deviates up to 2.7 Å from the standard conformation. This structure of a monomeric retropepsin determined at high resolution (1.6 Å) provides important extra information for the design of dimerization inhibitors that might be developed as drugs for the treatment of retroviral infections

  10. Fractal Aggregates in Tennis Ball Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabin, J.; Bandin, M.; Prieto, G.; Sarmiento, F.

    2009-01-01

    We present a new practical exercise to explain the mechanisms of aggregation of some colloids which are otherwise not easy to understand. We have used tennis balls to simulate, in a visual way, the aggregation of colloids under reaction-limited colloid aggregation (RLCA) and diffusion-limited colloid aggregation (DLCA) regimes. We have used the…

  11. A Functional Reference Architecture for Aggregators

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bondy, Daniel Esteban Morales; Heussen, Kai; Gehrke, Oliver

    2015-01-01

    Aggregators are considered to be a key enabling technology for harvesting power system services from distributed energy resources (DER). As a precondition for more widespread use of aggregators in power systems, methods for comparing and validating aggregator designs must be established. This paper...... proposes a functional reference architecture for aggregators to address this requirement....

  12. Biosynthesis and incorporation of side-chain-truncated lignin monomers to reduce lignin polymerization and enhance saccharification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eudes, Aymerick; George, Anthe; Mukerjee, Purba; Kim, Jin S; Pollet, Brigitte; Benke, Peter I; Yang, Fan; Mitra, Prajakta; Sun, Lan; Cetinkol, Ozgül P; Chabout, Salem; Mouille, Grégory; Soubigou-Taconnat, Ludivine; Balzergue, Sandrine; Singh, Seema; Holmes, Bradley M; Mukhopadhyay, Aindrila; Keasling, Jay D; Simmons, Blake A; Lapierre, Catherine; Ralph, John; Loqué, Dominique

    2012-06-01

    Lignocellulosic biomass is utilized as a renewable feedstock in various agro-industrial activities. Lignin is an aromatic, hydrophobic and mildly branched polymer integrally associated with polysaccharides within the biomass, which negatively affects their extraction and hydrolysis during industrial processing. Engineering the monomer composition of lignins offers an attractive option towards new lignins with reduced recalcitrance. The presented work describes a new strategy developed in Arabidopsis for the overproduction of rare lignin monomers to reduce lignin polymerization degree (DP). Biosynthesis of these 'DP reducers' is achieved by expressing a bacterial hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA hydratase-lyase (HCHL) in lignifying tissues of Arabidopsis inflorescence stems. HCHL cleaves the propanoid side-chain of hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA lignin precursors to produce the corresponding hydroxybenzaldehydes so that plant stems expressing HCHL accumulate in their cell wall higher amounts of hydroxybenzaldehyde and hydroxybenzoate derivatives. Engineered plants with intermediate HCHL activity levels show no reduction in total lignin, sugar content or biomass yield compared with wild-type plants. However, cell wall characterization of extract-free stems by thioacidolysis and by 2D-NMR revealed an increased amount of unusual C₆C₁ lignin monomers most likely linked with lignin as end-groups. Moreover the analysis of lignin isolated from these plants using size-exclusion chromatography revealed a reduced molecular weight. Furthermore, these engineered lines show saccharification improvement of pretreated stem cell walls. Therefore, we conclude that enhancing the biosynthesis and incorporation of C₆C₁ monomers ('DP reducers') into lignin polymers represents a promising strategy to reduce lignin DP and to decrease cell wall recalcitrance to enzymatic hydrolysis. © 2012 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal © 2012 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied

  13. Aggregation server for grid-integrated vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kempton, Willett

    2015-05-26

    Methods, systems, and apparatus for aggregating electric power flow between an electric grid and electric vehicles are disclosed. An apparatus for aggregating power flow may include a memory and a processor coupled to the memory to receive electric vehicle equipment (EVE) attributes from a plurality of EVEs, aggregate EVE attributes, predict total available capacity based on the EVE attributes, and dispatch at least a portion of the total available capacity to the grid. Power flow may be aggregated by receiving EVE operational parameters from each EVE, aggregating the received EVE operational parameters, predicting total available capacity based on the aggregated EVE operational parameters, and dispatching at least a portion of the total available capacity to the grid.

  14. Sand Cement Brick Containing Recycled Concrete Aggregate as Fine-Aggregate Replacement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheikh Khalid Faisal

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, the usage amount of the concrete is increasing drastically. The construction industry is a huge consumer of natural consumer. It is also producing the huge wastage products. The usage of concrete has been charged to be not environmentally friendly due to depletion of reserve natural resources, high energy consumption and disposal issues. The conservation of natural resources and reduction of disposal site by reuse and recycling waste material was interest possibilites. The aim of this study is to determine the physical and mechanical properties of sand cement brick containing recycled concrete aggregate and to determine the optimum mix ratio containing recycled concrete aggregate. An experiment done by comparing the result of control specimen using 100% natural sand with recycled concrete aggregate replacement specimen by weight for 55%, 65%, and 75%. The sample was tested under density, compressive strength, flexural strength and water absorption to study the effect of using recycled concrete aggregate on the physical and mechanical properties of bricks. The result shows that the replacement of natural sand by recycled concrete aggregate at the level of 55% provide the highest compressive and flexural strength compared to other percentage and control specimen. However, if the replacement higher than 55%, the strength of brick was decreased for compressive and flexural strength, respectively. The relationship of compressive-flexural strength is determined from statistical analysis and the predicted result can be obtained by using equation ff,RCA = 0.5375 (fc0.3272.

  15. Solutions to aggregation-diffusion equations with nonlinear mobility constructed via a deterministic particle approximation

    OpenAIRE

    Fagioli, Simone; Radici, Emanuela

    2018-01-01

    We investigate the existence of weak type solutions for a class of aggregation-diffusion PDEs with nonlinear mobility obtained as large particle limit of a suitable nonlocal version of the follow-the-leader scheme, which is interpreted as the discrete Lagrangian approximation of the target continuity equation. We restrict the analysis to nonnegative initial data in $L^{\\infty} \\cap BV$ away from vacuum and supported in a closed interval with zero-velocity boundary conditions. The main novelti...

  16. [Study on the aggregation behavior of cationic porphyrins and their interaction with ctDNA].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Hong-Min; Chen, Xin; Sun, Shu-Ting; Zhang, Li-Na; Wu, Dan; Zhu, Pei-Hua; Li, Yan; Du, Bin; Wei, Qin

    2009-02-01

    Interest in the interaction between cationic porphyrins, particularly derivatives of meso-tetra(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl) porphyrin(TMPyP), and DNA abounds because they are versatile DNA-binding agents that could find application in photodynamic therapy, cancer detection, artificial nucleases, virus inhibition and so on. The interaction of two water-soluble cationic porphyrins, meso-tetrakis(4-N, N, N-trimethylanilinium) porphyrin (TMAP) and 5-phenyl-10,15,20-tris[4-(N-methyl) pyridinium]porphyrin (TriMPyP), with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) was studied by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and resonance light scattering technique. TriMPyP forms aggregate in water due to the molecular asymmetry while TMAP exists as monomers. At lower concentrations of ctDNA (R > 1, R = c(TMAP)/c(DNA) base pair), the interaction of TMAP with DNA leads to significant hypochromicity and bathochromic shift of absorption spectra. And the fluorescence of TMAP was quenched while it showed enhanced resonance light scattering signals. But the extent of enhancement of resonance light scattering signals is very small, so the aggregate of TMAP is not very high. These observations indicate the self-stacking of TMAP along the DNA surface. At higher concentrations of ctDNA (R TMAP association with DNA is via outside binding which is accompanied with hyperchromic effect and fluorescence enhancement while the resonance light scattering signals is reduced. DNA addition decreases the fluorescence intensity of TriMPyP and it shifts the peak to the higher wavelengths (red shift). The interaction with DNA promotes the aggregation of TriMPyP and no simple outside binding is observed even at higher concentrations of ctDNA. The steric effect of molecular distortion constrains the intercalation or further binding to DNA. The effect of ionic strength on the interaction was investigated at two DNA concentrations, 1.2 and 24.0 micromol x L(-1), for TMAP. The Interactions of both porphyrins

  17. Pyrrole-phenylboronic acid: a novel monomer for dopamine recognition and detection based on imprinted electrochemical sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Min; Teng, Ying; Pang, Shufen; Yan, Liqin; Kan, Xianwen

    2015-02-15

    A molecular imprinting polymer (MIP) based electrochemical sensor was successfully prepared for dopamine (DA) recognition and detection using pyrrole-phenylboronic acid (py-PBA) as a novel electropolymerized monomer. py-PBA could form cyclic boronic ester bond with DA, thus endowing a double recognition capacity of the sensor to DA in the combination of the imprinted effect of MIP. Compared with the sensor prepared using pyrrole or phenylboronic acid as electropolymerized monomer, the present sensor exhibited a remarkable high imprinted factor to DA. The influence factors including pH value, the mole ratio between monomer and template molecule, electropolymerization scan rate, and scan cycles of electropolymerization process were investigated and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the sensor could recognize DA from its analogs and monosaccharides. A linear ranging from 5.0 × 10(-8) to 1.0 × 10(-5) mol/L for the detection of DA was obtained with a detection limit of 3.3 × 10(-8) mol/L (S/N = 3). The sensor has been applied to analyze DA in injection samples with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Dynamics of soil biogeochemical gas emissions shaped by remolded aggregate sizes and carbon configurations under hydration cycles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebrahimi, Ali; Or, Dani

    2018-01-01

    Changes in soil hydration status affect microbial community dynamics and shape key biogeochemical processes. Evidence suggests that local anoxic conditions may persist and support anaerobic microbial activity in soil aggregates (or in similar hot spots) long after the bulk soil becomes aerated. To facilitate systematic studies of interactions among environmental factors with biogeochemical emissions of CO 2 , N 2 O and CH 4 from soil aggregates, we remolded silt soil aggregates to different sizes and incorporated carbon at different configurations (core, mixed, no addition). Assemblies of remolded soil aggregates of three sizes (18, 12, and 6 mm) and equal volumetric proportions were embedded in sand columns at four distinct layers. The water table level in each column varied periodically while obtaining measurements of soil GHG emissions for the different aggregate carbon configurations. Experimental results illustrate that methane production required prolonged inundation and highly anoxic conditions for inducing measurable fluxes. The onset of unsaturated conditions (lowering water table) resulted in a decrease in CH 4 emissions while temporarily increasing N 2 O fluxes. Interestingly, N 2 O fluxes were about 80% higher form aggregates with carbon placement in center (anoxic) core compared to mixed carbon within aggregates. The fluxes of CO 2 were comparable for both scenarios of carbon sources. These experimental results highlight the importance of hydration dynamics in activating different GHG production and affecting various transport mechanisms about 80% of total methane emissions during lowering water table level are attributed to physical storage (rather than production), whereas CO 2 emissions (~80%) are attributed to biological activity. A biophysical model for microbial activity within soil aggregates and profiles provides a means for results interpretation and prediction of trends within natural soils under a wide range of conditions. © 2017 John

  19. Elution of monomer from different bulk fill dental composite resins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cebe, Mehmet Ata; Cebe, Fatma; Cengiz, Mehmet Fatih; Cetin, Ali Rıza; Arpag, Osman Fatih; Ozturk, Bora

    2015-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the elution of Bis-GMA, TEGDMA, HEMA, and Bis-EMA monomers from six bulk fill composite resins over four different time periods, using HPLC. Six different composite resin materials were used in the present study: Tetric Evo Ceram Bulk Fill (Ivoclar Vivadent, Amherst, NY), X-tra Fill (VOCO, Cuxhaven, Germany), Sonic Fill (Kerr, Orange, CA, USA), Filtek Bulk Fill (3M ESPE Dental Product, St. Paul, MN), SDR (Dentsply, Konstanz, Germany), EQUIA (GC America INC, Alsip, IL). The samples (4mm thickness, 5mm diameter) were prepared and polymerized for 20s with a light emitted diode unit. After fabrication, each sample was immediately immersed in 75wt% ethanol/water solution used as extraction fluid and stored in the amber colored bottles at room temperature. Ethanol/water samples were taken (0.5mL) at predefined time intervals:10m (T1), 1h (T2), 24h (T3) and 30 days (T4). These samples were analyzed by HPLC. The obtained data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD at significance level of pcomposites (pcomposite resins in all time periods and the amount of eluted monomers was increased with time. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. CONTAMINATION OF ANTI-VEGF DRUGS FOR INTRAVITREAL INJECTION: How Do Repackaging and Newly Developed Syringes Affect the Amount of Silicone Oil Droplets and Protein Aggregates?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schargus, Marc; Werner, Benjamin P; Geerling, Gerd; Winter, Gerhard

    2017-08-21

    The particle counts and the nature of particles of three different antivascular endothelial growth factor agents (VEGF) in different containers in a laboratory setting were compared. Original prefilled ranibizumab glass syringes, original vials with aflibercept, and repacked ready-to-use plastic syringes with bevacizumab from a compounding pharmacy and a compounding company (CC) were analyzed. Particle counts and size distributions were quantified by different particle characterization methods (nephelometry, light obscuration, Micro-Flow Imaging, nanotracking analysis, resonant mass measurement). Using high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HP-SEC), levels of protein drug monomer and soluble aggregates were determined. Nearly all samples showed similar product quality. Light obscuration and Micro-Flow Imaging showed a 4-fold to 9-fold higher total particle count in compounding company bevacizumab (other samples up to 42,000 particles/mL). Nanotracking analysis revealed highest values for compounding company bevacizumab (6,375 million particles/mL). All containers showed similar amounts of silicone oil microdroplets. Ranibizumab showed lowest particle count of all tested agents with only one monomer peak in HP-SEC. Repackaged bevacizumab from different suppliers showed varying product quality. All three tested agents are available in similar quality regarding particulate purity and silicone oil microdroplet count. Repackaging can have a major impact on the quality.

