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Sample records for ph modulates transport

  1. pH modulation of glial glutamate transporters regulates synaptic transmission in the nucleus of the solitary tract

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCrimmon, Donald R.; Martina, Marco

    2013-01-01

    The nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) is the major site for termination of visceral sensory afferents contributing to homeostatic regulation of, for example, arterial pressure, gastric motility, and breathing. Whereas much is known about how different neuronal populations influence these functions, information about the role of glia remains scant. In this article, we propose that glia may contribute to NTS functions by modulating excitatory neurotransmission. We found that acidification (pH 7.0) depolarizes NTS glia by inhibiting K+-selective membrane currents. NTS glia also showed functional expression of voltage-sensitive glutamate transporters, suggesting that extracellular acidification regulates synaptic transmission by compromising glial glutamate uptake. To test this hypothesis, we evoked glutamatergic slow excitatory potentials (SEPs) in NTS neurons with repetitive stimulation (20 pulses at 10 Hz) of the solitary tract. This SEP depends on accumulation of glutamate following repetitive stimulation, since it was potentiated by blocking glutamate uptake with dl-threo-β-benzyloxyaspartic acid (TBOA) or a glia-specific glutamate transport blocker, dihydrokainate (DHK). Importantly, extracellular acidification (pH 7.0) also potentiated the SEP. This effect appeared to be mediated through a depolarization-induced inhibition of glial transporter activity, because it was occluded by TBOA and DHK. In agreement, pH 7.0 did not directly alter d-aspartate-induced responses in NTS glia or properties of presynaptic glutamate release. Thus acidification-dependent regulation of glial function affects synaptic transmission within the NTS. These results suggest that glia play a modulatory role in the NTS by integrating local tissue signals (such as pH) with synaptic inputs from peripheral afferents. PMID:23615553

  2. Gate modulation of proton transport in a nanopore.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mei, Lanju; Yeh, Li-Hsien; Qian, Shizhi

    2016-03-14

    Proton transport in confined spaces plays a crucial role in many biological processes as well as in modern technological applications, such as fuel cells. To achieve active control of proton conductance, we investigate for the first time the gate modulation of proton transport in a pH-regulated nanopore by a multi-ion model. The model takes into account surface protonation/deprotonation reactions, surface curvature, electroosmotic flow, Stern layer, and electric double layer overlap. The proposed model is validated by good agreement with the existing experimental data on nanopore conductance with and without a gate voltage. The results show that the modulation of proton transport in a nanopore depends on the concentration of the background salt and solution pH. Without background salt, the gated nanopore exhibits an interesting ambipolar conductance behavior when pH is close to the isoelectric point of the dielectric pore material, and the net ionic and proton conductance can be actively regulated with a gate voltage as low as 1 V. The higher the background salt concentration, the lower is the performance of the gate control on the proton transport.

  3. pH and ion strength modulated ionic species loading in mesoporous silica nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Wei; Liu, Jianbo; Yang, Xiaohai; Wang, Kemin; Wang, Qing; Yang, Meng; Li, Li; Xu, Jianguo

    2013-01-01

    Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) have emerged as appealing host materials to accommodate guest molecules for biomedical applications, and recently various methods have been developed to modulate the loading of guest molecules in the silica matrix. Herein, it was demonstrated that pH and ion strength showed great influence on the loading of charged species into the nanoparticles, taking MCM-41 as a host MSN model and methylviologen (MV 2+ ) and 1,5-naphthalene disulfonate (NDS 2− ) as typical charged ionic guest molecules. As the pH increased from 3.0 to 8.0, the loading amount of MV 2+ increased gradually, while on the contrary, it decreased gradually for NDS 2− , for the solution pH changed the electrostatic interaction between the silica matrix and the ionic guest molecules. Additionally, the adding of NaCl reduced the electrostatic interaction, which resulted in a decreasing of the electrostatic rejection and electrostatic accumulation for the molecules carrying the same and the opposite charge to the particle respectively. Thus, pH and ion strength can be employed as simple approaches to modulate the loading of charged molecules and permselectivity in MSN. This work has a definite guidance function for molecule loading, transport modulation, controlled release as well as sensors based on MSN. (paper)

  4. Oxygen limitation modulates pH regulation of catabolism and hydrogenases, multidrug transporters, and envelope composition in Escherichia coli K-12

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radmacher Michael D

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In Escherichia coli, pH regulates genes for amino-acid and sugar catabolism, electron transport, oxidative stress, periplasmic and envelope proteins. Many pH-dependent genes are co-regulated by anaerobiosis, but the overall intersection of pH stress and oxygen limitation has not been investigated. Results The pH dependence of gene expression was analyzed in oxygen-limited cultures of E. coli K-12 strain W3110. E. coli K-12 strain W3110 was cultured in closed tubes containing LBK broth buffered at pH 5.7, pH 7.0, and pH 8.5. Affymetrix array hybridization revealed pH-dependent expression of 1,384 genes and 610 intergenic regions. A core group of 251 genes showed pH responses similar to those in a previous study of cultures grown with aeration. The highly acid-induced gene yagU was shown to be required for extreme-acid resistance (survival at pH 2. Acid also up-regulated fimbriae (fimAC, periplasmic chaperones (hdeAB, cyclopropane fatty acid synthase (cfa, and the "constitutive" Na+/H+ antiporter (nhaB. Base up-regulated core genes for maltodextrin transport (lamB, mal, ATP synthase (atp, and DNA repair (recA, mutL. Other genes showed opposite pH responses with or without aeration, for example ETS components (cyo,nuo, sdh and hydrogenases (hya, hyb, hyc, hyf, hyp. A hypF strain lacking all hydrogenase activity showed loss of extreme-acid resistance. Under oxygen limitation only, acid down-regulated ribosome synthesis (rpl,rpm, rps. Acid up-regulated the catabolism of sugar derivatives whose fermentation minimized acid production (gnd, gnt, srl, and also a cluster of 13 genes in the gadA region. Acid up-regulated drug transporters (mdtEF, mdtL, but down-regulated penicillin-binding proteins (dacACD, mreBC. Intergenic regions containing regulatory sRNAs were up-regulated by acid (ryeA, csrB, gadY, rybC. Conclusion pH regulates a core set of genes independently of oxygen, including yagU, fimbriae, periplasmic chaperones, and nha

  5. Mechanism of Transport Modulation by an Extracellular Loop in an Archaeal Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter (EAAT) Homolog*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulligan, Christopher; Mindell, Joseph A.

    2013-01-01

    Secondary transporters in the excitatory amino acid transporter family terminate glutamatergic synaptic transmission by catalyzing Na+-dependent removal of glutamate from the synaptic cleft. Recent structural studies of the aspartate-specific archaeal homolog, GltPh, suggest that transport is achieved by a rigid body, piston-like movement of the transport domain, which houses the substrate-binding site, between the extracellular and cytoplasmic sides of the membrane. This transport domain is connected to an immobile scaffold by three loops, one of which, the 3–4 loop (3L4), undergoes substrate-sensitive conformational change. Proteolytic cleavage of the 3L4 was found to abolish transport activity indicating an essential function for this loop in the transport mechanism. Here, we demonstrate that despite the presence of fully cleaved 3L4, GltPh is still able to sample conformations relevant for transport. Optimized reconstitution conditions reveal that fully cleaved GltPh retains some transport activity. Analysis of the kinetics and temperature dependence of transport accompanied by direct measurements of substrate binding reveal that this decreased transport activity is not due to alteration of the substrate binding characteristics but is caused by the significantly reduced turnover rate. By measuring solute counterflow activity and cross-link formation rates, we demonstrate that cleaving 3L4 severely and specifically compromises one or more steps contributing to the movement of the substrate-loaded transport domain between the outward- and inward-facing conformational states, sparing the equivalent step(s) during the movement of the empty transport domain. These results reveal a hitherto unknown role for the 3L4 in modulating an essential step in the transport process. PMID:24155238

  6. Cell wall pH and auxin transport velocity

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    Hasenstein, K. H.; Rayle, D.

    1984-01-01

    According to the chemiosmotic polar diffusion hypothesis, auxin pulse velocity and basal secretion should increase with decreasing cell wall pH. Experiments were designed to test this prediction. Avena coleoptile sections were preincubated in either fusicoccin (FC), cycloheximide, pH 4.0, or pH 8.0 buffer and subsequently their polar transport capacities were determined. Relative to controls, FC enhanced auxin (IAA) uptake while CHI and pH 8.0 buffer reduced IAA uptake. Nevertheless, FC reduced IAA pulse velocity while cycloheximide increased velocity. Additional experiments showed that delivery of auxin to receivers is enhanced by increased receiver pH. This phenomenon was overcome by a pretreatment of the tissue with IAA. Our data suggest that while acidic wall pH values facilitate cellular IAA uptake, they do not enhance pulse velocity or basal secretion. These findings are inconsistent with the chemiosmotic hypothesis for auxin transport.

  7. Position of the third Na+ site in the aspartate transporter GltPh and the human glutamate transporter, EAAT1.

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    Turgut Bastug

    Full Text Available Glutamate transport via the human excitatory amino acid transporters is coupled to the co-transport of three Na(+ ions, one H(+ and the counter-transport of one K(+ ion. Transport by an archaeal homologue of the human glutamate transporters, Glt(Ph, whose three dimensional structure is known is also coupled to three Na(+ ions but only two Na(+ ion binding sites have been observed in the crystal structure of Glt(Ph. In order to fully utilize the Glt(Ph structure in functional studies of the human glutamate transporters, it is essential to understand the transport mechanism of Glt(Ph and accurately determine the number and location of Na(+ ions coupled to transport. Several sites have been proposed for the binding of a third Na(+ ion from electrostatic calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. In this study, we have performed detailed free energy simulations for Glt(Ph and reveal a new site for the third Na(+ ion involving the side chains of Threonine 92, Serine 93, Asparagine 310, Aspartate 312, and the backbone of Tyrosine 89. We have also studied the transport properties of alanine mutants of the coordinating residues Threonine 92 and Serine 93 in Glt(Ph, and the corresponding residues in a human glutamate transporter, EAAT1. The mutant transporters have reduced affinity for Na(+ compared to their wild type counterparts. These results confirm that Threonine 92 and Serine 93 are involved in the coordination of the third Na(+ ion in Glt(Ph and EAAT1.

  8. Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) isoforms PH1 and PH2 perturb vacuolar physiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callaghan, Paul S; Siriwardana, Amila; Hassett, Matthew R; Roepe, Paul D

    2016-03-31

    Recent work has perfected yeast-based methods for measuring drug transport by the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine (CQ) resistance transporter (PfCRT). The approach relies on inducible heterologous expression of PfCRT in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. In these experiments selecting drug concentrations are not toxic to the yeast, nor is expression of PfCRT alone toxic. Only when PfCRT is expressed in the presence of CQ is the growth of yeast impaired, due to inward transport of chloroquine (CQ) via the transporter. During analysis of all 53 known naturally occurring PfCRT isoforms, two isoforms (PH1 and PH2 PfCRT) were found to be intrinsically toxic to yeast, even in the absence of CQ. Additional analysis of six very recently identified PfCRT isoforms from Malaysia also showed some toxicity. In this paper the nature of this yeast toxicity is examined. Data also show that PH1 and PH2 isoforms of PfCRT transport CQ with an efficiency intermediate to that catalyzed by previously studied CQR conferring isoforms. Mutation of PfCRT at position 160 is found to perturb vacuolar physiology, suggesting a fitness cost to position 160 amino acid substitutions. These data further define the wide range of activities that exist for PfCRT isoforms found in P. falciparum isolates from around the globe.

  9. Functional interaction between bicarbonate transporters and carbonic anhydrase modulates lactate uptake into mouse cardiomyocytes.

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    Peetz, Jan; Barros, L Felipe; San Martín, Alejandro; Becker, Holger M

    2015-07-01

    Blood-derived lactate is a precious energy substrate for the heart muscle. Lactate is transported into cardiomyocytes via monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) together with H(+), which couples lactate uptake to cellular pH regulation. In this study, we have investigated how the interplay between different acid/base transporters and carbonic anhydrases (CA), which catalyze the reversible hydration of CO2, modulates the uptake of lactate into isolated mouse cardiomyocytes. Lactate transport was estimated both as lactate-induced acidification and as changes in intracellular lactate levels measured with a newly developed Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) nanosensor. Recordings of intracellular pH showed an increase in the rate of lactate-induced acidification when CA was inhibited by 6-ethoxy-2-benzothiazolesulfonamide (EZA), while direct measurements of lactate flux demonstrated a decrease in MCT transport activity, when CA was inhibited. The data indicate that catalytic activity of extracellular CA increases lactate uptake and counteracts intracellular lactate-induced acidification. We propose a hypothetical model, in which HCO3 (-), formed from cell-derived CO2 at the outer surface of the cardiomyocyte plasma membrane by membrane-anchored, extracellular CA, is transported into the cell via Na(+)/HCO3 (-) cotransport to counteract intracellular acidification, while the remaining H(+) stabilizes extracellular pH at the surface of the plasma membrane during MCT activity to enhance lactate influx into cardiomyocytes.

  10. pH modulates transport rates of manganese and cadmium in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii through non-competitive interactions: Implications for an algal BLM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Francois, Laura; Fortin, Claude; Campbell, Peter G.C.

    2007-01-01

    The influence of pH on short-term uptake of manganese and cadmium by the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was studied to better understand the nature of proton interactions with metal membrane transporters. Manganese and cadmium internalization fluxes (J int ) were measured over a wide range of free metal ion concentrations from 1 x 10 -10 to 4 x 10 -4 M at several pH values (Mn: 5.0, 6.5 and 8.0; Cd: 5.0 and 6.5). For both metals, first-order biological internalization kinetics were observed but the maximum transport flux (J max ) decreased when pH decreased, in contradiction with the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM). This result suggested a non-competitive inhibition of metal uptake by the H + -ion. A Michaelis-Menten type inhibition model considering proton and calcium competition was tested. The metal biotic ligand stability constants and the stability constants for competitive binding of Ca 2+ and H + with the metal transporters were calculated: for manganese, K Mn = 10 4.20 and K Ca = 10 3.71 ; for cadmium, K Cd = 10 4.19 and K Ca = 10 4.76 ; for both metal transport systems, K H was not a significant parameter. Furthermore, metal uptake was not significantly influenced by the pH of the antecedent growth medium, suggesting that increases in metal fluxes as the pH is raised are caused by conformational changes of the surface transport proteins rather than by the synthesis of additional transport sites. Our results demonstrate that the BLM in its present state does not properly describe the true influence of pH on manganese and cadmium uptake by algae and that a non-competitive inhibition component must be integrated

  11. Inverse pH regulation of plant and fungal sucrose transporters: a mechanism to regulate competition for sucrose at the host/pathogen interface?

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    Kathrin Wippel

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Plant sucrose transporter activities were shown to respond to changes in the extracellular pH and redox status, and oxidizing compounds like glutathione (GSSG or H(2O(2 were reported to effect the subcellular targeting of these proteins. We hypothesized that changes in both parameters might be used to modulate the activities of competing sucrose transporters at a plant/pathogen interface. We, therefore, compared the effects of redox-active compounds and of extracellular pH on the sucrose transporters UmSRT1 and ZmSUT1 known to compete for extracellular sucrose in the Ustilago maydis (corn smut/Zea mays (maize pathosystem. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We present functional analyses of the U. maydis sucrose transporter UmSRT1 and of the plant sucrose transporters ZmSUT1 and StSUT1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae or in Xenopus laevis oocytes in the presence of different extracellular pH-values and redox systems, and study the possible effects of these treatments on the subcellular targeting. We observed an inverse regulation of host and pathogen sucrose transporters by changes in the apoplastic pH. Under none of the conditions analyzed, we could confirm the reported effects of redox-active compounds. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data suggest that changes in the extracellular pH but not of the extracellular redox status might be used to oppositely adjust the transport activities of plant and fungal sucrose transporters at the host/pathogen interface.

  12. Transportation Brokerage: An Instructional Module.

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    Hayden, Linda

    A concept-based introduction to transportation brokerage is provided in this instructional module for undergraduate and graduate transportation-related courses for disciplines such as engineering, business, marketing, and technology. The concept of transportation brokerage is defined as an assignment of the management of a specific element of a…

  13. Public Transportation Pricing: An Instructional Module.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McWha, Charley

    A concept-based introduction to public transportation pricing is presented in this instructional module for undergraduate and graduate transportation-related courses for disciplines such as engineering, business administration, and technology. After an introductory section on transportation pricing planning and the history of transportation system…

  14. pH Regulatory Transporters in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kong, Su Chii

    The abnormal features of hypoxia and altered metabolisms in solid tumours lead to an increased glycolysis that is uncoupled from oxidative phosphorylation in the TCA cycle. Tumoural cells often exhibit dysregulated expressions and activities of various membrane pH regulatory transporters to cope...... with the elevated acid production from this glycolysis, as well as from cellular ATP hydrolysis, sequentially creating a favourable intracellular pH and hostile acidic tumour microenvironment, fortify the tumour cells with highly invasive, metastatic and drug resistant phenotype. In current work, we study...... proliferation was found to be decreased while apoptosis was increased with concanamycin A treatment, indicative of V-ATPases being involved in PDAC cell survival mechanisms as well. Comprehending pH regulation in tumour cells might provide insights in preventing tumourigenesis by pH disruptions. Data presented...

  15. Requirements for Ion and Solute Transport, and pH Regulation During Enamel Maturation

    Science.gov (United States)

    LACRUZ, RODRIGO S.; SMITH, CHARLES E.; MOFFATT, PIERRE; CHANG, EUGENE H.; BROMAGE, TIMOTHY G.; BRINGAS, PABLO; NANCI, ANTONIO; BANIWAL, SANJEEV K.; ZABNER, JOSEPH; WELSH, MICHAEL J.; KURTZ, IRA; PAINE, MICHAEL L.

    2012-01-01

    Transcellular bicarbonate transport is suspected to be an important pathway used by ameloblasts to regulate extracellular pH and support crystal growth during enamel maturation. Proteins that play a role in amelogenesis include members of the ABC transporters (SLC gene family and CFTR). A number of carbonic anhydrases (CAs) have also been identified. The defined functions of these genes are likely interlinked during enamel mineralization. The purpose of this study is to quantify relative mRNA levels of individual SLC, Cftr, and CAs in enamel cells obtained from secretory and maturation stages on rat incisors. We also present novel data on the enamel phenotypes for two animal models, amutant porcine(CFTR-ΔF508) and the NBCe1-null mouse.Our data show that two SLCs(AE2 and NBCe1),Cftr,and Car2, Car3,Car6,and Car12 are all significantly up-regulated at the onset of the maturation stage of amelogenesis when compared to the secretory stage. The remaining SLCs and CA gene transcripts showed negligible expression or no significant change in expression from secretory to maturation stages. The enamel of Cftr-ΔF508 adult pigs was hypomineralized and showed abnormal crystal growth. NBCe1-null mice enamel was structurally defective and had a marked decrease in mineral content relative to wild-type. These data demonstrate the importance of many non-matrix proteins to amelogenesis and that the expression levels of multiple genes regulating extracellular pH are modulated during enamel maturation in response to an increased need for pH buffering during hydroxyapatite crystal growth. PMID:21732355

  16. Rural Public Transportation: An Instructional Module.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayden, Linda

    A concept-based introduction to rural public transportation is provided in this instructional module for undergraduate and graduate transportation-related courses for disciplines such as engineering, business, sociology, and technology. Rural public transportation involves systems in rural and small urban areas with populations under 50,000…

  17. Ion Transport by Ameloblasts during Amelogenesis.

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    Bronckers, A L J J

    2017-03-01

    Hypomineralization of developing enamel is associated with changes in ameloblast modulation during the maturation stage. Modulation (or pH cycling) involves the cyclic transformation of ruffle-ended (RE) ameloblasts facing slightly acidic enamel into smooth-ended (SE) ameloblasts near pH-neutral enamel. The mechanism of ameloblast modulation is not clear. Failure of ameloblasts of Cftr-null and anion exchanger 2 ( Ae2)-null mice to transport Cl - into enamel acidifies enamel, prevents modulation, and reduces mineralization. It suggests that pH regulation is critical for modulation and for completion of enamel mineralization. This report presents a review of the major types of transmembrane molecules that ameloblasts express to transport calcium to form crystals and bicarbonates to regulate pH. The type of transporter depends on the developmental stage. Modulation is proposed to be driven by the pH of enamel fluid and the compositional and/or physicochemical changes that result from increased acidity, which may turn RE ameloblasts into SE mode. Amelogenins delay outgrowth of crystals and keep the intercrystalline space open for diffusion of mineral ions into complete depth of enamel. Modulation enables stepwise removal of amelogenins from the crystal surface, their degradation, and removal from the enamel. Removal of matrix allows slow expansion of crystals. Modulation also reduces the stress that ameloblasts experience when exposed to high acid levels generated by mineral formation or by increased intracellular Ca 2+ . By cyclically interrupting Ca 2+ transport by RE ameloblasts and their transformation into SE ameloblasts, proton production ceases shortly and enables the ameloblasts to recover. Modulation also improves enamel crystal quality by selectively dissolving immature Ca 2+ -poor crystals, removing impurities as Mg 2+ and carbonates, and recrystallizing into more acid-resistant crystals.

  18. Ameloblast Modulation and Transport of Cl⁻, Na⁺, and K⁺ during Amelogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bronckers, A L J J; Lyaruu, D; Jalali, R; Medina, J F; Zandieh-Doulabi, B; DenBesten, P K

    2015-12-01

    Ameloblasts express transmembrane proteins for transport of mineral ions and regulation of pH in the enamel space. Two major transporters recently identified in ameloblasts are the Na(+)K(+)-dependent calcium transporter NCKX4 and the Na(+)-dependent HPO4 (2-) (Pi) cotransporter NaPi-2b. To regulate pH, ameloblasts express anion exchanger 2 (Ae2a,b), chloride channel Cftr, and amelogenins that can bind protons. Exposure to fluoride or null mutation of Cftr, Ae2a,b, or Amelx each results in formation of hypomineralized enamel. We hypothesized that enamel hypomineralization associated with disturbed pH regulation results from reduced ion transport by NCKX4 and NaPi-2b. This was tested by correlation analyses among the levels of Ca, Pi, Cl, Na, and K in forming enamel of mice with null mutation of Cftr, Ae2a,b, and Amelx, according to quantitative x-ray electron probe microanalysis. Immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction analysis, and Western blotting confirmed the presence of apical NaPi-2b and Nckx4 in maturation-stage ameloblasts. In wild-type mice, K levels in enamel were negatively correlated with Ca and Cl but less negatively or even positively in fluorotic enamel. Na did not correlate with P or Ca in enamel of wild-type mice but showed strong positive correlation in fluorotic and nonfluorotic Ae2a,b- and Cftr-null enamel. In hypomineralizing enamel of all models tested, 1) Cl(-) was strongly reduced; 2) K(+) and Na(+) accumulated (Na(+) not in Amelx-null enamel); and 3) modulation was delayed or blocked. These results suggest that a Na(+)K(+)-dependent calcium transporter (likely NCKX4) and a Na(+)-dependent Pi transporter (potentially NaPi-2b) located in ruffle-ended ameloblasts operate in a coordinated way with the pH-regulating machinery to transport Ca(2+), Pi, and bicarbonate into maturation-stage enamel. Acidification and/or associated physicochemical/electrochemical changes in ion levels in enamel fluid near the apical ameloblast membrane may

  19. GABA signalling modulates plant growth by directly regulating the activity of plant-specific anion transporters.

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    Ramesh, Sunita A; Tyerman, Stephen D; Xu, Bo; Bose, Jayakumar; Kaur, Satwinder; Conn, Vanessa; Domingos, Patricia; Ullah, Sana; Wege, Stefanie; Shabala, Sergey; Feijó, José A; Ryan, Peter R; Gilliham, Matthew; Gillham, Matthew

    2015-07-29

    The non-protein amino acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) rapidly accumulates in plant tissues in response to biotic and abiotic stress, and regulates plant growth. Until now it was not known whether GABA exerts its effects in plants through the regulation of carbon metabolism or via an unidentified signalling pathway. Here, we demonstrate that anion flux through plant aluminium-activated malate transporter (ALMT) proteins is activated by anions and negatively regulated by GABA. Site-directed mutagenesis of selected amino acids within ALMT proteins abolishes GABA efficacy but does not alter other transport properties. GABA modulation of ALMT activity results in altered root growth and altered root tolerance to alkaline pH, acid pH and aluminium ions. We propose that GABA exerts its multiple physiological effects in plants via ALMT, including the regulation of pollen tube and root growth, and that GABA can finally be considered a legitimate signalling molecule in both the plant and animal kingdoms.

  20. Extracellular pH modulates GABAergic neurotransmission in rat hypothalamus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Z L; Huang, R Q

    2014-06-20

    Changes in extracellular pH have a modulatory effect on GABAA receptor function. It has been reported that pH sensitivity of the GABA receptor is dependent on subunit composition and GABA concentration. Most of previous investigations focused on GABA-evoked currents, which only reflect the postsynaptic receptors. The physiological relevance of pH modulation of GABAergic neurotransmission is not fully elucidated. In the present studies, we examined the influence of extracellular pH on the GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory neurotransmission in rat hypothalamic neurons. The inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs), tonic currents, and the GABA-evoked currents were recorded with whole-cell patch techniques on the hypothalamic slices from Sprague-Dawley rats at 15-26 postnatal days. The amplitude and frequency of spontaneous GABA IPSCs were significantly increased while the external pH was changed from 7.3 to 8.4. In the acidic pH (6.4), the spontaneous GABA IPSCs were reduced in amplitude and frequency. The pH induced changes in miniature GABA IPSCs (mIPSCs) similar to that in spontaneous IPSCs. The pH effect on the postsynaptic GABA receptors was assessed with exogenously applied varying concentrations of GABA. The tonic currents and the currents evoked by sub-saturating concentration of GABA ([GABA]) (10 μM) were inhibited by acidic pH and potentiated by alkaline pH. In contrast, the currents evoked by saturating [GABA] (1mM) were not affected by pH changes. We also investigated the influence of pH buffers and buffering capacity on pH sensitivity of GABAA receptors on human recombinant α1β2γ2 GABAA receptors stably expressed in HEK 293 cells. The pH influence on GABAA receptors was similar in HEPES- and MES-buffered media, and not dependent on protonated buffers, suggesting that the observed pH effect on GABA response is a specific consequence of changes in extracellular protons. Our data suggest that the hydrogen ions suppress the GABAergic neurotransmission

  1. Importance of pH Homeostasis in Metabolic Health and Diseases: Crucial Role of Membrane Proton Transport

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wataru Aoi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Protons dissociated from organic acids in cells are partly buffered. If not, they are transported to the extracellular fluid through the plasma membrane and buffered in circulation or excreted in urine and expiration gas. Several transporters including monocarboxylate transporters and Na+/H+ exchanger play an important role in uptake and output of protons across plasma membranes in cells of metabolic tissues including skeletal muscle and the liver. They also contribute to maintenance of the physiological pH of body fluid. Therefore, impairment of these transporters causes dysfunction of cells, diseases, and a decrease in physical performance associated with abnormal pH. Additionally, it is known that fluid pH in the interstitial space of metabolic tissues is easily changed due to little pH buffering capacitance in interstitial fluids and a reduction in the interstitial fluid pH may mediate the onset of insulin resistance unlike blood containing pH buffers such as Hb (hemoglobin and albumin. In contrast, habitual exercise and dietary intervention regulate expression/activity of transporters and maintain body fluid pH, which could partly explain the positive effect of healthy lifestyle on disease prognosis.

  2. Ameloblast modulation and transport of Cl-, Na+, and K+ during amelogenesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bronckers, A.L.J.J.; Lyaruu, D.; Jalali, R.; Medina, J.F.; Zandieh-Doulabi, B.; DenBesten, P.K.

    2015-01-01

    Ameloblasts express transmembrane proteins for transport of mineral ions and regulation of pH in the enamel space. Two major transporters recently identified in ameloblasts are the Na+K+-dependent calcium transporter NCKX4 and the Na+-dependent HPO42- (Pi) cotransporter NaPi-2b. To regulate pH,

  3. Influence of pH on the transport of nanoscale zinc oxide in saturated porous media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kanel, Sushil R. [Pegasus Technical Services, Inc. (United States); Al-Abed, Souhail R., E-mail: al-abed.souhail@epa.gov [National Risk Management Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (United States)

    2011-09-15

    Widespread use of nanoscale zinc oxide (nZnO) in various fields causes subsurface environment contamination. Even though the transport of dissolved zinc ions in subsurface environments such as soils and sediments has been widely studied, the transport mechanism of nZnO in such environments is poorly understood. In addition, nZnO is often combined with stabilizers or dispersing agents to prevent its aggregation in products. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of pH on the transport properties of pristine nZnO and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) stabilized nZnO (CMC-nZnO) suspensions in silica sand packed column under saturated flow conditions. Transport data were collected at different pHs (pHs: 3, 7, 9, and 11) under 1 mL/min flow rate conditions in a 1.1 cm diameter column. It is found that the transport trends of pristine nZnO and CMC-nZnO were different. For pristine nZnO, mobility of total Zn reached a minimum around its point of zero charge (pH 8.9). Whereas in the case of CMC-nZnO, the mobility of total Zn decreased as the pH of the solution pH increased from 3 to 11. ZnO and Zn ion mixture were separated using diafiltration membrane. It showed that most of the nZnO and CMC-nZnO exists as Zn ion at pH 3 before and after eluting from the sand packed column whereas at pH 11, they exist as particles. This study shows the strong influence of pH and stabilizing agents on nZnO transport. These factors should be considered during subsurface transport of nZnO.

  4. Influence of pH on the transport of nanoscale zinc oxide in saturated porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanel, Sushil R.; Al-Abed, Souhail R.

    2011-01-01

    Widespread use of nanoscale zinc oxide (nZnO) in various fields causes subsurface environment contamination. Even though the transport of dissolved zinc ions in subsurface environments such as soils and sediments has been widely studied, the transport mechanism of nZnO in such environments is poorly understood. In addition, nZnO is often combined with stabilizers or dispersing agents to prevent its aggregation in products. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of pH on the transport properties of pristine nZnO and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) stabilized nZnO (CMC–nZnO) suspensions in silica sand packed column under saturated flow conditions. Transport data were collected at different pHs (pHs: 3, 7, 9, and 11) under 1 mL/min flow rate conditions in a 1.1 cm diameter column. It is found that the transport trends of pristine nZnO and CMC–nZnO were different. For pristine nZnO, mobility of total Zn reached a minimum around its point of zero charge (pH 8.9). Whereas in the case of CMC–nZnO, the mobility of total Zn decreased as the pH of the solution pH increased from 3 to 11. ZnO and Zn ion mixture were separated using diafiltration membrane. It showed that most of the nZnO and CMC–nZnO exists as Zn ion at pH 3 before and after eluting from the sand packed column whereas at pH 11, they exist as particles. This study shows the strong influence of pH and stabilizing agents on nZnO transport. These factors should be considered during subsurface transport of nZnO.

  5. An in vitro and in silico study on the flavonoid-mediated modulation of the transport of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) through Caco-2 monolayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schutte, Maaike E.; Freidig, Andreas P.; Sandt, Johannes J.M. van de; Alink, Gerrit M.; Rietjens, Ivonne M.C.M.; Groten, John P.

    2006-01-01

    The present study describes the effect of different flavonoids on the absorption of the pro-carcinogen PhIP through Caco-2 monolayers and the development of an in silico model describing this process taking into account passive diffusion and active transport of PhIP. Various flavonoids stimulated the apical to basolateral PhIP transport. Using the in silico model for flavone, kaempferol and chrysoeriol, the apparent Ki value for inhibition of the active transport to the apical side was estimated to be below 53 μM and for morin, robinetin and taxifolin between 164 and 268 μM. For myricetin, luteolin, naringenin and quercetin, the apparent Ki values were determined more accurately and amounted to 37.3, 12.2, 11.7 and 5.6 μM respectively. Additional experiments revealed that the apical to basolateral PhIP transport was also increased in the presence of a typical BCRP or MRP inhibitor with apparent Ki values in the same range as those of the flavonoids. This observation together with the fact that flavonoids are known to be inhibitors of MRPs and BCRP, corroborates that inhibition of these apical membrane transporters is involved in the flavonoid-mediated increased apical to basolateral PhIP transport. Based on the apparent Ki values obtained, it is concluded that the flavonols, at the levels present in the regular Western diet, are capable of stimulating the transport of PhIP through Caco-2 monolayers from the apical to the basolateral compartment. This points to flavonoid-mediated stimulation of the bioavailability of PhIP and, thus, a possible adverse effect of these supposed beneficial food ingredients

  6. Acidic pH and short-chain fatty acids activate Na+ transport but differentially modulate expression of Na+/H+ exchanger isoforms 1, 2, and 3 in omasal epithelium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Zhongyan; Yao, Lei; Jiang, Zhengqian; Aschenbach, Jörg R; Martens, Holger; Shen, Zanming

    2016-01-01

    Low sodium content in feed and large amounts of salivary sodium secretion are essential requirements to efficient sodium reabsorption in the dairy cow. It is already known that Na(+)/H(+) exchange (NHE) of the ruminal epithelium plays a key role in Na(+) absorption, and its function is influenced by the presence of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and mucosal pH. By contrast, the functional role and regulation of NHE in omasal epithelium have not been completely understood. In the present study, we used model studies in small ruminants (sheep and goats) to investigate NHE-mediated Na(+) transport and the effects of pH and SCFA on NHE activity in omasal epithelium and on the expression of NHE isoform in omasal epithelial cells. Conventional Ussing chamber technique, primary cell culture, quantitative PCR, and Western blot were used. In native omasal epithelium of sheep, the Na(+) transport was electroneutral, and it was inhibited by the specific NHE3 inhibitor 3-[2-(3-guanidino-2-methyl-3-oxo-propenyl)-5-methyl-phenyl]-N-isopropylidene-2-methyl-acrylamide dihydrochloride, which decreased mucosal-to-serosal, serosal-to-mucosal, and net flux rates of Na(+) by 80% each. The application of low mucosal pH (6.4 or 5.8) in the presence of SCFA activated the Na(+) transport across omasal epithelium of sheep compared with that at pH 7.4. In cultured omasal epithelial cells of goats, mRNA and protein of NHE1, NHE2, and NHE3 were detected. The application of SCFA increased NHE1 mRNA and protein expression, which was most prominent when the culture medium pH decreased from 7.4 to 6.8. At variance, the mRNA and protein expression of NHE2 and NHE3 were decreased with low pH and SCFA, which was contrary to the published data from ruminal epithelial studies. In conclusion, this paper shows that (1) NHE1, NHE2, and NHE3 are expressed in omasal epithelium; (2) NHE3 mediates the major portion of transepithelial Na(+) transport in omasal epithelium; and (3) SCFA and acidic pH acutely

  7. Organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B transporters modulate hydroxyurea pharmacokinetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Aisha L; Lancaster, Cynthia S; Finkelstein, David; Ware, Russell E; Sparreboom, Alex

    2013-12-15

    Hydroxyurea is currently the only FDA-approved drug that ameliorates the pathophysiology of sickle cell anemia. Unfortunately, substantial interpatient variability in the pharmacokinetics (PK) of hydroxyurea may result in variation of the drug's efficacy. However, little is known about mechanisms that modulate hydroxyurea PK. Recent in vitro studies identifying hydroxyurea as a substrate for organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP1B) transporters prompted the current investigation assessing the role of OATP1B transporters in modulating hydroxyurea PK. Using wild-type and Oatp1b knockout (Oatp1b(-/-)) mice, hydroxyurea PK was analyzed in vivo by measuring [(14)C]hydroxyurea distribution in plasma, kidney, liver, urine, or the exhaled (14)CO2 metabolite. Plasma levels were significantly reduced by 20% in Oatp1b(-/-) mice compared with wild-type (area under the curve of 38.64 or 48.45 μg·h(-1)·ml(-1), respectively) after oral administration, whereas no difference was observed between groups following intravenous administration. Accumulation in the kidney was significantly decreased by twofold in Oatp1b(-/-) mice (356.9 vs. 748.1 pmol/g), which correlated with a significant decrease in urinary excretion. Hydroxyurea accumulation in the liver was also decreased (136.6 vs. 107.3 pmol/g in wild-type or Oatp1b(-/-) mice, respectively) correlating with a decrease in exhaled (14)CO2. These findings illustrate that deficiency of Oatp1b transporters alters the absorption, distribution, and elimination of hydroxyurea thus providing the first in vivo evidence that cell membrane transporters may play a significant role in modulating hydroxyurea PK. Future studies to investigate other transporters and their role in hydroxyurea disposition are warranted for understanding the sources of variation in hydroxyurea's PK.

  8. Organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B transporters modulate hydroxyurea pharmacokinetics

    OpenAIRE

    Walker, Aisha L.; Lancaster, Cynthia S.; Finkelstein, David; Ware, Russell E.; Sparreboom, Alex

    2013-01-01

    Hydroxyurea is currently the only FDA-approved drug that ameliorates the pathophysiology of sickle cell anemia. Unfortunately, substantial interpatient variability in the pharmacokinetics (PK) of hydroxyurea may result in variation of the drug's efficacy. However, little is known about mechanisms that modulate hydroxyurea PK. Recent in vitro studies identifying hydroxyurea as a substrate for organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP1B) transporters prompted the current investigation assess...

  9. Modeling pH variation in reverse osmosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nir, Oded; Bishop, Noga Fridman; Lahav, Ori; Freger, Viatcheslav

    2015-12-15

    The transport of hydronium and hydroxide ions through reverse osmosis membranes constitutes a unique case of ionic species characterized by uncommonly high permeabilities. Combined with electromigration, this leads to complex behavior of permeate pH, e.g., negative rejection, as often observed for monovalent ions in nanofiltration of salt mixtures. In this work we employed a rigorous phenomenological approach combined with chemical equilibrium to describe the trans-membrane transport of hydronium and hydroxide ions along with salt transport and calculate the resulting permeate pH. Starting from the Nernst-Planck equation, a full non-linear transport equation was derived, for which an approximate solution was proposed based on the analytical solution previously developed for trace ions in a dominant salt. Using the developed approximate equation, transport coefficients were deduced from experimental results obtained using a spiral wound reverse osmosis module operated under varying permeate flux (2-11 μm/s), NaCl feed concentrations (0.04-0.18 M) and feed pH values (5.5-9.0). The approximate equation agreed well with the experimental results, corroborating the finding that diffusion and electromigration, rather than a priori neglected convection, were the major contributors to the transport of hydronium and hydroxide. The approach presented here has the potential to improve the predictive capacity of reverse osmosis transport models for acid-base species, thereby improving process design/control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Basolateral glycylsarcosine (Gly-Sar) transport in Caco-2 cell monolayers is pH dependent

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berthelsen, Ragna; Nielsen, Carsten Uhd; Brodin, Birger

    2013-01-01

    Transepithelial di/tripeptide transport in enterocytes occurs via the apical proton-coupled peptide transporter, hPEPT1 (SLC15A1) and a basolateral peptide transporter, which has only been characterized functionally. In this study we examined the pH dependency, substrate uptake kinetics and subst...

  11. Physics basis of Multi-Mode anomalous transport module

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rafiq, T.; Kritz, A. H.; Luo, L. [Department of Physics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015 (United States); Weiland, J. [Departments of Applied Physics, Chalmers University of Technology and Euratom-VR Assoc., S41296 Gothenburg (Sweden); Pankin, A. Y. [Tech-X Corporation, Boulder, Colorado (United States)

    2013-03-15

    The derivation of Multi-Mode anomalous transport module version 8.1 (MMM8.1) is presented. The MMM8.1 module is advanced, relative to MMM7.1, by the inclusion of peeling modes, dependence of turbulence correlation length on flow shear, electromagnetic effects in the toroidal momentum diffusivity, and the option to compute poloidal momentum diffusivity. The MMM8.1 model includes a model for ion temperature gradient, trapped electron, kinetic ballooning, peeling, collisionless and collision dominated magnetohydrodynamics modes as well as model for electron temperature gradient modes, and a model for drift resistive inertial ballooning modes. In the derivation of the MMM8.1 module, effects of collisions, fast ion and impurity dilution, non-circular flux surfaces, finite beta, and Shafranov shift are included. The MMM8.1 is used to compute thermal, particle, toroidal, and poloidal angular momentum transports. The fluid approach which underlies the derivation of MMM8.1 is expected to reliably predict, on an energy transport time scale, the evolution of temperature, density, and momentum profiles in plasma discharges for a wide range of plasma conditions.

  12. Effects of high medium pH on growth, metabolism and transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peña, Antonio; Sánchez, Norma Silvia; Álvarez, Helber; Calahorra, Martha; Ramírez, Jorge

    2015-03-01

    Growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae stopped by maintaining the pH of the medium in a pH-stat at pH 8.0 or 9.0. Studying its main physiological capacities and comparing cells after incubation at pH 6.0 vs. 8.0 or 9.0, we found that (a) fermentation was moderately decreased by high pH and respiration was similar and sensitive to the addition of an uncoupler, (b) ATP and glucose-6-phosphate levels upon glucose addition increased to similar levels and (c) proton pumping and K(+) transport were also not affected; all this indicating that energy mechanisms were preserved. Growth inhibition at high pH was also not due to a significant lower amino acid transport by the cells or incorporation into proteins. The cell cycle stopped at pH 9.0, probably due to an arrest as a result of adjustments needed by the cells to contend with the changes under these conditions, and microarray experiments showed some relevant changes to this response. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permission@oup.com.

  13. pH modulates arsenic toxicity in Bacillus licheniformis DAS-2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tripti, K; Shardendu

    2016-08-01

    The toxic characteristics of arsenic species, As(V) and As(III) result in ecological risks. Arsenic tolerant bacterium was isolated and identified as the Bacillus licheniformis DAS-2 through 16SrDNA sequencing. B. licheniformis DAS-2 was efficient to tolerate and remove both the As(V)[MIC 8mM] and As(III)[MIC 6mM] from the growth medium. The potential for the removal/uptake of arsenic from the 3, 5 and 7mM As(V) enriched growth media was 100%, 60% and 35% respectively and from the 1, 3 and 5mM As(III) enrichment it was 100%, 99% and 58% respectively at neutral pH. 80% of uptake As(V) was reduced to As(III) in 3mM As(V) enrichment which was gradually decreased to only 17% at 7mM As(V) enrichment at neutral pH. The arsenic toxicity in B. licheniformis DAS-2 was found modulated by pH and was examined through alteration in growth, uptake/removal, reduction and measurement of chemical toxicity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Packaging, Transportation and Recycling of NPP Condenser Modules - 12262

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Polley, G.M. [Perma-Fix Environmental Services, 575 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 (United States)

    2012-07-01

    Perma-Fix was awarded contract from Energy Northwest for the packaging, transportation and disposition of the condenser modules, water boxes and miscellaneous metal, combustibles and water generated during the 2011 condenser replacement outage at the Columbia Generating Station. The work scope was to package the water boxes and condenser modules as they were removed from the facility and transfer them to the Perma-Fix Northwest facility for processing, recycle of metals and disposition. The condenser components were oversized and overweight (the condenser modules weighed ∼102,058 kg [225,000 lb]) which required special equipment for loading and transport. Additional debris waste was packaged in inter-modals and IP-1 boxes for transport. A waste management plan was developed to minimize the generation of virtually any waste requiring landfill disposal. The Perma-Fix Northwest facility was modified to accommodate the ∼15 m [50-ft] long condenser modules and equipment was designed and manufactured to complete the disassembly, decontamination and release survey. The condenser modules are currently undergoing processing for free release to a local metal recycler. Over three millions pounds of metal will be recycled and over 95% of the waste generated during this outage will not require land disposal. There were several elements of this project that needed to be addressed during the preparation for this outage and the subsequent packaging, transportation and processing. - Staffing the project to support 24/7 generation of large components and other wastes. - The design and manufacture of the soft-sided shipping containers for the condenser modules that measured ∼15 m X 4 m X 3 m [50 ft X 13 ft X 10 ft] and weighed ∼102,058 kg [225,000 lbs] - Developing a methodology for loading the modules into the shipping containers. - Obtaining a transport vehicle for the modules. - Designing and modifying the processing facility. - Movement of the modules at the processing

  15. Effects of pH on nano-bubble stability and transport in saturated porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamamoto, Shoichiro; Takemura, Takato; Suzuki, Kenichiro; Nishimura, Taku

    2018-01-01

    An understanding of nano-scale bubble (NB) transport in porous media is important for potential application of NBs in soil/groundwater remediation. It is expected that the solution chemistry of NB water highly influences the surface characteristics of NBs and porous media and the interaction between them, thus affecting the stability and transport characteristics of NB. In this study, in addition to stability experiments, one-dimensional column transport experiments using glass beads were conducted to investigate the effects of pH on the NB transport behavior. The results showed that the NBs were more stable under higher pH. Column transport experiments revealed that entrapment of NBs, especially larger ones, was enhanced in lower-pH water, likely suggesting pH-dependent NB attachment and physical straining, both of which are also probably influenced by bubble size. Although relatively smaller NBs were released after switching the eluting fluid to one with lower ionic strength, most of the NBs in lower-pH water were still retained in the porous media even altering the chemical condition.

  16. Periodically modulated single-photon transport in one-dimensional waveguide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xingmin; Wei, L. F.

    2018-03-01

    Single-photon transport along a one-dimension waveguide interacting with a quantum system (e.g., two-level atom) is a very useful and meaningful simplified model of the waveguide-based optical quantum devices. Thus, how to modulate the transport of the photons in the waveguide structures by adjusting certain external parameters should be particularly important. In this paper, we discuss how such a modulation could be implemented by periodically driving the energy splitting of the interacting atom and the atom-photon coupling strength. By generalizing the well developed time-independent full quantum mechanical theory in real space to the time-dependent one, we show that various sideband-transmission phenomena could be observed. This means that, with these modulations the photon has certain probabilities to transmit through the scattering atom in the other energy sidebands. Inversely, by controlling the sideband transmission the periodic modulations of the single photon waveguide devices could be designed for the future optical quantum information processing applications.

  17. An in vitro and in silico study on the flavonoid-mediated modulation of the transport of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) through Caco-2 monolayers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schutte, M.E.; Freidig, A.P.; Sandt, J.J.M. van de; Alink, G.M.; Rietjens, I.M.C.M.; Groten, J.P.

    2006-01-01

    The present study describes the effect of different flavonoids on the absorption of the pro-carcinogen PhIP through Caco-2 monolayers and the development of an in silico model describing this process taking into account passive diffusion and active transport of PhIP. Various flavonoids stimulated

  18. Transport of vanadium (V in saturated porous media: effects of pH, ionic-strength and clay mineral

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yulu Wang

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Vanadium, a hazardous pollutant, has been frequently detected in soil and groundwater, however, its transport behavior in porous media were not clearly understood. In this study, the effects of solution pH, ionic strength (IS and the effect of clay mineral on the transport of vanadium in saturated porous media were investigated. Laboratory experiments using a series of columns packed with quartz sand were carried out to explore the retention and transport of vanadium with a range of ionic-strength (0.001–0.1 M and pH (4–8 and two different types of clay minerals montmorillonite and kaolinite. Results of the breakthrough experiments showed that vanadium was highly mobile in the saturated porous media. The increase in pH rendered a higher transport of vanadium in saturated porous media. The study also indicated an easier transfer of vanadium with an increase in IS. Montmorillonite enhanced the mobility of vanadium in the column when compared to kaolinite. A mathematical model based on advection-dispersion equation coupled with equilibrium and kinetic reactions was used to describe the retention and transport of vanadium in the columns very well.

  19. Influence of pH on the transport of silver nanoparticles in saturated porous media: laboratory experiments and modeling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flory, Jason; Kanel, Sushil R., E-mail: sushil.kanel.ctr@afit.edu; Racz, LeeAnn [Air Force Institute of Technology, Department of Systems and Engineering Management (United States); Impellitteri, Christopher A. [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (United States); Silva, Rendahandi G. [U.S. EPA Test and Evaluation Facility, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure (United States); Goltz, Mark N., E-mail: mark.goltz@afit.edu [Air Force Institute of Technology, Department of Systems and Engineering Management (United States)

    2013-03-15

    Given the ubiquity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their potential for toxic effects on both humans and the environment, it is important to understand their environmental fate and transport. The purpose of this study is to gain information on the transport properties of commercial AgNP suspensions in a glass bead-packed column under saturated flow conditions at different solution pH levels. Commercial AgNPs were characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Transport data were collected at different pH levels (4, 6.5, 9, and 11) at fixed ionic strength. Capture of AgNPs increased as the pH of the solution increased from 4 to 6.5. Further increase in pH to 9 and 11 decreased the attachment of AgNPs to the glass beads. AgNP concentration versus time breakthrough data were simulated using an advection-dispersion model incorporating both irreversible and reversible attachment. In particular, a reversible attachment model is required to simulate breakthrough curve tailing at near neutral pH, when attachment is most significant. The laboratory and modeling study reveals that for natural groundwaters, AgNP transport in porous media may be retarded due to capture; but ultimately, most of the mass may be slowly released over time.

  20. Modeling particle-facilitated solute transport using the C-Ride module of HYDRUS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simunek, Jiri; Bradford, Scott A.

    2017-04-01

    Strongly sorbing chemicals (e.g., heavy metals, radionuclides, pharmaceuticals, and/or explosives) in soils are associated predominantly with the solid phase, which is commonly assumed to be stationary. However, recent field- and laboratory-scale observations have shown that, in the presence of mobile colloidal particles (e.g., microbes, humic substances, clays and metal oxides), the colloids could act as pollutant carriers and thus provide a rapid transport pathway for strongly sorbing contaminants. Such transport can be further accelerated since these colloidal particles may travel through interconnected larger pores where the water velocity is relatively high. Additionally, colloidal particles have a considerable adsorption capacity for other species present in water because of their large specific surface areas and their high concentrations in soil-water and groundwater. As a result, the transport of contaminants can be significantly, sometimes dramatically, enhanced when they are adsorbed to mobile colloids. To address this problem, we have developed the C-Ride module for HYDRUS-1D. This one-dimensional numerical module is based on the HYDRUS-1D software package and incorporates mechanisms associated with colloid and colloid-facilitated solute transport in variably saturated porous media. This numerical model accounts for both colloid and solute movement due to convection, diffusion, and dispersion in variably-saturated soils, as well as for solute movement facilitated by colloid transport. The colloids transport module additionally considers processes of attachment/detachment to/from the solid phase, straining, and/or size exclusion. Various blocking and depth dependent functions can be used to modify the attachment and straining coefficients. The module additionally considers the effects of changes in the water content on colloid/bacteria transport and attachment/detachment to/from solid-water and air-water interfaces. For example, when the air

  1. Regulation of the glutamine transporter SN1 by extracellular pH and intracellular sodium ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broeer, A.; Broeer, S.; Setiawan, I.; Lang, F.

    2001-01-01

    Full text: SN1 has recently been identified as one of the major glutamine transporters in hepatocytes and brain astrocytes. It appears to be the molecular correlate of the system N amino acid transporter. Two different transport mechanisms have been proposed for this transporter. Either an electroneutral mechanism, in which glutamine uptake is coupled to an exchange of 1Na + and 1H + , or an electrogenic mechanism coupled to the exchange of 2Na + against 1H + . This study was performed to solve the discrepancies and to investigate the reversibility of the transporter. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes glutamine uptake activity increased strongly with increasing pH. In agreement with the pH-dependence we found that uptake of glutamine was accompanied by an alkalization of the cytosol, indicating that SN1 mediates Glutamine/H + -Antiport. Uptake of glutamine into oocytes was Na + -dependent. Analysis of the Na + -dependence of glutamine transport and Flux studies using 22 Na + indicated that two or more sodium ions were cotransported together with glutamine. However, at the same time intracellular Na + was exchanged against extracellular Na + . Taken together with the results of the pH-dependence it is proposed that SN1 mediates a Na + /Na + -exchange and a Na + /H + -exchange, both being coupled to the transport of glutamine. In agreement with this mechanism we found that acidic pH caused a reversal of the transporter. To investigate the source of the glutamine-induced inward currents, we compared inward currents generated by the 1Na + /glutamine cotransporter ATA1 with those generated by SN1. Currents induced by glutamine uptake in SN1 expressing oocytes were only a fraction of the currents induced by glutamine in ATA1 expressing oocytes, indicating that they were not generated by a stoichiometric uptake of ions. It is concluded that SN1 is tightly regulated by pH and intracellular Na + -ions and is capable of mediating glutamine uptake and release

  2. Reactive solute transport in acidic streams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broshears, R.E.

    1996-01-01

    Spatial and temporal profiles of Ph and concentrations of toxic metals in streams affected by acid mine drainage are the result of the interplay of physical and biogeochemical processes. This paper describes a reactive solute transport model that provides a physically and thermodynamically quantitative interpretation of these profiles. The model combines a transport module that includes advection-dispersion and transient storage with a geochemical speciation module based on MINTEQA2. Input to the model includes stream hydrologic properties derived from tracer-dilution experiments, headwater and lateral inflow concentrations analyzed in field samples, and a thermodynamic database. Simulations reproduced the general features of steady-state patterns of observed pH and concentrations of aluminum and sulfate in St. Kevin Gulch, an acid mine drainage stream near Leadville, Colorado. These patterns were altered temporarily by injection of sodium carbonate into the stream. A transient simulation reproduced the observed effects of the base injection.

  3. Flavonoids as modulators of metabolic enzymes and drug transporters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miron, Anca; Aprotosoaie, Ana Clara; Trifan, Adriana; Xiao, Jianbo

    2017-06-01

    Flavonoids, natural compounds found in plants and in plant-derived foods and beverages, have been extensively studied with regard to their capacity to modulate metabolic enzymes and drug transporters. In vitro, flavonoids predominantly inhibit the major phase I drug-metabolizing enzyme CYP450 3A4 and the enzymes responsible for the bioactivation of procarcinogens (CYP1 enzymes) and upregulate the enzymes involved in carcinogen detoxification (UDP-glucuronosyltransferases, glutathione S-transferases (GSTs)). Flavonoids have been reported to inhibit ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters (multidrug resistance (MDR)-associated proteins, breast cancer-resistance protein) that contribute to the development of MDR. P-glycoprotein, an ABC transporter that limits drug bioavailability and also induces MDR, was differently modulated by flavonoids. Flavonoids and their phase II metabolites (sulfates, glucuronides) inhibit organic anion transporters involved in the tubular uptake of nephrotoxic compounds. In vivo studies have partially confirmed in vitro findings, suggesting that the mechanisms underlying the modulatory effects of flavonoids are complex and difficult to predict in vivo. Data summarized in this review strongly support the view that flavonoids are promising candidates for the enhancement of oral drug bioavailability, chemoprevention, and reversal of MDR. © 2017 New York Academy of Sciences.

  4. Alkaline pH activates the transport activity of GLUT1 in L929 fibroblast cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunnink, Stephen M; Kerk, Samuel A; Kuiper, Benjamin D; Alabi, Ola D; Kuipers, David P; Praamsma, Riemer C; Wrobel, Kathryn E; Louters, Larry L

    2014-04-01

    The widely expressed mammalian glucose transporter, GLUT1, can be acutely activated in L929 fibroblast cells by a variety of conditions, including glucose deprivation, or treatment with various respiration inhibitors. Known thiol reactive compounds including phenylarsine oxide and nitroxyl are the fastest acting stimulators of glucose uptake, implicating cysteine biochemistry as critical to the acute activation of GLUT1. In this study, we report that in L929 cells glucose uptake increases 6-fold as the pH of the uptake solution is increased from 6 to 9 with the half-maximal activation at pH 7.5; consistent with the pKa of cysteine residues. This pH effect is essentially blocked by the pretreatment of the cells with either iodoacetamide or cinnamaldehyde, compounds that form covalent adducts with reduced cysteine residues. In addition, the activation by alkaline pH is not additive at pH 8 with known thiol reactive activators such as phenylarsine oxide or hydroxylamine. Kinetic analysis in L929 cells at pH 7 and 8 indicate that alkaline conditions both increases the Vmax and decreases the Km of transport. This is consistent with the observation that pH activation is additive to methylene blue, which activates uptake by increasing the Vmax, as well as to berberine, which activates uptake by decreasing the Km. This suggests that cysteine biochemistry is utilized in both methylene blue and berberine activation of glucose uptake. In contrast a pH increase from 7 to 8 in HCLE cells does not further activate glucose uptake. HCLE cells have a 25-fold higher basal glucose uptake rate than L929 cells and the lack of a pH effect suggests that the cysteine biochemistry has already occurred in HCLE cells. The data are consistent with pH having a complex mechanism of action, but one likely mediated by cysteine biochemistry. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  5. Rationally Engineering Phototherapy Modules of Eosin-Conjugated Responsive Polymeric Nanocarriers via Intracellular Endocytic pH Gradients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Guhuan; Hu, Jinming; Zhang, Guoying; Liu, Shiyong

    2015-07-15

    Spatiotemporal switching of respective phototherapy modes at the cellular level with minimum side effects and high therapeutic efficacy is a major challenge for cancer phototherapy. Herein we demonstrate how to address this issue by employing photosensitizer-conjugated pH-responsive block copolymers in combination with intracellular endocytic pH gradients. At neutral pH corresponding to extracellular and cytosol milieu, the copolymers self-assemble into micelles with prominently quenched fluorescence emission and low (1)O2 generation capability, favoring a highly efficient photothermal module. Under mildly acidic pH associated with endolysosomes, protonation-triggered micelle-to-unimer transition results in recovered emission and enhanced photodynamic (1)O2 efficiency, which synergistically actuates release of encapsulated drugs, endosomal escape, and photochemical internalization processes.

  6. Ammonium ion transport by the AMT/Rh homolog TaAMT1;1 is stimulated by acidic pH

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søgaard, Rikke; Alsterfjord, Magnus; Macaulay, Nanna

    2009-01-01

    It is unclear how ammonia is transported by proteins from the Amt/Mep/Rh superfamily. We investigated this for the ammonium transporter TaAMT1;1 from wheat expressed in Xenopus oocytes by two-electrode voltage clamp and radio-labeled uptakes. Inward currents were activated by NH (4......) (+) or methylammonium ions (MeA(+)). Importantly, currents increased fivefold when the external pH was decreased from 7.4 to 5.5; this type of pH dependence is unique and is a strong indication of NH (4) (+) or MeA(+) transport. This was confirmed by the close correlation between the uptake of radio-labeled Me......A(+) and MeA(+)-induced currents. Homology models of members of the Amt/Mep/Rh superfamily exhibited major divergences in their cytoplasmic regions. A point mutation in this region of TaAMT1;1 abolished the pH sensitivity and decreased the apparent affinities for NH (4) (+) and MeA(+). We suggest a model...

  7. Modulation of leak K(+) channel in hypoglossal motoneurons of rats by serotonin and/or variation of pH value.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xue-Feng; Tsai, Hao-Jan; Li, Lin; Chen, Yi-Fan; Zhang, Cheng; Wang, Guang-Fa

    2009-08-25

    The cloned TWIK-related acid-sensitive K(+) channel (TASK-1) is sensitive to the pH changes within physiological pH range (pK~7.4). Recently, the native TASK-1-like channel was suggested to be the main contributor to the background (or leak) K(+) conductance in the motoneurons of the brain stem. Serotonin (5-HT) and variation of pH value in perfused solution could modulate these currents. Here we aimed to examine the properties and modulation of the currents by serotonin or variation of pH value in hypoglossal motoneurons of rats. Transverse slices were prepared from the brainstem of neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats (postnatal days 7-8). Hypoglossal motoneurons were used for the study. The leak K(+) current (TASK-1-like current) and hyperpolarization-activated cationic current (I(h)) were recorded with the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. The results showed that these currents were inhibited by acidified artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF, pH 6.0) and activated by alkalized ACSF (pH 8.5). 5-HT (10 mumol/L) significantly inhibited both leak K(+) current and I(h) with depolarization of membrane potential and the occurrence of oscillation and/or spikes. Bath application of Ketanserine, an antagonist of 5-HT₂ receptor, reversed or reduced the inhibitory effect of acidified solution on leak K(+) current and I(h). The results suggest that 5-HT₂ receptors mediate the effects of acidified media on leak K(+) current and I(h) in hypoglossal motoneurons.

  8. Development and preliminary verification of 2-D transport module of radiation shielding code ARES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Penghe; Chen Yixue; Zhang Bin; Zang Qiyong; Yuan Longjun; Chen Mengteng

    2013-01-01

    The 2-D transport module of radiation shielding code ARES is two-dimensional neutron and radiation shielding code. The theory model was based on the first-order steady state neutron transport equation, adopting the discrete ordinates method to disperse direction variables. Then a set of differential equations can be obtained and solved with the source iteration method. The 2-D transport module of ARES was capable of calculating k eff and fixed source problem with isotropic or anisotropic scattering in x-y geometry. The theoretical model was briefly introduced and series of benchmark problems were verified in this paper. Compared with the results given by the benchmark, the maximum relative deviation of k eff is 0.09% and the average relative deviation of flux density is about 0.60% in the BWR cells benchmark problem. As for the fixed source problem with isotropic and anisotropic scattering, the results of the 2-D transport module of ARES conform with DORT very well. These numerical results of benchmark problems preliminarily demonstrate that the development process of the 2-D transport module of ARES is right and it is able to provide high precision result. (authors)

  9. Coupling between particle and heat transport during power modulation experiments in Tore Supra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zou, X.L.; Giruzzi, G.; Artaud, J.F.; Bouquey, F.; Bremond, S.; Clary, J.; Darbos, C.; Eury, S.P.; Lennholm, M.; Magne, R.; Segui, J.L.

    2004-01-01

    Power modulations are a powerful tool often used to investigate heat transport processes in tokamaks. In some situations, this could also be an interesting method for the investigation of the particle transport due to the anomalous pinch. Low frequency (∼ 1 Hz) power modulation experiments, using both electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) and ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH), have been performed in the Tore Supra tokamak. Strong coupling has been observed between the temperature and density modulations during the low frequency ECRH and ICRH modulation experiments. It has been shown that mechanisms as outgassing, Ware pinch effect, curvature driven pinch are not likely to be responsible for this density modulation. Because of its dependence on temperature or temperature gradient, the thermodiffusion is a serious candidate to be the driving source for this density modulation. This analysis shows that low frequency power modulation experiments have a great potential for the investigation of the anomalous particle pinch in tokamaks. Future plans will include the use of more precise density profile measurements using X-mode reflectometry

  10. Coupling between particle and heat transport during power modulation experiments in Tore Supra

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zou, X.L.; Giruzzi, G.; Artaud, J.F.; Bouquey, F.; Bremond, S.; Clary, J.; Darbos, C.; Eury, S.P.; Lennholm, M.; Magne, R.; Segui, J.L

    2004-07-01

    Power modulations are a powerful tool often used to investigate heat transport processes in tokamaks. In some situations, this could also be an interesting method for the investigation of the particle transport due to the anomalous pinch. Low frequency ({approx} 1 Hz) power modulation experiments, using both electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) and ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH), have been performed in the Tore Supra tokamak. Strong coupling has been observed between the temperature and density modulations during the low frequency ECRH and ICRH modulation experiments. It has been shown that mechanisms as outgassing, Ware pinch effect, curvature driven pinch are not likely to be responsible for this density modulation. Because of its dependence on temperature or temperature gradient, the thermodiffusion is a serious candidate to be the driving source for this density modulation. This analysis shows that low frequency power modulation experiments have a great potential for the investigation of the anomalous particle pinch in tokamaks. Future plans will include the use of more precise density profile measurements using X-mode reflectometry.

  11. pH Modulates the Binding of EGR1 Transcription Factor to DNA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikles, David C.; Bhat, Vikas; Schuchardt, Brett J.; Deegan, Brian J.; Seldeen, Kenneth L.; McDonald, Caleb B.; Farooq, Amjad

    2013-01-01

    EGR1 transcription factor orchestrates a plethora of signaling cascades involved in cellular homeostasis and its down-regulation has been implicated in the development of prostate cancer. Herein, using a battery of biophysical tools, we show that the binding of EGR1 to DNA is tightly regulated by solution pH. Importantly, the binding affinity undergoes an enhancement of more than an order of magnitude with increasing pH from 5 to 8, implying that the deprotonation of an ionizable residue accounts for such behavior. This ionizable residue is identified as H382 by virtue of the fact that its substitution to non-ionizable residues abolishes pH-dependence of the binding of EGR1 to DNA. Notably, H382 inserts into the major groove of DNA and stabilizes the EGR1-DNA interaction via both hydrogen bonding and van der Waals contacts. Remarkably, H382 is predominantly conserved across other members of EGR1 family, implying that histidine protonation-deprotonation may serve as a molecular switch for modulating protein-DNA interactions central to this family of transcription factors. Collectively, our findings uncover an unexpected but a key step in the molecular recognition of EGR1 family of transcription factors and suggest that they may act as sensors of pH within the intracellular environment. PMID:23718776

  12. Transport in a magnetic field modulated graphene superlattice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yu-Xian

    2010-01-13

    Using the transfer matrix method, we study the transport properties through a magnetic field modulated graphene superlattice. It is found that the electrostatic barrier, the magnetic vector potential, and the number of wells in a superlattice modify the transmission remarkably. The angular dependent transmission is blocked by the magnetic vector potential because of the appearance of the evanescent states at certain incident angles, and the region of Klein tunneling shifts to the left. The angularly averaged conductivities exhibit oscillatory behavior. The magnitude and period of oscillation depend sensitively on the height of the electrostatic barrier, the number of wells, and the strength of the modulated magnetic field.

  13. Thermally modulated biomolecule transport through nanoconfined channels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lei; Zhu, Lizhong

    2015-01-01

    In this work, a nanofluidic device containing both a feed cell and a permeation cell linked by nanopore arrays has been fabricated, which is employed to investigate thermally controlled biomolecular transporting properties through confined nanochannels. The ionic currents modulated by the translocations of goat antibody to human immunoglobulin G (IgG) or bovine serum albumin (BSA) are recorded and analyzed. The results suggest that the modulation effect decreases with the electrolyte concentration increasing, while the effects generated by IgG translocation are more significant than that generated by BSA translocation. More importantly, there is a maximum decreasing value in each modulated current curve with biomolecule concentration increasing for thermally induced intermolecular collision. Furthermore, the turning point for the maximum shifts to lower biomolecule concentrations with the system temperature rising (from 4°C to 45°C), and it is mainly determined by the temperature in the feed cell if the temperature difference exists in the two separated cells. These findings are expected to be valuable for the future design of novel sensing device based on nanopore and/or nanopore arrays.

  14. pH during non-synaptic epileptiform activity—computational simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Márcio Rodrigues, Antônio; Canton Santos, Luiz Eduardo; Covolan, Luciene; Hamani, Clement; Guimarães de Almeida, Antônio-Carlos

    2015-10-01

    The excitability of neuronal networks is strongly modulated by changes in pH. The origin of these changes, however, is still under debate. The high complexity of neural systems justifies the use of computational simulation to investigate mechanisms that are possibly involved. Simulated neuronal activity includes non-synaptic epileptiform events (NEA) induced in hippocampal slices perfused with high-K+ and zero-Ca2+, therefore in the absence of the synaptic circuitry. A network of functional units composes the NEA model. Each functional unit represents one interface of neuronal/extracellular space/glial segments. Each interface contains transmembrane ionic transports, such as ionic channels, cotransporters, exchangers and pumps. Neuronal interconnections are mediated by gap-junctions, electric field effects and extracellular ionic fluctuations modulated by extracellular electrodiffusion. Mechanisms investigated are those that change intracellular and extracellular ionic concentrations and are able to affect [H+]. Our simulations suggest that the intense fluctuations in intra and extracellular concentrations of Na+, K+ and Cl- that accompany NEA are able to affect the combined action of the Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE), {{{HCO}}}3-/Cl- exchanger (HCE), H+ pump and the catalytic activity of intra and extracellular carbonic anhydrase. Cellular volume changes and extracellular electrodiffusion are responsible for modulating pH.

  15. Magnetically Modulated Heat Transport in a Global Simulation of Solar Magneto-convection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cossette, Jean-Francois [Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Campus Box 600, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303 (United States); Charbonneau, Paul [Département de Physique, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 (Canada); Smolarkiewicz, Piotr K. [European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Reading, RG2 9AX (United Kingdom); Rast, Mark P., E-mail: Jean-Francois.Cossette@lasp.colorado.edu, E-mail: paulchar@astro.umontreal.ca, E-mail: smolar@ecmwf.int, E-mail: Mark.Rast@lasp.colorado.edu [Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Campus Box 391, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303 (United States)

    2017-05-20

    We present results from a global MHD simulation of solar convection in which the heat transported by convective flows varies in-phase with the total magnetic energy. The purely random initial magnetic field specified in this experiment develops into a well-organized large-scale antisymmetric component undergoing hemispherically synchronized polarity reversals on a 40 year period. A key feature of the simulation is the use of a Newtonian cooling term in the entropy equation to maintain a convectively unstable stratification and drive convection, as opposed to the specification of heating and cooling terms at the bottom and top boundaries. When taken together, the solar-like magnetic cycle and the convective heat flux signature suggest that a cyclic modulation of the large-scale heat-carrying convective flows could be operating inside the real Sun. We carry out an analysis of the entropy and momentum equations to uncover the physical mechanism responsible for the enhanced heat transport. The analysis suggests that the modulation is caused by a magnetic tension imbalance inside upflows and downflows, which perturbs their respective contributions to heat transport in such a way as to enhance the total convective heat flux at cycle maximum. Potential consequences of the heat transport modulation for solar irradiance variability are briefly discussed.

  16. PhreeqcRM: A reaction module for transport simulators based on the geochemical model PHREEQC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parkhurst, David L.; Wissmeier, Laurin

    2015-01-01

    PhreeqcRM is a geochemical reaction module designed specifically to perform equilibrium and kinetic reaction calculations for reactive transport simulators that use an operator-splitting approach. The basic function of the reaction module is to take component concentrations from the model cells of the transport simulator, run geochemical reactions, and return updated component concentrations to the transport simulator. If multicomponent diffusion is modeled (e.g., Nernst–Planck equation), then aqueous species concentrations can be used instead of component concentrations. The reaction capabilities are a complete implementation of the reaction capabilities of PHREEQC. In each cell, the reaction module maintains the composition of all of the reactants, which may include minerals, exchangers, surface complexers, gas phases, solid solutions, and user-defined kinetic reactants.PhreeqcRM assigns initial and boundary conditions for model cells based on standard PHREEQC input definitions (files or strings) of chemical compositions of solutions and reactants. Additional PhreeqcRM capabilities include methods to eliminate reaction calculations for inactive parts of a model domain, transfer concentrations and other model properties, and retrieve selected results. The module demonstrates good scalability for parallel processing by using multiprocessing with MPI (message passing interface) on distributed memory systems, and limited scalability using multithreading with OpenMP on shared memory systems. PhreeqcRM is written in C++, but interfaces allow methods to be called from C or Fortran. By using the PhreeqcRM reaction module, an existing multicomponent transport simulator can be extended to simulate a wide range of geochemical reactions. Results of the implementation of PhreeqcRM as the reaction engine for transport simulators PHAST and FEFLOW are shown by using an analytical solution and the reactive transport benchmark of MoMaS.

  17. Endomembrane Cation Transporters and Membrane Trafficking

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sze, Heven [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States). Dept. of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics

    2017-04-01

    Multicellular, as well as unicellular, organisms have evolved mechanisms to regulate ion and pH homeostasis in response to developmental cues and to a changing environment. The working hypothesis is that the balance of fluxes mediated by diverse transporters at the plasma membrane and in subcellular organelles determines ionic cellular distribution, which is critical for maintenance of membrane potential, pH control, osmolality, transport of nutrients, and protein activity. An emerging theme in plant cell biology is that cells respond and adapt to diverse cues through changes of the dynamic endomembrane system. Yet we know very little about the transporters that might influence the operation of the secretory system in plants. Here we focus on transporters that influence alkali cation and pH homeostasis, mainly in the endomembrane/ secretory system. The endomembrane system of eukaryote cells serves several major functions: i) sort cargo (e.g. enzymes, transporters or receptors) to specific destinations, ii) modulate the protein and lipid composition of membrane domains through remodeling, and iii) determine and alter the properties of the cell wall through synthesis and remodeling. We had uncovered a novel family of predicted cation/H+ exchangers (CHX) and K+ efflux antiporters (KEA) that are prevalent in higher plants, but rare in metazoans. We combined phylogenetic and transcriptomic analyses with molecular genetic, cell biological and biochemical studies, and have published the first reports on functions of plant CHXs and KEAs. CHX studied to date act at the endomembrane system where their actions are distinct from the better-studied NHX (Na/K-H+ exchangers). Arabidopsis thaliana CHX20 in guard cells modulate stomatal opening, and thus is significant for vegetative survival. Other CHXs ensure reproductive success on dry land, as they participate in organizing pollen walls, targeting of pollen tubes to the ovule or promoting

  18. Coral calcifying fluid pH is modulated by seawater carbonate chemistry not solely seawater pH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Comeau, S; Tambutté, E; Carpenter, R C; Edmunds, P J; Evensen, N R; Allemand, D; Ferrier-Pagès, C; Tambutté, S; Venn, A A

    2017-01-25

    Reef coral calcification depends on regulation of pH in the internal calcifying fluid (CF) in which the coral skeleton forms. However, little is known about calcifying fluid pH (pH CF ) regulation, despite its importance in determining the response of corals to ocean acidification. Here, we investigate pH CF in the coral Stylophora pistillata in seawater maintained at constant pH with manipulated carbonate chemistry to alter dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration, and therefore total alkalinity (A T ). We also investigate the intracellular pH of calcifying cells, photosynthesis, respiration and calcification rates under the same conditions. Our results show that despite constant pH in the surrounding seawater, pH CF is sensitive to shifts in carbonate chemistry associated with changes in [DIC] and [A T ], revealing that seawater pH is not the sole driver of pH CF Notably, when we synthesize our results with published data, we identify linear relationships of pH CF with the seawater [DIC]/[H + ] ratio, [A T ]/ [H + ] ratio and [[Formula: see text

  19. Muscle pH, rigor mortis and blood variables in Atlantic salmon transported in two types of well-boat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gatica, M C; Monti, G E; Knowles, T G; Gallo, C B

    2010-01-09

    Two systems for transporting live salmon (Salmo salar) were compared in terms of their effects on blood variables, muscle pH and rigor index: an 'open system' well-boat with recirculated sea water at 13.5 degrees C and a stocking density of 107 kg/m3 during an eight-hour journey, and a 'closed system' well-boat with water chilled from 16.7 to 2.1 degrees C and a stocking density of 243.7 kg/m3 during a seven-hour journey. Groups of 10 fish were sampled at each of four stages: in cages at the farm, in the well-boat after loading, in the well-boat after the journey and before unloading, and in the processing plant after they were pumped from the resting cages. At each sampling, the fish were stunned and bled by gill cutting. Blood samples were taken to measure lactate, osmolality, chloride, sodium, cortisol and glucose, and their muscle pH and rigor index were measured at death and three hours later. In the open system well-boat, the initial muscle pH of the fish decreased at each successive stage, and at the final stage they had a significantly lower initial muscle pH and more rapid onset of rigor than the fish transported on the closed system well-boat. At the final stage all the blood variables except glucose were significantly affected in the fish transported on both types of well-boat.

  20. Importance of bicarbonate transport in pH control during amelogenesis - need for functional studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varga, G; DenBesten, P; Rácz, R; Zsembery, Á

    2017-08-18

    Dental enamel, the hardest mammalian tissue, is produced by ameloblasts. Ameloblasts show many similarities to other transporting epithelia although their secretory product, the enamel matrix, is quite different. Ameloblasts direct the formation of hydroxyapatite crystals, which liberate large quantities of protons that then need to be buffered to allow mineralization to proceed. Buffering requires a tight pH regulation and secretion of bicarbonate by ameloblasts. Many investigations have used immunohistochemical and knockout studies to determine the effects of these genes on enamel formation, but up till recently very little functional data were available for mineral ion transport. To address this, we developed a novel 2D in vitro model using HAT-7 ameloblast cells. HAT-7 cells can be polarized and develop functional tight junctions. Furthermore, they are able to accumulate bicarbonate ions from the basolateral to the apical fluid spaces. We propose that in the future, the HAT-7 2D system along with similar cellular models will be useful to functionally model ion transport processes during amelogenesis. Additionally, we also suggest that similar approaches will allow a better understanding of the regulation of the cycling process in maturation-stage ameloblasts, and the pH sensory mechanisms, which are required to develop sound, healthy enamel. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. MELCOR aerosol transport module modification for NSSR-1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merrill, B.J.; Hagrman, D.L.

