Accelerated Thermal Cycling Test of Microencapsulated Paraffin Wax/Polyaniline Made by Simple Preparation Method for Solar Thermal Energy Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Silakhori, Mahyar; Naghavi, Mohammad Sajad; Metselaar, Hendrik Simon Cornelis; Mahlia, Teuku Meurah Indra; Fauzi, Hadi; Mehrali, Mohammad

2013-04-29

Microencapsulated paraffin wax/polyaniline was prepared using a simple in situ polymerization technique, and its performance characteristics were investigated. Weight losses of samples were determined by Thermal Gravimetry Analysis (TGA). The microencapsulated samples with 23% and 49% paraffin showed less decomposition after 330 °C than with higher percentage of paraffin. These samples were then subjected to a thermal cycling test. Thermal properties of microencapsulated paraffin wax were evaluated by Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). Structure stability and compatibility of core and coating materials were also tested by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR), and the surface morphology of the samples are shown by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). It has been found that the microencapsulated paraffin waxes show little change in the latent heat of fusion and melting temperature after one thousand thermal recycles. Besides, the chemical characteristics and structural profile remained constant after one thousand thermal cycling tests. Therefore, microencapsulated paraffin wax/polyaniline is a stable material that can be used for thermal energy storage systems.

Surfactants from petroleum paraffin wax

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kassem, T.M.; Hussein, M.H.; El Sayed, A.S.

Paraffin wax from Egyptian petroleum was purified and then oxidized to fatty acids which were esterified to form their methyl esters, fractionated and then hydrolysed. The obtained fatty acids were converted into the corresponding primary amines which were converted with ethylene oxide to form nonionic surfactants. The prepared primary amines were also converted into tertiary amines and then converted into cationic surfactants through condensation with benzyl chloride or 1-chloromethylnaphthalene. Also, amine oxide surfactants were prepared by oxidation of the tertiary amines with hydrogen peroxide. The surface active properties of all the prepared surfactants were determined, and the effect of their chemical structure on the surfactant properties are discussed in this paper.

Design and evaluation of a heat exchanger that uses paraffin wax and recycled materials as solar energy accumulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reyes, Alejandro; Negrete, Daniela; Mahn, Andrea; Sepúlveda, Francisco

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal conductivity of paraffin wax was improved with aluminum wool. • Aluminum wool surrounding the cans favored the energy recuperation from the wax. • The heat exchanger accumulated 3000 kJ energy. • The accumulated energy can be easily increased with larger units. • COMSOL simulated adequately the energy removal process from the cans. - Abstract: Soft drink cans filled with paraffin wax mixed with 5% w/w aluminum wool, obtained from disposable cans, doubled the thermal conductivity of cans filled only with paraffin wax. Thermal conductivity of the systems was determined by two ways: directly using a thermal conductivimeter, and indirectly based on temperature profiles and on the analytical solution of a cylinder. We designed, built and evaluated a heat exchanger for solar energy accumulation, composed by 48 disposable soft drink cans filled with a total of 9.5 kg of paraffin wax mixed with 5% w/w aluminum wool. In sunny days, the wax melted completely in 3 h. The accumulated energy of 3000 kJ, allowed increasing the temperature of 3.5 m 3 /h air flow rate from 20 to 40 °C during a period of 2 h. This application will allow extending the use of solar energy in drying processes or could be used as household calefaction system. The progress of the phase change front in time during the energy discharge period was simulated with COMSOL, whereas the effect of the number of cans and thermal conductivity of the paraffin wax on the air temperature increase was simulated with MATLAB

Experimental analysis, modeling and simulation of a solar energy accumulator with paraffin wax as PCM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reyes, A.; Henríquez-Vargas, L.; Aravena, R.; Sepúlveda, F.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Enhancement of paraffin wax thermal conductivity using soft drink can stripes. • Thermal analysis and simulations results agree well with experimental data. • Increase in accumulator thermal efficiencies through addition of external aluminum stripes. • Proposed accumulator allows up to 13,000 kJ of energy storage. - Abstract: Soft drink cans filled with paraffin wax mixed with 7.5% aluminum stripes, obtained from disposable cans, doubled the thermal conductivity of cans filled only with paraffin wax. Promising results obtained in a prototype heat exchanger encouraged the construction of this unit 6 times bigger. We experimentally evaluated and model a heat exchanger for solar energy accumulation, composed by 300 disposable soft drink cans filled with a total of 59.25 kg of paraffin wax mixed with 7.5% aluminum stripes. The effect of adding 2.75 kg of aluminum fins for enhancing heat transfer from the outer surface of the cans to the circulant air was experimentally analyzed. In sunny days, the wax melted completely in about 4 h. The accumulated energy in form of latent heat (about 13,000 kJ) allowed to increase the temperature of 0.040 kg/s of circulant air in at least 20 °C during a period of 2.5 h. For an air mass rate of 0.018 kg/s the period was extended practically to 5 h. The accumulator thermal analysis was presented and a subsequent numerical simulation with Matlab was performed to compare with the experimental results obtaining good agreement specially for higher air mass flow rates. The low cost accumulator presented is of simple construction and will allow extended use of solar energy for applications such as drying processes or household calefaction system.

Antibacterial and antifungal effect of high pH and paraffin wax ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The antibacterial and antifungal effects of high pH (9, 10) and paraffin wax were determined. Determination of antibacterial and antifungal activity of the combined treatments was achieved by aerobic mesophilic count of bacteria and fungi on the surface of the tomatoes, peppers and oranges using serial dilution and pour ...

Evaluation of two methods DNA extraction from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues on non-optimal conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bustamante, Javier Andres; Astudillo, Miryam; Pazos, Alvaro Jairo; Bravo, Luis Eduardo

2011-01-01

Paraffin wax embedded tissues are an invaluable material for retrospective studies requiring the application of molecular analysis. Multiple methods are available to extract DNA from these kinds of samples. However, the most common methods are slow and the reagents often contribute to the fragmentation of genetic material. In order to optimize the procedure, two methods for DNA extraction from paraffin embedded tissue non-optimal conditions were used. 47 blocks containing paraffin-embedded biopsies of pleura, lung and pericardium from 24 patients (66.6% males) older than 18 years, with biopsy proven chronic granulomatous inflammation referred to the department of pathology at University Hospital of Valle between 2002 and 2007 were selected. Each sample was subjected to 10 cuts and was to two methods of DNA extraction: 1. conventional and 2. QIAamp - DNA mini kit. The efficiency of the extracted DNA was assessed by spectrophotometry and PCR amplification of a fragment of the housekeeping gene GAPDH. The concentration of DNA samples extracted by the conventional method was of 65.52 ng/Mu l ± 11.47 (mean ± SE) and the 260/280 absorbance ratio ranged between 0.52 and 2.30 the average concentration of DNA of the samples extracted by the commercial method was 60.89 ng/Mu l ± 6.02 (mean ± SE), with an absorbance that fluctuated between 0 and 2.64. The DNA obtained was amplified by PCR, of 47 samples extracted by methods, 25 and 23 respectively the GAPDH gene amplified successfully. The methods used to obtain DNA showed similar performance, highlighting the potential utility of both extraction methods for the retrospective studies from paraffin embedded tissues in unsuitable conditions.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laub Petersen, Bodil; Zeuthen, Mette Christa; Pedersen, Sanni

2004-01-01

, such as quantitation of signals as in triploidy, it is possible to isolate nuclei from paraffin-embedded tissue. However, using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue, either in thin sections or as isolated nuclei, one encounters a range of technical problems, paralleling those met in immunohistochemistry. Variations...... nuclei and tissue sections from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue....

The Effect of Paraffin Wax to Properties of Radiation Vulcanization Natural Rubber Latex (RVNRL)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Noorwadi Mat Lazim; Sofian Ibrahim; Muhammad Saiful Omar

2015-01-01

Dipping factories often encounter a serious problem with high tackiness of the finish products during storage. The tackiness effect can be lead to rejection of products. This tackiness effect of natural (NR) rubber film originates in the free rubber chain ends at the surface of the film. The tackiness is not depends on the degree of crosslinking (vulcanization), since radiation itself unable to reduce the tackiness effect. The RVNRL requires addition of additive or anti-tack agent into formulation to reduce tackiness effect. In this experiment, paraffin wax manufactured by Emulco Sdn Bhd under the trade name Aquawax 48 was added into RVNRL formulation as anti-tack and the effect of paraffin wax to physical and mechanical properties of RVNRL was study. (author)

Paraffin wax passivation layer improvements in electrical characteristics of bottom gate amorphous indium–gallium–zinc oxide thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Geng-Wei; Chang, Ting-Chang; Syu, Yong-En; Tsai, Tsung-Ming; Chang, Kuan-Chang; Tu, Chun-Hao; Jian, Fu-Yen; Hung, Ya-Chi; Tai, Ya-Hsiang

2011-01-01

In this research, paraffin wax is employed as the passivation layer of the bottom gate amorphous indium–gallium–zinc oxide thin-film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs), and it is formed by sol–gel process in the atmosphere. The high yield and low cost passivation layer of sol–gel process technology has attracted much attention for current flat-panel-display manufacturing. Comparing with passivation-free a-IGZO TFTs, passivated devices exhibit a superior stability against positive gate bias stress in different ambient gas, demonstrating that paraffin wax shows gas-resisting characteristics for a-IGZO TFTs application. Furthermore, light-induced stretch-out phenomenon for paraffin wax passivated device is suppressed. This superior stability of the passivated device was attributed to the reduced total density of states (DOS) including the interfacial and semiconductor bulk trap densities.

Evaluation of thermal stability of paraffin wax by differential scanning calorimetry; Avaliacao da estabilidade termica de parafina por calorimetria diferencial de varredura

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Godinho, K.O.; Silva, A.G.P.; Holanda, J.N.F. [Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (LAMAV/UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ (Brazil). Grupo de Materiais Ceramicos], Email: holanda@uenf.br

2010-07-01

Phase change materials for heat storage are used as passive solar energy storage materials, which can be impregnated into construction materials. In this work the thermal stability (heating/cooling cycle) of the paraffin wax was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry. The latent heat and fusion temperature were determined for the following thermal cycles: 0, 30, 180 and 360. The thermal stability for paraffin wax infiltrated in support of gypsum was also determined. The experimental results showed that the paraffin wax showed good thermal stability in the states pure and infiltrated for up to 360 thermal cycles. (author)

Digital dewaxing of Raman signals: discrimination between nevi and melanoma spectra obtained from paraffin-embedded skin biopsies.

Science.gov (United States)

Tfayli, Ali; Gobinet, Cyril; Vrabie, Valeriu; Huez, Regis; Manfait, Michel; Piot, Olivier

2009-05-01

Malignant melanoma (MM) is the most severe tumor affecting the skin and accounts for three quarters of all skin cancer deaths. Raman spectroscopy is a promising nondestructive tool that has been increasingly used for characterization of the molecular features of cancerous tissues. Different multivariate statistical analysis techniques are used in order to extract relevant information that can be considered as functional spectroscopic descriptors of a particular pathology. Paraffin embedding (waxing) is a highly efficient process used to conserve biopsies in tumor banks for several years. However, the use of non-dewaxed formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues for Raman spectroscopic investigations remains very restricted, limiting the development of the technique as a routine analytical tool for biomedical purposes. This is due to the highly intense signal of paraffin, which masks important vibrations of the biological tissues. In addition to being time consuming and chemical intensive, chemical dewaxing methods are not efficient and they leave traces of the paraffin in tissues, which affects the Raman signal. In the present study, we use independent component analysis (ICA) on Raman spectral images collected on melanoma and nevus samples. The sources obtained from these images are then used to eliminate, using non-negativity constrained least squares (NCLS), the paraffin contribution from each individual spectrum of the spectral images of nevi and melanomas. Corrected spectra of both types of lesion are then compared and classified into dendrograms using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA).

Paraffin wax

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elborne, W

1917-06-16

Powdered, granulated, or finely divided paraffin is obtained by subjecting paraffin to a grinding, crushing, or disintegrating operation in the presence of an alcohol such as ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol (wood spirit), or methylated spirit. The alcohol is afterwards removed by a current of air and is recovered. The product can be used in conjunction with a heating-agent for producing smoke or vapor for use in warfare.

Design and Testing of Digitally Manufactured Paraffin Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Hybrid Rocket Motors

OpenAIRE

McCulley, Jonathan M.

2013-01-01

This research investigates the application of additive manufacturing techniques for fabricating hybrid rocket fuel grains composed of porous Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene impregnated with paraffin wax. The digitally manufactured ABS substrate provides mechanical support for the paraffin fuel material and serves as an additional fuel component. The embedded paraffin provides an enhanced fuel regression rate while having no detrimental effect on the thermodynamic burn properties of the fuel g...

Bio-paraffins: alternative products to petroleum paraffins; Bioparafinas: produtos alternativos as parafinas de petroleo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lima, Anie Daniela Medeiros [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisas (CENPES). Gerencia de Hidrorrefino e Processos Especiais; Oliveira, Claudia Cristina Cardoso Calvano de; Carvalho, Ivone de Freitas; Silva, Danilo do Carmo Santos; Cruz, Valeria Senra da Silva [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisas (CENPES). Gerencia de Lubrificantes e Produtos Especiais]. E-mails: anie.lima, claudiacristina, ivone, danilosilva, vsenra@petrobras.com.br

2007-04-15

Market trends and social and environmental issues encouraged the vegetal wax presence in the world-wide paraffin market. This work presents the most commercialized vegetal waxes, soy and pal, comparing their physicochemical characteristics and their applicability with the paraffins obtained from petroleum. It also presents a characterization of the carnauba wax, produced exclusively in Brazil and a comparison with paraffins from petroleum. The carnauba wax is an alternative product, with good applicability as a substitute for waxes from petroleum or a petroleum/vegetal mixture. The characteristics of palm and soy waxes show the possible application in candles, cosmetics, foods and others industries. Brazil, having a great agricultural potential, represents a source of vegetal wax that could be use to meet the market demands. (author)

Fluorescent Molecular Rotor-in-Paraffin Waxes for Thermometry and Biometric Identification.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Young-Jae; Dogra, Rubal; Cheong, In Woo; Kwak, Giseop

2015-07-08

Novel thermoresponsive sensor systems consisting of a molecular rotor (MR) and paraffin wax (PW) were developed for various thermometric and biometric identification applications. Polydiphenylacetylenes (PDPAs) coupled with long alkyl chains were used as MRs, and PWs of hydrocarbons having 16-20 carbons were utilized as phase-change materials. The PDPAs were successfully dissolved in the molten PWs and did not act as an impurity that prevents phase transition of the PWs. These PDPA-in-PW hybrids had almost the same enthalpies and phase-transition temperatures as the corresponding pure PWs. The hybrids exhibited highly reversible fluorescence (FL) changes at the critical temperatures during phase transition of the PWs. These hybrids were impregnated into common filter paper in the molten state by absorption or were encapsulated into urea resin to enhance their mechanical integrity and cyclic stability during repeated use. The wax papers could be utilized in highly advanced applications including FL image writing/erasing, an array-type thermo-indicator, and fingerprint/palmprint identification. The present findings should facilitate the development of novel fluorescent sensor systems for biometric identification and are potentially applicable for biological and biomedical thermometry.

Amplification of chromosomal translocation junctions from paraffin-embedded tissues of follicular lymphoma patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nambiar, Mridula; Raghavan, Sathees C; Choudhary, Bibha; Rao, Clementina R

2008-01-01

Follicular lymphoma is associated with the t(14;18) translocation, which is one of the most common chromosomal translocations in cancer. Generally, tissues from such patients are preserved as formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples. Most of the time, retrieving the molecular information from such samples is hampered due to quality of preservation, extraction procedures and reaction conditions. In the present study, we isolate the chromosomal DNA from the paraffin-embedded nodal tissues of lymphoma patients and use a highly sensitive nested PCR approach to detect t(14;18) translocation. Our studies show that despite the sheared DNA obtained, appropriate modification of PCR reaction conditions can help in obtaining the desired amplifications. The DNA extraction protocol from paraffin-embedded nodal tissues and modifications in the PCR conditions are discussed. This study would contribute to the successful use of archival tissue samples in obtaining valuable information for cancer research

Amplification of chromosomal translocation junctions from paraffin-embedded tissues of follicular lymphoma patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nambiar, Mridula; Raghavan, Sathees C [Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560 012 (India); Choudhary, Bibha [Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Manipal University, Bangalore-560 071 (India); Rao, Clementina R [Department of Pathology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore-560 029 (India)], E-mail: sathees@biochem.iisc.ernet.in

2008-09-01

Follicular lymphoma is associated with the t(14;18) translocation, which is one of the most common chromosomal translocations in cancer. Generally, tissues from such patients are preserved as formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples. Most of the time, retrieving the molecular information from such samples is hampered due to quality of preservation, extraction procedures and reaction conditions. In the present study, we isolate the chromosomal DNA from the paraffin-embedded nodal tissues of lymphoma patients and use a highly sensitive nested PCR approach to detect t(14;18) translocation. Our studies show that despite the sheared DNA obtained, appropriate modification of PCR reaction conditions can help in obtaining the desired amplifications. The DNA extraction protocol from paraffin-embedded nodal tissues and modifications in the PCR conditions are discussed. This study would contribute to the successful use of archival tissue samples in obtaining valuable information for cancer research.

Proteome stability analysis of snap frozen, RNAlater preserved, and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human colon mucosal biopsies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerg Bennike, Tue; Kastaniegaard, Kenneth; Padurariu, Simona

2016-01-01

Large repositories of well characterized RNAlater preserved samples and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples have been generated worldwide. However, the impact on the proteome of the preservation methods remain poorly described. Therefore, we analyzed the impact on the proteome of preserving...... samples in RNAlater, and by formalin-fixation, paraffin-embedding on human soft tissue, using directly frozen samples as a control ("Comparing the proteome of snap frozen, RNAlater preserved, and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human tissue samples" [1]). We here report the data from the analysis...

Heat transfer enhancement in energy storage in spherical capsules filled with paraffin wax and metal beads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ettouney, Hisham; Alatiqi, Imad; Al-Sahali, Mohammad; Al-Hajirie, Khalida

2006-01-01

Energy storage is an attractive option to conserve limited energy resources, where more than 50% of the generated industrial energy is discarded in cooling water and stack gases. This study focuses on the evaluation of heat transfer enhancement in phase change energy storage units. The experiments are performed using spherical capsules filled with paraffin wax and metal beads. The experiments are conducted by inserting a single spherical capsule filled with wax and metal beads in a stream of hot/cold air. Experimental measurements include the temperature field within the spherical capsule and in the air stream. To determine the enhancement effects of the metal beads, the measured data is correlated against those for a spherical capsule filled with pure wax. Data analysis shows a reduction of 15% in the melting and solidification times upon increasing the number and diameter of the metal beads. This reduction is caused by a similar decrease in the thermal load of the sphere due to replacement of the wax by metal beads. The small size of the spherical capsule limits the enhancement effects; this is evident upon comparison of the heat transfer in a larger size, double pipe energy storage unit, where 2% of the wax volume is replaced with metal inserts, result in a three fold reduction in the melting/solidification time and a similar enhancement in the heat transfer rate

A SIMPLE PARAFFIN EMBEDDED PROTOCOL FOR FISH EGG, EMBRYO, AND LARVAE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gratiana Eka Wijayanti

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a simple protocol of paraffin-embedded histological section for fish eggs, embryo and larvae of the hard-lipped barb and the giant gourami. The specimens were fixed in Bouin solution, washed in 70% ethanol, then were dehydrated in a series of ethanol solution of increasing concentration until absolute ethanol was reached. The specimens were cleared in graded xylene and were infiltrated with liquid paraffin then were embedded in pure paraffin. Upon sectioning, at 4–5 µm thick the specimens were attached to the gelatin-coated glass slide and let to dry at room temperature or 37°C overnight. The specimens were deparaffinized in xylene, rehydrated then were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. After being dehydrated in graded ethanol, the specimens were cleared in xylene and were mounted with an organic mounting agent. Any step in preparing histological section including samples collection, fixation, dehydration, infiltration and embedding might contribute to the quality of histological features. A proper knowledge of the tissues beeing processed, fixative solution and the histological techniques is essential to gain good results. Bouin fixative is preferable to fix fish larvae and produce a good histological feature. Decalcification is necessary to produce a good histological section on the specimens containing bone.

Virus characterization and discovery in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bodewes, Rogier; van Run, Peter R W A; Schürch, Anita C; Koopmans, Marion P G; Osterhaus, Albert D M E; Baumgärtner, Wolfgang; Kuiken, Thijs; Smits, Saskia L

2015-01-01

Detection and characterization of novel viruses is hampered frequently by the lack of properly stored materials. Especially for the retrospective identification of viruses responsible for past disease outbreaks, often only formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples are available.

Preparation, Characterization and Thermal Properties of Paraffin Wax – Expanded Perlite Form-Stable Composites for Latent Heat Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tugba GURMEN OZCELIK

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In this study, form-stable composite phase change materials (PCM for latent heat storage were prepared by impregnating paraffin wax into the pores of the expanded perlite (EP. The characterization of the composite PCMs was performed by FTIR, TGA, SEM and DSC analysis. The melting point and heat of fusion were determined for 25 % paraffin included composite, as 54.3 °C and 94.71 J/g and for 45 % paraffin included composite as 53.6 °C and 106.69 J/g, respectively. The FTIR results showed that there were no chemical reaction between the perlite and paraffin. TGA analysis indicated that both composite PCMs had good thermal stability. SEM images showed that the paraffin was dispersed uniformly into the pores and on the EP surface. There was no leakage and degradation at the composite PCMs after heating and cooling cycles. According to the results, both prepared composites showed good thermal energy storage properties, reliability and stability. All results suggested that the presented form- stable composite PCMs has great potential for thermal energy storage applications.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.23.1.13661

Real-time quantitative PCR of microdissected paraffin-embedded breast carcinoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjerdrum, Lise Mette; Sorensen, Boe Sandahl; Kjeldsen, Eigil

2004-01-01

We studied the feasibility of using real-time quantitative PCR to determine HER-2 DNA amplification and mRNA expression in microdissected formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded breast tumors and compared this with standard immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) methods...

The Occurrence of Paraffin and Other Petroleum Waxes in the Marine Environment: A Review of the Current Legislative Framework and Shipping Operational Practices

OpenAIRE

Giuseppe Suaria; Giuseppe Suaria; Stefano Aliani; Silvia Merlino; Marinella Abbate

2018-01-01

Among the various materials that make up marine debris, lumps of petroleum waxes such as paraffin and microcrystalline wax, are regularly found on beaches worldwide, although not included in the current definition of marine litter. Ingestion by marine organisms is occasionally documented in the scientific literature and mass beaching events are frequently reported along the European coasts, with obvious detrimental consequences to the local communities that have to manage the clean-up and dis...

Effect of Zeolite Treatment on the Blooming Behavior of Paraffin Wax in Natural Rubber Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bryan B. Pajarito

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The blooming behavior of paraffin wax in natural rubber (NR composites was studied as function of zeolite treatment. Three types of zeolite treatment were treated as factors: acid activation using hydrochloric acid (HCl solution, ion exchange using tetradecyldimethyl amine (TDA chloride salt, and organic modification using glycerol monostearate (GMS. The zeolite was treated according to a 23 full factorial design of experiment. Attenuated total reflectance – Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR spectroscopy was used to characterize the chemical structure of treated zeolite. Treated zeolite was applied as filler to NR composites deliberately compounded with high amount of paraff in wax. The amount of bloomed wax in surface of NR composite sheets was monitored with time at 50oC. Results show the bloom amount to be linear with the square root of time. NR composites reinforced with untreated, acid-activated, and ion-exchanged zeolite fillers indicate reduction in wax blooming as compared to unfilled NR. The bloom rate (slope and initial bloom (y-intercept were determined from the experimental plots. Analysis of variance (ANOVA shows the bloom rate to be signif icantly increased when zeolite fillers are treated with GMS. Meanwhile, initial bloom was significantly enhanced when zeolite fillers are treated with TDA chloride salt and GMS. The significant increase in bloom rate and initial bloom can be attributed to the softening of the NR matrix at high amounts of TDA chloride salt and GMS.

Molecular diagnosis of skin infections using paraffin-embedded tissue - review and interdisciplinary consensus.

Science.gov (United States)

Sunderkötter, Cord; Becker, Karsten; Kutzner, Heinz; Meyer, Thomas; Blödorn-Schlicht, Norbert; Reischl, Udo; Nenoff, Pietro; Geißdörfer, Walter; Gräser, Yvonne; Herrmann, Mathias; Kühn, Joachim; Bogdan, Christian

2018-02-01

Nucleic acid amplification techniques (NATs), such as PCR, are highly sensitive and specific methods that have become valuable supplements to culture and serology in the diagnosis of infectious disorders. However, especially when using formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue, these techniques are associated with both false-negative and false-positive results, a pitfall that is frequently misjudged. Representatives of the German Society of Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM) and the German Society of Dermatology (DDG) therefore set out to develop a consensus - in the form of a review article - on the appropriate indications for NATs using paraffin-embedded tissue, its contraindications, and the key points to be considered in the pre- and post-analytical phase. Given that fresh, naive tissue is preferably to be used in the workup of a suspected infection, PCR analysis on paraffin sections represents an exception. The latter may be considered if an infection is suspected at a later point in time and fresh tissue has not been preserved or can no longer be obtained. Potential indications include confirmation of histologically suspected infections with Leishmania spp., Bartonella spp., Rickettsia spp., or in case of ecthyma contagiosum. Infections with, for example, mycobacteria or RNA viruses, on the other hand, are not considered useful indications for NATs using paraffin sections. In order to avoid misinterpretation of test results, it is essential that laboratory reports on NATs using paraffin-embedded tissue contain information on the indication/diagnostic circumstances, the required and chosen pre-analytical steps, the limitations of the method, and on diagnostic alternatives. © 2018 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Formulation and Testing of Paraffin-Based Solid Fuels Containing Energetic Additives for Hybrid Rockets

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Daniel B.; Boyer, Eric; Wachs,Trevor; Kuo, Kenneth K.; Story, George

2012-01-01

Many approaches have been considered in an effort to improve the regression rate of solid fuels for hybrid rocket applications. One promising method is to use a fuel with a fast burning rate such as paraffin wax; however, additional performance increases to the fuel regression rate are necessary to make the fuel a viable candidate to replace current launch propulsion systems. The addition of energetic and/or nano-sized particles is one way to increase mass-burning rates of the solid fuels and increase the overall performance of the hybrid rocket motor.1,2 Several paraffin-based fuel grains with various energetic additives (e.g., lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH4) have been cast in an attempt to improve regression rates. There are two major advantages to introducing LiAlH4 additive into the solid fuel matrix: 1) the increased characteristic velocity, 2) decreased dependency of Isp on oxidizer-to-fuel ratio. The testing and characterization of these solid-fuel grains have shown that continued work is necessary to eliminate unburned/unreacted fuel in downstream sections of the test apparatus.3 Changes to the fuel matrix include higher melting point wax and smaller energetic additive particles. The reduction in particle size through various methods can result in more homogeneous grain structure. The higher melting point wax can serve to reduce the melt-layer thickness, allowing the LiAlH4 particles to react closer to the burning surface, thus increasing the heat feedback rate and fuel regression rate. In addition to the formulation of LiAlH4 and paraffin wax solid-fuel grains, liquid additives of triethylaluminum and diisobutylaluminum hydride will be included in this study. Another promising fuel formulation consideration is to incorporate a small percentage of RDX as an additive to paraffin. A novel casting technique will be used by dissolving RDX in a solvent to crystallize the energetic additive. After dissolving the RDX in a solvent chosen for its compatibility

Characterization of Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetric Electrodes Using Paraffin as an Effective Sealant with In Vitro and In Vivo Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramsson, Eric S; Cholger, Daniel; Dionise, Albert; Poirier, Nicholas; Andrus, Avery; Curtiss, Randi

2015-01-01

Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is a powerful technique for measuring sub-second changes in neurotransmitter levels. A great time-limiting factor in the use of FSCV is the production of high-quality recording electrodes; common recording electrodes consist of cylindrical carbon fiber encased in borosilicate glass. When the borosilicate is heated and pulled, the molten glass ideally forms a tight seal around the carbon fiber cylinder. It is often difficult, however, to guarantee a perfect seal between the glass and carbon. Indeed, much of the time spent creating electrodes is in an effort to find a good seal. Even though epoxy resins can be useful in this regard, they are irreversible (seals are permanent), wasteful (epoxy cannot be reused once hardener is added), hazardous (hardeners are often caustic), and require curing. Herein we characterize paraffin as an electrode sealant for FSCV microelectrodes. Paraffin boasts the advantages of near-immediate curing times, simplicity in use, long shelf-life and stable waterproof seals capable of withstanding extended cycling. Borosilicate electrode tips were left intact or broken and dipped in paraffin embedding wax. Excess wax was removed from the carbon surface with xyelenes or by repeated cycling at an extended waveform (-0.4 to 1.4V, 400 V/s, 60 Hz). Then, the waveform was switched to a standard waveform (-0.4 to 1.3V, 400 V/s, 10 Hz) and cycled until stable. Wax-sealing does not inhibit electrode sensitivity, as electrodes detected linear changes in dopamine before and after wax (then xylenes) exposure. Paraffin seals are intact after 11 days of implantation in the mouse, and still capable of measuring transient changes in in vivo dopamine. From this it is clear that paraffin wax is an effective sealant for FSCV electrodes that provides a convenient substitute to epoxy sealants.

Topical analgesic added to paraffin enhances paraffin bath treatment of individuals with hand osteoarthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Myrer, Joseph William; Johnson, Aaron Wayne; Mitchell, Ulrike H; Measom, Gary J; Fellingham, Gilbert W

2011-01-01

To compare treating patients with symptomatic hand osteoarthritis (OA) with paraffin baths only (PO) (100% wax) or paraffin baths 80% wax with 20% topical analgesic (PTA). Subjects met criteria of the American College of Rheumatology for classifying symptomatic hand OA and had a Dreiser's index score >5 points. Current and average pain at rest and with movement was assessed with visual analogue scales. Hand function was assessed by the functional index for hand OA (FIHOA). Both groups had a significant reduction in their 'current' pain 15 min after the first and twelfth treatments compared to pre-treatment but there was no difference between groups (t = 0.10, p > 0.05). The PTA group had greater improvement over the 12 treatment sessions for their pain at rest (t = 2.92, p paraffin produced significantly greater pain relief at rest and during movement than paraffin baths alone after 12 treatments. Additionally, the PTA group experienced greater improved hand function.

A single simple procedure for dewaxing, hydration and heat-induced epitope retrieval (HIER) for immunohistochemistry in formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paulsen, I M S; Dimke, H; Frische, S

2015-01-01

Heat-induced epitope retrieval (HIER) is widely used for immunohistochemistry on formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissue and includes temperatures well above the melting point of paraffin. We therefore tested whether traditional xylene-based removal of paraffin is required on sections from paraff...... of dewaxing in xylene. In conclusion, the HIER procedure described and tested can be used as a single procedure enabling dewaxing, hydration and epitope retrieval for immunohistochemistry in formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissue....

Melted Paraffin Wax as an Innovative Liquid and Solid Extractant for Elemental Analysis by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Papai, Rodrigo; Sato, Roseli Hiromi; Nunes, Lidiane Cristina; Krug, Francisco José; Gaubeur, Ivanise

2017-03-07

This work proposes a new development in the use of melted paraffin wax as a new extractant in a procedure designed to aggregate the advantages of liquid phase extraction (extract homogeneity, fast, and efficient transfer, low cost and simplicity) to solid phase extraction. As proof of concept, copper(II) in aqueous samples was converted into a hydrophobic complex of copper(II) diethyldithiocarbamate and subsequently extracted into paraffin wax. Parameters which affect the complexation and extraction (pH, DDTC, and Triton X-100 concentration, vortex agitation time and complexation time) were optimized in a univariate way. The combination of the extraction proposed procedure with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy allowed the precise copper determination (coefficient of variation = 3.1%, n = 10) and enhanced detectability because of the concentration factor of 18 times. A calibration curve was obtained with a linear range of 0.50-10.00 mg L -1 (R 2 = 0.9990, n = 7), LOD = 0.12 mg L -1 , and LOQ = 0.38 mg L -1 under optimized conditions. An extraction procedure efficiency of 94% was obtained. The accuracy of the method was confirmed through the analysis of a reference material of human blood serum, by the spike and recovery trials with seawater, tap water, mineral water, and alcoholic beverages and by comparing with those results obtained by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.

Development of a Parafin Wax deposition Unit for Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

D'Angelo, Greta; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard; Pedersen, David Bue

2014-01-01

. This project illustrates the redesign of an extrusion unit for the deposition of paraffin wax in Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) instead of the conventional polymeric materials. Among the benefits and brought by the use of paraffin wax in such system are: the possibility to make highly complex and precise...... parts to subsequently use in a Lost Wax Casting process, multi-material Additive Manufacturing and the use of wax as support material during the production of complicated parts. Moreover it is believed that including waxes among the materials usable in FDM would promote new ways of using and exploring...

PrPSc detection in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue by ELISA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholson Eric M

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue is regularly employed in the diagnosis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE by immunohistochemistry (IHC, the standard by which all other TSE diagnostic protocols are judged. While IHC affords advantages over diagnostic approaches that typically utilize fresh or frozen tissue, such as Western blot and ELISA, the process of fixing, staining, and analyzing individual sections by hand does not allow for rapid or high throughput screening. However, preservation of tissues in formalin is not dependent upon the availability of refrigeration. Findings Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from TSE transmission studies of scrapie in sheep, chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer or transmissible mink encephalopathy in cattle were cut at 5 μm thickness. Samples containing the tissue equivalent of as little as one 5 μm section can be used to readily discriminate positive from negative samples. Conclusions This approach cannot replace IHC but may be used along with IHC as both a more rapid and readily high throughput screen where fresh or frozen tissues are not available or impractical.

Relative shrinkage of adipocytes by paraffin in proportion to plastic embedding in human adipose tissue before and after weight loss.

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Verhoef, Sanne P M; van Dijk, Paul; Westerterp, Klaas R

2013-01-01

Adipocyte size is a major modulator of endocrine functioning of adipose tissue and methods allowing accurate determination of adipocyte size are important to study energy metabolism. The aim of this study was to assess the relative shrinkage of adipocytes before and after weight loss by comparing adipose tissue from the same subjects embedded in paraffin and plastic. 18 healthy subjects (5 males and 13 females) aged 20-50 y with a BMI of 28-38 kg/m² followed a very low energy diet for 8 weeks. Adipose tissue biopsies were taken prior to and after weight loss and were processed for paraffin and plastic sections. Parameters of adipocyte size were determined with computer image analysis. Mean adipocyte size was smaller in paraffin compared to plastic embedded tissue both before (66 ± 4 vs. 103 ± 5 μm, P paraffin embedded tissue in proportion to plastic embedded tissue was not significantly different before and after weight loss (73 and 69%, respectively). Shrinkage due to the type of embedding of the adipose tissue can be ignored when comparing before and after weight loss. Plastic embedding of adipose tissue provides more accurate and sensitive results. © 2013 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity . Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combined in situ zymography, immunofluorescence, and staining of iron oxide particles in paraffin-embedded, zinc-fixed tissue sections.

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Haeckel, Akvile; Schoenzart, Lena; Appler, Franziska; Schnorr, Joerg; Taupitz, Matthias; Hamm, Bernd; Schellenberger, Eyk

2012-01-01

Superparamagnetic iron oxide particles are used as potent contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging. In histology, these particles are frequently visualized by Prussian blue iron staining of aldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Recently, zinc salt-based fixative was shown to preserve enzyme activity in paraffin-embedded tissues. In this study, we demonstrate that zinc fixation allows combining in situ zymography with fluorescence immunohistochemistry (IHC) and iron staining for advanced biologic investigation of iron oxide particle accumulation. Very small iron oxide particles, developed for magnetic resonance angiography, were applied intravenously to BALB/c nude mice. After 3 hours, spleens were explanted and subjected to zinc fixation and paraffin embedding. Cut tissue sections were further processed to in situ zymography, IHC, and Prussian blue staining procedures. The combination of in situ zymography as well as IHC with subsequent Prussian blue iron staining on zinc-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues resulted in excellent histologic images of enzyme activity, protease distribution, and iron oxide particle accumulation. The combination of all three stains on a single section allowed direct comparison with only moderate degradation of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled substrate. This protocol is useful for investigating the biologic environment of accumulating iron oxide particles, with excellent preservation of morphology.

Wax deposition in crude oil pipelines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assuncao, Pablo Morelato; Rodrigues, Lorennzo Marrochi Nolding [Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Sao Mateus, ES (Brazil). Centro Universitario Norte do Espirito Santo. Engenharia de Petroleo; Romero, Mao Ilich [University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States). Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute], e-mail: mromerov@uwyo.edu

2010-07-01

Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons which consists of aromatics, paraffins, naphthenics, resins asphaltenes, etc. When the temperature of crude oil is reduced, the heavy components, like paraffin, will precipitate and deposit on the pipe internal wall in the form of a wax-oil gel. The gel deposit consists of wax crystals that trap some amount of oil. As the temperature gets cooler, more wax will precipitate and the thickness of the wax gel will increase, causing gradual solidification of the crude and eventually the oil stop moving inside the offshore pipeline. Crude oil may not be able to be re-mobilized during re-startup. The effective diameter will be reduced with wax deposition, resulting in several problems, for example, higher pressure drop which means additional pumping energy costs, poor oil quality, use of chemical components like precipitation inhibitors or flowing facilitators, equipment failure, risk of leakage, clogging of the ducts and process equipment. Wax deposition problems can become so sever that the whole pipeline can be completely blocked. It would cost millions of dollars to remediate an offshore pipeline that is blocked by wax. Wax solubility decreases drastically with decreasing temperature. At low temperatures, as encountered in deep water production, is easy to wax precipitate. The highest temperature below which the paraffins begins to precipitate as wax crystals is defined as wax appearance temperature (WAT). Deposition process is a complex free surface problem involving thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, mass and heat transfer. In this work, a numerical analysis of wax deposition by molecular diffusion and shear dispersion mechanisms in crude oil pipeline is studied. Diffusion flux of wax toward the wall is estimated by Fick's law of diffusion, in similar way the shear dispersion; wax concentration gradient at the solid-liquid interface is obtained by the volume fraction conservation equation; and since the wax deposition

Aplikasi Wax Sebagai Salah Satu Material Di Bidang Kedokteran Gigi

OpenAIRE

Rika Jamilah Israwati Lubis

2008-01-01

Wax merupakan salah satu bahan termoplastik yang terdiri dari berbagai bahan organis dan bahan alami sehingga membuatnya sebagai bahan dengan sifat-sifat yang sangat berguna. Unsur-unsur pokok dental wax terdiri dari 3 suraber utama, yaitu : mineral, serangga (hewani), dan sayur-sayuran (tumbuh-tumbuhan). Wax yang berasal dari bahan mineral diantaranya adalah paraffin wax dan microcrystallin wax yang diperoleh dari hasil residu petroleum melalui proses destilasi. Wax yang berasal dari serangg...

Evaluating Quality of Aged Archival Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Samples for RNA-Sequencing

Science.gov (United States)

Archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples offer a vast, untapped source of genomic data for biomarker discovery. However, the quality of FFPE samples is often highly variable, and conventional methods to assess RNA quality for RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) are not infor...

Protein extraction from methanol fixed paraffin embedded tissue blocks: A new possibility using cell blocks

Science.gov (United States)

Kokkat, Theresa J.; McGarvey, Diane; Patel, Miral S.; Tieniber, Andrew D.; LiVolsi, Virginia A.; Baloch, Zubair W.

2013-01-01

Background: Methanol fixed and paraffin embedded (MFPE) cellblocks are an essential cytology preparation. However, MFPE cellblocks often contain limited material and their relatively small size has caused them to be overlooked in biomarker discovery. Advances in the field of molecular biotechnology have made it possible to extract proteins from formalin fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks. In contrast, there are no established methods for extracting proteins from MFPE cellblocks. We investigated commonly available CHAPS (3-[(3-cholamidopropyl) dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate) buffer, as well as two commercially available Qiagen® kits and compared their effectiveness on MFPE tissue for protein yields. Materials and Methods: MFPE blocks were made by Cellient™ automated system using human tissue specimens from normal and malignant specimens collected in ThinPrep™ Vials. Protein was extracted from Cellient-methanol fixed and paraffin embedded blocks with CHAPS buffer method as well as FFPE and Mammalian Qiagen® kits. Results: Comparison of protein yields demonstrated the effectiveness of various protein extraction methods on MFPE cellblocks. Conclusion: In the current era of minimally invasive techniques to obtain minimal amount of tissue for diagnostic and prognostic purposes, the use of commercial and lab made buffer on low weight MFPE scrapings obtained by Cellient® processor opens new possibilities for protein biomarker research. PMID:24403950

Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism-Microarray Ploidy Analysis of Paraffin-Embedded Products of Conception in Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Maslow, Bat-Sheva L; Budinetz, Tara; Sueldo, Carolina; Anspach, Erica; Engmann, Lawrence; Benadiva, Claudio; Nulsen, John C

2015-07-01

To compare the analysis of chromosome number from paraffin-embedded products of conception using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray with the recommended screening for the evaluation of couples presenting with recurrent pregnancy loss who do not have previous fetal cytogenetic data. We performed a retrospective cohort study including all women who presented for a new evaluation of recurrent pregnancy loss over a 2-year period (January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2013). All participants had at least two documented first-trimester losses and both the recommended screening tests and SNP microarray performed on at least one paraffin-embedded products of conception sample. Single-nucleotide polymorphism microarray identifies all 24 chromosomes (22 autosomes, X, and Y). Forty-two women with a total of 178 losses were included in the study. Paraffin-embedded products of conception from 62 losses were sent for SNP microarray. Single-nucleotide polymorphism microarray successfully diagnosed fetal chromosome number in 71% (44/62) of samples, of which 43% (19/44) were euploid and 57% (25/44) were noneuploid. Seven of 42 (17%) participants had abnormalities on recurrent pregnancy loss screening. The per-person detection rate for a cause of pregnancy loss was significantly higher in the SNP microarray (0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.36-0.64) compared with recurrent pregnancy loss evaluation (0.17; 95% CI 0.08-0.31) (P=.002). Participants with one or more euploid loss identified on paraffin-embedded products of conception were significantly more likely to have an abnormality on recurrent pregnancy loss screening than those with only noneuploid results (P=.028). The significance remained when controlling for age, number of losses, number of samples, and total pregnancies. These results suggest that SNP microarray testing of paraffin-embedded products of conception is a valuable tool for the evaluation of recurrent pregnancy loss in patients without prior fetal

Evaluation of different tissue de-paraffinization procedures for infrared spectral imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Nallala, Jayakrupakar; Lloyd, Gavin Rhys; Stone, Nicholas

2015-04-07

In infrared spectral histopathology, paraffin embedded tissues are often de-paraffinized using chemical agents such as xylene and hexane. These chemicals are known to be toxic and the routine de-waxing procedure is time consuming. A comparative study was carried out to identify alternate de-paraffinization methods by using paraffin oil and electronic de-paraffinization (using a mathematical computer algorithm) and their effectiveness was compared to xylene and hexane. Sixteen adjacent tissue sections obtained from a single block of a normal colon tissue were de-paraffinized using xylene, hexane and paraffin oil (+ hexane wash) at five different time points each for comparison. One section was reserved unprocessed for electronic de-paraffinization based on a modified extended multiplicative signal correction (EMSC). IR imaging was carried out on these tissue sections. Coefficients based on the fit of a pure paraffin model to the IR images were then calculated to estimate the amount of paraffin remaining after processing. Results indicate that on average xylene removes more paraffin in comparison to hexane and paraffin oil although the differences were small. This makes paraffin oil, followed by a hexane wash, an interesting and less toxic alternative method of de-paraffinization. However, none of the chemical methods removed paraffin completely from the tissues at any given time point. Moreover, paraffin was removed more easily from the glandular regions than the connective tissue regions indicating a form of differential paraffin retention based on the histology. In such cases, the use of electronic de-paraffinization to neutralize such variances across different tissue regions might be considered. Moreover it is faster, reduces scatter artefacts by index matching and enables samples to be easily stored for further analysis if required.

Paraffin wax removal from metal injection moulded cocrmo alloy compact by solvent debinding process

Science.gov (United States)

Dandang, N. A. N.; Harun, W. S. W.; Khalil, N. Z.; Ahmad, A. H.; Romlay, F. R. M.; Johari, N. A.

2017-10-01

One of the most crucial and time consuming phase in metal injection moulding (MIM) process is “debinding”. These days, in metal injection moulding process, they had recounted that first debinding practice was depend on thermal binder degradation, which demanding more than 200 hours for complete removal of binder. Fortunately, these days world had introduced multi-stage debinding techniques to simplified the debinding time process. This research study variables for solvent debinding which are temperature and soaking time for samples made by MIM CoCrMo powder. Since wax as the key principal in the binder origination, paraffin wax will be removed together with stearic acid from the green bodies. Then, debinding process is conducted at 50, 60 and 70°C for 30-240 minutes. It is carried out in n-heptane solution. Percentage weight loss of the binder were measured. Lastly, scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis and visual inspection were observed for the surface of brown compact. From the results, samples debound at 70°C exhibited a significant amount of binder loss; nevertheless, sample collapse, brittle surface and cracks were detected. But, at 60°C temperature and time of 4 hours proven finest results as it shows sufficient binder loss, nonappearance of surface cracks and easy to handle. Overall, binder loss is directly related to solvent debinding temperature and time.

Analytical validation of a melanoma diagnostic gene signature using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded melanocytic lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Warf, M Bryan; Flake, Darl D; Adams, Doug; Gutin, Alexander; Kolquist, Kathryn A; Wenstrup, Richard J; Roa, Benjamin B

2015-01-01

These studies were to validate the analytical performance of a gene expression signature that differentiates melanoma and nevi, using RNA expression from 14 signature genes and nine normalization genes that generates a melanoma diagnostic score (MDS). Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded melanocytic lesions were evaluated in these studies. The overall SD of the assay was determined to be 0.69 MDS units. Individual amplicons within the signature had an average amplification efficiency of 92% and a SD less than 0.5 CT. The MDS was reproducible across a 2000-fold dilution range of input RNA. Melanin, an inhibitor of PCR, does not interfere with the signature. These studies indicate this signature is robust and reproducible and is analytically validated on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded melanocytic lesions.

An Optimized Method of Metabolite Extraction from Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissue for GC/MS Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wojakowska, Anna; Marczak, Łukasz; Jelonek, Karol; Polanski, Krzysztof; Widlak, Piotr; Pietrowska, Monika

2015-01-01

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens constitute a highly valuable source of clinical material for retrospective molecular studies. However, metabolomic assessment of such archival material remains still in its infancy. Hence, there is an urgent need for efficient methods enabling extraction and profiling of metabolites present in FFPE tissue specimens. Here we demonstrate the methodology for isolation of primary metabolites from archival tissues; either fresh-frozen, formalin-fixed or formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens of mouse kidney were analysed and compared in this work. We used gas chromatography followed by mass spectrometry (GC/MS approach) to identify about 80 metabolites (including amino acids, saccharides, carboxylic acids, fatty acids) present in such archive material. Importantly, about 75% of identified compounds were detected in all three types of specimens. Moreover, we observed that fixation with formalin itself (and their duration) did not affect markedly the presence of particular metabolites in tissue-extracted material, yet fixation for 24h could be recommended as a practical standard. Paraffin embedding influenced efficiency of extraction, which resulted in reduced quantities of several compounds. Nevertheless, we proved applicability of FFPE specimens for non-targeted GS/MS-based profiling of tissue metabolome, which is of great importance for feasibility of metabolomics studies using retrospective clinical material.

Biomedical analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples: The Holy Grail for molecular diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

Donczo, Boglarka; Guttman, Andras

2018-06-05

More than a century ago in 1893, a revolutionary idea about fixing biological tissue specimens was introduced by Ferdinand Blum, a German physician. Since then, a plethora of fixation methods have been investigated and used. Formalin fixation with paraffin embedment became the most widely used types of fixation and preservation method, due to its proper architectural conservation of tissue structures and cellular shape. The huge collection of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sample archives worldwide holds a large amount of unearthed information about diseases that could be the Holy Grail in contemporary biomarker research utilizing analytical omics based molecular diagnostics. The aim of this review is to critically evaluate the omics options for FFPE tissue sample analysis in the molecular diagnostics field. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Proteome stability analysis of snap frozen, RNAlater preserved, and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human colon mucosal biopsies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tue Bjerg Bennike

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Large repositories of well characterized RNAlater preserved samples and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples have been generated worldwide. However, the impact on the proteome of the preservation methods remain poorly described. Therefore, we analyzed the impact on the proteome of preserving samples in RNAlater, and by formalin-fixation, paraffin-embedding on human soft tissue, using directly frozen samples as a control (“Comparing the proteome of snap frozen, RNAlater preserved, and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human tissue samples” [1]. We here report the data from the analysis. The comparative analysis was performed on 24 colon mucosa biopsies, extracted from the sigmoideum of two gastroenterologically healthy participants for the purpose of this study. A set of biopsies were additionally stored for 30 min at room temperature prior to formalin-fixation. The samples were analyzed by high throughput gel free quantitative proteomics. The MS proteomics data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE partner repository with the dataset identifier PRIDE: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/pride/archive/projects/PXD002029. Keywords: Human, Colon, Mucosa, RNAlater, FFPE, Snap-frozen, Stability, LC–MS, Proteomics

Advantages of infrared transflection micro spectroscopy and paraffin-embedded sample preparation for biological studies

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Jie; Li, Qian; Zhou, Bo; Wang, Dan; Wu, Rie

2018-04-01

Fourier-Transform Infrared micro-spectroscopy is an excellent method for biological analyses. In this paper, series metal coating films on ITO glass were prepared by the electrochemical method and the different thicknesses of paraffin embedding rat's brain tissue on the substrates were studied by IR micro-spetroscopy in attenuated total reflection (ATR) mode and transflection mode respectively. The Co-Ni-Cu alloy coating film with low cost is good reflection substrates for the IR analysis. The infrared microscopic transflection mode needs not to touch the sample at all and can get the IR spectra with higher signal to noise ratios. The Paraffin-embedding method allows tissues to be stored for a long time for re-analysis to ensure the traceability of the sample. Also it isolates the sample from the metal and avoids the interaction of biological tissue with the metals. The best thickness of the tissues is 4 μm.

Pickering emulsions stabilized by paraffin wax and Laponite clay particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Caifu; Liu, Qian; Mei, Zhen; Wang, Jun; Xu, Jian; Sun, Dejun

2009-08-01

Emulsions containing wax in dispersed droplets stabilized by disc-like Laponite clay particles are prepared. Properties of the emulsions prepared at different temperatures are examined using stability, microscopy and droplet-size analysis. At low temperature, the wax crystals in the oil droplets can protrude through the interface, leading to droplet coalescence. But at higher temperatures, the droplet size decreases with wax concentration. Considering the viscosity of the oil phase and the interfacial tension, we conclude that the wax is liquid-like during the high temperature emulsification process, but during cooling wax crystals appear around the oil/water interface and stabilize the droplets. The oil/water ratio has minimal effect on the emulsions between ratios of 3:7 and 7:3. The Laponite is believed to stabilize the emulsions by increasing the viscosity of the continuous phase and also by adsorbing at the oil/water interface, thus providing a physical barrier to coalescence.

Real-time quantitative PCR of microdissected paraffin-embedded breast carcinoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjerdrum, Lise Mette; Sorensen, Boe Sandahl; Kjeldsen, Eigil

2004-01-01

We studied the feasibility of using real-time quantitative PCR to determine HER-2 DNA amplification and mRNA expression in microdissected formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded breast tumors and compared this with standard immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) methods...... tumors as being amplified. Interestingly, all these scored 2+ with the HercepTest, but were negative using FISH. We believe that real-time quantitative PCR analysis of HER-2 DNA amplification following microdissection represents a useful supplementary or perhaps even an alternative technique...

The effects of age-in-block on RNA-seq analysis of archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples

Science.gov (United States)

Archival samples represent a vast resource for identification of chemical and pharmaceutical targets. Previous use of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples has been limited due to changes in RNA introduced by fixation and embedding procedures. Recent advances in RNA-seq...

[Comparison of two different real-time PCR systems in postmortem diagnosis of tuberculosis in paraffin-embedded tissues].

Science.gov (United States)

Yağmur, Gülhan; Albayrak, Nurhan; Daş, Taner; Yıldırım, Muzaffer; Ozgün, Ayşe; Büyük, Yalçın

2014-10-01

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of those infections with high morbidity and mortality in all around the world. Hundreds of people died from this disease without diagnosed or due to resistant strains in Turkey. Therefore, it is important to identify postmortem cases who have died from tuberculosis. Molecular methods have been widely used as well as conventional methods in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to compare the two different real-time polymerase chain reaction (Rt-PCR) system in the postmortem diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections in paraffin-embedded tissues. A total of 40 paraffin-embedded tissue samples [lung (n= 35), brain (n= 2), heart (n= 2), lymph node (n= 1)] in which histopathologic findings consistent with TB (necrotizing granulomatous inflammation, gelatinous caseous pneumonia, necrotic fibrous nodul) obtained from 37 autopsy cases (31 male, 6 female; age range: 25-85 yrs) were included in the study. Paraffin-embedded tissues were deparafinized with xylene and ethyl alcohol and then DNA isolation was done with QIAsymphony DSP Virus/Pathogen Midi kit in the QIAsymphony device. DNA amplification process was performed by Rt-PCR using the kit Artus® M. tuberculosis RG-PCR in the Rotor-Gene® Q device (Qiagen, Germany). Likewise, after deparafinization process, samples placed in the cartridge and isolation and Rt-PCR was performed by Xpert® MTB/RIF (Cepheid, USA) system, simultaneosly. Seventeen and 20 out of the 40 paraffin-embedded tissues yielded positive results with Qiagen and Xpert system, respectively. M.tuberculosis DNA was found positive in 13 (32.5%) and negative in 16 (40%) of the samples by both of the systems, exhibiting 72.5% (29/40) of concordance. On the other hand, seven (17.5%) samples that were positive with Xpert system yielded negative result with the Qiagen, while four (10%) samples that were positive with Qiagen yielded negative result with the Xpert system. Of the 20 positive cases detected with

Core-Sheath Paraffin-Wax-Loaded Nanofibers by Electrospinning for Heat Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Yuan; Xiao, Xiudi; Zhan, Yongjun; Huan, Changmeng; Qi, Shuai; Cheng, Haoliang; Xu, Gang

2018-04-18

Paraffin wax (PW) is widely used for smart thermoregulation materials due to its good thermal performance. However, the leakage and low thermal conductivity of PW hinder its application in the heat storage field. Accordingly, developing effective methods to address these issues is of great importance. In this study, we explored a facile approach to obtain PW-loaded core-sheath structured flexible nanofibers films via coaxial electrospinning technique. The PW as the core layer was successfully encapsulated by the sheath-layer poly(methyl methacrylate). The diameter of the fiber core increased from 395 to 848 nm as the core solution speed rate increased from 0.1 to 0.5 mL/h. In addition, it can be seen that higher core solution speed rate could lead to higher PW encapsulation efficiency according to the transmission electron microscopy results. The core-sheath nanofiber films, moreover, possessed the highest latent heat of 58.25 J/g and solidifying enthalpy of -56.49 J/g. In addition, we found that after 200 thermal cycles, there was little change in latent heat, which demonstrated that it is beneficial for the PW-loaded core-sheath structure to overcome the leakage issue and enhance thermal stability properties for the thermoregulation film.

Immunohistochemical detection of VHS virus in paraffin-embedded specimens of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss); The influence of primary antibody, fixative, and antigen unmasking on method sensitivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Evensen, O.; Olesen, Niels Jørgen

1997-01-01

performed on parallel specimens, and the virus titer (TCID50/ml) was determined. Purified nucleocapsid protein (N-protein) of the virus was incorporated in an artificial antigen substrate (polymerized bovine serum albumin), fixed as described above, and embedded in paraffin wax. Microwave unmasking...... was performed an formalin-, PLP-, and Bouin's fluid-fixed specimens. The presence of virus peptides in situ or N-protein in the artificial antigen substrates was Visualized using an immunohistochemical method based on alkaline phosphatase or peroxidase and one polyclonal and five monoclonal polypeptide......-specific antibodies. VHS virus was identified in situ in specimens with high virus titers (10(7-8) TCID50/ml) regardless of the fixative and without the need of an unmasking procedure. A pronounced masking effect was observed for the cross-linking formalin and PLP fixatives. Regardless of the primary antibodies used...

Detection of apoptosis in paraffin embedded tissues: the influence of tissue type and fixation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Matalová, Eva; Dubská, L.; Míšek, Ivan

2002-01-01

Roč. 71, č. 4 (2002), s. 529-533 ISSN 0001-7213 R&D Projects: GA ČR GP204/02/P112; GA AV ČR KSK6005114 Keywords : apoptosis * TUNEL test * paraffin embedded tissues Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 0.370, year: 2002

Improvised double-embedding technique of minute biopsies: a mega boon to histopathology laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Lokendra; Thomas, Sarega; Kini, Usha

2015-01-01

Optimal orientation of minute mucosal biopsies is essential for a definite diagnosis in gastrointestinal pathology or to visualize neural plexuses in Hirschsprung disease. The problem of minute size of the biopsy and its orientation gets compounded when they are from neonates and mandates exhaustive strip cuts, thus delaying reporting. A modified agar-paraffin technique is aimed to make tissue embedding efficient and user-friendly by inking mapping biopsies (one or more) either fresh or fixed with surgical coloring inks followed by embedding first in agar after orientation and followed thereafter by processing, re-embedding in paraffin wax, sectioning and staining. The tissues in agar paraffin block were found to be well processed, firm, held secure and well preserved. The blocks were easy to cut, with serial sections of thickness 2-3 μ and easy to spread. The colored inks remained permanently on the tissues both in the block as well as on the sections which helped in easy identification of tissues. Agar did not interfere with any stain such as Hematoxylin and Eosin or with histochemical stains, enzyme histochemistry or immunohistochemistry. Inking biopsies and pooling them in a block when obtained from the same patient reduced the number of tissue blocks. The modified agar-paraffin embedding technique is a simple reliable user friendly method that can greatly improve the quality of diagnostic information from minute biopsies by optimal orientation, better quality of sections, faster turnaround time and cost-effectiveness by economizing on the number of paraffin blocks, manpower, chemical reagents and laboratory infrastructure.

Improvised double-embedding technique of minute biopsies: A mega boon to histopathology laboratory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lokendra Yadav

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Optimal orientation of minute mucosal biopsies is essential for a definite diagnosis in gastrointestinal pathology or to visualize neural plexuses in Hirschsprung disease. The problem of minute size of the biopsy and its orientation gets compounded when they are from neonates and mandates exhaustive strip cuts, thus delaying reporting. Aim: A modified agar-paraffin technique is aimed to make tissue embedding efficient and user-friendly by inking mapping biopsies (one or more either fresh or fixed with surgical coloring inks followed by embedding first in agar after orientation and followed thereafter by processing, re-embedding in paraffin wax, sectioning and staining. Results: The tissues in agar paraffin block were found to be well processed, firm, held secure and well preserved. The blocks were easy to cut, with serial sections of thickness 2-3 μ and easy to spread. The colored inks remained permanently on the tissues both in the block as well as on the sections which helped in easy identification of tissues. Agar did not interfere with any stain such as Hematoxylin and Eosin or with histochemical stains, enzyme histochemistry or immunohistochemistry. Inking biopsies and pooling them in a block when obtained from the same patient reduced the number of tissue blocks. Conclusion: The modified agar-paraffin embedding technique is a simple reliable user friendly method that can greatly improve the quality of diagnostic information from minute biopsies by optimal orientation, better quality of sections, faster turnaround time and cost-effectiveness by economizing on the number of paraffin blocks, manpower, chemical reagents and laboratory infrastructure.

STR typing of formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) aborted foetal tissue in criminal paternity cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Reshef, Ayeleth; Barash, Mark; Voskoboinik, Lev; Brauner, Paul; Gafny, Roni

2011-03-01

Sexual assault or rape cases occasionally result in unwanted pregnancies. In almost all such cases the foetus is aborted. A forensic laboratory may receive the foetus, the placenta, or paraffin embedded abortion material for paternity testing. Obtaining a foetal profile DNA from a foetus or placenta may not be successful due to the age or condition of the tissue. Moreover, maternal contamination of placental material will invariably result in a mixed DNA profile. However, the use of properly screened abortion material from paraffin blocks will almost always result in obtaining a foetal DNA profile. Furthermore, foetal tissue fixed in paraffin blocks does not require special conditions for submission and storage as required to preserve fresh foetal or placental tissue. As hospitals routinely prepare foetal tissue in paraffin blocks, which should be readily obtainable by forensic laboratories, these samples would appear to be the preferred choice for paternity testing. 2010 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dose-Response Analysis of RNA-Seq Profiles in Archival Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) Samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Use of archival resources has been limited to date by inconsistent methods for genomic profiling of degraded RNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples. RNA-sequencing offers a promising way to address this problem. Here we evaluated transcriptomic dose responses us...

The Occurrence of Paraffin and Other Petroleum Waxes in the Marine Environment: A Review of the Current Legislative Framework and Shipping Operational Practices

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Giuseppe Suaria

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Among the various materials that make up marine debris, lumps of petroleum waxes such as paraffin and microcrystalline wax, are regularly found on beaches worldwide, although not included in the current definition of marine litter. Ingestion by marine organisms is occasionally documented in the scientific literature and mass beaching events are frequently reported along the European coasts, with obvious detrimental consequences to the local communities that have to manage the clean-up and disposal of this substance. According to Annex II of the MARPOL regulation, petroleum waxes are classified as “high viscosity, solidifying, and persistent floating products,” whose discharge at sea of tank-washing residues is strictly regulated, but currently permitted within certain limits. Starting from the description of a large stranding event occurred along the Italian coasts in 2017, we review the existing knowledge and regulatory framework and urge the relevant authorities to address this issue, showing that wax pollution is creating evident damages to the European coastal municipalities. Pending further investigations on the potential hazard that this kind of pollution is posing to marine ecosystems, we suggest a careful and more stringent revision of the policies regulating discharges of these products at sea.

Optimization of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Immunoreactivity in Formalin-fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Guinea Pig Brain Sections

Science.gov (United States)

2003-09-01

fixed, paraffin-embedded guinea pig brain sections using a variety of commercially available GFAP antibody clones. Of the 7 clones tested for cross...determining neuropathological consequences in the guinea pig following exposure to chemical warfare nerve agent.

A single simple procedure for dewaxing, hydration and heat-induced epitope retrieval (HIER for immunohistochemistry in formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissue

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I.M.S. Paulsen

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Heat-induced epitope retrieval (HIER is widely used for immunohistochemistry on formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissue and includes temperatures well above the melting point of paraffin. We therefore tested whether traditional xylene-based removal of paraffin is required on sections from paraffin-embedded tissue, when HIER is performed by vigorous boiling in 10 mM Tris/0.5 mM EGTA-buffer (pH=9. Immunohistochemical results using HIER with or without prior dewaxing in xylene were evaluated using 7 primary antibodies targeting proteins located in the cytosol, intracellular vesicles and plasma membrane. No effect of omitting prior dewaxing was observed on staining pattern. Semiquantitative analysis did not show HIER to influence the intensity of labelling consistently. Consequently, quantification of immune labelling intensity using fluorescent secondary antibodies was performed at 5 dilutions of primary antibody with and without prior dewaxing in xylene. No effect of omitting prior dewaxing on signal intensity was detectable indicating similar immunoreactivity in dewaxed and non-dewaxed sections. The intensity of staining the nucleus with the DNA-stain ToPro3 was similarly unaffected by omission of dewaxing in xylene. In conclusion, the HIER procedure described and tested can be used as a single procedure enabling dewaxing, hydration and epitope retrieval for immunohistochemistry in formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissue.

