Paternity testing with VNTR DNA systems. I. Matching criteria and population frequencies of the VNTR systems D2S44, D5S43, D7S21, D7S22, and D12S11 in Danes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morling, N; Hansen, Hanna Elsebeth

1993-01-01

-systems D2S44 (YNH24), D5S43 (MS8), D7S21 (MS31), D7S22 (g3), and D12S11 (MS43a). The intra gel variability of 970 duplicate investigations on the same gel of DNA from 122 individuals showed no differences exceeding 1.25 mm between the positions of the corresponding DNA fragments. The comparison of 1...

3D dosimetry in HDR brachytherapy resonance imaging nuclear magnetic (b= 0.2 t) using a base acrylic gel (MAGIC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batista Hernandez, Guillermo; Velez, Graciela R.; Schurrer, Clemar

2009-01-01

Dosimetry gels using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been extended in recent literature. Our study presents the preparation, calibration IRM of acrylic gel (MAGIC) and its application in measuring dose in a 3D distribution HDR Brachytherapy with 192Ir source. The first gels used were the type Fricke gels based on the relationship of dose and time T1 relaxation. In 2001, Fong presented a new normoxic gel known as MAGIC whose main components are Methacrylic Acid (polymerizing), and Hydroquinone (inhibitor of self-curing) based on the relationship of dose and T2 relaxation time. Subsequent studies make changes in the concentrations component of the MAGIC (Methacrylic Acid and Hydroquinone in particular) to observe the behavior of the sensitivity of the gel with respect to its components and beam magnetic resonance equipment using magnetic fields higher to 0.5 T. This is done with equipment available to the staff of a Radiotherapy clinic setting. MAGIC gel is prepared according to composition by Crescenti (6% methacrylic acid), is calibrated with a 60Co unit TERADI INVAP 8002c (Argentina). Was raised shooting in a Siemens MRI scanner of 0.2 T Magnetom Concerto irradiated with a team of Brachytherapy High Dose Rate (HDR) Micro selectron Nucletron's V2 HDR for comparison with dose distributions provided by the planning system from Nucletron PLATO Sunrise. Was obtained a calibration curve for doses ranging from 0 to 8.0 Gy and a field strength 0.2 T magnetic We compared the sensitivity obtained in our calibration (Slope of the calibration curve) with those presented in the literature. Two phantoms were prepared for measurement in brachytherapy: a PMMA and a PVC. It was noted that MAGIC gel reacts chemically with PMMA and cured prior to irradiation. The phantom of PVC (no reactions) were irradiated with Micro selectron equipment and measured the dose distribution in 3D MRI. Were measured doses at the points specified by the Planning System and PLATO Sunrise compared

RRR- and SRR-alpha-tocopherols are secreted without discrimination in human chylomicrons, but RRR-alpha-tocopherol is preferentially secreted in very low density lipoproteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Traber, M.G.; Burton, G.W.; Ingold, K.U.; Kayden, H.J.

1990-01-01

Five subjects ingested in a single oral dose containing 50 mg each of 2R,4'R,8'R-alpha-(5,7-(C2H3)2)tocopheryl acetate (d6-RRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) with natural stereochemistry, and of 2S,4'R,8'R-alpha-(5-C2H3)tocopheryl acetate (d3-SRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate). These are two of eight stereoisomers in synthetic vitamin E. By day 1 the plasma and red blood cells were enriched fourfold with d6-RRR-alpha-tocopherol (P less than 0.004). The ratio of d6-RRR-/d2-SRR- further increased over the succeeding 4 days, because the d3-SRR- decreased at a faster rate than did the d6-RRR-stereoisomer. Plasma and lipoproteins were isolated at intervals during the first day, and daily for 3 days, from four additional subjects fed a mixture of equal amounts of the deuterated tocopherols. The plasma contained similar concentrations of the two forms until 11 h, when the d6-RRR-alpha-tocopherol concentration became significantly greater (P less than 0.05). The chylomicrons contained similar concentrations of the two deuterated tocopherols, but the VLDL (very low density lipoproteins) became preferentially enriched in d6-RRR-alpha-tocopherol by 11 h. The pattern of the deuterated tocopherols shows that during chylomicron catabolism all of the plasma lipoproteins were labeled equally with both tocopherols, but that during the subsequent VLDL catabolism the low and high density lipoproteins became enriched in d6-RRR-alpha-tocopherol. These results suggest the existence of a mechanism in the liver for assembling VLDL preferentially enriched in RRR- relative to SRR-alpha-tocopherol

Effect of 0.2% Chlorhexidine Gel on Frequency of Dry Socket Following Mandibular Third Molar Surgery: A Double-Blind Clinical Trial Clinical Trial

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Baratollah Shaban

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Alveolar osteitis (AO is one of the most common postoperative complications after third molar surgery. Various techniques have been used to reduce the risk of AO. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of Chlorhexidine (CHX bioadhesive gel in preventing the development of AO. Methods: Patients with bilateral impacted mandibular third molars underwent surgical extraction of both teeth. One socket was randomly received CHX gel and the contralateral socket served as the control. The outcome variable was development of AO and the CHX gel application was the predictor variable. Data were analyzed using chi-square test with the confidence interval of 95%. Results: 41 patients (27 females and 14 males with mean age of 24.15 ± 5.02 years underwent 82 surgeries. Total of 11 sockets (13.41% developed AO. The frequency of AO in CHX gel (2 cases, 4.87% side was significantly lower than control (9 cases, 21.95% side (P-value < 0.05. No side effects observed following CHX gel application. Conclusion: Application of CHX gel could be an effective approach to reduce the risk of developing AO following mandibular third molar surgery.

Screening for mutations in human alpha-globin genes by nonradioactive single-strand conformation polymorphism

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Jorge S.B.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Point mutations and small insertions or deletions in the human alpha-globin genes may produce alpha-chain structural variants and alpha-thalassemia. Mutations can be detected either by direct DNA sequencing or by screening methods, which select the mutated exon for sequencing. Although small (about 1 kb, 3 exons and 2 introns, the alpha-globin genes are duplicate (alpha2 and alpha1 and highy G-C rich, which makes them difficult to denature, reducing sequencing efficiency and causing frequent artifacts. We modified some conditions for PCR and electrophoresis in order to detect mutations in these genes employing nonradioactive single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP. Primers previously described by other authors for radioactive SSCP and phast-SSCP plus denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis were here combined and the resultant fragments (6 new besides 6 original per alpha-gene submitted to silver staining SSCP. Nine structural and one thalassemic mutations were tested, under different conditions including two electrophoretic apparatus (PhastSystem(TM and GenePhor(TM, Amersham Biosciences, different polyacrylamide gel concentrations, run temperatures and denaturing agents, and entire and restriction enzyme cut fragments. One hundred percent of sensitivity was achieved with four of the new fragments formed, using the PhastSystem(TM and 20% gels at 15ºC, without the need of restriction enzymes. This nonradioactive PCR-SSCP approach showed to be simple, rapid and sensitive, reducing the costs involved in frequent sequencing repetitions and increasing the reliability of the results. It can be especially useful for laboratories which do not have an automated sequencer.

Use of chlorhexidine gel (0.2%) to control gingivitis and candida species colonization in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Machado, Fernanda Campos; de Souza, Ivete Pomarico Ribeiro; Portela, Maristela Barbosa; de Araújo Soares, Rosangela Maria; Freitas-Fernandes, Liana Bastos; Castro, Gloria Fernanda

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate chlorhexidine to control gingivitis and Candida species (spp.) in children infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and their acceptance of the therapy. Twenty-six HIV+ children were selected, and oral exam-established biofilm, gingival indexes, and stimulated saliva were collected for Candida ssp. identification. The children brushed their teeth for 21 days with chlorhexidine gel (0.2%). Salivary samples, biofilm, and gingival indexes were collected after 21-days and again 35 days after ceasing gel use. The children answered a questionnaire about the therapy. All children tested positive for Candida and gingivitis. After 21 days, Candida counts and gingivitis decreased in 25 and 26 children, respectively. Mean reduction was approximately 68% for Candida spp. and 74% for gingivitis. Thirty-five days after discontinuing gel use, gingivitis and Candida spp. increased in 13 and 16 patients, respectively. Considering the Candida spp., the heavy growth was lower in the first re-evaluation. Candida albicans was the most frequent species. Approximately 85% did not experience inconvenience with the gel, and approximately 48% thought it was good for tooth-brushing. Chlorhexidine therapy may be an option to treat and pre- vent gingivitis and reduce yeast counts in children infected with HIV.

La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ nanofiber cathode for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells by water-based sol-gel electrospinning: Synthesis and electrochemical behaviour

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Enrico, Anna; Zhang, Wenjing (Angela); Traulsen, Marie Lund

2018-01-01

Water-based sol-gel electrospinning is employed to manufacture perovskite oxide La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) nanofiber cathodes for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. LSCF fibrous scaffolds are synthesized through electrospinning of a sol-gel solution employing water as the only...

Genetic investigations in immigration cases and frequencies of DNA fragments of the VNTR systems D2S44, D5S43, D7S21, D7S22, and D12S11 in Turks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Hanna Elsebeth; Morling, N

1993-01-01

with radiolabelled probes detecting the VNTR systems D2S44 (YNH24), D5S43 (MS8), D7S21 (MS31), D7S22 (g3), and D12S11 (MS43a). We used the matching criterion for paternity testing for the parent/child comparisons, i.e. non-match if the intra gel difference exceeded 1.25 mm. A total of 43 immigration cases involving...

A Miniaturized Antenna with Negative Index Metamaterial Based on Modified SRR and CLS Unit Cell for UWB Microwave Imaging Applications

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Md. Moinul Islam

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A miniaturized antenna employing a negative index metamaterial with modified split-ring resonator (SRR and capacitance-loaded strip (CLS unit cells is presented for Ultra wideband (UWB microwave imaging applications. Four left-handed (LH metamaterial (MTM unit cells are located along one axis of the antenna as the radiating element. Each left-handed metamaterial unit cell combines a modified split-ring resonator (SRR with a capacitance-loaded strip (CLS to obtain a design architecture that simultaneously exhibits both negative permittivity and negative permeability, which ensures a stable negative refractive index to improve the antenna performance for microwave imaging. The antenna structure, with dimension of 16 × 21 × 1.6 mm3, is printed on a low dielectric FR4 material with a slotted ground plane and a microstrip feed. The measured reflection coefficient demonstrates that this antenna attains 114.5% bandwidth covering the frequency band of 3.4–12.5 GHz for a voltage standing wave ratio of less than 2 with a maximum gain of 5.16 dBi at 10.15 GHz. There is a stable harmony between the simulated and measured results that indicate improved nearly omni-directional radiation characteristics within the operational frequency band. The stable surface current distribution, negative refractive index characteristic, considerable gain and radiation properties make this proposed negative index metamaterial antenna optimal for UWB microwave imaging applications.

Effects of Varying Reverberation on Music Perception for Young Normal-Hearing and Old Hearing-Impaired Listeners.

Science.gov (United States)

Reinhart, Paul N; Souza, Pamela E

2018-01-01

Reverberation enhances music perception and is one of the most important acoustic factors in auditorium design. However, previous research on reverberant music perception has focused on young normal-hearing (YNH) listeners. Old hearing-impaired (OHI) listeners have degraded spatial auditory processing; therefore, they may perceive reverberant music differently. Two experiments were conducted examining the effects of varying reverberation on music perception for YNH and OHI listeners. Experiment 1 examined whether YNH listeners and OHI listeners prefer different amounts of reverberation for classical music listening. Symphonic excerpts were processed at a range of reverberation times using a point-source simulation. Listeners performed a paired-comparisons task in which they heard two excerpts with different reverberation times, and they indicated which they preferred. The YNH group preferred a reverberation time of 2.5 s; however, the OHI group did not demonstrate any significant preference. Experiment 2 examined whether OHI listeners are less sensitive to (e, less able to discriminate) differences in reverberation time than YNH listeners. YNH and OHI participants listened to pairs of music excerpts and indicated whether they perceived the same or different amount of reverberation. Results indicated that the ability of both groups to detect differences in reverberation time improved with increasing reverberation time difference. However, discrimination was poorer for the OHI group than for the YNH group. This suggests that OHI listeners are less sensitive to differences in reverberation when listening to music than YNH listeners, which might explain the lack of group reverberation time preferences of the OHI group.

Crystal structure of superparamagnetic Mg0.2Ca0.8Fe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized by sol–gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Escamilla-Pérez, A.M.; Cortés-Hernández, D.A.; Almanza-Robles, J.M.; Mantovani, D.; Chevallier, P.

2015-01-01

Powders of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Mg 0.2 Ca 0.8 Fe 2 O 4 ) were prepared by a sol–gel method using ethylene glycol and nitrates of Fe, Ca and Mg as starting materials. Those powders were heat treated at different temperatures (573, 673, 773 and 873 K). In order to evaluate the effect of the heat treatment temperature on the nanoferrites properties, X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques were used. It was found that the reaction products exhibit nanometric sizes and superparamagnetic behavior. It is also demonstrated that, as the heat treatment temperature increases, the particle size and the saturation magnetization of the nanoferrites are increased. - Highlights: • Mg 0.2 Ca 0.8 Fe 2 O 4 superparamagnetic nanoparticles were successfully synthesized. • Particle average sizes of Ca–Mg ferrites were within the range of 8–25 nm. • The nanoferrite treated at 873 K showed a stoichiometry close to Mg 0.2 Ca 0.8 Fe 2 O 4 . • The heat treatment temperature has a strong effect on the crystal structure. • These nanoparticles are potential materials for magnetic hyperthermia

Exploratory experiments on the feasibility of Th and Pu sol-gel particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanhellemont, G.; Beullens, J.; Bairiot, H.

1965-05-01

The sol-gel process as developed by the O.E.C.D. Dragon Project has been applied by the Plutonium Project at Mol to determine the feasibility of producing spherical particles containing Th02, Pu02 and C, in the proportions necessary to fabricate thorium-plutonium carbide kernels for irradiation specimens and for fuel cartridges for the Dragon Reactor Experiment. The process has been extended successfully to the preparation of thorium and plutonium gels, having a significant excess of carbon, with the object of evaluating the feasibility of the sol-gel process for the production of Th, C-10 type kernels. Other experiments have been performed to test the feasibility of incorporating U02 powder into the gel spheres. By using this technique, U to Th ratios of up to 9:1 have been obtained. (author)

Comparison of Dapivirine Vaginal Gel and Film Formulation Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics (FAME 02B).

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Jennifer A; Marzinke, Mark A; Bakshi, Rahul P; Fuchs, Edward J; Radebaugh, Christine L; Aung, Wutyi; Spiegel, Hans M L; Coleman, Jenell S; Rohan, Lisa C; Hendrix, Craig W

2017-04-01

While preexposure prophylaxis with oral tenofovir/emtricitabine reduces HIV acquisition rates, poor adherence to and acceptability of vaginal gels and the potential for evolving drug resistance have led to development of vaginal film formulations and other antiretroviral drugs, respectively, including the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor dapivirine. In this two-arm crossover study of a novel fast-dissolving dapivirine film and a previously studied semisolid dapivirine gel, 10 healthy women received a single 1.25 mg vaginal dose of each study product; one withdrew after the first dose. Clinical, pharmacokinetic, and antiviral pharmacodynamic assessments (ex vivo HIV-BaL challenge of tissue explants) were performed over 168 h postdose. Six of ten participants experienced mild to moderate adverse effects, similar between products, with no severe adverse events or adverse events attributed to study products. There were no statistically significant differences in plasma, cervicovaginal fluid (CVF), or cervical tissue dapivirine concentrations between the gel and film (all p > .05). CVF dapivirine concentrations were 1.5 and 6 log 10 greater than tissue and plasma concentrations, respectively (p dapivirine film and gel performed similarly in terms of tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and antiviral effect. Dapivirine film may provide an alternative to pharmacokinetically comparable dapivirine gel formulations. Effectiveness remains to be tested.

Gel properties and interactions of Mesona blumes polysaccharide-soy protein isolates mixed gel: The effect of salt addition.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wenjie; Shen, Mingyue; Liu, Suchen; Jiang, Lian; Song, Qianqian; Xie, Jianhua

2018-07-15

Effect of different salt ions on the gel properties and microstructure of Mesona blumes polysaccharide (MBP)-soy protein isolates (SPI) mixed gels were investigated. Sodium and calcium ions were chosen to explore their effects on the rheological behavior and gel properties of MBP-SPI mixed gels were evaluated by using rheological, X-ray diffraction, protein solubility determination, and microstructure analysis. Results showed that the addition of salt ions change the crystalline state of gels system, the crystal of gel was enhanced at low ion concentrations (0.005-0.01 M). The two peaks of gel characteristic at 8.9° and 19.9° almost disappeared at high salt ions concentrations (0.015-0.02 M), and new crystallization peaks appeared at around 30° and 45°. The elasticity, viscosity, gel strength, water holding capacity, and thermal stability of gel were increased at low ion concentration. Results showed that the main interactions which promoted gel formation and maintain the three-dimensional structure of the gel were electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions, and disulfide interactions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular characterization and multilocus genotypes of Enterocytozoon bieneusi among horses in southwestern China

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Lei Deng

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Enterocytozoon bieneusi is one of the most prevalent causative species of diarrhea and enteric diseases in various hosts. E. bieneusi has been identified in humans, mammals, birds, rodents and reptiles in China, but few studies have reported E. bieneusi in horses. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the prevalence, molecular characteristics and zoonotic potential of E. bieneusi among horses in southwestern China. Findings Three hundred and thirty-three fecal specimens were collected from horses on five farms in the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of southwestern China. The prevalence of E. bieneusi was 22.5 % (75/333, as determined by nested polymerase chain reaction and sequencing analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal RNA gene of E. bieneusi. Altogether, 10 genotypes were identified among the 75 E. bieneusi-positive samples: four of these genotypes were known (horse1, horse2, SC02 and D and six were novel (SCH1-4 and YNH1-2. Multilocus sequence typing using three microsatellites (MS1, MS3 and MS7 and one minisatellite (MS4 revealed three, two, three and three genotypes at these four loci, respectively. In phylogenetic analysis, all the genotypes of E. bieneusi obtained in this study were clustered into three distinct groups: D, SC02 and SCH1-3 were clustered into group 1 (zoonotic potential; SCH4 was clustered into group 2 (cattle-hosted; whereas horse2, YNH1 and YNH2 were clustered into group 6 (unclear zoonotic potential. Conclusions This is the first report of E. bieneusi among horses in southwestern China. This is also the first multilocus genotyping analysis using microsatellite and minisatellite markers of E. bieneusi in horses. The presence of genotype D, which was previously identified in humans, and genotypes SC02 and SCH1-3, which belong to potential zoonotic group 1, these results indicate that horses are a potential source of human E. bieneusi infections in China.

PENGARUH ASAM AKROBAT TERHADAP PEMBENTUKAN GEL MIOFIBRIL IKAN MATA BESAR (Selar crumenophthalnus [effect of ascorbic acid on gel formation of myofibril from big eye scad fish (Selar crumenophthalnus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuli Witono

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Effect of ascorbic acid on gel formation of myofibril from big eye scad fish (Selar crumenophthalnuswere studied for its development as food ingredient. Myofibril was galled by the addition of various concentrations of ascorbic acid (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4% and the gels were then characterized for its cooking loss, of the gel, but at 0.4% the cooking loss of gel increased significantly. Accordingly, the WHC of the gel changed insignificantly with the ascorbic acid addition below 0.3%, and decrease sharply in the addition of 0.4%. Gel textures were affected by the addition of ascorbic acid at all levels, namely 29.9 ± 1.9, 31.0 ± 0.3, 35.4 ± 0.4, 46.7 ± 1.5, and 115.7 ± 3.2 g/7 mm for 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4%, respectively. Sodium dodecyl sulfate – polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE showed that addition of ascorbic acid drove formation odfdisulphide bond in the myosin heavy chain (MHC and other myofirillar proteins, resulting in the development of a strong three dimensions structure I myofibril gel as shown by microscopic structure.

Anisotropic stress rupture properties of the nickel-base single crystal superalloy SRR99

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, G.M.; Yu, J.J.; Sun, Y.L.; Sun, X.F.; Hu, Z.Q.

2010-01-01

The influence of orientation on the stress rupture properties of a single crystal superalloy SRR99 was investigated at temperatures of 760 and 1040 deg. C. It is found that the creep anisotropic behaviour is pronounced at the lower temperature of 760 deg. C and the stress rupture life ranks in the order [0 0 1] > [1 1 1] > [0 1 1]. Despite the anisotropy of stress rupture life is evidently reduced at the higher temperature, the [1 1 1] orientation exhibits the longest life. At 760 deg. C, EBSD (electron back scattered diffraction) was adopted to measure the lattice rotation and the deduced results indicate that the dominant slip systems are {1 1 1} during stress rupture test. At 1040 deg. C, the ranking order of the stress rupture life is [1 1 1] > [0 0 1] > [0 1 1] and the single crystal close to [0 1 1] orientation still shows the poorest life. In the [0 0 1] and [1 1 1] samples, regular γ' raft structure is formed compared with [0 1 1] samples. Further observations made by TEM investigations reveal the underlying deformation mechanisms for crystals with orientations near [0 0 1], [0 1 1] and [1 1 1] under two test conditions.

Crystal structure of superparamagnetic Mg{sub 0.2}Ca{sub 0.8}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nanoparticles synthesized by sol–gel method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Escamilla-Pérez, A.M., E-mail: angel.mep@gmail.com [Cinvestav-Unidad Saltillo, Industria Metalúrgica No. 1062, Parque Industrial Saltillo-Ramos Arizpe, C.P. 25900, Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila (Mexico); Cortés-Hernández, D.A., E-mail: dora.cortes@cinvestav.edu.mx [Cinvestav-Unidad Saltillo, Industria Metalúrgica No. 1062, Parque Industrial Saltillo-Ramos Arizpe, C.P. 25900, Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila (Mexico); Almanza-Robles, J.M. [Cinvestav-Unidad Saltillo, Industria Metalúrgica No. 1062, Parque Industrial Saltillo-Ramos Arizpe, C.P. 25900, Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila (Mexico); Mantovani, D.; Chevallier, P. [Laboratory for Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Department of Materials Engineering and University Hospital Research Center, Laval University, Quebec City, QC (Canada)

2015-01-15

Powders of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Mg{sub 0.2}Ca{sub 0.8}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4}) were prepared by a sol–gel method using ethylene glycol and nitrates of Fe, Ca and Mg as starting materials. Those powders were heat treated at different temperatures (573, 673, 773 and 873 K). In order to evaluate the effect of the heat treatment temperature on the nanoferrites properties, X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques were used. It was found that the reaction products exhibit nanometric sizes and superparamagnetic behavior. It is also demonstrated that, as the heat treatment temperature increases, the particle size and the saturation magnetization of the nanoferrites are increased. - Highlights: • Mg{sub 0.2}Ca{sub 0.8}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} superparamagnetic nanoparticles were successfully synthesized. • Particle average sizes of Ca–Mg ferrites were within the range of 8–25 nm. • The nanoferrite treated at 873 K showed a stoichiometry close to Mg{sub 0.2}Ca{sub 0.8}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4}. • The heat treatment temperature has a strong effect on the crystal structure. • These nanoparticles are potential materials for magnetic hyperthermia.

Studies on the proteinaceous gel secretion from the skin of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PRECIOUS

2009-12-15

Dec 15, 2009 ... and SDS-PAGE analysis of the proteinaceous gel of catfish, A. ... SDS–PAGE. One dimensional sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) poly acrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was carried out to estimate the mole- cular weight of the ... 0.2% Triton X-100, was defined as percent hemolysis (Park et al.,. 1997).

Li3PO4 surface coating on Ni-rich LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 by a citric acid assisted sol-gel method: Improved thermal stability and high-voltage performance

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Suk-Woo; Kim, Myeong-Seong; Jeong, Jun Hui; Kim, Dong-Hyun; Chung, Kyung Yoon; Roh, Kwang Chul; Kim, Kwang-Bum

2017-08-01

A surface coating of Li3PO4 was applied to a Ni-rich LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (NCM) material to improve its thermal stability and electrochemical properties via a citric acid assisted sol-gel method. The addition of citric acid effectively suppressed the instant formation of Li3PO4 in solution, resulting in successful coating of the NCM surface. The improved thermal stability of NCM after Li3PO4 surface coating was demonstrated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis and in situ time-resolved X-ray diffraction (TR-XRD). In particular, the TR-XRD results showed that the improved thermal stability after Li3PO4 surface coating originates from suppression of the phase transition of charged NCM at high temperatures. Furthermore, the charge-discharge tests demonstrated that Li3PO4-coated LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (LP-NCM) has excellent electrochemical properties. LP-NCM exhibited a specific capacity of 192.7 mAh g-1, a capacity retention of 44.1% at 10 C, and a capacity retention of 79.7% after 100 cycles at a high cut-off voltage of 4.7 V; these values represent remarkably improved electrochemical properties compared with those of bare NCM. These improved thermal and electrochemical properties were mainly attributed to the improvement of the structural stability of the material and the suppression of the interface reaction between the cathode and the electrolyte owing to the Li3PO4 coating.

Determination of cadmium with 6-bromo-2-benzothiazolylazo-2-naphthol gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yong-Keun; Ueno, Keihei.

1980-01-01

A simple and rapid semiquantitative procedure has been developed for the determination of sub-ppm level of cadmium in environmental aquatic samples by using an analytical micro-column packed with reagent gel beads. Reagent gel beads were prepared by treating the cross-linked polystyrene beads (2% divinylbenzene, (70 -- 100) mesh in dry condition) with 0.02% chlorobenzene solution of 6-bromo-2-benzothiazolylazo-2-naphthol (BTAN) for 24 h at room temperature. The gel beads were packed into a glass column (2.5 mm bore, 120 mm length). When a sample solution containing cadmium, buffered to pH 10 with Clark-Lubs buffer, was passed through the BTAN gel column at a flow rate of 0.2 ml/min, the original pink color of the reagent gel turned to red-violet from the up-stream of the column. As the length of colored band was proportional to the total amount of cadmium in the sample solution passed through the column, the concentration of cadmium can be determined from the calibration line which had been prepared by using the standard solution. Cadmium ion at (0.05 -- 0.1)ppm and (0.2 -- 0.5)ppm levels could be determined with +-10% and +-5% relative errors, respectively. Of the foreign metals, 40-fold excess of Cr(VI), 20-fold excess of Al and Ni, 10-fold excess of Co(II), Hg(II), Fe(III) and Ag, and 5-fold excess of Cu(II) could be masked with Zincon, Tiron, thiourea and sodium fluoride. As for Zn(II), interferences could be masked up to identical amount with Cd with Zincon. This method was successfully applied to the analysis of cadmium in environmental aquatic samples. (author)

Contribution to the study of thorium phosphate gels and xerogels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iroulart, M.G.

1989-01-01

The physico-chemical and optical properties of transparent thorium phosphate gels and xerogels are studied. The gels are obtained by mixing 3/4 or 1/1 parts of Th (NO 3 ) 4 (or Th Cl 4 ) and H 3 PO 4 (from 0.02 to 0.2 M) water solutions of 0.5 to 1 pH. Xerogels are obtained by a liquid phase drying at 50C. The 31 P and 1 H NMR, the Raman and EXAFS experiments are performed. The gel structural model is proposed: inorganic polymers from [Th (OH) 2 PO 4 H 2 (H 2 O 8 ] 2 2+ dimers. Xerogel is a transparent material having a wide optical window, which allows applications in ions detection. The X ray experiments on 4 hours heated xerogels, at different temperatures, showed the amorphe-crystal transition at 300C. A Th 3 (PO 4 ) 4 crystallized phase is obtained by xerogel heating at 850C, during 72 hours. It is a new synthesis method to obtain such a compound from an amorphous material [fr

Gel Dosimetry Analysis of Gold Nanoparticle Application in Kilovoltage Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marques, T; Schwarcke, M; Garrido, C; Zucolot, V; Baffa, O; Nicolucci, P

2010-01-01

In this work gold nanoparticles (AuNP) were embedded in MAGIC-f gel and irradiated in a 250 kV x-ray clinical beam. The signal of non-irradiated gel samples containing AuNPs showed maximum difference of 0.5% related to gel without nanoparticles. Different AuNPs concentrations were studied: 0.10 mM, 0.05 mM and 0.02 mM, presenting dose enhancements of 106%, 90% and 77% respectively. Monte Carlo spectrometry was performed to quantify theoretical changes in photon energy spectrums due to AuNPs presence. Concordance between simulated dose enhancements and gel dosimetry measurements was better than 97% to all concentrations studied. This study evidences that polymer gel dosimetry as a suitable tool to perform dosimetric investigations of nanoparticle applications in Radiation Therapy.

Avoiding acidic region streaking in two-dimensional gel ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Supplementary figure 6. 2DE gel images ... Number of acidic streaks. Fedyunin et al. 2012. 4.02. 6. Zuo et al. 2000. 2.54. 9. Valenete et ... CE, 3rd 2009 Proteasomal protein degradation in ... Nandakumar MP, Shen J, Raman B and Marten MR.

Characterization of particulate sol-gel synthesis of LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 via maleic acid assistance with different solvents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong, Y.D.; Zhao, X.B.; Cao, G.S.; Tu, J.P.; Zhu, T.J.

2006-01-01

Particulate sol-gel LiNi 0.8 Co 0.2 O 2 has been synthesized by a maleic-acid-assisted process using de-ionized water or ethanol as the solvent. A comparison of the effect on these two different solvents was made on the basis of thermal studies, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, chemical diffusion coefficients measurement, and electrochemical cyclability tests. An esterification reaction occurred on the xerogel prepared with ethanol as solvent, reducing Ni and Co from their nitrate salts. LiNi 0.8 Co 0.2 O 2 grew at the expense of Li 2 CO 3 , NiO, and CoO during calcination. Better results of capacity and cyclability were obtained in a DI-water-solvent sample associated with a larger interslab thickness between O-Li-O and lower Ni occupancy on the Li site. The activation energy for the calcinations of DI-water-solvent sample is one-half of that of the ethanol-solvent one, which could be the reason for its better properties. Chemical diffusion coefficients of Li + ion are of the same order 10 -10 cm 2 /s, is not affected by the solvents used and/or the temperature raise to 55 deg. C

Safety, tolerability, and systemic absorption of dapivirine vaginal microbicide gel in healthy, HIV-negative women.