    1996-03-01

    This report describes modifications of the MELCOR computer code aerosol transport module that will increase the accuracy of calculations for safety analysis of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The modifications generalize aerosol deposition models to consider gases other than air, add specialized models for aerosol deposition during high speed gas flows in ducts, and add models for resuspension of aerosols that are entrained in coolants when these coolants flash. Particular attention has been paid to the adhesion of aerosol particles once they are transported to duct walls. The results of calculations with the modified models have been successfully compared to data from Light Water Reactor Aerosol Containment Experiments (LACE) conducted by an international consortium at Hanford, Washington

  2. Ion transport membrane module and vessel system with directed internal gas flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Michael Jerome; Ohrn, Theodore R.; Chen, Christopher Ming-Poh

    2010-02-09

    An ion transport membrane system comprising (a) a pressure vessel having an interior, an inlet adapted to introduce gas into the interior of the vessel, an outlet adapted to withdraw gas from the interior of the vessel, and an axis; (b) a plurality of planar ion transport membrane modules disposed in the interior of the pressure vessel and arranged in series, each membrane module comprising mixed metal oxide ceramic material and having an interior region and an exterior region; and (c) one or more gas flow control partitions disposed in the interior of the pressure vessel and adapted to change a direction of gas flow within the vessel.

  3. Medium pH in submerged cultivation modulates differences in the intracellular protein profile of Fusarium oxysporum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Rosa-Garzon, Nathália Gonsales; Laure, Hélen Julie; Souza-Motta, Cristina Maria de; Rosa, José César; Cabral, Hamilton

    2017-08-09

    Fusarium oxysporum is a filamentous fungus that damages a wide range of plants and thus causes severe crop losses. In fungal pathogens, the genes and proteins involved in virulence are known to be controlled by environmental pH. Here, we report the influence of culture-medium pH (5, 6, 7, and 8) on the production of degradative enzymes involved in the pathogenesis of F. oxysporum URM 7401 and on the 2D-electrophoresis profile of intracellular proteins in this fungus. F. oxysporum URM 7401 was grown in acidic, neutral, and alkaline culture media in a submerged bioprocess. After 96 hr, the crude extract was processed to enzyme activity assays, while the intracellular proteins were obtained from mycelium and analyzed using 2D electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. We note that the diversity of secreted enzymes was changed quantitatively in different culture-medium pH. Also, the highest accumulated biomass and the intracellular protein profile of F. oxysporum URM 7401 indicate an increase in metabolism in neutral-alkaline conditions. The differential profiles of secreted enzymes and intracellular proteins under the evaluated conditions indicate that the global protein content in F. oxysporum URM 7401 is modulated by extracellular pH.

  4. Impaired pH homeostasis in Arabidopsis lacking the vacuolar dicarboxylate transporter and analysis of carboxylic acid transport across the tonoplast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurth, Marco Alois; Suh, Su Jeoung; Kretzschmar, Tobias; Geis, Tina; Bregante, Monica; Gambale, Franco; Martinoia, Enrico; Neuhaus, H Ekkehard

    2005-03-01

    Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants lacking the tonoplastic malate transporter AttDT (A. thaliana tonoplast dicarboxylate transporter) and wild-type plants showed no phenotypic differences when grown under standard conditions. To identify putative metabolic changes in AttDT knock-out plants, we provoked a metabolic scenario connected to an increased consumption of dicarboxylates. Acidification of leaf discs stimulated dicarboxylate consumption and led to extremely low levels of dicarboxylates in mutants. To investigate whether reduced dicarboxylate concentrations in mutant leaf cells and, hence, reduced capacity to produce OH(-) to overcome acidification might affect metabolism, we measured photosynthetic oxygen evolution under conditions where the cytosol is acidified. AttDT::tDNA protoplasts showed a much stronger inhibition of oxygen evolution at low pH values when compared to wild-type protoplasts. Apparently citrate, which is present in higher amounts in knock-out plants, is not able to replace dicarboxylates to overcome acidification. To raise more information on the cellular level, we performed localization studies of carboxylates. Although the total pool of carboxylates in mutant vacuoles was nearly unaltered, these organelles contained a lower proportion of malate and fumarate and a higher proportion of citrate when compared to wild-type vacuoles. These alterations concur with the observation that radioactively labeled malate and citrate are transported into Arabidopsis vacuoles by different carriers. In addition, wild-type vacuoles and corresponding organelles from AttDT::tDNA mutants exhibited similar malate channel activities. In conclusion, these results show that Arabidopsis vacuoles contain at least two transporters and a channel for dicarboxylates and citrate and that the activity of AttDT is critical for regulation of pH homeostasis.

  5. PhD on Track – designing learning for PhD students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gunhild Austrheim

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Three years ago we started the project "Information Management for Knowledge Creation". The project was initiated to create online information literacy modules for PhD students. The result of our endeavours, PhD on Track, will be launched in May 2013. The initial stage of the project was mapping out the information behaviour of PhD students, as well as what services they require from the library through a literature review and a focus group study. The findings of these inquiries formed the knowledge base from which we developed our information literacy modules. Our paper will focus on the interaction between content production and user testing when creating PhD on Track. Methods: User testing has been employed throughout the production stage. We have tested navigation and organisation of the web site, content and usability. The project team have conducted expert testing. Analysis: The results from our user testing have played an important part in decisions concerning content production. Our working hypothesis was that the PhD students would want an encyclopaedic website, a place to quickly find answers. However, the user tests revealed that PhD students understood and expected the website to be learning modules. Conclusions: The PhD students in the tests agreed that a site such as this would be useful, especially to new PhD students. They also liked the design, but had some qualms with the level of information. They preferred shorter text, but with more depth. The students would likewise have preferred more practical examples, more illustrations and more discipline specific information. The current content of PhD on Track reflects the feedback from the user testing. We have retained initial ideas such as one section for reviewing and discovering research literature and one section for publishing PhD research work. In addition, we have included more practical examples to indicate efficient workflows or relevant actions in context. Illustrations

  6. Ethylene regulates phosphorus remobilization and expression of a phosphate transporter (PhPT1) during petunia corolla senescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chapin, Laura J.; Jones, Michelle L.

    2009-01-01

    The programmed degradation of macromolecules during petal senescence allows the plant to remobilize nutrients from dying to developing tissues. Ethylene is involved in regulating the timing of nucleic acid degradation in petunia, but it is not clear if ethylene has a role in the remobilization of phosphorus during petal senescence. To investigate ethylene's role in nutrient remobilization, the P content of petals (collectively called the corolla) during early development and senescence was compared in ethylene-sensitive wild type Petunia×hybrida ‘Mitchell Diploid’ (MD) and transgenic petunias with reduced sensitivity to ethylene (35S::etr1-1). When compared to the total P content of corollas on the day of flower opening (the early non-senescing stage), P in MD corollas had decreased 74% by the late stage of senescence (advanced wilting). By contrast, P levels were only reduced by an average of 32% during etr1-1 corolla (lines 44568 and Z00-35-10) senescence. A high-affinity phosphate transporter, PhPT1 (PhPht1;1), was cloned from senescing petunia corollas by RT-PCR. PhPT1 expression was up-regulated during MD corolla senescence and a much smaller increase was detected during the senescence of etr1-1 petunia corollas. PhPT1 mRNA levels showed a rapid increase in detached corollas (treated at 1 d after flower opening) following treatment with low levels of ethylene (0.1 μl l-1). Transcripts accumulated in the presence of the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, indicating that PhPT1 is a primary ethylene response gene. PhPT1 is a putative phosphate transporter that may function in Pi translocation during senescence. PMID:19380421

  7. Modulating β-lactoglobulin nanofibril self-assembly at pH 2 using glycerol and sorbitol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dave, Anant C; Loveday, Simon M; Anema, Skelte G; Jameson, Geoffrey B; Singh, Harjinder

    2014-01-13

    β-Lactoglobulin (β-lg) forms fibrils when heated at 80 °C, pH 2, and low ionic strength (sorbitol (0-50% w/v) on β-lg self-assembly at pH 2. Glycerol and sorbitol stabilize native protein structure and modulate protein functionality by preferential exclusion. In our study, both polyols decreased the rate of β-lg self-assembly but had no effect on the morphology of fibrils. The mechanism of these effects was studied using circular dichroism spectroscopy and SDS-PAGE. Sorbitol inhibited self-assembly by stabilizing β-lg against unfolding and hydrolysis, resulting in fewer fibrillogenic species, whereas glycerol inhibited nucleation without inhibiting hydrolysis. Both polyols increased the viscosity of the solutions, but viscosity appeared to have little effect on fibril assembly, and we believe that self-assembly was not diffusion-limited under these conditions. This is in agreement with previous reports for other proteins assembling under different conditions. The phenomenon of peptide self-assembly can be decoupled from protein hydrolysis using glycerol.

  8. New insights into the interplay between the lysine transporter LysP and the pH sensor CadC in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rauschmeier, Martina; Schüppel, Valentina; Tetsch, Larissa; Jung, Kirsten

    2014-01-09

    The coordination of signal transduction and substrate transport represents a sophisticated way to integrate information on metabolite fluxes into transcriptional regulation. This widely distributed process involves protein-protein interactions between two integral membrane proteins. Here we report new insights into the molecular mechanism of the regulatory interplay between the lysine-specific permease LysP and the membrane-integrated pH sensor CadC, which together induce lysine-dependent adaptation of E. coli under acidic stress. In vivo analyses revealed that, in the absence of either stimulus, the two proteins form a stable association, which is modulated by lysine and low pH. In addition to its transmembrane helix, the periplasmic domain of CadC also participated in the interaction. Site-directed mutagenesis pinpointed Arg265 and Arg268 in CadC as well as Asp275 and Asp278 in LysP as potential periplasmic interaction sites. Moreover, a systematic analysis of 100 LysP variants with single-site replacements indicated that the lysine signal is transduced from co-sensor to sensor via lysine-dependent conformational changes (upon substrate binding and/or transport) of LysP. Our results suggest a scenario in which CadC is inhibited by LysP via intramembrane and periplasmic contacts under non-inducing conditions. Upon induction, lysine-dependent conformational changes in LysP transduce the lysine signal via a direct conformational coupling to CadC without resolving the interaction completely. Moreover, concomitant pH-dependent protonation of periplasmic amino acids in both proteins dissolves their electrostatic connections resulting in further destabilization of the CadC/LysP interaction. © 2013.

  9. Extracellular pH Modulates Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer Cell Metabolism and Susceptibility to the Mitochondrial Inhibitor Niclosamide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ippolito, Joseph E.; Brandenburg, Matthew W.; Ge, Xia; Crowley, Jan R.; Kirmess, Kristopher M.; Som, Avik; D’Avignon, D. Andre; Arbeit, Jeffrey M.; Achilefu, Samuel; Yarasheski, Kevin E.; Milbrandt, Jeffrey

    2016-01-01

    Neuroendocrine prostate cancer is a lethal variant of prostate cancer that is associated with castrate-resistant growth, metastasis, and mortality. The tumor environment of neuroendocrine prostate cancer is heterogeneous and characterized by hypoxia, necrosis, and numerous mitoses. Although acidic extracellular pH has been implicated in aggressive cancer features including metastasis and therapeutic resistance, its role in neuroendocrine prostate cancer physiology and metabolism has not yet been explored. We used the well-characterized PNEC cell line as a model to establish the effects of extracellular pH (pH 6.5, 7.4, and 8.5) on neuroendocrine prostate cancer cell metabolism. We discovered that alkalinization of extracellular pH converted cellular metabolism to a nutrient consumption-dependent state that was susceptible to glucose deprivation, glutamine deprivation, and 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) mediated inhibition of glycolysis. Conversely, acidic pH shifted cellular metabolism toward an oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-dependent state that was susceptible to OXPHOS inhibition. Based upon this mechanistic knowledge of pH-dependent metabolism, we identified that the FDA-approved anti-helminthic niclosamide depolarized mitochondrial potential and depleted ATP levels in PNEC cells whose effects were enhanced in acidic pH. To further establish relevance of these findings, we tested the effects of extracellular pH on susceptibility to nutrient deprivation and OXPHOS inhibition in a cohort of castrate-resistant prostate cancer cell lines C4-2B, PC-3, and PC-3M. We discovered similar pH-dependent toxicity profiles among all cell lines with these treatments. These findings underscore a potential importance to acidic extracellular pH in the modulation of cell metabolism in tumors and development of an emerging paradigm that exploits the synergy of environment and therapeutic efficacy in cancer. PMID:27438712

  10. pH modulates the binding of early growth response protein 1 transcription factor to DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikles, David C; Bhat, Vikas; Schuchardt, Brett J; Deegan, Brian J; Seldeen, Kenneth L; McDonald, Caleb B; Farooq, Amjad

    2013-08-01

    The transcription factor early growth response protein (EGR)1 orchestrates a plethora of signaling cascades involved in cellular homeostasis, and its downregulation has been implicated in the development of prostate cancer. Herein, using a battery of biophysical tools, we show that the binding of EGR1 to DNA is tightly regulated by solution pH. Importantly, the binding affinity undergoes an enhancement of more than an order of magnitude with an increase in pH from 5 to 8, implying that the deprotonation of an ionizable residue accounts for such behavior. This ionizable residue is identified as His382 by virtue of the fact that its replacement by nonionizable residues abolishes the pH dependence of the binding of EGR1 to DNA. Notably, His382 inserts into the major groove of DNA, and stabilizes the EGR1-DNA interaction via both hydrogen bonding and van der Waals contacts. Remarkably, His382 is mainly conserved across other members of the EGR family, implying that histidine protonation-deprotonation may serve as a molecular switch for modulating the protein-DNA interactions that are central to this family of transcription factors. Collectively, our findings reveal an unexpected but a key step in the molecular recognition of the EGR family of transcription factors, and suggest that they may act as sensors of pH within the intracellular environment. © 2013 FEBS.

  11. pH, Lactate, and Hypoxia: Reciprocity in Regulating High-Affinity Monocarboxylate Transporter Expression in Glioblastoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James P. Caruso

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Highly malignant brain tumors harbor the aberrant propensity for aerobic glycolysis, the excessive conversion of glucose to lactic acid even in the presence of ample tissue oxygen. Lactic acid is rapidly effluxed to the tumor microenvironment via a group of plasma-membrane transporters denoted monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs to prevent “self-poisoning.” One isoform, MCT2, has the highest affinity for lactate and thus should have the ability to respond to microenvironment conditions such as hypoxia, lactate, and pH to help maintain high glycolytic flux in the tumor. Yet, MCT2 is considered to not respond to hypoxia, which is counterintuitive. Its response to tumor lactate has not been reported. In this report, we experimentally identify the transcription initiation site/s for MCT2 in astrocytes (normal and glioma (tumor. We then use a BACmid library to isolate a 4.2-kbp MCT2 promoter-exon I region and examine promoter response to glycolysis-mediated stimuli in glioma cells. Reporter analysis of nested-promoter constructs indicated response of MCT2 to hypoxia, pH, lactate, and glucose, the major physiological “players” that facilitate a tumor's growth and proliferation. Immunoblot analysis of native MCT2 expression under altered pH and hypoxia reflected the reporter data. The pH-mediated gene-regulation studies we describe are the first to record H+-based reporter studies for any mammalian system and demonstrate the exquisite response of the MCT2 gene to minute changes in tumor pH. Identical promoter usage also provides the first evidence of astrocytes harnessing the same gene regulatory regions to facilitate astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttling, a metabolic feature of normal brain.

  12. Modulation of Acid-sensing Ion Channel 1a by Intracellular pH and Its Role in Ischemic Stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ming-Hua; Leng, Tian-Dong; Feng, Xue-Chao; Yang, Tao; Simon, Roger P; Xiong, Zhi-Gang

    2016-08-26

    An important contributor to brain ischemia is known to be extracellular acidosis, which activates acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), a family of proton-gated sodium channels. Lines of evidence suggest that targeting ASICs may lead to novel therapeutic strategies for stroke. Investigations of the role of ASICs in ischemic brain injury have naturally focused on the role of extracellular pH in ASIC activation. By contrast, intracellular pH (pHi) has received little attention. This is a significant gap in our understanding because the ASIC response to extracellular pH is modulated by pHi, and activation of ASICs by extracellular protons is paradoxically enhanced by intracellular alkalosis. Our previous studies show that acidosis-induced cell injury in in vitro models is attenuated by intracellular acidification. However, whether pHi affects ischemic brain injury in vivo is completely unknown. Furthermore, whereas ASICs in native neurons are composed of different subunits characterized by distinct electrophysiological/pharmacological properties, the subunit-dependent modulation of ASIC activity by pHi has not been investigated. Using a combination of in vitro and in vivo ischemic brain injury models, electrophysiological, biochemical, and molecular biological approaches, we show that the intracellular alkalizing agent quinine potentiates, whereas the intracellular acidifying agent propionate inhibits, oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced cell injury in vitro and brain ischemia-induced infarct volume in vivo Moreover, we find that the potentiation of ASICs by quinine depends on the presence of the ASIC1a, ASIC2a subunits, but not ASIC1b, ASIC3 subunits. Furthermore, we have determined the amino acids in ASIC1a that are involved in the modulation of ASICs by pHi. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  13. Effect of pH and soil structure on transport of sulfonamide antibiotics in agricultural soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jong Yol; Huwe, Bernd

    2016-06-01

    We investigated the effect of solution pH and soil structure on transport of sulfonamide antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, sulfadimethoxine and sulfamethazine) in combination with batch sorption tests and column experiments. Sorption isotherms properly conformed to Freundlich model, and sorption potential of the antibiotics is as follows; sulfadimethoxine > sulfamethoxazole > sulfamethazine. Decreasing pH values led to increased sorption potential of the antibiotics on soil material in pH range of 4.0-8.0. This likely resulted from abundance of neutral and positive-charged sulfonamides species at low pH, which electrostatically bind to sorption sites on soil surface. Due to destruction of macropore channels, lower hydraulic conductivities of mobile zone were estimated in the disturbed soil columns than in the undisturbed soil columns, and eventually led to lower mobility of the antibiotics in disturbed column. The results suggest that knowledge of soil structure and solution condition is required to predict fate and distribution of sulfonamide antibiotics in environmental matrix. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Tritium transport calculations for the IFMIF Tritium Release Test Module

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Freund, Jana, E-mail: jana.freund@kit.edu; Arbeiter, Frederik; Abou-Sena, Ali; Franza, Fabrizio; Kondo, Keitaro

    2014-10-15

    Highlights: • Delivery of material data for the tritium balance in the IFMIF Tritium Release Test Module. • Description of the topological models in TMAP and the adapted fusion-devoted Tritium Permeation Code (FUS-TPC). • Computation of release of tritium from the breeder solid material into the purge gas. • Computation of the loss of tritium over the capsule wall, rig hull, container wall and purge gas return line. - Abstract: The IFMIF Tritium Release Test Module (TRTM) is projected to measure online the tritium release from breeder ceramics and beryllium pebble beds under high energy neutron irradiation. Tritium produced in the pebble bed of TRTM is swept out continuously by a purge gas flow, but can also permeate into the module's metal structures, and can be lost by permeation to the environment. According analyses on the tritium inventory are performed to support IFMIF plant safety studies, and to support the experiment planning. This paper describes the necessary elements for calculation of the tritium transport in the Tritium Release Test Module as follows: (i) applied equations for the tritium balance, (ii) material data from literature and (iii) the topological models and the computation of the five different cases; namely release of tritium from the breeder solid material into the purge gas, loss of tritium over the capsule wall, rig hull, container wall and purge gas return line in detail. The problem of tritium transport in the TRTM has been studied and analyzed by the Tritium Migration Analysis Program (TMAP) and the adapted fusion-devoted Tritium Permeation Code (FUS-TPC). TMAP has been developed at INEEL and now exists in Version 7. FUS-TPC Code was written in MATLAB with the original purpose to study the tritium transport in Helium Cooled Lead Lithium (HCLL) blanket and in a later version the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) blanket by [6] (Franza, 2012). This code has been further modified to be applicable to the TRTM. Results from the

  15. Tritium transport calculations for the IFMIF Tritium Release Test Module

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freund, Jana; Arbeiter, Frederik; Abou-Sena, Ali; Franza, Fabrizio; Kondo, Keitaro

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Delivery of material data for the tritium balance in the IFMIF Tritium Release Test Module. • Description of the topological models in TMAP and the adapted fusion-devoted Tritium Permeation Code (FUS-TPC). • Computation of release of tritium from the breeder solid material into the purge gas. • Computation of the loss of tritium over the capsule wall, rig hull, container wall and purge gas return line. - Abstract: The IFMIF Tritium Release Test Module (TRTM) is projected to measure online the tritium release from breeder ceramics and beryllium pebble beds under high energy neutron irradiation. Tritium produced in the pebble bed of TRTM is swept out continuously by a purge gas flow, but can also permeate into the module's metal structures, and can be lost by permeation to the environment. According analyses on the tritium inventory are performed to support IFMIF plant safety studies, and to support the experiment planning. This paper describes the necessary elements for calculation of the tritium transport in the Tritium Release Test Module as follows: (i) applied equations for the tritium balance, (ii) material data from literature and (iii) the topological models and the computation of the five different cases; namely release of tritium from the breeder solid material into the purge gas, loss of tritium over the capsule wall, rig hull, container wall and purge gas return line in detail. The problem of tritium transport in the TRTM has been studied and analyzed by the Tritium Migration Analysis Program (TMAP) and the adapted fusion-devoted Tritium Permeation Code (FUS-TPC). TMAP has been developed at INEEL and now exists in Version 7. FUS-TPC Code was written in MATLAB with the original purpose to study the tritium transport in Helium Cooled Lead Lithium (HCLL) blanket and in a later version the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) blanket by [6] (Franza, 2012). This code has been further modified to be applicable to the TRTM. Results from the

  16. Intracellular pH regulation by acid-base transporters in mammalian neurons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruffin, Vernon A.; Salameh, Ahlam I.; Boron, Walter F.; Parker, Mark D.

    2014-01-01

    Intracellular pH (pHi) regulation in the brain is important in both physiological and physiopathological conditions because changes in pHi generally result in altered neuronal excitability. In this review, we will cover 4 major areas: (1) The effect of pHi on cellular processes in the brain, including channel activity and neuronal excitability. (2) pHi homeostasis and how it is determined by the balance between rates of acid loading (JL) and extrusion (JE). The balance between JE and JL determine steady-state pHi, as well as the ability of the cell to defend pHi in the face of extracellular acid-base disturbances (e.g., metabolic acidosis). (3) The properties and importance of members of the SLC4 and SLC9 families of acid-base transporters expressed in the brain that contribute to JL (namely the Cl-HCO3 exchanger AE3) and JE (the Na-H exchangers NHE1, NHE3, and NHE5 as well as the Na+- coupled HCO3− transporters NBCe1, NBCn1, NDCBE, and NBCn2). (4) The effect of acid-base disturbances on neuronal function and the roles of acid-base transporters in defending neuronal pHi under physiopathologic conditions. PMID:24592239

  17. Influence of culture medium pH on charasome development and chloride transport in Chara corallina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lucas, W.J.; Keifer, D.W.; Pesacreta, T.C.

    1986-01-01

    Internodal cells of Chara, grown in culture either at pH 5.7,6.5 or 7.5, were studied to determine their chloride influx capability, the quantitative aspects of charasome morphology and the degree to which these two parameters could be correlated. In cells grown at pH 5.7 the charasomes were relatively small, were widely spaced on the plasma membrane, and contributed only at 0.6% increase to the surface area of the plasma membrane in the acid region of the cell. In contrast, the charasome membrane surface area of cells grown at pH 7.5 had increased x 19, the density of charasomes on the cell surface increased x 42, thus producing a x 3.57 increase in the acid region plasma membrane surface area. Chloride influx in cells grown at pH 7.5 was x 8.7-12.7 greater than in cells grown at pH 5.7. Cells that had been starved of chloride exhibited a x 2.4 average increase in the rate of chloride influx. Our observations establish the existence of a positive correlation between the rate of chloride influx and the increase in membran surface area due to charasomes, although other factors, such as the effect of pH on transport-related enzymes, and the effect of charasome structure on chemical equilibria, may also be of importance. (Author)

  18. Impaired pH Homeostasis in Arabidopsis Lacking the Vacuolar Dicarboxylate Transporter and Analysis of Carboxylic Acid Transport across the Tonoplast1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurth, Marco Alois; Suh, Su Jeoung; Kretzschmar, Tobias; Geis, Tina; Bregante, Monica; Gambale, Franco; Martinoia, Enrico; Neuhaus, H. Ekkehard

    2005-01-01

    Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants lacking the tonoplastic malate transporter AttDT (A. thaliana tonoplast dicarboxylate transporter) and wild-type plants showed no phenotypic differences when grown under standard conditions. To identify putative metabolic changes in AttDT knock-out plants, we provoked a metabolic scenario connected to an increased consumption of dicarboxylates. Acidification of leaf discs stimulated dicarboxylate consumption and led to extremely low levels of dicarboxylates in mutants. To investigate whether reduced dicarboxylate concentrations in mutant leaf cells and, hence, reduced capacity to produce OH− to overcome acidification might affect metabolism, we measured photosynthetic oxygen evolution under conditions where the cytosol is acidified. AttDT::tDNA protoplasts showed a much stronger inhibition of oxygen evolution at low pH values when compared to wild-type protoplasts. Apparently citrate, which is present in higher amounts in knock-out plants, is not able to replace dicarboxylates to overcome acidification. To raise more information on the cellular level, we performed localization studies of carboxylates. Although the total pool of carboxylates in mutant vacuoles was nearly unaltered, these organelles contained a lower proportion of malate and fumarate and a higher proportion of citrate when compared to wild-type vacuoles. These alterations concur with the observation that radioactively labeled malate and citrate are transported into Arabidopsis vacuoles by different carriers. In addition, wild-type vacuoles and corresponding organelles from AttDT::tDNA mutants exhibited similar malate channel activities. In conclusion, these results show that Arabidopsis vacuoles contain at least two transporters and a channel for dicarboxylates and citrate and that the activity of AttDT is critical for regulation of pH homeostasis. PMID:15728336

  19. Automated Transportation Management System (ATMS) V2.0 logistics module PBI acceptance criteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weidert, R.S.

    1995-01-01

    This document defines the acceptance criteria for the Automated Transportation Management System V2.0 Logistics Module Performance Based Incentive (PBI). This acceptance criteria will be the primary basis for the generation of acceptance test procedures. The purpose of this document is to define the minimum criteria that must be fulfilled to guarantee acceptance of the Logistics Module

  20. Urban Environmental Education Project, Curriculum Module III: Urban Transportation - Where Are We Going?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Ellen

    Included in this module are five activities dealing with modes of transportation in the urban environment. The activities include: (1) a discussion of transportation considerations in urban areas; (2) discussion of bikeways and their desirability in the urban environment; (3) the bikeway and the environment; (4) designing a bikeway; and (5)…

  1. SU-E-P-04: Transport Theory Learning Module in the Maple Environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Both, J [University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology (United States)

    2014-06-01

    Purpose: The medical physics graduate program at the University of Miami is developing a computerized instructional module which provides an interactive mechanism for students to learn transport theory. While not essential in the medical physics curriculum, transport theory should be taught because the conceptual level of transport theory is fundamental, a substantial literature exists and ought to be accessible, and students should understand commercial software which solves the Boltzmann equation.But conventional teaching and learning of transport theory is challenging. Students may be under prepared to appreciate its methods, results, and relevance, and it is not substantially addressed in textbooks for the medical physicists. Other resources an instructor might reasonably use, while excellent, may be too briskly paced for beginning students. The purpose of this work is to render teaching of transport theory more tractable by making learning highly interactive. Methods: The module is being developed in the Maple mathematics environment by instructors and graduate students. It will refresh the students' knowledge of vector calculus and differential equations, and will develop users' intuition for phase space concepts. Scattering concepts will be developed with animated simulations using tunable parameters characterizing interactions, so that students may develop a “feel” for cross section. Transport equations for one and multiple types of radiation will be illustrated with phase space animations. Numerical methods of solution will be illustrated. Results: Attempts to teach rudiments of transport theory in radiation physics and dosimetry courses using conventional classroom techniques at the University of Miami have had small success, because classroom time is limited and the material has been hard for our students to appreciate intuitively. Conclusion: A joint effort of instructor and students to teach and learn transport theory by building an

  2. SU-E-P-04: Transport Theory Learning Module in the Maple Environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Both, J

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The medical physics graduate program at the University of Miami is developing a computerized instructional module which provides an interactive mechanism for students to learn transport theory. While not essential in the medical physics curriculum, transport theory should be taught because the conceptual level of transport theory is fundamental, a substantial literature exists and ought to be accessible, and students should understand commercial software which solves the Boltzmann equation.But conventional teaching and learning of transport theory is challenging. Students may be under prepared to appreciate its methods, results, and relevance, and it is not substantially addressed in textbooks for the medical physicists. Other resources an instructor might reasonably use, while excellent, may be too briskly paced for beginning students. The purpose of this work is to render teaching of transport theory more tractable by making learning highly interactive. Methods: The module is being developed in the Maple mathematics environment by instructors and graduate students. It will refresh the students' knowledge of vector calculus and differential equations, and will develop users' intuition for phase space concepts. Scattering concepts will be developed with animated simulations using tunable parameters characterizing interactions, so that students may develop a “feel” for cross section. Transport equations for one and multiple types of radiation will be illustrated with phase space animations. Numerical methods of solution will be illustrated. Results: Attempts to teach rudiments of transport theory in radiation physics and dosimetry courses using conventional classroom techniques at the University of Miami have had small success, because classroom time is limited and the material has been hard for our students to appreciate intuitively. Conclusion: A joint effort of instructor and students to teach and learn transport theory by building an interactive

  3. Transport phenomena in high Tc superconductors. Resume of Ph.D thesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crisan, I.A.

    1994-01-01

    This is an extended abstract of the Ph. D. thesis devoted to the transport phenomena in high-Tc superconductors. There are three chapters. The first chapter presents an overview of the essential theoretical aspects concerning the vortex dynamics particularly in ceramic superconductors. The chapter two gives a description of the preparation methods of superconductor samples used by the author as well as the measurement devices for volt-ampere characteristics and the associated electronic circuitry. In the third chapter there are presented the experimental data obtained from different samples prepared in different temperature and magnetic field conditions. The obtained results are finally interpreted in the frame of existent or original models. (M.I.C.). 31 Refs

  4. Differential gene expression in tomato fruit and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides during colonization of the RNAi-SlPH tomato line with reduced fruit acidity and higher pH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barad, Shiri; Sela, Noa; Dubey, Amit K; Kumar, Dilip; Luria, Neta; Ment, Dana; Cohen, Shahar; Schaffer, Arthur A; Prusky, Dov

    2017-08-04

    The destructive phytopathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides causes anthracnose disease in fruit. During host colonization, it secretes ammonia, which modulates environmental pH and regulates gene expression, contributing to pathogenicity. However, the effect of host pH environment on pathogen colonization has never been evaluated. Development of an isogenic tomato line with reduced expression of the gene for acidity, SlPH (Solyc10g074790.1.1), enabled this analysis. Total RNA from C. gloeosporioides colonizing wild-type (WT) and RNAi-SlPH tomato lines was sequenced and gene-expression patterns were compared. C. gloeosporioides inoculation of the RNAi-SlPH line with pH 5.96 compared to the WT line with pH 4.2 showed 30% higher colonization and reduced ammonia accumulation. Large-scale comparative transcriptome analysis of the colonized RNAi-SlPH and WT lines revealed their different mechanisms of colonization-pattern activation: whereas the WT tomato upregulated 13-LOX (lipoxygenase), jasmonic acid and glutamate biosynthesis pathways, it downregulated processes related to chlorogenic acid biosynthesis II, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and hydroxycinnamic acid tyramine amide biosynthesis; the RNAi-SlPH line upregulated UDP-D-galacturonate biosynthesis I and free phenylpropanoid acid biosynthesis, but mainly downregulated pathways related to sugar metabolism, such as the glyoxylate cycle and L-arabinose degradation II. Comparison of C. gloeosporioides gene expression during colonization of the WT and RNAi-SlPH lines showed that the fungus upregulates ammonia and nitrogen transport and the gamma-aminobutyric acid metabolic process during colonization of the WT, while on the RNAi-SlPH tomato, it mainly upregulates the nitrate metabolic process. Modulation of tomato acidity and pH had significant phenotypic effects on C. gloeosporioides development. The fungus showed increased colonization on the neutral RNAi-SlPH fruit, and limited colonization on the WT acidic fruit

  5. A plant-wide aqueous phase chemistry module describing pH variations and ion speciation/pairing in wastewater treatment process models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flores-Alsina, Xavier; Kazadi Mbamba, Christian; Solon, Kimberly; Vrecko, Darko; Tait, Stephan; Batstone, Damien J; Jeppsson, Ulf; Gernaey, Krist V

    2015-11-15

    There is a growing interest within the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) modelling community to correctly describe physico-chemical processes after many years of mainly focusing on biokinetics. Indeed, future modelling needs, such as a plant-wide phosphorus (P) description, require a major, but unavoidable, additional degree of complexity when representing cationic/anionic behaviour in Activated Sludge (AS)/Anaerobic Digestion (AD) systems. In this paper, a plant-wide aqueous phase chemistry module describing pH variations plus ion speciation/pairing is presented and interfaced with industry standard models. The module accounts for extensive consideration of non-ideality, including ion activities instead of molar concentrations and complex ion pairing. The general equilibria are formulated as a set of Differential Algebraic Equations (DAEs) instead of Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) in order to reduce the overall stiffness of the system, thereby enhancing simulation speed. Additionally, a multi-dimensional version of the Newton-Raphson algorithm is applied to handle the existing multiple algebraic inter-dependencies. The latter is reinforced with the Simulated Annealing method to increase the robustness of the solver making the system not so dependent of the initial conditions. Simulation results show pH predictions when describing Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) by the activated sludge models (ASM) 1, 2d and 3 comparing the performance of a nitrogen removal (WWTP1) and a combined nitrogen and phosphorus removal (WWTP2) treatment plant configuration under different anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic conditions. The same framework is implemented in the Benchmark Simulation Model No. 2 (BSM2) version of the Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) (WWTP3) as well, predicting pH values at different cationic/anionic loads. In this way, the general applicability/flexibility of the proposed approach is demonstrated, by implementing the aqueous phase chemistry module in some

  6. The acid test of fluoride: how pH modulates toxicity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramaswamy Sharma

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available It is not known why the ameloblasts responsible for dental enamel formation are uniquely sensitive to fluoride (F(-. Herein, we present a novel theory with supporting data to show that the low pH environment of maturating stage ameloblasts enhances their sensitivity to a given dose of F(-. Enamel formation is initiated in a neutral pH environment (secretory stage; however, the pH can fall to below 6.0 as most of the mineral precipitates (maturation stage. Low pH can facilitate entry of F(- into cells. Here, we asked if F(- was more toxic at low pH, as measured by increased cell stress and decreased cell function.Treatment of ameloblast-derived LS8 cells with F(- at low pH reduced the threshold dose of F(- required to phosphorylate stress-related proteins, PERK, eIF2alpha, JNK and c-jun. To assess protein secretion, LS8 cells were stably transduced with a secreted reporter, Gaussia luciferase, and secretion was quantified as a function of F(- dose and pH. Luciferase secretion significantly decreased within 2 hr of F(- treatment at low pH versus neutral pH, indicating increased functional toxicity. Rats given 100 ppm F(- in their drinking water exhibited increased stress-mediated phosphorylation of eIF2alpha in maturation stage ameloblasts (pH<6.0 as compared to secretory stage ameloblasts (pH approximately 7.2. Intriguingly, F(--treated rats demonstrated a striking decrease in transcripts expressed during the maturation stage of enamel development (Klk4 and Amtn. In contrast, the expression of secretory stage genes, AmelX, Ambn, Enam and Mmp20, was unaffected.The low pH environment of maturation stage ameloblasts facilitates the uptake of F(-, causing increased cell stress that compromises ameloblast function, resulting in dental fluorosis.

  7. Dissolution-modulating mechanism of pH modifiers in solid dispersion containing weakly acidic or basic drugs with poor water solubility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Phuong Ha-Lien; Tran, Thao Truong-Dinh; Lee, Kyoung-Ho; Kim, Dong-Jin; Lee, Beom-Jin

    2010-05-01

    Although the solid dispersion method has been known to increase the dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs by dispersing them in hydrophilic carriers, one obstacle of the solid dispersion method is its limited solubilization capacity, especially for pH-dependent soluble drugs. pH-modified solid dispersion, in which pH modifiers are incorporated, may be a useful method for increasing the dissolution rate of weakly acidic or basic drugs. Sufficient research, including the most recent reports, was undertaken in this review. How could the inclusion of the pH the pH modifiers in the solid dispersion system change drug structural behaviors, molecular interactions, microenvironmental pH, and/or release rate of pH modifiers, relating with the enhanced dissolution of weakly acidic or weakly basic drugs with poor water solubility? These questions have been investigated to determine the dissolution-modulating mechanism of pH modifiers in solid dispersion containing weakly acidic or basic drugs. It is believed that step-by-step mechanistic approaches could provide the ultimate solution for solubilizing several poorly water-soluble drugs with pH-dependent solubility from a solid dispersion system, as well as provide ideas for developing future dosage systems.

  8. Computer module for scheduling of transportation of composite beam bridge structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bożejko Wojciech

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the theoretical basis, an algorithm and a computer module system supporting scheduling of transportation and assembly of structures of the composite beam bridge implemented in a Just In Time system (JIT. Tabu search method has been used in the optimization procedure.

  9. Effects of flavonoid mixtures on the transport of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) through Caco-2 monolayers: An in vitro and kinetic modeling approach to predict the combined effects on transporter inhibition

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schutte, M.E.; Boersma, M.G.; Verhallen, D.A.M.; Groten, J.P.; Rietjens, I.M.C.M.

    2008-01-01

    This study describes and kinetically models the effect of flavonoid mixtures on PhIP transport through Caco-2 monolayers. Previously it was shown that quercetin, luteolin, naringenin and myricetin increase the apical to basolateral PhIP transport in Caco-2 monolayers. In this study, apigenin was

  10. The acid test of fluoride: how pH modulates toxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Ramaswamy; Tsuchiya, Masahiro; Skobe, Ziedonis; Tannous, Bakhos A; Bartlett, John D

    2010-05-28

    It is not known why the ameloblasts responsible for dental enamel formation are uniquely sensitive to fluoride (F(-)). Herein, we present a novel theory with supporting data to show that the low pH environment of maturating stage ameloblasts enhances their sensitivity to a given dose of F(-). Enamel formation is initiated in a neutral pH environment (secretory stage); however, the pH can fall to below 6.0 as most of the mineral precipitates (maturation stage). Low pH can facilitate entry of F(-) into cells. Here, we asked if F(-) was more toxic at low pH, as measured by increased cell stress and decreased cell function. Treatment of ameloblast-derived LS8 cells with F(-) at low pH reduced the threshold dose of F(-) required to phosphorylate stress-related proteins, PERK, eIF2alpha, JNK and c-jun. To assess protein secretion, LS8 cells were stably transduced with a secreted reporter, Gaussia luciferase, and secretion was quantified as a function of F(-) dose and pH. Luciferase secretion significantly decreased within 2 hr of F(-) treatment at low pH versus neutral pH, indicating increased functional toxicity. Rats given 100 ppm F(-) in their drinking water exhibited increased stress-mediated phosphorylation of eIF2alpha in maturation stage ameloblasts (pHdental fluorosis.

  11. Electroosmosis modulated biomechanical transport through asymmetric microfluidics channel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jhorar, R.; Tripathi, D.; Bhatti, M. M.; Ellahi, R.

    2018-05-01

    This article addresses the electrokinetically modulated biomechanical transport through a two-dimensional asymmetric microchannel induced by peristaltic waves. Electrokinetic transport with peristaltic phenomena grabbed a significant attention due to its novel applications in engineering. Electrical fields also provide an excellent mode for regulating flows. The electrohydrodynamics problem is modified by means of Debye-Hückel linearization. Firstly, the governing flow problem is described by continuity and momentum equations in the presence of electrokinetic forces in Cartesian coordinates, then long wavelength and low/zero Reynolds ("neglecting the inertial forces") approximations are applied to modify the governing flow problem. The resulting differential equations are solved analytically in order to obtain exact solutions for velocity profile whereas the numerical integration is carried out to analyze the pumping characteristics. The physical behaviour of sundry parameters is discussed for velocity profile, pressure rise and volume flow rate. In particular, the behaviour of electro-osmotic parameter, phase difference, and Helmholtz-Smoluchowski velocity is examined and discussed. The trapping mechanism is also visualized by drawing streamlines against the governing parameters. The present study offers various interesting results that warrant further study on electrokinetic transport with peristalsis.

  12. Design of position monitor module in radioactive material transport monitoring system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adi Abimanyu; Dwi Yuliansari N

    2013-01-01

    Aspects of safety and security of radioactive substances from the sender to the receiver is to be secured so as not to harm humans. In general, monitoring is done through conversation by telephone to determine the location and rate of exposure of radioactive substances. Through the development of science and technology makes it possible to develop a system of monitoring the transport of radioactive substances in real time by combining radiation monitor module, position monitors module and sending information nir-cable. Position monitor module developed using GPS-receiver and a micro controller ATMega8 based serial interrupts communication. Testing is done by testing communication between micro controller and GPS and also testing reading position by GPS receiver. From the test results concluded that the developed modules is good in serial communication is based on serial interrupts, good position measurement to be used outdoors and is not good enough for measurements indoors because the GPS receiver used is not using an outdoor antenna. (author)

  13. Two rhodamine lactam modulated lysosome-targetable fluorescence probes for sensitively and selectively monitoring subcellular organelle pH change

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Hongmei [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi' an 710069 (China); Wang, Cuiling [Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi' an 710069 (China); She, Mengyao; Zhu, Yuelu; Zhang, Jidong; Yang, Zheng [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi' an 710069 (China); Liu, Ping, E-mail: liuping@nwu.edu.cn [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi' an 710069 (China); Wang, Yaoyu [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi' an 710069 (China); Li, Jianli, E-mail: lijianli@nwu.edu.cn [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi' an 710069 (China)

    2015-11-05

    Be a powerful technique for convenient detection of pH change in living cells, especially at subcellular level, fluorescent probes has attracted more and more attention. In this work, we designed and synthesized three rhodamine lactam modulated fluorescent probes RS1, RS2 and RS3, which all respond sensitively toward weak acidity (pH range 4–6) via the photophysical property in buffer solution without interference from the other metal ions, and they also show ideal pKa values and excellent reversibility. Particularly, by changing the lone pair electrons distribution of lactam-N atom with different conjugations, RS2 and RS3 exhibit high quantum yield, negligible cytotoxicity and excellent permeability. They are suitable to stain selectively lysosomes of tumor cells and monitor its pH changes sensitively via optical molecular imaging. The above findings suggest that the probes we designed could act as ideal and easy method for investigating the pivotal role of H{sup +} in lysosomes and are potential pH detectors in disease diagnosis through direct intracellular imaging. - Highlights: • Two probes for sensitively and selectively monitoring weak acidic pH change. • The pKa of the probes was highly suitable for staining lysosomes in tumor cells. • The properties of those probes were changed by different conjugate system. • These probes have negligible cytotoxicity and good sensitivity in vivo.

  14. Two rhodamine lactam modulated lysosome-targetable fluorescence probes for sensitively and selectively monitoring subcellular organelle pH change

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Hongmei; Wang, Cuiling; She, Mengyao; Zhu, Yuelu; Zhang, Jidong; Yang, Zheng; Liu, Ping; Wang, Yaoyu; Li, Jianli

    2015-01-01

    Be a powerful technique for convenient detection of pH change in living cells, especially at subcellular level, fluorescent probes has attracted more and more attention. In this work, we designed and synthesized three rhodamine lactam modulated fluorescent probes RS1, RS2 and RS3, which all respond sensitively toward weak acidity (pH range 4–6) via the photophysical property in buffer solution without interference from the other metal ions, and they also show ideal pKa values and excellent reversibility. Particularly, by changing the lone pair electrons distribution of lactam-N atom with different conjugations, RS2 and RS3 exhibit high quantum yield, negligible cytotoxicity and excellent permeability. They are suitable to stain selectively lysosomes of tumor cells and monitor its pH changes sensitively via optical molecular imaging. The above findings suggest that the probes we designed could act as ideal and easy method for investigating the pivotal role of H + in lysosomes and are potential pH detectors in disease diagnosis through direct intracellular imaging. - Highlights: • Two probes for sensitively and selectively monitoring weak acidic pH change. • The pKa of the probes was highly suitable for staining lysosomes in tumor cells. • The properties of those probes were changed by different conjugate system. • These probes have negligible cytotoxicity and good sensitivity in vivo.

  15. Polymeric nanocarriers for transport modulation across the pulmonary epithelium: dendrimers, polymeric nanoparticles, and their nanoblends.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bharatwaj, Balaji; Dimovski, Radovan; Conti, Denise S; da Rocha, Sandro R P

    2014-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to (a) Determine the cellular transport and uptake of amine-terminated generation 3 (G3) poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers across an in vitro model of the pulmonary epithelium, and the ability to modulate their transport by forming nanoblends of the dendrimers with biodegradable solid polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) and (b) to formulate dendrimer nanocarriers in portable oral inhalation devices and evaluate their aerosol characteristics. To that end, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled G3 PAMAM dendrimer nanocarriers (DNCs) were synthesized, and also encapsulated within poly lactide-co-glycolide nanoparticles (NPs). Transport and uptake of both DNCs encapsulated within NPs (nanoblends) and unencapsulated DNCs were tracked across polarized monolayers of airway epithelial cells, Calu-3. DNCs were also formulated as core-shell microparticles in pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) and their aerodynamic properties evaluated by Andersen cascade impaction. The apparent permeability of DNCs across the airway epithelial model was similar to that of a paracellular marker of comparable molar mass--order of 10(-7) cm s(-1). The transport and cellular internalization of the DNCs can be modulated by formulating them as nanoblends. The transport of the DNCs across the lung epithelium was completely suppressed within the time of the experiment (5 h) when formulated as blends. The encapsulation also prevents saturation of the cellular internalization profile. Nanoblending may be a potential strategy to modulate the rate of transport and cellular uptake of DNCs, and thus be used as a design strategy to achieve enhanced local or systemic drug delivery.

  16. Characterization of inorganic phosphate transport in the triple-negative breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russo-Abrahão, Thais; Lacerda-Abreu, Marco Antônio; Gomes, Tainá; Cosentino-Gomes, Daniela; Carvalho-de-Araújo, Ayra Diandra; Rodrigues, Mariana Figueiredo; Oliveira, Ana Carolina Leal de; Rumjanek, Franklin David; Monteiro, Robson de Queiroz; Meyer-Fernandes, José Roberto

    2018-01-01

    Recent studies demonstrate that interstitial inorganic phosphate is significantly elevated in the breast cancer microenvironment as compared to normal tissue. In addition it has been shown that breast cancer cells express high levels of the NaPi-IIb carrier (SLC34A2), suggesting that this carrier may play a role in breast cancer progression. However, the biochemical behavior of inorganic phosphate (Pi) transporter in this cancer type remains elusive. In this work, we characterize the kinetic parameters of Pi transport in the aggressive human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, and correlated Pi transport with cell migration and adhesion. We determined the influence of sodium concentration, pH, metabolic inhibitors, as well as the affinity for inorganic phosphate in Pi transport. We observed that the inorganic phosphate is dependent on sodium transport (K0,5 value = 21.98 mM for NaCl). Furthermore, the transport is modulated by different pH values and increasing concentrations of Pi, following the Michaelis-Menten kinetics (K0,5 = 0.08 mM Pi). PFA, monensin, furosemide and ouabain inhibited Pi transport, cell migration and adhesion. Taken together, these results showed that the uptake of Pi in MDA-MB-231 cells is modulated by sodium and by regulatory mechanisms of intracellular sodium gradient. General Significance: Pi transport might be regarded as a potential target for therapy against tumor progression.

  17. Transintestinal transport of the anti-inflammatory drug 4F and the modulation of transintestinal cholesterol efflux[S

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meriwether, David; Sulaiman, Dawoud; Wagner, Alan; Grijalva, Victor; Kaji, Izumi; Williams, Kevin J.; Yu, Liqing; Fogelman, Spencer; Volpe, Carmen; Bensinger, Steven J.; Anantharamaiah, G. M.; Shechter, Ishaiahu; Fogelman, Alan M.; Reddy, Srinivasa T.

    2016-01-01

    The site and mechanism of action of the apoA-I mimetic peptide 4F are incompletely understood. Transintestinal cholesterol efflux (TICE) is a process involved in the clearance of excess cholesterol from the body. While TICE is responsible for at least 30% of the clearance of neutral sterols from the circulation into the intestinal lumen, few pharmacological agents have been identified that modulate this pathway. We show first that circulating 4F selectively targets the small intestine (SI) and that it is predominantly transported into the intestinal lumen. This transport of 4F into the SI lumen is transintestinal in nature, and it is modulated by TICE. We also show that circulating 4F increases reverse cholesterol transport from macrophages and cholesterol efflux from lipoproteins via the TICE pathway. We identify the cause of this modulation of TICE either as 4F being a cholesterol acceptor with respect to enterocytes, from which 4F enhances cholesterol efflux, or as 4F being an intestinal chaperone with respect to TICE. Our results assign a novel role for 4F as a modulator of the TICE pathway and suggest that the anti-inflammatory functions of 4F may be a partial consequence of the codependent intestinal transport of both 4F and cholesterol. PMID:27199144

  18. Effects of well-boat transportation on the muscle pH and onset of rigor mortis in Atlantic salmon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gatica, M C; Monti, G; Gallo, C; Knowles, T G; Warriss, P D

    2008-07-26

    During the transport of salmon (Salmo salar), in a well-boat, 10 fish were sampled at each of six stages: in cages after crowding at the farm (stage 1), in the well-boat after loading (stage 2), in the well-boat after eight hours transport and before unloading (stage 3), in the resting cages immediately after finishing unloading (stage 4), after 24 hours resting in cages, (stage 5) and in the processing plant after pumping from the resting cages (stage 6). The water in the well-boat was at ambient temperature with recirculation to the sea. At each stage the fish were stunned percussively and bled by gill cutting. Immediately after death, and then every three hours for 18 hours, the muscle pH and rigor index of the fish were measured. At successive stages the initial muscle pH of the fish decreased, except for a slight gain in stage 5, after they had been rested for 24 hours. The lowest initial muscle pH was observed at stage 6. The fishes' rigor index showed that rigor developed more quickly at each successive stage, except for a slight decrease in rate at stage 5, attributable to the recovery of muscle reserves.

  19. A novel flow cytometric HTS assay reveals functional modulators of ATP binding cassette transporter ABCB6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polireddy, Kishore; Khan, Mohiuddin Md Taimur; Chavan, Hemantkumar; Young, Susan; Ma, Xiaochao; Waller, Anna; Garcia, Matthew; Perez, Dominique; Chavez, Stephanie; Strouse, Jacob J; Haynes, Mark K; Bologa, Cristian G; Oprea, Tudor I; Tegos, George P; Sklar, Larry A; Krishnamurthy, Partha

    2012-01-01

    ABCB6 is a member of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette family of transporter proteins that is increasingly recognized as a relevant physiological and therapeutic target. Evaluation of modulators of ABCB6 activity would pave the way toward a more complete understanding of the significance of this transport process in tumor cell growth, proliferation and therapy-related drug resistance. In addition, this effort would improve our understanding of the function of ABCB6 in normal physiology with respect to heme biosynthesis, and cellular adaptation to metabolic demand and stress responses. To search for modulators of ABCB6, we developed a novel cell-based approach that, in combination with flow cytometric high-throughput screening (HTS), can be used to identify functional modulators of ABCB6. Accumulation of protoporphyrin, a fluorescent molecule, in wild-type ABCB6 expressing K562 cells, forms the basis of the HTS assay. Screening the Prestwick Chemical Library employing the HTS assay identified four compounds, benzethonium chloride, verteporfin, tomatine hydrochloride and piperlongumine, that reduced ABCB6 mediated cellular porphyrin levels. Validation of the identified compounds employing the hemin-agarose affinity chromatography and mitochondrial transport assays demonstrated that three out of the four compounds were capable of inhibiting ABCB6 mediated hemin transport into isolated mitochondria. However, only verteporfin and tomatine hydrochloride inhibited ABCB6's ability to compete with hemin as an ABCB6 substrate. This assay is therefore sensitive, robust, and suitable for automation in a high-throughput environment as demonstrated by our identification of selective functional modulators of ABCB6. Application of this assay to other libraries of synthetic compounds and natural products is expected to identify novel modulators of ABCB6 activity.

  20. pH- and temperature-sensitive polymeric microspheres for drug delivery: the dissolution of copolymers modulates drug release.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fundueanu, Gheorghe; Constantin, Marieta; Stanciu, Cristina; Theodoridis, Georgios; Ascenzi, Paolo

    2009-12-01

    Most pH-/temperature-responsive polymers for controlled release of drugs are used as cross-linked hydrogels. However, the solubility properties of the linear polymers below and above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) are not exploited. Here, the preparation and characterization of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-co-methacrylic acid-co-methyl methacrylate) (poly (NIPAAm-co-MA-co-MM)) and poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide) (poly (NIPAAm-co-AAm)), known as "smart" polymers (SP), is reported. Both poly (NIPAAm-co-MA-co-MM) and poly (NIPAAm-co-AAm) display pH- and temperature-responsive properties. Poly (NIPAAm-co-MA-co-MM) was designed to be insoluble in the gastric fluid (pH = 1.2), but soluble in the intestinal fluid (pH = 6.8 and 7.4), at the body temperature (37 degrees C). Poly (NIPAAm-co-AAm) was designed to have a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) corresponding to 37 degrees C at pH = 7.4, therefore it is not soluble above the LCST. The solubility characteristics of these copolymers were exploited to modulate the rate of release of drugs by changing pH and/or temperature. These copolymers were solubilized with hydrophobic cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) and vitamin B(12) (taken as a water soluble drug model system) in an acetone/methanol mixture and dispersed in mineral oil. By a progressive evaporation of the solvent, the liquid droplets were transformed into loaded CAB/SP microspheres. Differential scanning calorimetric studies and scanning electron microscopy analysis demonstrated that the polymeric components of the microspheres precipitated separately during solvent evaporation forming small microdomains. Moreover, vitamin B(12) was found to be molecularly dispersed in both microdomains with no specific affinity for any polymeric component of microspheres. The release of vitamin B(12) was investigated as a function of temperature, pH, and the CAB/SP ratio.

  1. New evidence and impact of electron transport non-linearities based on new perturbative inter-modulation analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Berkel, M.; Kobayashi, T.; Igami, H.; Vandersteen, Gerd; Hogeweij, G.M.D.; Tanaka, K.; Tamura, N.; Zwart, Hans; Kubo, S.; Ito, S.; Tsuchiya, H.; de Baar, M.R.

    2017-01-01

    A new methodology to analyze non-linear components in perturbative transport experiments is introduced. The methodology has been experimentally validated in the Large Helical Device for the electron heat transport channel. Electron cyclotron resonance heating with different modulation frequencies by

  2. ZIFL1.1 transporter modulates polar auxin transport by stabilizing membrane abundance of multiple PINs in Arabidopsis root tip

    Science.gov (United States)

    Remy, Estelle; Baster, Pawel; Friml, Jiří; Duque, Paula

    2013-01-01

    Cell-to-cell directional flow of the phytohormone auxin is primarily established by polar localization of the PIN auxin transporters, a process tightly regulated at multiple levels by auxin itself. We recently reported that, in the context of strong auxin flows, activity of the vacuolar ZIFL1.1 transporter is required for fine-tuning of polar auxin transport rates in the Arabidopsis root. In particular, ZIFL1.1 function protects plasma-membrane stability of the PIN2 carrier in epidermal root tip cells under conditions normally triggering PIN2 degradation. Here, we show that ZIFL1.1 activity at the root tip also promotes PIN1 plasma-membrane abundance in central cylinder cells, thus supporting the notion that ZIFL1.1 acts as a general positive modulator of polar auxin transport in roots. PMID:23857365

  3. A novel flow cytometric HTS assay reveals functional modulators of ATP binding cassette transporter ABCB6.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kishore Polireddy

    Full Text Available ABCB6 is a member of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP-binding cassette family of transporter proteins that is increasingly recognized as a relevant physiological and therapeutic target. Evaluation of modulators of ABCB6 activity would pave the way toward a more complete understanding of the significance of this transport process in tumor cell growth, proliferation and therapy-related drug resistance. In addition, this effort would improve our understanding of the function of ABCB6 in normal physiology with respect to heme biosynthesis, and cellular adaptation to metabolic demand and stress responses. To search for modulators of ABCB6, we developed a novel cell-based approach that, in combination with flow cytometric high-throughput screening (HTS, can be used to identify functional modulators of ABCB6. Accumulation of protoporphyrin, a fluorescent molecule, in wild-type ABCB6 expressing K562 cells, forms the basis of the HTS assay. Screening the Prestwick Chemical Library employing the HTS assay identified four compounds, benzethonium chloride, verteporfin, tomatine hydrochloride and piperlongumine, that reduced ABCB6 mediated cellular porphyrin levels. Validation of the identified compounds employing the hemin-agarose affinity chromatography and mitochondrial transport assays demonstrated that three out of the four compounds were capable of inhibiting ABCB6 mediated hemin transport into isolated mitochondria. However, only verteporfin and tomatine hydrochloride inhibited ABCB6's ability to compete with hemin as an ABCB6 substrate. This assay is therefore sensitive, robust, and suitable for automation in a high-throughput environment as demonstrated by our identification of selective functional modulators of ABCB6. Application of this assay to other libraries of synthetic compounds and natural products is expected to identify novel modulators of ABCB6 activity.

  4. Effect of Microenvironmental pH Modulation on the Dissolution Rate and Oral Absorption of the Salt of a Weak Acid - Case Study of GDC-0810.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Hao Helen; Jia, Wei; Liu, Lichuan; Cheeti, Sravanthi; Li, Jane; Nauka, Ewa; Nagapudi, Karthik

    2018-01-29

    The purpose of this work is to investigate the effect of microenvironmental pH modulation on the in vitro dissolution rate and oral absorption of GDC-0810, an oral anti-cancer drug, in human. The pH-solubility profile of GDC-0810 free acid and pH max of its N-Methyl-D-glucamine (NMG) salt were determined. Precipitation studies were conducted for GDC-0810 NMG salt at different pH values. GDC-0810 200-mg dose NMG salt tablet formulations containing different levels of sodium bicarbonate as the pH modifier were tested for dissolution under the dual pH-dilution scheme. Three tablet formulations were evaluated in human as a part of a relative bioavailability study. A 200-mg dose of GDC-0810 was administered QD with low fat food. Intrinsic solubility of GDC-0810 free acid was found to be extremely low. The pH max of the NMG salt suggested a strong tendency for form conversion to the free acid under GI conditions. In vitro dissolution profiles showed that the dissolution rate and extent of GDC-0810 increased with increasing the level of sodium bicarbonate in the formulation. The human PK data showed a similar trend for the geometric mean of C max and AUC 0-t for formulations containing 5%, 10%, and 15% sodium bicarbonate, but the difference is not statistically significant. Incorporation of a basic pH modifier, sodium bicarbonate, in GDC-0810 NMG salt tablet formulations enhanced in vitro dissolution rate of GDC-0810 via microenvironmental pH modulation. The human PK data showed no statistically significant difference in drug exposure from tablets containing 5%, 10%, and 15% sodium bicarbonate.

  5. Analysis and modelling of power modulation experiments in JET plasmas with internal transport barriers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marinoni, A [Politecnico di Milano, dipartimento di Ingegneria Nucleare, Milano (Italy); Mantica, P [Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, Euratom-ENEA-CNR Association, Milan (Italy); Eester, D Van [LPP-ERM/KMS, Association EURATOM-Belgian State, TEC, B-1000 Brussels (Belgium); Imbeaux, F [Association EURATOM-CEA, CEA/DSM/DRFC, CEA Cadarache, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance (France); Mantsinen, M [Helsinki University of Technology, Association Euratom-Tekes, PO Box 2200 (Finland); Hawkes, N [Euratom-UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon (United Kingdom); Joffrin, E [Association EURATOM-CEA, CEA/DSM/DRFC, CEA Cadarache, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance (France); Kiptily, V [Euratom-UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon (United Kingdom); Pinches, S D [Max Plank Institut fur Plasmaphysik, Euratom Association, Garching (Germany); Salmi, A [Helsinki University of Technology, Association Euratom-Tekes, PO Box 2200 (Finland); Sharapov, S [Euratom-UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon (United Kingdom); Voitsekhovitch, I [Euratom-UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon (United Kingdom); Vries, P de [FOM Institut voor Plasmafysica, Association Euratom-FOM, Nieuwegein, The (Netherlands); Zastrow, K D [Euratom-UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon (United Kingdom)

    2006-10-15

    Understanding the physics of internal transport barriers (ITBs) is a crucial issue in developing ITER relevant advanced tokamak scenarios. To gain new information on ITBs, RF power modulation experiments, mainly devoted to the study of electron heat transport through ITBs, have been performed on the JET tokamak. The main physics results have been reported in [1]. The present paper describes in detail the data analysis and numerical modelling work carried out for the interpretation of the experiments. ITBs located in the negative shear region behave as localized insulating layers able to stop the heat wave propagation, thus implying that the ITB is a region of low diffusivity characterized by a loss of stiffness. Various sources of spurious effects affecting the interpretation of the results are analysed and discussed. First principle based models have so far failed to predict the temperature profile in the first place, which prevented their application to modulation results, while empirical transport models have been set up and reproduce the major part of the data.

  6. A Novel Mechanism of pH Buffering in C. elegans Glia: Bicarbonate Transport via the Voltage-Gated ClC Cl− Channel CLH-1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Jeff; Matthewman, Cristina

    2015-01-01

    An important function of glia is the maintenance of the ionic composition and pH of the synaptic microenvironment. In terms of pH regulation, HCO3− buffering has been shown to be important in both glia and neurons. Here, we used in vivo fluorescent pH imaging and RNA sequencing of the amphid sheath glia of Caenorhabditis elegans to reveal a novel mechanism of cellular HCO3− uptake. While the classical mechanism of HCO3− uptake involves Na+/HCO3− cotransporters, here we demonstrate that the C. elegans ClC Cl− channel CLH-1 is highly permeable to HCO3− and mediates HCO3− uptake into amphid sheath glia. CLH-1 has homology and electrophysiological properties similar to the mammalian ClC-2 Cl− channel. Our data suggest that, in addition to maintaining synaptic Cl− concentration, these channels may also be involved in maintenance of synaptic pH via HCO3− flux. These findings provide an exciting new facet of study regarding how pH is regulated in the brain. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Maintenance of pH is essential for the physiological function of the nervous system. HCO3− is crucial for pH regulation and is transported into the cell via ion transporters, including ion channels, the molecular identity of which remains unclear. In this manuscript, we describe our discovery that the C. elegans amphid sheath glia regulate intracellular pH via HCO3− flux through the voltage-gated ClC channel CLH-1. This represents a novel function for ClC channels, which has implications for their possible role in mammalian glial pH regulation. This discovery may also provide a novel therapeutic target for pathologic conditions, such as ischemic stroke where acidosis leads to widespread death of glia and subsequently neurons. PMID:26674864

  7. A Novel Mechanism of pH Buffering in C. elegans Glia: Bicarbonate Transport via the Voltage-Gated ClC Cl- Channel CLH-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Jeff; Matthewman, Cristina; Bianchi, Laura

    2015-12-16

    An important function of glia is the maintenance of the ionic composition and pH of the synaptic microenvironment. In terms of pH regulation, HCO3 (-) buffering has been shown to be important in both glia and neurons. Here, we used in vivo fluorescent pH imaging and RNA sequencing of the amphid sheath glia of Caenorhabditis elegans to reveal a novel mechanism of cellular HCO3 (-) uptake. While the classical mechanism of HCO3 (-) uptake involves Na(+)/HCO3 (-) cotransporters, here we demonstrate that the C. elegans ClC Cl(-) channel CLH-1 is highly permeable to HCO3 (-) and mediates HCO3 (-) uptake into amphid sheath glia. CLH-1 has homology and electrophysiological properties similar to the mammalian ClC-2 Cl(-) channel. Our data suggest that, in addition to maintaining synaptic Cl(-) concentration, these channels may also be involved in maintenance of synaptic pH via HCO3 (-) flux. These findings provide an exciting new facet of study regarding how pH is regulated in the brain. Maintenance of pH is essential for the physiological function of the nervous system. HCO3 (-) is crucial for pH regulation and is transported into the cell via ion transporters, including ion channels, the molecular identity of which remains unclear. In this manuscript, we describe our discovery that the C. elegans amphid sheath glia regulate intracellular pH via HCO3 (-) flux through the voltage-gated ClC channel CLH-1. This represents a novel function for ClC channels, which has implications for their possible role in mammalian glial pH regulation. This discovery may also provide a novel therapeutic target for pathologic conditions, such as ischemic stroke where acidosis leads to widespread death of glia and subsequently neurons. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/3516377-21$15.00/0.

  8. Development and application of the microbial fate and transport module for the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, E.; Park, Y.; Muirhead, R.; Jeong, J.; Pachepsky, Y. A.

    2017-12-01

    Pathogenic microorganisms in recreational and irrigation waters remain the subject of concern. Water quality models are used to estimate microbial quality of water sources, to evaluate microbial contamination-related risks, to guide the microbial water quality monitoring, and to evaluate the effect of agricultural management on the microbial water quality. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) is the watershed-scale water quality model that includes highly detailed representation of agricultural management. The APEX currently does not have microbial fate and transport simulation capabilities. The objective of this work was to develop the first APEX microbial fate and transport module that could use the APEX conceptual model of manure removal together with recently introduced conceptualizations of the in-stream microbial fate and transport. The module utilizes manure erosion rates found in the APEX. Bacteria survival in soil-manure mixing layer was simulated with the two-stage survival model. Individual survival patterns were simulated for each manure application date. Simulated in-stream microbial fate and transport processes included the reach-scale passive release of bacteria with resuspended bottom sediment during high flow events, the transport of bacteria from bottom sediment due to the hyporheic exchange during low flow periods, the deposition with settling sediment, and the two-stage survival. Default parameter values were available from recently published databases. The APEX model with the newly developed microbial fate and transport module was applied to simulate seven years of monitoring data for the Toenepi watershed in New Zealand. Based on calibration and testing results, the APEX with the microbe module reproduced well the monitored pattern of E. coli concentrations at the watershed outlet. The APEX with the microbial fate and transport module will be utilized for predicting microbial quality of water under various agricultural

  9. Electron transport due to inhomogeneous broadening and its potential impact on modulation speed in p-doped quantum dot lasers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deppe, D G; Freisem, S; Huang, H; Lipson, S

    2005-01-01

    Data are first presented on spontaneous and laser emission of p-doped and undoped quantum dot (QD) heterostructures to characterize the increase in optical gain in p-type modulation doped QD lasers. Because the increase in gain due to p-doping should also increase the differential gain, but does not greatly increase the modulation speed in present p-doped QD lasers, we further examine nonequilibrium electron transport effects in p-doped active material that may still limit the modulation speed. Electron transport through the dot wetting layer caused by the nonlasing QDs of the active ensemble is shown to be capable of substantially reducing the modulation speed, independent of the differential gain. This nonequilibrium limitation can be eliminated by reducing the inhomogeneous broadening in the QD ensemble

  10. Two cation transporters Ena1 and Nha1 cooperatively modulate ion homeostasis, antifungal drug resistance, and virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans via the HOG pathway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Kwang-Woo; Strain, Anna K; Nielsen, Kirsten; Jung, Kwang-Hwan; Bahn, Yong-Sun

    2012-01-01

    Maintenance of cation homeostasis is essential for survival of all living organisms in their biological niches. It is also important for the survival of human pathogenic fungi in the host, where cation concentrations and pH will vary depending on different anatomical sites. However, the exact role of diverse cation transporters and ion channels in virulence of fungal pathogens remains elusive. In this study we functionally characterized ENA1 and NHA1, encoding a putative Na+/ATPase and Na+/H+ antiporter, respectively, in Cryptococcus neoformans, a basidiomycete fungal pathogen which causes fatal meningoencephalitis. Expression of NHA1 and ENA1 is induced in response to salt and osmotic shock mainly in a Hog1-dependent manner. Phenotypic analysis of the ena1, nha1, and ena1 nha1 mutants revealed that Ena1 controls cellular levels of toxic cations, such as Na+ and Li+ whereas both Ena1 and Nha1 are important for controlling less toxic K+ ions. Under alkaline conditions, Ena1 was highly induced and required for growth in the presence of low levels of Na+ or K+ salt and Nha1 played a role in survival under K+ stress. In contrast, Nha1, but not Ena1, was essential for survival at acidic conditions (pH 4.5) under high K+ stress. In addition, Ena1 and Nha1 were required for maintenance of plasma membrane potential and stability, which appeared to modulate antifungal drug susceptibility. Perturbation of ENA1 and NHA1 enhanced capsule production and melanin synthesis. However, Nha1 was dispensable for virulence of C. neoformans although Ena1 was essential. In conclusion, Ena1 and Nha1 play redundant and discrete roles in cation homeostasis, pH regulation, membrane potential, and virulence in C. neoformans, suggesting that these transporters could be novel antifungal drug targets for treatment of cryptococcosis. PMID:22343280

  11. Acid-extrusion from tissue: the interplay between membrane transporters and pH buffers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hulikova, Alzbeta; Harris, Adrian L; Vaughan-Jones, Richard D; Swietach, Pawel

    2012-01-01

    The acid-base balance of cells is related to the concentration of free H⁺ ions. These are highly reactive, and their intracellular concentration must be regulated to avoid detrimental effects to the cell. H⁺ ion dynamics are influenced by binding to chelator substances ('buffering'), and by the production, diffusion and membrane-transport of free H⁺ ions or of the H⁺-bound chelators. Intracellular pH (pHi) regulation aims to balance this system of diffusion-reaction-transport processes at a favourable steady-state pHi. The ability of cells to regulate pHi may set a limit to tissue growth and can be subject to selection pressures. Cancer cells have been postulated to respond favourably to such selection pressures by evolving a better means of pHi regulation. A particularly important feature of tumour pHi regulation is acid-extrusion, which involves H⁺-extrusion and HCO₃⁻-uptake by membrane-bound transporter-proteins. Extracellular CO₂/HCO₃⁻ buffer facilitates these membrane-transport processes. As a mobile pH-buffer, CO₂/HCO₃⁻ protects the extracellular space from excessive acidification that could otherwise inhibit further acid-extrusion. CO₂/HCO₃⁻ also provides substrate for HCO₃⁻-transporters. However, the inherently slow reaction kinetics of CO₂/HCO₃⁻ can be rate-limiting for acid-extrusion. To circumvent this, cells can express extracellular-facing carbonic anhydrase enzymes to accelerate the attainment of equilibrium between CO₂, HCO₃⁻ and H⁺. The acid-extrusion apparatus has been proposed as a target for anti-cancer therapy. The major targets include H⁺ pumps, Na⁺/H⁺ exchangers and carbonic anhydrases. The effectiveness of such therapy will depend on the correct identification of rate-limiting steps in pHi regulation in a specific type of cancer.

  12. Spermidine Biosynthesis and Transport Modulate Pneumococcal Autolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potter, Adam J.

    2014-01-01

    Polyamines are small cationic molecules that have far-reaching roles in biology. In the case of pathogenic bacteria, these functions include those central to their pathogenesis. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major bacterial pathogen, causing a diverse range of diseases that account for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this work, we characterize the polyamine biosynthetic pathway of S. pneumoniae, demonstrating that this organism produces spermidine from arginine. The synthesis of spermidine was found to be nonessential for growth in a polyamine-free chemically defined medium. However, mutant strains lacking the ability to synthesize or transport spermidine displayed a significant delay in the onset of autolysis. We provide evidence for a model in which spermidine modulates the activity of the major autolysin LytA in the pneumococcal cell wall compartment via interactions with negatively charged molecules, such as teichoic acids. PMID:25092031

  13. Modulation of phosducin-like protein 3 (PhLP3 levels promotes cytoskeletal remodelling in a MAPK and RhoA-dependent manner.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nandini V L Hayes

    Full Text Available Phosducin-like protein 3 (PhLP3 forms a ternary complex with the ATP-dependent molecular chaperone CCT and its folding client tubulin. In vitro studies suggest PhLP3 plays an inhibitory role in β-tubulin folding while conversely in vivo genetic studies suggest PhLP3 is required for the correct folding of β-tubulin. We have a particular interest in the cytoskeleton, its chaperones and their role in determining cellular phenotypes associated with high level recombinant protein expression from mammalian cell expression systems.As studies into PhLP3 function have been largely carried out in non mammalian systems, we examined the effect of human PhLP3 over-expression and siRNA silencing using a single murine siRNA on both tubulin and actin systems in mammalian Chinese hamster ovary (CHO cell lines. We show that over-expression of PhLP3 promotes an imbalance of α and β tubulin subunits, microtubule disassembly and cell death. In contrast, β-actin levels are not obviously perturbed. On-the-other-hand, RNA silencing of PhLP3 increases RhoA-dependent actin filament formation and focal adhesion formation and promotes a dramatic elongated fibroblast-like change in morphology. This was accompanied by an increase in phosphorylated MAPK which has been associated with promoting focal adhesion assembly and maturation. Transient overexpression of PhLP3 in knockdown experiments rescues cells from the morphological change observed during PhLP3 silencing but mitosis is perturbed, probably reflecting a tipping back of the balance of PhLP3 levels towards the overexpression state.Our results support the hypothesis that PhLP3 is important for the maintenance of β-tubulin levels in mammalian cells but also that its modulation can promote actin-based cytoskeletal remodelling by a mechanism linked with MAPK phosphorylation and RhoA-dependent changes. PhLP3 levels in mammalian cells are thus finely poised and represents a novel target for engineering industrially

  14. Modulation of small intestinal phosphate transporter by dietary supplements of mineral phosphorus and phytase in broilers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, Korinna; Zeller, Ellen; Rodehutscord, Markus

    2015-05-01

    Dietary phosphorus (P) is known as a main modulator of phosphate (Pi) transporter expression. The effect of supplemented mineral P with or without phytase on protein expression of two sodium-dependent Pi (NaPi) transporters and a calcium channel was studied in the small intestine of broilers. Thirty-six broilers were randomly assigned to six different diets at 15 days of age. Two levels of total P (tP, adjusted by monocalcium phosphate (MCP) supplementation), 0.39% (BD-) and 0.47% (BD+) were fed until day 25; and at each tP level, three levels of phytase were used with 0, 500, and 12,500 FTU/kg of an E. coli phytase. Mucosa samples from jejunum and ileum were taken and apical membranes were isolated by MgCl2 precipitation. Protein expression of NaPi IIb, NaPi type III (PiT1) and the calcium channel TRPV6 were semiquantitatively measured by Western blotting and jejunal mucosal phytase activity by measurement of Pi release. The jejunal NaPi IIb transporter was expressed with two distinct bands, which were modulated differently by diet. NaPi IIb Band1 increased (P phytase supplementation but was not affected by MCP supplementation. This inverse modulation of Band1 and Band2 was significantly related to the amount of net absorbed P with higher expression of Band1 at higher amounts of net absorbed P. In addition, a second Pi transporter, PiT1, was detected in which ileal expression decreased (P phytase supplementation. The expression of the calcium channel TRPV6 was increased in BD+ groups. A trend for an interaction between MCP and phytase supplementation on mucosal phytase activity was observed (P = 0.079) with a decrease in activity when BD+ with 12,500 FTU/kg phytase was fed. Chicken intestinal epithelial cells responded to dietary supplemented phytase and MCP by changing the Pi transporter expression in apical membranes. In conclusion, availability of Pi is most likely the key modulator of transporter protein expression. However, a contribution of lower inositol

  15. Transport properties in a monolayer graphene modulated by the realistic magnetic field and the Schottky metal stripe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Jian-Duo; Li, Yun-Bao; Liu, Hong-Yu; Peng, Shun-Jin; Zhao, Fei-Xiang

    2016-09-01

    Based on the transfer-matrix method, a systematic investigation of electron transport properties is done in a monolayer graphene modulated by the realistic magnetic field and the Schottky metal stripe. The strong dependence of the electron transmission and the conductance on the incident angle of carriers is clearly seen. The height, position as well as width of the barrier also play an important role on the electron transport properties. These interesting results are very useful for understanding the tunneling mechanism in the monolayer graphene and helpful for designing the graphene-based electrical device modulated by the realistic magnetic field and the electrical barrier.