Investigation of archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded pancreatic tissue with whole-genome gene expression microarray

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michelsen, Nete Vinstrup; Brusgaard, Klaus; Tan, Qihua

2011-01-01

The use of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue overcomes the most prominent issues related to research on relatively rare diseases: limited sample size, availability of control tissue, and time frame. The use of FFPE pancreatic tissue in GEM may be especially challenging due to its very...

Comparing the proteome of snap frozen, RNAlater preserved, and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human tissue samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennike, Tue Bjerg; Kastaniegaard, Kenneth; Padurariu, Simona

2016-01-01

Large biobanks exist worldwide containing formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples and samples stored in RNAlater. However, the impact of tissue preservation on the result of a quantative proteome analysis remains poorly described.Human colon mucosal biopsies were extracted from the sigmoideum...

Establishment of a Pcr Technique for Determination of Htlv-1 Infection in Paraffin-Embedded Tissues

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M Rastin

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: HTLV-1 , the first known human retrovirus belongs to oncovirus subfamily of retroviruses. The major characteristic of HTLV-1 is its highly restricted geographic prevalence. Northern part of Khorasan is an endemic region of HTLV-1 infection. Epidemiological studies can help in designing preventive programs for HTLV-1 infection. The aim of this study was the establishment of a PCR technique for determination of HTLV-1 infection in paraffin-embedded tissues. Methods: In this experimental laboratory study for establishment of a technique, PCR was initially optimized using Beta-actin primers on various formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from liver, spleen, skin and lymph nodes. The optimized concentration of Mgcl2 was 2mm, primer was 8 pmol. Optimized concentration of DNA was different according to the kind of tissue. HTLV-1 infection was determined by applying tax, pol, env and LTR primers on 50 paraffin-embedded lymph node tissues . The reporoducibility of this technique was shown for skin and lymph node tissues infected with HTLV-1. Resuls: In 50 lymph node tissues, one case with pathologic diagnosis of NHL was positive with all 5 sets of primers (tax, Pol, env and LTR primers and the other case was positive with only two sets of tax primers but was negative with pol, env and LTR primers. The prevalence of infection was 2% among lymph node specimens. (1 of 50 specimens and if the second case is considered, the prevalence would be 4%. Conclusion: Comparison of the results of this study with another study on blood specimens (seroprevalence2.3% was not statistically significant thus confirming the results of one another. (P=0.883

Comparison between single PCR and nested PCR in detection of human papilloma viruses in paraffin-embedded OSCC and fresh oral mucosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Jalouli, Miranda; Jalouli, Jamshid; Ibrahim, Salah O; Hirsch, Jan-Michaél; Sand, Lars

2015-01-01

Infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) has been implicated as one of the risk factors for the development of oropharyngeal cancer. Many different HPV tests exist, and information regarding their specific technical, analytical, and clinical properties is increasing. This study aimed to compare the level of detection of HPV using two reliable polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods, nested PCR (NPCR) and single PCR (SPCR), in archival paraffin-embedded oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) samples and fresh oral mucosa specimens. The presence of HPV genome in two groups of tissue samples was analyzed: (i) 57 paraffin-embedded OSCC samples from Sudan and (ii) eight healthy fresh oral mucosal samples from Swedish volunteers. The specimens were tested by SPCR with primer pair MY9/MY11 and NPCR using GP5+/GP6+ primer sets. Eighteen (32%) out of the 57 paraffin-embedded OSCC samples, and five (62%) out of the eight fresh clinically healthy samples were found to be HPV-positive with NPCR. With SPCR, four (7%) out of the paraffin-embedded OSCC samples were HPV-positive. A statistically significant difference between HPV-positive and -negative samples was found when comparing NPCR and SPCR in OSCC and fresh oral mucosa (pnested PCR increased the positivity rate, efficiency rate and sensitivity of HPV detection in oral samples significantly and should be considered as the method of choice. Copyright © 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Mechanical properties of carving wax with various Ca-bentolite filter composition

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Widjijono Widjijono

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Background: The carving wax is used as a medium in dental anatomy study. This wax composes of many waxes and sometimes a filler is added. Carving wax is not sold in Indonesian market. Whereas the gradients of carving wax such as beeswax, paraffin and bentonite are abundant in Indonesia. Based on that fact, to make high quality and standard,the exact composition if this carving wax should be known. Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of carving wax composition with Ca-bentonite filler on the melting point, hardness, and thermal expansion. Methods: Five carving wax compositions were made with paraffin, Ca-bentonite, carnauba wax, and beeswax in ratio (% weight: 50:20:25:5 (KI, 55:15:25:5 (KII, 60:10:25:5 (KIII, 65:5:25:5 (KIV, 70:0:25:5(KV. All components were melted, then poured into the melting point, hardness, and thermal expansion moulds (n = 5. Three carving wax properties were tested: melting point by melting point apparatus; hardness by penetrometer; thermal expansion by digital sliding caliper. The data were analyzed statistically using One-Way ANOVA and LSD0.05. Result: The Ca-bentonite addition influenced the melting point and thermal expansion of carving wax with significant differences between KI and other groups (p < 0.05. Ca-bentonite addition influenced the carving wax hardness and the mean differences among the groups were significant (p < 0.05. Conclusion: Ca-bentonite filler addition on the composition of carving wax influenced the physical and mechanical properties. The carving wax with high Ca-bentonite concentration had high melting point and hardness, but low thermal expansion.

Detection of Tropical Fungi in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissue: Still an Indication for Microscopy in Times of Sequence-Based Diagnosis?

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Hagen Frickmann

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The aim of the study was the evaluation of panfungal PCR protocols with subsequent sequence analysis for the diagnostic identification of invasive mycoses in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples with rare tropical mycoses. Materials and Methods. Five different previously described panfungal PCR/sequencing protocols targeting 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA gene fragments as well as internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 fragments were evaluated with a collection of 17 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples of patients with rare and/or tropical invasive mycoses, comprising chromoblastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, mucormycosis, mycetoma/maduromycosis, and rhinosporidiosis, in a proof-of-principle analysis. Results. The primers of the panfungal PCRs readily and predominantly reacted with contaminating environmental fungi that had deposited on the paraffin blocks. Altogether three sequence results of histoplasmosis and mycetoma samples that matched the histological assessment were associated with sample age <10 years and virtually without PCR inhibition. Conclusions. The high risk of amplifying environmental contaminants severely reduces the usefulness of the assessed panfungal PCR/sequencing protocols for the identification of rare and/or tropical mycoses in stored formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Histological assessment remains valuable for such indications if cultural differentiation is impossible from inactivated sample material.

New comprehensive denaturing-gradient-gel-electrophoresis assay for KRAS mutation detection applied to paraffin-embedded tumours

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hayes, VM; Westra, JL; Verlind, E; Bleeker, W; Plukker, JT; Hofstra, RMW; Buys, CHCM

2000-01-01

A comprehensive mutation detection assay is presented for the entire coding region and all splice site junctions of the KRAS oncogene. The assay is based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and applicable to archival paraffin-embedded tumour material. All KRAS amplicons are analysed within

Polymerase chain reaction analysis for viruses in paraffin-embedded myocardium from dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy or myocarditis.

Science.gov (United States)

Maxson, T R; Meurs, K M; Lehmkuhl, L B; Magnon, A L; Weisbrode, S E; Atkins, C E

2001-01-01

To perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis on paraffin-embedded myocardium from dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and dogs with myocarditis to screen for canine parvovirus, adenovirus types 1 and 2, and herpesvirus. Myocardial specimens from 18 dogs with an antemortem diagnosis of DCM and 9 dogs with a histopathologic diagnosis of myocarditis were evaluated. Paraffin-embedded myocardial specimens were screened for viral genome by PCR analysis. Positive-control specimens were developed from cell cultures as well as paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from dogs with clinical and histopathologic diagnoses of viral infection with canine parvovirus, adenovirus types 1 and 2, and herpesvirus. The histologic characteristics of all myocardial specimens were classified regarding extent, location, and type of inflammation and fibrosis. Canine adenovirus type 1 was amplified from 1 specimen from a dog with DCM. Canine parvovirus, adenovirus type 2, and herpesvirus were not amplified from any myocardial specimens. Histologic analysis of specimens from dogs with DCM revealed variable amounts of fibrosis; myocardial inflammation was observed in 1 affected dog. Histopathologic analysis of specimens from dogs with myocarditis disclosed variable degrees of inflammation and fibrosis. Viral agents canine parvovirus, adenovirus types 1 and 2, and herpesvirus are not commonly associated with DCM or active myocarditis in dogs. Additional studies evaluating for nucleic acid from viruses that less commonly affect dogs or different types of infectious agents may be warranted to gain insight into the cause of DCM and myocarditis in dogs.

Evaluation of experimental data for wax and diamondoids solubility in gaseous systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mohammadi, Amir H.; Gharagheizi, Farhad; Eslamimanesh, Ali

2012-01-01

The Leverage statistical approach is herein applied for evaluation of experimental data of the paraffin waxes/diamondoids solubility in gaseous systems. The calculation steps of this algorithm consist of determination of the statistical Hat matrix, sketching the Williams Plot, and calculation......-Santiago and Teja correlations are used to calculate/estimate the solubility of paraffin waxes (including n-C24H50 to n-C33H68) and diamondoids (adamantane and diamantane) in carbon dioxide/ethane gases, respectively. It can be interpreted from the obtained results that the applied equations for calculation...

Crystallography of waxes - an electron diffraction study of refined and natural products

Science.gov (United States)

Dorset, Douglas L.

1997-02-01

The crystal structure of four waxes has been investigated by electron crystallography. Two of these waxes, including a refined petroleum product (Gulfwax) and a material from lignite (montan wax), form well ordered crystals and their structure could be solved quantitatively from the observed 0022-3727/30/3/018/img1 diffraction patterns. As also found previously for simpler binary n-paraffin solid solutions, the average structure resembles that of a pure paraffin (e.g. n-0022-3727/30/3/018/img2) but with a Gaussian distribution of atomic occupancies near the chain ends to account for the statistical distribution of chain lengths within a lamella. Two other waxes from living organisms, South African bee honeycomb and the leaves of the Brazilian carnauba palm, are much less ordered, even though they share the same methylene subcell packing of the most crystalline parts of the previous materials. It appears that these waxes cannot fully separate into distinct lamellae, perhaps due to the presence of very long `tie' molecules, and are therefore `frustrated' crystal structures.

Progesterone receptor isoform analysis by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded canine mammary dysplasias and tumors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guil-Luna, S.; Stenvang, Jan; Brünner, Nils

2014-01-01

and its isoforms in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from canine mammary lesions (4 dysplasias, 10 benign tumors, and 46 carcinomas) using 1-step SYBR Green quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Progesterone receptor was expressed in 75% of dysplasias, all benign...... in the expression of isoform A versus B. Analysis of progesterone receptor mRNA isoforms by RT-qPCR was successful in routinely formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples and enabled the distribution of isoforms A and B to be identified for the first time in dysplasias, benign tumors, and malignant tumors...

Evaluation of three methods of DNA extraction from paraffin-embedded material for the amplification of genomic DNA by means of the PCR technique

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MESQUITA Ricardo Alves

2001-01-01

Full Text Available There are several protocols reported in the literature for the extraction of genomic DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples. Genomic DNA is utilized in molecular analyses, including PCR. This study compares three different methods for the extraction of genomic DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia and non-formalin-fixed (normal oral mucosa samples: phenol with enzymatic digestion, and silica with and without enzymatic digestion. The amplification of DNA by means of the PCR technique was carried out with primers for the exon 7 of human keratin type 14. Amplicons were analyzed by means of electrophoresis in an 8% polyacrylamide gel with 5% glycerol, followed by silver-staining visualization. The phenol/enzymatic digestion and the silica/enzymatic digestion methods provided amplicons from both tissue samples. The method described is a potential aid in the establishment of the histopathologic diagnosis and in retrospective studies with archival paraffin-embedded samples.

Light microscopic identification and semiquantification of polyethylene particles in methylmethacrylate and paraffin-embedded experimental bone implant specimens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rahbek, O; Kold, S; Overgaard, S

2005-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the identification of polyethylene (PE) particles in relatively thick methylmethacrylate (MMA) sections widely used in bone implant research. The sensitivity and specificity were compared between decalcified paraffin-embedded oil red O (ORO) stained and MMA-e...

Limited numbers of apoptotic cells in fresh paraffin embedded bone marrow samples of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brada, SJL; van de Loosdrecht, AA; Koudstaal, J; de Wolf, JTM; Vellenga, E

In myelodysplasia (MDS) the precise mechanism of ineffective erythropoiesis is not fully elucidated, but it is suggested that apoptosis may contribute to this process. We performed TdT-mediated dUTP-nick end labelling (TUNEL) staining of paraffin embedded bone marrow specimens to assess the amount

Improvement of incineration efficiency of spent ion exchange resins on the incinerator at nuclear power plants. Manufacturing the solids of the resins mixed with paraffin wax and their incinerating test results on actual incinerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izumi, Takeshi; Ohtsu, Takashi; Inagawa, Hirofumi; Kawakami, Takashi; Hagiwara, Masahiro; Ino, Takao; Ishiyama, Yuji

2011-01-01

In nuclear power plants, ion exchange resins are used at water purification systems such as condensate demineralizers. After usage, used ion exchange resins are stored at plants as low level radioactive wastes. Ion exchange resins contain water and so, those are flame resistant materials. At present, ion exchange resins are incinerated with other inflammable materials at incinerators. Furthermore, ion exchange resins are fine particle beads and are easy to be scattered in all directions, so operators must pay attentions for treatment. Then, we have developed the new solidification system of ion exchange resins with paraffin wax. Ion exchange resins are mixed and extruded with paraffin wax and these solids are enabled to incinerate at existing incinerators. In order to demonstrate this new method, we made the large amount of solids and incinerated them at actual incinerator. From these results, we have estimated to be able to incinerate the solids only at actual incinerator. (author)

Extracting paraffin and mineral waxes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carpenter, I C

1930-01-17

In a process for freezing liquids, particularly for precipitating wax from oils such as petroleum or shale oils, the liquid to be treated is cooled first in vessels 10, 11, and 12 by chilled liquid from the final separating tanks 22, then in vessels 13, 14 and 15 by brine cooled by an evaporator 38 and finally in vessels 16,17, 18 directly by the evaporator of a refrigerating plant. The cooling in vessels 10, 11, 12 is regulated by recirculating some of the chilled liquid through the valved pipe 30 while that in tanks 13, 14, 15 is regulated by short-circuiting the brine circulation through a tank 35. Refrigerant vapour from the evaporators in vessels 16, 17, 18 may return through pipe 61 to the compressor or absorber of the plant 45 or it may be withdrawn by pump 58. By the operation of valves A, B, 47, and a valve in pipe 61, the pressures in the evaporators may be varied individually to regulate the cooling in each vessel. Mechanical stirrers are provided in tanks 16, 17, 18.

Development and independent validation of a prognostic assay for stage II colon cancer using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kennedy, Richard D

2011-12-10

Current prognostic factors are poor at identifying patients at risk of disease recurrence after surgery for stage II colon cancer. Here we describe a DNA microarray-based prognostic assay using clinically relevant formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples.

Mining the archives: a cross-platform analysis of gene expression profiles in archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples represent a potentially invaluable resource for genomic research into the molecular basis of disease. However, use of FFPE samples in gene expression studies has been limited by technical challenges resulting from degradation...

Matrix-comparative genomic hybridization from multicenter formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded colorectal cancer tissue blocks

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Köhne Claus-Henning

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The identification of genomic signatures of colorectal cancer for risk stratification requires the study of large series of cancer patients with an extensive clinical follow-up. Multicentric clinical studies represent an ideal source of well documented archived material for this type of analyses. Methods To verify if this material is technically suitable to perform matrix-CGH, we performed a pilot study using macrodissected 29 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples collected within the framework of the EORTC-GI/PETACC-2 trial for colorectal cancer. The scientific aim was to identify prognostic genomic signatures differentiating locally restricted (UICC stages II-III from systemically advanced (UICC stage IV colorectal tumours. Results The majority of archived tissue samples collected in the different centers was suitable to perform matrix-CGH. 5/7 advanced tumours displayed 13q-gain and 18q-loss. In locally restricted tumours, only 6/12 tumours showed a gain on 13q and 7/12 tumours showed a loss on 18q. Interphase-FISH and high-resolution array-mapping of the gain on 13q confirmed the validity of the array-data and narrowed the chromosomal interval containing potential oncogenes. Conclusion Archival, paraffin-embedded tissue samples collected in multicentric clinical trials are suitable for matrix-CGH analyses and allow the identification of prognostic signatures and aberrations harbouring potential new oncogenes.

Optimization of Single- and Dual-Color Immunofluorescence Protocols for Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Archival Tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Kajimura, Junko; Ito, Reiko; Manley, Nancy R; Hale, Laura P

2016-02-01

Performance of immunofluorescence staining on archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human tissues is generally not considered to be feasible, primarily due to problems with tissue quality and autofluorescence. We report the development and application of procedures that allowed for the study of a unique archive of thymus tissues derived from autopsies of individuals exposed to atomic bomb radiation in Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. Multiple independent treatments were used to minimize autofluorescence and maximize fluorescent antibody signals. Treatments with NH3/EtOH and Sudan Black B were particularly useful in decreasing autofluorescent moieties present in the tissue. Deconvolution microscopy was used to further enhance the signal-to-noise ratios. Together, these techniques provide high-quality single- and dual-color fluorescent images with low background and high contrast from paraffin blocks of thymus tissue that were prepared up to 60 years ago. The resulting high-quality images allow the application of a variety of image analyses to thymus tissues that previously were not accessible. Whereas the procedures presented remain to be tested for other tissue types and archival conditions, the approach described may facilitate greater utilization of older paraffin block archives for modern immunofluorescence studies. © 2016 The Histochemical Society.

Terahertz spectroscopy for the study of paraffin-embedded gastric cancer samples

Science.gov (United States)

Wahaia, Faustino; Kasalynas, Irmantas; Seliuta, Dalius; Molis, Gediminas; Urbanowicz, Andrzej; Carvalho Silva, Catia D.; Carneiro, Fatima; Valusis, Gintaras; Granja, Pedro L.

2015-01-01

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy constitute promising technique for biomedical applications as a complementary and powerful tool for diseases screening specially for early cancer diagnostic. The THz radiation is not harmful to biological tissues. As increased blood supply in cancer-affected tissues and consequent local increase in tissue water content makes THz technology a potentially attractive. In the present work, samples of healthy and adenocarcinoma-affected gastric tissue were analyzed using transmission time-domain THz spectroscopy (THz-TDS). The work shows the capability of the technique to distinguish between normal and cancerous regions in dried and paraffin-embedded samples. Plots of absorption coefficient α and refractive index n of normal and cancer affected tissues, are presented and the conditions for discrimination between normal and affected tissues are discussed.

Cellular localization of 2-[3H]deoxy-D-glucose from paraffin-embedded brains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durham, D.; Woolsey, T.A.; Kruger, L.

1981-01-01

Results of experiments in which regional neuronal activity is revealed by a 2-[ 3 H]deoxy-D-glucose ( 3 H-2-DG)-paraffin section-emulsion autoradiography method are described. The trigeminal pathway of freely behaving mice was activated differentially by selective patterns of whisker removal. One hour after injection of concentrated 3 H-2-DG, the animals were perfused systemically with a periodate/lysine/paraformaldehyde mixture the brains were embedded in paraffin, and serial sections were taken and coated with emulsion for autoradiography. Diffusion of the isotope out of the tissue was assessed visually and by liquid scintillation counting. While substantial loss of 3 H isotope into the embedding fluids (about 95%) was found, the scintillation counts and the autoradiograms showed good fixation of the isotope in situ, no evidence of isotope movement into the emulsion, and no gradients of diffusion in the sectioned material. Patterns of regional labeling were similar to those reported from brains prepared by conventional 2-[ 14 C]deoxy-D-glucose ( 14 C-2-DG) autoradiography; Trigeminal structures associated with the intact (stimulated) whiskers were labeled relatively heavily, indicating that label uptake is specific with respect to neuronal activity. In the cortex, the patterns of label corresponded directly and precisely to those barrels known to receive inputs from the intact whiskers. Distribution of silver grains in the cortex and in the brainstem was correlated directly with neuronal profiles. Clearly, this approach offers considerable technical advantages, in particular, the ease with which the histological material is prepared. The resolution of the autoradiograms and the quality of the histology are excellent

Solubilization of paraffinic deposits for microemulsions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gomes, Erika A.S.; Soares, Ranieri G.F.; Nascimento, Roseane E.S.; Dantas Neto, Afonso A.; Barros Neto, Eduardo L. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil)

2008-07-01

The oil company has been intensifying its efforts to find more efficient solutions for the problems related to the paraffin in wells and transport lines. When applied in the flow lines, the solvents dissolve the paraffin and they must be used hot, since the temperature increases the solubility of the wax and, consequently, its removal rate. The microemulsions appear as an alternative capable of acting in the solubilization and in the inhibition of the formation of deposits due to its great interfacial area, low superficial tension and high capacity of solubilization. They present some advantages in relation to the methods of use of chemical products due to its flexibility of composition in which they can be used, presenting low toxicity and inflammability, without any loss of its capacity of solubilization. The use of oil-in-water microemulsion aims to solubilized paraffin in the disperse phase, where one can find the apolar part of the molecule of the surfactant and the also apolar chain of paraffin, occurring, therefore the 'encapsulation' of the crystal, prohibiting the growth of the chain due to the affinity of paraffin and oil. In this in case, it is possible to transport the inserted paraffin in direct micelles, reducing the precipitation and optimizing the transport. (author)

MicroRNA expression in melanocytic nevi: the usefulness of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded material for miRNA microarray profiling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glud, M.; Klausen, M.; Gniadecki, R.

2009-01-01

surgical specimens are formalin fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE). To explore whether FFPE material would be suitable for miRNA profiling in melanocytic lesions, we compared miRNA expression patterns in FFPE versus fresh frozen samples, obtained from 15 human melanocytic nevi. Out of microarray data, we...

Paraffin-gel tissue-mimicking material for ultrasound-guided needle biopsy phantom.

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, Sílvio L; Pavan, Theo Z; Junior, Jorge E; Carneiro, Antonio A O

2013-12-01

Paraffin-gel waxes have been investigated as new soft tissue-mimicking materials for ultrasound-guided breast biopsy training. Breast phantoms were produced with a broad range of acoustical properties. The speed of sound for the phantoms ranged from 1425.4 ± 0.6 to 1480.3 ± 1.7 m/s at room temperature. The attenuation coefficients were easily controlled between 0.32 ± 0.27 dB/cm and 2.04 ± 0.65 dB/cm at 7.5 MHz, depending on the amount of carnauba wax added to the base material. The materials do not suffer dehydration and provide adequate needle penetration, with a Young's storage modulus varying between 14.7 ± 0.2 kPa and 34.9 ± 0.3 kPa. The phantom background material possesses long-term stability and can be employed in a supine position without changes in geometry. These results indicate that paraffin-gel waxes may be promising materials for training radiologists in ultrasound biopsy procedures. Copyright © 2013 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis of Nocardia paucivorans central nervous system infection by DNA sequencing from paraffin-embedded tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiaroli, Elisabetta; Pasticci, Maria Bruna; De Carolis, Elena; Mello, Enrica; Pallotto, Carlo; Leli, Christian; De Socio, Giuseppe Vittorio; Baldelli, Franco; Sanguinetti, Maurizio; Mencacci, Antonella

2016-06-01

Infections by Nocardia spp. are generally regarded as opportunistic diseases in immunocompromised patients, but can also affect immunocompetent subjects. Such infections represent an important diagnostic challenge for clinicians and microbiologists, and diagnosis is frequently delayed or even conducted post mortem. A 54-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of ventriculitis and relapsing brain abscess. Five months prior, this patient had undergone external ventricular drain and surgery for a cerebellar abscess. Histopathology demonstrated pyogenic inflammatory reaction, microbiologic investigations proved negative and empiric antimicrobial therapy was administered for a total of eight weeks. Six weeks later, the patient developed relapsing neurologic manifestations. On reviewing the patient's clinical history it emerged that the patient had suffered pneumonia two months prior to neurosurgery, treated with amoxicillin/clavulanate 3g a day and levofloxacin 500mg a day for three weeks. On the CNS relapsing manifestations, nocardiosis was suspected and DNA sequencing from the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded cerebellar tissue collected during neurosurgery allowed diagnosis of Nocardia paucivorans infection. The patient received medical therapy for 11 months. At follow-up, eight months after treatment was discontinued, the patient was aymptomatic. Nocardia spp. infections need to be suspected not only in immunocompromised, but also in immunocompetent patients. Proper samples need to be collected for proper microbiologic investigations. Paraffin-embedded tissue genomic sequencing can be a useful tool for diagnosis of nocardiosis.

Effects of tissue handling and processing steps on PCR for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples Efeitos das etapas de tratamento e processamento do tecido na PCR para detecção de Mycobacterium tuberculosis em amostras fixadas em formalina e incluídas em parafina

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Denise Barcelos

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Development and standardization of reliable methods for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in clinical samples is an important goal in laboratories throughout the world. In this work, lung and spleen fragments from a patient who died with the diagnosis of miliary tuberculosis were used to evaluate the influence of the type of fixative as well as the fixation and paraffin inclusion protocols on PCR performance in paraffin embedded specimens. Tissue fragments were fixed for four h to 48 h, using either 10% non-buffered or 10% buffered formalin, and embedded in pure paraffin or paraffin mixed with bee wax. Specimens were submitted to PCR for amplification of the human beta-actin gene and separately for amplification of the insertion sequence IS6110, specific from the M. tuberculosis complex. Amplification of the beta-actin gene was positive in all samples. No amplicons were generated by PCR-IS6110 when lung tissue fragments were fixed using 10% non-buffered formalin and were embedded in paraffin containing bee wax. In conclusion, combined inhibitory factors interfere in the detection of M. tuberculosis in stored material. It is important to control these inhibitory factors in order to implement molecular diagnosis in pathology laboratories.O desenvolvimento e a padronização de métodos confiáveis para a detecção de Mycobacterium tuberculosis em amostras clínicas é um objetivo importante nos laboratórios de todo o mundo. Neste trabalho, fragmentos de pulmão e baço de paciente que morreu com o diagnóstico de tuberculose miliar foram usados para avaliar a influência do tipo de fixador e dos protocolos de fixação e inclusão em parafina na performance da PCR. Fragmentos de tecido foram fixados por quatro h a 48 h, usando formalina não tamponada a 10% ou formalina tamponada a 10% e incluídos em parafina pura ou misturada a cera de abelha. As amostras foram submetidas a PCR para amplificação do gene da beta-actina humana e

A method to evaluate genome-wide methylation in archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded ovarian epithelial cells.

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Qiling Li

Full Text Available The use of DNA from archival formalin and paraffin embedded (FFPE tissue for genetic and epigenetic analyses may be problematic, since the DNA is often degraded and only limited amounts may be available. Thus, it is currently not known whether genome-wide methylation can be reliably assessed in DNA from archival FFPE tissue.Ovarian tissues, which were obtained and formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded in either 1999 or 2011, were sectioned and stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E.Epithelial cells were captured by laser micro dissection, and their DNA subjected to whole genomic bisulfite conversion, whole genomic polymerase chain reaction (PCR amplification, and purification. Sequencing and software analyses were performed to identify the extent of genomic methylation. We observed that 31.7% of sequence reads from the DNA in the 1999 archival FFPE tissue, and 70.6% of the reads from the 2011 sample, could be matched with the genome. Methylation rates of CpG on the Watson and Crick strands were 32.2% and 45.5%, respectively, in the 1999 sample, and 65.1% and 42.7% in the 2011 sample.We have developed an efficient method that allows DNA methylation to be assessed in archival FFPE tissue samples.

Applying a Real-Time PCR Assay for Histoplasma capsulatum to Clinically Relevant Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Human Tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Koepsell, Scott A.; Hinrichs, Steven H.

2012-01-01

A real-time PCR assay to detect Histoplasma capsulatum in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is described. The assay had an analytical sensitivity of 6 pg/μl of fungal DNA, analytical specificity of 100%, and clinical sensitivity of 88.9%. This proof-of-concept study may aid in the diagnosis of histoplasmosis from FFPE tissue. PMID:22855519

Virus characterization and discovery in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodewes, Rogier; van Run, Peter R W A; Schürch, Anita C; Koopmans, Marion P G; Osterhaus, Albert D M E; Baumgärtner, Wolfgang; Kuiken, Thijs; Smits, Saskia L

2015-03-01

Detection and characterization of novel viruses is hampered frequently by the lack of properly stored materials. Especially for the retrospective identification of viruses responsible for past disease outbreaks, often only formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples are available. Although FFPE tissues can be used to detect known viral sequences, the application of FFPE tissues for detection of novel viruses is currently unclear. In the present study it was shown that sequence-independent amplification in combination with next-generation sequencing can be used to detect sequences of known and unknown viruses, although with relatively low sensitivity. These findings indicate that this technique could be useful for detecting novel viral sequences in FFPE tissues collected from humans and animals with disease of unknown origin, when other samples are not available. In addition, application of this method to FFPE tissues allows to correlate with the presence of histopathological changes in the corresponding tissue sections. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization and chemical composition of epicuticular wax from banana leaves grown in Northern Thailand

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Suporn Charumanee

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to investigate the physicochemical properties and chemical composition of epicuticular wax extracted from leaves of Kluai Namwa, a banana cultivar which is widely grown in Northern Thailand. Its genotype was identified by a botanist. The wax was extracted using solvent extraction. The fatty acid profiles and physicochemical properties of the wax namely melting point, congealing point, crystal structures and polymorphism, hardness, color, and solubility were examined and compared to those of beeswax, carnauba wax and paraffin wax. The results showed that the genotype of Kluai Namwa was Musa acuminata X M. balbisiana (ABB group cv. Pisang Awak. The highest amount of wax extracted was 274 μg/cm2 surface area. The fatty acid composition and the physicochemical properties of the wax were similar to those of carnauba wax. It could be suggested that the banana wax could be used as a replacement for carnauba wax in various utilizing areas.

Proteome stability analysis of snap frozen, RNAlater preserved, and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human colon mucosal biopsies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennike, Tue Bjerg; Kastaniegaard, Kenneth; Padurariu, Simona

2016-01-01

Large repositories of well characterized RNAlater preserved samples and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples have been generated worldwide. However, the impact on the proteome of the preservation methods remain poorly described. Therefore, we analyzed the impact on the proteome of preserving...... throughput gel free quantitative proteomics. The MS proteomics data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE partner repository with the dataset identifier PRIDE: PXD002029....

Characterization of Melanin Radicals in Paraffin-embedded Malignant Melanoma and Nevus Pigmentosus Using X-band EPR and EPR Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakagawa, Kouichi; Minakawa, Satoko; Sawamura, Daisuke; Hara, Hideyuki

2017-01-01

Continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW EPR) and X-band (9 GHz) EPR imaging (EPRI) were used to nondestructively investigate the possible differentiation between malignant melanoma (MM) and nevus pigmentosus (NP) melanin radicals in paraffin-embedded specimens. The EPR spectra of both samples were analyzed using linewidth, spectral pattern, and X-band EPRI. The CW-EPR spectra of the MM showed an additional signal overlap. Eumelanin- and pheomelanin-related radicals were observed in the MM specimens. The EPR results revealed that the peak-to-peak linewidths (ΔH pp ) of paraffin-embedded MM and NP samples were 0.65 ± 0.01 and 0.69 ± 0.01 mT, respectively. The g-value was 2.005 for both samples. Moreover, the two-dimensional (2D) EPRI of the MM showed different signal intensities at the different tumor stages, unlike the NP, which displayed fewer variations in signal intensity. Thus, the present results suggest that EPR and 2D EPRI can be useful for characterization of the two melanin radicals in the MM and for determination of their size and concentration.

Simple Synthesis Hydrogenated Castor Oil Fatty Amide Wax and Its Coating Characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Xiuzhu; Wang, Ning; Zhang, Rui; Zhao, Zhong

2017-07-01

A simple method for incorporating amine groups in hydrogenated castor oil (HCO) to produce wax for beeswax or carnauba wax substitution in packaging and coating was developed. From the conversion rate of the products, HCO was reacted with ethanolamine at 150°C for 5 h, and the molar ratio of HCO and ethanolamine was 1:4. The hardness of the final product was seven times higher than that of beeswax, the cohesiveness of the final product was 1.3 times higher than that of beeswax and approximately one half of that of carnauba wax, and the melting point of the final product is 98°C. The Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy showed that the amide groups were incorporated to form the amide products. In coating application, the results showed that the force of the final product coating cardboard was higher than that of beeswax and paraffin wax and less than that of carnauba wax. After 24 h soaking, the compression forces were decreased. HCO fatty acid wax can be an alternative wax for carnauba wax and beeswax in coating applications.

Anatomically realistic ultrasound phantoms using gel wax with 3D printed moulds

Science.gov (United States)

Maneas, Efthymios; Xia, Wenfeng; Nikitichev, Daniil I.; Daher, Batol; Manimaran, Maniragav; Wong, Rui Yen J.; Chang, Chia-Wei; Rahmani, Benyamin; Capelli, Claudio; Schievano, Silvia; Burriesci, Gaetano; Ourselin, Sebastien; David, Anna L.; Finlay, Malcolm C.; West, Simeon J.; Vercauteren, Tom; Desjardins, Adrien E.

2018-01-01

Here we describe methods for creating tissue-mimicking ultrasound phantoms based on patient anatomy using a soft material called gel wax. To recreate acoustically realistic tissue properties, two additives to gel wax were considered: paraffin wax to increase acoustic attenuation, and solid glass spheres to increase backscattering. The frequency dependence of ultrasound attenuation was well described with a power law over the measured range of 3-10 MHz. With the addition of paraffin wax in concentrations of 0 to 8 w/w%, attenuation varied from 0.72 to 2.91 dB cm-1 at 3 MHz and from 6.84 to 26.63 dB cm-1 at 10 MHz. With solid glass sphere concentrations in the range of 0.025-0.9 w/w%, acoustic backscattering consistent with a wide range of ultrasonic appearances was achieved. Native gel wax maintained its integrity during compressive deformations up to 60%; its Young’s modulus was 17.4  ±  1.4 kPa. The gel wax with additives was shaped by melting and pouring it into 3D printed moulds. Three different phantoms were constructed: a nerve and vessel phantom for peripheral nerve blocks, a heart atrium phantom, and a placental phantom for minimally-invasive fetal interventions. In the first, nerves and vessels were represented as hyperechoic and hypoechoic tubular structures, respectively, in a homogeneous background. The second phantom comprised atria derived from an MRI scan of a patient with an intervening septum and adjoining vena cavae. The third comprised the chorionic surface of a placenta with superficial fetal vessels derived from an image of a post-partum human placenta. Gel wax is a material with widely tuneable ultrasound properties and mechanical characteristics that are well suited for creating patient-specific ultrasound phantoms in several clinical disciplines.

Automated Analysis of Protein Expression and Gene Amplification within the Same Cells of Paraffin-Embedded Tumour Tissue

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Timo Gaiser

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The simultaneous detection of protein expression and gene copy number changes in patient samples, like paraffin-embedded tissue sections, is challenging since the procedures of immunohistochemistry (IHC and Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH negatively influence each other which often results in suboptimal staining. Therefore, we developed a novel automated algorithm based on relocation which allows subsequent detection of protein content and gene copy number changes within the same cell.

Validation of putative reference genes for normalization of Q-RT-PCR data from paraffin-embedded lymphoid tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Green, Tina Marie; de Stricker, Karin; Møller, Michael Boe

2009-01-01

Normalization of quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (Q-RT-PCR) data to appropriate tissue-specific reference genes is an essential part of interpreting the results. This study aimed to determine the most appropriate reference genes for normalizing gene expressions in lymphatic tissue...... was 0.93 (Pnormalization with the appropriate reference genes. Thus, we show that formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lymphoid samples are suitable for Q-RT-PCR when using thoroughly validated reference genes....

Immunohistochemical detection of SWC3, CD2, CD3, CD4 and CD8 antigens in paraformaldehyde fixed and paraffin embedded porcine lymphoid tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tingstedt, Jens Erik; Tornehave, Ditte; Lind, Peter

2003-01-01

Identification of the different cell types of the immune system is important for in situ studies on the pathogenesis of infectious diseases in various animals, including the pig. Unfortunately, many monoclonal anti-leukocyte antibodies are only useful for staining frozen tissue sections with inhe......Identification of the different cell types of the immune system is important for in situ studies on the pathogenesis of infectious diseases in various animals, including the pig. Unfortunately, many monoclonal anti-leukocyte antibodies are only useful for staining frozen tissue sections...... with inherent poor tissue morphology, and are not readily adapted to formaldehyde fixed and paraffin embedded tissue with well preserved morphology. Seven well characterised monoclonal antibodies against porcine leukocyte antigens were tested on neutral buffered paraformaldehyde fixed and paraffin embedded...

Analysis of hepcidin expression: in situ hybridization and quantitative polymerase chain reaction from paraffin sections.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakuraoka, Yuhki; Sawada, Tokihiko; Shiraki, Takayuki; Park, Kyunghwa; Sakurai, Yuhichiro; Tomosugi, Naohisa; Kubota, Keiichi

2012-07-28

To establish methods for quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for hepcidin using RNAs isolated from paraffin-embedded sections and in situ hybridization of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Total RNA from paraffin-embedded sections was isolated from 68 paraffin-embedded samples of HCC. Samples came from 54 male and 14 female patients with a mean age of 66.8 ± 7.8 years. Quantitative PCR was performed. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization for hepcidin were also performed. Quantitative PCR for hepcidin using RNAs isolated from paraffin-embedded sections of HCC was performed successfully. The expression level of hepcidin mRNA in cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in non-cancer tissues. A method of in situ hybridization for hepcidin was established successfully, and this demonstrated that hepcidin mRNA was expressed in non-cancerous tissue but absent in cancerous tissue. We have established novel methods for quantitative PCR for hepcidin using RNAs isolated from paraffin-embedded sections and in situ hybridization of HCC.

Preparation and thermal properties of form stable paraffin phase change material encapsulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xing; Liu Hongyan; Wang Shujun; Zhang Lu; Cheng Hua

2006-01-01

Paraffin waxes are cheap and have moderate thermal energy storage density but low thermal conductivity and, hence, require large surface area to be used in energy storage. Form stable paraffin phase change materials (PCM) in which paraffin serves as a latent heat storage material and polyolefins act as a supporting material, because of paraffin leakage, are required to be improved. The form stable paraffin PCM in the present paper was encapsulated in an inorganic silica gel polymer successfully by in situ polymerization. The differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was used to measure its thermal properties. At the same time, the Washburn equation, which measures the wetting properties of powder materials, was used to test the hydrophilic-lipophilic properties of the PCMs. The result indicated that the enthalpy of the microencapsulated PCMs was reduced little, while their hydrophilic properties were enhanced largely

Treatment of paraffin problems in petroleum production with chemicals; Tratamento de problemas parafinicos com agentes quimicos na producao de petroleo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jennings, David; Yin, Ralph; Weispfennig, Klaus; Newberry, Mike [Baker Petrolite, Sugar Land, TX (United States)

2004-07-01

Paraffin problems can greatly reduce production of certain crude oils, if correct methods to control the problems are not used. These problems are primarily related to flow line deposition and reduction in crude oil flow properties caused by wax network growth. Deep water production and production of high-wax content crude oils can be especially problematic. Much of the petroleum production in Brazil falls in these categories: in the Campos Basin and in Bahia. Paraffin problems can be controlled with diverse methods. These methods include use of: pigging, insulation, heating, and chemicals. Sometimes, the use of chemicals can be very practical, alone or in combination with other methods. This paper discusses the use of chemicals for the treatment of paraffin problems. Three types of treatments are discussed: prevention of deposition in flow lines with paraffin inhibitors; improvement in flow properties of crude oils with pour point depressants, and removal of paraffin deposits with dispersants. The discussion includes the physical effects of the treatment chemicals and field examples. (author)

Experimental study on depth of paraffin wax over floating absorber plate in built-in storage solar water heater

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R Sivakumar

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to study the effect of depth of phase change material over the absorber surface of an integrated collector-storage type flat plate solar water heater. Flat plate solar water heaters are extensively used all over the world to utilize the natural source of solar energy. In order to utilize the solar energy during off-sunshine hours, it is inevitable to store and retain solar thermal energy as long as possible. Here, phase change material is not used for heat storage, but to minimize losses during day and night time only. The depth of phase change material over a fixed depth of water in a solar thermal collector is an important geometric parameter that influences the maximum temperature rise during peak solar irradiation and hence the losses. From the results of the studies for different masses of paraffin wax phase change material layers, the optimum depth corresponding to the maximum heat gain till evening is found to be 2 mm, and the heat retention till the next day morning is found to be 4 mm.

Automated Extraction of Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissue for High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Testing of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas Using the Roche Cobas 4800 System.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerr, Darcy A; Sweeney, Brenda; Arpin, Ronald N; Ring, Melissa; Pitman, Martha B; Wilbur, David C; Faquin, William C

2016-08-01

-Testing for high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) is important for both prognostication and clinical management. Several testing platforms are available for HR-HPV; however, effective alternative automated approaches are needed. -To assess the performance of the automated Roche cobas 4800 HPV real-time polymerase chain reaction-based system on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded HNSCC specimens and compare results with standard methods of in situ hybridization (ISH) and p16 immunohistochemistry. -Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples of HNSCC were collected from archival specimens in the Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston), and prepared using the automated system by deparaffinization and dehydration followed by tissue lysis. Samples were integrated into routine cervical cytology testing runs by cobas. Corresponding formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples were evaluated for HR-HPV by ISH and p16 by immunohistochemistry. Discrepant cases were adjudicated by polymerase chain reaction. -Sixty-two HNSCC samples were analyzed using the automated cobas system, ISH, and immunohistochemistry. Fifty-two percent (n = 32 of 62) of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumors were positive for HR-HPV by cobas. Eighty-eight percent (n = 28 of 32) of cases were the HPV 16 subtype and 12% (n = 4 of 32) were other HR-HPV subtypes. Corresponding testing with ISH was concordant in 92% (n = 57 of 62) of cases. Compared with the adjudication polymerase chain reaction standard, there were 3 false-positive cases by cobas. -Concordance in HNSCC HR-HPV status between cobas and ISH was more than 90%. The cobas demonstrated a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 91% for detection of HR-HPV. Advantages favoring cobas include its automation, cost efficiency, objective results, and ease of performance.

Influence of parasite density and sample storage time on the reliability of Entamoeba histolytica-specific PCR from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Frickmann, Hagen; Tenner-Racz, Klara; Eggert, Petra; Schwarz, Norbert G; Poppert, Sven; Tannich, Egbert; Hagen, Ralf M

2013-12-01

We report on the reliability of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of Entamoeba histolytica from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue in comparison with microscopy and have determined predictors that may influence PCR results. E. histolytica-specific and Entamoeba dispar-specific real-time PCR and microscopy from adjacent histologic sections were performed using a collection of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens obtained from patients with invasive amebiasis. Specimens had been collected during the previous 4 decades. Association of sample age, parasite density, and reliability of PCR was analyzed. E. histolytica PCR was positive in 20 of 34 biopsies (58.8%); 2 of these 20 were microscopically negative for amebae in neighboring tissue sections. PCR was negative in 9 samples with visible amebae in neighboring sections and in 5 samples without visible parasites in neighboring sections. PCR was negative in all specimens that were older than 3 decades. Low parasite counts and sample ages older than 20 years were predictors for false-negative PCR results. All samples were negative for E. dispar DNA. PCR is suitable for the detection of E. histolytica in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples that are younger than 2 decades and that contain intermediate to high parasite numbers. Negative results in older samples were due to progressive degradation of DNA over time as indicated by control PCRs targeting the human 18S rRNA gene. Moreover, our findings support previous suggestions that only E. histolytica but not E. dispar is responsible for invasive amebiasis.

A simple osmium post-fixation paraffin-embedment technique to identify lipid accumulation in fish liver using medaka (Oryziaslatipes) eggs and eleutheroembryos as lipid rich models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mondon, J.A.; Howitt, J.; Tosiano, M.; Kwok, K.W.H.; Hinton, D.E.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Hepatic lipidosis in fish liver is often misdiagnosed or overlooked. → Specific histological fat stains and cryostat sections are not commonly used. → Standard paraffin processing removes lipid leaving vacuoles of unknown origin. → Osmium post-fixed paraffin-embedment is a cost effective alternative. → Medaka trials show suitability for lipid visualization in tissues from egg to adult. - Abstract: Hepatic lipidosis is a non-specific biomarker of effect from pollution exposure in fish. Fatty liver is often misdiagnosed or overlooked in histological assessments due to the decreasing application of specific fat procedures and stains. For example, ethanol dehydration in standard paraffin processing removes lipids, leaving vacuoles of which the precise nature is unknown. Lipids can be identified using osmium post-fixation in semi-thin resin sections or transmission electron microscopy. However, both are expensive and technically demanding procedures, often not available for routine environmental risk assessment and monitoring programs. The current emphasis to reduce and refine animal toxicity testing, requires refinement of the suite of histopathological techniques currently available to maximize information gained from using fish for toxicity testing and as bio-indicators of environmental quality. This investigation has successfully modified an osmium post-fixation technique to conserve lipids in paraffin-embedded tissues using medaka (Oryzias latipes) eleutheroembryos and eggs (embryos) as lipid rich models.

Organic Rankine Cycle with Solar Heat Storage in Paraffin Way

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Constantin LUCA

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The paper presents an electricity generation system based on an Organic Rankine Cycle and proposed storing the amount of the heat produced by the solar panels using large volume of paraffin wax. The proposed working fluid is R-134a refrigerant. The cycle operates at very low temperatures. A efficiency of 6,55% was obtained.

Detection of hepatitis C viral RNA sequences in fresh and paraffin-embedded liver biopsy specimens of non-A, non-B hepatitis patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bresters, D.; Cuypers, H. T.; Reesink, H. W.; Chamuleau, R. A.; Schipper, M. E.; Boeser-Nunnink, B. D.; Lelie, P. N.; Jansen, P. L.

1992-01-01

In this study methods of HCV-RNA detection in fresh frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver biopsies are described. Of 22 untreated chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis patients and 6 control patients, a plasma sample and part of a liver biopsy were freshly frozen for hepatitis C virus (HCV)

DNA degrades during storage in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue blocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Guyard, Alice; Boyez, Alice; Pujals, Anaïs; Robe, Cyrielle; Tran Van Nhieu, Jeanne; Allory, Yves; Moroch, Julien; Georges, Odette; Fournet, Jean-Christophe; Zafrani, Elie-Serge; Leroy, Karen

2017-10-01

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks are widely used to identify clinically actionable molecular alterations or perform retrospective molecular studies. Our goal was to quantify degradation of DNA occurring during mid to long-term storage of samples in usual conditions. We selected 46 FFPE samples of surgically resected carcinomas of lung, colon, and urothelial tract, of which DNA had been previously extracted. We performed a second DNA extraction on the same blocks under identical conditions after a median period of storage of 5.5 years. Quantitation of DNA by fluorimetry showed a 53% decrease in DNA quantity after storage. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) targeting KRAS exon 2 showed delayed amplification of DNA extracted after storage in all samples but one. The qPCR/fluorimetry quantification ratio decreased from 56 to 15% after storage (p DNA analyzable by qPCR represented only 11% of the amount obtained at first extraction. Maximal length of amplifiable DNA fragments assessed with a multiplex PCR was reduced in DNA extracted from stored tissue, indicating that DNA fragmentation had increased in the paraffin blocks during storage. Next-generation sequencing was performed on 12 samples and showed a mean 3.3-fold decrease in library yield and a mean 4.5-fold increase in the number of single-nucleotide variants detected after storage. In conclusion, we observed significant degradation of DNA extracted from the same FFPE block after 4 to 6 years of storage. Better preservation strategies should be considered for storage of FFPE biopsy specimens.

Reliable PCR quantitation of estrogen, progesterone and ERBB2 receptor mRNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue is independent of prior macro-dissection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tramm, Trine; Hennig, Guido; Kyndi, Marianne

2013-01-01

Gene expression analysis on messenger RNA (mRNA) purified from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue is increasingly used for research purposes. Tissue heterogeneity may question specificity and interpretation of results from mRNA isolated from a whole slide section, and thresholds for minimal...... tumor content in the paraffin block or macrodissection are used to avoid contamination from non-neoplastic tissue. The aim was to test if mRNA from tissue surrounding breast cancer affected quantification of estrogen receptor α (ESR1), progesterone receptor (PGR) and human epidermal growth factor...... receptor 2 (ERBB2), by comparing gene expression from whole slide and tumor-enriched sections, and correlating gene expression from whole slide sections with corresponding immunohistochemistry. Gene expression, based on mRNA extracted from a training set (36 paraffin blocks) and two validation sets (133...

Efficacy of paraffin wax bath for carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized comparative study

Science.gov (United States)

Ordahan, Banu; Karahan, Ali Yavuz

2017-12-01

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most frequently diagnosed neuropathy of upper extremity entrapment neuropathies. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of paraffin therapy in patients with CTS. Seventy patients diagnosed with mild or moderate CTS were randomly divided into two groups as splint treatment (during the night and day time as much as possible for 3 weeks) alone and splint (during the night and day time as much as possible for 3 weeks) + paraffin treatment (five consecutive days a week for 3 weeks). Clinical and electrophysiological assessments were performed before and 3 weeks after treatment. The patients were assessed by using visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, electroneuromyography (ENMG), and Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (BCTSQ). The significant improvement was found in VAS scores in both groups when compared with pretreatment values ( p 0.05), whereas a significant improvement was noted in the BCTQ symptom severity scale score in the splint group ( p 0.05), and the difference in these parameters between the groups was statistically significant ( p Paraffin treatment with splint increases the recovery in functional and electrophysiological parameters.

Flow restrictor silicon membrane microvalve actuated by optically controlled paraffin phase transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolari, K; Havia, T; Stuns, I; Hjort, K

2014-01-01

Restrictor valves allow proportional control of fluid flow but are rarely integrated in microfluidic systems. In this study, an optically actuated silicon membrane restrictor microvalve is demonstrated. Its actuation is based on the phase transition of paraffin, using a paraffin wax mixed with a suitable concentration of optically absorbing nanographite particles. Backing up the membrane with oil (the melted paraffin) allows for a compliant yet strong contact to the valve seat, which enables handling of high pressures. At flow rates up to 30 µL min −1 and at a pressure of 2 bars, the valve can successfully be closed and control the flow level by restriction. The use of this paraffin composite as an adhesive layer sandwiched between the silicon valve and glass eases fabrication. This type of restrictor valve is best suited for high pressure, low volume flow silicon-based nanofluidic systems. (paper)

Detection of Streptococcus suis by in situ hybridization, indirect immunofluorescence, and peroxidase-antiperoxidase assays in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boye, Mette; Feenstra, Anne Avlund; Tegtmeier, Conny

2000-01-01

and the immunohistochemical methods were used for detection of S. suis in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of brain, endocardium, and lung from pigs infected with S. suis. The methods developed were able to detect single cells of S. suis in situ in the respective samples, whereas no signal was observed from...

Corrugated paraffin nanocomposite films as large stroke thermal actuators and self-activating thermal interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Copic, Davor; Hart, A John

2015-04-22

High performance active materials are of rapidly growing interest for applications including soft robotics, microfluidic systems, and morphing composites. In particular, paraffin wax has been used to actuate miniature pumps, solenoid valves, and composite fibers, yet its deployment is typically limited by the need for external volume constraint. We demonstrate that compact, high-performance paraffin actuators can be made by confining paraffin within vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) films. This large-stroke vertical actuation is enabled by strong capillary interaction between paraffin and CNTs and by engineering the CNT morphology by mechanical compression before capillary-driven infiltration of the molten paraffin. The maximum actuation strain of the corrugated CNT-paraffin films (∼0.02-0.2) is comparable to natural muscle, yet the maximum stress is limited to ∼10 kPa by collapse of the CNT network. We also show how a CNT-paraffin film can serve as a self-activating thermal interface that closes a gap when it is heated. These new CNT-paraffin film actuators could be produced by large-area CNT growth, infiltration, and lamination methods, and are attractive for use in miniature systems due to their self-contained design.

Multicenter Evaluation of a Novel Automated Rapid Detection System of BRAF Status in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiefer, Ana-Iris; Parlow, Laura; Gabler, Lisa; Mesteri, Ildiko; Koperek, Oskar; von Deimling, Andreas; Streubel, Berthold; Preusser, Matthias; Lehmann, Annika; Kellner, Udo; Pauwels, Patrick; Lambin, Suzan; Dietel, Manfred; Hummel, Michael; Klauschen, Frederick; Birner, Peter; Möbs, Markus

2016-05-01

The mutated BRAF oncogene represents a therapeutic target in malignant melanoma. Because BRAF mutations are also involved in the pathogenesis of other human malignancies, the use of specific BRAF inhibitors might also be extended to other diseases in the future. A prerequisite for the clinical application of BRAF inhibitors is the reliable detection of activating BRAF mutations in routine histopathological samples. In a multicenter approach, we evaluated a novel and fully automated PCR-based system (Idylla) capable of detecting BRAF V600 mutations in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue within 90 minutes with high sensitivity. We analyzed a total of 436 samples with the Idylla system. Valid results were obtained in 421 cases (96.56%). Its performance was compared with conventional methods (pyrosequencing or Sanger sequencing). Concordant results were obtained in 406 cases (96.90%). Reanalysis of eight discordant samples by next-generation sequencing and/or pyrosequencing with newly extracted DNA and the BRAF RGQ Kit confirmed the Idylla result in seven cases, resulting in an overall agreement of 98.57%. In conclusion, the Idylla system is a highly reliable and sensitive platform for detection of BRAF V600 mutations in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded material, providing an efficient alternative to conventional diagnostic methods, particularly for routine diagnostics laboratories with limited experience in molecular pathology. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Profiling cancer gene mutations in clinical formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded colorectal tumor specimens using targeted next-generation sequencing.

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Zhang, Liangxuan; Chen, Liangjing; Sah, Sachin; Latham, Gary J; Patel, Rajesh; Song, Qinghua; Koeppen, Hartmut; Tam, Rachel; Schleifman, Erica; Mashhedi, Haider; Chalasani, Sreedevi; Fu, Ling; Sumiyoshi, Teiko; Raja, Rajiv; Forrest, William; Hampton, Garret M; Lackner, Mark R; Hegde, Priti; Jia, Shidong

2014-04-01

The success of precision oncology relies on accurate and sensitive molecular profiling. The Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Panel, a targeted enrichment method for next-generation sequencing (NGS) using the Ion Torrent platform, provides a fast, easy, and cost-effective sequencing workflow for detecting genomic "hotspot" regions that are frequently mutated in human cancer genes. Most recently, the U.K. has launched the AmpliSeq sequencing test in its National Health Service. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical application of the AmpliSeq methodology. We used 10 ng of genomic DNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human colorectal cancer (CRC) tumor specimens to sequence 46 cancer genes using the AmpliSeq platform. In a validation study, we developed an orthogonal NGS-based resequencing approach (SimpliSeq) to assess the AmpliSeq variant calls. Validated mutational analyses revealed that AmpliSeq was effective in profiling gene mutations, and that the method correctly pinpointed "true-positive" gene mutations with variant frequency >5% and demonstrated high-level molecular heterogeneity in CRC. However, AmpliSeq enrichment and NGS also produced several recurrent "false-positive" calls in clinically druggable oncogenes such as PIK3CA. AmpliSeq provided highly sensitive and quantitative mutation detection for most of the genes on its cancer panel using limited DNA quantities from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples. For those genes with recurrent "false-positive" variant calls, caution should be used in data interpretation, and orthogonal verification of mutations is recommended for clinical decision making.

Confirmation of immunoglobulin heavy chain rearrangement by polymerase chain reaction using surgically obtained, paraffin-embedded samples to diagnose primary palate mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma: A case study

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Shigehiro Abe

2015-01-01

Conclusion: We suggest that, if histological examination is ambiguous or fresh material is insufficient, PCR can be performed using paraffin-embedded materials to definitively diagnose low-grade lymphomas, such as MALT lymphoma.

Molecular Markers for Prostate Cancer in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissues

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Tamara Sequeiros

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Prostate cancer (PCa is the most frequently diagnosed type of cancer in developed countries. The decisive method of diagnosis is based on the results of biopsies, morphologically evaluated to determine the presence or absence of cancer. Although this approach leads to a confident diagnosis in most cases, it can be improved by using the molecular markers present in the tissue. Both miRNAs and proteins are considered excellent candidates for biomarkers in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE tissues, due to their stability over long periods of time. In the last few years, a concerted effort has been made to develop the necessary tools for their reliable measurement in these types of samples. Furthermore, the use of these kinds of markers may also help in establishing tumor grade and aggressiveness, as well as predicting the possible outcomes in each particular case for the different treatments available. This would aid clinicians in the decision-making process. In this review, we attempt to summarize and discuss the potential use of microRNA and protein profiles in FFPE tissue samples as markers to better predict PCa diagnosis, progression, and response to therapy.

The effect of aging of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues on the in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry signals in cervical lesions.

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Nuovo, Allison J; Garofalo, Michela; Mikhail, Alexandria; Nicol, Alcina F; Vianna-Andrade, Cecilia; Nuovo, Gerard J

2013-09-01

Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues are widely used in biomedical research but little is known about the effect of the age of the block or unstained slides on the in situ hybridization or immunohistochemistry signal. We compared the in situ-based and immunohistochemistry-based signals for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia samples that ranged from 0 to 15 years of age. There was a progressive and statistically significant decrease in the strength of the p16 signal when comparing tissues prepared from recent unstained slides (0 to 1 y old, mean score of 92%) to those of intermediate age (5 to 7 y old, mean score of 49%) to old unstained slides (cut 13 to 15 y ago, mean score of 10%). Equivalent, progressive, and significant decreases in the intensity of the signals for microRNAs, CD45, and human papillomavirus DNA were seen in tissues stored on slides from 5 to 7 years and 13 to 15 years, respectively. However, the diminution of signal was much less, although still statistically significant, if the sections from the 13- to 15-year-old paraffin blocks were prepared in 2012. The data likely does not represent degradation of the targets as extraction of several microRNA from the old blocks showed no detectable degradation, despite the markedly weakened in situ hybridization signal. It is concluded that in situ-based signal for DNA, microRNAs, and proteins in paraffin-embedded tissues are significantly reduced over time, especially when stored long term on glass slides which, in turn, can lead to a significant underestimation of the amount and presence of the nucleic acid or protein target.

Development of lamellar structures in natural waxes - an electron diffraction investigation

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Dorset, Douglas L.

1999-06-01

When they are recrystallized from the melt, natural plant or insect waxes tend to form solid phases with a nematic-like structure (i.e. a parallel array of polymethylene chains with little or no aggregation of the molecules into distinct layers). An electron diffraction study of carnauba wax and two types of beeswax has shown that the degree of molecular organization into lamellar structures can be enhanced by annealing in the presence of benzoic acid, which also acts as an epitaxial substrate. Nevertheless, the resultant layer structure in the annealed solid is not the same as that found for paraffin wax fractions refined from petroleum. Probably because of a small but significant fraction of a very long chain ingredient, the lamellar separation is incomplete, incorporating a number of `bridging molecules' that span the nascent lamellar interface.The same phenomenon has been described recently for a low molecular weight polyethylene.

Multi-elemental imaging of paraffin-embedded human samples by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

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Moncayo, S.; Trichard, F.; Busser, B.; Sabatier-Vincent, M.; Pelascini, F.; Pinel, N.; Templier, I.; Charles, J.; Sancey, L.; Motto-Ros, V.

2017-07-01

Chemical elements play central roles for physiological homeostasis in human cells, and their dysregulation might lead to a certain number of pathologies. Novel imaging techniques that improve the work of pathologists for tissue analysis and diagnostics are continuously sought. We report the use of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) to perform multi-elemental images of human paraffin-embedded skin samples on the entire biopsy scale in a complementary and compatible way with microscope histopathological examination. A specific instrumental configuration is proposed in order to detect most of the elements of medical interest (i.e. P, Al, Mg, Na, Zn, Si, Fe, and Cu). As an example of medical application, we selected and analysed skin biopsies, including healthy skin tissue, cutaneous metastasis of melanoma, Merkel-cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Clear distinctions in the distribution of chemical elements are observed from the different samples investigated. This study demonstrates the high complementarity of LIBS elemental imaging with conventional histopathology, opening new opportunities for any medical application involving metals.

Ewing's Sarcoma: An Analysis of miRNA Expression Profiles and Target Genes in Paraffin-Embedded Primary Tumor Tissue.

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Parafioriti, Antonina; Bason, Caterina; Armiraglio, Elisabetta; Calciano, Lucia; Daolio, Primo Andrea; Berardocco, Martina; Di Bernardo, Andrea; Colosimo, Alessia; Luksch, Roberto; Berardi, Anna C

2016-04-30

The molecular mechanism responsible for Ewing's Sarcoma (ES) remains largely unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs able to regulate gene expression, are deregulated in tumors and may serve as a tool for diagnosis and prediction. However, the status of miRNAs in ES has not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study compared global miRNAs expression in paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples from 20 ES patients, affected by primary untreated tumors, with miRNAs expressed in normal human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) by microarray analysis. A miRTarBase database was used to identify the predicted target genes for differentially expressed miRNAs. The miRNAs microarray analysis revealed distinct patterns of miRNAs expression between ES samples and normal MSCs. 58 of the 954 analyzed miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in ES samples compared to MSCs. Moreover, the qRT-PCR analysis carried out on three selected miRNAs showed that miR-181b, miR-1915 and miR-1275 were significantly aberrantly regulated, confirming the microarray results. Bio-database analysis identified BCL-2 as a bona fide target gene of the miR-21, miR-181a, miR-181b, miR-29a, miR-29b, miR-497, miR-195, miR-let-7a, miR-34a and miR-1915. Using paraffin-embedded tissues from ES patients, this study has identified several potential target miRNAs and one gene that might be considered a novel critical biomarker for ES pathogenesis.