Science.gov (United States)

Nel, Annalene M; Coplan, Paul; van de Wijgert, Janneke H; Kapiga, Saidi H; von Mollendorf, Claire; Geubbels, Eveline; Vyankandondera, Joseph; Rees, Helen V; Masenga, Gileard; Kiwelu, Ireen; Moyes, Jocelyn; Smythe, Shanique C

2009-07-31

To assess the local and systemic safety of dapivirine vaginal gel vs. placebo gel as well as the systemic absorption of dapivirine in healthy, HIV-negative women. Two prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase I/II studies were conducted at five research centers, four in Africa and one in Belgium. A total of 119 women used dapivirine gel (concentrations of 0.001, 0.002, 0.005, or 0.02%), and 28 used placebo gel twice daily for 42 days. The primary endpoints were colposcopic findings, adverse events, Division of AIDS grade 3 or grade 4 laboratory values, and plasma levels of dapivirine. Safety data were similar for the dapivirine and placebo gels. None of the adverse events with incidence more than 5% occurred with greater frequency in the dapivirine than placebo groups. Similar percentages of placebo and dapivirine gel users had adverse events that were considered by the investigator to be related to study gel. A total of five serious adverse events occurred in the two studies, and none was assessed as related to study gel. Mean plasma concentrations of dapivirine were approximately dose proportional, and, within each dose group, mean concentrations were similar on days 7, 28, and 42. The maximum observed mean concentration was 474 pg/ml in the 0.02% gel group on day 28. Two weeks after the final application of study gel, mean concentrations decreased to 5 pg/ml or less. Twice daily administration of dapivirine vaginal gel for 42 days was safe and well tolerated with low systemic absorption in healthy, HIV-negative women suggesting that continued development is warranted.

Influence of annealing temperature on the electrochemical and surface properties of the 5-V spinel cathode material LiCr0.2Ni0.4Mn1.4O4 synthesized by a sol–gel technique

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Younesi, Reza; Malmgren, Sara; Edström, Kristina

2014-01-01

LiCr0.2Ni0.4Mn1.4O4 was synthesized by a sol–gel technique in which tartaric acid was used as oxide precursor. The synthesized powder was annealed at five different temperatures from 600 to 1,000 °C and tested as a 5-V cathode material in Li-ion batteries. The study shows that annealing at higher...

Increasing efficacy and reducing systemic absorption of brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic gels in rabbits.

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Xiaochen; Li, Jiawei; Pi, Jiaxin; Qi, Dongli; Guo, Pan; Li, Nan; Wu, Yumei; Liu, Zhidong

2018-03-01

Systemic absorption of ocularly administered Brimonidine Tartrate has been reported to give rise to several side-effects. Hence, it has become crucial to develop a delivery system that could increase efficacy and reduce systemic absorption. Therefore, the present work aims to develop Brimonidine Tartrate gels with different concentrations (0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2% w/v, respectively) using Carbopol 974 P and HPMC E4M, and compare the therapeutic efficacy and systemic absorption with that of eye drop (0.2%, w/v) by UPLC-MS/MS. The result of histological analysis did not show any morphological or structural changes after the administration of formulations. In vitro residence time studies demonstrated that the gels exhibited a better precorneal residence time as compared with the eye drop. The gels with lower concentrations of the drug (0.05% and 0.1%, w/v) could significantly decrease intraocular pressure (IOP) in both normal and water-loaded rabbits as compared to the eye drop. Finally, the values of the ratio of AUC (0→∞) in comparison to eye drop showed the gels with lower concentrations of Brimonidine Tartrate could decrease the systemic absorption. From the result, it can be concluded the 0.1% ophthalmic gel has a potential to improve therapeutic efficacy and reduce the potential toxicity caused by systemic absorption.

Fabrication and Optimization of a PAGATA Gel Dosimeter: Increasing the Melting Point of the PAGAT Gel Dosimeter with Agarose Additive

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bakhtiar Azadbakht

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The PAGAT polymer gel dosimeter melts at 30 ˚C and even at room temperature during the summer, so it needs to be kept in a cool place such as a refrigerator. To increase the stability of the PAGAT gel, different amounts of agarose were added to the PAGAT gel composition and the PAGATA gel was manufactured. Material and Methods: The PAGATA gel vials were irradiated using a Co-60 machine. Then, the samples were evaluated using a 1.5 T Siemens MRI scanner. The ingredients of the PAGATA normoxic gel dosimeter were 4.5% N-N' methylen-bis-acrylamide, 4.5% acrylamide, 4.5% gelatine, 5 mM tetrakis (THPC, 0.01 mM hydroquinone (HQ, 0.5% agarose and 86% de-ionized water (HPLC. Results: Melting point and sensitivity of the PAGAT gel dosimeter with addition of 0.0, 0.3, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% of agarose were measured, in which the melting points were increased to 30, 82, 86, 88, 89 and 90°C and their sensitivities found to be 0.113, 0.1059, 0.125, 0.122, 0.115 and 0.2  respectively. Discussion and Conclusions: Adding agarose increased the sensitivity and background R2 of the evaluated samples. The optimum amount of agarose was found to be 0.5% regarding these parameters and also the melting point of the gel dosimeter. A value of 0.5% agarose was found to be an optimum value considering the increase of sensitivity to 0.125 and melting point to 86°C but at the expense of increasing the background R2 to 4.530.

Ion-conductive polymethylmethacrylate gel electrolytes for lithium batteries

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vondrák, Jiří; Reiter, Jakub; Velická, Jana; Klápště, Břetislav; Sedlaříková, M.; Dvorak, J.

2005-01-01

Roč. 146, 1-2 (2005), s. 436-440 ISSN 0378-7753 R&D Projects: GA MŽP SN/3/171/05; GA ČR GA104/02/0731 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40320502 Keywords : polymethylmethacrylate * gel electrolytes * polymer electrolytes Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 2.770, year: 2005

Sol-gel synthesis of lanthanum-gallate-based ceramic coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golubko, N.V.; Kaleva, G.M.; Roginskaya, Yu.E.; Politova, E.D.

2007-01-01

Phase-pure (La 0.9 Sr 0.1 )(Ga 0.7 Fe 0.3 )O 3-y and (Sr 1.8 La 0.2 )(GaFe)O 5.1 solid solutions with the perovskite and brownmillerite structures have been prepared from salt solutions by sol-gel processing at temperatures from 570 to 870 K. Ceramic coatings up to 100 μm in thickness have been produced by applying suspensions of the sol-gel powders to various substrates. The structure and microstructure of the ceramic coatings have been studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy [ru

Comparative evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of natural extracts of Morinda citrifolia, papain and aloe vera (all in gel formulation), 2% chlorhexidine gel and calcium hydroxide, against Enterococcus faecalis: An in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhardwaj, Anuj; Ballal, Suma; Velmurugan, Natanasabapathy

2012-07-01

A comparative evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of natural extracts of Morinda citrifolia, papain, and aloe vera (all in gel formulations), 2% chlorhexidine gel and calcium hydroxide, against Enterococcus faecalis-an in vitro study. The antimicrobial efficacy was assessed in vitro using dentin shavings collected at 2 depths of 200 and 400 μm. The total colony forming units at the end of 1, 3, and 5 days were assessed. The overall percentage inhibition of bacterial growth (200 and 400 μm depth) was 100% with chlorhexidine gel. This was followed by M. citrifolia gel (86.02%), which showed better antimicrobial efficacy as compared with aloe vera gel (78.9%), papain gel (67.3%), and calcium hydroxide (64.3%). There was no statistical difference between data at 200 and 400 μm depth. Chlorhexidine gel showed the maximum antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis, whereas calcium hydroxide showed the least. Among the natural intracanal medicaments, M. citrifolia gel consistently exhibited good inhibition up to the 5(th) day followed by aloe vera gel and papain gel.

Molecular dissection of a contiguous gene syndrome: Frequent submicroscopic deletions, evolutionarily conserved sequences, and a hypomethylated island in the Miller-Dieker chromosome region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ledbetter, D.H.; Ledbetter, S.A.; vanTuinen, P.

1989-01-01

The Miller-Dieker syndrome (MDS), composed of characteristic facial abnormalities and a severe neuronal migration disorder affecting the cerebral cortex, is caused by visible or submicroscopic deletions of chromosome band 17p13. Twelve anonymous DNA markers were tested against a panel of somatic cell hybrids containing 17p deletions from seven MDS patients. All patients, including three with normal karyotypes, are deleted for a variable set of 5-12 markers. Two highly polymorphic VNTR (variable number of tandem repeats) probes, YNZ22 and YNH37, are codeleted in all patients tested and make molecular diagnosis for this disorder feasible. By pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, YNZ22 and YNH37 were shown to be within 30 kilobases (kb) of each other. Cosmid clones containing both VNTR sequences were identified, and restriction mapping showed them to be 100 kb were completely deleted in all patients, providing a minimum estimate of the size of the MDS critical region. A hypomethylated island and evolutionarily conserved sequences were identified within this 100-kb region, indications of the presence of one or more expressed sequences potentially involved in the pathophysiology of this disorder. The conserved sequences were mapped to mouse chromosome 11 by using mouse-rat somatic cell hybrids, extending the remarkable homology between human chromosome 17 and mouse chromosome 11 by 30 centimorgans, into the 17p telomere region

Nanostructure investigation of magnetic nanomaterial Ni0.5Zn0.3Cu0.2Fe2O4 synthesized by sol-gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pransisco, Prengki; Shafie, Afza; Guan, Beh Hoe

2015-01-01

Magnetic nanomaterial Ni 0.5 Zn 0.3 Cu 0.2 Fe 2 O 4 was successfully prepared by using sol-gel method. Heat treatment on material is always giving defect on properties of material. This paper investigates the effect of heat treatment on nanostructure of magnetic nanomaterial Ni 0.5 Zn 0.3 Cu 0.2 Fe 2 O 4 . According to thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) that after 600°C there is no more weight loss detected and it was decided as minimum calcination temperature. Intensity, crystallite size, structure, lattice parameter and d-spacing of the material were investigated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD). High resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) was used to examine nanostructure, nanosize, shape and distribution particle of magnetic material Ni 0.5 Zn 0.3 Cu 0.2 Fe 2 O 4 and variable pressure field emission scanning electron microscope (VP-FESEM) was used to investigate the surface morphology and topography of the material. The XRD result shows single-phase cubic spinel structure with average crystallite size in the range of 25.6-95.9 nm, the value of the intensity of the material was increased with increasing temperature, and followed by lattice parameter was increased with increasing calcination temperature, value of d-spacing was relatively decreased with accompanied increasing temperature. From HRTEM result the distribution of particles was tend to be agglomerates with particle size of 7.8-17.68 nm. VP-FESEM result shows that grain size of the material increases with increasing calcination temperature and the surface morphology shows that the material is in hexagonal shape and it was also proved by mapping result which showing the presence each of constituents inside the compound

Method for producing metal oxide aerogels having densities less than 0. 02 g/cc

Science.gov (United States)

Tillotson, T.M.; Poco, J.F.; Hrubesh, L.W.; Thomas, I.M.

1994-01-04

A two-step method is described for making transparent aerogels which have a density of less than 0.003 g/cm[sup 3] to those with a density of more than 0.8 g/cm[sup 3], by a sol/gel process and supercritical extraction. Condensed metal oxide intermediate made with purified reagents can be diluted to produce stable aerogels with a density of less than 0.02 g/cm[sup 3]. High temperature, direct supercritical extraction of the liquid phase of the gel produces hydrophobic aerogels which are stable at atmospheric moisture conditions. Monolithic, homogeneous silica aerogels with a density of less than 0.02 to higher than 0.8 g/cm[sup 3], with high thermal insulation capacity, improved mechanical strength and good optical transparency, are described. 7 figures.

Dosimetry for computed tomography using Fricke gel dosimetry and magnetic resonance imaging; Dosimetria em tomografia computadorizada empregando dosimetro Fricke gel e a tecnica de imageamento por ressonancia magnetica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Capeleti, Felipe Favaro; Campos, Leticia L., E-mail: felipe@gmpbrasil.com.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2014-04-15

In this work it was determined a new method for the determination of absorbed doses in Computed Tomography (CT) examinations using Fricke gel dosimetry developed at IPEN. Absorbed doses were determined by different methods of analysis, such as optical absorption spectrometry, ionization chambers and magnetic resonance imaging. Lower limit of sensitivity of the Fricke gel solution, the solution repeatability signal Fricke gel and CT equipment, detection sensitivity, among other tests were performed. Different equipment of computed tomography with multiple detectors were used. The Fricke gel solution showed better repeatability than ±5.5% using the technique of optical absorption spectrophotometry and computed tomography equipment showed repeatability better than ±0.2%. The Fricke gel solution features an easy and relatively quick preparation, but it is necessary to be careful not to contaminate and lose the solution. With the results, it was confirmed the application of this type of dosimetry for computed tomography equipment. (author)

Enhancement of ferromagnetic properties in Zn0.98Cu0.02O by additional Co doping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Huilian; Zhang, Xu; Liu, Hongbo; Yang, Jinghai; Liu, Yang; Liu, Xiaoyan; Gao, Ming; Wei, Maobin; Cheng, Xin; Wang, Jian

2013-01-01

Highlights: •The samples were synthesized by sol–gel technology to dope up to 3% Co in ZnCuO. •After Co doped into Zn 0.98 Cu 0.02 O sample photoluminescence shows an increase in green emission. •The saturation magnetization increased with Co doping. -- Abstract: Zn 0.98 Cu 0.02 O and Zn 0.95 Cu 0.02 Co 0.03 O powders were synthesized by sol–gel method, and the effects of Co codoping on the structure, optical and magnetic properties of the Zn 0.98 Cu 0.02 O powders were studied in detail. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement shows the Zn 0.98 Cu 0.02 O and Zn 0.95 Cu 0.02 Co 0.03 O powders were single phase with the ZnO wurtzite structure, and there was no ferromagnetic-related secondary phase in these powders. Moreover, these powders exhibited ferromagnetism at the room temperature investigated by the magnetic measurement, and the ferromagnetism of the Zn 0.98 Cu 0.02 O and Zn 0.95 Cu 0.02 Co 0.03 O samples were originated from the fact that the Cu ions and Co, Cu ions doped into the ZnO lattices, respectively. In addition, the saturation magnetization (Ms) was significantly increased with Co codoping due to the increased density of oxygen vacancies

Preliminary study of diffusion effects in Fricke gel dosimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quiroga, A.; Vedelago, J.; Valente, M.

2014-08-01

in standard dependence of optical density differences and actual, non-diffused, absorbed dose distributions. The obtained values for ferric ion diffusion coefficient, in mm 2 h -1 were (1.24 ± 0.07) and (1.15 ± 0.05) for the 1D and 2D method, respectively, in the first approach method and (0.65 ± 0.01), (0.68 ± 0.02) and (0.65 ± 0.02) in the second approach method. The results show good agreement with previous works corresponding to similar Fricke gel dosimeter compositions. Thus, more accurate 2D and 3D dose mapping might be attained that constitutes valuable improvements in Fricke gel dosimetry, and parallel a high precision methods of diffusion model and calculation have been developed. (Author)

SANS study of the structural evolution in NIPA/SA gel on dehydration

CERN Document Server

Sugiyama, M; Maeda, Y; Hara, K

2002-01-01

Mesoscopic structures of N-isopropylacryl-amide/sodium acrylate (NIPA/SA) gels with several water contents were investigated with a small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) method in order to make clear their structural evolution on dehydration. The evolution of the SANS profile with a decrease in the water content in the gel could be classified into three stages. In the beginning, there was no peak in the SANS profile except for the central part, which steadily intensified. With the further water dissipation, a side peak appeared at around 0.02 A sup - sup 1 , the intensity of which increased up to a certain water content and then decreased. These results indicate that the water dissipation in the NIPA/SA gel occurs inhomogeneously. (orig.)

3D MR gel dosimetry with lung equivalent gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scherer, J.; Solleder, M.; Schiessl, I.; Bogner, L.; Herbst, M.

1998-01-01

The MR gel dosimetry is used to verify complex 3D treatment plans. Till now this method served only for dose evaluation in homogeneous phantoms. On the way to build a heterogeneous anthropomorphic gel phantom, a lung equivalent gel with the density 0.4 g/cm 3 was developed. First experiments show a 1.55 times higher dose reponse in the low density gel (LD gel). The comparison of a dose distribution in a gel/LD gel/gel slab phantom with Monte Carlo calculations shows good agreement within 5%. More over the accuray of the measuring device magnetic resonance imager was studied in respect to the now exclusive digital image processing with the software MRD (MR dosimetry). Because of the dimensions of the Fricke gel phantom an artefact correction, based on the data from the unirradiated phantom proved to be essential. (orig.) [de

Immunohistochemical overexpression of hypoxia-induced factor 1α associated with slow reduction in {sup 18}fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake for chemoradiotherapy in patients with pharyngeal cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Shang-Wen [China Medical University Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Taichung (China); China Medical University, School of Medicine, Taichung (China); Taipei Medical University, School of Medicine, Taipei (China); Lin, Ying-Chun [China Medical University Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Taichung (China); China Medical University and Academia Sinica, The Ph.D. Program for Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, Taichung (China); Chen, Rui-Yun [China Medical University Hospital, Department of Pathology, Taichung (China); Hsieh, Te-Chun; Yen, Kuo-Yang [China Medical University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Taichung (China); China Medical University, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, Taichung (China); Liang, Ji-An [China Medical University Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Taichung (China); China Medical University, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taichung (China); Yang, Shih-Neng [China Medical University Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Taichung (China); China Medical University, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, Taichung (China); Wang, Yao-Ching [China Medical University Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Taichung (China); Chen, Ya-Huey [China Medical University, Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology, Taichung (China); China Medical University Hospital, Center for Molecular Medicine, Taichung (China); Chow, Nan-Haw [National Cheng Kung University, Department of Pathology, Tainan (China); Kao, Chia-Hung [China Medical University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Taichung (China); China Medical University, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taichung (China)

2016-12-15

This study examined genomic factors associated with a reduction in {sup 18}fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) uptake during positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) for definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients with pharyngeal cancer. The pretreatment and interim PET-CT images of 25 patients with advanced pharyngeal cancers receiving definitive CRT were prospectively evaluated. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV{sub max}) of the interim PET-CT and the reduction ratio of the SUV{sub max} (SRR) between the two images were measured. Genomic data from pretreatment incisional biopsy specimens (SLC2A1, CAIX, VEGF, HIF1A, BCL2, Claudin-4, YAP1, MET, MKI67, and EGFR) were analyzed using tissue microarrays. Differences in FDG uptake and SRRs between tumors with low and high gene expression were examined using the Mann-Whitney test. Cox regression analysis was performed to examine the effects of variables on local control. The SRR of the primary tumors (SRR-P) was 0.59 ± 0.31, whereas the SRR of metastatic lymph nodes (SRR-N) was 0.54 ± 0.32. Overexpression of HIF1A was associated with a high iSUV{sub max} of the primary tumor (P < 0.001) and neck lymph node (P = 0.04) and a low SRR-P (P = 0.02). Multivariate analysis revealed that patients who had tumors with low SRR-P or high HIF1A expression levels showed inferior local control. In patients with pharyngeal cancer requiring CRT, HIF1A overexpression was positively associated with high interim SUV{sub max} or a slow reduction in FDG uptake. Prospective trials are needed to determine whether the local control rate can be stratified using the HIF1A level as a biomarker and SRR-P. (orig.)

Preliminary study of diffusion effects in Fricke gel dosimeters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quiroga, A. [Centro de Investigacion y Estudios de Matematica de Cordoba, Oficina 318 FaMAF - UNC, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Cordoba (Argentina); Vedelago, J. [Laboratorio de Investigaciones e Instrumentacion en Fisica Aplicada a la Medicina e Imagenes por Rayos X, Laboratorio 448 FaMAF - UNC, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Cordoba (Argentina); Valente, M., E-mail: aiquiroga@famaf.unc.edu [Instituto de Fisica Enrique Gaviola, Oficina 102 FaMAF - UNC, Av. Luis Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Cordoba (Argentina)

2014-08-15

in standard dependence of optical density differences and actual, non-diffused, absorbed dose distributions. The obtained values for ferric ion diffusion coefficient, in mm{sup 2} h{sup -1} were (1.24 ± 0.07) and (1.15 ± 0.05) for the 1D and 2D method, respectively, in the first approach method and (0.65 ± 0.01), (0.68 ± 0.02) and (0.65 ± 0.02) in the second approach method. The results show good agreement with previous works corresponding to similar Fricke gel dosimeter compositions. Thus, more accurate 2D and 3D dose mapping might be attained that constitutes valuable improvements in Fricke gel dosimetry, and parallel a high precision methods of diffusion model and calculation have been developed. (Author)

Skeletal keratan sulfate chain molecular weight calibration by high-performance gel-permeation chromatography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickenson, J.M.; Morris, H.G.; Nieduszynski, I.A.; Huckerby, T.N.

1990-01-01

A method has been developed for the molecular sizing of skeletal keratan sulfate chains using an HPLC gel-permeation chromatography system. Keratan sulfate chains and keratanase-derived oligosaccharides were prepared from the nucleus pulposus of bovine intervertebral disc (6-year-old animals). A Bio-Gel TSK 30 XL column eluted in 0.2 M NaCl and at 30 degrees C was calibrated with keratan sulfate oligosaccharides of known size as well as 3H-end-labeled keratan sulfate chains to yield the relationship

Recubrimientos de hidroxiapatita preparados mediante un proceso sol-gel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peón, E.

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Hydroxyapatite coatings (HAp have been obtained starting from precursors of sol-gel type. The coatings previously oxidized were deposited on metal surfaces of a based on iron alloy so-called MA956. The alloys were at high temperatures, in order to improve the adhesion with the hydroxyapatite coatings. The sol-gel coating was obtained applying an aqueous route, using triethyl phosphite and aqueous calcium nitrate, as precursors of phosphorous and calcium, respectively. Different sintering thermal treatments were applied on the resulting gels in order to obtain a homogeneous, adherent and crystalline hydroxyapatite coating. The characterization techniques used for this study were optical microscopy, SEM/EDX, XDR and FTIR. Moreover, the adhesion between the hydroxylapatite coating and the substrate was assessed according to the ASTM D 3359-02 standard test method. The results of this study showed that the best thermal treatment is obtained for a sintering temperature of 550 °C during a time of 72 h.

Se han preparado nuevos recubrimientos de hidroxiapatita (HAp obtenidos a partir de precursores de tipo sol-gel, depositados sobre sustratos metálicos de una aleación de base hierro denominada MA956, previamente oxidados a elevadas temperaturas, para mejorar la adherencia con los recubrimientos de hidroxiapatita. El recubrimiento sol-gel se obtuvo aplicando una ruta acuosa, utilizando como precursores del fósforo y del calcio trietilfosfito y nitrato cálcico tetrahidratado, respectivamente. Sobre los geles resultantes se aplicaron distintos tratamientos térmicos de sinterización, hasta la obtención de recubrimientos de hidroxiapatita homogéneos, adherentes y cristalinos. Las técnicas de caracterización utilizadas para realizar este estudio han sido microscopía óptica, MBE/EDX, DRX y FTIR. Así mismo, se ha determinado la adherencia entre el substrato y el recubrimiento de hidroxiapatita según la norma ASTM D 3359-02. Los resultados

Transdermal delivery of paeonol using cubic gel and microemulsion gel

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Maofu; Shen, Qi; Chen, Jinjin

2011-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to develop new systems for transdermal delivery of paeonol, in particular microemulsion gel and cubic gel formulations. Methods Various microemulsion vehicles were prepared using isopropyl myristate as an oil phase, polyoxyethylated castor oil (Cremophor® EL) as a surfactant, and polyethylene glycol 400 as a cosurfactant. In the optimum microemulsion gel formulation, carbomer 940 was selected as the gel matrix, and consisted of 1% paeonol, 4% isopropyl myristate, 28% Cremophor EL/polyethylene glycol 400 (1:1), and 67% water. The cubic gel was prepared containing 3% paeonol, 30% water, and 67% glyceryl monooleate. Results A skin permeability test using excised rat skins indicated that both the cubic gel and microemulsion gel formulations had higher permeability than did the paeonol solution. An in vivo pharmacokinetic study done in rats showed that the relative bioavailability of the cubic gel and microemulsion gel was enhanced by about 1.51-fold and 1.28-fold, respectively, compared with orally administered paeonol suspension. Conclusion Both the cubic gel and microemulsion gel formulations are promising delivery systems to enhance the skin permeability of paeonol, in particular the cubic gel. PMID:21904450

Gel shift analysis of the empA promoter region in Vibrio anguillarum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denkin Steven M

2004-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The induction of metalloprotease encoded by empA in Vibrio anguillarum occurs at high cell density in salmon intestinal mucus. Previously we have shown that there are significant differences in empA expression in two strains of V. anguillarum, M93Sm and NB10. It is hypothesized that differences in empA regulation are due to differences in binding of regulatory elements. Results Two strains of V. anguillarum, M93Sm and NB10, were examined and compared for the presence of DNA regulatory proteins that bind to and control the empA promoter region. Gel mobility shift assays, using a digoxigenin (DIG-labeled oligomer containing a lux box-like element and the promoter for empA, were done to demonstrate the presence of a DNA-binding protein. Protein extracts from NB10 cells incubated in Luria Bertani broth + 2% NaCl (LB20, nine salts solution + 200 μg/ml mucus (NSSM, 3M (marine minimal medium, or NSS resulted in a gel mobility shift. No gel mobility shift was seen when protein extracts from either LB20- or NSSM-grown M93Sm cells were mixed with the DIG-labeled empA oligomer. The azocasein assay detected protease activity in all incubation conditions for NB10 culture supernatants. In contrast, protease activity was detected in M93Sm culture supernatants only when incubated in NSSM. Since the luxR homologue in V. anguillarum, vanT, has been cloned, sequenced, and shown to be required for protease activity, we wanted to determine if vanT mutants of NB10 exhibit the same gel shift observed in the wild-type. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to create vanT mutants in V. anguillarum M93Sm and NB10 to test whether VanT is involved with the gel mobility shift. Both vanT mutants, M02 and NB02, did not produce protease activity in any conditions. However, protein extracts from NB02 incubated in each condition still exhibited a gel shift when mixed with the DIG-labeled empA oligomer. Conclusions The data demonstrate that protein extracts of V

Application of gel processes in the treatment of actinide-containing liquid wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segal, D.L.; Willis, H.; Woodhead, J.; Wisbey, S.

1987-04-01

Aqueous sol-gel materials including zirconia and alumina sols together with glass-ionomer cements have been used to immobilise inactive mixed Al/Fe/Cr-hydroxide flocs representative of those produced during fuel reprocessing. Conditions for washing out entrained ammonium nitrate while maintaining gravelly-precipitates have been investigated. Decontamination factors have been determined by α-spectrometry for the effect of zirconia and alumina sols on Pu/ 241 Am nitrate solutions in 2M nitric acid/0.2M ammonium fluoride/0.2M aluminium nitrate. (author)

Application of gel processes in the treatment of actinide-containing liquid wastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Segal, D L; Willis, H; Woodhead, J; Wisbey, S

1987-04-01

Aqueous sol-gel materials including zirconia and alumina sols together with glass-ionomer cements have been used to immobilise inactive mixed Al/Fe/Cr-hydroxide flocs representative of those produced during fuel reprocessing. Conditions for washing out entrained ammonium nitrate while maintaining gravelly-precipitates have been investigated. Decontamination factors have been determined by ..cap alpha..-spectrometry for the effect of zirconia and alumina sols on Pu//sup 241/Am nitrate solutions in 2M nitric acid/0.2M ammonium fluoride/0.2M aluminium nitrate.

Comparison of polyacrylamide and agarose gel thin-layer isoelectric focusing for the characterization of beta-lactamases.

Science.gov (United States)

Vecoli, C; Prevost, F E; Ververis, J J; Medeiros, A A; O'Leary, G P

1983-08-01

Plasmid-mediated beta-lactamases from strains of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were separated by isoelectric focusing on a 0.8-mm thin-layer agarose gel with a pH gradient of 3.5 to 9.5. Their banding patterns and isoelectric points were compared with those obtained with a 2.0-mm polyacrylamide gel as the support medium. The agarose method produced banding patterns and isoelectric points which corresponded to the polyacrylamide gel data for most samples. Differences were observed for HMS-1 and PSE-1 beta-lactamases. The HMS-1 sample produced two highly resolvable enzyme bands in agarose gels rather than the single faint enzyme band observed on polyacrylamide gels. The PSE-1 sample showed an isoelectric point shift of 0.2 pH unit between polyacrylamide and agarose gel (pI 5.7 and 5.5, respectively). The short focusing time, lack of toxic hazard, and ease of formulation make agarose a practical medium for the characterization of beta-lactamases.

Effect of waxy rice flour and cassava starch on freeze-thaw stability of rice starch gels.

Science.gov (United States)

Charoenrein, Sanguansri; Preechathammawong, Nutsuda

2012-10-01

Repeatedly frozen and thawed rice starch gel affects quality. This study investigated how incorporating waxy rice flour (WF) and cassava starch (CS) in rice starch gel affects factors used to measure quality. When rice starch gels containing 0-2% WF and CS were subjected to 5 freeze-thaw cycles, both WF and CS reduced the syneresis in first few cycles. However CS was more effective in reducing syneresis than WF. The different composite arrangement of rice starch with WF or CS caused different mechanisms associated with the rice starch gel retardation of retrogradation, reduced the spongy structure and lowered syneresis. Both swollen granules of rice starch and CS caused an increase in the hardness of the unfrozen and freeze-thawed starch gel while highly swollen WF granules caused softer gels. These results suggested that WF and CS were effective in preserving quality in frozen rice starch based products. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ionic conductivity of Bi{sub 2}Ni{sub x}V{sub 1−x}O{sub 5.5−3x/2} (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) oxides prepared by a low temperature sol-gel route

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rusli, Rolan; Patah, Aep, E-mail: ismu@chem.itb.ac.id; Prijamboedi, Bambang, E-mail: ismu@chem.itb.ac.id; Ismunandar, E-mail: ismu@chem.itb.ac.id [Inorganic and Physical Chemistry Division, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jl. Ganesha 10, Bandung 40132 (Indonesia); Abrahams, Isaac [Materials Research Institute, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom)

2014-03-24

Solid oxides fuel cells (SOFCs) is one technology that could contribute toward future sustainable energy. One of the most important components of an SOFC is the electrolyte, which must have high ionic conductivity. Cation substitution of vanadium in Bi{sub 4}V{sub 2}O{sub 11} yields a family of fast oxide ion conducting solids known collectively as the BIMEVOXes (bismuth metal vanadium oxide), which have the potential to be applied as electrolytes in SOFCs. The purpose of this work is to study the effect of Ni concentration, when used as a dopant, on the ionic conductivity of Bi{sub 2}Ni{sub x}V{sub 1−x}O{sub 5.5−3x/2} (BINIVOX) oxides (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) when prepared by a sol gel method. The gels were calcined at 600 °C for 24 h to produce pure BINIVOX. These oxides were found to exhibit the γ-phase structure with tetragonal symmetry in space group I4/mmm. Ionic conductivity of BINIVOX at 300 °C were 6.9 × 10{sup −3} S cm{sup −1}, 1.2 × 10{sup −3} S cm{sup −1}, and 8.2 × 10{sup −4} S cm{sup −1}, for x = 0.1; 0.15; and 0.2; respectively; and at 600 °C were 1.1 × 10{sup −1} S cm{sup −1}, 5.3 × 10{sup −2} S cm{sup −1}, and 2.8 ×10{sup −2} S cm{sup −1}, for x = 0.1; 0.15; and 0.2; respectively.