  1. Microwave-assisted cationic ring-opening polymerization of a soy-based 2-oxazoline monomer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoogenboom, R.; Wiesbrock, F.D.; Schubert, U.S.

    2005-01-01

    The microwave-assisted cationic ring-opening polymn. of a soy based 2-oxazoline monomer (SoyOx) is described. The microwave irradn. provides more efficient heating when compared to conventional heating and, in addn., the SoyOx was prepd. starting from a sustainable resource (soy beans). The

  2. Cycling performance of lithium polymer cells assembled by in situ polymerization of a non-flammable ionic liquid monomer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Yoon-Sung; Kim, Dong-Won

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Gel polymer electrolytes were synthesized by in situ polymerization of ionic liquid in the lithium polymer cells. • Flammability of the electrolyte was significantly reduced by polymerizing electrolyte containing a non-flammable ionic liquid monomer. • The cells assembled with polymeric ionic liquid-based electrolytes exhibited reversible cycling behavior with good capacity retention. -- Abstract: Lithium polymer cells composed of a lithium negative electrode and a LiCoO 2 positive electrode were assembled with a gel polymer electrolyte obtained by in situ polymerization of an electrolyte solution containing an ionic liquid monomer with vinyl groups. The polymerization of the electrolyte solution containing the non-flammable ionic liquid monomer resulted in a significant reduction of the flammability of the gel polymer electrolytes. The lithium polymer cell assembled with the stable gel polymer electrolyte delivered a discharge capacity of 134.3 mAh g −1 at ambient temperature and exhibited good capacity retention

  3. Observing Convective Aggregation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holloway, Christopher E.; Wing, Allison A.; Bony, Sandrine; Muller, Caroline; Masunaga, Hirohiko; L'Ecuyer, Tristan S.; Turner, David D.; Zuidema, Paquita

    2017-11-01

    Convective self-aggregation, the spontaneous organization of initially scattered convection into isolated convective clusters despite spatially homogeneous boundary conditions and forcing, was first recognized and studied in idealized numerical simulations. While there is a rich history of observational work on convective clustering and organization, there have been only a few studies that have analyzed observations to look specifically for processes related to self-aggregation in models. Here we review observational work in both of these categories and motivate the need for more of this work. We acknowledge that self-aggregation may appear to be far-removed from observed convective organization in terms of time scales, initial conditions, initiation processes, and mean state extremes, but we argue that these differences vary greatly across the diverse range of model simulations in the literature and that these comparisons are already offering important insights into real tropical phenomena. Some preliminary new findings are presented, including results showing that a self-aggregation simulation with square geometry has too broad distribution of humidity and is too dry in the driest regions when compared with radiosonde records from Nauru, while an elongated channel simulation has realistic representations of atmospheric humidity and its variability. We discuss recent work increasing our understanding of how organized convection and climate change may interact, and how model discrepancies related to this question are prompting interest in observational comparisons. We also propose possible future directions for observational work related to convective aggregation, including novel satellite approaches and a ground-based observational network.

  4. The effect of the polymerization initiator and light source on the elution of residual Bis-GMA and TEGDMA monomers: A study using liquid chromatography with UV detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denis, Aline B; Diagone, Cristina A; Plepis, Ana M G; Viana, Rommel B

    2015-12-05

    A method for the extraction and quantification of two residual monomers, bisphenol glycidyl dimethacrylate (Bis-GMA) and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), that were evaluated using high efficiency liquid chromatography with UV detection was developed and validated in this study. Three types of solvents were applied in the extraction of the monomers (methanol, ethanol and acetonitrile), where the highest extraction efficiency was obtained using acetonitrile. The different resins were prepared by photoactivation of Bis-GMA and TEGDMA monomers. Additionally, the effects of the addition of two photoinitiators (camphorquinone (CQ) and phenyl propanodione (PPD) and that of a co-initiator (N,N-dimethyl-p-toluidine) were also analyzed. When only the CQ photoinitiator was used, a smaller amount of residual monomers was obtained, whereas a larger amount was obtained with PPD. When the two photoinitiators were used in the same matrix, however, no significant changes were observed in relation to the amount of residual TEGDMA monomers. For the addition of the co-initiator, there were no large changes in the extraction of residual monomers. The effect of the two photoactivation sources (halogen lamp and LED) led to small differences in the elution of the two monomers, although all of the resins differed significantly when photoactivated with a LED. Quantum chemical calculations using Density Functional Theory were carried out to characterize several molecular properties of each monomer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. What favors convective aggregation and why?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muller, Caroline; Bony, Sandrine

    2015-07-01

    The organization of convection is ubiquitous, but its physical understanding remains limited. One particular type of organization is the spatial self-aggregation of convection, taking the form of cloud clusters, or tropical cyclones in the presence of rotation. We show that several physical processes can give rise to self-aggregation and highlight the key features responsible for it, using idealized simulations. Longwave radiative feedbacks yield a "radiative aggregation." In that case, sufficient spatial variability of radiative cooling rates yields a low-level circulation, which induces the upgradient energy transport and radiative-convective instability. Not only do vertically integrated radiative budgets matter but the vertical profile of cooling is also crucial. Convective aggregation is facilitated when downdrafts below clouds are weak ("moisture-memory aggregation"), and this is sufficient to trigger aggregation in the absence of longwave radiative feedbacks. These results shed some light on the sensitivity of self-aggregation to various parameters, including resolution or domain size.

  6. Synthesis and Characterization of Oligodeoxyribonucleotides Modified with 2'-Amino-α-l-LNA Adenine Monomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Nicolai K; Anderson, Brooke A; Wengel, Jesper

    2013-01-01

    The development of conformationally restricted nucleotide building blocks continues to attract considerable interest because of their successful use within antisense, antigene, and other gene-targeting strategies. Locked nucleic acid (LNA) and its diastereomer α-l-LNA are two interesting examples...... (ONs) modified with 2'-amino-α-l-LNA adenine monomers W-Z. The synthesis of the target phosphoramidites 1-4 is initiated from pentafuranose 5, which upon Vorbrüggen glycosylation, O2'-deacylation, O2'-activation and C2'-azide introduction yields nucleoside 8. A one-pot tandem Staudinger....... ONs modified with pyrene-functionalized 2'-amino-α-l-LNA adenine monomers X-Z display greatly increased affinity toward DNA targets (ΔTm/modification up to +14 °C). Results from absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy suggest that the duplex stabilization is a result of pyrene intercalation...

  7. Polymerization of unsaturated monomers with radiation in the presence of salts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Phalangas, C.J.; Restaino, A.J.; Yun, H.B.

    1977-01-01

    Improved process is claimed for the preparation of water-soluble, substantially linear, high molecular weight polymers, comprising irradiating an aqueous solution of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer and a water-soluble salt under controlled conditions of concentration, radiation intensity, conversion, and total radiation dose. The polymers may be obtained in aqueous gel form or recovered in the form of powder. The polymers are useful as flocculating, thickening, and mobility control agents

  8. Annotating and Interpreting Linear and Cyclic Peptide Tandem Mass Spectra.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niedermeyer, Timo Horst Johannes

    2016-01-01

    Nonribosomal peptides often possess pronounced bioactivity, and thus, they are often interesting hit compounds in natural product-based drug discovery programs. Their mass spectrometric characterization is difficult due to the predominant occurrence of non-proteinogenic monomers and, especially in the case of cyclic peptides, the complex fragmentation patterns observed. This makes nonribosomal peptide tandem mass spectra annotation challenging and time-consuming. To meet this challenge, software tools for this task have been developed. In this chapter, the workflow for using the software mMass for the annotation of experimentally obtained peptide tandem mass spectra is described. mMass is freely available (http://www.mmass.org), open-source, and the most advanced and user-friendly software tool for this purpose. The software enables the analyst to concisely annotate and interpret tandem mass spectra of linear and cyclic peptides. Thus, it is highly useful for accelerating the structure confirmation and elucidation of cyclic as well as linear peptides and depsipeptides.

  9. Radiation induced ionic polymerisation and grafting of vinyl monomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stannett, V.T.

    1981-01-01

    Some special aspects of the radiation induced ionic polymerisation and grafting of vinyl monomers will be described. In particular the effects of solvents on the cationic polymerisation of the vinyl ethers will be discussed in detail. The unequivocal free ion nature of the polymerisation makes such information of considerable general interest. Estimates of the propagation rate constants with free cation polymerisation in solvents of different dielectric constants and solvation powers will be presented. Finally, some observations on the radiation induced graft polymerisation of ethyl vinyl ether to poly(vinyl chloride) and to polypropylene will be presented. (author)

  10. Radiation vulcanization of ethylene-propylene rubber with polyfunctional monomers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jinhua, Wang; Yoshii, Fumio; Makuuchi, Keizo

    2001-01-01

    This paper reports on the sensitizing efficiency of several polyfunctional monomers to radiation vulcanization of ethylene-propylene rubber. And the results show that triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) gave the best results. TEGDMA not only lowers the vulcanization dose (D{sub v}), but also increases the tensile strength greatly. The content of TEGDMA does not affect the D{sub v} of TEGDMA-EPM, but affects the tensile strength at the D{sub v}. At best content (0.04 mol/100 g EPM), the tensile strength is increased from 6.0 to 12 MPa, and the elongation is 790% at the D{sub v}. (author)

  11. Monitoring of originated polymer in pure monomer with gradient polymer elution chromatography (GPEC)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Staal, W.J.; Cools, P.J.C.H.; Herk, van A.M.; German, A.L.

    1994-01-01

    The anal. of the amt. of polymer in pure monomer with cloudpoint measurements gives only a qual. answer. Now by use of a liq. chromatograph and gradient elution a fully automated detn. the amt. of polymer can be measured and an impression of the molar mass can be achieved

  12. Platelet activation and aggregation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Maria Sander; Larsen, O H; Christiansen, Kirsten

    2013-01-01

    This study introduces a new laboratory model of whole blood platelet aggregation stimulated by endogenously generated thrombin, and explores this aspect in haemophilia A in which impaired thrombin generation is a major hallmark. The method was established to measure platelet aggregation initiated...

  13. Role of Multicellular Aggregates in Biofilm Formation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kasper N. Kragh

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In traditional models of in vitro biofilm development, individual bacterial cells seed a surface, multiply, and mature into multicellular, three-dimensional structures. Much research has been devoted to elucidating the mechanisms governing the initial attachment of single cells to surfaces. However, in natural environments and during infection, bacterial cells tend to clump as multicellular aggregates, and biofilms can also slough off aggregates as a part of the dispersal process. This makes it likely that biofilms are often seeded by aggregates and single cells, yet how these aggregates impact biofilm initiation and development is not known. Here we use a combination of experimental and computational approaches to determine the relative fitness of single cells and preformed aggregates during early development of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. We find that the relative fitness of aggregates depends markedly on the density of surrounding single cells, i.e., the level of competition for growth resources. When competition between aggregates and single cells is low, an aggregate has a growth disadvantage because the aggregate interior has poor access to growth resources. However, if competition is high, aggregates exhibit higher fitness, because extending vertically above the surface gives cells at the top of aggregates better access to growth resources. Other advantages of seeding by aggregates, such as earlier switching to a biofilm-like phenotype and enhanced resilience toward antibiotics and immune response, may add to this ecological benefit. Our findings suggest that current models of biofilm formation should be reconsidered to incorporate the role of aggregates in biofilm initiation.

  14. Kinetic Behavior of Exchange-Driven Growth with Catalyzed-Birth Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hai-Feng; Lin, Zhen-Quan; Kong, Xiang-Mu

    2006-12-01

    Two catalyzed-birth models of n-species (n>=2) aggregates with exchange-driven growth processes are proposed and compared. In the first one, the exchange reaction occurs between any two aggregates Amk and Amj of the same species with the rate kernels Km(k,j) = Kmkj (m = 1,2,...,n, n>=2), and aggregates of An species catalyze a monomer-birth of Al species (l = 1,2,...,n-1) with the catalysis rate kernel Jl(k,j) = Jlkjυ. The kinetic behaviors are investigated by means of the mean-field theory. We find that the evolution behavior of aggregate-size distribution alk(t) of Al species depends crucially on the value of the catalysis rate parameter υ: (i) alk(t) obeys the conventional scaling law in the case of υ0. In the second model, the mechanism of monomer-birth of An-species catalyzed by Al species is added on the basis of the first model, that is, the aggregates of Al and An species catalyze each other to cause monomer-birth. The kinetic behaviors of Al and An species are found to fall into two categories for the different υ: (i) growth obeying conventional scaling form with υ0.