Structural-mechanical model of wax crystal networks—a mesoscale cellular solid approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyazaki, Yukihiro; Marangoni, Alejandro G

2014-01-01

Mineral waxes are widely used materials in industrial applications; however, the relationship between structure and mechanical properties is poorly understood. In this work, mineral wax-oil networks were characterized as closed-cell cellular solids, and differences in their mechanical response predicted from structural data. The systems studied included straight-chain paraffin wax (SW)-oil mixtures and polyethylene wax (PW)-oil mixtures. Analysis of cryogenic-SEM images of wax-oil networks allowed for the determination of the length (l) and thickness (t) of the wax cell walls as a function of wax mass fraction (Φ). A linear relationship between t/l and Φ (t/l ∼ Φ 0.89 ) suggested that wax-oil networks were cellular solids of the closed-cell type. However, the scaling behavior of the elastic modulus with the volume fraction of solids did not agree with theoretical predictions, yielding the same scaling exponent, μ = 0.84, for both waxes. This scaling exponent obtained from mechanical measurements could be predicted from the scaling behavior of the effective wax cell size as a function of wax mass fraction in oil obtained by cryogenic scanning electron microscopy. Microscopy studies allowed us to propose that wax-oil networks are structured as an ensemble of close-packed spherical cells filled with oil, and that it is the links between cells that yield under simple uniaxial compression. Thus, the Young’s moduli for the links between cells in SW and PW wax systems could be estimated as E L (SW) = 2.76 × 10 9 Pa and E L (PW) = 1.64 × 10 9 Pa, respectively. The structural parameter responsible for the observed differences in the mechanical strength between the two wax-oil systems is the size of the cells. Polyethylene wax has much smaller cell sizes than the straight chain wax and thus displays a higher Young’s modulus and yield stress. (papers)

Development of lamellar structures in natural waxes - an electron diffraction investigation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dorset, Douglas L. [Electron Diffraction Department, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Inc., Buffalo, NY (United States)

1999-06-07

When they are recrystallized from the melt, natural plant or insect waxes tend to form solid phases with a nematic-like structure (i.e. a parallel array of polymethylene chains with little or no aggregation of the molecules into distinct layers). An electron diffraction study of carnauba wax and two types of beeswax has shown that the degree of molecular organization into lamellar structures can be enhanced by annealing in the presence of benzoic acid, which also acts as an epitaxial substrate. Nevertheless, the resultant layer structure in the annealed solid is not the same as that found for paraffin wax fractions refined from petroleum. Probably because of a small but significant fraction of a very long chain ingredient, the lamellar separation is incomplete, incorporating a number of 'bridging molecules' that span the nascent lamellar interface.The same phenomenon has been described recently for a low molecular weight polyethylene. (author)

Measurement of Gene Expression in Archival Paraffin-Embedded Tissues

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Cronin, Maureen; Pho, Mylan; Dutta, Debjani; Stephans, James C.; Shak, Steven; Kiefer, Michael C.; Esteban, Jose M.; Baker, Joffre B.

2004-01-01

Throughout the last decade many laboratories have shown that mRNA levels in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FPE) tissue specimens can be quantified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques despite the extensive RNA fragmentation that occurs in tissues so preserved. We have developed RT-PCR methods that are sensitive, precise, and that have multianalyte capability for potential wide use in clinical research and diagnostic assays. Here it is shown that the extent of fragmentation of extracted FPE tissue RNA significantly increases with archive storage time. Probe and primer sets for RT-PCR assays based on amplicons that are both short and homogeneous in length enable effective reference gene-based data normalization for cross comparison of specimens that differ substantially in age. A 48-gene assay used to compare gene expression profiles from the same breast cancer tissue that had been either frozen or FPE showed very similar profiles after reference gene-based normalization. A 92-gene assay, using RNA extracted from three 10-μm FPE sections of archival breast cancer specimens (dating from 1985 to 2001) yielded analyzable data for these genes in all 62 tested specimens. The results were substantially concordant when estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2 receptor status determined by RT-PCR was compared with immunohistochemistry assays for these receptors. Furthermore, the results highlight the advantages of RT-PCR over immunohistochemistry with respect to quantitation and dynamic range. These findings support the development of RT-PCR analysis of FPE tissue RNA as a platform for multianalyte clinical diagnostic tests. PMID:14695316

Comparison of Different Double Immunostaining Protocols for Paraffin Embedded Liver Tissue

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Alexander Schütz

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Most of the double immunostaining protocols that have been introduced so far have been developed for application on fresh frozen material or based on different species antibodies. In liver tissue, general problems of double immunostaining techniques are further complicated by tissue‐specific difficulties, such as necrosis or high intracellular protein content. To assess a reliable double immunostaining protocol for archived, paraffin embedded liver tissue, different protocols based on the use of same species primary antibodies were evaluated in terms of sensitivity, specificity and non‐specific background staining in pathological liver specimens. We compared peroxidase–anti‐peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase–anti‐alkaline phosphatase (PAP/APAP, labelled‐avidin–biotin (LAB/LAB and digoxigenin–anti‐digoxigenin (dig–a‐dig/PAP techniques using different cytokeratin antibodies and an antibody against PCNA. Comparison of the double immunostaining techniques revealed a high sensitivity and specificity in all procedures. Sections, which were stained employing PAP/APAP‐technique, displayed a higher background staining compared to sections which were treated with the LAB/LAB or dig–a‐dig/PAP protocol. In contrast to the dig–a‐dig/PAP protocol, the LAB/LAB technique provides a better time/cost relationship. Therefore, we would like to recommend a modified LAB/LAB protocol for simultaneous detection of different antigens in archived liver tissue.

Genetic Characterization of Echinococcus granulosus from a Large Number of Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissue Samples of Human Isolates in Iran

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Rostami, Sima; Torbaghan, Shams Shariat; Dabiri, Shahriar; Babaei, Zahra; Mohammadi, Mohammad Ali; Sharbatkhori, Mitra; Harandi, Majid Fasihi

2015-01-01

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus, presents an important medical and veterinary problem globally, including that in Iran. Different genotypes of E. granulosus have been reported from human isolates worldwide. This study identifies the genotype of the parasite responsible for human hydatidosis in three provinces of Iran using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples. In this study, 200 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from human CE cases were collected from Alborz, Tehran, and Kerman provinces. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of the partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene were performed for genetic characterization of the samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the isolates from this study and reference sequences of different genotypes was done using a maximum likelihood method. In total, 54.4%, 0.8%, 1%, and 40.8% of the samples were identified as the G1, G2, G3, and G6 genotypes, respectively. The findings of the current study confirm the G1 genotype (sheep strain) to be the most prevalent genotype involved in human CE cases in Iran and indicates the high prevalence of the G6 genotype with a high infectivity for humans. Furthermore, this study illustrates the first documented human CE case in Iran infected with the G2 genotype. PMID:25535316

A new experimental method to prevent paraffin - wax formation on the crude oil wells: A field case study in Libya

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Elhaddad Elnori E.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Wax formation and deposition is one of the most common problems in oil producing wells. This problem occurs as a result of the reduction of the produced fluid temperature below the wax appearance temperature (range between 46°C and 50°C and the pour point temperature (range between 42°C and 44°C. In this study, two new methods for preventing wax formation were implemented on three oil wells in Libya, where the surface temperature is, normally, 29°C. In the first method, the gas was injected at a pressure of 83.3 bar and a temperature of 65°C (greater than the pour point temperature during the gas-lift operation. In the second method, wax inhibitors (Trichloroethylene-xylene (TEX, Ethylene copolymers, and Comb polymers were injected down the casings together with the gas. Field observations confirmed that by applying these techniques, the production string was kept clean and no wax was formed. The obtained results show that the wax formation could be prevented by both methods.

Radiological properties of a wax-gypsum compensator material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plessis, F.C.P. du; Willemse, C.A.

2005-01-01

In this paper the radiological properties of a compensator material consisting of wax and gypsum is presented. Effective attenuation coefficients (EACs) have been determined from transmission measurements with an ion chamber in a Perspex phantom. Measurements were made at 80 and 100 cm source-to-skin distance (SSD) for beam energies of 6, 8, and 15 MV, for field sizes ranging from narrow beam geometries up to 40x40 cm 2 , and at measurement depths of maximum dose build-up, 5 and 10 cm. A parametrization equation could be constructed to predict the EAC values within 4% uncertainty as a function of field size and depth of measurement. The EAC dependence on off-axis position was also quantified at each beam energy and SSD. It was found that the compensator material reduced the required thickness for compensation by 26% at 8 MV when compared to pure paraffin wax for a 10x10 cm 2 field. Relative surface ionization (RSI) measurements have been made to quantify the effect of scattered electrons from the wax-gypsum compensator. Results indicated that for 80 cm SSD the RSI would exceed 50% for fields larger than 15x15 cm 2 . At 100 cm SSD the RSI values were below 50% for all field sizes used

A rapid method of reprocessing for electronic microscopy of cut histological in paraffin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernandez Chavarri, F.; Vargas Montero, M.; Rivera, P.; Carranza, A.

2000-01-01

A simple and rapid method is described for re-processing of light microscopy paraffin sections to observe they under transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) The paraffin-embedded tissue is sectioned and deparaffinized in toluene; then exposed to osmium vapor under microwave irradiation using a domestic microwave oven. The tissues were embedded in epoxy resin, polymerized and ultrathin sectioned. The method requires a relatively short time (about 30 minutes for TEM and 15 for SEM), and produces a reasonable quality of the ultrastructure for diagnostic purposes. (Author) [es

Thermodynamics Prediction of Wax Precipitation in Black Oil Using Regular Solution Model and Plus Fraction Characterization

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Wei Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The precipitation of wax/solid paraffin during production, transportation, and processing of crude oil is a serious problem. It is essential to have a reliable model to predict the wax appearance temperature and the amount of solid precipitated at different conditions. This paper presents a work to predict the solid precipitation based on solid-liquid equilibrium with regular solution-molecular thermodynamic theory and characterization of the crude oil plus fraction. Due to the differences of solubility characteristics between solid and liquid phase, the solubility parameters of liquid and solid phase are calculated by a modified model. The heat capacity change between solid and liquid phase is considered and estimated in the thermodynamic model. An activity coefficient based thermodynamic method combined with two characteristic methods to calculate wax precipitation in crude oil, especially heavy oil, has been tested with experimental data. The results show that the wax appearance temperature and the amount of weight precipitated can be predicted well with the experimental data.

Multi-Center Evaluation of the Fully Automated PCR-Based Idylla™ KRAS Mutation Assay for Rapid KRAS Mutation Status Determination on Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissue of Human Colorectal Cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Solassol, Jérôme; Vendrell, Julie; Märkl, Bruno

2016-01-01

, was assessed on archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections by comparing its results with the results previously obtained by routine reference approaches for KRAS genotyping. In case of discordance, samples were assessed further by additional methods. Among the 374 colorectal cancer FFPE...

Wax co-cracking synergism of high density polyethylene to alternative fuels

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Magdy Motawie

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Attempts have been made to understand the thermal degradation of high density polyethylene (HDPE and their combined co-cracking using different ratios of HDPE and petroleum wax under nitrogen atmosphere. We have conducted the experiments using HDPE as the raw material and petroleum wax as co-feed by at 400 and 450 °C reaction temperatures. The product distribution was noted along with reaction time of 0.5–3 h for the degradation. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA technique was used to measure the weight change of the feedstock as a function of temperature and time. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC was used to determine the degradation temperature. Products were characterized using gas chromatography (GC and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, some other standard physical methods were used to determine the main properties of the liquid products. Results show that the mixed plastic-wax samples could be converted into gases, gasoline, and middle distillate depending upon the composition of feed polymer/wax ratio. It was found that the products mostly consisted of paraffin and olefin compounds, with carbon numbers of C1–C4, C5–C9 and C10–C19 in the case of gases, gasoline and middle distillate respectively.

Proteomic workflow for analysis of archival formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded clinical samples to a depth of 10 000 proteins.

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Wiśniewski, Jacek R; Duś, Kamila; Mann, Matthias

2013-04-01

Archival formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded clinical samples represent a very diverse source of material for proteomic investigation of diseases, often with follow-up patient information. Here, we describe an analytical workflow for analysis of laser-capture microdissected formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples that allows studying proteomes to a depth of 10 000 proteins per sample. The workflow involves lysis of tissue in SDS-containing buffer, detergent removal, and consecutive digestion of the proteins with two enzymes by the multienzyme digestion filter-aided sample preparation method. Resulting peptides are fractionated by pipette-tip based strong anion exchange into six fractions and analyzed by LC-MS/MS on a bench top quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Analysis of the data using the MaxQuant software resulted in the identification of 9502 ± 28 protein groups per a 110 nL sample of microdissected cells from human colonic adenoma. This depth of proteome analysis enables systemic insights into the organization of the adenoma cells and an estimation of the abundances of known biomarkers. It also allows the identification of proteins expressed from tumor suppressors, oncogenes, and other key players in the development and progression of the colorectal cancer. Our proteomic platform can be used for quantitative comparisons between samples representing different stages of diseases and thus can be applied to the discovery of biomarkers or drug targets. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ewing’s Sarcoma: An Analysis of miRNA Expression Profiles and Target Genes in Paraffin-Embedded Primary Tumor Tissue

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Antonina Parafioriti

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The molecular mechanism responsible for Ewing’s Sarcoma (ES remains largely unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, a class of small non-coding RNAs able to regulate gene expression, are deregulated in tumors and may serve as a tool for diagnosis and prediction. However, the status of miRNAs in ES has not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study compared global miRNAs expression in paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples from 20 ES patients, affected by primary untreated tumors, with miRNAs expressed in normal human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs by microarray analysis. A miRTarBase database was used to identify the predicted target genes for differentially expressed miRNAs. The miRNAs microarray analysis revealed distinct patterns of miRNAs expression between ES samples and normal MSCs. 58 of the 954 analyzed miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in ES samples compared to MSCs. Moreover, the qRT-PCR analysis carried out on three selected miRNAs showed that miR-181b, miR-1915 and miR-1275 were significantly aberrantly regulated, confirming the microarray results. Bio-database analysis identified BCL-2 as a bona fide target gene of the miR-21, miR-181a, miR-181b, miR-29a, miR-29b, miR-497, miR-195, miR-let-7a, miR-34a and miR-1915. Using paraffin-embedded tissues from ES patients, this study has identified several potential target miRNAs and one gene that might be considered a novel critical biomarker for ES pathogenesis.

Complete solubilization of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue may improve proteomic studies.

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Shi, Shan-Rong; Taylor, Clive R; Fowler, Carol B; Mason, Jeffrey T

2013-04-01

Tissue-based proteomic approaches (tissue proteomics) are essential for discovering and evaluating biomarkers for personalized medicine. In any proteomics study, the most critical issue is sample extraction and preparation. This problem is especially difficult when recovering proteins from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections. However, improving and standardizing protein extraction from FFPE tissue is a critical need because of the millions of archival FFPE tissues available in tissue banks worldwide. Recent progress in the application of heat-induced antigen retrieval principles for protein extraction from FFPE tissue has resulted in a number of published FFPE tissue proteomics studies. However, there is currently no consensus on the optimal protocol for protein extraction from FFPE tissue or accepted standards for quantitative evaluation of the extracts. Standardization is critical to ensure the accurate evaluation of FFPE protein extracts by proteomic methods such as reverse phase protein arrays, which is now in clinical use. In our view, complete solubilization of FFPE tissue samples is the best way to achieve the goal of standardizing the recovery of proteins from FFPE tissues. However, further studies are recommended to develop standardized protein extraction methods to ensure quantitative and qualitative reproducibility in the recovery of proteins from FFPE tissues. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Polymerase chain reaction detection of retinoblastoma gene deletions in paraffin-embedded mouse lung adenocarcinomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Churchill, M.E.; Gemmell, M.A.; Woloschak, G.E.

1991-01-01

A Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to detect deletions in the mouse retinoblastoma (mRb) gene using microtomed sections from paraffin-embedded radiation-induced and spontaneous tumors as the DNA source. Six mRb gene exon fragments were amplified in a 40-cycle, 3-temperature PCR protocol. Absence of any of these fragments relative to control PCR products on a Southern blot indicated a deletion of that portion of the mRb gene. Tumors chosen for analysis were lung adenocarcinomas that were judged to be the cause of death. Spontaneous tumors as well as those from irradiated mice (569 cGy of 60 Co γ rays or 60 cGy of JANUS neutrons) were analyzed. Tumors in six neutron-irradiated mice also had no mRb deletions. However, one of six tumors from γ-irradiated mice and 6 of 18 spontaneous tumors from unirradiated mice showed a deletion in one or both mRb alleles. All deletions detected were in the 5' region of the mRb gene

Numerical and structural genomic aberrations are reliably detectable in tissue microarrays of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples by fluorescence in-situ hybridization.

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Heike Horn

Full Text Available Few data are available regarding the reliability of fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH, especially for chromosomal deletions, in high-throughput settings using tissue microarrays (TMAs. We performed a comprehensive FISH study for the detection of chromosomal translocations and deletions in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE tumor specimens arranged in TMA format. We analyzed 46 B-cell lymphoma (B-NHL specimens with known karyotypes for translocations of IGH-, BCL2-, BCL6- and MYC-genes. Locus-specific DNA probes were used for the detection of deletions in chromosome bands 6q21 and 9p21 in 62 follicular lymphomas (FL and six malignant mesothelioma (MM samples, respectively. To test for aberrant signals generated by truncation of nuclei following sectioning of FFPE tissue samples, cell line dilutions with 9p21-deletions were embedded into paraffin blocks. The overall TMA hybridization efficiency was 94%. FISH results regarding translocations matched karyotyping data in 93%. As for chromosomal deletions, sectioning artefacts occurred in 17% to 25% of cells, suggesting that the proportion of cells showing deletions should exceed 25% to be reliably detectable. In conclusion, FISH represents a robust tool for the detection of structural as well as numerical aberrations in FFPE tissue samples in a TMA-based high-throughput setting, when rigorous cut-off values and appropriate controls are maintained, and, of note, was superior to quantitative PCR approaches.

Molecular identification of Coccidioides immitis in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues from a Colombian patient.

Science.gov (United States)

Canteros, Cristina E; Vélez H, Alejandro; Toranzo, Adriana I; Suárez-Alvarez, Roberto; Tobón O, Ángela; Jimenez A, María del Pilar; Restrepo M, Ángela

2015-06-01

Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii are the etiologic agents of coccidioidomycosis, an endemic fungal disease of the Americas. In Colombia, this mycosis is uncommon, and only five cases, two of them imported, have been documented.By means of DNA sequencing, C. immitis was identified in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissues samples from the 5th Colombian patient diagnosed in 1997. The patient was born in Pinto, Department of Magdalena, and had never visited other geographic regions, a reason to consider that the mycosis had been acquired locally.This species is primarily found in California although it has been occasionally reported in other geographic areas such as Mexico and Brazil. This is the first indigenous report of C. immitis-associated coccidioidomycosis in a Colombian patient. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology.

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction for the detection of high-risk-human papillomavirus types in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded cervical tissues

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Mini P Singh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Detecting high-risk-human papillomavirus (HPV types has become an integral part of the cervical cancer screening programmes. This study aimed to develop a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR for identification of HPV types 16 and 18 along with the beta globin gene in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded cervical biopsy specimens. A total of 59 samples from patients with cervical abnormalities were tested. HPV 16 positivity was 50% in cervical cancers and 52.9% in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Our multiplex PCR protocol can be used as a simple and cost-effective tool for high-risk-HPV detection in cervical cancer screening programmes.

Mechanical and Combustion Performance of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as an Additive to Paraffin-Based Solid Fuels for Hybrid Rockets

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Daniel B.; Boyer, Eric; Wachs, Trevor; Kuo, Kenneth, K.; Koo, Joseph H.; Story, George

2012-01-01

Paraffin-based solid fuels for hybrid rocket motor applications are recognized as a fastburning alternative to other fuel binders such as HTPB, but efforts to further improve the burning rate and mechanical properties of paraffin are still necessary. One approach that is considered in this study is to use multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) as an additive to paraffin wax. Carbon nanotubes provide increased electrical and thermal conductivity to the solid-fuel grains to which they are added, which can improve the mass burning rate. Furthermore, the addition of ultra-fine aluminum particles to the paraffin/MWNT fuel grains can enhance regression rate of the solid fuel and the density impulse of the hybrid rocket. The multi-walled carbon nanotubes also present the possibility of greatly improving the mechanical properties (e.g., tensile strength) of the paraffin-based solid-fuel grains. For casting these solid-fuel grains, various percentages of MWNT and aluminum particles will be added to the paraffin wax. Previous work has been published about the dispersion and mixing of carbon nanotubes.1 Another manufacturing method has been used for mixing the MWNT with a phenolic resin for ablative applications, and the manufacturing and mixing processes are well-documented in the literature.2 The cost of MWNT is a small fraction of single-walled nanotubes. This is a scale-up advantage as future applications and projects will require low cost additives to maintain cost effectiveness. Testing of the solid-fuel grains will be conducted in several steps. Dog bone samples will be cast and prepared for tensile testing. The fuel samples will also be analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis and a high-resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM will allow for examination of the solid fuel grain for uniformity and consistency. The paraffin-based fuel grains will also be tested using two hybrid rocket test motors located at the Pennsylvania State University s High Pressure

An experimental investigation of shell and tube latent heat storage for solar dryer using paraffin wax as heat storage material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashish Agarwal

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In the presented study the shell and tube type latent heat storage (LHS has been designed for solar dryer and paraffin wax is used as heat storage material. In the first part of the study, the thermal and heat transfer characteristics of the latent heat storage system have been evaluated during charging and discharging process using air as heat transfer fluid (HTF. In the last section of the study the effectiveness of the use of an LHS for drying of food product and also on the drying kinetics of a food product has been determined. A series of experiments were conducted to study the effects of flow rate and temperature of HTF on the charging and discharging process of LHS. The temperature distribution along the radial and longitudinal directions was obtained at different time during charging process to analyze the heat transfer phenomenon in the LHS. Thermal performance of the system is evaluated in terms of cumulative energy charged and discharged, during the charging and discharging process of LHS, respectively. Experimental results show that the LHS is suitable to supply the hot air for drying of food product during non-sunshine hours or when the intensity of solar energy is very low. Temperature gain of air in the range of 17 °C to 5 °C for approximately 10 hrs duration was achieved during discharging of LHS.

Improved clonality detection in Hodgkin lymphoma using a semi-nested modification of the BIOMED-2 PCR assay for IGH and IGK rearrangements: A paraffin-embedded tissue study.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Shusen; Masaki, Ayako; Sakamoto, Yuma; Takino, Hisashi; Murase, Takayuki; Iida, Shinsuke; Inagaki, Hiroshi

2018-05-01

The BIOMED-2 PCR protocols targeting IGH and IGK genes may be useful for detecting clonality in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). The clonality detection rates, however, have not been very high with these methods using paraffin-embedded tumor sections. We previously described the usefulness of the semi-nested BIOMED-2 IGH assay in B-cell malignancies. In this study, we devised a novel semi-nested BIOMED-2 IGK assay. Employing 58 cases of classical HL, we carried out the standard BIOMED-2, BIOMED-2 followed by BIOMED-2 re-amplification, and BIOMED-2 followed by semi-nested BIOMED-2, all targeting IGH and IGK, using paraffin-embedded tissues. In both IGH and IGK assays, semi-nested assays yielded significantly higher clonality detection rates than the standard assays and re-amplification assays. Clonality was detected in 13/58 (22.4%) classical HL cases using the standard IGH/IGK assays while it was detected in 38/58 (65.5%) cases using semi-nested IGH/IGK assays. The detection rates were not associated with the HL subtypes, CD30-positive cell density, CD20-positive cell density, or Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positivity. In conclusion, tumor clonality was detected in nearly two-thirds of classical HL cases using semi-nested BIOMED-2 IGH/IGK assays using paraffin tumor sections. These semi-nested assays may be useful when the standard IGH/IGK assays fail to detect clonality in histopathologically suspected HLs. © 2018 Japanese Society of Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Formulation, Casting, and Evaluation of Paraffin-Based Solid Fuels Containing Energetic and Novel Additives for Hybrid Rockets

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Daniel B.; Desain, John D.; Boyer, Eric; Wachs, Trevor; Kuo, Kenneth K.; Borduin, Russell; Koo, Joseph H.; Brady, Brian B.; Curtiss, Thomas J.; Story, George

2012-01-01

This investigation studied the inclusion of various additives to paraffin wax for use in a hybrid rocket motor. Some of the paraffin-based fuels were doped with various percentages of LiAlH4 (up to 10%). Addition of LiAlH4 at 10% was found to increase regression rates between 7 - 10% over baseline paraffin through tests in a gaseous oxygen hybrid rocket motor. Mass burn rates for paraffin grains with 10% LiAlH4 were also higher than those of the baseline paraffin. RDX was also cast into a paraffin sample via a novel casting process which involved dissolving RDX into dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent and then drawing a vacuum on the mixture of paraffin and RDX/DMF in order to evaporate out the DMF. It was found that although all DMF was removed, the process was not conducive to generating small RDX particles. The slow boiling generated an inhomogeneous mixture of paraffin and RDX. It is likely that superheating the DMF to cause rapid boiling would likely reduce RDX particle sizes. In addition to paraffin/LiAlH4 grains, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were cast in paraffin for testing in a hybrid rocket motor, and assorted samples containing a range of MWNT percentages in paraffin were imaged using SEM. The fuel samples showed good distribution of MWNT in the paraffin matrix, but the MWNT were often agglomerated, indicating that a change to the sonication and mixing processes were required to achieve better uniformity and debundled MWNT. Fuel grains with MWNT fuel grains had slightly lower regression rate, likely due to the increased thermal conductivity to the fuel subsurface, reducing the burning surface temperature.

Effect of new type of synthetic waxes on reduced production and compaction temperature of asphalt mixture with reclaimed asphalt

Science.gov (United States)

Valentová, Tereza; Benešová, Lucie; Mastný, Jan; Valentin, Jan

2017-09-01

Lower mixing and paving temperatures of asphalt mixtures, which are an important issue in recent years, with respect to increased energy demand of civil engineering structures during their processing, allow reduction of this demand and result in minimized greenhouse gas production. In present time, there are many possibilities how to achieve reduction of production temperature during the mixing and paving of an asphalt mixture. The existing solutions distinguish in target operating temperature behaviour which has to be achieved in terms of good workability. This paper is focused on technical solutions based on use of new types of selected synthetic and bio-based waxes. In case of bio-based additive sugar cane wax was used, which is free of paraffins and is reclaimed as waste product during processing of sugar cane. The used waxes are added to bituminous binder in form of free-flowing granules or fine-grained powder. Synthetic waxes are represented by new series of Fischer-Tropsch wax in form of fine granules as well as by polyethylene waxes in form of fine-grained powder or granules. Those waxes were used to modify a standard paving grade bitumen dosed into asphalt mixture of ACsurf type containing up to 30 % of reclaimed asphalt (RA).

Analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue via proteomic techniques and misconceptions of antigen retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Rourke, Matthew B; Padula, Matthew P

2016-01-01

Since emerging in the late 19(th) century, formaldehyde fixation has become a standard method for preservation of tissues from clinical samples. The advantage of formaldehyde fixation is that fixed tissues can be stored at room temperature for decades without concern for degradation. This has led to the generation of huge tissue banks containing thousands of clinically significant samples. Here we review techniques for proteomic analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples with a specific focus on the methods used to extract and break formaldehyde crosslinks. We also discuss an error-of-interpretation associated with the technique known as "antigen retrieval." We have discovered that this term has been mistakenly applied to two disparate molecular techniques; therefore, we argue that a terminology change is needed to ensure accurate reporting of experimental results. Finally, we suggest that more investigation is required to fully understand the process of formaldehyde fixation and its subsequent reversal.

Real-time monitoring and measurement of wax deposition in pipelines via non-invasive electrical capacitance tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Lock Sow Mei, Irene; Ismail, Idris; Shafquet, Areeba; Abdullah, Bawadi

2016-02-01

Tomographic analysis of the behavior of waxy crude oil in pipelines is important to permit appropriate corrective actions to be taken to remediate the wax deposit layer before pipelines are entirely plugged. In this study, a non-invasive/non-intrusive electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) system has been applied to provide real-time visualization of the formation of paraffin waxes and to measure the amount of wax fraction from the Malay Basin waxy crude oil sample under the static condition. Analogous expressions to estimate the wax fraction of the waxy crude oil across the temperatures range of 30-50 °C was obtained by using Otsu’s and Kuo’s threshold algorithms. Otsu’s method suggested that the wax fraction can be estimated by the correlation coefficient β =0.0459{{T}3}-5.3535{{T}2}+200.36T-2353.7 while Kuo’s method provides a similar correlation with β =0.0741{{T}3}-8.4915{{T}2}+314.96T-3721.2 . These correlations show good agreements with the results which are obtained from the conventional weighting method. This study suggested that Kuo’s threshold algorithm is more promising when integrated into the ECT system compared to Otsu’s algorithm because the former provides higher accuracy wax fraction measurement results below the wax appearance temperature for waxy crude oil. This study is significant because it serves as a preliminary investigation for the application of ECT in the oil and gas industry for online measurement and detection of wax fraction without causing disturbance to the process flow.

Differential N-glycan patterns identified in lung adenocarcinoma by N-glycan profiling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaoning; Deng, Zaian; Huang, Chuncui; Zhu, Tong; Lou, Jiatao; Wang, Lin; Li, Yan

2018-02-10

N-glycan profiling is a powerful approach for analyzing the functional relationship between N-glycosylation and cancer. Current methods rely on either serum or fresh tissue samples; however, N-glycan patterns may differ between serum and tissue, as the proteins of serum originate from a variety of tissues. Furthermore, fresh tissue samples are difficult to ship and store. Here, we used a profiling method based on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections from lung adenocarcinoma patients. We found that our method was highly reproducible. We identified 58 N-glycan compositions from lung adenocarcinoma FFPE samples, 51 of which were further used for MS n -based structure prediction. We show that high mannose type N-glycans are upregulated, while sialylated N-glycans are downregulated in our FFPE lung adenocarcinoma samples, compared to the control samples. Our receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis shows that high mannose type and sialylated N-glycans are useful discriminators to distinguish between lung adenocarcinoma and control tissue. Together, our results indicate that expression levels of specific N-glycans correlate well with lung adenocarcinoma, and strongly suggest that our FFPE-based method will be useful for N-glycan profiling of cancer tissues. Glycosylation is one of the most important post-translational protein modifications, and is associated with several physiopathological processes, including carcinogenesis. In this study, we tested the feasibility of using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections to identify changes in N-glycan patterns and identified the differentially expressed N-glycans of lung adenocarcinoma. Our study shows that the FFPE-based N-glycan profiling method is useful for clinical diagnosis as well as identification of potential biomarkers, and our data expand current knowledge of differential N-glycan patterns of lung adenocarcinoma. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The mechanism of diclofenac sodium release from non ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The mechanism of diclofenac sodium release from non-disintegrating bioadhesive tablets was studied. Diclofenac sodium was embedded in Carbopol 941 to produce bioadhesive granules, which were later, incorporated into a structure-forming material, paraffin wax. The tablets were formulated by pour moulding in a ...

Ear wax

Science.gov (United States)

See your provider if your ears are blocked with wax and you are unable to remove the wax. Also call if you have an ear wax blockage and you develop new symptoms, such as: Drainage from the ear Ear pain Fever Hearing loss that continues after you clean the wax

Mineral and tar oils and paraffin and mineral waxes, extracting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1927-09-01

In the extraction of soluble bodies from coal and the like carbonaceous material, the coal is preheated in a closed vessel and then heated under pressure with the solvent. The pressure in either or both stages may be increased by gases or vapours more or less inert under the conditions, e.g. hydrogen, steam, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen. In an example, brown coal is maintained at 300/sup 0/C for 10 hours, thus producing a pressure of 100 atmospheres, and is then extracted for 10 hours at 300/sup 0/C and 100 atmospheres with benzene in a closed vessel. Over 60 per cent of the coal is dissolved. After separation of the undissolved coal and removal of the solvent the soluble products may be treated with either to extract resinous matter, and then with cyclohexane to extract wax-like matters. Alternatively the soluble products, alone or in solution or with the undissolved coal, may be destructively hydrogenated, or be cracked in presence of activated aluminium and hydrogen chloride.

Preparation and thermal energy storage properties of paraffin/calcined diatomite composites as form-stable phase change materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Zhiming; Zhang, Yuzhong; Zheng, Shuilin; Park, Yuri; Frost, Ray L.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Composite phase change material (PCM) was prepared by blending composite paraffin and calcined diatomite. ► The optimum mixed proportion was obtained through differential scanning calorimetry. ► Thermal energy storage properties of the composite PCMs were determined by DSC. ► Thermal cycling test showed that the prepared PCMs are thermally reliable and chemically stable. - Abstract: A composite paraffin-based phase change material (PCM) was prepared by blending composite paraffin and calcined diatomite through the fusion adsorption method. In this study, raw diatomite was purified by thermal treatment in order to improve the adsorption capacity of diatomite, which acted as a carrier material to prepare shape-stabilized PCMs. Two forms of paraffin (paraffin waxes and liquid paraffin) with different melting points were blended together by the fusion method, and the optimum mixed proportion with a suitable phase-transition temperature was obtained through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. Then the prepared composite paraffin was adsorbed in calcined diatomite. The prepared paraffin/calcined diatomite composites were characterized by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR) analysis techniques. Thermal energy storage properties of the composite PCMs were determined by DSC method. DSC results showed that there was an optimum adsorption ratio between composite paraffin and calcined diatomite and the phase-transition temperature and the latent heat of the composite PCMs were 33.04 °C and 89.54 J/g, respectively. Thermal cycling test of composite PCMs showed that the prepared material is thermally reliable and chemically stable. The obtained paraffin/calcined diatomite composites have proper latent heat and melting temperatures, and show practical significance and good potential application value

Preparation and thermal energy storage properties of paraffin/calcined diatomite composites as form-stable phase change materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Zhiming [School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083 (China); Chemistry Discipline, Faculty of Science and Technology, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland 4001 (Australia); Zhang, Yuzhong [School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083 (China); Zheng, Shuilin, E-mail: shuilinzh@yahoo.com.cn [School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083 (China); Park, Yuri [Chemistry Discipline, Faculty of Science and Technology, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland 4001 (Australia); Frost, Ray L., E-mail: r.frost@qut.edu.au [Chemistry Discipline, Faculty of Science and Technology, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland 4001 (Australia)

2013-04-20

Highlights: ► Composite phase change material (PCM) was prepared by blending composite paraffin and calcined diatomite. ► The optimum mixed proportion was obtained through differential scanning calorimetry. ► Thermal energy storage properties of the composite PCMs were determined by DSC. ► Thermal cycling test showed that the prepared PCMs are thermally reliable and chemically stable. - Abstract: A composite paraffin-based phase change material (PCM) was prepared by blending composite paraffin and calcined diatomite through the fusion adsorption method. In this study, raw diatomite was purified by thermal treatment in order to improve the adsorption capacity of diatomite, which acted as a carrier material to prepare shape-stabilized PCMs. Two forms of paraffin (paraffin waxes and liquid paraffin) with different melting points were blended together by the fusion method, and the optimum mixed proportion with a suitable phase-transition temperature was obtained through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. Then the prepared composite paraffin was adsorbed in calcined diatomite. The prepared paraffin/calcined diatomite composites were characterized by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR) analysis techniques. Thermal energy storage properties of the composite PCMs were determined by DSC method. DSC results showed that there was an optimum adsorption ratio between composite paraffin and calcined diatomite and the phase-transition temperature and the latent heat of the composite PCMs were 33.04 °C and 89.54 J/g, respectively. Thermal cycling test of composite PCMs showed that the prepared material is thermally reliable and chemically stable. The obtained paraffin/calcined diatomite composites have proper latent heat and melting temperatures, and show practical significance and good potential application value.

A new technique for Gram staining paraffin-embedded tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Engbaek, K; Johansen, K S; Jensen, M E

1979-01-01

Five techniques for Gram staining bacteria in paraffin sections were compared on serial sections of pulmonary tissues from eight bacteriological necropsies. Brown and Hopp's method was the most satisfactory for distinguishing Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. However, this method cannot be recommended as the preparations were frequently overstained, and the Gram-negative bacteria were stained indistinctly. A modification of Brown and Hopps' method was developed which stains larger numbers of Gram-negative bacteria and differentiates well between different cell types and connective tissue, and there is no risk of overstaining. PMID:86548

Modeling of asphaltene and wax precipitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, F.; Sarathi, P.; Jones, R.

1991-01-01

This research project was designed to focus on the development of a predictive technique for organic deposition during gas injection for petroleum EOR. A thermodynamic model has been developed to describe the effects of temperature, pressure, and composition on asphaltene precipitation. The proposed model combines regular solution theory with Flory-Huggins polymer solutions theory to predict maximum volume fractions of asphaltene dissolved in oil. The model requires evaluation of vapor-liquid equilibria, first using an equation of state followed by calculations of asphaltene solubility in the liquid-phase. A state-of-the-art technique for C{sub 7+} fraction characterization was employed in developing this model. The preliminary model developed in this work was able to predict qualitatively the trends of the effects of temperature, pressure, and composition. Since the mechanism of paraffinic wax deposition is different from that of asphaltene deposition, another thermodynamic model based on the solid-liquid solution theory was developed to predict the wax formation. This model is simple and can predict the wax appearance temperature with reasonable accuracy. Accompanying the modeling work, experimental studies were conducted to investigate the solubility of asphaltene in oil land solvents and to examine the effects of oil composition, CO{sub 2}, and solvent on asphaltene precipitation and its properties. This research focused on the solubility reversibility of asphaltene in oil and the precipitation caused by CO{sub 2} injection at simulated reservoir temperature and pressure conditions. These experiments have provided many observations about the properties of asphaltenes for further improvement of the model, but more detailed information about the properties of asphaltenes in solution is needed for the development of more reliable asphaltene characterization techniques. 50 refs., 8 figs., 7 tabs.

Improved protein extraction and protein identification from archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human aortas.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Zongming; Yan, Kun; Rosenberg, Avraham; Jin, Zhicheng; Crain, Barbara; Athas, Grace; Heide, Richard S Vander; Howard, Timothy; Everett, Allen D; Herrington, David; Van Eyk, Jennifer E

2013-04-01

Evaluate combination of heat and elevated pressure to enhance protein extraction and quality of formalin-fixed (FF), and FF paraffin-embedded (FFPE) aorta for proteomics. Proteins were extracted from fresh frozen aorta at room temperature (RT). FF and FFPE aortas (3 months and 15 years) were extracted at RT, heat alone, or a combination of heat and high pressure. Protein yields were compared, and digested peptides from the extracts were analyzed with MS. Combined heat and elevated pressure increased protein yield from human FF or FFPE aorta compared to matched tissues with heat alone (1.5-fold) or at RT (8.3-fold), resulting in more proteins identified and with more sequence coverage. The length of storage did adversely affect the quality of proteins from FF tissue. For long-term storage, aorta was preserved better with FFPE than FF alone. Periostin and MGF-E8 were demonstrated suitable for MRM assays from FFPE aorta. Combination of heat and high pressure is an effective method to extract proteins from FFPE aorta for downstream proteomics. This method opens the possibility for use of archival and often rare FFPE aortas and possibly other tissues available to proteomics for biomarker discovery and quantification. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Gelatin in situ zymography on fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue: zinc and ethanol fixation preserve enzyme activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadler-Olsen, Elin; Kanapathippillai, Premasany; Berg, Eli; Svineng, Gunbjørg; Winberg, Jan-Olof; Uhlin-Hansen, Lars

2010-01-01

In situ zymography is a method for the detection and localization of enzymatic activity in tissue sections. This method is used with frozen sections because routine fixation of tissue in neutral-buffered formalin inhibits enzyme activity. However, frozen sections present with poor tissue morphology, making precise localization of enzymatic activity difficult to determine. Ethanol- and zinc-buffered fixative (ZBF) are known to preserve both morphological and functional properties of the tissue well, but it has not previously been shown that these fixatives preserve enzyme activity. In the present study, we show that in situ zymography can be performed on ethanol- and ZBF-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. Compared with snap-frozen tissue, ethanol- and ZBF-fixed tissue showed stronger signals and superior morphology, allowing for a much more precise detection of gelatinolytic activity. Gelatinolytic enzymes could also be extracted from both ethanol- and ZBF-fixed tissue. The yield, as analyzed by SDS-PAGE gelatin zymography and Western blotting, was influenced by the composition of the extraction buffer, but was generally lower than that obtained from unfixed tissue.

Study of the petroleum schedules thermal cleaning process from asphalt, ressin and paraffin deposits using low- temperature plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samigullin, A D; Galiakbarov, A T; Galiakbarov, R T

2016-01-01

Petroleum industry uses large amount of pumping and compression pipes. Carrying out the whole range of repair works requires cleaning of the pipe inner surface from deposits which appeared in it during operation [1]. The task of asphalt, resin and paraffin deposits control remains one of the most essential for the branch. The article deals with thermal method and device for asphalt, resin and paraffin deposits removal from pumping and compression pipes inner surface, describes and provides the device application scope for cleaning the pumping and compression pipes inner surface. To deal with borehole equipment and pipe systems waxing problem various deposit prevention and removal methods are used, including mechanical, thermal, chemical, combined and nonconventional methods. (paper)

Staining of E-selectin ligands on paraffin-embedded sections of tumor tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrascal, Mylène A; Talina, Catarina; Borralho, Paula; Gonçalo Mineiro, A; Henriques, Ana Raquel; Pen, Cláudia; Martins, Manuela; Braga, Sofia; Sackstein, Robert; Videira, Paula A

2018-05-02

The E-selectin ligands expressed by cancer cells mediate adhesion of circulating cancer cells to endothelial cells, as well as within tissue microenvironments important for tumor progression and metastasis. The identification of E-selectin ligands within cancer tissue could yield new biomarkers for patient stratification and aid in identifying novel therapeutic targets. The determinants of selectin ligands consist of sialylated tetrasaccharides, the sialyl Lewis X and A (sLe X and sLe A ), displayed on protein or lipid scaffolds. Standardized procedures for immunohistochemistry make use of the antibodies against sLe X and/or sLe A . However, antibody binding does not define E-selectin binding activity. In this study, we developed an immunohistochemical staining technique, using E-selectin-human Ig Fc chimera (E-Ig) to characterize the expression and localization of E-selectin binding sites on paraffin-embedded sections of different cancer tissue. E-Ig successfully stained cancer cells with high specificity. The E-Ig staining show high reactivity scores in colon and lung adenocarcinoma and moderate reactivity in triple negative breast cancer. Compared with reactivity of antibody against sLe X/A , the E-Ig staining presented higher specificity to cancer tissue with better defined borders and less background. The E-Ig staining technique allows the qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of E-selectin binding activity on cancer cells. The development of accurate techniques for detection of selectin ligands may contribute to better diagnostic and better understanding of the molecular basis of tumor progression and metastasis.

Purifying oils and waxes. [British patent

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1926-01-27

Fractions of petroleum, shale oil, coal oil, and paraffin wax are refined by passing the vapour under reduced pressure through fuller's earth, bauxite, silica gel, or other adsorbent at a temperature not substantially more than sufficient to maintain the vapour phase. The vapour may be passed in succession through adsorbent of increasing strength. Treatment with sulphuric acid, or with alkali, or with both may precede treatment with absorbent, and this successive treatment may be repeated any number of times. The action is accelerated by passing a current of inert gas insufficient to affect the vacuum materially along with the vapours. In an example a 160 to 225/sup 0/C kerosene fraction is treated with sulphuric acid of 10 percent strength, and passed into a fuller's earth chamber under a vacuum of 27 in. of mercury and heated by steam to about 140/sup 0/C. The apparatus is described.

EFFECT OF EMBEDDING METHODS VERSUS FIXATIVE TYPE ON KARYOMETRIC MEASURES

NARCIS (Netherlands)

BOON, ME; VANDERPOEL, HG; TAN, CJA; KOK, LP

The influence of fixation and embedding methods in seven urologic tumor samples was studied karyometrically for 12 preparatory techniques. Routine histologic formalin fixation was compared with Carbowax and Kryofix fixatives. Also, histologic material was studied embedded in paraffin and plastic

Identification of 5-hydroxytryptamine-producing cells by detection of fluorescence in paraffin-embedded tissue sections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Kaneko

2016-09-01

Full Text Available 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT produced by enterochromaffin (EC cells is an important enteric mucosal signaling ligand and has been implicated in several gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease and functional disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome. The present study reports a new, simple and rapid visualization method of 5-HT-producing EC cells utilizing detection of autofluorescence in paraffin-embedded tissue sections after formalin fixation. In human samples, there was a high incidence of autofluorescence+ cells in the 5-HT+ cells in the pyloric, small intestinal and colonic glands, while co-localization was lacking between autofluorescence+ and gastrin+ cells in the pyloric and small intestinal glands. Autofluorescence+ EC cells were detected in the colon of mice and rats. Autofluorescence+ cells were also observed in 5-HT+ β cells in the pancreatic islets of Langerhans in pregnant mice, while non-pregnant mouse pancreatic islet cells showed no 5-HT immunoreactivity or autofluorescence. These results suggest that autofluorescence+ cells are identical to 5-HT+ cells, and the source of autofluorescence may be 5-HT itself or molecules related to its synthesis or degradation. This autofluorescence signal detection method may be applicable for monitoring of inflammatory status of inflammatory bowel diseases in both the experimental and clinical settings.

In situ hybridization for the detection of rust fungi in paraffin embedded plant tissue sections.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellison, Mitchell A; McMahon, Michael B; Bonde, Morris R; Palmer, Cristi L; Luster, Douglas G

2016-01-01

Rust fungi are obligate pathogens with multiple life stages often including different spore types and multiple plant hosts. While individual rust pathogens are often associated with specific plants, a wide range of plant species are infected with rust fungi. To study the interactions between these important pathogenic fungi and their host plants, one must be able to differentiate fungal tissue from plant tissue. This can be accomplished using the In situ hybridization (ISH) protocol described here. To validate reproducibility using the ISH protocol, samples of Chrysanthemum × morifolium infected with Puccinia horiana, Gladiolus × hortulanus infected with Uromyces transversalis and Glycine max infected with Phakopsora pachyrhizi were tested alongside uninfected leaf tissue samples. The results of these tests show that this technique clearly distinguishes between rust pathogens and their respective host plant tissues. This ISH protocol is applicable to rust fungi and potentially other plant pathogenic fungi as well. It has been shown here that this protocol can be applied to pathogens from different genera of rust fungi with no background staining of plant tissue. We encourage the use of this protocol for the study of plant pathogenic fungi in paraffin embedded sections of host plant tissue.

Impact of pre-analytical factors on the proteomic analysis of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Seonaid M; Craven, Rachel A; Nirmalan, Niroshini J; Harnden, Patricia; Selby, Peter J; Banks, Rosamonde E

2013-04-01

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples represent a tremendous potential resource for biomarker discovery, with large numbers of samples in hospital pathology departments and links to clinical information. However, the cross-linking of proteins and nucleic acids by formalin fixation has hampered analysis and proteomic studies have been restricted to using frozen tissue, which is more limited in availability as it needs to be collected specifically for research. This means that rare disease subtypes cannot be studied easily. Recently, improved extraction techniques have enabled analysis of FFPE tissue by a number of proteomic techniques. As with all clinical samples, pre-analytical factors are likely to impact on the results obtained, although overlooked in many studies. The aim of this review is to discuss the various pre-analytical factors, which include warm and cold ischaemic time, size of sample, fixation duration and temperature, tissue processing conditions, length of storage of archival tissue and storage conditions, and to review the studies that have considered these factors in more detail. In those areas where investigations are few or non-existent, illustrative examples of the possible importance of specific factors have been drawn from studies using frozen tissue or from immunohistochemical studies of FFPE tissue. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Rapid, sensitive, type specific PCR detection of the E7 region of human papillomavirus type 16 and 18 from paraffin embedded sections of cervical carcinoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lesnikova, Iana; Lidang, Marianne; Hamilton-Dutoit, Stephen Jacques

2010-01-01

ABSTRACT: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and in particularly infection with HPVs 16 and 18 is a central carcinogenic factor in the uterine cervix. We established and optimized a PCR assay for the detection and discrimination of HPV types 16 and 18 in archival formaldehyde fixed and paraffin...... embedded (FFPE) sections of cervical cancer. Tissue blocks from 35 cases of in situ or invasive cervical squamouscell carcinoma and surrogate FFPE sections containing the cell lines HeLa and SiHa were tested for HPV 16 and HPV18 and for the housekeeping gene beta-actin by conventional PCR using type...

Rapid, sensitive, type specific PCR detection of the E7 region of human papillomavirus type 16 and 18 from paraffin embedded sections of cervical carcinoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lesnikova, Iana; Lidang, Marianne; Hamilton-Dutoit, Steven

2010-01-01

ABSTRACT: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and in particularly infection with HPVs 16 and 18, is a central carcinogenic factor in the uterine cervix. We established and optimized a PCR assay for the detection and discrimination of HPV types 16 and 18 in archival formaldehyde fixed and paraffin...... embedded (FFPE) sections of cervical cancer.Tissue blocks from 35 cases of in situ or invasive cervical squamous cell carcinoma and surrogate FFPE sections containing the cell lines HeLa and SiHa were tested for HPV 16 and HPV18 by conventional PCR using type specific primers, and for the housekeeping gene...

Phase Change Material Trade Study: A Comparison Between Wax and Water for Manned Spacecraft

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Quinn, Gregory; Hodgson, Ed; Stephan, Ryan A,

2011-01-01

Phase change material heat sinks have been recognized as an important tool in optimizing thermal control systems for space exploration vehicles and habitats that must deal with widely varying thermal loads and environments. In order to better focus technology investment in this arena, NASA has supported a trade study with the objective of identifying where the best potential pay-off can be found among identified aqueous and paraffin wax phase change materials and phase change material heat sink design approaches. The study used a representative exploration mission with well understood parameters to support the trade. Additional sensitivity studies were performed to ensure the applicability of study results across varying systems and destinations. Results from the study indicate that replacing a wax PCM heat sink with a water ice PCM heat sink has the potential to decrease the equivalent system mass of the mission s vehicle through a combination of a smaller heat sink and a slight 5% increase in radiator size or the addition of a lightweight heat pump. An evaluation of existing and emerging PCM heat sink technologies indicates that further mass savings should be achievable through continued development of those technologies. The largest mass savings may be realized by eliminating the melting and freezing pressure of wax and water, respectively.

Antigen retrieval prior to on-tissue digestion of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumour tissue sections yields oxidation of proline residues.

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Djidja, Marie-Claude; Claude, Emmanuelle; Scriven, Peter; Allen, David W; Carolan, Vikki A; Clench, Malcolm R

2017-07-01

MALDI-mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) has been shown to allow the study of protein distribution and identification directly within formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections. However, direct protein identification from tissue sections remains challenging due to signal interferences and/or existing post-translational or other chemical modifications. The use of antigen retrieval (AR) has been demonstrated for unlocking proteins prior to in situ enzymatic digestion and MALDI-MSI analysis of FFPE tissue sections. In the work reported here, the identification of proline oxidation, which may occur when performing the AR protocol, is described. This facilitated and considerably increased the number of identified peptides when adding proline oxidation as a variable modification to the MASCOT search criteria. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: MALDI Imaging, edited by Dr. Corinna Henkel and Prof. Peter Hoffmann. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection of c-myc amplification in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue by chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH).

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Todorović-Raković, Nataša

2013-01-01

In situ hybridization (ISH) allows evaluation of genetic abnormalities, such as changes in chromosome number, chromosome translocations or gene amplifications, by hybridization of tagged DNA (or RNA) probes with complementary DNA (or RNA) sequences in interphase nuclei of target tissue. However, chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) is also applicable to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues, besides metaphase chromosome spreads. CISH is similar to fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) regarding pretreatments and hybridization protocols but differs in the way of visualization. Indeed, CISH signal detection is similar to that used in immunohistochemistry, making use of a peroxidase-based chromogenic reaction instead of fluorescent dyes. In particular, tagged DNA probes are indirectly detected using an enzyme-conjugated antibody targeting the tags. The enzymatic reaction of the chromogenic substrate leads to the formation of strong permanent brown signals that can be visualized by bright-field microscopy at 40 × magnification. The advantage of CISH is that it allows the simultaneous observation of gene amplification and tissue morphology and the slides can be stored for a long time.

Molecular glycopathology by capillary electrophoresis: Analysis of the N-glycome of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded mouse tissue samples.

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Donczo, Boglarka; Szarka, Mate; Tovari, Jozsef; Ostoros, Gyorgyi; Csanky, Eszter; Guttman, Andras

2017-06-01

Capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) detection was used to analyze endoglycosidase released and fluorophore-labeled N-glycans from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) mouse tissue samples of lung, brain, heart, spleen, liver, kidney and intestine. The FFPE samples were first deparaffinized followed by solubilization and glycoprotein retrieval. PNGase F mediated release of the N-linked oligosaccharides was followed by labeling with aminopyrene trisulfonate. After CE-LIF glycoprofiling of the FFPE mouse tissues, the N-glycan pool of the lung specimen was subject to further investigation by exoglycosidase array based carbohydrate sequencing. Structural assignment of the oligosaccharides was accomplished by the help of the GUcal software and the associated database, based on the mobility shifts after treatments with the corresponding exoglycosidase reaction mixtures. Sixteen major N-linked carbohydrate structures were sequenced from the mouse lung FFPE tissue glycome and identified, as high mannose (3) neutral biantennary (3) sialylated monoantennary (1) and sialylated bianennary (9) oligosaccharides. Two of these latter ones also possessed alpha(1-3) linked galactose residues. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Detection of a putative novel adenovirus by PCR amplification, sequencing and phylogenetic characterisation of two gene fragments from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of a cat diagnosed with disseminated adenovirus disease.

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Lakatos, Béla; Hornyák, Ákos; Demeter, Zoltán; Forgách, Petra; Kennedy, Frances; Rusvai, Miklós

2017-12-01

Adenoviral nucleic acid was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples of a cat that had suffered from disseminated adenovirus infection. The identity of the amplified products from the hexon and DNA-dependent DNA polymerase genes was confirmed by DNA sequencing. The sequences were clearly distinguishable from corresponding hexon and polymerase sequences of other mastadenoviruses, including human adenoviruses. These results suggest the possible existence of a distinct feline adenovirus.

Paraffin dispersant application for cleaning subsea flow lines in the deep water Gulf of Mexico cottonwood development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jennings, David; White, Jake; Pogoson, Oje [Baker Hughes Inc., Houston, TX (United States); Barros, Dalmo; Ramachandran, Kartik; Bonin, George; Waltrich, Paulo; Shecaira, Farid [PETROBRAS America, Houston, TX (United States); Ziglio, Claudio [Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (CENPES/PETROBRAS), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento

2012-07-01

This paper discusses a paraffin dispersant (in seawater) application to clean paraffin deposition from a severely restricted 17.4-mile dual subsea flow line system in the Gulf of Mexico Cottonwood development. In principle, dispersant treatments are simple processes requiring effective dispersant packages and agitation to break-up and disperse deposition. Dispersants have been used onshore for treating wax deposition for decades. Implementation of a treatment in a long deep water production system, however, poses numerous challenges. The Cottonwood application was one of the first ever deep water dispersant applications. The application was designed in four separate phases: pre-treatment displacement for hydrate protection, dispersant treatment for paraffin deposition removal, pigging sequence for final flow line cleaning, and post-treatment displacement for hydrate protection. In addition, considerable job planning was performed to ensure the application was executed in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Two dynamically positioned marine vessels were used for pumping fluids and capturing returns. The application was extremely successful in restoring the deep water flow lines back to near pre-production state. Final pigging operations confirmed the flow lines were cleaned of all restrictions. Significant paraffin deposition was removed in the application. Approximately 900 bbls of paraffin sludge was recovered from the 4000 bbl internal volume flow line loop. Furthermore, the application was completed with zero discharge of fluids. The application provided significant value for the Cottonwood development. It allowed production from wells to be brought on-line at a higher capacity, thereby generating increased revenue. It also allowed resumption of routine pigging operations. As such, the Cottonwood dispersant application illustrates that with proper planning and execution, paraffin dispersant treatments can be highly effective solutions for cleaning

Preventing Paraffin-Related Injury

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Dehran Swart

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Paraffin (called kerosene in North America and other parts of the world is the most commonly used fuel in ‎non-electrified dwellings worldwide. It is especially popular in Africa and South Asia. Although paraffin ‎offers many advantages – especially its comparatively low cost to produce – it poses two major risks of ‎injury. First, paraffin poisoning is common, either through ingestion or through inhalation of smoke and ‎fumes. Second, paraffin is highly flammable, and poses fire risk through multiple causes. This commentary ‎discusses strategies to prevent paraffin-related injury. Prevention of paraffin-related injury must be through ‎multiple strategies, and should include policy-oriented change, changes to the safety of home environments, ‎and behavioral changes targeting how individuals store and use paraffin and paraffin appliances. We review ‎successful prevention strategies in each of these domains and discuss appropriate research and community ‎initiatives that should be implemented to improve paraffin safety among at-risk populations.‎

Understanding the distribution of natural wax in starch-wax films using synchrotron-based FTIR (S-FTIR).

Science.gov (United States)

Muscat, Delina; Tobin, Mark J; Guo, Qipeng; Adhikari, Benu

2014-02-15

High amylose starch-glycerol (HAG) films were produced incorporating beeswax, candelilla wax and carnauba wax in the presence and absence of Tween-80 in order to determine the distribution of wax in the films during the film formation process. The distribution of these waxes within the film was studied using Synchrotron based Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (S-FTIR) which provided 2D mapping along the thickness of the film. The incorporation of 5% and 10% wax in HAG films produced randomly distributed wax or wax-rich domains, respectively, within these films. Consequently, the addition of these waxes to HAG increased the surface roughness and hydrophobicity of these films. The addition of Tween-80 caused variations in wax-rich bands within the films. The HAG+carnauba wax+Tween-80 films exhibited domed wax-rich domains displayed with high integrated CH2 absorption value at the interior of the films, rougher surface and higher contact angle values than the other films. The S-FTIR 2D images indicated that the distribution of wax in starch-wax films correlated with the roughness and hydrophobicity of the starch-wax films. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterisation of wax works of art by gas chromatographic procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Regert, M; Langlois, J; Colinart, S

2005-10-14

To identify the various natural and synthetic substances used by sculptors at the end of the 19th century, several contemporary reference samples were investigated by high temperature gas chromatography (HT GC) and HT GC-MS. Using specific chromatographic conditions and minimising sample preparation, we could separate, detect and identify a wide range of biomolecular markers covering a great variety of molecular weights and volatilities, with a minimum amount of sample, in a single run. Beeswax, spermaceti, carnauba, candellila and Japan waxes as well as pine resin derivatives, animal fats, paraffin, ozokerite and stearin, used as additives in wax works of art, were chemically investigated. In the case of low volatile compounds, transbutylation was performed. The structure of long-chain esters of spermaceti was elucidated for the first time by HT GC-MS analysis. Such a method was then carried out on 10 samples collected on a statuette of Junon by Antoine-Louis Barye (Louvre Museum, Paris, France) and on a sculpture by Aimé-Jules Dalou (Musée de la Révolution Française, Vizille, France). The analytical results obtained provide new data on the complex recipes elaborated by sculptors at the end of the 19th century.

Physical properties of beeswax, sunflower wax, and candelilla wax mixtures and organogels

Science.gov (United States)

There is increased interest in natural waxes as alternatives to partially hydrogenated oils and saturated fats as oil structuring agents. Using relatively low concentrations (0.5-5%), natural waxes are able to form crystalline networks, or organogels, which bind liquid oil. Each natural wax is uniqu...

Implementation of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded cell line pellets as high-quality process controls in quality assessment programs for KRAS mutation analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dijkstra, Jeroen R; Opdam, Frank J M; Boonyaratanakornkit, Jerry

2013-01-01

. We assessed a novel synthetic control for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor samples in a blind study conducted within nine laboratories across Europe. We show that FFPE material can, at least in part, mimic clinical samples and we demonstrate this control to be a valuable tool....... For a testing laboratory to become accredited to perform such tests, it is essential that they perform reliability testing, but it has not previously been possible to perform this kind of testing on the complete workflow on a large scale without compromising reproducibility or the mimicry of the control sample...... receptor (EGFR)-targeted therapy with increased progression-free survival only if the tumor does not carry a mutation in KRAS. Many different analytical platforms, both those commercially available and those developed in house, have been used within pathology laboratories to assess KRAS mutational status...

Effect of emulsifier type and concentration, aqueous phase volume and wax ratio on physical, material and mechanical properties of water in oil lipsticks.

Science.gov (United States)

Beri, A; Norton, J E; Norton, I T

2013-12-01

Water-in-oil emulsions in lipsticks could have the potential to improve moisturizing properties and deliver hydrophilic molecules to the lips. The aims of this work were (i) to investigate the effect of emulsifier type (polymer vs. monomer, and saturated vs. unsaturated chain) and concentration on droplet size and (ii) to investigate the effect of wax ratio (carnauba wax, microcrystalline wax, paraffin wax and performalene) and aqueous phase volume on material properties (Young's modulus, point of fracture, elastic modulus and viscous modulus). Emulsion formation was achieved using a high shear mixer. Results showed that the saturated nature of the emulsifier had very little effect on droplet size, neither did the use of an emulsifier with a larger head group (droplet size ~18-25 μm). Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) resulted in emulsions with the smallest droplets (~3-5 μm), as expected from previous studies that show that it produces a thick elastic interface. The results also showed that both Young's modulus and point of fracture increase with increasing percentage of carnauba wax (following a power law dependency of 3), but decrease with increasing percentage of microcrystalline wax, suggesting that the carnauba wax is included in the overall wax network formed by the saturated components, whereas the microcrystalline wax forms irregular crystals that disrupt the overall wax crystal network. Young's modulus, elastic modulus and viscous modulus all decrease with increasing aqueous phase volume in the emulsions, although the slope of the decrease in elastic and viscous moduli is dependent on the addition of solid wax, as a result of strengthening the network. This work suggests the potential use for emulsions in lipstick applications, particularly when PGPR is used as an emulsifier, and with the addition of solid wax, as it increases network strength. © 2013 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

Paraffin-based immunohistochemistry in the evaluation of glomerular diseases in renal biopsies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rathore, M.U.; Khadim, M.T.; Atique, M.

2012-01-01

Objective: To determine sensitivity and specificity of paraffin-based immunohistochemistry in the evaluation of glomerular diseases in renal biopsies using immunofluorescence as gold standard. Study Design: Cross-sectional analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Histopathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, from August 2008 to August 2009. Methodology: Seventy renal biopsy specimens fulfilling the inclusion criteria for light microscopy and immuno-fluorescence during the study period were evaluated. Antibodies to immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, and IgM) and components of complement system (C3) were applied on 70 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded renal biopsy specimens previously classified by means of light microscopy and immunofluorescence (IF). Staining for these antibodies was recorded as positive and negative for immunohistochemistry (IHC) and IF in paired proportions presuming IF as gold standard test. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of individual antibody were calculated. Results: Of 70 patients, mean age was 33 +- 18 years ranging from 2 to 80 years. Forty five (64%) were males and 25 (36%) were females. The sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of individual antibodies to IgG, IgA, IgM and C3 were very low and generally in the range of 40 - 60%. Conclusion: The sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded renal biopsy specimens were very low and therefore, not suitable for evaluation of renal biopsies in current circumstances. (author)

HaloPlex Targeted Resequencing for Mutation Detection in Clinical Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tumor Samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Moens, Lotte N J; Falk-Sörqvist, Elin; Ljungström, Viktor; Mattsson, Johanna; Sundström, Magnus; La Fleur, Linnéa; Mathot, Lucy; Micke, Patrick; Nilsson, Mats; Botling, Johan

2015-11-01

In recent years, the advent of massively parallel next-generation sequencing technologies has enabled substantial advances in the study of human diseases. Combined with targeted DNA enrichment methods, high sequence coverage can be obtained for different genes simultaneously at a reduced cost per sample, creating unique opportunities for clinical cancer diagnostics. However, the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) process of tissue samples, routinely used in pathology departments, results in DNA fragmentation and nucleotide modifications that introduce a number of technical challenges for downstream biomolecular analyses. We evaluated the HaloPlex target enrichment system for somatic mutation detection in 80 tissue fractions derived from 20 clinical cancer cases with paired tumor and normal tissue available in both FFPE and fresh-frozen format. Several modifications to the standard method were introduced, including a reduced target fragment length and two strand capturing. We found that FFPE material can be used for HaloPlex-based target enrichment and next-generation sequencing, even when starting from small amounts of DNA. By specifically capturing both strands for each target fragment, we were able to reduce the number of false-positive errors caused by FFPE-induced artifacts and lower the detection limit for somatic mutations. We believe that the HaloPlex method presented here will be broadly applicable as a tool for somatic mutation detection in clinical cancer settings. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Unmasking of complements using proteinase-K in formalin fixed paraffin embedded renal biopsies

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R Nada

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Renal biopsy interpretation requires histopathology, direct immunofluorescence (DIF and electron microscopy. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE sent for light microscopy can be used for DIF after antigen retrieval. However, complement staining has not been satisfactory. We standardized DIF using proteinase-K for antigen retrieval in FFPE renal biopsies. A pilot study was conducted on known cases of membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN, membranoproliferative type-1 (MPGN-1, immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN, and anti-glomerular basement disease (anti-GBM. Immunofluorescence panel included fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC conjugated IgG, IgA, IgM, complements (C3 and C1q, light chains (kappa, lambda and fibrinogen antibodies. After standardization of the technique, 75 renal biopsies and 43 autopsies cases were stained. Out of 43 autopsy cases, immune-complex mediated glomerulonephritis (GN was confirmed in 18 cases (Lupus nephritis-11, IgAN-6, MGN-1, complement-mediated dense deposit disease (DDD-1 and monoclonal diseases in 4 cases (amyloidosis-3, cast nephropathy-1. Immune-mediated injury was excluded in 17 cases (focal segmental glomerulosclerosis -3, crescentic GN-6 [pauci-immune-3, anti-GBM-3], thrombotic microangiopathy-5, atherosclerosis-3. Renal biopsies (n-75 where inadequate or no frozen sample was available; this technique classified 52 mesangiocapillary pattern as MPGN type-1-46, DDD-2 and (C3GN-4. Others were diagnosed as IgAN-3, lupus nephritis-2, MGN-4, diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis (DPGN-1, Non-IC crescentic GN-1, monoclonal diseases-3. In nine cases, DIF on FFPE tissue could not help in making diagnosis. Proteinase-K enzymatic digestion of FFPE renal biopsies can unmask complements (both C3 and C1q in immune-complexes mediated and complement-mediated diseases. This method showed good results on autopsy tissues archived for as long as 15 years.