Implementation of dextrose gel in the management of neonatal hypoglycaemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ter, Marene; Halibullah, Ikhwan; Leung, Laura; Jacobs, Susan

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate dextrose gel in the management of neonatal hypoglycaemia in the postnatal wards at an Australian tertiary level perinatal centre. An audit was performed before and after implementation of dextrose gel. Pre-implementation, neonatal hypoglycaemia was managed with feed supplementation alone, and dextrose gel was used in addition to feed supplementation in the post-implementation phase. Outcomes included admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for management of hypoglycaemia, proportion of neonates who achieved normoglycaemia (defined as blood glucose ≥2.6 mmol/L, with no clinical signs after one or two treatment attempts) and proportion of neonates with hypoglycaemia recurrence after normoglycaemia and one or two treatment attempts. NICU admission for treatment of hypoglycaemia reduced significantly post-implementation of dextrose gel (29/100 (29%) vs. 14/100 (14%), P = 0.01). No significant difference was seen in the proportion of neonates achieving normoglycaemia (71/100 (71%) vs. 75/100 (75%), P = 0.52), but hypoglycaemia recurrence was higher in the post-implementation group (22/71 (31%) vs. 37/75 (49%), P = 0.02). Dextrose gel is effective in the management of neonatal hypoglycaemia in the postnatal ward setting, reducing admission to NICU and mother-infant separation. © 2016 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Diffusion measurement in ferrous infused gel dosimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zahmatkesh, M. H.; Healy, B. J.

2003-01-01

Background: The compositions of Ferrous sulphate, Agarose and Xylenol orange dye and Ferrous sulphate, Gelatin and Xylenol orange dye in solution of distilled water and sulphuric acid are two tissue-equivalent gel dosimeters. Ionizing radiation causes oxidation of Fe 2+ ion to Fe 3+ ions which diffuse through the gel matrix and blur the image of absorbed dose over a period of hours after irradiation. Materials and methods: 25 m M sulphuric acid, 0.4 mm ferrous ammonium sulphate, 0.2 mm xylenol orange dye and 1% by weight agarose in distilled water named Agarose and Xylenol orange dye and 0.1 mm ferrous ammonium sulphate, 0.1 mm xylenol orange dye, 50 mm sulphuric acid and 5% by weight gelatin in distilled water named Gelatin and Xylenol orange dye are used as two gel dosimeters. All chemicals were supplied by Sigma Ald ridge Company, Germany. The gels were poured in Perspex casts and were irradiated to a beam of X ray from linear accelerators or X ray machine. Results: In this study diffusion coefficients of Agarose and Xylenol orange dye and Gelatin and Xylenol orange dye dosimeters have been measured through a computer program for different temperature. The ferric ion diffusion coefficient (D) for the Agarose and Xylenol orange dye and Gelatin and Xylenol orange dye dosimeters were measured as (1.19.±0.03) x 10 -2 cm 2 .hr -1 and (0.83±0.03) x 10 -2 cm 2 .hr -1 respectively at room temperature. Conclusion: For both dosimeters the diffusion coefficients decreased with gel storage temperatures down to 6 d ig C . Gelatin and Xylenol orange dye dosimeters have advantage of lower diffusion coefficient for a specified temperature

Preparation and characterization of conductive and transparent ruthenium dioxide sol-gel films.

Science.gov (United States)

Allhusen, John S; Conboy, John C

2013-11-27

RuO2 conductive thin films were synthesized using the sol-gel method and deposited onto transparent insulating substrates. The optical transmission, film thickness, surface morphology and composition, resistivity, and spectroelectrochemical performance have been characterized. The optical transmission values of these films ranged from 70 to 89% in the visible region and from 56 to 88% in the infrared region. Resistivity values of the RuO2 sol-gel films varied from 1.02 × 10(-3) to 1.13 Ω cm and are highly dependent on the initial solution concentration of RuO2 in the sol-gel. The RuO2 sol-gel films were used as electrodes for the electrochemical oxidation and reduction of ferrocenemethanol. The electrochemical behavior of our novel RuO2 sol-gel films was compared to that of a standard platinum disk electrode and showed no appreciable differences in the half-wave potential (E1/2). The mechanical and chemical stability of the coatings was tested by physical abrasion and exposure to highly acidic, oxidizing Piranha solution. Repeated exposure to these extreme conditions did not result in any appreciable decline in electrochemical performance. Finally, the use of the novel RuO2 sol-gel conductive and transparent films was demonstrated in a spectroelectrochemistry experiment in which the oxidation and reduction of ferrocenemethanol was monitored via UV-vis spectroscopy as the applied potential was cycled.

Sol-Gel Glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, S. P.

1985-01-01

Multicomponent homogeneous, ultrapure noncrystalline gels/gel derived glasses are promising batch materials for the containerless glass melting experiments in microgravity. Hence, ultrapure, homogeneous gel precursors could be used to: (1) investigate the effect of the container induced nucleation on the glass forming ability of marginally glass forming compositions; and (2) investigate the influence of gravity on the phase separation and coarsening behavior of gel derived glasses in the liquid-liquid immiscibility zone of the nonsilicate systems having a high density phase. The structure and crystallization behavior of gels in the SiO2-GeO2 as a function of gel chemistry and thermal treatment were investigated. As are the chemical principles involved in the distribution of a second network former in silica gel matrix being investigated. The procedures for synthesizing noncrystalline gels/gel-monoliths in the SiO2-GeO2, GeO2-PbO systems were developed. Preliminary investigations on the levitation and thermal treatment of germania silicate gel-monoliths in the Pressure Facility Acoustic Levitator were done.

Does Prebiopsy, Nonsterile Ultrasonography Gel Affect Biopsy-Site Asepsis?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurel, Kamil; Karabay, Oguz; Gurel, Safiye; Hildebolt, Charles

2008-01-01

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the use of nonsterile gel, prior to antiseptic procedures in ultrasonography (US)-guided percutaneous biopsies, results in contamination of the biopsy site. Materials and Methods. Patients referred for US-guided percutaneous biopsies were included in this study. Transmission material used for US evaluation before biopsy-site antiseptic procedures were performed was either nonsterile gel or sterile saline. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: nonsterile gel (n = 30) and sterile saline (n = 30). Before the transmission material was used and after antiseptic procedures were performed, microbial swabs of a 10-cm 2 -diameter area were obtained at the biopsy site. Swabs were also obtained from the gel, saline, and povidine-iodine. Inoculated specimen plates were incubated at 37 o C under aerobic conditions, and the numbers of colony-forming units recorded. Nominal logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds of postantisepsis bacterial growth (after antiseptic procedures were performed) based on group, gender, coincidental disease (diabetes, chronic renal failure, and malignancy), biopsy-site location (head and neck or breast and abdomen), and local factors (skin fold, skin tag, and hair). Results. The following odds ratios (adjusted for the other variables) and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated: (1) group (2.9 [0.8-11.1]; p = 0.10); (2) gender (1.2 [0.3-5.2]; p = 0.78); (3) coincidental disease (7.6 [0.9-166.7]; p = 0.09); (4) biopsy site location (6.2 [1.4-31.3]; p = 0.02); and (5) local factors (7.0 [1.6-36.0]; p = 0.01). No bacterial growth occurred with swabs obtained from gel, povidine-iodine, or saline. Conclusion. We conclude that nonsterile gel used prior to percutaneous biopsy does not affect biopsy-site asepsis

Blending Study For SRR Salt Disposition Integration: Tank 50H Scale-Modeling And Computer-Modeling For Blending Pump Design, Phase 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leishear, R.; Poirier, M.; Fowley, M.

2011-01-01

The Salt Disposition Integration (SDI) portfolio of projects provides the infrastructure within existing Liquid Waste facilities to support the startup and long term operation of the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). Within SDI, the Blend and Feed Project will equip existing waste tanks in the Tank Farms to serve as Blend Tanks where 300,000-800,000 gallons of salt solution will be blended in 1.3 million gallon tanks and qualified for use as feedstock for SWPF. Blending requires the miscible salt solutions from potentially multiple source tanks per batch to be well mixed without disturbing settled sludge solids that may be present in a Blend Tank. Disturbing solids may be problematic both from a feed quality perspective as well as from a process safety perspective where hydrogen release from the sludge is a potential flammability concern. To develop the necessary technical basis for the design and operation of blending equipment, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) completed scaled blending and transfer pump tests and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. A 94 inch diameter pilot-scale blending tank, including tank internals such as the blending pump, transfer pump, removable cooling coils, and center column, were used in this research. The test tank represents a 1/10.85 scaled version of an 85 foot diameter, Type IIIA, nuclear waste tank that may be typical of Blend Tanks used in SDI. Specifically, Tank 50 was selected as the tank to be modeled per the SRR, Project Engineering Manager. SRNL blending tests investigated various fixed position, non-rotating, dual nozzle pump designs, including a blending pump model provided by the blend pump vendor, Curtiss Wright (CW). Primary research goals were to assess blending times and to evaluate incipient sludge disturbance for waste tanks. Incipient sludge disturbance was defined by SRR and SRNL as minor blending of settled sludge from the tank bottom into suspension due to blending pump operation, where

BLENDING STUDY FOR SRR SALT DISPOSITION INTEGRATION: TANK 50H SCALE-MODELING AND COMPUTER-MODELING FOR BLENDING PUMP DESIGN, PHASE 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leishear, R.; Poirier, M.; Fowley, M.

2011-05-26

The Salt Disposition Integration (SDI) portfolio of projects provides the infrastructure within existing Liquid Waste facilities to support the startup and long term operation of the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). Within SDI, the Blend and Feed Project will equip existing waste tanks in the Tank Farms to serve as Blend Tanks where 300,000-800,000 gallons of salt solution will be blended in 1.3 million gallon tanks and qualified for use as feedstock for SWPF. Blending requires the miscible salt solutions from potentially multiple source tanks per batch to be well mixed without disturbing settled sludge solids that may be present in a Blend Tank. Disturbing solids may be problematic both from a feed quality perspective as well as from a process safety perspective where hydrogen release from the sludge is a potential flammability concern. To develop the necessary technical basis for the design and operation of blending equipment, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) completed scaled blending and transfer pump tests and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. A 94 inch diameter pilot-scale blending tank, including tank internals such as the blending pump, transfer pump, removable cooling coils, and center column, were used in this research. The test tank represents a 1/10.85 scaled version of an 85 foot diameter, Type IIIA, nuclear waste tank that may be typical of Blend Tanks used in SDI. Specifically, Tank 50 was selected as the tank to be modeled per the SRR, Project Engineering Manager. SRNL blending tests investigated various fixed position, non-rotating, dual nozzle pump designs, including a blending pump model provided by the blend pump vendor, Curtiss Wright (CW). Primary research goals were to assess blending times and to evaluate incipient sludge disturbance for waste tanks. Incipient sludge disturbance was defined by SRR and SRNL as minor blending of settled sludge from the tank bottom into suspension due to blending pump operation, where

GelTouch

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miruchna, Viktor; Walter, Robert; Lindlbauer, David

2015-01-01

We present GelTouch, a gel-based layer that can selectively transition between soft and stiff to provide tactile multi-touch feedback. It is flexible, transparent when not activated, and contains no mechanical, electromagnetic, or hydraulic components, resulting in a compact form factor (a 2mm thin...... touchscreen layer for our prototype). The activated areas can be morphed freely and continuously, without being limited to fixed, predefined shapes. GelTouch consists of a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) gel layer which alters its viscoelasticity when activated by applying heat (>32 C). We present three different...

Impact of Emulsifiers Addition on the Retrogradation of Rice Gels during Low-Temperature Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhe Yang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Rice and its products are widely consumed in Asian countries; however, starch retrogradation decreases the quality and shortens the shelf-life of rice foods particularly at low temperature. In this study sucrose ester (SE, glycerol monostearate (GMS, and sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL were added to rice flour and corresponding rice gels. Then, gelatinization properties, retrogradation characteristics, texture, and water content of these rice gels were investigated at 4°C and −20°C storage, respectively. The results demonstrated that the rice gels with 0.2% GMS had the lowest retrogradation index (ΔHr/ΔHg (11.84% and hardness (1359 g at 4°C for a 10 d period, which was significantly lower in comparison to control and the other two emulsifiers (P<0.05. Adhesiveness and water content were increased compared to the other samples. Furthermore, the retrogradation of rice gels stored at 4°C was comparatively rapid compared to gels stored at −20°C. Gel samples stored at −20°C were still acceptable for more than 15 days. Thus it was revealed that GMS has the potential to retard starch retrogradation and produce high-quality rice products in preservation.

The gel electrophoresis markup language (GelML) from the Proteomics Standards Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Frank; Hoogland, Christine; Martinez-Bartolomé, Salvador; Medina-Aunon, J Alberto; Albar, Juan Pablo; Babnigg, Gyorgy; Wipat, Anil; Hermjakob, Henning; Almeida, Jonas S; Stanislaus, Romesh; Paton, Norman W; Jones, Andrew R

2010-09-01

The Human Proteome Organisation's Proteomics Standards Initiative has developed the GelML (gel electrophoresis markup language) data exchange format for representing gel electrophoresis experiments performed in proteomics investigations. The format closely follows the reporting guidelines for gel electrophoresis, which are part of the Minimum Information About a Proteomics Experiment (MIAPE) set of modules. GelML supports the capture of metadata (such as experimental protocols) and data (such as gel images) resulting from gel electrophoresis so that laboratories can be compliant with the MIAPE Gel Electrophoresis guidelines, while allowing such data sets to be exchanged or downloaded from public repositories. The format is sufficiently flexible to capture data from a broad range of experimental processes, and complements other PSI formats for MS data and the results of protein and peptide identifications to capture entire gel-based proteome workflows. GelML has resulted from the open standardisation process of PSI consisting of both public consultation and anonymous review of the specifications.

Stacking gels: A method for maximising output for pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heng See

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE, the gold standard of molecular typing methods, has a major disadvantage of an unusually long electrophoretic time. From the original protocol of 6 days, it was modified to 3 days and subsequently to a single day. We describe the procedure of stacking five to six gels one on top of another in order to increase and maximize the output in a shorter time without compromising the resolution and reproducibility. All the variables that affect pulsed field gels during electrophoresis were taken into consideration. We firstly optimized the parameters to be used and secondly determined whether stacking of five to six gels had any effect on the molecular separation during electrophoresis in comparison with a single gel run. DNA preparation, restriction, electrophoresis, staining and gel documentation was carried out based on previously published methods. Gels were analysed using BioNumerics and dice coefficient and unweighted pair group methods were used to generate dendrograms based on 1.5% tolerance values. Identical band profiles and band resolution-separation were seen in the PFGE patterns with single gel and multiple stacking gels. Cluster analysis further strengthened the fact that results from stacking gels were reproducible and comparable with a single gel run. This method of stacking gels saves time and maximizes the output at the same time. The run time for a single gel was about 28 hours, but with six stacked gels the run time was 54 hours compared with 28 x 6 = 168 hours if they were run separately as single gels thus saving time of 67.86%. Beside the big factor of saving time, stacking gels save resources (electricity, reagents, water, chemicals and working time by increasing the sample throughput in a shorter time without compromising on quality of data. But optimization of working parameters is vital depending on the PFGE system used.

Experimental Conditions: SE3_S02_M02_D02 [Metabolonote[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SE3_S02_M02_D02 SE3 Comparison of fruit metabolites among tomato varieties 1 SE3_S0...2 Solanum lycopersicum House Momotaro fruit SE3_S02_M02 6.7 mg [MassBase ID] MDLC1_25530 SE3_MS1 LC-FT-ICR-M

Nanostructure investigation of magnetic nanomaterial Ni{sub 0.5}Zn{sub 0.3}Cu{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} synthesized by sol-gel method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pransisco, Prengki, E-mail: prengkipransisco@gmail.com [Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 31750 Tronoh, Perak (Malaysia); Badan Lingkungan Hidup Derah Kabupaten Empat Lawang South of Sumatera (Indonesia); Shafie, Afza, E-mail: afza@petronas.com.my; Guan, Beh Hoe, E-mail: beh.hoeguan@petronas.com.my [Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 31750 Tronoh, Perak (Malaysia)

2015-07-22

Magnetic nanomaterial Ni{sub 0.5}Zn{sub 0.3}Cu{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} was successfully prepared by using sol-gel method. Heat treatment on material is always giving defect on properties of material. This paper investigates the effect of heat treatment on nanostructure of magnetic nanomaterial Ni{sub 0.5}Zn{sub 0.3}Cu{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4}. According to thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) that after 600°C there is no more weight loss detected and it was decided as minimum calcination temperature. Intensity, crystallite size, structure, lattice parameter and d-spacing of the material were investigated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD). High resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) was used to examine nanostructure, nanosize, shape and distribution particle of magnetic material Ni{sub 0.5}Zn{sub 0.3}Cu{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} and variable pressure field emission scanning electron microscope (VP-FESEM) was used to investigate the surface morphology and topography of the material. The XRD result shows single-phase cubic spinel structure with average crystallite size in the range of 25.6-95.9 nm, the value of the intensity of the material was increased with increasing temperature, and followed by lattice parameter was increased with increasing calcination temperature, value of d-spacing was relatively decreased with accompanied increasing temperature. From HRTEM result the distribution of particles was tend to be agglomerates with particle size of 7.8-17.68 nm. VP-FESEM result shows that grain size of the material increases with increasing calcination temperature and the surface morphology shows that the material is in hexagonal shape and it was also proved by mapping result which showing the presence each of constituents inside the compound.

Improvement of cooking quality and gel formation capacity of Bombay duck (Harpodon nehereus) fish meat.

Science.gov (United States)

Rupsankar, Chakrabarti

2010-10-01

High moisture content (89%) along with high enzymatic and bacteriological activity in Bombay duck (Harpodon nehereus) meat are responsible for short shelf life and disintegration of meat in cooking. Minimum solubility was at pH 5 (iso-electric point) of muscle protein. Citric acid- sodium citrate buffer (pH 5) with 0.2% potassium sorbate was very effective in reducing moisture in dressed fish and in increasing shelf life up to 4 days at ambient temperature (25-28 °C). Reduction in moisture in meat improved its cooking quality and gel formation capacity with increased protein content. Fish meat contained 1.0-1.5% NaCl and produced stronger gel by using 2% NaCl than conventionally prepared gel with 4% NaCl. Washing fish mince with cold water followed by pressing at pH 5, gave fish cake with more salt soluble protein and better gel strength (>500 gcm) than the same operation done at ambient temperature.

[GPC Fingerprint Chromatograms of Aloe vera Leaf Gel Polysaccharides].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qiao-e; Xie, Dan; Qian, Jie; Dong, Yin-mao

2015-10-01

To establish the gel permeation chromatography (GPC) fingerprint chromatograms of polysaccharides in Aloe vera leaf gel from the same habitat (Beijing) and different habitats for evaluating the quality of Aloe vera leaf gel products commercially available and testing common adulterated substances. The samples were prepared by water-extraction and alcohol-precipitation method. GPC separation was performed on a Shodex SUGAR KS-805 (300 mm x 8.0 mm, 7 μm) column and a Shodex SUGAR KS-803 (300 mm x 8.0 mm, 6 μm) column at the temperature of 60 degrees C by eluting with 0.1 mol/L NaNO3 (containing 0.2 per thousand NaN) at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min, the chromatographic effluent was detected by refractive index detector (RID) at the temperature of 50 degrees C. The common pattern of GPC fingerprint chromatograms was established and four common peaks were demarcated. The similarities of samples from the same habitat (Beijing) and different habitats were over 0.9. Taking the GPC fingerprint chromatograms for the qualified model, three commercially available aloe products were evaluated to be made of Aloe vera by the different manufacturing processes and four common adulterated substances of aloe polysaccharides were identified effectively. The method is simple and accurate with a good reproducibility, and it can be used for the identification and quality evaluation of Aloe vera leaf gel products.

Estabilidad en anaquel de un gel de Rhizophora mangle L. (mangle rojo para heridas y quemaduras Long-term stability of a Rhizophora mangle L. (red mangrove gel for wounds and burns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dulce María Soler Roger

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Objetivo: evaluar la estabilidad en anaquel de un gel elaborado a partir del extracto acuoso de la corteza de Rhizophora mangle L. (mangle rojo. Métodos: los tres lotes pilotos del gel (GM01, GM02 y GM03 se almacenaron a temperatura de refrigeración (5 ± 3 °C durante 12 meses. Se realizó una evaluación físico-química y microbiológica a tiempo inicial y a los 3, 6, 9 y 12 meses. Resultados: todos los lotes mantuvieron una apariencia de geles homogéneos, viscosos, libres de grumo, brillantes y de un color pardo-rojizo oscuro y mostraron amplias áreas de extensibilidad. El pH estuvo entre 6 y 7 y la reología fue característica de un fluido no newtoniano del tipo Herschel Bulkley con potencial modificado en todos los tiempos evaluados. Los tres lotes cumplieron el límite microbiano establecido, así como la concentración mínima inhibitoria que estuvo entre 8 y 10 mg/mL y la concentración de taninos entre 13 a 30 mg/g. Conclusiones: se demostró que todos los lotes del gel fueron estables durante el período de estabilidad en anaquel, por lo que se propone que se almacene de 2-8 ºC durante 1 año.Objective: to evaluate the long-term stability of a gel obtained from the aqueous extract of the Rhizophora mangle L. (red mangrove bark. Methods: the three gel pilot batches (GM01, GM02 and GM03 were stored under refrigeration (5 ± 3 °C for 12 months. Physical-chemical and microbiological evaluations were made at the beginning and after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Results: All these batches kept their appearance of homogeneous, viscous, lump-free and bright gels with dark reddish-brown color and wide areas of extensibility. The pH ranged 6 to 7 and the rheology reflected a non-Newtonian Herschel Bulkley-type fluid with modified potential at all evaluated times. The three batches met the established microbial limit and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of 8 to 10 mg / mL and the tannin concentration of 13 to 30 mg/g. Conclusions: it

Electrophoresis of DNA in agarose gels, polyacrylamide gels and in free solution

Science.gov (United States)

Stellwagen, Nancy C.

2009-01-01

This review describes the electrophoresis of curved and normal DNA molecules in agarose gels, polyacrylamide gels and in free solution. These studies were undertaken to clarify why curved DNA molecules migrate anomalously slowly in polyacrylamide gels but not in agarose gels. Two milestone papers are cited, in which Ferguson plots were used to estimate the effective pore size of agarose and polyacrylamide gels. Subsequent studies on the effect of the electric field on agarose and polyacrylamide gel matrices, DNA interactions with the two gel matrices, and the effect of curvature on the free solution mobility of DNA are also described. The combined results suggest that the anomalously slow mobilities observed for curved DNA molecules in polyacrylamide gels are due primarily to preferential interactions of curved DNAs with the polyacrylamide gel matrix; the restrictive pore size of the matrix is of lesser importance. In free solution, DNA mobilities increase with increasing molecular mass until leveling off at a plateau value of (3.17 ± 0.01) × 10-4 cm2/Vs in 40 mM Tris-acetate-EDTA buffer at 20°C. Curved DNA molecules migrate anomalously slowly in free solution as well as in polyacrylamide gels, explaining why the Ferguson plots of curved and normal DNAs containing the same number of base pairs extrapolate to different mobilities at zero gel concentration. PMID:19517510

Design and implementation of participatory hygiene and sanitation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The study is a continuation of a research carried out in Luweero district in Uganda1. It investigated whether PHAST was a suitable tool for reducing transmission of soil transmitted helminths. PHAST means Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation; a participatory approach that uses visual tools to ...

Microstructural development of superconducting phases in Pb-BSCCO system derived from sol-gel technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qureshi, A.H.; Hussain, N.; Durrani, S.K.; Waqas, H.; Arshad, M.

2010-01-01

Sol-gel processing technique has been utilized to produce the gel of Pb-BSCCO system (Bi/sub 2/-xPbxSr/sub 2/Ca/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 10/+-y, where x 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8, are the mole fraction of Pb substituted against Bi). The gel samples were subsequently heated to 800 deg. C for 2 h to obtain the powders which were then pressed and sintered at 845 deg. C for 60 h. The morphologies in the Pb-BSCCO gel, powder and sintered products were observed with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical microscope. The plate-like growths of the superconducting phases are evident from the SEM micrographs. The optical micrographs of sintered samples showed that the samples containing 0.2 and 0.8 mole fraction of Pb mainly consisted of dark grey and white regions, while sample having 0.4 mole fraction of Pb comprised of dark grey, light grey, and white regions. The different regions were analyzed by using energy dispersive X-rays (EDX) analyzer attached with SEM. The results revealed that the dark grey regions in all the samples represented the Bi/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/CaCu/sub 2/O/sub 8/ +- y (2212) phase whereas, light grey regions in sample (x = 0.4) constituted the Bi/sub 2/Sr/sub 2/Ca/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 10/ +- y (2223) phase. The white regions in all samples depicted the presence of CuO. The best result in term of larger fraction of superconducting phase (2223) has been observed in sample containing 0.4 mole fraction of Pb. (author)

Transport Phenomena in Gel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masayuki Tokita

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Gel becomes an important class of soft materials since it can be seen in a wide variety of the chemical and the biological systems. The unique properties of gel arise from the structure, namely, the three-dimensional polymer network that is swollen by a huge amount of solvent. Despite the small volume fraction of the polymer network, which is usually only a few percent or less, gel shows the typical properties that belong to solids such as the elasticity. Gel is, therefore, regarded as a dilute solid because its elasticity is much smaller than that of typical solids. Because of the diluted structure, small molecules can pass along the open space of the polymer network. In addition to the viscous resistance of gel fluid, however, the substance experiences resistance due to the polymer network of gel during the transport process. It is, therefore, of importance to study the diffusion of the small molecules in gel as well as the flow of gel fluid itself through the polymer network of gel. It may be natural to assume that the effects of the resistance due to the polymer network of gel depends strongly on the network structure. Therefore, detailed study on the transport processes in and through gel may open a new insight into the relationship between the structure and the transport properties of gel. The two typical transport processes in and through gel, that is, the diffusion of small molecules due to the thermal fluctuations and the flow of gel fluid that is caused by the mechanical pressure gradient will be reviewed.

Prontonic ceramic membrane fuel cells with layered GdBaCo{sub 2}O{sub 5+x} cathode prepared by gel-casting and suspension spray

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Bin; Zhang, Shangquan; Zhang, Linchao; Bi, Lei; Ding, Hanping; Liu, Xingqin; Gao, Jianfeng; Meng, Guangyao [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei 230026 (China)

2008-03-01

In order to develop a simple and cost-effective route to fabricate protonic ceramic membrane fuel cells (PCMFCs) with layered GdBaCo{sub 2}O{sub 5+x} (GBCO) cathode, a dense BaZr{sub 0.1}Ce{sub 0.7}Y{sub 0.2}O{sub 3-{delta}} (BZCY7) electrolyte was fabricated on a porous anode by gel-casting and suspension spray. The porous NiO-BaZr{sub 0.1}Ce{sub 0.7}Y{sub 0.2}O{sub 3-{delta}} (NiO-BZCY7) anode was directly prepared from metal oxide (NiO, BaCO{sub 3}, ZrO{sub 2}, CeO{sub 2} and Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}) by a simple gel-casting process. A suspension of BaZr{sub 0.1}Ce{sub 0.7}Y{sub 0.2}O{sub 3-{delta}} powders synthesized by gel-casting was then employed to deposit BaZr{sub 0.1}Ce{sub 0.7}Y{sub 0.2}O{sub 3-{delta}} (BZCY7) thin layer by pressurized spray process on NiO-BZCY7 anode. The bi-layer with 10 {mu}m dense BZCY7 electrolyte was obtained by co-sintering at 1400 C for 5 h. With layered GBCO cathode synthesized by gel-casting on the bi-layer, single cells were assembled and tested with H{sub 2} as fuel and the static air as oxidant. An open-circuit potential of 0.98 V, a maximum power density of 266 mW cm{sup -2}, and a low polarization resistance of the electrodes of 0.16 {omega} cm{sup 2} was achieved at 700 C. (author)

Effect of residual water content on the physico-chemical properties of sucralfate dried gel obtained by microwave drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Gainotti, Alessandro; Losi, Elena; Bettini, Ruggero; Colombo, Paolo; Sonvico, Fabio; Baroni, Daniela; Santi, Patrizia; Colombo, Gaia

2005-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physico-chemical characteristics of sucralfate humid gel dried by microwaves, in relation to the residual water content. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) allowed for the determination of the water state in sucralfate samples. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to monitor the changes in sucralfate gel structure induced by the microwave drying. A boundary value of total water content for sucralfate gel samples was found at 42% (w/w). Below this value only bound water was present, whereas above this value, the increase in total water was due to free water. In the physical form of gel, the strength of the coordination between sulfate anions and the positively charged aluminum hydroxide was dependent on the residual water content. The study of the sedimentation behavior of water suspensions prepared with dried sucralfate allowed for the evaluation of the retention of gel properties. We found that the microwave drying process affected the sedimentation of sucralfate dried gel suspensions independent of the residual water content: when suspensions were prepared from sucralfate dried gel powders containing more than 42% (w/w) of residual water, the sedimentation ratio was higher than 0.9. The non-gel powder suspension showed a sedimentation ratio of 0.68 +/- 0.02, whereas the sucralfate humid gel suspension did not sediment.

Thorium inorganic gels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genet, M.; Brandel, V.

1988-01-01

The optimum pH and concentration values of thorium salts and oxoacids or oxoacid salts which lead to transparent and stable inorganic gels have been determined. The isotherm drying process of the gel at 50 0 C leads successively to a partly dehydrated gel, then, to the formation of an unusual liquid phase and, finally to a dry amorphous solid phase which is still transparent. This kind of transparent inorganic gels and amorphous phase can be used as matrices for spectroscopic studies [fr

Surface Decontamination Studies of Cs-137 and Sr-85 Using Polymer Gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pham, L.; Nguyen, C.; Nguyen, L.