  15. Pre-aggregation for Probability Distributions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Timko, Igor; Dyreson, Curtis E.; Pedersen, Torben Bach

    Motivated by the increasing need to analyze complex uncertain multidimensional data (e.g., in order to optimize and personalize location-based services), this paper proposes novel types of {\\em probabilistic} OLAP queries that operate on aggregate values that are probability distributions...... and the techniques to process these queries. The paper also presents the methods for computing the probability distributions, which enables pre-aggregation, and for using the pre-aggregated distributions for further aggregation. In order to achieve good time and space efficiency, the methods perform approximate...... multidimensional data analysis that is considered in this paper (i.e., approximate processing of probabilistic OLAP queries over probability distributions)....

  16. Enhanced lignin monomer production caused by cinnamic Acid and its hydroxylated derivatives inhibits soybean root growth.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rogério Barbosa Lima

    Full Text Available Cinnamic acid and its hydroxylated derivatives (p-coumaric, caffeic, ferulic and sinapic acids are known allelochemicals that affect the seed germination and root growth of many plant species. Recent studies have indicated that the reduction of root growth by these allelochemicals is associated with premature cell wall lignification. We hypothesized that an influx of these compounds into the phenylpropanoid pathway increases the lignin monomer content and reduces the root growth. To confirm this hypothesis, we evaluated the effects of cinnamic, p-coumaric, caffeic, ferulic and sinapic acids on soybean root growth, lignin and the composition of p-hydroxyphenyl (H, guaiacyl (G and syringyl (S monomers. To this end, three-day-old seedlings were cultivated in nutrient solution with or without allelochemical (or selective enzymatic inhibitors of the phenylpropanoid pathway in a growth chamber for 24 h. In general, the results showed that 1 cinnamic, p-coumaric, caffeic and ferulic acids reduced root growth and increased lignin content; 2 cinnamic and p-coumaric acids increased p-hydroxyphenyl (H monomer content, whereas p-coumaric, caffeic and ferulic acids increased guaiacyl (G content, and sinapic acid increased sinapyl (S content; 3 when applied in conjunction with piperonylic acid (PIP, an inhibitor of the cinnamate 4-hydroxylase, C4H, cinnamic acid reduced H, G and S contents; and 4 when applied in conjunction with 3,4-(methylenedioxycinnamic acid (MDCA, an inhibitor of the 4-coumarate:CoA ligase, 4CL, p-coumaric acid reduced H, G and S contents, whereas caffeic, ferulic and sinapic acids reduced G and S contents. These results confirm our hypothesis that exogenously applied allelochemicals are channeled into the phenylpropanoid pathway causing excessive production of lignin and its main monomers. By consequence, an enhanced stiffening of the cell wall restricts soybean root growth.

  17. New photoresponsive (meth)acrylate (co)polymers containing azobenzene pendant sidegroups with carboxylic and dimethylamino substituents .1. Synthesis and characterization of the monomers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haitjema, HJ; Buruma, R; VanEkenstein, GORA; Tan, YY; Challa, G

    1996-01-01

    New azobenzene-based (az.b.) monomers with CO2H (acid) or N(CH3)(2) (basic) substituents were synthesized. For some of these compounds new synthetic routes had to be developed, especially for the az.b. monomers with a CO2H substituent (azoacids) where their synthesis, purification and (thermal)

  18. Breathing zone concentrations of methylmethacrylate monomer during joint replacement operations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Darre, E; Jørgensen, L G; Vedel, P

    1992-01-01

    By use of a methylmethacrylate (MMA) Dräger tube and bellow bump, the breathing zone concentrations of MMA monomer were measured for the operating surgeon during cementation of the components of hip and knee joint prostheses. The highest recordings (50-100 p.p.m.) were encountered during cementat...... cementation of the acetabular cups with conventional polymethylmethacrylate cement. Such exposure could be eliminated by the use of personal protection equipment, local punctual field suction or change to a MMA/n-decylmethacrylate/isobornylmethacrylate bone cement....

  19. Discrete stochastic charging of aggregate grains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthews, Lorin S.; Shotorban, Babak; Hyde, Truell W.

    2018-05-01

    Dust particles immersed in a plasma environment become charged through the collection of electrons and ions at random times, causing the dust charge to fluctuate about an equilibrium value. Small grains (with radii less than 1 μm) or grains in a tenuous plasma environment are sensitive to single additions of electrons or ions. Here we present a numerical model that allows examination of discrete stochastic charge fluctuations on the surface of aggregate grains and determines the effect of these fluctuations on the dynamics of grain aggregation. We show that the mean and standard deviation of charge on aggregate grains follow the same trends as those predicted for spheres having an equivalent radius, though aggregates exhibit larger variations from the predicted values. In some plasma environments, these charge fluctuations occur on timescales which are relevant for dynamics of aggregate growth. Coupled dynamics and charging models show that charge fluctuations tend to produce aggregates which are much more linear or filamentary than aggregates formed in an environment where the charge is stationary.

  20. Prediction of the aggregation propensity of proteins from the primary sequence: aggregation properties of proteomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castillo, Virginia; Graña-Montes, Ricardo; Sabate, Raimon; Ventura, Salvador

    2011-06-01

    In the cell, protein folding into stable globular conformations is in competition with aggregation into non-functional and usually toxic structures, since the biophysical properties that promote folding also tend to favor intermolecular contacts, leading to the formation of β-sheet-enriched insoluble assemblies. The formation of protein deposits is linked to at least 20 different human disorders, ranging from dementia to diabetes. Furthermore, protein deposition inside cells represents a major obstacle for the biotechnological production of polypeptides. Importantly, the aggregation behavior of polypeptides appears to be strongly influenced by the intrinsic properties encoded in their sequences and specifically by the presence of selective short regions with high aggregation propensity. This allows computational methods to be used to analyze the aggregation properties of proteins without the previous requirement for structural information. Applications range from the identification of individual amyloidogenic regions in disease-linked polypeptides to the analysis of the aggregation properties of complete proteomes. Herein, we review these theoretical approaches and illustrate how they have become important and useful tools in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying protein aggregation. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Monomer conversion, dimensional stability, strength, modulus, surface apatite precipitation and wear of novel, reactive calcium phosphate and polylysine-containing dental composites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kanokrat Kangwankai

    Full Text Available The aim was to assess monomer conversion, dimensional stability, flexural strength / modulus, surface apatite precipitation and wear of mono / tri calcium phosphate (CaP and polylysine (PLS-containing dental composites. These were formulated using a new, high molecular weight, fluid monomer phase that requires no polymerisation activator.Urethane and Polypropylene Glycol Dimethacrylates were combined with low levels of an adhesion promoting monomer and a light activated initiator. This liquid was mixed with a hybrid glass containing either 10 wt% CaP and 1 wt% PLS (F1 or 20 wt% CaP and 2 wt% PLS (F2. Powder to liquid mass ratio was 5:1. Commercial controls included Gradia Direct Posterior (GD and Filtek Z250 (FZ. Monomer conversion and polymerisation shrinkage were calculated using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR. Subsequent volume increases in water over 7 weeks were determined using gravimetric studies. Biaxial flexural strength (BFS / modulus (BFM reduction and surface apatite precipitation upon 1 and 4 weeks immersion in water versus simulated body fluid (SBF were assessed using a mechanical testing frame and scanning electron microscope (SEM. Mass / volume loss and surface roughness (Ra following 7 weeks water immersion and subsequent accelerated tooth-brush abrasion were examined using gravimetric studies and profilometer.F1 and F2 exhibited much higher monomer conversion (72% than FZ (54% and low calculated polymerization shrinkage (2.2 vol%. Final hygroscopic expansions decreased in the order; F2 (3.5 vol% > F1 (1.8 vol% ~ Z250 (1.6 vol% > Gradia (1.0 vol%. BFS and BFM were unaffected by storage medium type. Average BFS / BFM upon 4 weeks immersion reduced from 144 MPa / 8 GPa to 107 MPa / 5 GPa for F1 and 105 MPa / 6 GPa to 82 MPa / 4 GPa for F2. Much of this change was observed in the first week of immersion when water sorption rate was high. Surface apatite layers were incomplete at 1 week, but around 2 and 15 micron thick for F1 and

  2. Understanding curcumin-induced modulation of protein aggregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Basir; Borana, Mohanish S; Chaudhary, Ankur P

    2017-07-01

    Curcumin, a diarylheptanoid compound, found in spice turmeric is known to alter the aggregation of proteins and reduce the toxicity of the aggregates. This review looks at the molecular basis of modulating protein aggregation and toxicity of the aggregates. Foremost, we identify the interaction of curcumin and its derivatives with proteins/peptides and the effect of their interaction on the conformational stability and unfolding/folding pathway(s). The unfolding/folding processes generate partially folded/unfolded intermediate, which serve as aggregation precursor state. Secondly, we discuss the effect of curcumin binding on the kinetics parameters of the aggregation process, which give information about the mechanism of the aggregation inhibition. We describe, in addition, that curcumin can accelerate/promote fibril formation by binding to oligomeric intermediate(s) accumulated in the aggregation pathway. Finally, we discuss the correlation of curcumin-induced monomeric and/or oligomeric precursor states with aggregate structure and toxicity. On the basis of these discussions, we propose a model describing curcumin-induced inhibition/promotion of formation of amyloid-like fibrils. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Customer Aggregation: An Opportunity for Green Power?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holt, E.; Bird, L.

    2001-02-26

    We undertook research into the experience of aggregation groups to determine whether customer aggregation offers an opportunity to bring green power choices to more customers. The objectives of this report, therefore, are to (1) identify the different types of aggregation that are occurring today, (2) learn whether aggregation offers an opportunity to advance sales of green power, and (3) share these concepts and approaches with potential aggregators and green power advocates.

  4. Transportation and utilization of aggregates for road construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fladvad, Marit; Wigum, Børge Johannes; Aurstad, Joralf

    2017-04-01

    Road construction relies on non-renewable aggregate resources as the main construction material. Sources for high-quality aggregate resources are scattered, and requirements for aggregate quality can cause long transport distances between quarry and road construction site. In European countries, the average aggregate consumption per capita is 5 tonnes per year (European Aggregates Association, 2016), while the corresponding figure for Norway is 11 tonnes (Neeb, 2015). Half the Norwegian aggregate production (sand, gravel and crushed rock) is used for road construction. In Norway, aggregate resources have been considered abundant. However, stricter requirement for aggregate quality, and increased concern for sustainability and environmental issues have spurred focus on reduction of transport lengths through better utilization of local aggregate materials. In this research project, information about pavement design and aggregate quality requirements were gathered from a questionnaire sent to selected experts from the World Road Organization (PIARC), European Committee for Standardization (CEN), and Nordic Road Association (NVF). The gathered data was compared to identify differences and similarities for aggregate use in the participating countries. Further, the data was compared to known data from Norway regarding: - amount of aggregates required for a road structure - aggregate transport lengths and related costs A total of 18 countries participated in the survey, represented by either road authorities, research institutions, or contractors. There are large variations in practice for aggregate use among the represented countries, and the selection of countries is sufficient to illustrate a variety in pavement designs, aggregate sizes, and quality requirements for road construction. There are considerable differences in both pavement thickness and aggregate sizes used in the studied countries. Total thicknesses for pavement structures varies from 220 mm to 2400 mm

  5. Reusing recycled aggregates in structural concrete

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kou, Shicong

    The utilization of recycled aggregates in concrete can minimize environmental impact and reduce the consumption of natural resources in concrete applications. The aim of this thesis is to provide a scientific basis for the possible use of recycled aggregates in structure concrete by conducting a comprehensive programme of laboratory study to gain a better understanding of the mechanical, microstructure and durability properties of concrete produced with recycled aggregates. The study also explored possible techniques to of improve the properties of recycled aggregate concrete that is produced with high percentages (≧ 50%) of recycled aggregates. These techniques included: (a) using lower water-to-cement ratios in the concrete mix design; (b) using fly ash as a cement replacement or as an additional mineral admixture in the concrete mixes, and (c) precasting recycled aggregate concrete with steam curing regimes. The characteristics of the recycled aggregates produced both from laboratory and a commercially operated pilot construction and demolition (C&D) waste recycling plant were first studied. A mix proportioning procedure was then established to produce six series of concrete mixtures using different percentages of recycled coarse aggregates with and without the use of fly ash. The water-to-cement (binder) ratios of 0.55, 0.50, 0.45 and 0.40 were used. The fresh properties (including slump and bleeding) of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) were then quantified. The effects of fly ash on the fresh and hardened properties of RAC were then studied and compared with those RAC prepared with no fly ash addition. Furthermore, the effects of steam curing on the hardened properties of RAC were investigated. For micro-structural properties, the interfacial transition zones of the aggregates and the mortar/cement paste were analyzed by SEM and EDX-mapping. Moreover, a detailed set of results on the fracture properties for RAC were obtained. Based on the experimental

  6. Shelf Life of PMR Polyimide Monomer Solutions and Prepregs Extended

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alston, William B.; Scheiman, Daniel A.

    2000-01-01

    PMR (Polymerization of Monomeric Reactants) technology was developed in the mid-1970's at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field for fabricating high-temperature stable polyimide composites. This technology allowed a solution of polyimide monomers or prepreg (a fiber, such as glass or graphite, impregnated with PMR polyimide monomers) to be thermally cured without the release of volatiles that cause the formation of voids unlike the non-PMR technology used for polyimide condensation type resins. The initial PMR resin introduced as PMR 15 is still commercially available and is used worldwide by aerospace industries as the state-of-the-art resin for high-temperature polyimide composite applications. PMR 15 offers easy composite processing, excellent composite mechanical property retention, a long lifetime at use temperatures of 500 to 550 F, and relatively low cost. Later, second-generation PMR resin versions, such as PMR II 50 and VCAP 75, offer improvements in the upper-use temperature (to 700 F) and in the useful life at temperature without major compromises in processing and property retention but with significant increases in resin cost. Newer versions of nontoxic (non-methylene dianiline) PMR resins, such as BAX PMR 15, offer similar advantages as originally found for PMR 15 but also with significant increases in resin cost. Thus, the current scope of the entire PMR technology available meets a wide range of aeronautical requirements for polymer composite applications.