A Comparison of RNA-Seq Results from Paired Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded and Fresh-Frozen Glioblastoma Tissue Samples.

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Anna Esteve-Codina

Full Text Available The molecular classification of glioblastoma (GBM based on gene expression might better explain outcome and response to treatment than clinical factors. Whole transcriptome sequencing using next-generation sequencing platforms is rapidly becoming accepted as a tool for measuring gene expression for both research and clinical use. Fresh frozen (FF tissue specimens of GBM are difficult to obtain since tumor tissue obtained at surgery is often scarce and necrotic and diagnosis is prioritized over freezing. After diagnosis, leftover tissue is usually stored as formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE tissue. However, RNA from FFPE tissues is usually degraded, which could hamper gene expression analysis. We compared RNA-Seq data obtained from matched pairs of FF and FFPE GBM specimens. Only three FFPE out of eleven FFPE-FF matched samples yielded informative results. Several quality-control measurements showed that RNA from FFPE samples was highly degraded but maintained transcriptomic similarities to RNA from FF samples. Certain issues regarding mutation analysis and subtype prediction were detected. Nevertheless, our results suggest that RNA-Seq of FFPE GBM specimens provides reliable gene expression data that can be used in molecular studies of GBM if the RNA is sufficiently preserved.

Whole-genome gene expression profiling of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Craig April

2009-12-01

Full Text Available We have developed a gene expression assay (Whole-Genome DASL, capable of generating whole-genome gene expression profiles from degraded samples such as formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE specimens.We demonstrated a similar level of sensitivity in gene detection between matched fresh-frozen (FF and FFPE samples, with the number and overlap of probes detected in the FFPE samples being approximately 88% and 95% of that in the corresponding FF samples, respectively; 74% of the differentially expressed probes overlapped between the FF and FFPE pairs. The WG-DASL assay is also able to detect 1.3-1.5 and 1.5-2 -fold changes in intact and FFPE samples, respectively. The dynamic range for the assay is approximately 3 logs. Comparing the WG-DASL assay with an in vitro transcription-based labeling method yielded fold-change correlations of R(2 approximately 0.83, while fold-change comparisons with quantitative RT-PCR assays yielded R(2 approximately 0.86 and R(2 approximately 0.55 for intact and FFPE samples, respectively. Additionally, the WG-DASL assay yielded high self-correlations (R(2>0.98 with low intact RNA inputs ranging from 1 ng to 100 ng; reproducible expression profiles were also obtained with 250 pg total RNA (R(2 approximately 0.92, with approximately 71% of the probes detected in 100 ng total RNA also detected at the 250 pg level. When FFPE samples were assayed, 1 ng total RNA yielded self-correlations of R(2 approximately 0.80, while still maintaining a correlation of R(2 approximately 0.75 with standard FFPE inputs (200 ng.Taken together, these results show that WG-DASL assay provides a reliable platform for genome-wide expression profiling in archived materials. It also possesses utility within clinical settings where only limited quantities of samples may be available (e.g. microdissected material or when minimally invasive procedures are performed (e.g. biopsied specimens.

The Resin-Embedded Cornea Prepared Via Rapid Processing Protocol : A Good Histomorphometric Target for Clinical Investigation in Ophthalmology and Optometry

Science.gov (United States)

Cheah, Pike See; Mohidin, Norhani; Mohd Ali, Bariah; Maung, Myint; Latif, Azian Abdul

2008-01-01

This study illustrates and quantifies the changes on corneal tissue between the paraffin-embedded and resin-embedded blocks and thus, selects a better target in investigational ophthalmology and optometry via light microscopy. Corneas of two cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were used in this study. The formalin-fixed cornea was prepared in paraffin block via the conventional tissue processing protocol (4-day protocol) and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The glutaraldehyde-fixed cornea was prepared in resin block via the rapid and modified tissue processing procedure (1.2-day protocol) and stained with toluidine blue. The paraffin-embedded sample exhibits various undesired tissue damage and artifact such as thinner epithelium (due to the substantial volumic extraction from the tissue), thicker stroma layer (due to the separation of lamellae and the presence of voids) and the distorted endothelium. In contrast, the resin-embedded corneal tissue has demonstrated satisfactory corneal ultrastructural preservation. The rapid and modified tissue processing method for preparing the resin-embedded is particularly beneficial to accelerate the microscopic evaluation in ophthalmology and optometry. PMID:22570589

MicroRNA expression profiles of multiple system atrophy from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Wakabayashi, Koichi; Mori, Fumiaki; Kakita, Akiyoshi; Takahashi, Hitoshi; Tanaka, Shinya; Utsumi, Jun; Sasaki, Hidenao

2016-12-02

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression. Recently, we have shown that informative miRNA data can be derived from archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples from postmortem cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and normal controls. miRNA analysis has now been performed on FFPE samples from affected brain regions in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and the same areas in neurologically normal controls. We evaluated 50 samples from patients with MSA (n=13) and controls (n=13). Twenty-six samples were selected for miRNA analysis on the basis of the criteria reported previously: (i) a formalin fixation time of less than 4 weeks, (ii) a total RNA yield per sample of more than 500ng, and (iii) sufficient quality of the RNA electrophoresis pattern. These included 11 cases of MSA and 5 controls. Thus, the success rate for analysis of RNA from FFPE samples was 52% (26 of 50). For MSA, a total of 395 and 383 miRNAs were identified in the pons and cerebellum, respectively; 5 were up-regulated and 33 were down-regulated in the pons and 5 were up-regulated and 18 were down-regulated in the cerebellum. Several miRNAs down-regulated in the pons (miR-129-2-3p and miR-129-5p) and cerebellum (miR-129-2-3p, miR-129-5p and miR-132-3p) had already been identified in frozen cerebellum from MSA patients. These findings suggest that archived FFPE postmortem samples can be a valuable source for miRNA profiling in MSA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting response to primary chemotherapy: gene expression profiling of paraffin-embedded core biopsy tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Mina, Lida; Soule, Sharon E; Badve, Sunil; Baehner, Fredrick L; Baker, Joffre; Cronin, Maureen; Watson, Drew; Liu, Mei-Lan; Sledge, George W; Shak, Steve; Miller, Kathy D

2007-06-01

Primary chemotherapy provides an ideal opportunity to correlate gene expression with response to treatment. We used paraffin-embedded core biopsies from a completed phase II trial to identify genes that correlate with response to primary chemotherapy. Patients with newly diagnosed stage II or III breast cancer were treated with sequential doxorubicin 75 mg/M2 q2 wks x 3 and docetaxel 40 mg/M2 weekly x 6; treatment order was randomly assigned. Pretreatment core biopsy samples were interrogated for genes that might correlate with pathologic complete response (pCR). In addition to the individual genes, the correlation of the Oncotype DX Recurrence Score with pCR was examined. Of 70 patients enrolled in the parent trial, core biopsies samples with sufficient RNA for gene analyses were available from 45 patients; 9 (20%) had inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Six (14%) patients achieved a pCR. Twenty-two of the 274 candidate genes assessed correlated with pCR (p < 0.05). Genes correlating with pCR could be grouped into three large clusters: angiogenesis-related genes, proliferation related genes, and invasion-related genes. Expression of estrogen receptor (ER)-related genes and Recurrence Score did not correlate with pCR. In an exploratory analysis we compared gene expression in IBC to non-inflammatory breast cancer; twenty-four (9%) of the genes were differentially expressed (p < 0.05), 5 were upregulated and 19 were downregulated in IBC. Gene expression analysis on core biopsy samples is feasible and identifies candidate genes that correlate with pCR to primary chemotherapy. Gene expression in IBC differs significantly from noninflammatory breast cancer.

Synthesis, characterization and thermal properties of paraffin microcapsules modified with nano-Al2O3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Xiang; Luo, Ruilian; Peng, Feifei; Fang, Yutang; Akiyama, Tomohiro; Wang, Shuangfeng

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Novel MEPCM modified with nano-Al 2 O 3 was prepared via emulsion polymerization. • The paraffin microcapsules presented a well-defined microstructure. • The composite achieved high encapsulation efficiency. • The thermal conductivity of MEPCM was enhanced due to the nano-Al 2 O 3 particles. - Abstract: A sort of new microencapsulated phase change materials (MEPCM) based on paraffin wax core and poly(methyl methacrylate-co-methyl acrylate) shell with nano alumina (nano-Al 2 O 3 ) inlay was synthesized through emulsion polymerization. Various techniques were used to characterize the as-prepared products so as to investigate the effect of nano-Al 2 O 3 on morphology and thermal performance, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and thermal conductivity measurement. The results showed that the products achieved the best performance with 16% (monomer mass) nano-Al 2 O 3 added under the optimal preparation conditions. The DSC results indicated that the phase change temperature of the composite exhibited appropriate phase change temperature and achieved high encapsulation efficiency. The thermal conductivity of the paraffin microcapsules is also significantly improved owing to the presence of high thermal conductive nano-Al 2 O 3 . This synthetic technique can be a perspective way to prepare the MEPCM with enhanced thermal transfer and phase change properties for potential applications to energy-saving building materials

Fabrication and performances of microencapsulated paraffin composites with polymethylmethacrylate shell based on ultraviolet irradiation-initiated

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yi; Shi Huan; Xia Tiandong; Zhang Ting; Feng Huixia

2012-01-01

In order to identify the validity of fabricating microencapsulated phase change material by ultraviolet irradiation-initiated method, the paraffin wax/polymethyl methacrylate microcapsules were prepared. The structural characteristics and thermal properties of the microcapsules were also determined by various techniques. The results of differential scanning calorimetry analyses indicate that the melting and freezing temperatures and latent heats of the microcapsules are 55.8 °C, 50.1 °C and 106.9 J g −1 , 112.3 J g −1 , respectively. Morphology and chemical characteristic analysis indicate that the spherical microcapsules were formed with average diameter of 0.21 μm and maximum microencapsulation ratio of 66 wt.% without leakage of core materials. The results of accelerated thermal cyclic test show that the microcapsules have good thermal reliability and chemical stability although they were subjected 3000 melting/freezing cycles. Based on all these results, it can be concluded that the microencapsulated paraffin composites have good potential for thermal energy storage purposes and ultraviolet irradiation-initiated method is a prominent candidate for preparing microencapsulated PCMs. - Highlights: ► Microencapsulated paraffin with PMMA shell was synthesized via self-assembly. ► Microcapsules with excellent properties can be prepared by UV initiated method. ► The microencapsulation ratio is as high as 66 wt.%. ► Thermal properties are as high as comparable with microcapsules in the literature.

21 CFR 184.1978 - Carnauba wax.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Carnauba wax. 184.1978 Section 184.1978 Food and... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1978 Carnauba wax. (a) Carnauba wax (CAS Reg. No. 008-015-869) is obtained from the leaves and buds of the Brazilian wax palm Copernicia cerifera Martius. The wax is hard...

A rapid technique for analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues by fluorescent in situ hybridization with alpha-satellite probes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nilce Barril

1998-12-01

Full Text Available We describe a rapid procedure for preparing archival tissues for interphase FISH analysis. The present protocol differs from others previously described because it allows the obtention of nuclei in satisfactory number and quality without using special equipments, adhesive-treated slides or solutions for chromatin decondensation. The method is of low cost and useful for retrospective analyses of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples.Descrevemos aqui um procedimento rápido para obtenção de núcleos interfásicos a partir de amostras arquivadas que podem ser utilizados para análise citogenética através da técnica de FISH. Este procedimento difere de outros previamente descritos porque permite a obtenção de núcleos em número e qualidade satisfatórios sem a utilização de equipamentos ou lâminas especiais e soluções para descondensação da cromatina. O método é de baixo custo e possibilita estudos retrospectivos de tecidos fixados em formol e emblocados em parafina.

Preventing Paraffin-Related Injury

OpenAIRE

C. Schwebel, David; Swart, Dehran

2009-01-01

Paraffin (called kerosene in North America and other parts of the world) is the most commonly used fuel in ‎non-electrified dwellings worldwide. It is especially popular in Africa and South Asia. Although paraffin ‎offers many advantages – especially its comparatively low cost to produce – it poses two major risks of ‎injury. First, paraffin poisoning is common, either through ingestion or through inhalation of smoke and ‎fumes. Second, paraffin is highly flammable, and poses fire risk t...

Detection of apoptotic cells in tumour paraffin sections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pizem, J.; Coer, A.

2003-01-01

Apoptosis is a distinct form of cell death characterised by specific morphological features and regulated by complex molecular mechanisms. Its deregulation is fundamental for tumour growth and progression and, moreover, anticancer therapies suppress tumour growth mainly by induction of apoptosis. Since the extent of apoptosis in a tumour may have prognostic as well as therapeutic implications, much effort has been invested in developing specific methods that can be routinely used to detect apoptotic cells in archival formalin- fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. Complex molecular pathways are involved in the regulation of apoptosis. Pro-apoptotic signals trigger activation of caspases that specifically cleave target proteins. Cleavage of proteins (caspase substrates) is responsible for morphological changes of apoptotic cells and DNA fragmentation. In the last decade, detection of apoptotic cells in formalin-fixed tumour tissue sections has been based mainly on morphology and characteristic DNA fragmentation. Recently, specific antibodies to activated caspases and cleaved target proteins (including cytokeratin 18, actin and PARP) have been produced that enable accurate detection of apoptosis in paraffin sections. (author)

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex in Paraffin-Embedded Tissues by the New Automated Abbott RealTime MTB Assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Yung-Chieh; Liao, I-Chuang; Chen, Hung-Mo; Yan, Jing-Jou

2016-07-01

The Abbott RealTime MTB assay, launched in June 2014, has been shown to have a competitive performance in the detection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) complex in respiratory specimens. The present study was conducted to investigate the usefulness of the Abbott MTB Realtime assay in the detection of MTB in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. A total of 96 FFPE specimens obtained from microbiologically proven MTB cases (N=60) and nontuberculous Mycobacterium cases (N=36) were analyzed. The performance of the Abbott MTB Realtime assay was compared with that of the Roche Cobas TaqMan MTB assay. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the Abbott assay were 63.3% and 97.2%, respectively, compared with 11.7% and 100% for the Cobas assay. The detection rate of the Abbott assay was much higher among 37 acid-fast-positive specimens than among 23 acid-fast-negative specimens (89.3% versus 21.7%, respectively). The detection rate of the assay was higher among 29 resection specimens than among 31 small biopsy specimens (86.2% versus 41.9%, respectively). Our results suggest that the Abbott RealTime MTB assay can be used to differentiate MTB from nontuberculous mycobacterial infections in acid-fast-positive FFPE tissues. © 2016 by the Association of Clinical Scientists, Inc.

Molecular genotyping of Echinococcus granulosus using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded preparations from human isolates in unusual tissue sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Hizem, A; M'rad, S; Oudni-M'rad, M; Mestiri, S; Hammedi, F; Mezhoud, H; Zakhama, A; Mokni, M; Babba, H

2016-07-01

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by Echinococcus granulosus remains a serious problem worldwide for issues relating to public health and the economy. The most predominantly affected sites are the liver and the lungs, but other organs such as the heart, the spleen and the peritoneum can also be infected. Access to cysts from uncommon sites has limited genomic and molecular investigations. In the present study, genotypes of E. granulosus sensu lato were identified from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues (FF-PETs) implicated in human CE. Tissue samples were obtained from 57 patients with histologically confirmed CE. DNA samples were analysed using Egss 1 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specific to the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene of E. granulosus sensu stricto. All cysts were typed as E. granulosus sensu stricto with up to 35% of the liver and 16.6% of lungs being the most frequently infected, and up to 48.4% of samples being from rare sites. No correlation was found between cyst site and either the gender or the age of patients. This study demonstrates the possibility of exploiting atypical cysts using FF-PET samples and highlights the predominance of E. granulosus sensu stricto species in the Tunisian population, even in unusual infection sites.

Scores for standardization of on-tissue digestion of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue in MALDI-MS imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Erich, Katrin; Sammour, Denis A; Marx, Alexander; Hopf, Carsten

2017-07-01

On-slide digestion of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded human biopsy tissue followed by mass spectrometry imaging of resulting peptides may have the potential to become an additional analytical modality in future ePathology. Multiple workflows have been described for dewaxing, antigen retrieval, digestion and imaging in the past decade. However, little is known about suitable statistical scores for method comparison and systematic workflow standardization required for development of processes that would be robust enough to be compatible with clinical routine. To define scores for homogeneity of tissue processing and imaging as well as inter-day repeatability for five different processing methods, we used human liver and gastrointestinal stromal tumor tissue, both judged by an expert pathologist to be >98% histologically homogeneous. For mean spectra-based as well as pixel-wise data analysis, we propose the coefficient of determination R 2 , the natural fold-change (natFC) value and the digest efficiency DE% as readily accessible scores. Moreover, we introduce two scores derived from principal component analysis, the variance of the mean absolute deviation, MAD, and the interclass overlap, J overlap , as computational scores that may help to avoid user bias during future workflow development. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: MALDI Imaging, edited by Dr. Corinna Henkel and Prof. Peter Hoffmann. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Corals like it waxed: paraffin-based antifouling technology enhances coral spat survival.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Tebben

Full Text Available The early post-settlement stage is the most sensitive during the life history of reef building corals. However, few studies have examined the factors that influence coral mortality during this period. Here, the impact of fouling on the survival of newly settled coral spat of Acropora millepora was investigated by manipulating the extent of fouling cover on settlement tiles using non-toxic, wax antifouling coatings. Survival of spat on coated tiles was double that on control tiles. Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between percentage cover of fouling and spat survival across all tiles types, suggesting that fouling in direct proximity to settled corals has detrimental effects on early post-settlement survival. While previous studies have shown that increased fouling negatively affects coral larval settlement and health of juvenile and adult corals, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show a direct relationship between fouling and early post-settlement survival for a broadcast spawning scleractinian coral. The negative effects of fouling on this sensitive life history stage may become more pronounced in the future as coastal eutrophication increases. Our results further suggest that targeted seeding of coral spat on artificial surfaces in combination with fouling control could prove useful to improve the efficiency of sexual reproduction-based coral propagation for reef rehabilitation.

21 CFR 178.3710 - Petroleum wax.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Petroleum wax. 178.3710 Section 178.3710 Food and... and Production Aids § 178.3710 Petroleum wax. Petroleum wax may be safely used as a component of nonfood articles in contact with food, in accordance with the following conditions: (a) Petroleum wax is a...

Improved clonality detection in B-cell lymphoma using a semi-nested modification of the BIOMED-2 PCR assay for IGH rearrangement: A paraffin-embedded tissue study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakamoto, Yuma; Masaki, Ayako; Aoyama, Satsuki; Han, Shusen; Saida, Kosuke; Fujii, Kana; Takino, Hisashi; Murase, Takayuki; Iida, Shinsuke; Inagaki, Hiroshi

2017-09-01

The BIOMED-2 PCR protocol for targeting the IGH gene is widely employed for detecting clonality in B-cell malignancies. Unfortunately, the detection of clonality with this method is not very sensitive when paraffin sections are used as a DNA source. To increase the sensitivity, we devised a semi-nested modification of a JH consensus primer. The clonality detection rates of three assays were compared: the standard BIOMED-2, BIOMED-2 assay followed by BIOMED-2 re-amplification, and BIOMED-2 assay followed by semi-nested BIOMED-2. We tested more than 100 cases using paraffin-embedded tissues of various B-cell lymphomas, and found that the clonality detection rates with the above three assays were 63.9%, 79.6%, and 88.0%, respectively. While BIOMED-2 re-amplification was significantly more sensitive than the standard BIOMED-2, the semi-nested BIOMED-2 was significantly more sensitive than both the standard BIOMED-2 and BIOMED-2 re-amplification. An increase in sensitivity was observed in all lymphoma subtypes examined. In conclusion, tumor clonality may be detected in nearly 90% of B-cell lymphoma cases with semi-nested BIOMED-2. This ancillary assay may be useful when the standard BIOMED-2 fails to detect clonality in histopathologically suspected B-cell lymphomas. © 2017 Japanese Society of Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Fabrication and performances of microencapsulated paraffin composites with polymethylmethacrylate shell based on ultraviolet irradiation-initiated

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Yi, E-mail: wangyi@lut.cn [State Key Laboratory of Gansu Advanced Non-ferrous Metal Materials, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China); College of Petrochemical Technology, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China); Shi Huan [College of Petrochemical Technology, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China); Xia Tiandong [State Key Laboratory of Gansu Advanced Non-ferrous Metal Materials, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China); Zhang Ting; Feng Huixia [College of Petrochemical Technology, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050 (China)

2012-07-16

In order to identify the validity of fabricating microencapsulated phase change material by ultraviolet irradiation-initiated method, the paraffin wax/polymethyl methacrylate microcapsules were prepared. The structural characteristics and thermal properties of the microcapsules were also determined by various techniques. The results of differential scanning calorimetry analyses indicate that the melting and freezing temperatures and latent heats of the microcapsules are 55.8 Degree-Sign C, 50.1 Degree-Sign C and 106.9 J g{sup -1}, 112.3 J g{sup -1}, respectively. Morphology and chemical characteristic analysis indicate that the spherical microcapsules were formed with average diameter of 0.21 {mu}m and maximum microencapsulation ratio of 66 wt.% without leakage of core materials. The results of accelerated thermal cyclic test show that the microcapsules have good thermal reliability and chemical stability although they were subjected 3000 melting/freezing cycles. Based on all these results, it can be concluded that the microencapsulated paraffin composites have good potential for thermal energy storage purposes and ultraviolet irradiation-initiated method is a prominent candidate for preparing microencapsulated PCMs. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Microencapsulated paraffin with PMMA shell was synthesized via self-assembly. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Microcapsules with excellent properties can be prepared by UV initiated method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The microencapsulation ratio is as high as 66 wt.%. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thermal properties are as high as comparable with microcapsules in the literature.

The influence of DNA degradation in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue on locus-specific methylation assessment by MS-HRM.

Science.gov (United States)

Daugaard, Iben; Kjeldsen, Tina E; Hager, Henrik; Hansen, Lise Lotte; Wojdacz, Tomasz K

2015-12-01

Readily accessible formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues are a highly valuable source of genetic material for molecular analyses in both research and in vitro diagnostics but frequently genetic material in those samples is highly degraded. With locus-specific methylation changes being widely investigated for use as biomarkers in various aspects of clinical disease management, we aimed to evaluate to what extent standard laboratory procedures can approximate the quality of the DNA extracted from FFPE samples prior to methylation analyses. DNA quality in 107 FFPE non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples was evaluated using spectrophotometry and gel electrophoresis. Subsequently, the quality assessment results were correlated with the results of locus specific methylation assessment with methylation sensitive high resolution melting (MS-HRM). The correlation of template quality with PCR amplification performance and HRM based methylation detection indicated a significant influence of DNA quality on PCR amplification but not on methylation assessment. In conclusion, standard laboratory procedures fairly well approximate DNA degradation of FFPE samples and DNA degradation does not seem to considerably affect locus-specific methylation assessment by MS-HRM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thermal conductivity and latent heat thermal energy storage properties of LDPE/wax as a shape-stabilized composite phase change material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trigui, Abdelwaheb; Karkri, Mustapha; Krupa, Igor

2014-01-01

Highlights: • This study deals with the comparison of experimental results for different PCM composite to be used in passive solar walls. • This paper reports on the successful use of a specific experimental method in order to characterize the phase change effects. • The results have shown that most important thermal properties of these composites at the solid and liquid states. • Results indicate the thermal effectiveness of phase change material and significant amount of energy saving can be achieved. • Heat flux measurements are a very interesting experimental source of data which comes to complete the calorimetric device (DSC). - Abstract: Phase change material (PCM) composites based on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with paraffin waxes were investigated in this study. The composites were prepared using a meltmixing method with a Brabender-Plastograph. The LDPE as the supporting matrix kept the molten waxes in compact shape during its phase transition from solid to liquid. Immiscibility of the PCMs (waxes) and the supporting matrix (LDPE) is a necessary property for effective energy storage. Therefore, this type paraffin can be used in a latent heat storage system without encapsulation. The objective of this research is to use PCM composite as integrated components in a passive solar wall. The proposed composite TROMBE wall allows daily storage of the solar energy in a building envelope and restitution in the evening, with a possible control of the air flux in a ventilated air layer. An experimental set-up was built to determine the thermal response of these composites to thermal solicitations. In addition, a DSC analysis was carried out. The results have shown that most important thermal properties of these composites at the solid and liquid states, like the “apparent” thermal conductivity, the heat storage capacity and the latent heat of fusion. Results indicate the performance of the proposed system is affected by the thermal effectiveness of

MicroRNA expression in melanocytic nevi: the usefulness of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded material for miRNA microarray profiling.

Science.gov (United States)

Glud, Martin; Klausen, Mikkel; Gniadecki, Robert; Rossing, Maria; Hastrup, Nina; Nielsen, Finn C; Drzewiecki, Krzysztof T

2009-05-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules that regulate cellular differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. MiRNAs are expressed in a developmentally regulated and tissue-specific manner. Aberrant expression may contribute to pathological processes such as cancer, and miRNA may therefore serve as biomarkers that may be useful in a clinical environment for diagnosis of various diseases. Most miRNA profiling studies have used fresh tissue samples. However, in some types of cancer, including malignant melanoma, fresh material is difficult to obtain from primary tumors, and most surgical specimens are formalin fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE). To explore whether FFPE material would be suitable for miRNA profiling in melanocytic lesions, we compared miRNA expression patterns in FFPE versus fresh frozen samples, obtained from 15 human melanocytic nevi. Out of microarray data, we identified 84 miRNAs that were expressed in both types of samples and represented an miRNA profile of melanocytic nevi. Our results showed a high correlation in miRNA expression (Spearman r-value of 0.80) between paired FFPE and fresh frozen material. The data were further validated by quantitative RT-PCR. In conclusion, FFPE specimens of melanocytic lesions are suitable as a source for miRNA microarray profiling.

Label-free protein profiling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) heart tissue reveals immediate mitochondrial impairment after ionising radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Azimzadeh, Omid; Scherthan, Harry; Yentrapalli, Ramesh; Barjaktarovic, Zarko; Ueffing, Marius; Conrad, Marcus; Neff, Frauke; Calzada-Wack, Julia; Aubele, Michaela; Buske, Christian; Atkinson, Michael J; Hauck, Stefanie M; Tapio, Soile

2012-04-18

Qualitative proteome profiling of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is advancing the field of clinical proteomics. However, quantitative proteome analysis of FFPE tissue is hampered by the lack of an efficient labelling method. The usage of conventional protein labelling on FFPE tissue has turned out to be inefficient. Classical labelling targets lysine residues that are blocked by the formalin treatment. The aim of this study was to establish a quantitative proteomics analysis of FFPE tissue by combining the label-free approach with optimised protein extraction and separation conditions. As a model system we used FFPE heart tissue of control and exposed C57BL/6 mice after total body irradiation using a gamma ray dose of 3 gray. We identified 32 deregulated proteins (p≤0.05) in irradiated hearts 24h after the exposure. The proteomics data were further evaluated and validated by bioinformatics and immunoblotting investigation. In good agreement with our previous results using fresh-frozen tissue, the analysis indicated radiation-induced alterations in three main biological pathways: respiratory chain, lipid metabolism and pyruvate metabolism. The label-free approach enables the quantitative measurement of radiation-induced alterations in FFPE tissue and facilitates retrospective biomarker identification using clinical archives. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrated and convenient procedure for protein extraction from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues for LC-MS/MS analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Xianyin; Schneider, Bryan P

2014-11-01

Because fresh-frozen tissue samples associated with long-term clinical data and of rare diseases are often unobtainable at the present time, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples are considered a highly valuable resource for researchers. However, protein extraction from FFPE tissues faces challenges of deparaffinization and cross-link reversion. Current procedures for protein extraction from FFPE tissue require separate steps and toxic solvents, resulting in inconvenience in protein extraction. To overcome these limitations, an integrated method was developed using nontoxic solvents in four types of FFPE tissues. The average amount of proteins from three replicates of bladder, kidney, liver, and lung FFPE tissues were 442.6, 728.9, 736.4, and 694.7 μg with CVs of 7.5, 5.8, 2.4, and 4.5%, respectively. Proteomic analysis showed that 348, 417, 607, and 304 unique proteins were identified and quantified without specification of isoform by a least two peptides from bladder, kidney, liver, and lung FFPE tissue samples, respectively. The analysis of individual protein CV demonstrated that 97-99% of the proteins were quantified with a CV ≤ 30%, verifying the reproducibility of the integrated protein extraction method. In summary, the developed method is high-yield, reproducible, convenient, simple, low cost, nonvolatile, nonflammable, and nontoxic. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A new classification method for MALDI imaging mass spectrometry data acquired on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Boskamp, Tobias; Lachmund, Delf; Oetjen, Janina; Cordero Hernandez, Yovany; Trede, Dennis; Maass, Peter; Casadonte, Rita; Kriegsmann, Jörg; Warth, Arne; Dienemann, Hendrik; Weichert, Wilko; Kriegsmann, Mark

2017-07-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS) shows a high potential for applications in histopathological diagnosis, and in particular for supporting tumor typing and subtyping. The development of such applications requires the extraction of spectral fingerprints that are relevant for the given tissue and the identification of biomarkers associated with these spectral patterns. We propose a novel data analysis method based on the extraction of characteristic spectral patterns (CSPs) that allow automated generation of classification models for spectral data. Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue samples from N=445 patients assembled on 12 tissue microarrays were analyzed. The method was applied to discriminate primary lung and pancreatic cancer, as well as adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. A classification accuracy of 100% and 82.8%, resp., could be achieved on core level, assessed by cross-validation. The method outperformed the more conventional classification method based on the extraction of individual m/z values in the first application, while achieving a comparable accuracy in the second. LC-MS/MS peptide identification demonstrated that the spectral features present in selected CSPs correspond to peptides relevant for the respective classification. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: MALDI Imaging, edited by Dr. Corinna Henkel and Prof. Peter Hoffmann. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermal energy recovery of air conditioning system--heat recovery system calculation and phase change materials development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Zhaolin; Liu Hongjuan; Li Yun

2004-01-01

Latent heat thermal energy storage systems can be used to recover the rejected heat from air conditioning systems, which can be used to generate low-temperature hot water. It decreases not only the consumption of primary energy for heating domestic hot water but also the calefaction to the surroundings due to the rejection of heat from air conditioning systems. A recovery system using phase change materials (PCMs) to store the rejected (sensible and condensation) heat from air conditioning system has been developed and studied, making up the shortage of other sensible heat storage system. Also, PCMs compliant for heat recovery of air conditioning system should be developed. Technical grade paraffin wax has been discussed in this paper in order to develop a paraffin wax based PCM for the recovery of rejected heat from air conditioning systems. The thermal properties of technical grade paraffin wax and the mixtures of paraffin wax with lauric acid and with liquid paraffin (paraffin oil) are investigated and discussed, including volume expansion during the phase change process, the freezing point and the heat of fusion

Effects of air pollutants on epicuticular wax structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huttunen, S.

1994-01-01

In xerophytes, like conifers, the epicuticular wax is well developed. Especially in and around stomatal entrances, a thick wax coating is present. Epicuticular waxes are modified by changes in plant growth conditions such as temperature, relative humidity, irradiance, and wind, or acid rain. The fine structure of epicuticular waxes, their chemistry, and ecophysiological function are modified, especially in evergreen, long-lived conifer needles with characteristic crystalline wax structures. During needle flushing and development, wax structure is easily modified. Acid rain-treated Scots pine needles had 50% less epicuticular waxes in early August. Pollution-induced delayed development, destruction, and disturbances have been identified in many plant species. The structural changes in wax crystals are known. Acid rain or polluted air can destroy the crystalloid epicuticular waxes in a few weeks. In Pinus sylvestris, the first sign of pollution effect is the fusion of wax tubes. In Picea abies and P. sitchensis, modifications of crystalloid wax structure are known. In Californian pine trees phenomena of recrystallization of wax tubes on second-year needles were observed after delayed epicuticular wax development in Pinus ponderosa and P. coulteri. Thus, the effects of air pollutants are modified by climate. Accelerated senescence of leaves and needles have been associated with natural and anthropogenic stresses. The accelerated erosion rate of epicuticular waxes has been measured under air pollution conditions. Many short-term air pollution experiments have failed to show any structural changes in epicuticular wax structures. The quantity and quality of needle waxes grown in open-top chambers, glass houses, or polluted air before treatment, differ from field conditions and make it difficult to detect effects of any treatment. (orig.)

Using Paraffin with -10 deg C to 10 deg C Melting Point for Payload Thermal Energy Storage in SpaceX Dragon Trunk

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Michael K.

2013-01-01

A concept of using paraffin wax phase change material (PCM) with a melting point between -10 deg C and 10 deg C for payload thermal energy storage in a Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) Dragon trunk is presented. It overcomes the problem of limited heater power available to a payload with significant radiators when the Dragon is berthed to the International Space Station (ISS). It stores adequate thermal energy to keep a payload warm without power for 6 hours during the transfer from the Dragon to an ExPRESS logistics carrier (ELC) on the ISS.

Utility of the Roche Cobas 4800 for detection of high-risk human papillomavirus in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Pettus, Jason R; Wilson, Terri L; Steinmetz, Heather B; Lefferts, Joel A; Tafe, Laura J

2017-02-01

Clinical laboratories are expected to reliably identify human papilloma virus (HPV) associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) for prognostic and potential therapeutic applications. In addition to surrogate p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing, DNA-based HPV-specific testing strategies are widely utilized. Recognizing the efficiency of the Roche Cobas 4800 platform for testing gynecological cytology specimens for high-risk HPV, we elected to evaluate the potential utility of this platform for testing formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) OPSCC tissue. Using the Roche Linear Array assay for comparison, we tested twenty-eight samples (16 primary OPSCC, 2 lymph node metastases from primary OPSCC, 1 oral tongue carcinoma, 3 benign squamous papillomas, and 3 non-oropharyngeal carcinoma tissues). Excluding two invalid results, the Roche Cobas 4800 testing resulted in excellent inter-assay concordance (25/26, 96.2%) and 100% concordance for HPV-16/HPV-18 positive samples. This data suggests that the Roche Cobas 4800 platform may be a cost-effective method for testing OPSCC FFPE tissues in a clinical molecular pathology laboratory setting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Refining of wax-containing oil by distillation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1930-04-28

A continuous method is disclosed for producing low cold test oil from wax-containing mineral oil, which comprises continuously heating the oil in a tubular heater with avoidance of cracking, and fractionating the resulting liquid and vapor in a fractionating tower with reflux to produce a wax-containing fraction having therein substantially all of the amorphous wax and being sufficiently free of crystalline wax so as to be waxable by a method suitable for the removal of amorphous wax.

21 CFR 872.6890 - Intraoral dental wax.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Intraoral dental wax. 872.6890 Section 872.6890...) MEDICAL DEVICES DENTAL DEVICES Miscellaneous Devices § 872.6890 Intraoral dental wax. (a) Identification. Intraoral dental wax is a device made of wax intended to construct patterns from which custom made metal...

21 CFR 172.888 - Synthetic petroleum wax.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Synthetic petroleum wax. 172.888 Section 172.888... CONSUMPTION Multipurpose Additives § 172.888 Synthetic petroleum wax. Synthetic petroleum wax may be safely used in or on foods in accordance with the following conditions: (a) Synthetic petroleum wax is a...

Using Nanoparticles for Enhance Thermal Conductivity of Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baydaa Jaber Nabhan

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Phase change materials (PCMs such as paraffin wax can be used to store or release large amount of energy at certain temperature at which their solid-liquid phase changes occurs. Paraffin wax that used in latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES has low thermal conductivity. In this study, the thermal conductivity of paraffin wax has been enhanced by adding different mass concentration (1wt.%, 3wt.%, 5wt.% of (TiO2 nano-particles with about (10nm diameter. It is found that the phase change temperature varies with adding (TiO2 nanoparticles in to the paraffin wax. The thermal conductivity of the composites is found to decrease with increasing temperature. The increase in thermal conductivity has been found to increase by about (10% at nanoparticles loading (5wt.% and 15oC.

[Use of archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples for molecular genetic analysis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)].

Science.gov (United States)

Jarošová, Marie; Kučerová, Jana; Flodr, Patrik; Mikešová, Michaela; Procházka, Vít; Papajík, Tomáš

2014-04-01

The currently valid molecular genetic subclassification of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) into three prognostic subgroups based on expression profiling has been the objective of numerous genetic studies. In routine clinical practice, however, expression profiling technology remains unavailable for the most of centers. Apart from the technology, in some cases molecular genetic laboratories have problems obtaining high-quality material, i.e. fresh tissues, for RNA isolation to determine gene expression. One possibility is to determine the gene expression from RNA obtained by isolation from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue. This pilot study aimed at isolating RNA from FFPE in patients diagnosed with DLBCL and verifying the potential use of such RNA for the expression analysis of 7 selected genes. Although the study showed that it is possible to isolate RNA and determine the expression of the selected genes from archival material, the values of relative expression of some genes in the set were too variable to be used for unambiguous prognostic classification. It was confirmed that retrospective analyses of selected genes may be performed with sufficient material obtained, and that properly archived blocks may be used for molecular biology analyses even after 8 years.

Bisulfite-Based DNA Methylation Analysis from Recent and Archived Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin Embedded Colorectal Tissue Samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalmár, Alexandra; Péterfia, Bálint; Hollósi, Péter; Wichmann, Barnabás; Bodor, András; Patai, Árpád V; Schöller, Andrea; Krenács, Tibor; Tulassay, Zsolt; Molnár, Béla

2015-09-01

We aimed to test the applicability of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples for gene specific DNA methylation analysis after using two commercially available DNA isolation kits. Genomic DNA was isolated from 5 colorectal adenocarcinomas and 5 normal adjacent tissues from "recent", collected within 6 months, and "archived", collected more than 5 years ago, FFPE tissues using either High Pure FFPET DNA Isolation kit or QIAamp DNA FFPE Tissue kit. DNA methylation analysis of MAL, SFRP1 and SFRP2 genes, known to be hypermethylated in CRC, was performed using methylation-sensitive high resolution melting (MS-HRM) analysis and sequencing. QIAamp (Q) method resulted in slightly higher recovery in archived (HP: 1.22 ± 3.18 μg DNA; Q: 3.00 ± 4.04 μg DNA) and significantly (p < 0.05) higher recovery in recent samples compared to High Pure method (HP) (HP: 4.10 ± 2.91 μg DNA; Q: 11.51 ± 7.50 μg DNA). Both OD260/280 and OD260/230 ratios were lower, but still high in the High Pure isolated archived and recent samples compared to those isolated with QIAamp. Identical DNA methylation patterns were detected for all 3 genes tested by MS-HRM with both isolation kits in the recent group. However, despite of higher DNA recovery in QIAamp slightly more reproducible methylation results were obtained from High Pure isolated archived samples. Sequencing confirmed DNA hypermethylation in CRCs. In conclusion, reproducible DNA methylation patterns were obtained from recent samples using both isolation kits. However, long term storage may affect the reliability of the results leading to moderate differences between the efficiency of isolation kits.

21 CFR 582.1978 - Carnauba wax.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Carnauba wax. 582.1978 Section 582.1978 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS....1978 Carnauba wax. (a) Product. Carnauba wax. (b) Conditions of use. This substance is generally...

Nitrous Oxide/Paraffin Hybrid Rocket Engines

Science.gov (United States)

Zubrin, Robert; Snyder, Gary

2010-01-01

Nitrous oxide/paraffin (N2OP) hybrid rocket engines have been invented as alternatives to other rocket engines especially those that burn granular, rubbery solid fuels consisting largely of hydroxyl- terminated polybutadiene (HTPB). Originally intended for use in launching spacecraft, these engines would also be suitable for terrestrial use in rocket-assisted takeoff of small airplanes. The main novel features of these engines are (1) the use of reinforced paraffin as the fuel and (2) the use of nitrous oxide as the oxidizer. Hybrid (solid-fuel/fluid-oxidizer) rocket engines offer advantages of safety and simplicity over fluid-bipropellant (fluid-fuel/fluid-oxidizer) rocket en - gines, but the thrusts of HTPB-based hybrid rocket engines are limited by the low regression rates of the fuel grains. Paraffin used as a solid fuel has a regression rate about 4 times that of HTPB, but pure paraffin fuel grains soften when heated; hence, paraffin fuel grains can, potentially, slump during firing. In a hybrid engine of the present type, the paraffin is molded into a 3-volume-percent graphite sponge or similar carbon matrix, which supports the paraffin against slumping during firing. In addition, because the carbon matrix material burns along with the paraffin, engine performance is not appreciably degraded by use of the matrix.

MALDI imaging mass spectrometry profiling of N-glycans in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded clinical tissue blocks and tissue microarrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Powers, Thomas W; Neely, Benjamin A; Shao, Yuan; Tang, Huiyuan; Troyer, Dean A; Mehta, Anand S; Haab, Brian B; Drake, Richard R

2014-01-01

A recently developed matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS) method to spatially profile the location and distribution of multiple N-linked glycan species in frozen tissues has been extended and improved for the direct analysis of glycans in clinically derived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. Formalin-fixed tissues from normal mouse kidney, human pancreatic and prostate cancers, and a human hepatocellular carcinoma tissue microarray were processed by antigen retrieval followed by on-tissue digestion with peptide N-glycosidase F. The released N-glycans were detected by MALDI-IMS analysis, and the structural composition of a subset of glycans could be verified directly by on-tissue collision-induced fragmentation. Other structural assignments were confirmed by off-tissue permethylation analysis combined with multiple database comparisons. Imaging of mouse kidney tissue sections demonstrates specific tissue distributions of major cellular N-linked glycoforms in the cortex and medulla. Differential tissue distribution of N-linked glycoforms was also observed in the other tissue types. The efficacy of using MALDI-IMS glycan profiling to distinguish tumor from non-tumor tissues in a tumor microarray format is also demonstrated. This MALDI-IMS workflow has the potential to be applied to any FFPE tissue block or tissue microarray to enable higher throughput analysis of the global changes in N-glycosylation associated with cancers.

KLC1-ALK: a novel fusion in lung cancer identified using a formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue only.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuki Togashi

Full Text Available The promising results of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK inhibitors have changed the significance of ALK fusions in several types of cancer. These fusions are no longer mere research targets or diagnostic markers, but they are now directly linked to the therapeutic benefit of patients. However, most available tumor tissues in clinical settings are formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE, and this significantly limits detailed genetic studies in many clinical cases. Although recent technical improvements have allowed the analysis of some known mutations in FFPE tissues, identifying unknown fusion genes by using only FFPE tissues remains difficult. We developed a 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends-based system optimized for FFPE tissues and evaluated this system on a lung cancer tissue with ALK rearrangement and without the 2 known ALK fusions EML4-ALK and KIF5B-ALK. With this system, we successfully identified a novel ALK fusion, KLC1-ALK. The result was confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Then, we synthesized the putative full-length cDNA of KLC1-ALK and demonstrated the transforming potential of the fusion kinase with assays using mouse 3T3 cells. To the best of our knowledge, KLC1-ALK is the first novel oncogenic fusion identified using only FFPE tissues. This finding will broaden the potential value of archival FFPE tissues and provide further biological and clinical insights into ALK-positive lung cancer.

21 CFR 186.1555 - Japan wax.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Japan wax. 186.1555 Section 186.1555 Food and Drugs... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 186.1555 Japan wax. (a) Japan wax (CAS Reg. No. 8001-39-6), also known as Japan... fruits of the oriental sumac, Rhus succedanea (Japan, Taiwan, and Indo-China), R. vernicifera (Japan...

Structure and Biosynthesis of Branched Wax Compounds on Wild Type and Wax Biosynthesis Mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Science.gov (United States)

Busta, Lucas; Jetter, Reinhard

2017-06-01

The cuticle is a waxy composite that protects the aerial organs of land plans from non-stomatal water loss. The chemical make-up of the cuticular wax mixture plays a central role in defining the water barrier, but structure-function relationships have not been established so far, in part due to gaps in our understanding of wax structures and biosynthesis. While wax compounds with saturated, linear hydrocarbon tails have been investigated in detail, very little is known about compounds with modified aliphatic tails, which comprise substantial portions of some plant wax mixtures. This study aimed to investigate the structures, abundances and biosynthesis of branched compounds on the species for which wax biosynthesis is best understood: Arabidopsis thaliana. Microscale derivatization, mass spectral interpretation and organic synthesis identified homologous series of iso-alkanes and iso-alcohols on flowers and leaves, respectively. These comprised approximately 10-15% of wild type wax mixtures. The abundances of both branched wax constituents and accompanying unbranched compounds were reduced on the cer6, cer3 and cer1 mutants but not cer4, indicating that branched compounds are in part synthesized by the same machinery as unbranched compounds. In contrast, the abundances of unbranched, but not branched, wax constituents were reduced on the cer2 and cer26 mutants, suggesting that the pathways to both types of compounds deviate in later steps of chain elongation. Finally, the abundances of branched, but not unbranched, wax compounds were reduced on the cer16 mutant, and the (uncharacterized) CER16 protein may therefore be controlling the relative abundances of iso-alkanes and iso-alcohols on Arabidopsis surfaces. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Classification of Floating Chris Chemicals for the Development of a Spill Response Manual

Science.gov (United States)

1989-01-01

PETROLATUM WAX : CARNAUBA WAX : PARAFFIN TABLE B-2. Non-Toxic, Highly Flammable ACETYLENE TABLE B-3. Slightly Toxic, Noncombustible I-TETRADZCENE ANYL...TURPENTINE 1-TETRADECENE TETRADECANOL n-UNDECYLBENZENE 1-U WDZCEN UNDECANOL VINYL TOLUENE VAX: CARNAUBA WAX : PARAFFIN m-XYLE o-XYLEM! p-XYLEM XYLENOL BLANK...VINYL IUTNYL KIN3 YIM RICKY? NOATILLY VINYL. uuu9CAMATt YP MD DATA Ut IMLY VINYL TOUWN a5 WSWMIT3LR N63ATLY WAX : CAEI.UBA YB MON . Vy TOXIC MU: PAFFIN YB

Preparation and characterization of form-stable paraffin/polyurethane composites as phase change materials for thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Keping; Yu, Xuejiang; Tian, Chunrong; Wang, Jianhua

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Paraffin/polyurethane composite as form-stable phase change material was prepared by bulk polymerization. • Paraffin/polyurethane composite possesses typical character of dual phase transition. • Total latent heat of n-eicosane/PUPCM is as high as 141.2 J/g. • Maximum encapsulation ratio for n-octadecane/PUPCM composites is 25% w/w. - Abstract: Polyurethane phase change material (PUPCM) has been demonstrated to be effective solid–solid phase change material for thermal energy storage. However, the high cost and complex process on preparation of PUPCMs with high enthalpy and broad phase transition temperature range can prohibit industrial-scale applications. In this work, a series of novel form-stable paraffin/PUPCMs composites (n-octadecane/PUPCM, n-eicosane/PUPCM and paraffin wax/PUPCM) with high enthalpy and broad phase transition temperature range (20–65 °C) were directly synthesized via bulk polymerization. The composites were prepared at different mass fractions of n-octadecane (10, 20, 25, 30% w/w). The results indicated that the maximum encapsulation ratio for n-octadecane/PUPCM10000 composites was around 25% w/w. The chemical structure and crystalline properties of these composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), polarizing optical microscopy (POM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). Thermal properties and thermal reliability of the composites were determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). From DSC analysis, the composites showed a typical dual phase change temperature. The enthalpy for the composite with 25% w/w n-eicosane was as high as 141.2 J/g. TGA analysis indicated that the composites degraded at considerably high temperatures. The process of preparation of PUPCMs and their composites was very simple, inexpensive, environmental friendly and easy to process into desired shapes, which could find the promising applications in solar

Development of a comprehensive analytical method for the determination of chlorinated paraffins in spruce needles applied in passive air sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iozza, Saverio; Schmid, Peter; Oehme, Michael

2009-01-01

Conifer needles are used for the monitoring of atmospheric persistent organic pollutants. The objective of the present study was to develop a method for the detection of airborne chlorinated paraffins (CPs) using spruce needles as a passive sampler. The method is based on liquid extraction of the cuticular wax layer followed by chromatographic fractionation and detection of CPs using two different GCMS techniques. Total CP concentrations (sum of short (SCCP), medium (MCCP) and long chain CPs (LCCP)) were determined by EI-MS/MS. SCCP and MCCP levels as well as congener group patterns (n-alkane chain length, chlorine content) could be evaluated using ECNI-LRMS. For the first time, data on environmental airborne CPs on spruce needles taken within the Monitoring Network in the Alpine Region for Persistent and other Organic Pollutants (MONARPOP) are presented providing evidence that spruce needles are a suitable passive sampling system for the monitoring of atmospheric CPs. - A developed method for chlorinated paraffins (CPs) provided evidence that spruce needles are a suitable passive sampling system for the monitoring of atmospheric CPs.

Development of paraffin and paraffin/bitumen composites with additions of B2O3 for thermal neutron shielding applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toyen, Donruedee; Saenboonruang, Kiadtisak

2017-01-01

In this work, paraffin and paraffin/bitumen composites with additions of boron oxide (B 2 O 3 ) were prepared to evaluate the viscosity, flexural, and thermal neutron shielding properties for uses as thermal neutron shielding materials. The results showed that the addition of 3 wt% or 9 wt% bitumen to paraffin increased the overall flexural properties with the content of 9 wt% bitumen having the highest values. The improvement in flexural properties made the composites less brittle, stiffer, and longer-lasting. Furthermore, different contents of B 2 O 3 (0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 wt%) were added to paraffin and paraffin/bitumen composites to investigate the effects of the B 2 O 3 contents. The results indicated that an increase in B 2 O 3 contents improved the shielding properties but slightly reduced the flexural properties. Specifically for 5-mm paraffin and 5-mm paraffin/bitumen samples with 35 wt% of B 2 O 3 , both samples could reduce neutron flux by more than 70%. The overall results suggested that the paraffin and paraffin/bitumen composites with additions of B 2 O 3 showed improved properties for utilization as effective thermal neutron shielding materials. (author)

Experimental Study on Melting and Solidification of Phase Change Material Thermal Storage

Science.gov (United States)

Ambarita, H.; Abdullah, I.; Siregar, C. A.; Siregar, R. E. T.; Ronowikarto, A. D.

2017-03-01

Melting and solidification process of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) are investigated experimentally. The tested PCMs are Paraffin wax and Steric acid which typically used for solar water heater. The objective is to explore the characteristics of the PCM when it is being melted and solidified. The experiments are performed in a glass box. One side of the box wall is heated while the opposite wall is kept constant and other walls are insulated. Temperature of the heated wall are kept constant at 80°C, 85°C, and 90°C, respectively. Every experiment is carried out for 600 minutes. Temperatures are recorded and the melting and solidification processes are pictured by using camera. The results show that the melting process starts from the upper part of the thermal storage. In the solidification process, it starts from the lower part of the thermal storage. As a thermal energy storage, Paraffin wax is better than Steric acid. This is because Paraffin wax can store more energy. At heat source temperature of 90°C, thermal energy stored by Paraffin wax and Stearic acid is 61.84 kJ and 57.39 kJ, respectively. Thus it is better to used Paraffin wax in the solar water heater as thermal energy storage.

Sintering of wax for controlling release from pellets.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Reena; Poddar, S S; Chivate, Amit

2007-09-14

The purpose of the present study was to investigate incorporation of hydrophobic (ie, waxy) material into pellets using a thermal sintering technique and to evaluate the pellets in vitro for controlled release. Pellets prepared by extrusion-spheronization technology were formulated with a water-soluble drug, microcrystalline cellulose, and carnauba wax. Powdered carnauba wax (4%-20%) prepared by grinding or by emulsification was studied with an attempt to retard the drug release. The inclusion of ground or emulsified carnauba wax did not sustain the release of theophylline for more than 3 hours. Matrix pellets of theophylline prepared with various concentrations of carnauba wax were sintered thermally at various times and temperatures. In vitro drug release profiles indicated an increase in drug release retardation with increasing carnauba wax concentration. Pellets prepared with ground wax showed a higher standard deviation than did those prepared with emulsified wax. There was incomplete release at the end of 12 hours for pellets prepared with 20% ground or emulsified wax. The sintering temperature and duration were optimized to allow for a sustained release lasting at least 12 hours. The optimized temperature and duration were found to be 100 degrees C and 140 seconds, respectively. The sintered pellets had a higher hydrophobicity than did the unsintered pellets. Scanning electron micrographs indicated that the carnauba wax moved internally, thereby increasing the surface area of wax within the pellets.

Development of a monoclonal antibody that specifically detects tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-4 (TIMP-4) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Donover, P Scott; Wojciechowski, Brian S; Thirumaran, Rajesh; Zemba-Palko, Vlasta; Prendergast, George C; Wallon, U Margaretha

2010-08-01

Overexpression of the extracellular metalloproteinase inhibitor TIMP-4 in estrogen receptor-negative breast cancers was found recently to be associated with a poor prognosis for survival. To pursue exploration of the theranostic applications of TIMP-4, specific antibodies with favorable properties for immunohistochemical use and other clinical assays are needed. Here we report the characterization of a monoclonal antibody (clone 9:4-7) specific for full-length human TIMP-4 with suitable qualities. The antibody was determined to be an IgG(2b) immunoglobulin. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting assays, it did not exhibit any detectable crossreactivity with recombinant forms of the other human TIMPs 1, 2, and 3. In contrast, the antibody displayed high specificity and sensitivity for TIMP-4 including in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens of human breast specimens. An analysis of tissue microarrays of human cancer and corresponding normal tissues revealed specific staining patterns with excellent signal-to-noise ratios. This study documents TIMP-4 monoclonal antibody clone 9:4-7 as an effective tool for preclinical and clinical investigations. Published 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Optimization and analysis of a quantitative real-time PCR-based technique to determine microRNA expression in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reis Patricia P

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background MicroRNAs (miRs are non-coding RNA molecules involved in post-transcriptional regulation, with diverse functions in tissue development, differentiation, cell proliferation and apoptosis. miRs may be less prone to degradation during formalin fixation, facilitating miR expression studies in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE tissue. Results Our study demonstrates that the TaqMan Human MicroRNA Array v1.0 (Early Access platform is suitable for miR expression analysis in FFPE tissue with a high reproducibility (correlation coefficients of 0.95 between duplicates, p 35, we show that reproducibility between technical replicates, equivalent dilutions, and FFPE vs. frozen samples is best in the high abundance stratum. We also demonstrate that the miR expression profiles of FFPE samples are comparable to those of fresh-frozen samples, with a correlation of up to 0.87 (p Conclusion Our study thus demonstrates the utility, reproducibility, and optimization steps needed in miR expression studies using FFPE samples on a high-throughput quantitative PCR-based miR platform, opening up a realm of research possibilities for retrospective studies.

Paraffin ingestion - the problem

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The incidence of paraffin ingestion is higher in the summer months. This is because ... where the average cost per patient was R348 per day. The total cost to ... petroleum companies and/or entrepreneurs and distributed ... paraffin, coal and gas. As South Africa ... and more people become involved, making control difficult.

Stereological comparison of oocyte recruitment and batch fecundity estimates from paraffin and resin sections using spawning albacore (Thunnus alalunga) ovaries as a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Saber, Sámar; Macías, David; Ortiz de Urbina, Josetxu; Kjesbu, Olav Sigurd

2015-01-01

Traditional histological protocols in marine fish reproductive laboratories using paraffin as the embedding medium are now increasingly being replaced with protocols using resin instead. These procedures entail different degrees of tissue shrinkage complicating direct comparisons of measurement results across laboratories or articles. In this work we selected ovaries of spawning Mediterranean albacore (Thunnus alalunga) as the subject of our study to address the issue of structural changes, by contrasting values on oocyte recruitment and final batch fecundity given from the same tissue samples in both paraffin and resin. A modern stereological method, the oocyte packing density (OPD) theory, was used supported by initial studies on ovarian tissue sampling and measurement design. Examples of differences in the volume fraction of oocyte stages, free space and connective tissue were found between the embedding media. Mean oocyte diameters were smaller in paraffin than in resin with differences ranging between 0.5% in primary growth and 24.3% in hydration (HYD) stage oocytes. Fresh oocyte measurements showed that oocytes shrank as a consequence of the embedding process, reaching the maximal degree of shrinkage for oocytes in the HYD stage (45.8% in paraffin and 26.5% in resin). In order to assess the effect of oocyte shrinkage on the OPD result, and thereby on relative batch fecundity (Fr), oocyte diameters corrected and uncorrected for shrinkage, were used for estimations. Statistical significant differences were found (P based on either oocytes in the germinal vesicle migration stage or HYD stage. As a valuable adjunct, the present use of the OPD theory made it possible to document that the oocyte recruitment of spawning ovaries of Mediterranean albacore followed the typical pattern of an asynchronous oocyte development and indeterminate fecundity.

21 CFR 890.5110 - Paraffin bath.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Paraffin bath. 890.5110 Section 890.5110 Food and... PHYSICAL MEDICINE DEVICES Physical Medicine Therapeutic Devices § 890.5110 Paraffin bath. (a) Identification. A paraffin bath is a device intended for medical purposes that consists of a tub to be filled...

Effect of solvent extraction on Tunisian esparto wax composition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saâd Inès

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The increase of needs for renewable and vegetable based materials will help to drive the market growth of vegetable waxes. Because of their highly variable composition and physicochemical properties, plant waxes have found numerous applications in the: food, cosmetic, candle, coating, polish etc... The aim of this project is to determine the effect of solvent extraction (petroleum ether and ethanol on Tunisian esparto wax composition. The GC-MS was applied in order to determine the waxes compositions. Then, physicochemical parameters of these two samples of waxes: acid value, saponification value, iodine value and melting point were measured in order to deduct their properties and possible fields of uses. Results showed that esparto wax composition depended on the solvent extraction and that major components of the two samples of waxes were: alkanes, esters of fatty acids and phenols. Furthermore, esparto waxes were characterized by an antioxidant and antibacterial activities but the potential of these activities depended on the solvent of wax extraction.

PARAFFIN SEPARATION VACUUM DISTILLATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zaid A. Abdulrahman

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Simulated column performance curves were constructed for existing paraffin separation vacuum distillation column in LAB plant (Arab Detergent Company/Baiji-Iraq. The variables considered in this study are the thermodynamic model option, top vacuum pressure, top and bottom temperatures, feed temperature, feed composition & reflux ratio. Also simulated columns profiles for the temperature, vapor & liquid flow rates composition were constructed. Four different thermodynamic model options (SRK, TSRK, PR, and ESSO were used, affecting the results within 1-25% variation for the most cases.The simulated results show that about 2% to 8 % of paraffin (C10, C11, C12, & C13 present at the bottom stream which may cause a problem in the LAB plant. The major variations were noticed for the top temperature & the  paraffin weight fractions at bottom section with top vacuum pressure. The bottom temperature above 240 oC is not recommended because the total bottom flow rate decreases sharply, where as  the weight fraction of paraffins decrease slightly. The study gives evidence about a successful simulation with CHEMCAD

Natural oils and waxes: studies on stick bases.

Science.gov (United States)

Budai, Lívia; Antal, István; Klebovich, Imre; Budai, Marianna

2012-01-01

The objective of the present article was to examine the role of origin and quantity of selected natural oils and waxes in the determination of the thermal properties and hardness of stick bases. The natural oils and waxes selected for the study were sunflower, castor, jojoba, and coconut oils. The selected waxes were yellow beeswax, candelilla wax, and carnauba wax. The hardness of the formulations is a critical parameter from the aspect of their application. Hardness was characterized by the measurement of compression strength along with the softening point, the drop point, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It can be concluded that coconut oil, jojoba oil, and carnauba wax have the greatest influence on the thermal parameters of stick bases.

Increased production of wax esters in transgenic tobacco plants by expression of a fatty acid reductase:wax synthase gene fusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Aslan, Selcuk; Hofvander, Per; Dutta, Paresh; Sun, Chuanxin; Sitbon, Folke

2015-12-01

Wax esters are hydrophobic lipids consisting of a fatty acid moiety linked to a fatty alcohol with an ester bond. Plant-derived wax esters are today of particular concern for their potential as cost-effective and sustainable sources of lubricants. However, this aspect is hampered by the fact that the level of wax esters in plants generally is too low to allow commercial exploitation. To investigate whether wax ester biosynthesis can be increased in plants using transgenic approaches, we have here exploited a fusion between two bacterial genes together encoding a single wax ester-forming enzyme, and targeted the resulting protein to chloroplasts in stably transformed tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) plants. Compared to wild-type controls, transgenic plants showed both in leaves and stems a significant increase in the total level of wax esters, being eight-fold at the whole plant level. The profiles of fatty acid methyl ester and fatty alcohol in wax esters were related, and C16 and C18 molecules constituted predominant forms. Strong transformants displayed certain developmental aberrations, such as stunted growth and chlorotic leaves and stems. These negative effects were associated with an accumulation of fatty alcohols, suggesting that an adequate balance between formation and esterification of fatty alcohols is crucial for a high wax ester production. The results show that wax ester engineering in transgenic plants is feasible, and suggest that higher yields may become achieved in the near future.