2015-01-01

Strippable polymer coating is one of the methods for effective surface decontamination to remove isotopes on the contaminated surface. This method is applying in nuclear facilities on the World. In this paper, we present the results obtained in our laboratory from product the polymer coating to apply to remove radioisotopes of "1"3"7Cs and "8"5Sr from surface of glass, stainless steel, mild steel, ceramic, PVC plastic. This polymer gel solution consist of water soluble polymer preferably polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), plasticizing agent (glycerine) and chelating agents, (citric acid) which can be sprayed or pasted on to contaminated surface. After some hours, these gel solutions was dried to form a strong thin film and it was easily peeled off from a contaminated surface with the radioactive isotopes and can be disposed off as radioactive solid waste. In this study infrared spectrophotometry technique was used to examine the interaction of the cesium and strontium ions with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polymer gel and the results of the study were also presented. The results showed that decontamination efficiency of "1"3"7Cs and "8"5Sr strongly depended on property, porosity and smoothness of the contaminated surface and obtained from 95-99% on glass and stainless steel, ceramic and PVC plastic surfaces. The decontamination efficiency also depended on activity and coating thickness. Optimization of film thickness is around 0.2 mm. Decontamination efficiency of Polymer gel were compared with Decongel 1101 (product from USA) on surfaces. IR spectra studies indicated that Cs and Sr ions interacted with PVA and citric acid in Polymer gel through cacboxyl (C = O) group. Polymer gel could remove of "1"3"7Cs and "8"5Sr better than PVA gel does because of citric acid, which can form chelating complex with Cs and Sr ion. (author)

Sol-gel based sensor for selective formaldehyde determination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bunkoed, Opas [Trace Analysis and Biosensor Research Center, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112 (Thailand); Department of Chemistry and Center for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112 (Thailand); Davis, Frank [Cranfield Health, Cranfield University, Bedford MK43 0AL (United Kingdom); Kanatharana, Proespichaya, E-mail: proespichaya.K@psu.ac.th [Trace Analysis and Biosensor Research Center, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112 (Thailand); Department of Chemistry and Center for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112 (Thailand); Thavarungkul, Panote [Trace Analysis and Biosensor Research Center, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112 (Thailand); Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112 (Thailand); Higson, Seamus P.J., E-mail: s.p.j.higson@cranfield.ac.uk [Cranfield Health, Cranfield University, Bedford MK43 0AL (United Kingdom)

2010-02-05

We report the development of transparent sol-gels with entrapped sensitive and selective reagents for the detection of formaldehyde. The sampling method is based on the adsorption of formaldehyde from the air and reaction with {beta}-diketones (for example acetylacetone) in a sol-gel matrix to produce a yellow product, lutidine, which was detected directly. The proposed method does not require preparation of samples prior to analysis and allows both screening by visual detection and quantitative measurement by simple spectrophotometry. The detection limit of 0.03 ppmv formaldehyde is reported which is lower than the maximum exposure concentrations recommended by both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This sampling method was found to give good reproducibility, the relative standard deviation at 0.2 and 1 ppmv being 6.3% and 4.6%, respectively. Other carbonyl compounds i.e. acetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, acetone and butanone do not interfere with this analytical approach. Results are provided for the determination of formaldehyde in indoor air.

Sol-gel based sensor for selective formaldehyde determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunkoed, Opas; Davis, Frank; Kanatharana, Proespichaya; Thavarungkul, Panote; Higson, Seamus P.J.

2010-01-01

We report the development of transparent sol-gels with entrapped sensitive and selective reagents for the detection of formaldehyde. The sampling method is based on the adsorption of formaldehyde from the air and reaction with β-diketones (for example acetylacetone) in a sol-gel matrix to produce a yellow product, lutidine, which was detected directly. The proposed method does not require preparation of samples prior to analysis and allows both screening by visual detection and quantitative measurement by simple spectrophotometry. The detection limit of 0.03 ppmv formaldehyde is reported which is lower than the maximum exposure concentrations recommended by both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This sampling method was found to give good reproducibility, the relative standard deviation at 0.2 and 1 ppmv being 6.3% and 4.6%, respectively. Other carbonyl compounds i.e. acetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, acetone and butanone do not interfere with this analytical approach. Results are provided for the determination of formaldehyde in indoor air.

THE EFFECTS OF A CARBOHYDRATE-PROTEIN GEL SUPPLEMENT ON ALPINE SLALOM SKI PERFORMANCE

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John G. Seifert

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Alpine slalom ski racing is a high intensity, complex sport in which racers execute turns every second. Acute fatigue can make the difference in not finishing a run (DNF or finishing out of contention. The quantity and quality of training often dictates racing success. It is not known if nutritional supplementation can improve performance in this high intensity, short duration activity. The objective of this study was to determine if ingesting a carbohydrate-protein energy gel (GEL improves finishing success and number of gates completed during 2 hr slalom sessions on two consecutive days of training. Twenty-four racers were matched; one group ingested the GEL, the second group received a liquid placebo (PLA. Total carbohy-drate, protein, and water ingested by the GEL group were 60g, 15g, and 450 mL, while the PLA group ingested 450 mL of PLA. The GEL group had significantly fewer DNF's (7/48 vs. 18/48; p = 0.02 on both days, completed a greater number of training gates on Day 2 (260.3 ± 20.1 vs. 246.3 ± 17.5 gates; p = 0.03, and had a lower RPE (3.9 ± 1.2 vs. 5.3 ± 1.2 on Day 2 (p = 0.004 vs. PLA. The statistical analysis of combined finishing times was not possible due to the high number of DNF's in the PLA group. High intensity slalom performance can be im-proved by the ingestion of an energy gel. The GEL allowed the athletes to improve training quantity and quality and their per-ception of effort was less than skiers who ingested a placebo

Colloid molecular weight estimation by gel chromatography/acrylamide gel electrophoresis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liberatore, F.A.; Dearborn, C.; Nigam, S.; Poon, C.; Camin, L.; Liteplo, M.

1984-01-01

Size or molecular weight (MW) estimation of radiolabeled collides in aqueous solutions has long been a problem. The authors have prepared several minimicroaggregated albumin colloids (mμAA) by heat denaturation of stannous-containing HSA solutions at pH 7.0, 7.5, and 8.5). The resulting colloids were labeled with Tc-99m and compared with Au-198 colloid and Tc-99m-antimony sulfide colloid (Tc-99m-Sb/sub 2/S3) by gel chromatography and gel electrophoresis. Tc-99mm-mμAA aggregated at pH 7.0 and the Au-198 colloid appeared in the external void volume of a BioRad A5.0 agarose column indicating an apparent MW of > 5 x 10/sup 6/ daltons. The pH7.5 Tc-99m-mμAA, migrated within the filtration range of the column as did a small fraction of Tc-99m-Sb/sub 2/S/sub 3/, suggesting that the MW is between 6 x 10/sup 4/ - 5 x 10/sup 6/ daltons. The Tc-99m-mμAA, aggregated at pH 8.5, had an apparent MW on gel filtration similar to that of untreated albumin, MW 6.6 x 10-/sup 4/ daltons. The mobilities of the colloids, on acrylamide disc gel electrophoresis, were consistent with the results on gel chromatography. The largest colloids, Au-198 colloid and pH 7.0 Tc-99m-mμAA, barely entered the separating gel; intermediate sized colloids, a small fraction of Tc-99m-Sb/sub 2/S/sub 3/ and pH 7.5 Tc-99m-mμAA migrated farther into the separating gel; while pH 8.5 Tc-99m-mμAA had mobility approaching that of untreated albumin. Lymphoscintigraphy studies using these colloids in animals showed the predicted, particle size-related differences in migration and clearance. The authors conclude that gel chromatography and gel electrophoresis are useful methods for estimating the apparent size of the colloidal particles

Advantages of the Pre-Immobilization of Enzymes on Porous Supports for Their Entrapment in Sol-Gels

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Betancor, L.; López-Gallego, F.; Hidalgo, A.; Fuentes, M.; Podrazký, Ondřej; Kuncová, Gabriela; Guisán, J.M.; Fernández-Lafuente, R.

2005-01-01

Roč. 6, č. 2 (2005), s. 1027-1030 ISSN 1525-7797 Grant - others:CICYT(ES) BIO2000/0747/C05/02; CICYT(ES) BIO2001/2259 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : immobilization * enzymes * sol-gel Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 3.618, year: 2005

Application of GelGreen™ in Cesium Chloride Density Gradients for DNA-Stable Isotope Probing Experiments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jingfeng Gao

Full Text Available In this study, GelGreen™ was investigated as a replacement for SYBR® Safe to stain DNA in cesium chloride (CsCl density gradients for DNA-stable isotope probing (SIP experiments. Using environmental DNA, the usage of GelGreen™ was optimized for sensitivity compared to SYBR® Safe, its optimal concentration, detection limit for environmental DNA and its application in environmental DNA-SIP assay. Results showed that GelGreen™ was more sensitive than SYBR® Safe, while the optimal dosage (15X concentration needed was approximately one-third of SYBR® Safe, suggesting that its sensitivity was three times more superior than SYBR® Safe. At these optimal parameters, the detection limit of GelGreen™-stained environmental DNA was as low as 0.2 μg, but the usage of 0.5 μg environmental DNA was recommended to produce a more consistent DNA band. In addition, a modified needle extraction procedure was developed to withdraw DNA effectively by fractionating CsCl density gradients into four or five fractions. The successful application of GelGreen™ staining with 13C-labeled DNA from enriched activated sludge suggests that this stain was an excellent alternative of SYBR® Safe in CsCl density gradients for DNA-SIP assays.

Sol–Gel-Derived Glass-Ceramic Photorefractive Films for Photonic Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Lukowiak

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Glass photonics are widespread, from everyday objects around us to high-tech specialized devices. Among different technologies, sol–gel synthesis allows for nanoscale materials engineering by exploiting its unique structures, such as transparent glass-ceramics, to tailor optical and electromagnetic properties and to boost photon-management yield. Here, we briefly discuss the state of the technology and show that the choice of the sol–gel as a synthesis method brings the advantage of process versatility regarding materials composition and ease of implementation. In this context, we present tin-dioxide–silica (SnO2–SiO2 glass-ceramic waveguides activated by europium ions (Eu3+. The focus is on the photorefractive properties of this system because its photoluminescence properties have already been discussed in the papers presented in the bibliography. The main findings include the high photosensitivity of sol–gel 25SnO2:75SiO2 glass-ceramic waveguides; the ultraviolet (UV-induced refractive index change (Δn ~ −1.6 × 10−3, the easy fabrication process, and the low propagation losses (0.5 ± 0.2 dB/cm, that make this glass-ceramic an interesting photonic material for smart optical applications.

Internal structure analysis of particle-double network gels used in a gel organ replica

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, Mei; Arai, Masanori; Saito, Azusa; Sakai, Kazuyuki; Kawakami, Masaru; Furukawa, Hidemitsu

2016-04-01

In recent years, the fabrication of patient organ replicas using 3D printers has been attracting a great deal of attention in medical fields. However, the cost of these organ replicas is very high as it is necessary to employ very expensive 3D printers and printing materials. Here we present a new gel organ replica, of human kidney, fabricated with a conventional molding technique, using a particle-double network hydrogel (P-DN gel). The replica is transparent and has the feel of a real kidney. It is expected that gel organ replicas produced this way will be a useful tool for the education of trainee surgeons and clinical ultrasonography technologists. In addition to developing a gel organ replica, the internal structure of the P-DN gel used is also discussed. Because the P-DN gel has a complex structure comprised of two different types of network, it has not been possible to investigate them internally in detail. Gels have an inhomogeneous network structure. If it is able to get a more uniform structure, it is considered that this would lead to higher strength in the gel. In the present study we investigate the structure of P-DN gel, using the gel organ replica. We investigated the internal structure of P-DN gel using Scanning Microscopic Light Scattering (SMILS), a non-contacting and non-destructive.

Polymer gel dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baldock, C [Institute of Medical Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney (Australia); De Deene, Y [Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Ghent University Hospital (Belgium); Doran, S [CRUK Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research Group, Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey (United Kingdom); Ibbott, G [Radiation Physics, UT M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States); Jirasek, A [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC (Canada); Lepage, M [Centre d' imagerie moleculaire de Sherbrooke, Departement de medecine nucleaire et de radiobiologie, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC (Canada); McAuley, K B [Department of Chemical Engineering, Queen' s University, Kingston, ON (Canada); Oldham, M [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC (United States); Schreiner, L J [Cancer Centre of South Eastern Ontario, Kingston, ON (Canada)], E-mail: c.baldock@physics.usyd.edu.au, E-mail: yves.dedeene@ugent.be

2010-03-07

Polymer gel dosimeters are fabricated from radiation sensitive chemicals which, upon irradiation, polymerize as a function of the absorbed radiation dose. These gel dosimeters, with the capacity to uniquely record the radiation dose distribution in three-dimensions (3D), have specific advantages when compared to one-dimensional dosimeters, such as ion chambers, and two-dimensional dosimeters, such as film. These advantages are particularly significant in dosimetry situations where steep dose gradients exist such as in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery. Polymer gel dosimeters also have specific advantages for brachytherapy dosimetry. Potential dosimetry applications include those for low-energy x-rays, high-linear energy transfer (LET) and proton therapy, radionuclide and boron capture neutron therapy dosimetries. These 3D dosimeters are radiologically soft-tissue equivalent with properties that may be modified depending on the application. The 3D radiation dose distribution in polymer gel dosimeters may be imaged using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), optical-computerized tomography (optical-CT), x-ray CT or ultrasound. The fundamental science underpinning polymer gel dosimetry is reviewed along with the various evaluation techniques. Clinical dosimetry applications of polymer gel dosimetry are also presented. (topical review)

Antibacterial effect of triantibiotic mixture, chlorhexidine gel, and two natural materials Propolis and Aloe vera against Enterococcus faecalis: An ex vivo study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leila Bazvand

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The aim of this ex vivo study was to compare the antimicrobial effect of triantibiotic paste, 0.2% chlorhexidine gel, Propolis and Aloe vera on Enterococcus faecalis in deep dentin. Materials and Methods: Ninety fresh extracted single-rooted teeth were used in a dentin block model. Seventy-five teeth were infected with E. faecalis and divided into four experimental groups (n = 15. Experimental groups were treated with triantibiotic mixture with distilled water, 0.2% chlorhexidine gel, 70% ethanol + Propolis and Aloe vera. Fifteen teeth treated with distilled water as the positive control and 15 samples, free of bacterial contamination, were considered as the negative control. Gates-Glidden drill #4 was used for removal of surface dentin and Gates-Glidden drill #5 was used to collect samples of deep dentin. The samples were prepared and colony-forming units were counted. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests. Statistical significance was defined at P 0.05. Aloe vera had antibacterial effects on E. faecalis, but in comparison with other medicaments, it was less effective (P < 0.05. Conclusion: This experimental study showed that triantibiotic mixture, 0.2% chlorhexidine gel, Propolis and Aleo vera were relatively effective against E. faecalis. All the intracanal medicements had similar effects on E. faecalis in deep dentin except for Aloe vera.

Applications of gel dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibbott, Geoffrey S

2004-01-01

Gel dosimetry has been examined as a clinical dosimeter since the 1950s. During the last two decades, however, a rapid increase in the number of investigators has been seen, and the body of knowledge regarding gel dosimetry has expanded considerably. Gel dosimetry is still considered a research project, and the introduction of this tool into clinical use is proceeding slowly. This paper will review the characteristics of gel dosimetry that make it desirable for clinical use, the postulated and demonstrated applications of gel dosimetry, and some complications, set-backs, and failures that have contributed to the slow introduction into routine clinical use

Self-healing guar gum and guar gum-multiwalled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite gels prepared in an ionic liquid.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Mukesh; Mondal, Dibyendu; Mukesh, Chandrakant; Prasad, Kamalesh

2013-10-15

Guar gum is a galactomannan extracted from the seed of the leguminous shrub Cyamopsis tetragonoloba. It was found to form a soft viscoelastic gel in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, an ionic liquid at an optimized concentration of 10%w/v. A nanocomposite gel of the gum with enhanced strength could be prepared with 0.2%w/v of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in the ionic liquid. When the gels thus prepared were subjected to surface fractures or bisected completely, they found to self-heal at room temperature without any external interventions. The self-healing process could be repeated several times. These viscoelastic gel systems showed thixotropic nature and recovery of the storage modulus with time for several cycles was observed upon rheological investigations. The interaction took place between ionic liquid, guar gum and MWCNT was studied by SEM, TEM, FT-IR, powder XRD and rheometry. The results suggested that, upon standing at room temperature development of electrostatic interactions and the van der Waals interactions among the ionic liquid molecules facilitated the formation of reversible noncovalent bonds and eventually activated the self-healing in the gel systems through appropriate chain entanglements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Removing water from gels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lane, E.S.; Winter, J.A.

1982-01-01

Water is removed from a gel material by contacting the gel material with an organic liquid and contacting the organic liquid with a gas such that water is taken up by the gas. The invention, in one embodiment, may be used to dry gel materials whilst maintaining an open porous network therein. In one example, the invention is applied to gel precipitated spheres containing uranium and plutonium. (author)

Categorization of rheological scaling models for particle gels applied to casein gels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mellema, M.; Opheusden, van J.H.J.; Vliet, van T.

2002-01-01

Rennet-induced casein gels made from skim milk were studied rheologically. A scaling model or framework for describing the rheological behavior of gels is discussed and used for classification of the structure of casein gels. There are two main parameters in the model that describe the number of

Enhanced optical band-gap of ZnO thin films by sol-gel technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raghu, P., E-mail: dpr3270@gmail.com; Naveen, C. S.; Shailaja, J.; Mahesh, H. M., E-mail: hm-mahesh@rediffmail.com [Thin Film and Solar Cell Laboratory, Department of Electronic Science, Bangalore University, Jnanabharathi, Bangalore -560056 (India)

2016-05-06

Transparent ZnO thin films were prepared using different molar concentration (0.1 M, 0.2 M & 0.8 M) of zinc acetate on soda lime glass substrates by the sol-gel spin coating technique. The optical properties revealed that the transmittance found to decrease with increase in molar concentration. Absorption edge showed that the higher concentration film has increasingly red shifted. An increased band gap energy of the thin films was found to be direct allowed transition of ∼3.9 eV exhibiting their relevance for photovoltaic applications. The extinction coefficient analysis revealed maximum transmittance with negligible absorption coefficient in the respective wavelengths. The results of ZnO thin film prepared by sol-gel technique reveal its suitability for optoelectronics and as a window layer in solar cell applications.

Nanoparticles of La0.8Ca0.2Fe0.8Ni0.2O3-δ perovskite for solid oxide fuel cell application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortiz-Vitoriano, N.; Ruiz de Larramendi, I.; Gil de Muro, I.; Ruiz de Larramendi, J.I.; Rojo, T.

2010-01-01

Polycrystalline samples of La 0.8 Ca 0.2 Fe 0.8 Ni 0.2 O 3-δ (LCFN) with perovskite type structure have been prepared by combustion, freeze drying, citrate-gel process and liquid mix method. The analysis of X-ray powder diffraction indicated that the samples were single phase and crystallized in an orthorhombic (space group, Pnma no. 62) structure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis on the synthesized powder at 600 o C by liquid mix method showed clusters of 150 nm formed by nanoparticles of 20 nm. Electrochemical performance of LCFN cathodes, which are used for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells, were investigated. The polarization resistance was studied using two different electrolytes: Y-doped zirconia (YSZ) and Sm-doped ceria (SDC). The dc four-probe measurement exhibits a total electrical conductivity, over 100 S cm -1 at T ≥ 600 o C, pointing out that strontium can be substituted for the cheaper calcium cation without destroying the electrochemical properties. Experimental results indicate that nanoparticles have more advantages in terms of smaller particle size and better electrochemical performance.

Gel versus capillary electrophoresis genotyping for categorizing treatment outcomes in two anti-malarial trials in Uganda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hubbard Alan E

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Molecular genotyping is performed in anti-malarial trials to determine whether recurrent parasitaemia after therapy represents a recrudescence (treatment failure or new infection. The use of capillary instead of agarose gel electrophoresis for genotyping offers technical advantages, but it is unclear whether capillary electrophoresis will result in improved classification of anti-malarial treatment outcomes. Methods Samples were genotyped using both gel and capillary electrophoresis from randomized trials of artemether-lumefantrine (AL vs. dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP performed in two areas of Uganda: Kanungu, where transmission is moderate, and Apac, where transmission is very high. Both gel and capillary methods evaluated polymorphic regions of the merozoite surface protein 1 and 2 and glutamine rich protein genes. Results Capillary electrophoresis detected more alleles and provided higher discriminatory power than agarose gel electrophoresis at both study sites. There was only moderate agreement between classification of outcomes with the two methods in Kanungu (kappa = 0.66 and poor agreement in Apac (kappa = 0.24. Overall efficacy results were similar when using gel vs. capillary methods in Kanungu (42-day risk of treatment failure for AL: 6.9% vs. 5.5%, p = 0.4; DP 2.4% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.5. However, the measured risk of recrudescence was significantly higher when using gel vs. capillary electrophoresis in Apac (risk of treatment failure for AL: 17.0% vs. 10.7%, p = 0.02; DP: 8.5% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.03. Risk differences between AL and DP were not significantly different whether gel or capillary methods were used. Conclusions Genotyping with gel electrophoresis overestimates the risk of recrudescence in anti-malarial trials performed in areas of high transmission intensity. Capillary electrophoresis provides more accurate outcomes for such trials and should be performed when possible. In areas of moderate transmission

Gel versus capillary electrophoresis genotyping for categorizing treatment outcomes in two anti-malarial trials in Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Vinay; Dorsey, Grant; Hubbard, Alan E; Rosenthal, Philip J; Greenhouse, Bryan

2010-01-15

Molecular genotyping is performed in anti-malarial trials to determine whether recurrent parasitaemia after therapy represents a recrudescence (treatment failure) or new infection. The use of capillary instead of agarose gel electrophoresis for genotyping offers technical advantages, but it is unclear whether capillary electrophoresis will result in improved classification of anti-malarial treatment outcomes. Samples were genotyped using both gel and capillary electrophoresis from randomized trials of artemether-lumefantrine (AL) vs. dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) performed in two areas of Uganda: Kanungu, where transmission is moderate, and Apac, where transmission is very high. Both gel and capillary methods evaluated polymorphic regions of the merozoite surface protein 1 and 2 and glutamine rich protein genes. Capillary electrophoresis detected more alleles and provided higher discriminatory power than agarose gel electrophoresis at both study sites. There was only moderate agreement between classification of outcomes with the two methods in Kanungu (kappa = 0.66) and poor agreement in Apac (kappa = 0.24). Overall efficacy results were similar when using gel vs. capillary methods in Kanungu (42-day risk of treatment failure for AL: 6.9% vs. 5.5%, p = 0.4; DP 2.4% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.5). However, the measured risk of recrudescence was significantly higher when using gel vs. capillary electrophoresis in Apac (risk of treatment failure for AL: 17.0% vs. 10.7%, p = 0.02; DP: 8.5% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.03). Risk differences between AL and DP were not significantly different whether gel or capillary methods were used. Genotyping with gel electrophoresis overestimates the risk of recrudescence in anti-malarial trials performed in areas of high transmission intensity. Capillary electrophoresis provides more accurate outcomes for such trials and should be performed when possible. In areas of moderate transmission, gel electrophoresis appears adequate to estimate comparative

Assessment of Anti HSV-1 Activity of Aloe Vera Gel Extract: an In Vitro Study

Science.gov (United States)

Rezazadeh, Fahimeh; Moshaverinia, Maryam; Motamedifar, Mohammad; Alyaseri, Montazer

2016-01-01

Statement of the Problem Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is one of the most common and debilitating oral diseases; yet, there is no standard topical treatment to control it. The extract of Aloe vera leaves has been previously reported to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and also antiviral effects. There is no data on anti-Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) activity of Aloe vera gel. Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the anti-HSV-1 activity of Aloe vera gel in Vero cell line. Materials and Method In this study, gel extraction and cytotoxicity of various increasing concentrations of Aloe vera gel (0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5%) was evaluated in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) containing 2% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Having been washed with phosphate buffered saline, 50 plaque-forming units (PFU) of HSV-1 was added to each well. After 1 hour of incubation at 37°C, cell monolayers in 24 well plates were exposed to different increasing concentrations of Aloe vera gel. The anti-HSV-1 activity of Aloe vera gel in different concentrations was assessed by plaque reduction assays. Data were analyzed by using One-way ANOVA. Results The cytotoxicity assay showed that Aloe vera in prearranged concentrations was cell-compatible. The inhibitory effect of various concentrations of Aloe vera was observed one hour after the Vero cell was infected with HSV-1. However, there was no significant difference between two serial concentrations (p> 0.05). One-way ANOVA also revealed no significant difference between the groups. The findings indicated a dose-dependent antiviral effect of Aloe vera. Conclusion The findings showed significant inhibitory effect of 0.2-5% Aloe vera gel on HSV-1 growth in Vero cell line. Therefore, this gel could be a useful topical treatment for oral HSV-1 infections without any significant toxicity. PMID:26966709

Metal-silica sol-gel materials

Science.gov (United States)

Stiegman, Albert E. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

The present invention relates to a single phase metal-silica sol-gel glass formed by the co-condensation of a transition metal with silicon atoms where the metal atoms are uniformly distributed within the sol-gel glass as individual metal centers. Any transition metal may be used in the sol-gel glasses. The present invention also relates to sensor materials where the sensor material is formed using the single phase metal-silica sol-gel glasses. The sensor materials may be in the form of a thin film or may be attached to an optical fiber. The present invention also relates to a method of sensing chemicals using the chemical sensors by monitoring the chromatic change of the metal-silica sol-gel glass when the chemical binds to the sensor. The present invention also relates to oxidation catalysts where a metal-silica sol-gel glass catalyzes the reaction. The present invention also relates to a method of performing oxidation reactions using the metal-silica sol-gel glasses. The present invention also relates to organopolymer metal-silica sol-gel composites where the pores of the metal-silica sol-gel glasses are filled with an organic polymer polymerized by the sol-gel glass.

Study of nuclear glasses alteration gel and synthesis of some model gels; Etude du gel d`alteration des verres nucleaires et synthese de gels modeles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ricol, S

1995-10-05

This work deals with the general problem of alteration of the reference nuclear glass R7T7. Attention is paid particularly to the altered layer formed at the glass surface during alteration process. In opposition to previous works, related essentially to glass dissolution kinetics based on chemical analyses of lixiviated elements, this thesis deals with alteration problems through structural studies of the reference glass and derived gel. This approach allows the determination of mechanisms for the gel formation and a better understanding of the behaviour of glasses towards lixiviation. Both approaches appeared complementary. Based on several spectroscopic techniques, this work showed the particular role of cations such as calcium, zirconium and iron. Studies of silica-based synthetic gels showed the synergic effect of formers cation and of one highly coordinated cation. The variation of the wavenumber related to Si-O-Si asymmetric stretching vibration can be correlated to O/Si ratio for ternary systems Si/Na/Zr. On the contrary, the Si losses of the materials depend on the number of non-bridging oxygen atoms. In the perspective of long-term behaviour, the alteration gel presents better characteristics than initial glass. It is therefore a highly stable material in static conditions. In the same way, synthetic gels are materials with very low solubilities (much lower than the alteration gel) and could be used as confining matrices. (authors). refs., 71 figs., 37 tabs.

Amperometric biosensor for hydrogen peroxide based on hemoglobin entrapped in titania sol-gel film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Jiuhong; Ju Huangxian

2003-01-01

Hemoglobin (Hb) was entrapped in a titania sol-gel matrix and used as a mimetic peroxidase to construct a novel amperometric biosensor for hydrogen peroxide. The Hb entrapped titania sol-gel film was obtained with a vapor deposition method, which simplified the traditional sol-gel process for protein immobilization. The morphologies of both titania sol-gel and the Hb films were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and proved to be chemically clean, porous, homogeneous. This matrix provided a biocompatible microenvironment for retaining the native structure and activity of the entrapped Hb and a very low mass transport barrier to the substrates. H 2 O 2 could be reduced by the catalysis of the entrapped hemoglobin at -300 mV without any mediator. The reagentless H 2 O 2 sensor exhibited a fast response (less than 5 s) and sensitivity as high as 1.29 mA mM -1 cm -2 . The linear range for H 2 O 2 determination was from 5.0x10 -7 to 5.4x10 -5 M with a detection limit of 1.2x10 -7 M. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant of the encapsulated hemoglobin was calculated to be 0.18±0.02 mM. The stability of the biosensor was also evaluated

Thoria sol-gel processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matthews, R.B.

1978-10-01

Alternate fuel fabrication techniques are being developed at WNRE as part of the thorium fuel cycle program. The sol-gel techniques are attractive and this report assembles and summarizes information relating to thoria sol-gel fuels. Some background information on the behaviour and advantages of sol-gel fuel forms is presented, followed by a review of relevant colloid chemistry and an explanation of the fundamental steps of sol-gel processes. Finally, several variants to the basic process are reviewed and evaluated. (author)

Review of Fricke gel dosimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schreiner, L J

2004-01-01

The innovation of adding a gel matrix to the traditional Fricke dosimeter to stabilize geometric information established the field of gel dosimetry for radiation therapy. A discussion of Fricke gels provides an overview of the issues that determine the dose response of all gel dosimeters in general. In this paper we review some of the features of Fricke systems to illustrate these issues and, in addition, to motivate renewed clinical interest in Fricke gels

Nanomagnets La0.8Pb0.2(Fe0.8Co0.2)O3 assembled with a bonded surface graphene oxide: sensitive for sensing small gas molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhargav, K K; Ram, S; Majumder, S B

2012-04-01

Nanocrystallites La0.8Pb0.2(Fe0.8Co0.2)O3 (LPFC) when bonded through a surface layer (carbon) in small ensembles display surface sensitive magnetism useful for biological probes, electrodes, and toxic gas sensors. A simple dispersion and hydrolysis of the salts in ethylene glycol (EG) in water is explored to form ensembles of the nanocrystallites (NCs) by combustion of a liquid precursor gel slowly in microwave at 70-80 dgrees C (apparent) in a closed container in air. In a dilute sample, the EG molecules mediate hydrolyzed species to configure in small groups in process to form a gel. Proposed models describe how a residual carbon bridges a stable bonded layer of a graphene-oxide-like hybrid structure on the LPFC-NCs in attenuating the magnetic structure. SEM images, measured from a pelletized sample which was used to study the gas sensing features in terms of the electrical resistance, describe plate shaped NCs, typically 30-60 nm widths, 60-180 nm lengths and -50 m2/g surface area (after heating at -750 degrees C). These NCs are arranged in ensembles (200-900 nm size). As per the X-ray diffraction, the plates (a Pnma orthorhombic structure) bear only small strain -0.0023 N/m2 and oxygen vacancies. The phonon and electronic bands from a bonded surface layer disappear when it is etched out slowly by heating above 550 degrees C in air. The surface layer actively promotes selective H2 gas sensor properties.