  7. Aggregated particles caused by instrument artifact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pierce, Ashley M.; Loría-Salazar, S. Marcela; Arnott, W. Patrick; Edwards, Grant C.; Miller, Matthieu B.; Gustin, Mae S.

    2018-04-01

    Previous studies have indicated that superaggregates, clusters of aggregates of soot primary particles, can be formed in large-scale turbulent fires. Due to lower effective densities, higher porosity, and lower aerodynamic diameters, superaggregates may pass through inlets designed to remove particles 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter were collected on 36 out of 158 sample days. On preliminary analysis, it was thought that these aggregated particles were superaggregates, depositing past PM10 (particles wind speeds, as well as the use of generators on site. Samples with aggregated particles, referred to as aggregates, were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope for size and shape and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used for elemental analysis. It was determined, based on the high amounts of aluminum present in the aggregate samples, that a sampling artifact associated with the sample inlet and prolonged, high wind events was the probable reason for the observed aggregates.

  8. Optoelectronic and Photovoltaic Performances of Pyridine Based Monomer and Polymer Capped ZnO Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Satbir; Raj, Tilak; Singh, Amarpal; Kaur, Navneet

    2016-06-01

    The present research work describes the comparative analysis and performance characteristics of 4-pyridine based monomer and polymer capped ZnO dye-sensitized solar cells. The N, N-dimethyl-N4-((pyridine-4yl)methylene) propaneamine (4,monomer) and polyamine-4-pyridyl Schiff base (5, polymer) dyes were synthesized through one step condensation reaction between 4-pyridinecarboxaldehyde 1 and N, N-dimethylpropylamine 2/polyamine 3. Products obtained N, N-dimethyl-N4-((pyridine-4yl)methylene)propaneamine (4) and polyamine-4-pyridyl Schiff base (5) were purified and characterized using 1H, 13C NMR, mass, IR and CHN spectroscopy. Both the dyes 4 and 5 were further coated over ZnO nanoparticles and characterized using SEM, DLS and XRD analysis. Absorption profile and emission profile was monitored using fluorescence and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. A thick layer of these inbuilt dye linked ZnO nanoparticles of dyes (4) and (5) was pasted on one of the conductive side of ITO glass followed with a liquid electrolyte and counter electrode of the same conductive glass. Polyamine-4-pyridyl Schiff base polymer (5) decorated dye sensitized solar cell has shown better exciting photovoltaic properties in the form of short circuit current density (J(sc) = 6.3 mA/cm2), open circuit photo voltage (V(oc) = 0.7 V), fill factor (FF = 0.736) than monomer decorated dye sensitized solar cell. Polymer dye (5) based ZnO solar cell has shown a maximum solar power to electrical conversion efficiency of 3.25%, which is enhanced by 2.16% in case of monomer dye based ZnO solar cell under AM 1.5 sun illuminations.

  9. The alkali–aggregate reaction for various aggregates used in concrete

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Calderón, V.

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work is to contribute to the knowledge of the interactions between aggregates and the components of the interstitial phase of concrete and to determine whether those aggregates that are subsequently used in the manufacture of concrete are reagents and are therefore likely to undergo a progressive deterioration of their initial properties. An initial petrographic study of each aggregate is performed in order to be able to determine its subsequent behaviour and reactivity under the influence of various factors. The potential reactivity of different silicaceous aggregates (slates, gneiss, hornfels, granites, quartzite and serpentine is then determined by a chemical method for evaluating the potential reactivity of aggregates and an accelerated method in mortar specimens, and finally the surface reactivity is investigated. The results of these studies suggest that some aggregates are able to react with the components of the interstitial phase of concrete. The existence of this kind of interaction is confirmed by the results of the surface investigations before and after the basic reaction.

    Este trabajo pretende contribuir al conocimiento de las reacciones de interacción entre los áridos y los componentes de la fase intersticial del hormigón y determinar si estos áridos, empleados posteriormente en la fabricación del hormigón, son reactivos y por tanto susceptibles de provocar una disminución progresiva de sus propiedades iniciales. Para la caracterización de cada árido se ha realizado un estudio petrográfico, fundamental a la hora de determinar su posterior comportamiento en términos de reactividad frente a diversos factores. Seguidamente, se ha analizado la reactividad potencial de diferentes áridos silicatados (pizarras, gneis, corneanas, granitos, cuarcita y serpentina mediante los dos métodos normalizados existentes: el método químico para la determinación de la reactividad potencial de áridos y

  10. Objective interpretation as conforming interpretation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lidka Rodak

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The practical discourse willingly uses the formula of “objective interpretation”, with no regards to its controversial nature that has been discussed in literature.The main aim of the article is to investigate what “objective interpretation” could mean and how it could be understood in the practical discourse, focusing on the understanding offered by judicature.The thesis of the article is that objective interpretation, as identified with textualists’ position, is not possible to uphold, and should be rather linked with conforming interpretation. And what this actually implies is that it is not the virtue of certainty and predictability – which are usually associated with objectivity- but coherence that makes the foundation of applicability of objectivity in law.What could be observed from the analyses, is that both the phenomenon of conforming interpretation and objective interpretation play the role of arguments in the interpretive discourse, arguments that provide justification that interpretation is not arbitrary or subjective. With regards to the important part of the ideology of legal application which is the conviction that decisions should be taken on the basis of law in order to exclude arbitrariness, objective interpretation could be read as a question “what kind of authority “supports” certain interpretation”? that is almost never free of judicial creativity and judicial activism.One can say that, objective and conforming interpretation are just another arguments used in legal discourse.

  11. 13C Kinetic isotopic effect of polymerization on monomers with multiple bond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berman, E.L.; Polyakov, V.B.; Makovetskij, K.L.; Golenko, T.G.; Galimov, Eh.M.; AN SSSR, Moscow. Inst. Organicheskoj Khimii; AN SSSR, Moscow. Inst. Geokhimii i Analiticheskoj Khimii)

    1988-01-01

    13 C kinetic isotopic effect (KIE) of anionic and radical polymerization and metathesis reaction of monomers with multiple bonds are studied and correlation between the found KIE values of polymerization and the structure of transition state is established. 13 C KIE of polymerization reactions are investigated using monomers with natural content of the isotope. Polymerization was carried out using high-vacuum equipment: radical polymerization of methyl acrylate (MA) and vinyl acetate in benzene solution under the effect of benzoyl peroxide (60 deg C); anionic polymerization of MA, initiated by potassium butyl cellosolvolate, was realized in mass at 25 deg C; cyclopentene metathesis reaction was conducted in benzene under the effect of initiating system WCl 6 - (C 3 H 5 ) 2 Si(CH 3 ) 2 at -30 deg C; phenylacetylene polymers were prepared by polymerization in benzene solution at 20 deg C under the effect of WCl 6 . It is ascertained that 13 C KIE of radical and anionic polymerization of olefins and cycloolefin metathesis constitutes 2.0 -2.4%. Polymerization of compound with ternary bond is accompanied by a lower value of 13 C KIE (<1%), which is explained by double bond of reacting bond in transition state

  12. A novel antibacterial orthodontic cement containing a quaternary ammonium monomer dimethylaminododecyl methacrylate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melo, Mary A.S.; Wu, Junling; Weir, Michael D.; Xu, Hockin H. K.

    2015-01-01

    Demineralized lesions in tooth enamel around orthodontic brackets are caused by acids from cariogenic biofilm. This study aimed to develop a novel antibacterial orthodontic cement by incorporating a quaternary ammonium monomer dimethylaminododecyl methacrylate (DMADDM) into a commercial orthodontic cement, and to investigate the effects on microcosm biofilm response and enamel bond strength. DMADDM, a recently-synthetized antibacterial monomer, was incorporated into orthodontic cement at 0%, 1.5%, 3% and 5% mass fractions. Bond strength of brackets to enamel was measured. A microcosm biofilm model was used to measure metabolic activity, lactic acid production, and colony-forming units (CFU) on orthodontic cements. Shear bond strength was not reduced at 3% DAMDDM (p > 0.1), but was slightly reduced at 5% DMADDM, compared to 0% DMADDM. Biofilm viability was substantially inhibited when in contact with orthodontic cement containing 3% DMADDM. Biofilm metabolic activity, lactic acid production, and CFU were much lower on orthodontic cement containing DMADDM than control cement (p orthodontic cement containing 3% DMADDM inhibited oral biofilms without compromising the enamel bond strength, and is promising to reduce or eliminate demineralization in enamel around orthodontic brackets. PMID:25035230

  13. Information Aggregation and Investment Decisions

    OpenAIRE

    Christian Hellwig; Aleh Tsyvinski; Elias Albagli

    2010-01-01

    This paper studies an environment in which information aggregation interacts with investment decisions. The first contribution of the paper is to develop a tractable model of such interactions. The second contribution is to solve the model in closed form and derive a series of implications that result from the interplay between information aggregation and the value of market information for the firms' decision problem. We show that the model generates an information aggregation wedge between ...

  14. Pseudomonas syringae evades host immunity by degrading flagellin monomers with alkaline protease AprA

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pel, Michiel J C; van Dijken, Anja J H; Bardoel, Bart W; Seidl, Michael F; van der Ent, Sjoerd; van Strijp, Jos A G; Pieterse, Corné M J

    Bacterial flagellin molecules are strong inducers of innate immune responses in both mammals and plants. The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa secretes an alkaline protease called AprA that degrades flagellin monomers. Here, we show that AprA is widespread among a wide variety of

  15. Pseudomonas syringae evades host Immunity by degrading flagellin monomers with alkaline protease AprA

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pel, M.J.C.; Van Dijken, A.J.H.; Bardoel, B.W.; Seidl, M.F; Van der Ent, S.; Van Strijp, J.A.G.

    2014-01-01

    Bacterial flagellin molecules are strong inducers of innate immune responses in both mammals and plants. The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa secretes an alkaline protease called AprA that degrades flagellin monomers. Here, we show that AprA is widespread among a wide variety of

  16. Production of lightweight aggregates from washing aggregate sludge and fly ash

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Corrochano, Beatriz; Alonso-Azcárate, Jacinto; Rodas, Magdalena

    2010-05-01

    Increasing generation of wastes is one of the main environmental problems in industrialised countries. Heat treatment at high temperatures can convert some types of wastes into ceramic products with a wide range of microstructural features and properties (Bethanis et al., 2004). A lightweight aggregate (LWA) is a granular material with a bulk density (bd) not exceeding 1.20 g/cm3 or with a particle density not exceeding 2.00 g/cm3 (UNE-EN-13055-1, 2003). They have become a focus of interest because the low particle density and the low bulk density entail a decrease in the load transmitted to the ground, and less work and effort are required to transport them (De' Gennaro et al., 2004). The benefits associated with these low densities, which are due to the formation of voids and pores, are very good thermal and acoustic insulation and materials with a good resistance to fire (Benbow, 1987; Fakhfakh et al., 2007). The objective was to recycle fly ash, used motor oil from cars and mineral wastes from washing aggregate sludge, in order to obtain a usable material such as lightweight aggregates, and also to ensure that they are of good quality for different applications. Raw materials have been physically, chemically and mineralogically characterized. On the basis of the results obtained, they were mixed, milled to a grain size of less than 200 μm (Yasuda, 1991), formed into pellets, pre-heated for 5 min and sintered in a rotary kiln at 1150°C, 1175°C, 1200°C and 1225°C for 10 and 15 min at each temperature (Theating). Effects of raw material characteristics, heating temperature and dwell time on the following LWAs properties were determined: loss on ignition (LOI), bloating index (BI), loose bulk density (bd), apparent and dry particle density (ad, dd), voids (H), water absorption (WA24h) and compressive strength (S). The products obtained were lightweight aggregates in accordance with norm UNE-EN-13055-1 (bd ≤1.20 g/cm3 or particle density ≤2.00 g/cm3). LWAs

  17. Preparation of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Grafted With Acrylic Acid/Styrene Binary Monomers For Selective Permeation of Heavy Metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hegazy El-Sayed, A.; Abd El-Rehim, H.A.; Ali, A.M.; Aly, H.F.