A Comparison of Fresh Frozen vs. Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Specimens of Canine Mammary Tumors via Branched-DNA Assay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florenza Lüder Ripoli

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Mammary neoplasms are the tumors most affecting female dogs and women. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE tissues are an invaluable source of archived biological material. Fresh frozen (FF tissue is considered ideal for gene expression analysis. However, strategies based on FFPE material offer several advantages. Branched-DNA assays permit a reliable and fast workflow when analyzing gene expression. The aim of this study was to assess the comparability of the branched-DNA assay when analyzing certain gene expression patterns between FF and FFPE samples in canine mammary tumors. RNA was isolated from 109 FFPE samples and from 93 FF samples of different canine mammary tissues. Sixteen (16 target genes (Tp53; Myc; HMGA1; Pik3ca; Mcl1; MAPK3; FOXO3; PTEN; GATA4; PFDN5; HMGB1; MAPK1; BRCA2; BRCA1; HMGA2; and Her2 were analyzed via branched-DNA assay (b-DNA. ACTB, GAPDH, and HPRT1 were used as data normalizers. Overall, the relative gene expression of the two different origins of samples showed an agreement of 63%. Still, care should be taken, as FFPE specimens showed lower expression of the analyzed targets when compared to FF samples. The fact that the gene expression in FFPE proved to be lower than in FF specimens is likely to have been caused by the effect of storage time. ACTB had the best performance as a data normalizer.

Uso da parafina incorporada à cera alveolada em colônias de abelhas Apis mellifera L. africanizadas para produção de mel Paraffin incorporation to beewax foundation in Apis mellifera L. Africanized colonies for honey production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vagner de Alencar Arnaut de Toledo

2002-04-01

Full Text Available O objetivo foi avaliar favos construídos a partir de três tratamentos, lâminas de cera alveolada, lâminas de cera alveolada com parafina e parte do quadro sem cera. Foram utilizadas dez colônias de abelhas africanizadas, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae existentes na região de Marialva, Estado do Paraná. Foram efetuados mapeamentos da área construída e ocupada com mel, a intervalos de aproximadamente 20 dias. Três quadros, cada um contendo os três tratamentos foram colocados nas posições lateral esquerda, central e lateral direita da melgueira vista por trás da colméia. As abelhas construíram a maior área e ocuparam com mel (p The aim of this paper was the evaluation of combs from three experimental treatments: beeswax foundation, beeswax with paraffin and a gap frame, partially without wax. The experiment was carried out using ten Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae Africanized honeybee colonies in Marialva - state of Paraná, in the south of Brazil. They were accomplished by mapping areas constructed and occupied with honey, at intervals of approximately 20 days. Three combs, containing, each one, the three treatments were placed at the positions right lateral, central and left lateral of the super observed the hive to the back. The honeybees built the greatest area and filled with honey (p < 0.05 when the comb was introduced in the central position of the hive, compared to other treatments in which differences were also observed (p < 0.05. The position of the wax comb mixed with paraffin produced the smallest area (p < 0.05 occupied with honey compared to the others. Results showed that paraffin mixed with wax comb should be used since the combs are placed in the central position and must be used for production of honey in sections.

Use of microbes for paraffin cleanup at Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giangiacomo, L.; Khatib, A.

1995-12-31

Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 3 (NPR-3), also known as Teapot Dome, is a government-owned oil field in Natrona County, Wyoming. It is an asymmetrical anticline located on the western edge of the Powder River Basin, just south of the Salt Creek Anticline. Production started in 1922, and today the field is a marginally economic stripper field with average production of less than 3 BOPD (0.5 m{sup 3}/D) per well. Total field production is about 1,800 BOPD (286 m{sup 3}/D). The Second Wall Creek Formation was waterflooded from 1979 until June 1992 with poor results due to the extensive natural fracture system in this sandstone unit. Since water injection ceased, reservoir pressure has declined to very low levels. Liquids extraction and reinjection of the gas produced from high-GOR wells along the gas-oil contact continues, but the average gas cap pressure has fallen to approximately 150 psi (1.03 MPa) from an original pressure of 1,120 psi (7.72 MPa). Since the oil is highly paraffinic, wax deposition in the hydraulic fractures and the perforations has become a serious production problem. Microbial treatment was considered as a possible low-cost solution. Four wells were selected in the Second Wall Creek Reservoir with severe paraffin problems and production rates high enough to economically justify the treatment. Problems were experienced with the production of thick oil after approximately three months. This was interpreted to be a result of previously immobile paraffin being cleaned up. A slight decrease in the decline rate was seen in the wells, although some external factors cloud the interpretation. Microbial treatments were discontinued because of marginal economics. Three of the four wells produced additional oil and had a positive incremental cash flow. Oil viscosity tests did indicate that some positive microbial thinning was occurring, and changes to the treatment procedure may potentially yield more economic results in the future.

Wax-bonding 3D microfluidic chips

KAUST Repository

Gong, Xiuqing; Yi, Xin; Xiao, Kang; Li, Shunbo; Kodzius, Rimantas; Qin, Jianhua; Wen, Weijia

2013-01-01

We report a simple, low-cost and detachable microfluidic chip incorporating easily accessible paper, glass slides or other polymer films as the chip materials along with adhesive wax as the recycling bonding material. We use a laser to cut through the paper or film to form patterns and then sandwich the paper and film between glass sheets or polymer membranes . The hot-melt adhesive wax can realize bridge bonding between various materials, for example, paper, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) film, glass sheets, or metal plate. The bonding process is reversible and the wax is reusable through a melting and cooling process. With this process, a three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic chip is achievable by vacuating and venting the chip in a hot-water bath. To study the biocompatibility and applicability of the wax-based microfluidic chip, we tested the PCR compatibility with the chip materials first. Then we applied the wax-paper based microfluidic chip to HeLa cell electroporation (EP ). Subsequently, a prototype of a 5-layer 3D chip was fabricated by multilayer wax bonding. To check the sealing ability and the durability of the chip, green fluorescence protein (GFP) recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were cultured, with which the chemotaxis of E. coli was studied in order to determine the influence of antibiotic ciprofloxacin concentration on the E. coli migration.

Wax-bonding 3D microfluidic chips

KAUST Repository

Gong, Xiuqing

2013-10-10

We report a simple, low-cost and detachable microfluidic chip incorporating easily accessible paper, glass slides or other polymer films as the chip materials along with adhesive wax as the recycling bonding material. We use a laser to cut through the paper or film to form patterns and then sandwich the paper and film between glass sheets or polymer membranes . The hot-melt adhesive wax can realize bridge bonding between various materials, for example, paper, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) film, glass sheets, or metal plate. The bonding process is reversible and the wax is reusable through a melting and cooling process. With this process, a three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic chip is achievable by vacuating and venting the chip in a hot-water bath. To study the biocompatibility and applicability of the wax-based microfluidic chip, we tested the PCR compatibility with the chip materials first. Then we applied the wax-paper based microfluidic chip to HeLa cell electroporation (EP ). Subsequently, a prototype of a 5-layer 3D chip was fabricated by multilayer wax bonding. To check the sealing ability and the durability of the chip, green fluorescence protein (GFP) recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were cultured, with which the chemotaxis of E. coli was studied in order to determine the influence of antibiotic ciprofloxacin concentration on the E. coli migration.

Detection of clonal B cells in microdissected reactive lymphoproliferations: possible diagnostic pitfalls in PCR analysis of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, X.G.; Sandvej, K.; Gregersen, Niels

1999-01-01

Aims-To evaluate the specificity of standard and fluorescence based (GENESCAN) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangement analysis in complete and microdissected paraffin wax embedded sections from lymphoid proliferations. Methods-PCR IgH gene rearrangement...... because of preferential priming or detection of local B cell clones. Data from clonal analysis of small, microdissected or lymphocyte poor samples must be evaluated critically. It is recommended that analyses should be run in parallel on at least two tissue specimens. Only reproducible bands present...

Plastics control paraffin buildup

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1965-06-01

Paraffin buildup in producing oil wells has been virtually eliminated by the use of plastic-coated sucker rods. The payout of the plasticing process is generally reached in less than a year, and the paraffin buildup may be inhibited for 10 yr or longer. Most of the plants applying plastic coatings to sucker rods are now fully automated, though a few still offer the hand-sprayed coating that some operators prefer. The several steps involved are described. The ideal plastic for the job is resistant to chemicals at high and low temperatures, flexible, has good adhesion, abrasion resistance, impact resistance, and a smooth glossy finish. The phenol aldehyde and epoxy resins presently offered by the industry fulfill these specifications very well; the multicoating and multibaking techniques improve their performance. Due to wide variations in the severity of the paraffin problem from one oil field to another, there is no general rule to estimate the possible savings from using plastic-coated sucker rods. The process, however, does appear to do a remarkable job in controlling paraffin buildup wherever it is a problem in producing oil by pump.

Chemical composition of raw and deresinated peat waxes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bel' kevich, P I; Ivanova, L A; Piskunova, T A; Tserlyukevich, Ya V; Yurkevich, E A

1980-01-01

Research was conducted using absorption chromatography and spectroscopy to study the changes in the chemical composition of raw peat wax taking place in the deresination process. Characteristics of the raw, deresinated waxes and resins removed are given. The fractions obtained showed that both raw and deresinated wax contain the same basic compound classes: hydrocarbons, alcohols, complex ether and acids; but their proportions in the waxes are different. After deresination most of the dark-colored polyfunctional compounds, a portion of the soluble unsaturated hydrocarbons and alcohols, and all the sterenes transfer into the resin. This causes the light color and specific physical properties of deresinated wax. (13 refs.) (In Russian)

TULSA UNIVERSITY PARAFFIN DEPOSITION PROJECTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cem Sarica; Michael Volk

2004-06-01

As oil and gas production moves to deeper and colder water, subsea multiphase production systems become critical for economic feasibility. It will also become increasingly imperative to adequately identify the conditions for paraffin precipitation and predict paraffin deposition rates to optimize the design and operation of these multi-phase production systems. Although several oil companies have paraffin deposition predictive capabilities for single-phase oil flow, these predictive capabilities are not suitable for the multiphase flow conditions encountered in most flowlines and wellbores. For deepwater applications in the Gulf of Mexico, it is likely that multiphase production streams consisting of crude oil, produced water and gas will be transported in a single multiphase pipeline to minimize capital cost and complexity at the mudline. Existing single-phase (crude oil) paraffin deposition predictive tools are clearly inadequate to accurately design these pipelines, because they do not account for the second and third phases, namely, produced water and gas. The objective of this program is to utilize the current test facilities at The University of Tulsa, as well as member company expertise, to accomplish the following: enhance our understanding of paraffin deposition in single and two-phase (gas-oil) flows; conduct focused experiments to better understand various aspects of deposition physics; and, utilize knowledge gained from experimental modeling studies to enhance the computer programs developed in the previous JIP for predicting paraffin deposition in single and two-phase flow environments. These refined computer models will then be tested against field data from member company pipelines.

Effects of air pollutants on epicuticular wax chemical composition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Percy, K.E.; McQuattie, C.J.; Rebbeck, J.A.

1994-01-01

There are numerous reports in the literature of modifications to epicuticular wax structure as a consequence of exposure to air pollutants. Most authors have used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to describe changes in wax crystallite morphology or distribution. ''Erosion'' or ''weathering'' of crystalline structure into an amorphous state is the most common observation, particularly in the case of conifer needles having the characteristic tube crystallites comprised of nonacosan-10-ol. Wax structure is largely determined by its chemical composition. Therefore, many of the reported changes in wax structure due to air pollutants probably arise from direct interactions between pollutants such as ozone and wax biosynthesis. The literature describing changes in wax composition due to pollutants is briefly reviewed. New evidence is introduced in support of the hypothesis for a direct interaction between air pollutants and epicuticular wax Biosynthesis. (orig.)

Elevated pressure improves the extraction and identification of proteins recovered from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue surrogates.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carol B Fowler

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Proteomic studies of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE tissues are frustrated by the inability to extract proteins from archival tissue in a form suitable for analysis by 2-D gel electrophoresis or mass spectrometry. This inability arises from the difficulty of reversing formaldehyde-induced protein adducts and cross-links within FFPE tissues. We previously reported the use of elevated hydrostatic pressure as a method for efficient protein recovery from a hen egg-white lysozyme tissue surrogate, a model system developed to study formalin fixation and histochemical processing.In this study, we demonstrate the utility of elevated hydrostatic pressure as a method for efficient protein recovery from FFPE mouse liver tissue and a complex multi-protein FFPE tissue surrogate comprised of hen egg-white lysozyme, bovine carbonic anhydrase, bovine ribonuclease A, bovine serum albumin, and equine myoglobin (55∶15∶15∶10∶5 wt%. Mass spectrometry of the FFPE tissue surrogates retrieved under elevated pressure showed that both the low and high-abundance proteins were identified with sequence coverage comparable to that of the surrogate mixture prior to formaldehyde treatment. In contrast, non-pressure-extracted tissue surrogate samples yielded few positive and many false peptide identifications. Studies with soluble formalin-treated bovine ribonuclease A demonstrated that pressure modestly inhibited the rate of reversal (hydrolysis of formaldehyde-induced protein cross-links. Dynamic light scattering studies suggest that elevated hydrostatic pressure and heat facilitate the recovery of proteins free of formaldehyde adducts and cross-links by promoting protein unfolding and hydration with a concomitant reduction in the average size of the protein aggregates.These studies demonstrate that elevated hydrostatic pressure treatment is a promising approach for improving the recovery of proteins from FFPE tissues in a form suitable for proteomic analysis.

Elevated Pressure Improves the Extraction and Identification of Proteins Recovered from Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissue Surrogates

Science.gov (United States)

Fowler, Carol B.; Chesnick, Ingrid E.; Moore, Cedric D.; O'Leary, Timothy J.; Mason, Jeffrey T.

2010-01-01

Background Proteomic studies of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues are frustrated by the inability to extract proteins from archival tissue in a form suitable for analysis by 2-D gel electrophoresis or mass spectrometry. This inability arises from the difficulty of reversing formaldehyde-induced protein adducts and cross-links within FFPE tissues. We previously reported the use of elevated hydrostatic pressure as a method for efficient protein recovery from a hen egg-white lysozyme tissue surrogate, a model system developed to study formalin fixation and histochemical processing. Principal Findings In this study, we demonstrate the utility of elevated hydrostatic pressure as a method for efficient protein recovery from FFPE mouse liver tissue and a complex multi-protein FFPE tissue surrogate comprised of hen egg-white lysozyme, bovine carbonic anhydrase, bovine ribonuclease A, bovine serum albumin, and equine myoglobin (55∶15∶15∶10∶5 wt%). Mass spectrometry of the FFPE tissue surrogates retrieved under elevated pressure showed that both the low and high-abundance proteins were identified with sequence coverage comparable to that of the surrogate mixture prior to formaldehyde treatment. In contrast, non-pressure-extracted tissue surrogate samples yielded few positive and many false peptide identifications. Studies with soluble formalin-treated bovine ribonuclease A demonstrated that pressure modestly inhibited the rate of reversal (hydrolysis) of formaldehyde-induced protein cross-links. Dynamic light scattering studies suggest that elevated hydrostatic pressure and heat facilitate the recovery of proteins free of formaldehyde adducts and cross-links by promoting protein unfolding and hydration with a concomitant reduction in the average size of the protein aggregates. Conclusions These studies demonstrate that elevated hydrostatic pressure treatment is a promising approach for improving the recovery of proteins from FFPE tissues in a form

75 FR 63200 - Petroleum Wax Candles From China

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-14

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 731-TA-282 (Third Review)] Petroleum Wax Candles... five-year review concerning the antidumping duty order on petroleum wax candles from China. SUMMARY... antidumping duty order on petroleum wax candles from China would be likely to lead to continuation or...

Trypanosoma cruzi Necrotizing Meningoencephalitis in a Venezuelan HIV+-AIDS Patient: Pathological Diagnosis Confirmed by PCR Using Formalin-Fixed- and Paraffin-Embedded-Tissues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcello Salvatore Rossi Spadafora

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Coinfections with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV and infectious agents have been recognized since the early 90s. In the central nervous system (CNS of HIV+ patients, parasitic protozoans like Toxoplasma gondii have been described as responsible for the space occupying lesions (SOL developed. However, the involvement of Trypanosoma cruzi is also described but appears to be less frequent in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS and transplant recipients, associated with necrotizing myocarditis and neurological symptoms related to the occurrence of necrotizing pseudotumoral encephalitis (NPE and meningoencephalitis (NME. The present work aims to present a Venezuelan case of NME associated with the coinfection of HIV and a T. cruzi-like trypanosomatid as well as its evolution and diagnosis by histopathological techniques, electron microscopy, and PCR methods using formalin-fixed- (FF- and paraffin-embedded- (PE- tissues. Postmortem cytological studies of leptomeninges imprints reveal the presence of trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma sp. Histopathological and electron microscopy studies allowed us to identify an amastigote stage and to reject the involvement of other opportunistic microorganisms as the etiological agent of the SOL. The definitive confirmation of T. cruzi as the etiological agent was achieved by PCR suggesting that the NME by T. cruzi was due to a reactivation of Chagas’ disease.

Trypanosoma cruzi Necrotizing Meningoencephalitis in a Venezuelan HIV+-AIDS Patient: Pathological Diagnosis Confirmed by PCR Using Formalin-Fixed- and Paraffin-Embedded-Tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi Spadafora, Marcello Salvatore; Céspedes, Ghislaine; Romero, Sandra; Fuentes, Isabel; Boada-Sucre, Alpidio A.; Cañavate, Carmen; Flores-Chávez, María

2014-01-01

Coinfections with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and infectious agents have been recognized since the early 90s. In the central nervous system (CNS) of HIV+ patients, parasitic protozoans like Toxoplasma gondii have been described as responsible for the space occupying lesions (SOL) developed. However, the involvement of Trypanosoma cruzi is also described but appears to be less frequent in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and transplant recipients, associated with necrotizing myocarditis and neurological symptoms related to the occurrence of necrotizing pseudotumoral encephalitis (NPE) and meningoencephalitis (NME). The present work aims to present a Venezuelan case of NME associated with the coinfection of HIV and a T. cruzi-like trypanosomatid as well as its evolution and diagnosis by histopathological techniques, electron microscopy, and PCR methods using formalin-fixed- (FF-) and paraffin-embedded- (PE-) tissues. Postmortem cytological studies of leptomeninges imprints reveal the presence of trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma sp. Histopathological and electron microscopy studies allowed us to identify an amastigote stage and to reject the involvement of other opportunistic microorganisms as the etiological agent of the SOL. The definitive confirmation of T. cruzi as the etiological agent was achieved by PCR suggesting that the NME by T. cruzi was due to a reactivation of Chagas' disease. PMID:25763312

Feasibility of using tissue microarray cores of paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissue for measurement of gene expression: a proof-of-concept study.

Science.gov (United States)

Drury, Suzanne; Salter, Janine; Baehner, Frederick L; Shak, Steven; Dowsett, Mitch

2010-06-01

To determine whether 0.6 mm cores of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue, as commonly used to construct immunohistochemical tissue microarrays, may be a valid alternative to tissue sections as source material for quantitative real-time PCR-based transcriptional profiling of breast cancer. Four matched 0.6 mm cores of invasive breast tumour and two 10 microm whole sections were taken from eight FFPE blocks. RNA was extracted and reverse transcribed, and TaqMan assays were performed on the 21 genes of the Oncotype DX Breast Cancer assay. Expression of the 16 recurrence-related genes was normalised to the set of five reference genes, and the recurrence score (RS) was calculated. RNA yield was lower from 0.6 mm cores than from 10 microm whole sections, but was still more than sufficient to perform the assay. RS and single gene data from cores were highly comparable with those from whole sections (RS p=0.005). Greater variability was seen between cores than between sections. FFPE sections are preferable to 0.6 mm cores for RNA profiling in order to maximise RNA yield and to allow for standard histopathological assessment. However, 0.6 mm cores are sufficient and would be appropriate to use for large cohort studies.

Immunohistochemical detection of PGL-1, LAM, 30 kD and 65 kD antigens in leprosy infected paraffin preserved skin and nerve sections

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Bos, I. C.; Khanolkar-Young, S.; Das, P. K.; Lockwood, D. N.

1999-01-01

A panel of lipid, carbohydrate and protein antibodies were optimized for use in detecting M. leprae antigens in paraffin embedded material. Skin and nerve biopsies from 13 patients across the leprosy spectrum were studied. All antibodies detected antigen in tissues with a BI > 1. Phenolic-glycolipid

Performance evaluation on solar still integrated with nano-composite phase change materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajasekhar, G.; Eswaramoorthy, M.

2015-01-01

This paper communicates the performance evaluation of single slope solar still integrated with nano-composite phase change materials and compare with the experimental results of with and without phase change materials. A solar still with 1 m"2 surface area is developed with non-selective coating of absorber sheet with the provision of thermal energy storage materials. The solar still is tested on typical days with and without thermal energy storage materials. It is found that from the experimental studies that nano-materials (Al_2O_3) dispersed in paraffin wax is giving better cumulative yield of distillate than paraffin wax alone and without paraffin wax thermal storage. The daily efficiency of the solar still is computed for solar still with nano-composite phase change materials is 45% and solar still paraffin wax alone thermal storage is 40% and solar still without any thermal storage is 38%. It is concluded from the experimental studies; solar still integrated with nano-composite phase change materials gives better performance than with and without phase change material alone. (authors)

75 FR 80843 - Petroleum Wax Candles From China

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-23

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 731-TA-282 (Third Review)] Petroleum Wax Candles... Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1675(c)), that revocation of the antidumping duty order on petroleum wax... contained in USITC Publication 4207 (December 2010), entitled Petroleum Wax Candles from China...

Dental wax decreases calculus accumulation in small dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Mark M; Smithson, Christopher W

2014-01-01

A dental wax was evaluated after unilateral application in 20 client-owned, mixed and purebred small dogs using a clean, split-mouth study model. All dogs had clinical signs of periodontal disease including plaque, calculus, and/or gingivitis. The wax was randomly applied to the teeth of one side of the mouth daily for 30-days while the contralateral side received no treatment. Owner parameters evaluated included compliance and a subjective assessment of ease of wax application. Gingivitis, plaque and calculus accumulation were scored at the end of the study period. Owners considered the wax easy to apply in all dogs. Compliance with no missed application days was achieved in 8 dogs. The number of missed application days had no effect on wax efficacy. There was no significant difference in gingivitis or plaque accumulation scores when comparing treated and untreated sides. Calculus accumulation scores were significantly less (22.1 %) for teeth receiving the dental wax.

Improved method of producing satisfactory sections of whole eyeball by routine histology.

Science.gov (United States)

Arko-Boham, Benjamin; Ahenkorah, John; Hottor, Bismarck Afedo; Dennis, Esther; Addai, Frederick Kwaku

2014-02-01

To overcome the loss of structural integrity when eyeball sections are prepared by wax embedding, we experimentally modified the routine histological procedure and report satisfactorily well-preserved antero-posterior sections of whole eyeballs for teaching/learning purposes. Presently histological sections of whole eyeballs are not readily available because substantial structural distortions attributable to variable consistency of tissue components (and their undesired differential shrinkage) result from routine processing. Notably, at the dehydration stage of processing, the soft, gel-like vitreous humor considerably shrinks relative to the tough fibrous sclera causing collapse of the ocular globe. Additionally, the combined effects of fixation, dehydration, and embedding at 60°C renders the eye lens too hard for microtome slicing at thicknesses suitable for light microscopy. We satisfactorily preserved intact antero-posterior sections of eyeballs via routine paraffin wax processing procedure entailing two main modifications; (i) careful needle aspiration of vitreous humor and replacement with molten wax prior to wax infiltration; (ii) softening of lens in trimmed wax block by placing a drop of concentrated liquid phenol on it for 3 h during microtomy. These variations of the routine histological method produced intact whole eyeball sections with retinal detachment as the only structural distortion. Intact sections of the eyeball obtained compares well with the laborious, expensive, and 8-week long celloidin method. Our method has wider potential usability than costly freeze drying method which requires special skills and equipment (cryotome) and does not produce whole eyeball sections. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Histopathological Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Infections in Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded Tissues in Conjunction with Molecular Methods].

Science.gov (United States)

Shinozaki, Minoru; Tochigi, Naobumi; Sadamoto, Sota; Yamagata Murayama, Somay; Wakayama, Megumi; Nemoto, Tetsuo

2018-01-01

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between histopathology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and in situ hybridization (ISH) for the identification of causative fungi in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens. Since pathogenic fungi in tissue specimens can be difficult to identify morphologically, PCR and ISH have been usually employed as auxiliary procedures. However, little comparison has been made on the sensitivity and specificity of PCR and ISH using FFPE specimens. Therefore, to compare and clarify the reproducibility and usefulness of PCR and ISH as auxiliary procedures for histological identification, we performed histopathological review, PCR assays, and ISH to identify pathogenic fungi in 59 FFPE tissue specimens obtained from 49 autopsies. The following are the main findings for this retrospective review: i) even for cases classified as "mold not otherwise specified" (MNOS), two cases could be identified as Aspergillus species by molecular methods; ii) all cases classified as non-zygomycetes mold (NZM) were Aspergillus species and were not identified by molecular methods as other fungi; iii) all 3 cases classified as zygomycetes mold (ZM) could be identified by molecular methods as Mucorales; iv) except for 1 case identified by molecular methods as Trichosporon spp., 5 cases were originally identified as dimorphic yeast (DY). As a measure of nucleic acid integrity, PCR and ISH successfully detected human and fungal nucleic acids in approximately 60% of the specimens. Detection of Aspergillus DNA by nested PCR assay and by ISH against the A. fumigatus ALP gene were similarly sensitive and significant (pmolecular methods such as ISH and PCR on FFPE specimens with pathological diagnosis should improve diagnostic accuracy of fungal infection.

Binary liquid-liquid equilibria of aniline-paraffin and furfural-paraffin systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sen, S.C.; Maity, S.; Ganguli, K.; Ray, P. (Calcutta Univ., (India))

1991-12-01

Liquid-liquid-equilibria (L-L-E) of hydrocarbon containing systems are of considerable commercial importance to refineries. But prediction of L-L-E of such systems is extremely difficult owing to the complex nature of the petroleum fluids. For treating such complex mixtures, a continuous component method is appropriate and for representing such liquids, a group contribution model like the UNIFAC is extremely convenient. It is, however, necessary to determine the appropriate group interaction parameters, and also to test the applicability of the UNIFAC method to these cases. Binary liquid-liquid-equilibria data for several aniline-paraffin and furfural-paraffin systems have been taken. These data along with data for other aniline-hydrocarbon and furfural-hydrocarbon systems from literature have been correlated using the UNIFAC model. The UNIFAC group interaction parameters have been found to have a linear temperature dependence. The CH{sub 2} groups in cyclo and non-cyclo paraffins require different interaction parameters. It was also found that a scaling of the combinatorial term is necessary for higher molecular weight hydrocarbons. 13 refs., 12 figs., 5 tabs.

Improved method for extraction and detection of Helicobacter pylori DNA in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded gastric biopsies using laser micro-dissection.

Science.gov (United States)

Loayza, María Fernanda; Villavicencio, Fernando Xavier; Santander, Stephanie Carolina; Baldeón, Manuel; Ponce, Lourdes Karina; Salvador, Iván; Vivar Díaz, Nicolás

2015-01-01

To assess the molecular events exerted by Helicobacter pylori interacting directly with gastric epithelial cells, an improved procedure for microbial DNA isolation from stained hematoxilin-eosin gastric biopsies was developed based on laser micro-dissection (LM) [1]. Few articles have described the use of LM to select and detect H. pylori genome from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded gastric tissue [2]. To improve the yield and quality of DNA isolated from H. pylori contacting intestinal epithelial cells, the following conditions were established after modification of the QIAamp DNA Micro kit. •Use of at least 25 cut sections of 10-20 μm of diameter and 3 μm thick with more than 10 bacteria in each cut.•Lysis with 30 μL of tissue lysis buffer and 20 μL of proteinase K (PK) with the tube in an upside-down position.•The use of thin purification columns with 35 μL of elution buffer. The mean of DNA concentration obtained from 25 LM cut sections was 1.94± 0 .16 ng/μL, and it was efficiently amplified with qPCR in a Bio Rad iCycler instrument. The LM can improve the sample selection and DNA extraction for molecular analysis of H. pylori associated with human gastric epithelium.

Multiplexed color-coded probe-based gene expression assessment for clinical molecular diagnostics in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human renal allograft tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Adam, Benjamin; Afzali, Bahman; Dominy, Katherine M; Chapman, Erin; Gill, Reeda; Hidalgo, Luis G; Roufosse, Candice; Sis, Banu; Mengel, Michael

2016-03-01

Histopathologic diagnoses in transplantation can be improved with molecular testing. Preferably, molecular diagnostics should fit into standard-of-care workflows for transplant biopsies, that is, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) processing. The NanoString(®) gene expression platform has recently been shown to work with FFPE samples. We aimed to evaluate its methodological robustness and feasibility for gene expression studies in human FFPE renal allograft samples. A literature-derived antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) 34-gene set, comprised of endothelial, NK cell, and inflammation transcripts, was analyzed in different retrospective biopsy cohorts and showed potential to molecularly discriminate ABMR cases, including FFPE samples. NanoString(®) results were reproducible across a range of RNA input quantities (r = 0.998), with different operators (r = 0.998), and between different reagent lots (r = 0.983). There was moderate correlation between NanoString(®) with FFPE tissue and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) with corresponding dedicated fresh-stabilized tissue (r = 0.487). Better overall correlation with histology was observed with NanoString(®) (r = 0.354) than with qRT-PCR (r = 0.146). Our results demonstrate the feasibility of multiplexed gene expression quantification from FFPE renal allograft tissue. This represents a method for prospective and retrospective validation of molecular diagnostics and its adoption in clinical transplantation pathology. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Methanogenic Paraffin Biodegradation: Alkylsuccinate Synthase Gene Quantification and Dicarboxylic Acid Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Oberding, Lisa K; Gieg, Lisa M

2018-01-01

Paraffinic n -alkanes (>C 17 ) that are solid at ambient temperature comprise a large fraction of many crude oils. The comparatively low water solubility and reactivity of these long-chain alkanes can lead to their persistence in the environment following fuel spills and pose serious problems for crude oil recovery operations by clogging oil production wells. However, the degradation of waxy paraffins under the anoxic conditions characterizing contaminated groundwater environments and deep subsurface energy reservoirs is poorly understood. Here, we assessed the ability of a methanogenic culture enriched from freshwater fuel-contaminated aquifer sediments to biodegrade the model paraffin n -octacosane (C 28 H 58 ). Compared with that in controls, the consumption of n -octacosane was coupled to methane production, demonstrating its biodegradation under these conditions. Smithella was postulated to be an important C 28 H 58 degrader in the culture on the basis of its high relative abundance as determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. An identified assA gene (known to encode the α subunit of alkylsuccinate synthase) aligned most closely with those from other Smithella organisms. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) and reverse transcription qPCR assays for assA demonstrated significant increases in the abundance and expression of this gene in C 28 H 58 -degrading cultures compared with that in controls, suggesting n -octacosane activation by fumarate addition. A metabolite analysis revealed the presence of several long-chain α,ω-dicarboxylic acids only in the C 28 H 58 -degrading cultures, a novel observation providing clues as to how methanogenic consortia access waxy hydrocarbons. The results of this study broaden our understanding of how waxy paraffins can be biodegraded in anoxic environments with an application toward bioremediation and improved oil recovery. IMPORTANCE Understanding the methanogenic biodegradation of different classes of hydrocarbons has important

Clinical relevance of DNA microarray analyses using archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast cancer specimens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadi, Al Muktafi; Wang, Dong-Yu; Youngson, Bruce J; Miller, Naomi; Boerner, Scott; Done, Susan J; Leong, Wey L

2011-01-01

The ability of gene profiling to predict treatment response and prognosis in breast cancers has been demonstrated in many studies using DNA microarray analyses on RNA from fresh frozen tumor specimens. In certain clinical and research situations, performing such analyses on archival formalin fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) surgical specimens would be advantageous as large libraries of such specimens with long-term follow-up data are widely available. However, FFPE tissue processing can cause fragmentation and chemical modifications of the RNA. A number of recent technical advances have been reported to overcome these issues. Our current study evaluates whether or not the technology is ready for clinical applications. A modified RNA extraction method and a recent DNA microarray technique, cDNA-mediated annealing, selection, extension and ligation (DASL, Illumina Inc) were evaluated. The gene profiles generated from FFPE specimens were compared to those obtained from paired fresh fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB) of 25 breast cancers of different clinical subtypes (based on ER and Her2/neu status). Selected RNA levels were validated using RT-qPCR, and two public databases were used to demonstrate the prognostic significance of the gene profiles generated from FFPE specimens. Compared to FNAB, RNA isolated from FFPE samples was relatively more degraded, nonetheless, over 80% of the RNA samples were deemed suitable for subsequent DASL assay. Despite a higher noise level, a set of genes from FFPE specimens correlated very well with the gene profiles obtained from FNAB, and could differentiate breast cancer subtypes. Expression levels of these genes were validated using RT-qPCR. Finally, for the first time we correlated gene expression profiles from FFPE samples to survival using two independent microarray databases. Specifically, over-expression of ANLN and KIF2C, and under-expression of MAPT strongly correlated with poor outcomes in breast cancer patients. We

The Use of Biobased Surfactant Obtained by Enzymatic Syntheses for Wax Deposition Inhibition and Drag Reduction in Crude Oil Pipelines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhihua Wang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Crude oil plays an important role in providing the energy supply of the world, and pipelines have long been recognized as the safest and most efficient means of transporting oil and its products. However, the transportation process also faces the challenges of asphaltene-paraffin structural interactions, pipeline pressure losses and energy consumption. In order to determine the role of drag-reducing surfactant additives in the transportation of crude oils, experiments of wax deposition inhibition and drag reduction of different oil in pipelines with a biobased surfactant obtained by enzymatic syntheses were carried out. The results indicated that heavy oil transportation in the pipeline is remarkably enhanced by creating stable oil-in-water (O/W emulsion with the surfactant additive. The wax appearance temperature (WAT and pour point were modified, and the formation of a space-filling network of interlocking wax crystals was prevented at low temperature by adding a small concentration of the surfactant additive. A maximum viscosity reduction of 70% and a drag reduction of 40% for light crude oil flows in pipelines were obtained with the surfactant additive at a concentration of 100 mg/L. Furthermore, a successful field application of the drag-reducing surfactant in a light crude oil pipeline in Daqing Oilfield was demonstrated. Hence, the use of biobased surfactant obtained by enzymatic syntheses in oil transportation is a potential method to address the current challenges, which could result in a significant energy savings and a considerable reduction of the operating cost.

High-throughput sequencing and copy number variation detection using formalin fixed embedded tissue in metastatic gastric cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seokhwi Kim

Full Text Available In the era of targeted therapy, mutation profiling of cancer is a crucial aspect of making therapeutic decisions. To characterize cancer at a molecular level, the use of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue is important. We tested the Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Hotspot Panel v2 and nCounter Copy Number Variation Assay in 89 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded gastric cancer samples to determine whether they are applicable in archival clinical samples for personalized targeted therapies. We validated the results with Sanger sequencing, real-time quantitative PCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Frequently detected somatic mutations included TP53 (28.17%, APC (10.1%, PIK3CA (5.6%, KRAS (4.5%, SMO (3.4%, STK11 (3.4%, CDKN2A (3.4% and SMAD4 (3.4%. Amplifications of HER2, CCNE1, MYC, KRAS and EGFR genes were observed in 8 (8.9%, 4 (4.5%, 2 (2.2%, 1 (1.1% and 1 (1.1% cases, respectively. In the cases with amplification, fluorescence in situ hybridization for HER2 verified gene amplification and immunohistochemistry for HER2, EGFR and CCNE1 verified the overexpression of proteins in tumor cells. In conclusion, we successfully performed semiconductor-based sequencing and nCounter copy number variation analyses in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded gastric cancer samples. High-throughput screening in archival clinical samples enables faster, more accurate and cost-effective detection of hotspot mutations or amplification in genes.

Detection of MDM2/CDK4 amplification in lipomatous soft tissue tumors from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue: comparison of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Science.gov (United States)

Creytens, David; van Gorp, Joost; Ferdinande, Liesbeth; Speel, Ernst-Jan; Libbrecht, Louis

2015-02-01

In this study, the detection of MDM2 and CDK4 amplification was evaluated in lipomatous soft tissue tumors using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), a PCR-based technique, in comparison with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). These 2 techniques were evaluated in a series of 77 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lipomatous tumors (27 benign adipose tumors, 28 atypical lipomatous tumors/well-differentiated liposarcomas, 18 dedifferentiated liposarcomas, and 4 pleomorphic liposarcomas). Using MLPA, with a cut-off ratio of >2, 36/71 samples (22 atypical lipomatous tumors/well-differentiated liposarcomas, and 14 dedifferentiated liposarcomas) showed MDM2 and CDK4 amplification. Using FISH as gold standard, MLPA showed a sensitivity of 90% (36/40) and a specificity of 100% (31/31) in detecting amplification of MDM2 and CDK4 in lipomatous soft tissue tumors. In case of high-level amplification (MDM2-CDK4/CEP12 ratio >5), concordance was 100%. Four cases of atypical lipomatous tumor/well-differentiated liposarcoma (4/26, 15%) with a low MDM2 and CDK4 amplification level (MDM2-CDK4/CEP12 ratio ranging between 2 and 2.5) detected by FISH showed no amplification by MLPA, although gain of MDM2 and CDK4 (ratios ranging between 1.6 and 1.9) was seen with MLPA. No amplification was detected in benign lipomatous tumors and pleomorphic liposarcomas. Furthermore, there was a very high concordance between the ratios obtained by FISH and MLPA. In conclusion, MLPA proves to be an appropriate and straightforward technique for screening MDM2/CDK4 amplification in lipomatous tumors, especially when a correct cut-off value and reference samples are chosen, and could be considered a good alternative to FISH to determine MDM2 and CDK4 amplification in liposarcomas. Moreover, because MLPA, as a multiplex technique, allows simultaneous detection of multiple chromosomal changes of interest, it could be in the future a very reliable and fast molecular analysis on

An experimental investigation of performance of a double pass solar air heater with thermal storage medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Hafiz Muhammad

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The performance of a double pass solar air heater was experimentally investigated using four different configurations. First configuration contained only absorber plate whereas copper tubes filled with thermal storage medium (paraffin wax were added on the absorber plate in the second configuration. Aluminum and steel rods as thermal enhancer were inserted in the middle of paraffin wax of each tube for configurations three and four respectively. Second configuration provided useful heat for about 1.5 hours after the sunset compared to first configuration. Configurations three and four provided useful heat for about 2 hours after the sunset. The maximum efficiency of about 96% was achieved using configuration three (i.e. using Aluminum rods in the middle of copper tubes filled with paraffin wax.

Sealing-free fast-response paraffin/nanoporous gold hybrid actuator

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Xing-Long; Jin, Hai-Jun

2017-09-01

Paraffin-based actuators can deliver large actuation strokes and high actuation stress, but often suffer from a low response rate and leaking problems. Here, we report a new paraffin/metal hybrid actuator, which was fabricated by infiltrating nanoporous gold with paraffin. It exhibits a fast actuation rate owing to the high thermal conductivity of the inter-connected metal phase, and requires no external sealing because liquid paraffin can be well confined in nanoscale channels, due to the large capillarity. We found that in this hybrid actuator, the stress generated by actuation is negligibly small when the characteristic size of the nanoporous gold (L) is above ˜70 nm, and increases dramatically with a decreasing size when L paraffin wax—the paraffin in smaller pores can sustain larger tensile stress, and thus the contraction of paraffin during cooling can be translated into larger compression stress and strain energy in a metal framework, leading to a larger actuation stress and energy. We also demonstrate that complex actuation motions can be achieved by incorporating hierarchical-structured nanoporous metal with paraffin.

In vivo evaluation of insect wax for hair growth potential

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jinju

2018-01-01

Insect wax is secreted by Ericerus pela Chavanness. It has been traditionally used to treat hair loss in China, but few reports have been published on the hair growth-promoting effect of insect wax. In this work, we examined the hair growth-promoting effects of insect wax on model animals. Different concentrations of insect wax were topically applied to the denuded backs of mice, and 5% minoxidil was applied topically as a positive control. We found that insect wax significantly promoted hair growth in a dose-dependent manner, 45% and 30% insect wax both induced hair to regrow, while less visible hair growth was observed in blank controls on the 16th day. The experimental areas treated with 45% and 30% insect wax exhibited significant differences in hair scores compared to blank controls, and hair lengths in the 45% and 30% insect wax group was significantly longer than in blank controls on the 16th and 20th days. There were no new hair follicles forming in the treated areas, and the hair follicles were prematurely converted to the anagen phase from the telogen phase in experimental areas treated with 45% and 30% insect wax. Both 45% and 30% insect wax upregulated vascular endothelial growth factor expression. The results indicated that 45% and 30% insect wax showed hair growth-promoting potential approximately as potent as 5% minoxidil by inducing the premature conversion of telogen-to-anagen and by prolonging the mature anagen phase rather than increasing the number of hair follicles, which was likely related to the upregulation of VEGF expression. The dissociative policosanol in insect wax was considered the key ingredient most likely responsible for the hair growth promoting potential. PMID:29438422

In vivo evaluation of insect wax for hair growth potential.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinju Ma

Full Text Available Insect wax is secreted by Ericerus pela Chavanness. It has been traditionally used to treat hair loss in China, but few reports have been published on the hair growth-promoting effect of insect wax. In this work, we examined the hair growth-promoting effects of insect wax on model animals. Different concentrations of insect wax were topically applied to the denuded backs of mice, and 5% minoxidil was applied topically as a positive control. We found that insect wax significantly promoted hair growth in a dose-dependent manner, 45% and 30% insect wax both induced hair to regrow, while less visible hair growth was observed in blank controls on the 16th day. The experimental areas treated with 45% and 30% insect wax exhibited significant differences in hair scores compared to blank controls, and hair lengths in the 45% and 30% insect wax group was significantly longer than in blank controls on the 16th and 20th days. There were no new hair follicles forming in the treated areas, and the hair follicles were prematurely converted to the anagen phase from the telogen phase in experimental areas treated with 45% and 30% insect wax. Both 45% and 30% insect wax upregulated vascular endothelial growth factor expression. The results indicated that 45% and 30% insect wax showed hair growth-promoting potential approximately as potent as 5% minoxidil by inducing the premature conversion of telogen-to-anagen and by prolonging the mature anagen phase rather than increasing the number of hair follicles, which was likely related to the upregulation of VEGF expression. The dissociative policosanol in insect wax was considered the key ingredient most likely responsible for the hair growth promoting potential.

Statistical Optimization of Sustained Release Venlafaxine HCI Wax Matrix Tablet.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhalekar, M R; Madgulkar, A R; Sheladiya, D D; Kshirsagar, S J; Wable, N D; Desale, S S

2008-01-01

The purpose of this research was to prepare a sustained release drug delivery system of venlafaxine hydrochloride by using a wax matrix system. The effects of bees wax and carnauba wax on drug release profile was investigated. A 3(2) full factorial design was applied to systemically optimize the drug release profile. Amounts of carnauba wax (X(1)) and bees wax (X(2)) were selected as independent variables and release after 12 h and time required for 50% (t(50)) drug release were selected as dependent variables. A mathematical model was generated for each response parameter. Both waxes retarded release after 12 h and increases the t(50) but bees wax showed significant influence. The drug release pattern for all the formulation combinations was found to be approaching Peppas kinetic model. Suitable combination of two waxes provided fairly good regulated release profile. The response surfaces and contour plots for each response parameter are presented for further interpretation of the results. The optimum formulations were chosen and their predicted results found to be in close agreement with experimental findings.

Characterization of a Novel Anti-Human HB-EGF Monoclonal Antibody Applicable for Paraffin-Embedded Tissues and Diagnosis of HB-EGF-Related Cancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwamoto, Ryo; Takagi, Mika; Akatsuka, Jun-Ichi; Ono, Ken-Ichiro; Kishi, Yoshiro; Mekada, Eisuke

2016-04-01

Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is a member of the EGF family of growth factors that bind to and activate the EGF receptor (EGFR/ErbB1) and ErbB4. HB-EGF plays pivotal roles in pathophysiological processes, including cancer. Thus, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for HB-EGF detection could be an important tool in the therapeutic diagnosis of HB-EGF-related cancers and other diseases. However, few mAbs, especially those applicable for immunohistochemistry (IHC), have been established to date. In this study, we generated a clone of hybridoma-derived mAb 2-108 by immunizing mice with recombinant human HB-EGF protein expressed by human cells. The mAb 2-108 specifically bound to human HB-EGF but not to mouse HB-EGF and was successful in immunoblotting, even under reducing conditions, immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence for unfixed as well as paraformaldehyde-fixed cells. Notably, this mAb was effective in IHC of paraffin-embedded tumor specimens. Epitope mapping analysis showed that mAb 2-108 recognized the N-terminal prodomain in HB-EGF. These results indicate that this new anti-HB-EGF mAb 2-108 would be useful in the diagnosis of HB-EGF-related cancers and would be a strong tool in both basic and clinical research on HB-EGF.

Rubidium dimers in paraffin-coated cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acosta, V M; Windes, D; Corsini, E; Ledbetter, M P; Karaulanov, T; Budker, D; Jarmola, A; Auzinsh, M; Rangwala, S A; Jackson Kimball, D F

2010-01-01

Measurements were made to determine the density of rubidium dimer vapor in paraffin-coated cells. The number density of dimers and atoms in similar paraffin-coated and uncoated cells was measured by optical spectroscopy. Due to the relatively low melting point of paraffin, a limited temperature range of 43-80 0 C was explored, with the lower end corresponding to a dimer density of less than 10 7 cm -3 . With 1 min integration time, a sensitivity to dimer number density of better than 10 6 cm -3 was achieved. No significant difference in dimer density between the cells was observed.

High Quality Genomic Copy Number Data from Archival Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Leiomyosarcoma: Optimisation of Universal Linkage System Labelling

Science.gov (United States)

Salawu, Abdulazeez; Ul-Hassan, Aliya; Hammond, David; Fernando, Malee; Reed, Malcolm; Sisley, Karen

2012-01-01

Most soft tissue sarcomas are characterized by genetic instability and frequent genomic copy number aberrations that are not subtype-specific. Oligonucleotide microarray-based Comparative Genomic Hybridisation (array CGH) is an important technique used to map genome-wide copy number aberrations, but the traditional requirement for high-quality DNA typically obtained from fresh tissue has limited its use in sarcomas. Although large archives of Formalin-fixed Paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumour samples are available for research, the degradative effects of formalin on DNA from these tissues has made labelling and analysis by array CGH technically challenging. The Universal Linkage System (ULS) may be used for a one-step chemical labelling of such degraded DNA. We have optimised the ULS labelling protocol to perform aCGH on archived FFPE leiomyosarcoma tissues using the 180k Agilent platform. Preservation age of samples ranged from a few months to seventeen years and the DNA showed a wide range of degradation (when visualised on agarose gels). Consistently high DNA labelling efficiency and low microarray probe-to-probe variation (as measured by the derivative log ratio spread) was seen. Comparison of paired fresh and FFPE samples from identical tumours showed good correlation of CNAs detected. Furthermore, the ability to macro-dissect FFPE samples permitted the detection of CNAs that were masked in fresh tissue. Aberrations were visually confirmed using Fluorescence in situ Hybridisation. These results suggest that archival FFPE tissue, with its relative abundance and attendant clinical data may be used for effective mapping for genomic copy number aberrations in such rare tumours as leiomyosarcoma and potentially unravel clues to tumour origins, progression and ultimately, targeted treatment. PMID:23209738

Detection of adulterated commercial Spanish beeswax.

Science.gov (United States)

Serra Bonvehi, J; Orantes Bermejo, F J

2012-05-01

The physical and chemical parameters (melting point and saponification number), and the fraction of hydrocarbons, monoesters, acids and alcohols have been determined in 90 samples of Spanish commercial beeswax from Apis mellifera L. The adulteration with paraffins of different melting point, cow tallow, stearic acid, and carnauba wax were determined by HTGC-FID/MS detection, and the research was focussed mainly on paraffins and microcrystallines waxes. In general, the added adulterant can be identified by the presence of non-naturally beeswax components, and by the differences of values of selected components between pure and adulterated beeswax. The detection limits were determined using pure and adulterated beeswax with different amounts of added waxes (5%, 10%, 20% and 30%). Percentages higher than 1-5% of each adulterant can be detected in the mixtures. Paraffin waxes were confirmed in 33 of the 90 samples analysed at concentrations between 5% and 30%. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of the cell tropism of serotype 1 feline infectious peritonitis virus using the spike affinity histochemistry in paraffin-embedded tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Cham, Tat-Chuan; Chang, Yen-Chen; Tsai, Pei-Shiue; Wu, Ching-Ho; Chen, Hui-Wen; Jeng, Chian-Ren; Pang, Victor Fei; Chang, Hui-Wen

2017-08-01

Unlike for serotype II feline coronaviruses (FCoV II), the cellular receptor for serotype I FCoV (FCoV I), the most prevalent FCoV serotype, is unknown. To provide a platform for assessing the pattern by which FCoV I attaches to its host receptor(s), HEK293 cell lines that stably express the ectodomains of the spike (S) proteins derived from a FCoV I feline enteric coronavirus strain UU7 (FECV UU7) and a feline infectious peritonitis virus strain UU4 (FIPV UU4) were established. Using the recombinant S proteins as probes to perform S protein affinity histochemistry in paraffin-embedded tissues, although no tissue or enteric binding of FECV UU7 S protein was detected, it was found that by immunohistochemistry that the tissue distribution of FIPV UU4 S protein-bound cells correlated with that of FIPV antigen-positive cells and lesions associated with FIP and that the affinity binding of FIPV UU4 S protein on macrophages was not affected by enzymatic removal of host cell-surface sialic acid with neuraminidase. These findings suggest that a factor(s) other than sialic acid contribute(s) to the macrophage tropism of FIPV strain UU4. This approach allowed obtaining more information about both virus-host cell interactions and the biological characteristics of the unidentified cellular receptor for FCoV I. © 2017 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Effects of UV-B radiation on wax biosynthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, J.; Paul, N.; Percy, K.; Broadbent, P.; McLaughlin, C.; Mullineaux, P.; Creissen, G.; Wellburn, A.

1994-01-01

Two genotypes of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) were exposed in controlled environment chambers to three levels of biologically effective ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B BE ; 280-320nm): 0, 4.54 (ambient) and 5.66 (∼ 25% enhancement) kJ m -2 d -1 . After 28 days, the quantity of wax deposited on leaf surfaces was determined gravimetrically; epicuticular wax chemical composition was determined by capillary gas chromatography with homologue assignments confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Leaf wettability was assessed by measuring the contact angle of water droplets placed on leaf surfaces. Tobacco wax consisted of three major hydrocarbon classes: Straight-chain alkanes (C 27 -C 33 ) which comprised ∼ 59% of the hydrocarbon fraction, containing a predominance of odd-chain alkanes with C 31 as the most abundant homologue; branched-chain alkanes (C 25 -C 32 ) which comprised ∼38% of the hydrocarbon fraction with anteiso 3-methyltriacontane (C 30 ) as the predominant homologue; and fatty acids (C 14 -C 18 ) which comprised ∼ 3% of the wax. Exposure to enhanced UV-B radiation reduced the quantity of wax on the adaxial surface of the transgenic mutant, and resulted in marked changes in the chemical composition of the wax on the exposed leaf surface. Enhanced UV-B decreased the quantity of straight-chain alkanes, increased the quantity of branched-chain alkanes and fatty acids, and resulted in shifts toward shorter straight-chain lengths. Furthermore, UV-B-induced changes in wax composition were associated with increased wettability of tobacco leaf surfaces. Overall, the data are consistent with the view that UV-B radiation has a direct and fundamental effect on wax biosynthesis. Relationships between the physico-chemical nature of the leaf surface and sensitivity to UV-B radiation are discussed. (orig.)

7 CFR 58.427 - Paraffin tanks.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Paraffin tanks. 58.427 Section 58.427 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards....427 Paraffin tanks. The metal tank should be adequate in size, have wood rather than metal racks to...

Numerical Analysis of a Paraffin/Metal Foam Composite for Thermal Storage

Science.gov (United States)

Di Giorgio, P.; Iasiello, M.; Viglione, A.; Mameli, M.; Filippeschi, S.; Di Marco, P.; Andreozzi, A.; Bianco, N.

2017-01-01

In the last decade, the use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) as passive thermal energy storage has been widely studied both analytically and experimentally. Among the PCMs, paraffins show many advantages, such as having a high latent heat, a low vapour pressure, being chemically inert, stable and non-toxic. But, their thermal conductivity is very low with a high volume change during the melting process. An efficient way to increase their poor thermal conductivity is to couple them with open cells metallic foams. This paper deals with a theoretical analysis of paraffin melting process inside an aluminum foam. A mathematical model is developed by using the volume-averaged governing equations for the porous domain, made up by the PCM embedded into the metal foam. Non-Darcian and buoyancy effects are considered in the momentum equation, while the energy equations are modelled with the Local Thermal Non-Equilibrium (LTNE) approach. The PCM liquefaction is treated with the apparent heat capacity method and the governing equations are solved with a finite-element scheme by COMSOL Multiphysics®. A new method to calculate the coupling coefficients needed for the thermal model has been developed and the results obtained have been validated comparing them to experimental data in literature.

Simultaneous phenotyping and genotyping (FICTION-methodology) on paraffin sections and cytologic specimens: a comparison of 2 different protocols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bzorek, M.Sr.; Hansen, L.; Petersen, Bodil Laub

2008-01-01

for the investigation of neoplasms)]. However, few studies have been applied to the technical problems posed by antigen retrieval and accessibility of genetic probes to target-DNA, using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. In this study, we compared 2 immunofluorescence detection systems, the 3-step IF (TIF......) method against the Tyramide Signal Amplification techniques (TSA). The FICTION-TSA technique significantly improved the sensitivity for detection of the immunophenotypic markers without influencing specific probe hybridization to target-DNA, compared with the results obtained with the TIF method....... The reaction product of the TSA system was robust to the following FISH procedure in contrast to the TIF technique. The TSA technique used also allowed synchronous detection of nuclear antigens and FISH signals using both fusion (IgH/CCND1) and break-apart (CCND1) probes on formalin-fixed paraffin...

Putative skin-protective formulations in preventing and/or inhibiting experimentally-produced irritant and allergic contact dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhai, H; Willard, P; Maibach, H I

1999-10-01

The effectiveness of skin protective formulations was evaluated in a previously-described in vivo human model. All formulations failed to inhibit ammonium hydroxide and urea irritation. Only paraffin wax in cetyl alcohol statistically (plauryl sulfate irritation. Paraffin wax in cetyl alcohol was quantitatively the most effective formulation. These results suggest that some formulations may provide protective effects against certain, but not all, irritants or allergens.

Diversity of cuticular wax among Salix species and Populus species hybrids.

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, Kimberly D; Teece, Mark A; Bevilacqua, Eddie; Smart, Lawrence B

2002-08-01

The leaf cuticular waxes of three Salix species and two Populus species hybrids, selected for their ability to produce high amounts of biomass, were characterized. Samples were extracted in CH(2)Cl(2) three times over the growing season. Low kV SEM was utilized to observe differences in the ultrastructure of leaf surfaces from each clone. Homologous series of wax components were classified into organic groups, and the variation in wax components due to clone, sample time, and their interaction was identified. All Salix species and Populus species hybrids showed differences in total wax load at each sampling period, whereas the pattern of wax deposition over time differed only between the Salix species. A strong positive relationship was identified between the entire homologous series of alcohols and total wax load in all clones. Similarly strong relationships were observed between fatty acids and total wax load as well as fatty acids and alcohols in two Salix species and one Populus species hybrid. One Salix species, S. dasyclados, also displayed a strong positive relationship between alcohols and alkanes. These data indicate that species grown under the same environmental conditions produce measurably different cuticular waxes and that regulation of wax production appears to be different in each species. The important roles cuticular waxes play in drought tolerance, pest, and pathogen resistance, as well as the ease of wax extraction and analysis, strongly suggest that the characteristics of the cuticular wax may prove to be useful selectable traits in a breeding program.

Microencapsulation of flavors in carnauba wax.

Science.gov (United States)

Milanovic, Jelena; Manojlovic, Verica; Levic, Steva; Rajic, Nevenka; Nedovic, Viktor; Bugarski, Branko

2010-01-01

The subject of this study is the development of flavor wax formulations aimed for food and feed products. The melt dispersion technique was applied for the encapsulation of ethyl vanillin in wax microcapsules. The surface morphology of microparticles was investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM), while the loading content was determined by HPLC measurements. This study shows that the decomposition process under heating proceeds in several steps: vanilla evaporation occurs at around 200 °C, while matrix degradation starts at 250 °C and progresses with maxima at around 360, 440 and 520 °C. The results indicate that carnauba wax is an attractive material for use as a matrix for encapsulation of flavours in order to improve their functionality and stability in products.

Microencapsulation of Flavors in Carnauba Wax

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Branko Bugarski

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The subject of this study is the development of flavor wax formulations aimed for food and feed products. The melt dispersion technique was applied for the encapsulation of ethyl vanillin in wax microcapsules. The surface morphology of microparticles was investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM, while the loading content was determined by HPLC measurements. This study shows that the decomposition process under heating proceeds in several steps: vanilla evaporation occurs at around 200 °C, while matrix degradation starts at 250 °C and progresses with maxima at around 360, 440 and 520 °C. The results indicate that carnauba wax is an attractive material for use as a matrix for encapsulation of flavours in order to improve their functionality and stability in products.

Development of an offshore gas field - investigation of hydrate and paraffin formation potential with regard to flow assurance; Entwicklung eines Offshore-Gasfeldes: Hydrat- und Paraffinuntersuchungen zur Sicherstellung der kontinuierlichen Produktion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zettlitzer, M.; Busch, M. [RWE Dea AG, Wietze (Germany)

2005-11-01

During the production of offshore gas fields, raw gas from a number of production wells is usually led to a platform or - for reservoirs located close to shore - even transported as wet gas to an onshore gas treatment plant. The pipelines are located at the sea bottom, resulting in significant cooling of the raw gas with subsequent potential for the formation of hydrates and/or precipitation of paraffin on the pipeline walls. In order to safeguard continuous production, additional installations and/or dosage of chemicals would possibly be required. On the basis of gas and condensate samples from production tests, the formation potential for paraffins was experimentally investigated while the hydrate formation potential was assessed by simulations. The very small volume of condensate available (2-3 ml of each sample) formed a special challenge and limited the number of possible analytical investigations. Nevertheless, wax appearance temperature of five condensates under investigation could successfully be determined by a combination of gas-chromatographic and rheological measurements. Two of the three gas-bearing layers turned out to produce dry gas so that paraffin problems can be excluded. However, according to the simulations, hydrate formation at temperatures {<=}+20 C has to be expected under the formation pressure of about 200 bars. The third layer contains a gas condensate, causing paraffin precipitation at {<=}0 C and forming hydrate in a temperature range similar to that of the other two sands. Hence, precautions have to taken to prevent hydrate formation in all field lines containing wet gas. Furthermore, the paraffin precipitation potential has to be taken into account in the subsequent low-temperature gas-treatment plant. (orig.)

Radiometric determination of uniformity of putting paraffin on textile threads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ridel', Z.; Kherrmann, Eh.; Shefer, I.; Tseiner, A.

1979-01-01

To improve processing of the natural and synthetic fiber threads on stocking-frames, they are treated by paraffin. Paraffin is applied in the amounts nearly equal to 0.1 -1.0 g for 10 4 m of the thread's length. To determine amount of paraffin on thread and to determine uniformity if its application, a radiometric method has been developed. As a radioactive label, didocilephosphate of rare earths was used. This compound has good solubility in hydrocarbons and does not change physical properties of paraffin in the investigated field of its application as well as its concentration. It is possible to add to paraffin this radioactive label or a non-active label with subsequent its activation. Amount of paraffin, applied on a thread is determined by means of measurement of activity of thread samples of different length. Information about uniformity of paraffin application on thread have been obtained by means of autoradiography. It has been found that paraffin in mainly applied on the thread's bulges [ru

Phototransformation of the herbicide sulcotrione on maize cuticular wax.

Science.gov (United States)

Ter Halle, Alexandra; Drncova, Daniela; Richard, Claire

2006-05-01

Vegetation plays a key role in environmental cycling and the fate of many organic pollutants. This is especially the case for pesticides because plant leaves are their first reaction environment after application. It is commonly accepted that photochemical reactions of pollutants on plants predominantly take place in the cuticular wax coating of the leaves. Thus, we used films made of either cuticular wax extracted from maize or carnauba gray wax as a model support. Under simulated sunlight irradiation, sulcotrione (a new class of triketone herbicides) sorbed on cuticular wax films was photolyzed and mainly underwent an intramolecular cyclization. The photoproduct is a chromone derivative which was isolated and fully characterized. It is reported for the first time as a sulcotrione degradation product. The photoreactivity of formulated sulcotrione at the surface of cuticular waxes was investigated too. It photodegraded more rapidly than nonformulated sulcotrione. This study also shows that the rate of sulcotrione photolysis was much faster than the rate of penetration into the wax; photolysis should be, thus, a relevant process in real conditions.

Influence of Liquid Paraffin, White Soft Paraffin and Initial Hydration ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

hydrated white soft paraffin on the viscosity of a cream formulated with a corticosteroid. Methods: The formulations were prepared via homogenization with variable velocity in the range 3300 - 4000 rpm. Individual series of preparations contained the ...

Preliminary evaluation of an aqueous wax emulsion for controlled-release coating.

Science.gov (United States)

Walia, P S; Stout, P J; Turton, R

1998-02-01

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the use of an aqueous carnauba wax emulsion (Primafresh HS, Johnson Wax) in a spray-coating process. This involved assessing the effectiveness of the wax in sustaining the release of the drug, theophylline. Second, the process by which the drug was released from the wax-coated pellets was modeled. Finally, a method to determine the optimum blend of pellets with different wax thicknesses, in order to yield a zero-order release profile of the drug, was addressed. Nonpareil pellets were loaded with theophylline using a novel powder coating technique. These drug-loaded pellets were then coated with different levels of carnauba wax in a 6-in. diameter Plexiglas fluid bed with a 3.5-in. diameter Wurster partition. Drug release was measured using a spin-filter dissolution device. The study resulted in continuous carnauba wax coatings which showed sustained drug release profile characteristics typical of a barrier-type, diffusion-controlled system. The effect of varying wax thickness on the release profiles was investigated. It was observed that very high wax loadings would be required to achieve long sustained-release times. The diffusion model, developed to predict the release of the drug, showed good agreement with the experimental data. However, the data exhibited an initial lag-time for drug release which could not be predicted a priori based on the wax coating thickness. A method of mixing pellets with different wax thicknesses was proposed as a way to approximate zero-order release.

Plant surface wax affects parasitoid's response to host footprints

Science.gov (United States)

Rostás, Michael; Ruf, Daniel; Zabka, Vanessa; Hildebrandt, Ulrich

2008-10-01

The plant surface is the substrate upon which herbivorous insects and natural enemies meet and thus represents the stage for interactions between the three trophic levels. Plant surfaces are covered by an epicuticular wax layer which is highly variable depending on species, cultivar or plant part. Differences in wax chemistry may modulate ecological interactions. We explored whether caterpillars of Spodoptera frugiperda, when walking over a plant surface, leave a chemical trail (kairomones) that can be detected by the parasitoid Cotesia marginiventris. Chemistry and micromorphology of cuticular waxes of two barley eceriferum wax mutants ( cer-za.126, cer-yp.949) and wild-type cv. Bonus (wt) were assessed. The plants were then used to investigate potential surface effects on the detectability of caterpillar kairomones. Here we provide evidence that C. marginiventris responds to chemical footprints of its host. Parasitoids were able to detect the kairomone on wild-type plants and on both cer mutants but the response to cer-yp.949 (reduced wax, high aldehyde fraction) was less pronounced. Experiments with caterpillar-treated wt and mutant leaves offered simultaneously, confirmed this observation: no difference in wasp response was found when wt was tested against cer-za.126 (reduced wax, wt-like chemical composition) but wt was significantly more attractive than cer-yp.949. This demonstrates for the first time that the wax layer can modulate the detectability of host kairomones.