  16. Arginine Improves pH Homeostasis via Metabolism and Microbiome Modulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agnello, M; Cen, L; Tran, N C; Shi, W; McLean, J S; He, X

    2017-07-01

    Dental caries can be described as a dysbiosis of the oral microbial community, in which acidogenic, aciduric, and acid-adapted bacterial species promote a pathogenic environment, leading to demineralization. Alkali generation by oral microbes, specifically via arginine catabolic pathways, is an essential factor in maintaining plaque pH homeostasis. There is evidence that the use of arginine in dentifrices helps protect against caries. The aim of the current study was to investigate the mechanistic and ecological effect of arginine treatment on the oral microbiome and its regulation of pH dynamics, using an in vitro multispecies oral biofilm model that was previously shown to be highly reflective of the in vivo oral microbiome. Pooled saliva from 6 healthy subjects was used to generate overnight biofilms, reflecting early stages of biofilm maturation. First, we investigated the uptake of arginine by the cells of the biofilm as well as the metabolites generated. We next explored the effect of arginine on pH dynamics by pretreating biofilms with 75 mM arginine, followed by the addition of sucrose (15 mM) after 0, 6, 20, or 48 h. pH was measured at each time point and biofilms were collected for 16S sequencing and targeted arginine quantification, and supernatants were prepared for metabolomic analysis. Treatment with only sucrose led to a sustained pH drop from 7 to 4.5, while biofilms treated with sucrose after 6, 20, or 48 h of preincubation with arginine exhibited a recovery to higher pH. Arginine was detected within the cells of the biofilms, indicating active uptake, and arginine catabolites citrulline, ornithine, and putrescine were detected in supernatants, indicating active metabolism. Sequencing analysis revealed a shift in the microbial community structure in arginine-treated biofilms as well as increased species diversity. Overall, we show that arginine improved pH homeostasis through a remodeling of the oral microbial community.

  17. High pressure modulated transport and signaling functions of membrane proteins in models and in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vogel, R F; Linke, K; Teichert, H; Ehrmann, M A

    2008-01-01

    Cellular membranes serve in the separation of compartments, recognition of the environment, selective transport and signal transduction. Membrane lipids and membrane proteins play distinct roles in these processes, which are affected by environmental chemical (e. g. pH) or physical (e. g. pressure and temperature) changes. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) affects fluidity and integrity of bacterial membranes instantly during the ramp, resulting in a loss of membrane potential and vital membrane protein functions. We have used the multiple drug transporter LmrA from Lactococcus lactis and ToxR, a membrane protein sensor from Photobacterium profundum, a deep-sea bacterium, and Vibrio cholerae to study membrane protein interaction and functionality in proteolioposomes and by the use of in vivo reporter systems, respectively. Both proteins require dimerization in the phospholipid bilayer for their functionality, which was favoured in the liquid crystalline lipid phase with ToxR and LmrA. Whereas LmrA, which resides in liposomes consisting of DMPC, DMPC/cholesterol or natural lipids, lost its ATPase activity above 20 or 40 MPa, it maintained its active dimeric structure in DOPC/DPPC/cholesterol liposomes up to 120 MPa. By using a specific indicator strain in which the dimerisation of ToxR initiates the transcription of lacZ it was demonstrated, that the amino acid sequence of the transmembrane domain influences HHP stability of ToxR dimerization in vivo. Thus, both the lipid structure and the nature of the protein affect membrane protein interaction. It is suggested that the protein structure determines basic functionality, e.g. principle ability or kinetics to dimerize to a functional complex, while the lipid environment modulates this property

  18. High pressure modulated transport and signaling functions of membrane proteins in models and in vivo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vogel, R F; Linke, K; Teichert, H; Ehrmann, M A [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Technische Mikrobiologie, Weihenstephaner Steig 16, 85350 Freising (Germany)], E-mail: rudi.vogel@wzw.tum.de

    2008-07-15

    Cellular membranes serve in the separation of compartments, recognition of the environment, selective transport and signal transduction. Membrane lipids and membrane proteins play distinct roles in these processes, which are affected by environmental chemical (e. g. pH) or physical (e. g. pressure and temperature) changes. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) affects fluidity and integrity of bacterial membranes instantly during the ramp, resulting in a loss of membrane potential and vital membrane protein functions. We have used the multiple drug transporter LmrA from Lactococcus lactis and ToxR, a membrane protein sensor from Photobacterium profundum, a deep-sea bacterium, and Vibrio cholerae to study membrane protein interaction and functionality in proteolioposomes and by the use of in vivo reporter systems, respectively. Both proteins require dimerization in the phospholipid bilayer for their functionality, which was favoured in the liquid crystalline lipid phase with ToxR and LmrA. Whereas LmrA, which resides in liposomes consisting of DMPC, DMPC/cholesterol or natural lipids, lost its ATPase activity above 20 or 40 MPa, it maintained its active dimeric structure in DOPC/DPPC/cholesterol liposomes up to 120 MPa. By using a specific indicator strain in which the dimerisation of ToxR initiates the transcription of lacZ it was demonstrated, that the amino acid sequence of the transmembrane domain influences HHP stability of ToxR dimerization in vivo. Thus, both the lipid structure and the nature of the protein affect membrane protein interaction. It is suggested that the protein structure determines basic functionality, e.g. principle ability or kinetics to dimerize to a functional complex, while the lipid environment modulates this property.

  19. High pressure modulated transport and signaling functions of membrane proteins in models and in vivo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, R. F.; Linke, K.; Teichert, H.; Ehrmann, M. A.

    2008-07-01

    Cellular membranes serve in the separation of compartments, recognition of the environment, selective transport and signal transduction. Membrane lipids and membrane proteins play distinct roles in these processes, which are affected by environmental chemical (e. g. pH) or physical (e. g. pressure and temperature) changes. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) affects fluidity and integrity of bacterial membranes instantly during the ramp, resulting in a loss of membrane potential and vital membrane protein functions. We have used the multiple drug transporter LmrA from Lactococcus lactis and ToxR, a membrane protein sensor from Photobacterium profundum, a deep-sea bacterium, and Vibrio cholerae to study membrane protein interaction and functionality in proteolioposomes and by the use of in vivo reporter systems, respectively. Both proteins require dimerization in the phospholipid bilayer for their functionality, which was favoured in the liquid crystalline lipid phase with ToxR and LmrA. Whereas LmrA, which resides in liposomes consisting of DMPC, DMPC/cholesterol or natural lipids, lost its ATPase activity above 20 or 40 MPa, it maintained its active dimeric structure in DOPC/DPPC/cholesterol liposomes up to 120 MPa. By using a specific indicator strain in which the dimerisation of ToxR initiates the transcription of lacZ it was demonstrated, that the amino acid sequence of the transmembrane domain influences HHP stability of ToxR dimerization in vivo. Thus, both the lipid structure and the nature of the protein affect membrane protein interaction. It is suggested that the protein structure determines basic functionality, e.g. principle ability or kinetics to dimerize to a functional complex, while the lipid environment modulates this property.

  20. Pathophysiologic Changes in Extracellular pH Modulate Parathyroid Calcium-Sensing Receptor Activity and Secretion via a Histidine-Independent Mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campion, Katherine L; McCormick, Wanda D; Warwicker, Jim; Khayat, Mohd Ezuan Bin; Atkinson-Dell, Rebecca; Steward, Martin C; Delbridge, Leigh W; Mun, Hee-Chang; Conigrave, Arthur D; Ward, Donald T

    2015-09-01

    The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) modulates renal calcium reabsorption and parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion and is involved in the etiology of secondary hyperparathyroidism in CKD. Supraphysiologic changes in extracellular pH (pHo) modulate CaR responsiveness in HEK-293 (CaR-HEK) cells. Therefore, because acidosis and alkalosis are associated with altered PTH secretion in vivo, we examined whether pathophysiologic changes in pHo can significantly alter CaR responsiveness in both heterologous and endogenous expression systems and whether this affects PTH secretion. In both CaR-HEK and isolated bovine parathyroid cells, decreasing pHo from 7.4 to 7.2 rapidly inhibited CaR-induced intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)i) mobilization, whereas raising pHo to 7.6 potentiated responsiveness to extracellular calcium (Ca(2+)o). Similar pHo effects were observed for Ca(2+)o-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation and actin polymerization and for L-Phe-induced Ca(2+)i mobilization. Intracellular pH was unaffected by acute 0.4-unit pHo changes, and the presence of physiologic albumin concentrations failed to attenuate the pHo-mediated effects. None of the individual point mutations created at histidine or cysteine residues in the extracellular domain of CaR attenuated pHo sensitivity. Finally, pathophysiologic pHo elevation reversibly suppressed PTH secretion from perifused human parathyroid cells, and acidosis transiently increased PTH secretion. Therefore, pathophysiologic pHo changes can modulate CaR responsiveness in HEK-293 and parathyroid cells independently of extracellular histidine residues. Specifically, pathophysiologic acidification inhibits CaR activity, thus permitting PTH secretion, whereas alkalinization potentiates CaR activity to suppress PTH secretion. These findings suggest that acid-base disturbances may affect the CaR-mediated control of parathyroid function and calcium metabolism in vivo. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of

  1. Diffusive-to-ballistic transition of the modulated heat transport in a rarefied air chamber

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez-Heredia, C. L.; Macias, J.; Ordonez-Miranda, J.; Ares, O.; Alvarado-Gil, J. J.

    2017-01-01

    Modulated heat transfer in air subject to pressures from 760 Torr to 10-4 Torr is experimentally studied by means of a thermal-wave resonant cavity placed in a vacuum chamber. This is done through the analysis of the amplitude and phase delay of the photothermal signal as a function of the cavity length and pressure through of the Knudsen's number. The viscous, transitional, and free molecular regimes of heat transport are observed for pressures P>1.5 Torr, 25 mTorrheat transport.

  2. Development and evaluation of the microbial fate and transport module for the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Eun-Mi; Park, Yongeun; Muirhead, Richard; Pachepsky, Yakov

    2017-04-01

    Pathogenic microorganisms in recreational and irrigation waters remain the subject of concern. Water quality models are used to estimate microbial quality of water sources, to evaluate microbial contamination-related risks, to guide the microbial water quality monitoring, and to evaluate the effect of agricultural management on the microbial water quality. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) is the watershed-scale water quality model that includes highly detailed representation of agricultural management. The APEX currently does not have microbial fate and transport simulation capabilities. The objective of this work was to develop the first APEX microbial fate and transport module that could use the APEX conceptual model of manure removal together with recently introduced conceptualizations of the in-stream microbial fate and transport. The module utilizes manure erosion rates found in the APEX. The total number of removed bacteria was set to the concentrations of bacteria in soil-manure mixing layer and eroded manure amount. Bacteria survival in soil-manure mixing layer was simulated with the two-stage survival model. Individual survival patterns were simulated for each manure application date. Simulated in-stream microbial fate and transport processes included the reach-scale passive release of bacteria with resuspended bottom sediment during high flow events, the transport of bacteria from bottom sediment due to the hyporheic exchange during low flow periods, the deposition with settling sediment, and the two-stage survival. Default parameter values were available from recently published databases. The APEX model with the newly developed microbial fate and transport module was applied to simulate seven years of monitoring data for the Toenepi watershed in New Zealand. The stream network of the watershed ran through grazing lands with the daily bovine waste deposition. Based on calibration and testing results, the APEX with the microbe module

  3. A 'V' shaped superconducting levitation module for lift and guidance of a magnetic transportation system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D'Ovidio, G.; Crisi, F.; Lanzara, G.

    2008-01-01

    A novel, YBCO based, magnetic transportation system (MagTranS) is presented and described. The feasibility of this system has been successfully tested and confirmed in a laboratory using a scaled demonstrator system. The MagTranS levitation system uses a stable, self-balancing 'V' shaped superconducting module for both lift and guidance of vehicles. The work concept of the MagTranS levitation module is described and differences with regards to the maglev current systems are highlighted. The results of levitation tests performed using a measurement set-up are presented and discussed. Lastly, levitation module performance studies are also carried out using numerical finite element analysis

  4. Dauer pheromone and G-protein signaling modulate the coordination of intraflagellar transport kinesin motor proteins in C. elegans

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J.A. Burghoorn (Jan); M.P.J. Dekkers (Martijn); S. Rademakers (Suzanne); A.A.W. de Jong (Ton); R. Willemsen (Rob); P. Swoboda (Peter); J. McCafferty (Gert)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractCilia length and function are dynamically regulated by modulation of intraflagellar transport (IFT). The cilia of C. elegans amphid channel neurons provide an excellent model to study this process, since they use two different kinesins for anterograde transport: kinesin-II and OSM-3

  5. The chemistry, physiology and pathology of pH in cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swietach, Pawel; Vaughan-Jones, Richard D; Harris, Adrian L; Hulikova, Alzbeta

    2014-03-19

    Cell survival is conditional on the maintenance of a favourable acid-base balance (pH). Owing to intensive respiratory CO2 and lactic acid production, cancer cells are exposed continuously to large acid-base fluxes, which would disturb pH if uncorrected. The large cellular reservoir of H(+)-binding sites can buffer pH changes but, on its own, is inadequate to regulate intracellular pH. To stabilize intracellular pH at a favourable level, cells control trans-membrane traffic of H(+)-ions (or their chemical equivalents, e.g. ) using specialized transporter proteins sensitive to pH. In poorly perfused tumours, additional diffusion-reaction mechanisms, involving carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzymes, fine-tune control extracellular pH. The ability of H(+)-ions to change the ionization state of proteins underlies the exquisite pH sensitivity of cellular behaviour, including key processes in cancer formation and metastasis (proliferation, cell cycle, transformation, migration). Elevated metabolism, weakened cell-to-capillary diffusive coupling, and adaptations involving H(+)/H(+)-equivalent transporters and extracellular-facing CAs give cancer cells the means to manipulate micro-environmental acidity, a cancer hallmark. Through genetic instability, the cellular apparatus for regulating and sensing pH is able to adapt to extracellular acidity, driving disease progression. The therapeutic potential of disturbing this sequence by targeting H(+)/H(+)-equivalent transporters, buffering or CAs is being investigated, using monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule inhibitors.

  6. A plant-wide aqueous phase chemistry module describing pH variations and ion speciation/pairing in wastewater treatment process models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Flores Alsina, Xavier; Kazadi Mbamba, Christian; Solon, Kimberly

    2015-01-01

    at different cationic/anionic loads. In this way, the general applicability/flexibility of the proposed approach is demonstrated, by implementing the aqueous phase chemistry module in some of the most frequently used WWTP process simulation models. Finally, it is shown how traditional wastewater modelling......, but unavoidable, additional degree of complexity when representing cationic/anionic behaviour in Activated Sludge (AS)/Anaerobic Digestion (AD) systems. In this paper, a plant-wide aqueous phase chemistry module describing pH variations plus ion speciation/pairing is presented and interfaced with industry......) in order to reduce the overall stiffness of the system, thereby enhancing simulation speed. Additionally, a multi-dimensional version of the Newton-Raphson algorithm is applied to handle the existing multiple algebraic inter-dependencies. The latter is reinforced with the Simulated Annealing method...

  7. Modulation of the epithelial Ca2+ channel ECaC by extracellular pH.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vennekens, R.; Prenen, J.; Hoenderop, J.G.J.; Bindels, R.J.M.; Droogmans, G.; Nilius, B.

    2001-01-01

    We investigated the effect of extracellular pH on whole-cell currents through the epithelial Ca2+ channel, ECaC, expressed in HEK 293 cells. Both mono- and divalent current densities were significantly smaller at pH 6.0 than at pH 7.4. At pH 8.5 they were slightly larger. Lowering extracellular pH

  8. pH Sensing and Regulation in Cancer

    OpenAIRE

    Mehdi eDamaghi; Jonathan W. Wojtkowiak; Robert J. Gillies

    2013-01-01

    Cells maintain intracellular pH (pHi) within a narrow range (7.1-7.2) by controlling membrane proton pumps and transporters whose activity is set by intra-cytoplasmic pH sensors. These sensors have the ability to recognize and induce cellular responses to maintain the intracellular pH, often at the expense of acidifying the extracellular pH. In turn, extracellular acidification impacts cells via specific acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) and proton-sensing G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs...

  9. Myricetin stimulates the absorption of the pro-carcinogen PhIP

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schutte, M.E.; Sandt, J.J.M. van de; Alink, G.M.; Groten, J.P.; Rietjens, I.M.C.M.

    2006-01-01

    The effect of the flavonoid myricetin on the transport of the pro-carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) through differentiated Caco-2 monolayers, a model for the intestinal epithelium, is described. Myricetin causes an increase of the transport of PhIP from the apical to

  10. Surface/Interface Carrier-Transport Modulation for Constructing Photon-Alternative Ultraviolet Detectors Based on Self-Bending-Assembled ZnO Nanowires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Zhen; Zhou, Lianqun; Tang, Yuguo; Li, Lin; Zhang, Zhiqi; Yang, Hongbo; Ma, Hanbin; Nathan, Arokia; Zhao, Dongxu

    2017-09-13

    Surface/interface charge-carrier generation, diffusion, and recombination/transport modulation are especially important in the construction of photodetectors with high efficiency in the field of nanoscience. In the paper, a kind of ultraviolet (UV) detector is designed based on ZnO nanostructures considering photon-trapping, surface plasmonic resonance (SPR), piezophototronic effects, interface carrier-trapping/transport control, and collection. Through carefully optimized surface/interface carrier-transport modulation, a designed device with detectivity as high as 1.69 × 10 16 /1.71 × 10 16 cm·Hz 1/2 /W irradiating with 380 nm photons under ultralow bias of 0.2 V is realized by alternating nanoparticle/nanowire active layers, respectively, and the designed UV photodetectors show fast and slow recovery processes of 0.27 and 4.52 ms, respectively, which well-satisfy practical needs. Further, it is observed that UV photodetection could be performed within an alternative response by varying correlated key parameters, through efficient surface/interface carrier-transport modulation, spectrally resolved photoresponse of the detector revealing controlled detection in the UV region based on the ZnO nanomaterial, photodetection allowed or limited by varying the active layers, irradiation distance from one of the electrodes, standing states, or electric field. The detailed carrier generation, diffusion, and recombination/transport processes are well illustrated to explain charge-carrier dynamics contributing to the photoresponse behavior.

  11. Development of whole core thermal-hydraulic analysis program ACT. 3. Coupling core module with primary heat transport system module

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohtaka, Masahiko; Ohshima, Hiroyuki

    1998-10-01

    A whole core thermal-hydraulic analysis program ACT is being developed for the purpose of evaluating detailed in-core thermal hydraulic phenomena of fast reactors including inter-wrapper flow under various reactor operation conditions. In this work, the core module as a main part of the ACT developed last year, which simulates thermal-hydraulics in the subassemblies and the inter-subassembly gaps, was coupled with an one dimensional plant system thermal-hydraulic analysis code LEDHER to simulate transients in the primary heat transport system and to give appropriate boundary conditions to the core model. The effective algorithm to couple these two calculation modules was developed, which required minimum modification of them. In order to couple these two calculation modules on the computing system, parallel computing technique using PVM (Parallel Virtual Machine) programming environment was applied. The code system was applied to analyze an out-of-pile sodium experiment simulating core with 7 subassemblies under transient condition for code verification. It was confirmed that the analytical results show a similar tendency of experimental results. (author)

  12. Modulating Pluronics micellar rupture with cyclodextrins and drugs: effect of pH and temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valero, M; Dreiss, C A

    2014-01-01

    Micelles of the triblock copolymer Pluronic F127 can encapsulate drugs with various chemical structures and their architecture has been studied by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Interaction with a derivative of β-cyclodextrin, namely, heptakis(2,6-di-O- methyl)-β-cyclodextrin (DIMEB), induces a complete break-up of the micelles, providing a mechanism for drug release. In the presence of drugs partitioned within the micelles, competitive interactions between polymer, drug and cyclodextrin lead to a modulation of the micellar rupture, depending on the nature of the drug and the exact composition of the ternary system. These interactions can be further adjusted by temperature and pH. While the most widely accepted mechanism for the interaction between Pluronics and cyclodextrins is through polypseudorotaxane (PR) formation, involving the threading of β-CD on the polymer backbone, time-resolved SANS experiments show that de-micellisation takes place in less than 100 ms, thus unambiguously ruling out an inclusion complex between the cyclodextrin and the polymer chains

  13. A novel FbFP-based biosensor toolbox for sensitive in vivo determination of intracellular pH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rupprecht, Christian; Wingen, Marcus; Potzkei, Janko; Gensch, Thomas; Jaeger, Karl-Erich; Drepper, Thomas

    2017-09-20

    The intracellular pH is an important modulator of various bio(techno)logical processes such as enzymatic conversion of metabolites or transport across the cell membrane. Changes of intracellular pH due to altered proton distribution can thus cause dysfunction of cellular processes. Consequently, accurate monitoring of intracellular pH allows elucidating the pH-dependency of (patho)physiological and biotechnological processes. In this context, genetically encoded biosensors represent a powerful tool to determine intracellular pH values non-invasively and with high spatiotemporal resolution. We have constructed a toolbox of novel genetically encoded FRET-based pH biosensors (named Fluorescence Biosensors for pH or FluBpH) that utilizes the FMN-binding fluorescent protein EcFbFP as donor domain. In contrast to many fluorescent proteins of the GFP family, EcFbFP exhibits a remarkable tolerance towards acidic pH (pK a ∼3.2). To cover the broad range of physiologically relevant pH values, three EYFP variants exhibiting pK a values of 5.7, 6.1 and 7.5 were used as pH-sensing FRET acceptor domains. The resulting biosensors FluBpH 5.7, FluBpH 6.1 and FluBpH 7.5 were calibrated in vitro and in vivo to accurately evaluate their pH indicator properties. To demonstrate the in vivo applicability of FluBpH, changes of intracellular pH were ratiometrically measured in E. coli cells during acid stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Modulation and Functional Role of the Orientations of the N- and P-Domains of Cu+ -Transporting ATPase along the Ion Transport Cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Dan; Bruschweiler-Li, Lei; Zhang, Fengli; Brüschweiler, Rafael

    2015-08-18

    Ion transport of different P-type ATPases is regulated similarly through the interplay of multiple protein domains. In the presence of ATP, binding of a cation to the ion binding site in the transmembrane helices leads to the phosphorylation of the P-domain, allowing ion transfer across the membrane. The details of the mechanism, however, are not clear. Here, we report the modulation of the orientation between the N- and P-domains of Cu(+)-transporting ATPase along the ion transport cycle using high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in solution. On the basis of residual dipolar coupling measurements, it is found that the interdomain orientation (relative openness) of the N- and P-domains is distinctly modulated depending on the specific state of the N- and P-domains along the ion translocation cycle. The two domains' relative position in the apo state is semiopen, whereas it becomes closed upon binding of ATP to the N-domain. After phosphorylation of the P-domain and the release of ADP, the opening, however, becomes the widest among all the states. We reason such wide opening resulting from the departure of ADP prepares the N- and P-domains to accommodate the A-domain for interaction and, hence, promote ion transport and allow dephosphorylation of the P-domain. Such wide interdomain opening is abolished when an Asn to Asp mutation is introduced into the conserved DXXK motif located in the hinge region of the N- and P-domains of Cu(+)-ATPase, suggesting the indispensible role of the N- and P-interdomain orientation during ion transportation. Our results shed new light on the structural and mechanistic details of P-type ATPase function at large.

  15. Involvement of Histidine Residue His382 in pH Regulation of MCT4 Activity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shotaro Sasaki

    Full Text Available Monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4 is a pH-dependent bi-directional lactate transporter. Transport of lactate via MCT4 is increased by extracellular acidification. We investigated the critical histidine residue involved in pH regulation of MCT4 function. Transport of lactate via MCT4 was measured by using a Xenopus laevis oocyte expression system. MCT4-mediated lactate transport was inhibited by Zn2+ in a pH physiological condition but not in an acidic condition. The histidine modifier DEPC (diethyl pyrocarbonate reduced MCT4 activity but did not completely inactivate MCT4. After treatment with DEPC, pH regulation of MCT4 function was completely knocked out. Inhibitory effects of DEPC were reversed by hydroxylamine and suppressed in the presence of excess lactate and Zn2+. Therefore, we performed an experiment in which the extracellular histidine residue was replaced with alanine. Consequently, the pH regulation of MCT4-H382A function was also knocked out. Our findings demonstrate that the histidine residue His382 in the extracellular loop of the transporter is essential for pH regulation of MCT4-mediated substrate transport activity.

  16. Recovery Of Chromium Metal (VI) Using Supported Liquid Membrane (SLM) Method, A study of Influence of NaCl and pH in Receiving Phase on Transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cholid Djunaidi, Muhammad; Lusiana, Retno A.; Rahayu, Maya D.

    2017-06-01

    Chromium metal(VI) is a valuable metal but in contrary has high toxicity, so the separation and recovery from waste are very important. One method that can be used for the separation and recovery of chromium (VI) is a Supported Liquid Membrane (SLM). SLM system contains of three main components: a supporting membrane, organic solvents and carrier compounds. The supported Membrane used in this research is Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), organic solvent is kerosene, and the carrier compound used is aliquat 336. The supported liquid membrane is placed between two phases, namely, feed phase as the source of analyte (Cr(VI)) and the receiving phase as the result of separation. Feed phase is the electroplating waste which contains of chromium metal with pH variation about 4, 6 and 9. Whereas the receiving phase are the solution of HCl, NaOH, HCl-NaCl and NaOH-NaCl with pH variation about 1, 3, 5 and 7. The efficiency separation is determined by measurement of chromium in the feed and the receiving phase using AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry). The experiment results show that transport of Chrom (VI) by Supported Liquid membrane (SLM) is influenced by pH solution in feed phase and receiving phase as well as NaCl in receiving phase. The highest chromium metal is transported from feed phase about 97,78%, whereas in receiving phase shows about 58,09%. The highest chromium metal transport happens on pH 6 in feed phase, pH 7 in receiving phase with the mixture of NaOH and NaCl using carrier compound aliquat 336.

  17. Fluvial modulation of hydrodynamics and salt transport in a highly stratified estuary

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carla de Abreu D'Aquino

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available An oceanographic campaign was conducted in the Araranguá river estuary during the period from May 11th to 13th of 2006 in order to produce a first hydrographic characterization of this system. The campaign was carried out during the spring tide period, and coincidentally after an intense rain event in the region which produced a peak in river discharge. Water level, currents and salinity time series were recorded hourly during a 50-hour period, at a site nearly 7 km upstream from the estuarine mouth. Two longitudinal distributions of salinity along the estuary were also recorded. The hydrographic data time-series were used to compute the advective salt flux in order to investigate the changes in the transport terms as a function of the change in discharge. The results showed that the estuarine structure was strongly modulated by the river discharge. The drop in water level of about 0.5 m during the first 24 hours was directly related to the ebb phase of the river flood. The water column was highly stratified throughout the period, therefore the stratification increased during the last 24 hours. The currents were stronger, ebbing and uni-directional at the beginning and became weaker and bidirectional as the water level went down, assuming a tidal pattern. The total salt transport in the first 25 hours was of -13.6 kg.m-1.s-1 (seawards, decreasing to 3 Kg.m-1.s-1 during the last 25 hours (landwards. It was also noticeable that the pH in the estuary, recorded together with the salinity, was around 5, showing that the water quality in the estuary is affected by the coal mining activity in the hydrographic basin.Uma campanha oceanográfica foi realizada no estuário do rio Araranguá durante o período de 11 e 13 de maio de 2006, objetivando fazer uma primeira caracterização hidrográfica do sistema. A campanha foi realizada em condição de maré de sizígia, e coincidentemente após um evento de chuvas intensas na região que produziu um pico

  18. PhEDEx Data Service

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egeland, Ricky; Wildish, Tony; Huang, Chih-Hao

    2010-01-01

    The PhEDEx Data Service provides access to information from the central PhEDEx database, as well as certificate-authenticated managerial operations such as requesting the transfer or deletion of data. The Data Service is integrated with the 'SiteDB' service for fine-grained access control, providing a safe and secure environment for operations. A plug-in architecture allows server-side modules to be developed rapidly and easily by anyone familiar with the schema, and can automatically return the data in a variety of formats for use by different client technologies. Using HTTP access via the Data Service instead of direct database connections makes it possible to build monitoring web-pages with complex drill-down operations, suitable for debugging or presentation from many aspects. This will form the basis of the new PhEDEx website in the near future, as well as providing access to PhEDEx information and certificate-authenticated services for other CMS dataflow and workflow management tools such as CRAB, WMCore, DBS and the dashboard. A PhEDEx command-line client tool provides one-stop access to all the functions of the PhEDEx Data Service interactively, for use in simple scripts that do not access the service directly. The client tool provides certificate-authenticated access to managerial functions, so all the functions of the PhEDEx Data Service are available to it. The tool can be expanded by plug-ins which can combine or extend the client-side manipulation of data from the Data Service, providing a powerful environment for manipulating data within PhEDEx.

  19. All Internal Segmental Bone Transport and Optional Lengthening With a Newly Developed Universal Cylinder-Kombi-Tube Module for Motorized Nails-Description of a Surgical Technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krettek, Christian; El Naga, Ashraf

    2017-10-01

    Segmental transport is an effective method of treatment for segmental defects, but the need for external fixation during the transport phase is a disadvantage. To avoid external fixation, we have developed a Cylinder-Kombi-Tube Segmental Transport (CKTST) module for combination with a commercially available motorized lengthening nail. This CKTST module allows for an all-internal segmental bone transport and also allows for optional lengthening if needed. The concept and surgical technique of CKTST are described and illustrated with a clinical case.

  20. Nicotine transport in lung and non-lung epithelial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takano, Mikihisa; Kamei, Hidetaka; Nagahiro, Machi; Kawami, Masashi; Yumoto, Ryoko

    2017-11-01

    Nicotine is rapidly absorbed from the lung alveoli into systemic circulation during cigarette smoking. However, mechanism underlying nicotine transport in alveolar epithelial cells is not well understood to date. In the present study, we characterized nicotine uptake in lung epithelial cell lines A549 and NCI-H441 and in non-lung epithelial cell lines HepG2 and MCF-7. Characteristics of [ 3 H]nicotine uptake was studied using these cell lines. Nicotine uptake in A549 cells occurred in a time- and temperature-dependent manner and showed saturation kinetics, with a Km value of 0.31mM. Treatment with some organic cations such as diphenhydramine and pyrilamine inhibited nicotine uptake, whereas treatment with organic cations such as carnitine and tetraethylammonium did not affect nicotine uptake. Extracellular pH markedly affected nicotine uptake, with high nicotine uptake being observed at high pH up to 11.0. Modulation of intracellular pH with ammonium chloride also affected nicotine uptake. Treatment with valinomycin, a potassium ionophore, did not significantly affect nicotine uptake, indicating that nicotine uptake is an electroneutral process. For comparison, we assessed the characteristics of nicotine uptake in another lung epithelial cell line NCI-H441 and in non-lung epithelial cell lines HepG2 and MCF-7. Interestingly, these cell lines showed similar characteristics of nicotine uptake with respect to pH dependency and inhibition by various organic cations. The present findings suggest that a similar or the same pH-dependent transport system is involved in nicotine uptake in these cell lines. A novel molecular mechanism of nicotine transport is proposed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Mode-selective vibrational modulation of charge transport in organic electronic devices

    KAUST Repository

    Bakulin, Artem A.

    2015-08-06

    The soft character of organic materials leads to strong coupling between molecular, nuclear and electronic dynamics. This coupling opens the way to influence charge transport in organic electronic devices by exciting molecular vibrational motions. However, despite encouraging theoretical predictions, experimental realization of such approach has remained elusive. Here we demonstrate experimentally that photoconductivity in a model organic optoelectronic device can be modulated by the selective excitation of molecular vibrations. Using an ultrafast infrared laser source to create a coherent superposition of vibrational motions in a pentacene/C60 photoresistor, we observe that excitation of certain modes in the 1,500–1,700 cm−1 region leads to photocurrent enhancement. Excited vibrations affect predominantly trapped carriers. The effect depends on the nature of the vibration and its mode-specific character can be well described by the vibrational modulation of intermolecular electronic couplings. This presents a new tool for studying electron–phonon coupling and charge dynamics in (bio)molecular materials.

  2. Mode-selective vibrational modulation of charge transport in organic electronic devices

    KAUST Repository

    Bakulin, Artem A.; Lovrincic, Robert; Yu, Xi; Selig, Oleg; Bakker, Huib J.; Rezus, Yves L. A.; Nayak, Pabitra K.; Fonari, Alexandr; Coropceanu, Veaceslav; Bredas, Jean-Luc; Cahen, David

    2015-01-01

    The soft character of organic materials leads to strong coupling between molecular, nuclear and electronic dynamics. This coupling opens the way to influence charge transport in organic electronic devices by exciting molecular vibrational motions. However, despite encouraging theoretical predictions, experimental realization of such approach has remained elusive. Here we demonstrate experimentally that photoconductivity in a model organic optoelectronic device can be modulated by the selective excitation of molecular vibrations. Using an ultrafast infrared laser source to create a coherent superposition of vibrational motions in a pentacene/C60 photoresistor, we observe that excitation of certain modes in the 1,500–1,700 cm−1 region leads to photocurrent enhancement. Excited vibrations affect predominantly trapped carriers. The effect depends on the nature of the vibration and its mode-specific character can be well described by the vibrational modulation of intermolecular electronic couplings. This presents a new tool for studying electron–phonon coupling and charge dynamics in (bio)molecular materials.

  3. Visualizing Carrier Transport in Metal Halide Perovskite Nanoplates via Electric Field Modulated Photoluminescence Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Xuelu; Wang, Xiao; Fan, Peng; Li, Yunyun; Zhang, Xuehong; Liu, Qingbo; Zheng, Weihao; Xu, Gengzhao; Wang, Xiaoxia; Zhu, Xiaoli; Pan, Anlian

    2018-05-09

    Metal halide perovskite nanostructures have recently been the focus of intense research due to their exceptional optoelectronic properties and potential applications in integrated photonics devices. Charge transport in perovskite nanostructure is a crucial process that defines efficiency of optoelectronic devices but still requires a deep understanding. Herein, we report the study of the charge transport, particularly the drift of minority carrier in both all-inorganic CsPbBr 3 and organic-inorganic hybrid CH 3 NH 3 PbBr 3 perovskite nanoplates by electric field modulated photoluminescence (PL) imaging. Bias voltage dependent elongated PL emission patterns were observed due to the carrier drift at external electric fields. By fitting the drift length as a function of electric field, we obtained the carrier mobility of about 28 cm 2 V -1 S -1 in the CsPbBr 3 perovskite nanoplate. The result is consistent with the spatially resolved PL dynamics measurement, confirming the feasibility of the method. Furthermore, the electric field modulated PL imaging is successfully applied to the study of temperature-dependent carrier mobility in CsPbBr 3 nanoplates. This work not only offers insights for the mobile carrier in metal halide perovskite nanostructures, which is essential for optimizing device design and performance prediction, but also provides a novel and simple method to investigate charge transport in many other optoelectronic materials.

  4. Steviol Glycosides Modulate Glucose Transport in Different Cell Types

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizzo, Benedetta; Zambonin, Laura; Leoncini, Emanuela; Vieceli Dalla Sega, Francesco; Prata, Cecilia; Fiorentini, Diana; Hrelia, Silvana

    2013-01-01

    Extracts from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, a plant native to Central and South America, have been used as a sweetener since ancient times. Currently, Stevia extracts are largely used as a noncaloric high-potency biosweetener alternative to sugar, due to the growing incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and metabolic disorders worldwide. Despite the large number of studies on Stevia and steviol glycosides in vivo, little is reported concerning the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning the beneficial effects on human health. The effect of four commercial Stevia extracts on glucose transport activity was evaluated in HL-60 human leukaemia and in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. The extracts were able to enhance glucose uptake in both cellular lines, as efficiently as insulin. Our data suggest that steviol glycosides could act by modulating GLUT translocation through the PI3K/Akt pathway since treatments with both insulin and Stevia extracts increased the phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt. Furthermore, Stevia extracts were able to revert the effect of the reduction of glucose uptake caused by methylglyoxal, an inhibitor of the insulin receptor/PI3K/Akt pathway. These results corroborate the hypothesis that Stevia extracts could mimic insulin effects modulating PI3K/Akt pathway. PMID:24327825

  5. The mechanism by which a propeptide-encoded pH sensor regulates spatiotemporal activation of furin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, Danielle M; Elferich, Johannes; Ramakrishnan, Parvathy; Thomas, Gary; Shinde, Ujwal

    2013-06-28

    The proprotein convertase furin requires the pH gradient of the secretory pathway to regulate its multistep, compartment-specific autocatalytic activation. Although His-69 within the furin prodomain serves as the pH sensor that detects transport of the propeptide-enzyme complex to the trans-Golgi network, where it promotes cleavage and release of the inhibitory propeptide, a mechanistic understanding of how His-69 protonation mediates furin activation remains unclear. Here we employ biophysical, biochemical, and computational approaches to elucidate the mechanism underlying the pH-dependent activation of furin. Structural analyses and binding experiments comparing the wild-type furin propeptide with a nonprotonatable His-69 → Leu mutant that blocks furin activation in vivo revealed protonation of His-69 reduces both the thermodynamic stability of the propeptide as well as its affinity for furin at pH 6.0. Structural modeling combined with mathematical modeling and molecular dynamic simulations suggested that His-69 does not directly contribute to the propeptide-enzyme interface but, rather, triggers movement of a loop region in the propeptide that modulates access to the cleavage site and, thus, allows for the tight pH regulation of furin activation. Our work establishes a mechanism by which His-69 functions as a pH sensor that regulates compartment-specific furin activation and provides insights into how other convertases and proteases may regulate their precise spatiotemporal activation.

  6. The Mechanism by Which a Propeptide-encoded pH Sensor Regulates Spatiotemporal Activation of Furin*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, Danielle M.; Elferich, Johannes; Ramakrishnan, Parvathy; Thomas, Gary; Shinde, Ujwal

    2013-01-01

    The proprotein convertase furin requires the pH gradient of the secretory pathway to regulate its multistep, compartment-specific autocatalytic activation. Although His-69 within the furin prodomain serves as the pH sensor that detects transport of the propeptide-enzyme complex to the trans-Golgi network, where it promotes cleavage and release of the inhibitory propeptide, a mechanistic understanding of how His-69 protonation mediates furin activation remains unclear. Here we employ biophysical, biochemical, and computational approaches to elucidate the mechanism underlying the pH-dependent activation of furin. Structural analyses and binding experiments comparing the wild-type furin propeptide with a nonprotonatable His-69 → Leu mutant that blocks furin activation in vivo revealed protonation of His-69 reduces both the thermodynamic stability of the propeptide as well as its affinity for furin at pH 6.0. Structural modeling combined with mathematical modeling and molecular dynamic simulations suggested that His-69 does not directly contribute to the propeptide-enzyme interface but, rather, triggers movement of a loop region in the propeptide that modulates access to the cleavage site and, thus, allows for the tight pH regulation of furin activation. Our work establishes a mechanism by which His-69 functions as a pH sensor that regulates compartment-specific furin activation and provides insights into how other convertases and proteases may regulate their precise spatiotemporal activation. PMID:23653353

  7. A minimization procedure for estimating the power deposition and heat transport from the temperature response to auxiliary power modulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eester, Dirk van

    2004-01-01

    A method commonly used for determining where externally launched power is absorbed inside a tokamak plasma is to examine the temperature response to modulation of the launched power. Strictly speaking, this response merely provides a first good guess of the actual power deposition rather than the deposition profile itself: not only local heat sources but also heat losses and heat wave propagation affect the temperature response at a given position. Making use of this, at first sight non-desirable, effect modulation becomes a useful tool for conducting transport studies. In this paper a minimization method based on a simple conduction-convection model is proposed for deducing the power deposition and transport characteristics from the experimentally measured (electron) energy density response to a modulation of the auxiliary heating power. An L-mode JET example illustrates the potential of the technique

  8. Modulation and Control of Charge Transport Through Single-Molecule Junctions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Kun; Xu, Bingqian

    2017-02-01

    The ability to modulate and control charge transport though single-molecule junction devices is crucial to achieving the ultimate goal of molecular electronics: constructing real-world-applicable electronic components from single molecules. This review aims to highlight the progress made in single-molecule electronics, emphasizing the development of molecular junction electronics in recent years. Among many techniques that attempt to wire a molecule to metallic electrodes, the single-molecule break junction (SMBJ) technique is one of the most reliable and tunable experimental platforms for achieving metal-molecule-metal configurations. It also provides great freedom to tune charge transport through the junction. Soon after the SMBJ technique was introduced, it was extensively used to measure the conductances of individual molecules; however, different conductances were obtained for the same molecule, and it proved difficult to interpret this wide distribution of experimental data. This phenomenon was later found to be mainly due to a lack of precise experimental control and advanced data analysis methods. In recent years, researchers have directed considerable effort into advancing the SMBJ technique by gaining a deeper physical understanding of charge transport through single molecules and thus enhancing its potential applicability in functional molecular-scale electronic devices, such as molecular diodes and molecular transistors. In parallel with that research, novel data analysis methods and approaches that enable the discovery of hidden yet important features in the data are being developed. This review discusses various aspects of molecular junction electronics, from the initial goal of molecular electronics, the development of experimental techniques for creating single-molecule junctions and determining single-molecule conductance, to the characterization of functional current-voltage features and the investigation of physical properties other than charge

  9. pH Sensing and Regulation in Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehdi eDamaghi

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Cells maintain intracellular pH (pHi within a narrow range (7.1-7.2 by controlling membrane proton pumps and transporters whose activity is set by intra-cytoplasmic pH sensors. These sensors have the ability to recognize and induce cellular responses to maintain the intracellular pH, often at the expense of acidifying the extracellular pH. In turn, extracellular acidification impacts cells via specific acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs and proton-sensing G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs. In this review, we will discuss some of the major players in proton sensing at the plasma membrane and their downstream consequences in cancer cells and how these pH-mediated changes affect processes such as migration and metastasis. The complex mechanisms by which they transduce acid pH signals to the cytoplasm and nucleus are not well understood. However, there is evidence that expression of proton-sensing GPCRs such as GPR4, TDAG8, and OGR1 can regulate aspects of tumorigenesis and invasion, including colfilin and talin regulated actin (de-polymerization. Major mechanisms for maintenance of pHi homeostasis include monocarboxylate, bicarbonate and proton transporters. Notably, there is little evidence suggesting a link between their activities and those of the extracellular H+-sensors, suggesting a mechanistic disconnect between intra- and extra-cellular pH. Understanding the mechanisms of pH sensing and regulation may lead to novel and informed therapeutic strategies that can target acidosis, a common physical hallmark of solid tumors.

  10. Operation, analysis, and design of signalized intersections : a module for the introductory course in transportation engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-02-01

    This report presents materials that can be used as the basis for a module on signalized intersections in the introductory : course in transportation engineering. The materials were developed based on studies of the work of students who took : this in...

  11. ANAUSN - a one-dimensional multigroup SN transport theory module for the AUS reactor neutronics system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clancy, B.E.

    1982-05-01

    ANAUSN is a general purpose, one-dimensional discrete ordinate transport theory program which has access to AUS datapools. Fixed source, reactivity and a variety of criticality search calculations can be performed. The program can be operated as a module in the AUS scheme or as a stand-alone program

  12. Photovoltaic module and interlocked stack of photovoltaic modules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wares, Brian S.

    2014-09-02

    One embodiment relates to an arrangement of photovoltaic modules configured for transportation. The arrangement includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules, each photovoltaic module including a frame. A plurality of individual male alignment features and a plurality of individual female alignment features are included on each frame. Adjacent photovoltaic modules are interlocked by multiple individual male alignment features on a first module of the adjacent photovoltaic modules fitting into and being surrounded by corresponding individual female alignment features on a second module of the adjacent photovoltaic modules. Other embodiments, features and aspects are also disclosed.

  13. Perturbative studies of toroidal momentum transport using neutral beam injection modulation in the Joint European Torus: Experimental results, analysis methodology, and first principles modeling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mantica, P.; Tala, T.; Ferreira, J.S.

    2010-01-01

    Perturbative experiments have been carried out in the Joint European Torus [Fusion Sci. Technol. 53(4) (2008)] in order to identify the diffusive and convective components of toroidal momentum transport. The torque source was modulated either by modulating tangential neutral beam power...... or by modulating in antiphase tangential and normal beams to produce a torque perturbation in the absence of a power perturbation. The resulting periodic perturbation in the toroidal rotation velocity was modeled using time-dependent transport simulations in order to extract empirical profiles of momentum...

  14. Development and evaluation of the bacterial fate and transport module for the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Eun-Mi; Park, Yongeun; Muirhead, Richard; Jeong, Jaehak; Pachepsky, Yakov A

    2018-02-15

    The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) is a watershed-scale water quality model that includes detailed representation of agricultural management. The objective of this work was to develop a process-based model for simulating the fate and transport of manure-borne bacteria on land and in streams with the APEX model. The bacteria model utilizes manure erosion rates to estimate the amount of edge-of-field bacteria export. Bacteria survival in manure is simulated as a two-stage process separately for each manure application event. In-stream microbial fate and transport processes include bacteria release from streambeds due to sediment resuspension during high flow events, active release from the streambed sediment during low flow periods, bacteria settling with sediment, and survival. Default parameter values were selected from published databases and evaluated based on field observations. The APEX model with the newly developed microbial fate and transport module was applied to simulate fate and transport of the fecal indicator bacterium Escherichia coli in the Toenepi watershed, New Zealand that was monitored for seven years. The stream network of the watershed ran through grazing lands with daily bovine waste deposition. Results show that the APEX with the bacteria module reproduced well the monitored pattern of E. coli concentrations at the watershed outlet. The APEX with the microbial fate and transport module will be utilized for predicting microbial quality of water as affected by various agricultural practices, evaluating monitoring protocols, and supporting the selection of management practices based on regulations that rely on fecal indicator bacteria concentrations. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. New evidence and impact of electron transport non-linearities based on new perturbative inter-modulation analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Berkel, M.; Kobayashi, T.; Igami, H.; Vandersteen, G.; Hogeweij, G. M. D.; Tanaka, K.; Tamura, N.; Zwart, H. J.; Kubo, S.; Ito, S.; Tsuchiya, H.; de Baar, M. R.; LHD Experiment Group

    2017-12-01

    A new methodology to analyze non-linear components in perturbative transport experiments is introduced. The methodology has been experimentally validated in the Large Helical Device for the electron heat transport channel. Electron cyclotron resonance heating with different modulation frequencies by two gyrotrons has been used to directly quantify the amplitude of the non-linear component at the inter-modulation frequencies. The measurements show significant quadratic non-linear contributions and also the absence of cubic and higher order components. The non-linear component is analyzed using the Volterra series, which is the non-linear generalization of transfer functions. This allows us to study the radial distribution of the non-linearity of the plasma and to reconstruct linear profiles where the measurements were not distorted by non-linearities. The reconstructed linear profiles are significantly different from the measured profiles, demonstrating the significant impact that non-linearity can have.

  16. Electronic transport in armchair graphene nanoribbon under double magnetic barrier modulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Haiyan; Wu, Chao; Xie, Fang; Zhang, Xiaojiao; Zhou, Guanghui

    2018-03-01

    We present a theoretical investigation of the transport properties and the magnetoresistance effect in armchair graphene nanoribbons (AGNRs) under modulation by two magnetic barriers. The energy levels are found to be degenerate for a metallic AGNR but are not degenerate for a semiconducting AGNR. However, the conductance characteristics show quantized plateaus in both the metallic and semiconducting cases. When the magnetization directions of the barriers change from parallel to antiparallel, the conductance plateau in the metallic AGNR shows a degenerate feature due to matching between the transport modes in different regions. As the barrier height increases, the conductance shows more oscillatory behavior with sharp peaks and troughs. Specifically, the initial position of nonzero conductance for the metallic AGNR system moves towards a higher energy regime, which indicates that an energy gap has been opened. In addition, the magnetoresistance ratio also shows plateau structures in certain specific energy regions. These results may be useful in the design of electron devices based on AGNR nanostructures.

  17. Regulation of pH in human skeletal muscle: adaptations to physical activity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Juel, C

    2008-01-01

    -transport) and describes the contribution of each transport system in pH regulation at rest and during muscle activity. It is reported that the mechanisms involved in pH regulation can undergo adaptational changes in association with physical activity and that these changes are of functional importance....... resonance technique to exercise experiments including blood sampling and muscle biopsies. The present review characterizes the cellular buffering system as well as the most important membrane transport systems involved (Na(+)/H(+) exchange, Na-bicarbonate co-transport and lactate/H(+) co...

  18. Development of a fission product transport module predicting the behavior of radiological materials during sever accidents in a nuclear power plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, Hyung Seok; Rhee, Bo Wook; Kim, Dong Ha [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-09-15

    Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute is developing a fission product transport module for predicting the behavior of radioactive materials in the primary cooling system of a nuclear power plant as a separate module, which will be connected to a severe accident analysis code, Core Meltdown Progression Accident Simulation Software (COMPASS). This fission product transport (COMPASS-FP) module consists of a fission product release model, an aerosol generation model, and an aerosol transport model. In the fission product release model there are three submodels based on empirical correlations, and they are used to simulate the fission product gases release from the reactor core. In the aerosol generation model, the mass conservation law and Raoult's law are applied to the mixture of vapors and droplets of the fission products in a specified control volume to find the generation of the aerosol droplet. In the aerosol transport model, empirical correlations available from the open literature are used to simulate the aerosol removal processes owing to the gravitational settling, inertia impaction, diffusiophoresis, and thermophoresis. The COMPASS-FP module was validated against Aerosol Behavior Code Validation and Evaluation (ABCOVE-5) test performed by Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory for comparing the prediction and test data. The comparison results assuming a non-spherical aerosol shape for the suspended aerosol mass concentration showed a good agreement with an error range of about ±6%. It was found that the COMPASS-FP module produced the reasonable results of the fission product gases release, the aerosol generation, and the gravitational settling in the aerosol removal processes for ABCOVE-5. However, more validation for other aerosol removal models needs to be performed.

  19. A 'V' shaped superconducting levitation module for lift and guidance of a magnetic transportation system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    D' Ovidio, G. [Transportation Area - DAU, University of L' Aquila, Poggio di Roio, 67040 L' Aquila (Italy)], E-mail: dovidio@dau.ing.univaq.it; Crisi, F.; Lanzara, G. [Transportation Area - DAU, University of L' Aquila, Poggio di Roio, 67040 L' Aquila (Italy)

    2008-07-15

    A novel, YBCO based, magnetic transportation system (MagTranS) is presented and described. The feasibility of this system has been successfully tested and confirmed in a laboratory using a scaled demonstrator system. The MagTranS levitation system uses a stable, self-balancing 'V' shaped superconducting module for both lift and guidance of vehicles. The work concept of the MagTranS levitation module is described and differences with regards to the maglev current systems are highlighted. The results of levitation tests performed using a measurement set-up are presented and discussed. Lastly, levitation module performance studies are also carried out using numerical finite element analysis.

  20. Atmospheric radionuclide transport model with radon postprocessor and SBG module. Model description version 2.8.0; ARTM. Atmosphaerisches Radionuklid-Transport-Modell mit Radon Postprozessor und SBG-Modul. Modellbeschreibung zu Version 2.8.0

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richter, Cornelia; Sogalla, Martin; Thielen, Harald; Martens, Reinhard

    2015-04-20

    The study on the atmospheric radionuclide transport model with radon postprocessor and SBG module (model description version 2.8.0) covers the following issues: determination of emissions, radioactive decay, atmospheric dispersion calculation for radioactive gases, atmospheric dispersion calculation for radioactive dusts, determination of the gamma cloud radiation (gamma submersion), terrain roughness, effective source height, calculation area and model points, geographic reference systems and coordinate transformations, meteorological data, use of invalid meteorological data sets, consideration of statistical uncertainties, consideration of housings, consideration of bumpiness, consideration of terrain roughness, use of frequency distributions of the hourly dispersion situation, consideration of the vegetation period (summer), the radon post processor radon.exe, the SBG module, modeling of wind fields, shading settings.

  1. pH sensing and regulation in cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damaghi, Mehdi; Wojtkowiak, Jonathan W; Gillies, Robert J

    2013-12-17

    Cells maintain intracellular pH (pHi) within a narrow range (7.1-7.2) by controlling membrane proton pumps and transporters whose activity is set by intra-cytoplasmic pH sensors. These sensors have the ability to recognize and induce cellular responses to maintain the pHi, often at the expense of acidifying the extracellular pH. In turn, extracellular acidification impacts cells via specific acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) and proton-sensing G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). In this review, we will discuss some of the major players in proton sensing at the plasma membrane and their downstream consequences in cancer cells and how these pH-mediated changes affect processes such as migration and metastasis. The complex mechanisms by which they transduce acid pH signals to the cytoplasm and nucleus are not well understood. However, there is evidence that expression of proton-sensing GPCRs such as GPR4, TDAG8, and OGR1 can regulate aspects of tumorigenesis and invasion, including cofilin and talin regulated actin (de-)polymerization. Major mechanisms for maintenance of pHi homeostasis include monocarboxylate, bicarbonate, and proton transporters. Notably, there is little evidence suggesting a link between their activities and those of the extracellular H(+)-sensors, suggesting a mechanistic disconnect between intra- and extracellular pH. Understanding the mechanisms of pH sensing and regulation may lead to novel and informed therapeutic strategies that can target acidosis, a common physical hallmark of solid tumors.

  2. Effects of starvation on the transport of Escherichia coli K12 in saturated porous media are dependent on pH and ionic strength

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, S.; Walczak, J. J.; Wang, L.; Bardy, S. L.; Li, J.

    2010-12-01

    In this research, we investigate the effects of starvation on the transport of E. coli K12 in saturated porous media. Particularly, we examine the relationship between such effects and the pH and ionic strength of the electrolyte solutions that were used to suspend bacterial cells. E. coli K12 (ATCC 10798) cells were cultured using either Luria-Bertani Miller (LB-Miller) broth (10 g trypton, 5 g yeast extract and 10 g NaCl in 1 L of deionized water) or LB-Luria broth (10 g tryptone, 5 g yeast extract and 0.5 g NaCl in 1 L of deionized water). Both broths had similar pH (~7.1) but differed in ionic strength (LB-Miller: ~170 mM, LB-Luria: ~ 8 mM). The bacterial cells were then harvested and suspended using one of the following electrolyte solutions: phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (pH ~7.2; ionic strength ~170 mM), 168 mM NaCl (pH ~5.7), 5% of PBS (pH ~ 7.2; ionic strength ~ 8 mM) and 8 mM NaCl (pH ~ 5.7). Column transport experiments were performed at 0, 21 and 48 hours following cell harvesting to evaluate the change in cell mobility over time under “starvation” conditions. Our results showed that 1) starvation increased the mobility of E. coli K12 cells; 2) the most significant change in mobility occurred when bacterial cells were suspended in an electrolyte solution that had different pH and ionic strength (i.e., LB-Miller culture suspended in 8 mM NaCl and LB-Luria culture suspended in 168 mM Nacl); and 3) the change in cell mobility primarily occurred within the first 21 hours. The size of the bacterial cells was measured and the surface properties (e.g., zeta potential, hydrophobicity, cell-bound protein, LPS sugar content, outer membrane protein profiles) of the bacterial cells were characterized. We found that the measured cell surface properties could not fully explain the observed changes in cell mobility caused by starvation.

  3. Nanoscale phase engineering of thermal transport with a Josephson heat modulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fornieri, Antonio; Blanc, Christophe; Bosisio, Riccardo; D'Ambrosio, Sophie; Giazotto, Francesco

    2016-03-01

    Macroscopic quantum phase coherence has one of its pivotal expressions in the Josephson effect, which manifests itself both in charge and energy transport. The ability to master the amount of heat transferred through two tunnel-coupled superconductors by tuning their phase difference is the core of coherent caloritronics, and is expected to be a key tool in a number of nanoscience fields, including solid-state cooling, thermal isolation, radiation detection, quantum information and thermal logic. Here, we show the realization of the first balanced Josephson heat modulator designed to offer full control at the nanoscale over the phase-coherent component of thermal currents. Our device provides magnetic-flux-dependent temperature modulations up to 40 mK in amplitude with a maximum of the flux-to-temperature transfer coefficient reaching 200 mK per flux quantum at a bath temperature of 25 mK. Foremost, it demonstrates the exact correspondence in the phase engineering of charge and heat currents, breaking ground for advanced caloritronic nanodevices such as thermal splitters, heat pumps and time-dependent electronic engines.

  4. Effect of cytosolic pH on inward currents reveals structural characteristics of the proton transport cycle in the influenza A protein M2 in cell-free membrane patches of Xenopus oocytes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mattia L DiFrancesco

    Full Text Available Transport activity through the mutant D44A of the M2 proton channel from influenza virus A was measured in excised inside-out macro-patches of Xenopus laevis oocytes at cytosolic pH values of 5.5, 7.5 and 8.2. The current-voltage relationships reveal some peculiarities: 1. "Transinhibition", i.e., instead of an increase of unidirectional outward current with increasing cytosolic H(+ concentration, a decrease of unidirectional inward current was found. 2. Strong inward rectification. 3. Exponential rise of current with negative potentials. In order to interpret these findings in molecular terms, different kinetic models have been tested. The transinhibition basically results from a strong binding of H(+ to a site in the pore, presumably His37. This assumption alone already provides inward rectification and exponential rise of the IV curves. However, it results in poor global fits of the IV curves, i.e., good fits were only obtained for cytosolic pH of 8.2, but not for 7.5. Assuming an additional transport step as e.g. caused by a constriction zone at Val27 resulted in a negligible improvement. In contrast, good global fits for cytosolic pH of 7.5 and 8.2 were immediately obtained with a cyclic model. A "recycling step" implies that the protein undergoes conformational changes (assigned to Trp41 and Val27 during transport which have to be reset before the next proton can be transported. The global fit failed at the low currents at pHcyt = 5.5, as expected from the interference of putative transport of other ions besides H(+. Alternatively, a regulatory effect of acidic cytosolic pH may be assumed which strongly modifies the rate constants of the transport cycle.

  5. Regulation of pH During Amelogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacruz, Rodrigo S; Nanci, Antonio; Kurtz, Ira; Wright, J Timothy; Paine, Michael L

    2010-02-01

    During amelogenesis, extracellular matrix proteins interact with growing hydroxyapatite crystals to create one of the most architecturally complex biological tissues. The process of enamel formation is a unique biomineralizing system characterized first by an increase in crystallite length during the secretory phase of amelogenesis, followed by a vast increase in crystallite width and thickness in the later maturation phase when organic complexes are enzymatically removed. Crystal growth is modulated by changes in the pH of the enamel microenvironment that is critical for proper enamel biomineralization. Whereas the genetic bases for most abnormal enamel phenotypes (amelogenesis imperfecta) are generally associated with mutations to enamel matrix specific genes, mutations to genes involved in pH regulation may result in severely affected enamel structure, highlighting the importance of pH regulation for normal enamel development. This review summarizes the intra- and extracellular mechanisms employed by the enamel-forming cells, ameloblasts, to maintain pH homeostasis and, also, discusses the enamel phenotypes associated with disruptions to genes involved in pH regulation.

  6. Ph3CCOOSnPh3.Ph3PO AND Ph3CCOOSnPh3.Ph3AsO: SYNTHESIS AND INFRARED STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ABDOU MBAYE

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The mixture of ethanolic solutions of Ph3CCOOSnPh3 and Ph3PO or Ph3AsO gives Ph3CCOOSnPh3.Ph3PO and Ph3CCOOSnPh3.Ph3AsO adducts which have been characterized by infrared spectroscopy. A discrete structure is suggested for both, the environment around the tin centre being trigonal bipyramidal, the triphenylacetate anion behaving as a mondentate ligand.

  7. Economical wireless optical ratiometric pH sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vuppu, Sandeep; Kostov, Yordan; Rao, Govind

    2009-01-01

    The development and application of a portable, wireless fluorescence-based optical pH sensor is presented. The design incorporates the MSP430 microcontroller as the control unit, an RF transceiver for wireless communication, digital filters and amplifiers and a USB-based communication module for data transmission. The pH sensor is based on ratiometric fluorescence detection from pH sensitive dye incorporated in a peel-and-stick patch. The ability of the instrument to detect the pH of the solution with contact only between the sensor patch and the solution makes it partially non-invasive. The instrument also has the ability to transmit data wirelessly, enabling its use in processes that entail stringent temperature control and sterility. The use of the microcontroller makes it a reliable, low-cost and low-power device. The luminous intensity of the light source can be digitally controlled to maximize the sensitivity of the instrument. It has a resolution of 0.05 pH. The sensor is accurate and reversible over the pH range of 6.5–9

  8. EOS9nT: A TOUGH2 module for the simulation of flow and solute/colloid transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moridis, G.J.; Wu, Y.S.; Pruess, K.

    1998-04-01

    EOS9nT is a new TOUGH2 module for the simulation of flow and transport of an arbitrary number n of tracers (solutes and/or colloids) in the subsurface. The module first solves the flow-related equations, which are comprised of (a) the Richards equation and, depending on conditions, may also include (b) the flow equation of a dense brine or aqueous suspension and/or (c) the heat equation. A second set of transport equations, corresponding to the n tracers, are then solved sequentially. The low concentrations of the n tracers are considered to have no effect on the liquid phase, thus making possible the decoupling of their equations. The first set of equations in EOS9nT provides the flow regime and account for fluid density variations due to thermal and/or solute concentration effects. The n tracer transport equations account for sorption, radioactive decay, advection, hydrodynamic dispersion, molecular diffusion, as well as filtration (for colloids only). EOS9nT can handle gridblocks or irregular geometry in three-dimensional domains. Preliminary results from four 1-D verification problems show an excellent agreement between the numerical predictions and the known analytical solutions

  9. Magnetic Modulation of the Transport of Organophilic Solutes through Supported Magnetic Ionic Liquid Membranes.

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Daniel, C.L.; Rubio, A.M.; Sebastião, P.J.; Afonso, C.A.M.; Storch, Jan; Izák, Pavel; Portugal, C.A.M.; Crespo, J.G.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 505, MAY 1 (2016), s. 36-43 ISSN 0376-7388 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP106/12/0569 Grant - others:ERANET(PT) ERA-CHEM/0001/2008; EUI(ES) 2008- 03857; FCT-MCTES(PT) SFRH/BD/81552/2011 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) * solute transport modulation * magnetic field Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 6.035, year: 2016

  10. Increased NBCn1 expression, Na+/ HCO 3 ? co-transport and intracellular pH in human vascular smooth muscle cells with a risk allele for hypertension

    OpenAIRE

    Ng, Fu Liang; Boedtkjer, Ebbe; Witkowska, Kate; Ren, Meixia; Zhang, Ruoxin; Tucker, Arthur; Aalkj?r, Christian; Caulfield, Mark J.; Ye, Shu

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Genome-wide association studies have revealed an association between variation at the SLC4A7 locus and blood pressure. SLC4A7 encodes the electroneutral Na+/ HCO 3 ? co-transporter NBCn1 which regulates intracellular pH (pH i ). We conducted a functional study of variants at this locus in primary cultures of vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells. In both cell types, we found genotype-dependent differences for rs13082711 in DNA-nuclear protein interactions, where the risk allel...

  11. Human vaginal pH and microbiota: an update.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godha, Keshav; Tucker, Kelly M; Biehl, Colton; Archer, David F; Mirkin, Sebastian

    2018-06-01

    A woman's vaginal pH has many implications on her health and it can be a useful tool in disease diagnosis and prevention. For that reason, the further examination of the relationship between the human vaginal pH and microbiota is imperative. In the past several decades, much has been learned about the physiological mechanisms modulating the vaginal pH, and exogenous/genetic factors that may influence it. A unified, coherent understanding of these concepts is presented to comprehend their interrelationships and their cumulative effect on a woman's health. In this review, we explore research on vaginal pH and microbiota throughout a woman's life, vaginal intermediate cell anaerobic metabolism and net proton secretion by the vaginal epithelial, and the way these factors interact to acidify the vaginal pH. This review provides foundational information about what a microbiota is and its relationship with human physiology and vaginal pH. We then evaluate the influence of physiological mechanisms, demographic factors, and propose ideas for the mechanisms behind their action on the vaginal pH.

  12. p27Kip1 Modulates Axonal Transport by Regulating α-Tubulin Acetyltransferase 1 Stability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni Morelli

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Summary: The protein p27Kip1 plays roles that extend beyond cell-cycle regulation during cerebral cortex development, such as the regulation of neuronal migration and neurite branching via signaling pathways that converge on the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. Microtubule-dependent transport is essential for the maturation of neurons and the establishment of neuronal connectivity though synapse formation and maintenance. Here, we show that p27Kip1 controls the transport of vesicles and organelles along the axon of mice cortical projection neurons in vitro. Moreover, suppression of the p27Kip1 ortholog, dacapo, in Drosophila melanogaster disrupts axonal transport in vivo, leading to the reduction of locomotor activity in third instar larvae and adult flies. At the molecular level, p27Kip1 stabilizes the α-tubulin acetyltransferase 1, thereby promoting the acetylation of microtubules, a post-translational modification required for proper axonal transport. : Morelli et al. report that p27Kip1/Dacapo modulates the acetylation of microtubules in axons via stabilization of ATAT1, the main α-tubulin acetyltransferase. Its conditional loss leads to the reduction of bidirectional axonal transport of vesicles and mitochondria in vitro in mice and in vivo in Drosophila. Keywords: p27Kip1, dacapo, acetylation, axonal transport, ATAT1, alpha-tubulin, HDAC6, Drosophila, mouse, cerebral cortex

  13. The overview of channels, transporters, and calcium signaling molecules during amelogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hee-Eun; Hong, Jeong Hee

    2018-05-20

    Enamel is a highly calcified tissue. Its formation requires a progressive and dynamic system for the regulation of electrolyte concentration by enamel epithelia. A critical function of enamel epithelial cells, ameloblasts, is the secretion and movement of electrolytes via various channels and transporters to develop the enamel tissue. Enamel formation generates protons, which need to be neutralised. Thus, ameloblasts possess a buffering system to sustain mineral accretion. Normal tooth formation involves stage-dependent net fluctuations in pH during amelogenesis. To date, all of our information about ion transporters in dental enamel tissue is based solely on immunostaining-expression techniques. This review critically evaluates the current understanding and recent discoveries and physiological role of ion channels and transporters, Mg 2+ transporters, and Ca 2+ regulatory proteins during amelogenesis in enamel formation. The ways in which ameloblasts modulate ions are discussed in the context of current research for developing a novel morphologic-functional model of enamel maturation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Dendrimer nanocarriers for transport modulation across models of the pulmonary epithelium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bharatwaj, Balaji; Mohammad, Abdul Khader; Dimovski, Radovan; Cassio, Fernando L; Bazito, Reinaldo C; Conti, Denise; Fu, Qiang; Reineke, Joshua; da Rocha, Sandro R P

    2015-03-02

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of PEGylation on the interaction of poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer nanocarriers (DNCs) with in vitro and in vivo models of the pulmonary epithelium. Generation-3 PAMAM dendrimers with varying surface densities of PEG 1000 Da were synthesized and characterized. The results revealed that the apical to basolateral transport of DNCs across polarized Calu-3 monolayers increases with an increase in PEG surface density. DNC having the greatest number of PEG groups (n = 25) on their surface traversed at a rate 10-fold greater than its non-PEGylated counterpart, in spite of their larger size. This behavior was attributed to a significant reduction in charge density upon PEGylation. We also observed that PEGylation can be used to modulate cellular internalization. The total uptake of PEG-free DNC into polarized Calu-3 monolayers was 12% (w/w) vs 2% (w/w) for that with 25 PEGs. Polarization is also shown to be of great relevance in studying this in vitro model of the lung epithelium. The rate of absorption of DNCs administered to mice lungs increased dramatically when conjugated with 25 PEG groups, thus supporting the in vitro results. The exposure obtained for the DNC with 25PEG was determined to be very high, with peak plasma concentrations reaching 5 μg·mL(-1) within 3 h. The combined in vitro and in vivo results shown here demonstrate that PEGylation can be potentially used to modulate the internalization and transport of DNCs across the pulmonary epithelium. Modified dendrimers thereby may serve as a valuable platform that can be tailored to target the lung tissue for treating local diseases, or the circulation, using the lung as pathway to the bloodstream, for systemic delivery.

  15. Effect of pH on Pulp Potential and Sulphide Mineral Flotation

    OpenAIRE

    GÖKTEPE, Ferihan

    2014-01-01

    Control of pH is one of the most widely applied methods for the modulation of mineral flotation. In this study the effect of pH on potential in solution and sulphur minerals flotation is discussed with various electrodes. The electrodes were platinum, gold, chalcopyrite, pyrite and galena. In solution, potentials were linearly dependent on pH with a different slope for each electrode. Chalcopyrite, pyrite, sphalerite and galena minerals flotation tests were performed in a microflot...

  16. Photovoltaic module and interlocked stack of photovoltaic modules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wares, Brian S.

    2012-09-04

    One embodiment relates to an arrangement of photovoltaic modules configured for transportation. The arrangement includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules, each photovoltaic module including a frame having at least a top member and a bottom member. A plurality of alignment features are included on the top member of each frame, and a plurality of alignment features are included on the bottom member of each frame. Adjacent photovoltaic modules are interlocked by the alignment features on the top member of a lower module fitting together with the alignment features on the bottom member of an upper module. Other embodiments, features and aspects are also disclosed.

  17. Ferromagnetic-insulators-modulated transport properties on the surface of a topological insulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Jun-Ji; Liao Wen-Hu

    2014-01-01

    Transport properties on the surface of a topological insulator (TI) under the modulation of a two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnet/ferromagnet junction are investigated by the method of wave function matching. The single ferromagnetic barrier modulated transmission probability is expected to be a periodic function of the polarization angle and the planar rotation angle, that decreases with the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange increasing. However, the transmission probability for the double ferromagnetic insulators modulated n—n junction and n—p junction is not a periodic function of polarization angle nor planar rotation angle, owing to the combined effects of the double ferromagnetic insulators and the barrier potential. Since the energy gap between the conduction band and the valence band is narrowed and widened respectively in ranges of 0 ≤ θ < π/2 and π/2 < θ ≤ π, the transmission probability of the n—n junction first increases rapidly and then decreases slowly with the increase of the magnetic proximity exchange strength. While the transmission probability for the n—p junction demonstrates an opposite trend on the strength of the magnetic proximity exchange because the band gaps contrarily vary. The obtained results may lead to the possible realization of a magnetic/electric switch based on TIs and be useful in further understanding the surface states of TIs

  18. Intracellular pH gradients in migrating cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Martin, Christine; Pedersen, Stine Helene Falsig; Schwab, Albrecht

    2011-01-01

    might function as such unevenly distributed regulators as they modulate the interaction of focal adhesion proteins and components of the cytoskeleton in vitro. However, an intracellular pH (pH(i)) gradient reflecting a spatial asymmetry of protons has not been shown so far. One major regulator of p...

  19. Glutamate modulation of GABA transport in retinal horizontal cells of the skate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreitzer, Matthew A; Andersen, Kristen A; Malchow, Robert Paul

    2003-01-01

    Transport of the amino acid GABA into neurons and glia plays a key role in regulating the effects of GABA in the vertebrate retina. We have examined the modulation of GABA-elicited transport currents of retinal horizontal cells by glutamate, the likely neurotransmitter of vertebrate photoreceptors. Enzymatically isolated external horizontal cells of skate were examined using whole-cell voltage-clamp techniques. GABA (1 mm) elicited an inward current that was completely suppressed by the GABA transport inhibitors tiagabine (10 μm) and SKF89976-A (100 μm), but was unaffected by 100 μm picrotoxin. Prior application of 100 μm glutamate significantly reduced the GABA-elicited current. Glutamate depressed the GABA dose-response curve without shifting the curve laterally or altering the voltage dependence of the current. The ionotropic glutamate receptor agonists kainate and AMPA also reduced the GABA-elicited current, and the effects of glutamate and kainate were abolished by the ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline. NMDA neither elicited a current nor modified the GABA-induced current, and metabotropic glutamate analogues were also without effect. Inhibition of the GABA-elicited current by glutamate and kainate was reduced when extracellular calcium was removed and when recording pipettes contained high concentrations of the calcium chelator BAPTA. Caffeine (5 mm) and thapsigargin (2 nm), agents known to alter intracellular calcium levels, also reduced the GABA-elicited current, but increases in calcium induced by depolarization alone did not. Our data suggest that glutamate regulates GABA transport in retinal horizontal cells through a calcium-dependent process, and imply a close physical relationship between calcium-permeable glutamate receptors and GABA transporters in these cells. PMID:12562999

  20. Intracellular pH in rat pancreatic ducts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Novak, I; Hug, M; Greger, R

    1997-01-01

    In order to study the mechanism of H+ and HCO3- transport in a HCO3- secreting epithelium, pancreatic ducts, we have measured the intracellular pH (pHi) in this tissue using the pH sensitive probe BCECF. We found that exposures of ducts to solutions containing acetate/acetic acid or NH4+/NH3...... buffers (20 mmol/l) led to pHi changes in accordance with entry of lipid-soluble forms of the buffers, followed by back-regulation of pHi by duct cells. In another type of experiment, changes in extracellular pH of solutions containing HEPES or HCO3-/CO2 buffers led to significant changes in pHi that did....... Under some conditions, these exchangers can be invoked to regulate cell pH....

  1. Newly Developed Neutralized pH Icodextrin Dialysis Fluid: Nonclinical Evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamaguchi, Naoya; Miyamoto, Keiichi; Murata, Tomohiro; Ishikawa, Eiji; Horiuchi, Takashi

    2016-08-01

    A two-compartment system (NICOPELIQ; NICO, Terumo Co., Tokyo, Japan) has recently been developed to neutralize icodextrin peritoneal dialysis fluid (PDF). In this study, a nonclinical evaluation of NICO was carried out to evaluate biocompatibility as well as water transport ability. Glucose degradation products (GDPs) in the icodextrin PDFs were analyzed via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The cell viability of human peritoneal mesothelial cells derived from peritoneal dialysis effluent (PDE-HPMCs) was evaluated as well as the amount of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released after exposure to different PDFs (NICO and EXTRANEAL [EX, Baxter Healthcare Corp., Chicago, IL, USA]) and neutralized pH glucose PDF MIDPELIQ 250 (M250, Terumo). The water transport ability of NICO, EX, and M250 was tested using dialysis tube membranes with various pore sizes: 1, 2, 6-8, and 12-16 kDa. Although cell viability decreased by 30% after 30 min exposure to NICO, it was maintained for 6 h while a significant decrease was observed after 6 h exposure to EX. However, following adjustment of the pH to the same pre-exposure pH value, there was no significant difference in cell viability within the same pH group despite a doubling of the difference in the total amount of GDPs (44.6 ± 8.6 µM in NICO and 91.9 ± 9.5 µM in EX, respectively). In contrast, a significant decrease in cell viability was observed when the pH decreased to less than pH 6. Levels of released LDH, a cytotoxic marker, were within 5% after a 6-h exposure of NICO to PDE-HPMCs. There was no significant difference in water transport ability represented as overall osmotic gradients between NICO and EX. In conclusion, neutralization of icodextrin PDF is beneficial for maintaining cell viability and minimizing LDH release while water transport ability is comparable to the conventional icodextrin PDF. © 2016 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Intracellular pH homeostasis in Leishmania donovani amastigotes and promastigotes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glaser, T.A.; Baatz, J.E.; Kreishman, G.P.; Mukkada, A.J.

    1988-01-01

    Intracellular pH and pH gradients of Leishmania donovani amastigotes and promastigotes were determined over a broad range of extracellular pH values. Intracellular pH was determined by 31 P NMR and by equilibrium distribution studies with 5,5-dimethyloxazolidine-2,4-dione or methylamine. Promastigotes maintain intracellular pH values close to neutral between extracellular pH values of 5.0 and 7.4. Amastigote intracellular pH is maintained close to neutral at external pH values as low as 4.0. Both life stages maintain a positive pH gradient to an extracellular pH of 7.4, which is important for active transport of substrates. Treatment with ionophores, such as nigericin and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and the ATPase inhibitor dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, reduced pH gradients in both stages. Maintenance of intracellular pH in the physiologic range is especially relevant for the survival of the amastigote in its acidic in vivo environment

  3. Transport and Retention of TiO2 Rutile Nanoparticles in Saturated Porous Media: Influence of Solution pH, Ionic Strength, and the Presence of Humic Acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    The influence of solution pH, ionic strength, and varying concentrations of the Suwannee River Humic Acid (SRHA) on the transport of titanium dioxide (TiO2, rutile) nanoparticle aggregates (nTiO2) in saturated porous media was investigated through systematically examining the tra...

  4. Hydrogel-coated fiber Bragg grating sensor for pH monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pabbisetti, Vayu Nandana Kishore; Madhuvarasu, Sai Shankar

    2016-06-01

    We present a fiber-optic wavelength-modulated sensor for pH applications. Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is functionalized with a stimulus-responsive hydrogel that induces a strain on FBG due to mechanical expansion of the gel in response to ambient pH changes. The gel is synthesized from the blends of poly (vinyl alcohol)/poly (acrylic acid). The induced strain results in a shift of FBG reflected peak that is monitored by an interrogator. The sensor system shows good linearity in the acidic pH range of 3 to 7 with a sensitivity of 12.16 pm/pH. In addition, it shows good repeatability and oscillator behavior, which proves it to be fit for pH sensing applications.

  5. Implications for metal and volatile cycles from the pH of subduction zone fluids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galvez, Matthieu E.; Connolly, James A. D.; Manning, Craig E.