    1999-01-01

    A study has been made to modify water-soluble poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), by grafting acrylic acid and styrene (AAc/Sty) binary monomers using gamma rays as initiator. The factors that affect the preparation process and grafting yield were studied and more economical grafts under the most favorable reaction conditions were obtained. It was found that the high degree of grafting of such system was obtained in presence of ethanol-water mixture in which water plays a significant role in enhancing the graft copolymerization. The critical amount of water to afford maximum grafting yield has been evaluated. The effect of comonomer composition on the grafting yield was also investigated and it was observed that using a mixture of AAc/Sty monomers influence the extent of grafting of each monomer onto the PVA substrate and the phenomenon of synergism occurs during such reaction. Also, degree of grafting increases as the content of the solvent decreases in the reaction medium. The permeation of heavy metals such as Ni and Co through the grafted membranes was investigated and efficiency of separation process is also determined

  18. Effect of functional monomers in all-in-one adhesive systems on formation of enamel/dentin acid-base resistant zone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikaido, Toru; Ichikawa, Chiaki; Li, Na; Takagaki, Tomohiro; Sadr, Alireza; Yoshida, Yasuhiro; Suzuki, Kazuomi; Tagami, Junji

    2011-01-01

    This study aimed at evaluating the effect of functional monomers in all-in-one adhesive systems on formation of acid-base resistant zone (ABRZ) in enamel and dentin. Experimental adhesive systems containing one of three functional monomers; MDP, 3D-SR and 4-META were applied to enamel or dentin surface and light-cured. A universal resin composite was then placed. The specimens were subjected to a demineralizing solution (pH 4.5) and 5% NaClO for acid-base challenge and then observed by SEM. The ABRZ was clearly observed in both enamel and dentin interfaces. However, enamel ABRZ was thinner than dentin ABRZ in all adhesives. Morphology of the ABRZ was different between enamel and dentin, and also among the adhesives. Funnel-shaped erosion was observed only in the enamel specimen with the 4-META adhesive. The formation of enamel/dentin ABRZ was confirmed in all adhesives, but the morphology was influenced by the functional monomers.

  19. Internal water curing with Liapor aggregates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lura, Pietro

    2005-01-01

    Internal water curing is a very efficient way to counteract self-desiccation and autogenous shrinkage in high performance concrete, thereby reducing the likelihood of early-age cracking. This paper deals with early-age volume changes and moisture transport in lightweight aggregate concrete realized...... with wet lightweight aggregates. Lightweight aggregate concrete mixtures with different degree of saturation and different particle size of the lightweight aggregates were studied and compared to normal weight concrete. Autogenous deformations, selfinduced stresses in fully restrained conditions, elastic...

  20. Fly ash aggregates. Vliegaskunstgrind

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1983-03-01

    A study has been carried out into artificial aggregates made from fly ash, 'fly ash aggregates'. Attention has been drawn to the production of fly ash aggregates in the Netherlands as a way to obviate the need of disposal of fly ash. Typical process steps for the manufacturing of fly ash aggregates are the agglomeration and the bonding of fly ash particles. Agglomeration techniques are subdivided into agitation and compaction, bonding methods into sintering, hydrothermal and 'cold' bonding. In sintering no bonding agent is used. The fly ash particles are more or less welded together. Sintering in general is performed at a temperature higher than 900 deg C. In hydrothermal processes lime reacts with fly ash to a crystalline hydrate at temperatures between 100 and 250 deg C at saturated steam pressure. As a lime source not only lime as such, but also portland cement can be used. Cold bonding processes rely on reaction of fly ash with lime or cement at temperatures between 0 and 100 deg C. The pozzolanic properties of fly ash are used. Where cement is applied, this bonding agent itself contributes also to the strength development of the artificial aggregate. Besides the use of lime and cement, several processes are known which make use of lime containing wastes such as spray dry absorption desulfurization residues or fluid bed coal combustion residues. (In Dutch)

  1. Macrophage triggering by aggregated immunoglobulins. II. Comparison of IgE and IgG aggregates or immune complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pestel, J; Dessaint, J P; Joseph, M; Bazin, H; Capron, A

    1984-01-01

    Macrophages incubated with complexed or aggregated IgE released beta-glucuronidase (beta-G) within 30 min. In contrast in the presence of aggregated or complexed IgG, macrophages liberated equivalent amount of beta-G only after 6 h incubation. In addition the rapid macrophage stimulation induced by aggregated IgE was also followed by a faster 3H-glucosamine incorporation when compared to the delayed activation caused by aggregated IgG. However, macrophages stimulated either by IgG or by IgE oligomers produced the same percentage of plasminogen activator at 24 h. In contrast, while the interaction between macrophages and aggregated IgE was only followed by a peak of cyclic GMP and a beta-G release during the first 30 min of incubation, the interaction between macrophages and IgG oligomers was accompanied by a simultaneous increase of cyclic GMP and AMP nucleotides and by an absence of beta-G exocytosis. Moreover, the beta-G release induced by aggregated IgE was increased when macrophages were preincubated with aggregated IgG. This additive effect was not observed in the reverse situation. Finally macrophages activated by IgG oligomers were demonstrated to exert a cytotoxic effect on tumour cells and to kill schistosomula in the presence of a low level of complement. Taken together these results underline the peculiar ability of aggregated or complexed IgE to trigger rapidly the macrophage activation compared to aggregated IgG and can explain the important role of complexed IgE in some macrophage dependent cytotoxicity mechanisms (i.e. in parasitic diseases). PMID:6088135

  2. Synthesis of polymer nanostructures via the use of surfactant surface aggregates as templates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marquez, Maricel

    The subject of this work is the synthesis of polymer nanostructures via the use of surfactant surface aggregates as templates, also termed Template Assisted Admicellar Polymerization (TAAP). The first chapter reviews some of the most current nanopatterning techniques (including both top-down and bottom-up approaches), with particular emphasis on the fabrication of organic and inorganic patterned nanostructures via particle lithography. In chapter 2, highly ordered hexagonal arrays of latex spheres were prepared on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) from a variation of the Langmuir Blodgett technique, using an anionic surfactant (SDS), and a low molecular weight (ca. 10000) polyacrylamide as spreading agents. When a nonionic polyethoxylated (EO = 9) surfactant was used as the spreading agent, no ordered arrays were observed. Based on the correlation found between the surface tension in the presence of the latex particles and the critical concentration at which hexagonal arrangements of latex spheres occurs; a model was proposed to explain the role of the spreading agent in forming stable monolayers at the air/liquid interface, which in turn are necessary for the formation of well-ordered monolayers on a solid substrate from the LB technique. According to this model, solid-like regions of small numbers of latex spheres form at the liquid-air interface, which are then transferred to the substrate. These ordered regions then act as nuclei for the formation of 2D arrays of latex spheres on the surface upon water evaporation. The role of other factors such as relative humidity, substrate and solvent choice, and pulling vs. compression speed were also found to affect the quality of the monolayers formed. Finally, a simple, easy to automate, yet effective surface tension method was proposed to predict the optimal conditions for the formation of ordered monolayers using a variation of the LB deposition method from any monodisperse set of spheres. In chapter 3, a novel

  3. Microfluidic magnetic switching valves based on aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles: Effects of aggregate length and nanoparticle sizes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiemsakul, Thanakorn [National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 111 Thailand Science Park, Thanon Phahonyothin, Tambon Khlong Nueng, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120 (Thailand); Manakasettharn, Supone, E-mail: supone@nanotec.or.th [National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 111 Thailand Science Park, Thanon Phahonyothin, Tambon Khlong Nueng, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120 (Thailand); Kanharattanachai, Sivakorn; Wanna, Yongyuth [College of Nanotechnology, King Mongkut' s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Chalongkrung Road, Bangkok 10520 (Thailand); Wangsuya, Sujint [College of Nanotechnology, King Mongkut' s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Chalongkrung Road, Bangkok 10520 (Thailand); Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, 272 Rama VI Road, Ratchathewi District, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand); Pratontep, Sirapat [College of Nanotechnology, King Mongkut' s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Chalongkrung Road, Bangkok 10520 (Thailand)

    2017-01-15

    We demonstrate microfluidic switching valves using magnetic nanoparticles blended within the working fluid as an alternative microfluidic flow control in microchannels. Y-shaped microchannels have been fabricated by using a CO{sub 2} laser cutter to pattern microchannels on transparent poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) sheets covered with thermally bonded transparent polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheets. To examine the performance of the microfluidic magnetic switching valves, an aqueous magnetic nanoparticle suspension was injected into the microchannels by a syringe pump. Neodymium magnets were then employed to attract magnetic nanoparticles and form an aggregate that blocked the microchannels at a required position. We have found that the maximum volumetric flow rate of the syringe pump that the magnetic nanoparticle aggregate can withstand scales with the square of the external magnetic flux density. The viscosity of the fluid exhibits dependent on the aggregate length and the size of the magnetic nanoparticles. This microfluidic switching valve based on aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles has strong potentials as an on-demand flow control, which may help simplifying microfluidic channel designs. - Highlights: • We demonstrate microfluidic switching valves based on aggregates of magnetic particles. • Maximum flow rate that the aggregate can withstand scales with the square of the external magnetic flux density. • Aggregates with smaller magnetic nanoparticle size can withstand higher flow rate. • Aggregate length exhibits a linear dependence with flow resistance of a viscous fluid.

  4. Noise-and delay-induced phase transitions of the dimer–monomer surface reaction model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeng Chunhua; Wang Hua

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We study the dimer–monomer surface reaction model. ► We show that noise induces first-order irreversible phase transition (IPT). ► Combination of noise and time-delayed feedback induce first- and second-order IPT. ► First- and second-order IPT is viewed as noise-and delay-induced phase transitions. - Abstract: The effects of noise and time-delayed feedback in the dimer–monomer (DM) surface reaction model are investigated. Applying small delay approximation, we construct a stochastic delayed differential equation and its Fokker–Planck equation to describe the state evolution of the DM reaction model. We show that the noise can only induce first-order irreversible phase transition (IPT) characteristic of the DM model, however the combination of the noise and time-delayed feedback can simultaneously induce first- and second-order IPT characteristics of the DM model. Therefore, it is shown that the well-known first- and second-order IPT characteristics of the DM model may be viewed as noise-and delay-induced phase transitions.

  5. Silver Nanocube and Nanobar Growth via Anisotropic Monomer Addition and Particle Attachment Processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiao, Dongdong [Physical; Wu, Zhigang [School; Song, Miao [Physical; Chun, Jaehun [Physical; Schenter, Gregory K. [Physical; Li, Dongsheng [Physical

    2018-01-11

    Understanding the growth mechanism of noble metal nanocrystals during solution synthesis is of significant importance for shape and property control. However, much remains unknown about the growth pathways of metal nanoparticles due to lack of direct observation. Using an in-situ transmission electron microscopy technique, we directly observed Ag nanocube and nanobar growth in aqueous solution through both classical monomer-by-monomer addition and non-classical particle attachment processes. During the particle attachment process, Ag nanocubes and nanobars formed via both oriented and non-oriented attachment. Our calculations, along with dynamics of the observed attachment, showed that van der Waals force overcame hydrodynamic and friction forces and drove the particles toward each other. During classical growth, an anisotropic growth was also revealed, and the resulting unsymmetrical shape constituted an intermediate state for Ag nanocube growth. We hypothesized that the temporary symmetry breaking resulted from different growth rates on {001} surfaces due to a local surface concentration variation caused by the imbalance between the consumption of Ag+ near the surface and the diffusion of Ag+ from bulk to surface.

  6. Four novel alkyl 2-cyanoacylate monomers and their use in latent fingermark detection by mid-infrared spectral imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tahtouh, Mark; Scott, Sonia A; Kalman, John R; Reedy, Brian J

    2011-04-15

    Four novel alkyl 2-cyanoacrylate monomers (alkyl=1-cyanoethyl, 2-cyanoethyl, trideuteromethyl and pentadeuteroethyl) have been tested for their ability to develop latent fingermarks that can then be visualized using mid-infrared spectral (chemical) imaging. Each of the four monomers was chosen for its potential to produce a strong, isolated infrared spectral band in its corresponding polymer (to provide spectral contrast against most backgrounds), as well as for its potential ability to be fumed onto fingermarks in the manner of conventional ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate (superglue). With the exception of the 2-cyanoethyl 2-cyanoacrylate, which had to be fumed under reduced pressure, all of the monomers were found to be sufficiently volatile to be fumed in a conventional fuming cabinet. All four monomers polymerized selectively on fingermark ridges on a variety of non-porous and semi-porous surfaces, leading to excellent development of the fingermarks. Unfortunately, although high quality mid-infrared spectral images of the fingermarks could be formed for all of the polymers at various frequencies, the new CN or CD stretching vibrations did not give rise to strong enough absorption intensities for good contrast on difficult backgrounds such as polymer banknotes. However, in the 1-cyanoethyl 2-cyanoacrylate polymer, the presence of the additional nitrile group had the unintended but desirable effect of shifting the strong CO absorption to higher frequencies, moving it away from interfering banknote absorptions. This enabled fingermark contrast to be achieved even against the intaglio printing on the banknotes. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Macroeconomic susceptibility, inflation, and aggregate supply

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawkins, Raymond J.

    2017-03-01

    We unify aggregate-supply dynamics as a time-dependent susceptibility-mediated relationship between inflation and aggregate economic output. In addition to representing well various observations of inflation-output dynamics this parsimonious formalism provides a straightforward derivation of popular representations of aggregate-supply dynamics and a natural basis for economic-agent expectations as an element of inflation formation. Our formalism also illuminates questions of causality and time-correlation that challenge central banks for whom aggregate-supply dynamics is a key constraint in their goal of achieving macroeconomic stability.