Process for separating liquid hydrocarbons from waxes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sowa, F J

1948-03-08

A process is described for the separation of liquid hydrocarbons from waxes comprising adding to a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons and waxes a sufficient quantity of an organo-silicon compound to cause the separation of the hydrocarbon and wax. The organo-silicon compounds are selected from the class of organic silicanes and their hydrolysis products and polymers. The silicanes have the formula R/sub y/SiX/sub z/, in which R is a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon radical, X is a halogen or another hydrocarbon radical or an -OR group, y has a value 1, 2, or 3 and z has a value 1, 2, or 3.

21 CFR 155.120 - Canned green beans and canned wax beans.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Canned green beans and canned wax beans. 155.120... Vegetables § 155.120 Canned green beans and canned wax beans. (a) Identity—(1) Definition. Canned green beans and canned wax beans are the foods prepared from succulent pods of fresh green bean or wax bean plants...

Gluconeogenesis from storage wax in the cotyledons of jojoba seedlings.

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Moreau, R A; Huang, A H

1977-08-01

The cotyledons of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) seeds contained 50 to 60% of their weight as intracellular wax esters. During germination there was a gradual decrease in the wax content with a concomitant rise in soluble carbohydrates, suggesting that the wax played the role of a food reserve. Thin layer chromatography revealed that both the fatty alcohol and fatty acid were metabolized. The disappearance of wax was matched with an increase of catalase, a marker enzyme of the gluconeogenic process in other fatty seedlings. Subcellular organelles were isolated by sucrose gradient centrifugation from the cotyledons at the peak stage of germination. The enzymes of the beta oxidation of fatty acid and of the glyoxylate cycle were localized in the glyoxysomes but not in the mitochondria. The glyoxysomes had specific activities of individual enzymes similar to those of the castor bean glyoxysomes. An active alkaline lipase was detected in the wax bodies at the peak stage of germination but not in the ungerminated seeds. No lipase was detected in glyoxysomes or mitochondria. After the wax in the wax bodies had been extracted with diethyl ether, the organelle membrane was isolated and it still retained the alkaline lipase. The gluconeogenesis from wax in the jojoba seedling appears to be similar, but with modification, to that from triglyceride in other fatty seedlings.

21 CFR 172.275 - Synthetic paraffin and succinic derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Synthetic paraffin and succinic derivatives. 172... FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Coatings, Films and Related Substances § 172.275 Synthetic paraffin and succinic derivatives. Synthetic paraffin and succinic derivatives identified in this section may be safely...

Genome-wide massively parallel sequencing of formaldehyde fixed-paraffin embedded (FFPE tumor tissues for copy-number- and mutation-analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michal R Schweiger

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cancer re-sequencing programs rely on DNA isolated from fresh snap frozen tissues, the preparation of which is combined with additional preservation efforts. Tissue samples at pathology departments are routinely stored as formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE samples and their use would open up access to a variety of clinical trials. However, FFPE preparation is incompatible with many down-stream molecular biology techniques such as PCR based amplification methods and gene expression studies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we investigated the sample quality requirements of FFPE tissues for massively parallel short-read sequencing approaches. We evaluated key variables of pre-fixation, fixation related and post-fixation processes that occur in routine medical service (e.g. degree of autolysis, duration of fixation and of storage. We also investigated the influence of tissue storage time on sequencing quality by using material that was up to 18 years old. Finally, we analyzed normal and tumor breast tissues using the Sequencing by Synthesis technique (Illumina Genome Analyzer, Solexa to simultaneously localize genome-wide copy number alterations and to detect genomic variations such as substitutions and point-deletions and/or insertions in FFPE tissue samples. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The application of second generation sequencing techniques on small amounts of FFPE material opens up the possibility to analyze tissue samples which have been collected during routine clinical work as well as in the context of clinical trials. This is in particular important since FFPE samples are amply available from surgical tumor resections and histopathological diagnosis, and comprise tissue from precursor lesions, primary tumors, lymphogenic and/or hematogenic metastases. Large-scale studies using this tissue material will result in a better prediction of the prognosis of cancer patients and the early identification of patients which

RT-PCR amplification of RNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded oral cancer sections: analysis of p53 pathway.

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Tachibana, Masatsugu; Shinagawa, Yasuhiro; Kawamata, Hitoshi; Omotehara, Fumie; Horiuchi, Hideki; Ohkura, Yasuo; Kubota, Keiichi; Imai, Yutaka; Fujibayashi, Takashi; Fujimori, Takahiro

2003-01-01

We present a new approach towards the detection of the mRNAs in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples using a reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The total RNAs were extracted from 10-micron-thick sections and were reverse-transcribed, then the RT-products were subjected to PCR amplification of GAPDH mRNA for screening the mRNA degradation. Next, nested PCR was performed for examining the expression of p53-related genes, p21WAF1, MDM2, p33ING1 and p14ARF. GAPDH mRNA expression was detectable in 12 out of 21 oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) samples. p21WAF1 mRNA expression was detectable in 5 out of 12 SCC samples, MDM2 mRNA expression was detectable in 5 our of 12 SCC samples and p33ING1 mRNA expression was detectable in 6 out of 12 SCC samples. However, the expression of p14ARF mRNA was not detectable in any of the samples. Seven out of 12 oral SCC samples showed abnormal nuclear accumulation of p53 protein by immunohistochemical staining, whereas 5 out of 12 oral SCCs showed negative staining for p53 protein. Of of p33ING1 mRNA. One of these was a verrucous carcinoma in which the p53 gene products might be inactivated by the oncoprotein E6 of human papilloma virus. Thus, the p53 tumor suppressor pathway was disrupted in most oral SCCs at the cellular levels, due to either an abnormality in p53 itself or loss of expression of p53 regulatory factors. This method would assist in making diagnosis, determining therapeutic strategy and predicting the prognosis of various cancers including oral SCCs.

Wax ester profiling of seed oil by nano-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Wax esters are highly hydrophobic neutral lipids that are major constituents of the cutin and suberin layer. Moreover they have favorable properties as a commodity for industrial applications. Through transgenic expression of wax ester biosynthetic genes in oilseed crops, it is possible to achieve high level accumulation of defined wax ester compositions within the seed oil to provide a sustainable source for such high value lipids. The fatty alcohol moiety of the wax esters is formed from plant-endogenous acyl-CoAs by the action of fatty acyl reductases (FAR). In a second step the fatty alcohol is condensed with acyl-CoA by a wax synthase (WS) to form a wax ester. In order to evaluate the specificity of wax ester biosynthesis, analytical methods are needed that provide detailed wax ester profiles from complex lipid extracts. Results We present a direct infusion ESI-tandem MS method that allows the semi-quantitative determination of wax ester compositions from complex lipid mixtures covering 784 even chain molecular species. The definition of calibration prototype groups that combine wax esters according to their fragmentation behavior enables fast quantitative analysis by applying multiple reaction monitoring. This provides a tool to analyze wax layer composition or determine whether seeds accumulate a desired wax ester profile. Besides the profiling method, we provide general information on wax ester analysis by the systematic definition of wax ester prototypes according to their collision-induced dissociation spectra. We applied the developed method for wax ester profiling of the well characterized jojoba seed oil and compared the profile with wax ester-accumulating Arabidopsis thaliana expressing the wax ester biosynthetic genes MaFAR and ScWS. Conclusions We developed a fast profiling method for wax ester analysis on the molecular species level. This method is suitable to screen large numbers of transgenic plants as well as other wax ester samples

Wax-incorporated emulsion gel beads of calcium pectinate for intragastric floating drug delivery.

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Sriamornsak, Pornsak; Asavapichayont, Panida; Nunthanid, Jurairat; Luangtana-Anan, Manee; Limmatvapirat, Sontaya; Piriyaprasarth, Suchada

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to prepare wax-incorporated pectin-based emulsion gel beads using a modified emulsion-gelation method. The waxes in pectin-olive oil mixtures containing a model drug, metronidazole, were hot-melted, homogenized and then extruded into calcium chloride solution. The beads formed were separated, washed with distilled water and dried for 12 h. The influence of various types and amounts of wax on floating and drug release behavior of emulsion gel beads of calcium pectinate was investigated. The drug-loaded gel beads were found to float on simulated gastric fluid if the sufficient amount of oil was used. Incorporation of wax into the emulsion gel beads affected the drug release. Water-soluble wax (i.e. polyethylene glycol) increased the drug release while other water-insoluble waxes (i.e. glyceryl monostearate, stearyl alcohol, carnauba wax, spermaceti wax and white wax) significantly retarded the drug release. Different waxes had a slight effect on the drug release. However, the increased amount of incorporated wax in the formulations significantly sustained the drug release while the beads remained floating. The results suggest that wax-incorporated emulsion gel beads could be used as a carrier for intragastric floating drug delivery.

Pre-Analytical Considerations for Successful Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS: Challenges and Opportunities for Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded Tumor Tissue (FFPE Samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gladys Arreaza

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In cancer drug discovery, it is important to investigate the genetic determinants of response or resistance to cancer therapy as well as factors that contribute to adverse events in the course of clinical trials. Despite the emergence of new technologies and the ability to measure more diverse analytes (e.g., circulating tumor cell (CTC, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA, etc., tumor tissue is still the most common and reliable source for biomarker investigation. Because of its worldwide use and ability to preserve samples for many decades at ambient temperature, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue (FFPE is likely to be the preferred choice for tissue preservation in clinical practice for the foreseeable future. Multiple analyses are routinely performed on the same FFPE samples (such as Immunohistochemistry (IHC, in situ hybridization, RNAseq, DNAseq, TILseq, Methyl-Seq, etc.. Thus, specimen prioritization and optimization of the isolation of analytes is critical to ensure successful completion of each assay. FFPE is notorious for producing suboptimal DNA quality and low DNA yield. However, commercial vendors tend to request higher DNA sample mass than what is actually required for downstream assays, which restricts the breadth of biomarker work that can be performed. We evaluated multiple genomics service laboratories to assess the current state of NGS pre-analytical processing of FFPE. Significant differences in pre-analytical capabilities were observed. Key aspects are highlighted and recommendations are made to improve the current practice in translational research.

Evaluation of positive Rift Valley fever virus formalin-fixed paraffin embedded samples as a source of sequence data for retrospective phylogenetic analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mubemba, B; Thompson, P N; Odendaal, L; Coetzee, P; Venter, E H

2017-05-01

Rift Valley fever (RVF), caused by an arthropod borne Phlebovirus in the family Bunyaviridae, is a haemorrhagic disease that affects ruminants and humans. Due to the zoonotic nature of the virus, a biosafety level 3 laboratory is required for isolation of the virus. Fresh and frozen samples are the preferred sample type for isolation and acquisition of sequence data. However, these samples are scarce in addition to posing a health risk to laboratory personnel. Archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples are safe and readily available, however FFPE derived RNA is in most cases degraded and cross-linked in peptide bonds and it is unknown whether the sample type would be suitable as reference material for retrospective phylogenetic studies. A RT-PCR assay targeting a 490 nt portion of the structural G N glycoprotein encoding gene of the RVFV M-segment was applied to total RNA extracted from archived RVFV positive FFPE samples. Several attempts to obtain target amplicons were unsuccessful. FFPE samples were then analysed using next generation sequencing (NGS), i.e. Truseq ® (Illumina) and sequenced on the Miseq ® genome analyser (Illumina). Using reference mapping, gapped virus sequence data of varying degrees of shallow depth was aligned to a reference sequence. However, the NGS did not yield long enough contigs that consistently covered the same genome regions in all samples to allow phylogenetic analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gene Expression Analysis of Immunostained Endothelial Cells Isolated from Formaldehyde-fixated Paraffin Embedded Tumors Using Laser Capture Microdissection – a Technical Report

Science.gov (United States)

Kaneko, Tomoatsu; Okiji, Takashi; Kaneko, Reika; Suda, Hideaki; Nör, Jacques E.

2009-01-01

Laser capture microdissection (LCM) allows microscopic procurement of specific cell types from tissue sections that can then be used for gene expression analysis. In conventional LCM, frozen tissues stained with hematoxylin are normally used to the molecular analysis. Recent studies suggested that it is possible to carry out gene expression analysis of formaldehyde-fixated paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues that were stained with hematoxylin. However, it is still unclear if quantitative gene expression analyses can be performed from LCM cells from FFPE tissues that were subjected to immunostaining to enhance identification of target cells. In this proof-of-principle study, we analyzed by RT-PCR and real time PCR the expression of genes in factor VIII immunostained human endothelial cells that were dissected from FFPE tissues by LCM. We observed that immunostaining should be performed at 4°C to preserve the mRNA from the cells. The expression of Bcl-2 in the endothelial cells was evaluated by RT-PCR and by real time PCR. GAPDH and 18S were used as house keeping genes for RT-PCR and real time PCR, respectively. This report unveils a method for quantitative gene expression analysis in cells that were identified by immunostaining and retrieved by LCM from FFPE tissues. This method is ideally suited for the analysis of relatively rare cell types within a tissue, and should improve on our ability to perform differential diagnosis of pathologies as compared to conventional LCM. PMID:19425073

Experimental analysis of a paraffin-based cold storage tank

OpenAIRE

Barbara Torregrosa-Jaime; López-Navarro, Alejandro; Corberán, José M.; Esteban-Matías, J. C.; Klinkner, L.; Payá-Herrero, Jorge

2013-01-01

[EN] The aim of this study is to characterize a paraffin-based cold storage tank. Novel experimental results are presented for this system which combines a significant amount of paraffin (1450 kg) immersed around 18 spiral-shaped coils disposed in counter-current flow. The paraffin has a phase-change temperature in the range 4 8 °C as measured by a 3-layer calorimeter. Different tests have been carried out with a constant mass flow rate and supply temperature. Around 31% of the paraffin has h...

Gene expression profiles in paraffin-embedded core biopsy tissue predict response to chemotherapy in women with locally advanced breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Gianni, Luca; Zambetti, Milvia; Clark, Kim; Baker, Joffre; Cronin, Maureen; Wu, Jenny; Mariani, Gabriella; Rodriguez, Jaime; Carcangiu, Marialuisa; Watson, Drew; Valagussa, Pinuccia; Rouzier, Roman; Symmans, W Fraser; Ross, Jeffrey S; Hortobagyi, Gabriel N; Pusztai, Lajos; Shak, Steven

2005-10-10

We sought to identify gene expression markers that predict the likelihood of chemotherapy response. We also tested whether chemotherapy response is correlated with the 21-gene Recurrence Score assay that quantifies recurrence risk. Patients with locally advanced breast cancer received neoadjuvant paclitaxel and doxorubicin. RNA was extracted from the pretreatment formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded core biopsies. The expression of 384 genes was quantified using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and correlated with pathologic complete response (pCR). The performance of genes predicting for pCR was tested in patients from an independent neoadjuvant study where gene expression was obtained using DNA microarrays. Of 89 assessable patients (mean age, 49.9 years; mean tumor size, 6.4 cm), 11 (12%) had a pCR. Eighty-six genes correlated with pCR (unadjusted P < .05); pCR was more likely with higher expression of proliferation-related genes and immune-related genes, and with lower expression of estrogen receptor (ER) -related genes. In 82 independent patients treated with neoadjuvant paclitaxel and doxorubicin, DNA microarray data were available for 79 of the 86 genes. In univariate analysis, 24 genes correlated with pCR with P < .05 (false discovery, four genes) and 32 genes showed correlation with P < .1 (false discovery, eight genes). The Recurrence Score was positively associated with the likelihood of pCR (P = .005), suggesting that the patients who are at greatest recurrence risk are more likely to have chemotherapy benefit. Quantitative expression of ER-related genes, proliferation genes, and immune-related genes are strong predictors of pCR in women with locally advanced breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant anthracyclines and paclitaxel.

Technical reproducibility of single-nucleotide and size-based DNA biomarker assessment using DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shenli; Tan, Iain B; Sapari, Nur S; Grabsch, Heike I; Okines, Alicia; Smyth, Elizabeth C; Aoyama, Toru; Hewitt, Lindsay C; Inam, Imran; Bottomley, Dan; Nankivell, Matthew; Stenning, Sally P; Cunningham, David; Wotherspoon, Andrew; Tsuburaya, Akira; Yoshikawa, Takaki; Soong, Richie; Tan, Patrick

2015-05-01

DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues has been used in the past to analyze genetic polymorphisms. We evaluated the technical reproducibility of different types of assays for gene polymorphisms using DNA extracted from FFPE material. By using the MassARRAY iPLEX system, we investigated polymorphisms in DPYD (rs1801159 and rs3918290), UMPS (rs1801019), ERCC1 (rs11615), ERCC1 (rs3212986), and ERCC2 (rs13181) in 56 FFPE DNA samples. By using PCR, followed by size-based gel electrophoresis, we also examined TYMS 5' untranslated region 2R/3R repeats and GSTT1 deletions in 50 FFPE DNA samples and 34 DNAs extracted from fresh-frozen tissues and cell lines. Each polymorphism was analyzed by two independent runs. We found that iPLEX biomarker assays measuring single-nucleotide polymorphisms provided consistent concordant results. However, by using FFPE DNA, size-based PCR biomarkers (GSTT1 and TYMS 5' untranslated region) were discrepant in 32.7% (16/49, with exact 95% CI, 19.9%-47.5%; exact binomial confidence limit test) and 4.2% (2/48, with exact 95% CI, 0.5%-14.3%) of cases, respectively, whereas no discrepancies were observed using intact genomic DNA. Our findings suggest that DNA from FFPE material can be used to reliably test single-nucleotide polymorphisms. However, results based on size-based PCR biomarkers, and particularly GSTT1 deletions, using FFPE DNA need to be interpreted with caution. Independent repeated assays should be performed on all cases to assess potential discrepancies. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A methodological study of genome-wide DNA methylation analyses using matched archival formalin-fixed paraffin embedded and fresh frozen breast tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Espinal, Allyson C; Wang, Dan; Yan, Li; Liu, Song; Tang, Li; Hu, Qiang; Morrison, Carl D; Ambrosone, Christine B; Higgins, Michael J; Sucheston-Campbell, Lara E

2017-02-28

DNA from archival formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue is an invaluable resource for genome-wide methylation studies although concerns about poor quality may limit its use. In this study, we compared DNA methylation profiles of breast tumors using DNA from fresh-frozen (FF) tissues and three types of matched FFPE samples. For 9/10 patients, correlation and unsupervised clustering analysis revealed that the FF and FFPE samples were consistently correlated with each other and clustered into distinct subgroups. Greater than 84% of the top 100 loci previously shown to differentiate ER+ and ER- tumors in FF tissues were also FFPE DML. Weighted Correlation Gene Network Analyses (WCGNA) grouped the DML loci into 16 modules in FF tissue, with ~85% of the module membership preserved across tissue types. Restored FFPE and matched FF samples were profiled using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450K platform. Methylation levels (β-values) across all loci and the top 100 loci previously shown to differentiate tumors by estrogen receptor status (ER+ or ER-) in a larger FF study, were compared between matched FF and FFPE samples using Pearson's correlation, hierarchical clustering and WCGNA. Positive predictive values and sensitivity levels for detecting differentially methylated loci (DML) in FF samples were calculated in an independent FFPE cohort. FFPE breast tumors samples show lower overall detection of DMLs versus FF, however FFPE and FF DMLs compare favorably. These results support the emerging consensus that the 450K platform can be employed to investigate epigenetics in large sets of archival FFPE tissues.

Microencapsulation of Flavors in Carnauba Wax

OpenAIRE

Milanovic, Jelena; Manojlovic, Verica; Levic, Steva; Rajic, Nevenka; Nedovic, Viktor; Bugarski, Branko

2010-01-01

The subject of this study is the development of flavor wax formulations aimed for food and feed products. The melt dispersion technique was applied for the encapsulation of ethyl vanillin in wax microcapsules. The surface morphology of microparticles was investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM), while the loading content was determined by HPLC measurements. This study shows that the decomposition process under heating proceeds in several steps: vanilla evaporation occurs at aroun...

Experimental investigation of a passive thermal management system for high-powered lithium ion batteries using nickel foam-paraffin composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussain, Abid; Tso, C.Y.; Chao, Christopher Y.H.

2016-01-01

It is necessary for electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) to have a highly efficient thermal management system to maintain high powered lithium ion batteries within permissible temperature limits. In this study, an efficient thermal management system for high powered lithium ion batteries using a novel composite (nickel foam-paraffin wax) is designed and investigated experimentally. The results have been compared with two other cases: a natural air cooling mode and a cooling mode with pure phase change materials (PCM). The results indicate that the safety demands of lithium ion batteries cannot be fulfilled using natural air convection as the thermal management mode. The use of PCM can dramatically reduce the surface temperature within the permissible range due to heat absorption by the PCM undergoing phase change. This effect can be further enlarged by using the nickel foam-paraffin composite, showing a temperature reduction of 31% and 24% compared to natural air convection and pure PCM, respectively under 2 C discharge rate. The effect of the geometric parameters of the foam on the battery surface temperature has also been studied. The battery surface temperature decreases with the decrease of porosity and the pore density of the metal foam. On the other hand, the discharge capacity increases with the increase in porosity, but decreases with pore density. - Highlights: • Thermal management for Li-ion batteries using nickel-paraffin is studied. • The temperature is reduced by 31% as compared to natural air cooling mode. • The temperature increases with increase of porosity and pore density of metal foam. • Battery discharge capacity increases with the increase in porosity. • Battery discharge capacity increases with the decreases in pore density.

Avaliação de dois métodos de extração de DNA de material parafinado para amplificação em PCR Evaluation of two methods of DNA extraction from paraffin-embedded material for PCR amplification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciana Estevam Simonato

2007-04-01

Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: Diversos métodos para extração de DNA a partir de tecidos biológicos inclusos em parafina encontram-se descritos na literatura, sendo o sucesso desse procedimento de grande importância para a realização de métodos moleculares de diagnóstico empregando a reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR. OBJETIVO: Este estudo avaliou dois métodos de extração de DNA de material parafinado, visando à amplificação do DNA genômico pela técnica da PCR. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Foram utilizadas 35 amostras de casos de carcinoma epidermóide de assoalho bucal diagnosticados e tratados no Centro de Oncologia Bucal da Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp. Os métodos de extração de DNA avaliados incluíram: 1. digestão com proteinase K seguida por purificação com Chelex 100® (BioRad; e 2. sistema QIAamp DNA minikit® (Qiagen. O DNA obtido foi quantificado por espectrofotometria e amplificado pela técnica da PCR, utilizando-se oligonucleotídeos iniciadores para betaglobina. RESULTADOS: A concentração de DNA obtido do material extraído com o primeiro método apresentou média de 120,62 ng/µl com razão entre as leituras das absorbâncias 260/280 variando de 0,8 a 1,41. Para as amostras extraídas com o segundo procedimento, o rendimento médio foi de 67,38 ng/µl, no entanto a razão 260/280 variou entre 1,11 e 2,53. O material foi submetido à PCR e, das 35 amostras extraídas com cada método, respectivamente, 29 e 30 apresentaram sinal positivo. CONCLUSÃO: Os dois métodos utilizados para obtenção de DNA de material parafinado apresentaram desempenho semelhante, revelando que ambos têm potencial para auxiliar na prática da biologia molecular diagnóstica, assim como no estudo diagnóstico retrospectivo em material parafinizado.BACKGROUND: There are several methods for DNA extraction from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues reported in the literature. High success rate on this procedure is important for the use of

Geometric accuracy of wax bade models manufactured in silicon moulds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Budzik

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents the test results of the geometric accuracy of wax blade models manufactured in silicon moulds in the Rapid Tooling process, with the application of the Vacuum Casting technology. In batch production casting waxes are designed for the manufacture of models and components of model sets through injection into a metal die. The objective of the tests was to determine the possibility of using traditional wax for the production of casting models in the rapid prototyping process. Blade models made of five types of casting wax were measured. The definition of the geometric accuracy of wax blade models makes it possible to introduce individual modifications aimed at improving their shape in order to increase the dimensional accuracy of blade models manufactured in the rapid prototyping process.

Phase Change Insulation for Energy Efficiency Based on Wax-Halloysite Composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Yafei; Thapa, Suvhashis; Weiss, Leland; Lvov, Yuri

2014-01-01

Phase change materials (PCMs) have gained extensive attention in thermal energy storage. Wax can be used as a PCM in solar storage but it has low thermal conductivity. Introducing 10% halloysite admixed into wax yields a novel composite (wax-halloysite) which has a thermal conductivity of 0.5 W/mK. To increase the base conductivity, graphite and carbon nanotubes were added into the PCM composite improving its thermal energy storage. Thermal conductivity of wax-halloysite-graphite (45/45/10%) composite showed increased conductivity of 1.4 W/mK (3 times higher than the base wax-halloysite composite). Wax- halloysite-graphite-carbon nanotubes (45/45/5/5%) composite showed conductivity of 0.85 W/mK while maintaining the original shape perfectly until 91 °C (above the original wax melting point). Thermal conductivity can be further increased with higher doping of carbon nanotubes. This new composites are promising heat storage material due to good thermal stability, high thermal/electricity conductivity and ability to preserve its shape during phase transitions

The influence of expanded graphite on thermal properties for paraffin/high density polyethylene/chlorinated paraffin/antimony trioxide as a flame retardant phase change material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Ping; Song Lei; Lu Hongdian; Wang Jian; Hu Yuan

2010-01-01

The influences of expanded graphite (EG) on the thermal properties of chlorinated paraffin (CP) and antimony trioxide (AT) on phase change material which bases on paraffin/high density polyethylene (HDPE) are studied. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), thermogravimetric analysis-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (TGA-FTIR), microscale combustion calorimeter (MCC) and cone calorimeter (CONE) were used to evaluate the influence of EG on paraffin/HDPE/CP/AT system. The DSC results indicated that the latent heat value of PCM could be increased when the mass fraction of HDPE was decreased in the PCM, and EG could confine the molecular heat movement of paraffin. EG could improve the thermal stability and increase the char residue at high temperature for paraffin/HDPE/CP/AT hybrid. The volatilized products formed on thermal degradation of paraffin/HDPE/CP/AT with EG showed the release of CO 2 gas was hastened and increased, and the amount of combustible gases were decreased by TGA-FTIR analysis. The MCC and CONE results presented that the flame retardant efficiency of CP/AT could be improved by adding EG in paraffin/HDPE/CP/AT system.

A Marine Hazardous Substances Data System. Volume 2.

Science.gov (United States)

1985-12-01

HAZARDOUS CARGOS (CONT’D) *20-DEC-85 CHEMICAL NAIIE CHRIS CFR OTHER TLV-TWA SEG CODE ROUTE PPM NO. WAX : CANDELILLA D 684 WAX . CARNAUBA WCA D 685 WAX ...50 693 * WAX : PARAFFIN IJPF D 2 MG/M3 696 MXYLENE XLM D 100 693 O-XYLENE XLO D 100 694 P-XYLENE XLP D 100 695 ZINC DIALKYLDITHIOPHOSPHATE ZDP D 10

New advances in hydrogen production via the catalytic decomposition of wax by-products using nanoparticles of SBA frame-worked MoO_3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Naggar, Ahmed M.A.; Gobara, Heba M.; El Sayed, Hussien A.; Soliman, Fathi S.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: Feedstock-to-gases & hydrogen conversion using the Mo-SBA15 catalyst compared to commercial catalysts. - Highlights: • Synthesis of meso-porous molybdenum oxide catalyst in SBA framework. • Confirming the structural characteristics of this catalyst by different analyses. • New trend for the H_2 & CH_4, production is revealed in this work. • Nano-carbon species of well-ordered structure was produced. • In-situ non-pressurized-low temperature wax isomerization was imposed. - Abstract: The alternative energy sources in general and hydrogen based energy in particular have been currently grabbing great attention. Hydrogen is an efficient green source for power generation owing to its huge energy content. The operational costs and the hydrogen output are the key factors in the selection of a certain technique for the hydrogen production industrially. This study summarizes a new route for hydrogen production starting from a bit complicated hydrogen-containing molecules. Particular attention is given during this work towards a direct pyrrolysis catalytic conversion of long chains n-paraffin into hydrogen with in-situ production of nano-structured carbon particles. The simultaneous isomerization of the n-paraffin contented in the feedstock is also discussed during this process. This research study had provided new advances in the hydrogen production based on carrying out the production process at non-severe conditions namely; low operational temperatures and no pressure was applied. The introduction of a meso-porous molybdenum oxide catalyst for the catalytic hydrogen production is also a point of novelty for the presented work. Promising results have been disclosed at the end of this investigation; approximately 60 wt.% of the feedstock was converted to fuel gases while nearly 30 wt.% of the feed had turned as nano-carbon species. The hydrogen productivity had been detected as high as 42 wt.% of the original feedstock. This in fact might

Surfactants and Desensitizing Wax Substitutes for TNT-Based Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

1994-10-01

greatly with the source of crude oil. Some crudes contain little wax. The U.S. crudes from Pennsylvania and the midcontinent areas contain high...years ago in Egypt for many different purposes. The term wax comes to us from the Anglo-Saxon "weax," the name given to material from the bee ...usually produced in the wild and not by large scale cultivation. Although plants produce small amounts of waxes in their tissues, seeds and pollen

Absorption and distribution of orally administered jojoba wax in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Yaron, A; Samoiloff, V; Benzioni, A

1982-03-01

The liquid wax obtained from the seeds of the arid-land shrub jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) is finding increasing use in skin treatment preparations. The fate of this wax upon reaching the digestive tract was studied. 14C-Labeled wax was administered intragastrically to mice, and the distribution of the label in the body was determined as a function of time. Most of the wax was excreted, but a small amount was absorbed, as was indicated by the distribution of label in the internal organs and the epididymal fat. The label was incorporated into the body lipids and was found to diminish with time.

Evaluation of a panel of antibodies for the immunohistochemical identification of immune cells in paraffin-embedded lymphoid tissues of new- and old-world camelids.

Science.gov (United States)

Uhde, Ann-Kathrin; Lehmbecker, Annika; Baumgärtner, Wolfgang; Spitzbarth, Ingo

2017-02-01

Different species of camelids play an important role in the epidemiology of various emerging infectious diseases such as Middle East respiratory syndrome. For precise investigations of the immunopathogenesis in these host species, appropriate immunohistochemical markers are highly needed in order to phenotype distinct immune cells populations in camelids. So far, specific immunohistochemical markers for camelid immune cells are rarely commercially available, and cross-reactivity studies are restricted to the use of frozen dromedary tissues. To bridge this gap, 14 commercially available primary antibodies were tested for their suitability to demonstrate immune cell populations on formalin fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections of dromedaries, Bactrian camels, llamas, and alpacas in the present study. Out of these, 9 antibodies directed against CD3, CD20, CD79α, HLA-DR, Iba-1, myeloid/histiocyte antigen, CD204, CD208, and CD68 antigen exhibited distinct immunoreaction patterns to certain camelid immune cell subsets. The distribution of these antigens was comparatively evaluated in different anatomical compartments of thymus, spleen, mesenteric, and tracheobronchial lymph nodes. The presented results will provide a basis for further investigations in camelids, especially with respect to the role of the immune response in certain infectious diseases, which harbor a considerable risk to spill over to other species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ASPHALT-RESIN-WAX DEPOSITS ANALYSIS WITH PETROLEUM REFINERY EQUIPMENT USAGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadejda Bondar

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The methodology and analysis of wax deposits formed in-water-cooling tower, cistern and tank from wax petroleum were developed. It was shown, that deposits consist of organic (>90% and inorganic components – the first one was enriched by high molecular wax hydrocarbons, the second one – by mechanical impurities. The methods of deposits utilization were proposed

Detection of feline coronavirus mutations in paraffin-embedded tissues in cats with feline infectious peritonitis and controls.

Science.gov (United States)

Sangl, Laura; Matiasek, Kaspar; Felten, Sandra; Gründl, Stefanie; Bergmann, Michele; Balzer, Hans-Jörg; Pantchev, Nikola; Leutenegger, Christian M; Hartmann, Katrin

2018-03-01

Objectives The amino acid substitutions M1058L and S1060A in the spike protein of feline coronavirus (FCoV) have been postulated to be responsible for the development of the pathogenic feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV), which causes feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). The aim of the following study was to investigate the presence of mutated virus in tissue samples of cats with and without FIP. Methods The study population consisted of 64 cats, 34 of which were diagnosed with FIP and 30 control cats. All cases underwent autopsy, histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for FCoV. Furthermore, a genotype-discriminating quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR) was performed on shavings of paraffin-embedded tissues to discriminate between cats with FIP and controls, and the sensitivity and specificity of this discriminating RT-qPCR were calculated using 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Specificity of genotype-discriminating RT-qPCR was 100.0% (95% CI 88.4-100.0), sensitivity was 70.6% (95% CI 52.5-84.9). In cats with FIP, 24/34 cats tested positive for FIPV. In samples of three control cats and in seven cats with FIP, FCoV was found, but genotyping was not possible owing to low FCoV RNA concentrations. Out of the positive samples, 23 showed the amino acid substitution M1058L in the spike protein and none the substitution S1060A. One sample in a cat with FIP revealed a mixed population of non-mutated FCoV and FIPV (mixed genotype). For one sample genotyping was not possible despite high viral load, and two samples were negative for FCoV. Conclusions and relevance As none of the control animals showed FCoV amino acid substitutions previously demonstrated in cats with FIP, it can be presumed that the substitution M1058L correlates with the presence of FIP. FCoV was detected in low concentration in tissues of control animals, confirming the ability of FCoV to spread systemically. The fact that no negative controls were included in the IHC

Gluconeogenesis from Storage Wax in the Cotyledons of Jojoba Seedlings 1

Science.gov (United States)

Moreau, Robert A.; Huang, Anthony H. C.

1977-01-01

The cotyledons of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) seeds contained 50 to 60% of their weight as intracellular wax esters. During germination there was a gradual decrease in the wax content with a concomitant rise in soluble carbohydrates, suggesting that the wax played the role of a food reserve. Thin layer chromatography revealed that both the fatty alcohol and fatty acid were metabolized. The disappearance of wax was matched with an increase of catalase, a marker enzyme of the gluconeogenic process in other fatty seedlings. Subcellular organelles were isolated by sucrose gradient centrifugation from the cotyledons at the peak stage of germination. The enzymes of the β oxidation of fatty acid and of the glyoxylate cycle were localized in the glyoxysomes but not in the mitochondria. The glyoxysomes had specific activities of individual enzymes similar to those of the castor bean glyoxysomes. An active alkaline lipase was detected in the wax bodies at the peak stage of germination but not in the ungerminated seeds. No lipase was detected in glyoxysomes or mitochondria. After the wax in the wax bodies had been extracted with diethyl ether, the organelle membrane was isolated and it still retained the alkaline lipase. The gluconeogenesis from wax in the jojoba seedling appears to be similar, but with modification, to that from triglyceride in other fatty seedlings. Images PMID:16660087

Wax combs mediate nestmate recognition by guard honeybees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

D'Ettorre, Patrizia; Wenseleers, Tom; Dawson, Jenny

2006-01-01

Research has shown that the wax combs are important in the acquisition of colony odour in the honeybee, Apis mellifera. However, many of these studies were conducted in the laboratory or under artificial conditions. We investigated the role of the wax combs in nestmate recognition in the natural...

Wax Point Determinations Using Acoustic Resonance Spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bostick, D.T.; Jubin, R.T.; Schmidt, T.W.

2001-06-01

The thermodynamic characterization of the wax point of a given crude is essential in order to maintain flow conditions that prevent plugging of undersea pipelines. This report summarizes the efforts made towards applying an Acoustic Cavity Resonance Spectrometer (ACRS) to the determination of pressures and temperatures at which wax precipitates from crude. Phillips Petroleum Company, Inc., the CRADA participant, supplied the ACRS. The instrumentation was shipped to Dr. Thomas Schmidt of ORNL, the CRADA contractor, in May 2000 after preliminary software development performed under the guidance of Dr. Samuel Colgate and Dr. Evan House of the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fl. Upon receipt it became apparent that a number of modifications still needed to be made before the ACRS could be precisely and safely used for wax point measurements. This report reviews the sequence of alterations made to the ACRS, as well as defines the possible applications of the instrumentation once the modifications have been completed. The purpose of this Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between Phillips Petroleum Company, Inc. (Participant) and Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation (Contractor) was the measurement of the formation of solids in crude oils and petroleum products that are commonly transported through pipelines. This information is essential in the proper design, operation and maintenance of the petroleum pipeline system in the United States. Recently, new petroleum discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico have shown that there is a potential for plugging of undersea pipeline because of the precipitation of wax. It is important that the wax points of the expected crude oils be well characterized so that the production facilities for these new wells are capable of properly transporting the expected production. The goal of this work is to perform measurements of solids formation in crude oils and petroleum products supplied by the Participant. It is

wax matrix tablets and its implication on dissolution prof

African Journals Online (AJOL)

acetaminophen-wax matrix tablet and hence its implication on dissolution profile. Acetaminophen-wax ... inertness, cost effectiveness, non- toxicity and more importantly their ... Liver Poole, England) at constant load (30 arbitrary units on the ...

Study on paraffin/expanded graphite composite phase change thermal energy storage material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhengguo; Fang Xiaoming

2006-01-01

A paraffin/expanded graphite composite phase change thermal energy storage material was prepared by absorbing the paraffin into an expanded graphite that has an excellent absorbability. In such a composite, the paraffin serves as a latent heat storage material and the expanded graphite acts as the supporting material, which prevents leakage of the melted paraffin from its porous structure due to the capillary and surface tension forces. The inherent structure of the expanded graphite did not change in the composite material. The solid-liquid phase change temperature of the composite PCM was the same as that of the paraffin, and the latent heat of the paraffin/expanded graphite composite material was equivalent to the calculated value based on the mass ratio of the paraffin in the composite. The heat transfer rate of the paraffin/expanded graphite composite was obviously higher than that of the paraffin due to the combination with the expanded graphite that had a high thermal conductivity. The prepared paraffin/expanded graphite composite phase change material had a large thermal storage capacity and improved thermal conductivity and did not experience liquid leakage during its solid-liquid phase change

Temperature-dependent thermal properties of a paraffin phase change material embedded with herringbone style graphite nanofibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warzoha, Ronald J.; Weigand, Rebecca M.; Fleischer, Amy S.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The thermal properties of a PCM with nanofibers are determined. • The solid-phase thermal conductivity scales exponentially with volume fraction. • The liquid-phase thermal conductivity is only enhanced beyond a critical percolation threshold. • The nanoscale interface resistance depends on the nanoparticle’s dimensionality. • The thermal diffusivity and volumetric heat capacity of the nanoenhanced PCMs are found. - Abstract: In many studies, carbon nanoparticles with high values of thermal conductivity (10–3000 W/m K) have been embedded into phase change thermal energy storage materials (PCMs) in order to enhance their bulk thermal properties. While a great deal of work to date has focused on determining the effect of these nanoparticles on a PCM’s solid phase thermal properties, little is known about their effect on its liquid phase thermal properties. Thus, in this study, the effect of implanting randomly oriented herringbone style graphite nanofibers (HGNF, average diameter = 100 nm, average length = 20 μm) on the bulk thermal properties of an organic paraffin PCM (IGI 1230A, T melt = 329.15 K) in both the solid and liquid phase is quantified. The bulk thermal conductivity, volumetric heat capacity and thermal diffusivity of HGNF/PCM nanocomposites are obtained as a function of temperature and HGNF volume loading level. It is found that the property enhancement varies significantly depending on the material phase. In order to explain the difference between solid and liquid phase thermal properties, heat flow at the nanoparticle–PCM and nanoparticle–nanoparticle interfaces is examined as a function of HGNF loading level and temperature. To do this, the solid and liquid phase thermal boundary resistances (TBRs) between the nanoparticles and the surrounding PCM and/or between contacting nanoparticles are found. Results suggest that the TBR at the HGNF–PCM interface is nearly double the TBR across the HGNF–HGNF interface in

Nest wax triggers worker reproduction in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris.

Science.gov (United States)

Rottler-Hoermann, Ann-Marie; Schulz, Stefan; Ayasse, Manfred

2016-01-01

Social insects are well known for their high level of cooperation. Workers of the primitively eusocial bumblebee Bombus terrestris are able to produce male offspring in the presence of a queen. Nonetheless, they only compete for reproduction, in the so-called competition phase, when the workforce is large enough to support the rearing of reproductives. So far, little is known about the proximate mechanisms underlying the shift between altruism and selfish behaviour in bumblebee workers. In this study, we have examined the influence of chemical cues from the nest wax on the onset of worker reproduction. Chemical analyses of wax extracts have revealed that the patterns and amounts of cuticular lipids change considerably during colony development. These changes in wax scent mirror worker abundance and the presence of fertile workers. In bioassays with queen-right worker groups, wax affects the dominance behaviour and ovarian development of workers. When exposed to wax from a colony in competition phase, workers start to compete for reproduction. We suggest that wax scent enables workers to time their reproduction by providing essential information concerning the social condition of the colony.

Polimerni aditivi za poboljšanje tecivosti nafte i plinskog kondenzata

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jelić-Balta, J.

2007-10-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the problem of paraffin deposition during production, transportation and processing of crude oil and gas condensate. The troublesome paraffin stands for normal hydrocarbons ranging from approximately C18-C38, mixed with small amounts of branched paraffin, monocyclic paraffin, polycyclic paraffin, and aromatics. The amount of paraffin found in crude oils as described in the literature, varies from less than 1 to more than 50 percent. The solubility of paraffin depends on chemical composition, temperature and pressure. Paraffin precipitates at an equilibrium temperature and pressure defined as the cloud point. The paraffin deposits often begin on surfaces cooler than the liquid. The viscosity is increased by the presence of paraffin crystals and if the temperature is reduced sufficiently, the crude oil/gas condensate will become very viscous(pour point. The crude oil/gas condensate viscosity behaves in a Newtonian manner until wax crystals begin to form and, after lowering the temperature, behaves in a non-Newtonian manner.Many options are available to counter the problems caused by paraffin wax deposition. These include various mechanical, thermal and chemical means (for example, steam heating, blending with lighter cutter stocks and treating with chemical additives. A preferred option would be to use wax modifier additives, commonly known as pour point depressants. Crystal modifiers are copolymers from these groups: copolymers of ethylene vinyl acetate, poly alpha-olefins, alkyl fumarate- vinyl acetate copolymers of C18-through C22 methacrylates and copolymers of maleic anhydride esters. The mechanism of paraffin deposition and prevention is described. The additives modify the size and shape of the crystal and inhibit the formation of large wax crystal lattices. With efficient additives, crude oil/gas condensate behaves in a Newtonian manner at low temperature.A section of the paper describes the influence of chemical

A simple and cost-effective method of DNA extraction from small formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue for molecular oncologic testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Snow, Anthony N; Stence, Aaron A; Pruessner, Jonathan A; Bossler, Aaron D; Ma, Deqin

2014-01-01

Extraction of DNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is a critical step in molecular oncologic testing. As molecular oncology testing becomes more important for prognostic and therapeutic decision making and tissue specimens become smaller due to earlier detection of suspicious lesions and the use of fine needle aspiration methods for tissue collection, it becomes more challenging for the typical molecular pathology laboratory to obtain reliable test results. We developed a DNA extraction method to obtain sufficient quantity and high quality genomic DNA from limited FFPE tissue for molecular oncology testing using a combination of H&E stained slides, a matrix capture method and the Qiagen DNA column. THREE DNA EXTRACTION METHODS WERE COMPARED: our standard procedure of manually scraping tissue from unstained slides followed by DNA extraction using the QIAamp FFPE column (Qiagen, Valencia, CA), a glue capture method (Pinpoint Solution, Zymo Research Corp, Inc) on H&E stained slides followed by DNA extraction using either the QIAamp column or the column included with the Pinpoint kit (Zymo Research). The DNA extraction protocol was optimized. Statistical analysis was performed using the paired two-sample student's t-test. The combination of the matrix capture method with the QIAamp column gave an equivalent amount of DNA as our standard extraction method using the unstained slides and a 4.6-fold higher DNA yield than using the Zymo column included in the Pinpoint Slide Solution kit. Several molecular tests were performed and DNA purified using the new method gave the same results as for the previous methods. Using H&E stained slides allows visual confirmation of tumor cells during microdissection. The Pinpoint solution made removal of specific tissue from the slides easier and reduced the risk of contamination and tissue loss. This DNA extraction method is simple, cost-effective, and blends with our current workflow requiring no additional equipment.

Measurement of gene expression in archival paraffin-embedded tissues: development and performance of a 92-gene reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Cronin, Maureen; Pho, Mylan; Dutta, Debjani; Stephans, James C; Shak, Steven; Kiefer, Michael C; Esteban, Jose M; Baker, Joffre B

2004-01-01

Throughout the last decade many laboratories have shown that mRNA levels in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FPE) tissue specimens can be quantified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques despite the extensive RNA fragmentation that occurs in tissues so preserved. We have developed RT-PCR methods that are sensitive, precise, and that have multianalyte capability for potential wide use in clinical research and diagnostic assays. Here it is shown that the extent of fragmentation of extracted FPE tissue RNA significantly increases with archive storage time. Probe and primer sets for RT-PCR assays based on amplicons that are both short and homogeneous in length enable effective reference gene-based data normalization for cross comparison of specimens that differ substantially in age. A 48-gene assay used to compare gene expression profiles from the same breast cancer tissue that had been either frozen or FPE showed very similar profiles after reference gene-based normalization. A 92-gene assay, using RNA extracted from three 10- micro m FPE sections of archival breast cancer specimens (dating from 1985 to 2001) yielded analyzable data for these genes in all 62 tested specimens. The results were substantially concordant when estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2 receptor status determined by RT-PCR was compared with immunohistochemistry assays for these receptors. Furthermore, the results highlight the advantages of RT-PCR over immunohistochemistry with respect to quantitation and dynamic range. These findings support the development of RT-PCR analysis of FPE tissue RNA as a platform for multianalyte clinical diagnostic tests.

Polymerase chain reaction-based method for the identification of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis in mucosal tissues conserved in paraffin.

Science.gov (United States)

Prestes, Suzane Ribeiro; Guerra, Jorge Augusto de Oliveira; Romero, Gustavo Adolfo Sierra; Magalhaes, Laylah Kelre Costa; Santana, Rosa Amelia Gonçalves; Maciel, Marcel Gonçalves; Custódio, Ana; Barbosa, Maria das Graças Vale; Silveira, Henrique

2015-01-01

In the Americas, mucosal leishmaniasis is primarily associated with infection by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. However, Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis is another important cause of this disease in the Brazilian Amazon. In this study, we aimed at detecting Leishmaniadeoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) within paraffin-embedded fragments of mucosal tissues, and characterizing the infecting parasite species. We evaluated samples collected from 114 patients treated at a reference center in the Brazilian Amazon by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses. Direct examination of biopsy imprints detected parasites in 10 of the 114 samples, while evaluation of hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides detected amastigotes in an additional 17 samples. Meanwhile, 31/114 samples (27.2%) were positive for Leishmania spp. kinetoplast deoxyribonucleic acid (kDNA) by PCR analysis. Of these, 17 (54.8%) yielded amplification of the mini-exon PCR target, thereby allowing for PCR-RFLP-based identification. Six of the samples were identified as L. (V.) braziliensis, while the remaining 11 were identified as L. (V.) guyanensis. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of applying molecular techniques for the diagnosis of human parasites within paraffin-embedded tissues. Moreover, our findings confirm that L. (V.) guyanensisis a relevant causative agent of mucosal leishmaniasis in the Brazilian Amazon.

Investigation of liquid wax components of Egyptian jojoba seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Mallah, Mohammed Hassan; El-Shami, Safinaz Mohammed

2009-01-01

Egyptian jojoba seeds newly cultivated in Ismailia desert in Egypt promoted us to determine its lipid components. Fatty alcohols, fatty acids, wax esters and sterols patterns were determined by capillary GLC whereas, tocopherols profile, isopropenoid alcohols and sterylglycosides were determined by HPLC. The Egyptian seeds are rich in wax esters (55 %) with fatty alcohols C20:1 and C22:1 as major components and amounted to 43.0 % and 45.6 % respectively followed by C24:1 and C18:1(9.6 % and 1.3 % respectively). The fatty acids profile showed that C20:1 is the major constituent (60 %) followed by C18:1 and C22:1 (14.5 and 11.8 % respectively) whereas C24:1 was present at low concentration amounted to 1.6 %. In addition, the Egyptian jojoba wax contained C18:2 fatty acid at a level of 8.7 %. Wax esters composition showed that the local wax had C42 and C40 esters as major components amounted to 51.1 and 30.1 % respectively. Also, it had C44 and C38 at reasonable amounts (10.0 and 6.3 % respectively). Whereas C36 and C46 were present at lower concentrations amounted to 1.4 and 1.1 respectively. The sterols analysis showed the presence of campe-, stigma-, beta-sito-, and isofuco- sterol amounting to 18.4 %, 6.9 %, 68.7 %, and 6.0 % respectively. The tocopherols pattern revealed that the local seed wax contained gamma-tocopherol as major constituent (79.2 %) followed by alpha-tocopherol (20.3 %). beta-tocopherol as well as delta-tocopherol were found as minor constituents. The isopropenoid alcohols and the sterylglycosides (free and acylated) were not detected. The wax is proposed to be used in oleo chemistry and cosmetics.

Policosanol fabrication from insect wax and optimization by response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jinju; Ma, Liyi; Zhang, Hong; Zhang, Zhongquan; Wang, Youqiong; Li, Kai; Chen, Xiaoming

2018-01-01

Insect wax is a famous biological resource for the role in economic production in China. Insect wax is a good source of policosanol, which may is a candidate supplement in foodstuff and pharmaceuticals that has important physiological activities. Therefore, this work aims to investigate a high-yield and rapid method for policosanol fabrication from insect wax. The conditions for policosanol fabrication were optimized as follows: an oil bath temperature of 112.7°C and reductant dosage of 0.97 g (used for the reduction of 10.00 g of insect wax). The yield of policosanol reached 83.20%, which was 4 times greater than that of existing methods, such as saponification. The total content of policosanol obtained under the optimal conditions reached 87%. In other words, a high yield of policosanol was obtained from insect wax (723.84 mg/g), that was 55 times higher than that generated from beeswax-brown via saponification. The concentrations of metal residues in policosanol were within the limits of the European Union regulations and EFSA stipulation. The LD50 values for oral doses of insect wax and policosanol were both > 5 g/kg. Policosanol was fabricated via solvent-free reduction from insect wax using LiAlH4 at a high yield. The fabrication conditions were optimized. Policosanol and insect wax showed high security, which made them potential candidates as supplements in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The rapid and high-yield method has great potential for commercial manufacturing of policosanol.

Content of Wax during Dewaxing Process: Adopting a DOE Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Hosein Eghbali

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The oil content of the wax produced in a dewaxing process is the key economic parameter that should be reduced as much as possible. Some factors such as the type of solvents, cooling rate, temperature, and solvent to oil ratio influence the dewaxing process. Due to the fact that crude oil differs from place to place and since the operational conditions for wax extraction vary for different types of crude oil, the objective of this work is to study the operational conditions for wax production from an Iranian raffinate sample used in Sepahan Oil Company. All the experiments are conducted based on a design of experiment (DOE technique for minimizing the oil content of the wax produced. The effects of five factors have been determined quantitatively and appropriate levels are suggested for reducing the oil content. The results show that the solvent ratio, solvent composition, and cooling rate play the most important role in minimizing the oil content of the produced wax.

A method for producing liquid paraffin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dorodnova, V.S.; Martynenko, A.G.; Pereverzev, A.N.

1983-01-01

In the known method (Sp) for producing liquid paraffins (ZhP) through processing an oil fraction by crystalline carbamide in the presence of a solvent with subsequent removal of the formed complex (Km) of KA with the liquid paraffins from the deparaffinized product, staged washing and decomposition of the complex with isolation of the liquid paraffins, in order to increase the output of liquid paraffin and to improve its quality, beta,beta'-dichlorethyl ether (khloreks) in a mixture with methylethyl ketone (MEK) or methylisobutyl ketone in a ratio of 1 is used as the solvent, the processing by the crystalline carbamide is conducted with the addition of 180 to 260 percent solvent to raw material (Sr) and the washing of the composition is conducted by a solvent in the first stage and by methylethyl ketone or methylisobutyl ketone in the second stage. The crystalline carbamide for the complex formation is taken in a conversion of 60 to 70 percent for the raw material for observing the raw material to solvent ratio of from 1 to 1.8 to 2.6 to 0.6 to 0.6. The temperature in the zone of formation of the complex is maintained at 5 to 35 degrees. The presence of beta,beta'-dichlorethyl ether, which has high selectivity relative to aromatic hydrocarbons (ArU) and to resinous compounds provides for a sharp reduction in the adsorption of the undesired components on the surface of the granules of the complex and the crystalline carbamide and to a reduction in the portion of the alkylaromatic hydrocarbons (UV) extracted into the complex, which leads to a substantial improvement in the quality of the obtained liquid paraffins.

Evaluation of Wax Deposition and Its Control During Production of Alaska North Slope Oils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tao Zhu; Jack A. Walker; J. Liang

2008-12-31

Due to increasing oil demand, oil companies are moving into arctic environments and deep-water areas for oil production. In these regions of lower temperatures, wax deposits begin to form when the temperature in the wellbore falls below wax appearance temperature (WAT). This condition leads to reduced production rates and larger pressure drops. Wax problems in production wells are very costly due to production down time for removal of wax. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a solution to wax deposition. In order to develop a solution to wax deposition, it is essential to characterize the crude oil and study phase behavior properties. The main objective of this project was to characterize Alaskan North Slope crude oil and study the phase behavior, which was further used to develop a dynamic wax deposition model. This report summarizes the results of the various experimental studies. The subtasks completed during this study include measurement of density, molecular weight, viscosity, pour point, wax appearance temperature, wax content, rate of wax deposition using cold finger, compositional characterization of crude oil and wax obtained from wax content, gas-oil ratio, and phase behavior experiments including constant composition expansion and differential liberation. Also, included in this report is the development of a thermodynamic model to predict wax precipitation. From the experimental study of wax appearance temperature, it was found that wax can start to precipitate at temperatures as high as 40.6 C. The WAT obtained from cross-polar microscopy and viscometry was compared, and it was discovered that WAT from viscometry is overestimated. From the pour point experiment it was found that crude oil can cease to flow at a temperature of 12 C. From the experimental results of wax content, it is evident that the wax content in Alaskan North Slope crude oil can be as high as 28.57%. The highest gas-oil ratio for a live oil sample was observed to be 619.26 SCF

Study on Thermal Degradation Characteristics and Regression Rate Measurement of Paraffin-Based Fuel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Songqi Hu

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Paraffin fuel has been found to have a regression rate that is higher than conventional HTPB (hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene fuel and, thus, presents itself as an ideal energy source for a hybrid rocket engine. The energy characteristics of paraffin-based fuel and HTPB fuel have been calculated by the method of minimum free energy. The thermal degradation characteristics were measured for paraffin, pretreated paraffin, HTPB and paraffin-based fuel in different working conditions by the using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC and a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA. The regression rates of paraffin-based fuel and HTPB fuel were tested by a rectangular solid-gas hybrid engine. The research findings showed that: the specific impulse of paraffin-based fuel is almost the same as that of HTPB fuel; the decomposition temperature of pretreated paraffin is higher than that of the unprocessed paraffin, but lower than that of HTPB; with the increase of paraffin, the initial reaction exothermic peak of paraffin-based fuel is reached in advance, and the initial reaction heat release also increases; the regression rate of paraffin-based fuel is higher than the common HTPB fuel under the same conditions; with the increase of oxidizer mass flow rate, the regression rate of solid fuel increases accordingly for the same fuel formulation.

WAX ActiveLibrary: a tool to manage information overload.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanka, R; O'Brien, C; Heathfield, H; Buchan, I E

1999-11-01

WAX Active-Library (Cambridge Centre for Clinical Informatics) is a knowledge management system that seeks to support doctors' decision making through the provision of electronic books containing a wide range of clinical knowledge and locally based information. WAX has been piloted in several regions in the United Kingdom and formally evaluated in 17 GP surgeries based in Cambridgeshire. The evaluation has provided evidence that WAX Active-Library significantly improves GPs' access to relevant information sources and by increasing appropriate patient management and referrals this might also lead to an improvement in clinical outcomes.

Reproduction and subchronic feeding study of carnauba wax in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Parent, R A; Re, T A; Babish, J G; Cox, G E; Voss, K A; Becci, P J

1983-02-01

The reproductive performance of Wistar rats fed carnauba wax at levels of 0.1, 0.3 or 1% in the diet and the effects of subchronic administration of carnauba wax at these dose levels on the resultant progeny were studied. Reproductive indices, body-weight gain, food consumption, haematological and clinical chemical data, ophthalmic, gross and histopathological examinations were used to study the possible toxic or pathological effects. Serum free fatty acid levels were found to be decreased in male and female rats fed carnauba wax at dietary levels of 0.3 and 1.0%. No other effects of feeding carnauba wax at levels up to 1.0% of the diet were observed.

Molecular and Evolutionary Mechanisms of Cuticular Wax for Plant Drought Tolerance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dawei Xue

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Cuticular wax, the first protective layer of above ground tissues of many plant species, is a key evolutionary innovation in plants. Cuticular wax safeguards the evolution from certain green algae to flowering plants and the diversification of plant taxa during the eras of dry and adverse terrestrial living conditions and global climate changes. Cuticular wax plays significant roles in plant abiotic and biotic stress tolerance and has been implicated in defense mechanisms against excessive ultraviolet radiation, high temperature, bacterial and fungal pathogens, insects, high salinity, and low temperature. Drought, a major type of abiotic stress, poses huge threats to global food security and health of terrestrial ecosystem by limiting plant growth and crop productivity. The composition, biochemistry, structure, biosynthesis, and transport of plant cuticular wax have been reviewed extensively. However, the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms of cuticular wax in plants in response to drought stress are still lacking. In this review, we focus on potential mechanisms, from evolutionary, molecular, and physiological aspects, that control cuticular wax and its roles in plant drought tolerance. We also raise key research questions and propose important directions to be resolved in the future, leading to potential applications of cuticular wax for water use efficiency in agricultural and environmental sustainability.

Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry for Eastern equine encephalitis virus and West Nile virus in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded brain tissue of horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Pennick, Kate E; McKnight, Christy A; Patterson, Jon S; Latimer, Kenneth S; Maes, Roger K; Wise, Annabel G; Kiupel, Matti

2012-03-01

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH) can be used either to detect or to differentiate between Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) within formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) brain tissue of horses. To compare the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of ISH and IHC, FFPE brain tissue from 20 EEEV-positive horses and 16 WNV-positive horses were tested with both EEEV and WNV oligoprobes and EEEV- and WNV-specific antibodies. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detection of EEEV and WNV was used as the gold standard to confirm infection. All horses that tested positive for EEEV by RT-PCR also tested positive by IHC and ISH, except for 1 case that was false-negative by ISH. In contrast, all horses that tested positive for WNV by RT-PCR tested negative by IHC and only 2 horses tested positive by ISH. No false-positives were detected with either method for both viruses. Both IHC and ISH are highly specific and sensitive diagnostic methods to detect EEEV in equine FFPE brain tissues, although neither appear effective for the diagnosis of WNV in equine neurologic cases.

Uncovered secret of a Vasseur-Tramond wax model.

Science.gov (United States)

Pastor, J F; Gutiérrez, B; Montes, J M; Ballestriero, R

2016-01-01

The technique of anatomical wax modelling reached its heyday in Italy during the 18th century, through a fruitful collaboration between sculptors and anatomists. It soon spread to other countries, and prestigious schools were created in England, France, Spain and Austria. Paris subsequently replaced Italy as the major centre of manufacture, and anatomical waxes were created there from the mid-19th century in workshops such as that of Vasseur-Tramond. This workshop began to sell waxes to European Faculties of Medicine and Schools of Surgery around 1880. Little is known of the technique employed in the creation of such artefacts as this was deemed a professional secret. To gain some insight into the methods of construction, we have studied a Vasseur-Tramond wax model in the Valladolid University Anatomy Museum, Spain, by means of multi-slice computerised tomography and X-ray analysis by means of environmental scanning electron microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the hair. These results have revealed some of the methods used to make these anatomical models and the materials employed. © 2015 Anatomical Society.

Wax encapsulation of water-soluble compounds for application in foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Mellema, M; Van Benthum, W A J; Boer, B; Von Harras, J; Visser, A

2006-11-01

Water-soluble ingredients have been successfully encapsulated in wax using two preparation techniques. The first technique ('solid preparation') leads to relatively large wax particles. The second technique ('liquid preparation') leads to relatively small wax particles immersed in vegetable oil. On the first technique: stable encapsulation of water-soluble colourants (dissolved at low concentration in water) has been achieved making use of beeswax and PGPR. The leakage from the capsules, for instance of size 2 mm, is about 30% after 16 weeks storage in water at room temperature. To form such capsules a minimum wax mass of 40% relative to the total mass is needed. High amounts of salt or acids at the inside water phase causes more leaking, probably because of the osmotic pressure difference. Osmotic matching of inner and outer phase can lead to a dramatic reduction in leakage. Fat capsules are less suitable to incorporate water soluble colourants. The reason for this could be a difference in crystal structure (fat is less ductile and more brittle). On the second technique: stable encapsulation of water-soluble colourants (encapsulated in solid wax particles) has been achieved making use of carnauba wax. The leakage from the capsules, for instance of size 250 mm, is about 40% after 1 weeks storage in water at room temperature.

The use of naturally occurring selectively isolated bacteria for inhibiting paraffin deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazar, I.; Voicu, A.; Dobrota, S.; Petrisor, I.G.; Stefanescu, M.; Sandulescu, L.; Nicolescu, C.; Mucenica, D.