    2016-11-01

    The chemistry of aqueous fluids controls the transport and exchange—the cycles—of metals and volatile elements on Earth. Subduction zones, where oceanic plates sink into the Earth’s interior, are the most important geodynamic setting for this fluid-mediated chemical exchange. Characterizing the ionic speciation and pH of fluids equilibrated with rocks at subduction zone conditions has long been a major challenge in Earth science. Here we report thermodynamic predictions of fluid-rock equilibria that tie together models of the thermal structure, mineralogy and fluid speciation of subduction zones. We find that the pH of fluids in subducted crustal lithologies is confined to a mildly alkaline range, modulated by rock volatile and chlorine contents. Cold subduction typical of the Phanerozoic eon favours the preservation of oxidized carbon in subducting slabs. In contrast, the pH of mantle wedge fluids is very sensitive to minor variations in rock composition. These variations may be caused by intramantle differentiation, or by infiltration of fluids enriched in alkali components extracted from the subducted crust. The sensitivity of pH to soluble elements in low abundance in the host rocks, such as carbon, alkali metals and halogens, illustrates a feedback between the chemistry of the Earth’s atmosphere-ocean system and the speciation of subduction zone fluids via the composition of the seawater-altered oceanic lithosphere. Our findings provide a perspective on the controlling reactions that have coupled metal and volatile cycles in subduction zones for more than 3 billion years7.

  6. Low pH Cements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Savage, David; Benbow, Steven

    2007-05-01

    The development of low-pH cements for use in geological repositories for radioactive waste stems from concerns over the potential for deleterious effects upon the host rock and other EBS materials (notably bentonite) under the hyperalkaline conditions (pH > 12) of cement pore fluids. Low pH cement (also known as low heat cement) was developed by the cement industry for use where large masses of cement (e.g. dams) could cause problems regarding heat generated during curing. In low pH cements, the amount of cement is reduced by substitution of materials such as fly ash, blast furnace slag, silica fume, and/or non-pozzolanic silica flour. SKB and Posiva have ruled out the use of blast furnace slag and fly-ash and are focusing on silica fume as a blending agent. Currently, no preferred composition has been identified by these agencies. SKB and Posiva have defined a pH limit ≤ 11 for cement grout leachates. To attain this pH, blending agents must comprise at least 50 wt % of dry materials. Because low pH cement has little, or no free portlandite, the cement consists predominantly of calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) gel with a Ca/Si ratio ≤ 0.8. Although there are potential implications for the performance of the spent fuel and cladding due to the presence of hyperalkaline fluids from cement, the principal focus for safety assessment lies with the behaviour of bentonite. There are a number of potential constraints on the interaction of hyperalkaline cement pore fluids with bentonite, including mass balance, thermodynamic issues, mass transport, and kinetics, but none of these is likely to be limiting if conventional OPC cements are employed in repository construction. Nevertheless: Low-pH cements may supply approximately 50 % less hydroxyl ions than conventional OPC for a given volume of cement, but mass balance constraints are complicated by the uncertainty concerning the type of secondary minerals produced during cement-bentonite interaction. The change of aqueous

  7. Low pH Cements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Savage, David; Benbow, Steven [Quintessa Ltd., Henley-on-Thames (United Kingdom)

    2007-05-15

    The development of low-pH cements for use in geological repositories for radioactive waste stems from concerns over the potential for deleterious effects upon the host rock and other EBS materials (notably bentonite) under the hyperalkaline conditions (pH > 12) of cement pore fluids. Low pH cement (also known as low heat cement) was developed by the cement industry for use where large masses of cement (e.g. dams) could cause problems regarding heat generated during curing. In low pH cements, the amount of cement is reduced by substitution of materials such as fly ash, blast furnace slag, silica fume, and/or non-pozzolanic silica flour. SKB and Posiva have ruled out the use of blast furnace slag and fly-ash and are focusing on silica fume as a blending agent. Currently, no preferred composition has been identified by these agencies. SKB and Posiva have defined a pH limit {<=} 11 for cement grout leachates. To attain this pH, blending agents must comprise at least 50 wt % of dry materials. Because low pH cement has little, or no free portlandite, the cement consists predominantly of calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) gel with a Ca/Si ratio {<=} 0.8. Although there are potential implications for the performance of the spent fuel and cladding due to the presence of hyperalkaline fluids from cement, the principal focus for safety assessment lies with the behaviour of bentonite. There are a number of potential constraints on the interaction of hyperalkaline cement pore fluids with bentonite, including mass balance, thermodynamic issues, mass transport, and kinetics, but none of these is likely to be limiting if conventional OPC cements are employed in repository construction. Nevertheless: Low-pH cements may supply approximately 50 % less hydroxyl ions than conventional OPC for a given volume of cement, but mass balance constraints are complicated by the uncertainty concerning the type of secondary minerals produced during cement-bentonite interaction. The change of aqueous

  8. Low cytoplasmic pH reduces ER-Golgi trafficking and induces disassembly of the Golgi apparatus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soonthornsit, Jeerawat [Laboratory for Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita, Kyoto 603-8555 (Japan); Yamaguchi, Yoko; Tamura, Daisuke [Division of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192 (Japan); Ishida, Ryuichi; Nakakoji, Yoko; Osako, Shiho [Laboratory for Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita, Kyoto 603-8555 (Japan); Yamamoto, Akitsugu [Department of Animal Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, 266 Tamura, Nagahama, Shiga, 526‐0829 (Japan); Nakamura, Nobuhiro, E-mail: osaru3@cc.kyoto-su.ac.jp [Laboratory for Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita, Kyoto 603-8555 (Japan); Division of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192 (Japan)

    2014-11-01

    The Golgi apparatus was dramatically disassembled when cells were incubated in a low pH medium. The cis-Golgi disassembled quickly, extended tubules and spread to the periphery of cells within 30 min. In contrast, medial- and trans-Golgi were fragmented in significantly larger structures of smaller numbers at a slower rate and remained largely in structures distinct from the cis-Golgi. Electron microscopy revealed the complete disassembly of the Golgi stack in low pH treated cells. The effect of low pH was reversible; the Golgi apparatus reassembled to form a normal ribbon-like structure within 1–2 h after the addition of a control medium. The anterograde ER to Golgi transport and retrograde Golgi to ER transport were both reduced under low pH. Phospholipase A{sub 2} inhibitors (ONO, BEL) effectively suppressed the Golgi disassembly, suggesting that the phospholipase A{sub 2} was involved in the Golgi disassembly. Over-expression of Rab1, 2, 30, 33 and 41 also suppressed the Golgi disassembly under low pH, suggesting that they have protective role against Golgi disassembly. Low pH treatment reduced cytoplasmic pH, but not the luminal pH of the Golgi apparatus, strongly suggesting that reduction of the cytoplasmic pH triggered the Golgi disassembly. Because a lower cytoplasmic pH is induced in physiological or pathological conditions, disassembly of the Golgi apparatus and reduction of vesicular transport through the Golgi apparatus may play important roles in cell physiology and pathology. Furthermore, our findings indicated that low pH treatment can serve as an important tool to analyze the molecular mechanisms that support the structure and function of the Golgi apparatus. - Highlights: • The Golgi apparatus reversibly disassembles by low pH treatment. • The cis-Golgi disassembles quickly generating tubular structures. • Both anterograde and retrograde transport between the ER and the Golgi apparatus are reduced. • Phospholipase A{sub 2} inhibitors (ONO

  9. Evaluation of four-dimensional nonbinary LDPC-coded modulation for next-generation long-haul optical transport networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yequn; Arabaci, Murat; Djordjevic, Ivan B

    2012-04-09

    Leveraging the advanced coherent optical communication technologies, this paper explores the feasibility of using four-dimensional (4D) nonbinary LDPC-coded modulation (4D-NB-LDPC-CM) schemes for long-haul transmission in future optical transport networks. In contrast to our previous works on 4D-NB-LDPC-CM which considered amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise as the dominant impairment, this paper undertakes transmission in a more realistic optical fiber transmission environment, taking into account impairments due to dispersion effects, nonlinear phase noise, Kerr nonlinearities, and stimulated Raman scattering in addition to ASE noise. We first reveal the advantages of using 4D modulation formats in LDPC-coded modulation instead of conventional two-dimensional (2D) modulation formats used with polarization-division multiplexing (PDM). Then we demonstrate that 4D LDPC-coded modulation schemes with nonbinary LDPC component codes significantly outperform not only their conventional PDM-2D counterparts but also the corresponding 4D bit-interleaved LDPC-coded modulation (4D-BI-LDPC-CM) schemes, which employ binary LDPC codes as component codes. We also show that the transmission reach improvement offered by the 4D-NB-LDPC-CM over 4D-BI-LDPC-CM increases as the underlying constellation size and hence the spectral efficiency of transmission increases. Our results suggest that 4D-NB-LDPC-CM can be an excellent candidate for long-haul transmission in next-generation optical networks.

  10. Dopamine transporter polymorphism modulates oculomotor function and DAT1 mRNA expression in schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wonodi, Ikwunga; Hong, L Elliot; Stine, O Colin; Mitchell, Braxton D; Elliott, Amie; Roberts, Rosalinda C; Conley, Robert R; McMahon, Robert P; Thaker, Gunvant K

    2009-03-05

    Smooth pursuit eye movement (SPEM) deficit is an established schizophrenia endophenotype with a similar neurocognitive construct to working memory. Frontal eye field (FEF) neurons controlling SPEM maintain firing when visual sensory information is removed, and their firing rates directly correlate with SPEM velocity. We previously demonstrated a paradoxical association between a functional polymorphism of dopamine signaling (COMT gene) and SPEM. Recent evidence implicates the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) in modulating cortical dopamine and associated neurocognitive functions. We hypothesized that DAT1 10/10 genotype, which reduces dopamine transporter expression and increases extracellular dopamine, would affect SPEM. We examined the effects of DAT1 genotype on: Clinical diagnosis in the study sample (n = 418; 190 with schizophrenia), SPEM measures in a subgroup with completed oculomotor measures (n = 200; 87 schizophrenia), and DAT1 gene expression in FEF tissue obtained from postmortem brain samples (n = 32; 16 schizophrenia). DAT1 genotype was not associated with schizophrenia. DAT1 10/10 genotype was associated with better SPEM in healthy controls, intermediate SPEM in unaffected first-degree relatives of schizophrenia subjects, and worse SPEM in schizophrenia subjects. In the gene expression study, DAT1 10/10 genotype was associated with significantly reduced DAT1 mRNA transcript in FEF tissue from healthy control donors (P < 0.05), but higher expression in schizophrenia donors. Findings suggest regulatory effects of another gene(s) or etiological factor in schizophrenia, which modulate DAT1 gene function. 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  11. Dysregulated pH in Tumor Microenvironment Checkmates Cancer Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaleh Barar

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The dysregulation of pH by cancerous cells of solid tumors is able to create a unique milieu that is in favor of progression, invasion and metastasis as well as chemo-/immuno-resistance traits of solid tumors. Bioelements involved in pH dysregulation provide new set of oncotargets, inhibition of which may result in better clinical outcome. Methods: To study the impacts of pH dysregulation, we investigated the tumor development and progression in relation with Warburg effect, glycolysis and formation of aberrant tumor microenvironment. Results: The upregulation of glucose transporter GLUT-1 and several enzymes involve in glycolysis exacerbates this phenomenon. The accumulation of lactic acids in cancer cells provokes upregulation of several transport machineries (MCT-1, NHE-1, CA IX and H+ pump V-ATPase resulting in reinforced efflux of proton into extracellular fluid. This deviant event makes pH to be settled at 7.4 and 6.6 respectively in cancer cells cytoplasm and extracellular fluid within the tumor microenvironment, which in return triggers secretion of lysosomal components (various enzymes in acidic milieu with pH 5 into cytoplasm. All these anomalous phenomena make tumor microenvironment (TME to be exposed to cocktail of various enzymes with acidic pH, upon which extracellular matrix (ECM can be remodeled and even deformed, resulting in emergence of a complex viscose TME with high interstitial fluid pressure. Conclusion: It seems that pH dysregulation is able to remodel various physiologic functions and make solid tumors to become much more invasive and metastatic. It also can cause undesired resistance to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Hence, cancer therapy needs to be reinforced using specific inhibitors of bioelements involved in pH dysregulation of TME in solid tumors.

  12. Dual regulation of the native ClC-K2 chloride channel in the distal nephron by voltage and pH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinelli, Laurent; Nissant, Antoine; Edwards, Aurélie; Lourdel, Stéphane; Teulon, Jacques; Paulais, Marc

    2016-09-01

    ClC-K2, a member of the ClC family of Cl(-) channels and transporters, forms the major basolateral Cl(-) conductance in distal nephron epithelial cells and therefore plays a central role in renal Cl(-) absorption. However, its regulation remains largely unknown because of the fact that recombinant ClC-K2 has not yet been studied at the single-channel level. In the present study, we investigate the effects of voltage, pH, Cl(-), and Ca(2+) on native ClC-K2 in the basolateral membrane of intercalated cells from the mouse connecting tubule. The ∼10-pS channel shows a steep voltage dependence such that channel activity increases with membrane depolarization. Intracellular pH (pHi) and extracellular pH (pHo) differentially modulate the voltage dependence curve: alkaline pHi flattens the curve by causing an increase in activity at negative voltages, whereas alkaline pHo shifts the curve toward negative voltages. In addition, pHi, pHo, and extracellular Ca(2+) strongly increase activity, mainly because of an increase in the number of active channels with a comparatively minor effect on channel open probability. Furthermore, voltage alters both the number of active channels and their open probability, whereas intracellular Cl(-) has little influence. We propose that changes in the number of active channels correspond to them entering or leaving an inactivated state, whereas modulation of open probability corresponds to common gating by these channels. We suggest that pH, through the combined effects of pHi and pHo on ClC-K2, might be a key regulator of NaCl absorption and Cl(-)/HCO3 (-) exchange in type B intercalated cells. © 2016 Pinelli et al.

  13. α2-Adrenergic modulation of the glutamate receptor and transporter function in a chronic ocular hypertension model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Kyoung In; Kim, Jie Hyun; Park, Chan Kee

    2015-10-15

    Excitotoxicity, glutamate-induced toxic effects to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), is one of several mechanisms of RGC loss suggested in glaucoma. In this study, we focused on the role of glutamate transporter of glial cells as well as N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor with regard to glutamate toxicity in glaucoma. We also investigated whether α2-adrenoceptor activation could modulate glutamate transporters and NMDA receptors in a chronic ocular hypertension model. Brimonidine 0.15% was administered topically to the eyes of experimental glaucoma and control animals twice daily. After 8 weeks of intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation, staining with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) revealed an increase in the ganglion cell layer, and the number of TUNEL-positive cells was reduced by brimonidine treatment (P<0.05). Animals with experimentally induced glaucoma exhibited an increase in retinal stress marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity; brimonidine treatment reduced GFAP. Excitatory amino acid transporter 1(EAAT1) expression remained stable throughout the period of chronic ocular hypertension. α2-Adrenergic treatment upregulated EAAT1 protein levels (P<0.05). NMDA receptor (GluN1) expression was stimulated by chronic elevation of IOP, and GluN1-positive cells in ganglion cell layer were co-localized with TUNEL staining. Brimonidine administration suppressed GluN1 levels (P<0.05). These results indicate that brimonidine decreased RGC apoptosis, upregulating EAAT1 and downregulating NMDA receptors. We suggest that topical brimonidine treatment may decrease the glutamate excitotoxicity through modulation of glutamate transporter and NMDA receptor in glaucoma. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Zn2+ modulation of neurotransmitter transporters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørgaard-Nielsen, K.; Gether, U.

    2006-01-01

    of neurotransmitter transporters have been identified based on sequence homology: (1) the neurotransmitter sodium symporter family (NSS), which includes the Na+/C1(-)-dependent transporters for dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin; and (2) the dicarboxylate/amino acid cation symporter family (DAACS), which...

  15. Mechanistic Analysis of Cocrystal Dissolution as a Function of pH and Micellar Solubilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Fengjuan; Amidon, Gordon L; Rodriguez-Hornedo, Nair; Amidon, Gregory E

    2016-03-07

    The purpose of this work is to provide a mechanistic understanding of the dissolution behavior of cocrystals under the influence of ionization and micellar solubilization. Mass transport models were developed by applying Fick's law of diffusion to dissolution with simultaneous chemical reactions in the hydrodynamic boundary layer adjacent to the dissolving cocrystal surface to predict the pH at the dissolving solid-liquid interface (i.e., interfacial pH) and the flux of cocrystals. To evaluate the predictive power of these models, dissolution studies of carbamazepine-saccharin (CBZ-SAC) and carbamazepine-salicylic acid (CBZ-SLC) cocrystals were performed at varied pH and surfactant concentrations above the critical stabilization concentration (CSC), where the cocrystals were thermodynamically stable. The findings in this work demonstrate that the pH dependent dissolution behavior of cocrystals with ionizable components is dependent on interfacial pH. This mass transport analysis demonstrates the importance of pH, cocrystal solubility, diffusivity, and micellar solubilization on the dissolution rates of cocrystals.

  16. Bicarbonate/chloride antiport in Vero cells: II. Mechanisms for bicarbonate-dependent regulation of intracellular pH

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olsnes, S.; Ludt, J.; Tonnessen, T.I.; Sandvig, K.

    1987-01-01

    The rates of bicarbonate-dependent uptake and efflux of 22 Na + in Vero cells were studied and compared with the uptake and efflux of 36 Cl - . Both processes were strongly inhibited by DIDS. Whereas the transport of chloride increased approximately ten-fold when the internal pH was increased over a narrow range around neutrality, the uptake of Na + was much less affected by changes in pH. The bicarbonate-linked uptake of 22 Na + was dependent on internal Cl- but not on internal Na + . At a constant external concentration of HCO 3 -, the amount of 22 Na + associated with the cells increased when the internal concentration of HCO 3 - decreased and vice versa, which is compatible with the possibility that the ion pair NaCO 3 - is the transported species and that the transport is symmetric across the membrane. Bicarbonate inhibited the uptake of 36 Cl - both in the absence and presence of Na + . At alkaline internal pH, HCO 3 - stimulated the efflux of 36 Cl - from preloaded cells, while at acidic internal pH both Na + and HCO 3 - were required to induce 36 Cl - efflux. We propose a model for how bicarbonate-dependent regulation of the internal pH may occur. This model implies the existence of two bicarbonate transport mechanisms that, under physiological conditions, transport OH(-)-equivalents in opposite directions across the plasma membrane

  17. The effect of the series resistance in dye-sensitized solar cells explored by electron transport and back reaction using electrical and optical modulation techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Weiqing; Hu Linhua; Dai Songyuan; Guo Lei; Jiang Nianquan; Kou Dongxing

    2010-01-01

    The influence of the series resistance on the electron transport and recombination processes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) has been investigated. The series resistances induced by some parts of DSC, such as the transparent conductive oxide (TCO), the electrolyte layer and the counter electrode, influence the performance of DSC. By combining three frequency-domain techniques, specifically electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS) and intensity modulated photovoltage spectroscopy (IMVS), we studied the relationship between the series resistance and the dynamic response of DSC. The results show that the series resistance induced by the TCO or counter electrode predominantly affects the electron transport under short circuit conditions and has no significant influence on the recombination under open circuit conditions. However, the resistance related to the electrolyte layer not only limits the carrier transport but also influences the recombination. Possible reasons for the influence of the series resistance on the electron transport and recombination processes in DSC are also discussed.

  18. Effect of ionophores on phosphate and arsenate transport in Micrococcus lysodeikticus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Friedberg, I

    1977-09-01

    The effects of ionophores on P/sub i/ and arsenate transport, at acid and alkaline environment, were investigated in whole cells of Micrococcus lysodeikticus, a Gram positive obligatory aerobic bacterium. The results suggest that both ..delta.. Psi and ..delta.. pH contribute to the driving force of P/sub i/ transport; ..delta.. Psi seems to be predominant at pH 7.8, whereas at pH 5.5, the transport is primarily driven by ..delta.. pH. 12 references, 1 figure.

  19. Identification of Candida glabrata genes involved in pH modulation and modification of the phagosomal environment in macrophages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lydia Kasper

    Full Text Available Candida glabrata currently ranks as the second most frequent cause of invasive candidiasis. Our previous work has shown that C. glabrata is adapted to intracellular survival in macrophages and replicates within non-acidified late endosomal-stage phagosomes. In contrast, heat killed yeasts are found in acidified matured phagosomes. In the present study, we aimed at elucidating the processes leading to inhibition of phagosome acidification and maturation. We show that phagosomes containing viable C. glabrata cells do not fuse with pre-labeled lysosomes and possess low phagosomal hydrolase activity. Inhibition of acidification occurs independent of macrophage type (human/murine, differentiation (M1-/M2-type or activation status (vitamin D3 stimulation. We observed no differential activation of macrophage MAPK or NFκB signaling cascades downstream of pattern recognition receptors after internalization of viable compared to heat killed yeasts, but Syk activation decayed faster in macrophages containing viable yeasts. Thus, delivery of viable yeasts to non-matured phagosomes is likely not triggered by initial recognition events via MAPK or NFκB signaling, but Syk activation may be involved. Although V-ATPase is abundant in C. glabrata phagosomes, the influence of this proton pump on intracellular survival is low since blocking V-ATPase activity with bafilomycin A1 has no influence on fungal viability. Active pH modulation is one possible fungal strategy to change phagosome pH. In fact, C. glabrata is able to alkalinize its extracellular environment, when growing on amino acids as the sole carbon source in vitro. By screening a C. glabrata mutant library we identified genes important for environmental alkalinization that were further tested for their impact on phagosome pH. We found that the lack of fungal mannosyltransferases resulted in severely reduced alkalinization in vitro and in the delivery of C. glabrata to acidified phagosomes. Therefore

  20. Identification and modulation of the key amino acid residue responsible for the pH sensitivity of neoculin, a taste-modifying protein.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ken-ichiro Nakajima

    Full Text Available Neoculin occurring in the tropical fruit of Curculigo latifolia is currently the only protein that possesses both a sweet taste and a taste-modifying activity of converting sourness into sweetness. Structurally, this protein is a heterodimer consisting of a neoculin acidic subunit (NAS and a neoculin basic subunit (NBS. Recently, we found that a neoculin variant in which all five histidine residues are replaced with alanine elicits intense sweetness at both neutral and acidic pH but has no taste-modifying activity. To identify the critical histidine residue(s responsible for this activity, we produced a series of His-to-Ala neoculin variants and evaluated their sweetness levels using cell-based calcium imaging and a human sensory test. Our results suggest that NBS His11 functions as a primary pH sensor for neoculin to elicit taste modification. Neoculin variants with substitutions other than His-to-Ala were further analyzed to clarify the role of the NBS position 11 in the taste-modifying activity. We found that the aromatic character of the amino acid side chain is necessary to elicit the pH-dependent sweetness. Interestingly, since the His-to-Tyr variant is a novel taste-modifying protein with alternative pH sensitivity, the position 11 in NBS can be critical to modulate the pH-dependent activity of neoculin. These findings are important for understanding the pH-sensitive functional changes in proteinaceous ligands in general and the interaction of taste receptor-taste substance in particular.

  1. Modulational effects in accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Satogata, T.

    1997-01-01

    We discuss effects of field modulations in accelerators, specifically those that can be used for operational beam diagnostics and beam halo control. In transverse beam dynamics, combined effects of nonlinear resonances and tune modulations influence diffusion rates with applied tune modulation has been demonstrated. In the longitudinal domain, applied RF phase and voltage modulations provide mechanisms for parasitic halo transport, useful in slow crystal extraction. Experimental experiences with transverse tune and RF modulations are also discussed

  2. Influence of pH on the localized corrosion of iron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Webley, R.; Henry, R.

    1986-06-01

    The influence of pH on the pitting corrosion of iron in chloride and sulfate solutions was determined using two artificial pit apparatuses to obtain the pH near the surface of the pit bottom. A glass membrane electrode and an antimony electrode were used to measure pH in the two apparatuses. Using solutions of NaCl and Na 2 SO 4 at current densities of 0.5, 5.0, and 10 mA/cm 2 pH's in the range 5 to 6 were obtained with the first apparatus. The antimony probe did not measure pH accurately in solutions of 1 N NaCl and 1 N Na 2 SO 4 and had an error of approximately 2 pH units. A one-dimensional transport model was developed to predict pH variations around the pit mouth and inside the pit. The validity of this model was not verified due to the relative lack of precision with pH measurement techniques

  3. Opto-electro-modulated transient photovoltage and photocurrent system for investigation of charge transport and recombination in solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Jiangjian; Li, Dongmei; Luo, Yanhong; Wu, Huijue; Meng, Qingbo

    2016-12-01

    An opto-electro-modulated transient photovoltage/photocurrent system has been developed to probe microscopic charge processes of a solar cell in its adjustable operating conditions. The reliability of this system is carefully determined by electric circuit simulations and experimental measurements. Using this system, the charge transport, recombination and storage properties of a conventional multicrystalline silicon solar cell under different steady-state bias voltages, and light illumination intensities are investigated. This system has also been applied to study the influence of the hole transport material layer on charge extraction and the microscopic charge processes behind the widely considered photoelectric hysteresis in perovskite solar cells.

  4. DANTSYS: A diffusion accelerated neutral particle transport code system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alcouffe, R.E.; Baker, R.S.; Brinkley, F.W.; Marr, D.R.; O`Dell, R.D.; Walters, W.F.

    1995-06-01

    The DANTSYS code package includes the following transport codes: ONEDANT, TWODANT, TWODANT/GQ, TWOHEX, and THREEDANT. The DANTSYS code package is a modular computer program package designed to solve the time-independent, multigroup discrete ordinates form of the boltzmann transport equation in several different geometries. The modular construction of the package separates the input processing, the transport equation solving, and the post processing (or edit) functions into distinct code modules: the Input Module, one or more Solver Modules, and the Edit Module, respectively. The Input and Edit Modules are very general in nature and are common to all the Solver Modules. The ONEDANT Solver Module contains a one-dimensional (slab, cylinder, and sphere), time-independent transport equation solver using the standard diamond-differencing method for space/angle discretization. Also included in the package are solver Modules named TWODANT, TWODANT/GQ, THREEDANT, and TWOHEX. The TWODANT Solver Module solves the time-independent two-dimensional transport equation using the diamond-differencing method for space/angle discretization. The authors have also introduced an adaptive weighted diamond differencing (AWDD) method for the spatial and angular discretization into TWODANT as an option. The TWOHEX Solver Module solves the time-independent two-dimensional transport equation on an equilateral triangle spatial mesh. The THREEDANT Solver Module solves the time independent, three-dimensional transport equation for XYZ and RZ{Theta} symmetries using both diamond differencing with set-to-zero fixup and the AWDD method. The TWODANT/GQ Solver Module solves the 2-D transport equation in XY and RZ symmetries using a spatial mesh of arbitrary quadrilaterals. The spatial differencing method is based upon the diamond differencing method with set-to-zero fixup with changes to accommodate the generalized spatial meshing.

  5. DANTSYS: A diffusion accelerated neutral particle transport code system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alcouffe, R.E.; Baker, R.S.; Brinkley, F.W.; Marr, D.R.; O'Dell, R.D.; Walters, W.F.

    1995-06-01

    The DANTSYS code package includes the following transport codes: ONEDANT, TWODANT, TWODANT/GQ, TWOHEX, and THREEDANT. The DANTSYS code package is a modular computer program package designed to solve the time-independent, multigroup discrete ordinates form of the boltzmann transport equation in several different geometries. The modular construction of the package separates the input processing, the transport equation solving, and the post processing (or edit) functions into distinct code modules: the Input Module, one or more Solver Modules, and the Edit Module, respectively. The Input and Edit Modules are very general in nature and are common to all the Solver Modules. The ONEDANT Solver Module contains a one-dimensional (slab, cylinder, and sphere), time-independent transport equation solver using the standard diamond-differencing method for space/angle discretization. Also included in the package are solver Modules named TWODANT, TWODANT/GQ, THREEDANT, and TWOHEX. The TWODANT Solver Module solves the time-independent two-dimensional transport equation using the diamond-differencing method for space/angle discretization. The authors have also introduced an adaptive weighted diamond differencing (AWDD) method for the spatial and angular discretization into TWODANT as an option. The TWOHEX Solver Module solves the time-independent two-dimensional transport equation on an equilateral triangle spatial mesh. The THREEDANT Solver Module solves the time independent, three-dimensional transport equation for XYZ and RZΘ symmetries using both diamond differencing with set-to-zero fixup and the AWDD method. The TWODANT/GQ Solver Module solves the 2-D transport equation in XY and RZ symmetries using a spatial mesh of arbitrary quadrilaterals. The spatial differencing method is based upon the diamond differencing method with set-to-zero fixup with changes to accommodate the generalized spatial meshing

  6. Control of red cell volume and pH in trout: Effects of isoproterenol, transport inhibitors, and extracellular pH in bicarbonate/carbon dioxide-buffered media

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    NIKINMAA, M; STEFFENSEN, JF; TUFTS, BL

    1987-01-01

    The effects of extracellular pH and beta-adrenergic stimula-tion on the volume and pH of rainbow. trout red cells were studied in HCO3-/ CO2 butfered media. A decrease in extracellular pH caused an increase in red cell volume and a decrease in intracellular pH. The pH-induced changes in cell volume......, and that the Na+/H+ exchanger is not activated by changes in intracellular pH alone. The adrenergic drug, isoproterenol, promoted cell swelling and proton extrusion even in the presence of 10 mM HCO3-, showing that the adrenergic response plays a significant role in the control of cytoplasmic pH. These responses...... were enhanced by a decrease in extracellular pH, showing that the adrenergic response is of benefit to stressed animals. DIDS markedly enhanced the effect of isoproterenol on the pHi, but abolished the increase in red cell volume. The effects of furosemide were similar to those of DIDS, suggesting...

  7. Development of efficiency module of organization of Arctic sea cargo transportation with application of neural network technologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobolevskaya, E. Yu; Glushkov, S. V.; Levchenko, N. G.; Orlov, A. P.

    2018-05-01

    The analysis of software intended for organizing and managing the processes of sea cargo transportation has been carried out. The shortcomings of information resources are presented, for the organization of work in the Arctic and Subarctic regions of the Far East: the lack of decision support systems, the lack of factor analysis to calculate the time and cost of delivery. The architecture of the module for calculating the effectiveness of the organization of sea cargo transportation has been developed. The simulation process has been considered, which is based on the neural network. The main classification factors with their weighting coefficients have been identified. The architecture of the neural network has been developed to calculate the efficiency of the organization of sea cargo transportation in Arctic conditions. The architecture of the intellectual system of organization of sea cargo transportation has been developed, taking into account the difficult navigation conditions in the Arctic. Its implementation will allow one to provide the management of the shipping company with predictive analytics; to support decision-making; to calculate the most efficient delivery route; to provide on demand online transportation forecast, to minimize the shipping cost, delays in transit, and risks to cargo safety.

  8. Low cytoplasmic pH reduces ER-Golgi trafficking and induces disassembly of the Golgi apparatus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soonthornsit, Jeerawat; Yamaguchi, Yoko; Tamura, Daisuke; Ishida, Ryuichi; Nakakoji, Yoko; Osako, Shiho; Yamamoto, Akitsugu; Nakamura, Nobuhiro

    2014-11-01

    The Golgi apparatus was dramatically disassembled when cells were incubated in a low pH medium. The cis-Golgi disassembled quickly, extended tubules and spread to the periphery of cells within 30 min. In contrast, medial- and trans-Golgi were fragmented in significantly larger structures of smaller numbers at a slower rate and remained largely in structures distinct from the cis-Golgi. Electron microscopy revealed the complete disassembly of the Golgi stack in low pH treated cells. The effect of low pH was reversible; the Golgi apparatus reassembled to form a normal ribbon-like structure within 1-2h after the addition of a control medium. The anterograde ER to Golgi transport and retrograde Golgi to ER transport were both reduced under low pH. Phospholipase A2 inhibitors (ONO, BEL) effectively suppressed the Golgi disassembly, suggesting that the phospholipase A2 was involved in the Golgi disassembly. Over-expression of Rab1, 2, 30, 33 and 41 also suppressed the Golgi disassembly under low pH, suggesting that they have protective role against Golgi disassembly. Low pH treatment reduced cytoplasmic pH, but not the luminal pH of the Golgi apparatus, strongly suggesting that reduction of the cytoplasmic pH triggered the Golgi disassembly. Because a lower cytoplasmic pH is induced in physiological or pathological conditions, disassembly of the Golgi apparatus and reduction of vesicular transport through the Golgi apparatus may play important roles in cell physiology and pathology. Furthermore, our findings indicated that low pH treatment can serve as an important tool to analyze the molecular mechanisms that support the structure and function of the Golgi apparatus. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Electrolyte engineering toward efficient water splitting at mild pH

    KAUST Repository

    Shinagawa, Tatsuya; Ng, Marcus Tze-Kiat; Takanabe, Kazuhiro

    2017-01-01

    The development of processes for the conversion of H2O/CO2 driven by electricity generated in renewable manners is essential to achieve sustainable energy and chemical cycles, in which the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is one of the bottlenecks. In this contribution, the influences of the electrolyte molarity and identity on OER at alkaline to neutral pH were investigated at an appreciable current density of ~10 mA cm-2, revealing (1) the clear boundary of reactant switching between H2O/OH- due to the diffusion limitation of OH- and (2) the substantial contribution of the mass transport of the buffered species in buffered mild pH conditions. These findings propose a strategy of electrolyte engineering: tuning the electrolyte properties to maximize the mass-transport flux. The concept was successfully demonstrated for OER as well as overall water electrolysis in buffered mild pH conditions, shedding light on the development of practical solar fuel production systems.

  10. Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution under densely buffered neutral pH conditions

    KAUST Repository

    Shinagawa, Tatsuya

    2015-08-18

    Under buffered neutral pH conditions, solute concentrations drastically influence the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The iR-free HER performance as a function of solute concentration was found to exhibit a volcano-shaped trend in sodium phosphate solution at pH 5, with the maximum occurring at 2 M. A detailed microkinetic model that includes calculated activity coefficients, solution resistance, and mass-transport parameters accurately describes the measured values, clarifying that the overall HER performance is predominantly governed by mass-transport of slow phosphate ions (weak acid). In the HER at the optimum concentration of approximately 2 M sodium phosphate at pH 5, our theoretical model predicts that the concentration overpotential accounts for more than half of the required overpotential. The substantial concentration overpotential would originate from the electrolyte property, suggesting that the proper electrolyte engineering will result in an improved apparent HER performances. The significance of concentration overpotential shown in the study is critical in the advancement of electrocatalysis, biocatalysis, and photocatalysis.

  11. Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution under densely buffered neutral pH conditions

    KAUST Repository

    Shinagawa, Tatsuya; Takanabe, Kazuhiro

    2015-01-01

    Under buffered neutral pH conditions, solute concentrations drastically influence the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The iR-free HER performance as a function of solute concentration was found to exhibit a volcano-shaped trend in sodium phosphate solution at pH 5, with the maximum occurring at 2 M. A detailed microkinetic model that includes calculated activity coefficients, solution resistance, and mass-transport parameters accurately describes the measured values, clarifying that the overall HER performance is predominantly governed by mass-transport of slow phosphate ions (weak acid). In the HER at the optimum concentration of approximately 2 M sodium phosphate at pH 5, our theoretical model predicts that the concentration overpotential accounts for more than half of the required overpotential. The substantial concentration overpotential would originate from the electrolyte property, suggesting that the proper electrolyte engineering will result in an improved apparent HER performances. The significance of concentration overpotential shown in the study is critical in the advancement of electrocatalysis, biocatalysis, and photocatalysis.

  12. Electrolyte engineering toward efficient water splitting at mild pH

    KAUST Repository

    Shinagawa, Tatsuya

    2017-08-28

    The development of processes for the conversion of H2O/CO2 driven by electricity generated in renewable manners is essential to achieve sustainable energy and chemical cycles, in which the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is one of the bottlenecks. In this contribution, the influences of the electrolyte molarity and identity on OER at alkaline to neutral pH were investigated at an appreciable current density of ~10 mA cm-2, revealing (1) the clear boundary of reactant switching between H2O/OH- due to the diffusion limitation of OH- and (2) the substantial contribution of the mass transport of the buffered species in buffered mild pH conditions. These findings propose a strategy of electrolyte engineering: tuning the electrolyte properties to maximize the mass-transport flux. The concept was successfully demonstrated for OER as well as overall water electrolysis in buffered mild pH conditions, shedding light on the development of practical solar fuel production systems.

  13. Extracellular pH regulates zinc signaling via an Asp residue of the zinc-sensing receptor (ZnR/GPR39).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Limor; Asraf, Hila; Sekler, Israel; Hershfinkel, Michal

    2012-09-28

    Zinc activates a specific Zn(2+)-sensing receptor, ZnR/GPR39, and thereby triggers cellular signaling leading to epithelial cell proliferation and survival. Epithelial cells that express ZnR, particularly colonocytes, face frequent changes in extracellular pH that are of physiological and pathological implication. Here we show that the ZnR/GPR39-dependent Ca(2+) responses in HT29 colonocytes were maximal at pH 7.4 but were reduced by about 50% at pH 7.7 and by about 62% at pH 7.1 and were completely abolished at pH 6.5. Intracellular acidification did not attenuate ZnR/GPR39 activity, indicating that the pH sensor of this protein is located on an extracellular domain. ZnR/GPR39-dependent activation of extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 or AKT pathways was abolished at acidic extracellular pH of 6.5. A similar inhibitory effect was monitored for the ZnR/GPR39-dependent up-regulation of Na(+)/H(+) exchange activity at pH 6.5. Focusing on residues putatively facing the extracellular domain, we sought to identify the pH sensor of ZnR/GPR39. Replacing the histidine residues forming the Zn(2+) binding site, His(17) or His(19), or other extracellular-facing histidines to alanine residues did not abolish the pH dependence of ZnR/GPR39. In contrast, replacing Asp(313) with alanine resulted in similar Ca(2+) responses triggered by ZnR/GPR39 at pH 7.4 or 6.5. This mutant also showed similar activation of ERK1/2 and AKT pathways, and ZnR-dependent up-regulation of Na(+)/H(+) exchange at pH 7.4 and pH 6.5. Substitution of Asp(313) to His or Glu residues restored pH sensitivity of the receptor. This indicates that Asp(313), which was shown to modulate Zn(2+) binding, is an essential residue of the pH sensor of GPR39. In conclusion, ZnR/GPR39 is tuned to sense physiologically relevant changes in extracellular pH that thus regulate ZnR-dependent signaling and ion transport activity.

  14. Extracellular pH Regulates Zinc Signaling via an Asp Residue of the Zinc-sensing Receptor (ZnR/GPR39)*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Limor; Asraf, Hila; Sekler, Israel; Hershfinkel, Michal

    2012-01-01

    Zinc activates a specific Zn2+-sensing receptor, ZnR/GPR39, and thereby triggers cellular signaling leading to epithelial cell proliferation and survival. Epithelial cells that express ZnR, particularly colonocytes, face frequent changes in extracellular pH that are of physiological and pathological implication. Here we show that the ZnR/GPR39-dependent Ca2+ responses in HT29 colonocytes were maximal at pH 7.4 but were reduced by about 50% at pH 7.7 and by about 62% at pH 7.1 and were completely abolished at pH 6.5. Intracellular acidification did not attenuate ZnR/GPR39 activity, indicating that the pH sensor of this protein is located on an extracellular domain. ZnR/GPR39-dependent activation of extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 or AKT pathways was abolished at acidic extracellular pH of 6.5. A similar inhibitory effect was monitored for the ZnR/GPR39-dependent up-regulation of Na+/H+ exchange activity at pH 6.5. Focusing on residues putatively facing the extracellular domain, we sought to identify the pH sensor of ZnR/GPR39. Replacing the histidine residues forming the Zn2+ binding site, His17 or His19, or other extracellular-facing histidines to alanine residues did not abolish the pH dependence of ZnR/GPR39. In contrast, replacing Asp313 with alanine resulted in similar Ca2+ responses triggered by ZnR/GPR39 at pH 7.4 or 6.5. This mutant also showed similar activation of ERK1/2 and AKT pathways, and ZnR-dependent up-regulation of Na+/H+ exchange at pH 7.4 and pH 6.5. Substitution of Asp313 to His or Glu residues restored pH sensitivity of the receptor. This indicates that Asp313, which was shown to modulate Zn2+ binding, is an essential residue of the pH sensor of GPR39. In conclusion, ZnR/GPR39 is tuned to sense physiologically relevant changes in extracellular pH that thus regulate ZnR-dependent signaling and ion transport activity. PMID:22879599

  15. Potential pharmacokinetic role of organic cation transporters in modulating the transcorneal penetration of its substrates administered topically

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nirmal, J; Singh, S B; Biswas, N R; Thavaraj, V; Azad, R V; Velpandian, T

    2013-01-01

    Purpose We hypothesize organic cation transporters (OCT) may have a potential role in determining the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of organic cation drugs applied topically. Hence, in the present in vivo study, we attempted to evaluate the role of OCT in modulating the transport of its substrates after topical application. Methods New Zealand albino rabbits of either sex were used. Transcorneal penetration of OCT substrates tetraethylammonium and metformin after single instillation was evaluated in the absence and presence of OCT blockers (quinidine and atropine). Aqueous humor (AH) samples were collected through paracentesis amounting to 70–100 μl under topical anesthesia at various time intervals. The samples were subjected for estimation of both substrate as well as blocker concentrations using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Results Topical pre-treatment (30 min before substrate) of OCT blockers significantly decreased the transcorneal penetration of OCT substrates after single topical administration. The levels of blockers reaching AH in the presence of substrates were also modulated at 60 min after its administration as compared with its control. Conclusion OCT are functionally active in the uptake of their substrates from tear to AH. Therefore, OCT in the corneal epithelium may be positioned from apical to basolateral. When administering their substrates/blockers topically, both may be competing for OCT for their uptake across the cornea, thereby decreasing the corneal penetration. Hence OCT can have a potential pharmacokinetic role in modulating the ocular bioavailability of their substrates administered topically, which are used as ocular therapeutics. PMID:23846373

  16. Proton gradients and proton-dependent transport processes in the chloroplast

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricarda eHöhner

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Proton gradients are fundamental to chloroplast function. Across thylakoid membranes, the light induced proton gradient is essential for ATP synthesis. As a result of proton pumping into the thylakoid lumen, an alkaline stromal pH develops, which is required for full activation of pH-dependent Calvin Benson cycle enzymes. This implies that a pH gradient between the cytosol (pH 7 and the stroma (pH 8 is established upon illumination. To maintain this pH gradient chloroplasts actively extrude protons. More than 30 years ago it was already established that these proton fluxes are electrically counterbalanced by Mg2+, K+ or Cl- fluxes, but only recently the first transport systems that regulate the pH gradient were identified. Notably several (Na+,K+/H+ antiporter systems where identified, that play a role in pH gradient regulation, ion homeostasis, osmoregulation, or coupling of secondary active transport. The established pH gradients are important to drive uptake of essential ions and solutes, but not many transporters involved have been identified to date. In this mini review we summarize the current status in the field and the open questions that need to be addressed in order to understand how pH gradients are maintained, how this is interconnected with other transport processes and what this means for chloroplast function.

  17. A series connection architecture for large-area organic photovoltaic modules with a 7.5% module efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Soonil; Kang, Hongkyu; Kim, Geunjin; Lee, Seongyu; Kim, Seok; Lee, Jong-Hoon; Lee, Jinho; Yi, Minjin; Kim, Junghwan; Back, Hyungcheol; Kim, Jae-Ryoung; Lee, Kwanghee

    2016-01-05

    The fabrication of organic photovoltaic modules via printing techniques has been the greatest challenge for their commercial manufacture. Current module architecture, which is based on a monolithic geometry consisting of serially interconnecting stripe-patterned subcells with finite widths, requires highly sophisticated patterning processes that significantly increase the complexity of printing production lines and cause serious reductions in module efficiency due to so-called aperture loss in series connection regions. Herein we demonstrate an innovative module structure that can simultaneously reduce both patterning processes and aperture loss. By using a charge recombination feature that occurs at contacts between electron- and hole-transport layers, we devise a series connection method that facilitates module fabrication without patterning the charge transport layers. With the successive deposition of component layers using slot-die and doctor-blade printing techniques, we achieve a high module efficiency reaching 7.5% with area of 4.15 cm(2).

  18. Plasma transport studies using transient techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simonen, T.C.; Brower, D.L.; Efthimion, P.

    1991-01-01

    Selected topics from the Transient Transport sessions of the Transport Task Force Workshop, held February 19-23, 1990, in Hilton Head, South Carolina are summarized. Presentations on sawtooth propagation, ECH modulation, particle modulation, and H-mode transitions are included. The research results presented indicated a growing theoretical understanding and experimental sophistication in the application of transient techniques to transport studies. (Author)

  19. Development of a Grid-Independent Geos-Chem Chemical Transport Model (v9-02) as an Atmospheric Chemistry Module for Earth System Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, M. S.; Yantosca, R.; Nielsen, J. E; Keller, C. A.; Da Silva, A.; Sulprizio, M. P.; Pawson, S.; Jacob, D. J.

    2015-01-01

    The GEOS-Chem global chemical transport model (CTM), used by a large atmospheric chemistry research community, has been re-engineered to also serve as an atmospheric chemistry module for Earth system models (ESMs). This was done using an Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF) interface that operates independently of the GEOSChem scientific code, permitting the exact same GEOSChem code to be used as an ESM module or as a standalone CTM. In this manner, the continual stream of updates contributed by the CTM user community is automatically passed on to the ESM module, which remains state of science and referenced to the latest version of the standard GEOS-Chem CTM. A major step in this re-engineering was to make GEOS-Chem grid independent, i.e., capable of using any geophysical grid specified at run time. GEOS-Chem data sockets were also created for communication between modules and with external ESM code. The grid-independent, ESMF-compatible GEOS-Chem is now the standard version of the GEOS-Chem CTM. It has been implemented as an atmospheric chemistry module into the NASA GEOS- 5 ESM. The coupled GEOS-5-GEOS-Chem system was tested for scalability and performance with a tropospheric oxidant-aerosol simulation (120 coupled species, 66 transported tracers) using 48-240 cores and message-passing interface (MPI) distributed-memory parallelization. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the GEOS-Chem chemistry module scales efficiently for the number of cores tested, with no degradation as the number of cores increases. Although inclusion of atmospheric chemistry in ESMs is computationally expensive, the excellent scalability of the chemistry module means that the relative cost goes down with increasing number of cores in a massively parallel environment.

  20. Transport and Sustainability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Kaj

    1997-01-01

    Ph.D. study of the scope for sustainable transport in Denmark, and particularly of the role of the motor vehicle in this context. The distribution of groceries is used as case study of the introduction of the motor vehicle in Denmark, concluding that this has resulted in increases of the transport...

  1. Spermine modulates the expression of two probable polyamine transporter genes and determines growth responses to cadaverine in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sagor, G H M; Berberich, Thomas; Kojima, Seiji; Niitsu, Masaru; Kusano, Tomonobu

    2016-06-01

    Two genes, LAT1 and OCT1 , are likely to be involved in polyamine transport in Arabidopsis. Endogenous spermine levels modulate their expression and determine the sensitivity to cadaverine. Arabidopsis spermine (Spm) synthase (SPMS) gene-deficient mutant was previously shown to be rather resistant to the diamine cadaverine (Cad). Furthermore, a mutant deficient in polyamine oxidase 4 gene, accumulating about twofold more of Spm than wild type plants, showed increased sensitivity to Cad. It suggests that endogenous Spm content determines growth responses to Cad in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we showed that Arabidopsis seedlings pretreated with Spm absorbs more Cad and has shorter root growth, and that the transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the SPMS gene are hypersensitive to Cad, further supporting the above idea. The transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing L-Amino acid Transporter 1 (LAT1) absorbed more Cad and showed increased Cad sensitivity, suggesting that LAT1 functions as a Cad importer. Recently, other research group reported that Organic Cation Transporter 1 (OCT1) is a causal gene which determines the Cad sensitivity of various Arabidopsis accessions. Furthermore, their results suggested that OCT1 is involved in Cad efflux. Thus we monitored the expression of OCT1 and LAT1 during the above experiments. Based on the results, we proposed a model in which the level of Spm content modulates the expression of OCT1 and LAT1, and determines Cad sensitivity of Arabidopsis.

  2. Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) isoforms PH1 and PH2 perturb vacuolar physiology

    OpenAIRE

    Callaghan, Paul S.; Siriwardana, Amila; Hassett, Matthew R.; Roepe, Paul D.

    2016-01-01

    Background Recent work has perfected yeast-based methods for measuring drug transport by the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine (CQ) resistance transporter (PfCRT). Methods The approach relies on inducible heterologous expression of PfCRT in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. In these experiments selecting drug concentrations are not toxic to the yeast, nor is expression of PfCRT alone toxic. Only when PfCRT is expressed in the presence of CQ is the growth of yeast impaired, due to inward transpo...

  3. Polarization-multiplexed rate-adaptive non-binary-quasi-cyclic-LDPC-coded multilevel modulation with coherent detection for optical transport networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arabaci, Murat; Djordjevic, Ivan B; Saunders, Ross; Marcoccia, Roberto M

    2010-02-01

    In order to achieve high-speed transmission over optical transport networks (OTNs) and maximize its throughput, we propose using a rate-adaptive polarization-multiplexed coded multilevel modulation with coherent detection based on component non-binary quasi-cyclic (QC) LDPC codes. Compared to prior-art bit-interleaved LDPC-coded modulation (BI-LDPC-CM) scheme, the proposed non-binary LDPC-coded modulation (NB-LDPC-CM) scheme not only reduces latency due to symbol- instead of bit-level processing but also provides either impressive reduction in computational complexity or striking improvements in coding gain depending on the constellation size. As the paper presents, compared to its prior-art binary counterpart, the proposed NB-LDPC-CM scheme addresses the needs of future OTNs, which are achieving the target BER performance and providing maximum possible throughput both over the entire lifetime of the OTN, better.

  4. Measurements of spectral responses for developing fiber-optic pH sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Wook Jae; Heo, Ji Yeon; Jang, Kyoung Won; Seo, Jeong Ki; Moon, Jin Soo; Park, Jang-Yeon; Park, Byung Gi; Cho, Seunghyun; Lee, Bongsoo

    2011-01-01

    In this study, we have fabricated a fiber-optic pH sensor, which is composed of a light source, a pH-sensing probe, plastic optical fibers and a spectrometer, for determining the degree of infection by Helicobacter pylori in the stomach. As pH indicators, phenol red and m-cresol purple are used, and pH liquid solutions are prepared by mixing phenol red or m-cresol purple solutions and various kinds of pH buffer solutions. The light emitted by a light source is guided by plastic optical fibers to the pH liquid solution, and the optical characteristic of a reflected light is changed according to the color variations of the pH indicator in the pH-sensing probe. Therefore, we have measured the intensities and wavelength shifts of the reflected lights, which change according to the color variations of indicators at different pH values, by using a spectrometer for spectral analysis. Also, the relationships between the pH values of liquid solutions and the optical properties of the modulated lights are obtained on the basis of the changes of the colors of indicators.

  5. Transporting the last superconducting module to be removed from LEP

    CERN Multimedia

    Patrice Loïez

    2001-01-01

    All 72 of LEP's superconducting modules have now been raised to the surface. Some 80% will be preserved at CERN, with 10% being reused for the LHC and a further 10% of obsolete non-radioactive material destined for recycling. These pictures show the last of these modules on its journey from PM18 to the old ISR tunnel where the modules will be stored in the short term. Photo 01: The Ansaldo 1020 module leaves PM18 by lorry. Photo 03: The module on the SM18 site. Photos 06, 08: The module on the road.

  6. DMFC Module for non-road transport and mobile applications. Final report; DMFC Modul for intern transport og mobile anlaeg. Slutrapport

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2008-04-15

    The objective of the project has been to develop a compact fuel cell generator using methanol as fuel. The DMFC module will be tested as power generator for internal transport using a Mini Crosser electric wheelchair for elderly and disabled people. The main advantage is the potential enhanced operation time (enhanced range) and the abbreviated recharge time compared with rechargeable batteries. The project approach was to use a hybrid system comprising a DMFC and a battery. The Hybrid system enables the usage of the battery to cover the dynamic power requirements while operating the DMFC generator at a constant load charging the battery. The project result is a functioning vehicle with a 600W DMFC system installed. The DMFC system has been tested independently and together with the vehicle where test results have been gathered. It was not possible within the project to make a compact installation in the existing battery box of the vehicle, but it is illustrated that it will be possible to make the full installation of a 2nd generation system in the vehicle. On the commercial side it is concluded that there can be a potential market entry opportunity if the DMFC system can meet commercialisation targets. It is also concluded that usage of a DMFC system in a closed wheel chair would give the possibility to use the produced heat from the fuel cell and thereby eliminate the requirement for an additional heater on the vehicle. (au)

  7. Design of a compact high-speed optical modulator based on a hybrid plasmonic nanobeam cavity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Javid, Mohammad Reza; Miri, Mehdi; Zarifkar, Abbas

    2018-03-01

    A hybrid plasmonic electro-optic modulator based on a polymer-filled one dimensional photonic crystal nanobeam (1D PhCNB) cavity is proposed here. In the proposed structure the optical intensity modulation is realized by shifting the resonant wavelength of the cavity through electrically tuning the refractive index of the electro-optic polymer in the hybrid plasmonic waveguide. As a result of the subwavelength light confinement in the hybrid plasmonic waveguide and the compact footprint of the 1D PhCNB cavity, the designed modulator has the small overall footprint of 3 . 6 μm2 and the required wavelength shift can be achieved by applying very small actuating power. Three dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D-FDTD) simulations show that the modulation depth of 10.9 dB, and insertion loss of 1.14 dB, along with very high modulation speed of 224 GHz can be achieved in the proposed modulator with very low modulation energy of 0.75 fJ/bit. A comparison between the performance parameters of the proposed modulator and those of previously reported PhCNB based modulators reveals the superior performance of the proposed structure in terms of modulation speed, energy consumption and overall footprint.

  8. Nanoparticle/Polymer assembled microcapsules with pH sensing property.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Pan; Song, Xiaoxue; Tong, Weijun; Gao, Changyou

    2014-10-01

    The dual-labeled microcapsules via nanoparticle/polymer assembly based on polyamine-salt aggregates can be fabricated for the ratiometric intracellular pH sensing. After deposition of SiO2 nanoparticles on the poly(allylamine hydrochloride)/multivalent anionic salt aggregates followed by silicic acid treatment, the generated microcapsules are stable in a wide pH range (3.0 ∼ 8.0). pH sensitive dye and pH insensitive dye are simultaneously labeled on the capsules, which enable the ratiometric pH sensing. Due to the rough and positively charged surface, the microcapsules can be internalized by several kinds of cells naturally. Real-time measurement of intracellular pH in several living cells shows that the capsules are all located in acidic organelles after being taken up. Furthermore, the negatively charged DNA and dyes can be easily encapsulated into the capsules via charge interaction. The microcapsules with combination of localized pH sensing and drug loading abilities have many advantages, such as following the real-time transportation and processing of the carriers in cells. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Effect of rotational speed modulation on heat transport in a fluid layer with temperature dependent viscosity and internal heat source

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B.S. Bhadauria

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a theoretical investigation has been carried out to study the combined effect of rotation speed modulation and internal heating on thermal instability in a temperature dependent viscous horizontal fluid layer. Rayleigh–Bénard momentum equation with Coriolis term has been considered to describe the convective flow. The system is rotating about it is own axis with non-uniform rotational speed. In particular, a time-periodic and sinusoidally varying rotational speed has been considered. A weak nonlinear stability analysis is performed to find the effect of modulation on heat transport. Nusselt number is obtained in terms of amplitude of convection and internal Rayleigh number, and depicted graphically for showing the effects of various parameters of the system. The effect of modulated rotation speed is found to have a stabilizing effect for different values of modulation frequency. Further, internal heating and thermo-rheological parameters are found to destabilize the system.

  10. Quantification of pH gradients and implications in insulator-based dielectrophoresis of biomolecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gencoglu, Aytug; Camacho-Alanis, Fernanda; Nguyen, Vi Thanh; Nakano, Asuka; Ros, Alexandra; Minerick, Adrienne R

    2011-09-01

    Direct current (DC) insulator-based dielectrophoretic (iDEP) microdevices have the potential to replace traditional alternating current dielectrophoretic devices for many cellular and biomolecular separation applications. The use of large DC fields suggest that electrode reactions and ion transport mechanisms can become important and impact ion distributions in the nanoliters of fluid in iDEP microchannels. This work tracked natural pH gradient formation in a 100 μm wide, 1 cm-long microchannel under applicable iDEP protein manipulation conditions. Using fluorescence microscopy with the pH-sensitive dye FITC Isomer I and the pH-insensitive dye TRITC as a reference, pH was observed to drop drastically in the microchannels within 1 min in a 3000 V/cm electric field; pH drops were observed in the range of 6-10 min within a 100 V/cm electric field and varied based on the buffer conductivity. To address concerns of dye transport impacting intensity data, electrokinetic mobilities of FITC were carefully examined and found to be (i) toward the anode and (ii) 1 to 2 orders of magnitude smaller than H⁺ transport which is responsible for pH drops from the anode toward the cathode. COMSOL simulations of ion transport showed qualitative agreement with experimental results. The results indicate that pH changes are severe enough and rapid enough to influence the net charge of a protein or cause aggregation during iDEP experiments. The results also elucidate reasonable time periods over which the phosphate buffering capacity can counter increases in H⁺ and OH⁻ for unperturbed iDEP manipulations. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Aging Selectively Modulates Vitamin C Transporter Expression Patterns in the Kidney.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forman, Katherine; Martínez, Fernando; Cifuentes, Manuel; Bertinat, Romina; Salazar, Katterine; Nualart, Francisco

    2017-09-01

    In the kidney, vitamin C is reabsorbed from the glomerular ultrafiltrate by sodium-vitamin C cotransporter isoform 1 (SVCT1) located in the brush border membrane of the proximal tubules. Although we know that vitamin C levels decrease with age, the adaptive physiological mechanisms used by the kidney for vitamin C reabsorption during aging remain unknown. In this study, we used an animal model of accelerated senescence (SAMP8 mice) to define the morphological alterations and aging-induced changes in the expression of vitamin C transporters in renal tissue. Aging induced significant morphological changes, such as periglomerular lymphocytic infiltrate and glomerular congestion, in the kidneys of SAMP8 mice, although no increase in collagen deposits was observed using 2-photon microscopy analysis and second harmonic generation. The most characteristic histological alteration was the dilation of intracellular spaces in the basolateral region of proximal tubule epithelial cells. Furthermore, a combination of laser microdissection, qRT-PCR, and immunohistochemical analyses allowed us to determine that SVCT1 expression specifically increased in the proximal tubules from the outer strip of the outer medulla (segment S3) and cortex (segment S2) during aging and that these tubules also express GLUT1. We conclude that aging modulates vitamin C transporter expression and that renal over-expression of SVCT1 enhances vitamin C reabsorption in aged animals that may synthesize less vitamin C. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 2418-2426, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Modeling electrokinetic transport in phenol contaminated soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zorn, R.; Haus, R.; Czurda, K. [Dept. of Applied Geology, Univ. Karlsruhe (Germany)

    2001-07-01

    Numerical simulations are compared to laboratory experiments of electroremediation in soils contaminated by phenolic pollutants. The developing pH affects the electrokinetic transport behaviour of phenol. It is found that a water chemistry model must be included in an electrokinetic mass transport model to describe the process of electroremediation more accurately, if no buffering system is used at the electrodes. In the case of controlling the pH at the electrode compartments only a simplified chemical reaction model must be included in the numerical code to match the experimental phenolic transport. (orig.)

  13. Disulfiram is a potent modulator of multidrug transporter Cdr1p of Candida albicans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shukla, Suneet; Sauna, Zuben E.; Prasad, Rajendra; Ambudkar, Suresh V.

    2004-01-01

    To find novel drugs for effective antifungal therapy in candidiasis, we examined disulfiram, a drug used for the treatment of alcoholism, for its role as a potential modulator of Candida multidrug transporter Cdr1p. We show that disulfiram inhibits the oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity of Cdr1p and 2.5 mM dithiothreitol reverses this inhibition. Disulfiram inhibited the binding of photoaffinity analogs of both ATP ([α- 32 P]8-azidoATP; IC 50 = 0.76 μM) and drug-substrates ([ 3 H]azidopine and [ 125 I]iodoarylazidoprazosin; IC 50 ∼ 12 μM) to Cdr1p in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting that it can interact with both ATP and substrate-binding site(s) of Cdr1p. Furthermore, a non-toxic concentration of disulfiram (1 μM) increased the sensitivity of Cdr1p expressing Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells to antifungal agents (fluconazole, miconazole, nystatin, and cycloheximide). Collectively these results demonstrate that disulfiram reverses Cdr1p-mediated drug resistance by interaction with both ATP and substrate-binding sites of the transporter and may be useful for antifungal therapy

  14. Diffusive-to-ballistic transition of the modulated heat transport in a rarefied air chamber

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. L. Gomez-Heredia

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Modulated heat transfer in air subject to pressures from 760 Torr to 10-4 Torr is experimentally studied by means of a thermal-wave resonant cavity placed in a vacuum chamber. This is done through the analysis of the amplitude and phase delay of the photothermal signal as a function of the cavity length and pressure through of the Knudsen’s number. The viscous, transitional, and free molecular regimes of heat transport are observed for pressures P>1.5 Torr, 25 mTorrtransport.

  15. A microfabricated fringing field capacitive pH sensor with an integrated readout circuit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arefin, Md Shamsul; Redoute, Jean-Michel; Rasit Yuce, Mehmet; Bulut Coskun, M.; Alan, Tuncay; Neild, Adrian

    2014-01-01

    This work presents a microfabricated fringe-field capacitive pH sensor using interdigitated electrodes and an integrated modulation-based readout circuit. The changes in capacitance of the sensor result from the permittivity changes due to pH variations and are converted to frequency shifts using a crossed-coupled voltage controlled oscillator readout circuit. The shift in resonant frequency of the readout circuit is 30.96 MHz for a change in pH of 1.0–5.0. The sensor can be used for the measurement of low pH levels, such as gastric acid, and can be integrated with electronic pills. The measurement results show high repeatability, low noise, and a stable output.

  16. A microfabricated fringing field capacitive pH sensor with an integrated readout circuit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arefin, Md Shamsul, E-mail: md.arefin@monash.edu; Redoute, Jean-Michel; Rasit Yuce, Mehmet [Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne (Australia); Bulut Coskun, M.; Alan, Tuncay; Neild, Adrian [Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne (Australia)

    2014-06-02

    This work presents a microfabricated fringe-field capacitive pH sensor using interdigitated electrodes and an integrated modulation-based readout circuit. The changes in capacitance of the sensor result from the permittivity changes due to pH variations and are converted to frequency shifts using a crossed-coupled voltage controlled oscillator readout circuit. The shift in resonant frequency of the readout circuit is 30.96 MHz for a change in pH of 1.0–5.0. The sensor can be used for the measurement of low pH levels, such as gastric acid, and can be integrated with electronic pills. The measurement results show high repeatability, low noise, and a stable output.

  17. Fabrication of triple-labeled polyelectrolyte microcapsules for localized ratiometric pH sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Xiaoxue; Li, Huanbin; Tong, Weijun; Gao, Changyou

    2014-02-15

    Encapsulation of pH sensitive fluorophores as reporting molecules provides a powerful approach to visualize the transportation of multilayer capsules. In this study, two pH sensitive dyes (fluorescein and oregon green) and one pH insensitive dye (rhodamine B) were simultaneously labeled on the microcapsules to fabricate ratiometric pH sensors. The fluorescence of the triple-labeled microcapsule sensors was robust and nearly independent of other intracellular species. With a dynamic pH measurement range of 3.3-6.5, the microcapsules can report their localized pH at a real time. Cell culture experiments showed that the microcapsules could be internalized by RAW 246.7 cells naturally and finally accumulated in acidic organelles with a pH value of 5.08 ± 0.59 (mean ± s.d.; n=162). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Regulation of arsenic mobility on basaltic glass surfaces by speciation and pH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigfusson, Bergur; Meharg, Andrew A; Gislason, Sigurdur R

    2008-12-01

    The importance of geothermal energy as a source for electricity generation and district heating has increased over recent decades. Arsenic can be a significant constituent of the geothermal fluids pumped to the surface during power generation. Dissolved As exists in different oxidation states, mainly as As(III) and As(V), and the charge of individual species varies with pH. Basaltic glass is one of the most important rock types in many high-temperature geothermal fields. Static batch and dynamic column experiments were combined to generate and validate sorption coefficients for As(III) and As(V) in contact with basaltic glass at pH 3-10. Validation was carried out by two empirical kinetic models and a surface complexation model (SCM). The SCM provided a better fit to the experimental column data than kinetic models at high pH values. However, in certain circumstances, an adequate estimation of As transport in the column could not be attained without incorporation of kinetic reactions. The varying mobility with pH was due to the combined effects of the variable charge of the basaltic glass with the pH point of zero charge at 6.8 and the individual As species as pH shifted, respectively. The mobility of As(III) decreased with increasing pH. The opposite was true for As(V), being nearly immobile at pH 3 to being highly mobile at pH 10. Incorporation of appropriate sorption constants, based on the measured pH and Eh of geothermal fluids, into regional groundwater-flow models should allow prediction of the As(III) and As(V) transport from geothermal systems to adjacent drinking water sources and ecosystems.

  19. Public transport optimisation emphasising passengers’ travel behaviour

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Jens Parbo

    to the case where the two problems are solved sequentially without taking into account interdependencies. Figure 1 - Planning public transport The PhD study develops a metaheuristic algorithm to adapt the line plan configuration in order better to match passengers’ travel demand in terms of transfers as well......Passengers in public transport complaining about their travel experiences are not uncommon. This might seem counterintuitive since several operators worldwide are presenting better key performance indicators year by year. The present PhD study focuses on developing optimisation algorithms...... to enhance the operations of public transport while explicitly emphasising passengers’ travel behaviour and preferences. Similar to economic theory, interactions between supply and demand are omnipresent in the context of public transport operations. In public transport, the demand is represented...

  20. Paratransit: An Instructional Module.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scalici, Anthony

    A concept-based introduction to paratransit is provided in this instructional module for undergraduate and graduate transportation-related courses for disciplines such as engineering, business, marketing, and technology. The concept of paratransit generally refers to modes of transportation other than mass transit and solo-driven automobiles. The…

  1. Highly Sensitive and Wide-Dynamic-Range Multichannel Optical-Fiber pH Sensor Based on PWM Technique

    OpenAIRE

    Md. Rajibur Rahaman Khan; Shin-Won Kang

    2016-01-01

    In this study, we propose a highly sensitive multichannel pH sensor that is based on an optical-fiber pulse width modulation (PWM) technique. According to the optical-fiber PWM method, the received sensing signal?s pulse width changes when the optical-fiber pH sensing-element of the array comes into contact with pH buffer solutions. The proposed optical-fiber PWM pH-sensing system offers a linear sensing response over a wide range of pH values from 2 to 12, with a high pH-sensing ability. The...

  2. Modulation of Connexin-36 Gap Junction Channels by Intracellular pH and Magnesium Ions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rimkute, Lina; Kraujalis, Tadas; Snipas, Mindaugas; Palacios-Prado, Nicolas; Jotautis, Vaidas; Skeberdis, Vytenis A; Bukauskas, Feliksas F

    2018-01-01

    Connexin-36 (Cx36) protein forms gap junction (GJ) channels in pancreatic beta cells and is also the main Cx isoform forming electrical synapses in the adult mammalian brain. Cx36 GJs can be regulated by intracellular pH (pH i ) and cytosolic magnesium ion concentration ([Mg 2+ ] i ), which can vary significantly under various physiological and pathological conditions. However, the combined effect and relationship of these two factors over Cx36-dependent coupling have not been previously studied in detail. Our experimental results in HeLa cells expressing Cx36 show that changes in both pH i and [Mg 2+ ] i affect junctional conductance (g j ) in an interdependent manner; in other words, intracellular acidification cause increase or decay in g j depending on whether [Mg 2+ ] i is high or low, respectively, and intracellular alkalization cause reduction in g j independently of [Mg 2+ ] i . Our experimental and modelling data support the hypothesis that Cx36 GJ channels contain two separate gating mechanisms, and both are differentially sensitive to changes in pH i and [Mg 2+ ] i . Using recombinant Cx36 we found that two glutamate residues in the N-terminus could be partly responsible for the observed interrelated effect of pH i and [Mg 2+ ] i . Mutation of glutamate at position 8 attenuated the stimulatory effect of intracellular acidification at high [Mg 2+ ] i , while mutation at position 12 and double mutation at both positions reversed stimulatory effect to inhibition. Moreover, Cx36 * E8Q lost the initial increase of g j at low [Mg 2+ ] i and double mutation lost the sensitivity to high [Mg 2+ ] i . These results suggest that E8 and E12 are involved in regulation of Cx36 GJ channels by Mg 2+ and H + ions.

  3. Data collection and analysis strategies for phMRI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandeville, Joseph B; Liu, Christina H; Vanduffel, Wim; Marota, John J A; Jenkins, Bruce G

    2014-09-01

    Although functional MRI traditionally has been applied mainly to study changes in task-induced brain function, evolving acquisition methodologies and improved knowledge of signal mechanisms have increased the utility of this method for studying responses to pharmacological stimuli, a technique often dubbed "phMRI". The proliferation of higher magnetic field strengths and the use of exogenous contrast agent have boosted detection power, a critical factor for successful phMRI due to the restricted ability to average multiple stimuli within subjects. Receptor-based models of neurovascular coupling, including explicit pharmacological models incorporating receptor densities and affinities and data-driven models that incorporate weak biophysical constraints, have demonstrated compelling descriptions of phMRI signal induced by dopaminergic stimuli. This report describes phMRI acquisition and analysis methodologies, with an emphasis on data-driven analyses. As an example application, statistically efficient data-driven regressors were used to describe the biphasic response to the mu-opioid agonist remifentanil, and antagonism using dopaminergic and GABAergic ligands revealed modulation of the mesolimbic pathway. Results illustrate the power of phMRI as well as our incomplete understanding of mechanisms underlying the signal. Future directions are discussed for phMRI acquisitions in human studies, for evolving analysis methodologies, and for interpretative studies using the new generation of simultaneous PET/MRI scanners. This article is part of the Special Issue Section entitled 'Neuroimaging in Neuropharmacology'. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Transport in Halobacterium Halobium: Light-Induced Cation-Gradients, Amino Acid Transport Kinetics, and Properties of Transport Carriers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lanyi, Janos K.

    1977-01-01

    Cell envelope vesicles prepared from H. halobium contain bacteriorhodopsin and upon illumination protons are ejected. Coupled to the proton motive force is the efflux of Na(+). Measurements of Na-22 flux, exterior pH change, and membrane potential, Delta(psi) (with the dye 3,3'-dipentyloxadicarbocyanine) indicate that the means of Na(+) transport is sodium/proton exchange. The kinetics of the pH changes and other evidence suggests that the antiport is electrogenic (H(+)/Na(++ greater than 1). The resulting large chemical gradient for Na(+) (outside much greater than inside), as well as the membrane potential, will drive the transport of 18 amino acids. The I9th, glutamate, is unique in that its accumulation is indifferent to Delta(psi): this amino acid is transported only when a chemical gradient for Na(+) is present. Thus, when more and more NaCl is included in the vesicles glutamate transport proceeds with longer and longer lags. After illumination the gradient of H+() collapses within 1 min, while the large Na(+) gradient and glutamate transporting activity persists for 10- 15 min, indicating that proton motive force is not necessary for transport. A chemical gradient of Na(+), arranged by suspending vesicles loaded with KCl in NaCl, drives glutamate transport in the dark without other sources of energy, with V(sub max) and K(sub m) comparable to light-induced transport. These and other lines of evidence suggest that the transport of glutamate is facilitated by symport with Na(+), in an electrically neutral fashion, so that only the chemical component of the Na(+) gradient is a driving force.

  5. Modulating the Surface State of SiC to Control Carrier Transport in Graphene/SiC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Yuping; Sun, Xiaojuan; Shi, Zhiming; Jiang, Ke; Liu, Henan; Ben, Jianwei; Li, Dabing

    2018-05-28

    Silicon carbide (SiC) with epitaxial graphene (EG/SiC) shows a great potential in the applications of electronic and photoelectric devices. The performance of devices is primarily dependent on the interfacial heterojunction between graphene and SiC. Here, the band structure of the EG/SiC heterojunction is experimentally investigated by Kelvin probe force microscopy. The dependence of the barrier height at the EG/SiC heterojunction to the initial surface state of SiC is revealed. Both the barrier height and band bending tendency of the heterojunction can be modulated by controlling the surface state of SiC, leading to the tuned carrier transport behavior at the EG/SiC interface. The barrier height at the EG/SiC(000-1) interface is almost ten times that of the EG/SiC(0001) interface. As a result, the amount of carrier transport at the EG/SiC(000-1) interface is about ten times that of the EG/SiC(0001) interface. These results offer insights into the carrier transport behavior at the EG/SiC heterojunction by controlling the initial surface state of SiC, and this strategy can be extended in all devices with graphene as the top layer. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Involvement of Potassium Transport Systems in the Response of Synechocystis PCC 6803 Cyanobacteria to External pH Change, High-Intensity Light Stress and Heavy Metal Stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Checchetto, Vanessa; Segalla, Anna; Sato, Yuki; Bergantino, Elisabetta; Szabo, Ildiko; Uozumi, Nobuyuki

    2016-04-01

    The unicellular photosynthetic cyanobacterium, able to survive in varying environments, is the only prokaryote that directly converts solar energy and CO2 into organic material and is thus relevant for primary production in many ecosystems. To maintain the intracellular and intrathylakoid ion homeostasis upon different environmental challenges, the concentration of potassium as a major intracellular cation has to be optimized by various K(+)uptake-mediated transport systems. We reveal here the specific and concerted physiological function of three K(+)transporters of the plasma and thylakoid membranes, namely of SynK (K(+)channel), KtrB (Ktr/Trk/HKT) and KdpA (Kdp) in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803, under specific stress conditions. The behavior of the wild type, single, double and triple mutants was compared, revealing that only Synk contributes to heavy metal-induced stress, while only Ktr/Kdp is involved in osmotic and salt stress adaptation. With regards to pH shifts in the external medium, the Kdp/Ktr uptake systems play an important role in the adaptation to acidic pH. Ktr, by affecting the CO2 concentration mechanism via its action on the bicarbonate transporter SbtA, might also be responsible for the observed effects concerning high-light stress and calcification. In the case of illumination with high-intensity light, a synergistic action of Kdr/Ktp and SynK is required in order to avoid oxidative stress and ensure cell viability. In summary, this study dissects, using growth tests, measurement of photosynthetic activity and analysis of ultrastructure, the physiological role of three K(+)transporters in adaptation of the cyanobacteria to various environmental changes. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Effect of diphtheria toxin T-domain on endosomal pH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. J. Labyntsev

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available A key step in the mode of cytotoxic action of diphtheria toxin (DT is the transfer of its catalytic domain (Cd from endosomes into the cytosol. The main activity in this process is performed by the transport domain (Td, but the molecular mechanism of its action remains unknown. We have previously shown that Td can have some influence on the endosomal transport of DT. The aim of this work was to study the effect of diphtheria toxin on the toxin compartmentalization in the intracellular transporting pathway and endosomal pH. We used recombinant fragments of DT, which differed only by the presence of Td in their structure, fused with fluorescent proteins. It was shown that the toxin fragment with Td moved slower by the pathway early-late endosomes-lysosomes, and had a slightly different pattern of colocalization with endosomal markers than DT fragment without Td. In addition, endosomes containing DT fragments with Td had a constant pH of about 6.5 from the 10th to 50th minute of observation, for the same time endosomes containing DT fragments without Td demons­trated a decrease in pH from 6.3 to 5.5. These results indicate that Td inhibits acidification of endosomal medium. One of possible explanations for this may be the effect of the ion channel formed by the T-domain on the process of the endosomal acidification. This property of Td may not only inhibit maturation of endosomes but also inhibit activation of endosomal pH-dependent proteases, and this promotes successful transport of Cd into the cell cytosol.

  8. Some auxiliary technology equipment for ATLAS hadron calorimeter module and submodule manipulations and the quality control of the assembled module

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budagov, Yu.; Lebedev, A.; Lomakin, Yu.; Romanov, V.; Rusakovich, N.; Shchelchkov, A.; Sisakyan, A.; Sorokina, Yu.; Topilin, N.; Kul'chitskij, Yu.

    1997-01-01

    Describing of the auxiliary technology equipment for the submodule and module manipulations is presented. The results of the 0-module beam incoming control are given. The variations of the assembled module control measurements are described. The description of the construction for the 0-module transportation is presented

  9. Direct observation of electrogenic NH4(+) transport in ammonium transport (Amt) proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wacker, Tobias; Garcia-Celma, Juan J; Lewe, Philipp; Andrade, Susana L A

    2014-07-08

    Ammonium transport (Amt) proteins form a ubiquitous family of integral membrane proteins that specifically shuttle ammonium across membranes. In prokaryotes, archaea, and plants, Amts are used as environmental NH4(+) scavengers for uptake and assimilation of nitrogen. In the eukaryotic homologs, the Rhesus proteins, NH4(+)/NH3 transport is used instead in acid-base and pH homeostasis in kidney or NH4(+)/NH3 (and eventually CO2) detoxification in erythrocytes. Crystal structures and variant proteins are available, but the inherent challenges associated with the unambiguous identification of substrate and monitoring of transport events severely inhibit further progress in the field. Here we report a reliable in vitro assay that allows us to quantify the electrogenic capacity of Amt proteins. Using solid-supported membrane (SSM)-based electrophysiology, we have investigated the three Amt orthologs from the euryarchaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus. Af-Amt1 and Af-Amt3 are electrogenic and transport the ammonium and methylammonium cation with high specificity. Transport is pH-dependent, with a steep decline at pH values of ∼5.0. Despite significant sequence homologies, functional differences between the three proteins became apparent. SSM electrophysiology provides a long-sought-after functional assay for the ubiquitous ammonium transporters.