  8. Aggregated recommendation through random forests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Heng-Ru; Min, Fan; He, Xu

    2014-01-01

    Aggregated recommendation refers to the process of suggesting one kind of items to a group of users. Compared to user-oriented or item-oriented approaches, it is more general and, therefore, more appropriate for cold-start recommendation. In this paper, we propose a random forest approach to create aggregated recommender systems. The approach is used to predict the rating of a group of users to a kind of items. In the preprocessing stage, we merge user, item, and rating information to construct an aggregated decision table, where rating information serves as the decision attribute. We also model the data conversion process corresponding to the new user, new item, and both new problems. In the training stage, a forest is built for the aggregated training set, where each leaf is assigned a distribution of discrete rating. In the testing stage, we present four predicting approaches to compute evaluation values based on the distribution of each tree. Experiments results on the well-known MovieLens dataset show that the aggregated approach maintains an acceptable level of accuracy.

  9. Recognition of double-stranded DNA using energetically activated duplexes with interstrand zippers of 1-, 2-or 4-pyrenyl-functionalized O2 '-alkylated RNA monomers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karmakar, Saswata; Madsen, Andreas Stahl; Guenther, Dale C.

    2014-01-01

    '-alkylated uridine monomers X-Z by means of thermal denaturation experiments, optical spectroscopy, force-field simulations and recognition experiments using DNA hairpins as model targets. We demonstrate that Invaders with +1 interstrand zippers of X or Y monomers efficiently recognize mixed-sequence DNA...

  10. Microbial properties of soil aggregates created by earthworms and other factors: spherical and prismatic soil aggregates from unreclaimed post-mining sites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Frouz, J.; Kristufek, V.; Liveckova, M.; van Loo, D.; Jacobs, P.; Van Hoorebeke, L. [Charles University of Prague, Prague (Czech Republic). Inst. of Environmental Studies

    2011-01-15

    Soil aggregates between 2 and 5 mm from 35- and 45-year-old unreclaimed post-mining sites near Sokolov (Czech Republic) were divided into two groups: spherical and prismatic. X-ray tomography indicated that prismatic aggregates consisted of fragments of claystone bonded together by amorphous clay and roots while spherical aggregates consisted of a clay matrix and organic fragments of various sizes. Prismatic aggregates were presumed to be formed by plant roots and physical processes during weathering of Tertiary mudstone, while earthworms were presumed to contribute to the formation of spherical aggregates. The effects of drying and rewetting and glucose addition on microbial respiration, microbial biomass, and counts of bacteria in these aggregates were determined. Spherical aggregates contained a greater percentage of C and N and a higher C-to-N ratio than prismatic ones. The C content of the particulate organic matter was also higher in the spherical than in the prismatic aggregates. Although spherical aggregates had a higher microbial respiration and biomass, the growth of microbial biomass in spherical aggregates was negatively correlated with initial microbial biomass, indicating competition between bacteria. Specific respiration was negatively correlated with microbial biomass. Direct counts of bacteria were higher in spherical than in prismatic aggregates. Bacterial numbers were more stable in the center than in the surface layers of the aggregates. Transmission electron microscopy indicated that bacteria often occurred as individual cells in prismatic aggregates but as small clusters of cells in spherical aggregates. Ratios of colony forming units (cultivatable bacteria) to direct counts were higher in spherical than in prismatic aggregates. Spherical aggregates also contained faster growing bacteria.

  11. Fabrication of Surface Protein-Imprinted Nanoparticles Using a Metal Chelating Monomer via Aqueous Precipitation Polymerization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wei; Sun, Yan; Yang, Chongchong; Yan, Xianming; Guo, Hao; Fu, Guoqi

    2015-12-16

    Molecular imprinting is a promising way for constructing artificial protein recognition materials, but it has been challenged by difficulties such as restricted biomacromolecule transfer in the cross-linked polymer networks, and reduced template-monomer interactions that are due to the required aqueous media. Herein, we propose a strategy for imprinting of histidine (His)-exposed proteins by combining previous approaches such as surface imprinting over nanostructures, utilization of metal coordination interactions, and adoption of aqueous precipitation polymerization capable of forming reversible physical crosslinks. With lysozyme as a model template bearing His residues, imprinted polymer nanoshells were grafted over vinyl-modified nanoparticles by aqueous precipitation copolymerization of a Cu(2+) chelating monomer with a temperature-responsive monomer carried out at 37 °C, above the volume phase-transition temperature (VPTT) of the final copolymer. The imprinted nanoshells showed significant temperature sensitivity and the template removal could be facilitated by swelling of the imprinted layers at 4 °C, below the VPTT. The resultant core-shell imprinted nanoparticles exhibited strikingly high rebinding selectivity against a variety of nontemplate proteins. An imprinting factor up to 22.7 was achieved, which is among the best values reported for protein imprinting, and a rather high specific binding capacity of 67.3 mg/g was obtained. Moreover, this approach was successfully extended to preliminary imprinting of hemoglobin, another protein with accessible His. Therefore, it may be a versatile method for fabrication of high-performance surface-imprinted nanoparticles toward His-exposed proteins.

  12. Glycation precedes lens crystallin aggregation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swamy, M.S.; Perry, R.E.; Abraham, E.C.

    1987-01-01

    Non-enzymatic glycosylation (glycation) seems to have the potential to alter the structure of crystallins and make them susceptible to thiol oxidation leading to disulfide-linked high molecular weight (HMW) aggregate formation. They used streptozotocin diabetic rats during precataract and cataract stages and long-term cell-free glycation of bovine lens crystallins to study the relationship between glycation and lens crystallin aggregation. HMW aggregates and other protein components of the water-soluble (WS) and urea-soluble (US) fractions were separated by molecular sieve high performance liquid chromatography. Glycation was estimated by both [ 3 H]NaBH 4 reduction and phenylboronate agarose affinity chromatography. Levels of total glycated protein (GP) in the US fractions were about 2-fold higher than in the WS fractions and there was a linear increase in GP in both WS and US fractions. This increase was parallelled by a corresponding increase in HMW aggregates. Total GP extracted by the affinity method from the US fraction showed a predominance of HMW aggregates and vice versa. Cell-free glycation studies with bovine crystallins confirmed the results of the animals studies. Increasing glycation caused a corresponding increase in protein insolubilization and the insoluble fraction thus formed also contained more glycated protein. It appears that lens protein glycation, HMW aggregate formation, and protein insolubilization are interrelated

  13. Reuse of industrial sludge as construction aggregates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tay, J H; Show, K Y; Hong, S Y

    2001-01-01

    Industrial wastewater sludge and dredged marine clay are high volume wastes that needed enormous space at landfill disposal sites. Due to the limitation of land space, there is an urgent need for alternative disposal methods for these two wastes. This study investigates the possibility of using the industrial sludge in combination with marine clay as construction aggregates. Different proportions of sludge and clay were made into round and angular aggregates. It was found that certain mix proportions could provide aggregates of adequate strength, comparable to that of conventional aggregates. Concrete samples cast from the sludge-clay aggregates yield compressive strengths in the range of 31.0 to 39.0 N/mm2. The results showed that the round aggregates of 100% sludge and the crush aggregates of sludge with up to 20% clay produced concrete of compressive strengths which are superior to that of 38.0 N/mm2 for conventional aggregate. The study indicates that the conversion of high volume wastes into construction materials is a potential option for waste management.

  14. Mangrove tannins and their flavanoid monomers as alternative steel corrosion inhibitors in acidic medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rahim, Afidah A. [School of Chemical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang (Malaysia)]. E-mail: afidah@usm.my; Rocca, E. [Laboratoire de Chimie du Solide Mineral, Universite Henri Poincare, Nancy I BP 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre Les Nancy (France); Steinmetz, J. [Laboratoire de Chimie du Solide Mineral, Universite Henri Poincare, Nancy I BP 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre Les Nancy (France); Kassim, M.J. [School of Chemical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang (Malaysia); Adnan, R. [School of Chemical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang (Malaysia); Sani Ibrahim, M. [School of Chemical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang (Malaysia)

    2007-02-15

    The inhibitive behaviour on steel of flavanoid monomers that constitute mangrove tannins namely catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin and epicatechingallate was investigated in an aerated HCl solution via electrochemical methods. The monomers were found to be mainly cathodic inhibitors and the inhibition efficiency was dependent on concentration. To explain the adsorptive behaviour of the molecules on the steel surface, a semiempirical approach involving quantum chemical calculations using HyperChem 6.0 was undertaken. The HOMO electronic density of the molecule was used to explain the inhibiting mechanism. The most probable adsorption centers were found in the vicinity of the phenolic groups. In a second part, the use of mangrove tannin, extracted from the mangrove barks as steel corrosion inhibitors in acidic media was investigated and its inhibitive efficiency was compared with that of commercial mimosa, quebracho and chestnut tannins. The inhibitive performance of mangrove tannins was comparable to the other tannins investigated, indicating their potential in corrosion protection.

  15. Mangrove tannins and their flavanoid monomers as alternative steel corrosion inhibitors in acidic medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahim, Afidah A.; Rocca, E.; Steinmetz, J.; Kassim, M.J.; Adnan, R.; Sani Ibrahim, M.

    2007-01-01

    The inhibitive behaviour on steel of flavanoid monomers that constitute mangrove tannins namely catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin and epicatechingallate was investigated in an aerated HCl solution via electrochemical methods. The monomers were found to be mainly cathodic inhibitors and the inhibition efficiency was dependent on concentration. To explain the adsorptive behaviour of the molecules on the steel surface, a semiempirical approach involving quantum chemical calculations using HyperChem 6.0 was undertaken. The HOMO electronic density of the molecule was used to explain the inhibiting mechanism. The most probable adsorption centers were found in the vicinity of the phenolic groups. In a second part, the use of mangrove tannin, extracted from the mangrove barks as steel corrosion inhibitors in acidic media was investigated and its inhibitive efficiency was compared with that of commercial mimosa, quebracho and chestnut tannins. The inhibitive performance of mangrove tannins was comparable to the other tannins investigated, indicating their potential in corrosion protection

  16. New Insights Toward Quantitative Relationships between Lignin Reactivity to Monomers and Their Structural Characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Ruoshui; Zhang, Xiumei; Wang, Yi; Zhang, Xiao

    2018-04-27

    The heterogeneous and complex structural characteristics of lignin present a significant challenge to predict its processability (e.g. depolymerization, modifications etc) to valuable products. This study provides a detailed characterization and comparison of structural properties of seven representative biorefinery lignin samples derived from forest and agricultural residues, which were subjected to representative pretreatment methods. A range of wet chemistry and spectroscopy methods were applied to determine specific lignin structural characteristics such as functional groups, inter-unit linkages and peak molecular weight. In parallel, oxidative depolymerization of these lignin samples to either monomeric phenolic compounds or dicarboxylic acids were conducted, and the product yields were quantified. Based on these results (lignin structural characteristics and monomer yields), we demonstrated for the first time to apply multiple-variable linear estimations (MVLE) approach using R statistics to gain insight toward a quantitative correlation between lignin structural properties and their conversion reactivity toward oxidative depolymerization to monomers. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Preparation of a Bis-GMA-Free Dental Resin System with Synthesized Fluorinated Dimethacrylate Monomers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuzhen Luo

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available With the aim of reducing human exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA derivatives in dentistry, a fluorinated dimethacrylate monomer was synthesized to replace 2,2-bis[4-(2-hydroxy-3-methacryloy-loxypropyl-phenyl]propane (Bis-GMA as the base monomer of dental resin. After mixing with reactive diluent triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA, fluorinated dimethacrylate (FDMA/TEGDMA was prepared and compared with Bis-GMA/TEGDMA in physicochemical properties, such as double bond conversion (DC, volumetric shrinkage (VS, water sorption (WS and solubility (WSL, flexural strength (FS and modulus (FM. The results showed that, when compared with Bis-GMA based resin, FDMA-based resin had several advantages, such as higher DC, lower VS, lower WS, and higher FS after water immersion. All of these revealed that FDMA had potential to be used as a substitute for Bis-GMA. Of course, many more studies, such as biocompatibility testing, should be undertaken to prove whether FDMA could be applied in clinic.

  18. Preparation of unsaturated acrylic prepolymer and electron beam curing of its mixture with vinyl monomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pyun, H.C.; Park, W.B.; Kim, K.Y.; Sung, K.Y.

    1980-01-01

    Electron beam curable prepolymers were prepared by the addition reaction of methyl methacrylate-glycidyl methacrylate copolymer with methacrylic acid, and electron beam curing was studied for the prepolymer and their mixtures of several kind of vinyl monomers. When the reaction was carried out in the presence of triethylbenzyl ammonium chloride in N,N-dimethyl formamide solution, the rate of addition reaction obeyed first-order kinetics. In the electron beam curing, the rate of gel formation of the prepolymer was slower than that of the mixtures of prepolymer and monomers. In the curing of mixtures of prepolymer with polyethyleneglycol dimethacrylates, the rate of gel formation increased with the increase in the degree of polymerization of polyethylene oxide fraction of polyethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, and decreased with the increase the polyethyleneglycol dimethacrylate content. The properties of cured coatings were also examined. (author)

  19. Silt-clay aggregates on Mars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greeley, R.

    1979-01-01

    Viking observations suggest abundant silt and clay particles on Mars. It is proposed that some of these particles agglomerate to form sand size aggregates that are redeposited as sandlike features such as drifts and dunes. Although the binding for the aggregates could include salt cementation or other mechanisms, electrostatic bonding is considered to be a primary force holding the aggregates together. Various laboratory experiments conducted since the 19th century, and as reported here for simulated Martian conditions, show that both the magnitude and sign of electrical charges on windblown particles are functions of particle velocity, shape and composition, atmospheric pressure, atmospheric composition, and other factors. Electrical charges have been measured for saltating particles in the wind tunnel and in the field, on the surfaces of sand dunes, and within dust clouds on earth. Similar, and perhaps even greater, charges are proposed to occur on Mars, which could form aggregates of silt and clay size particles. Electrification is proposed to occur within Martian dust clouds, generating silt-clay aggregates which would settle to the surface where they may be deposited in the form of sandlike structures. By analog, silt-clay dunes are known in many parts of the earth where silt-clay aggregated were transported by saltation and deposited as 'sand.' In these structures the binding forces were later destroyed, and the particles reassumed the physical properties of silt and clay, but the sandlike bedding structure within the 'dunes' was preserved. The bedding observed in drifts at the Viking landing site is suggested to result from a similar process involving silt-clay aggregates on Mars

  20. Residual monomer reduction in polymer latex products by extraction with supercritical carbon dioxide

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aerts, M.; Meuldijk, J.; Kemmere, M.F.; Keurentjes, J.T.F.