1999-01-01

One of the most severe problems at any oil fields producing paraffinic oils is that of paraffin depositions. Romania which has a long experience in oil production is also faced with this problem in many oil fields. The microbial treatment, based on the activity of naturally occurring, selectively isolated bacteria, is already proved as an effective alternative to conventional methods to prevent and remove paraffin damage. Using such kind of bacterial products, exciting results for inhibiting paraffin depositions have been obtained. In this paper results concerning the naturally occurring bacteria selectively isolated from hydrocarbon polluted sites as well as from paraffinic oils, semi-solid and solid paraffin depositions are presented. After a laboratory screening, 15 bacterial strains (BS 1-15), three bacterial consortia (BC 1-3) and a Special Bacterial Consortium (SBC1) were selected. For the selection of bacterial consortia, the classical enrichment culture method has been used. The Special Bacterial Consortium resulted from a mixture of BS 1-15 and BC 1-3 following the steps of the classical enrichment culture method. The BS 1-15, BC 1-3 and SBC1 have been tested for their performances in producing biosurfactants and biosolvents as well as for hydrocarbon utilisation. The SBC1 has been tested for its ability in degradation of hydrocarbons contained in several types of paraffinic or non-paraffinic oils, and then for inhibiting paraffin deposition on a 'flow equipment' using two types of paraffinic oils. The SBC1 has been also tested for degradation of hydrocarbons contained in semi-solid and solid paraffin depositions. The results obtained could support further applications to prevent and control paraffin depositions

The use of naturally occurring selectively isolated bacteria for inhibiting paraffin deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lazar, I.; Voicu, A.; Dobrota, S.; Petrisor, I.G.; Stefanescu, M.; Sandulescu, L. [Institute of Biology of the Romanian Academy, Spl. Independentei 296, Bucharest (Romania); Nicolescu, C.; Mucenica, D. [PETROSTAR Ploiesti, Bdul Bucuresti 35, Ploiesti (Romania)

1999-01-01

One of the most severe problems at any oil fields producing paraffinic oils is that of paraffin depositions. Romania which has a long experience in oil production is also faced with this problem in many oil fields. The microbial treatment, based on the activity of naturally occurring, selectively isolated bacteria, is already proved as an effective alternative to conventional methods to prevent and remove paraffin damage. Using such kind of bacterial products, exciting results for inhibiting paraffin depositions have been obtained. In this paper results concerning the naturally occurring bacteria selectively isolated from hydrocarbon polluted sites as well as from paraffinic oils, semi-solid and solid paraffin depositions are presented. After a laboratory screening, 15 bacterial strains (BS 1-15), three bacterial consortia (BC 1-3) and a Special Bacterial Consortium (SBC1) were selected. For the selection of bacterial consortia, the classical enrichment culture method has been used. The Special Bacterial Consortium resulted from a mixture of BS 1-15 and BC 1-3 following the steps of the classical enrichment culture method. The BS 1-15, BC 1-3 and SBC1 have been tested for their performances in producing biosurfactants and biosolvents as well as for hydrocarbon utilisation. The SBC1 has been tested for its ability in degradation of hydrocarbons contained in several types of paraffinic or non-paraffinic oils, and then for inhibiting paraffin deposition on a `flow equipment` using two types of paraffinic oils. The SBC1 has been also tested for degradation of hydrocarbons contained in semi-solid and solid paraffin depositions. The results obtained could support further applications to prevent and control paraffin depositions

Synthesis and application of polyaminoamide as new paraffin inhibitor from vegetable oil

OpenAIRE

Chen, Gang; Tang, Ying; Zhang, Jie

2011-01-01

Abstract In this work, a series of novel paraffin inhibitor, polyaminoamide (PAA), was designed and prepared by aminolysis and poly-condensation using soybean oil and canola oil as the raw material. The property of the PAAs as paraffin inhibitor was investigated, the results show several PAA samples are potent in paraffin inhibition, and PPC-2 is the most effective one. Besides, the paraffin crystal morphology analysis was carried out to provide the mechanism of paraffin inhibition.

Comparison the Marginal and Internal Fit of Metal Copings Cast from Wax Patterns Fabricated by CAD/CAM and Conventional Wax up Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Vojdani, M; Torabi, K; Farjood, E; Khaledi, AAR

2013-01-01

Statement of Problem: Metal-ceramic crowns are most commonly used as the complete coverage restorations in clinical daily use. Disadvantages of conventional hand-made wax-patterns introduce some alternative ways by means of CAD/CAM technologies. Purpose: This study compares the marginal and internal fit of copings cast from CAD/CAM and conventional fabricated wax-patterns. Materials and Method: Twenty-four standardized brass dies were prepared and randomly divided into 2 groups according to the wax-patterns fabrication method (CAD/CAM technique and conventional method) (n=12). All the wax-patterns were fabricated in a standard fashion by means of contour, thickness and internal relief (M1-M12: representative of CAD/CAM group, C1-C12: representative of conventional group). CAD/CAM milling machine (Cori TEC 340i; imes-icore GmbH, Eiterfeld, Germany) was used to fabricate the CAD/CAM group wax-patterns. The copings cast from 24 wax-patterns were cemented to the corresponding dies. For all the coping-die assemblies cross-sectional technique was used to evaluate the marginal and internal fit at 15 points. The Student’s t- test was used for statistical analysis (α=0.05). Results: The overall mean (SD) for absolute marginal discrepancy (AMD) was 254.46 (25.10) um for CAD/CAM group and 88.08(10.67) um for conventional group (control). The overall mean of internal gap total (IGT) was 110.77(5.92) um for CAD/CAM group and 76.90 (10.17) um for conventional group. The Student’s t-test revealed significant differences between 2 groups. Marginal and internal gaps were found to be significantly higher at all measured areas in CAD/CAM group than conventional group (pmarginal and internal fit than CAD/CAM (machine-milled) technique. All the factors for 2 groups were standardized except wax pattern fabrication technique, therefore, only the conventional group results in copings with clinically acceptable margins of less than 120um. PMID:24724133

Pengaruh Stimulus Pengunyahan dan Pengecapan Terhadap Kecepatan Aliran dan pH Saliva

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hj. Edeh Rolette Haroen

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of the research were to describe how salivary flow rate and pH vary with time during use of chewing and gustatory stimulation. Fifty young adult subjects collected unstimulated saliva by spitting method, and then collected stimulated saliva by chewing paraffin wax, and a few drops of citric acid are usually placed on the subject’s tongue. The mean of saliva flow rate that unstimulated: 0.50 cc/minute; stimulated saliva by chewing paraffin wax: 1.57 cc/minute, and drops of citric acid stimulation showed that saliva flow rate: 2.98 cc/minute; and pH saliva that unstimulated 6.39; stimulated saliva by chewing paraffin wax 7.2; and stimulated saliva by citric acid: 7.55. Statistical paired t test showed that t lower than t table. The conclusion of the research showed that there were significant influences in the unstimulated salivary flow rates and pH with stimulated saliva elicited by chewing and gustatory stimulation.

Study of the nature of clarified oils and their potential uses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagpal, J.M.; Singh, I.D.; Tiwari, G.B.; Goyal, B.S.; Chandola, H.C. [Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun (India)

1996-12-31

Vacuum Gas Oils (VGOs) from waxy crudes contain appreciable amounts of wax. During catalytic cracking of VGO, due to lop sided cracking of n-paraffins, a substantial amount of wax is retained in clarified oils. These clarified oils generally find their way into refinery fuel. Wax separated from clarified oils were characterised using nuclear magnetic resonance (n.m.r.) and infrared (i.r.) spectroscopy. The groupwise composition of the clarified oils were also studied and the data compared with a typical short residue. Waxes separated from the clarified oils contain an appreciably high proportion of n-paraffins indicating a potential feedstock for making {alpha}-olefins. Group type composition showed that the polar aromatics separated from the clarified oils have high BMCI values indicating the possibility of using them as feedstocks for carbon rich materials. 8 refs., 3 tabs.

Preparation and Characterization of Modified Montmorillonite/Paraffin Phase Change Microcapsules for Energy Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LIN Sen

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The phase change microcapsules of modified montmorillonite/paraffin were prepared by Pickering emulsion method. Analytic techniques of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy(SEM, infrared spectroscopy(FTIR, differential scanning calorimetry(DSC and thermogravimetry(TG were utilized for characterizing chemical structure, morphology and thermal properties. Results show that modified montmorillonite as a new type wall material has excellent performance for protecting core material of paraffin. FTIR spectra of phase change of modified montmorillonite/paraffin microcapsules shows that their characteristic peaks match with corresponding peaks of pure paraffin and modified montmorillonite. DSC results indicate that modified montmorillonite/paraffin microcapsules have similar solid-liquid phase change temperature with pure paraffin. The phase transition enthalpy values of microcapsules with paraffin contents varying from 55% to 80% are 110.5-147.2J/g, indicating that microcapsules have excellent thermal storage performance and the phase change properties can be adjusted by changing contents of paraffin. TG results confirm that modified montmorillonite/paraffin microcapsules have outstanding thermal stability. The presented study indicates that modified montmorillonite is a suitable wall material for preparing paraffin microcapsule. Modified montmorillonite/paraffin microcapsules have advantages of low cost and high performance with a great application potential in the field of thermal storage.

Accuracy of Digitally Fabricated Wax Denture Bases and Conventional Completed Complete Dentures

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Bogna Stawarczyk

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the accuracy of digitally fabricated wax trial dentures and conventionally finalized complete dentures in comparison to a surface tessellation language (STL-dataset. A generated data set for the denture bases and the tooth sockets was used, converted into STL-format, and saved as reference. Five mandibular and 5 maxillary denture bases were milled from wax blanks and denture teeth were waxed into their tooth sockets. Each complete denture was checked on fit, waxed onto the dental cast, and digitized using an optical laboratory scanning device. The complete dentures were completed conventionally using the injection method, finished, and scanned. The resulting STL-datasets were exported into the three-dimensional (3D software GOM Inspect. Each of the 5 mandibular and 5 maxillary complete dentures was aligned with the STL- and the wax trial denture dataset. Alignment was performed based on a best-fit algorithm. A three-dimensional analysis of the spatial divergences in x-, y- and z-axes was performed by the 3D software and visualized in a color-coded illustration. The mean positive and negative deviations between the datasets were calculated automatically. In a direct comparison between maxillary wax trial dentures and complete dentures, complete dentures showed higher deviations from the STL-dataset than the wax trial dentures. The deviations occurred in the area of the teeth as well as in the distal area of the denture bases. In contrast, the highest deviations in both the mandibular wax trial dentures and the mandibular complete dentures were observed in the distal area. The complete dentures showed higher deviations on the occlusal surfaces of the teeth compared to the wax dentures. Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM-fabricated wax dentures exhibited fewer deviations from the STL-reference than the complete dentures. The deviations were significantly greater in the

Studies on Hydrotreating Process of Microcrystalline Wax Produced from Marine Belayim Crude Oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

EI Karashi, S.; Marawan, H.

2004-01-01

Abstract Microcrystalline wax was produced from solvent dewaxing process of vacuum residue raffinate produced from Marine Belayim origin. The untreated microcrystalline wax contains trace amounts of sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen and organometallic compounds as well as heavy aromatics which affect the properties of wax applications in pharmaceutical and technical fields . Microcrystalline wax hydrotreating process was studied using digital controlled unit and Ni O-MoO 3 / Al 2 O 3 catalyst, where operating parameters that controlled the efficiency of the hydrotreated wax were studied separately at different values including reactor temperature, reactor pressure, liquid hourly space velocity and hydrogen to hydrocarbon ratio . Hydrotreated microcrystalline wax at operating conditions (temperature 300 degree C, pressure 73 kg/cm 2 , LHS V 0.52 h-l and H 2 /HC ratio 266.6 Nm 3 /m 3 ) has the best quality to be used as food grade wax

PCR-based clonality analysis of B-cell lymphomas in paraffin-embedded tissues: diagnostic value of immunoglobulin kappa and lambda light chain gene rearrangement investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Amara, Khaled; Trimeche, Mounir; Ziadi, Sonia; Sriha, Badreddine; Mokni, Moncef; Korbi, Sadok

2006-01-01

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based analysis, employed for detecting immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangements, has become a diagnostic tool widely used in the investigation of B-cell lymphomas, but the overall sensitivity of these methods does not exceed 80%, notably in germinal center (GC) and post-GC B-cell origin lymphomas. Many PCR strategies devised for detecting immunoglobulin light chain (IgL) gene rearrangements have been developed to enhance the clonality detection rates. However, the feasibility of these methods in routine clinical diagnosis using paraffin-embedded tissues has not yet been investigated sufficiently. We studied a large series of 108 cases of B-cell lymphomas, as well as 20 reactive lymphoid tissues using degenerate primers to amplify immunoglobulin kappa (Igkappa) and lambda (Iglambda) light chain genes. B-cell clonality was further investigated using semi-nested PCR for IgH gene rearrangements. B-cell clonality was detected in 74%, 56.5%, and 43.5% of cases using IgH, Igkappa, and Iglambda PCR, respectively. By combining these methods, the clonality detection rate increased to 93.5%. Only polyclonal patterns were noted in reactive lymphoid samples. We concluded that in addition to the established methods for IgH analysis, a PCR-based approach for IgL gene rearrangements analysis improves the clonality detection rate in over 90% of B-cell lymphoma cases using routine histological specimens with poor preservation of the genomic DNA.

Epicuticular wax on cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) leaves does not constitute the cuticular transpiration barrier.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeisler, Viktoria; Schreiber, Lukas

2016-01-01

Epicuticular wax of cherry laurel does not contribute to the formation of the cuticular transpiration barrier, which must be established by intracuticular wax. Barrier properties of cuticles are established by cuticular wax deposited on the outer surface of the cuticle (epicuticular wax) and in the cutin polymer (intracuticular wax). It is still an open question to what extent epi- and/or intracuticular waxes contribute to the formation of the transpiration barrier. Epicuticular wax was mechanically removed from the surfaces of isolated cuticles and intact leaf disks of cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus L.) by stripping with different polymers (collodion, cellulose acetate and gum arabic). Scanning electron microscopy showed that two consecutive treatments with all three polymers were sufficient to completely remove epicuticular wax since wax platelets disappeared and cuticle surfaces appeared smooth. Waxes in consecutive polymer strips and wax remaining in the cuticle after treatment with the polymers were determined by gas chromatography. This confirmed that two treatments of the polymers were sufficient for selectively removing epicuticular wax. Water permeability of isolated cuticles and cuticles covering intact leaf disks was measured using (3)H-labelled water before and after selectively removing epicuticular wax. Cellulose acetate and its solvent acetone led to a significant increase of cuticular permeability, indicating that the organic solvent acetone affected the cuticular transpiration barrier. However, permeability did not change after two subsequent treatments with collodion and gum arabic or after treatment with the corresponding solvents (diethyl ether:ethanol or water). Thus, in the case of P. laurocerasus the epicuticular wax does not significantly contribute to the formation of the cuticular transpiration barrier, which evidently must be established by the intracuticular wax.

Development and Performance Evaluation of Image-Based Robotic Waxing System for Detailing Automobiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chi-Ying; Hsu, Bing-Cheng

2018-05-14

Waxing is an important aspect of automobile detailing, aimed at protecting the finish of the car and preventing rust. At present, this delicate work is conducted manually due to the need for iterative adjustments to achieve acceptable quality. This paper presents a robotic waxing system in which surface images are used to evaluate the quality of the finish. An RGB-D camera is used to build a point cloud that details the sheet metal components to enable path planning for a robot manipulator. The robot is equipped with a multi-axis force sensor to measure and control the forces involved in the application and buffing of wax. Images of sheet metal components that were waxed by experienced car detailers were analyzed using image processing algorithms. A Gaussian distribution function and its parameterized values were obtained from the images for use as a performance criterion in evaluating the quality of surfaces prepared by the robotic waxing system. Waxing force and dwell time were optimized using a mathematical model based on the image-based criterion used to measure waxing performance. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed robotic waxing system and image-based performance evaluation scheme.

RNA analysis of inner ear cells from formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) archival human temporal bone section using laser microdissection--a technical report.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Yurika; Kubo, Sachiho; Koda, Hiroko; Shigemoto, Kazuhiro; Sawabe, Motoji; Kitamura, Ken

2013-08-01

Molecular analysis using archival human inner ear specimens is challenging because of the anatomical complexity, long-term fixation, and decalcification. However, this method may provide great benefit for elucidation of otological diseases. Here, we extracted mRNA for RT-PCR from tissues dissected from archival FFPE human inner ears by laser microdissection. Three human temporal bones obtained at autopsy were fixed in formalin, decalcified by EDTA, and embedded in paraffin. The samples were isolated into spiral ligaments, outer hair cells, spiral ganglion cells, and stria vascularis by laser microdissection. RNA was extracted and heat-treated in 10 mM citrate buffer to remove the formalin-derived modification. To identify the sites where COCH and SLC26A5 mRNA were expressed, semi-nested RT-PCR was performed. We also examined how long COCH mRNA could be amplified by semi-nested RT-PCR in archival temporal bone. COCH was expressed in the spiral ligament and stria vascularis. However, SLC26A5 was expressed only in outer hair cells. The maximum base length of COCH mRNA amplified by RT-PCR was 98 bp in 1 case and 123 bp in 2 cases. We detected COCH and SLC26A5 mRNA in specific structures and cells of the inner ear from archival human temporal bone. Our innovative method using laser microdissection and semi-nested RT-PCR should advance future RNA study of human inner ear diseases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Revealing the Molecular Portrait of Triple Negative Breast Tumors in an Understudied Population through Omics Analysis of Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded Tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaca-Paniagua, Felipe; Alvarez-Gomez, Rosa María; Maldonado-Martínez, Hector Aquiles; Pérez-Plasencia, Carlos; Fragoso-Ontiveros, Veronica; Lasa-Gonsebatt, Federico; Herrera, Luis Alonso; Cantú, David; Bargallo-Rocha, Enrique; Mohar, Alejandro; Durand, Geoffroy; Forey, Nathalie; Voegele, Catherine; Vallée, Maxime; Le Calvez-Kelm, Florence; McKay, James; Ardin, Maude; Villar, Stéphanie; Zavadil, Jiri; Olivier, Magali

2015-01-01

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), defined by the lack of expression of the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal receptor 2, is an aggressive form of breast cancer that is more prevalent in certain populations, in particular in low- and middle-income regions. The detailed molecular features of TNBC in these regions remain unexplored as samples are mostly accessible as formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) archived tissues, a challenging material for advanced genomic and transcriptomic studies. Using dedicated reagents and analysis pipelines, we performed whole exome sequencing and miRNA and mRNA profiling of 12 FFPE tumor tissues collected from pathological archives in Mexico. Sequencing analyses of the tumor tissues and their blood pairs identified TP53 and RB1 genes as the most frequently mutated genes, with a somatic mutation load of 1.7 mutations/exome Mb on average. Transcriptional analyses revealed an overexpression of growth-promoting signals (EGFR, PDGFR, VEGF, PIK3CA, FOXM1), a repression of cell cycle control pathways (TP53, RB1), a deregulation of DNA-repair pathways, and alterations in epigenetic modifiers through miRNA:mRNA network de-regulation. The molecular programs identified were typical of those described in basal-like tumors in other populations. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using archived clinical samples for advanced integrated genomics analyses. It thus opens up opportunities for investigating molecular features of tumors from regions where only FFPE tissues are available, allowing retrospective studies on the search for treatment strategies or on the exploration of the geographic diversity of breast cancer.

The relative test performance characteristics of two commercial assays for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in paraffin-fixed human biopsy specimens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Broukhanski George

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract The Seeplex™ TB Detection-2 assay (Rockville, MD is a nested endpoint PCR for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC targets IS6110 and MPB64 that utilizes dual priming oligonucleotide technology. When used to detect the presence of MTBC DNA in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue specimens, the sensitivity and specificity of this assay is equivalent to a labor-intensive traditional endpoint PCR assay and is more sensitive than a commercial real-time PCR assay.

Chromosomal aberrations in bladder cancer: fresh versus formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue and targeted FISH versus wide microarray-based CGH analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Panzeri

Full Text Available Bladder carcinogenesis is believed to follow two alternative pathways driven by the loss of chromosome 9 and the gain of chromosome 7, albeit other nonrandom copy number alterations (CNAs were identified. However, confirmation studies are needed since many aspects of this model remain unclear and considerable heterogeneity among cases has emerged. One of the purposes of this study was to evaluate the performance of a targeted test (UroVysion assay widely used for the detection of Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC of the bladder, in two different types of material derived from the same tumor. We compared the results of UroVysion test performed on Freshly Isolated interphasic Nuclei (FIN and on Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded (FFPE tissues from 22 TCCs and we didn't find substantial differences. A second goal was to assess the concordance between array-CGH profiles and the targeted chromosomal profiles of UroVysion assay on an additional set of 10 TCCs, in order to evaluate whether UroVysion is an adequately sensitive method for the identification of selected aneuploidies and nonrandom CNAs in TCCs. Our results confirmed the importance of global genomic screening methods, that is array based CGH, to comprehensively determine the genomic profiles of large series of TCCs tumors. However, this technique has yet some limitations, such as not being able to detect low level mosaicism, or not detecting any change in the number of copies for a kind of compensatory effect due to the presence of high cellular heterogeneity. Thus, it is still advisable to use complementary techniques such as array-CGH and FISH, as the former is able to detect alterations at the genome level not excluding any chromosome, but the latter is able to maintain the individual data at the level of single cells, even if it focuses on few genomic regions.

Detection of SYT-SSX mutant transcripts in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sarcoma tissues using one-step reverse transcriptase real-time PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Norlelawati, A T; Mohd Danial, G; Nora, H; Nadia, O; Zatur Rawihah, K; Nor Zamzila, A; Naznin, M

2016-04-01

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a rare cancer and accounts for 5-10% of adult soft tissue sarcomas. Making an accurate diagnosis is difficult due to the overlapping histological features of SS with other types of sarcomas and the non-specific immunohistochemistry profile findings. Molecular testing is thus considered necessary to confirm the diagnosis since more than 90% of SS cases carry the transcript of t(X;18)(p11.2;q11.2). The purpose of this study is to diagnose SS at molecular level by testing for t(X;18) fusion-transcript expression through One-step reverse transcriptase real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of 23 cases of soft tissue sarcomas, which included 5 and 8 cases reported as SS as the primary diagnosis and differential diagnosis respectively, were retrieved from the Department of Pathology, Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital, Kuantan, Pahang. RNA was purified from the tissue block sections and then subjected to One-step reverse transcriptase real-time PCR using sequence specific hydrolysis probes for simultaneous detection of either SYT-SSX1 or SYT-SSX2 fusion transcript. Of the 23 cases, 4 cases were found to be positive for SYT-SSX fusion transcript in which 2 were diagnosed as SS whereas in the 2 other cases, SS was the differential diagnosis. Three cases were excluded due to failure of both amplification assays SYT-SSX and control β-2-microglobulin. The remaining 16 cases were negative for the fusion transcript. This study has shown that the application of One-Step reverse transcriptase real time PCR for the detection SYT-SSX transcript is feasible as an aid in confirming the diagnosis of synovial sarcoma.

MicroRNAs are suitable for assessment as biomarkers from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue, and miR-24 represents an appropriate reference microRNA for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Culpin, Rachel Emily; Sieniawski, Michal; Proctor, Stephen John; Menon, Geetha; Mainou-Fowler, Tryfonia

2013-03-01

Tissue biopsy specimens in the form of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPET) represent a valuable resource for biomarker identification and validation. However, to date, they remain an underused asset due to uncertainty regarding RNA extraction and the reliability of downstream techniques, including quantitative RT-PCR. Recently, much interest has emerged in the study of microRNAs; small single-stranded RNAs with a role in transcriptional regulation, that are thought to be well preserved in FFPET. In this study, we show that microRNA expression is comparable between FFPET and matched fresh-frozen samples (miR-17-5p: p=0.01, miR-92: p=0.003), and demonstrate that no significant deterioration in expression occurs over prolonged FFPET storage (p=0.06). Furthermore, microRNA expression is equivalent dependant on RNA extraction method (p<0.001) or DNAse treatment of total RNA (p<0.001). Finally, we validate miR-24 as a suitable reference microRNA for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) FFPET studies.

Marginal adaptation of four inlay casting waxes on stone, titanium, and zirconia dies.

Science.gov (United States)

Michalakis, Konstantinos X; Kapsampeli, Vassiliki; Kitsou, Aikaterini; Kirmanidou, Yvone; Fotiou, Anna; Pissiotis, Argirios L; Calvani, Pasquale Lino; Hirayama, Hiroshi; Kudara, Yukio

2014-07-01

Different inlay casting waxes do not produce copings with satisfactory marginal accuracy when used on different die materials. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the marginal accuracy of 4 inlay casting waxes on stone dies and titanium and zirconia abutments and to correlate the findings with the degree of wetting between the die specimens and the inlay casting waxes. The inlay casting waxes tested were Starwax (Dentaurum), Unterziehwachs (Bredent), SU Esthetic wax (Schuler), and Sculpturing wax (Renfert). The marginal opening of the waxes was measured with a stereomicroscope on high-strength stone dies and on titanium and zirconia abutments. Photographic images were obtained, and the mean marginal opening for each specimen was calculated. A total of 1440 measurements were made. Wetting between die materials and waxes was determined after fabricating stone, titanium, and zirconia rectangular specimens. A calibrated pipette was used to place a drop of molten wax onto each specimen. The contact angle was calculated with software after an image of each specimen had been made with a digital camera. Collected data were subjected to a 2-way analysis of variance (α=.05). Any association between marginal accuracy and wetting of different materials was found by using the Pearson correlation. The wax factor had a statistically significant effect both on the marginal discrepancy (F=158.31, P<.001) and contact angle values (F=68.09, P<.001). A statistically significant effect of the die material factor both on the marginal adaptation (F=503.47, P<.001) and contact angle values (F=585.02, P<.001) was detected. A significant correlation between the marginal accuracy and the contact angle values (Pearson=0.881, P=.01) was also found. Stone dies provided wax copings with the best marginal integrity, followed by titanium and zirconia abutments. Unterziehwachs (Bredent), wax produced the best marginal adaptation on different die materials. A significant correlation was found

From an equilibrium based MOF adsorbent to a kinetic selective carbon molecular sieve for paraffin/iso-paraffin separation

KAUST Repository

Li, Baiyan

2016-11-04

We unveil a unique kinetic driven separation material for selectively removing linear paraffins from iso-paraffins via a molecular sieving mechanism. Subsequent carbonization and thermal treatment of CD-MOF-2, the cyclodextrin metal-organic framework, afforded a carbon molecular sieve with a uniform and reduced pore size of ca. 5.0 Å, and it exhibited highly selective kinetic separation of n-butane and n-pentane from iso-butane and iso-pentane, respectively. © The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Experimental study on heat capacity of paraffin/water phase change emulsion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, L.; Noeres, P.; Petermann, M.; Doetsch, C.

2010-01-01

A paraffin/water phase change emulsion is a multifunctional fluid in which fine paraffin droplets are dispersed in water by a surfactant. This paper presents an experimental study on the heat capacity of an emulsion containing 30 wt.% paraffin in a test rig. The results show that the heat capacity of the emulsion consists of the sensible heat capacity of water and that of the paraffin as well as the latent heat capacity of the paraffin during the phase transition solid-liquid. The emulsion is an attractive alternative to chilled water for comfort cooling applications, because it has a heat capacity of 50 kJ/kg from 5 to 11 deg. C, which is two times as high as that of water in the same temperature range.

Tectonic microplates in a wax model of sea-floor spreading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katz, Richard F; Ragnarsson, Rolf; Bodenschatz, Eberhard

2005-01-01

Rotating, growing microplates are observed in a wax analogue model of sea-floor spreading. Wax microplates are kinematically similar to sea-floor tectonic microplates in terms of spreading rate and growth rate. Furthermore, their spiral pseudofault geometry is quantitatively consistent with Schouten's oceanic microplate model. These results suggest that Schouten's edge-driven microplate model captures the kinematics of tectonic microplate evolution on Earth. Based on the wax observations, a theory for the nucleation of overlapping spreading centres, the precursors of tectonic microplates, is developed

Epicuticular wax on stomata of damaged silver fir trees (Abies alba Mili.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomislav Bačić

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Condition of epistomatal wax on the abaxial surface of the current and previous-year needles of damaged silver fir trees (Abies alba Mill., both from the polluted Risnjak and "clean" Donja Dobra sites in Gorski Kotar region, both influenced by pollutants coming from Europe, during two years, three times a year, were examined with Scanning Electron Microscope. In the course of time the wax tubules on the epistomatal rims of stomata in polluted, but also in "clean" needles surface, become fused and agglomerated rapidly to various extents of morphologically different types of amorphous wax crusts, primarily compact and particulate ones. This process begins very early, especially in polluted Risnjak site, and may be interpreted as a possible result of air pollution. However, the recrystalization, or production of new tubules, also appears relatively quickly in mostly cases. Quantitative estimations indicate a very large total amount of amorphous wax crusts in the current-year needles, and a very high percentage of the same wax in previous-year needles. Amorphous wax crusts cover stomatal pores, as well as the rims, disturbing the normal gas exchange. Statistically there is a signicant tendency of increase in wax degradation in the needles of the polluted site in comparison with those of the unpolluted one, but there is an insignificant wax degradation among the needles of damaged trees within each site. These results confirmed most of the research done in our preliminary report.

Biochemical response of sweet potato to bemul-wax coating ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Linn) tuber is a very nutritious but highly perishable crop that is subject to high wastages due to non-availability of appropriate storage techniques. This work assessed the effectiveness of treating the tubers with calcium chloride dip (CCD), bemul-wax (B-wax) and their combinations ...

Unheimlich. From Wax Figures to the Uncanny Valley

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pietro Conte

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In his pioneering History of Portraiture in Wax, Julius von Schlosser traced back the age-old history of a material which at that time seemed to be already antiquated, if not obsolete. Wax sculptures were rejected and ousted from art history because of their excessive similarity and adherence to models. One hundred years later, however, hyperrealism got its revenge with Maurizio Cattelan’s celebrated hanging children. Moving from that controversial artwork and focusing on the heated polemics over it, my paper will address the question of the well-known Unheimlichkeit of wax figures, investigated by Ernst Jentsch and Sigmund Freud in the early Twentieth Century and nowadays becoming increasingly topical thanks to the recent debate about the existence and nature of the so called Uncanny Valley.

Characterization of thermophysical properties of phase change materials for non-membrane based indirect solar desalination application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarwar, J.; Mansoor, B.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal cycling of paraffin waxes phase change materials. • Differential Scanning Calorimetry and thermogravimetric study of the materials. • Characterization of the phase change materials via Temperature History Method. • Investigation of suitability of materials for indirect solar desalination system. • Paraffin waxes are suitable for non-membrane indirect solar desalination system. - Abstract: Phase change material as a thermal energy storage medium has been widely incorporated in various technologies like solar air/water heating, buildings, and desalination for efficient use and management of fluctuating solar energy. Temperature and thermal energy requirements dictate the selection of an appropriate phase change material for its application in various engineering systems. In this work, two phase change materials belonging to organic paraffin wax class have been characterized to obtain their thermophysical properties. The melting/solidification temperatures, latent heat of fusion and heat capacities of the phase change materials have been investigated using Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Thermogravimetric analysis and Temperature History Method. Thermal cycles up to 300 are performed to investigate melting and solidification reversibility as well as degradation over time. It is shown that the selected paraffin waxes have reversible phase change with no degradation of thermophysical properties over time. It is also shown that melting/solidification temperature and thermal energy storage capabilities make them suitable for their application as a thermal energy storage medium, in high temperature vapour compression, multi-stage flash and multi-effect distillation processes of non-membrane based indirect desalination systems.

Effects of cuticular wax on the postharvest quality of blueberry fruit.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Wenjing; Gao, Haiyan; Chen, Hangjun; Fang, Xiangjun; Zheng, Yonghua

2018-01-15

The blueberry fruit has a light-blue appearance because its blue-black skin is covered with a waxy bloom. This layer is easily damaged or removed during fruit harvesting and postharvest handling. We investigated the effects of wax removal on the postharvest quality of blueberry fruit and their possible mechanisms. The removal of natural wax on the fruit was found to accelerate the postharvest water loss and decay, reduce the sensory and nutritional qualities, and shorten the shelf-life. Wax removal decreased the activities of antioxidant enzymes and contents of antioxidants, and accelerated accumulation of ROS and lipid peroxidation, especially at the later period of storage. Moreover, the organellar membrane structure was disrupted in fruit with wax removed. These results indicate that cuticular wax plays an important role in maintaining the postharvest quality and delaying fruit senescence. The results should improve our understanding for better preservation of postharvest quality of blueberry fruit. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Composition and morphology of cuticular wax in blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) fruits.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Wenjing; Gao, Haiyan; Cao, Shifeng; Fang, Xiangjun; Chen, Hangjun; Xiao, Shangyue

2017-03-15

The chemical composition and morphology of cuticular wax in mature fruit of nine blueberry cultivars were investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Triterpenoids and β-diketones were the most prominent compounds, accounting for on average 64.2% and 16.4% of the total wax, respectively. Ursolic or oleanolic acid was identified as the most abundant triterpenoids differing in cultivars. Two β-diketones, hentriacontan-10,12-dione and tritriacontan-12,14-dione, were detected in cuticular wax of blueberry fruits for the first time. Notably, hentriacontan-10,12-dione and tritriacontan-12,14-dione were only detected in highbush (V. corymbosum) and rabbiteye (V. ashei) blueberries, respectively. The results of SEM showed that a large amount of tubular wax deposited on the surface of blueberry fruits. There was no apparent difference in wax morphology among the nine cultivars. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of a plant leaf cuticle model wax, phase behaviour of model wax–water systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fagerström, Anton; Kocherbitov, Vitaly; Westbye, Peter; Bergström, Karin; Mamontova, Varvara; Engblom, Johan

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Four individual crystalline phases were discovered in the model wax–water system. • Eutectic melting occurred in both dry and hydrated model wax. • The total transition enthalpy is smaller for the cuticle wax than for the model wax. • Water has a large plasticizing effect on cuticle wax. • The thermotropic transitions of model wax fit in the window of extracted leaf waxes. - Abstract: We investigated the thermotropic phase behaviour of plant leaf intracuticular wax and two representatives of its main components, 1-docosanol (C 22 H 45 OH) and dotriacontane (C 32 H 66 ), in dry and hydrated state. One objective was to obtain a model wax, which can be used to estimate formulations effects on cuticle diffusivity in vitro. The two wax components were chosen based on results from Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry analysis of cuticular wax. The wax was extracted from Clivia Miniata Regel leaves and contained 68% primary alcohols (C 16 –C 32 ) and 16% n-alkanes (C 21 –C 33 ). Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Polarized Light Microscopy and Small- and Wide Angle X-ray Diffraction were used to characterize the cuticular extract and the phase behaviour of the C 22 H 45 OH/C 32 H 66 /H 2 O model system. Four individual crystalline phases were discovered in the model wax–water system and eutectic melting occurred in both dry and hydrated state. The thermotropic transitions of the model wax occur within the broader transition region of the extracted leaf wax

Problems in interpreting effects of air pollutants on spruce epicuticular waxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bermadinger-Stabentheiner, E.

1994-01-01

Spruce needles are covered with rod-like crystals, which also fill the antechambers of the stomata with a dense meshwork. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) is very useful for studying epicuticular wax structure; with no intricate or laborious preparation, it is possible to obtain valuable information about the needle surface. Because the epicuticular wax layer forms a barrier between the plant and its environment, all influences that reach the surface from outside impact on this layer and, therefore, changes in epicuticular wax structure serve as diagnostic criteria for damage caused by air pollutants. This pollution influence begins as fusion of wax rods at the tips and results finally in total loss of the crystalline structure. Despite the simplicity of SEM investigations, alterations (artefacts) can occur to wax structures that may be confused with alterations caused by air pollutants (i.e., a too dense layer of twigs and needles, or careless handling with tweezers, results in mechanical damage that often influences the entire surface). Overheating occurring during transport or preparation and/or incorrect storage also produce artefacts. If the occurrence of such artefacts is taken into consideration, several contradictory interpretations of effects of air pollutants on epicuticular waxes can be explained. (orig.)

Exergy analysis of the solar still integrated nano composite phase change materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Methre, V.K.; Eswaramoorthy, M.

2015-01-01

This paper communicates the exergy analysis of solar still integrated with nano composite phase change materials for design and operating parameters. Al_2O_3 nano materials (50 nm) is dispersed by weight ratio in paraffin wax at melting state and its thermophysical properties are evaluated using developed correlation. Exergy balance equation for basin liner, thermal energy storage, glass cover and saline water is developed and exergy efficiency is analysed. It is found that exergy efficiency is improved by higher weight ratio of Al_2O_3 nano materials with paraffin wax alone. (author)

Influence of Different Waxes on the Physical Properties of Linear ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

NJD

2005-12-22

Dec 22, 2005 ... viscosity of a polymer melt. In many instances it ... amounts of different waxes on the viscosity (melt flow) of ..... Since the MFI is a direct measure of the viscosity .... melt flow index increasing with increasing wax content. There.

Wax Impaction in Nigerian School Children. | Eziyi | East and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Impacted wax has been classified as an ear disease. It can cause pain, itching, tinnitus hearing loss or otitis externa. The prevalence of cerumen impaction varies. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of impacted ear wax in primary school children and to determine, if there is any association ...

Mechanisms of radiation - chemical conversion of high-paraffinic crude oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaikin, Yu.A.; Zaikina, R.F.; Silverman, J.

2002-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Regularities of radiation-thermal cracking (RTC) are studied in high-paraffinic oil. Irradiation of oil samples by 2 MeV electrons was performed using a special facility assembled at the electron accelerator ELU-4. The following characteristic RTC features were observed in oil with high contents of heavy paraffins: low level of isomerization in light RTC fractions; very high polymerization rate and low olefin contents in RTC products; relatively low yields of light fractions at low irradiation dose rates; increase in the molecular weight of the gasoline fraction as the irradiation dose rate grows. Similar intense polymerization of RTC products was observed in our experiments with such wastes of oil extraction as asphalt-pitch-paraffin sediments (APPS). Theoretically this feedstock contains great reserves of hydrogen, and, therefore, has high potential yields of light fractions. However, in this case RTC was accompanied by intense reactions of polymerization and chemical adsorption that limited the maximum yields of light RTC products to 40% in our experiments. A specific feature of APPS radiation-induced destruction is formation of the big amount of a reactive paraffinic residue. As a result of interaction with the polymerizing residue the light liquid fractions were completely absorbed and the heavy residue got denser and solidified after several days of exposure at room temperature. RTC regularities in heavy paraffinic oil differ from those observed both in highly viscous petroleum feedstock and light paraffin oils. We attribute these observations to the behavior of heavy alkyl radicals that initiate polymerization and isomerization in heavy paraffin fractions

Oil-structuring characterization of natural waxes in canola oil oleogels: Rheological, thermal, and oxidative properties

Science.gov (United States)

Natural waxes (candelilla wax, carnauba wax, and beeswax) were utilized as canola oil structurants to produce oleogels and their physicochemical properties were evaluated from rheological, thermal, and oxidative points of view. The oleogels with candelilla wax exhibited the highest hardness, followe...

Characterization of a plant leaf cuticle model wax, phase behaviour of model wax–water systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fagerström, Anton, E-mail: anton.fagerstrom@mah.se [Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health and Society, Malmö University, Malmö (Sweden); Kocherbitov, Vitaly [Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health and Society, Malmö University, Malmö (Sweden); Westbye, Peter; Bergström, Karin [Agro Applications Europe, AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry AB, Stenungsund (Sweden); Mamontova, Varvara [Ecological and Chemical Research, St. Petersburg Scientific Research Center for Ecological Safety, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Engblom, Johan [Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health and Society, Malmö University, Malmö (Sweden)

2013-11-10

Highlights: • Four individual crystalline phases were discovered in the model wax–water system. • Eutectic melting occurred in both dry and hydrated model wax. • The total transition enthalpy is smaller for the cuticle wax than for the model wax. • Water has a large plasticizing effect on cuticle wax. • The thermotropic transitions of model wax fit in the window of extracted leaf waxes. - Abstract: We investigated the thermotropic phase behaviour of plant leaf intracuticular wax and two representatives of its main components, 1-docosanol (C{sub 22}H{sub 45}OH) and dotriacontane (C{sub 32}H{sub 66}), in dry and hydrated state. One objective was to obtain a model wax, which can be used to estimate formulations effects on cuticle diffusivity in vitro. The two wax components were chosen based on results from Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry analysis of cuticular wax. The wax was extracted from Clivia Miniata Regel leaves and contained 68% primary alcohols (C{sub 16}–C{sub 32}) and 16% n-alkanes (C{sub 21}–C{sub 33}). Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Polarized Light Microscopy and Small- and Wide Angle X-ray Diffraction were used to characterize the cuticular extract and the phase behaviour of the C{sub 22}H{sub 45}OH/C{sub 32}H{sub 66}/H{sub 2}O model system. Four individual crystalline phases were discovered in the model wax–water system and eutectic melting occurred in both dry and hydrated state. The thermotropic transitions of the model wax occur within the broader transition region of the extracted leaf wax.

Anatomical models and wax Venuses: art masterpieces or scientific craft works?

Science.gov (United States)

Ballestriero, R

2010-02-01

The art of wax modelling has an ancient origin but rose to prominence in 14th century Italy with the cult of votive artefacts. With the advent of Neoclassicism this art, now deemed repulsive, continued to survive in a scientific environment, where it flourished in the study of normal and pathological anatomy, obstetrics, zoology and botany. The achievement of having originated the creation of anatomical models in coloured wax must be ascribed to a joint effort undertaken by the Sicilian wax modeller Gaetano Giulio Zumbo and the French surgeon Guillaume Desnoues in the late 17th century. Interest in anatomical wax models spread throughout Europe during the 18th century, first in Bologna with Ercole Lelli, Giovanni Manzolini and Anna Morandi, and then in Florence with Felice Fontana and Clemente Susini. In England, the art of anatomical ceroplastics was brought to London from Florence by the sculptor Joseph Towne. Throughout the centuries many anatomical artists preferred this material due to the remarkable mimetic likeness obtained, far surpassing any other material. Independent of the material used, whether wood, wax or clay, anatomical models were always considered merely craft works confined to hospitals or faculties of medicine and have survived to this day only because of their scientific interest. Italian and English waxes are stylistically different but the remarkable results obtained by Susini and Towne, and the fact that some contemporary artists are again representing anatomical wax bodies in their works, makes the border that formerly separated art and craft indistinguishable.

Reduction in spasticity in stroke patient with paraffin therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jing; Yu, Peng; Zeng, Ming; Gu, Xudong; Liu, Yan; Xiao, Mingyue

2017-01-01

The aim of the study was to confirm whether paraffin therapy offer clinical value in the treatment of spasticity due to stroke. Fifty-two patients with spasticity in the upper limb were included. The patients were randomized into the experimental group with paraffin therapy (n = 27) and the control group with placebo therapy (n = 25). The outcome measures besides temperature examination were undertaken at time points of 0 (T0), 2 (T1) and 4 weeks (T2) following therapy treatment. The extent of spasticity was measured using Modified Ashworth Score (MAS) during passive movement at the shoulder, elbow, wrist and finger joints. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the hemiplegic upper limb pain and functional activity of the upper limb motor function was evaluated by Brunnstrom recovery stage. All adverse events were recorded. MAS decreased significantly in Exp group compared with Con group, at the time points of T1 and T2, both before and immediately after paraffin therapy. Paraffin treatment failed to show remarkable improvement in pain compared with placebo-treated patient at movement at any time point. But VAS in Exp exhibited a tendency to decrease over time in shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. With regard to the Brunnstrom score, patients in Exp showed significant improvement at the end of trial compared to the beginning. The values of temperature showed significant increment immediately after paraffin therapy at each time point in Exp group. Paraffin therapy may be a kind of noninvasive, promising method to reduce spasticity of stroke patients.

Nitrous Paraffin Hybrid, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Nitrous Oxide Paraffin Hybrid engine (N2OP) is a proposed technology designed to provide small launch vehicles with high specific impulse, indefinitely storable...

Sintering of wax for controlling release from pellets

OpenAIRE

Singh, Reena; Poddar, S. S.; Chivate, Amit

2007-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate incorporation of hydrophobic (ie, waxy) material into pellets using a thermal sintering technique and to evaluate the pellets in vitro for controlled release. Pellets prepared by extrusion-spheronization technology were formulated with a water-soluble drug, microcrystalline cellulose, and carnauba wax. Powdered carnauba wax (4%–20%) prepared by grinding or by emulsification was studied with an attempt to retard the drug release. The inclusio...

Validation of tumor markers in central nervous system germ cell tumors by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dowhan; Lee, Da Hye; Choi, Junjeong; Shim, Kyu Won; Kim, Se Hoon

2013-01-01

The therapeutic protocols for treatment of germinomas and non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCTs) are completely different, so it is important to distinguish pure germinomas from NGGCTs. As it can be difficult to diagnose by morphology alone, immunohisto-chemistry (IHC) has been widely used as an ancillary test to improve diagnostic accuracy. However, IHC has limitations due to the misinterpretation of results or the aberrant loss of immunoreactivity. However, real-time RT-PCR has certain advantages over IHC, including its quantitative nature. The aim of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of real-time RT-PCR on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks for the diagnosis of germ cell tumors of the central nervous system. We selected eight markers of germ cell tumors using a literature search, and validated them using real-time RT-PCR. Among them, POU5F1, NANOG and TGFB2 were statistically significant (P=0.05) in multiple comparisons (MANOVA) of three groups (pure germinomas, mature teratomas and malignant germ cell tumors). Two-group (pure germinomas and NGGCTs) discriminant analysis achieved a 70.0% success rate in cross-validation. We concluded that real-time RT-PCR using FFPE tissue has adequate validating power comparable to IHC in the diagnosis of central nervous system germ cell tumors; therefore, when IHC is not available, not conclusive or not informative, RT-PCR is a potential alternative to a repeat biopsy.

Exogenous lipoid pneumonia caused by paraffin in an amateur fire breather.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinberg, I; Fridlender, Z G

2010-05-01

Paraffin has characteristics that make it popular among fire breathers. To describe a case of paraffin-induced lipoid pneumonia in a fire breather. The patient was evaluated clinically in relation to his occupational history. A 32-year-old man presented with dyspnoea, tachypnoea and non-productive cough of 2 h duration that started immediately following an attempt to blow fire using paraffin as the volatile substance. He was discharged from the emergency ward but returned the next day presenting again with dyspnoea accompanied by mid-sternal pain, fever (38.1 degrees C) and leucocytosis. Chest radiography showed perihilar punctuate infiltrations. A diagnosis of exogenous lipoid pneumonia caused by paraffin was made, and the patient was treated, with full recovery within a week. Fire breathers must be viewed as a population at risk of paraffin-induced lipoid pneumonia.

Development of formulations and processes to incorporate wax oleogels in ice cream.

Science.gov (United States)

Zulim Botega, Daniele C; Marangoni, Alejandro G; Smith, Alexandra K; Goff, H Douglas

2013-12-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of emulsifiers, waxes, fat concentration, and processing conditions on the application of wax oleogel to replace solid fat content and create optimal fat structure in ice cream. Ice creams with 10% or 15% fat were formulated with rice bran wax (RBW), candelilla wax (CDW), or carnauba wax (CBW) oleogels, containing 10% wax and 90% high-oleic sunflower oil. The ice creams were produced using batch or continuous freezing processes. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cryo-scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate the microstructure of ice cream and the ultrastructure of oleogel droplets in ice cream mixes. Among the wax oleogels, RBW oleogel had the ability to form and sustain structure in 15% fat ice creams when glycerol monooleate (GMO) was used as the emulsifier. TEM images revealed that the high degree of fat structuring observed in GMO samples was associated with the RBW crystal morphology within the fat droplet, which was characterized by the growth of crystals at the outer edge of the droplet. Continuous freezing improved fat structuring compared to batch freezing. RBW oleogels established better structure compared to CDW or CBW oleogels. These results demonstrate that RBW oleogel has the potential to develop fat structure in ice cream in the presence of GMO and sufficiently high concentrations of oleogel. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction detection of HER2 amplification in formalin fixed paraffin embedded breast and gastric carcinoma samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yazhen; Lu, Dan; Lira, Maruja E; Xu, Qing; Du, Yunzhi; Xiong, Jianghong; Mao, Mao; Chung, Hyun Cheol; Zheng, Guangjuan

2016-04-01

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a key driver of tumorigenesis, and over-expression as a result of HER2 gene amplification has been observed in a number of solid tumors. Recently HER2 has become an important biomarker for the monoclonal antibody treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast and advanced gastric cancer. The HER2 targeting antibody trastuzumab treatment requires accurate measurement of HER2 levels for proper diagnosis. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) with highly direct, precise and absolute nucleic acid quantification could be used to detect HER2 amplification levels. Our objective was to evaluate a robust, accurate and less subjective application of ddPCR for HER2 amplification levels and test the assay performance in clinical formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) breast and gastric carcinoma samples. Genomic DNA from HER2 amplified cell line SK-BR-3 was used to set up the ddPCR assays. The copy number of HER2 was compared to the chromosome 17 centromere reference gene (CEP17), expressed as HER2:CEP17 ratio. Genomic DNAs of FFPE specimens from 145 Asian patients with breast and gastric carcinomas were assayed using both standard methods, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and ddPCR. Based on 145 clinical breast and gastric carcinoma cases, our study demonstrated a high concordance of ddPCR results to FISH and IHC. In breast cancer specimens, the ddPCR results had high concordance with FISH and IHC defined HER2 status with a sensitivity of 90.9% (30/33) and a specificity of 100% (77/77). In gastric cancer specimens that were concordant in both FISH and IHC, our assay was 95.5% concordant with FISH and IHC (21/22). ddPCR has the advantage of automation and also allows levels of HER2 amplification to be easily evaluated in large numbers of samples, and presents a potential option to define HER2 status. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Physico-chemical properties and efficacy of silk fibroin fabric coated with different waxes as wound dressing.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanokpanont, Sorada; Damrongsakkul, Siriporn; Ratanavaraporn, Juthamas; Aramwit, Pornanong

2013-04-01

Silk fibroin (SF) has been widely used as a wound dressing material due to its suitable physical and biological characteristics. In this study, a non-adhesive wound dressing which applies to cover the wound surface as an absorbent pad that would absorb wound fluid while accelerate wound healing was developed. The modification of SF fabrics by wax coating was purposed to prepare the non-adhesive wound dressing that is required in order to minimize pain and risk of repeated injury. SF woven fabrics were coated with different types of waxes including shellac wax, beeswax, or carnauba wax. Physical and mechanical properties of the wax-coated SF fabrics were characterized. It was clearly observed that all waxes could be successfully coated on the SF fabrics, possibly due to the hydrophobic interactions between hydrophobic domains of SF and waxes. The wax coating improved tensile modulus and percentage of elongation of the SF fabrics due to the denser structure and the thicker fibers coated. The in vitro degradation study demonstrated that all wax-coated SF fabrics remained up to 90% of their original weights after 7 weeks of incubation in lysozyme solution under physiological conditions. The wax coating did not affect the degradation behavior of the SF fabrics. A peel test of the wax-coated SF fabrics was carried out in the partial- and full-thickness wounds of porcine skin in comparison to that of the commercial wound dressing. Any wax-coated SF fabrics were less adhesive than the control, as confirmed by less number of cells attached and less adhesive force. This might be that the wax-coated SF fabrics showed the hydrophobic property, allowing the loosely adherence to the hydrophilic wound surface. In addition, the in vivo biocompatibility test of the wax-coated SF fabrics was performed in Sprague-Dawley rats with subcutaneous model. The irritation scores indicated that the carnauba wax-coated SF fabric was not irritant while the shellac wax or beeswax-coated SF

Carbon nanotube/paraffin/montmorillonite composite phase change material for thermal energy storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Min; Guo, Qiangang; Nutt, Steven

2017-04-01

A composite phase change material (PCM) comprised of organic montmorillonite (OMMT)/paraffin/grafted multi-walled nanotube (MWNT) is synthesized via ultrasonic dispersion and liquid intercalation. The microstructure of the composite PCM has been characterized to determine the phase distribution, and thermal properties (latent heat and thermal conductivity) have been measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a thermal constant analyzer. The results show that paraffin molecules are intercalated in the montmorillonite layers and the grafted MWNTs are dispersed in the montmorillonite layers. The latent heat is 47.1 J/g, and the thermal conductivity of the OMMT/paraffin/grafted MWNT composites is 34% higher than that of the OMMT/paraffin composites and 65% higher than that of paraffin.

Effects of short-chain chlorinated paraffins on soil organisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Bezchlebová, Jitka; Cernohlávková, Jitka; Kobeticová, Klára; Lána, Jan; Sochová, Ivana; Hofman, Jakub

2007-06-01

Despite the fact that chlorinated paraffins have been produced in relatively large amounts, and high concentrations have been found in sewage sludge applied to soils, there is little information on their concentrations in soils and the effect on soil organisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the toxicity of chlorinated paraffins in soils. The effects of short-chain chlorinated paraffins (64% chlorine content) on invertebrates (Eisenia fetida, Folsomia candida, Enchytraeus albidus, Enchytraeus crypticus, Caenorhabditis elegans) and substrate-induced respiration of indigenous microorganisms were studied. Differences were found in the sensitivity of the tested organisms to short-chain chlorinated paraffins. F. candida was identified as the most sensitive organism with LC(50) and EC(50) values of 5733 and 1230 mg/kg, respectively. Toxicity results were compared with available studies and the predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) of 5.28 mg/kg was estimated for the soil environment, based on our data.

Synthesis of oleyl oleate wax esters in Arabidopsis thaliana and Camelina sativa seed oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Iven, Tim; Hornung, Ellen; Heilmann, Mareike; Feussner, Ivo

2016-01-01

Seed oil composed of wax esters with long-chain monoenoic acyl moieties represents a high-value commodity for industry. Such plant-derived sperm oil-like liquid wax esters are biodegradable and can have excellent properties for lubrication. In addition, wax ester oil may represent a superior substrate for biodiesel production. In this study, we demonstrate that the low-input oil seed crop Camelina sativa can serve as a biotechnological platform for environmentally benign wax ester production. Two biosynthetic steps catalysed by a fatty alcohol-forming acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) and a wax ester synthase (WS) are sufficient to achieve wax ester accumulation from acyl-CoA substrates. To produce plant-derived sperm oil-like liquid wax esters, the WS from Mus musculus (MmWS) or Simmondsia chinensis (ScWS) were expressed in combination with the FAR from Mus musculus (MmFAR1) or Marinobacter aquaeolei (MaFAR) in seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana and Camelina sativa. The three analysed enzyme combinations Oleo3:mCherry:MmFAR1∆c/Oleo3:EYFP:MmWS, Oleo3:mCherry:MmFAR1∆c/ScWS and MaFAR/ScWS showed differences in the wax ester molecular species profiles and overall biosynthetic performance. By expressing MaFAR/ScWS in Arabidopsis or Camelina up to 59% or 21% of the seed oil TAGs were replaced by wax esters, respectively. This combination also yielded wax ester molecular species with highest content of monounsaturated acyl moieties. Expression of the enzyme combinations in the Arabidopsis fae1 fad2 mutant background high in oleic acid resulted in wax ester accumulation enriched in oleyl oleate (18:1/18:1 > 60%), suggesting that similar values may be obtained with a Camelina high oleic acid line. © 2015 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Modelling of an experiment INSS and paraffin moderator at JINR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goyal, Uttam; Kumawat, Harphool; Kumar, V.; Barashenkov, V.S.

2002-01-01

Intense neutron spallation source (INSS) described elsewhere is studied with paraffin moderator using the Dubna cascade code. For the present study paraffin is assumed having configuration corresponding to C 22 H 46 with density = 0.87 g/cm 3 6 cm thickness of paraffin is coated around the Pb-spallation target of size ΦxL = 8x20 cm 2 and proton beam with E lab = 1 GeV is allowed to collide at the center of the left face

Performance of phase change materials on storage capacity of trombe wall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Karaghouli, A.A.; Mujally, L.

2006-01-01

Two types of phase change materials were used as storage media in a Trombe Wall; namely paraffin wax (N-Eicoseue C 20 H 42 ) and Glaubers Salt (Na 2 SO 4 10H 2 O). To investigate the performance of these materials, a theoretical model and a simulation programme were developed. The wall temperature, the amount of heat stored, and the optimum wall thickness were calculated for both types. The study found that using two sheets of glass on the outside wall increased the surface wall temperature by around 50 degree C. It also found that Glauber salt was a much better storage material than paraffin wax. For a selected winter day at a location of 32 o N latitude, the storage capacity of the salt was more than twice that of the paraffin wax. The salt storage capacity was 32816 kJ/m 3 at an optimum wall thickness of 16 cm. this value for paraffin was 14464 kJ/m 3 at 13 cm optimum thickness. The study also concluded that according to this high heating value the wall uses, Glauber salt as a storage medium could supply its heat to the surrounding for a much longer period at night

QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS METHOD OF DETECTION OF WAX CONTENT IN GORENGAN USING SMARTPHONE

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Yulia Yulia

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Wax is one of the compounds that can be misused to be added to Gorengan, Indonesian fritter, to keep them crispy. Gorengan containing wax is difficult to identify visually, so a quick and easy method of detecting wax content is required. The purpose of this research is to develop and evaluate the analytical performance of detecting wax content in gorengan using smartphone. Gorengan sample was dissolved with hexane and then added reagent that will give discoloration followed by analysis using smartphone. Some analysis performance parameters were evaluated in terms of linearity and detection limit, qualitative analysis capability, precision, and selectivity test. The developed method was also applied in some gorengan samples. The result shows that the detection of wax content in gorengan can be conducted by using reagent consisting of NaOH, Schift, and curcumin (1 : 2 : 2. Performance analysis shows that the linearity measurement at concentration between 10% and 25% has correlation coefficient (r of 0.9537 with detection limit at concentration of 2% and precision (%RSD less than 3%. The developed method can be applied for the detection of wax content in gorengan in the market.

Purification of a jojoba embryo wax synthase, cloning of its cDNA, and production of high levels of wax in seeds of transgenic arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lardizabal, K D; Metz, J G; Sakamoto, T; Hutton, W C; Pollard, M R; Lassner, M W

2000-03-01

Wax synthase (WS, fatty acyl-coenzyme A [coA]: fatty alcohol acyltransferase) catalyzes the final step in the synthesis of linear esters (waxes) that accumulate in seeds of jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis). We have characterized and partially purified this enzyme from developing jojoba embryos. A protein whose presence correlated with WS activity during chromatographic fractionation was identified and a cDNA encoding that protein was cloned. Seed-specific expression of the cDNA in transgenic Arabidopsis conferred high levels of WS activity on developing embryos from those plants. The WS sequence has significant homology with several Arabidopsis open reading frames of unknown function. Wax production in jojoba requires, in addition to WS, a fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) and an efficient fatty acid elongase system that forms the substrates preferred by the FAR. We have expressed the jojoba WS cDNA in Arabidopsis in combination with cDNAs encoding the jojoba FAR and a beta-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (a component of fatty acid elongase) from Lunaria annua. (13)C-Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of pooled whole seeds from transgenic plants indicated that as many as 49% of the oil molecules in the seeds were waxes. Gas chromatography analysis of transmethylated oil from individual seeds suggested that wax levels may represent up to 70% (by weight) of the oil present in those seeds.

The MIEL1 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Negatively Regulates Cuticular Wax Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis Stems.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hong Gil; Kim, Juyoung; Suh, Mi Chung; Seo, Pil Joon

2017-07-01

Cuticular wax is an important hydrophobic layer that covers the plant aerial surface. Cuticular wax biosynthesis is shaped by multiple layers of regulation. In particular, a pair of R2R3-type MYB transcription factors, MYB96 and MYB30, are known to be the main participants in cuticular wax accumulation. Here, we report that the MYB30-INTERACTING E3 LIGASE 1 (MIEL1) E3 ubiquitin ligase controls the protein stability of the two MYB transcription factors and thereby wax biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. MIEL1-deficient miel1 mutants exhibit increased wax accumulation in stems, with up-regulation of wax biosynthetic genes targeted by MYB96 and MYB30. Genetic analysis reveals that wax accumulation of the miel1 mutant is compromised by myb96 or myb30 mutation, but MYB96 is mainly epistatic to MIEL1, playing a predominant role in cuticular wax deposition. These observations indicate that the MIEL1-MYB96 module is important for balanced cuticular wax biosynthesis in developing inflorescence stems. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Tuberculosis patients co-infected with Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in an urban area of Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Marcio Roberto; Rocha, Adalgiza da Silva; da Costa, Ronaldo Rodrigues; de Alencar, Andrea Padilha; de Oliveira, Vania Maria; Fonseca Júnior, Antônio Augusto; Sales, Mariana Lázaro; Issa, Marina de Azevedo; Filho, Paulo Martins Soares; Pereira, Omara Tereza Vianello; dos Santos, Eduardo Calazans; Mendes, Rejane Silva; Ferreira, Angela Maria de Jesus; Mota, Pedro Moacyr Pinto Coelho; Suffys, Philip Noel; Guimarães, Mark Drew Crosland

2013-05-01

In this cross-sectional study, mycobacteria specimens from 189 tuberculosis (TB) patients living in an urban area in Brazil were characterised from 2008-2010 using phenotypic and molecular speciation methods (pncA gene and oxyR pseudogene analysis). Of these samples, 174 isolates simultaneously grew on Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) and Stonebrink (SB)-containing media and presented phenotypic and molecular profiles of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, whereas 12 had molecular profiles of M. tuberculosis based on the DNA analysis of formalin-fixed paraffin wax-embedded tissue samples (paraffin blocks). One patient produced two sputum isolates, the first of which simultaneously grew on LJ and SB media and presented phenotypic and molecular profiles of M. tuberculosis, and the second of which only grew on SB media and presented phenotypic profiles of Mycobacterium bovis. One patient provided a bronchial lavage isolate, which simultaneously grew on LJ and SB media and presented phenotypic and molecular profiles of M. tuberculosis, but had molecular profiles of M. bovis from paraffin block DNA analysis, and one sample had molecular profiles of M. tuberculosis and M. bovis identified from two distinct paraffin blocks. Moreover, we found a low prevalence (1.6%) of M. bovis among these isolates, which suggests that local health service procedures likely underestimate its real frequency and that it deserves more attention from public health officials.

Tuberculosis patients co-infected with Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in an urban area of Brazil

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Marcio Roberto Silva

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In this cross-sectional study, mycobacteria specimens from 189 tuberculosis (TB patients living in an urban area in Brazil were characterised from 2008-2010 using phenotypic and molecular speciation methods (pncA gene and oxyR pseudogene analysis. Of these samples, 174 isolates simultaneously grew on Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ and Stonebrink (SB-containing media and presented phenotypic and molecular profiles of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, whereas 12 had molecular profiles of M. tuberculosis based on the DNA analysis of formalin-fixed paraffin wax-embedded tissue samples (paraffin blocks. One patient produced two sputum isolates, the first of which simultaneously grew on LJ and SB media and presented phenotypic and molecular profiles of M. tuberculosis, and the second of which only grew on SB media and presented phenotypic profiles of Mycobacterium bovis. One patient provided a bronchial lavage isolate, which simultaneously grew on LJ and SB media and presented phenotypic and molecular profiles of M. tuberculosis, but had molecular profiles of M. bovis from paraffin block DNA analysis, and one sample had molecular profiles of M. tuberculosis and M. bovis identified from two distinct paraffin blocks. Moreover, we found a low prevalence (1.6% of M. bovis among these isolates, which suggests that local health service procedures likely underestimate its real frequency and that it deserves more attention from public health officials.

Photothermally Driven Refreshable Microactuators Based on Graphene Oxide Doped Paraffin.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Sichao; Wang, Miao; Guo, Shouwu; Su, Ming

2017-08-09

Actuators based on phase change materials (paraffin) can simultaneously produce large stroke length and large force due to thermal expansion, but the low thermal conductivity of paraffin requires high power input and long actuation time. The graphene oxide (GO) doped paraffin dynamic actuator addresses the key challenges in the design of thermal phase change actuators: Thermal conductivity and light absorbing are increased, and the response time is reduced compared to the standard phase change actuator designed with metal heating resistors. The thermal properties of GO-paraffin composites with varied loading amount are characterized to confirm the optimal loading amount of 1.0%. A multicell phase change actuator was integrated into a digital micromirror controlled optical system. A series of photothermally driven refreshable patterns were generated and confirmed with infrared imaging.

Inverse gradients in leaf wax δD and δ13C values along grass blades of Miscanthus sinensis: implications for leaf wax reproduction and plant physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Li; Huang, Yongsong

2013-06-01

Compound specific hydrogen and carbon isotopic ratios of higher plant leaf waxes have been extensively used in paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. However, studies so far have focused on the comparison of leaf wax isotopic differences in bulk leaf samples between different plant species. We sampled three different varieties of tall grasses (Miscanthus sinensis) in six segments from base to tip and determined hydrogen and carbon isotopic ratios of leaf waxes, as well as hydrogen and oxygen isotopic ratios of leaf water samples. We found an increasing, base-to-tip hydrogen isotopic gradient along the grass blades that can probably be attributed to active leaf wax regeneration over the growth season. Carbon isotopic ratios, on the other hand, show opposite trends to hydrogen isotopic ratios along the grass blades, which may reflect different photosynthetic efficiencies at different blade locales.