  10. pH control structure design for a periodically operated membrane separation process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prado Rubio, Oscar Andres; Jørgensen, Sten Bay; Jonsson, Gunnar Eigil

    2012-01-01

    A bioreactor integrated with an electrically driven membrane separation process (Reverse Electro-Enhanced Dialysis – REED) is under investigation as potential technology for intensifying lactic acid bioproduction. In this contribution the pH regulation issue in the periodically operated REED module...

  11. Identification of a molecular pH sensor in coral.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barott, Katie L; Barron, Megan E; Tresguerres, Martin

    2017-11-15

    Maintaining stable intracellular pH (pHi) is essential for homeostasis, and requires the ability to both sense pH changes that may result from internal and external sources, and to regulate downstream compensatory pH pathways. Here we identified the cAMP-producing enzyme soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) as the first molecular pH sensor in corals. sAC protein was detected throughout coral tissues, including those involved in symbiosis and calcification. Application of a sAC-specific inhibitor caused significant and reversible pHi acidosis in isolated coral cells under both dark and light conditions, indicating sAC is essential for sensing and regulating pHi perturbations caused by respiration and photosynthesis. Furthermore, pHi regulation during external acidification was also dependent on sAC activity. Thus, sAC is a sensor and regulator of pH disturbances from both metabolic and external origin in corals. Since sAC is present in all coral cell types, and the cAMP pathway can regulate virtually every aspect of cell physiology through post-translational modifications of proteins, sAC is likely to trigger multiple homeostatic mechanisms in response to pH disturbances. This is also the first evidence that sAC modulates pHi in any non-mammalian animal. Since corals are basal metazoans, our results indicate this function is evolutionarily conserved across animals. © 2017 The Author(s).

  12. Plasmalemmal V-H+-ATPases regulate intracellular pH in human lung microvascular endothelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rojas, Jose D.; Sennoune, Souad R.; Maiti, Debasish; Martinez, Gloria M.; Bakunts, Karina; Wesson, Donald E.; Martinez-Zaguilan, Raul

    2004-01-01

    The lung endothelium layer is exposed to continuous CO 2 transit which exposes the endothelium to a substantial acid load that could be detrimental to cell function. The Na + /H + exchanger and HCO 3 - -dependent H + -transporting mechanisms regulate intracellular pH (pH cyt ) in most cells. Cells that cope with high acid loads might require additional primary energy-dependent mechanisms. V-H + -ATPases localized at the plasma membranes (pmV-ATPases) have emerged as a novel pH regulatory system. We hypothesized that human lung microvascular endothelial (HLMVE) cells use pmV-ATPases, in addition to Na + /H + exchanger and HCO 3 - -based H + -transporting mechanisms, to maintain pH cyt homeostasis. Immunocytochemical studies revealed V-H + -ATPase at the plasma membrane, in addition to the predicted distribution in vacuolar compartments. Acid-loaded HLMVE cells exhibited proton fluxes in the absence of Na + and HCO 3 - that were similar to those observed in the presence of either Na + , or Na + and HCO 3 - . The Na + - and HCO 3 - -independent pH cyt recovery was inhibited by bafilomycin A 1 , a V-H + -ATPase inhibitor. These studies show a Na + - and HCO 3 - -independent pH cyt regulatory mechanism in HLMVE cells that is mediated by pmV-ATPases

  13. Effect of rhizosphere pH condition on cadmium movement in a soybean plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohya, T.; Tanoi, K.; Iikura, H.; Rai, H.; Nakanishi, T.M.

    2008-01-01

    To study the effect of rhizosphere pH condition on the cadmium uptake movement, 109 Cd, was applied as a radioisotope tracer to a soybean plant grown in a water culture at pH 4.5 or pH 6.5. The distribution of 109 Cd in the soybean plant was observed radiographically with an imaging plate (IP). The amount of Cd transported from the root to the upper part of the plant at pH 4.5 was approximately two times higher than that at pH 6.5. However, the movement of Cd in the upper part of the plant was similar under both pH conditions. The distribution of Cd inside the internodes at pH 4.5 also showed similar pattern to that at pH 6.5, suggesting that once Cd reached to the vessel of the root, the movement of Cd was not dependent on rhizosphere pH conditions. (author)

  14. A PhD is a PhD is a PhD

    OpenAIRE

    Ostrow, Deborah Anne

    2017-01-01

    A PhD is a PhD is a PhD is a practice-based project that interrogates the process of an artist undertaking PhD research under established criteria. It consists of an exegesis, an original screenplay, and a digital film made for online viewing, with images drawn from a range of documentaries and films found on YouTube. They have been dissected, re-assembled and then re-embedded to YouTube. The source material covers topics such as medicalization of madness, the conspicuous appropriation of uni...

  15. Mitochondrial type II NAD(PH dehydrogenases in fungal cell death

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Pedro Gonçalves

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available During aerobic respiration, cells produce energy through oxidative phosphorylation, which includes a specialized group of multi-subunit complexes in the inner mitochondrial membrane known as the electron transport chain. However, this canonical pathway is branched into single polypeptide alternative routes in some fungi, plants, protists and bacteria. They confer metabolic plasticity, allowing cells to adapt to different environmental conditions and stresses. Type II NAD(PH dehydrogenases (also called alternative NAD(PH dehydrogenases are non-proton pumping enzymes that bypass complex I. Recent evidence points to the involvement of fungal alternative NAD(PH dehydrogenases in the process of programmed cell death, in addition to their action as overflow systems upon oxidative stress. Consistent with this, alternative NAD(PH dehydrogenases are phylogenetically related to cell death - promoting proteins of the apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF-family.

  16. Interaction between the PH and START domains of ceramide transfer protein competes with phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate binding by the PH domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prashek, Jennifer; Bouyain, Samuel; Fu, Mingui; Li, Yong; Berkes, Dusan; Yao, Xiaolan

    2017-08-25

    De novo synthesis of the sphingolipid sphingomyelin requires non-vesicular transport of ceramide from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi by the multidomain protein ceramide transfer protein (CERT). CERT's N-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain targets it to the Golgi by binding to phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns(4)P) in the Golgi membrane, whereas its C-terminal StAR-related lipid transfer domain (START) carries out ceramide transfer. Hyperphosphorylation of a serine-rich motif immediately after the PH domain decreases both PtdIns(4)P binding and ceramide transfer by CERT. This down-regulation requires both the PH and START domains, suggesting a possible inhibitory interaction between the two domains. In this study we show that isolated PH and START domains interact with each other. The crystal structure of a PH-START complex revealed that the START domain binds to the PH domain at the same site for PtdIns(4)P-binding, suggesting that the START domain competes with PtdIns(4)P for association with the PH domain. We further report that mutations disrupting the PH-START interaction increase both PtdIns(4)P-binding affinity and ceramide transfer activity of a CERT-serine-rich phosphorylation mimic. We also found that these mutations increase the Golgi localization of CERT inside the cell, consistent with enhanced PtdIns(4)P binding of the mutant. Collectively, our structural, biochemical, and cellular investigations provide important structural insight into the regulation of CERT function and localization. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  17. pH Regulation of Electrogenic Sugar/H+ Symport in MFS Sugar Permeases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bazzone, Andre; Madej, M. Gregor; Kaback, H. Ronald

    2016-01-01

    Bacterial sugar symporters in the Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) use the H+ (and in a few cases Na+) electrochemical gradients to achieve active transport of sugar into the cell. Because a number of structures of MFS sugar symporters have been solved recently, molecular insight into the transport mechanism is possible from detailed functional analysis. We present here a comparative electrophysiological study of the lactose permease (LacY), the fucose permease (FucP) and the xylose permease (XylE), which reveals common mechanistic principles and differences. In all three symporters energetically downhill electrogenic sugar/H+ symport is observed. Comparison of the pH dependence of symport at symmetrical pH exhibits broad bell-shaped pH profiles extending over 3 to 6 pH units and a decrease at extremely alkaline pH ≥ 9.4 and at acidic to neutral pH = 4.6–7.5. The pH dependence can be described by an acidic to neutral apparent pK (pKapp) and an alkaline pKapp. Experimental evidence suggests that the alkaline pKapp is due to H+ depletion at the protonation site, while the acidic pKapp is due to inhibition of deprotonation. Since previous studies suggest that a single carboxyl group in LacY (Glu325) may be the only side chain directly involved in H+ translocation and a carboxyl side chain with similar properties has been identified in FucP (Asp46) and XylE (Asp27), the present results imply that the pK of this residue is switched during H+/sugar symport in all three symporters. PMID:27227677

  18. Cation modulation of hemoglobin interaction with sodium n-dodecyl sulphate (SDS iv: magnesium modulation at pH 7.20

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Akbar Moosavi-Movahedi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available We investigate the interaction of Mg2+ (0–2.30 mM and sodium n-dodecyl sulfate (SDS with hemoglobins (Hbs A and S at pH 7.20. SDS was used to model both membranes (0.60 mM SDS and proteases (5.0 mM SDS. Via UV-visible spectroscopy, second derivative and difference second derivative spectroscopy, we interrogated for difference(s in the interaction of these ligands with the proteins that can account for the HbS resistance to malaria parasite while been prone to sickling. Our results show that Mg2+ interaction with the proteins lowered the HbS oxygen affinity in comparison with the HbA. Additionally, [SDS]-protein interactions resulted in oxoferryl heme species formation that was prominent for the HbA and highly diminished for the HbS. [Mg2+] introduction to the [SDS]-protein mixture, however decreased the concentration of denatured protein species. The [Mg2+]-[SDS]-protein interactions suggest that while ionic or coulomb interactions for the HbA, in the presence of the surfactants, are [Mg2+] dependent, those of the HbS are not. Furthermore, hydrophobicity is a crucial force for the HbS interaction at neutral pH and is little-masked by ionic, electrostatic or coulombic interactions. In conclusion, at physiological pH, the Mg-SDS interaction decreased the HbS denaturation in comparison to the HbA.

  19. A ratiometric approach for pH optosensing with a single fluorophore indicator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanchez-Barragan, I. [Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, University of Oviedo, c/ Julian Claveria 8, 33006 Oviedo (Spain); Costa-Fernandez, J.M. [Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, University of Oviedo, c/ Julian Claveria 8, 33006 Oviedo (Spain); Sanz-Medel, A. [Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, University of Oviedo, c/ Julian Claveria 8, 33006 Oviedo (Spain); Valledor, Marta [Department of Electric, Electronic, Computers and Systems Engineering, University of Oviedo, Edificio Departamental no. 3, Campus de Viesques, 33204 Gijon (Spain); Ferrero, Francisco J. [Department of Electric, Electronic, Computers and Systems Engineering, University of Oviedo, Edificio Departamental no. 3, Campus de Viesques, 33204 Gijon (Spain)]. E-mail: ferrero@ate.uniovi.es; Campo, Juan Carlos [Department of Electric, Electronic, Computers and Systems Engineering, University of Oviedo, Edificio Departamental no. 3, Campus de Viesques, 33204 Gijon (Spain)

    2006-03-15

    A new fiber-optic prototype of luminometer has been designed in order to perform ratiometric-based measurements for optical sensing purposes. The coupling of a pH-selective sensing phase to the fiber-optic prototype has been evaluated for robust pH optosensing in drinking water. The pH-sensitive material has been synthesized by entrapping a pH-sensitive luminescent indicator (mercurochrome) in a sol-gel inorganic matrix. The pH optosensing is based on the detection of pH-induced reversible changes in the mercurochrome fluorescent emission and in the light reflected by the sensing phase. The instrument has been constructed using low-cost and simple optoelectronic components. The active phase was excited by means of a visible 470 nm high intensity light emitting diode (LED). The radiant power of the LED was modulated using a sinusoidal function so that scattered light due to light sources of different frequency than the modulating signal (e.g. sunlight) can be easily removed by adequate electronic filtering of the emission signal. Both the fluorescence emission from the dye and the sensing phase reflected light were collected in a bifurcated fiber-optic to allow the ratiometric measurement. Two different ratiometric approaches have been evaluated. The analytical performance of the pH optrode using both measurement methods have been compared, between them and with simple fluorescence intensity measurements, in terms of sensitivity, measurement range, response time, repeatability and insensitivity to changes in excitation light intensity. The applicability of the developed pH optrode and methods has been tested for pH analysis in tap and bottled still mineral water samples. The results obtained showed good agreement with the corresponding pH values provided by a commercial glass electrode. In this work, pH was selected as a model analyte to evaluate the performance of the proposed methodology, although other optical sensors for different applications/analytes could

  20. A ratiometric approach for pH optosensing with a single fluorophore indicator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanchez-Barragan, I.; Costa-Fernandez, J.M.; Sanz-Medel, A.; Valledor, Marta; Ferrero, Francisco J.; Campo, Juan Carlos

    2006-01-01

    A new fiber-optic prototype of luminometer has been designed in order to perform ratiometric-based measurements for optical sensing purposes. The coupling of a pH-selective sensing phase to the fiber-optic prototype has been evaluated for robust pH optosensing in drinking water. The pH-sensitive material has been synthesized by entrapping a pH-sensitive luminescent indicator (mercurochrome) in a sol-gel inorganic matrix. The pH optosensing is based on the detection of pH-induced reversible changes in the mercurochrome fluorescent emission and in the light reflected by the sensing phase. The instrument has been constructed using low-cost and simple optoelectronic components. The active phase was excited by means of a visible 470 nm high intensity light emitting diode (LED). The radiant power of the LED was modulated using a sinusoidal function so that scattered light due to light sources of different frequency than the modulating signal (e.g. sunlight) can be easily removed by adequate electronic filtering of the emission signal. Both the fluorescence emission from the dye and the sensing phase reflected light were collected in a bifurcated fiber-optic to allow the ratiometric measurement. Two different ratiometric approaches have been evaluated. The analytical performance of the pH optrode using both measurement methods have been compared, between them and with simple fluorescence intensity measurements, in terms of sensitivity, measurement range, response time, repeatability and insensitivity to changes in excitation light intensity. The applicability of the developed pH optrode and methods has been tested for pH analysis in tap and bottled still mineral water samples. The results obtained showed good agreement with the corresponding pH values provided by a commercial glass electrode. In this work, pH was selected as a model analyte to evaluate the performance of the proposed methodology, although other optical sensors for different applications/analytes could

  1. The Importance of Protons in Reactive Transport Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNeece, C. J.; Hesse, M. A.

    2014-12-01

    The importance of pH in aqueous chemistry is evident; yet, its role in reactive transport is complex. Consider a column flow experiment through silica glass beads. Take the column to be saturated and flowing with solution of a distinct pH. An instantaneous change in the influent solution pH can yield a breakthrough curve with both a rarefaction and shock component (composite wave). This behavior is unique among aqueous ions in transport and is more complex than intuition would tell. Analysis of the hyperbolic limit of this physical system can explain these first order transport phenomenon. This analysis shows that transport behavior is heavily dependent on the shape of the adsorption isotherm. Hence it is clear that accurate surface chemistry models are important in reactive transport. The proton adsorption isotherm has nonconstant concavity due to the proton's ability to partition into hydroxide. An eigenvalue analysis shows that an inflection point in the adsorption isotherm allows the development of composite waves. We use electrostatic surface complexation models to calculate realistic proton adsorption isotherms. Surface characteristics such as specific surface area, and surface site density were determined experimentally. We validate the model by comparison against silica glass bead flow through experiments. When coupled to surface complexation models, the transport equation captures the timing and behavior of breakthrough curves markedly better than with commonly used Langmuir assumptions. Furthermore, we use the adsorption isotherm to predict, a priori, the transport behavior of protons across pH composition space. Expansion of the model to multicomponent systems shows that proton adsorption can force composite waves to develop in the breakthrough curves of ions that would not otherwise exhibit such behavior. Given the abundance of reactive surfaces in nature and the nonlinearity of chemical systems, we conclude that building a greater understanding of

  2. Salivary pH as a marker of plasma adiponectin concentrations in Women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tremblay, Monique; Loucif, Yacine; Methot, Julie; Brisson, Diane; Gaudet, Daniel

    2012-02-03

    Plasma adiponectin is a significant correlate of the pro-inflammatory cardiometabolic risk profile associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Salivary pH is influenced by several cardiometabolic risk components such as inflammation, oxidation and numerous oral and systemic health modulators, including the menopausal status. This study aimed to assess the association between plasma adiponectin concentrations and salivary pH in women according to the menopausal status. Unstimulated saliva collection was performed in 151 Caucasian women of French-Canadian origin (53 premenopausal women (PMW) and 98 menopausal women (MW)). Student's t test, ANOVA and linear regression models were used to assess the association between plasma adiponectin concentrations and salivary pH. Plasma adiponectin levels increased as a function of salivary pH in the whole sample and among MW (r = 0.29 and r = 0.36, p salivary pH (R2) was 10.8% (p salivary pH quartiles (p = 0.005). These results suggest that salivary pH is a significant correlate of plasma adiponectin levels in women. With the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity, new technologies should be developed to more easily monitor health status, disease onset and progression. Salivary pH, a simple, inexpensive and non-invasive measure, could be a very promising avenue.

  3. The importance of OH − transport through anion exchange membrane in microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Ye, Yaoli

    2018-01-11

    In two-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) with anion exchange membranes (AEMs), a phosphate buffer solution (PBS) is typically used to avoid increases in catholyte pH as Nernst equation calculations indicate that high pHs adversely impact electrochemical performance. However, ion transport between the chambers will also impact performance, which is a factor not included in those calculations. To separate the impacts of pH and ion transport on MEC performance, a high molecular weight polymer buffer (PoB), which was retained in the catholyte due to its low AEM transport and cationic charge, was compared to PBS in MECs and abiotic electrochemical half cells (EHCs). In MECs, catholyte pH control was less important than ion transport. MEC tests using the PoB catholyte, which had a higher buffer capacity and thus maintained a lower catholye pH (<8), resulted in a 50% lower hydrogen production rate (HPR) than that obtained using PBS (HPR = 0.7 m3-H2 m−3 d−1) where the catholyte rapidly increased to pH = 12. The main reason for the decreased performance using PoB was a lack of hydroxide ion transfer into the anolyte to balance pH. The anolyte pH in MECs rapidly decreased to 5.8 due to a lack of hydroxide ion transport, which inhibited current generation by the anode, whereas the pH was maintained at 6.8 using PBS. In abiotic tests in ECHs, where the cathode potential was set at −1.2 V, the HPR was 133% higher using PoB than PBS due to catholyte pH control, as the anolyte pH was not a factor in the performance. These results show that maintaining charge transfer to control anolyte pH is more important than obtaining a more neutral pH catholyte.

  4. Effects of extracellular pH on UV-induced K+ efflux from cultured rose cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huerta, A.J.; Murphy, T.M.

    1989-01-01

    Ultraviolet (UV) light causes a specific leakage of K + from cultured rose cells (Rosa damascena). During K + efflux, there is also an increase in extracellular HCO 3 - and acidification of the cell interior. We hypothesized that the HCO 3 - originated from intracellular hydration of respiratory CO 2 and served as a charge balancing mechanism during K + efflux, the K + and HCO 3 - being co transported out of the cell through specific channels. An alternative hypothesis which would yield similar results would be the counter transport of K + and H + . To test these hypotheses, we studied the effect of a range of external pH values (pH 5-9), regulated by various methods (pH-stat, 100 millimolar Tris-Mes buffer, or CO 2 partial pressure), on the UV-induced K + efflux. Both UV-C (less than 290 nanometers) and UV-B (290-310 nanometers) induced K + efflux with a minimum at about pH 6 to 7, and greater efflux at pH values of 5, 8, and 9. Since pH values of 8 and 9 increased instead of reduced the efflux of K + , these data are not consistent with notion that the efflux of K + is dependent on an influx of H + , a process that would be sensitive to external H + concentration. We suggest that the effect of pH on K + efflux may be mediated through the titration of specific K + -transporting proteins or channels in the plasma membrane. Since we could not detect the presence of carbonic anhydrase activity in cell extracts, we could not use the location of this enzyme to aid in our interpretation regarding the site of hydration of CO 2 . (author)

  5. Market Segmentation: An Instructional Module.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Peter H.

    A concept-based introduction to market segmentation is provided in this instructional module for undergraduate and graduate transportation-related courses. The material can be used in many disciplines including engineering, business, marketing, and technology. The concept of market segmentation is primarily a transportation planning technique by…

  6. Directed transport in a periodic tube driven by asymmetric unbiased forces coexisting with spatially modulated noises

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Fengguo; Ai Baoquan

    2011-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The current J as a function of the phase shift φ and ε at a = 1/2π, b = 0.5/2π, k B T = 0.5, α = 0.1, and F 0 = 0.5. Highlights: → Unbiased forces and spatially modulated white noises affect the current. → In the adiabatic limit, the analytical expression of directed current is obtained. → Their competition will induce current reversals. → For negative asymmetric parameters of the force, there exists an optimum parameter. → The current increases monotonously for positive asymmetric parameters. - Abstract: Transport of Brownian particles in a symmetrically periodic tube is investigated in the presence of asymmetric unbiased external forces and spatially modulated Gaussian white noises. In the adiabatic limit, we obtain the analytical expression of the directed current. It is found that the temporal asymmetry can break thermodynamic equilibrium and induce a net current. Their competition between the temporal asymmetry force and the phase shift between the noise modulation and the tube shape will induce some peculiar phenomena, for example, current reversals. The current changes with the phase shift in the form of the sine function. For negative asymmetric parameters of the force, there exists an optimum parameter at which the current takes its maximum value. However, the current increases monotonously for positive asymmetric parameters.

  7. Synthesis and properties of a spirobifluorene-based hole-transporting material containingtert-butyl group

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DING Ning

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available A spirobifluorene-based compound SPF-BMO was developed as hole transporters for green phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes(PhOLEDs.The synthesized material showed sufficient HOMO/LUMO bandgap and triplet energy for green emitting bis[2-(2-pyridinyl-Nphenyl-C] (acetylacetonato iridium(III [Ir (ppy2(acac].The addition of a thin layer of 4,4′,4″-tri(N-carbazolyltriphenylamine (TCTAwith a high triplet energy as an exciton-blockinglayer at hole transporter/emitter interface seems to be unnecessary.SPF-BMO showed high thermal stability due to its spiro-annulated structure.Compared with the standard green PhOLEDs,organic light-emitting diodes with SPF-BMO as the hole-transport material have improved performances such as enhanced device power efficiency andlonger stability.These results clearly demonstrate that SPF-BMO is among the best hole-transporting materials reported for green PhOLEDs and utilizing anappropriate hole transporter to construct a simplified device is a promising method to enhance the power efficiency of PhOLEDs.

  8. Delphi Accounts Receivable Module -

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Transportation — Delphi accounts receivable module contains the following data elements, but are not limited to customer information, cash receipts, line of accounting details, bill...

  9. Results from transient transport experiments in Rijnhuizen tokamak project: Heat convection, transport barriers and 'non-local' effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mantica, P.; Gorini, G.; Hogeweij, G.M.D.; Kloe, J. de; Lopez Cardozo, N.J.; Schilham, A.M.R.

    2001-01-01

    An overview of experimental transport studies performed on the Rijnhuizen Tokamak Project (RTP) using transient transport techniques in both Ohmic and ECH dominated plasmas is presented. Modulated Electron Cyclotron Heating (ECH) and oblique pellet injection (OPI) have been used to induce electron temperature (T e ) perturbations at different radial locations. These were used to probe the electron transport barriers observed near low order rational magnetic surfaces in ECH dominated steady-state RTP plasmas. Layers of inward electron heat convection in off-axis ECH plasmas were detected with modulated ECH. This suggests that RTP electron transport barriers consist of heat pinch layers rather than layers of low thermal diffusivity. In a different set of experiments, OPI triggered a transient rise of the core T e due to an increase of the T e gradient in the 1< q<2 region. These transient transport barriers were probed with modulated ECH and found to be due to a transient drop of the electron heat diffusivity, except for off-axis ECH plasmas, where a transient inward pinch is also observed. Transient transport studies in RTP could not solve this puzzling interplay between heat diffusion and convection in determining an electron transport barrier. They nevertheless provided challenging experimental evidence both for theoretical modelling and for future experiments. (author)

  10. Potassium transport of Salmonella is important for type III secretion and pathogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yehao; Ho, Katharina Kim; Su, Jing; Gong, Hao; Chang, Alexander C.

    2013-01-01

    Intracellular cations are essential for the physiology of all living organisms including bacteria. Cations such as potassium ion (K+), sodium ion (Na+) and proton (H+) are involved in nearly all aspects of bacterial growth and survival. K+ is the most abundant cation and its homeostasis in Escherichia coli and Salmonella is regulated by three major K+ transporters: high affinity transporter Kdp and low affinity transporters Kup and Trk. Previous studies have demonstrated the roles of cations and cation transport in the physiology of Escherichia coli; their roles in the virulence and physiology of pathogenic bacteria are not well characterized. We have previously reported that the Salmonella K+ transporter Trk is important for the secretion of effector proteins of the type III secretion system (TTSS) of Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1). Here we further explore the role of Salmonella cation transport in virulence in vitro and pathogenesis in animal models. Impairment of K+ transport through deletion of K+ transporters or exposure to the chemical modulators of cation transport, gramicidin and valinomycin, results in a severe defect in the TTSS of SPI-1, and this defect in the TTSS was not due to a failure to regulate intrabacterial pH or ATP. Our results also show that K+ transporters are critical to the pathogenesis of Salmonella in mice and chicks and are involved in multiple growth and virulence characteristics in vitro, including protein secretion, motility and invasion of epithelial cells. These results suggest that cation transport of the pathogenic bacterium Salmonella, especially K+ transport, contributes to its virulence in addition to previously characterized roles in maintaining homeostasis of bacteria. PMID:23728623

  11. Transport of protons and lactate in cultured human fetal retinal pigment epithelial cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hamann, Steffen; Cour, Morten la; Ming Lui, Ge

    2000-01-01

    Electron microscopy, intracellular pH, monocarboxylate transport, pigment epithelium of eye, proton-lactate cotransport, retinal metabolism, sodium/proton exchange......Electron microscopy, intracellular pH, monocarboxylate transport, pigment epithelium of eye, proton-lactate cotransport, retinal metabolism, sodium/proton exchange...

  12. Experimental studies and modelling of cation interactions with solid materials: application to the MIMICC project. (Multidimensional Instrumented Module for Investigations on chemistry-transport Coupled Codes)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hardin, Emmanuelle

    1999-01-01

    The study of cation interactions with solid materials is useful in order to define the chemistry interaction component of the MIMICC project (Multidimensional Instrumented Module for Investigations on chemistry-transport Coupled Codes). This project will validate the chemistry-transport coupled codes. Database have to be supplied on the cesium or ytterbium interactions with solid materials in suspension. The solid materials are: a strong cation exchange resin, a natural sand which presents small impurities, and a zirconium phosphate. The cation exchange resin is useful to check that the surface complexation theory can be applied on a pure cation exchanger. The sand is a natural material, and its isotherms will be interpreted using pure oxide-cation system data, such as pure silica-cation data. Then the study on the zirconium phosphate salt is interesting because of the increasing complexity in the processes (dissolution, sorption and co-precipitation). These data will enable to approach natural systems, constituted by several complex solids which can interfere on each other. These data can also be used for chemistry-transport coupled codes. Potentiometric titration, sorption isotherms, sorption kinetics, cation surface saturation curves are made, in order to obtain the different parameters relevant to the cation sorption at the solid surface, for each solid-electrolyte-cation system. The influence of different parameters such as ionic strength, pH, and electrolyte is estimated. All the experimental curves are fitted with FITEQL code based on the surface complexation theory using the constant capacitance model, in order to give a mechanistic interpretation of the ion retention phenomenon at the solid surface. The speciation curves of all systems are plotted, using the FITEQL code too. Systems with an increasing complexity are studied: dissolution, sorption and coprecipitation coexist in the cation-salt systems. Then the data obtained on each single solid, considered

  13. Forage Harvest and Transport Costs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Butler, J.; Downing, M.; Turhollow, A.

    1998-12-01

    An engineering-economic approach is used to calculate harvest, in-field transport, and over-the-road transport costs for hay as bales and modules, silage, and crop residues as bales and modules. Costs included are equipment depreciation interest; fuel, lube, and oil; repairs; insurance, housing, and taxes; and labor. Field preparation, pest control, fertilizer, land, and overhead are excluded from the costs calculated Equipment is constrained by power available, throughput or carrying capacity, and field speed.

  14. pH modulation and salivary sugar clearance of different chocolates in children: A randomized clinical trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SVSG Nirmala

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Sugars that occur naturally in foods and those added in processed foods may act as the source for fermentable carbohydrates and may initiate caries process. Among all the foods consumed by children, chocolates form an important constituent. A wide variety of chocolates are available in the Indian market and very few studies have compared their acidogenicity and salivary sugar clearance. Objectives: To compare the acidogenicity and salivary sugar clearance of 6 different commercially available chocolates in the Indian market. Materials and Methods: Thirty subjects aged 10-15 years were selected randomly from one of the available public schools in Nellore city. Six commercially available chocolates in the Indian market were divided into three groups, unfilled (dark and milk chocolate, filled (wafer and fruit and nuts chocolate, and candy (hard milk and mango-flavored candy groups. Plaque pH values and salivary sugar clearance rates are assessed at baseline, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 min after consumption. All the data obtained were statistically evaluated using independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA for multiple group comparisons. Results: Mango-flavored candy had maximum fall in plaque pH and least fall in plaque pH was recorded with milk chocolate. Fruit and nuts chocolate had a maximum clearance of salivary sugar and least fall in the salivary sugar clearance was recorded with dark chocolate. When the plaque pH and salivary sugar clearance of all the chocolates were assessed, it was seen that the values were statistically significant at all the time intervals (P < 0.05. Conclusion: Dark chocolate had a high fall in pH and milk chocolate had low salivary sugar clearance which signifies that unfilled chocolates are more cariogenic than other chocolates. Even though mango-flavored candy had maximum fall in plaque pH, its salivary sugar clearance was high.

  15. pH modulation and salivary sugar clearance of different chocolates in children: A randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nirmala, Svsg; Quadar, Mohammed Akhil; Veluru, Sindhuri

    2016-01-01

    Sugars that occur naturally in foods and those added in processed foods may act as the source for fermentable carbohydrates and may initiate caries process. Among all the foods consumed by children, chocolates form an important constituent. A wide variety of chocolates are available in the Indian market and very few studies have compared their acidogenicity and salivary sugar clearance. To compare the acidogenicity and salivary sugar clearance of 6 different commercially available chocolates in the Indian market. Thirty subjects aged 10-15 years were selected randomly from one of the available public schools in Nellore city. Six commercially available chocolates in the Indian market were divided into three groups, unfilled (dark and milk chocolate), filled (wafer and fruit and nuts chocolate), and candy (hard milk and mango-flavored candy) groups. Plaque pH values and salivary sugar clearance rates are assessed at baseline, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 min after consumption. All the data obtained were statistically evaluated using independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA for multiple group comparisons. Mango-flavored candy had maximum fall in plaque pH and least fall in plaque pH was recorded with milk chocolate. Fruit and nuts chocolate had a maximum clearance of salivary sugar and least fall in the salivary sugar clearance was recorded with dark chocolate. When the plaque pH and salivary sugar clearance of all the chocolates were assessed, it was seen that the values were statistically significant at all the time intervals (P pH and milk chocolate had low salivary sugar clearance which signifies that unfilled chocolates are more cariogenic than other chocolates. Even though mango-flavored candy had maximum fall in plaque pH, its salivary sugar clearance was high.

  16. Peptide-targeted delivery of a pH sensor for quantitative measurements of intraglycosomal pH in live Trypanosoma brucei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Sheng; Morris, Meredith T; Ackroyd, P Christine; Morris, James C; Christensen, Kenneth A

    2013-05-28

    Studies of dynamic changes in organelles of protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei have been limited, in part because of the difficulty of targeting analytical probes to specific subcellular compartments. Here we demonstrate application of a ratiometric probe for pH quantification in T. brucei glycosomes. The probe consists of a peptide encoding the peroxisomal targeting sequence (F-PTS1, acetyl-CKGGAKL) coupled to fluorescein, which responds to pH. When incubated with living parasites, the probe is internalized within vesicular structures that colocalize with a glycosomal marker. Inhibition of uptake of F-PTS1 at 4 °C and pulse-chase colocalization with fluorescent dextran suggested that the probe is initially taken up by non-receptor-mediated endocytosis but is subsequently transported separately from dextran and localized within glycosomes, prior to the final fusion of labeled glycosomes and lysosomes as part of glycosomal turnover. Intraorganellar measurements and pH calibration with F-PTS1 in T. brucei glycosomes indicate that the resting glycosomal pH under physiological conditions is 7.4 ± 0.2. However, incubation in glucose-depleted buffer triggered mild acidification of the glycosome over a period of 20 min, with a final observed pH of 6.8 ± 0.3. This glycosomal acidification was reversed by reintroduction of glucose. Coupling of ratiometric fluorescent sensors and reporters to PTS peptides offers an invaluable tool for monitoring in situ glycosomal response(s) to changing environmental conditions and could be applied to additional kinetoplastid parasites.

  17. Evolution of extreme stomach pH in bilateria inferred from gastric alkalization mechanisms in basal deuterostomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stumpp, Meike; Hu, Marian Y; Tseng, Yung-Che; Guh, Ying-Jeh; Chen, Yi-Chih; Yu, Jr-Kai; Su, Yi-Hsien; Hwang, Pung-Pung

    2015-06-08

    The stomachs of most vertebrates operate at an acidic pH of 2 generated by the gastric H(+)/K(+)-ATPase located in parietal cells. The acidic pH in stomachs of vertebrates is believed to aid digestion and to protect against environmental pathogens. Little attention has been placed on whether acidic gastric pH regulation is a vertebrate character or a deuterostome ancestral trait. Here, we report alkaline conditions up to pH 10.5 in the larval digestive systems of ambulacraria (echinoderm + hemichordate), the closest relative of the chordate. Microelectrode measurements in combination with specific inhibitors for acid-base transporters and ion pumps demonstrated that the gastric alkalization machinery in sea urchin larvae is mainly based on direct H(+) secretion from the stomach lumen and involves a conserved set of ion pumps and transporters. Hemichordate larvae additionally utilized HCO3(-) transport pathways to generate even more alkaline digestive conditions. Molecular analyses in combination with acidification experiments supported these findings and identified genes coding for ion pumps energizing gastric alkalization. Given that insect larval guts were also reported to be alkaline, our discovery raises the hypothesis that the bilaterian ancestor utilized alkaline digestive system while the vertebrate lineage has evolved a strategy to strongly acidify their stomachs.

  18. CLM4-BeTR, a generic biogeochemical transport and reaction module for CLM4: model development, evaluation, and application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Y. Tang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available To improve regional and global biogeochemistry modeling and climate predictability, we have developed a generic reactive transport module for the land model CLM4 (called CLM4-BeTR (Biogeochemical Transport and Reactions. CLM4-BeTR represents the transport, interactions, and biotic and abiotic transformations of an arbitrary number of tracers (aka chemical species in an arbitrary number of phases (e.g., dissolved, gaseous, sorbed, aggregate. An operator splitting approach was employed and consistent boundary conditions were derived for each modeled sub-process. Aqueous tracer fluxes, associated with hydrological processes such as surface run-on and run-off, belowground drainage, and ice to liquid conversion were also computed consistently with the bulk water fluxes calculated by the soil physics module in CLM4. The transport code was evaluated and found in good agreement with several analytical test cases using a time step of 30 min. The model was then applied at the Harvard Forest site with a representation of depth-dependent belowground biogeochemistry. The results indicated that, at this site, (1 CLM4-BeTR was able to simulate soil–surface CO2 effluxes and soil CO2 profiles accurately; (2 the transient surface CO2 effluxes calculated based on the tracer transport mechanism were in general not equal to the belowground CO2 production rates with the magnitude of the difference being a function of averaging timescale and site conditions: differences were large (−20 ~ 20% on hourly, smaller (−5 ~ 5% at daily timescales, and persisted to the monthly timescales with a smaller magnitude (<4%; (3 losses of CO2 through processes other than surface gas efflux were less than 1% of the overall soil respiration; and (4 the contributions of root respiration and heterotrophic respiration have distinct temporal signals in surface CO2 effluxes and soil CO2 concentrations. The

  19. Biona-C Cell Culture pH Monitoring System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedericks, C.

    1999-01-01

    Sensors 2000! is developing a system to demonstrate the ability to perform accurate, real-time measurements of pH and CO2 in a cell culture media in Space. The BIONA-C Cell Culture pH Monitoring System consists of S2K! developed ion selective sensors and control electronics integrated with the fluidics of a cell culture system. The integrated system comprises a "rail" in the Cell Culture Module (CCM) of WRAIR (Space Biosciences of Walter Read Army Institute of Research). The CCM is a Space Shuttle mid-deck locker experiment payload. The BIONA-C is displayed along with associated graphics and text explanations. The presentation will stimulate interest in development of sensor technology for real-time cell culture measurements. The transfer of this technology to other applications will also be of interest. Additional information is contained in the original document.

  20. Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus in fish by-products is inactivated with inorganic acid (pH 1) and base (pH 12).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myrmel, M; Modahl, I; Nygaard, H; Lie, K M

    2014-04-01

    The aquaculture industry needs a simple, inexpensive and safe method for the treatment of fish waste without heat. Microbial inactivation by inorganic acid (HCl) or base (KOH) was determined using infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) as a model organism for fish pathogens. Salmonella and spores of Clostridium perfringens were general hygiene indicators in supplementary examinations. IPNV, which is considered to be among the most chemical- and heat-resistant fish pathogens, was reduced by more than 3 log in 4 h at pH 1.0 and pH 12.0. Salmonella was rapidly inactivated by the same treatment, whereas spores of C. perfringens were hardly affected. The results indicate that low and high pH treatment could be particularly suitable for fish waste destined for biogas production. pH treatment at aquaculture production sites could reduce the spread of fish pathogens during storage and transportation without disturbing the anaerobic digestion process. The treatment could also be an alternative to the current energy-intensive steam pressure sterilization of fish waste to be used by the bioenergy, fertilizer and soil improver industries. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Shear modulation experiments with ECCD on TCV

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cirant, S.; Alberti, S.; Gandini, F.; Behn, R.; Goodman, T.P.; Nikkola, P.

    2006-01-01

    Anomalous electron transport is determined by turbulence, which in turn is affected by magnetic shear. A novel application of electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD), aiming at localized shear modulation, has been applied on the TCV tokamak for experiments on shear-dependent electron transport. Pairs of EC beams, absorbed at the same radius, with one oriented for co- and the other for counter-injection, are modulated out of phase in order to force a local modulation of current-density at constant input power. Off-axis deposition (ρ dep = 0.24) is performed to avoid the central region, where the low heat flux would make transport analysis difficult. In addition some sawteeth control is achieved in this way. A significant impact on local shear is achieved with I ECCD ∼ 0.1I OH , even when the modulation period is much shorter than the current diffusion time across the whole plasma radius. The main result is that although source (heat and particle) terms are constant, both electron density and temperature are modulated during alternated ECCD. Once equilibrium effects are taken into account for appropriate mapping of Thomson scattering measurements onto flux coordinates, modulation of T e and electron pressure, peaked on-axis, is confirmed at all radii internal to EC deposition. The best confinement occurs for co-injection, in which case a local decrease (∼55%) in the magnetic shear causes a decrease in the electron thermal diffusivity of a similar amount (∼65%)

  2. Plutonium uptake by a soil fungus and transport to its spores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beckert, W.F.; Au, F.H.F.

    1976-01-01

    Three concentrations of plutonium-238 nitrate, citrate and dioxide were each added to separate plates of malt agar buffered to pH 2.5 and 5.5 to determine the uptake of plutonium from these chemical forms and concentrations by a common soil fungus, Aspergillus niger. After inoculation and incubation, the aerial spores of Aspergillus niger were collected using a technique that excluded the possibility of cross-contamination of the spores by the culture media or by mycelial fragments. 238 Pu was taken up from all three chemical forms and transported to the aerial spores of Aspergillus niger at each concentration and at both pH levels. The specific activities of the spores grown at pH 5.5 were generally at least twice those of the spores grown at pH 2.5. The uptake of plutonium from the dioxide form was about one-third of that from the nitrate and citrate forms at both pH levels. The term 'transport factor' is used as a means to compare the transport of plutonium from the media to the fungal spores; the concentration-independent transport factor is defined as the specific activity of the spores divided by the specific activity of the dry culture medium. Though the transport factors were less than 1, which indicates discrimination against the transport of 238 Pu from the culture media to the spores, these findings suggest that this common soil fungus may be solubilizing soil-deposited plutonium and rendering it more biologically available for higher plants and animals. (author)

  3. pH Gradient Reversal: An Emerging Hallmark of Cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Mohit; Astekar, Madhusudan; Soi, Sonal; Manjunatha, Bhari S; Shetty, Devi C; Radhakrishnan, Raghu

    2015-01-01

    Several tumors exhibit pH gradient reversal, with acidification of extracellular pH (pHe) and alkalinization of intracellular pH (pHi). The pH gradient reversal is evident even during the preliminary stages of tumorigenesis and is crucial for survival and propagation of tumors, irrespective of their pathology, genetics and origins. Moreover, this hallmark seems to be present ubiquitously in all malignant tumors. Based on these facts, we propose a new emerging hallmark of cancer "pH gradient reversal". Normalizing pH gradient reversal through inhibition of various proton transporters such as Na(+)-H(+) exchanger (NHE), Vacuolar-type H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase), H(+)/K(+)-ATPases and carbonic anhydrases (CAs) has demonstrated substantial therapeutic benefits. Indeed, inhibition of NHE1 is now being regarded as the latest concept in cancer treatment. A recent patent deals with the utilization of cis-Urocanic acid to acidify the pHi and induce apoptosis in tumors. Another patent reports therapeutic benefit by inhibiting Lactate Dehydrogenase - 5 (LDH-5) in various cancers. Several patents have been formulated by designing drugs activated through acidic pHe providing a cancer specific action. The purpose of this review is to analyze the available literature and help design selective therapies that could be a valuable adjunct to the conventional therapies or even replace them.

  4. pH gradients in the diffusive boundary layer of subarctic macrophytes

    KAUST Repository

    Hendriks, Iris E.; Duarte, Carlos M.; Marbà , Nú ria; Krause-Jensen, Dorte

    2017-01-01

    Highly productive macrophytes produce diurnal and seasonal cycles in CO concentrations modulated by metabolic activity, which cause discrepancies between pH in the bulk water and near seaweed blades, especially when entering the diffusion boundary layer (DBL). Calcifying epiphytic organisms living in this environment are therefore exposed to a different pH environment than that of the water column. To evaluate the actual pH environment on blade surfaces, we measured the thickness of the DBL and pH gradients within it for six subarctic macrophytes: Fucus vesiculosus, Ascophyllum nodosum, Ulva lactuca, Zostera marina, Saccharina longicruris, and Agarum clathratum. We measured pH under laboratory conditions at ambient temperatures (2–3 °C) and slow, stable flow over the blade surface at five light intensities (dark, 30, 50, 100 and 200 µmol photons m s). Boundary layer thickness ranged between 511 and 1632 µm, while the maximum difference in pH (∆pH) between the blade surface and the water column ranged between 0.4 ± 0.14 (average ± SE; Zostera) and 1.2 ± 0.13 (average ± SE; Ulva) pH units. These differences in pH are larger than predictions for pH changes in the bulk water by the end of the century. A simple quadratic model best described the relationship between light intensity and maximum ∆pH, pointing at relatively low optimum PAR of between 28 and 139 µmol photons m s to reach maximum ∆pH. Elevated pH at the blade surface may provide chemical “refugia” for calcifying epiphytic organisms, especially during summer at higher latitudes where photoperiods are long.

  5. pH gradients in the diffusive boundary layer of subarctic macrophytes

    KAUST Repository

    Hendriks, Iris E.

    2017-06-20

    Highly productive macrophytes produce diurnal and seasonal cycles in CO concentrations modulated by metabolic activity, which cause discrepancies between pH in the bulk water and near seaweed blades, especially when entering the diffusion boundary layer (DBL). Calcifying epiphytic organisms living in this environment are therefore exposed to a different pH environment than that of the water column. To evaluate the actual pH environment on blade surfaces, we measured the thickness of the DBL and pH gradients within it for six subarctic macrophytes: Fucus vesiculosus, Ascophyllum nodosum, Ulva lactuca, Zostera marina, Saccharina longicruris, and Agarum clathratum. We measured pH under laboratory conditions at ambient temperatures (2–3 °C) and slow, stable flow over the blade surface at five light intensities (dark, 30, 50, 100 and 200 µmol photons m s). Boundary layer thickness ranged between 511 and 1632 µm, while the maximum difference in pH (∆pH) between the blade surface and the water column ranged between 0.4 ± 0.14 (average ± SE; Zostera) and 1.2 ± 0.13 (average ± SE; Ulva) pH units. These differences in pH are larger than predictions for pH changes in the bulk water by the end of the century. A simple quadratic model best described the relationship between light intensity and maximum ∆pH, pointing at relatively low optimum PAR of between 28 and 139 µmol photons m s to reach maximum ∆pH. Elevated pH at the blade surface may provide chemical “refugia” for calcifying epiphytic organisms, especially during summer at higher latitudes where photoperiods are long.

  6. A coupled hydrodynamic-hydrochemical modeling for predicting mineral transport in a natural acid drainage system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zegers Risopatron, G., Sr.; Navarro, L.; Montserrat, S., Sr.; McPhee, J. P.; Niño, Y.

    2017-12-01

    The geochemistry of water and sediments, coupled with hydrodynamic transport in mountainous channels, is of particular interest in central Chilean Andes due to natural occurrence of acid waters. In this paper, we present a coupled transport and geochemical model to estimate and understand transport processes and fate of minerals at the Yerba Loca Basin, located near Santiago, Chile. In the upper zone, water presentes low pH ( 3) and high concentrations of iron, aluminum, copper, manganese and zinc. Acidity and minerals are the consequence of water-rock interactions in hydrothermal alteration zones, rich in sulphides and sulphates, covered by seasonal snow and glaciers. Downstream, as a consequence of neutral to alkaline lateral water contributions (pH >7) along the river, pH increases and concentration of solutes decreases. The mineral transport model has three components: (i) a hydrodynamic model, where we use HEC-RAS to solve 1D Saint-Venant equations, (ii) a sediment transport model to estimate erosion and sedimentation rates, which quantify minerals transference between water and riverbed and (iii) a solute transport model, based on the 1D OTIS model which takes into account the temporal delay in solutes transport that typically is observed in natural channels (transient storage). Hydrochemistry is solved using PHREEQC, a software for speciation and batch reaction. Our results show that correlation between mineral precipitation and dissolution according to pH values changes along the river. Based on pH measurements (and according to literature) we inferred that main minerals in the water system are brochantite, ferrihydrite, hydrobasaluminite and schwertmannite. Results show that our model can predict the transport and fate of minerals and metals in the Yerba Loca Basin. Mineral dissolution and precipitation process occur for limited ranges of pH values. When pH values are increased, iron minerals (schwertmannite) are the first to precipitate ( 2.5

  7. Differential effects of buffer pH on Ca2+-induced ROS emission with inhibited mitochondrial complex I and III

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel P Lindsay

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Excessive mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS emission is a critical component in the etiolo-gy of ischemic injury. Complex I and complex III of the electron transport chain are considered the primary sources of ROS emission during cardiac ischemia and reperfusion (IR injury. Several factors modulate ischemic ROS emission, such as an increase in extra-matrix Ca2+, a decrease in extra-matrix pH, and a change in substrate utilization. Here we examined the combined effects of these factors on ROS emission from respiratory complex I and III under conditions of simulated IR injury. Guinea pig heart mitochondria were suspended in experimental buffer at a given pH and incubated with or without CaCl2. Mitochondria were then treated with either pyruvate, a complex I substrate, followed by rote-none, a complex I inhibitor, or succinate, a complex II substrate, followed by antimycin A, a complex III inhibitor. H2O2 release rate and matrix volume were compared with and without adding CaCl2 and at pH 7.15, 6.9, or 6.5 with pyruvate + rotenone or succinate + antimycin A to simulate conditions that may occur during in vivo cardiac IR injury. We found a large increase in H2O2 release with high [CaCl2] and pyruvate + rotenone at pH 6.9, but not at pHs 7.15 or 6.5. Large increases in H2O2 release rate also occurred at each pH with high [CaCl2] and succinate + antimycin A, with the highest levels observed at pH 7.15. The increases in H2O2 release were associated with significant mitochondrial swelling, and both H2O2 release and swelling were abolished by cyclosporine A, a desensitizer of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. These results indicate that ROS production by complex I and by III is differently affected by buffer pH and Ca2+ loading with mPTP opening. The study sug-gests that changes in the levels of cytosolic Ca2+ and pH during IR alter the relative amounts of ROS produced at mitochondrial respiratory complex I and complex III.

  8. A novel "modularized" optical sensor for pH monitoring in biological matrixes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xun; Zhang, Shang-Qing; Wei, Xing; Yang, Ting; Chen, Ming-Li; Wang, Jian-Hua

    2018-06-30

    A novel core-shell structure optical pH sensor is developed with upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) serving as the core and silica as the shell, followed by grafting bovineserumalbumin (BSA) as another shell via glutaraldehyde cross-linking. The obtained core-shell-shell structure is shortly termed as UCNPs@SiO 2 @BSA, and its surface provides a platform for loading various pH sensitive dyes, which are alike "modules" to make it feasible for measuring pHs within different pH ranges by simply regulating the type of dyes. Generally, a single pH sensitive dye is adopted to respond within a certain pH range. This study employs bromothymol blue (BTB) and rhodamine B (RhB) to facilitate their responses to pH variations within two ranges, i.e., pH 5.99-8.09 and pH 4.98-6.40, respectively, with detection by ratio-fluorescence protocol. The core-shell-shell structure offers superior sensitivity, which is tens of times more sensitive than those achieved by ratio-fluorescence approaches based on various nanostructures, and favorable stability is achieved in high ionic strength medium. In addition, this sensor exhibits superior photostability under continuous excitation at 980 nm. Thanks to the near infrared excitation in the core-shell-shell structure, it effectively avoids the self-fluorescence from biological samples and thus facilitates accurate sensing of pH in various biological sample matrixes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. N-MYC down-regulated-like proteins regulate meristem initiation by modulating auxin transport and MAX2 expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mudgil, Yashwanti; Ghawana, Sanjay; Jones, Alan M

    2013-01-01

    N-MYC down-regulated-like (NDL) proteins interact with the Gβ subunit (AGB1) of the heterotrimeric G protein complex and play an important role in AGB1-dependent regulation of lateral root formation by affecting root auxin transport, auxin gradients and the steady-state levels of mRNA encoding the PIN-FORMED 2 and AUXIN 1 auxin transport facilitators. Auxin transport in aerial tissue follows different paths and utilizes different transporters than in roots; therefore, in the present study, we analyzed whether NDL proteins play an important role in AGB1-dependent, auxin-mediated meristem development. Expression levels of NDL gene family members need to be tightly regulated, and altered expression (both over-expression and down-regulation) confers ectopic growth. Over-expression of NDL1 disrupts vegetative and reproductive organ development. Reduced expression of the NDL gene family members results in asymmetric leaf emergence, twinning of rosette leaves, defects in leaf formation, and abnormal silique distribution. Reduced expression of the NDL genes in the agb1-2 (null allele) mutant rescues some of the abnormal phenotypes, such as silique morphology, silique distribution, and peduncle angle, suggesting that proper levels of NDL proteins are maintained by AGB1. We found that all of these abnormal aerial phenotypes due to altered NDL expression were associated with increases in basipetal auxin transport, altered auxin maxima and altered MAX2 expression within the inflorescence stem. NDL proteins, together with AGB1, act as positive regulators of meristem initiation and branching. AGB1 and NDL1 positively regulate basipetal inflorescence auxin transport and modulate MAX2 expression in shoots, which in turn regulates organ and lateral meristem formation by the establishment and maintenance of auxin gradients.

  10. N-MYC down-regulated-like proteins regulate meristem initiation by modulating auxin transport and MAX2 expression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yashwanti Mudgil

    Full Text Available N-MYC down-regulated-like (NDL proteins interact with the Gβ subunit (AGB1 of the heterotrimeric G protein complex and play an important role in AGB1-dependent regulation of lateral root formation by affecting root auxin transport, auxin gradients and the steady-state levels of mRNA encoding the PIN-FORMED 2 and AUXIN 1 auxin transport facilitators. Auxin transport in aerial tissue follows different paths and utilizes different transporters than in roots; therefore, in the present study, we analyzed whether NDL proteins play an important role in AGB1-dependent, auxin-mediated meristem development.Expression levels of NDL gene family members need to be tightly regulated, and altered expression (both over-expression and down-regulation confers ectopic growth. Over-expression of NDL1 disrupts vegetative and reproductive organ development. Reduced expression of the NDL gene family members results in asymmetric leaf emergence, twinning of rosette leaves, defects in leaf formation, and abnormal silique distribution. Reduced expression of the NDL genes in the agb1-2 (null allele mutant rescues some of the abnormal phenotypes, such as silique morphology, silique distribution, and peduncle angle, suggesting that proper levels of NDL proteins are maintained by AGB1. We found that all of these abnormal aerial phenotypes due to altered NDL expression were associated with increases in basipetal auxin transport, altered auxin maxima and altered MAX2 expression within the inflorescence stem.NDL proteins, together with AGB1, act as positive regulators of meristem initiation and branching. AGB1 and NDL1 positively regulate basipetal inflorescence auxin transport and modulate MAX2 expression in shoots, which in turn regulates organ and lateral meristem formation by the establishment and maintenance of auxin gradients.

  11. Factors governing the pH in a heterotrophic, turbid, tidal estuary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofmann, A. F.; Meysman, F. J. R.; Soetaert, K.; Middelburg, J. J.

    2009-01-01

    A method to quantify the influence of kinetically modelled biogeochemical processes on the pH of an ecosystem with time variable acid-base dissociation constants is presented and applied to the heterotrophic, turbid Scheldt estuary (SW Netherlands, N Belgium). Nitrification is identified as the main process governing the pH profile of this estuary, while CO2 degassing and advective-dispersive transport "buffer" the effect of nitrification. CO2 degassing accounts for the largest proton turnover per year in the whole estuary. There is a clear inverse correlation between oxygen turnover and proton turnover. The main driver of long-term changes in the mean estuarine pH from 2001 to 2004 is a changing freshwater flow which influences the pH "directly" via [∑CO2] and [TA] and to a significant amount also "indirectly" via [∑NH4+] and the nitrification rates in the estuary.

  12. Modulator considerations for beam chopping in the low energy beam transport at the SSC Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, D.; Pappas, G.

    1991-06-01

    Beam chopping in the low energy transport line at the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory is accomplished using an electrostatic deflection system. LINAC requirements dictate the design of two modulators operating at 10 Hz with rise and fall times (as measured from approximately 10--99%) of ∼100 ns. Design of the first pulser, normally at 10 kV and pulsed to ground potential, utilizes a transformer-coupled diode-clamped solid state circuit to achieve the 2--35 μs pulse width range required. The second pulser, which pulses from ground to approximately 7 kV, relies on a series vacuum tube circuit. The current designs, as well as recent test results and other circuit topologies considered, will be presented. 6 refs

  13. Histone deacetylase-mediated regulation of endolysosomal pH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasad, Hari; Rao, Rajini

    2018-05-04

    The pH of the endolysosomal system is tightly regulated by a balance of proton pump and leak mechanisms that are critical for storage, recycling, turnover, and signaling functions in the cell. Dysregulation of endolysosomal pH has been linked to aging, amyloidogenesis, synaptic dysfunction, and various neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that regulate luminal pH may be key to identifying new targets for managing these disorders. Meta-analysis of yeast microarray databases revealed that nutrient-limiting conditions inhibited the histone deacetylase (HDAC) Rpd3 and thereby up-regulated transcription of the endosomal Na + /H + exchanger Nhx1, resulting in vacuolar alkalinization. Consistent with these findings, Rpd3 inhibition by the HDAC inhibitor and antifungal drug trichostatin A induced Nhx1 expression and vacuolar alkalinization. Bioinformatics analysis of Drosophila and mouse databases revealed that caloric control of the Nhx1 orthologs DmNHE3 and NHE6, respectively, is also mediated by HDACs. We show that NHE6 is a target of the transcription factor cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB), a known regulator of cellular responses to low-nutrient conditions, providing a molecular mechanism for nutrient- and HDAC-dependent regulation of endosomal pH. Of note, pharmacological targeting of the CREB pathway to increase NHE6 expression helped regulate endosomal pH and correct defective clearance of amyloid Aβ in an apoE4 astrocyte model of Alzheimer's disease. These observations from yeast, fly, mouse, and cell culture models point to an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for HDAC-mediated regulation of endosomal NHE expression. Our insights offer new therapeutic strategies for modulation of endolysosomal pH in fungal infection and human disease. © 2018 Prasad and Rao.

  14. ABCG2/BCRP decreases the transfer of a food-born chemical carcinogen, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in perfused term human placenta

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myllynen, Paeivi; Kummu, Maria; Kangas, Tiina; Ilves, Mika; Immonen, Elina; Rysae, Jaana; Pirilae, Rauna; Lastumaeki, Anni; Vaehaekangas, Kirsi H.

    2008-01-01

    We have studied the role of ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters in fetal exposure to carcinogens using 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) a known substrate for ABC transporters as a model compound. In perfusion of human term placenta, transfer of 14 C-PhIP (2 μM) through the placenta resulted in fetal-to-maternal concentration ratio (FM ratio) of 0.72 ± 0.09 at 6 h. The specific ABCG2 inhibitor KO143 increased the transfer of 14 C-PhIP from maternal to fetal circulation (FM ratio 0.90 ± 0.08 at 6 h, p 14 C-PhIP (R = - 0.81, p 14 C-PhIP in perfused human placenta. Also, PhIP may modify ABC transporter expression in choriocarinoma cells

  15. Brucella abortus ure2 region contains an acid-activated urea transporter and a nickel transport system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    García-Lobo Juan M

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Urease is a virulence factor that plays a role in the resistance of Brucella to low pH conditions, both in vivo and in vitro. Brucella contains two separate urease gene clusters, ure1 and ure2. Although only ure1 codes for an active urease, ure2 is also transcribed, but its contribution to Brucella biology is unknown. Results Re-examination of the ure2 locus showed that the operon includes five genes downstream of ureABCEFGDT that are orthologs to a nikKMLQO cluster encoding an ECF-type transport system for nickel. ureT and nikO mutants were constructed and analyzed for urease activity and acid resistance. A non-polar ureT mutant was unaffected in urease activity at neutral pH but showed a significantly decreased activity at acidic pH. It also showed a decreased survival rate to pH 2 at low concentration of urea when compared to the wild type. The nikO mutant had decreased urease activity and acid resistance at all urea concentrations tested, and this phenotype could be reverted by the addition of nickel to the growth medium. Conclusions Based on these results, we concluded that the operon ure2 codes for an acid-activated urea transporter and a nickel transporter necessary for the maximal activity of the urease whose structural subunits are encoded exclusively by the genes in the ure1 operon.

  16. Field control of anisotropic spin transport and spin helix dynamics in a modulation-doped GaAs quantum well

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anghel, S.; Passmann, F.; Singh, A.; Ruppert, C.; Poshakinskiy, A. V.; Tarasenko, S. A.; Moore, J. N.; Yusa, G.; Mano, T.; Noda, T.; Li, X.; Bristow, A. D.; Betz, M.

    2018-03-01

    Electron spin transport and dynamics are investigated in a single, high-mobility, modulation-doped, GaAs quantum well using ultrafast two-color Kerr-rotation microspectroscopy, supported by qualitative kinetic theory simulations of spin diffusion and transport. Evolution of the spins is governed by the Dresselhaus bulk and Rashba structural inversion asymmetries, which manifest as an effective magnetic field that can be extracted directly from the experimental coherent spin precession. A spin-precession length λSOI is defined as one complete precession in the effective magnetic field. It is observed that application of (i) an out-of-plane electric field changes the spin decay time and λSOI through the Rashba component of the spin-orbit coupling, (ii) an in-plane magnetic field allows for extraction of the Dresselhaus and Rashba parameters, and (iii) an in-plane electric field markedly modifies both the λSOI and diffusion coefficient.

  17. Graphene Channel Liquid Container Field Effect Transistor as ph Sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, X.; Shi, J.; Pang, J.; Liu, W.; Wang, X.; Liu, H.

    2014-01-01

    Graphene channel liquid container field effect transistor ph sensor with interdigital micro trench for liquid ion testing is presented. Growth morphology and ph sensing property of continuous few-layer graphene (FLG) and quasi-continuous monolayer graphene (MG) channels are compared. The experiment results show that the source-to-drain current of the graphene channel FET has a significant and fast response after adsorption of the measured molecule and ion at the room temperature; at the same time, the FLG response time is less than 4 s. The resolution of MG (0.01) on ph value is one order of magnitude higher than that of FLG (0.1). The reason is that with fewer defects, the MG is more likely to adsorb measured molecule and ion, and the molecules and ions can make the transport property change. The output sensitivities of MG are from 34.5% to 57.4% when the ph value is between 7 and 8, while sensitivity of FLG is 4.75% when the Ph=6. The sensor fabrication combines traditional silicon technique and flexible electronic technology and provides an easy way to develop graphene-based electrolyte gas sensor or even biological sensors.

  18. [Effects of soil pH on the competitive uptake of amino acids by maize and microorganisms].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Qing Xu; Wang, Jun; Cao, Xiao Chuang; Sun, Yan; Sun, Tao; Wu, Liang Huan

    2017-07-18

    Organic nitrogen can play an important role in plant growth, and soil pH changed greatly due to the over-use of chemical fertilizers, but the effects of soil pH on the competitive uptake of amino acids by plants and rhizosphere microorganisms are lack of detailed research. To study the effects of soil pH on the uptake of amino acids by maize and soil microorganisms, two soils from Hangzhou and Tieling were selected, and the soil pH was changed by the electrokinesis, then the 15 N-labeled glycine was injected to the centrifuge tube with a short-term uptake of 4 h. Soil pH had a significant effect on the shoot and root biomass, and the optimal pH for maize shoot growth was 6.48 for Hangzhou red soil, while it was 7.65 for Tieling brown soil. For Hangzhou soil, the 15 N abundance of maize shoots under pH=6.48 was significantly higher than under other treatments, and the uptake amount of 15 N-glycine was also much higher. However, the 15 N abundance of maize shoots and roots under pH=7.65 Tieling soil was significantly lower than it under pH=5.78, but the uptake amount of 15 N-glycine under pH=7.65 was much higher. The microbial biomass C was much higher in pH=6.48 Hangzhou soil, while it was much lower in pH=7.65 Tieling soil. According to the results of root uptake, root to shoot transportation, and the competition with microorganisms, we suggested that although facing the fierce competition with microorganisms, the maize grown in pH=6.48 Hangzhou soil increased the uptake of glycine by increasing its root uptake and root to shoot transportation. While in pH=7.65 Tieling soil, the activity of microorganisms was decreased, which decreased the competition with maize for glycine, and increased the uptake of glycine by maize.

  19. Effects of membrane curvature and pH on proton pumping activity of single cytochrome bo3 enzymes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Mengqiu; Khan, Sanobar; Rong, Honglin

    2017-01-01

    The molecular mechanism of proton pumping by heme-copper oxidases (HCO) has intrigued the scientific community since it was first proposed. We have recently reported a novel technology that enables the continuous characterisation of proton transport activity of a HCO and ubiquinol oxidase from...... Escherichia coli, cytochrome bo3, for hundreds of seconds on the single enzyme level (Li et al. J Am Chem Soc 137 (2015) 16055–16063). Here, we have extended these studies by additional experiments and analyses of the proton transfer rate as a function of proteoliposome size and pH at the N- and P......-side of single HCOs. Proton transport activity of cytochrome bo3 was found to decrease with increased curvature of the membrane. Furthermore, proton uptake at the N-side (proton entrance) was insensitive to pH between pH 6.4–8.4, while proton release at the P-side had an optimum pH of ~ 7.4, suggesting...

  20. Global model structures for ∗-modules

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Böhme, Benjamin

    2018-01-01

    We extend Schwede's work on the unstable global homotopy theory of orthogonal spaces and L-spaces to the category of ∗-modules (i.e., unstable S-modules). We prove a theorem which transports model structures and their properties from L-spaces to ∗-modules and show that the resulting global model...... structure for ∗-modules is monoidally Quillen equivalent to that of orthogonal spaces. As a consequence, there are induced Quillen equivalences between the associated model categories of monoids, which identify equivalent models for the global homotopy theory of A∞-spaces....

  1. Presence and function of dopamine transporter (DAT in stallion sperm: dopamine modulates sperm motility and acrosomal integrity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Javier A Urra

    Full Text Available Dopamine is a catecholamine with multiple physiological functions, playing a key role in nervous system; however its participation in reproductive processes and sperm physiology is controversial. High dopamine concentrations have been reported in different portions of the feminine and masculine reproductive tract, although the role fulfilled by this catecholamine in reproductive physiology is as yet unknown. We have previously shown that dopamine type 2 receptor is functional in boar sperm, suggesting that dopamine acts as a physiological modulator of sperm viability, capacitation and motility. In the present study, using immunodetection methods, we revealed the presence of several proteins important for the dopamine uptake and signalling in mammalian sperm, specifically monoamine transporters as dopamine (DAT, serotonin (SERT and norepinephrine (NET transporters in equine sperm. We also demonstrated for the first time in equine sperm a functional dopamine transporter using 4-[4-(Dimethylaminostyryl]-N-methylpyridinium iodide (ASP(+, as substrate. In addition, we also showed that dopamine (1 mM treatment in vitro, does not affect sperm viability but decreases total and progressive sperm motility. This effect is reversed by blocking the dopamine transporter with the selective inhibitor vanoxerine (GBR12909 and non-selective inhibitors of dopamine reuptake such as nomifensine and bupropion. The effect of dopamine in sperm physiology was evaluated and we demonstrated that acrosome integrity and thyrosine phosphorylation in equine sperm is significantly reduced at high concentrations of this catecholamine. In summary, our results revealed the presence of monoamine transporter DAT, NET and SERT in equine sperm, and that the dopamine uptake by DAT can regulate sperm function, specifically acrosomal integrity and sperm motility.

  2. Key scattering mechanisms limiting the lateral transport in a modulation-doped polar heterojunction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tien, Nguyen Thanh, E-mail: nttien@ctu.edu.vn; Thao, Pham Thi Bich [College of Natural Sciences, Can Tho University, 3-2 Road, Can Tho City (Viet Nam); Thao, Dinh Nhu [Center for Theoretical and Computational Physics, College of Education, Hue University, 34 Le Loi Street, Hue City (Viet Nam); Quang, Doan Nhat [Institute of Physics, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, 10 Dao Tan Street, Hanoi (Viet Nam)

    2016-06-07

    We present a study of the lateral transport of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in a modulation-doped polar heterojunction (HJ). In contrast to previous studies, we assume that the Coulomb correlation among ionized impurities and among charged dislocations in the HJ is so strong that the 2DEG low-temperature mobility is not limited by impurity and dislocation scattering. The mobility, however, is specified by alloy disorder scattering and combined roughness scattering, which is the total effect induced by both the potential barrier and polarization roughness. The obtained results show that the alloy disorder and combined roughness scattering strongly depend on the alloy content and on the near-interface electron distribution. Our theory is capable of explaining the bell-shaped dependence of the lateral mobility on alloy content observed in AlGaN/GaN and on 2DEG density observed in AlN/GaN, which have not previously been explained.

  3. Salivary pH as a marker of plasma adiponectin concentrations in Women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tremblay Monique

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Plasma adiponectin is a significant correlate of the pro-inflammatory cardiometabolic risk profile associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Salivary pH is influenced by several cardiometabolic risk components such as inflammation, oxidation and numerous oral and systemic health modulators, including the menopausal status. This study aimed to assess the association between plasma adiponectin concentrations and salivary pH in women according to the menopausal status. Method Unstimulated saliva collection was performed in 151 Caucasian women of French-Canadian origin (53 premenopausal women (PMW and 98 menopausal women (MW. Student's t test, ANOVA and linear regression models were used to assess the association between plasma adiponectin concentrations and salivary pH. Results Plasma adiponectin levels increased as a function of salivary pH in the whole sample and among MW (r = 0.29 and r = 0.36, p 2 was 10.8% (p Conclusions These results suggest that salivary pH is a significant correlate of plasma adiponectin levels in women. With the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity, new technologies should be developed to more easily monitor health status, disease onset and progression. Salivary pH, a simple, inexpensive and non-invasive measure, could be a very promising avenue.

  4. Intracellular pH in increased after transformation of Chinese hamster embryo fibroblasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ober, S.S.; Pardee, A.B.

    1987-01-01

    These studies reveal that a series of tumorigenic Chinese hamster embryo fibroblast (CHEF) cell lines maintain an internal pH (pH/sub i/) that is 0.12 +/- 0.04 pH unit above that of the nontumorigenic CHEF/18 parental line. pH measurements were made with [ 14 C]-benzoic acid. This increase of pH/sub i/ in the tumorigenic CHEF cells is not due to autocrine growth factor production or to the persistent activation of pathways previously shown to modulate Na + /H + -antiporter activity present in the CHEF/18 line. These findings suggest that the defect in pH/sub i/ regulation in the tumorigenic CHEF/18 derivatives lies in the Na + /H + antiporter itself. Further studies to determine the biological significance of an increased pH/sub i/ show that the external pH (pH 0 )-dependence curve for initiation of DNA synthesis in the tumorigenic CHEF lines is shifted by approximately 0.2 pH unit toward acidic values relative to that of the nontumorigenic CHEF/18 parent. These data show a critical role for pH/sub i/ in the regulation of DNA synthesis in Chinese hamster embryo fibroblasts and demonstrate that aberrations in pH/sub i/ can contribute to the acquisition of altered growth properties

  5. Flow and transport in Riparian Zones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Jannick Kolbjørn

    scenarios with changing conditions for flow (steady state with no flooding or transient with flooding), hydrogeology, denitrification rate, and extent of flooding it is demonstrated how flow paths, residence times, and nitrate removal are affected. With this previous conceptual models on the hydrology......The PhD study presents research results from two re-established Danish riparian zones, Brynemade and Skallebanke, located along Odense River on the island Funen, Denmark. The overall objectives of the PhD study have been to improve the understanding of flow and transport in riparian zones....... The methodology focuses on; construction of field sites along Odense River, understanding flow and transport, and performing numerical/analytical model assessments of flow and transport. An initial 2D simulation study was performed with a conceptual setup based on the Brynemade site. Through a series of 2D model...

  6. Application of Optical Imaging Techniques for Quantification of pH and O2 Dynamicsin Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, B.; Seliman, A. F.; Pales, A. R.; Liang, W.; Sams, A.; Darnault, C. J. G.; DeVol, T. A.

    2016-12-01

    Understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of physical and chemical parameters (e.g. pH, O2) is imperative to characterize the behavior of contaminants in a natural environment. The objectives of this research are to calibrate pH and O2 sensor foils, to develop a dual pH/O2 sensor foil, and to apply them into flow and transport experiments, in order to understand the physical and chemical parameters that control contaminant fate and transport in an unsaturated sandy porous medium. In addition, demonstration of a sensor foil that quantifies aqueous uranium concentration will be presented. Optical imaging techniques will be conducted with 2D tanks to investigate the influence of microbial exudates and plant roots on pH and O2 parameters and radionuclides transport. As a non-invasive method, the optical imaging technique utilizes optical chemical sensor films and either a digital camera or a spectrometer to capture the changes with high temporal and spatial resolutions. Sensor foils are made for different parameters by applying dyes to generate favorable fluorescence that is proportional to the parameter of interest. Preliminary results suggested that this method could detect pH ranging from 4.5 to 7.5. The result from uranium foil test with different concentrations in the range of 2 to 8 ppm indicated that a higher concentration of uranium resulted in a greater color intensity.

  7. Manipulating and Monitoring On-Surface Biological Reactions by Light-Triggered Local pH Alterations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peretz-Soroka, Hagit; Pevzner, Alexander; Davidi, Guy; Naddaka, Vladimir; Kwiat, Moria; Huppert, Dan; Patolsky, Fernando

    2015-07-08

    Significant research efforts have been dedicated to the integration of biological species with electronic elements to yield smart bioelectronic devices. The integration of DNA, proteins, and whole living cells and tissues with electronic devices has been developed into numerous intriguing applications. In particular, the quantitative detection of biological species and monitoring of biological processes are both critical to numerous areas of medical and life sciences. Nevertheless, most current approaches merely focus on the "monitoring" of chemical processes taking place on the sensing surfaces, and little efforts have been invested in the conception of sensitive devices that can simultaneously "control" and "monitor" chemical and biological reactions by the application of on-surface reversible stimuli. Here, we demonstrate the light-controlled fine modulation of surface pH by the use of photoactive molecularly modified nanomaterials. Through the use of nanowire-based FET devices, we showed the capability of modulating the on-surface pH, by intensity-controlled light stimulus. This allowed us simultaneously and locally to control and monitor pH-sensitive biological reactions on the nanodevices surfaces, such as the local activation and inhibition of proteolytic enzymatic processes, as well as dissociation of antigen-antibody binding interactions. The demonstrated capability of locally modulating the on-surface effective pH, by a light stimuli, may be further applied in the local control of on-surface DNA hybridization/dehybridization processes, activation or inhibition of living cells processes, local switching of cellular function, local photoactivation of neuronal networks with single cell resolution and so forth.

  8. Complex quantum transport in a modulation doped strained Ge quantum well heterostructure with a high mobility 2D hole gas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morrison, C., E-mail: c.morrison.2@warwick.ac.uk; Casteleiro, C.; Leadley, D. R.; Myronov, M. [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

    2016-09-05

    The complex quantum transport of a strained Ge quantum well (QW) modulation doped heterostructure with two types of mobile carriers has been observed. The two dimensional hole gas (2DHG) in the Ge QW exhibits an exceptionally high mobility of 780 000 cm{sup 2}/Vs at temperatures below 10 K. Through analysis of Shubnikov de-Haas oscillations in the magnetoresistance of this 2DHG below 2 K, the hole effective mass is found to be 0.065 m{sub 0}. Anomalous conductance peaks are observed at higher fields which deviate from standard Shubnikov de-Haas and quantum Hall effect behaviour due to conduction via multiple carrier types. Despite this complex behaviour, analysis using a transport model with two conductive channels explains this behaviour and allows key physical parameters such as the carrier effective mass, transport, and quantum lifetimes and conductivity of the electrically active layers to be extracted. This finding is important for electronic device applications, since inclusion of highly doped interlayers which are electrically active, for enhancement of, for example, room temperature carrier mobility, does not prevent analysis of quantum transport in a QW.

  9. Complex quantum transport in a modulation doped strained Ge quantum well heterostructure with a high mobility 2D hole gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrison, C.; Casteleiro, C.; Leadley, D. R.; Myronov, M.

    2016-09-01

    The complex quantum transport of a strained Ge quantum well (QW) modulation doped heterostructure with two types of mobile carriers has been observed. The two dimensional hole gas (2DHG) in the Ge QW exhibits an exceptionally high mobility of 780 000 cm2/Vs at temperatures below 10 K. Through analysis of Shubnikov de-Haas oscillations in the magnetoresistance of this 2DHG below 2 K, the hole effective mass is found to be 0.065 m0. Anomalous conductance peaks are observed at higher fields which deviate from standard Shubnikov de-Haas and quantum Hall effect behaviour due to conduction via multiple carrier types. Despite this complex behaviour, analysis using a transport model with two conductive channels explains this behaviour and allows key physical parameters such as the carrier effective mass, transport, and quantum lifetimes and conductivity of the electrically active layers to be extracted. This finding is important for electronic device applications, since inclusion of highly doped interlayers which are electrically active, for enhancement of, for example, room temperature carrier mobility, does not prevent analysis of quantum transport in a QW.

  10. Parathyroid hormone depresses cytosolic pH and DNA synthesis in osteoblast-like cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reid, I.R.; Civitelli, R.; Avioli, L.V.; Hruska, K.A.