Gel nano-particulates against radioactivity; Des nanoparticules en gel contre la radioactivite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deroin, Ph

2004-11-01

The Argonne research center (USA) has developed a 'super-gel' compound, a polymer close to those used in baby's diapers, which can reach a 90% efficiency in the radioactive decontamination of porous materials, like bricks or concrete. The contaminated materials are sprayed with a mixture of polymer gel and wetting agent with nano-particulates in suspension. Under the action of the wetting agent, radioactivity migrates from the pores to the gel and is trapped by the nano-particulates. The drying and recycling of the gel allows to reduce the volume of radioactive wastes. Short paper. (J.S.)

Polymer gel dosimeters with enhanced sensitivity for use in x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jirasek, A; Hilts, M; McAuley, K B

2010-01-01

A primary limitation of current x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry is the low contrast, and hence poor dose resolution, of dose images produced by the system. The low contrast is largely due to the low-dose sensitivity of current formulations of polymer gel for x-ray CT imaging. This study reports on the investigation of new dosimeter formulations with improved dose sensitivity for x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry. We incorporate an isopropanol co-solvent into an N-isopropylacrylamide-based gel formulation in order to increase the total monomer/crosslinker concentration (%T) within the formulation. It is shown that gels of high %T exhibit enhanced dose sensitivity and dose resolutions over traditional formulations. The gels are shown to be temporally stable and reproducible. A single formulation (16%T) is used to demonstrate the capabilities of the x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry system in measuring known dose distributions. A 1 L gel volume is exposed to three separate irradiations: a single-field percent depth dose, a two-field 'cross' and a three-field 'test case'. The first two irradiations are used to generate a dose calibration curve by which images are calibrated. The calibrated images are compared with treatment planning predictions and it is shown that the x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry system is capable of capturing spatial and dose information accurately. The proposed new gel formulation is shown to be sensitive, stable and to improve the dose resolution over current formulations so as to provide a feasible gel for clinical applications of x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry.

Synthesis, structure and electromagnetic properties of Mn–Zn ferrite by sol–gel combustion technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Wenjie; Zang, Chongguang; Jiao, Qingjie

2014-01-01

The electromagnetic absorbing behaviors of a thin coating fabricated by mixing Mn–Zn ferrite with epoxy resin (EP) were studied. The spinel ferrites Mn 1−x Zn x Fe 2 O 4 (x=0.2, 0.5 and 0.8) were synthesized with citrate acid as complex agent by sol–gel combustion method. The microstructure and surface morphology of Mn–Zn ferrite powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The complex permittivity and complex permeability of the fabricated ferrite/EP composites were investigated in terms of their contributions to the absorbing properties in the low frequency (10 MHz to 1 GHz). The microwave absorption of the prepared ferrite/EP composites could be tailored by matching the dielectric loss and magnetic loss and by controlling the doped metal ratio. The composites with the ferrite composition x=0.2 are found to show higher reflection loss compared with the composites with other compositions. It is proposed that the prepared composites can potentially be applied in electromagnetic microwave absorbing field. - Highlights: • We designed and synthesized Mn 1−x Zn x Fe 2 O 4 (x=0.2, 0.5 and 0.8), with citrate acid as complex agent by the sol–gel combustion method. • Citrate acid as the complex agent overcomes the aggregation of ferrite resulting in high purity and homogeneous particles. • We investigated the electromagnetic absorbing performance of a fabricated thin coating by introducing Mn–Zn ferrite into epoxy resin (EP). • The Mn 0.8 Zn 0.2 Fe 2 O 4 composite coatings could achieve the satisfactory absorbing value of −17 dB at 800 MHz. • The prepared composites can potentially be used for the application in electromagnetic microwave absorbing field

Microwave properties of La{sub 0.8}Ag{sub 0.2}MnO{sub 3} nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rostamnejadi, Ali [Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Electroceram Research Center, Shahin Shahr, Isfahan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-11-15

In this research, single-phase nanoparticles of La{sub 0.8}Ag{sub 0.2}MnO{sub 3} with mean particle size of 15 nm have been synthesized by sol-gel method. The microwave properties of La{sub 0.8}Ag{sub 0.2}MnO{sub 3}/paraffin nanocomposite are studied by measuring the complex permittivity and permeability in the frequency range of 1-18 GHz. The composite shows both reflection and absorption electromagnetic shielding effectiveness with maximum total value of 36 dB, which is suitable for defense and microwave radiation shielding applications at high temperatures. The electromagnetic absorption properties are described in terms of dielectric relaxation processes. (orig.)

Design of Autonomous Gel Actuators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuji Hashimoto

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we introduce autonomous gel actuators driven by chemical energy. The polymer gels prepared here have cyclic chemical reaction networks. With a cyclic reaction, the polymer gels generate periodical motion. The periodic motion of the gel is produced by the chemical energy of the oscillatory Belouzov-Zhabotinsky (BZ reaction. We have succeeded in making synthetic polymer gel move autonomously like a living organism. This experimental fact represents the great possibility of the chemical robot.

Optimal processing for gel electrophoresis images: Applying Monte Carlo Tree Search in GelApp.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Phi-Vu; Ghezal, Ali; Hsueh, Ya-Chih; Boudier, Thomas; Gan, Samuel Ken-En; Lee, Hwee Kuan

2016-08-01

In biomedical research, gel band size estimation in electrophoresis analysis is a routine process. To facilitate and automate this process, numerous software have been released, notably the GelApp mobile app. However, the band detection accuracy is limited due to a band detection algorithm that cannot adapt to the variations in input images. To address this, we used the Monte Carlo Tree Search with Upper Confidence Bound (MCTS-UCB) method to efficiently search for optimal image processing pipelines for the band detection task, thereby improving the segmentation algorithm. Incorporating this into GelApp, we report a significant enhancement of gel band detection accuracy by 55.9 ± 2.0% for protein polyacrylamide gels, and 35.9 ± 2.5% for DNA SYBR green agarose gels. This implementation is a proof-of-concept in demonstrating MCTS-UCB as a strategy to optimize general image segmentation. The improved version of GelApp-GelApp 2.0-is freely available on both Google Play Store (for Android platform), and Apple App Store (for iOS platform). © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Polymer gel dosimeters with enhanced sensitivity for use in x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jirasek, A [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria BC V8W 3P6 (Canada); Hilts, M [Medical Physics, BC Cancer Agency-Vancouver Island Centre, Victoria BC V6R 2B6 (Canada); McAuley, K B, E-mail: jirasek@uvic.c [Department of Chemical Engineering, Queens University, Kingston, ON K7 L 3N6 (Canada)

2010-09-21

A primary limitation of current x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry is the low contrast, and hence poor dose resolution, of dose images produced by the system. The low contrast is largely due to the low-dose sensitivity of current formulations of polymer gel for x-ray CT imaging. This study reports on the investigation of new dosimeter formulations with improved dose sensitivity for x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry. We incorporate an isopropanol co-solvent into an N-isopropylacrylamide-based gel formulation in order to increase the total monomer/crosslinker concentration (%T) within the formulation. It is shown that gels of high %T exhibit enhanced dose sensitivity and dose resolutions over traditional formulations. The gels are shown to be temporally stable and reproducible. A single formulation (16%T) is used to demonstrate the capabilities of the x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry system in measuring known dose distributions. A 1 L gel volume is exposed to three separate irradiations: a single-field percent depth dose, a two-field 'cross' and a three-field 'test case'. The first two irradiations are used to generate a dose calibration curve by which images are calibrated. The calibrated images are compared with treatment planning predictions and it is shown that the x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry system is capable of capturing spatial and dose information accurately. The proposed new gel formulation is shown to be sensitive, stable and to improve the dose resolution over current formulations so as to provide a feasible gel for clinical applications of x-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry.

Micelles and gels of oxyethylene-oxybutylene diblock copolymers in aqueous solution: The effect of oxyethylene-block length

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Derici, L.; Ledger, S.; Mai, S.M.

1999-01-01

and in aqueous 0.2 mol dm(-3) K(2)SO(4)), yielding the micellar association numbers, the hydrodynamic and thermodynamic radii, and related expansion factors. Micellar parameters were also obtained by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) for solutions of a similar copolymer, E(86)B(10), in water, i......Block copolymer E(90)B(10) (E = oxyethylene, B = oxybutylene) was synthesised and characterised by gel permeation chromatography and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and static light scattering (SLS) were used to characterise the micelles in solution (both in water...... of water in the micelle core. Moderately concentrated solutions of copolymer E(90)B(10) were studied in the gel state by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in tandem with rheology (oscillatory shear). Values for the dynamic elastic modulus (G') of the gels significantly exceeded 10(4) Pa across the range...

Aloe Gel Enhances Angiogenesis in Healing of Diabetic Wound

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Djanggan Sargowo

2011-12-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Diabetic micro and macroangiophathy lead to the incident of diabetic foot ulcers characterized by an increased number of circulating endothelial cells (CECs and decreased function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs. This fact is correlated with ischemia and diabetic wound healing failure. Aloe vera gel is known to be able to stimulate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF expression and activity by enhancing nitric oxide (NO production as a result of nitric oxide synthase (NOS enzyme activity. Aloe vera is a potential target to enhancing angiogenesis in wound healing. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the major role of Aloe vera gel in wound healing of diabetic ulcers by increasing the level of EPCs, VEGF, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS, as well as by reducing the level of CECs involved in angiogenesis process of diabetic ulcers healing. METHODS: The experimental groups was divided into five subgroups consisting of non diabetic wistar rats, diabetic rats without oral administration of aloe gel, and treatment subgroup (diabetic rats with 30, 60 and 120 mg/day of aloe gel doses for 14 days. All subgroups were wounded and daily observation was done on the wounds areas. Measurement of the number of EPCs (CD34, and CECs (CD45 and CD146 was done by flow cytometry, followed by measurement of VEGF and eNOS expression on dermal tissue by immunohistochemical method on day 0 and day 14 after treatment. The quantitative data were analyzed by One-Way ANOVA and Linear Regression, with a confidence interval 5% and significance level (p<0.05 using SPSS 16 software to compare the difference and correlation between wound diameters, number of EPCs and CECs as well as the levels of VEGF and eNOS. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that aloe gel oral treatment in diabetic wistar rats was able to accelerate the wound healing process. It was shown by significant reduction of wound diameter (0.27±0.02; the

Polymer gels and networks

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Osada, Yoshihito; Khokhlov, A. R

2002-01-01

... or magnetic field, etc.). It was realized that not only can polymer gels absorb and hold a considerable volume of liquids, but they can also be forced to expel the absorbed liquid in a controlled manner. Of particular interest are hydrogels, i.e., polymer gels, which swell extensively in water. The most common hydrogels are polyelectrolyte gels: ...

Rapid determination of 239Pu in urine samples using molecular recognition technology product AnaLigRPu-02 gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silvia Dulanska; Boris Remenec; Jan Bilohuscin; Miroslav Labaska; Bianka Horvathova; Andrej Matel

2013-01-01

This paper describes the use of IBC's AnaLig R Pu-02 molecular recognition technology product to effectively and selectively pre-concentrate, separate and recover plutonium from urine samples. This method uses two-stage column separations consisting of two different commercial products, Eichrom's Pre-filter Material and AnaLig R Pu-02 resin from IBC Advanced Technologies. By eliminating the co-precipitation techniques and the ashing steps to remove residual organics, the analysis time was reduced significantly. The method was successfully tested by adding known activities of reference solutions of 242 Pu and 239 Pu to urine samples. (author)

Preparation of continuous alumina gel fibres by aqueous sol–gel ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. Continuous alumina gel fibres were prepared by sol–gel method. The spinning sol was prepared by mixing aluminum nitrate, lactic acid and polyvinylpyrrolidone with a mass ratio of 10:3:1·5. Thermogravimetry– differential scanning calorimetry (TG–DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, X-ray diffraction ...

Sealing wells with gel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez, E C

1967-10-01

A new system is being used in Mexico to temporarily plug producing wells. The temporary seal is a gel with a catalyst. The use of this temporary plug allows gas-lift wells to be taken off production in order to carry out emergency repairs. The gel solidifies by the action of the catalyst to a high temperature (70 - 150/sup 0/C). By locating the bottom of the tubing at the top of the production interval, the gel material will go into the permeable formation, and immediately set. When the gel has solidified, it seals off the horizon that must not be stimulated, and leaves the others exposed to the acid action. When the treatment is finished, the gel, by action of the catalyst, is liquefied and removed from the formation, being produced with the oil.

Gel-eletroforese no diagnóstico da varíola Gel-electrophoresis in the smallpox diagnosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julio A. Mesquita

1972-01-01

Full Text Available O emprego de gel-eletroforese no diagnóstico da varíola, demonstrou ser ao menos trinta vezes (30X mais sensível que o teste de agar-gel, nas condições descritas (tabela I. Doze (12 espécimes, cujos testes convencionais de inoculação em ovos embrionados e de agar-gel resultaram positivos, foram testados em suas diluições originais congeladas por mais de um ano, sendo seis deles revelados por gel-eletroforese enquanto nenhum o foi por agar-gel (tabela II. Trinta e três (33 amostras isoladas no laboratório, foram testadas com material colhido de membrana cório-alantóica da primeira inoculação para o diagnóstico, conservado em glicerina 50%, resultando 15 positivas em gel-eletroforese e apenas 3 em agar-gel (tabela II. Os últimos 60 espécimes recebidos para diagnóstico, através a Campanha de Erradicação da Varíola, também resultaram negativos em gel-eletroforese, que não mostrou falsos-positivos nas condições descritas.The test of gel-electrophoresis applied to the pox virus group showed to be at least thirth times (30X more sensitive than agar-gel test on the described conditions (Table I. Twelve specimens, which were positives form Smallpox in the conventional tests of egg inoculation and agar-gel difusion test, have been screened in their original dilutions frozen for more than 1 year and six of them were still detectable by gel-eletrophoresis, while by agar-gel test any of them was positive (Table II. Thirty three Smallpox isolates have been tested with material from first egg inoculation (chorioallantoic membranes which have been stored in glycerin 50%, at - 15ºC. Fifteen of them were still positive by gel-electrophoresis and only 3 by agar-gel (Table II. The last 60 specimens received for diagnosis from Smallpox Erradication Campaign (CEV, were negatives by both tests. The gel-electrophoresis, did not show false-positives on described conditions.

Instrumental texture profile analysis of gelatin gel extracted from grouper skin and commercial (bovine and porcine) gelatin gels.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Mohammad Shafiur; Al-Mahrouqi, Abdullah Issa

2009-01-01

Mechanical compression was used to study the gelling characteristics of gelatin gels. Texture profile analysis (TPA) showed that the hardness of fish and mammalian gelatin increased significantly as the concentrations of gels increased. TPA attributes of 10% fish skin gel showed significant differences from those obtained from 20% and 30% gels. In bovine and porcine cases, such generic trends were not observed. Mechanical characteristics of 10% gels of gelatin from fish skin, determined from one cycle compression, were significantly lower than other sources of gelatin gels, while bovine and porcine gels did not show any significant differences. In the case of TPA, hardness of bovine gelatin gel was highest at 41 N for 10% gel, followed by porcine (30 N) then fish skin (5 N) gelatin gels. The gels prepared from different sources did not show any generic trends when all other mechanical attributes were considered.

Compatibility between weak gel and microorganisms in weak gel-assisted microbial enhanced oil recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Yi-Bin; Zheng, Cheng-Gang; Lv, Cheng-Yuan; Lun, Zeng-Min; Ma, Tao

2018-03-20

To investigate weak gel-assisted microbial flooding in Block Wang Long Zhuang in the Jiangsu Oilfield, the compatibility of weak gel and microbe was evaluated using laboratory experiments. Bacillus sp. W5 was isolated from the formation water in Block Wang Long Zhuang. The rate of oil degradation reached 178 mg/day, and the rate of viscosity reduction reached 75.3%. Strain W5 could produce lipopeptide with a yield of 1254 mg/L. Emulsified crude oil was dispersed in the microbial degradation system, and the average diameter of the emulsified oil particles was 18.54 μm. Bacillus sp. W5 did not affect the rheological properties of the weak gel, and the presence of the weak gel did not significantly affect bacterial reproduction (as indicated by an unchanged microbial biomass), emulsification (surface tension is 35.56 mN/m and average oil particles size is 21.38 μm), oil degradation (162 mg/day) and oil viscosity reduction (72.7%). Core-flooding experiments indicated oil recovery of 23.6% when both weak gel and Bacillus sp. W5 were injected into the system, 14.76% when only the weak gel was injected, and 9.78% with strain W5 was injected without the weak gel. The results demonstrate good compatibility between strains W5 and the weak gel and highlight the application potential of weak gel-assisted microbial flooding. Copyright © 2018 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High transparent shape memory gel

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Jin; Arai, Masanori; Kabir, M. H.; Makino, Masato; Furukawa, Hidemitsu

2014-03-01

Gels are a new material having three-dimensional network structures of macromolecules. They possess excellent properties as swellability, high permeability and biocompatibility, and have been applied in various fields of daily life, food, medicine, architecture, and chemistry. In this study, we tried to prepare new multi-functional and high-strength gels by using Meso-Decoration (Meso-Deco), one new method of structure design at intermediate mesoscale. High-performance rigid-rod aromatic polymorphic crystals, and the functional groups of thermoreversible Diels-Alder reaction were introduced into soft gels as crosslinkable pendent chains. The functionalization and strengthening of gels can be realized by meso-decorating the gels' structure using high-performance polymorphic crystals and thermoreversible pendent chains. New gels with good mechanical properties, novel optical properties and thermal properties are expected to be developed.

Influence of pre-cooking protein paste gelation conditions and post-cooking gel storage conditions on gel texture.

Science.gov (United States)

Paker, Ilgin; Matak, Kristen E

2016-01-15

Gelation conditions affect the setting of myofibrillar fish protein gels. Therefore the impact of widely applied pre-cooking gelation time/temperature strategies and post-cooking period on the texture and color of final protein gels was determined. Four pre-cooking gelation strategies (no setting time, 30 min at 25 °C, 1 h at 40 °C or 24 h at 4 °C) were applied to protein pastes (fish protein concentrate and standard functional additives). After cooking, texture and color were analyzed either directly or after 24 h at 4 °C on gels adjusted to 25 °C. No-set gels were harder, gummier and chewier (P cooking. Gel-setting conditions had a greater (P cooking stored gels in texture and color, depending on the pre-cooking gelation strategy. Pre-cooking gelation conditions will affect final protein gel texture and color, with gel stability benefiting from a gel-setting period. However, post-cooking storage may have a greater impact on final gels, with textural attributes becoming more consistent between all samples. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Pharmacokinetic assessment of dapivirine vaginal microbicide gel in healthy, HIV-negative women.

Science.gov (United States)

Nel, Annalene M; Coplan, Paul; Smythe, Shanique C; McCord, Karen; Mitchnick, Mark; Kaptur, Paulina E; Romano, Joseph

2010-11-01

To assess the pharmacokinetics of dapivirine in plasma and dapivirine concentrations in cervicovaginal fluids (CVF) and cervicovaginal tissues following vaginal administration of dapivirine microbicide gel in healthy, HIV-negative women for 10 days. A randomized, double-blind, phase I study was conducted at a single research center in South Africa. A total of 18 women used dapivirine gel (0.001%, 0.005%, or 0.02%) once daily on Days 1 and 10 and twice daily on Days 2-9. Pharmacokinetics of dapivirine were assessed in plasma on Days 1 and 10. Dapivirine concentrations were measured in CVF on Days 1 and 10 and in cervicovaginal tissues on Day 10. Safety was evaluated through laboratory tests (hematology, clinical chemistry, and urinalysis), physical examinations, and assessment of adverse events. Plasma concentrations of dapivirine increased over time with gel dose and were greater on Day 10 (C(max) 31 to 471 pg/ml) than Day 1 (C(max) 23 to 80 pg/ml). T(max) was 10-12 h on Day 1, and 9 h on Day 10. Concentrations in CVF generally increased with dose but were highly variable among participants. Mean peak values ranged from 4.6-8.3 × 10(6) pg/ml on Day 1 and from 2.3-20.7 × 10(6) pg/ml on Day 10 across dose groups. Dapivirine was detectable in all tissue biopsies on Day 10 at concentrations of 1.0-356 × 10(3) pg/mg. Dapivirine was widely distributed throughout the lower genital tract with low systemic absorption when administered in a vaginal gel formulation for 10 consecutive days. The gel was safe and well tolerated.

Agar/gelatin bilayer gel matrix fabricated by simple thermo-responsive sol-gel transition method.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yifeng; Dong, Meng; Guo, Mengmeng; Wang, Xia; Zhou, Jing; Lei, Jian; Guo, Chuanhang; Qin, Chaoran

2017-08-01

We present a simple and environmentally-friendly method to generate an agar/gelatin bilayer gel matrix for further biomedical applications. In this method, the thermally responsive sol-gel transitions of agar and gelatin combined with the different transition temperatures are exquisitely employed to fabricate the agar/gelatin bilayer gel matrix and achieve separate loading for various materials (e.g., drugs, fluorescent materials, and nanoparticles). Importantly, the resulting bilayer gel matrix provides two different biopolymer environments (a polysaccharide environment vs a protein environment) with a well-defined border, which allows the loaded materials in different layers to retain their original properties (e.g., magnetism and fluorescence) and reduce mutual interference. In addition, the loaded materials in the bilayer gel matrix exhibit an interesting release behavior under the control of thermal stimuli. Consequently, the resulting agar/gelatin bilayer gel matrix is a promising candidate for biomedical applications in drug delivery, controlled release, fluorescence labeling, and bio-imaging. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reagentless D-sorbitol biosensor based on D-sorbitol dehydrogenase immobilized in a sol-gel carbon nanotubes-poly(methylene green) composite.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhijie; Etienne, Mathieu; Urbanova, Veronika; Kohring, Gert-Wieland; Walcarius, Alain

2013-04-01

A reagentless D-sorbitol biosensor based on NAD-dependent D-sorbitol dehydrogenase (DSDH) immobilized in a sol-gel carbon nanotubes-poly(methylene green) composite has been developed. It was prepared by durably immobilizing the NAD(+) cofactor with DSDH in a sol-gel thin film on the surface of carbon nanotubes functionalized with poly(methylene green). This device enables selective determination of D-sorbitol at 0.2 V with a sensitivity of 8.7 μA mmol(-1) L cm(-2) and a detection limit of 0.11 mmol L(-1). Moreover, this biosensor has excellent operational stability upon continuous use in hydrodynamic conditions.

Hyaluronic Acid Gel Injection to Prevent Thermal Injury of Adjacent Gastrointestinal Tract during Percutaneous Liver Radiofrequency Ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Takaaki; Takaki, Haruyuki; Miyagi, Hideki; Nakatsuka, Atsuhiro; Uraki, Junji; Yamanaka, Takashi; Fujimori, Masashi; Sakuma, Hajime; Yamakado, Koichiro

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the safety, feasibility, and clinical utility of hyaluronic acid gel injection to separate the gastrointestinal tract from the tumor during liver radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Eleven patients with liver tumors measuring 0.9–3.5 cm (mean ± standard deviation, 2.1 ± 0.8 cm) that were adjacent to the gastrointestinal tracts received RFA after the mixture of hyaluronic acid gel and contrast material (volume, 26.4 ± 14.5 mL; range, 10–60 mL) was injected between the tumor and the gastrointestinal tract under computed tomographic–fluoroscopic guidance. Each tumor was separated from the gastrointestinal tract by 1.0–1.5 cm (distance, 1.2 ± 0.2 cm) after injection of hyaluronic acid gel, and subsequent RFA was performed without any complications in all patients. Although tumor enhancement disappeared in all patients, local tumor progression was found in a patient (9.1 %, 1 of 11) during the follow-up of 5.5 ± 3.2 months (range, 0.4–9.9 months). In conclusion, hyaluronic acid gel injection is a safe and useful technique to avoid thermal injury of the adjacent gastrointestinal tract during liver RFA

Hyaluronic Acid Gel Injection to Prevent Thermal Injury of Adjacent Gastrointestinal Tract during Percutaneous Liver Radiofrequency Ablation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasegawa, Takaaki, E-mail: hasegawat@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp; Takaki, Haruyuki; Miyagi, Hideki; Nakatsuka, Atsuhiro; Uraki, Junji; Yamanaka, Takashi; Fujimori, Masashi; Sakuma, Hajime; Yamakado, Koichiro [Mie University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology (Japan)

2013-08-01

This study evaluated the safety, feasibility, and clinical utility of hyaluronic acid gel injection to separate the gastrointestinal tract from the tumor during liver radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Eleven patients with liver tumors measuring 0.9-3.5 cm (mean {+-} standard deviation, 2.1 {+-} 0.8 cm) that were adjacent to the gastrointestinal tracts received RFA after the mixture of hyaluronic acid gel and contrast material (volume, 26.4 {+-} 14.5 mL; range, 10-60 mL) was injected between the tumor and the gastrointestinal tract under computed tomographic-fluoroscopic guidance. Each tumor was separated from the gastrointestinal tract by 1.0-1.5 cm (distance, 1.2 {+-} 0.2 cm) after injection of hyaluronic acid gel, and subsequent RFA was performed without any complications in all patients. Although tumor enhancement disappeared in all patients, local tumor progression was found in a patient (9.1 %, 1 of 11) during the follow-up of 5.5 {+-} 3.2 months (range, 0.4-9.9 months). In conclusion, hyaluronic acid gel injection is a safe and useful technique to avoid thermal injury of the adjacent gastrointestinal tract during liver RFA.

Effect of a small amount of sodium carbonate on konjac glucomannan-induced changes in wheat starch gel.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yun; Zhao, Dan; Winkworth-Smith, Charles G; Foster, Tim J; Nirasawa, Satoru; Tatsumi, Eizo; Cheng, Yongqiang

2015-02-13

Wheat starch gels were produced with konjac glucomannan (KGM) and low concentrations of Na2CO3 (0.1-0.2 wt% of starch) using a rapid viscosity analyzer (RVA). The gelling properties of wheat starch in varying ratios of KGM and Na2CO3 were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). A small amount of Na2CO3 resulted in gels with increased elasticity whereas structural ordering during retrogradation was insignificantly affected. Comparison of CLSM images of composite gels revealed that Na2CO3 at 0.2 wt% of starch allowed the formation of fiber-like extensions around scattered swollen granules by KGM and amylose interaction, making swollen granules disperse within the micro phase, which was not typical in CLSM images of gels in the absence of Na2CO3. Dynamic storage modulus and dynamic power law exponent were substantially higher than those observed for the same concentration of KGM in the presence of Na2CO3, supporting the hypothesis that Na2CO3 could promote strong interchain associations between KGM and starch components. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low compliance with alcohol gel compared with chlorhexidine for hand hygiene in ICU patients: results of an alcohol gel implementation program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Fernando Aranha Camargo

Full Text Available Although the introduction of alcohol based products have increased compliance with hand hygiene in intensive care units (ICU, no comparative studies with other products in the same unit and in the same period have been conducted. We performed a two-month-observational prospective study comparing three units in an adult ICU, according to hand hygiene practices (chlorhexidine alone-unit A, both chlorhexidine and alcohol gel-unit B, and alcohol gel alone-unit C, respectively. Opportunities for hand hygiene were considered according to an institutional guideline. Patients were randomly allocated in the 3 units and data on hand hygiene compliance was collected without the knowledge of the health care staff. TISS score (used for measuring patient complexity was similar between the three different units. Overall compliance with hand hygiene was 46.7% (659/1410. Compliance was significantly higher after patient care in unit A when compared to units B and C. On the other hand, compliance was significantly higher only between units A (32.1% and C (23.1% before patient care (p=0.02. Higher compliance rates were observed for general opportunities for hand hygiene (patient bathing, vital sign controls, etc, while very low compliance rates were observed for opportunities related to skin and gastroenteral care. One of the reasons for not using alcohol gel according to health care workers was the necessity for water contact (35.3%, 12/20. Although the use of alcohol based products is now the standard practice for hand hygiene the abrupt abolition of hand hygiene with traditional products may not be recommended for specific services.

Chemical Gel for Surface Decontamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Chong Hun; Moon, J. K.; Won, H. J.; Lee, K. W.; Kim, C. K.

2010-01-01

Many chemical decontamination processes operate by immersing components in aggressive chemical solutions. In these applications chemical decontamination technique produce large amounts of radioactive liquid waste. Therefore it is necessary to develop processes using chemical gels instead of chemical solutions, to avoid the well-known disadvantages of chemical decontamination techniques while retaining their high efficiency. Chemical gels decontamination process consists of applying the gel by spraying it onto the surface of large area components (floors, walls, etc) to be decontaminated. The gel adheres to any vertical or complex surface due to their thixotropic properties and operates by dissolving the radioactive deposit, along with a thin layer of the gel support, so that the radioactivity trapped at the surface can be removed. Important aspects of the gels are that small quantities can be used and they show thixitropic properties : liquid during spraying, and solid when stationary, allowing for strong adherence to surfaces. This work investigates the decontamination behaviors of organic-based chemical gel for SS 304 metallic surfaces contaminated with radioactive materials

Sol-Gel Manufactured Energetic Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Randall L.; Lee, Ronald S.; Tillotson, Thomas M.; Hrubesh, Lawrence W.; Swansiger, Rosalind W.; Fox, Glenn A.

2005-05-17

Sol-gel chemistry is used for the preparation of energetic materials (explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics) with improved homogeneity, and/or which can be cast to near-net shape, and/or made into precision molding powders. The sol-gel method is a synthetic chemical process where reactive monomers are mixed into a solution, polymerization occurs leading to a highly cross-linked three dimensional solid network resulting in a gel. The energetic materials can be incorporated during the formation of the solution or during the gel stage of the process. The composition, pore, and primary particle sizes, gel time, surface areas, and density may be tailored and controlled by the solution chemistry. The gel is then dried using supercritical extraction to produce a highly porous low density aerogel or by controlled slow evaporation to produce a xerogel. Applying stress during the extraction phase can result in high density materials. Thus, the sol-gel method can be used for precision detonator explosive manufacturing as well as producing precision explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics, along with high power composite energetic materials.