Enhancement of Pathologist's Routine Practice: Reuse of DNA Extracted from Immunostained Formalin-fixed Paraffin-embedded (FFPE) Slides in Downstream Molecular Analysis of Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Attas, Asmaa; Assidi, Mourad; Al-Maghrabi, Jaudah; Dallol, Ashraf; Schulten, Hans-Juergen; Abu-Elmagd, Muhammad; Chaudhary, Adeel; Abuzenadah, Adel; Budowle, Bruce; Buhmeida, Abdelbaset; Al-Qahtani, Mohammed

To date, the conventional formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) technique is the gold-standard for preserving histomorphology. Once FFPE tissues are stained, slides are routinely archived along with their blocks at biobanks/hospitals. However, the reuse of fixed and stained biospecimens as DNA source is not a common routine practice worldwide and, thus, indicates the need of studies to investigate the feasibility of extracting DNA from already immunohistochemistry (IHC) FFPE-stained slides and its possible reuse in subsequent downstream molecular analyses. FFPE IHC slides from colorectal cancer (CRC) patients were prepared and stored in the CEGMR Biobank. The workflow consists of digitalization of IHC stained slide's image, removing the slide cover-slip, crude dissection and DNA extraction. Following DNA quality assessment, mutation analysis of CTNNB1 and methylation profile of CDH1 were performed. High-quality DNA was obtained allowing 60% concordance between CDH1 methylation and membranous E-cadherin expression pattern. Clean CTNNB1 DNA chromatograms with evenly-spaced peaks were observed. This study is a proof of concept to recycle and reuse DNA from IHC stained slides with suitable concentration and integrity for further downstream molecular applications. These findings will enhance the pathologists' knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards the use of these biospecimens and support the implementation of this approach in clinical pathology practice. Therefore, the scientific community will benefit from the largest comprehensive database of human fully annotated FFPE biospecimens already available at their disposal in order to demystify the complexity and the heterogeneity of many challenging diseases and foster the transition towards precision medicine. Copyright© 2016, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Nano-PCMs for passive electronic cooling applications

Science.gov (United States)

Colla, L.; Fedele, L.; Mancin, S.; Buonomo, B.; Ercole, D.; Manca, O.

2015-11-01

The present work aims at investigating a new challenging use of oxide (TiO2, Al2O3, etc.) nanoparticles to enhance the thermal properties: thermal conductivity, specific heat, and latent heat of pure paraffin waxes to obtain a new class of Phase Change Materials (PCMs), the so-called nano-PCMs. The nano-PCMs were obtained by seeding different amounts of oxide nanoparticles in a paraffin wax having a melting temperature of 45°C. The thermophysical properties such as latent heat and thermal conductivity were then measured to understand the effects of the nanoparticles on the thermal properties of both the solid and liquid PCM. Finally, a numerical comparison between the use of the pure paraffin wax and the nano-PCM in a typical electronics passive cooling device was implemented. Numerical simulations were carried out using the Ansys-Fluent 15.0 code. Results in terms of solid and liquid phase temperatures, melting time and junction temperature were reported. Moreover, a comparison with experimental results was also performed.

Determining the color of solid paraffines in a KNS-2 colorimeter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rozova, L P; Gladyshev, V P; Ivanov, V S; Men' kov, P A

1980-01-01

A new method is presented for determining the color of solid paraffines in a recently developed KNS-2 colorimeter. The essence of this particular method lies in a comparison of the intensity of the color of a melted paraffin sample with a set of standard light filters. The color of the paraffin is expressed in conditional brands. The method is simple, reliable and has good result convergence.

Preparation and thermal energy storage properties of paraffin/expanded graphite composite phase change material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zhengguo; Zhang, Ni; Peng, Jing; Fang, Xiaoming; Gao, Xuenong; Fang, Yutang

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► EG was obtained by microwave irradiation to prepare the paraffin/EG composite PCM. ► Composite PCM was characterized by XRD to investigate the chemical compatibility. ► Temperature profiles of the composite PCM were obtained during thermal energy storage. -- Abstract: The paraffin/expanded graphite (EG) composite phase change material (PCM) was prepared by absorbing liquid paraffin into EG, in which paraffin was chosen as the PCM. EG was produced by microwave irradiation performed at room temperature. It was found that the EG prepared at 800 W irradiation power for 10 s exhibited the maximum sorption capacity of 92 wt% for paraffin. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that paraffin was uniformly dispersed in the pores of EG. Differential scanning calorimeter analysis indicated that the melting temperature of the composite PCM was close to that of paraffin, and its latent heat was equivalent to the calculated value based on the mass fraction of paraffin in the composite. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the composite PCM was just a combination of paraffin with EG, and no new substance was produced. Thermal energy storage performance of the composite PCM was tested in a latent thermal energy storage (LTES) system. Transients of axial and radial temperature profiles were obtained in the LTES for the composite PCM and paraffin. The thermal energy storage charging duration for the composite PCM was reduced obviously compared to paraffin.

Multifunctional glass fiber/polyamide composites with thermal energy storage/release capability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Fredi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Thermoplastic composite laminates with thermal energy storage (TES capability were prepared by combining a glass fabric, a polyamide 12 (PA12 matrix and two different phase change materials (PCMs, i.e. a paraffinic wax microencapsulated in melamine-formaldehyde shells and a paraffin shape stabilized with carbon nanotubes. The melt flow index of the PA12/PCM blends decreased with the PCM concentration, especially in the systems with shape stabilized wax. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that, for the matrices with microcapsules, the values of enthalpy were approximately the 70% of the theoretical values, which was attributed to the fracture of some microcapsules. Nevertheless, most of the energy storage capability was preserved. On the other hand, much lower relative enthalpy values were measured on the composites with shape stabilized wax, due to a considerable paraffin leakage or degradation. The subsequent characterization of the glass fabric laminates highlighted that the fiber and void volume fractions were comparable for all the laminates except for that with the higher amount of shape stabilized wax, where the high viscosity of the matrix led to a low fiber volume fraction and higher void content. The mechanical properties of the laminates were only slightly impaired by PCM addition, while a more sensible drop of the elastic modulus, of the stress at break and of the interlaminar shear strength could be observed in the shape stabilized wax systems.

Analysis of the constituents in jojoba wax used as a food additive by LC/MS/MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Tada, Atsuko; Jin, Zhe-Long; Sugimoto, Naoki; Sato, Kyoko; Yamazaki, Takeshi; Tanamoto, Kenichi

2005-10-01

Jojoba wax is a natural gum base used as a food additive in Japan, and is obtained from jojoba oil with a characteristically high melting point. Although the constituents of jojoba oil have been reported, the quality of jojoba wax used as a food additive has not yet been clarified. In order to evaluate its quality as a food additive and to obtain basic information useful for setting official standards, we investigated the constituents and their concentrations in jojoba wax. LC/MS analysis of the jojoba wax showed six peaks with [M+H]+ ions in the range from m/z 533.6 to 673.7 at intervals of m/z 28. After isolation of the components of the four main peaks by preparative LC/MS, the fatty acid and long chain alcohol moieties of the wax esters were analyzed by methanolysis and hydrolysis, followed by GC/MS. The results indicated that the main constituents in jojoba wax were various kinds of wax esters, namely eicosenyl octadecenoate (C20:1-C18:1) (1), eicosenyl eicosenoate (C20:1-C20:1) (II), docosenyl eicosenoate (C22:1-C20:1) (III), eicosenyl docosenoate (C20:1-C22:1) (IV) and tetracosenyl eiosenoate (C24:1-C20:1) (V). To confirm and quantify the wax esters in jojoba wax directly, LC/MS/MS analysis was performed. The product ions corresponding to the fatty acid moieties of the wax esters were observed, and by using the product ions derived from the protonated molecular ions of wax esters the fatty acid moieties were identified by MRM analysis. The concentrations of the wax esters I, II and III, in jojoba wax were 5.5, 21.4 and 37.8%, respectively. In summary, we clarified the main constituents of jojoba wax and quantified the molecular species of the wax esters without hydrolysis by monitoring their product ions, using a LC/MS/MS system.

Infrared Fiber Optics.

Science.gov (United States)

1979-12-01

Montan 200 11 5/14/79 0054 500 Cal Wax 180 200 5/15/79 0055 500 Carnauba 200 14 5/16/79 0056 500 Anthracene 200 12 5/23/79 0059 500 None 525 3.5-5.5...50 Comments Paraffin wax 55 Petroleum derivative Beeswaxa 65 Vegetable derivative Carnauba waxa 85 Vegetable derivative Montan wax 82 Mineral...8217C) and be removable after extrusion. This has limited the choice of lubricants to waxes (parafin, beeswax), polyethelene mixtures (Parafilm M), and

SEPARATION OF FISCHER-TROPSCH WAX PRODUCTS FROM ULTRAFINE IRON CATALYST PARTICLES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

James K. Neathery; Gary Jacobs; Burtron H. Davis

2004-03-31

In this reporting period, a fundamental filtration study was started to investigate the separation of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) liquids from iron-based catalyst particles. Slurry-phase FTS in slurry bubble column reactor systems is the preferred mode of production since the reaction is highly exothermic. Consequently, heavy wax products must be separated from catalyst particles before being removed from the reactor system. Achieving an efficient wax product separation from iron-based catalysts is one of the most challenging technical problems associated with slurry-phase FTS. The separation problem is further compounded by catalyst particle attrition and the formation of ultra-fine iron carbide and/or carbon particles. Existing pilot-scale equipment was modified to include a filtration test apparatus. After undergoing an extensive plant shakedown period, filtration tests with cross-flow filter modules using simulant FTS wax slurry were conducted. The focus of these early tests was to find adequate mixtures of polyethylene wax to simulate FTS wax. Catalyst particle size analysis techniques were also developed. Initial analyses of the slurry and filter permeate particles will be used by the research team to design improved filter media and cleaning strategies.

Prediction of wax buildup in 24 inch cold, deep sea oil loading line

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asperger, R.G.; Sattler, R.E.; Tolonen, W.J.; Pitchford, A.C.

1981-10-01

When designing pipelines for cold environments, it is important to know how to predict potential problems due to wax deposition on the pipeline's inner surface. The goal of this work was to determine the rate of wax buildup and the maximum, equlibrium wax thickness for a North Sea field loading line. The experimental techniques and results used to evaluate the waxing potential of the crude oil (B) are described. Also, the theoretic model which was used for predicting the maximum wax deposit thickness in the crude oil (B) loading pipeline at controlled temperatures of 40 F (4.4 C) and 100 F (38 C), is illustrated. Included is a recommendation of a procedure for using hot oil at the end of a tanker loading period in order to dewax the crude oil (B) line. This technique would give maximum heating of the pipeline and should be followed by shutting the hot oil into the pipeline at the end of the loading cycle which will provide a hot oil soaking to help soften existing wax. 14 references.

Laboratory Deposition Apparatus to Study the Effects of Wax Deposition on Pipe Magnetic Field Leakage Signals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karim Mohd Fauzi Abd

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Accurate technique for wax deposition detection and severity measurement on cold pipe wall is important for pipeline cleaning program. Usually these techniques are validated by conventional techniques on laboratory scale wax deposition flow loop. However conventional techniques inherent limitations and it is difficult to reproduce a predetermine wax deposit profile and hardness at designated location in flow loop. An alternative wax deposition system which integrates modified pour casting method and cold finger method is presented. This system is suitable to reproduce high volume of medium hard wax deposit in pipe with better control of wax deposit profile and hardness.

Validation of a Multiplex Allele-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for Detection of KRAS Gene Mutations in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissues from Colorectal Cancer Patients.

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Sirirat Seekhuntod

Full Text Available Patients with KRAS mutations do not respond to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR inhibitors and fail to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Mutation analysis of KRAS is needed before starting treatment with monoclonal anti-EGFR antibodies in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC. The objective of this study is to develop a multiplex allele-specific PCR (MAS-PCR assay to detect KRAS mutations.We developed a single-tube MAS-PCR assay for the detection of seven KRAS mutations (G12D, G12A, G12R, G12C, G12S, G12V, and G13D. We performed MAS-PCR assay analysis for KRAS on DNA isolated from 270 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE colorectal cancer tissues. Sequences of all 270 samples were determined by pyrosequencing. Seven known point-mutation DNA samples diluted with wild-type DNA were assayed to determine the limitation of detection and reproducibility of the MAS-PCR assay.Overall, the results of MAS-PCR assay were in good concordance with pyrosequencing, and only seven discordant samples were found. The MAS-PCR assay reproducibly detected 1 to 2% mutant alleles. The most common mutations were G13D in codon 13 (49.17%, G12D (25.83% and G12V (12.50% in codon 12.The MAS-PCR assay provides a rapid, cost-effective, and reliable diagnostic tool for accurate detection of KRAS mutations in routine FFPE colorectal cancer tissues.

Effect of waste wax and chain structure on the mechanical and physical properties of polyethylene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.A. AlMaadeed

2015-05-01

The wax dispersion in the matrix strongly depends on the percentage of wax added to the polymer and the molecular structure of the polymer. It was found that increasing the wax content enhances the phase separation. LDPE undergoes less phase separation due to its highly branched structure composed of a network of short and long chain branches. The wax has no pronounced plasticising effect on the polymer. This is clearly manifested in LDPE as no change in the melting temperature occurred. LLDPE and HDPE were slightly affected by a high concentration of wax (30% and 40%. This is due to the non-uniform distribution of short chain branching along the LLDPE and HDPE main chains, which can interact with the wax structure.

Rheological profiling of organogels prepared at critical gelling concentrations of natural waxes in a triacylglycerol solvent.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Ashok R; Babaahmadi, Mehrnoosh; Lesaffer, Ans; Dewettinck, Koen

2015-05-20

The aim of this study was to use a detailed rheological characterization to gain new insights into the gelation behavior of natural waxes. To make a comprehensive case, six natural waxes (differing in the relative proportion of chemical components: hydrocarbons, fatty alcohols, fatty acids, and wax esters) were selected as organogelators to gel high-oleic sunflower oil. Flow and dynamic rheological properties of organogels prepared at critical gelling concentrations (Cg) of waxes were studied and compared using drag (stress ramp and steady flow) and oscillatory shear (stress and frequency sweeps) tests. Although, none of the organogels satisfied the rheological definition of a "strong gel" (G″/G' (ω) ≤ 0.1), on comparing the samples, the strongest gel (highest critical stress and dynamic, apparent, and static yield stresses) was obtained not with wax containing the highest proportion of wax esters alone (sunflower wax, SFW) but with wax containing wax esters along with a higher proportion of fatty alcohols (carnauba wax, CRW) although at a comparatively higher Cg (4%wt for latter compared to 0.5%wt for former). As expected, gel formation by waxes containing a high proportion of lower melting fatty acids (berry, BW, and fruit wax, FW) required a comparatively higher Cg (6 and 7%wt, respectively), and in addition, these gels showed the lowest values for plateau elastic modulus (G'LVR) and a prominent crossover point at higher frequency. The gelation temperatures (TG'=G″) for all the studied gels were lower than room temperature, except for SFW and CRW. The yielding-type behavior of gels was evident, with most gels showing strong shear sensitivity and a weak thixotropic recovery. The rheological behavior was combined with the results of thermal analysis and microstructure studies (optical, polarized, and cryo-scanning electron microscopy) to explain the gelation properties of these waxes.

Subchronic feeding study of carnauba wax in beagle dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Parent, R A; Cox, G E; Babish, J G; Gallo, M A; Hess, F G; Becci, P J

1983-02-01

Carnauba wax fed at levels of 0.1, 0.3 and 1% in the diet to beagle dogs for 28 wk did not produce evidence of toxicity or pathological effects. Body weight gain, food consumption, clinical chemical, haematological, and urine analysis data, and organ weights of animals fed carnauba wax were comparable with those of control animals. Ophthalmic, gross and histopathological examinations revealed no significant treatment-related findings.

Electrochemical behaviors of wax-coated Li powder/Li 4Ti 5O 12 cells

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Han Eol; Seong, Il Won; Yoon, Woo Young

The wax-coated Li powder specimen was effectively synthesized using the drop emulsion technique (DET). The wax layer on the powder was verified by SEM, Focused Ion Beam (FIB), EDX and XPS. The porosity of a sintered wax-coated Li electrode was measured by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and compared with that of a bare, i.e., un-coated Li electrode. The electrochemical behavior of the wax-coated Li powder anode cell was examined by the impedance analysis and cyclic testing methods. The cyclic behavior of the wax-coated Li powder anode with the Li 4Ti 5O 12 (LTO) cathode cell was examined at a constant current density of 0.35 mA cm -2 with the cut-off voltages of 1.2-2.0 V at 25 °C. Over 90% of the initial capacity of the cell remained even after the 300th cycle. The wax-coated Li powder was confirmed to be a stable anode material.

Rheology of petrolatum-paraffin oil mixtures : Applications to analogue modelling of geological processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duarte, João C.; Schellart, Wouter P.; Cruden, Alexander R.

2014-01-01

Paraffins have been widely used in analogue modelling of geological processes. Petrolatum and paraffin oil are commonly used to lubricate model boundaries and to simulate weak layers. In this paper, we present rheological tests of petrolatum, paraffin oil and several homogeneous mixtures of the two.

Effective melanin depigmentation of human and murine ocular tissues: an improved method for paraffin and frozen sections.

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Caroline Manicam

Full Text Available PURPOSE: The removal of excessive melanin pigments that obscure ocular tissue morphology is important to address scientific questions and for differential diagnosis of ocular tumours based on histology. Thus, the goal of the present study was to establish an effective and fast melanin bleaching method for paraffin and frozen mouse and human ocular tissues. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded and frozen ocular specimens from mice and human donors were subjected to bleaching employing two methods. The first employed potassium permanganate (KMnO4 with oxalic acid, and the second 10% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2. To determine optimal bleaching conditions, depigmentation was carried out at various incubation times. The effect of diluents used for 10% H2O2 was assessed using phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, and deionized water. Three different slide types and two fixatives, which were ice-cold acetone with 80% methanol, and 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA were used to determine the optimal conditions for better tissue adherence during bleaching. All tissues were stained in hematoxylin and eosin for histological evaluation. RESULTS: Optimal bleaching was achieved using warm 10% H2O2 diluted in PBS at 65°C for 120 minutes. Chromium-gelatin-coated slides prevented tissue detachment. Adherence of cryosections was also improved with post-fixation using 4% PFA and overnight air-drying at RT after cryosectioning. Tissue morphology was preserved under these conditions. Conversely, tissues bleached in KMnO4/oxalic acid demonstrated poor depigmentation with extensive tissue damage. CONCLUSIONS: Warm dilute H2O2 at 65°C for 120 minutes rapidly and effectively bleached both cryo- and paraffin sections of murine and human ocular tissues.

Effective melanin depigmentation of human and murine ocular tissues: an improved method for paraffin and frozen sections.

Science.gov (United States)

Manicam, Caroline; Pitz, Susanne; Brochhausen, Christoph; Grus, Franz H; Pfeiffer, Norbert; Gericke, Adrian

2014-01-01

The removal of excessive melanin pigments that obscure ocular tissue morphology is important to address scientific questions and for differential diagnosis of ocular tumours based on histology. Thus, the goal of the present study was to establish an effective and fast melanin bleaching method for paraffin and frozen mouse and human ocular tissues. Paraffin-embedded and frozen ocular specimens from mice and human donors were subjected to bleaching employing two methods. The first employed potassium permanganate (KMnO4) with oxalic acid, and the second 10% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). To determine optimal bleaching conditions, depigmentation was carried out at various incubation times. The effect of diluents used for 10% H2O2 was assessed using phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and deionized water. Three different slide types and two fixatives, which were ice-cold acetone with 80% methanol, and 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA) were used to determine the optimal conditions for better tissue adherence during bleaching. All tissues were stained in hematoxylin and eosin for histological evaluation. Optimal bleaching was achieved using warm 10% H2O2 diluted in PBS at 65°C for 120 minutes. Chromium-gelatin-coated slides prevented tissue detachment. Adherence of cryosections was also improved with post-fixation using 4% PFA and overnight air-drying at RT after cryosectioning. Tissue morphology was preserved under these conditions. Conversely, tissues bleached in KMnO4/oxalic acid demonstrated poor depigmentation with extensive tissue damage. Warm dilute H2O2 at 65°C for 120 minutes rapidly and effectively bleached both cryo- and paraffin sections of murine and human ocular tissues.

Highly sensitive KRAS mutation detection from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsies and circulating tumour cells using wild-type blocking polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Meggie Mo Chao; Leong, Sai Mun; Chua, Hui Wen; Tucker, Steven; Cheong, Wai Chye; Chiu, Lily; Li, Mo-Huang; Koay, Evelyn Siew-Chuan

2014-08-01

Among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), KRAS mutations were reported to occur in 30-51 % of all cases. CRC patients with KRAS mutations were reported to be non-responsive to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody (MoAb) treatment in many clinical trials. Hence, accurate detection of KRAS mutations would be critical in guiding the use of anti-EGFR MoAb therapies in CRC. In this study, we carried out a detailed investigation of the efficacy of a wild-type (WT) blocking real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), employing WT KRAS locked nucleic acid blockers, and Sanger sequencing, for KRAS mutation detection in rare cells. Analyses were first conducted on cell lines to optimize the assay protocol which was subsequently applied to peripheral blood and tissue samples from patients with CRC. The optimized assay provided a superior sensitivity enabling detection of as little as two cells with mutated KRAS in the background of 10(4) WT cells (0.02 %). The feasibility of this assay was further investigated to assess the KRAS status of 45 colorectal tissue samples, which had been tested previously, using a conventional PCR sequencing approach. The analysis showed a mutational discordance between these two methods in 4 of 18 WT cases. Our results present a simple, effective, and robust method for KRAS mutation detection in both paraffin embedded tissues and circulating tumour cells, at single-cell level. The method greatly enhances the detection sensitivity and alleviates the need of exhaustively removing co-enriched contaminating lymphocytes.

Wax Precipitation Modeled with Many Mixed Solid Phases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heidemann, Robert A.; Madsen, Jesper; Stenby, Erling Halfdan

2005-01-01

The behavior of the Coutinho UNIQUAC model for solid wax phases has been examined. The model can produce as many mixed solid phases as the number of waxy components. In binary mixtures, the solid rich in the lighter component contains little of the heavier component but the second phase shows sub......-temperature and low-temperature forms, are pure. Model calculations compare well with the data of Pauly et al. for C18 to C30 waxes precipitating from n-decane solutions. (C) 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers....

Accuracy of ringless casting and accelerated wax-elimination technique: a comparative in vitro study.

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Prasad, Rahul; Al-Keraif, Abdulaziz Abdullah; Kathuria, Nidhi; Gandhi, P V; Bhide, S V

2014-02-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the ringless casting and accelerated wax-elimination techniques can be combined to offer a cost-effective, clinically acceptable, and time-saving alternative for fabricating single unit castings in fixed prosthodontics. Sixty standardized wax copings were fabricated on a type IV stone replica of a stainless steel die. The wax patterns were divided into four groups. The first group was cast using the ringless investment technique and conventional wax-elimination method; the second group was cast using the ringless investment technique and accelerated wax-elimination method; the third group was cast using the conventional metal ring investment technique and conventional wax-elimination method; the fourth group was cast using the metal ring investment technique and accelerated wax-elimination method. The vertical marginal gap was measured at four sites per specimen, using a digital optical microscope at 100× magnification. The results were analyzed using two-way ANOVA to determine statistical significance. The vertical marginal gaps of castings fabricated using the ringless technique (76.98 ± 7.59 μm) were significantly less (p castings fabricated using the conventional metal ring technique (138.44 ± 28.59 μm); however, the vertical marginal gaps of the conventional (102.63 ± 36.12 μm) and accelerated wax-elimination (112.79 ± 38.34 μm) castings were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The ringless investment technique can produce castings with higher accuracy and can be favorably combined with the accelerated wax-elimination method as a vital alternative to the time-consuming conventional technique of casting restorations in fixed prosthodontics. © 2013 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

Enhanced thermal properties with graphene oxide in the urea-formaldehyde microcapsules containing paraffin PCMs.

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Qiao, Zhen; Mao, Jian

2017-02-01

In this study, compact urea-formaldehyde microcapsules containing paraffin (UFP) phase change materials (PCMs) were prepared via in situ polymerisation. The thermal conductivity of the PCMs was enhanced without influencing their enthalpy by adding graphene oxide (GO). Two modification methods were investigated: One in which GO is added to the inside of microcapsules, defined as "paraffin/GO@UF composite"; and another in which GO is coated onto the surface of shell, defined as "paraffin@UF/GO composite". The GO sheets were visible in scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of paraffin@UF/GO composite. The thermal conductivity was 0.2236 ± 0.0003 W/(m·K) for UFP particles, was 0.2517 ± 0.0003 W/(m·K) for the paraffin/GO@UF composite (10 wt%), and was 1.0670 ± 0.0020 W/(m·K) for paraffin@UF/GO composite (10 wt%), respectively. The encapsulation efficiency of all samples exceeded 80% (w/w) and all samples exhibited favourable thermal stability and reliability. The IR emissivity of paraffin@UF/GO was lower than that of paraffin/GO@UF when the same GO amount was added to the composite.

Modeling the hydration process of bean grains coated with carnauba wax

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Aline Almeida da Paixão

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Edible waxes are widely used to maintain foodstuff until they are consumed. However, some products may be subjected to industrial procedures, such as hydration, prior to their consumption. Hydration of a material is a complex process, which aims to reconstitute the original characteristics of a product when in contact with a liquid phase. An important agricultural product that requires this procedure is beans. Thus, the purpose of this work is to study the hydration process of beans (cultivar BRSMG Majestoso in different temperatures and concentrations of carnauba wax, which is applied on the product surface. Beans with initial moisture content of 0.2015, 0.1972 and 0.1745 (d.b. corresponding to treatments 0 (witness, 1 (wax diluted in water in the ratio 1:1, and 2 (carnauba wax, without dilution were used. Later, these samples were imbibed in distilled water at temperatures of 20, 30 and 40 ºC, for 15 h. The temperature and the carnauba wax influenced the water absorption rate. The Peleg model described satisfactory experimental data and the Mitscherlich model presented biased residual distribution. The constants C1 and C2 of the Peleg model exhibited opposite behaviors with increasing temperatures in the hydration process.

Caffeine and theobromine in epicuticular wax of Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.

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Athayde, M L; Coelho, G C; Schenkel, E P

2000-12-01

Caffeine and theobromine were identified and quantified in leaf epicuticular waxes of Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil. (Aquifoliaceae). The total epicuticular leaf wax content was ca. 0.5% on average of dry leaf weight. Epicuticular caffeine and theobromine contents varied from 0.16 to 127.6 microg/mg and from 0 to 9.5 microg/mg of wax, respectively. For some selected samples, the intracellular methylxanthine concentration was also determined. A positive correlation was found between inner and epicuticular caffeine contents.

Changes in Cuticular Wax Composition of Two Blueberry Cultivars during Fruit Ripening and Postharvest Cold Storage.

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Chu, Wenjing; Gao, Haiyan; Chen, Hangjun; Wu, Weijie; Fang, Xiangjun

2018-03-21

Cuticular wax plays an important role for the quality of blueberry fruits. In this study, the cuticular wax composition of two blueberry cultivars, 'Legacy' ( Vaccinium corymbosum) and 'Brightwell' ( Vaccinium ashei), was examined during fruit ripening and postharvest cold storage. The results showed that wax was gradually deposited on the epidermis of blueberry fruits and the content of major wax compounds, except that for diketones, increased significantly during fruit ripening. The total wax content was 2-fold greater in 'Brightwell' blueberries than that in 'Legacy' blueberries during fruit ripening. The total wax content of both cultivars decreased during 30 days of storage at 4 °C, and the variation of cuticular wax composition was cultivar-dependent. The content of diketones decreased significantly in 'Legacy' blueberries, while the content of triterpenoids and aliphatic compounds showed different fold changes in 'Brightwell' blueberries after 30 days of storage at 4 °C. Overall, our study provided a quantitative and qualitative overview of cuticular wax compounds of blueberry fruits during ripening and postharvest cold storage.

Study of phase transition in hard microcrystalline waxes and wax blends by differential scanning calorimetry

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kumar, S.; Agrawal, K. M.; Khan, H. U.; Sikora, Antonín

2004-01-01

Roč. 22, 3 & 4 (2004), s. 337-345 ISSN 1091-6466 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KSK4050111 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4050913 Keywords : phase transition * hard microscrystalline waxes * differential scanning calorimetry Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 0.312, year: 2004

Thermophysical properties estimation of paraffin/graphite composite phase change material using an inverse method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lachheb, Mohamed; Karkri, Mustapha; Albouchi, Fethi; Mzali, Foued; Nasrallah, Sassi Ben

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Preparation of paraffin/graphite composites by uni-axial compression technique. • Measurement of thermophysical properties of paraffin/graphite using the periodic method. • Measurement of the experimental densities of paraffin/graphite composites. • Prediction of the effective thermal conductivity using analytical models. - Abstract: In this paper, two types of graphite were combined with paraffin in an attempt to improve thermal conductivity of paraffin phase change material (PCM): Synthetic graphite (Timrex SFG75) and graphite waste obtained from damaged Tubular graphite Heat Exchangers. These paraffin/graphite phase change material (PCM) composites are prepared by the cold uniaxial compression technique and the thermophysical properties were estimated using a periodic temperature method and an inverse technique. Results showed that the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity are greatly influenced by the graphite addition

Effects of sunflower wax coating on physicochemical changes of mangifera indica L. in storage life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soomro, R.K.; Sherazi, S.T.H.

2013-01-01

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit has a relatively short storage life due to perishable nature. In order to increases the storage life of langra mangoes, fruits were coated with sunflower wax. Mangoes were stored at room and refrigerated temperature. Sunflower wax coating protects the mangoes in greater proportion to change their color, weight loss, moisture loss, pH and total soluble solids content. The sensorial panel also favors the grander role of sunflower wax coating. Application of sunflower wax coatings had no effect on vitamin C content of mangoes variety and could increases mango storage time around 30 days under regular storage conditions. Sunflower wax coating also inhibited the growth of micro-organisms. The data reveal that by applying a sunflower wax coating effectively prolongs the quality which attributes and extends the shelf life of mango. (author)

GC-MS Metabolomics to Evaluate the Composition of Plant Cuticular Waxes for Four Triticum aestivum Cultivars

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Florent D. Lavergne

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. is an important food crop, and biotic and abiotic stresses significantly impact grain yield. Wheat leaf and stem surface waxes are associated with traits of biological importance, including stress resistance. Past studies have characterized the composition of wheat cuticular waxes, however protocols can be relatively low-throughput and narrow in the range of metabolites detected. Here, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS metabolomics methods were utilized to provide a comprehensive characterization of the chemical composition of cuticular waxes in wheat leaves and stems. Further, waxes from four wheat cultivars were assayed to evaluate the potential for GC-MS metabolomics to describe wax composition attributed to differences in wheat genotype. A total of 263 putative compounds were detected and included 58 wax compounds that can be classified (e.g., alkanes and fatty acids. Many of the detected wax metabolites have known associations to important biological functions. Principal component analysis and ANOVA were used to evaluate metabolite distribution, which was attributed to both tissue type (leaf, stem and cultivar differences. Leaves contained more primary alcohols than stems such as 6-methylheptacosan-1-ol and octacosan-1-ol. The metabolite data were validated using scanning electron microscopy of epicuticular wax crystals which detected wax tubules and platelets. Conan was the only cultivar to display alcohol-associated platelet-shaped crystals on its abaxial leaf surface. Taken together, application of GC-MS metabolomics enabled the characterization of cuticular wax content in wheat tissues and provided relative quantitative comparisons among sample types, thus contributing to the understanding of wax composition associated with important phenotypic traits in a major crop.

Use of some industrial waste as energy storage media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tayeb, A.M.

1996-01-01

Solar energy is stored using different solid storage materials, both chemical and metallic industrial wastes. The materials tested in the present study are paraffin wax, copper slag, aluminium slag, iron slag, cast iron slag and copper chips. Solar energy is stored in these materials and energy ia then recovered with water stream at different flow rates and the storage capacity and period for different materials were compared. The same set of experiments is run on solid metallic materials mixed with wax. The results indicated that iron slag has the highest storage capacity followed by cast iron slag then aluminium slag and copper chips and copper slag. It is also noted that addition of paraffin wax to the solid metallic material improves its storage capacity and duration greatly. The storage efficiency of different units is calculated and compared. 5 figs

Waxes and plastic film in relation to the shelf life of yellow passion fruit

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Mota Wagner Ferreira da

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The high perishability of the yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa reduces its postharvest conservation and availability, mainly for in natura consumption. These losses of quality and commercial value occur due to the high respiration and loss of water. This work aimed to evaluate the influence of a modified atmosphere - wax emulsions and plastic film - on the shelf life of the yellow passion fruit. Plastic film (Cryovac D-955, 15 mum thickness reduced fresh weight loss and fruit wilting, kept higher fruit and rind weight and higher pulp osmotic potential over the storage period. However, it was not efficient in the control of rottenness. Sparcitrus wax (22-23% polyethylene/maleyc resin caused injury to the fruit, high fruit weight losses and wilting and resulted in lower pulp osmotic potential; this wax lead to a higher concentration of acid and a lower relation of soluble solids/acidity. Among the tested waxes, Fruit Wax (18-21% carnauba wax was the best, promoting reduced weight loss, wilting and rottenness.

Early experience with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) based commercial clinical genomic profiling of gliomas-robust and informative with caveats.

Science.gov (United States)

Movassaghi, Masoud; Shabihkhani, Maryam; Hojat, Seyed A; Williams, Ryan R; Chung, Lawrance K; Im, Kyuseok; Lucey, Gregory M; Wei, Bowen; Mareninov, Sergey; Wang, Michael W; Ng, Denise W; Tashjian, Randy S; Magaki, Shino; Perez-Rosendahl, Mari; Yang, Isaac; Khanlou, Negar; Vinters, Harry V; Liau, Linda M; Nghiemphu, Phioanh L; Lai, Albert; Cloughesy, Timothy F; Yong, William H

2017-08-01

Commercial targeted genomic profiling with next generation sequencing using formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue has recently entered into clinical use for diagnosis and for the guiding of therapy. However, there is limited independent data regarding the accuracy or robustness of commercial genomic profiling in gliomas. As part of patient care, FFPE samples of gliomas from 71 patients were submitted for targeted genomic profiling to one commonly used commercial vendor, Foundation Medicine. Genomic alterations were determined for the following grades or groups of gliomas; Grade I/II, Grade III, primary glioblastomas (GBMs), recurrent primary GBMs, and secondary GBMs. In addition, FFPE samples from the same patients were independently assessed with conventional methods such as immunohistochemistry (IHC), Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), or Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for three genetic alterations: IDH1 mutations, EGFR amplification, and EGFRvIII expression. A total of 100 altered genes were detected by the aforementioned targeted genomic profiling assay. The number of different genomic alterations was significantly different between the five groups of gliomas and consistent with the literature. CDKN2A/B, TP53, and TERT were the most common genomic alterations seen in primary GBMs, whereas IDH1, TP53, and PIK3CA were the most common in secondary GBMs. Targeted genomic profiling demonstrated 92.3%-100% concordance with conventional methods. The targeted genomic profiling report provided an average of 5.5 drugs, and listed an average of 8.4 clinical trials for the 71 glioma patients studied but only a third of the trials were appropriate for glioma patients. In this limited comparison study, this commercial next generation sequencing based-targeted genomic profiling showed a high concordance rate with conventional methods for the 3 genetic alterations and identified mutations expected for the type of glioma. While it may not be feasible to

Genome-wide comparison of paired fresh frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded gliomas by custom BAC and oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization: facilitating analysis of archival gliomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohapatra, Gayatry; Engler, David A; Starbuck, Kristen D; Kim, James C; Bernay, Derek C; Scangas, George A; Rousseau, Audrey; Batchelor, Tracy T; Betensky, Rebecca A; Louis, David N

2011-04-01

Array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) is a powerful tool for detecting DNA copy number alterations (CNA). Because diffuse malignant gliomas are often sampled by small biopsies, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks are often the only tissue available for genetic analysis; FFPE tissues are also needed to study the intratumoral heterogeneity that characterizes these neoplasms. In this paper, we present a combination of evaluations and technical advances that provide strong support for the ready use of oligonucleotide aCGH on FFPE diffuse gliomas. We first compared aCGH using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) arrays in 45 paired frozen and FFPE gliomas, and demonstrate a high concordance rate between FFPE and frozen DNA in an individual clone-level analysis of sensitivity and specificity, assuring that under certain array conditions, frozen and FFPE DNA can perform nearly identically. However, because oligonucleotide arrays offer advantages to BAC arrays in genomic coverage and practical availability, we next developed a method of labeling DNA from FFPE tissue that allows efficient hybridization to oligonucleotide arrays. To demonstrate utility in FFPE tissues, we applied this approach to biphasic anaplastic oligoastrocytomas and demonstrate CNA differences between DNA obtained from the two components. Therefore, BAC and oligonucleotide aCGH can be sensitive and specific tools for detecting CNAs in FFPE DNA, and novel labeling techniques enable the routine use of oligonucleotide arrays for FFPE DNA. In combination, these advances should facilitate genome-wide analysis of rare, small and/or histologically heterogeneous gliomas from FFPE tissues.

A comparative evaluation of the marginal adaptation of a thermoplastic resin, a light cured wax and an inlay casting wax on stone dies: An in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gopalan, Reji P; Nair, Vivek V; Harshakumar, K; Ravichandran, R; Lylajam, S; Viswambaran, Prasanth

2018-01-01

Different pattern materials do not produce copings with satisfactory, marginal accuracy when used on stone dies at varying time intervals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the vertical marginal accuracy of patterns formed from three materials, namely, thermoplastic resin, light cured wax and inlay casting wax at three-time intervals of 1, 12, and 24 h. A master die (zirconia abutment mimicking a prepared permanent maxillary central incisor) and metal sleeve (direct metal laser sintering crown #11) were fabricated. A total of 30 stone dies were obtained from the master die. Ten patterns were made each from the three materials and stored off the die at room temperature. The vertical marginal gaps were measured using digital microscope at 1, 12, and 24 h after reseating with gentle finger pressure. The results revealed a significant statistical difference in the marginal adaptation of three materials at all the three-time intervals. Light cured wax was found to be most accurate at all time intervals, followed by thermoplastic resin and inlay casting wax. Furthermore, there was a significant difference between all pairs of materials. The change in vertical marginal gap from 1 to 24 h between thermoplastic resin and light cured wax was not statistically significant. The marginal adaptation of all the three materials used, was well within the acceptable range of 25-70 μm. The resin pattern materials studied revealed significantly less dimensional change than inlay casting wax on storage at 1, 12, and 24 h time intervals. They may be employed in situations where high precision and delayed investing is expected.

Three-dimensional wax patterning of paper fluidic devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Renault, Christophe; Koehne, Jessica; Ricco, Antonio J; Crooks, Richard M

2014-06-17

In this paper we describe a method for three-dimensional wax patterning of microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs). The method is rooted in the fundamental details of wax transport in paper and provides a simple way to fabricate complex channel architectures such as hemichannels and fully enclosed channels. We show that three-dimensional μPADs can be fabricated with half as much paper by using hemichannels rather than ordinary open channels. We also provide evidence that fully enclosed channels are efficiently isolated from the exterior environment, decreasing contamination risks, simplifying the handling of the device, and slowing evaporation of solvents.

Transient Thermal State of an Active Braille Matrix with Incorporated Thermal Actuators by Means of Finite Element Method

Science.gov (United States)

Alutei, Alexandra-Maria; Szelitzky, Emoke; Mandru, Dan

2013-01-01

In this article the authors present the transient thermal analysis for a developed thermal linear actuator based on wax paraffin used to drive the cells of a Braille device. A numerical investigation of transient heat transfer phenomenon during paraffin melting and solidification in an encapsulated recipient has been carried out using the ANSYS…

Applications of micro-SAXS/WAXS to study polymer fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riekel, C.

2003-01-01

Instrumentation and selected applications for X-ray microdiffraction experiments on polymer and biopolymer fibers at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) microfocus beamline are reviewed. Combined SAXS/WAXS experiments can be performed on single fibers with a beam size down to about 5 μm. WAXS experiments can be performed down to about 2 μm and in exceptional cases down to 0.1 μm beam size. The instrumental possibilities are demonstrated for the production line of spider silk

Applications of micro-SAXS/WAXS to study polymer fibers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riekel, C. E-mail: riekel@esrf.fr

2003-01-01

Instrumentation and selected applications for X-ray microdiffraction experiments on polymer and biopolymer fibers at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) microfocus beamline are reviewed. Combined SAXS/WAXS experiments can be performed on single fibers with a beam size down to about 5 {mu}m. WAXS experiments can be performed down to about 2 {mu}m and in exceptional cases down to 0.1 {mu}m beam size. The instrumental possibilities are demonstrated for the production line of spider silk.

Applications of micro-SAXS/WAXS to study polymer fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Riekel, C.

2003-01-01

Instrumentation and selected applications for X-ray microdiffraction experiments on polymer and biopolymer fibers at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) microfocus beamline are reviewed. Combined SAXS/WAXS experiments can be performed on single fibers with a beam size down to about 5 μm. WAXS experiments can be performed down to about 2 μm and in exceptional cases down to 0.1 μm beam size. The instrumental possibilities are demonstrated for the production line of spider silk.

Cuticular waxes in alpine meadow plants: climate effect inferred from latitude gradient in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yanjun; Guo, Na; He, Yuji; Gao, Jianhua

2015-09-01

Alpine meadow ecosystems are susceptible to climate changes. Still, climate impact on cuticular wax in alpine meadow plants is poorly understood. Assessing the variations of cuticular wax in alpine meadow plants across different latitudes might be useful for predicting how they may respond to climate change. We studied nine alpine meadows in a climate gradient in the east side of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, with mean annual temperature ranging from -7.7 to 3.2°C. In total, 42 plant species were analyzed for cuticular wax, averaged 16 plant species in each meadow. Only four plant species could be observed in all sampling meadows, including Kobresia humilis,Potentilla nivea,Anaphalis lacteal, and Leontopodium nanum. The amounts of wax compositions and total cuticular wax in the four plant species varied among sampling meadows, but no significant correlation could be observed between them and temperature, precipitation, and aridity index based on plant species level. To analyze the variations of cuticular wax on community level, we averaged the amounts of n-alkanes, aliphatic acids, primary alcohols, and total cuticular wax across all investigated plant species in each sampling site. The mean annual temperature, mean temperature in July, and aridity index were significantly correlated with the averaged amounts of wax compositions and total cuticular wax. The average chain length of n-alkanes in both plant and soil linearly increased with increased temperature, whereas reduced with increased aridity index. No significant correlation could be observed between mean annual precipitation and mean precipitation from June to August and the cuticular wax amounts and average chain length. Our results suggest that the survival of some alpine plants in specific environments might be depended on their abilities in adjusting wax deposition on plant leaves, and the alpine meadow plants as a whole respond to climate change, benefiting the stability of alpine meadow ecosystem.

Magnetization of Paraffin-Based Magnetic Nanocolloids

Science.gov (United States)

Dikanskii, Yu. I.; Ispiryan, A. G.; Kunikin, S. A.; Radionov, A. V.

2018-01-01

Using paraffin-based magnetic nanocolloids as an example, the reasons for maxima in the temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility of magnetic colloids have been discussed. The behavior of these dependences in a wide temperature interval has been analyzed for colloids in solid and liquid states. It has been concluded that the maximum observed at the melting point of paraffin can be attributed to freezing Brownian degrees of freedom in magnetite coarse particles, the magnetic moment of which is intimately related to the solid matrix. The second main maximum, which arises in the solid state, is explained by the superparamagnetic-magnetically hard transition of most fine particles at lower temperatures. It has been noted that the flatness of this maximum results from the polydispersity of the magnetic nanoparticle ensemble.

Composition of the epicuticular and intracuticular wax layers on Kalanchoe daigremontiana (Hamet et Perr. de la Bathie) leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

van Maarseveen, Clare; Jetter, Reinhard

2009-05-01

Epicuticular and intracuticular waxes from both adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the leaves of Kalanchoe daigremontiana were analyzed. All wax mixtures were found to contain approximately equal amounts of triterpenoids and very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) derivatives. The triterpenoid fraction consisted of glutinol (8-19% of the total wax) and friedelin (4-9%), together with smaller amounts of glutanol, glutinol acetate, epifriedelanol, germanicol and beta-amyrin. The VLCFA derivatives comprised C27-C35 alkanes (19-37% of the total wax), C32-C34 aldehydes (3-7%), C32 and C34 fatty acids (0.2-3%), C26-C36 primary alcohols (4-8%), and C42-C52 alkyl esters (2-9%). The wax layers were found to differ in triterpenoid amounts, with the intracuticular wax containing higher percentages of most triterpenoids than the epicuticular wax. Friedelin, the only triterpenoid ketone present, showed the opposite distribution with higher proportions in the epicuticular wax. VLCFA derivatives also accumulated to higher percentages in the epicuticular than in the intracuticular wax layer. Epicuticular wax crystals were observed on both the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces.

The deformation of wax patterns and castings in investment casting technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Herman

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The dimensional accuracy of the final casting of Inconel alloy 738 LC is affected by many aspects. One of them is the choice of method and time of cooling wax model for precision investment casting. The main objective was to study the initial deformation of the complex shape of the casting of the rotor blades. Various approaches have been tested for cooling wax pattern. When wax models are cooling on the air, without clamping in jig for cooling, deviations from the ideal shape of the casting are very noticeable (up to 8 mm and most are in extreme positions of the model. When blade is cooled in fixing jig in water environment, the resulting deviations compared with cooling in air are significantly larger, sometimes up to 10 mm. This itself does not mean that the final shape of the casting is dimensionally more accurate with usage of wax models, which have deviations from the ideal position smaller. Another deformation occurs when shell mould is produced around wax pattern and furthermore deformations emerge while casting of blade is cooling. This paper demonstrates first steps in describing complex process of deformations of Inconel alloy blades produced with investment casting technology by comparing results from thermal imagery, simulations in foundry simulation software ProCAST 2010 and measurements from CNC scanning system Carl Zeiss MC 850. Conclusions are so far not groundbreaking, but it seems deformations of wax pattern and deformations of castings do in some cases cancel each other by having opposite directions. Describing entirely whole process of deformations will help increase precision of blade castings so that models at the beginning and blades in the end are the same.

CARNAUBA WAX USED AS AN HYDROPHOBIC AGENT FOR EXPANDED VERMICULITE

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M.A.F. Melo

1998-03-01

Full Text Available This work deals with the use of carnauba wax as an expansion and hydrophobicity agent for vermiculite, to be utilized in the sorption process of oil in water. Evaluation of the system (oil-water-hydrophobic vermiculite submersion percentage was considered in assessing the performance of vermiculite in comparison to a Mexican turf. Carnauba wax seems to be more efficient in both fresh and salt waters.

Purity of paraffins used in drugs and cosmetics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monarca, S; Fagioli, F; Morozzi, G

1981-01-01

A previously developed technique for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) in purified petroleum products was applied to some fully-refined paraffin samples for cosmetic and medicinal uses. The analytical procedure provided identification and quantitative assay for ng/g amounts of two well known carcinogenic PAH's, benzo-a-pyrene and benzoflouranthene. The method is compared with rapid pharmacopoeial tests based on different quality criteria. A lack of agreement between PAH content in paraffin samples and the results of the pharmacopoeial tests was noted. (1 diagram, 49 references, 5 tables)

Effects of Wax Coating on the Moisture Loss of Cucumbers at Different Storage Temperatures

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Jian Li

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of wax coating on moisture loss of cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L., cv. Jinglv were investigated at different temperatures. Cucumbers were treated with 10% (volume : volume wax and then stored at 15, 20, 25, or 30°C and 55% relative humidity. The changes in the mass of samples were recorded every 6 h. Results showed that wax coating along with low temperature was very effective in preventing moisture loss of cucumbers during simulated distribution. After 48 h storage, moisture loss in wax treated cucumbers at 15°C was 45% lower than the control at 30°C. Furthermore, a kinetic model was developed to study the influence of temperature on moisture loss based on the Arrhenius law. The model successfully described changes in cucumber moisture loss at different temperatures during storage. The shelf life of cucumber was also predicted using the kinetic model. A synergistic effect was found between wax coating and storage temperature on cucumber shelf life. Wax coating combined with low storage temperature was an effective method to extend the shelf life of cucumber fruit.

Co-metabolism of DDT by the newly isolated bacterium, Pseudoxanthomonas sp. wax

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Guangli Wang

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Microbial degradation of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenylethane (DDT is the most promising way to clean up DDT residues found in the environment. In this paper, a bacterium designated as wax, which was capable of co-metabolizing DDT with other carbon sources, was isolated from a long-term DDT-contaminated soil sample by an enrichment culture technique. The new isolate was identified as a member of the Pseudoxanthomonas sp., based on its morphological, physiological and biochemical properties, as well as by 16S rRNA gene analysis. In the presence of 100 mg l-1 glucose, the wax strain could degrade over 95% of the total DDT, at a concentration of 20 mg l-1, in 72 hours, and could degrade over 60% of the total DDT, at a concentration of 100 mg l-1, in 144 hours. The wax strain had the highest degradation efficiency among all of the documented DDT-degrading bacteria. The wax strain could efficiently degrade DDT at temperatures ranging from 20 to 37ºC, and with initial pH values ranging from 7 to 9. The bacterium could also simultaneously co-metabolize 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenylethane (DDD, 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl-1,1-dichlorethylene (DDE, and other organochlorine compounds. The wax strain could also completely remove 20 mg kg-1 of DDT from both sterile and non-sterile soils in 20 days. This study demonstrates the significant potential use of Pseudoxanthomonas sp. wax for the bioremediation of DDT in the environment.

Epicuticular waxes from caatinga and cerrado species and their efficiency against water loss

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Oliveira Antonio F. M.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of the contents and chemical composition of the foliar epicuticular waxes of species from the caatinga (Aspidosperma pyrifolium, Capparis yco, Maytenus rigida and Ziziphus joazeiro and cerrado (Aristolochia esperanzae, Didymopanax vinosum, Strychnos pseudoquina and Tocoyena formosa were evaluated as to the resistance to water loss by means of an experimental device constructed for this purpose. In general, the waxes of the caatinga species investigated were more efficient against water loss than cerrado species. Increase of the thickness of the waxy deposits from 40 to 90m g.cm-2 had no significant effect on the resistance to water loss. The chemistry of the wax constituents was shown to be an important factor to determine the degree of resistance to evaporation. n-Alkanes and alcoholic triterpenes were the most efficient barriers, while hentriacontan-16-one (a ketone and ursolic acid (an acid triterpene revealed lowefficiency. The higher efficiency of the waxes of the leaves from caatinga species (mainly those of C. yco and Z. joazeiro is probably accounted for the predominance of n-alkanes in their composition. The lower efficiency of the waxes of A. pyrifolium (caatinga, T. formosa and A. esperanzae (both species from the cerrado is probably a consequence of the predominance of triterpenoids in the waxes of the two former species and hentriacontan-16-one in the latter.

Effect of radiation on the crystals of polyethylene and paraffins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ungar, G.; Grubb, D.T.; Keller, A.

1980-01-01

Paraffins were irradiated with electrons in the electron microscope. The electron microscopic image and the electron diffraction patterns were followed as a function of dose. The objectives were: (a) to establish a connection between the 'polyethylene-type' and 'paraffin-like' behaviour and (b) to identify the phase segregation, by visual means. Increasing chain length, increasing dose rate and decreasing temperature individually and in combination, were found to favour the 'polyethylene-type' behaviour (crystal destruction through increasing lattice defects) while the reverse trend of the above three variables favoured the 'paraffin-like' behaviour (phase-segregated damaged and undamaged species). Segregated phases could in some circumstances be identified as non-diffracting 'droplets' within a crystalline matrix, with the lattice hardly affected, in the electron microscopic image. These droplets remain constant in number but increase in size as the irradiation progresses, the number of droplets depending on the chain length of the paraffin, on the irradiation temperature and on the dose rate. This behaviour, together with some further observations, reveals that the radiation-induced active species do not form crosslinks in situ but migrate over distances which can amount to μm. In contrast to the above, in the case of the lowest paraffin investigated, (C 23 H 48 ), the lattice became uniformly distorted as judged from the diffraction pattern, but the damage was observed to 'heal-out' with time. The results are discussed. (author)

Wax inhibitor based on ethylene vinyl acetate with methyl methacrylate and diethanolamine for crude oil pipeline

Science.gov (United States)

Anisuzzaman, S. M.; Abang, S.; Bono, A.; Krishnaiah, D.; Karali, R.; Safuan, M. K.

2017-06-01

Wax precipitation and deposition is one of the most significant flow assurance challenges in the production system of the crude oil. Wax inhibitors are developed as a preventive strategy to avoid an absolute wax deposition. Wax inhibitors are polymers which can be known as pour point depressants as they impede the wax crystals formation, growth, and deposition. In this study three formulations of wax inhibitors were prepared, ethylene vinyl acetate, ethylene vinyl acetate co-methyl methacrylate (EVA co-MMA) and ethylene vinyl acetate co-diethanolamine (EVA co-DEA) and the comparison of their efficiencies in terms of cloud point¸ pour point, performance inhibition efficiency (%PIE) and viscosity were evaluated. The cloud point and pour point for both EVA and EVA co-MMA were similar, 15°C and 10-5°C, respectively. Whereas, the cloud point and pour point for EVA co-DEA were better, 10°C and 10-5°C respectively. In conclusion, EVA co-DEA had shown the best % PIE (28.42%) which indicates highest percentage reduction of wax deposit as compared to the other two inhibitors.

High-risk Human Papillomavirus Determination in Formalin-fixed, Paraffin-embedded Cervical Tissue Using the Roche Cobas 4800 System: A Comparative Study With Liquid-based Cytology.

Science.gov (United States)

Tardío, Juan C; Cambero, Olivia; Sánchez-Estévez, Carolina; Sánchez-García, Ana B; Angulo, Fernando; Moreno, Amalia

2017-11-14

Roche cobas 4800 human papillomavirus (HPV) test is an automated real-time polymerase chain reaction-based system that allows the simultaneous detection of 14 human papillomavirus high-risk (HR-HPV) genotypes. This test is Food and Drug Administration approved since 2011 for HPV determination in liquid-based cytologic samples, but a clinically validated technique for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens is presently not commercially available. In our laboratory, we have developed an HPV detection procedure in FFPE tissue by cobas 4800 HPV test. In order to validate our method, we retrospectively studied 165 FFPE cervical biopsy and conization specimens with varied diagnoses from our files. In 50 of them, we contrasted the results with those obtained from simultaneous liquid-based cytologies from the same patients. Finally, seeking the possible complementary clinical usefulness of the procedure, we compared the HPV genotypes detected in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1)-diagnosed biopsies from 20 patients with a subsequent high-grade CIN (CIN2+) diagnosis with those from another group of 20 patients without a posterior CIN2+ diagnosis. Eighty-seven percent of the assays provided informative results. HR-HPV was detected in 28 of 32 (88%) invasive cervical squamous carcinomas. Coincidental HR-HPV genotypes were obtained in 32 of 50 (64%) cases with simultaneous cervical biopsy and liquid-based cytologic samples. A significant higher risk of progression to CIN2+ was found when HPV16 (P=0.022) or any HR-HPV genotype (P=0.037) was detected in CIN1 biopsies. The reported procedure provides an automated, technically time-saving, easy to integrate into laboratory routine, and reliable method of HR-HPV determination in FFPE specimens.

Study of the paraffinic crudes in deep offshore conditions; Etude du comportement des bruts paraffiniques dans les conditions de l'offshore profond

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Delmas, K.

2001-09-01

The increase production in deep offshore conditions leads to extracting the crudes in harsher conditions. Pressures are higher (up to 400) and thus the amounts of dissolved gases are more important. The Wax Appearance Temperature (WAT) and the amount of solid deposit with the temperature are well calculated by the thermodynamic model Cryspar, developed at IFP for stock tank crude oils. This work shows that the hypotheses made for the Cryspar model, are not valid for fluids with dissolved gases. The model has been improved using following items: - Experimental data of volume variation at the melting point, in sapphire cell, allow to take into account the Poynting term, neglected before. This work allows to give back the right direction of variation for the WAT as a function of pressure. We proved by calorimetric measurements on n-paraffin synthetic mixtures, the existence of an excess melting enthalpy, not taken into account by the model. We calculate it using several models taken from the literature. Unfortunately, this work slightly decreases the difference between the experimental amount of wax and the calculated amount. The third point, concerns the binary interaction coefficients used to set out the non-ideality of the solid phase. Some coefficients have been calculated allowing a better restitution of the phase composition at equilibrium. In addition, to improving the model, some high pressure WAT data (up to 300 bar) with dissolved gases have been collected. They provide an independent set on which the model predictions have been validated. (author)

Dental students' preferences and performance in crown design: conventional wax-added versus CAD.

Science.gov (United States)

Douglas, R Duane; Hopp, Christa D; Augustin, Marcus A

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate dental students' perceptions of traditional waxing vs. computer-aided crown design and to determine the effectiveness of either technique through comparative grading of the final products. On one of twoidentical tooth preparations, second-year students at one dental school fabricated a wax pattern for a full contour crown; on the second tooth preparation, the same students designed and fabricated an all-ceramic crown using computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) technology. Projects were graded for occlusion and anatomic form by three faculty members. On completion of the projects, 100 percent of the students (n=50) completed an eight-question, five-point Likert scalesurvey, designed to assess their perceptions of and learning associated with the two design techniques. The average grades for the crown design projects were 78.3 (CAD) and 79.1 (wax design). The mean numbers of occlusal contacts were 3.8 (CAD) and 2.9(wax design), which was significantly higher for CAD (p=0.02). The survey results indicated that students enjoyed designing afull contour crown using CAD as compared to using conventional wax techniques and spent less time designing the crown using CAD. From a learning perspective, students felt that they learned more about position and the size/strength of occlusal contacts using CAD. However, students recognized that CAD technology has limits in terms of representing anatomic contours and excursive occlusion compared to conventional wax techniques. The results suggest that crown design using CAD could be considered as an adjunct to conventional wax-added techniques in preclinical fixed prosthodontic curricula.

Role of needle surface waxes in dynamic exchange of mono- and sesquiterpenes

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J. Joensuu

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs produced by plants have a major role in atmospheric chemistry. The different physicochemical properties of BVOCs affect their transport within and out of the plant as well as their reactions along the way. Some of these compounds may accumulate in or on the waxy surface layer of conifer needles and participate in chemical reactions on or near the foliage surface. The aim of this work was to determine whether terpenes, a key category of BVOCs produced by trees, can be found on the epicuticles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L. and, if so, how they compare with the terpenes found in shoot emissions of the same tree. We measured shoot-level emissions of pine seedlings at a remote outdoor location in central Finland and subsequently analysed the needle surface waxes for the same compounds. Both emissions and wax extracts were clearly dominated by monoterpenes, but the proportion of sesquiterpenes was higher in the wax extracts. There were also differences in the terpene spectra of the emissions and the wax extracts. The results, therefore, support the existence of BVOC associated to the epicuticular waxes. We briefly discuss the different pathways for terpenes to reach the needle surfaces and the implications for air chemistry.

Properties of form-stable paraffin/silicon dioxide/expanded graphite phase change composites prepared by sol–gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Min; Wu, Zhishen; Tan, Jinmiao

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Paraffin/SiO 2 /EG composite PCM was prepared with sol–gel method. ► The thermal conductivity of SiO 2 /paraffin/EG is 94.7% higher than paraffin. ► The latent heat of paraffin/SiO 2 /EG composite is 104.4 J/g. -- Abstract: A form-stable paraffin/silicon dioxide (SiO 2 )/expanded graphite (EG) composite phase change material (PCM) was prepared by sol–gel method. Silica gel acts as the supporting material and EG is used to increase the thermal conductivity. The mass fractions of silicon oxide and graphite are 20.8% and 7.2%, respectively. The composite PCM was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) method. Thermal properties and thermal stability of the composite PCM were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The result shows that paraffin was well dispersed in the network of silica gel and there is no chemical reaction between them. The phase change temperature of the paraffin/SiO 2 composite and the paraffin/SiO 2 /EG composite are 27.53 °C and 27.72 °C, respectively. The latent heat of the paraffin/SiO 2 composite and the paraffin/SiO 2 /EG composite are 112.8 J/g and 104.4 J/g, respectively. The thermal conductivity of the SiO 2 /paraffin composite and the SiO 2 /paraffin/EG composite are 28.2% and 94.7% higher than that of paraffin.

Detection of mucormycetes and other pathogenic fungi in formalin fixed paraffin embedded and fresh tissues using the extended region of 28S rDNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Gade, Lalitha; Hurst, Steven; Balajee, S Arunmozhi; Lockhart, Shawn R; Litvintseva, Anastasia P

2017-06-01

Molecular methods of detection based on DNA-sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 (ITS1 and ITS2) or 5΄ end region of 28S (D1-D2 region) of ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) have been used extensively for molecular identification and detection of fungal infections. However, these regions are not always informative for identification of mucormycetes and other rare fungal pathogens as they often contain large introns, heterogenic regions, and/or cannot be PCR-amplified using broad range fungal PCR primers. In addition, because of the difficulties of recovering intact fungal DNA from human specimens, smaller regions of DNA are more useful for the direct detection of fungal DNA in tissues and fluids. In this study, we investigated the utility of 12F/13R PCR primers targeting a 200-230 bp region of the extended 28S region of rDNA for molecular identification of fungal DNA in formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues and other clinical specimens. We demonstrated that this region can be successfully used for identification of all genera and some species of clinically relevant mucormycetes, as well as other medically important fungi, such as Aspergillus, Fusarium, Coccidioides, and Cryptococcus. We also demonstrated that PCR amplification and direct sequencing of the extended 28S region of rDNA was more sensitive compared to targeting the ITS2 region, as we were able to detect and identify mucormycetes and other fungal pathogens in tissues from patients with histopathological and/or culture evidence of fungal infections that were negative with PCR using ITS-specific primers. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Effect of functional groups on thermal conductivity of graphene/paraffin nanocomposite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zabihi, Zabiholah; Araghi, Houshang, E-mail: araghi@aut.ac.ir

2016-11-25

In this paper, thermal conductivity of graphene/paraffin nanocomposite using micromechanical model has been studied. The behavior of thermal conductivity of nanocomposite as a function of volume fraction of graphene is studied. Then is shown that as the interfacial thermal resistance at the graphene–paraffin interface decreases, the thermal conductivity of nanocomposite increases. In order to reduce the interfacial thermal resistance, functional groups in the interface between graphene and paraffin are used. It can be observed that using functional groups of hydrogen, methyl and phenyl in the interface of nanocomposite, contributes to the improvement of the thermal conductivity. Moreover, as the rate of coverage of the surface of graphene with functional groups of H, CH{sub 3} and C{sub 6}H{sub 5} increases, the thermal conductivity of nanocomposite improves. - Highlights: • Thermal conductivity nanocomposite exhibit nonlinear behavior with volume faction. • Phenyl is better to form the thermal conductivity network in paraffin. • The thickness of interfacial layer can be obtained 12.75 nm.

Observations of radiation damage effects in paraffin and polyethylene crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petermann, J.; Gleiter, H.; Bochum Univ.

1973-01-01

A report is given on electron microscopic observations on n-paraffin and polyethylene monocrystals after irradiating with electrons. The observations show that the cross-links in n-paraffin monocrystals form agglomerates which preferably occur in the neighbourhood of lattice defects. In polyethylene monocrystals, the cross-links line up in long rows parallel to the [100] or [010] direction. (orig./LH) [de

Characterization and chemical composition of epicuticular wax from banana leaves grown in Northern Thailand