    1988-01-01

    It has recently become apparent that a number of hormones and growth factors modulate cytosolic pH (pH i ) and there is some evidence that this in turn may influence cell growth. The authors have examined the effects of parathyroid hormone (PTH) on both these parameters in an osteoblast-like cell line, UMR 106. Preliminary studies, using the pH-sensitive fluorescent probe 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5,(6)-carboxyfluorescein indicated that these cells regulate pH i by means of an amiloride-inhibitable Na + -H + exchanger. Rat PTH-(1-34) (rPTH) caused a progressive dose-related decrease in pH i with a half-maximal effect at 10 -11 M. The diacylglycerol analogue, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, increased both pH i and [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation, and amiloride reduced both indexes. However, rPTH remained a potent inhibitor of [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation in the presence of amiloride, even though it did not affect pH i in these circumstances. It is concluded that PTH decreases pH i and growth in UMR 106 cells but that these changes can be dissociated. Depression of pH i may have other important effects on bone metabolism, such as reducing cell-cell communication, and may be associated with alkalinization of the bone fluid compartment

  11. Scintillation light transport and detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gabriel, T.A.; Lillie, R.A.

    1986-08-01

    The MORSE neutron gamma-ray transport code has been modified to allow for the transport of scintillation light. This modified code is used to analyze the light collection characteristics of a large liquid scintillator module (18 x 18 x 350 cm 3 )

  12. Dimerization of Organic Dyes on Luminescent Gold Nanoparticles for Ratiometric pH Sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Shasha; Ning, Xuhui; Zhang, Greg; Wang, Yen-Chung; Peng, Chuanqi; Zheng, Jie

    2016-02-12

    Synergistic effects arising from the conjugation of organic dyes onto non-luminescent metal nanoparticles (NPs) have greatly broadened their applications in both imaging and sensing. Herein, we report that conjugation of a well-known pH-insensitive dye, tetramethyl-rhodamine (TAMRA), to pH-insensitive luminescent gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can lead to an ultrasmall nanoindicator that can fluorescently report local pH in a ratiometric way. Such synergy originated from the dimerization of TAMRA on AuNPs, of which geometry was very sensitive to surface charges of the AuNPs and can be reversely modulated through protonation of surrounding glutathione ligands. Not limited to pH-insensitive dyes, this pH-dependent dimerization can also enhance the pH sensitivity of fluorescein, a well-known pH-sensitive dye, within a larger pH range, opening up a new pathway to design ultrasmall fluorescent ratiometric nanoindicators with tunable wavelengths and pH response ranges. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Gas puff modulation experiments in Tore Supra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haas, J.C.M. de; Devynck, P.; Dudok de Wit, T.; Garbet, X.; Gil, C.; Harris, G.; Laviron, C.; Martin, G.

    1993-01-01

    Experiments with a modulation of the gas puff have been done in Tore Supra with the aim to investigate the transport of particles and heat. The target plasma is ohmically heated, sawtoothing with frequencies between 12 and 20 Hz, deuterium for both the plasma and the injection, and with various densities, rising in a series of shots. Both the diffusion coefficient and the pinch velocity for the particle transport were determined using an harmonic modulation. The method gives reasonable results, even for small perturbations, and the obtained values are able to reproduce the stationary values. The heat flow carried by electrons also shows a modulation. The part of the modulation which is not caused by the density can in principle be used to discriminate diffusive and convective terms in the heat flux. An ion temperature profile calculated with empirically determined value of heat diffusivity reproduces the slow evolution of the total kinetic energy. 6 figs., 7 refs

  14. First ECRH modulation experiments in Tore Supra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zou, X.L.; Artaud, J. F.; Bouquey, F.; Clary, J.; Darbos, C.; Giruzzi, G.; Lennholm, M.; Magne, R.; Segui, J.L.

    2003-01-01

    The modulation of Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) is a powerful tool to investigate the crucial problem of heat transport in tokamaks. This method consists in producing perturbations in the electron temperature by means of highly localised electron heating. By studying the propagation of the heat pulse associated with such perturbations, it is possible to determine both the heat transport coefficient and, as a by-product, the ECRH power deposition. In this work, three methods have been used for electron transport analysis: i) the well-known FFT method; ii) an analytical method, consisting in the simulation of the temperature modulation by an analytical solution of the heat transport equation in cylindrical geometry; iii) the power balance method with the profile analysis. The three methods are applied to the analysis of recent experiments performed on Tore Supra, and their advantages and drawbacks are discussed. (authors)

  15. Low-Temperature Band Transport and Impact of Contact Resistance in Organic Field-Effect Transistors Based on Single-Crystal Films of Ph-BTBT-C10

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Joung-min; Mori, Takehiko

    2016-06-01

    Transistors based on single-crystal films of 2-decyl-7-phenyl-[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (Ph-BTBT-10) fabricated using the blade-coating method are investigated by the four-probe method down to low temperatures. The four-probe mobility is as large as 18 cm2/V s at room temperature, and increases to 45 cm2/V s at 80 K. At 60 K the two-probe mobility drops abruptly by about 50%, but the mobility drop is mostly attributed to the increase of the source resistance. The carrier transport in the present single-crystal film is regarded as essentially bandlike down to 30 K.

  16. Module 13: Bulk Packaging Shipments by Highway

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Przybylski, J.L.

    1994-07-01

    The Hazardous Materials Modular Training Program provides participating United States Department of Energy (DOE) sites with a basic, yet comprehensive, hazardous materials transportation training program for use onsite. This program may be used to assist individual program entities to satisfy the general awareness, safety training, and function specific training requirements addressed in Code of Federal Regulation (CFR), Title 49, Part 172, Subpart H -- ''Training.'' Module 13 -- Bulk Packaging Shipments by Highway is a supplement to the Basic Hazardous Materials Workshop. Module 13 -- Bulk Packaging Shipments by Highway focuses on bulk shipments of hazardous materials by highway mode, which have additional or unique requirements beyond those addressed in the ten module core program. Attendance in this course of instruction should be limited to those individuals with work experience in transporting hazardous materials utilizing bulk packagings and who have completed the Basic Hazardous Materials Workshop or an equivalent. Participants will become familiar with the rules and regulations governing the transportation by highway of hazardous materials in bulk packagings and will demonstrate the application of these requirements through work projects and examination

  17. Transportation Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Synthesis, Phase II

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-04-24

    The Transportation Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Synthesis includes an LCA Learning Module Series, case studies, and analytics on the use of the modules. The module series is a set of narrated slideshows on topics related to environmental LCA. Phase I ...

  18. Temporal viscosity modulations driven by a pH sensitive polymer coupled to a pH-changing chemical reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escala, D M; Muñuzuri, A P; De Wit, A; Carballido-Landeira, J

    2017-05-17

    The Formaldehyde-Sulfite (FS) and the Formaldehyde-Sulfite-Gluconolactone (FSG) systems are examples of complex chemical reactions accompanied by well-controlled variations in pH. While the FS system exhibits a clock behavior, in the FSG reaction, this mechanism is coupled with the hydrolysis of the gluconolactone which gives the possibility to show large temporal oscillations of pH in an open reactor. In this work, we show how these reactive systems, due to their organic nature, can be coupled with pH sensitive polymers, particularly with polyacrylic acid (PAA) to trigger temporal changes of viscosity. We characterize this coupled reactive system showing the effects of changes in the initial concentrations of the polymer and in the chemical reagents on the induction time, the magnitude of the pH variations and the temporal modifications of the viscosity.

  19. Functional and molecular characterization of transmembrane intracellular pH regulators in human dental pulp stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Gunng-Shinng; Lee, Shiao-Pieng; Huang, Shu-Fu; Chao, Shih-Chi; Chang, Chung-Yi; Wu, Gwo-Jang; Li, Chung-Hsing; Loh, Shih-Hurng

    2018-06-01

    Homeostasis of intracellular pH (pH i ) plays vital roles in many cell functions, such as proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and metastasis. Thus far, Na + -H + exchanger (NHE), Na + -HCO 3 - co-transporter (NBC), Cl - /HCO 3 - exchanger (AE) and Cl - /OH - exchanger (CHE) have been identified to co-regulate pH i homeostasis. However, functional and biological pH i -regulators in human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) have yet to be identified. Microspectrofluorimetry technique with pH-sensitive fluorescent dye, BCECF, was used to detect pH i changes. NH 4 Cl and Na + -acetate pre-pulse were used to induce intracellular acidosis and alkalosis, respectively. Isoforms of pH i -regulators were detected by Western blot technique. The resting pH i was no significant difference between that in HEPES-buffered (nominal HCO 3 - -free) solution or CO 2 /HCO 3 -buffered system (7.42 and 7.46, respectively). The pH i recovery following the induced-intracellular acidosis was blocked completely by removing [Na + ] o , while only slowed (-63%) by adding HOE694 (a NHE1 specific inhibitor) in HEPES-buffered solution. The pH i recovery was inhibited entirely by removing [Na + ] o , while adding HOE 694 pulse DIDS (an anion-transporter inhibitor) only slowed (-55%) the acid extrusion. Both in HEPES-buffered and CO 2 /HCO 3 -buffered system solution, the pH i recovery after induced-intracellular alkalosis was entirely blocked by removing [Cl - ] o . Western blot analysis showed the isoforms of pH i regulators, including NHE1/2, NBCe1/n1, AE1/2/3/4 and CHE in the hDPSCs. We demonstrate for the first time that resting pH i is significantly higher than 7.2 and meditates functionally by two Na + -dependent acid extruders (NHE and NBC), two Cl - -dependent acid loaders (CHE and AE) and one Na + -independent acid extruder(s) in hDPSCs. These findings provide novel insight for basic and clinical treatment of dentistry. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Photoconductivity, pH Sensitivity, Noise, and Channel Length Effects in Si Nanowire FET Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gasparyan, Ferdinand; Zadorozhnyi, Ihor; Khondkaryan, Hrant; Arakelyan, Armen; Vitusevich, Svetlana

    2018-03-01

    Silicon nanowire (NW) field-effect transistor (FET) sensors of various lengths were fabricated. Transport properties of Si NW FET sensors were investigated involving noise spectroscopy and current-voltage (I-V) characterization. The static I-V dependencies demonstrate the high quality of fabricated silicon FETs without leakage current. Transport and noise properties of NW FET structures were investigated under different light illumination conditions, as well as in sensor configuration in an aqueous solution with different pH values. Furthermore, we studied channel length effects on the photoconductivity, noise, and pH sensitivity. The magnitude of the channel current is approximately inversely proportional to the length of the current channel, and the pH sensitivity increases with the increase of channel length approaching the Nernst limit value of 59.5 mV/pH. We demonstrate that dominant 1/f-noise can be screened by the generation-recombination plateau at certain pH of the solution or external optical excitation. The characteristic frequency of the generation-recombination noise component decreases with increasing of illumination power. Moreover, it is shown that the measured value of the slope of 1/f-noise spectral density dependence on the current channel length is 2.7 which is close to the theoretically predicted value of 3.

  1. Large modulation of carrier transport by grain-boundary molecular packing and microstructure in organic thin films

    KAUST Repository

    Rivnay, Jonathan

    2009-11-08

    Solution-processable organic semiconductors are central to developing viable printed electronics, and performance comparable to that of amorphous silicon has been reported for films grown from soluble semiconductors. However, the seemingly desirable formation of large crystalline domains introduces grain boundaries, resulting in substantial device-to-device performance variations. Indeed, for films where the grain-boundary structure is random, a few unfavourable grain boundaries may dominate device performance. Here we isolate the effects of molecular-level structure at grain boundaries by engineering the microstructure of the high-performance n-type perylenediimide semiconductor PDI8-CN 2 and analyse their consequences for charge transport. A combination of advanced X-ray scattering, first-principles computation and transistor characterization applied to PDI8-CN 2 films reveals that grain-boundary orientation modulates carrier mobility by approximately two orders of magnitude. For PDI8-CN 2 we show that the molecular packing motif (that is, herringbone versus slip-stacked) plays a decisive part in grain-boundary-induced transport anisotropy. The results of this study provide important guidelines for designing device-optimized molecular semiconductors. © 2009 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

  2. Quantifying Interfacial pH Variation at Molecular Length Scales Using a Concurrent Non-Faradaic Reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryu, Jaeyune; Wuttig, Anna; Surendranath, Yogesh

    2018-05-15

    We quantify changes in the interfacial pH local to the electrochemical double layer during electrocatalysis, using a concurrent non-faradaic probe reaction. In the absence of electrocatalysis, nanostructured Pt/C surfaces mediate the reaction of H2 with cis-2-butene-1,4-diol to form a mixture of 1,4-butanediol and n-butanol with a selectivity that is linearly dependent on the bulk solution pH. We show that kinetic branching occurs from a common surface-bound intermediate, ensuring that this probe reaction is uniquely sensitive to the interfacial pH within molecular length scales of the surface. We use the pH-dependent selectivity of this reaction to track changes in interfacial pH during concurrent hydrogen oxidation electrocatalysis and find that the local pH can vary dramatically, > 3 units, relative to the bulk value even at modest current densities in well-buffered electrolytes. This work highlights the key role that interfacial pH variation plays in modulating inner-sphere electrocatalysis. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Dispersed solar thermal generation employing parabolic dish-electric transport with field modulated generator systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramakumar, R.; Bahrami, K.

    1981-01-01

    This paper discusses the application of field modulated generator systems (FMGS) to dispersed solar-thermal-electric generation from a parabolic dish field with electric transport. Each solar generation unit is rated at 15 kWe and the power generated by an array of such units is electrically collected for insertion into an existing utility grid. Such an approach appears to be most suitable when the heat engine rotational speeds are high (greater than 6000 r/min) and, in particular, if they are operated in the variable speed mode and if utility-grade a.c. is required for direct insertion into the grid without an intermediate electric energy storage and reconversion system. Predictions of overall efficiencies based on conservative efficiency figures for the FMGS are in the range of 25 per cent and should be encouraging to those involved in the development of cost-effective dispersed solar thermal power systems.

  4. A physics-based model for maintenance of the pH gradient in the gastric mucus layer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Owen L; Keener, James P; Fogelson, Aaron L

    2017-12-01

    It is generally accepted that the gastric mucus layer provides a protective barrier between the lumen and the mucosa, shielding the mucosa from acid and digestive enzymes and preventing autodigestion of the stomach epithelium. However, the precise mechanisms that contribute to this protective function are still up for debate. In particular, it is not clear what physical processes are responsible for transporting hydrogen protons, secreted within the gastric pits, across the mucus layer to the lumen without acidifying the environment adjacent to the epithelium. One hypothesis is that hydrogen may be bound to the mucin polymers themselves as they are convected away from the mucosal surface and eventually degraded in the stomach lumen. It is also not clear what mechanisms prevent hydrogen from diffusing back toward the mucosal surface, thereby lowering the local pH. In this work we investigate a physics-based model of ion transport within the mucosal layer based on a Nernst-Planck-like equation. Analysis of this model shows that the mechanism of transporting protons bound to the mucus gel is capable of reproducing the trans-mucus pH gradients reported in the literature. Furthermore, when coupled with ion exchange at the epithelial surface, our analysis shows that bicarbonate secretion alone is capable of neutralizing the epithelial pH, even in the face of enormous diffusive gradients of hydrogen. Maintenance of the pH gradient is found to be robust to a wide array of perturbations in both physiological and phenomenological model parameters, suggesting a robust physiological control mechanism. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This work combines modeling techniques based on physical principles, as well as novel numerical simulations to test the plausibility of one hypothesized mechanism for proton transport across the gastric mucus layer. Results show that this mechanism is able to maintain the extreme pH gradient seen in in vivo experiments and suggests a highly robust regulation

  5. Dynamical heat transport amplification in a far-field thermal transistor of VO{sub 2} excited with a laser of modulated intensity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ordonez-Miranda, Jose, E-mail: jose.ordonez@cnrs.pprime.fr; Ezzahri, Younès; Drevillon, Jérémie; Joulain, Karl [Institut Pprime, CNRS, Université de Poitiers, ISAE-ENSMA, F-86962 Futuroscope Chasseneuil (France)

    2016-05-28

    Far-field radiative heat transport in a thermal transistor made up of a vanadium dioxide base excited with a laser of modulated intensity is analytically studied and optimized. This is done by solving the equation of energy conservation for the steady-state and modulated components of the temperature and heat fluxes that the base exchanges with the collector and emitter. The thermal bistability of VO{sub 2} is used to find an explicit condition on the laser intensity required to maximize these heat fluxes to values higher than the incident flux. For a 1 μm-thick base heated with a modulation frequency of 0.5 Hz, it is shown that both the DC and AC components of the heat fluxes are about 4 times the laser intensity, while the AC temperature remains an order of magnitude smaller than the DC one at around 343 K. Higher AC heat fluxes are obtained for thinner bases and/or lower frequencies. Furthermore, we find that out of the bistability temperatures associated with the dielectric-to-metal and metal-to-dielectric transitions of VO{sub 2}, the amplification of the collector-to-base and base-to-emitter heat fluxes is still possible, but at modulation frequencies lower than 0.1 Hz.

  6. Study of electronic heat transport in plasma through diagnosis based on modulated electron cyclotron heating; Etudes de transport de la chaleur electronique par injection modulee d'ondes a la frequence cyclotronique electronique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clemencon, A.; Guivarch, C

    2003-07-01

    In order to make nuclear fusion energetically profitable, it is crucial to heat and confine the plasma efficiently. Studying the behavior of the heat diffusion coefficient is a key issue in this matter. The use of modulated electron cyclotron heating as a diagnostic has suggested the existence of a transport barrier under certain plasma conditions. We have determined the solution to the heat transport equation, for several heat diffusion coefficient profiles. By comparing the analytical solutions with experimental data; we are able to study the heat diffusion coefficient profile. Thus, in certain experiments, we can confirm that the heat diffusion coefficient switches from low to high values at the radius where the electron cyclotron heat deposition is made. (authors)

  7. Development of CAD-Based Geometry Processing Module for a Monte Carlo Particle Transport Analysis Code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Sung Hoon; Kwark, Min Su; Shim, Hyung Jin

    2012-01-01

    As The Monte Carlo (MC) particle transport analysis for a complex system such as research reactor, accelerator, and fusion facility may require accurate modeling of the complicated geometry. Its manual modeling by using the text interface of a MC code to define the geometrical objects is tedious, lengthy and error-prone. This problem can be overcome by taking advantage of modeling capability of the computer aided design (CAD) system. There have been two kinds of approaches to develop MC code systems utilizing the CAD data: the external format conversion and the CAD kernel imbedded MC simulation. The first approach includes several interfacing programs such as McCAD, MCAM, GEOMIT etc. which were developed to automatically convert the CAD data into the MCNP geometry input data. This approach makes the most of the existing MC codes without any modifications, but implies latent data inconsistency due to the difference of the geometry modeling system. In the second approach, a MC code utilizes the CAD data for the direct particle tracking or the conversion to an internal data structure of the constructive solid geometry (CSG) and/or boundary representation (B-rep) modeling with help of a CAD kernel. MCNP-BRL and OiNC have demonstrated their capabilities of the CAD-based MC simulations. Recently we have developed a CAD-based geometry processing module for the MC particle simulation by using the OpenCASCADE (OCC) library. In the developed module, CAD data can be used for the particle tracking through primitive CAD surfaces (hereafter the CAD-based tracking) or the internal conversion to the CSG data structure. In this paper, the performances of the text-based model, the CAD-based tracking, and the internal CSG conversion are compared by using an in-house MC code, McSIM, equipped with the developed CAD-based geometry processing module

  8. Sorption and Transport of Pharmaceutical chemicals in Organic- and Mineral-rich Soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vulava, V. M.; Schwindaman, J.; Murphey, V.; Kuzma, S.; Cory, W.

    2011-12-01

    Pharmaceutical, active ingredients in personal care products (PhACs), and their derivative compounds are increasingly ubiquitous in surface waters across the world. Sorption and transport of four relatively common PhACs (naproxen, ibuprofen, cetirizine, and triclosan) in different natural soils was measured. All of these compounds are relatively hydrophobic (log KOW>2) and have acid/base functional groups, including one compound that is zwitterionic (cetirizine.) The main goal of this study was to correlate organic matter (OM) and clay content in natural soils and sediment with sorption and degradation of PhACs and ultimately their potential for transport within the subsurface environment. A- and B-horizon soils were collected from four sub-regions within a pristine managed forested watershed near Charleston, SC, with no apparent sources of anthropogenic contamination. These four soil series had varying OM content (fOC) between 0.4-9%, clay mineral content between 6-20%, and soil pH between 4.5-6. The A-horizon soils had higher fOC and lower clay content than the B-horizon soils. Sorption isotherms measured from batch sorption experimental data indicated a non-linear sorption relationship in all A- and B-horizon soils - stronger sorption was observed at lower PhAC concentrations and lower sorption at higher concentrations. Three PhACs (naproxen, ibuprofen, and triclosan) sorbed more strongly with higher fOC A-horizon soils compared with the B-horizon soils. These results show that soil OM had a significant role in strongly binding these three PhACs, which had the highest KOW values. In contrast, cetirizine, which is predominantly positively charged at pH below 8, strongly sorbed to soils with higher clay mineral content and least strongly to higher fOC soils. All sorption isotherms fitted well to the Freundlich model. For naproxen, ibuprofen, and triclosan, there was a strong and positive linear correlation between the Freundlich adsorption constant, Kf, and f

  9. Digestibility and antigenicity of β-lactoglobulin as affected by heat, pH and applied shear.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahaman, Toheder; Vasiljevic, Todor; Ramchandran, Lata

    2017-02-15

    Processing induced conformational changes can modulate digestibility of food allergens and thereby their antigenicity. Effect of different pH (3, 5, 7), temperature (room temperature, 120°C) and shear (0s(-1), 1000s(-1)) on simulated gastrointestinal digestibility of β-lg and post digestion antigenic characteristics have been studied. At all pH levels unheated β-lg showed resistance to peptic digestion with high antigenic value while it was fairly susceptible to pancreatin with moderate reduction in antigenicity. Heating at 120°C significantly improved both peptic and pancreatic digestion attributed to structural alterations that resulted in much lower antigenicity; the level of reduction being pH dependant. The lowest antigenicity was recorded at pH 5. Shearing (1000s(-1)) had a minor impact reducing digestibility and thereby enhancing antigenicity of unheated β-lg at pH 5 and 7 slightly; however in conjunction with heating (120°C) it reduced antigenicity further irrespective of the pH. Overall, treatment at pH 5, 120°C and 1000s(-1) could potentially reduce post digestion antigenicity of β-lg. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. External pH modulates EAG superfamily K+ channels through EAG-specific acidic residues in the voltage sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazmierczak, Marcin; Zhang, Xiaofei; Chen, Bihan; Mulkey, Daniel K.; Shi, Yingtang; Wagner, Paul G.; Pivaroff-Ward, Kendra; Sassic, Jessica K.; Bayliss, Douglas A.

    2013-01-01

    The Ether-a-go-go (EAG) superfamily of voltage-gated K+ channels consists of three functionally distinct gene families (Eag, Elk, and Erg) encoding a diverse set of low-threshold K+ currents that regulate excitability in neurons and muscle. Previous studies indicate that external acidification inhibits activation of three EAG superfamily K+ channels, Kv10.1 (Eag1), Kv11.1 (Erg1), and Kv12.1 (Elk1). We show here that Kv10.2, Kv12.2, and Kv12.3 are similarly inhibited by external protons, suggesting that high sensitivity to physiological pH changes is a general property of EAG superfamily channels. External acidification depolarizes the conductance–voltage (GV) curves of these channels, reducing low threshold activation. We explored the mechanism of this high pH sensitivity in Kv12.1, Kv10.2, and Kv11.1. We first examined the role of acidic voltage sensor residues that mediate divalent cation block of voltage activation in EAG superfamily channels because protons reduce the sensitivity of Kv12.1 to Zn2+. Low pH similarly reduces Mg2+ sensitivity of Kv10.1, and we found that the pH sensitivity of Kv11.1 was greatly attenuated at 1 mM Ca2+. Individual neutralizations of a pair of EAG-specific acidic residues that have previously been implicated in divalent block of diverse EAG superfamily channels greatly reduced the pH response in Kv12.1, Kv10.2, and Kv11.1. Our results therefore suggest a common mechanism for pH-sensitive voltage activation in EAG superfamily channels. The EAG-specific acidic residues may form the proton-binding site or alternatively are required to hold the voltage sensor in a pH-sensitive conformation. The high pH sensitivity of EAG superfamily channels suggests that they could contribute to pH-sensitive K+ currents observed in vivo. PMID:23712551

  11. External pH modulates EAG superfamily K+ channels through EAG-specific acidic residues in the voltage sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazmierczak, Marcin; Zhang, Xiaofei; Chen, Bihan; Mulkey, Daniel K; Shi, Yingtang; Wagner, Paul G; Pivaroff-Ward, Kendra; Sassic, Jessica K; Bayliss, Douglas A; Jegla, Timothy

    2013-06-01

    The Ether-a-go-go (EAG) superfamily of voltage-gated K(+) channels consists of three functionally distinct gene families (Eag, Elk, and Erg) encoding a diverse set of low-threshold K(+) currents that regulate excitability in neurons and muscle. Previous studies indicate that external acidification inhibits activation of three EAG superfamily K(+) channels, Kv10.1 (Eag1), Kv11.1 (Erg1), and Kv12.1 (Elk1). We show here that Kv10.2, Kv12.2, and Kv12.3 are similarly inhibited by external protons, suggesting that high sensitivity to physiological pH changes is a general property of EAG superfamily channels. External acidification depolarizes the conductance-voltage (GV) curves of these channels, reducing low threshold activation. We explored the mechanism of this high pH sensitivity in Kv12.1, Kv10.2, and Kv11.1. We first examined the role of acidic voltage sensor residues that mediate divalent cation block of voltage activation in EAG superfamily channels because protons reduce the sensitivity of Kv12.1 to Zn(2+). Low pH similarly reduces Mg(2+) sensitivity of Kv10.1, and we found that the pH sensitivity of Kv11.1 was greatly attenuated at 1 mM Ca(2+). Individual neutralizations of a pair of EAG-specific acidic residues that have previously been implicated in divalent block of diverse EAG superfamily channels greatly reduced the pH response in Kv12.1, Kv10.2, and Kv11.1. Our results therefore suggest a common mechanism for pH-sensitive voltage activation in EAG superfamily channels. The EAG-specific acidic residues may form the proton-binding site or alternatively are required to hold the voltage sensor in a pH-sensitive conformation. The high pH sensitivity of EAG superfamily channels suggests that they could contribute to pH-sensitive K(+) currents observed in vivo.

  12. Evolution of pH during in-situ leaching in small concrete cavities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saguees, A.A. [Univ. of South Florida, Tampa, FL (United States). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Moreno, E.I. [Univ. of South Florida, Tampa, FL (United States). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering]|[CINVESTAV Merida-Unit (Mexico); Andrade, C. [CSIC, Madrid (Spain). Inst. Eduardo Torroja de Ciencias de la Construccion

    1997-11-01

    Small amounts (0.4 cc) of neutral water placed in small cylindrical cavities (5 mm diameter) in concrete exposed to 100% relative humidity first developed a pH comparable to that of a saturated Ca(OH){sub 2} solution. The pH then increased over a period of days-weeks toward a higher terminal value. A micro pH electrode arrangement was used. This behavior was observed in samples of 12 different concrete mix designs, including some with pozzolanic additions. The average terminal cavity pH closely approached that of expressed pore water from the same concretes. A simplified mathematical model reproduced the experimentally observed behavior. The model assumed inward diffusional transport of the pH-determining species in the surrounding concrete pore solution. The experimental results were consistent with the model predictions when using diffusion parameters on the order of those previously reported for alkali cations in concrete. The cavity size, cavity water content, and exposure to atmospheric CO{sub 2} should be minimized when attempting to obtain cavity pH values approaching those of the surrounding pore water.

  13. Direct visualization of glutamate transporter elevator mechanism by high-speed AFM.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruan, Yi; Miyagi, Atsushi; Wang, Xiaoyu; Chami, Mohamed; Boudker, Olga; Scheuring, Simon

    2017-02-14

    Glutamate transporters are essential for recovery of the neurotransmitter glutamate from the synaptic cleft. Crystal structures in the outward- and inward-facing conformations of a glutamate transporter homolog from archaebacterium Pyrococcus horikoshii , sodium/aspartate symporter Glt Ph , suggested the molecular basis of the transporter cycle. However, dynamic studies of the transport mechanism have been sparse and indirect. Here we present high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) observations of membrane-reconstituted Glt Ph at work. HS-AFM movies provide unprecedented real-space and real-time visualization of the transport dynamics. Our results show transport mediated by large amplitude 1.85-nm "elevator" movements of the transport domains consistent with previous crystallographic and spectroscopic studies. Elevator dynamics occur in the absence and presence of sodium ions and aspartate, but stall in sodium alone, providing a direct visualization of the ion and substrate symport mechanism. We show unambiguously that individual protomers within the trimeric transporter function fully independently.

  14. Nonlocal transport in the presence of transport barriers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Del-Castillo-Negrete, D.

    2013-10-01

    There is experimental, numerical, and theoretical evidence that transport in plasmas can, under certain circumstances, depart from the standard local, diffusive description. Examples include fast pulse propagation phenomena in perturbative experiments, non-diffusive scaling in L-mode plasmas, and non-Gaussian statistics of fluctuations. From the theoretical perspective, non-diffusive transport descriptions follow from the relaxation of the restrictive assumptions (locality, scale separation, and Gaussian/Markovian statistics) at the foundation of diffusive models. We discuss an alternative class of models able to capture some of the observed non-diffusive transport phenomenology. The models are based on a class of nonlocal, integro-differential operators that provide a unifying framework to describe non- Fickian scale-free transport, and non-Markovian (memory) effects. We study the interplay between nonlocality and internal transport barriers (ITBs) in perturbative transport including cold edge pulses and power modulation. Of particular interest in the nonlocal ``tunnelling'' of perturbations through ITBs. Also, flux-gradient diagrams are discussed as diagnostics to detect nonlocal transport processes in numerical simulations and experiments. Work supported by the US Department of Energy.

  15. Investigation of the impurity transport in the ASDEX tokamak by spectroscopical methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krieger, K.W.

    1990-12-01

    Plasma impurities: a central problem of controlled thermonuclear fusion; magnetic plasma confinement in a Tokamak; methods to the determination of plasma impurity transport coefficients - by temporally modulated gas admission; the transport equation for impurities; neoclassical and anomalous transport; harmonic analysis of time-dependent signals; solutions of the transport equation; experimental equipment and measurements; measuring results - consistency of simple transport models with radial phase measurements; linearity of the transport processes; plasma disturbance by impurity injection; determination of the diffusion coefficient by simplified transport models; comparison of transport models for impurities and background plasma; measurements of the impurity transport at the plasma edge by high modulation frequencies. (AH)

  16. Decreased extracellular pH inhibits osteogenesis through proton-sensing GPR4-mediated suppression of yes-associated protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Shi-Cong; Gao, You-Shui; Zhu, Hong-Yi; Yin, Jun-Hui; Chen, Yi-Xuan; Zhang, Yue-Lei; Guo, Shang-Chun; Zhang, Chang-Qing

    2016-06-03

    The pH of extracellular fluids is a basic property of the tissue microenvironment and is normally maintained at 7.40 ± 0.05 in humans. Many pathological circumstances, such as ischemia, inflammation, and tumorigenesis, result in the reduction of extracellular pH in the affected tissues. In this study, we reported that the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs was significantly inhibited by decreases in the extracellular pH. Moreover, we demonstrated that proton-sensing GPR4 signaling mediated the proton-induced inhibitory effects on the osteogenesis of BMSCs. Additionally, we found that YAP was the downstream effector of GPR4 signaling. Our findings revealed that the extracellular pH modulates the osteogenic responses of BMSCs by regulating the proton-sensing GPR4-YAP pathway.

  17. Bystruktur og transport

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Thomas Alexander Sick

    2003-01-01

    Paperet præsenterer hovedkonklusionerne fra et PhD-studie af sammenhængene mellem bystruktur (særligt boliglokalisering) og transport i Aalborg. Det konkluderes at boliglokaliseringen har væsentlig betydning for transporten i det daglige. Det gælder især lokaliseringen i forhold til det samlede...

  18. Hydrogen sulfide: role in ion channel and transporter modulation in the eye

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ya Fatou eNjie-Mbye

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Hydrogen sulfide (H2S, a colorless gas with a characteristic smell of rotten eggs, has been portrayed for decades as a toxic environmental pollutant. Since evidence of its basal production in mammalian tissues a decade ago, H2S has attracted substantial interest as a potential inorganic gaseous mediator with biological importance in cellular functions. Current research suggests that, next to its counterparts nitric oxide and carbon monoxide, H2S is an important multifunctional signaling molecule with pivotal regulatory roles in various physiological and pathophysiological processes as diverse as learning and memory, modulation of synaptic activities, cell survival, inflammation and maintenance of vascular tone in the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. In contrast, there are few reports of a regulatory role of H2S in the eye. Accumulating reports on the pharmacological role of H2S in ocular tissues indicate the existence of a functional trans-sulfuration pathway and a potential physiological role for H2S as a gaseous neuromodulator in the eye. Thus, understanding the role of H2S in vision-related processes is imperative to our expanding knowledge of this molecule as a gaseous mediator in ocular tissues. This review aims to provide a comprehensive and current understanding of the potential role of H2S as a signaling molecule in the eye. This objective is achieved by discussing the involvement of H2S in the regulation of (1 ion channels such as calcium (L-type, T-type and intracellular stores, potassium (KATP and small conductance channels and chloride channels, (2 glutamate transporters such as EAAT1/GLAST and the L-cystine/glutamate antiporter. The role of H2S as an important mediator in cellular functions and physiological processes that are triggered by its interaction with ion channels/transporters in the eye will also be discussed.

  19. Enigma interacts with adaptor protein with PH and SH2 domains to control insulin-induced actin cytoskeleton remodeling and glucose transporter 4 translocation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrès, Romain; Grémeaux, Thierry; Gual, Philippe; Gonzalez, Teresa; Gugenheim, Jean; Tran, Albert; Le Marchand-Brustel, Yannick; Tanti, Jean-François

    2006-11-01

    APS (adaptor protein with PH and SH2 domains) initiates a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-independent pathway involved in insulin-stimulated glucose transport. We recently identified Enigma, a PDZ and LIM domain-containing protein, as a partner of APS and showed that APS-Enigma complex plays a critical role in actin cytoskeleton organization in fibroblastic cells. Because actin rearrangement is important for insulin-induced glucose transporter 4 (Glut 4) translocation, we studied the potential involvement of Enigma in insulin-induced glucose transport in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Enigma mRNA was expressed in differentiated adipocytes and APS and Enigma were colocalized with cortical actin. Expression of an APS mutant unable to bind Enigma increased the insulin-induced Glut 4 translocation to the plasma membrane. By contrast, overexpression of Enigma inhibited insulin-stimulated glucose transport and Glut 4 translocation without alterations in proximal insulin signaling. This inhibitory effect was prevented with the deletion of the LIM domains of Enigma. Using time-lapse fluorescent microscopy of green fluorescent protein-actin, we demonstrated that the overexpression of Enigma altered insulin-induced actin rearrangements, whereas the expression of Enigma without its LIM domains was without effect. A physiological link between increased expression of Enigma and an alteration in insulin-induced glucose uptake was suggested by the increase in Enigma mRNA expression in adipose tissue of diabetic obese patients. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that the interaction between APS and Enigma is involved in insulin-induced Glut 4 translocation by regulating cortical actin remodeling and raise the possibility that modification of APS/Enigma ratio could participate in the alteration of insulin-induced glucose uptake in adipose tissue.

  20. Regulation of Vacuolar pH in Citrus limon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lincoln Taiz

    2005-06-22

    The primary objective of this grant was to characterize the vacuolar V-ATPase of lemon fruits. Lemon fruit vacuoles have an internal pH of about 2.5. Since a typical plant vacuole has a luminal pH of around 5.5, the lemon fruit V-APTase must have special properties which allow it to acidify the lumen to such a low pH: (1) it might have a different structure; (2) it might have a different H{sup +}/ATP stoichiometry; and (3) it might be regulated differently. During the course of the investigations (which began in 1996) they characterized these aspects of the V-ATPases of both lemon fruits and lime fruits. They examined lime fruits because of the availability of both acidic limes with a low vacuolar pH and sweet limes, which have a much higher vacuolar pH. The existence of two types of lime fruits allowed a comparison of the V-ATPases of the two varieties. In this report they are including two publications from 1996 and 1997 as background for the later publications. A review article with Heven Sze on V-ATPase nomenclature was also generated during the funding period. In addition to the studies on citrus fruit vacuoles, they also initiated studies in two new areas: polar auxin transport and the regulation of stomatal opening by UV-B irradiation. These studies were intended to serve as a basis of future separate grants, but the proposals they submitted on these topics were not funded.

  1. Dynamic regulation of gastric surface pH by luminal pH

    OpenAIRE

    Chu, Shaoyou; Tanaka, Shin; Kaunitz, Jonathan D.; Montrose, Marshall H.

    1999-01-01

    In vivo confocal imaging of the mucosal surface of rat stomach was used to measure pH noninvasively under the mucus gel layer while simultaneously imaging mucus gel thickness and tissue architecture. When tissue was superfused at pH 3, the 25 μm adjacent to the epithelial surface was relatively alkaline (pH 4.1 ± 0.1), and surface alkalinity was enhanced by topical dimethyl prostaglandin E2 (pH 4.8 ± 0.2). Luminal pH was changed from pH 3 to pH 5 to mimic the fasted-to-fed transition in intra...

  2. A ph sensor based on a flexible substrate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Wen-Ding

    implanted inside the esophagus. Our pH electrode can monitor the pH changes of gastric juice in real time when the reflux happening in the esophagus. Our micro flexible pH sensor performed clear responses in each distinct pH reflux episode quickly and accurately comparing with the other commercial pH monitoring system. For the food freshness monitoring applications, we used the flexible pH sensor as a freshness indicator to monitor the pH changing profile during the food spoilage procedure. The sensor was then embedded with radio frequency identification (RFID) based passive telemetry enabling remote monitoring of food freshness. In the result, our pH-wireless RFID system presented 633Hz/pH of the sensitivity in the frequency calibration. The calibration of stability and dynamical response of the RFID system were also demonstrated before the test on food freshness monitoring. Finally, a white fish meat for long term spoilage procedure monitoring was applied and tested by using our wireless IrOx pH sensing system. Our RFID pH sensing module is able to monitor, collect and transmit the pH information continuously for 18 hours during the food spoilage procedure. In this dissertation, a micro size of IrOx/AgCl pH sensor was fabricated on a flexible substrate. The physical properties of the IrO x thin film was verified in the work. The different sensing capability such as the sensitivity, stability, reversibility, response time, repeatability, selectivity, and temperature dependence was then demonstrated in this work. After the different in-vitro tests, the pH sensor were embedded with our passive RFID circuitry for the in-vivo GERD diagnosis and food freshness monitoring application. Our wireless pH sensing system was able to deliver the accurate and quick pH sensing data wirelessly. In conclusion, our deformable IrOx pH electrodes have been demonstrated with the advantages of accommodating and conforming sensors in small spaces or curved surfaces. This miniature IrOx pH sensor

  3. Induction accelerator test module for HIF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faltens, A.

    1991-04-01

    An induction linac test module suitable for investigating the drive requirements and the longitudinal coupling impedance of a high-power ion induction linac has been constructed by the Heavy Ion Fusion (HIF) group at LBL. The induction linac heavy ion driver for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) as presently envisioned uses multiple parallel beams which are transported in separate focusing channels but accelerated together in the induction modules. The resulting induction modules consequently have large beam apertures-1--2 meters in diameter- and correspondingly large outside diameters. The module geometry is related to a low-frequency ''gap capacity'' and high-frequency structural resonances, which are affected by the magnetic core loading and the module pulser impedance. A description of the test module and preliminary results are presented. 3 figs

  4. Solid-state membrane module

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, John Howard [Salt Lake City, UT; Taylor, Dale M [Murray, UT

    2011-06-07

    Solid-state membrane modules comprising at least one membrane unit, where the membrane unit has a dense mixed conducting oxide layer, and at least one conduit or manifold wherein the conduit or manifold comprises a dense layer and at least one of a porous layer and a slotted layer contiguous with the dense layer. The solid-state membrane modules may be used to carry out a variety of processes including the separating of any ionizable component from a feedstream wherein such ionizable component is capable of being transported through a dense mixed conducting oxide layer of the membrane units making up the membrane modules. For ease of construction, the membrane units may be planar.

  5. A Reliable and Non-destructive Method for Monitoring the Stromal pH in Isolated Chloroplasts Using a Fluorescent pH Probe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pai-Hsiang Su

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The proton gradient established by the pH difference across a biological membrane is essential for many physiological processes, including ATP synthesis and ion and metabolite transport. Currently, ionophores are used to study proton gradients, and determine their importance to biological functions of interest. Because of the lack of an easy method for monitoring the proton gradient across the inner envelope membrane of chloroplasts (ΔpHenv, whether the concentration of ionophores used can effectively abolish the ΔpHenv is not proven for most experiments. To overcome this hindrance, we tried to setup an easy method for real-time monitoring of the stromal pH in buffered, isolated chloroplasts by using fluorescent pH probes; using this method the ΔpHenv can be calculated by subtracting the buffer pH from the measured stromal pH. When three fluorescent dyes, BCECF-AM [2′,7′-bis-(2-carboxyethyl-5-(and-6-carboxyfluorescein acetoxymethyl ester], CFDA-SE [5(6-Carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester] and SNARF-1 carboxylic acid acetate succinimidyl ester were incubated with isolated chloroplasts, BCECF-AM and CFDA-SE, but not the ester-formed SNARF-1 were taken up by chloroplasts and digested with esterase to release high levels of fluorescence. According to its relatively higher pKa value (6.98, near the physiological pH of the stroma, BCECF was chosen for further development. Due to shielding of the excitation and emission lights by chloroplast pigments, the ratiometric fluorescence of BCECF was highly dependent on the concentration of chloroplasts. By using a fixed concentration of chloroplasts, a highly correlated standard curve of pH to the BCECF ratiometric fluorescence with an r-square value of 0.98 was obtained, indicating the reliability of this method. Consistent with previous reports, the light-dependent formation of ΔpHenv can be detected ranging from 0.15 to 0.33 pH units upon illumination. The concentration of the ionophore

  6. Numerical analysis of gas puff modulation experiment on JT-60U

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagashima, Keisuke; Sakasai, Akira

    1992-03-01

    In tokamak transport physics, source modulation experiments are one of the most effective methods. For an analysis of these modulation experiments, a simple numerical method was developed to solve the general transport equations. This method was applied to gas puff modulation experiments on JT-60U. From the comparison between the measured and calculated density perturbations, it was found that the particle diffusion coefficient is about 0.8 m 2 /sec in the edge region and 0.1-0.2 m 2 /sec in the central region. (author)

  7. Modulation of transport properties of optimally doped La{sub 1.85}Sr{sub 0.15}CuO{sub 4} thin films via electric field modification of the grain boundaries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hassan, Muhammad Umair [Center for Micro and Nano Devices, Department of Physics, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad (Pakistan); Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Wimbush, Stuart C. [The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand)

    2015-09-15

    Modulation of the transport properties of a superconducting La{sub 1.85}Sr{sub 0.15}CuO{sub 4}-based ionic-liquid gated transistor has been achieved. For an applied gate bias V{sub g} ≥ 2 V, the characteristic sheet resistivity vs. temperature (R{sub s}-T) curves exhibit a fully reversible foot feature below the superconducting transition temperature (T{sub c}). In contrast to the behaviour expected from the large charge carrier density of this high-T{sub c} superconductor material, the normal state conductance above T{sub c} also exhibits a large modulation, indicating a larger charge screening length than that predicted from a simple Thomas-Fermi model. We regard these changes as due to electrostatic modification of the charge density at structural imperfections such as grain boundaries present within the sample. Such modification alters the coupling between superconducting domains and dictates the overall R{sub s}-T trend of the gated film. To explain our findings, we employ Mannhart's model of electronic band bending at the grain boundaries and propose that this band bending can be modulated by large electric fields resulting in the observed modulation of the transport properties of the device. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  8. Fermentation pH Modulates the Size Distributions and Functional Properties of Gluconobacter albidus TMW 2.1191 Levan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tharalinee Ua-Arak

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial levan has gained an increasing interest over the last decades due to its unique characteristics and multiple possible applications. Levan and other exopolysaccharides (EPSs production are usually optimized to obtain the highest concentration or yield while a possible change of the molecular size and mass during the production process is mostly neglected. In this study, the molar mass and radius of levan samples were monitored during fermentations with the food-grade, levan-producing acetic acid bacterium Gluconobacter (G. albidus TMW 2.1191 in shake flasks (without pH control and bioreactors (with pH control at 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5, respectively. In uncontrolled fermentations, the levan size/molar mass continuously decreased concomitantly with the continuous acidification of the nutrient medium. On the contrary, the amount, molar mass and size of levan could be directly influenced by controlling the pH during fermentation. Using equal initial substrate amounts, the largest weight average molar mass and geometric radius of levan were observed at constant pH 6.5, while the highest levan concentration was obtained at constant pH 4.5. Since there is a special demand to find suitable hydrocolloids from food-grade bacteria to develop novel gluten-free (GF products, these differently produced levans were used for baking of GF breads, and the best quality improvement was obtained by addition of levan with the highest mass and radius. This work, therefore, demonstrates for the first time that one bacterial strain can produce specific high molecular weight fractions of one EPS type, which differ in properties and sizes among each other in dependence of the controllable production conditions.

  9. Screening for Inhibitors of Essential Leishmania Glucose Transporters

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-01

    Leishmania Glucose Transporters PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Scott M. Landfear, Ph.D. CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: Oregon Health & Science...COVERED 1 July 2009- 30 June 2013 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Screening for Inhibitors of Essential Leishmania Glucose Transporters 5b...The objective of this project was to identify compounds that selectively inhibit the essential Leishmania glucose transporters and could hence serve

  10. Organic cation rhodamines for screening organic cation transporters in early stages of drug development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ugwu, Malachy C; Oli, Angus; Esimone, Charles O; Agu, Remigius U

    The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability of rhodamine-123, rhodamine-6G and rhodamine B as non-radioactive probes for characterizing organic cation transporters in respiratory cells. Fluorescent characteristics of the compounds were validated under standard in vitro drug transport conditions (buffers, pH, and light). Uptake/transport kinetics and intracellular accumulation of the compounds were investigated. Uptake/transport mechanisms were investigated by comparing the effect of pH, temperature, concentration, polarity, OCTs/OCTNs inhibitors/substrates, and metabolic inhibitors on the cationic dyes uptake in Calu-3 cells. Fluorescence stability and intensity of the compounds were altered by buffer composition, light, and pH. Uptake of the dyes was concentration-, temperature- and pH-dependent. OCTs/OCTNs inhibitors significantly reduced intracellular accumulation of the compounds. Whereas rhodamine-B uptake was sodium-dependent, pH had no effect on rhodamine-123 and rhodamine-6G uptake. Transport of the dyes across the cells was polarized: (AP→BL>BL→AP transport) and saturable: {V max =14.08±2.074, K m =1821±380.4 (rhodamine-B); V max =6.555±0.4106, K m =1353±130.4 (rhodamine-123) and V max =0.3056±0.01402, K m =702.9±60.97 (rhodamine-6G)}. The dyes were co-localized with MitoTracker®, the mitochondrial marker. Cationic rhodamines, especially rhodamine-B and rhodamine- 6G can be used as organic cation transporter substrates in respiratory cells. During such studies, buffer selection, pH and light exposure should be taken into consideration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Majorana fermion modulated nonequilibrium transport through double quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng, Ming-Xun; Wang, Rui-Qiang; Ai, Bao-Quan; Yang, Mou; Hu, Liang-Bin; Zhong, Qing-Hu; Wang, Guang-Hui

    2014-01-01

    Nonequilibrium electronic transports through a double-QD-Majorana coupling system are studied with a purpose to extract the information to identify Majorana bound states (MBSs). It is found that MBSs can help form various transport processes, including the nonlocal crossed Andreev reflection, local resonant Andreev reflection, and cotunneling, depending on the relative position of two dot levels. These processes enrich the signature of average currents and noise correlations to probe the nature of MBSs. We further demonstrate the switching between the current peaks of crossed Andreev reflection and cotunneling, which is closely related to the nonlocal nature of Majorana fermions. We also propose effective physical pictures to understand these Majorana-assisted transports. - Highlights: • Majorana fermions are characterized in the signature of currents and noises. • Three types of tunneling mechanisms are realized separately. • The switching of crossed Andreev reflection and cotunneling is realized. • Concrete physical pictures are proposed to understand Majorana-assisted transports

  12. Majorana fermion modulated nonequilibrium transport through double quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deng, Ming-Xun [Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, ICMP and SPTE, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Wang, Rui-Qiang, E-mail: rqwanggz@163.com [Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, ICMP and SPTE, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Ai, Bao-Quan; Yang, Mou; Hu, Liang-Bin; Zhong, Qing-Hu [Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, ICMP and SPTE, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Wang, Guang-Hui [Laboratory of Nanophotonic Functional Materials and Devices, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China)

    2014-06-13

    Nonequilibrium electronic transports through a double-QD-Majorana coupling system are studied with a purpose to extract the information to identify Majorana bound states (MBSs). It is found that MBSs can help form various transport processes, including the nonlocal crossed Andreev reflection, local resonant Andreev reflection, and cotunneling, depending on the relative position of two dot levels. These processes enrich the signature of average currents and noise correlations to probe the nature of MBSs. We further demonstrate the switching between the current peaks of crossed Andreev reflection and cotunneling, which is closely related to the nonlocal nature of Majorana fermions. We also propose effective physical pictures to understand these Majorana-assisted transports. - Highlights: • Majorana fermions are characterized in the signature of currents and noises. • Three types of tunneling mechanisms are realized separately. • The switching of crossed Andreev reflection and cotunneling is realized. • Concrete physical pictures are proposed to understand Majorana-assisted transports.

  13. Alkali pH directly activates ATP-sensitive K+ channels and inhibits insulin secretion in beta-cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manning Fox, Jocelyn E; Karaman, Gunce; Wheeler, Michael B

    2006-11-17

    Glucose stimulation of pancreatic beta-cells is reported to lead to sustained alkalization, while extracellular application of weak bases is reported to inhibit electrical activity and decrease insulin secretion. We hypothesize that beta-cell K(ATP) channel activity is modulated by alkaline pH. Using the excised patch-clamp technique, we demonstrate a direct stimulatory action of alkali pH on recombinant SUR1/Kir6.2 channels due to increased open probability. Bath application of alkali pH similarly activates native islet beta-cell K(ATP) channels, leading to an inhibition of action potentials, and hyperpolarization of membrane potential. In situ pancreatic perfusion confirms that these cellular effects of alkali pH are observable at a functional level, resulting in decreases in both phase 1 and phase 2 glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Our data are the first to report a stimulatory effect of a range of alkali pH on K(ATP) channel activity and link this to downstream effects on islet beta-cell function.

  14. Interfacial reactions in thermoelectric modules

    KAUST Repository

    Wu, Hsin-jay; Wu, Albert T.; Wei, Pei-chun; Chen, Sinn-wen

    2018-01-01

    Engineering transport properties of thermoelectric (TE) materials leads to incessantly breakthroughs in the zT values. Nevertheless, modular design holds a key factor to advance the TE technology. Herein, we discuss the structures of TE module

  15. ABCG2/BCRP decreases the transfer of a food-born chemical carcinogen, 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in perfused term human placenta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myllynen, Päivi; Kummu, Maria; Kangas, Tiina; Ilves, Mika; Immonen, Elina; Rysä, Jaana; Pirilä, Rauna; Lastumäki, Anni; Vähäkangas, Kirsi H

    2008-10-15

    We have studied the role of ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters in fetal exposure to carcinogens using 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) a known substrate for ABC transporters as a model compound. In perfusion of human term placenta, transfer of (14)C-PhIP (2 microM) through the placenta resulted in fetal-to-maternal concentration ratio (FM ratio) of 0.72+/-0.09 at 6 h. The specific ABCG2 inhibitor KO143 increased the transfer of (14)C-PhIP from maternal to fetal circulation (FM ratio 0.90+/-0.08 at 6 h, p<0.05) while the ABCC1/ABCC2 inhibitor probenecid had no effect (FM ratio at 6 h 0.75+/-0.10, p=0.84). There was a negative correlation between the expression of ABCG2 protein in perfused tissue and the FM ratio of (14)C-PhIP (R=-0.81, p<0.01) at the end of the perfusion. The expression of ABCC2 protein did not correlate with FM ratio of PhIP (R: -0.11, p=0.76). In addition, PhIP induced the expression of ABC transporters in BeWo cells at mRNA level. In conclusion, our data indicates that ABCG2 decreases placental transfer of (14)C-PhIP in perfused human placenta. Also, PhIP may modify ABC transporter expression in choriocarcinoma cells.

  16. GREET Pretreatment Module

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adom, Felix K. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Energy Systems Division; Dunn, Jennifer B. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Energy Systems Division; Han, Jeongwoo [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Energy Systems Division

    2014-09-01

    A wide range of biofuels and biochemicals can be produced from cellulosic biomass via different pretreatment technologies that yield sugars. Process simulations of dilute acid and ammonia fiber expansion pretreatment processes and subsequent hydrolysis were developed in Aspen Plus for four lignocellulosic feedstocks (corn stover, miscanthus, switchgrass, and poplar). This processing yields sugars that can be subsequently converted to biofuels or biochemical. Material and energy consumption data from Aspen Plus were then compiled in a new Greenhouses Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREETTM) pretreatment module. The module estimates the cradle-to-gate fossil energy consumption (FEC) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with producing fermentable sugars. This report documents the data and methodology used to develop this module and the cradle-to-gate FEC and GHG emissions that result from producing fermentable sugars.

  17. Physics of transport in Tokamaks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garbet, X.; Asp, E.; Bourdelle, C.; Hoang, T.; Imbeaux, F.; Joffrin, E.; Litaudon, X.; Angioni, C.; Manini, A.; Peeter, A.; Ryter, F.; Baranov, Y.; Cordey, G.; McDonald, D.C.; Parail, V.; Valovic, M.; Thyagaraja, A.; Voitsekhovitch, I.; Budny, R.; Kirneva, N.; Hogeweij, D.; Nordman, H.; Weilland, J.; Tala, T.; Weisen, H.; Zabolotsky, A.

    2004-01-01

    This paper is an overview of recent results related to turbulent particle and heat transport, and triggering of Internal Transport Barriers. Particle transport is characterised by a pinch velocity that is found to be larger than the value predicted by theory of collisional transport (Ware pinch) in L-mode plasmas. Also it increases with magnetic shear. In H-mode, density peaking decreases with collisionality. Pinch velocity reaches the Ware value for large collision frequencies. Heat transport has made progress along two directions: dimensionless scaling laws and analysis of modulation experiments. Dimensionless scaling law of thermal confinement agrees with the prediction for electrostatic turbulence. Dependence with collisionality remains to be understood. Heat modulation experiments have been investigated in several devices using a critical gradient model, micro-stability analysis and predictive modelling. Thresholds and stiffness are correctly reproduced by stability analysis and modelling with Weiland model. Analysis with a critical gradient model leads to a large variability of stiffness. Finally the question of triggering Internal Transport Barriers has been addressed by analysing electron transport barriers. It is confirmed that negative magnetic shear combined with Shafranov shift is a robust stabilizing mechanism. However, some well established features of internal barriers are hardly explained by theory, in particular the role of low order rational values of the minimum safety factor, and the existence of multiple barriers. (authors)

  18. Modulating secretory pathway pH by proton channel co-expression can increase recombinant protein stability in plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jutras, Philippe V; D'Aoust, Marc-André; Couture, Manon M-J; Vézina, Louis-Philippe; Goulet, Marie-Claire; Michaud, Dominique; Sainsbury, Frank

    2015-09-01

    Eukaryotic expression systems are used for the production of complex secreted proteins. However, recombinant proteins face considerable biochemical challenges along the secretory pathway, including proteolysis and pH variation between organelles. As the use of synthetic biology matures into solutions for protein production, various host-cell engineering approaches are being developed to ameliorate host-cell factors that can limit recombinant protein quality and yield. We report the potential of the influenza M2 ion channel as a novel tool to neutralize the pH in acidic subcellular compartments. Using transient expression in the plant host, Nicotiana benthamiana, we show that ion channel expression can significantly raise pH in the Golgi apparatus and that this can have a strong stabilizing effect on a fusion protein separated by an acid-susceptible linker peptide. We exemplify the utility of this effect in recombinant protein production using influenza hemagglutinin subtypes differentially stable at low pH; the expression of hemagglutinins prone to conformational change in mildly acidic conditions is considerably enhanced by M2 co-expression. The co-expression of a heterologous ion channel to stabilize acid-labile proteins and peptides represents a novel approach to increasing the yield and quality of secreted recombinant proteins in plants and, possibly, in other eukaryotic expression hosts. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Interfacial reactions in thermoelectric modules

    KAUST Repository

    Wu, Hsin-jay

    2018-02-21

    Engineering transport properties of thermoelectric (TE) materials leads to incessantly breakthroughs in the zT values. Nevertheless, modular design holds a key factor to advance the TE technology. Herein, we discuss the structures of TE module and illustrate the inter-diffusions across the interface of constituent layers. For Bi2Te3-based module, soldering is the primary bonding method, giving rise to the investigations on the selections of solder, diffusion barrier layer and electrode. For mid-temperature PbTe-based TE module, hot-pressing or spark plasma sintering are alternative bonding approaches; the inter-diffusions between the diffusion barrier layer, electrode and TE substrate are addressed as well.

  20. pH and its frequency distribution patterns of Acid Precipitation in Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kitamura, Moritsugu; Katou, Takunori; Sekiguchi, Kyoichi

    1991-01-01

    The pH data was collected at the 29 stations in Phase-I study of Acid Precipitation Survey over Japan by Japan Environment Agency in terms of frequency distribution patterns. This study was undertaken from April 1984 to March 1988, which was the first survey of acid precipitation over Japan with identical sampling procedures and subsequent chemical analyses. While the annual mean pH at each station ranged from 4.4 to 5.5, the monthly mean varied more widely, from 4.0 to 7.1. Its frequency distribution pattern was obtained for each station, and further grouped into four classes: class I; a mode at the rank of pH 4.5∼4.9, class II; bimodes above and below this pH region, class III; a mode at a higher pH region, class IV; a mode at a lower pH region. The bimodal pattern was suggestive of precipitation with and without incorporation of significant amounts of basic aerosol of anthropogenic origin during descent of rain droplet. The patterns of the stations were also classified on a basis of summer-winter difference into another four classes. Winter pH values were appreciably lower than summer pHs in western parts of Japan and on Japan Sea coast, we attribute the winter pH to probable contribution of acidic pollutants transported by strong winter monsoon from Eurasian Continent. At most stations in northern and eastern Japan, the pH was higher in winter months reflecting more incorporation of basic materials, e.g., NH 4 + and Ca 2+ . (author)

  1. Optimization of urinary dipstick pH: Are multiple dipstick pH readings reliably comparable to commercial 24-hour urinary pH?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbott, Joel E; Miller, Daniel L; Shi, William; Wenzler, David; Elkhoury, Fuad F; Patel, Nishant D; Sur, Roger L

    2017-09-01

    Accurate measurement of pH is necessary to guide medical management of nephrolithiasis. Urinary dipsticks offer a convenient method to measure pH, but prior studies have only assessed the accuracy of a single, spot dipstick. Given the known diurnal variation in pH, a single dipstick pH is unlikely to reflect the average daily urinary pH. Our goal was to determine whether multiple dipstick pH readings would be reliably comparable to pH from a 24-hour urine analysis. Kidney stone patients undergoing a 24-hour urine collection were enrolled and took images of dipsticks from their first 3 voids concurrently with the 24-hour collection. Images were sent to and read by a study investigator. The individual and mean pH from the dipsticks were compared to the 24-hour urine pH and considered to be accurate if the dipstick readings were within 0.5 of the 24-hour urine pH. The Bland-Altman test of agreement was used to further compare dipstick pH relative to 24-hour urine pH. Fifty-nine percent of patients had mean urinary pH values within 0.5 pH units of their 24-hour urine pH. Bland-Altman analysis showed a mean difference between dipstick pH and 24-hour urine pH of -0.22, with an upper limit of agreement of 1.02 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-1.59) and a lower limit of agreement of -1.47 (95% CI, -2.04 to -0.90). We concluded that urinary dipstick based pH measurement lacks the precision required to guide medical management of nephrolithiasis and physicians should use 24-hour urine analysis to base their metabolic therapy.

  2. Time, Concentration, and pH-Dependent Transport and Uptake of Anthocyanins in a Human Gastric Epithelial (NCI-N87 Cell Line

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Allison A. Atnip

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Anthocyanins are the largest class of water soluble plant pigments and a common part of the human diet. They may have many potential health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and cardioprotective activities. However, anthocyanin metabolism is not well understood. Studies suggest that anthocyanins absorption may occur in the stomach, in which the acidic pH favors anthocyanin stability. A gastric epithelial cell line (NCI-N87 has been used to study the behavior of anthocyanins at a pH range of 3.0–7.4. This work examines the effects of time (0–3 h, concentration (50–1500 µM, and pH (3.0, 5.0, 7.4 on the transport and uptake of anthocyanins using NCI-N87 cells. Anthocyanins were transported from the apical to basolateral side of NCI-N87 cells in time and dose dependent manners. Over the treatment time of 3 h the rate of transport increased, especially with higher anthocyanin concentrations. The non-linear rate of transport may suggest an active mechanism for the transport of anthocyanins across the NCI-N87 monolayer. At apical pH 3.0, higher anthocyanin transport was observed compared to pH 5.0 and 7.4. Reduced transport of anthocyanins was found to occur at apical pH 5.0.

  3. AUS, Neutron Transport and Gamma Transport System for Fission Reactors and Fusion Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    1 - Description of program or function: AUS is a neutronics code system which may be used for calculations of a wide range of fission reactors, fusion blankets and other neutron applications. The present version, AUS98, has a nuclear cross section library based on ENDF/B-VI and includes modules which provide for reactor lattice calculations, one-dimensional transport calculations, multi-dimensional diffusion calculations, cell and whole reactor burnup calculations, and flexible editing of results. Calculations of multi-region resonance shielding, coupled neutron and photon transport, energy deposition, fission product inventory and neutron diffusion are combined within the one code system. The major changes from the previous release, AUS87, are the inclusion of a cross-section library based on ENDF/B-VI, the addition of the POW3D multi-dimensional diffusion module, the addition of the MICBURN module for controlling whole reactor burnup calculations, and changes to the system as a consequence of moving from IBM mainframe computers to UNIX workstations. 2 - Method of solution: AUS98 is a modular system in which the modules are complete programs linked by a path given in the input stream. A simple path is simply a sequence of modules, but the path is actually pre-processed and compiled using the Fortran 77 compiler. This provides for complex module linking if required. Some of the modules included in AUS98 are: MIRANDA Cross-section generation in a multi-region resonance subgroup calculation and preliminary group condensation. ANAUSN One-dimensional discrete ordinates calculation. ICPP Isotropic collision probability calculation in one dimension and for rod clusters. POW3D Multi-dimensional neutron diffusion calculation including feedback-free kinetics. AUSIDD One-dimensional diffusion calculation. EDITAR Reaction-rate editing and group collapsing following a transport calculation. CHAR Lattice and global burnup calculation. MICBURN Control of global burnup

  4. Natural polyphenols: Influence on membrane transporters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saad Abdulrahman Hussain

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Accumulated evidences have focused on the use of natural polyphenolic compounds as nutraceuticals, since they showed a wide range of bioactivities and exhibited protection against variety of age related disorders. Polyphenols have variable potencies to interact, and hence alter the activities of various transporter proteins, many of them classified as ATP-Binding Cassette transporters, like multidrug resistance protein (MDRP, and p-glycoprotein (P-gp. Some of the efflux transporters are generally linked with anticancer and antiviral drug resistance; in this context, polyphenols may be beneficial in modulating drug resistance by increasing the efficacy of anticancer and antiviral drugs. Additionally, these effects were implicated to explain the influence of dietary polyphenols on drug efficacy as result of food-drug interactions. However, limited data are available about the influence of these components on uptake transporters. Therefore, the objective of this article is to review the potential efficacies of polyphenols in modulating the functional integrity of uptake transporter proteins, including those terminated the effect of neurotransmitters, and their possible influence in neuropharmacology. [J Complement Med Res 2016; 5(1.000: 97-104

  5. Application of bipolar electrodialysis to E.coli fermentation for simultaneous acetate removal and pH control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wong, M.; Woodley, John; Lye, G.J.

    2010-01-01

    The application of bipolar electrodialysis (BPED) for the simultaneous removal of inhibitory acetate and pH control during E. coli fermentation was investigated. A two cell pair electrodialysis module, consisting of cation exchange, anion exchange and bipolar membranes with working area of 100 cm2...

  6. Drone transportation of blood products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amukele, Timothy; Ness, Paul M; Tobian, Aaron A R; Boyd, Joan; Street, Jeff

    2017-03-01

    Small civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) are a novel way to transport small goods. To the best of our knowledge there are no studies examining the impact of drone transport on blood products, describing approaches to maintaining temperature control, or component physical characteristics during drone transport. Six leukoreduced red blood cell (RBC) and six apheresis platelet (PLT) units were split using sterile techniques. The larger parent RBC and PLT units, as well as six unthawed plasma units frozen within 24 hours of collection (FP24), were placed in a cooler, attached to the drone, and flown for up to 26.5 minutes with temperature logging. Ambient temperatures during the experimental window ranged between -1 and 18°C across 2 days. The difference between the ambient and unit temperatures was approximately 20°C for PLT and FP24 units. After flight, the RBC parent units were centrifuged and visually checked for hemolysis; the PLTs were checked for changes in mean PLT volumes (MPVs), pH, and PLT count; and the frozen air bubbles on the back of the FP24 units were examined for any changes in size or shape, as evidence of thawing. There was no evidence of RBC hemolysis; no significant changes in PLT count, pH, or MPVs; and no changes in the FP24 bubbles. The temperature of all units was maintained during transport and flight. There was no adverse impact of drone transport on RBC, PLT, or FP24 units. These findings suggest that drone transportation systems are a viable option for the transportation of blood products. © 2016 AABB.

  7. NFκBP65 transcription factor modulates resistance to doxorubicin through ABC transporters in breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velaei, Kobra; Samadi, Nasser; Soltani, Sina; Barazvan, Balal; Soleimani Rad, Jafar

    2017-07-01

    Shedding light on chemoresistance biology of breast cancer could contribute to enhance the clinical outcome. Intrinsic or acquired resistance to chemotherapy is a major problem in breast cancer treatment. The NFκB pathway by siRNAP65 and JSH-23 as a translocational inhibitor of NFκBP65 in the doxorubicin-resistant MCF-7 (MCF-7/Dox) and MCF-7 cells was blocked. Then, the ABC transporter expression and function were assessed by real-time qRT-PCR and flow cytometry, respectively. Induction of apoptosis was evaluated after inhibition of the NFΚB pathway as well. Our study underlined the upregulation of NFκBP65 and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and downregulation of pro-apoptotic Bax in the MCF-7/Dox cells compared with control MCF-7 cells. Here, we showed that interplay between nuclear factor kappa B P65 (NFkBP65) as a transcriptional regulator and ABC transporters in the MCF-7/Dox cancer cells. We found that inhibition of the elevated expression of NFκBP65 in the resistant breast cancer, whether translocational inhibition or silencing by siRNA, decreased the expression and function of MDR1 and MRP1 efflux pumps. Furthermore, the blockade of NFκBP65 promoted apoptosis via modulating Bcl-2 and BAX expression. After inhibition of the NFκBP65 signaling pathway, elevated baseline expression of survival Bcl-2 gene in the resistant breast cells significantly decreased. Suppression of the NFκB pathway has a profound dual impact on promoting the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and reducing ABC transporter function and expression, which are some of the chemoresistance features. It was speculated that the NFκB pathway directly acts on doxorubicin-induced MDR1 and MRP1 expression in MCF-7/Dox cells.

  8. Impact of Transport Zone Number in Simulation Models on Cost-Benefit Analysis Results in Transport Investments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chmielewski, Jacek

    2017-10-01

    Nowadays, feasibility studies need to be prepared for all planned transport investments, mainly those co-financed with UE grants. One of the fundamental aspect of feasibility study is the economic justification of an investment, evaluated in an area of so called cost-benefit analysis (CBA). The main goal of CBA calculation is to prove that a transport investment is really important for the society and should be implemented as economically efficient one. It can be said that the number of hours (PH - passengers hours) in trips and travelled kilometres (PK - passengers kilometres) are the most important for CBA results. The differences between PH and PK calculated for particular investment scenarios are the base for benefits calculation. Typically, transport simulation models are the best source for such data. Transport simulation models are one of the most powerful tools for transport network planning. They make it possible to evaluate forecast traffic volume and passenger flows in a public transport system for defined scenarios of transport and area development. There are many different transport models. Their construction is often similar, and they mainly differ in the level of their accuracy. Even models for the same area may differ in this matter. Typically, such differences come from the accuracy of supply side representation: road and public transport network representation. In many cases only main roads and a public transport network are represented, while local and service roads are eliminated as a way of reality simplification. This also enables a faster and more effective calculation process. On the other hand, the description of demand part of these models based on transport zones is often stable. Difficulties with data collection, mainly data on land use, resulted in the lack of changes in the analysed land division into so called transport zones. In this paper the author presents an influence of land division on the results of traffic analyses, and hence

  9. Structure of a eukaryotic CLC transporter defines an intermediate state in the transport cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Liang; Campbell, Ernest B.; Hsiung, Yichun; MacKinnon, Roderick

    2011-01-01

    CLC proteins transport Cl− ions across cell membranes to control the electrical potential of muscle cells, transfer electrolytes across epithelia, and control the pH and electrolyte composition of intracellular organelles. Some members of this protein family are Cl− ion channels, while others are secondary active transporters that exchange Cl− ions and H+ with a 2:1 stoichiometry. We have determined the structure of a eukaryotic CLC transporter at 3.5 Å resolution. Cytoplasmic CBS domains are strategically positioned to regulate the ion transport pathway, and many disease-causing mutations in human CLCs reside on the CBS-transmembrane interface. Comparison with prokaryotic CLC shows that a gating glutamate changes conformation and suggests a basis for 2:1 Cl−/H+ exchange and a simple mechanistic connection between CLC channels and transporters. PMID:20929736

  10. Ca2+-associated triphasic pH changes in mitochondria during brown adipocyte activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Yanyan; Kitaguchi, Tetsuya; Kriszt, Rókus; Tseng, Yu-Hua; Raghunath, Michael; Suzuki, Madoka

    2017-08-01

    Brown adipocytes (BAs) are endowed with a high metabolic capacity for energy expenditure due to their high mitochondria content. While mitochondrial pH is dynamically regulated in response to stimulation and, in return, affects various metabolic processes, how mitochondrial pH is regulated during adrenergic stimulation-induced thermogenesis is unknown. We aimed to reveal the spatial and temporal dynamics of mitochondrial pH in stimulated BAs and the mechanisms behind the dynamic pH changes. A mitochondrial targeted pH-sensitive protein, mito-pHluorin, was constructed and transfected to BAs. Transfected BAs were stimulated by an adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol. The pH changes in mitochondria were characterized by dual-color imaging with indicators that monitor mitochondrial membrane potential and heat production. The mechanisms of pH changes were studied by examining the involvement of electron transport chain (ETC) activity and Ca 2+ profiles in mitochondria and the intracellular Ca 2+ store, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). A triphasic mitochondrial pH change in BAs upon adrenergic stimulation was revealed. In comparison to a thermosensitive dye, we reveal that phases 1 and 2 of the pH increase precede thermogenesis, while phase 3, characterized by a pH decrease, occurs during thermogenesis. The mechanism of pH increase is partially related to ETC. In addition, the pH increase occurs concurrently with an increase in mitochondrial Ca 2+ . This Ca 2+ increase is contributed to by an influx from the ER, and it is further involved in mitochondrial pH regulation. We demonstrate that an increase in mitochondrial pH is implicated as an early event in adrenergically stimulated BAs. We further suggest that this pH increase may play a role in the potentiation of thermogenesis.

  11. Intracellular pH homeostasis and serotonin-induced pH changes in Calliphora salivary glands: the contribution of V-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schewe, Bettina; Schmälzlin, Elmar; Walz, Bernd

    2008-03-01

    Blowfly salivary gland cells have a vacuolar-type H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) in their apical membrane that energizes secretion of a KCl-rich saliva upon stimulation with serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT). We have used BCECF to study microfluometrically whether V-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase (CA) are involved in intracellular pH (pH(i)) regulation, and we have localized CA activity by histochemistry. We show: (1) mean pH(i) in salivary gland cells is 7.5+/-0.3 pH units (N=96), higher than that expected from passive H(+) distribution; (2) low 5-HT concentrations (0.3-3 nmol l(-1)) induce a dose-dependent acidification of up to 0.2 pH units, with 5-HT concentrations >10 nmol l(-1), causing monophasic or multiphasic pH changes; (3) the acidifying effect of 5-HT is mimicked by bath application of cAMP, forskolin or IBMX; (4) salivary gland cells exhibit CA activity; (5) CA inhibition with acetazolamide and V-ATPase inhibition with concanamycin A lead to a slow acidification of steady-state pH(i); (6) 5-HT stimuli in the presence of acetazolamide induce an alkalinization that can be decreased by simultaneous application of the V-ATPase inhibitor concanamycin A; (7) concanamycin A removes alkali-going components from multiphasic 5-HT-induced pH changes; (8) NHE activity and a Cl(-)-dependent process are involved in generating 5-HT-induced pH changes; (9) the salivary glands probably contain a Na(+)-driven amino acid transporter. We conclude that V-ATPase and CA contribute to steady-state pH(i) regulation and 5-HT-induced outward H(+) pumping does not cause an alkalinization of pH(i) because of cytosolic H(+) accumulation attributable to stimulated cellular respiration and AE activity, masking the alkalizing effect of V-ATPase-mediated acid extrusion.

  12. Fluorescein transport properties across artificial lipid membranes, Caco-2 cell monolayers and rat jejunum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berginc, Katja; Zakelj, Simon; Levstik, Lea; Ursic, Darko; Kristl, Albin

    2007-05-01

    Membrane transport characteristics of a paracellular permeability marker fluorescein were evaluated using artificial membrane, Caco-2 cell monolayers and rat jejunum, all mounted in side-by-side diffusion cells. Modified Ringer buffers with varied pH values were applied as incubation salines on both sides of artificial membrane, cell culture monolayers or rat jejunum. Passive transport according to pH partition theory was determined using all three permeability models. In addition to that, active transport of fluorescein in the M-S (mucosal-to-serosal) direction through rat jejunum was observed. The highest M-S P(app) values regarding the active transport through the rat jejunum were observed in incubation saline with pH 6.5. Fluorescein transport through the rat jejunum was inhibited by DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid) and alpha-CHC (alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid). Thus, we assume that two pH-dependent influx transporters could be involved in the fluorescein membrane transport through the intestinal (jejunal) epithelium. One is very likely an MCT (monocarboxylic acid cotransporter) isoform, inhibited by specific MCT inhibitor alpha-CHC, while the involvement of the second one with overlapping substrate/inhibitor specificities (most probably a member of the organic anion-transporting polypeptide family, inhibited at least partially by DIDS) could not be excluded.

  13. Transport of Carbon Dioxide through a Biomimetic Membrane

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Efstathios Matsaridis

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Biomimetic membranes (BMM based on polymer filters impregnated with lipids or their analogues are widely applied in numerous areas of physics, biology, and medicine. In this paper we report the design and testing of an electrochemical system, which allows the investigation of CO2 transport through natural membranes such as alveoli barrier membrane system and also can be applied for solid-state measurements. The experimental setup comprises a specially designed two-compartment cell with BMM connected with an electrochemical workstation placed in a Faraday cage, two PH meters, and a nondispersive infrared gas analyzer. We prove, experimentally, that the CO2 transport through the natural membranes under different conditions depends on pH and displays a similar behavior as natural membranes. The influence of different drugs on the CO2 transport process through such membranes is discussed.

  14. Highly Sensitive and Wide-Dynamic-Range Multichannel Optical-Fiber pH Sensor Based on PWM Technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Md Rajibur Rahaman; Kang, Shin-Won

    2016-11-09

    In this study, we propose a highly sensitive multichannel pH sensor that is based on an optical-fiber pulse width modulation (PWM) technique. According to the optical-fiber PWM method, the received sensing signal's pulse width changes when the optical-fiber pH sensing-element of the array comes into contact with pH buffer solutions. The proposed optical-fiber PWM pH-sensing system offers a linear sensing response over a wide range of pH values from 2 to 12, with a high pH-sensing ability. The sensitivity of the proposed pH sensor is 0.46 µs/pH, and the correlation coefficient R² is approximately 0.997. Additional advantages of the proposed optical-fiber PWM pH sensor include a short/fast response-time of about 8 s, good reproducibility properties with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of about 0.019, easy fabrication, low cost, small size, reusability of the optical-fiber sensing-element, and the capability of remote sensing. Finally, the performance of the proposed PWM pH sensor was compared with that of potentiometric, optical-fiber modal interferometer, and optical-fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer pH sensors with respect to dynamic range width, linearity as well as response and recovery times. We observed that the proposed sensing systems have better sensing abilities than the above-mentioned pH sensors.