Antibacterial effect of triantibiotic mixture, chlorhexidine gel, and two natural materials Propolis and Aloe vera against Enterococcus faecalis: An ex vivo study

OpenAIRE

Bazvand, Leila; Aminozarbian, Mohammad Ghasem; Farhad, Alireza; Noormohammadi, Hamid; Hasheminia, Seyed Mohsen; Mobasherizadeh, Sina

2014-01-01

Background: The aim of this ex vivo study was to compare the antimicrobial effect of triantibiotic paste, 0.2% chlorhexidine gel, Propolis and Aloe vera on Enterococcus faecalis in deep dentin. Materials and Methods: Ninety fresh extracted single-rooted teeth were used in a dentin block model. Seventy-five teeth were infected with E. faecalis and divided into four experimental groups (n = 15). Experimental groups were treated with triantibiotic mixture with distilled water, 0.2% chlorhexi...

Thixotropic gel for vadose zone remediation

Science.gov (United States)

Rhia, Brian D [Augusta, GA

2011-03-01

A thixotropic gel suitable for use in subsurface bioremediation is provided along with a process of using the gel. The thixotropic gel provides a non-migrating injectable substrate that can provide below ground barrier properties. In addition, the gel components provide for a favorable environment in which certain contaminants are preferentially sequestered in the gel and subsequently remediated by either indigenous or introduced microorganisms.

Meso-Decorated Switching-Knot Gels

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Jin; Sawamura, Kensuke; Makino, Masato; Kabir, M. H.; Furukawa, Hidemitsu

Gels are a new material having three-dimensional network structures of macromolecules. They possess excellent properties as swellability, high permeability and biocompatibility, and have been applied in various fields of daily life, food, medicine, architecture, and chemistry .In this study, we tried to prepare new multi-functional and high-strength gels by using Meso-Decoration (Meso-Deco), one new method of structure design at intermediate mesoscale. High-performance rigid-rod aromatic polymorphic crystals. The strengthening of gels can be realized by meso-decorating the gels' structure using high-performance polymorphic crystals. New gels with good mechanical properties, novel optical properties and thermal properties are expected to be developed.

A Consequence Analysis of the Explosion of Spherical Tanks Containing Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hadi Zareei

2016-07-01

Full Text Available A consequence analysis was performed in one of the gas refineries in Iran to investigate the risks andpotential losses resulted from accidents. Specifically, the consequences of an explosion in LPGspherical tanks were modeled using PHAST and MATLAB software. In this paper, three methods ofcalculation of PHAST software TNT, multi-energy, and BST were used. The results showed thatmulti energy method is the best method to evaluate overpressure. It was 0.150 bar and 0.159 bar in adistance of 1000 m far from the blast using PHAST and MATLAB respectively. This overpressurecan damage a wall with 30 cm thickness. It also affects the human threshold (1% ruptured eardrum.Finally, it was found that 100% lethality in a minute happened at 285.5 m and 37.5 kW/m2 when theexplosion happened.

Structure of mineral gels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miranda Salvado, I.M.; Margaca, F.M.A.; Teixeira, J.

1999-01-01

Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) measurements have been performed to investigate the nanoscale structure of materials of the systems xTiO 2 -(1-x)SiO 2 and xZrO 2 -(1-x)SiO 2 with x ≤ 10 mol % at different processing stages. The materials were prepared by sol-gel using the alkoxides method, in strong acidic conditions. Samples were studied as xerogels heat-treated at 120 and 850 deg. C and as wet gels at gel point and after aging. All samples showed identical microstructure at gel point, extended linear chains ∼10 nm long. The aged gel has a mass fractal structure with fractal dimension of 1.7 - 1.9. The 120 deg. C heat-treated xerogels show homogeneous oxide regions with mass fractal structure. For the 850 deg. C heat-treated xerogel the oxide regions average size has reduced and it has densified as compared to 120 deg. C heat-treated sample. (author)

Myocardial left ventricular dysfunction in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: new insights from tissue Doppler and strain imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Buss, Sebastian J; Wolf, David; Korosoglou, Grigorios; Max, Regina; Weiss, Celine S; Fischer, Christian; Schellberg, Dieter; Zugck, Christian; Kuecherer, Helmut F; Lorenz, Hanns-Martin; Katus, Hugo A; Hardt, Stefan E; Hansen, Alexander

2010-01-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Cardiovascular involvement is frequently underestimated by routine imaging techniques. Our aim was to determine if new echocardiographic imaging modalities like tissue Doppler (TDI), strain rate (SRR), and strain (SRI) imaging detect abnormalities in left ventricular (LV) function in asymptomatic patients with SLE. Sixty-seven young patients with SLE (mean age 42 +/- 10 yrs) without typical symptoms or signs of heart failure or angina, and a matched healthy control group (n = 40), underwent standard transthoracic echocardiography, TDI, SRR, and SRI imaging of the LV as well as assessment of disease characteristics. Despite findings within the normal range on routine standard 2-dimensional echocardiography, SLE was associated with significantly impaired systolic and diastolic myocardial velocities of the LV measured by TDI [mean global TDI: systolic (s): 2.9 +/- 0.9 vs 3.9 +/- 0.7 cm/s, p < 0.05; early (e): 4.3 +/- 1.5 vs 6.3 +/- 1.3 cm/s, p < 0.05; late (a): 2.9 +/- 0.8 vs 3.4 +/- 0.8 cm/s, p < 0.05; values +/- SD); SRR (s: -0.8 +/- 0.1 vs -1.1 +/- 0.1 s(-1); e: 1.1 +/- 0.2 vs 1.6 +/- 0.3 s(-1); a: 0.7 +/- 0.1 vs 1.0 +/- 0.2 s(-1); all p < 0.05); and SR (-15.11 +/- 2.2% vs -19.7 +/- 1.9%; p < 0.05) compared to the control group. Further, elevated disease activity, measured with the ECLAM and the SLEDAI score, resulted in significantly lower values for LV longitudinal function measured by SRR and SR, but not by TDI. SLE is associated with a significant impairment of systolic and diastolic LV longitudinal function in patients without cardiac symptoms. New imaging modalities provide earlier insight into cardiovascular involvement in SLE and seem to be superior to standard echocardiography to detect subclinical myocardial disease.

Cyanocobalamin Nasal Gel

Science.gov (United States)

... to supply extra vitamin B12 to people who need unusually large amounts of this vitamin because they are pregnant or have certain diseases. ... Cyanocobalamin nasal gel will supply you with enough vitamin B12 only as ... it regularly. You may need to use cyanocobalamin nasal gel every week for ...

Gels and gel-derived glasses in the system Na2O-B2O3-SiO2

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, S. P.

1983-01-01

The containerless melting of high-purity multicomponent homogeneous gels and gel monoliths offers a unique approach to making ultrapure multicomponent optical glasses in the reduced gravity environment of space. Procedures for preparing and characterizing gels and gel-derived glasses in the system Na2O-B2O3-SiO2 are described. Preparation is based on the polymerization reactions of alkoxysilane with trimethyl borate or boric acid and a suitable sodium compound. The chemistry of the gelling process is discussed in terms of process parameters and the gel compositions. The physicochemical nature of gels prepared by three different procedures was found to be significantly different. Infrared absorption spectra indicate finite differences in the molecular structures of the different gels. The melting of the gel powders and the transformation of porous gel monoliths to transparent 'glass' without melting are described.

Study of nuclear glasses alteration gel and synthesis of some model gels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ricol, S.

1995-01-01

This work deals with the general problem of alteration of the reference nuclear glass R7T7. Attention is paid particularly to the altered layer formed at the glass surface during alteration process. In opposition to previous works, related essentially to glass dissolution kinetics based on chemical analyses of lixiviated elements, this thesis deals with alteration problems through structural studies of the reference glass and derived gel. This approach allows the determination of mechanisms for the gel formation and a better understanding of the behaviour of glasses towards lixiviation. Both approaches appeared complementary. Based on several spectroscopic techniques, this work showed the particular role of cations such as calcium, zirconium and iron. Studies of silica-based synthetic gels showed the synergic effect of formers cation and of one highly coordinated cation. The variation of the wavenumber related to Si-O-Si asymmetric stretching vibration can be correlated to O/Si ratio for ternary systems Si/Na/Zr. On the contrary, the Si losses of the materials depend on the number of non-bridging oxygen atoms. In the perspective of long-term behaviour, the alteration gel presents better characteristics than initial glass. It is therefore a highly stable material in static conditions. In the same way, synthetic gels are materials with very low solubilities (much lower than the alteration gel) and could be used as confining matrices. (authors). refs., 71 figs., 37 tabs

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2013-12-01

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

Dapsone gel 5% in combination with adapalene gel 0.1%, benzoyl peroxide gel 4% or moisturizer for the treatment of acne vulgaris: a 12-week, randomized, double-blind study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleischer, Alan B; Shalita, Alan; Eichenfield, Lawrence F; Abramovits, William; Lucky, Anne; Garrett, Steven

2010-01-01

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of dapsone gel 5% in the treatment of acne when used in combination with adapalene gel 0.1%, benzoyl peroxide gel 4% or moisturizer. This was a twelve-week, randomized, double-blind study. Patients aged 12 years and older (n=301) applied dapsone gel twice daily and were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to one of three additional treatments, applied once daily. By week 12, dapsone gel combined with any of the three additional treatments reduced the mean number of inflammatory lesions. However, the authors did not detect a significant difference in the reduction of inflammatory lesions when dapsone was used in combination with adapalene gel or with benzoyl peroxide gel compared to the dapsone plus moisturizer combination group (P=0.052 for both versus moisturizer combination). Patients treated with dapsone gel combined with adapalene showed a significantly better response in reduction in non-inflammatory and total acne lesion count than those who received the moisturizer combination. Local adverse reactions in all three treatment groups were minimal and generally mild in severity. Dapsone gel in combination with adapalene gel or benzoyl peroxide gel is safe and well tolerated for the treatment of acne vulgaris.

Simulation with Phast of the pore water chemistry experiment results (Mont Terri Url, Switzerland), including transport, thermodynamics, kinetics, and biological activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tournassat, C.; Gaucher, E.; Pearson, F.J.; Mettler, S.; Wersin, P.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: The Pore water Chemistry (PC-)experiment was initially designed to determine the processes that control the redox properties of pore water in the Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri URL. However, changes in isotopic data and chemical parameters such as pH, alkalinity, dissolved methane, acetate and sulphate concentrations indicated unexpected microbial activity. The origin of the bacteria is not clear. In the light of published data, an indigenous origin cannot be ruled out. A combined biological and reactive transport model has been developed with the parallel PHAST software to simulate the processes that determine pore water chemistry. The influence of bacterial activity on the system is successfully modelled by considering different reaction pathways scenarios including aceto-genesis, methano-genesis, and methane/acetate oxidation coupled to sulphate reduction. Several conclusions can be clearly stated in the light of the simulation results: - The measured redox potentials (redox electrode) are in line with the S(-II)/S(+VI) redox system. - In the undisturbed pore water, S(-II) and S(+VI) activities are controlled by a mineral assemblage containing pyrite and a Fe carbonate (siderite or ankerite). pH is buffered by mineral phases and SO 4 2- concentration is inherited from the marine sedimentary rock. - Some local redox potentials in the sedimentary rock do not correspond to the measured redox potential; for instance, organic matter/HCO 3 - and CH 4 /HCO 3 - systems are not at equilibrium with the measured redox potential. - Redox disequilibrium can be exploited by micro-organisms as a source of energy for their metabolism. In this experiment CH 4 , acetate and other organic acids were produced and SO 4 2- was reduced to HS - . The redox properties of the system are then governed by kinetics rather than by thermodynamic equilibrium. The unexpected persistence of acetate in the borehole water is one of the consequences of these

Nascent VLDL from liver perfusions of cynomolgus monkeys are preferentially enriched in RRR- compared with SRR-alpha-tocopherol: Studies using deuterated tocopherols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Traber, M.G.; Rudel, L.L.; Burton, G.W.; Hughes, L.; Ingold, K.U.; Kayden, H.J.

1990-01-01

The transport and secretion of vitamin E in lipoproteins have been studied in cynomolgus monkeys fed tocopherols labeled with different amounts of deuterium. The animals were fed a single dose of vitamin E containing 60 mumol of each 2R,4'R,8'R-alpha-(5,7-(C2H3)2)tocopheryl acetate (d6-RRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate; alpha-tocopherol with natural stereochemistry), 2S,4'R,8'R-alpha-5-(C2H3)tocopheryl acetate (d3-SRR-alpha-tocopheryl acetate; alpha-tocopherol with unnatural stereochemistry), and 2R,4'R,8'R-gamma-(3,4-2H)tocopherol (d2-RRR-gamma-tocopherol; gamma-tocopherol with natural stereochemistry). Chylomicrons, as well as the other plasma lipoproteins, contained equal concentrations of all three tocopherols at the earliest time points after feeding suggesting that all three tocopherols were absorbed equally. At later times plasma lipoproteins became preferentially enriched in d6-RRR-alpha-tocopherol. This is likely to be due to hepatic secretion of VLDL (very low density lipoproteins) and other lipoproteins, which were enriched in d6-RRR-alpha-tocopherol, as demonstrated in the lipoproteins isolated from perfused livers that had been obtained 24 h following the administration of the deuterated tocopherols. Taken together these data demonstrate that the liver, not the intestine, is the likely site of discrimination between tocopherol isomers and that the liver secretes nascent lipoproteins preferentially enriched in d6-RRR-alpha-tocopherol

Silver nitrate based gel dosimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Titus, D; Samuel, E J J; Srinivasan, K; Roopan, S M; Madhu, C S

2017-01-01

A new radiochromic gel dosimeter based on silver nitrate and a normoxic gel dosimeter was investigated using UV-Visible spectrophotometry in the clinical dose range. Gamma radiation induced the synthesis of silver nanoparticles in the gel and is confirmed from the UV-Visible spectrum which shows an absorbance peak at around 450 nm. The dose response function of the dosimeter is found to be linear upto12Gy. In addition, the gel samples were found to be stable which were kept under refrigeration. (paper)

78 FR 32294 - DeltaPoint Capital IV, L.P., DeltaPoint Capital IV (New York), L.P., License No. 02/02-0662,02/02...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-29

... Small Business Investment Act of 1958, as amended (``the Act''), in connection with the financing of a... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DeltaPoint Capital IV, L.P., DeltaPoint Capital IV (New York), L.P., License No. 02/02-0662,02/02-0661; Notice Seeking Exemption Under Section 312 of the Small Business...

Magnetic characterization of Nd0.8Sr0.2(Mn1-x Co x )O3 perovskites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vidal, Karmele; Lezama, Luis; Arriortua, Maria I.; Rojo, Teofilo; Gutierrez, Jon; Barandiaran, Jose M.

2005-01-01

We present a magnetic study of the family of perovskites Nd 0.8 Sr 0.2 (Mn 1- x Co x )O 3 (x=0.1, 0.2 and 0.3). These compositions have been prepared by using both the sol-gel method and the freeze-drying technique. As a result, we have obtained polycrystalline powder-like samples. We have obtained pure compounds that have been indexed in the Pnma space group. The study of their magnetic properties shows a decrease of the measured low-temperature magnetic moment as the content of Co increases in the composition. However, a similar magnetic ordering temperature of about 130 K has been determined for all samples. All the studied compounds show insulating behaviour of the electrical resistivity

Surface grafted chitosan gels. Part II. Gel formation and characterization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Chao; Thormann, Esben; Claesson, Per M.

2014-01-01

Responsive biomaterial hydrogels attract significant attention due to their biocompatibility and degradability. In order to make chitosan based gels, we first graft one layer of chitosan to silica, and then build a chitosan/poly(acrylic acid) multilayer using the layer-by-layer approach. After...... cross-linking the chitosan present in the polyelectrolyte multilayer, poly(acrylic acid) is partly removed by exposing the multilayer structure to a concentrated carbonate buffer solution at a high pH, leaving a surface-grafted cross-linked gel. Chemical cross-linking enhances the gel stability against...... detachment and decomposition. The chemical reaction between gluteraldehyde, the cross-linking agent, and chitosan was followed in situ using total internal reflection Raman (TIRR) spectroscopy, which provided a molecular insight into the complex reaction mechanism, as well as the means to quantify the cross...

Rheology and structure of milk protein gels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vliet, van T.; Lakemond, C.M.M.; Visschers, R.W.

2004-01-01

Recent studies on gel formation and rheology of milk gels are reviewed. A distinction is made between gels formed by aggregated casein, gels of `pure` whey proteins and gels in which both casein and whey proteins contribute to their properties. For casein' whey protein mixtures, it has been shown

Antimicrobial efficacy of alcohol-based hand gels.

Science.gov (United States)

Guilhermetti, M; Marques Wiirzler, L A; Castanheira Facio, B; da Silva Furlan, M; Campo Meschial, W; Bronharo Tognim, M C; Botelho Garcia, L; Luiz Cardoso, C

2010-03-01

In recent years, several commercial alcohol-based hand gels have appeared on the market to improve the hand-cleansing compliance of healthcare workers. Although the antimicrobial efficacy of these products has been reported in different countries, few studies have investigated this subject in Brazil. In this study, we assessed the antimicrobial efficacy of 12 alcohol-based hand gels produced in Brazil, containing 70% w/w or v/v ethyl alcohol as the active ingredient, according to the European Standard EN 1500 (EN 1500). The following alcohol gels were tested: Hand Gel, Voga Gel, Solumax Solugel, Doctor Clean, Rio Gel, Clear Gel, Sevengel, Hand CHC, Gel Bac, WBL-50 Gel, Sanigel and Soft Care Gel. In addition, 70% w/w ethyl alcohol and three alcohol-based hand rubs (Sterillium, Sterillium Gel, and Spitaderm), commonly used in Europe and effective according to EN 1500, were also tested. All the products tested, except for two, were approved by the EN 1500 test protocol with a 60s application. The results confirmed the antimicrobial efficacy of the majority of the alcohol gels produced in Brazil for hand hygiene of healthcare workers. Copyright 2009 The Hospital Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Agarose gel electrophoresis and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for visualization of simple sequence repeats.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, James; Wright, Drew; Meksem, Khalid

2013-01-01

In the modern age of genetic research there is a constant search for ways to improve the efficiency of plant selection. The most recent technology that can result in a highly efficient means of selection and still be done at a low cost is through plant selection directed by simple sequence repeats (SSRs or microsatellites). The molecular markers are used to select for certain desirable plant traits without relying on ambiguous phenotypic data. The best way to detect these is the use of gel electrophoresis. Gel electrophoresis is a common technique in laboratory settings which is used to separate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) by size. Loading DNA and RNA onto gels allows for visualization of the size of fragments through the separation of DNA and RNA fragments. This is achieved through the use of the charge in the particles. As the fragments separate, they form into distinct bands at set sizes. We describe the ability to visualize SSRs on slab gels of agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Preparation of zirconium molybdate gel for 99mTc gel generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aliludin, Z.; Ohkubo, Masatake; Kushita, Kouhei

1988-09-01

Zirconium molybdate gel has excellent characteristics for use as column matrix material of 99m Tc generators. In this work, zirconium molybdate gels were prepared under different conditions; pH's of molybdate solutions from 2.5 to 7.0, Mo:Zr molar ratios from 0.7:1.0 to 1.3:1.0, drying temperatures from an ambient temperature to 200 deg C, and drying times from 1 h to 25 h. Contents of water, nitrate, molybdenum and zirconium were measured to examine the fundamental conditions in gel preparation. The Mo:Zr molar ratio was 1.0:1.0 for the most of gels obtained. A 99m Tc generator was prepared with an amorphous zirconium molybdate containing a tracer level of 99 Mo as column matrix material. Elution of 99m Tc was rapid and the average elution efficiency was 90 % for 6 ml elutions. Contents of radionuclidic impurities, Zr and Mo in the eluates, were low enough to meet the pharmacopoeia requirements for human use. (author)

Ophthalmic gels: Past, present and future.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Kinani, Ali A; Zidan, Ghada; Elsaid, Naba; Seyfoddin, Ali; Alani, Adam W G; Alany, Raid G

2018-02-15

Aqueous gels formulated using hydrophilic polymers (hydrogels) along with those based on stimuli responsive polymers (in situ gelling or gel forming systems) continue to attract increasing interest for various eye health-related applications. They allow the incorporation of a variety of ophthalmic pharmaceuticals to achieve therapeutic levels of drugs and bioactives at target ocular sites. The integration of sophisticated drug delivery technologies such as nanotechnology-based ones with intelligent and environment responsive systems can extend current treatment duration to provide more clinically relevant time courses (weeks and months instead of hours and days) which will inevitably reduce dose frequency, increase patient compliance and improve clinical outcomes. Novel applications and design of contact lenses and intracanalicular delivery devices along with the move towards integrating gels into various drug delivery devices like intraocular pumps, injections and implants has the potential to reduce comorbidities caused by glaucoma, corneal keratopathy, cataract, diabetic retinopathies and age-related macular degeneration. This review describes ophthalmic gelling systems with emphasis on mechanism of gel formation and application in ophthalmology. It provides a critical appraisal of the techniques and methods used in the characterization of ophthalmic preformed gels and in situ gelling systems along with a thorough insight into the safety and biocompatibility of these systems. Newly developed ophthalmic gels, hydrogels, preformed gels and in situ gelling systems including the latest in the area of stimuli responsive gels, molecularly imprinted gels, nanogels, 3D printed hydrogels; 3D printed devices comprising ophthalmic gels are covered. Finally, new applications of gels in the production of artificial corneas, corneal wound healing and hydrogel contact lenses are described. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gel electrophoresis of inorganic cations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoenhofer, F.; Grass, F.

1978-01-01

In order to be able to separate the largest possible amounts of substance, polyacryl amide gel (PAA) and silica gel are used as carrier for the electrophoresis. Milligramme quantities can easily be separated on PAA gel plates. Electrophoretic ion focussing considerably improves it. Separations of Sr/Y and lanthanoids were carried out. The behaviour of the readily soluble complexing agent acids on silica gel thin layers was minutely investigated and an interpretation of the focussing effect was derived. The conditions for separating radionuclides were optimized. A further improved separation can be achieved by a time sequence combination of normal electrophoresis and ion focussing. Selective isolation methods are advantageous to determine radionuclide traces in environmental samples. The selective adsorption on preformed deposits was transferred to electrophoresis. After pre-investigations on silica gel layers, strontium and barium could also be retained on PAA gel and radium on strontium sulphate in PAA, whereas the disturbing calcium can easily pass through. Cesium can also be retained by prussian blue in the electrophoresis. (orig.) [de

Initial investigation of a novel light-scattering gel phantom for evaluation of optical CT scanners for radiotherapy gel dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bosi, Stephen; Naseri, Pourandokht; Puran, Alicia; Davies, Justin; Baldock, Clive

2007-01-01

There is a need for stable gel materials for phantoms used to validate optical computerized tomography (CT) scanners used in conjunction with radiation-induced polymerizing gel dosimeters. Phantoms based on addition of light-absorbing dyes to gelatine to simulate gel dosimeters have been employed. However, to more accurately simulate polymerizing gels one requires phantoms that employ light-scattering colloidal suspensions added to the gel. In this paper, we present the initial results of using an optical CT scanner to evaluate a novel phantom in which radiation-exposed polymer gels are simulated by the addition of colloidal suspensions of varying turbidity. The phantom may be useful as a calibration transfer standard for polymer gel dosimeters. The tests reveal some phenomena peculiar to light-scattering gels that need to be taken into account when calibrating polymer gel dosimeters

Sol-gel technology for biomedical engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Podbielska, H.; Ulatowska-Jarza, A.

2005-01-01

Sol-gel derived silica possess many promising features, including low-temperature preparation procedure, porosity, chemical and physical stability. Applications exploiting porous materials to encapsulate sensor molecules, enzymes and many other compounds, are developing rapidly. In this paper some potential applications, with emphasis on biomedical and environmental ones, are reviewed. The material preparation procedure is described and practical remarks on silica-based sol-gels are included. It is reported that sol-gels with entrapped various molecules may be used in construction of implants and coatings with bioactive properties. It is shown how to exploit the sol-gel production route for construction of sol-gel coated fiberoptic applicators for laser therapy. The applications of bioactive materials are discussed, as well. It is demonstrated that it is possible to immobilize photosensitive compounds in sol-gel matrix without loosing their photoactivity. Some examples of sol-gel based biosensors are demonstrated, as well, showing their potential for detecting various gases, toxic substances, acidity, humidity, enzymes and biologically active agents. (authors)

Water equivalence of polymer gel dosimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sellakumar, P.; James Jebaseelan Samuel, E.; Supe, Sanjay S.

2007-01-01

To evaluate the water equivalence and radiation transport properties of polymer gel dosimeters over the wide range of photon and electron energies 14 different types of polymer gels were considered. Their water equivalence was evaluated in terms of effective atomic number (Z eff ), electron density (ρ e ), photon mass attenuation coefficient (μ/ρ), photon mass energy absorption coefficient (μ en /ρ) and total stopping power (S/ρ) tot of electrons using the XCOM and the ESTAR database. The study showed that the effective atomic number of polymer gels were very close ( en /ρ for all polymer gels were in close agreement ( tot of electrons in polymer gel dosimeters were within 1% agreement with that of water. From the study we conclude that at lower energy (<80keV) the polymer gel dosimeters cannot be considered water equivalent and study has to be carried out before using the polymer gel for clinical application

Gel nano-particulates against radioactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deroin, Ph.

2004-01-01

The Argonne research center (USA) has developed a 'super-gel' compound, a polymer close to those used in baby's diapers, which can reach a 90% efficiency in the radioactive decontamination of porous materials, like bricks or concrete. The contaminated materials are sprayed with a mixture of polymer gel and wetting agent with nano-particulates in suspension. Under the action of the wetting agent, radioactivity migrates from the pores to the gel and is trapped by the nano-particulates. The drying and recycling of the gel allows to reduce the volume of radioactive wastes. Short paper. (J.S.)

Antibiotic-containing hyaluronic acid gel as an antibacterial carrier: Usefulness of sponge and film-formed HA gel in deep infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuno, Hiroaki; Yudoh, Kazuo; Hashimoto, Masamichi; Himeda, Yasukazu; Miyoshi, Teruzo; Yoshida, Kaoru; Kano, Syogo

2006-03-01

We have developed a novel bioabsorbable antibacterial carrier using hyaluronic acid (HA) gel for prevention and treatment of orthopedic infections. In this study, we investigated the in vivo antibacterial effects of two forms of this new material, an HA gel sponge and an HA gel film. A titanium cylinder was inserted into the intramedullary cavity of each rabbit femur, along with an HA gel sponge or HA gel film containing antibiotics. The HA gel sponge contained gentamycin, vancomycin, tobramycin, or minomycin. The HA gel film contained gentamycin or vancomycin. After 0, 7, and 14 days, the rabbit bone marrow was collected, and the antibacterial activity of the HA gel was determined by agar diffusion test. As a control, we used Septocoll, a commercially available antibacterial carrier. Both the HA gel sponge and HA gel film exhibited antibacterial activity. The present results indicate that HA gel containing antibiotics is a clinically useful bioabsorbable antibacterial carrier. Copyright 2006 Orthopaedic Research Society.

Interdental papilla loss: treatment by hyaluronic acid gel injection: a case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Awartani, Fatin A; Tatakis, Dimitris N

2016-09-01

The purpose of this prospective clinical trial was to examine the clinical and patient outcomes following esthetic reconstruction of interdental papilla loss in anterior teeth, using an injectable, non-animal-based, hyaluronic acid gel. Ten systemically healthy adults, with at least one anterior site with class I or II interdental papilla loss, were recruited. Following local anesthesia, ∼0.2 ml of hyaluronic acid gel was injected directly into the base of the papilla. The injection was repeated twice 21 days later. Patients were seen monthly for follow-up. Lost papilla surface area was calculated from digital clinical photographs taken at baseline and at 4 and 6 months postoperatively. Differences in lost papilla surface area between baseline and postoperative time points were statistically analyzed. Participants completed questionnaires (satisfaction surveys). Seventeen sites (13 maxillary, 4 mandibular) were treated in 9 females who completed the study. The lost inderdental papilla area at baseline and at the 4- and 6-month postoperative visits was 1.2 ± 1.8 mm(2) (mean ± SD), 0.6 ± 0.9 mm(2), and 0.7 ± 0.7 mm(2), respectively. Differences between baseline and postoperative visits were statistically significant (p hyaluronic acid gel to treat interdental papilla loss resulted in significant improvement at 6 months. Patients expressed satisfaction with the obtained improvement and dissatisfaction with the associated procedure discomfort. Treatment of interdental papilla loss (black triangle) by hyaluronic acid gel injection appears a promising modality to address this esthetic patient concern.

Characteristics and Gel Properties of Gelatin from Goat Skin as Influenced by Alkaline-pretreatment Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sulaiman Mad-Ali

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Characteristics and properties of gelatin from goat skin pretreated with NaOH solutions (0.50 and 0.75 M for various times (1 to 4 days were investigated. All gelatins contained α-chains as the predominant component, followed by β-chain. Gelling and melting temperatures of those gelatins were 23.02°C to 24.16°C and 33.07°C to 34.51°C, respectively. Gel strength of gelatins increased as NaOH concentration and pretreatment time increased (p<0.05. Pretreatment for a longer time yielded gelatin with a decrease in L*-value but an increase in b*-value. Pretreatment of goat skin using 0.75 M NaOH for 2 days rendered the highest yield (15.95%, wet weight basis as well as high gel strength (222.42 g, which was higher than bovine gelatin (199.15 g. Gelatin obtained had the imino acid content of 226 residues/1,000 residues and the gelatin gel had a fine and ordered structure. Therefore, goat skin gelatin could be used as a potential replacer of commercial gelatin.

Serine racemase is expressed in islets and contributes to the regulation of glucose homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lockridge, Amber D; Baumann, Daniel C; Akhaphong, Brian; Abrenica, Alleah; Miller, Robert F; Alejandro, Emilyn U

2016-11-01

NMDA receptors (NMDARs) have recently been discovered as functional regulators of pancreatic β-cell insulin secretion. While these excitatory receptor channels have been extensively studied in the brain for their role in synaptic plasticity and development, little is known about how they work in β-cells. In neuronal cells, NMDAR activation requires the simultaneous binding of glutamate and a rate-limiting co-agonist, such as D-serine. D-serine levels and availability in most of the brain rely on endogenous synthesis by the enzyme serine racemase (Srr). Srr transcripts have been reported in human and mouse islets but it is not clear whether Srr is functionally expressed in β-cells or what its role in the pancreas might be. In this investigation, we reveal that Srr protein is highly expressed in primary human and mouse β-cells. Mice with whole body deletion of Srr (Srr KO) show improved glucose tolerance through enhanced insulin secretory capacity, possibly through Srr-mediated alterations in islet NMDAR expression and function. We observed elevated insulin sensitivity in some animals, suggesting Srr metabolic regulation in other peripheral organs as well. Srr expression in neonatal and embryonic islets, and adult deficits in Srr KO pancreas weight and islet insulin content, point toward a potential role for Srr in pancreatic development. These data reveal the first evidence that Srr may regulate glucose homeostasis in peripheral tissues and provide circumstantial evidence that D-serine may be an endogenous islet NMDAR co-agonist in β-cells.