    2011-01-01

    Extraction of residual monomer from a latex product with supercritical carbon dioxide ((sc)CO2) in a column was studied. Operating conditions were chosen at 35¿°C and 100 bar. For reducing the residual styrene level in a polystyrene latex from 104 ppm to 100¿ppm and from 104 ppm to 10¿ppm, a

  1. Aggregating and Disaggregating Flexibility Objects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Siksnys, Laurynas; Valsomatzis, Emmanouil; Hose, Katja

    2015-01-01

    In many scientific and commercial domains we encounter flexibility objects, i.e., objects with explicit flexibilities in a time and an amount dimension (e.g., energy or product amount). Applications of flexibility objects require novel and efficient techniques capable of handling large amounts...... and aiming at energy balancing during aggregation. In more detail, this paper considers the complete life cycle of flex-objects: aggregation, disaggregation, associated requirements, efficient incremental computation, and balance aggregation techniques. Extensive experiments based on real-world data from...

  2. CPAD, Curated Protein Aggregation Database: A Repository of Manually Curated Experimental Data on Protein and Peptide Aggregation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thangakani, A Mary; Nagarajan, R; Kumar, Sandeep; Sakthivel, R; Velmurugan, D; Gromiha, M Michael

    2016-01-01

    Accurate distinction between peptide sequences that can form amyloid-fibrils or amorphous β-aggregates, identification of potential aggregation prone regions in proteins, and prediction of change in aggregation rate of a protein upon mutation(s) are critical to research on protein misfolding diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, as well as biotechnological production of protein based therapeutics. We have developed a Curated Protein Aggregation Database (CPAD), which has collected results from experimental studies performed by scientific community aimed at understanding protein/peptide aggregation. CPAD contains more than 2300 experimentally observed aggregation rates upon mutations in known amyloidogenic proteins. Each entry includes numerical values for the following parameters: change in rate of aggregation as measured by fluorescence intensity or turbidity, name and source of the protein, Uniprot and Protein Data Bank codes, single point as well as multiple mutations, and literature citation. The data in CPAD has been supplemented with five different types of additional information: (i) Amyloid fibril forming hexa-peptides, (ii) Amorphous β-aggregating hexa-peptides, (iii) Amyloid fibril forming peptides of different lengths, (iv) Amyloid fibril forming hexa-peptides whose crystal structures are available in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and (v) Experimentally validated aggregation prone regions found in amyloidogenic proteins. Furthermore, CPAD is linked to other related databases and resources, such as Uniprot, Protein Data Bank, PUBMED, GAP, TANGO, WALTZ etc. We have set up a web interface with different search and display options so that users have the ability to get the data in multiple ways. CPAD is freely available at http://www.iitm.ac.in/bioinfo/CPAD/. The potential applications of CPAD have also been discussed.

  3. Contrasting self-aggregation over land and ocean surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inda Diaz, H. A.; O'Brien, T. A.

    2017-12-01

    The spontaneous organization of convection into clusters, or self-aggregation, demonstrably changes the nature and statistics of precipitation. While there has been much recent progress in this area, the processes that control self-aggregation are still poorly understood. Most of the work to date has focused on self-aggregation over ocean-like surfaces, but it is particularly pressing to understand what controls convective aggregation over land, since the associated change in precipitation statistics—between non-aggregated and aggregated convection—could have huge impacts on society and infrastructure. Radiative-convective equilibrium (RCE), has been extensively used as an idealized framework to study the tropical atmosphere. Self-aggregation manifests in numerous numerical models of RCE, nevertheless, there is still a lack of understanding in how it relates to convective organization in the observed world. Numerous studies have examined self-aggregation using idealized Cloud Resolving Models (CRMs) and General Circulation Models over the ocean, however very little work has been done on RCE and self-aggregation over land. Idealized models of RCE over ocean have shown that aggregation is sensitive to sea surface temperature (SST), more intense precipitation occurs in aggregated systems, and a variety of feedbacks—such as surface flux, cloud radiative, and upgradient moisture transport— contribute to the maintenance of aggregation, however it is not clear if these results apply over land. Progress in this area could help relate understanding of self-aggregation in idealized simulations to observations. In order to explore the behavior of self-aggregation over land, we use a CRM to simulate idealized RCE over land. In particular, we examine the aggregation of convection and how it compares with aggregation over ocean. Based on previous studies, where a variety of different CRMs exhibit a SST threshold below which self-aggregation does not occur, we hypothesize

  4. Aggregation effects on tritium-based mean transit times and young water fractions in spatially heterogeneous catchments and groundwater systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Michael K.; Morgenstern, Uwe; Gusyev, Maksym A.; Małoszewski, Piotr

    2017-09-01

    Kirchner (2016a) demonstrated that aggregation errors due to spatial heterogeneity, represented by two homogeneous subcatchments, could cause severe underestimation of the mean transit times (MTTs) of water travelling through catchments when simple lumped parameter models were applied to interpret seasonal tracer cycle data. Here we examine the effects of such errors on the MTTs and young water fractions estimated using tritium concentrations in two-part hydrological systems. We find that MTTs derived from tritium concentrations in streamflow are just as susceptible to aggregation bias as those from seasonal tracer cycles. Likewise, groundwater wells or springs fed by two or more water sources with different MTTs will also have aggregation bias. However, the transit times over which the biases are manifested are different because the two methods are applicable over different time ranges, up to 5 years for seasonal tracer cycles and up to 200 years for tritium concentrations. Our virtual experiments with two water components show that the aggregation errors are larger when the MTT differences between the components are larger and the amounts of the components are each close to 50 % of the mixture. We also find that young water fractions derived from tritium (based on a young water threshold of 18 years) are almost immune to aggregation errors as were those derived from seasonal tracer cycles with a threshold of about 2 months.

  5. Light-induced aggregation of microbial exopolymeric substances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Luni; Xu, Chen; Zhang, Saijin; Lin, Peng; Schwehr, Kathleen A; Quigg, Antonietta; Chiu, Meng-Hsuen; Chin, Wei-Chun; Santschi, Peter H

    2017-08-01

    Sunlight can inhibit or disrupt the aggregation process of marine colloids via cleavage of high molecular weight compounds into smaller, less stable fragments. In contrast, some biomolecules, such as proteins excreted from bacteria can form aggregates via cross-linking due to photo-oxidation. To examine whether light-induced aggregation can occur in the marine environment, we conducted irradiation experiments on a well-characterized protein-containing exopolymeric substance (EPS) from the marine bacterium Sagitulla stellata. Our results show that after 1 h sunlight irradiation, the turbidity level of soluble EPS was 60% higher than in the dark control. Flow cytometry also confirmed that more particles of larger sized were formed by sunlight. In addition, we determined a higher mass of aggregates collected on filter in the irradiated samples. This suggests light can induce aggregation of this bacterial EPS. Reactive oxygen species hydroxyl radical and peroxide played critical roles in the photo-oxidation process, and salts assisted the aggregation process. The observation that Sagitulla stellata EPS with relatively high protein content promoted aggregation, was in contrast to the case where no significant differences were found in the aggregation of a non-protein containing phytoplankton EPS between the dark and light conditions. This, together with the evidence that protein-to-carbohydrate ratio of aggregates formed under light condition is significantly higher than that formed under dark condition suggest that proteins are likely the important component for aggregate formation. Light-induced aggregation provides new insights into polymer assembly, marine snow formation, and the fate/transport of organic carbon and nitrogen in the ocean. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. CT colonography: interpretative performance in a non-academic environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burling, D.; Halligan, S.; Atchley, J.; Dhingsar, R.; Guest, P.; Hayward, S.; Higginson, A.; Jobling, C.; Kay, C.; Lilford, R.; Maskell, G.; McCafferty, I.; McGregor, J.; Morton, D.; Kumar Neelala, M.; Noakes, M.; Philips, A.; Riley, P.; Taylor, A.; Bassett, P.; Wardle, J.; Atkin, W.; Taylor, S.A.

    2007-01-01

    Aim: To investigate interpretative accuracy and reporting time for radiologists performing computed tomography (CT) colonography in day-to-day non-academic clinical practice. Materials and methods: Thirteen radiologists from seven centres, who were reporting CT colonography in non-academic daily clinical practice, interpreted a dataset of 15 colonoscopically validated cases in a controlled environment. Ten cases had either a cancer or polyp >10 mm; one case had a medium polyp and four were normal. Correct case categorization and interpretation times were compared using analysis of variance to aggregated results obtained from both experienced observers and observers recently trained using 50 cases, working in an academic environment. The effect of experience was determined using Spearman's rank correlation. Results: Individual accuracy was highly variable, range 53% (95% CI 27-79%) to 93% (95% CI 68-100%). Mean accuracy overall was significantly inferior to experienced radiologists (mean 75 versus 88%, p = 0.04) but not significantly different from recently trained radiologists (p = 0.48). Interpretation time was not significantly different to experienced readers (mean 12.4 min versus 11.7, p = 0.74), but shorter than recently trained radiologists (p = 0.05). There was a significant, positive, linear correlation between prior experience and accuracy (p < 0.001) with no plateau. Conclusion: Accuracy for sub-specialist radiologists working in a non-academic environment is, on average, equivalent to radiologists trained using 50 cases. However, there is wide variability in individual performance, which generally falls short of the average performance suggested by meta-analysis of published data. Experience improves accuracy, but alone is insufficient to determine competence

  7. The effect of electrolytes on the aggregation kinetics of titanium dioxide nanoparticle aggregates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shih Yanghsin; Zhuang Chengming; Tso Chihping; Lin Chenghan

    2012-01-01

    Metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are receiving increasing attention due to their increased industrial production and potential hazardous effect. The process of aggregation plays a key role in the fate of NPs in the environment and the resultant health risk. The aggregation of commercial titanium dioxide NP powder (25 nm) was investigated with various environmentally relevant solution chemistries containing different concentrations of monovalent (Na + , K + ) and divalent (Ca 2+ ) electrolytes. Titanium dioxide particle size increased with the increase in ion concentration. The stability of titanium dioxide also depended on the ionic composition. Titanium dioxide aggregated to a higher degree in the presence of divalent cations than monovalent ones. The attachment efficiency of NPs was constructed through aggregation kinetics data, from which the critical coagulation concentrations for the various electrolytes are determined (80, 19, and 1 meq/L for Na + , K + , and Ca 2+ , respectively). Our results suggest that titanium dioxide NP powders are relatively unstable in water and could easily be removed by adding multivalent cations so hazardous potentials decrease in aquatic environment.

  8. Aggregated particles caused by instrument artifact

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. M. Pierce

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Previous studies have indicated that superaggregates, clusters of aggregates of soot primary particles, can be formed in large-scale turbulent fires. Due to lower effective densities, higher porosity, and lower aerodynamic diameters, superaggregates may pass through inlets designed to remove particles  <  2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5. Ambient particulate matter samples were collected at Peavine Peak, NV, USA (2515 m northwest of Reno, NV, USA from June to November 2014. The Teledyne Advanced Pollution Instrumentation (TAPI 602 BetaPlus particulate monitor was used to collect PM2.5 on two filter types. During this time, aggregated particles  >  2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter were collected on 36 out of 158 sample days. On preliminary analysis, it was thought that these aggregated particles were superaggregates, depositing past PM10 (particles  <  10 µm in aerodynamic diameter pre-impactors and PM2.5 cyclones. However, further analysis revealed that these aggregated particles were dissimilar to superaggregates observed in previous studies, both in morphology and in elemental composition. To determine if the aggregated particles were superaggregates or an instrument artifact, samples were investigated for the presence of certain elements, the occurrence of fires, high relative humidity and wind speeds, as well as the use of generators on site. Samples with aggregated particles, referred to as aggregates, were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope for size and shape and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used for elemental analysis. It was determined, based on the high amounts of aluminum present in the aggregate samples, that a sampling artifact associated with the sample inlet and prolonged, high wind events was the probable reason for the observed aggregates.