  15. Highly Sensitive and Wide-Dynamic-Range Multichannel Optical-Fiber pH Sensor Based on PWM Technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Md. Rajibur Rahaman; Kang, Shin-Won

    2016-01-01

    In this study, we propose a highly sensitive multichannel pH sensor that is based on an optical-fiber pulse width modulation (PWM) technique. According to the optical-fiber PWM method, the received sensing signal’s pulse width changes when the optical-fiber pH sensing-element of the array comes into contact with pH buffer solutions. The proposed optical-fiber PWM pH-sensing system offers a linear sensing response over a wide range of pH values from 2 to 12, with a high pH-sensing ability. The sensitivity of the proposed pH sensor is 0.46 µs/pH, and the correlation coefficient R2 is approximately 0.997. Additional advantages of the proposed optical-fiber PWM pH sensor include a short/fast response-time of about 8 s, good reproducibility properties with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of about 0.019, easy fabrication, low cost, small size, reusability of the optical-fiber sensing-element, and the capability of remote sensing. Finally, the performance of the proposed PWM pH sensor was compared with that of potentiometric, optical-fiber modal interferometer, and optical-fiber Fabry–Perot interferometer pH sensors with respect to dynamic range width, linearity as well as response and recovery times. We observed that the proposed sensing systems have better sensing abilities than the above-mentioned pH sensors. PMID:27834865

  16. pH sensing by lipids in membranes: The fundamentals of pH-driven migration, polarization and deformations of lipid bilayer assemblies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angelova, Miglena I; Bitbol, Anne-Florence; Seigneuret, Michel; Staneva, Galya; Kodama, Atsuji; Sakuma, Yuka; Kawakatsu, Toshihiro; Imai, Masayuki; Puff, Nicolas

    2018-03-06

    Most biological molecules contain acido-basic groups that modulate their structure and interactions. A consequence is that pH gradients, local heterogeneities and dynamic variations are used by cells and organisms to drive or regulate specific biological functions including energetic metabolism, vesicular traffic, migration and spatial patterning of tissues in development. While the direct or regulatory role of pH in protein function is well documented, the role of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in modulating the properties of lipid assemblies such as bilayer membranes is only beginning to be understood. Here, we review approaches using artificial lipid vesicles that have been instrumental in providing an understanding of the influence of pH gradients and local variations on membrane vectorial motional processes: migration, membrane curvature effects promoting global or local deformations, crowding generation by segregative polarization processes. In the case of pH induced local deformations, an extensive theoretical framework is given and an application to a specific biological issue, namely the structure and stability of mitochondrial cristae, is described. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Emergence of Complex Behavior in Biomembranes edited by Marjorie Longo. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Intestinal transport and metabolism of acrylamide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zoedl, Bettina; Schmid, Diethart; Wassler, Georg; Gundacker, Claudia; Leibetseder, Valentin; Thalhammer, Theresia; Ekmekcioglu, Cem

    2007-01-01

    There has been an intensive debate whether dietary exposure to acrylamide could increase the risk of human cancer since the first description of the presence of acrylamide in food in 2002. As the intestinal mechanisms of acrylamide absorption are poorly investigated we studied the transport of acrylamide in differentiated Caco-2 cells and its effects on biotransformation enzymes (CYP2E1 and glutathione S-transferase) and glutathione levels. We found that the apparent permeability of [1- 14 C] acrylamide from the basal to the apical compartment was approximately 20% higher compared to that in the opposite direction. No differences were detected for apical-basal transport against a basal gradient. Transport rates from the apical to the basal chamber at 4 deg. C were about 50% lower than at 37 deg. C. Concentration dependent transport from apical to basal was linear. Predominantly, basal to apical transport was decreased when energy metabolism of the cells was inhibited by application of sodium azide and 2-deoxy-D-glucose. Finally, more acrylamide was transported at luminal pH 6 compared to pH 7.4 from basal to the apical direction. Increasing levels of acrylamide showed no effects on the activity of glutathione S-transferase but resulted in a depletion of total glutathione concentrations. In conclusion transport of acrylamide in the intestine is mediated primarily by passive processes possibly combined with a modest energy- and pH-dependent active secretory component. Depletion of cellular glutathione levels may be one potential mechanism for acrylamide (geno)toxicity

  18. Advanced Transport Operating System (ATOPS) control display unit software description

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slominski, Christopher J.; Parks, Mark A.; Debure, Kelly R.; Heaphy, William J.

    1992-01-01

    The software created for the Control Display Units (CDUs), used for the Advanced Transport Operating Systems (ATOPS) project, on the Transport Systems Research Vehicle (TSRV) is described. Module descriptions are presented in a standardized format which contains module purpose, calling sequence, a detailed description, and global references. The global reference section includes subroutines, functions, and common variables referenced by a particular module. The CDUs, one for the pilot and one for the copilot, are used for flight management purposes. Operations performed with the CDU affects the aircraft's guidance, navigation, and display software.

  19. Intracellular product recycling in high succinic acid producing yeast at low pH

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wahl, S.A.; Bernal Martinez, C.; Zhao, Zheng; van Gulik, W.M.; Jansen, Mickel L.A.

    2017-01-01

    Background: The metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the production of succinic acid has progressed dramatically, and a series of high-producing hosts are available. At low cultivation pH and high titers, the product transport can become bidirectional, i.e. the acid is reentering

  20. Cation modulation of hemoglobin interaction with sodium n-dodecyl sulphate (SDS) iv: magnesium modulation at pH 7.20

    OpenAIRE

    Ali Akbar Moosavi-Movahedi; Ferdinand C. Chilaka; Charles O. Nwamba

    2016-01-01

    We investigate the interaction of Mg2+ (0–2.30 mM) and sodium n-dodecyl sulfate (SDS) with hemoglobins (Hbs) A and S at pH 7.20. SDS was used to model both membranes (0.60 mM SDS) and proteases (5.0 mM SDS). Via UV-visible spectroscopy, second derivative and difference second derivative spectroscopy, we interrogated for difference(s) in the interaction of these ligands with the proteins that can account for the HbS resistance to malaria parasite while been prone to sickling. Our results show ...

  1. Astrocytic GABA transporter activity modulates excitatory neurotransmission

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boddum, Kim; Jensen, Thomas P.; Magloire, Vincent

    2016-01-01

    unrecognized role for the astrocytic GABA transporter, GAT-3. GAT-3 activity results in a rise in astrocytic Na(+) concentrations and a consequent increase in astrocytic Ca(2+) through Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange. This leads to the release of ATP/adenosine by astrocytes, which then diffusely inhibits neuronal...

  2. UEP Concepts in Modulation and Coding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Werner Henkel

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available First unequal error protection (UEP proposals date back to the 1960's (Masnick and Wolf; 1967, but now with the introduction of scalable video, UEP develops to a key concept for the transport of multimedia data. The paper presents an overview of some new approaches realizing UEP properties in physical transport, especially multicarrier modulation, or with LDPC and Turbo codes. For multicarrier modulation, UEP bit-loading together with hierarchical modulation is described allowing for an arbitrary number of classes, arbitrary SNR margins between the classes, and arbitrary number of bits per class. In Turbo coding, pruning, as a counterpart of puncturing is presented for flexible bit-rate adaptations, including tables with optimized pruning patterns. Bit- and/or check-irregular LDPC codes may be designed to provide UEP to its code bits. However, irregular degree distributions alone do not ensure UEP, and other necessary properties of the parity-check matrix for providing UEP are also pointed out. Pruning is also the means for constructing variable-rate LDPC codes for UEP, especially controlling the check-node profile.

  3. Acidic Food pH Increases Palatability and Consumption and Extends Drosophila Lifespan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deshpande, Sonali A; Yamada, Ryuichi; Mak, Christine M; Hunter, Brooke; Soto Obando, Alina; Hoxha, Sany; Ja, William W

    2015-12-01

    Despite the prevalent use of Drosophila as a model in studies of nutrition, the effects of fundamental food properties, such as pH, on animal health and behavior are not well known. We examined the effect of food pH on adult Drosophila lifespan, feeding behavior, and microbiota composition and tested the hypothesis that pH-mediated changes in palatability and total consumption are required for modulating longevity. We measured the effect of buffered food (pH 5, 7, or 9) on male gustatory responses (proboscis extension), total food intake, and male and female lifespan. The effect of food pH on germfree male lifespan was also assessed. Changes in fly-associated microbial composition as a result of food pH were determined by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Male gustatory responses, total consumption, and male and female longevity were additionally measured in the taste-defective Pox neuro (Poxn) mutant and its transgenic rescue control. An acidic diet increased Drosophila gustatory responses (40-230%) and food intake (5-50%) and extended survival (10-160% longer median lifespan) compared with flies on either neutral or alkaline pH food. Alkaline food pH shifted the composition of fly-associated bacteria and resulted in greater lifespan extension (260% longer median survival) after microbes were eliminated compared with flies on an acidic (50%) or neutral (130%) diet. However, germfree flies lived longer on an acidic diet (5-20% longer median lifespan) compared with those on either neutral or alkaline pH food. Gustatory responses, total consumption, and longevity were unaffected by food pH in Poxn mutant flies. Food pH can directly influence palatability and feeding behavior and affect parameters such as microbial growth to ultimately affect Drosophila lifespan. Fundamental food properties altered by dietary or drug interventions may therefore contribute to changes in animal physiology, metabolism, and survival. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

  4. Dynamics of indirect exciton transport by moving acoustic fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Violante, A; Lazić, S; Hey, R; Santos, P V; Cohen, K; Rapaport, R

    2014-01-01

    We report on the modulation of indirect excitons (IXs) as well as their transport by moving periodic potentials produced by surface acoustic waves (SAWs). The potential modulation induced by the SAW strain modifies both the band gap and the electrostatic field in the quantum wells confining the IXs, leading to changes in their energy. In addition, this potential captures and transports IXs over several hundreds of μm. While the IX packets keep to a great extent their spatial shape during transport by the moving potential, the effective transport velocity is lower than the SAW group velocity and increases with the SAW amplitude. This behavior is attributed to the capture of IXs by traps along the transport path, thereby increasing the IX transit time. The experimental results are well-reproduced by an analytical model for the interaction between trapping centers and IXs during transport. (paper)

  5. A Fiber Optic Ammonia Sensor Using a Universal pH Indicator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adolfo J. Rodríguez

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available A universal pH indicator is used to fabricate a fiber optic ammonia sensor. The advantage of this pH indicator is that it exhibits sensitivity to ammonia over a broad wavelength range. This provides a differential response, with a valley around 500 nm and a peak around 650 nm, which allows us to perform ratiometric measurements. The ratiometric measurements provide not only an enhanced signal, but can also eliminate any external disturbance due to humidity or temperature fluctuations. In addition, the indicator is embedded in a hydrophobic and gas permeable polyurethane film named Tecoflex®. The film provides additional advantages to the sensor, such as operation in dry environments, efficient transport of the element to be measured to the sensitive area of the sensor, and prevent leakage or detachment of the indicator. The combination of the universal pH indicator and Tecoflex® film provides a reliable and robust fiber optic ammonia sensor.

  6. A Fiber Optic Ammonia Sensor Using a Universal pH Indicator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez, Adolfo J.; Zamarreño, Carlos R.; Matías, Ignacio R.; Arregui, Francisco. J.; Domínguez Cruz, Rene F.; May-Arrioja, Daniel. A.

    2014-01-01

    A universal pH indicator is used to fabricate a fiber optic ammonia sensor. The advantage of this pH indicator is that it exhibits sensitivity to ammonia over a broad wavelength range. This provides a differential response, with a valley around 500 nm and a peak around 650 nm, which allows us to perform ratiometric measurements. The ratiometric measurements provide not only an enhanced signal, but can also eliminate any external disturbance due to humidity or temperature fluctuations. In addition, the indicator is embedded in a hydrophobic and gas permeable polyurethane film named Tecoflex®. The film provides additional advantages to the sensor, such as operation in dry environments, efficient transport of the element to be measured to the sensitive area of the sensor, and prevent leakage or detachment of the indicator. The combination of the universal pH indicator and Tecoflex® film provides a reliable and robust fiber optic ammonia sensor. PMID:24583969

  7. Development of Hybrid pH sensor for long-term seawater pH monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakano, Y.; Egashira, T.; Miwa, T.; Kimoto, H.

    2016-02-01

    We have been developing the in situ pH sensor (Hybrid pH sensor: HpHS) for the long-term seawater pH monitoring. We are planning to provide the HpHS for researchers and environmental consultants for observation of the CCS (Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage) monitoring system, the coastal environment monitoring system (e.g. Blue Carbon) and ocean acidification. The HpHS has two types of pH sensors (i.e. potentiometric pH sensor and spectrophotometric pH sensor). The spectrophotometric pH sensor can measure pH correctly and stably, however it needs large power consumption and a lot of reagents in a long period of observation. The pH sensor used m-cresol purple (mCP) as an indicator of pH (Clayton and Byrne, 1993 and Liu et al., 2011). We can choose both coefficients before deployment. On the other hand, although the potentiometric pH sensor is low power consumption and high-speed response (within 10 seconds), drifts in the pH of the potentiometric measurements may possibly occur for a long-term observation. The HpHS can measure in situ pH correctly and stably combining advantage of both pH sensors. The HpHS consists of an aluminum pressure housing with optical cell (main unit) and an aluminum silicon-oil filled, pressure-compensated vessel containing pumps and valves (diaphragm pump and valve unit) and pressure-compensated reagents bags (pH indicator, pure water and Tris buffer or certified reference material: CRM) with an ability to resist water pressure to 3000m depth. The main unit holds system control boards, pump drivers, data storage (micro SD card), LED right source, photodiode, optical cell and pressure proof windows. The HpHS also has an aluminum pressure housing that holds a rechargeable lithium-ion battery or a lithium battery for the power supply (DC 24 V). The HpHS is correcting the value of the potentiometric pH sensor (measuring frequently) by the value of the spectrophotometric pH sensor (measuring less frequently). It is possible to calibrate in

  8. Strain-specific variation in a soilborne phytopathogenic fungus for the expression of genes involved in pH signal transduction pathway, pathogenesis and saprophytic survival in response to environmental pH changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daval, Stéphanie; Lebreton, Lionel; Gracianne, Cécile; Guillerm-Erckelboudt, Anne-Yvonne; Boutin, Morgane; Marchi, Muriel; Gazengel, Kévin; Sarniguet, Alain

    2013-12-01

    environmental pH modulate the expression of genes in an original strain-specific way. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Structure of a Eukaryotic CLC Transporter Defines an Intermediate State in the Transport Cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng, Liang; Campbell, Ernest B.; Hsiung, Yichun; MacKinnon, Roderick

    2010-01-01

    CLC proteins transport chloride (Cl - ) ions across cell membranes to control the electrical potential of muscle cells, transfer electrolytes across epithelia, and control the pH and electrolyte composition of intracellular organelles. Some members of this protein family are Cl - ion channels, whereas others are secondary active transporters that exchange Cl - ions and protons (H + ) with a 2:1 stoichiometry. We have determined the structure of a eukaryotic CLC transporter at 3.5 angstrom resolution. Cytoplasmic cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) domains are strategically positioned to regulate the ion-transport pathway, and many disease-causing mutations in human CLCs reside on the CBS-transmembrane interface. Comparison with prokaryotic CLC shows that a gating glutamate residue changes conformation and suggests a basis for 2:1 Cl - /H + exchange and a simple mechanistic connection between CLC channels and transporters.

  10. Quercetin increases the bioavailability of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in rats

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schutte, M.E.; Alink, G.M.; Freidig, A.P.; Spenkelink, B.; Vaessen, J.C.H.; Sandt, J.J.M. van de; Groten, J.P.; Rietjens, I.M.C.M.

    2008-01-01

    This study investigates whether the previous observation that quercetin increases the transport of PhIP through Caco-2 monolayers in vitro could be confirmed in an in vivo rat model. Co-administration of 1.45 μmol PhIP/kg bw and 30 μmol quercetin/kg bw significantly increased the blood AUC(0-8 h) of

  11. Fan-beam intensity modulated proton therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Patrick; Westerly, David; Mackie, Thomas

    2013-11-01

    This paper presents a concept for a proton therapy system capable of delivering intensity modulated proton therapy using a fan beam of protons. This system would allow present and future gantry-based facilities to deliver state-of-the-art proton therapy with the greater normal tissue sparing made possible by intensity modulation techniques. A method for producing a divergent fan beam of protons using a pair of electromagnetic quadrupoles is described and particle transport through the quadrupole doublet is simulated using a commercially available software package. To manipulate the fan beam of protons, a modulation device is developed. This modulator inserts or retracts acrylic leaves of varying thickness from subsections of the fan beam. Each subsection, or beam channel, creates what effectively becomes a beam spot within the fan area. Each channel is able to provide 0-255 mm of range shift for its associated beam spot, or stop the beam and act as an intensity modulator. Results of particle transport simulations through the quadrupole system are incorporated into the MCNPX Monte Carlo transport code along with a model of the range and intensity modulation device. Several design parameters were investigated and optimized, culminating in the ability to create topotherapy treatment plans using distal-edge tracking on both phantom and patient datasets. Beam transport calculations show that a pair of electromagnetic quadrupoles can be used to create a divergent fan beam of 200 MeV protons over a distance of 2.1 m. The quadrupole lengths were 30 and 48 cm, respectively, with transverse field gradients less than 20 T/m, which is within the range of water-cooled magnets for the quadrupole radii used. MCNPX simulations of topotherapy treatment plans suggest that, when using the distal edge tracking delivery method, many delivery angles are more important than insisting on narrow beam channel widths in order to obtain conformal target coverage. Overall, the sharp distal

  12. The effect of transport density and gender on stress indicators and carcass and meat quality in pigs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pereira, T.L.; Corassa, A.; Komiyama, C. M.; Araújo, C.V.; Kataoka, A.

    2015-07-01

    A total of 168 finishing pigs were used to investigate the effects of gender (barrows and gilts) and transport densities for slaughter (236, 251, and 275 kg/m²) on stress indicators and carcass and pork quality. The animals transported at 251 kg/m² (T251) presented cortisol values below those at 236 kg/m2 (T236), but no different from those at 275 kg/m2 (T275). The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) values in pigs transported at T236 were the lowest. The blood components did not differ between T236 and T275. The pH values at 45 min (pH45) and at 24 h (pH24) postmortem were higher for pigs subjected to T236. However, the pH45 was higher at T251 than at T275, but pH24 was lower at T251 than at T275. The lightness values in the muscles of the pigs transported at T236 and T251 were higher than those at T275. Lower drip loss values were observed in the muscle of animals at T251. Carcasses of pigs at T236 contained more 1–5 cm lesions while those at T275 contained more 5–10 cmlesions in sections of loin. No significant effects of gender were found on the stress indicators, blood components, pH45, pH24, color, drip loss or carcass lesions in general. These results indicate that the pre-slaughter transport of pigs at densities of 251 kg/m² generates less physiological damage and smaller losses on carcass and pork quality irrespective of gender. (Author)

  13. Serotonin and Serotonin Transporters in the Adrenal Medulla: A Potential Hub for Modulation of the Sympathetic Stress Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brindley, Rebecca L; Bauer, Mary Beth; Blakely, Randy D; Currie, Kevin P M

    2017-05-17

    Serotonin (5-HT) is an important neurotransmitter in the central nervous system where it modulates circuits involved in mood, cognition, movement, arousal, and autonomic function. The 5-HT transporter (SERT; SLC6A4) is a key regulator of 5-HT signaling, and genetic variations in SERT are associated with various disorders including depression, anxiety, and autism. This review focuses on the role of SERT in the sympathetic nervous system. Autonomic/sympathetic dysfunction is evident in patients with depression, anxiety, and other diseases linked to serotonergic signaling. Experimentally, loss of SERT function (SERT knockout mice or chronic pharmacological block) has been reported to augment the sympathetic stress response. Alterations to serotonergic signaling in the CNS and thus central drive to the peripheral sympathetic nervous system are presumed to underlie this augmentation. Although less widely recognized, SERT is robustly expressed in chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla, the neuroendocrine arm of the sympathetic nervous system. Adrenal chromaffin cells do not synthesize 5-HT but accumulate small amounts by SERT-mediated uptake. Recent evidence demonstrated that 5-HT 1A receptors inhibit catecholamine secretion from adrenal chromaffin cells via an atypical mechanism that does not involve modulation of cellular excitability or voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels. This raises the possibility that the adrenal medulla is a previously unrecognized peripheral hub for serotonergic control of the sympathetic stress response. As a framework for future investigation, a model is proposed in which stress-evoked adrenal catecholamine secretion is fine-tuned by SERT-modulated autocrine 5-HT signaling.

  14. Transport properties of electrons in fractal magnetic-barrier structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Lifeng; Fang, Chao; Guo, Yong

    2010-09-01

    Quantum transport properties in fractal magnetically modulated structures are studied by the transfer-matrix method. It is found that the transmission spectra depend sensitively not only on the incident energy and the direction of the wave vector but also on the stage of the fractal structures. Resonance splitting, enhancement, and position shift of the resonance peaks under different magnetic modulation are observed at four different fractal stages, and the relationship between the conductance in the fractal structure and magnetic modulation is also revealed. The results indicate the spectra of the transmission can be considered as fingerprints for the fractal structures, which show the subtle correspondence between magnetic structures and transport behaviors.

  15. Regulation and roles of bicarbonate transport in cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrej eGorbatenko

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available A unifying feature of solid tumors is a markedly altered pH profile compared to normal tissues. This reflects that solid tumors, despite completely different origins, often share several phenotypic properties with implications for intra- and extracellular pH. These include: a metabolic shift in most cancer cells towards more acid-producing pathways, reflecting both oncogenic signaling and the development of hypoxia in poorly perfused regions of the tumors; the poorly perfused and often highly dense tumor microenvironment, reducing the diffusive flux of acid equivalents compared to that in normal tissues; and the markedly altered regulation of the expression and activity of pH-regulatory transport proteins in the cancer cells. While some of these properties of tumors have been well described in recent years, the great majority of the research in this clinically important area has focused on proton transport, in particular via the Na+/H+-exchanger 1 (SLC9A1, NHE1 and various H+ ATPases. We have, however, recently demonstrated that at least under some conditions, including in vitro models of HER2 positive breast cancer, and measurements obtained directly in freshly dissected human mammary tumors, bicarbonate transporters such as the electroneutral Na+,HCO3--cotransporter (SLC4A7, NBCn1, are upregulated and play central roles in pH regulation. In this review, we summarize and discuss the current knowledge regarding the regulation and roles of bicarbonate transport in cancer.

  16. Novel functions of CCM1 delimit the relationship of PTB/PH domains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jun; Dubey, Pallavi; Padarti, Akhil; Zhang, Aileen; Patel, Rinkal; Patel, Vipulkumar; Cistola, David; Badr, Ahmed

    2017-10-01

    Three NPXY motifs and one FERM domain in CCM1 makes it a versatile scaffold protein for tethering the signaling components together within the CCM signaling complex (CSC). The cellular role of CCM1 protein remains inadequately expounded. Both phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) and pleckstrin homology (PH) domains were recognized as structurally related but functionally distinct domains. By utilizing molecular cloning, protein binding assays and RT-qPCR to identify novel cellular partners of CCM1 and its cellular expression patterns; by screening candidate PTB/PH proteins and subsequently structurally simulation in combining with current X-ray crystallography and NMR data to defined the essential structure of PTB/PH domain for NPXY-binding and the relationship among PTB, PH and FERM domain(s). We identified a group of 28 novel cellular partners of CCM1, all of which contain either PTB or PH domain(s), and developed a novel classification system for these PTB/PH proteins based on their relationship with different NPXY motifs of CCM1. Our results demonstrated that CCM1 has a wide spectrum of binding to different PTB/PH proteins and perpetuates their specificity to interact with certain PTB/PH domains through selective combination of three NPXY motifs. We also demonstrated that CCM1 can be assembled into oligomers through intermolecular interaction between its F3 lobe in FERM domain and one of the three NPXY motifs. Despite being embedded in FERM domain as F3 lobe, F3 module acts as a fully functional PH domain to interact with NPXY motif. The most salient feature of the study was that both PTB and PH domains are structurally and functionally comparable, suggesting that PTB domain is likely evolved from PH domain with polymorphic structural additions at its N-terminus. A new β1A-strand of the PTB domain was discovered and new minimum structural requirement of PTB/PH domain for NPXY motif-binding was determined. Based on our data, a novel theory of structure, function and

  17. Non-invasive technique to measure biogeochemical parameters (pH and O2) in a microenvironment: Design and applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Biting; Seliman, Ayman; Pales, Ashley; Liang, Weizhen; Sams, Allison; Darnault, Christophe; Devol, Timothy

    2017-04-01

    The primary objectives of this research are to do the pH and O2 sensor foils calibration and then to test them in applications. Potentially, this project can be utilized to monitor the fate and transport of radionuclides in porous media. The information for physical and chemical parameters (e.g. pH and O2) is crucial to know when determining contaminants' behavior and transport in the environment. As a non-invasive method, optical imaging technique using a DSLR camera could capture data on the foil when it fluoresces, and gives a high temporal and spatial resolution during the experimental period. The calibration procedures were done in cuvettes in a row. The preliminary experiments could measure pH value in the range from 4.5 to 7.5, and O2 concentration from 0 mg/L to 20.74 mg/L. Applications of sensor foils have involved nano zero valent and acid rain experiments in order to obtain a gradient of parameter changes.

  18. Nitric oxide modulates sodium vitamin C transporter 2 (SVCT-2) protein expression via protein kinase G (PKG) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portugal, Camila Cabral; da Encarnação, Thaísa Godinho; Socodato, Renato; Moreira, Sarah Rodrigues; Brudzewsky, Dan; Ambrósio, António Francisco; Paes-de-Carvalho, Roberto

    2012-02-03

    Ascorbate is an important antioxidant, which also displays important functions in neuronal tissues, including the retina. The retina is responsible for the initial steps of visual processing, which is further refined in cerebral high-order centers. The retina is also a prototypical model for studying physiologic aspects of cells that comprise the nervous system. Of major importance also is the cellular messenger nitric oxide (NO). Previous studies have demonstrated the significance of NO for both survival and proliferation of cultured embryonic retinal cells. Cultured retinal cells express a high-affinity ascorbate transporter, and the release of ascorbate is delicately regulated by ionotropic glutamate receptors. Therefore, we proposed whether there is interplay between the ascorbate transport system and NO signaling pathway in retinal cells. Here we show compelling evidence that ascorbate uptake is tightly controlled by NO and its downstream signaling pathway in culture. NO also modulates the expression of SVCT-2, an effect mediated by cGMP and PKG. Kinetic studies suggest that NO increases the transport capacity for ascorbate, but not the affinity of SVCT-2 for its substrate. Interestingly, NO utilizes the NF-κB pathway, in a PKG-dependent manner, to modulate both SVCT-2 expression and ascorbate uptake. These results demonstrate that NO exerts a fine-tuned control of the availability of ascorbate to cultured retinal cells and strongly reinforces ascorbate as an important bioactive molecule in neuronal tissues.

  19. Localisation of selected Ca2+-transport systems in rat's heart and kidney and their modulation by stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zacikova, L.

    2000-01-01

    This thesis deals with the identification of selected calcium transport systems and their modulation by immobilization stress in rat heart and kidney. In our experiments we used normotensive (Sprague-Dawley, Wistar-Kyoto) and hypertensive (SHR) strains. We compared mRNA levels, protein expression and activity of the Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger from hearts of control animals, animals subjected to a single (once) or repeated (seven times) immobilization stress and from animals treated continually with cortisol. We have observed that immobilization stress increased both, gene expression and protein message of the Na + /Ca 2 + exchanger in rat cardiac left, but not right ventricle. This effect is not mediated through the glucocorticoid responsive element. We have found that cortisol decreased activity of the N a +/Ca 2+ exchanger without changing expression and protein amount of this transport system. IP3 receptor of type I and 2 was detected on mRNA levels in rat cardiac atria. Very small amounts of these receptors were observed in rat cardiac ventricles. Since it was difficult to detect these amounts in ventricles, we used 'seminested' PCR to verify expression of IP 3 R1 and 2 in cardiac ventricles. The highest levels of IP 3 R1 and 2 were expressed in left atria. Immobilization stress significantly increased mRNA IP 3 R1 and 2 in rat cardiac atria. We observed both, mRNA and type 1 IP 3 receptor's protein in renal medulla, but not in renal cortex. We have found that this receptor was approximately twice as abundant in normotensive as in genetically hypertensive rat kidney. Immobilization stress significantly down-regulated IP 3 R1 in renal medulla, but not in renal cortex. To investigate the role of NAADP in signaling we measured 45 Ca 2+ release from rat cardiac microsomes. We examined concentration and time dependence of 45 Ca 2+ release from rat cardiac microsomes. All these results could contribute to the understanding of Ca 2+ modulation in cardiac and kidney under

  20. Transportation life cycle assessment (LCA) synthesis : life cycle assessment learning module series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-03-12

    The Life Cycle Assessment Learning Module Series is a set of narrated, self-advancing slideshows on : various topics related to environmental life cycle assessment (LCA). This research project produced the first 27 of such modules, which : are freely...

  1. Mass transport modelling for the electroreduction of CO2 on Cu nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raciti, David; Mao, Mark; Wang, Chao

    2018-01-01

    Mass transport plays an important role in CO2 reduction electrocatalysis. Albeit being more pronounced on nanostructured electrodes, the studies of mass transport for CO2 reduction have yet been limited to planar electrodes. We report here the development of a mass transport model for the electroreduction of CO2 on Cu nanowire electrodes. Fed with the experimental data from electrocatalytic studies, the local concentrations of CO2, {{{{HCO}}}3}-,{{{{CO}}}3}2- and OH- on the nanostructured electrodes are calculated by solving the diffusion equations with spatially distributed electrochemical reaction terms incorporated. The mass transport effects on the catalytic activity and selectivity of the Cu nanowire electrocatalysts are thus discussed by using the local pH as the descriptor. The established correlations between the electrocatalytic performance and the local pH shows that, the latter does not only determine the acid-base reaction equilibrium, but also regulates the mass transport and reaction kinetics. Based on these findings, the optimal range of local pH for CO2 reduction is discussed in terms of a fine balance among the suppression of hydrogen evolution, improvement of C2 product selectivity and limitation of CO2 supply. Our work highlights the importance of understanding the mass transport effects in interpretation of CO2 reduction electrocatalysis on high-surface-area catalysts.

  2. OsPIN5b modulates rice (Oryza sativa) plant architecture and yield by changing auxin homeostasis, transport and distribution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Guangwen; Coneva, Viktoriya; Casaretto, José A; Ying, Shan; Mahmood, Kashif; Liu, Fang; Nambara, Eiji; Bi, Yong-Mei; Rothstein, Steven J

    2015-09-01

    Plant architecture attributes such as tillering, plant height and panicle size are important agronomic traits that determine rice (Oryza sativa) productivity. Here, we report that altered auxin content, transport and distribution affect these traits, and hence rice yield. Overexpression of the auxin efflux carrier-like gene OsPIN5b causes pleiotropic effects, mainly reducing plant height, leaf and tiller number, shoot and root biomass, seed-setting rate, panicle length and yield parameters. Conversely, reduced expression of OsPIN5b results in higher tiller number, more vigorous root system, longer panicles and increased yield. We show that OsPIN5b is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) -localized protein that participates in auxin homeostasis, transport and distribution in vivo. This work describes an example of an auxin-related gene where modulating its expression can simultaneously improve plant architecture and yield potential in rice, and reveals an important effect of hormonal signaling on these traits. © 2015 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Density Modulation Experiments to Determine Particle Transport Coefficients on HT-7 Tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jie Yinxian; Gao Xiang; Tanaka, K; Sakamoto, R; Toi, K; Liu Haiqing; Gao Li; Asif, M; Liu Jin; Xu Qiang; Tong Xingde; Cheng Yongfei

    2006-01-01

    The particle diffusion coefficient and the convection velocity were studied based on the density modulation using D 2 gas puffing on the HT-7 tokamak. The density was measured by a five-channel FIR interferometer. The density modulation amplitude was 10% of the central chord averaged background density and the modulation frequency was 10 Hz in the experiments. The particle diffusion coefficient (D) and the convection velocity (V) were obtained for different background plasmas with the central chord averaged density e > = 1.5x10 19 m -3 and 3.0x10 19 m -3 respectively. It was observed that the influence of density modulation on the main plasma parameters was very weak. This technology is expected to be useful for the analysis of LHW and IBW heated plasmas on HT-7 tokamak in the near future

  4. Molecular mechanism of pH-dependent substrate transport by an arginine-agmatine antiporter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Sheng; Yan, Renhong; Zhang, Xi; Chu, Qi; Shi, Yigong

    2014-09-02

    Enteropathogenic bacteria, exemplified by Escherichia coli, rely on acid-resistance systems (ARs) to survive the acidic environment of the stomach. AR3 consumes intracellular protons through decarboxylation of arginine (Arg) in the cytoplasm and exchange of the reaction product agmatine (Agm) with extracellular Arg. The latter process is mediated by the Arg:Agm antiporter AdiC, which is activated in response to acidic pH and remains fully active at pH 6.0 and below. Despite our knowledge of structural information, the molecular mechanism by which AdiC senses acidic pH remains completely unknown. Relying on alanine-scanning mutagenesis and an in vitro proteoliposome-based transport assay, we have identified Tyr74 as a critical pH sensor in AdiC. The AdiC variant Y74A exhibited robust transport activity at all pH values examined while maintaining stringent substrate specificity for Arg:Agm. Replacement of Tyr74 by Phe, but not by any other amino acid, led to the maintenance of pH-dependent substrate transport. These observations, in conjunction with structural information, identify a working model for pH-induced activation of AdiC in which a closed conformation is disrupted by cation-π interactions between proton and the aromatic side chain of Tyr74.

  5. Intracellular pH in sperm physiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishigaki, Takuya; José, Omar; González-Cota, Ana Laura; Romero, Francisco; Treviño, Claudia L; Darszon, Alberto

    2014-08-01

    Intracellular pH (pHi) regulation is essential for cell function. Notably, several unique sperm ion transporters and enzymes whose elimination causes infertility are either pHi dependent or somehow related to pHi regulation. Amongst them are: CatSper, a Ca(2+) channel; Slo3, a K(+) channel; the sperm-specific Na(+)/H(+) exchanger and the soluble adenylyl cyclase. It is thus clear that pHi regulation is of the utmost importance for sperm physiology. This review briefly summarizes the key components involved in pHi regulation, their characteristics and participation in fundamental sperm functions such as motility, maturation and the acrosome reaction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. User Instructions for the Systems Assessment Capability, Rev. 0, Computer Codes Volume 1: Inventory, Release, and Transport Modules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eslinger, Paul W.; Engel, David W.; Gerhardstein, Lawrence H.; Lopresti, Charles A.; Nichols, William E.; Strenge, Dennis L.

    2001-12-01

    One activity of the Department of Energy's Groundwater/Vadose Zone Integration Project is an assessment of cumulative impacts from Hanford Site wastes on the subsurface environment and the Columbia River. Through the application of a system assessment capability (SAC), decisions for each cleanup and disposal action will be able to take into account the composite effect of other cleanup and disposal actions. The SAC has developed a suite of computer programs to simulate the migration of contaminants (analytes) present on the Hanford Site and to assess the potential impacts of the analytes, including dose to humans, socio-cultural impacts, economic impacts, and ecological impacts. The general approach to handling uncertainty in the SAC computer codes is a Monte Carlo approach. Conceptually, one generates a value for every stochastic parameter in the code (the entire sequence of modules from inventory through transport and impacts) and then executes the simulation, obtaining an output value, or result. This document provides user instructions for the SAC codes that handle inventory tracking, release of contaminants to the environment, and transport of contaminants through the unsaturated zone, saturated zone, and the Columbia River

  7. Public transport optimisation emphasising passengers’ travel behaviour.

    OpenAIRE

    Jensen, Jens Parbo; Nielsen, Otto Anker; Prato, Carlo Giacomo

    2015-01-01

    Passengers in public transport complaining about their travel experiences are not uncommon. This might seem counterintuitive since several operators worldwide are presenting better key performance indicators year by year. The present PhD study focuses on developing optimisation algorithms to enhance the operations of public transport while explicitly emphasising passengers’ travel behaviour and preferences. Similar to economic theory, interactions between supply and demand are omnipresent in ...

  8. Studies of cesium permeability of potassium transporter from Arabidopsis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobayashi, Daisuke; Yamagami, Mutsumi; Hisamatsu, Shun'ichi; Inaba, Jiro; Uozumi, Nobuyuki; Hazama, Akihiro

    2007-01-01

    Cs-137 is an important radionuclide for safety assessment of nuclear facilities, and its transfer via plants is an important route from the environment to humans. Studies of Cs uptake mechanisms by plants are essential for understanding 137 Cs movement in soil-to-plant systems and in plants. Since uptake of Cs is considered to be mediated by K transport protein, we investigated Cs + permeability of two Arabidopsis K + transporters, AKT2 and AtHKT1, by using Xenopus oocytes expression systems and two-electrode voltage-clamp technique under various pH conditions. The data showed AKT2 and AtHKT1 did not transport Cs + at external pH in the 5.5-7.5 range. These results indicated that AKT2 and AtHKT1 did not contribute to Cs + influx into cells under physiological conditions in plants. (author)

  9. Impact of pH on the structure and function of neural cadherin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jungles, Jared M; Dukes, Matthew P; Vunnam, Nagamani; Pedigo, Susan

    2014-12-02

    Neural (N-) cadherin is a transmembrane protein within adherens junctions that mediates cell-cell adhesion. It has 5 modular extracellular domains (EC1-EC5) that bind 3 calcium ions between each of the modules. Calcium binding is required for dimerization. N-Cadherin is involved in diverse processes including tissue morphogenesis, excitatory synapse formation and dynamics, and metastasis of cancer. During neurotransmission and tumorigenesis, fluctuations in extracellular pH occur, causing tissue acidosis with associated physiological consequences. Studies reported here aim to determine the effect of pH on the dimerization properties of a truncated construct of N-cadherin containing EC1-EC2. Since N-cadherin is an anionic protein, we hypothesized that acidification of solution would cause an increase in stability of the apo protein, a decrease in the calcium-binding affinity, and a concomitant decrease in the formation of adhesive dimer. The stability of the apo monomer was increased and the calcium-binding affinity was decreased at reduced pH, consistent with our hypothesis. Surprisingly, analytical SEC studies showed an increase in calcium-induced dimerization as solution pH decreased from 7.4 to 5.0. Salt-dependent dimerization studies indicated that electrostatic repulsion attenuates dimerization affinity. These results point to a possible electrostatic mechanism for moderating dimerization affinity of the Type I cadherin family. Extrapolating these results to cell adhesion in vivo leads to the assertion that decreased pH promotes adhesion by N-cadherin, thereby stabilizing synaptic junctions.

  10. Electrical transport through Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 p-n and p-p heterostructures modulated by bound charges at a ferroelectric surface: Ferroelectric p-n diode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Yukio

    1999-05-01

    Current through (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 ferroelectrics on perovskite semiconductors is found to exhibit diode characteristics of which polarity is universally determined by the carrier conduction-type semiconductors. A persisting highly reproducible resistance modulation by a dc voltage, which has a short retention, is observed and is ascribed to a band bending of the ferroelectric by the formation of charged traps. This interpretation is consistent with a large relaxation current observed at a low voltage. On the other hand, a reproducible resistance modulation by a pulse voltage, which has a long retention, is observed in metal/(Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3/SrTiO3:Nb but not in metal/(Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3/(La,Sr)2CuO4 and is attributed to a possible band bending due to the spontaneous polarization (P) switching. The observed current voltage (IV) characteristics, the polarity dependence, the relaxation, and the modulation are explicable, if we assume a p-n or a p-p junction at the ferroelectric semiconductor interface (p: hole conduction type, n: electron conduction type). The analysis suggests that an intrinsically inhomogeneous P (∇P) near the ferroelectric/metal interface is likely very weak or existing in a very thin layer, when a reaction of the metal with the ferroelectric is eliminated. Additionally, the various aspects of transport through ferroelectrics are explained as a transport in the carrier depleted region.

  11. Sequence homolog-based molecular engineering for shifting the enzymatic pH optimum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fuqiang Ma

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Cell-free synthetic biology system organizes multiple enzymes (parts from different sources to implement unnatural catalytic functions. Highly adaption between the catalytic parts is crucial for building up efficient artificial biosynthetic systems. Protein engineering is a powerful technology to tailor various enzymatic properties including catalytic efficiency, substrate specificity, temperature adaptation and even achieve new catalytic functions. However, altering enzymatic pH optimum still remains a challenging task. In this study, we proposed a novel sequence homolog-based protein engineering strategy for shifting the enzymatic pH optimum based on statistical analyses of sequence-function relationship data of enzyme family. By two statistical procedures, artificial neural networks (ANNs and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso, five amino acids in GH11 xylanase family were identified to be related to the evolution of enzymatic pH optimum. Site-directed mutagenesis of a thermophilic xylanase from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii revealed that four out of five mutations could alter the enzymatic pH optima toward acidic condition without compromising the catalytic activity and thermostability. Combination of the positive mutants resulted in the best mutant M31 that decreased its pH optimum for 1.5 units and showed increased catalytic activity at pH < 5.0 compared to the wild-type enzyme. Structure analysis revealed that all the mutations are distant from the active center, which may be difficult to be identified by conventional rational design strategy. Interestingly, the four mutation sites are clustered at a certain region of the enzyme, suggesting a potential “hot zone” for regulating the pH optima of xylanases. This study provides an efficient method of modulating enzymatic pH optima based on statistical sequence analyses, which can facilitate the design and optimization of suitable catalytic parts for the construction

  12. Delft3D turbine turbulence module v. 1.0.0

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2016-08-25

    The DOE has funded Sandia National Labs (SNL) to develop an open-source modeling tool to guide the design and layout of marine hydrokinetic (MHK) arrays to maximize power production while minimizing environmental effects. This modeling framework simulates flows through and around a MHK arrays while quantifying environmental responses. As an augmented version of the Dutch company, Deltares’s, environmental hydrodynamics code, Delft3D, Delft3D-CEC includes a new module that simulates energy conversion (momentum withdrawal) by MHK current energy conversion devices with commensurate changes in the turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate. The Following is a description of Deltares’s open-source code Delft3D from which Delft3D-CEC is built upon. “Delft3D is a world leading 3D modeling suite to investigate hydrodynamics, sediment transport and morphology and water quality for fluvial, estuarine and coastal environments. As per 1 January 2011, the Delft3D flow (FLOW), morphology (MOR) and waves (WAVE) modules are available in open source. The software is used and has proven his capabilities on many places around the world, like the Netherlands, USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Venice, etc. The software is continuously improved and developed with innovating advanced modelling techniques as consequence of the research work of our institute and to stay world leading. The FLOW module is the heart of Delft3D and is a multi-dimensional (2D or 3D) hydrodynamic (and transport) simulation programme which calculates non-steady flow and transport phenomena resulting from tidal and meteorological forcing on a curvilinear, boundary fitted grid or sperical coordinates. In 3D simulations, the vertical grid is defined following the so-called sigma coordinate approach or Z-layer approach. The MOR module computes sediment transport (both suspended and bed total load) and morphological changes for an arbitrary number of cohesive and non-cohesive fractions. Both currents

  13. Influence of selected variables on transport of plutonium to spores of Aspergillus niger

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Au, F.H.F.; Beckert, W.F.

    1975-01-01

    Studies were carried out on the influences of different chemical forms and concentrations of Pu at two hydrogen ion concentrations of the culture medium on uptake and transport of 238 Pu to the spores of Aspergillus niger. Results indicated that Pu, when added to the culture medium as dioxide microspheres, nitrate, or citrate complex, was transported to the spores, and that an almost linear relationship existed between transport and concentration. Raising the pH of the culture medium from 2.5 to 5.5 generally increased transport of Pu to spores for all three chemical forms. At Pu concentrations of 224 pCi/g in the culture media, and for both pH 2.5 and 5.5, transport of Pu to spores was approximately three times as high from the nitrate or citrate form as from the dioxide microspheres. (auth)

  14. Na+-coupled bicarbonate transporters in duodenum, collecting ducts and choroid plexus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Praetorius, Jeppe

    2010-01-01

    Epithelia cover the internal and external surfaces of the organism and form barriers between the various compartments. Some of these epithelia are specialized for effective transmembrane or even transepithelial movement of acid-base equivalents. Certain epithelia with a high rate of HCO3- transport express a few potent Na+-coupled acid-base transporters to gain a net HCO3- movement across the epithelium. Examples of such epithelia are renal proximal tubules and pancreatic ducts. In contrast, multiple Na+-coupled HCO3- transporters are expressed in other HCO3- secreting epithelia, such as the duodenal mucosa or the choroid plexus, which maintain suitable intracellular pH despite a variable demand for secreting HCO3-. In the duodenum, the epithelial cells must secrete HCO3- for neutralization of the gastric acid, and at the same time prevent cellular acidification. During the neutralization, large quantities of CO2 are formed in the duodenal lumen, which enter the epithelial cells. This would tend to lower intracellular pH and require effective counteracting mechanisms to avoid cell death and to maintain HCO3- secretion. The choroid plexus secretes the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and controls the pH of the otherwise poorly buffered CSF. The pCO2 of CSF fluctuates with plasma pCO2, and the choroid plexus must regulate the HCO3- secretion to minimize the effects of these fluctuations on CSF pH. This is done while maintaining pH neutrality in the epithelial cells. Thus, the Na+-HCO3- cotransporters appear to be involved in HCO3- import in more epithelia, where Na+/H+ exchangers were until recently thought to be sufficient for maintaining intracellular pH.

  15. PH sensor

    OpenAIRE

    Artero, C.; Nogueras Cervera, Marc; Manuel Lázaro, Antonio

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents a design of a marine instrument for the measurement of pH in seawater. The measurement system consists of a pH electrode connected to the underwater observatory OBSEA. The extracted data are useful for scientists researching ocean acidification. Peer Reviewed

  16. Uptake of biotin by Chlamydia Spp. through the use of a bacterial transporter (BioY and a host-cell transporter (SMVT.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derek J Fisher

    Full Text Available Chlamydia spp. are obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that cause disease in humans and animals. Minor variations in metabolic capacity between species have been causally linked to host and tissue tropisms. Analysis of the highly conserved genomes of Chlamydia spp. reveals divergence in the metabolism of the essential vitamin biotin with genes for either synthesis (bioF_2ADB and/or transport (bioY. Streptavidin blotting confirmed the presence of a single biotinylated protein in Chlamydia. As a first step in unraveling the need for divergent biotin acquisition strategies, we examined BioY (CTL0613 from C. trachomatis 434/Bu which is annotated as an S component of the type II energy coupling-factor transporters (ECF. Type II ECFs are typically composed of a transport specific component (S and a chromosomally unlinked energy module (AT. Intriguingly, Chlamydia lack recognizable AT modules. Using (3H-biotin and recombinant E. coli expressing CTL0613, we demonstrated that biotin was transported with high affinity (a property of Type II ECFs previously shown to require an AT module and capacity (apparent K(m of 3.35 nM and V(max of 55.1 pmol×min(-1×mg(-1. Since Chlamydia reside in a host derived membrane vacuole, termed an inclusion, we also sought a mechanism for transport of biotin from the cell cytoplasm into the inclusion vacuole. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that the mammalian sodium multivitamin transporter (SMVT, which transports lipoic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid into cells, localizes to the inclusion. Since Chlamydia also are auxotrophic for lipoic and pantothenic acids, SMVT may be subverted by Chlamydia to move multiple essential compounds into the inclusion where BioY and another transporter(s would be present to facilitate transport into the bacterium. Collectively, our data validates the first BioY from a pathogenic organism and describes a two-step mechanism by which Chlamydia transport biotin

  17. Uptake of Biotin by Chlamydia Spp. through the Use of a Bacterial Transporter (BioY) and a Host-Cell Transporter (SMVT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher, Derek J.; Fernández, Reinaldo E.; Adams, Nancy E.; Maurelli, Anthony T.

    2012-01-01

    Chlamydia spp. are obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that cause disease in humans and animals. Minor variations in metabolic capacity between species have been causally linked to host and tissue tropisms. Analysis of the highly conserved genomes of Chlamydia spp. reveals divergence in the metabolism of the essential vitamin biotin with genes for either synthesis (bioF_2ADB) and/or transport (bioY). Streptavidin blotting confirmed the presence of a single biotinylated protein in Chlamydia. As a first step in unraveling the need for divergent biotin acquisition strategies, we examined BioY (CTL0613) from C. trachomatis 434/Bu which is annotated as an S component of the type II energy coupling-factor transporters (ECF). Type II ECFs are typically composed of a transport specific component (S) and a chromosomally unlinked energy module (AT). Intriguingly, Chlamydia lack recognizable AT modules. Using 3H-biotin and recombinant E. coli expressing CTL0613, we demonstrated that biotin was transported with high affinity (a property of Type II ECFs previously shown to require an AT module) and capacity (apparent K(m) of 3.35 nM and V(max) of 55.1 pmol×min−1×mg−1). Since Chlamydia reside in a host derived membrane vacuole, termed an inclusion, we also sought a mechanism for transport of biotin from the cell cytoplasm into the inclusion vacuole. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that the mammalian sodium multivitamin transporter (SMVT), which transports lipoic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid into cells, localizes to the inclusion. Since Chlamydia also are auxotrophic for lipoic and pantothenic acids, SMVT may be subverted by Chlamydia to move multiple essential compounds into the inclusion where BioY and another transporter(s) would be present to facilitate transport into the bacterium. Collectively, our data validates the first BioY from a pathogenic organism and describes a two-step mechanism by which Chlamydia transport biotin from the

  18. Modelling of processes occurring in deep geological repository - development of new modules in the GoldSim environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vopalka, D.; Lukin, D.; Vokal, A.

    2006-01-01

    Three new modules modelling the processes that occur in a deep geological repository have been prepared in the GoldSim computer code environment (using its Transport Module). These modules help to understand the role of selected parameters in the near-field region of the final repository and to prepare an own complex model of the repository behaviour. The source term module includes radioactive decay and ingrowth in the canister, first order degradation of fuel matrix, solubility limitation of the concentration of the studied nuclides, and diffusive migration through the surrounding bentonite layer controlled by the output boundary condition formulated with respect to the rate of water flow in the rock. The corrosion module describes corrosion of canisters made of carbon steel and transport of corrosion products in the near-field region. This module computes balance equations between dissolving species and species transported by diffusion and/or advection from the surface of a solid material. The diffusion module that includes also non-linear form of the interaction isotherm can be used for an evaluation of small-scale diffusion experiments. (author)

  19. Modelling of processes occurring in deep geological repository - Development of new modules in the GoldSim environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vopálka, D.; Lukin, D.; Vokál, A.

    2006-01-01

    Three new modules modelling the processes that occur in a deep geological repository have been prepared in the GoldSim computer code environment (using its Transport Module). These modules help to understand the role of selected parameters in the near-field region of the final repository and to prepare an own complex model of the repository behaviour. The source term module includes radioactive decay and ingrowth in the canister, first order degradation of fuel matrix, solubility limitation of the concentration of the studied nuclides, and diffusive migration through the surrounding bentonite layer controlled by the output boundary condition formulated with respect to the rate of water flow in the rock. The corrosion module describes corrosion of canisters made of carbon steel and transport of corrosion products in the near-field region. This module computes balance equations between dissolving species and species transported by diffusion and/or advection from the surface of a solid material. The diffusion module that includes also non-linear form of the interaction isotherm can be used for an evaluation of small-scale diffusion experiments.

  20. Transcellular transport of radioiodinated 3-iodo-α-methyl-L-tyrosine across monolayers of kidney epithelial cell line LLC-PK1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shikano, Naoto; Nakajima, Syuichi; Kubota, Nobuo; Ishikawa, Nobuyoshi; Kawai, Keiichi; Kubodera, Akiko; Saji, Hideo

    2004-01-01

    3-[ 123 I]iodo-α-methyl-L-tyrosine ([ 123 I]IMT) is an imaging agent for amino acid transport. In order to obtain fundamental data related to tumor imaging with [ 123 I]IMT and renal physiological accumulation of [ 123 I]IMT, we investigated the transport characteristics of [ 125 I]IMT in porcine kidney epithelial cell line LLC-PK 1 using cell monolayers grown on microporous membrane filters. LLC-PK 1 monolayers were created on a collagen-coated microporous (3 μm) membrane (4.7 cm 2 ). To examine transcellular transport (secretion and reabsorption) and accumulation, the monolayers were incubated for up to 90 min at 37 deg C with 18.5 kBq [ 125 I]IMT in Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.4) as an uptake solution. After incubation, transcellular transport was assessed by quantifying the radioactivity of the solutions on each side of the monolayer. For the accumulation experiment, the cells were solubilized in NaOH solution, and the radioactivity was quantified. For the inhibition experiment, the inhibitor was added at a final concentration of 1 mM. For the pH dependence experiment, the pH of the apical-side uptake solution was varied from pH 5 to pH 8. Transport of [ 14 C]Tyr was examined for comparison. Bi-directional transcellular transport of [ 125 I]IMT was observed, corresponding to secretion and reabsorption in proximal tubule. Accumulation of [ 125 I]IMT from the basolateral side (1.62±0.15%) and the apical side (2.62±0.35%) was observed at 90 min. 2-Amino-bicyclo[2,2,1]heptane-2-carboxylic acid (a specific inhibitor of system L), L -Tyr (mother compound of [ 125 I]IMT) and 2-aminoisobutyric acid (an inhibitor of system L and A) inhibited both directional transport (p 125 I]IMT from both sides (p 125 I]IMT transport is system L, rather than Na + -dependent transport, in both apical and basolateral membrane. [ 125 I]IMT was transported by the system that transported L-Tyr, but the observed pH dependence of transport suggests that different

  1. Secondary side water chemistry pH control strategy improvements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roumiguiere, Fernando-Mario; Fandrich, Joerg; Ramminger, Ute; Hoffmann-Wankerl, Stephan; Drexler, Andreas

    2012-09-01

    amine at low concentrations complementary to ammonia dosing, especially in the area mainly affected by flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) maintaining the advantages of ammonia regarding its good distribution along the whole water-steam cycle. The use of a low volatile amine without having sufficient amount of a volatile one might lead to higher corrosion product transport originated by general corrosion which could probably resulting in SG fouling. The effect of organic amines on the FAC as well as on the fouling behavior has been studied by several institutions, e.g. EPRI. Organic amines like morpholine and ethanolamine (ETA) were qualified and applied especially in plants having a mixed metallurgy concept in the water steam cycle, succeeding on counteracting FAC problems. However, the use of less volatile amines, particularly ETA associated with low ammonia concentrations resulted in increased SG fouling in a number of cases. The combination of ETA with a highly volatile amine like dodecylamine (DDA), has been recommended to solve this problem. This paper presents an approach for improvements of pH control strategy to minimize both SG fouling and FAC. The approach presented makes evident the convenience of using ammonia as main alkalising agent whenever possible, avoiding multiple amine concepts and their associated drawbacks. Ammonia is anyway present in the system and it can fulfill this requirement if applied at adequate amounts. The supporting argument is that a volatile amine is necessary to ensure a high overall pH (T) to minimize the generation of corrosion products by general corrosion and their transport into the steam generators. This contribution is to be considered as important as the corrosion product generation by FAC, which is the main reason of using complementary, less volatile amines. The convenience of using computer codes like the AREVA's CHEMBAL to perform a plant-specific screening analysis enabling to find the plant specific best scenario for

  2. Surveillance systems for intermodal transportation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jakovlev, Sergej; Voznak, Miroslav; Andziulis, Arunas

    2015-05-01

    Intermodal container monitoring is considered a major security issue in many major logistic companies and countries worldwide. Current representation of the problem, we face today, originated in 2002, right after the 9/11 attacks. Then, a new worldwide Container Security Initiative (CSI, 2002) was considered that shaped the perception of the transportation operations. Now more than 80 larger ports all over the world contribute to its further development and integration into everyday transportation operations and improve the regulations for the developing regions. Although, these new improvements allow us to feel safer and secure, constant management of transportation operations has become a very difficult problem for conventional data analysis methods and information systems. The paper deals with a proposal of a whole new concept for the improvement of the Containers Security Initiative (CSI) by virtually connecting safety, security processes and systems. A conceptual middleware approach with deployable intelligent agent modules is proposed to be used with possible scenarios and a testbed is used to test the solution. Middleware examples are visually programmed using National Instruments LabView software packages and Wireless sensor network hardware modules. An experimental software is used to evaluate he solution. This research is a contribution to the intermodal transportation and is intended to be used as a means or the development of intelligent transport systems.

  3. Immunomodulatory effects of temperature and pH of water in an Indian freshwater sponge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, Soumalya; Bhunia, Anindya Sundar; Bhunia, Niladri Sekhar; Ray, Mitali; Ray, Sajal

    2016-07-01

    Eunapius carteri, a freshwater sponge of India, inhabits the ponds and lakes and experiences variations of temperature and pH of water throughout the year. Sponges bear evolutionary and ecological importance with limited information on their immunological attribute and adaptational resilience in a changing environment. This paper reports temperature and pH specific responses of immune related parameters in sponge maintained in the experimental conditions of laboratory. Innate immunological parameters like phagocytosis and generation of cytotoxic molecules like superoxide anion, nitric oxide and phenoloxidase activity were estimated in E. carteri at different environmentally realistic water temperatures (10, 20, 30 and 40°C) and pH (6.4, 7.4 and 8.4). Phagocytosis and cytotoxicity are established as important immune parameters of invertebrates. Calalase, an antioxidant enzyme and phosphatases are involved in pathogen destruction and are considered as components of innate immunity. Activities of catalase, acid and alkaline phosphatases were estimated in E. carteri at different thermal regimes and pH. Modulation of phagocytic and cytotoxic responses and the activities of catalase and phosphatases at different water temperatures and pH indicated temperature and pH specific immunological status of E. carteri. Present investigation deals with the effects of selected hydrological parameters on the fundamental immune related parameters in sponge indicating its adaptational plasticity. Immunological resilience of this species in the face of variation of water temperature and pH is thought to be a special adaptive feature of sponge, a reported "living fossil". Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Coordinated regulation of intracellular pH by two glucose-sensing pathways in yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isom, Daniel G; Page, Stephani C; Collins, Leonard B; Kapolka, Nicholas J; Taghon, Geoffrey J; Dohlman, Henrik G

    2018-02-16

    The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae employs multiple pathways to coordinate sugar availability and metabolism. Glucose and other sugars are detected by a G protein-coupled receptor, Gpr1, as well as a pair of transporter-like proteins, Rgt2 and Snf3. When glucose is limiting, however, an ATP-driven proton pump (Pma1) is inactivated, leading to a marked decrease in cytoplasmic pH. Here we determine the relative contribution of the two sugar-sensing pathways to pH regulation. Whereas cytoplasmic pH is strongly dependent on glucose abundance and is regulated by both glucose-sensing pathways, ATP is largely unaffected and therefore cannot account for the changes in Pma1 activity. These data suggest that the pH is a second messenger of the glucose-sensing pathways. We show further that different sugars differ in their ability to control cellular acidification, in the manner of inverse agonists. We conclude that the sugar-sensing pathways act via Pma1 to invoke coordinated changes in cellular pH and metabolism. More broadly, our findings support the emerging view that cellular systems have evolved the use of pH signals as a means of adapting to environmental stresses such as those caused by hypoxia, ischemia, and diabetes. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  5. Pitavastatin Differentially Modulates MicroRNA-Associated Cholesterol Transport Proteins in Macrophages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haijun Zhang

    Full Text Available There is emerging evidence identifying microRNAs (miRNAs as mediators of statin-induced cholesterol efflux, notably through the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1 in macrophages. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, pitavastatin, on macrophage miRNAs in the presence and absence of oxidized-LDL, a hallmark of a pro-atherogenic milieu. Treatment of human THP-1 cells with pitavastatin prevented the oxLDL-mediated suppression of miR-33a, -33b and -758 mRNA in these cells, an effect which was not uniquely attributable to induction of SREBP2. Induction of ABCA1 mRNA and protein by oxLDL was inhibited (30% by pitavastatin, while oxLDL or pitavastatin alone significantly induced and repressed ABCA1 expression, respectively. These findings are consistent with previous reports in macrophages. miRNA profiling was also performed using a miRNA array. We identified specific miRNAs which were up-regulated (122 and down-regulated (107 in THP-1 cells treated with oxLDL plus pitavastatin versus oxLDL alone, indicating distinct regulatory networks in these cells. Moreover, several of the differentially expressed miRNAs identified are functionally associated with cholesterol trafficking (six miRNAs in cells treated with oxLDL versus oxLDL plus pitavastatin. Our findings indicate that pitavastatin can differentially modulate miRNA in the presence of oxLDL; and, our results provide evidence that the net effect on cholesterol homeostasis is mediated by a network of miRNAs.

  6. Regulators of Slc4 bicarbonate transporter activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ian M. Thornell

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The Slc4 family of transporters is comprised of anion exchangers (AE1-4, Na-coupled bicarbonate transporters (NCBTs including electrogenic Na/bicarbonate cotransporters (NBCe1 and NBCe2, electroneutral Na/bicarbonate cotransporters (NBCn1 and NBCn2, and the electroneutral Na-driven Cl-bicarbonate exchanger (NDCBE, as well as a borate transporter (BTR1. These transporters regulate intracellular pH (pHi and contribute to steady-state pHi, but are also involved in other physiological processes including CO2 carriage by red blood cells and solute secretion/reabsorption across epithelia. Acid-base transporters function as either acid extruders or acid loaders, with the Slc4 proteins moving HCO3– either into or out of cells. According to results from both molecular and functional studies, multiple Slc4 proteins and/or associated splice variants with similar expected effects on pHi are often found in the same tissue or cell. Such apparent redundancy is likely to be physiologically important. In addition to regulating pHi, a HCO3– transporter contributes to a cell’s ability to fine tune the intracellular regulation of the cotransported/exchanged ion(s (e.g., Na+ or Cl–. In addition, functionally similar transporters or splice variants with different regulatory profiles will optimize pH physiology and solute transport under various conditions or within subcellular domains. Such optimization will depend on activated signaling pathways and transporter expression profiles. In this review, we will summarize and discuss both classical and more recently identified regulators of the Slc4 proteins. Some of these regulators include traditional second messengers, lipids, binding proteins, autoregulatory domains, and less conventional regulators. The material presented will provide insight into the diversity and physiological significance of multiple members within the Slc4 gene family.

  7. Modulation doping and delta doping of III-V compound semiconductors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hendriks, P.; Zwaal, E.A.E.; Haverkort, J.E.M.; Wolter, J.H.; Razeghi, M.

    1991-01-01

    The transport properties of the 2D electron gas produced by modulation doping of compound semiconductors are reviewed with attention given to the properties at high electric fields. Experimental studies are discussed in which the transport properties lead to insights into current instabilities and

  8. Aqueous Transport Code Revisions Using Geographic Information Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, K.F.

    2003-01-01

    STREAM II, developed at the Savannah River Site (SRS) for execution on a personal computer, is an emergency response code that predicts downstream pollutant concentrations for releases from the SRS area to the Savannah River for emergency response management decision making. The STREAM II code consists of pre-processor, calculation, and post-processor modules. The pre-processor module provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for inputting the initial release data. The GUI passes the user specified data to the calculation module that calculates the pollutant concentrations at downstream locations and the transport times. The calculation module of the STREAM II adopts the transport module of the WASP5 code. WASP5 is a US Environmental Protection Agency water quality analysis program that simulates pollutant transport and fate through surface water using a finite difference method to solve the transport equation. The calculated downstream pollutant concentrations and travel times a re passed to the post-processor for display on the computer screen in graphical and tabular forms. To minimize the user's effort in the emergency situation, the required input parameters are limited to the time and date of release, type of release, location of release, amount and duration of release, and the calculation units. The user, however, could only select one of the seventeen predetermined locations. Hence, STREAM II could not be used for situations in which release locations differ from the seventeen predetermined locations. To eliminate this limitation, STREAM II has been revised to allow users to select the release location anywhere along the specified SRS main streams or the Savannah River by mouse-selection from a map displayed on the computer monitor. The required modifications to STREAM II using geographic information systems (GIS) software is discussed in this paper

  9. Electroactive subwavelength gratings (ESWGs) from conjugated polymers for color and intensity modulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhuvana, Thiruvelu; Kim, Byeonggwan; Yang, Xu; Shin, Haijin; Kim, Eunkyoung

    2012-05-01

    Subwavelength gratings with electroactive polymers such as poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly(3,4-propylenedioxythiophene-phenylene) (P(ProDOT-Ph)) controlled the color intensity for various visible colors of diffracted light in a single device. Under the illumination of a white light, at a fixed angle of incidence, the color intensity of the diffracted light was reversibly switched from the maximum value down to 15% (85% decrease) by applying -2 to 2 V due to electrochemical (EC) reaction. All spectral colors including red, green, and blue were generated by changing the angle of incidence, and the intensity of each color was modulated electrochemically at a single EC device. With electroactive subwavelength gratings (ESWGs) of P3HT, the maximum modulation of the color intensity was observed in the red-yellow quadrant in the CIE color plot, whereas for the ESWGs of P(ProDOT-Ph), the maximum modulation of the color intensity was observed in the yellow-green and green-blue quadrants. Both ESWGs showed a memory effect, keeping their color and intensity even after power was turned off for longer than 40 hours.Subwavelength gratings with electroactive polymers such as poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly(3,4-propylenedioxythiophene-phenylene) (P(ProDOT-Ph)) controlled the color intensity for various visible colors of diffracted light in a single device. Under the illumination of a white light, at a fixed angle of incidence, the color intensity of the diffracted light was reversibly switched from the maximum value down to 15% (85% decrease) by applying -2 to 2 V due to electrochemical (EC) reaction. All spectral colors including red, green, and blue were generated by changing the angle of incidence, and the intensity of each color was modulated electrochemically at a single EC device. With electroactive subwavelength gratings (ESWGs) of P3HT, the maximum modulation of the color intensity was observed in the red-yellow quadrant in the CIE color plot, whereas for the

  10. Properties of uracil transport by the submerged mycelium of Trichoderma viride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lakatos, B.; Betina, V.; Simkovic, M.; Varecka, L.

    1998-01-01

    The aim of the study is to describe the transport of uracil by the submerged mycelium of important mycoparasitic fungus Trichoderma viride. transport of radioactively labelled uracil into the submerged mycelium of Trichoderma viride was measured by means of membrane filtration technique. The high-affinity transport was temperature depend with the optimum temperature at 35 grad C. From the Arrhenius plot of the temperature dependence its activation energy could be calculated (54 kJ/mol uracil). The measurement of pH dependence showed the optimum pH at pH 6.5. High-affinity transport was inhibited with 5-fluorouracil. 5-Br-uracil, adenine, xanthine, cytosine, 5-Br-cytosine, adenosine, uridine but not with CMP, thymidine. 14 C-5-fluorouracil was taken up by T. viride mycelium in a similar way but the influx was less by about 20%. Inhibitors of RNA synthesis, rifamycin and rifampicin 9(up to 10 μg/ml) did not inhibit the uracil uptake even after 2 h preincubation wit mycelium. The results suggest that the uptake of uracil is mediated by a carrier. The uptake at sub-millimolar uracil concentrations is almost exclusively driven by the electrochemical potential of protons. The inhibitory effects of other substances presumably taken up by the mycelium may be explained by the competition for the driving force rather than for the binding site of the transporter molecule. In presence of millimolar concentrations of uracil, its osmotic gradient could itself represent the driving force for the transport. (authors)

  11. Overview of the TFTR Lithium Blanket Module program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jassby, D.L.

    1986-01-01

    The LBM (Lithium Blanket Module) is an approximately cubic module, about 80 cm on each side, with construction representative of a helium-cooled lithium oxide fusion reactor blanket module. Measurements of neutron transport and tritium breeding in the LBM will be made in irradiation programs first with a point-neutron source, and subsequently with the D-D and D-T fusion-neutron sources of the TFTR. This paper summarizes the objectives of the LBM program, the design, development and construction of the LBM, and progress in the experimental tests

  12. Measurement of Rapid Amiloride-Dependent pH Changes at the Cell Surface Using a Proton-Sensitive Field-Effect Transistor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaffhauser, Daniel; Fine, Michael; Tabata, Miyuki; Goda, Tatsuro; Miyahara, Yuji

    2016-03-30

    We present a novel method for the rapid measurement of pH fluxes at close proximity to the surface of the plasma membrane in mammalian cells using an ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET). In conjuction with an efficient continuous superfusion system, the ISFET sensor was capable of recording rapid changes in pH at the cells' surface induced by intervals of ammonia loading and unloading, even when using highly buffered solutions. Furthermore, the system was able to isolate physiologically relevant signals by not only detecting the transients caused by ammonia loading and unloading, but display steady-state signals as would be expected by a proton transport-mediated influence on the extracellular proton-gradient. Proof of concept was demonstrated through the use of 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)amiloride (EIPA), a small molecule inhibitor of sodium/hydrogen exchangers (NHE). As the primary transporter responsible for proton balance during cellular regulation of pH, non-electrogenic NHE transport is notoriously difficult to detect with traditional methods. Using the NHE positive cell lines, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and NHE3-reconstituted mouse skin fibroblasts (MSF), the sensor exhibited a significant response to EIPA inhibition, whereas NHE-deficient MSF cells were unaffected by application of the inhibitor.

  13. Modulation of ion transport across rat distal colon by cysteine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin eDiener

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to identify the actions of stimulation of endogenous production of H2S by cysteine, the substrate for the two H2S-producing enzymes, cystathionin-beta-synthase and cystathionin-gamma-lyase, on ion transport across rat distal colon. Changes in short-circuit current (Isc induced by cysteine were measured in Ussing chambers. Free cysteine caused a concentration-dependent, transient fall in Isc, which was sensitive to amino-oxyacetate and beta-cyano-L-alanine, i.e. inhibitors of H2S-producing enzymes. In contrast, Na cysteinate evoked a biphasic change in Isc, i.e. an initial fall followed by a secondary increase, which was also reduced by these enzyme inhibitors. All responses were dependent on the presence of Cl- and inhibited by bumetanide, suggesting that free cysteine induces an inhibition of transcellular Cl- secretion, whereas Na cysteinate – after a transient inhibitory phase – activates anion secretion. The assumed reason for this discrepancy is a fall in the cytosolic pH induced by free cysteine, but not by Na cysteinate, as observed in isolated colonic crypts loaded with the pH-sensitive dye, BCECF. Intracellular acidification is known to inhibit epithelial K+ channels. Indeed, after preinhibition of basolateral K+ channels with tetrapentylammonium or Ba2+, the negative Isc induced by free cysteine was reduced significantly. In consequence, stimulation of endogenous H2S production by Na cysteinate causes, after a short inhibitory response, a delayed activation of anion secretion, which is missing in the case of free cysteine, probably due to the cytosolic acidification. In contrast, diallyl trisulfide, which is intracellularly converted to H2S, only evoked a monophasic increase in Isc without the initial fall observed with Na cysteinate. Consequently, time course and amount of produced H2S seem to strongly influence the functional response of the colonic epithelium evoked by this gasotransmitter.

  14. A synthetic ion transporter that disrupts autophagy and induces apoptosis by perturbing cellular chloride concentrations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Busschaert, Nathalie; Park, Seong-Hyun; Baek, Kyung-Hwa; Choi, Yoon Pyo; Park, Jinhong; Howe, Ethan N. W.; Hiscock, Jennifer R.; Karagiannidis, Louise E.; Marques, Igor; Félix, Vítor; Namkung, Wan; Sessler, Jonathan L.; Gale, Philip A.; Shin, Injae

    2017-07-01

    Perturbations in cellular chloride concentrations can affect cellular pH and autophagy and lead to the onset of apoptosis. With this in mind, synthetic ion transporters have been used to disturb cellular ion homeostasis and thereby induce cell death; however, it is not clear whether synthetic ion transporters can also be used to disrupt autophagy. Here, we show that squaramide-based ion transporters enhance the transport of chloride anions in liposomal models and promote sodium chloride influx into the cytosol. Liposomal and cellular transport activity of the squaramides is shown to correlate with cell death activity, which is attributed to caspase-dependent apoptosis. One ion transporter was also shown to cause additional changes in lysosomal pH, which leads to impairment of lysosomal enzyme activity and disruption of autophagic processes. This disruption is independent of the initiation of apoptosis by the ion transporter. This study provides the first experimental evidence that synthetic ion transporters can disrupt both autophagy and induce apoptosis.

  15. NBCe1 (SLC4A4) a potential pH regulator in enamel organ cells during enamel development in the mouse

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jalali, R.; Guo, J.; Zandieh-Doulabi, B.; Bervoets, T.J.M.; Paine, M.L.; Boron, W.F.; Parker, M.D.; Bijvelds, M.J.C.; Medina, J.F.; DenBesten, P.K.; Bronckers, A.L.J.J.

    2014-01-01

    During the formation of dental enamel, maturation-stage ameloblasts express ion-transporting transmembrane proteins. The SLC4 family of ion-transporters regulates intra- and extracellular pH in eukaryotic cells by cotransporting HCO3 − with Na+. Mutation in SLC4A4 (coding for the sodium-bicarbonate

  16. Laboratory investigations into the reactive transport module of carbon dioxide sequestration and geochemical simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heidaryan, E. [Islamic Azad Univ., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Masjidosolayman Branch; Enayati, M.; Mokhtari, B. [Iranian Offshore Oil Co., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2008-07-01

    Over long time periods, geological sequestration in some systems shows mineralization effects or mineral sequestration of carbon dioxide, converting the carbon dioxide to a less mobile form. However, a detailed investigation of these geological systems is needed before disposing of carbon dioxide into these formations. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs and underground aquifers are proposed candidates for carbon dioxide injection. This paper presented an experimental investigation into the reactive transport module for handling aquifer sequestration of carbon dioxide and modeling of simultaneous geochemical reactions. Two cases of laboratory carbon dioxide sequestration experiments, conducted for different rock systems were modeled using the fully coupled geochemical compositional simulator. The relevant permeability relationships were compared to determine the best fit with the experimental results. The paper discussed the theory of modeling; geochemical reactions and mineral trapping of carbon dioxide; and application simulator for modeling including the remodeling of flow experiments. It was concluded that simulated changes in porosity and permeability could mimic experimental results to some extent. The study satisfactorily simulated the results of experimental observations and permeability results could be improved if the Kozeny-Carman equation was replaced by the Civan power law. 6 refs., 2 tabs., 21 figs.

  17. Induction of salt tolerance in Azolla microphylla Kaulf through modulation of antioxidant enzymes and ion transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abraham, Gerard; Dhar, Dolly Wattal

    2010-09-01

    Azolla microphylla plants exposed directly to NaCl (13 dsm(-1)) did not survive the salinity treatment beyond a period of one day, whereas plants exposed directly to 4 and 9 dsm(-1) NaCl were able to grow and produce biomass. However, plants pre-exposed to NaCl (2 dsm(-1)) for 7 days on subsequent exposure to 13 dsm(-1) NaCl were able to grow and produce biomass although at a slow rate and are hereinafter designated as pre-exposed plants. The pre-exposed and directly exposed plants distinctly differed in their response to salt in terms of lipid peroxidation, proline accumulation, activity of antioxidant enzymes, such as SOD, APX, and CAT, and Na(+)/K(+) ratio. Efficient modulation of antioxidant enzymes coupled with regulation of ion transport play an important role in the induction of salt tolerance. Results show that it is possible to induce salt adaptation in A. microphylla by pre-exposing them to low concentrations of NaCl.

  18. Source apportionment using LOTOS-EUROS: module description and evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Kranenburg

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available To design effective mitigation strategies, the origin of emissions which produce air pollutants needs to be known. Contributors to air pollutants can be emission sources, like road traffic or industry, but also be more specified to emission from one location or from a specified time. Chemistry transport models can be used to assess the origin of air pollution across a large domain. However, in traditional simulations the information on origin is lost and brute force scenario studies are performed to assess the origin. Alternatively, one can trace the origin of air pollutants throughout a simulation using a labeling approach. In this paper we document and demonstrate a newly developed labeling module for the chemistry transport model LOTOS-EUROS which tracks the source allocation for all particulate matter components and precursor gases. Dedicated simulations confirmed that the new module functions correctly. The new module provides more accurate information about the source contributions than using a brute force approach with scenario runs as the chemical regime remains unchanged. An important advantage of the new module is the reduction of computation costs and analysis work associated with the calculations. The new module was applied to assess the origin of particulate nitrate across the Netherlands. Averaged across the Dutch territory, the main contributions to nitrate are derived from road and non-road transport as well as power plants. Overall, only one-fifth of the concentration derived from sources located inside the country. The new technology enables new research directions as improved information on pollution origin is desired for policy support as well as scientific applications.

  19. pH and redox effects of building materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van der Sloot, H.A.; Van Zomeren, A.; Meeussen, J.C.L.; De Nie, D.S.