Diffusion MRI for rectal cancer staging: ADC measurements before and after ultrasonographic gel lumen distension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palmucci, S., E-mail: spalmucci@sirm.org; Piccoli, M.; Piana, S.; Foti, P.V.; Siverino, R.O.A.; Mauro, L.A.; Milone, P.; Ettorre, G.C.

2017-01-15

Objectives: To compare Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) measurements in rectal neoplastic lesions before and after lumen distension obtained with sonography transmission gel. Methods: From January 2014 to July 2016, 25 patients (average age 63.7, range 41–85, 18 males) were studied for pre-treatment rectal cancer staging using a 1.5 T MRI. Diffusion MRI was obtained using echo-planar imaging with b = 800 value; all patients were studied acquiring diffusion sequences with and without rectal lumen distension obtained using sonography transmission gel. In both diffusion sequences, two blinded readers calculated border ADC values and small ADC values, drawing regions of interest respectively along tumour borders and far from tumour borders. Mean ADC values among readers − for each type of ADC measurement − were compared using Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test. Correlation was assessed using Pearson analysis. Results: Border ADC mean value for diffusion MR sequences without endorectal contrast was 1.122 mm{sup 2}/sec, with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.02–1.22; using gel lumen distension, higher border ADC mean value of 1.269 mm{sup 2}/s (95% CI = 1.16–1.38) was obtained. Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test revealed statistical difference (p < 0.01); a strong Pearson correlation was reported, with r value of 0.69. Small-ADC mean value was 1.038 mm{sup 2}/s (95% CI = 0.91–1.16) for diffusion sequences acquired without endorectal distension and 1.127 mm{sup 2}/s (95% CI = 0.98–1.27) for diffusion sequences obtained after endorectal gel lumen distension. Wilcoxon analysis did not show statistical difference (p = 0.13). A very strong positive correlation was observed, with r value of 0.81. Conclusions: ADC measurements are slightly higher using endorectal sonographic transmission gel; ROI should be traced far from tumour borders, to minimize gel filled-pixel along the interface between lumen and lesion. Further studies are needed to

Diffusion MRI for rectal cancer staging: ADC measurements before and after ultrasonographic gel lumen distension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmucci, S.; Piccoli, M.; Piana, S.; Foti, P.V.; Siverino, R.O.A.; Mauro, L.A.; Milone, P.; Ettorre, G.C.

2017-01-01

Objectives: To compare Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) measurements in rectal neoplastic lesions before and after lumen distension obtained with sonography transmission gel. Methods: From January 2014 to July 2016, 25 patients (average age 63.7, range 41–85, 18 males) were studied for pre-treatment rectal cancer staging using a 1.5 T MRI. Diffusion MRI was obtained using echo-planar imaging with b = 800 value; all patients were studied acquiring diffusion sequences with and without rectal lumen distension obtained using sonography transmission gel. In both diffusion sequences, two blinded readers calculated border ADC values and small ADC values, drawing regions of interest respectively along tumour borders and far from tumour borders. Mean ADC values among readers − for each type of ADC measurement − were compared using Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test. Correlation was assessed using Pearson analysis. Results: Border ADC mean value for diffusion MR sequences without endorectal contrast was 1.122 mm 2 /sec, with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.02–1.22; using gel lumen distension, higher border ADC mean value of 1.269 mm 2 /s (95% CI = 1.16–1.38) was obtained. Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test revealed statistical difference (p < 0.01); a strong Pearson correlation was reported, with r value of 0.69. Small-ADC mean value was 1.038 mm 2 /s (95% CI = 0.91–1.16) for diffusion sequences acquired without endorectal distension and 1.127 mm 2 /s (95% CI = 0.98–1.27) for diffusion sequences obtained after endorectal gel lumen distension. Wilcoxon analysis did not show statistical difference (p = 0.13). A very strong positive correlation was observed, with r value of 0.81. Conclusions: ADC measurements are slightly higher using endorectal sonographic transmission gel; ROI should be traced far from tumour borders, to minimize gel filled-pixel along the interface between lumen and lesion. Further studies are needed to investigate better

Thin film transistor performance of amorphous indium–zinc oxide semiconductor thin film prepared by ultraviolet photoassisted sol–gel processing

Science.gov (United States)

Kodzasa, Takehito; Nobeshima, Taiki; Kuribara, Kazunori; Yoshida, Manabu

2018-05-01

We have fabricated an amorphous indium–zinc oxide (IZO, In/Zn = 3/1) semiconductor thin-film transistor (AOS-TFT) by the sol–gel technique using ultraviolet (UV) photoirradiation and post-treatment in high-pressure O2 at 200 °C. The obtained TFT showed a hole carrier mobility of 0.02 cm2 V‑1 s‑1 and an on/off current ratio of 106. UV photoirradiation leads to the decomposition of the organic agents and hydroxide group in the IZO gel film. Furthermore, the post-treatment annealing at a high O2 pressure of more than 0.6 MPa leads to the filling of the oxygen vacancies in a poor metal–oxygen network in the IZO film.

Physical Properties of Silicone Gel Breast Implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Jewell, Mark L; Bengtson, Bradley P; Smither, Kate; Nuti, Gina; Perry, TracyAnn

2018-04-28

Surgical applications using breast implants are individualized operations to fill and shape the breast. Physical properties beyond shape, size, and surface texture are important considerations during implant selection. Compare form stability, gel material properties, and shell thickness of textured shaped, textured round, and smooth round breast implants from 4 manufacturers: Allergan, Mentor, Sientra, and Establishment Labs through bench testing. Using a mandrel height gauge, form stability was measured by retention of dimensions on device movement from a horizontal to vertical supported orientation. Dynamic response of gel material (gel cohesivity, resistance to gel deformation, energy absorption) was measured using a synchronized target laser following application of graded negative pressure. Shell thickness was measured using digital thickness gauge calipers. Form stability, gel material properties, and shell thickness differed across breast implants. Of textured shaped devices, Allergan Natrelle 410 exhibited greater form stability than Mentor MemoryShape and Sientra Shaped implants. Allergan Inspira round implants containing TruForm 3 gel had greater form stability, higher gel cohesivity, greater resistance to gel deformation, and lower energy absorption than those containing TruForm 2 gel and in turn, implants containing TruForm 1 gel. Shell thickness was greater for textured versus smooth devices, and differed across styles. Gel cohesivity, resistance to gel deformation, and energy absorption are directly related to form stability, which in turn determines shape retention. These characteristics provide information to aid surgeons choosing an implant based on surgical application, patient tissue characteristics, and desired outcome.

Modified Au nanoparticles-imprinted sol-gel, multiwall carbon nanotubes pencil graphite electrode used as a sensor for ranitidine determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezaei, B; Lotfi-Forushani, H; Ensafi, A A

2014-04-01

A new, simple, and disposable molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor for the determination of ranitidine was developed on pencil graphite electrode (PGE) via cyclic voltammetry (CV). The PGEs were coated with MWCNTs containing the carboxylic functional group (f-MWCNTs), imprinted with sol-gel and Au nanoparticle (AuNPs) layers (AuNP/MIP-sol-gel/f-MWCNT/PGE), respectively, to enhance the electrode's electrical transmission and sensitivity. The thin film of molecularly imprinted sol-gel polymers with specific binding sites for ranitidine was cast on modified PGE by electrochemical deposition. The AuNP/MIP-sol-gel/f-MWCNT/PGE thus developed was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and CV. The interaction between the imprinted sensor and the target molecule was also observed on the electrode by measuring the current response of 5.0mMK3[Fe(CN)6] solution as an electrochemical probe. The pick currents of ranitidine increased linearly with concentration in the ranges of 0.05 to 2.0μM, with a detection limit of (S/N=3) 0.02μM. Finally, the modified electrode was successfully employed to determine ranitidine in human urine samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Gel Microstructure on Simulated Gastric Digestion of Protein Gels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Opazo-Navarrete, Mauricio; Altenburg, Marte D.; Boom, Remko M.; Janssen, Anja E.M.

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to analyse the impact of the gel structure obtained by different heat-induced temperatures on the in vitro gastric digestibility at pH 2. To achieve this, gels were prepared from soy protein, pea protein, albumin from chicken egg white and whey protein isolate at

Gel polymer electrolytes for batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Balsara, Nitash Pervez; Eitouni, Hany Basam; Gur, Ilan; Singh, Mohit; Hudson, William

2014-11-18

Nanostructured gel polymer electrolytes that have both high ionic conductivity and high mechanical strength are disclosed. The electrolytes have at least two domains--one domain contains an ionically-conductive gel polymer and the other domain contains a rigid polymer that provides structure for the electrolyte. The domains are formed by block copolymers. The first block provides a polymer matrix that may or may not be conductive on by itself, but that can soak up a liquid electrolyte, thereby making a gel. An exemplary nanostructured gel polymer electrolyte has an ionic conductivity of at least 1.times.10.sup.-4 S cm.sup.-1 at 25.degree. C.

Comparative study on the effects of negatively-charged biopolymers on chitosan-based gels for the development of instantaneous gels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jimeno, Austin Ed B.; Chakraborty, Soma

2015-01-01

Polymeric electrolytic complexes are solutions of charged/ionized chains. These solutions of positive and negative charge can be combined to make instantaneous networks bonded by electrostatic interactions, a gel network. These electrostatic interaction allows for easy application in injectable gels as the network can be temporarily distributed with the application of force and reformed on the relief of it. Possible applications for these injectable gels include drug delivery and wound-healing. κ-Carrageenan, dextran sulfate, alginate, and chitosan are polyelectrolytic biocompatible polymers which are widely studied and used for a variety of biomedical applications. Gel networks are made by combining a negatively-charged (κ-Carrageenan, dextran sulfate, or alginate) and positively charged (chitosan) solutions. The strong electrostatic interaction between the opposite charges from the gel network and the inherent biocompatibility of the polymers allow future biomedical applications. Quat 188-modified chitosan has additional sites for electrostatic bonding, can be dissolved in neutral, basic, and acidic pH, and has shown inherent antibacterial activity. The objectives of this study are the following: to formulate chitosan-based gels mixing solutions of chitosan with solutions of either κ-Carrageenan, dextran sulfate, or alginate, study the gelation of the gels as function of time and pH (4, 7, and 9) using UV-Vis, characterize the chitosan-based gels through DSC and DMA, characterize the physiological degradation of the chitosan-based gels, and compare results with those from Quat 188-modified chitosan-based gels. Polyelectrolytic solutions of chitosan and negatively-charged biopolymer of similar viscosities were mixed. It was determined from the UV-Vis spectroscopy of the chitosan-carrageenan gels under pH7 buffer that the increase of concentration by a factor of 5 for 0.006M-0.0095M and 1.25 for 0.0095M-0.0150M Chitosan-Carrageenan gels improved gelation by the

Research on pre-staining gel electrophoresis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong Ruibo; Liu Yushuang; Zhang Ping; Liu Jingran; Zhao Guofen; Zhang Feng

2014-01-01

Background: Gel electrophoresis is a powerful biochemical separation technique. Most biological molecules are completely transparent in the visible region of light, so it is necessary to use staining to show the results after gel electrophoresis, and the general steps of conventional staining methods are time-consuming. Purpose: We try to develop a novel approach to simplify the gel electrophoresis: Pre-Staining Gel Electrophoresis (PSGE), which can make the gel electrophoresis results monitored in real time. Methods: Pre-stain the protein samples with Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB) for 30 min before loading the sample into the gel well. Results and Conclusion: PSGE can be successfully used to analyze the binding efficiency of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and amphiphilic polymer via chemical coupling and physical absorption, and the double PSGE also shows a great potential in bio-analytical chemistry. (authors)

Purification of Peptide Components including Melittin from Bee Venom using gel filtration chromatography and propionic acid/urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young Chon Choi

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Objectives : This study was conducted to carry out Purification of Melittin and other peptide components from Bee Venom using gel filtration chromatography and propionic acid/urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis Methods : Melittin and other peptide components were separated from bee venom by using gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-50 column in 0.05M ammonium acetate buffer. Results : Melittin and other peptide components were separated from bee venom by using gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-50 column in 0.05M ammonium acetate buffer. The fractions obtained from gel filtration chromatography was analyzed by using SDS-PAGE and propionic acid/urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The melittin obtained from the gel filtration contained residual amount of phospholipase A2 and a protein with molecular weight of 6,000. The contaminating proteins were removed by the second gel filtration chromatography. Conclusion : Gel filtration chromatography and propionic acid/urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis are useful to separate peptide components including melittin from bee venom.

Encapsulation of nanoclusters in dried gel materials via an inverse micelle/sol gel synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Martino, Anthony; Yamanaka, Stacey A.; Kawola, Jeffrey S.; Showalter, Steven K.; Loy, Douglas A.

1998-01-01

A dried gel material sterically entrapping nanoclusters of a catalytically active material and a process to make the material via an inverse micelle/sol-gel synthesis. A surfactant is mixed with an apolar solvent to form an inverse micelle solution. A salt of a catalytically active material, such as gold chloride, is added along with a silica gel precursor to the solution to form a mixture. To the mixture are then added a reducing agent for the purpose of reducing the gold in the gold chloride to atomic gold to form the nanoclusters and a condensing agent to form the gel which sterically entraps the nanoclusters. The nanoclusters are normally in the average size range of from 5-10 nm in diameter with a monodisperse size distribution.

Polymer gel dosimeter with AQUAJOINT® as hydrogel matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Maeyama, Takuya; Ishida, Yasuhiro; Kudo, Yoshihiro; Fukasaku, Kazuaki; Ishikawa, Kenichi L.; Fukunishi, Nobuhisa

2018-05-01

We report a polymer gel dosimeter based on a new gel matrix (AQUAJOINT®) that is a thermo-irreversible hydrogel formed by mixing two types of water-based liquids at room temperature. Normoxic N-vinylpyrrolidone-based polymer gels were prepared with AQUAJOINT® instead of gelatin. This AQUAJOINT®-based gel dosimeter exhibits a 2.5-fold increase in sensitivity over a gelatin-based gel dosimeter and a linear dose-response in the dose range of 0-8 Gy. This gel has heat resistance in a jar and controlled gel properties such as viscoelastic and mechanical characters, which may be useful for deformable polymer gel dosimetry.

Nanocrystal/sol-gel nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Petruska, Melissa A [Los Alamos, NM; Klimov, Victor L [Los Alamos, NM

2007-06-05

The present invention is directed to solid composites including colloidal nanocrystals within a sol-gel host or matrix and to processes of forming such solid composites. The present invention is further directed to alcohol soluble colloidal nanocrystals useful in formation of sol-gel based solid composites.

RETRAN02/MOD02: an outside perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, T.Y.C.

1984-03-01

ANL recently participated in a review of the RETRAN02/MOD02 code to determine the range of accuracy, the reliability and the reproducibility of results obtained with the code for Chapter 15 non-LOCA system transients for both pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and boiling water reactors (BWRs). This paper summarizes the technical aspects of that review

Comparative study of 99Mo/99mTc generators at base of synthesized gels starting from activation and fission 99Mo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez M, I.Z.; Monroy G, F.; Rivero G, T.; Rojas N, P.

2007-01-01

The 99m Tc is used for diagnostic and therapy. It is produced starting from 99 Mo, absorbed in chromatographic columns, loaded with alumina that absorb only 0.2% of 99 Mo with high specific activities of 99 Mo, obtained from the 235 U fission. Given these conditions and limitations, new preparation procedures of 99 Mo/ 99m Tc generators, its have been developed, using zirconium molybdates gels that incorporates until 30% of 99 Mo, conserve similar characteristics of quality and purity that the traditional generator. The radiochemical characteristics of the 99m Tc elution, depend strongly on the gel preparation conditions. In particular, the present work has by object to determine the influence of the 99 Mo used type, fission or activation product, during the gels synthesis, as well as the used air flow for the agitation in the gels preparation and its influence in the 99 Mo/ 99m Tc generators quality. When diminishing the flow of agitation air the efficiency it increases and in the radionuclide purity of the eluates and when using 99 Mo from fission for the gels production it increases in an important way the elutriation efficiency, the radiochemical and radionuclide purity of the 99m Tc eluates. (Author)

Comparison effect of azithromycin gel 2% with clindamycin gel 1% in patients with acne

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Mokhtari

2016-01-01

Conclusion: Azithromycin gel has medical impact at least similar to Clindamycin Gel in treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris, and it may be consider as suitable drug for resistant acne to conventional topical therapy.

Sol-gel synthesis of hydroxyapatite; Sintese de hidroxiapatita via sol-gel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zupanski, M.D.; Lucena, M.P.P.; Bergmann, C.P., E-mail: michelledunin@yahoo.com.b [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

2010-07-01

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) has been established as the calcium phosphate based compound with most applications in the biological field. Among the numerous techniques for synthesis of HAp, the sol-gel processing route affords great control over purity and formed phases using low processing temperatures. In addition, the sol-gel approach offers an option for homogeneous HAp coating on metal substrates, as well as the ability to generate nanocrystalline powders. In this work, the sol-gel synthesis of HAp was investigated employing triethyl phosphate and calcium nitrate tetrahydrate as phosphorous and calcium precursors, respectively. The aging effect on phase composition and powder morphology of the final product was studied in terms of temperature and aging time. The powders were studied by using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, particle size distribution by laser diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. (author)

Synthesis and characterization of high surface area nanosilica from rice husk ash by surfactant-free sol-gel method

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hassan, A F.; Abdelghny, A.M.; Elhadidy, Hassan; Youssef, A.M.

2014-01-01

Roč. 69, č. 3 (2014), 465-472 ISSN 0928-0707 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0068; GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.20.0214 Institutional support: RVO:68081723 Keywords : Nanosilica * Rice husk * Sol-gel method * N-2 adsorption Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism OBOR OECD: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.) Impact factor: 1.532, year: 2014

K-Basin gel formation studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beck, M.A.

1998-01-01

A key part of the proposed waste treatment for K Basin sludge is the elimination of reactive uranium metal by dissolution in nitric acid (Fkirnent, 1998). It has been found (Delegard, 1998a) that upon nitric acid dissolution of the sludge, a gel sometimes forms. Gels are known to sometimes impair solid/liquid separation and/or material transfer. The purpose of the work reported here is to determine the cause(s) of the gel formation and to determine operating parameters for the sludge dissolution that avoid formation of gel. This work and related work were planned in (Fkunent, 1998), (Jewett, 1998) and (Beck, 1998a). This report describes the results of the tests in (Beck, 1998a) with non-radioactive surrogates

Experimental Conditions: SE3_S02_M02_D03 [Metabolonote[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SE3_S02_M02_D03 SE3 Comparison of fruit metabolites among tomato varieties 1 SE3_S0...2 Solanum lycopersicum House Momotaro fruit SE3_S02_M02 6.7 mg [MassBase ID] MDLC1_25530 SE3_MS1 LC-FT-ICR-M

Experimental Conditions: SE3_S02_M02_D01 [Metabolonote[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SE3_S02_M02_D01 SE3 Comparison of fruit metabolites among tomato varieties 1 SE3_S0...2 Solanum lycopersicum House Momotaro fruit SE3_S02_M02 6.7 mg [MassBase ID] MDLC1_25530 SE3_MS1 LC-FT-ICR-M

Estabilidad acelerada de un gel de Rhizophora mangle L. (mangle rojo para heridas y quemaduras Accelerated stability of a Rhizophora mangle L. (red mangrove gel for wounds and burns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dulce María Soler Roger

2011-12-01

Full Text Available El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la estabilidad acelerada de un gel de Rhizophora mangle L. (mangle rojo en dos condiciones de almacenamiento. Los 3 lotes pilotos producidos (GM01, GM02 y GM03 se almacenaron a dos temperaturas: 40 ± 2 °C durante 3 meses y 25 ± 2 °C durante 6 meses. Se realizó una evaluación de indicadores de estabilidad físico-química y microbiológica a tiempo 0, 1, 2 y 3 meses y a tiempo 0, 1, 2, 3 y 6 meses para cada una de las dos condiciones ensayadas respectivamente. Todos los lotes almacenados en ambas temperaturas mostraron estables las características organolépticas y la extensibilidad, el pH estuvo entre 6 y 7 y la reología confirmó un fluido no newtoniano del tipo Herschel Bulkley en los tiempos evaluados. La concentración mínima inhibitoria permaneció entre 8 y 10 mg/mL y la concentración de taninos entre 13 a 30 mg/g; todos los lotes se mantuvieron dentro del límite microbiano. El gel demostró tener buena estabilidad en condiciones aceleradas de temperatura, aspecto que es necesario confirmar en un próximo estudio de estabilidad en anaquel.The objective of the present paper was to evaluate the accelerated stability of a Rhizophora mangle L. (red mangrove gel under 2 storage conditions. The three pilot batches (GM01, GM02 and GM03 were stored at two temperature settings: 40 ± 2 °C for three months and 25 ± 2 °C for 6 months. One physical-chemical and microbiological evaluation was performed in two periods of time: at the months 0, 1, 2 and 3 for the first and at the months 0, 1, 2, 3 y 6 for the second tested storage condition. All the batches stored at both temperatures showed stable organoleptic characteristics and extensibility, the pH ranged from 6 to 7 and rheology confirmed a non-Newtonian fluid of Herschel Bulkley-type in the evaluated periods of time. The minimum inhibitory concentration remained 8 to 10 mg/mL whereas the tannin concentration ranged 13 to 30 mg/g. All the

Evaluation of hybrid sol-gel incorporated with nanoparticles as nano paint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jameel, Zainab N.; Haider, Adawiya J.; Taha, Samar Y.; Gangopadhyay, Shubhra; Bok, Sangho

2016-01-01

A coating with self-cleaning characteristics has been developed using a TiO_2/SiO_2 hybrid sol-gel, TiO_2 nanoparticles and organosilicate nanoparticles (OSNP). A patented technology of the hybrid sol-gel and OSNP was combined with TiO_2 nanoparticles to create the surface chemistry for self-cleaning. Two synthesis methods have been developed to prepare TiO_2 nanoparticles (NPs), resulting in the enhancement of local paint by the addition of anatase and rutile TiO_2 phases. The NPs size as determined by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) ranges within of (3-4) and (20-42) nm, which was also confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The nanoparticles showed surface charge (zeta-potential, ζ) of +35 and +25.62 mV for the methods, respectively, and ζ values of +41.31 and 34.02 mV for anatase and rutile phases, respectively. The NPs were mixed with the coating solution (i.e., hybrid sol-gel and OSNP) in different concentrations and thin films were prepared by spin coating. Self-cleaning tests were performed using Rhodamine B (RhB) as a pollution indicator. The effect of UV-irradiation on the films was also studied. Anatase and rutile incorporated as a mixture with different ratios in local paint and washability as well as a contrast ratio tests were performed. It was found that the addition of TiO_2 NPs in combination with irradiation show a great enhancement of RhB degradation (1%) wt. with a decrease in contact angle and improved washability.

Rubber-like poly(vinyl alcohol) gel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nambu, Masao (Nippon Oil Co. Ltd., Yokohama (Japan). Central Technical Research Lab.)

1990-09-01

Anomalous poly (vinyl alcohol) gel has been found in our laboratory since 1980. The gel is prepared by repeated freezing (or freeze-dehydration) of aqueous poly (vinyl alcohol). Experiments establish the fact that anomalous gel is never produced in the course of freezing, but during sustained thawing the gelation does occur. Moreover, it was found that the softening point of the gel increases at 37degC. It is assumed that crystal nuclei are generated on freezing, then on thawing, some of them grow to very fine crystals which act as polymer network-knots (cross-linking). Additional freezing provide other seeds, which grow similarly, and these are accumulated until rubber-like gel is produced. The gel was always water-resistant at 37degC, and the potassium permanganate consumption of the extracted water layer remained far below the official restricted value for medical materials. The gel can be sterilized with gamma-rays or chlorhexidine. Moreover, it satisfies the official standards of acute toxicity, pyrogen, intracutaneous reaction, hemolyzation, and intracorporeal implantation, respectively. Applications to adhesion-preventing membrane (for joint or pericardium), tamponade (for jaw defects), electrode (for electroretinogram or artificial inner ear), artificial denture base and phantoms for magnetic resonance imaging were examined. (author) 54 refs.

Physical and chemical properties of gels. Application to protein nucleation control in the gel acupuncture technique

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Abel; Juárez-Martínez, Gabriela; Hernández-Pérez, Tomás; Batina, Nikola; Mundo, Manuel; McPherson, Alexander

1999-09-01

In this work, we present a new approach using analytical and optical techniques in order to determine the physical and chemical properties of silica gel, as well as the measurement of the pore size in the network of the gel by scanning electron microscopy. The gel acupuncture technique developed by García-Ruiz et al. (Mater. Res. Bull 28 (1993) 541) García-Ruiz and Moreno (Acta Crystallogr. D 50 (1994) 484) was used throughout the history of crystal growth. Several experiments were done in order to evaluate the nucleation control of model proteins (thaumatin I from Thaumatococcus daniellii, lysozyme from hen egg white and catalase from bovine liver) by the porous network of the gel. Finally, it is shown how the number and the size of the crystals obtained inside X-ray capillaries is controlled by the size of the porous structure of the gel.

Basic investigations on LCV micelle gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebenezer, S B; Rafic, M K; Ravindran, P B

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using Leuco Crystal Violet (LCV) based micelle gel dosimeter as a quality assurance tool in radiotherapy applications. Basic properties such as absorption coefficient and diffusion of LCV gel phantom over time were evaluated. The gel formulation consisted of 25 mM Trichloroacetic acid, 1mM LCV, 4 mM Triton X-100, 4% gelatin by mass and distilled water. The advantages of using this gel are its tissue equivalence, easy and less preparation time, lower diffusion rate and it can be read with an optical scanner. We were able to reproduce some of the results of Babic et al. The peak absorption was found to be at 600 nm and hence a matrix of yellow LEDs was used as light source. The profiles obtained from projection images confirmed the diffusion of LCV gel after 6 hours of irradiation. Hence the LCV gel phantom should be read before 6 hours post irradiation to get accurate dose information as suggested previously.

Atomic force microscopy study of TiO2 sol-gel films thermally treated under NH3 atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trapalis, C.; Todorova, N.; Anastasescu, M.; Anastasescu, C.; Stoica, M.; Gartner, M.; Zaharescu, M.; Stoica, T.

2009-01-01

Multilayered TiO 2 films were obtained by sol-gel and dipping deposition on quartz substrate followed by thermal treatment under NH 3 atmosphere. In an attempt to understand the close relationship between microstructural characteristics and the synthesis parameters, a systematic research of the structure and the morphology of NH 3 modified TiO 2 sol-gel films by XRD and Atomic Force Microscopy is reported. The surface morphology has been evaluated in terms of grains size, fractal dimension and surface roughness. For each surface, it was found a self-similar behavior (with mean fractal dimension in the range of 2.67-3.00) related to an optimum morphology favorable to maintain a nano-size distribution of the grains. The root mean square (RMS) roughness of the samples was found to be in the range of 0.72-6.02 nm.

Cells on Gels: Cell Behavior at the Air-Gel Interface

Science.gov (United States)

O'Bryan, Christopher; Hormel, Tristan; Bhattacharjee, Tapomoy; Sawyer, W.; Angelini, Thomas

Numerous different types of cells are often grown at air-liquid interfaces. For example, a common way to create cell spheroids is to disperse cells in a droplet of liquid media that hangs from the lid of a culture dish - the ``hanging drop'' method. Some types of epithelial cells form monolayers at the bottom of hanging drops, instead of spheroids. Corneal epithelial cells stratify and exhibit a tissue-like phenotype when attached to liquid permeable culture surfaces positioned at the air-liquid media interface (air-lifted culture). These widely used culture methods make experimentation challenging - imaging through hanging drops and air-lifted culture dishes is prohibitive. However, similar results may be achieved by culturing cells on hydrogel surfaces at the air-gel interface. In this talk we will describe a method for culturing cells at air-gel interfaces. We seed human corneal epithelial cells (hTCEpi) onto the surfaces of hydrogel networks and jammed microgels, exposed to air. Preliminary observations of cell behavior at the air-gel interface will be presented.

Synthesis and application of silica gel modified with alkoxyalcohols. Alkoxyalcohol shushoku silica gel no gosei to riyo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moriguchi, T.; Ishiguro, H.; Matsubara, Y.; Yoshihara, M.; Maeshima, T.; Ito, S. (Kinki University, Osaka (Japan). Faculty of Science and Engineering)

1991-08-20

Several kinds of silica gel modified by alkoxyalcohols were synthesized by refluxing and dehyration and the organic reactions were studied when these silica gels were used as the catalyst. It could be confirmed by FT-IR spectra, DTA and elementary analysis that alkoxylalcohols adhere to the surface of silica gels without any decomposition. The acetate was produced by using alkyl halides. It was found that the modified silica gels had clearly the catalytic action for the reaction with n-hexyl bromide and dibromoethane although unmodified silica gels did not show the catalytic action. The reducing reaction of carbonyl compounds was carried out. The reaction proceeded at 25 centigrade for acetophenone, cyclohexanone, 1-indanone and 2-octanone to produce the corresponding reduction products. 11 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs.