  9. Concrete Waste Recycling Process for High Quality Aggregate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishikura, Takeshi; Fujii, Shin-ichi

    2008-01-01

    Large amount of concrete waste generates during nuclear power plant (NPP) dismantling. Non-contaminated concrete waste is assumed to be disposed in a landfill site, but that will not be the solution especially in the future, because of decreasing tendency of the site availability and natural resources. Concerning concrete recycling, demand for roadbeds and backfill tends to be less than the amount of dismantled concrete generated in a single rural site, and conventional recycled aggregate is limited of its use to non-structural concrete, because of its inferior quality to ordinary natural aggregate. Therefore, it is vital to develop high quality recycled aggregate for general uses of dismantled concrete. If recycled aggregate is available for high structural concrete, the dismantling concrete is recyclable as aggregate for industry including nuclear field. Authors developed techniques on high quality aggregate reclamation for large amount of concrete generated during NPP decommissioning. Concrete of NPP buildings has good features for recycling aggregate; large quantity of high quality aggregate from same origin, record keeping of the aggregate origin, and little impurities in dismantled concrete such as wood and plastics. The target of recycled aggregate in this development is to meet the quality criteria for NPP concrete as prescribed in JASS 5N 'Specification for Nuclear Power Facility Reinforced Concrete' and JASS 5 'Specification for Reinforced Concrete Work'. The target of recycled aggregate concrete is to be comparable performance with ordinary aggregate concrete. The high quality recycled aggregate production techniques are assumed to apply for recycling for large amount of non-contaminated concrete. These techniques can also be applied for slightly contaminated concrete dismantled from radiological control area (RCA), together with free release survey. In conclusion: a technology on dismantled concrete recycling for high quality aggregate was developed

  10. Cholesterol impairment contributes to neuroserpin aggregation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giampietro, Costanza; Lionetti, Maria Chiara; Costantini, Giulio; Mutti, Federico; Zapperi, Stefano; La Porta, Caterina A. M.

    2017-03-01

    Intraneural accumulation of misfolded proteins is a common feature of several neurodegenerative pathologies including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and Familial Encephalopathy with Neuroserpin Inclusion Bodies (FENIB). FENIB is a rare disease due to a point mutation in neuroserpin which accelerates protein aggregation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Here we show that cholesterol depletion induced either by prolonged exposure to statins or by inhibiting the sterol reg-ulatory binding-element protein (SREBP) pathway also enhances aggregation of neuroserpin proteins. These findings can be explained considering a computational model of protein aggregation under non-equilibrium conditions, where a decrease in the rate of protein clearance improves aggregation. Decreasing cholesterol in cell membranes affects their biophysical properties, including their ability to form the vesicles needed for protein clearance, as we illustrate by a simple mathematical model. Taken together, these results suggest that cholesterol reduction induces neuroserpin aggregation, even in absence of specific neuroserpin mutations. The new mechanism we uncover could be relevant also for other neurodegenerative diseases associated with protein aggregation.

  11. Stark effect measurements on monomers and trimers of reconstituted light-harvesting complex II of plants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Palacios, M.A.; Caffarri, S.; Bassi, R.; Grondelle, van R.; Amerongen, van H.

    2004-01-01

    The electric-field induced absorption changes (Stark effect) of reconstituted light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) in different oligomerisation states - monomers and trimers - with different xanthophyll content have been probed at 77 K. The Stark spectra of the reconstituted control samples,

  12. Biobased Epoxy Nanocomposites Derived from Lignin-Based Monomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Shou; Abu-Omar, Mahdi M

    2015-07-13

    Biobased epoxy nanocomposites were synthesized based on 2-methoxy-4-propylphenol (dihydroeugenol, DHE), a molecule that has been obtained from the lignin component of biomass. To increase the content of hydroxyl groups, DHE was o-demethylated using aqueous HBr to yield propylcatechol (DHEO), which was subsequently glycidylated to epoxy monomer. Optimal conditions in terms of yield and epoxy equivalent weight were found to be 60 °C with equal NaOH/phenolic hydroxyl molar ratio. The structural evolution from DHE to cured epoxy was followed by (1)H NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The nano-montmorillonite modified DHEO epoxy exhibited improved storage modulus and thermal stability as determined from dynamic mechanical analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. This study widens the synthesis routes of biobased epoxy thermosets from lignin-based molecules.

  13. Soil aggregate stability as an indicator for eco-engineering effectiveness?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graf, Frank

    2015-04-01

    have been performed in order to bridge this gap addressing partic-ularly the influence of root growth and mycorrhizal fungi on the resistance of soil aggregates against disintegration and linking it to slope stability. As superficial soil failure is often related to heavy rainstorms and, in this regard, mainly due to water satura-tion, recent investigations focused on the pore water pressure, too. Summarising main results of the different studies a positive relationship between soil aggregate stability and traditional soil mechanical shear strength parameters was found, e.g. given certain soil conditions, an increase in aggregate stability may be equated to an increase of the angle of internal friction Φ' and/or cohesion c'. In addition, almost all investigations showed a strong positive correlation between root length per soil volume and soil aggregate stability. In respect of mycorrhizal fungi, results are not yet as clear. On the one hand it was found that the use of unspecific (commercial) inoculum had no or even a negative effect on root growth within the first vegetation period and, correspondingly, on soil aggregate stability. However, the use of specific plant fungi combinations almost ever resulted in an obvious acceleration of root growth immediately with con-comitant gain of soil stability. As far as pore water pressure is concerned we did not yet find an interpretation that is fairly straightforward and not overly prone to controversy. It looks like soil aggregated by mycorrhized plants does have a higher capacity for building up pressure than such permeated by non-mycorrhized roots. Within this scope results of several studies showing these (inter-) relationships and correlations are presented and differences as well as unexpected results discussed.

  14. Thermal and electrothermal sensitivity of polyglutamic acid with incorporated carbocyanine dyes in Langmuir-Blodgett films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Popova, G. [Mendeleyev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Miusskaya sq., 9, Moscow 125047 (Russian Federation)], E-mail: galina@muctr.edu.ru; Spitsyn, A; Vantsyan, M [Mendeleyev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Miusskaya sq., 9, Moscow 125047 (Russian Federation); Matveeva, N [Lukin Institute Phys. Problems, Zelenograd (Russian Federation); Yudin, S; Palto, S [Crystallography Institute Rus., Leninsky prosp., 57, 117336 Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2008-03-31

    Light-and electrosensitive carbocyanine dyes were incorporated into polyglutamic acid via covalent and non-covalent bonding. The reversible colour change on heating the Langmuir-Blodgett films of polyaminoacid has been studied by absorption spectroscopy and electroconductivity techniques. Characteristic shifts of the absorption spectrum are explained by formation of aggregates and hydrogen bonds. It was shown that H-aggregates and dimers are formed in Langmuir-Blodgett films; each type of assemblies contributes to the absorption spectrum. At elevated temperatures the ratio between concentrations of monomers, dimers and H-aggregates varies due to a breakdown of a part of aggregates into monomers. The change in molecular polarizability was also noticed. Electroconductivity of Langmuir-Blodgett films is observed in longitudinal and transverse directions. Electrochromic effect is noticed under weak electric current by change from red to colourless with iodine doping.

  15. Mechanical properties of recycled concrete with demolished waste concrete aggregate and clay brick aggregate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Chaocan; Lou, Cong; Du, Geng; Li, Xiaozhen; Liu, Zhiwu; Li, Liqin

    2018-06-01

    This paper presents an experimental investigation on the effect of the replacement of natural coarse aggregate (NCA) with either recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) or recycled clay brick aggregate (RBA) on the compressive strengths of the hardened concrete. Two grades (C25 and C50) of concrete were investigated, which were achieved by using different water-to-cement ratios. In each grade concrete five different replacement rates, 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% were considered. In order to improve the performance of the recycled aggregates in the concrete mixes, the RCA and RBA were carefully sieved by using the optimal degradation. In this way the largest reduction in the 28-day compressive strength was found to be only 7.2% and 9.6% for C25 and C50 recycled concrete when the NCA was replaced 100% by RCA, and 11% and 13% for C25 and C50 recycled concrete when the NCA was replaced 100% by RBA. In general, the concrete with RCA has better performance than the concrete with RBA. The comparison of the present experimental results with those reported in literature for hardened concrete with either RCA or RBA demonstrates the effectiveness in improving the compressive strength by using the optimal gradation of recycled aggregates.

  16. Compressive strength improvement for recycled concrete aggregate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed Dhiyaa

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Increasing amount of construction waste and, concrete remnants, in particular pose a serious problem. Concrete waste exist in large amounts, do not decay and need long time for disintegration. Therefore, in this work old demolished concrete is crashed and recycled to produce recycled concrete aggregate which can be reused in new concrete production. The effect of using recycled aggregate on concrete compressive strength has been experimentally investigated; silica fume admixture also is used to improve recycled concrete aggregate compressive strength. The main parameters in this study are recycled aggregate and silica fume admixture. The percent of recycled aggregate ranged from (0-100 %. While the silica fume ranged from (0-10 %. The experimental results show that the average concrete compressive strength decreases from 30.85 MPa to 17.58 MPa when the recycled aggregate percentage increased from 0% to 100%. While, when silica fume is used the concrete compressive strength increase again to 29.2 MPa for samples with 100% of recycled aggregate.

  17. Tuning calcium carbonate growth through physical confinement and templating with amyloid-like polypeptide aggregates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colaco, Martin Francis

    that this methodology does not extend to three-dimensional confined systems, as the water has no method of escape. Through the addition of an insoluble hydroscopic polymer to our microreactors, amorphous calcium carbonate of controllable sizes can be grown. However, crystalline calcium carbonate cannot be grown without some type of templating. Studies of calcium carbonate templating have predominantly been performed on SAMs or in poorly characterized gels or protein films. The use of ordered protein or polypeptide aggregates for templating permits both geometry and charge surface density to be varied. We have studied the kinetics and final morphology of ordered aggregates of poly-L-glutamic acid and a copolymer of glutamic acid and alanine through experiments and simulations. Electrostatics, not structure, of the monomer appeared to be the dominating factor in the aggregation, as pH and salt concentration changes led to dramatic changes in the kinetics. Examining our experimental with existing models provided inconsistent results, so we developed a new model that yielded physically realistic rate constants, while generating better fits with longer lag phases and faster growths. However, despite the similarity of aggregation conditions, the two polypeptides yielded vastly different morphologies, with the PEA forming typical amyloid-like fibrils and PE forming larger, twisted lamellar aggregates. Templating with these aggregates also yielded dramatically different patterns. Polycrystalline rhombohedral calcite with smooth faces and edges grew on PEA fibrils, with minimal templating in evidence. However, on PE, numerous calcite crystals with triangular projections tracked the surface of the aggregate. The PE lamellae are characterized by extensive beta-sheet structure. In this conformation, the glutamic acid spacings on the surface of the aggregates can mimic the spacings of the carboxylates in the calcite lattice. In addition, the high negative charge density on the

  18. Pore structure of natural and regenerated soil aggregates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Naveed, Muhammad; Arthur, Emmanuel; de Jonge, Lis Wollesen

    2014-01-01

    Quantitative characterization of aggregate pore structure can reveal the evolution of aggregates under different land use and management practices and their effects on soil processes and functions. Advances in X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) provide powerful means to conduct such characterization....... This study examined aggregate pore structure of three differently managed same textured Danish soils (mixed forage cropping, MFC; mixed cash cropping, MCC; cereal cash cropping, CCC) for (i) natural aggregates, and (ii) aggregates regenerated after 20 months of incubation. In total, 27 aggregates (8-16 mm...... pore diameter of 200 and 170 Hm, respectively. Pore shape analysis indicated that CCC and MFC aggregates had an abundance of rounded and elongated pores, respectively, and those of MCC were in-between CCC and MFC. Aggregate pore structure development in the lysimeters was nearly similar irrespective...

  19. Ratio-Based Gradual Aggregation of Data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iftikhar, Nadeem

    2012-01-01

    cause data management and data storage issues. However, non-flexible and ineffective means of data aggregation not only reduce performance of database queries but also lead to erroneous reporting. This paper presents flexible and effective ratio-based methods for gradual data aggregation in databases....... Gradual data aggregation is a process that reduces data volume by converting the detailed data into multiple levels of summarized data as the data gets older. This paper also describes implementation strategies of the proposed methods based on standard database technology.......Majority of databases contain large amounts of data, gathered over long intervals of time. In most cases, the data is aggregated so that it can be used for analysis and reporting purposes. The other reason of data aggregation is to reduce data volume in order to avoid over-sized databases that may...

  20. Aggregation of flexible polyelectrolytes: Phase diagram and dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tom, Anvy Moly; Rajesh, R; Vemparala, Satyavani

    2017-10-14

    Similarly charged polymers in solution, known as polyelectrolytes, are known to form aggregated structures in the presence of oppositely charged counterions. Understanding the dependence of the equilibrium phases and the dynamics of the process of aggregation on parameters such as backbone flexibility and charge density of such polymers is crucial for insights into various biological processes which involve biological polyelectrolytes such as protein, DNA, etc. Here, we use large-scale coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to obtain the phase diagram of the aggregated structures of flexible charged polymers and characterize the morphology of the aggregates as well as the aggregation dynamics, in the presence of trivalent counterions. Three different phases are observed depending on the charge density: no aggregation, a finite bundle phase where multiple small aggregates coexist with a large aggregate and a fully phase separated phase. We show that the flexibility of the polymer backbone causes strong entanglement between charged polymers leading to additional time scales in the aggregation process. Such slowing down of the aggregation dynamics results in the exponent, characterizing the power law decay of the number of aggregates with time, to be dependent on the charge density of the polymers. These results are contrary to those obtained for rigid polyelectrolytes, emphasizing the role of backbone flexibility.