    2007-11-01

    The application of relatively fine grained industrial slags as fill material in industrial terrains and parking lots has led to unacceptably elevated pH values and imposed reducing conditions in ground- and surface water. Based on the Dutch Building Materials Decree the materials applied were classified as category 1 materials (free use). There are no limits set to pH and redox in this regulation. In itself a lower or higher pH and a low redox potential are not necessarily critical. Only when the buffer capacity of the surroundings is exceeded, undesirable situations may develop. In this work, the release of alkaline and reducing substances has been studied to assess if regulatory controls are needed and how such controls could be implemented practically. Both pH and redox potential are unsuitable properties for this purpose as it is the buffer capacity of the releasing material and the buffer capacity of the receiving soil and water bodies that determine whether unacceptable conditions develop. As pH and redox are also affected by gas reactions (O2 and CO2), the evaluation becomes relatively complex. Using the chemical speciation-transport model ORCHESTRA, a scenario description has been developed to assess the release of alkaline and reducing species from slag by infiltration under unsaturated conditions. Proper acid neutralization and redox buffering data for the materials were determined. Based on the sophisticated model results, a simplified model description was applied to link observations to impact. Decision schemes for applications above groundwater and in surface water have been developed based on the buffer capacity and particle size distribution of the material to be used, the infiltration rate, the degree of exposure to O2 and CO2 from the atmosphere or from soil air and the dimensions of the application. This has led to a preliminary guidance on implementing rules for acceptance of materials in specific applications. The modeled release predictions

  20. PhOBF1, a petunia ocs element binding factor, plays an important role in antiviral RNA silencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Daoyang; Li, Shaohua; Niu, Lixin; Reid, Michael S; Zhang, Yanlong; Jiang, Cai-Zhong

    2017-02-01

    Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a common reverse genetics strategy for characterizing the function of genes in plants. The detailed mechanism governing RNA silencing efficiency triggered by viruses is largely unclear. Here, we reveal that a petunia (Petunia hybrida) ocs element binding factor, PhOBF1, one of the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors, was up-regulated by Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) infection. Simultaneous silencing of PhOBF1 and a reporter gene, phytoene desaturase (PDS) or chalcone synthase (CHS), by TRV-based VIGS led to a failure of the development of leaf photobleaching or the white-corollas phenotype. PhOBF1 silencing caused down-regulation of RNA silencing-related genes, including RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RDRs), Dicer-like RNase III enzymes (DCLs), and Argonautes (AGOs). After inoculation with the TRV-PhPDS, PhOBF1-RNAi lines exhibited a substantially impaired PDS silencing efficiency, whereas overexpression of PhOBF1 resulted in a recovery of the silencing phenotype (photobleaching) in systemic leaves. A compromised resistance to TRV and Tobacco mosaic virus was found in PhOBF1-RNAi lines, while PhOBF1-overexpressing lines displayed an enhanced resistance to their infections. Compared with wild-type plants, PhOBF1-silenced plants accumulated lower levels of free salicylic acid (SA), salicylic acid glucoside, and phenylalanine, contrarily to higher levels of those in plants overexpressing PhOBF1. Furthermore, transcripts of a number of genes associated with the shikimate and phenylpropanoid pathways were decreased or increased in PhOBF1-RNAi or PhOBF1-overexpressing lines, respectively. Taken together, the data suggest that PhOBF1 regulates TRV-induced RNA silencing efficiency through modulation of RDRs, DCLs, and AGOs mediated by the SA biosynthesis pathway. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

  1. Effects of Solution Chemistry on Nano-Bubbles Transport in Saturated Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamamoto, S.; Takemura, T.; Suzuki, K.; Nihei, N.; Nishimura, T.

    2017-12-01

    Nano-bubbles (NBs) have a considerable potential for the remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated by organic compounds, especially when used in conjunction with bioremediation technologies. Understanding the transport mechanisms of NBs in soils is essential to optimize NB-based remediation techniques. In this study, one-dimensional column transport experiments using glass beads with 0.1 mm size were conducted, where NBs created by oxygen gas at different pH and ionic strength were injected to the column at the constant flow rate. The NBs concentration in the effluent was quantified using a resonant mass measurement technique. Effects of solution chemistry of the NBs water on NB transport in the porous media were investigated. The results showed that attachment of NBs was enhanced under higher ionic strength and lower pH conditions, caused by the reduced repulsive force between NBs and glass beads. In addition, bubble size distributions in the effluents showed that relatively larger NBs were retained in the column. This trend was more significant at lower pH condition.

  2. Advanced Transport Operating System (ATOPS) utility library software description

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clinedinst, Winston C.; Slominski, Christopher J.; Dickson, Richard W.; Wolverton, David A.

    1993-01-01

    The individual software processes used in the flight computers on-board the Advanced Transport Operating System (ATOPS) aircraft have many common functional elements. A library of commonly used software modules was created for general uses among the processes. The library includes modules for mathematical computations, data formatting, system database interfacing, and condition handling. The modules available in the library and their associated calling requirements are described.

  3. Alkaline pH sensor molecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murayama, Takashi; Maruyama, Ichiro N

    2015-11-01

    Animals can survive only within a narrow pH range. This requires continual monitoring of environmental and body-fluid pH. Although a variety of acidic pH sensor molecules have been reported, alkaline pH sensor function is not well understood. This Review describes neuronal alkaline pH sensors, grouped according to whether they monitor extracellular or intracellular alkaline pH. Extracellular sensors include the receptor-type guanylyl cyclase, the insulin receptor-related receptor, ligand-gated Cl- channels, connexin hemichannels, two-pore-domain K+ channels, and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. Intracellular sensors include TRP channels and gap junction channels. Identification of molecular mechanisms underlying alkaline pH sensing is crucial for understanding how animals respond to environmental alkaline pH and how body-fluid pH is maintained within a narrow range. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. The gecko visual pigment: a pH indicator with a salt effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crescitelli, F

    1981-12-01

    1. Unlike rhodopsin, the extracted 521-pigment of the Tokay gecko (Gekko gekko) is pH-sensitive and changes its spectral absorbance in the pH range of 4.5-7.3. The colour change is reversible and pH can be employed to adjust the spectral maximum anywhere between 490 nm and its native location at 521 nm.2. The hypsochromic shift with increasing acidity is opposite to that expected for the protonation of the Schiff base nitrogen and suggests an action on the secondary system of interacting charges that have long been postulated to adjust vertebrate visual pigment colour within the visible spectrum.3. Chloride ions modulate this pH effect in a systematic and significant manner. For the pigment extracted in the chloride-deficient state the colour change occurs in the pH range of 6.0-7.0, the midpoint being close to 6.5, suggesting the possible participation of the imidazole group of histidine as the functional moiety. With added NaCl the colour shifts to the region below pH 6.2.4. The modulating action of chloride is postulated to be a conformational change of the opsin leading to a shift of the secondary interacting site from one functional group to another or else to a change in pK of a single group due to the conformational alteration of the electrostatics of the system.5. At pH values between 7.5 and 9.0 a different mechanism becomes apparent. In this region a decrease occurs in the photopigment density as well as a shift in absorbance toward the blue. This alkaline effect is readily reversed either by adding NaCl or else by lowering the pH. Along with the other protective effects of chloride these ions serve to reduce or prevent this alkaline loss in density.6. Associated with this reversible photopigment loss is a reversible appearance of a product with a maximum at about 366 nm. The spectrum of this product is like that produced by the addition of 11-cis retinal to the extract. Acidification of the alkaline preparation leads to a restitution of the photopigment

  5. Community production modulates coral reef pH and the sensitivity of ecosystem calcification to ocean acidification

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeCarlo, Thomas M.; Cohen, Anne L.; Wong, George T. F.; Shiah, Fuh-Kwo; Lentz, Steven J.; Davis, Kristen A.; Shamberger, Kathryn E. F.; Lohmann, Pat

    2017-01-01

    Coral reefs are built of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) produced biogenically by a diversity of calcifying plants, animals, and microbes. As the ocean warms and acidifies, there is mounting concern that declining calcification rates could shift coral reef CaCO3 budgets from net accretion to net dissolution. We quantified net ecosystem calcification (NEC) and production (NEP) on Dongsha Atoll, northern South China Sea, over a 2 week period that included a transient bleaching event. Peak daytime pH on the wide, shallow reef flat during the nonbleaching period was ˜8.5, significantly elevated above that of the surrounding open ocean (˜8.0-8.1) as a consequence of daytime NEP (up to 112 mmol C m-2 h-1). Diurnal-averaged NEC was 390 ± 90 mmol CaCO3 m-2 d-1, higher than any other coral reef studied to date despite comparable calcifier cover (25%) and relatively high fleshy algal cover (19%). Coral bleaching linked to elevated temperatures significantly reduced daytime NEP by 29 mmol C m-2 h-1. pH on the reef flat declined by 0.2 units, causing a 40% reduction in NEC in the absence of pH changes in the surrounding open ocean. Our findings highlight the interactive relationship between carbonate chemistry of coral reef ecosystems and ecosystem production and calcification rates, which are in turn impacted by ocean warming. As open-ocean waters bathing coral reefs warm and acidify over the 21st century, the health and composition of reef benthic communities will play a major role in determining on-reef conditions that will in turn dictate the ecosystem response to climate change.

  6. Modelling of processes occurring in deep geological repository - development of new modules in the GoldSim environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vopalka, D.; Lukin, D.; Vokal, A.

    2006-01-01

    Three new modules were prepared in the environment of the GoldSim environment (using its Transport Module). The source term module includes radioactive decay and ingrowth in the canister, first order degradation of fuel matrix, solubility limitation of the concentration of the studied nuclides, and diffusive migration through the surrounding bentonite layer controlled by the output boundary condition formulated with respect to the rate of water flow in the rock. The module was successfully compared with results of similar codes (MIVCYL and Pagoda) and possibilities of the module were extended by a more realistic model of matrix degradation. A better quantification of the role of radionuclide sorption on the bentonite surface was enabled by a module that included non-linear form of the interaction isotherm. Using this module both the influence of the shape of sorption isotherm on the values of diffusion coefficients and the limits of K d -approach that dominates in most codes used in performance assessment studies was discussed. The third of the GoldSim modules presented has been worked out for the description of corrosion of canisters made of carbon steel and for the transport of corrosion products in the near-field region. This module evaluates balance equations between the dissolving species and species transported by diffusion and/or advection from the surface of a solid material. The model also includes transport of iron directly to a fracture in the surrounding rock or into a layer of granite host rock without fractures, and takes into account the reduction of the actual corrosion rate of the canister by growth of the corrosion layer thickness

  7. Physics of transport in tokamaks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garbet, X [Assoc. EURATOM-CEA, CEA/DSM/DRFC CEA-Cadarache, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance (France); Mantica, P [Istituto di Fisica del Plasma EURATOM-ENEA/CNR, via Cozzi 53, 20125 Milan (Italy); Angioni, C [MPI fuer Plasmaphysik, EURATOM-Assoz., D-8046 Garching (Germany)] [and others

    2004-12-01

    This paper is an overview of recent results relating to turbulent particle and heat transport, and to the triggering of internal transport barriers (ITBs). The dependence of the turbulent particle pinch velocity on plasma parameters has been clarified and compared with experiment. Magnetic shear and collisionality are found to play a central role. Analysis of heat transport has made progress along two directions: dimensionless scaling laws, which are found to agree with the prediction for electrostatic turbulence, and analysis of modulation experiments, which provide a stringent test of transport models. Finally the formation of ITBs has been addressed by analysing electron transport barriers. It is confirmed that negative magnetic shear, combined with the Shafranov shift, is a robust stabilizing mechanism. However, some well established features of internal barriers are not explained by theory.

  8. The proton-coupled amino acid transporter hPAT1 is the main transporter involved in vigabatrin uptake in intestinal Caco-2 cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nøhr, Martha Kampp; Hansen, Steen Honore'; Brodin, Birger

    2012-01-01

    transporter hPAT1. The aim of the project was to identify if transporters are involved in cellular uptake of vigabatrin in Caco-2 cells. Methods: The uptake rate of vigabatrin was measured in Caco-2 cells at pH 6.0 or 7.4 for 15 min after application of 0.1 – 25.0 mM vigabatrin. The inhibitory effect...... of selected amino acids and -derivatives on the apical vigabatrin uptake in Caco-2 cells was investigated. Vigabatrin samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to a mass selective detector (MSD). Results: The uptake rate of vigabatrin in Caco-2 cells was pH-dependent. The uptake...... of vigabatrin was saturable at pH 6.0 with a Michaelis constant, Km of 12.7 ± 3.7 mM and a maximal flux, Jmax of 3.7 ± 0.5 nmol•min-1•cm-2. The presences of hPAT1 ligands significantly inhibited the uptake of vigabatrin in Caco-2 cells at pH 6.0, whereas hPAT1 non-ligands did not. Discussion: The saturability...

  9. GRRR. The EXPECT groundwater model for transport of solutes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meijers R; Sauter FJ; Veling EJM; van Grinsven JJM; Leijnse A; Uffink GJM; MTV; CWM; LBG

    1994-01-01

    In this report the design and first test results are presented of the EXPECT groundwater module for transport of solutes GRRR (GRoundwater source Receptor Relationships). This model is one of the abiotic compartment modules of the EXPECT model. The EXPECT model is a tool for scenario development

  10. Mass Transport Modeling for The Electroreduction of CO2 on Cu Nanowires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raciti, David; Mao, Mark; Wang, Chao

    2017-11-20

    Mass transport plays an important role in the CO2 reduction electrocatalysis. Albeit being more pronounced on nanostructured electrodes, the studies of mass transport for CO2 reduction have yet been limited to planar electrodes. We report here the development of a mass transport model for the electroreduction of CO2 on Cu nanowire electrodes. Fed with the experimental data from electrocatalytic studies, the local concentrations of CO2, HCO3-, CO32- and OH- on the nanostructured electrodes are calculated by solving the diffusion equations with spatially distributed electrochemical reaction terms incorporated. The mass transport effects on the catalytic activity and selectivity of the Cu nanowire electrocatalysts are thus discussed by using the local pH as the descriptor. The established correlations between the electrocatalytic performance and the local pH shows that, the latter does not only determine the acid-base reaction equilibrium, but also regulates the mass transport and reaction kinetics. Based on these findings, the optimal range of local pH for the CO2 reduction is discussed in terms of a fine balance of the suppression of hydrogen evolution, improvement of C2 product selectivity and limitation of CO2 supply. Our work highlights the importance of understanding the mass transport effects in interpretation of the CO2 reduction electrocatalysis on high-surface-area catalysts. © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd.

  11. A comparative study of pH modulation and trace elements of various fruit juices on enamel erosion: An in vitro study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.V.S.G Nirmala

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Fruit juices are popular worldwide with children of all ages as they are sweet and perceived to be healthful. This in vitro study was sought to measure pH of 10 different fruit juices, to find out possible erosive effects on human dental enamel of 40 extracted sound premolars and also to measure fluoride and trace elements of these juices. The estimation of pH of fruit juices was done by using Systronic upH 362 pH meter. The erosive effects of fruit juices were tested by using polarized light microscope. Orion electrode was used to measure fluoride. The trace elements were estimated by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer No. 6501F. The pH values in different juices were observed at different levels, and pH values of these juices were more acidic than baseline after 24 hours. As the time increased, the erosion effect became more in pineapple; grape and sugarcane juices, and they had more cariogenic trace elements like selenium, iron and manganese. So, these juices were found to be cariogenic. To conclude, orange, mousambi, mango, pomegranate, apple, chikku and watermelon juices had no erosive effect on the human enamel, with the presence of highest amount of trace elements like fluoride and phosphorous which are considered as strongly cariostatic.

  12. Elevated extracellular pH during early shell formation in the blue mussel Mytilus edulis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramesh, K.; Melzner, F.; Himmerkus, N.; Hu, M.; Bleich, M.

    2016-02-01

    Marine calcifiers are amongst the most vulnerable organisms to ocean acidification (OA). However, limited studies investigate the mechanisms underlying their hindered performance under OA stress. Working with larval stages of the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, we use microsensors to study the pH and calcium conditions necessary for shell deposition. Using 45-48 hour, D-veliger stages, we discover alkaline conditions with respect to ambient seawater pH by 0.28 pH units and higher calcium concentrations (by 0.54mM) in the extra pallial space beneath the growing shell that likely promotes the rapid synthesis of the first shell. We further use enzyme assays in combination with immuno-stainings of sodium-potassium ATPase (NKA) and proton ATPase (VHA) to provide information on the major ion regulatory pathways that enable transport of calcium carbonate required for shell formation and pH homeostasis. We also use the juvenile stages of M. edulis to understand how extracellular pH regulation close to the shell formation site will be influenced by OA stress. This allows us to describe the pH dependency of early shell formation and to begin to develop a model of the ion regulatory network that facilitates biomineralisation in the organism. The results are discussed in the context of environmental change and consequences for mollusc developmental success.

  13. Regional Atmospheric Transport Code for Hanford Emission Tracking, Version 2 (RATCHET2)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramsdell, James V.; Rishel, Jeremy P.

    2006-01-01

    This manual describes the atmospheric model and computer code for the Atmospheric Transport Module within SAC. The Atmospheric Transport Module, called RATCHET2, calculates the time-integrated air concentration and surface deposition of airborne contaminants to the soil. The RATCHET2 code is an adaptation of the Regional Atmospheric Transport Code for Hanford Emissions Tracking (RATCHET). The original RATCHET code was developed to perform the atmospheric transport for the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project. Fundamentally, the two sets of codes are identical; no capabilities have been deleted from the original version of RATCHET. Most modifications are generally limited to revision of the run-specification file to streamline the simulation process for SAC.

  14. Regional Atmospheric Transport Code for Hanford Emission Tracking, Version 2(RATCHET2)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramsdell, James V.; Rishel, Jeremy P.

    2006-07-01

    This manual describes the atmospheric model and computer code for the Atmospheric Transport Module within SAC. The Atmospheric Transport Module, called RATCHET2, calculates the time-integrated air concentration and surface deposition of airborne contaminants to the soil. The RATCHET2 code is an adaptation of the Regional Atmospheric Transport Code for Hanford Emissions Tracking (RATCHET). The original RATCHET code was developed to perform the atmospheric transport for the Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project. Fundamentally, the two sets of codes are identical; no capabilities have been deleted from the original version of RATCHET. Most modifications are generally limited to revision of the run-specification file to streamline the simulation process for SAC.

  15. Model prodrugs for the intestinal oligopeptide transporter

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    2001-01-01

    The human intestinal di/tri-peptide carrier, hPepT1, has been suggested as a target for increasing intestinal transport of low permeability compounds by creating prodrugs designed for the transporter. Model ester prodrugs using the stabilized dipeptides D-Glu-Ala and D-Asp-Ala as pro...... with a pH of approximately 6.0, but still release the model drug at the intercellular and blood pH of approximately 7.4. Even though benzyl alcohol is not a low molecular weight drug molecule, these results indicate that the dipeptide prodrug principle is a promising drug delivery concept. However......, the physico-chemical properties such as electronegativity, solubility, and log P of the drug molecule may also have an influence on the potential of these kinds of prodrugs. The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether the model drug electronegativity, estimated as Taft substitution parameter...

  16. Spin Transport in Nondegenerate Si with a Spin MOSFET Structure at Room Temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasaki, Tomoyuki; Ando, Yuichiro; Kameno, Makoto; Tahara, Takayuki; Koike, Hayato; Oikawa, Tohru; Suzuki, Toshio; Shiraishi, Masashi

    2014-09-01

    Spin transport in nondegenerate semiconductors is expected to pave the way to the creation of spin transistors, spin logic devices, and reconfigurable logic circuits, because room-temperature (RT) spin transport in Si has already been achieved. However, RT spin transport has been limited to degenerate Si, which makes it difficult to produce spin-based signals because a gate electric field cannot be used to manipulate such signals. Here, we report the experimental demonstration of spin transport in nondegenerate Si with a spin metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) structure. We successfully observe the modulation of the Hanle-type spin-precession signals, which is a characteristic spin dynamics in nondegenerate semiconductors. We obtain long spin transport of more than 20 μm and spin rotation greater than 4π at RT. We also observe gate-induced modulation of spin-transport signals at RT. The modulation of the spin diffusion length as a function of a gate voltage is successfully observed, which we attribute to the Elliott-Yafet spin relaxation mechanism. These achievements are expected to lead to the creation of practical Si-based spin MOSFETs.

  17. L-lactate transport in Ehrlich ascites-tumour cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spencer, T L; Lehninger, A L

    1976-01-01

    Ehrlich ascites-tumour cells were investigated with regard to their stability to transport L-lactate by measuring either the distribution of [14C]lactate or concomitant H+ ion movements. The movement of lactate was dependent on the pH difference across the cell membrane and was electroneutral, as evidenced by an observed 1:1 antiport for OH- ions or 1:1 symport with H+ ions. 2. Kinetic experiments showed that lactate transport was saturable, with an apparent Km of approx. 4.68 mM and a Vmax. as high as 680 nmol/min per mg of protein at pH 6.2 and 37 degrees C. 3. Lactate transport exhibited a high temperature dependence (activation energy = 139 kJ/mol). 4. Lactate transport was inhibited competitively by (a) a variety of other substituted monocarboxylic acids (e.g. pyruvate, Ki = 6.3 mM), which were themselves transported, (b) the non-transportable analogues alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate (Ki = 0.5 mM), alpha-cyano-3-hydroxycinnamate (Ki = 2mM) and DL-p-hydroxyphenyl-lactate (Ki = 3.6 mM) and (c) the thiol-group reagent mersalyl (Ki = 125 muM). 5. Transport of simple monocarboxylic acids, including acetate and propionate, was insensitive to these inhibitors; they presumably cross the membrane by means of a different mechanism. 6. Experiments using saturating amounts of mersalyl as an "inhibitor stop" allowed measurements of the initial rates of net influx and of net efflux of [14C]lactate. Influx and efflux of lactate were judged to be symmetrical reactions in that they exhibited similar concentration dependence. 7. It is concluded that lactate transport in Ehrlich ascites-tumour cells is mediated by a carrier capable of transporting a number of other substituted monocarboxylic acids, but not unsubstituted short-chain aliphatic acids. PMID:7237

  18. The pH Stability of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Particles Is Modulated by Residues Located at the Pentameric Interface and in the N Terminus of VP1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caridi, Flavia; Vázquez-Calvo, Angela; Sobrino, Francisco; Martín-Acebes, Miguel A

    2015-05-01

    The picornavirus foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is the etiological agent of a highly contagious disease that affects important livestock species. The FMDV capsid is highly acid labile, and viral particles lose infectivity due to their disassembly at pH values slightly below neutrality. This acid sensitivity is related to the mechanism of viral uncoating and genome penetration from endosomes. In this study, we have analyzed the molecular basis of FMDV acid-induced disassembly by isolating and characterizing a panel of novel FMDV mutants differing in acid sensitivity. Amino acid replacements altering virion stability were preferentially distributed in two different regions of the capsid: the N terminus of VP1 and the pentameric interface. Even more, the acid labile phenotype induced by a mutation located at the pentameric interface in VP3 could be compensated by introduction of an amino acid substitution in the N terminus of VP1. These results indicate that the acid sensitivity of FMDV can be considered a multifactorial trait and that virion stability is the fine-tuned product of the interaction between residues from different capsid proteins, in particular those located within the N terminus of VP1 or close to the pentameric interface. The viral capsid protects the viral genome from environmental factors and contributes to virus dissemination and infection. Thus, understanding of the molecular mechanisms that modulate capsid stability is of interest for the basic knowledge of the biology of viruses and as a tool to improve the stability of conventional vaccines based on inactivated virions or empty capsids. Using foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), which displays a capsid with extreme acid sensitivity, we have performed a genetic study to identify the molecular determinants involved in capsid stability. A panel of FMDV mutants with differential sensitivity to acidic pH was generated and characterized, and the results showed that two different regions of FMDV

  19. A new treatment of the heat transport equation with a transport barrier and applications to ECRH experiments in Tore Supra

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zou, X.L.; Giruzzi, A.G.; Bouquey, F.; Clary, J.; Darbos, C.; Lennholm, M.; Magne, R.; Segui, J.L. [CEA Cadarache, Dept. de Recherches sur la Fusion Controlee, 13 - Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Clemencon, A. [MIT, Electrochemical Energy Laboratory, Cambridge, MA (United States); Guivarch, C. [Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees, 77 - Marne-la-Vallee (France)

    2004-07-01

    An exact analytical solution of the electron heat diffusion equation in a cylinder has been found with a step-like diffusion coefficient, plus a monomial increase in the radial direction and a constant damping term. This model is sufficiently general to describe heat diffusion in the presence of a critical gradient threshold or a transport barrier, superimposed to the usual trend of increasing heat diffusivity from the plasma core to the edge. This type of representation allows us to see some well-known properties of heat transport phenomena in a different light. For instance, it has been shown that the contributions of the Eigenmodes to the time dependent solution grow at speeds that depend on the Eigenmode order i.e. at the beginning of the heating phase all the Eigenmodes are equally involved, whereas at the end only the lower order ones are left. This implies, e.g., that high frequency modulation experiments provide a characterization of transport phenomena that is intrinsically different with respect to power balance analysis of a stationary phase. It is particularly useful to analyse power switch on/off events and whenever high frequency modulations are not technically feasible. Low-frequency (1-2 Hz) ECRH modulation experiments have been performed on Tore Supra. A large jump (a factor of 8) in the heat diffusivity has been clearly identified at the ECRH power deposition layer. The amplitude and phase of several harmonics of the Fourier transform of the modulated temperature, as well as the time evolution of the modulated temperature have been reproduced by the analytical solution. The jump is found to be much weaker at lower ECRH power (one gyrotron)

  20. Design of a mixed ionic/electronic conducting oxygen transport membrane pilot module

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pfaff, E.M.; Kaletsch, A.; Broeckmann, C. [RWTH Aachen University, IWM, Aachen (Germany)

    2012-03-15

    In the last years, a lot of ceramic materials were developed that, at higher temperatures, have a high electrical conductivity and a high conductivity of oxygen ions. Such mixed ionic/electronic conductors can be used to produce high-purity oxygen. This work focuses on the realization of a pilot membrane module, with BSCF (Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}Co{sub 0.8}Fe{sub 0.2}O{sub 3-{delta}}) perovskite selected as the membrane material. An amount of 500 kg of powder was industrially fabricated, spray-granulized and pressed into tubes. The best operation conditions concerning energy consumption were calculated, and a module reactor was designed operating at 850 C, with an air pressure of 15-20 bar on the feed site and a low vacuum of about 0.8 bar on the permeate site. Special emphasis was placed on joining alternatives for ceramic tubes in metallic bottoms. A first laboratory module was tested with a membrane area of 1 m{sup 2} and then advanced to a pilot module with 570 tubes and a capability of more than 300 000 L of pure oxygen per day. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  1. Preparation and characterization of thermo- and pH dual-responsive 3D cellulose-based aerogel for oil/water separation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Linyan; Li, Lian; Wang, Yixi; Wu, Jianning; Meng, Guihua; Liu, Zhiyong; Guo, Xuhong

    2018-01-01

    Oily wastewater caused by industrial production and crude oil leakage has attracted worldwide attention. Here, a thermo- and pH dual-responsive biodegradable cellulose-based aerogel for oil-water separation was designed and prepared via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of non-fluorine-containing 2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA). The cellulose-based aerogel exhibit switchable superhydrophilicity with a water contact angle (WCA) of 0° and hydrophobicity (WCA 130°) by modulating pH or temperature. The functionalized cellulose-based aerogels could be used to absorb the water under 60 °C (pH 7.0) and pH is 1.0 (T = 25 °C), while absorb oil underwater when the temperature is above 60 °C (pH 7.0) or pH is 13.0 (T = 25 °C). So this adsorbent were suitable for the separation of water-rich or oil-rich oil/water mixtures, and it could adsorb oil over ten times its own weight, and had a good reusability. What's more, the cellulose-based aerogel is green, low cost, and environmental friendly, which makes it a promising candidate to be used for oil-water separation.

  2. Intracellular pH regulation in unstimulated Calliphora salivary glands is Na+ dependent and requires V-ATPase activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schewe, Bettina; Blenau, Wolfgang; Walz, Bernd

    2012-04-15

    Salivary gland cells of the blowfly Calliphora vicina have a vacuolar-type H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) that lies in their apical membrane and energizes the secretion of a KCl-rich primary saliva upon stimulation with serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine). Whether and to what extent V-ATPase contributes to intracellular pH (pH(i)) regulation in unstimulated gland cells is unknown. We used the fluorescent dye BCECF to study intracellular pH(i) regulation microfluorometrically and show that: (1) under resting conditions, the application of Na(+)-free physiological saline induces an intracellular alkalinization attributable to the inhibition of the activity of a Na(+)-dependent glutamate transporter; (2) the maintenance of resting pH(i) is Na(+), Cl(-), concanamycin A and DIDS sensitive; (3) recovery from an intracellular acid load is Na(+) sensitive and requires V-ATPase activity; (4) the Na(+)/H(+) antiporter is not involved in pH(i) recovery after a NH(4)Cl prepulse; and (5) at least one Na(+)-dependent transporter and the V-ATPase maintain recovery from an intracellular acid load. Thus, under resting conditions, the V-ATPase and at least one Na(+)-dependent transporter maintain normal pH(i) values of pH 7.5. We have also detected the presence of a Na(+)-dependent glutamate transporter, which seems to act as an acid loader. Despite this not being a common pH(i)-regulating transporter, its activity affects steady-state pH(i) in C. vicina salivary gland cells.

  3. Electrokinetic transport behavior of phenol in upper Permian soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haus, R.; Zorn, R.; Czurda, K.; Ruthe, H. [Dept. of Applied Geology, Univ. Karlsruhe (Germany)

    2001-07-01

    Electrokinetic experiments with upper Permian, phenol contaminated soils ('Solaris'-area Chemnitz) were performed. Bench scale results show the successful removal of phenol. The developing soil-pH during electroremediation tests is found to affect the transport behavior of phenol strongly. If buffer solutions are used at the electrode compartments, phenol could be removed from the soils. By neutralizing the generating hydrogen ions at the anode reservoir the hydroxyl ions developing at the cathode by the electrolysis of water enter the soil and propagate to the anode by increasing the soil pH. The pH dependent dehydroxylation of phenol promotes the electromigration of negative charged phenolate ions from the cathode to the anode. At the anode the coupling of phenoxyl-radicals supports the formation of non toxic, water insoluble polyoxyphenylene by electro-polymerization. In the case of buffering the pH at the cathode uncharged phenol is transported by electroosmosis from the anode to the cathode because of the nonexisting base front and the unhindered production of hydrogen ions at the anode. (orig.)

  4. Functional characterization of PhGR and PhGRL1 during flower senescence in the petunia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Weiyuan; Liu, Juanxu; Tan, Yinyan; Zhong, Shan; Tang, Na; Chen, Guoju; Yu, Yixun

    2015-09-01

    Petunia PhGRL1 suppression accelerated flower senescence and increased the expression of the genes downstream of ethylene signaling, whereas PhGR suppression did not. Ethylene plays an important role in flowers senescence. Homologous proteins Green-Ripe and Reversion to Ethylene sensitivity1 are positive regulators of ethylene responses in tomato and Arabidopsis, respectively. The petunia flower has served as a model for the study of ethylene response during senescence. In this study, petunia PhGR and PhGRL1 expression was analyzed in different organs, throughout floral senescence, and after exogenous ethylene treatment; and the roles of PhGR and PhGRL1 during petunia flower senescence were investigated. PhGRL1 suppression mediated by virus-induced gene silencing accelerated flower senescence and increased ethylene production; however, the suppression of PhGR did not. Taken together, these data suggest that PhGRL1 is involved in negative regulation of flower senescence, possibly via ethylene production inhibition and consequently reduced ethylene signaling activation.

  5. Influence Of pH On The Transport Of Nanoscale Zinc Oxide In Saturated Porous Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Widespread use of nanoscale zinc oxide (nZnO) in various fields causes subsurface environment contamination. Even though the transport of dissolved zinc ions in subsurface environments such as soils and sediments has been widely studied, the transport mechanism of nZnO in such e...

  6. Synchronization modulation of Na/K pumps on Xenopus oocytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Pengfei; Mast, Jason; Chen, Wei

    We developed a new technique named synchronization modulation to electrically synchronize and modulate the Na/K pump molecules by a specially designed oscillating electric field. This technique is based on the theory of energy-trap in quantum physics as well as the concept of electronic synchrotron accelerator. As a result, the Na-transports are all entrapped into the positive half-cycle of the applied electric field and consequently, all of the K-transports are entrapped into the negative half cycle of the field. To demonstrate the process of the pump synchronization and modulation, we use Xenopus oocytes as a platform and introduce two-electrode whole-cell voltage clamp in measurement of pump current. Practically, we first synchronize the pump molecules running at the same pace (rate and phase) by a specially designed oscillation electric field. Then, we carefully maintain the pump synchronization status and gradually change the field frequency (decrease and increase) to modulate the pump molecules to newer pumping rate. The result shows a separation of the inward K current from the outward Na current, and about 10 time increase of the total (inward plus outward) pump current from the net outward current from the random paced pump molecules. Also, the ratio of the modulated total pump current with synchronized total pump current is consistent with the ratio of their field frequencies.

  7. Diffusive and convective transport modelling from analysis of ECRH-stimulated electron heat wave propagation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erckmann, V.; Gasparino, U.; Giannone, L.

    1992-01-01

    ECRH power modulation experiments in toroidal devices offer the chance to analyze the electron heat transport more conclusively: the electron heat wave propagation can be observed by ECE (or SX) leading to radial profiles of electron temperature modulation amplitude and time delay (phase shift). Taking also the stationary power balance into account, the local electron heat transport can be modelled by a combination of diffusive and convective transport terms. This method is applied to ECRH discharges in the W7-AS stellarator (B=2.5T, R=2m, a≤18 cm) where the ECRH power deposition is highly localized. In W7-AS, the T e modulation profiles measured by a high resolution ECE system are the basis for the local transport analysis. As experimental errors limit the separation of diffusive and convective terms in the electron heat transport for central power deposition, also ECRH power modulation experiments with off-axis deposition and inward heat wave propagation were performed (with 70 GHz o-mode as well as with 140 GHz x-mode for increased absorption). Because collisional electron-ion coupling and radiative losses are only small, low density ECRH discharges are best candidates for estimating the electron heat flux from power balance. (author) 2 refs., 3 figs

  8. Enhanced Iron Solubility at Low pH in Global Aerosols

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ellery D. Ingall

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The composition and oxidation state of aerosol iron were examined using synchrotron-based iron near-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy. By combining synchrotron-based techniques with water leachate analysis, impacts of oxidation state and mineralogy on aerosol iron solubility were assessed for samples taken from multiple locations in the Southern and the Atlantic Oceans; and also from Noida (India, Bermuda, and the Eastern Mediterranean (Crete. These sampling locations capture iron-containing aerosols from different source regions with varying marine, mineral dust, and anthropogenic influences. Across all locations, pH had the dominating influence on aerosol iron solubility. When aerosol samples were approximately neutral pH, iron solubility was on average 3.4%; when samples were below pH 4, the iron solubility increased to 35%. This observed aerosol iron solubility profile is consistent with thermodynamic predictions for the solubility of Fe(III oxides, the major iron containing phase in the aerosol samples. Source regions and transport paths were also important factors affecting iron solubility, as samples originating from or passing over populated regions tended to contain more soluble iron. Although the acidity appears to affect aerosol iron solubility globally, a direct relationship for all samples is confounded by factors such as anthropogenic influence, aerosol buffer capacity, mineralogy and physical processes.

  9. How pH Modulates the Reactivity and Selectivity of a Siderophore-Associated Flavin Monooxygenase

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) catalyze the oxygenation of diverse organic molecules using O2, NADPH, and the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor. The fungal FMO SidA initiates peptidic siderophore biosynthesis via the highly selective hydroxylation of l-ornithine, while the related amino acid l-lysine is a potent effector of reaction uncoupling to generate H2O2. We hypothesized that protonation states could critically influence both substrate-selective hydroxylation and H2O2 release, and therefore undertook a study of SidA’s pH-dependent reaction kinetics. Consistent with other FMOs that stabilize a C4a-OO(H) intermediate, SidA’s reductive half reaction is pH independent. The rate constant for the formation of the reactive C4a-OO(H) intermediate from reduced SidA and O2 is likewise independent of pH. However, the rate constants for C4a-OO(H) reactions, either to eliminate H2O2 or to hydroxylate l-Orn, were strongly pH-dependent and influenced by the nature of the bound amino acid. Solvent kinetic isotope effects of 6.6 ± 0.3 and 1.9 ± 0.2 were measured for the C4a-OOH/H2O2 conversion in the presence and absence of l-Lys, respectively. A model is proposed in which l-Lys accelerates H2O2 release via an acid–base mechanism and where side-chain position determines whether H2O2 or the hydroxylation product is observed. PMID:24490904

  10. Adsorption of tetracycline on soil and sediment: Effects of pH and the presence of Cu(II)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Zheyun; Sun Ke; Gao Bo; Zhang Guixiang; Liu Xitao; Zhao Ye

    2011-01-01

    Tetracycline (TC) is frequently detected in the environment, however, knowledge on the environmental fate and transport of TC is still limited. Batch adsorption experiments of TC by soil and sediment samples were conducted. The distribution of charge and electrostatic potential of individual atoms of various TC species in the aqueous solution were determined using MOPAC version 0.034 W program in ChemBio3D Ultra software. Most of the adsorption isotherms on the soil, river and marine sediments were well fitted with the Freundlich and Polanyi-Manes (PMM) models. The single point organic carbon (OC)-normalized adsorption distribution coefficients (K OC ) and PMM saturated adsorption capacity (Q OC 0 ) values of TC were associated with the mesopore volume and clay content to a greater extent, indicating the mesopore volume of the soil and sediments and their clay content possibly influenced the fate and transport of TC in the natural environment. The adsorption of TC on soil and sediments strongly depended on the pH and presence of Cu(II). The presence of Cu(II) facilitated TC adsorption on soil and sediments at low pH (pH < 5), possibly due to the metallic complexation and surface-bridging mechanism by Cu(II) adsorption on soil and sediments. The cation exchange interaction, metallic complexation and Coulombic interaction of mechanisms for adsorption of TC to soils and sediments were further supported by quantum chemical calculation of various TC species in different pH.

  11. The modulation of oceanic moisture transport by the hemispheric annular modes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel eNieto

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Leaving aside the contribution made by recycling, it is the main oceanic moisture sources that are responsible for most of the precipitation that falls on the continents. The transport of moisture from these sources can be affected by large-scale variability according to the hemispheric annular modes. The influence of the two dominant modes of extratropical winter climate: the Northern and the Southern Annular Modes (NAM and SAM are herein investigated to assess how they affect the transport of moisture from the major oceanic moisture sources. A Lagrangian model was used, together with ERA-Interim reanalysis data (1979-2012, and differences between the composites of the six strongest higher and lower events observed for both phases of the two modes for the period were analysed. The method is able to reproduce the general pattern of known variations for both annular patterns. Lower values of the NAM Index are associated with the displacement of the storm track towards tropical latitudes. Thus, moisture transport is enhanced from the Northern Pacific towards the northeastern basin and from the Northern Atlantic and Mediterranean towards southern Europe. On the other hand, during higher values of NAM, moisture transport is favoured from the Northern Pacific towards eastern Asia, and moisture transport is enhanced from the Northern Atlantic towards the Caribbean Sea. In the Southern Hemisphere, during higher values of SAM more moisture is transported from the Atlantic and Indian oceanic sources southwards and eastwards than during the opposite phase. In this SAM phase it is also noted by an enhancement of moisture transport from the Coral Sea and Southern Pacific sources towards the Indian Ocean/West Pacific Warm Pool. Southeastern South America received more moisture from the Pacific and Atlantic sources during years with a lower SAM, episodes which also favoured the influx of moisture from the Southern Atlantic towards Africa, causing monsoon

  12. Effect of hemodialysis on factors influencing oxygen transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirszel, P; Maher, J F; Tempel, G E; Mengel, C E

    1975-06-01

    Ten patients underwent 4 study hemodialyses, one with standard dialysis conditions, one with an isophosphate dialysate, one with simultaneous ammonium chloride loading, and other, after pretreatment, with sodium bicarbonate. Measurement of hemoglobin oxygen affinity (P-50), erythrocyte 2,3-DPG, blood-gasses, and serum chemistries revealed biochemically effective hemodialyses and slight changes in oxygen transport parameters. The P-50 (in vivo) values decreased slightly but significantly (p greater than 0.05) with dialysis. When corrected to pH 7.4, eliminating the Bohr effect, P-50 increased (p greater than 0.05). With unmodified dialysis elevated values of 2,3-DPG (in comparison to normal) decreased, a change that did not correlate with delta-p-50, delta-serum phosphate, or delta-serum creatinine. With standard and isophosphate dialyses Po-2 decreased significantly. The decrease correlated with delta-hydrogen ion concentration and did not occur with dialyses designed to maintain pH constant. Thus, hemodialysis influences many factors that affect oxygen transport in different and counterbalancing directions. These changes are not totally explained by alterations in 2,3-DPG, pH or serum phosphate. Maintenance of acidosis or hyperphosphatemia during dialysis is not recommended.

  13. Transport of copper as affected by titania nanoparticles in soil columns

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fang Jing [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012 (China); Shan Xiaoquan, E-mail: xiaoquan@rcees.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085 (China); Wen Bei [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085 (China); Lin Jinming [Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Owens, Gary [Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Zhou Shuairen [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085 (China)

    2011-05-15

    The effects of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles on the transport of Cu through four different soil columns were studied. For two soils (HB and DX), TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles acted as a Cu carrier and facilitated the transport of Cu. For a third soil (BJ) TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles also facilitated Cu transport but to a much lesser degree, but for a fourth soil (HLJ) TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles retarded the transport of Cu. Linear correlation analysis indicated that soil properties rather than sorption capacities for Cu primary governed whether TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles-facilitated Cu transport. The TiO{sub 2}-associated Cu of outflow in the Cu-contaminated soil columns was significantly positively correlated with soil pH and negatively correlated with CEC and DOC. During passage through the soil columns 46.6-99.9% of Cu initially adsorbed onto TiO{sub 2} could be 'stripped' from nanoparticles depending on soil, where Cu desorption from TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles increased with decreasing flow velocity and soil pH. - Highlights: > TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles could facilitate or retard the transport of Cu in soils. > Soil properties primarily governed TiO{sub 2}-facilitated Cu transport. > Cu initially adsorbed onto TiO{sub 2} could be 'stripped' duing transport. - TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles play an important role in mediating and transporting Cu in soil columns.

  14. The modulation of galactic cosmic rays as described by a three-dimensional drift model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potgieter, M.S.

    1984-01-01

    An outline of the present state of knowledge about the effect of drift on the modulation of galactic cosmic rays is given. Various observations related to the reversal of the solar magnetic field polarity are discussed. Comprehensive numerical solutions of the steady-state cosmic-ray transport equation in an axially-symmetric three-dimensional heliosphere, including drift are presented. This is an extention of the continuing effort of the past six years to understand the effect and importance of drift on the transport of galactic cosmic rays in the heliosphere. A flat neutral sheet which coincides with the equatorial plane is assumed. A general method of calculating the drift velocity in the neutral sheet including that used previously by other authors is presented. The effect of changing various modulation parameters on the drift solutions are illustrated in detail. The real significance of drift is illustrated by using Gaussian input spectra on the modulation boundary. A carefully selected set of modulation parameters is used to illustrate to what extent a drift model can explain prominent observational features. It is concluded that drift is important in in the process of cosmic-ray transport and must as such be considered in all modulation studies, but that it is not overwhelmingly dominant as previously anticipated

  15. OTN Transport of Baseband Radio Serial Protocols in C-RAN Architecture for Mobile Network Applications

    OpenAIRE

    Checko, Aleksandra; Kardaras, Georgios; Lanzani, Christian Fabio Alessandro; Temple, Dan; Mathiasen, Carsten; Pedersen, Lars A.; Klaps, Bert

    2014-01-01

    This white paper presents a proof of concept implementation of digital baseband radio data transport over Optical Transport Network (OTN) compliant to 3GPP Long Term Evolution – Advanced (LTE-A) standard enabling Cloud Radio Access Network (C-RAN) architecture. The transport between the baseband module and a remote radio module is compliant to Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) and to the OBSAI reference point 3 - 01 (RP3-01) interface protocols, respectively. The purpose is to demonstrate ...

  16. Modulating the Tumor Microenvironment to Enhance Tumor Nanomedicine Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Zhang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Nanomedicines including liposomes, micelles, and nanoparticles based on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR effect have become the mainstream for tumor treatment owing to their superiority over conventional anticancer agents. Advanced design of nanomedicine including active targeting nanomedicine, tumor-responsive nanomedicine, and optimization of physicochemical properties to enable highly effective delivery of nanomedicine to tumors has further improved their therapeutic benefits. However, these strategies still could not conquer the delivery barriers of a tumor microenvironment such as heterogeneous blood flow, dense extracellular matrix, abundant stroma cells, and high interstitial fluid pressure, which severely impaired vascular transport of nanomedicines, hindered their effective extravasation, and impeded their interstitial transport to realize uniform distribution inside tumors. Therefore, modulation of tumor microenvironment has now emerged as an important strategy to improve nanomedicine delivery to tumors. Here, we review the existing strategies and approaches for tumor microenvironment modulation to improve tumor perfusion for helping more nanomedicines to reach the tumor site, to facilitate nanomedicine extravasation for enhancing transvascular transport, and to improve interstitial transport for optimizing the distribution of nanomedicines. These strategies may provide an avenue for the development of new combination chemotherapeutic regimens and reassessment of previously suboptimal agents.

  17. Modulating the Tumor Microenvironment to Enhance Tumor Nanomedicine Delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Bo; Hu, Yu; Pang, Zhiqing

    2017-01-01

    Nanomedicines including liposomes, micelles, and nanoparticles based on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect have become the mainstream for tumor treatment owing to their superiority over conventional anticancer agents. Advanced design of nanomedicine including active targeting nanomedicine, tumor-responsive nanomedicine, and optimization of physicochemical properties to enable highly effective delivery of nanomedicine to tumors has further improved their therapeutic benefits. However, these strategies still could not conquer the delivery barriers of a tumor microenvironment such as heterogeneous blood flow, dense extracellular matrix, abundant stroma cells, and high interstitial fluid pressure, which severely impaired vascular transport of nanomedicines, hindered their effective extravasation, and impeded their interstitial transport to realize uniform distribution inside tumors. Therefore, modulation of tumor microenvironment has now emerged as an important strategy to improve nanomedicine delivery to tumors. Here, we review the existing strategies and approaches for tumor microenvironment modulation to improve tumor perfusion for helping more nanomedicines to reach the tumor site, to facilitate nanomedicine extravasation for enhancing transvascular transport, and to improve interstitial transport for optimizing the distribution of nanomedicines. These strategies may provide an avenue for the development of new combination chemotherapeutic regimens and reassessment of previously suboptimal agents. PMID:29311946

  18. Unity connecting module in SSPF

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-01-01

    In the Space Station Processing Facility, the Unity connecting module, part of the International Space Station, is shown with Pressurized Mating Adapters 1 (left) and 2 (right) attached. Unity is scheduled to undergo testing of the common berthing mechanism to which other space station elements will dock. Unity is the primary payload on mission STS-88, targeted to launch Dec. 3, 1998. Other testing includes the Pad Demonstration Test to verify the compatibility of the module with the Space Shuttle as well as the ability of the astronauts to send and receive commands to Unity from the flight deck of the orbiter. Unity is expected to be ready for installation into the payload canister on Oct. 25, and transported to Launch Pad 39-A on Oct. 27. The Unity will be mated to the Russian-built Zarya control module which should already be in orbit at that time.

  19. Structural basis of sterol recognition and nonvesicular transport by lipid transfer proteins anchored at membrane contact sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Junsen; Manik, Mohammad Kawsar; Im, Young Jun

    2018-01-30

    Membrane contact sites (MCSs) in eukaryotic cells are hotspots for lipid exchange, which is essential for many biological functions, including regulation of membrane properties and protein trafficking. Lipid transfer proteins anchored at membrane contact sites (LAMs) contain sterol-specific lipid transfer domains [StARkin domain (SD)] and multiple targeting modules to specific membrane organelles. Elucidating the structural mechanisms of targeting and ligand recognition by LAMs is important for understanding the interorganelle communication and exchange at MCSs. Here, we determined the crystal structures of the yeast Lam6 pleckstrin homology (PH)-like domain and the SDs of Lam2 and Lam4 in the apo form and in complex with ergosterol. The Lam6 PH-like domain displays a unique PH domain fold with a conserved N-terminal α-helix. The Lam6 PH-like domain lacks the basic surface for phosphoinositide binding, but contains hydrophobic patches on its surface, which are critical for targeting to endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondrial contacts. Structures of the LAM SDs display a helix-grip fold with a hydrophobic cavity and a flexible Ω1-loop as a lid. Ergosterol is bound to the pocket in a head-down orientation, with its hydrophobic acyl group located in the tunnel entrance. The Ω1-loop in an open conformation is essential for ergosterol binding by direct hydrophobic interaction. Structural comparison suggested that the sterol binding mode of the Lam2 SD2 is likely conserved among the sterol transfer proteins of the StARkin superfamily. Structural models of full-length Lam2 correlated with the sterol transport function at the membrane contact sites.

  20. Education and training in transport of radioactive material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carvalho, Bruno Natanael; Pastura, Valeria da Fonseca e Silva; Mattar, Patricia; Dias, Carlos R.

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents the approach adopted by the Department of Transportation of the Brazilian National Nuclear Energy Commission - CNEN, in the creation of the course of education and training distance for transport companies, as well as for national institutions directly involved with the theme transportation of radioactive materials. The course will consist of 20 modules containing exercises and further assessment of learning, and enable participants to understand the regulatory terminology, assimilating the philosophy of nuclear and radiation safety, prepare the shipment and identify and fill the complete documents required in an operation transport

  1. Regulation of neuronal pH by the metabotropic Zn(2+)-sensing Gq-coupled receptor, mZnR/GPR39.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganay, Thibault; Asraf, Hila; Aizenman, Elias; Bogdanovic, Milos; Sekler, Israel; Hershfinkel, Michal

    2015-12-01

    Synaptically released Zn(2+) acts as a neurotransmitter, in part, by activating the postsynaptic metabotropic Zn(2+)-sensing Gq protein-coupled receptor (mZnR/GPR39). In previous work using epithelial cells, we described crosstalk between Zn(2+) signaling and changes in intracellular pH and/or extracellular pH (pHe). As pH changes accompany neuronal activity under physiological and pathological conditions, we tested whether Zn(2+) signaling is involved in regulation of neuronal pH. Here, we report that up-regulation of a major H(+) extrusion pathway, the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger (NHE), is induced by mZnR/GPR39 activation in an extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2-dependent manner in hippocampal neurons in vitro. We also observed that changes in pHe can modulate neuronal mZnR/GPR39-dependent signaling, resulting in reduced activity at pHe 8 or 6.5. Similarly, Zn(2+)-dependent extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation and up-regulation of NHE activity were absent at acidic pHe. Thus, our results suggest that when pHe is maintained within the physiological range, mZnR/GPR39 activation can up-regulate NHE-dependent recovery from intracellular acidification. During acidosis, as pHe drops, mZnR/GPR39-dependent NHE activation is inhibited, thereby attenuating further H(+) extrusion. This mechanism may serve to protect neurons from excessive decreases in pHe. Thus, mZnR/GPR39 signaling provides a homeostatic adaptive process for regulation of intracellular and extracellular pH changes in the brain. We show that the postsynaptic metabotropic Zn(2+)-sensing Gq protein-coupled receptor (mZnR/GPR39) activation induces up-regulation of a major neuronal H(+) extrusion pathway, the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger (NHE), thereby enhancing neuronal recovery from intracellular acidification. Changes in extracellular pH (pHe), however, modulate neuronal mZnR/GPR39-dependent signaling, resulting in reduced activity at pHe 8 or 6.5. This mechanism may serve to protect neurons from excessive

  2. Sodium coupled bicarbonate influx regulates intracellular and apical pH in cultured rat caput epididymal epithelium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuo, Wu-Lin; Li, Sheng; Huang, Jie-Hong; Yang, Deng-Liang; Zhang, Geng; Chen, Si-Liang; Ruan, Ye-Chun; Ye, Ke-Nan; Cheng, Christopher H K; Zhou, Wen-Liang

    2011-01-01

    The epithelium lining the epididymis provides an optimal acidic fluid microenvironment in the epididymal tract that enable spermatozoa to complete the maturation process. The present study aims to investigate the functional role of Na(+)/HCO(3)(-) cotransporter in the pH regulation in rat epididymis. Immunofluorescence staining of pan cytokeratin in the primary culture of rat caput epididymal epithelium showed that the system was a suitable model for investigating the function of epididymal epithelium. Intracellular and apical pH were measured using the fluorescent pH sensitive probe carboxy-seminaphthorhodafluor-4F acetoxymethyl ester (SNARF-4F) and sparklet pH electrode respectively to explore the functional role of rat epididymal epithelium. In the HEPES buffered Krebs-Henseleit (KH) solution, the intracellular pH (pHi) recovery from NH(4)Cl induced acidification in the cultured caput epididymal epithelium was completely inhibited by amiloride, the inhibitor of Na(+)/H(+) exchanger (NHE). Immediately changing of the KH solution from HEPES buffered to HCO(3)(-) buffered would cause another pHi recovery. The pHi recovery in HCO(3)(-) buffered KH solution was inhibited by 4, 4diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2-disulfonic acid (DIDS), the inhibitor of HCO(3)(-) transporter or by removal of extracellular Na(+). The extracellular pH measurement showed that the apical pH would increase when adding DIDS to the apical side of epididymal epithelial monolayer, however adding DIDS to the basolateral side had no effect on apical pH. The present study shows that sodium coupled bicarbonate influx regulates intracellular and apical pH in cultured caput epididymal epithelium.

  3. Low-Z impurity transport studies using CXRS at ASDEX upgrade

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruhn, Cecilia; McDermott, Rachael; Dux, Ralph; Angioni, Clemente; Bobkov, Volodymyr; Kappatou, Athina; Lebschy, Alexander; Puetterich, Thomas; Viezzer, Eleonora [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Boltzmannstr. 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Collaboration: the ASDEX Upgrade Team

    2016-07-01

    Impurities in fusion plasmas arise from many sources including the erosion of material from plasma facing components and the intentional injection of impurities for control of the radiation losses. With the charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS) diagnostics at ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) the density profiles of low-Z impurity species can be measured with high spatial and temporal resolution and can, thus, be used to investigate the transport of these impurities. Previous work on this topic at AUG has focused primarily on steady state profiles, which deliver the ratio of the diffusive and convective transport coefficients. However, from the time response of the density profiles after applying an external perturbation (e.g. a fast impurity puff) the convective and diffusive components of the transport can be separately determined. The work presented here aims to achieve this by a less conventional approach that is better suited to the limited time resolution of the CXRS diagnostics; namely, a sinusoidal modulation of the boron densities invoked by modulating the power from the ion cyclotron resonance frequency (ICRF) antennas. The work presented here aims to achieve this by an approach that is better suited to the limited time resolution of the CXRS diagnostics; namely, a sinusoidal modulation of the boron densities invoked by modulating the power from the ion cyclotron resonance frequency (ICRF) antennas. We present the first measurements of the boron density modulation as well as the machine and plasma parameter dependencies of the boron response to the ICRF power.

  4. Imaging intracellular pH in a reef coral and symbiotic anemone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venn, A A; Tambutté, E; Lotto, S; Zoccola, D; Allemand, D; Tambutté, S

    2009-09-29

    The challenges corals and symbiotic cnidarians face from global environmental change brings new urgency to understanding fundamental elements of their physiology. Intracellular pH (pHi) influences almost all aspects of cellular physiology but has never been described in anthozoans or symbiotic cnidarians, despite its pivotal role in carbon concentration for photosynthesis and calcification. Using confocal microscopy and the pH sensitive probe carboxy SNARF-1, we mapped pHi in short-term light and dark-incubated cells of the reef coral Stylophora pistillata and the symbiotic anemone Anemonia viridis. In all cells isolated from both species, pHi was markedly lower than the surrounding seawater pH of 8.1. In cells that contained symbiotic algae, mean values of pHi were significantly higher in light treated cells than dark treated cells (7.41 +/- 0.22 versus 7.13 +/- 0.24 for S. pistillata; and 7.29 +/- 0.15 versus 7.01 +/- 0.27 for A. viridis). In contrast, there was no significant difference in pHi in light and dark treated cells without algal symbionts. Close inspection of the interface between host cytoplasm and algal symbionts revealed a distinct area of lower pH adjacent to the symbionts in both light and dark treated cells, possibly associated with the symbiosome membrane complex. These findings are significant developments for the elucidation of models of inorganic carbon transport for photosynthesis and calcification and also provide a cell imaging procedure for future investigations into how pHi and other fundamental intracellular parameters in corals respond to changes in the external environment such as reductions in seawater pH.

  5. Construction of the Zeus forward/rear calorimeter modules at NIKHEF

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blankers, R.; Engelen, J.; Geerinck, H.; Homma, J.; Hunck, P.; Dekoning, N.; Kooijman, P.; Korporaal, A.; Loos, R.; Straver, J.

    1990-07-01

    The design and assembly procedure of the FCAL/RCAL (Forward (in proton direction) Calorimeter/Rear (in electron direction) Calorimeter) of the Zeus detector to study electron proton interactions at Desy, Hamburg (Germany, F.R.) are detailed. The main components of the modules are described: steel C-frame which provides the overall mechanical module structure; a stack of depleted uranium plates and scintillator plates; wavelength shifter material, mounted in cassettes for the readout of the scintillator light; stainless steel straps which compress the stack and fix it to the C-frame. Finite element techniques for module force calculations are outlined. The module assembly and transport and calibration tools are described.

  6. Nanoscale Titanium Dioxide (nTiO2) Transport in Water-Saturated Natural Sediments: Influence of Soil Organic Matter and Fe/Al Oxyhydroxides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisher-Power, L.; Cheng, T.

    2017-12-01

    Transport of engineered nanoparticles (ENP) in subsurface environments has important implications to water quality and soil contamination. Although extensive research has been conducted to understand the effects of water chemistry on ENP transport, less attention has been paid to influences from the transport medium/matrix. The objective of this research is to investigate the effects of natural organic matter (NOM) and Fe/Al oxyhydroxides in a natural sediment on ENP transport. A sediment was collected and separated into four portions, one of which was unmodified, and the others treated to remove specific components (organic matter, Fe/Al oxyhydroxides, or both organic matter and Fe/Al oxyhydroxides). Transport of nanoscale titanium dioxide (nTiO2) in columns packed with quartz sand and each of the four types of the sediment under water-saturated conditions was studied. Our results showed that nTiO2 transport was strongly influenced by pH and sediment composition. When influent pH = 5, nTiO2 transport in all the sediments was low, as positively-charged nTiO2 was attracted to negatively charged NOM, quartz, and other minerals. nTiO2 transport was slightly enhanced in columns packed with untreated sediment or Fe/Al oxyhydroxides removed sediment due to dissolved organic matter generated by the partial dissolution of NOM, which adsorbed onto nTiO2 surface and reversed its zeta potential to negative. When influent pH = 9, nTiO2 transport was generally high since negatively-charged nTiO2 was repelled by negatively charged transport medium. However, in columns packed with the organic matter removed sediment or the Fe/Al oxyhydroxides removed sediment, nTiO2 transport was low. This was attributable to pH buffering by the sediment, which decreased pore water pH in the column, resulting in zeta potential change and electrostatic attraction between Fe/Al oxyhydroxides and nTiO2. This research demonstrates that electrostatic forces between nTiO2 and mineral/organic components

  7. Transport of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in saturated porous media under various solution chemistry conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yu; Gao Bin; Morales, Verónica L.; Tian Yuan; Wu Lei; Gao Jie; Bai Wei; Yang Liuyan

    2012-01-01

    Because of its wide applications, nanosized titanium dioxide may become a potential environmental risk to soil and groundwater system. It is therefore important to improve current understanding of the environmental fate and transport of titanium oxides nanoparticles (TONPs). In this work, the effect of solution chemistry (i.e., pH, ionic strength, and natural organic matter (NOM) concentration) on the deposition and transport of TONPs in saturated porous media was examined in detail. Laboratory columns packed with acid-cleaned quartz sand were used in the experiment as porous media. Transport experiments were conducted with various chemistry combinations, including four ionic strengths, three pH levels, and two NOM concentrations. The results showed that TONP mobility increased with increasing solution pH, but decreased with increasing solution ionic strength. It is also found that the presence of NOM in the system enhanced the mobility of TONPs in the saturated porous media. The Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) theory was used to justify the mobility trends observed in the experimental data. Predictions from the theory agreed excellently with the experimental data.

  8. Objective determination of pH thresholds in the analysis of 24 h ambulatory oesophageal pH monitoring

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Weusten, B. L.; Roelofs, J. M.; Akkermans, L. M.; vanBerge-Henegouwen, G. P.; Smout, A. J.

    1996-01-01

    In 24 h oesophageal pH monitoring, pH 4 is widely but arbitrarily used as the threshold between reflux and non-reflux pH values. The aim of the study was to define pH thresholds objectively, based on Gaussian curve fitting of pH frequency distributions. Single-channel 24 h oesophageal pH monitoring

  9. Effect of organic matter and pH on the adsorption of metalaxyl and penconazole by soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gondar, Dora; López, Rocío [Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Antelo, Juan [Departamento de Edafología y Química Agrícola, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Fiol, Sarah, E-mail: sarah.fiol@usc.es [Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Arce, Florencio [Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

    2013-09-15

    Highlights: • The adsorption of non-ionic pesticides on soils is affected by pH. • At pH < 5, the C{sub s}{sup OC}/C{sub e} ratio increased as the pH of the medium decreased. • The effect of pH on adsorption is related to the ionization of carboxylic groups. • SOM charge had similar effect on C{sub s}{sup OC}/C{sub e} in the four soils under study. -- Abstract: Soil organic matter (SOM) is considered to be the primary adsorbent of non-ionic pesticides, and it is therefore thought to determine the concentration of such pesticides in the soil solution and how they are transported throughout the medium. It is generally assumed that the sorption capacity of different soils is the same per unit mass of SOM; however, the reactivity also depends on the SOM composition and the pH of the medium. We carried out experiments to study the effects of pH and ionic strength on the adsorption of the non-ionic fungicides metalaxyl and penconazole on four soils containing different amounts of organic carbon. The adsorption isotherms fitted a Freundlich equation. For pH > 5, partitioning of the fungicides between the solid phase and the soil solution did not vary with the pH, while at lower pH, the fraction adsorbed on the solid phase increased as the pH decreased. The response was related to the effect of pH on the ionization of the carboxylic groups of the SOM and therefore to the hydrophilic nature of the SOM. Analysis of the charge effect on the partitioning of both fungicides revealed a common response in all four soils. Adsorption appears to be related to the magnitude of the charge developed at the SOM due to ionization of the carboxylic acid groups.

  10. Application of Polarization Modulated Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy for electrocatalytic activity studies of laccase adsorbed on modified gold electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olejnik, Piotr; Pawłowska, Aleksandra; Pałys, Barbara

    2013-01-01

    Orientation of the enzyme macromolecule on the electrode surface is crucially important for the efficiency of the electron transport between the active site and electrode surface. The orientation can be controlled by affecting the surface charge and the pH of the buffer solution. In this contribution we study laccase physically adsorbed on gold surface modified by mercapto-ethanol, lipid and variously charged diazonium salts. Polarization Modulated Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (PMIRRAS) enables the molecular orientation study of the protein molecule by comparison of the amide I to amide II band intensity ratios assuming that the protein secondary structure does not change. We observe significant differences in the intensity ratios depending on the kind of support and the enzyme deposition. The comparison of infrared spectra and cyclic voltammetry responses of variously prepared laccase layers reveals that the parallel orientation of beta-sheet moieties results in high enzyme activity

  11. Respiratory virus modulation of host nucleocytoplasmic transport; target for therapeutic intervention?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leon eCaly

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The respiratory diseases caused by Rhinovirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Influenza virus represent a large social and financial burden on healthcare worldwide. Although all three viruses have distinctly unique properties in terms of infection and replication, they share the ability to exploit/manipulate the host-cell nucleocytoplasmic transport system in order to replicate effectively and efficiently. This review outlines the various ways in which infection by these viruses impacts on the host nucleocytoplasmic transport system, and examples where inhibition thereof in turn decreases viral replication. The highly conserved nature of the nucleocytoplasmic transport system and the viral proteins that interact with it make this virus-host interface a prime candidate for the development of specific antiviral therapeutics in the future.

  12. Transport of citrate-coated silver nanoparticles in unsaturated sand

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumahor, Samuel K., E-mail: samuel.kumahor@ufz.de [Department of Soil Physics, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120 Halle-Saale (Germany); Hron, Pavel, E-mail: pavel.hron@iwr.uni-heidelberg.de [Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 368, Raum 422, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Metreveli, George, E-mail: metreveli@uni-landau.de [Universität Koblenz-Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, Group of Environmental and Soil Chemistry, Fortstr. 7, D-76829 Landau (Germany); Schaumann, Gabriele E., E-mail: schaumann@uni-landau.de [Universität Koblenz-Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, Group of Environmental and Soil Chemistry, Fortstr. 7, D-76829 Landau (Germany); Vogel, Hans-Jörg, E-mail: hans-joerg.vogel@ufz.de [Department of Soil Physics, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120 Halle-Saale (Germany); Institute of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 3, 06120 Halle-Saale (Germany)

    2015-12-01

    Chemical factors and physical constraints lead to coupled effects during particle transport in unsaturated porous media. Studies on unsaturated transport as typical for soils are currently scarce. In unsaturated porous media, particle mobility is determined by the existence of an air–water interface in addition to a solid–water interface. To this end, we measured breakthrough curves and retention profiles of citrate-coated Ag nanoparticles in unsaturated sand at two pH values (5 and 9) and three different flow rates corresponding to different water contents with 1 mM KNO{sub 3} as background electrolyte. The classical DLVO theory suggests unfavorable deposition conditions at the air–water and solid–water interfaces. The breakthrough curves indicate modification in curve shapes and retardation of nanoparticles compared to inert solute. Retention profiles show sensitivity to flow rate and pH and this ranged from almost no retention for the highest flow rate at pH = 9 to almost complete retention for the lowest flow rate at pH = 5. Modeling of the breakthrough curves, thus, required coupling two parallel processes: a kinetically controlled attachment process far from equilibrium, responsible for the shape modification, and an equilibrium sorption, responsible for particle retardation. The non-equilibrium process and equilibrium sorption are suggested to relate to the solid–water and air–water interfaces, respectively. This is supported by the DLVO model extended for hydrophobic interactions which suggests reversible attachment, characterized by a secondary minimum (depth 3–5 kT) and a repulsive barrier at the air–water interface. In contrast, the solid–water interface is characterized by a significant repulsive barrier and the absence of a secondary minimum suggesting kinetically controlled and non-equilibrium interaction. This study provides new insights into particle transport in unsaturated porous media and offers a model concept representing the

  13. PWR primary system chemistry: Experience with elevated pH at Millstone Point Unit 3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergmann, C.A.; McAtee, K.R.; Roesmer, J.

    1990-08-01

    The maintenance of an elevated pH of the hot reactor coolant in several plants for a fraction of their respective fuel cycles confirmed earlier laboratory findings that an elevated pH (>6.9 at temperature) resulted in reduced component radiation fields. In view of the potential radiological benefits of elevated coolant pH operation, Northeast Utilities (NU) in support of an EPRI- Westinghouse program, agreed to operate the Millstone 3 plants as a demonstration of elevated coolant pH during operation with extended fuel cycles. This report represents the data and describes the effects of operation of the Millstone 3 cycle 2 core at an elevated hot coolant pH of 7.0--7.5 on Zircaloy cladding corrosion, and on the buildup of core crud and excore radiation fields. The following preliminary conclusion were made based on an evaluation of the data obtained after one cycle of Millstone 3 elevated coolant pH operation. Although some of the measured zirconium dioxide thicknesses are greater than expected, the data does not indicate a significant lithium effect on the corrosion rate of the fuel cladding because of the relatively high variability of thickness measurements on rods of similar duty. There was no observable effect of the higher pH operation on any of the other fuel assembly components. Changes in core crude deposit thickness, chemical and radiochemical composition and apparent residence time were noted. These changes are consistent with the expected effects of a more dissolving coolant on activity and crud transport in a primary circuit. The overall radiation exposure rate trends from cycle 1 to cycle 2 indicated a favorable effect of the higher pH operation. 17 figs., 11 tabs

  14. In vitro synthesis and purification of PhIP-deoxyguanosine and PhIP-DNA oligomer covalent complexes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Freeman, J.

    1994-12-01

    2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is a heterocyclic amine compound formed when meats are cooked at high temperatures. PhIP damages DNA by forming covalent complexes with DNA carcinogen. In an effort to understand how the binding of PhIP to DNA may cause cancer, it is important to characterize the structures of PhIP-damaged DNA molecules. Our HPLC data support fluorescence and {sup 32}P Post-labeling studies which indicate the formation of several species of 2{prime}deoxyguanosine-(dG) or oligodeoxynucleotide-PhIP adducts. The reaction of PhIP with dG resulted in a reddish precipitate that was likely the major adduct, N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-PhIP (dG-C8-PhIP) adduct, with a more polar adduct fraction remaining in the supernatant. Reversed-phase HPLC analysis of the adducts in the supernatant revealed the existence of species of much shorter retention times than the dG-C8-PhIP adduct, confirming that these species are more polar than dG-C8-PhIP. At least four adducts were formed in the reaction of PhIP with DNA oligomer. HPLC analysis of the PhIP-DNA oligomer supernatant after butanol extractions revealed four unresolved peaks which spectra had maximum wavelengths between 340 and 360 nm. Though adduct peaks were not completely resolved, there was {approximately}3 minutes interval between the DNA oligomer peak and the adduct peaks. Furthermore, fluorescence emission data of the DNA oligomer-PhIP adduct solution show heterogeneous binding. The more polar PhIP adducts were fraction-collected and their structures will be solved by nuclear magnetic resonance or x-ray crystallography.

  15. Advanced Transport Operating System (ATOPS) color displays software description microprocessor system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slominski, Christopher J.; Plyler, Valerie E.; Dickson, Richard W.

    1992-01-01

    This document describes the software created for the Sperry Microprocessor Color Display System used for the Advanced Transport Operating Systems (ATOPS) project on the Transport Systems Research Vehicle (TSRV). The software delivery known as the 'baseline display system', is the one described in this document. Throughout this publication, module descriptions are presented in a standardized format which contains module purpose, calling sequence, detailed description, and global references. The global reference section includes procedures and common variables referenced by a particular module. The system described supports the Research Flight Deck (RFD) of the TSRV. The RFD contains eight cathode ray tubes (CRTs) which depict a Primary Flight Display, Navigation Display, System Warning Display, Takeoff Performance Monitoring System Display, and Engine Display.

  16. Pharmacological Modulation of the Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain in Paclitaxel-Induced Painful Peripheral Neuropathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffiths, Lisa A; Flatters, Sarah J L

    2015-10-01

    Paclitaxel is an effective first-line chemotherapeutic with the major dose-limiting side effect of painful neuropathy. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress have been implicated in paclitaxel-induced painful neuropathy. Here we show the effects of pharmacological modulation of mitochondrial sites that produce reactive oxygen species using systemic rotenone (complex I inhibitor) or antimycin A (complex III inhibitor) on the maintenance and development of paclitaxel-induced mechanical hypersensitivity in adult male Sprague Dawley rats. The maximally tolerated dose (5 mg/kg) of rotenone inhibited established paclitaxel-induced mechanical hypersensitivity. However, some of these inhibitory effects coincided with decreased motor coordination; 3 mg/kg rotenone also significantly attenuated established paclitaxel-induced mechanical hypersensitivity without any motor impairment. The maximally tolerated dose (.6 mg/kg) of antimycin A reversed established paclitaxel-induced mechanical hypersensitivity without any motor impairment. Seven daily doses of systemic rotenone or antimycin A were given either after paclitaxel administration or before and during paclitaxel administration. Rotenone had no significant effect on the development of paclitaxel-induced mechanical hypersensitivity. However, antimycin A significantly inhibited the development of paclitaxel-induced mechanical hypersensitivity when given before and during paclitaxel administration but had no effect when given after paclitaxel administration. These studies provide further evidence of paclitaxel-evoked mitochondrial dysfunction in vivo, suggesting that complex III activity is instrumental in paclitaxel-induced pain. This study provides further in vivo evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction is a key contributor to the development and maintenance of chemotherapy-induced painful neuropathy. This work also indicates that selective modulation of the electron transport chain can induce antinociceptive

  17. Multigroup calculations of low-energy neutral transport in tokamak plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gilligan, J.G.; Gralnick, S.L.; Price, W.G. Jr.; Kammash, T.

    1978-01-01

    Multigroup discrete ordinates methods avoid many of the approximations that have been used in previous neutral transport analyses. Of particular interest are the neutral profiles generated as an integral part of larger plasma system simulation codes. To determine the appropriateness of utilizing a particular multigroup code, ANISN, for this purpose, results are compared with the neutral transport module of the Duechs code. For a typical TFTR plasma, predicted neutral densities differ by a maximum factor of three on axis and outfluxes at the plasma boundary by approximately 40%. This is found to be significant for a neutral transport module. Possible sources of the observed discrepancies are indicated from an analysis of the approximations used in the Duechs model. Recommendations are made concerning the future application of the multigroup method. (author)

  18. The PhD by Publication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susi Peacock

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this work is to develop more nuanced understandings of the PhD by publication, particularly raising awareness of the retrospective PhD by publication. The article aims to contribute to contemporary debates about the differing pathways to the attainment of doctoral study completion and the artifacts submitted for that purpose. It also seeks to support prospective graduate students and supervisors who are embarking upon alternative routes to doctoral accreditation. Background: The PhD is considered the pinnacle of academic study – highly cherished, and replete with deeply held beliefs. In response to changes in job markets, developments in the disciplines, and more varied student cohorts, diverse pathways to completion of this award have emerged, such as the PhD by publication (PhDP. A PhDP may either be prospective or retrospective. For the former, publications are planned and created with their contributions to the PhDP in mind. The retrospective PhD is assembled after some, or most, of the publications have been completed. The artifact submitted for examination in this case consists of a series of peer-reviewed academic papers, books, chapters, or equivalents that have been published or accepted for publication, accompanied by an over-arching narrative. The retrospective route is particularly attractive for professionals who are research-active but lack formal academic accreditation at the highest level. Methodology: This article calls upon a literature review pertaining to the award of PhDP combined with the work of authors who offer their personal experiences of the award. The author also refers to her candidature as a Scottish doctoral student whilst studying for the award of PhD by publication. Contribution: This work raises awareness of the PhDP as a credible and comparable pathway for graduate students. The article focuses upon the retrospective PhDP which, as with all routes to doctoral accreditation, has

  19. Cement reactivity in CO2 saturated brines: use of a reactive transport code to highlight key degradation mechanisms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huet, B.M.; Prevost, J.H.; Scherer, G.W.

    2007-01-01

    A modular reactive transport code is proposed to analyze the reactivity of cement in CO 2 saturated brine. The coupling of the transport module and the geochemical module within Dynaflow TM is derived. Both modules are coupled in a sequential iterative approach to accurately model: (1) mineral dissolution/precipitation and (2) porosity dependent transport properties. Results of the model reproduce qualitatively the dissolution of cement hydrates (C-H, C-S-H, AFm, AFt) and intermediate products (CaCO 3 ) into the brine. Slight discrepancies between modeling and experimental results were found concerning the dynamics of the mineral zoning. Results suggest that the power law relationship to model effective transport properties from porosity values is not accurate for very reactive case. (authors)

  20. High Sensitive pH Sensor Based on AlInN/GaN Heterostructure Transistor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Dong

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The AlInN/GaN high-electron-mobility-transistor (HEMT indicates better performances compared with the traditional AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. The present work investigated the pH sensor functionality of an analogous HEMT AlInN/GaN device with an open gate. It was shown that the Al0.83In0.17N/GaN device demonstrates excellent pH sense functionality in aqueous solutions, exhibiting higher sensitivity (−30.83 μA/pH for AlInN/GaN and −4.6 μA/pH for AlGaN/GaN and a faster response time, lower degradation and good stability with respect to the AlGaN/GaN device, which is attributed to higher two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG density and a thinner barrier layer in Al0.83In0.17N/GaN owning to lattice matching. On the other hand, the open gate geometry was found to affect the pH sensitivity obviously. Properly increasing the width and shortening the length of the open gate area could enhance the sensitivity. However, when the open gate width is too larger or too small, the pH sensitivity would be suppressed conversely. Designing an optimal ratio of the width to the length is important for achieving high sensitivity. This work suggests that the AlInN/GaN-based 2DEG carrier modulated devices would be good candidates for high-performance pH sensors and other related applications.