Integration of gel-based and gel-free proteomic data for functional analysis of proteins through Soybean Proteome Database

KAUST Repository

Komatsu, Setsuko

2017-05-10

The Soybean Proteome Database (SPD) stores data on soybean proteins obtained with gel-based and gel-free proteomic techniques. The database was constructed to provide information on proteins for functional analyses. The majority of the data is focused on soybean (Glycine max ‘Enrei’). The growth and yield of soybean are strongly affected by environmental stresses such as flooding. The database was originally constructed using data on soybean proteins separated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which is a gel-based proteomic technique. Since 2015, the database has been expanded to incorporate data obtained by label-free mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics, which is a gel-free proteomic technique. Here, the portions of the database consisting of gel-free proteomic data are described. The gel-free proteomic database contains 39,212 proteins identified in 63 sample sets, such as temporal and organ-specific samples of soybean plants grown under flooding stress or non-stressed conditions. In addition, data on organellar proteins identified in mitochondria, nuclei, and endoplasmic reticulum are stored. Furthermore, the database integrates multiple omics data such as genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics. The SPD database is accessible at http://proteome.dc.affrc.go.jp/Soybean/. Biological significanceThe Soybean Proteome Database stores data obtained from both gel-based and gel-free proteomic techniques. The gel-free proteomic database comprises 39,212 proteins identified in 63 sample sets, such as different organs of soybean plants grown under flooding stress or non-stressed conditions in a time-dependent manner. In addition, organellar proteins identified in mitochondria, nuclei, and endoplasmic reticulum are stored in the gel-free proteomics database. A total of 44,704 proteins, including 5490 proteins identified using a gel-based proteomic technique, are stored in the SPD. It accounts for approximately 80% of all

Integration of gel-based and gel-free proteomic data for functional analysis of proteins through Soybean Proteome Database.

Science.gov (United States)

Komatsu, Setsuko; Wang, Xin; Yin, Xiaojian; Nanjo, Yohei; Ohyanagi, Hajime; Sakata, Katsumi

2017-06-23

The Soybean Proteome Database (SPD) stores data on soybean proteins obtained with gel-based and gel-free proteomic techniques. The database was constructed to provide information on proteins for functional analyses. The majority of the data is focused on soybean (Glycine max 'Enrei'). The growth and yield of soybean are strongly affected by environmental stresses such as flooding. The database was originally constructed using data on soybean proteins separated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which is a gel-based proteomic technique. Since 2015, the database has been expanded to incorporate data obtained by label-free mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics, which is a gel-free proteomic technique. Here, the portions of the database consisting of gel-free proteomic data are described. The gel-free proteomic database contains 39,212 proteins identified in 63 sample sets, such as temporal and organ-specific samples of soybean plants grown under flooding stress or non-stressed conditions. In addition, data on organellar proteins identified in mitochondria, nuclei, and endoplasmic reticulum are stored. Furthermore, the database integrates multiple omics data such as genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics. The SPD database is accessible at http://proteome.dc.affrc.go.jp/Soybean/. The Soybean Proteome Database stores data obtained from both gel-based and gel-free proteomic techniques. The gel-free proteomic database comprises 39,212 proteins identified in 63 sample sets, such as different organs of soybean plants grown under flooding stress or non-stressed conditions in a time-dependent manner. In addition, organellar proteins identified in mitochondria, nuclei, and endoplasmic reticulum are stored in the gel-free proteomics database. A total of 44,704 proteins, including 5490 proteins identified using a gel-based proteomic technique, are stored in the SPD. It accounts for approximately 80% of all predicted proteins from

Integration of gel-based and gel-free proteomic data for functional analysis of proteins through Soybean Proteome Database

KAUST Repository

Komatsu, Setsuko; Wang, Xin; Yin, Xiaojian; Nanjo, Yohei; Ohyanagi, Hajime; Sakata, Katsumi

2017-01-01

The Soybean Proteome Database (SPD) stores data on soybean proteins obtained with gel-based and gel-free proteomic techniques. The database was constructed to provide information on proteins for functional analyses. The majority of the data is focused on soybean (Glycine max ‘Enrei’). The growth and yield of soybean are strongly affected by environmental stresses such as flooding. The database was originally constructed using data on soybean proteins separated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which is a gel-based proteomic technique. Since 2015, the database has been expanded to incorporate data obtained by label-free mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics, which is a gel-free proteomic technique. Here, the portions of the database consisting of gel-free proteomic data are described. The gel-free proteomic database contains 39,212 proteins identified in 63 sample sets, such as temporal and organ-specific samples of soybean plants grown under flooding stress or non-stressed conditions. In addition, data on organellar proteins identified in mitochondria, nuclei, and endoplasmic reticulum are stored. Furthermore, the database integrates multiple omics data such as genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics. The SPD database is accessible at http://proteome.dc.affrc.go.jp/Soybean/. Biological significanceThe Soybean Proteome Database stores data obtained from both gel-based and gel-free proteomic techniques. The gel-free proteomic database comprises 39,212 proteins identified in 63 sample sets, such as different organs of soybean plants grown under flooding stress or non-stressed conditions in a time-dependent manner. In addition, organellar proteins identified in mitochondria, nuclei, and endoplasmic reticulum are stored in the gel-free proteomics database. A total of 44,704 proteins, including 5490 proteins identified using a gel-based proteomic technique, are stored in the SPD. It accounts for approximately 80% of all

Temperature-dependent impedance spectroscopy of La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 nano-crystalline material

Science.gov (United States)

Kafa, C. A.; Triyono, D.; Laysandra, H.

2017-04-01

LaFeO3 is a material with perovskite structure which electrical properties frequently investigated. Research are done due to the exhibition of excellent gas sensing behavior through resistivity comparison from the p-type semiconductor. Sr doping on LaFeO3 or La1-xSrxFeO3 are able to improve the electrical conductivity through structural modification. Using Sr dopant concentration (x) of 0.2, La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 nano-crystal pellet was synthesized. The synthesis used sol-gel method, followed by gradual heat treatment and uniaxial compaction. XRD characterization shows that the structure of the sample is Orthorhombic Perovskite. Topography of the sample by SEM reveals grain and grain boundary existence with emerging agglomeration. The electrical properties of the material, as functions of temperature and frequency, were measured by Impedance Spectroscopy method using RLC meter, for temperatures of 303-373K. Through the Nyquist plot and Bode plot, the electrical conductivity of La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 is contributed by the grain and grain boundary. Finally, the electrical permittivities of La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 are increasing with temperature increase, with the highest achieved when measured at 1 kHz frequency.

Sol-gel processing to form doped sol-gel monoliths inside hollow core optical fiber and sol-gel core fiber devices made thereby

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Harry C. (Inventor); Ott, Melanie N. (Inventor); Manuel, Michele V. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

A process of fabricating a fiber device includes providing a hollow core fiber, and forming a sol-gel material inside the hollow core fiber. The hollow core fiber is preferably an optical fiber, and the sol-gel material is doped with a dopant. Devices made in this manner includes a wide variety of sensors.

Potentiometric detection of silver (I) ion based on carbon paste electrode modified with diazo-thiophenol-functionalized nanoporous silica gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Ting; Chai Yaqin; Yuan Ruo; Guo Junxiang

2012-01-01

For the first time, triazene compound functionalized silica gel was incorporated into carbon paste electrode for the potentiometric detection of silver (I) ion. A novel diazo-thiophenol-functionalized silica gel (DTPSG) was synthesized, and the presence of DTPSG acted as not only a paste binder, but also a reactive material. The electrode with optimum composition, exhibited an excellent Nernstian response to Ag + ion ranging from 1.0 × 10 −6 to 1.0 × 10 −1 M with a detection limit of 9.5 × 10 −7 M and a slope of 60.4 ± 0.2 mV dec −1 over a wide pH range (4.0–9.0) with a fast response time (50 s) at 25 °C. The electrode also showed a long-time stability, high selectivity and reproducibility. The response mechanism of the proposed electrode was investigated by using AC impedance. Moreover, the electrode was successfully applied for the determination of silver ions in radiology films, and for potentiometric titration of the mixture solution of Cl − and Br − ions. - Highlights: ► Functionalized silica gels have become promising materials. ► This work is the first attempt to apply triazene functionalized silica gel. ► The Functionalized silica gels were used to detect silver. ► The response of the previously reported papers are compared with this work. ► The result indicates the proposed electrode is better than reported Ag + electrodes.

Sol-gel additive for systems with inorganic binders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akstinat, M.; Antenen, D.; Suter, W.

1996-01-01

A sol-gel additive for inorganic binder systems and sol-gel process for producing air-placed concrete and mortar by using such sol-gel additives are disclosed. Sol-gel additives for gel-derived inorganic binder systems (for example plaster, cement, lime, special slags, etc.) marked improve the consistency of such binder systems during processing or allow their consistency to be regulated. In addition, these sol-gel additives regulate setting times and substantially improve durability (chemical resistance, reduced permeability) and the mechanical properties of the set binder system. (author)

Sol-gel bonding of silicon wafers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbe, C.J.; Cassidy, D.J.; Triani, G.; Latella, B.A.; Mitchell, D.R.G.; Finnie, K.S.; Short, K.; Bartlett, J.R.; Woolfrey, J.L.; Collins, G.A.

2005-01-01

Sol-gel bonds have been produced between smooth, clean silicon substrates by spin-coating solutions containing partially hydrolysed silicon alkoxides. The two coated substrates were assembled and the resulting sandwich fired at temperatures ranging from 60 to 600 deg. C. The sol-gel coatings were characterised using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ellipsometry, and atomic force microscopy, while the corresponding bonded specimens were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. Mechanical properties were characterised using both microindentation and tensile testing. Bonding of silicon wafers has been successfully achieved at temperatures as low as 60 deg. C. At 300 deg. C, the interfacial fracture energy was 1.55 J/m 2 . At 600 deg. C, sol-gel bonding provided superior interfacial fracture energy over classical hydrophilic bonding (3.4 J/m 2 vs. 1.5 J/m 2 ). The increase in the interfacial fracture energy is related to the increase in film density due to the sintering of the sol-gel interface with increasing temperature. The superior interfacial fracture energy obtained by sol-gel bonding at low temperature is due to the formation of an interfacial layer, which chemically bonds the two sol-gel coatings on each wafer. Application of a tensile stress on the resulting bond leads to fracture of the samples at the silicon/sol-gel interface

Influence of Uranium and Polivinyl Alcohol Concentration in the Feed of Sol Gel Process on the Gel Spherical Product

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Indra Suryawan; Endang Susiantini

2007-01-01

The gel particles have been made at various uranium and polyvinyl alcohol concentration in the sol gel process. The variables of uranium concentration were 0.3; 0.5; 0.7; 0.9; 1.1; 1.3; 1.5; 1.7; 1.9 and 2.1 M The variables of polyvinyl alcohol concentration were 0.3; 0.6; 0.9; 1.2; 1.5; 1.8; 2.1 and 2.4 M After drying the sol gel process products were heated at 300, 500 and 750°C during 4 hours. The gel particles were characterized using an optic microscope to know the shape and condition morphology of gel. From experimental result using uranium concentration of 0.3 until 2.1 M and polyvinyl alcohol of 1.8 until 2.4 M spherical and gel was formed elastic, after heating at 750°C it was unbreakable. At the concentration of polyvinyl alcohol from 0.3 to 0.5 M, the gel product was soft and broken after being dried. At the concentration of polyvinyl alcohol from 0.6 to 0.8 M, the dried gel product was not perfect. At the concentration of polyvinyl alcohol from 0.9 to 1.7 M, the gel product of gelation process was spherical and it was broken after being heated up to 300°C. (author)

Frozen concentration fluctuations in a poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) gel studied by neutron spin echo and small-angle neutron scattering

CERN Document Server

Koizumi, S; Richter, D; Schwahn, D; Faragó, B; Annaka, M

2002-01-01

By employing neutron spin echo and small-angle neutron scattering, we determined the structure factor of the frozen concentration fluctuations on nano-length scales in a swollen poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) gel. The frozen contribution, showing a plateau at the low scattering wavenumber q (0.02 A sup - sup 1), is intimately related to the abnormal butterfly scattering pattern appearing at low q under deformation. (orig.)

Yield stress determination of a physical gel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hvidt, Søren

2013-01-01

Pluronic F127 solutions form gels in water with high elastic moduli. Pluronic gels can, however, only withstand small deformations and stresses. Different steady shear and oscillatory methods traditionally used to determine yield stress values are compared. The results show that the yield stresses...... values of these gels depend on test type and measurement time, and no absolute yield stress value can be determined for these physical gels....

Modification of gel architecture and TBE/TAE buffer composition to minimize heating during agarose gel electrophoresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanderson, Brian A; Araki, Naoko; Lilley, Jennifer L; Guerrero, Gilberto; Lewis, L Kevin

2014-06-01

Agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA and RNA is routinely performed using buffers containing either Tris, acetate, and EDTA (TAE) or Tris, borate, and EDTA (TBE). Gels are run at a low, constant voltage (∼10 V/cm) to minimize current and asymmetric heating effects, which can induce band artifacts and poor resolution. In this study, alterations of gel structure and conductive media composition were analyzed to identify factors causing higher electrical currents during horizontal slab gel electrophoresis. Current was reduced when thinner gels and smaller chamber buffer volumes were used, but was not influenced by agarose concentration or the presence of ethidium bromide. Current was strongly dependent on the amount and type of EDTA used and on the concentrations of the major acid-base components of each buffer. Interestingly, resolution and the mobilities of circular versus linear plasmid DNAs were also affected by the chemical form and amount of EDTA. With appropriate modifications to gel structure and buffer constituents, electrophoresis could be performed at high voltages (20-25 V/cm), reducing run times by up to 3-fold. The most striking improvements were observed with small DNAs and RNAs (10-100 bp): high voltages and short run times produced sharper bands and higher resolution. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ionic liquid based multifunctional double network gel

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Kumkum; Higashihara, Tomoya; Arafune, Hiroyuki; Kamijo, Toshio; Morinaga, Takashi; Sato, Takaya; Furukawa, Hidemitsu

2015-04-01

Gels are a promising class of soft and wet materials with diverse application in tissue engineering and bio-medical purpose. In order to accelerate the development of gels, it is required to synthesize multi-functional gels of high mechanical strength, ultra low surface friction and suitable elastic modulus with a variety of methods and new materials. Among many types of gel ionic gel made from ionic liquids (ILs) could be used for diverse applications in electrochemical devices and in the field of tribology. IL, a promising materials for lubrication, is a salt with a melting point lower than 100 °C. As a lubricant, ILs are characterized by an extremely low vapor pressure, high thermal stability and high ion conductivity. In this work a novel approach of making double network DN ionic gel using IL has been made utilizing photo polymerization process. A hydrophobic monomer Methyl methacrylate (MMA) has been used as a first network and a hydrophobic IL monomer, N,N-diethyl-N-(2-mthacryloylethyl)-N-methylammonium bistrifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (DEMM-TFSI) has been used as a second network using photo initiator benzophenon and crosslinker triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA). The resulting DN ionic gel shows transparency, flexibility, high thermal stability, good mechanical toughness and low friction coefficient value which can be a potential candidate as a gel slider in different mechanical devices and can open a new area in the field of gel tribology.

Geographic Variation in Cancer Incidence among Children and Adolescents in Taiwan (1995–2009)

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Giun-Yi; Horng, Jiun-Lin; Yen, Hsiu-Ju; Lee, Chih-Ying; Lee, Yu-Sheng

2015-01-01

Background Evidence from our recent study suggested that the overall trend for cancer incidence in children and adolescents has been increasing in Taiwan. Methods To analyze geographic variations in this trend, cancer frequencies and incidence rates of disease groups were quantified according to geographic areas among 12,633 patients aged Taiwan Cancer Registry. Three geographic levels were defined, namely county or city, region (Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern Taiwan), and local administrative area (special municipality, provincial city, county-administered city, township, and aboriginal area). Results Of the regions, Northern Taiwan had the highest incidence rate at 139.6 per million person-years, followed by Central (132.8), Southern (131.8), and Eastern (128.4) Taiwan. Significantly higher standardized rate ratios (SRRs) were observed in Northern Taiwan (SRR = 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–1.10) and at the township level (SRR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.03–1.11). Of the cities or counties, New Taipei City yielded the highest SRR (1.08), followed by Taipei City (SRR = 1.07). A comparison of the rates in the four regions and the remainder of Taiwan according to cancer type revealed that only the rate of neuroblastomas in Eastern Taiwan was significantly low. Trend analysis showed that the most significant increase in incidence rate was observed at the township level, with an annual percent change of 1.8% during the 15-year study period. Conclusions The high rate of childhood cancer in Northern Taiwan and at the township level deserves further attention. The potential impacts of environmental factors on the upward trend of childhood cancer incidence rate in townships warrant further investigation. PMID:26192415

Gels and gel-derived glasses in the Na2O-B2O3-SiO2 system. [containerless melting in space

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, S. P.

1982-01-01

The containerless melting of high-purity multicomponent homogeneous gels and gel-monoliths offers a unique approach to making ultrapure multicomponent optical glasses in the reduced gravity environment of space. Procedures for preparing and characterizing gels and gel-derived glasses in the Na2O-B2O3-SiO2 system are described. Preparation is based on the polymerization reactions of alkoxysilane with trimethyl borate or boric acid and a suitable sodium compound. The chemistry of the gelling process is discussed in terms of process parameters and the gel compositions. The physicochemical nature of gels prepared by three different procedures were found to be significantly different. IR absorption spectra indicate finite differences in the molecular structures of the different gels. The melting of the gel powders and the transformation of porous gel-monoliths to transparent 'glass' without melting are described.

Improving calibration accuracy in gel dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oldham, M.; McJury, M.; Webb, S.; Baustert, I.B.; Leach, M.O.

1998-01-01

A new method of calibrating gel dosimeters (applicable to both Fricke and polyacrylamide gels) is presented which has intrinsically higher accuracy than current methods, and requires less gel. Two test-tubes of gel (inner diameter 2.5 cm, length 20 cm) are irradiated separately with a 10x10cm 2 field end-on in a water bath, such that the characteristic depth-dose curve is recorded in the gel. The calibration is then determined by fitting the depth-dose measured in water, against the measured change in relaxivity with depth in the gel. Increased accuracy is achieved in this simple depth-dose geometry by averaging the relaxivity at each depth. A large number of calibration data points, each with relatively high accuracy, are obtained. Calibration data over the full range of dose (1.6-10 Gy) is obtained by irradiating one test-tube to 10 Gy at dose maximum (D max ), and the other to 4.5 Gy at D max . The new calibration method is compared with a 'standard method' where five identical test-tubes of gel were irradiated to different known doses between 2 and 10 Gy. The percentage uncertainties in the slope and intercept of the calibration fit are found to be lower with the new method by a factor of about 4 and 10 respectively, when compared with the standard method and with published values. The gel was found to respond linearly within the error bars up to doses of 7 Gy, with a slope of 0.233±0.001 s -1 Gy -1 and an intercept of 1.106±0.005 Gy. For higher doses, nonlinear behaviour was observed. (author)

Pharmacokinetics of 2 dapivirine vaginal microbicide gels and their safety vs. Hydroxyethyl cellulose-based universal placebo gel.

Science.gov (United States)

Nel, Annalene M; Smythe, Shanique C; Habibi, Sepideh; Kaptur, Paulina E; Romano, Joseph W

2010-10-01

Dapivirine, a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, is in development as a microbicide for the protection of women against HIV infection. A randomized, double-blind, phase 1 trial was conducted in 36 healthy HIV-negative women to compare the pharmacokinetics of 2 dapivirine vaginal gel formulations (0.05% each) and their safety with the hydroxyethyl cellulose-based universal placebo gel. Gel was self-administered once daily for a total of 11 days. Blood and vaginal fluid samples were collected sequentially over 24 days for pharmacokinetic analysis. Safety was evaluated by pelvic examination, colposcopy, adverse events, and clinical laboratory assessments. Adverse event profiles were similar for the 3 gels. Most events were mild and not related to study gel. Headache and vaginal hemorrhage (any vaginal bleeding) were most common. Plasma concentrations of dapivirine did not exceed 1.1 ng/mL. Steady-state conditions were reached within approximately 10 days. Dapivirine concentrations in vaginal fluids were slightly higher for Gel 4789, but Cmax values on days 1 and 14 were not significantly different. Terminal half-life was 72-73 hours in plasma and 15-17 hours in vaginal fluids. Both formulations of dapivirine gel were safe and well tolerated. Dapivirine was delivered to the lower genital tract at concentrations at least 5 logs greater than in vitro inhibitory concentrations.

Phase separation in short-chain lecithin/gel-state long-chain lecithin aggregates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bian, J.; Roberts, M.F.

1990-01-01

Small bilayer particles for spontaneously from gel-state long-chain phospholipids such as dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and 0.2 mol fraction short-chain lecithins (e.g., diheptanoylphosphatidylcholine). When the particles are incubed at temperatures greater than the T m of the long-chain phosphatidylcholine (PC), the particles rapidly fuse (from 90-angstrom to ≥ 5,000-angstrom radius); this transition is reversible. A possible explanation for this behavior involves patching or phase separation of the short-chain component within the gel-state particle and randomization of both lipid species above T m . Differential scanning calorimetry, 1 H T 1 values of proteodiheptanoyl-PC in diheptanoyl-PC-d 26 /dipalmitoyl-PC-d 62 matrices of varying deuterium content, solid-state 2 H NMR spectroscopy as a function of temperature, and fluorescence pyrene excimer-to-monomer ratios as a function of mole fraction diheptanoyl-PC provide evidence that such phase separation must occur. These results are used to construct a phase diagram for the diheptanoyl-PC/dipalmitoyl-PC system, to propose detailed geometric models for the different lipid particles involved, and to understand phospholipase kinetics toward the different aggregates

Structural studies of gels and gel-glasses in the SiO2-GeO2 system using vibrational spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Shyama P.; Sharma, Shiv K.

1986-01-01

GeO2 gel and gels in the SiO2-GeO2 system synthesized by the hydrolytic polycondensation of metal alkoxides have been studied by infrared and Raman spectroscopic techniques. The molecular structures, hydroxyl contents, and crystallinity of gels and gel-glasses in relation to the thermal history and GeO2 concentration were investigated. The binary compositions having up to 70 mol percent GeO2 were examined.

NMR mechanisms in gel dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schreiner, L J

2009-01-01

Nuclear magnetic resonance was critical to the development of gel dosimetry, as it established the potential for three dimensional dosimetry with chemical dosimeter systems through magnetic resonance imaging [1]. In the last two decades MRI has served as the gold standard for imaging, while NMR relaxometry has played an important role in the development and understanding of the behaviour of new gel dosimetry systems. Therefore, an appreciation of the relaxation mechanisms determining the NMR behaviour of irradiated gel dosimeters is important for a full comprehension of a considerable component of the literature on gel dosimetry. A number of excellent papers have presented this important theory, this brief review will highlight some of the salient points made previously [1-5]. The spin relaxation of gel dosimeters (which determines the dose dependence in most conventional MR imaging) is determined principally by the protons on water molecules in the system. These water protons exist in different environments, or groups (see Figure 1): on bulk water, on water hydrating the chemical species that are being modified under irradiation, and on water hydrating the gel matrix used to spatially stabilize the dosimeter (e.g., gelatin, agarose, etc). The spin relaxation depends on the inherent relaxation rate of each spin group, that is, on the relaxation rate which would be observed for the specific group if it were isolated. Also, the different water environments are not isolated from each other, and the observed relaxation rate also depends on the rate of exchange of magnetization between the groups, and on the fraction of protons in each group. In fact, the water exchanges quickly between the environments, so that relaxation is in what is usually termed the fast exchange regime. In the limit of fast exchange, the relaxation of the water protons is well characterized by a single exponential and hence by a single apparent relaxation rate. In irradiated gel dosimeters this

Conducting polymer electrodes for gel electrophoresis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarina Bengtsson

Full Text Available In nearly all cases, electrophoresis in gels is driven via the electrolysis of water at the electrodes, where the process consumes water and produces electrochemical by-products. We have previously demonstrated that π-conjugated polymers such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT can be placed between traditional metal electrodes and an electrolyte to mitigate electrolysis in liquid (capillary electroosmosis/electrophoresis systems. In this report, we extend our previous result to gel electrophoresis, and show that electrodes containing PEDOT can be used with a commercial polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system with minimal impact to the resulting gel image or the ionic transport measured during a separation.

Conducting polymer electrodes for gel electrophoresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bengtsson, Katarina; Nilsson, Sara; Robinson, Nathaniel D

2014-01-01

In nearly all cases, electrophoresis in gels is driven via the electrolysis of water at the electrodes, where the process consumes water and produces electrochemical by-products. We have previously demonstrated that π-conjugated polymers such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) can be placed between traditional metal electrodes and an electrolyte to mitigate electrolysis in liquid (capillary electroosmosis/electrophoresis) systems. In this report, we extend our previous result to gel electrophoresis, and show that electrodes containing PEDOT can be used with a commercial polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system with minimal impact to the resulting gel image or the ionic transport measured during a separation.

Sol-gel process for thermal reactor fuel fabrication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukerjee, S.K.

2008-01-01

Full text: Sol-gel processes have revolutionized conventional ceramic technology by providing extremely fine and uniform powders for the fabrication of ceramics. The use of this technology for nuclear fuel fabrication has also been explored in many countries. Unlike the conventional sol-gel process, sol-gel process for nuclear fuels tries to eliminate the preparation of powders in view of the toxic nature of the powders particularly those of plutonium and 233 U. The elimination of powder handling thus makes this process more readily amenable for use in glove boxes or for remote handling. In this process, the first step is the preparation of microspheres of the fuel material from a solution which is then followed by vibro-compaction of these microspheres of different sizes to obtain the required smear density of fuel inside a pin. The maximum achievable packing density of 92 % makes it suitable for fast reactors only. With a view to extend the applicability of sol-gel process for thermal reactor fuel fabrication the concept of converting the gel microspheres derived from sol-gel process, to the pellets, has been under investigation for several years. The unique feature of this process is that it combines the advantages of sol-gel process for the preparation of fuel oxide gel microspheres of reproducible quality with proven irradiation behavior of the pellet fuel. One of the important pre-requisite for the success of this process is the preparation of soft oxide gel microspheres suitable for conversion to dense pellets free from berry structure. Studies on the internal gelation process, one of the many variants of sol-gel process, for obtaining soft oxide gel microspheres suitable for gel pelletisation is now under investigation at BARC. Some of the recent findings related to Sol-Gel Microsphere Pelletisation (SGMP) in urania-plutonia and thoria-urania systems will be presented

Stabilized aqueous gels and uses thereof

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Swanson, B.L.

1978-08-29

New improved aqueous gels, and methods of using same in contacting subterranean formations, are provided. The gels are prepared by gelling an aqueous brine having incorporated therein a water-soluble cellulose ether such as a carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and are rendered more stable to decomposition by incorporating a sulfoalkylated tannin stabilizing agent, such as a sulfomethylated quebracho (SMQ), in the gel during the preparation thereof.

Influence of colloidal silicon dioxide on gel strength, robustness, and adhesive properties of diclofenac gel formulation for topical application.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Zheng; Fassihi, Reza

2015-06-01

The objective of this study is to identify the extent of stiffness, adhesiveness, and thixotropic character of a three-dimensional gel network of a 1% diclofenac sodium topical gel formulation in the presence and absence of colloidal silicon dioxide (CSD) and assess its ease of application and adhesiveness using both objective and subjective analysis. The 1% diclofenac gel was mixed with different amounts of CSD (e.g., 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 5% w/w) and allowed to equilibrate prior to testing. The texture analyzer in combination with a cone-cap assembly was used to objectively investigate the changes in spreadability and adhesiveness of the gel system before and after addition of CSD. Results indicate that an increase in pliability and adhesiveness at levels ≥2 to ≤5% w/w of CSD dispersed in the gel ensues. For subjective analysis, gels with (2% w/w) CSD and in the absence of CSD were uniformly applied to a 20-cm(2) (5 cm × 4 cm) surface area on the forearms of healthy volunteers and vehicle preferences by the volunteers regarding ease of application, durability on the skin, compliance, and feelings concerning its textural properties were assessed. It appears that changes in the gel formulation with the addition of CSD enhance gel viscosity and bonding to the skin. Results further show that changes in physical and rheological characteristics of gel containing 2% w/w CSD did not significantly change subject preferences for the gel preparations. These findings may help formulators to have additional options to develop more robust and cost-effective formulations.

Experimental Conditions: SE3_S02_M01_D02 [Metabolonote[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SE3_S02_M01_D02 SE3 Comparison of fruit metabolites among tomato varieties 1 SE3_S0...2 Solanum lycopersicum House Momotaro fruit SE3_S02_M01 6.7mg [MassBase ID] MDLC1_25529 SE3_MS1 LC-FT-ICR-MS

Experimental Conditions: SE3_S02_M03_D02 [Metabolonote[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available SE3_S02_M03_D02 SE3 Comparison of fruit metabolites among tomato varieties 1 SE3_S0...2 Solanum lycopersicum House Momotaro fruit SE3_S02_M03 6.7 mg [MassBase ID] MDLC1_25531 SE3_MS1 LC-FT-ICR-M

SAXS study of silica sols, gels and glasses obtained by the sol gel process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, D.I. dos; Aegerter, M.A.

1988-01-01

Systematic SAXS studies have been performed at the LURE Synchrotron, Orsay, using an intense beam of point like cross-section to obtain information about the sol -> humid gel -> dried gel -> silica glass transformation. The intensity curves have been analysed in term of power law in log-log plots, whose exponent is related to mass and surface fractal dimensions of the structure. It was found that almost all phases present fractal structures and for the case of basic gels, is of hierarchical nature. The aerogels are formed by a dense matrix, with a smooth surface and exhibit a very narrow auto-similarity range that gives a mass fractal dimension. (author) [pt

Effects of gel composition on the radiation induced density change in PAG polymer gel dosimeters: a model and experimental investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hilts, M; Jirasek, A; Duzenli, C

2004-01-01

Due to a density change that occurs in irradiated polyacrylamide gel (PAG), x-ray computed tomography (CT) has emerged as a feasible method of performing polymer gel dosimetry. However, applicability of the technique is currently limited by low sensitivity of the density change to dose. This work investigates the effect of PAG composition on the radiation induced density change and provides direction for future work in improving the sensitivity of CT polymer gel dosimetry. A model is developed that describes the PAG density change (Δρ gel ) as a function of both polymer yield (%P) and an intrinsic density change, per unit polymer yield, that occurs on conversion of monomer to polymer (Δρ polymer ). %P is a function of the fraction of monomer consumed and the weight fraction of monomer in the unirradiated gel (%T). Applying the model to experimental CT and Raman spectroscopic data, two important fundamental properties of the response of PAG density to dose (Δρ gel dose response) are discovered. The first property is that Δρ polymer depends on PAG %C (cross-linking fraction of total monomer) such that low and high %C PAGs exhibit a higher Δρ polymer than do more intermediate %C PAGs. This relationship is opposite to the relationship of polymer yield to %C and is explained by the effect of %C on the type of polymer formed. The second property is that the Δρ gel dose response is linearly dependent on %T. From the model, the inference is that, at least for %T≤12%, monomer consumption and Δρ polymer depend solely on %C. In terms of optimizing CT polymer gel dosimetry for high sensitivity, these results indicate that Δρ polymer can be expected to vary with each polymer gel system and thus should be considered when choosing a polymer gel for CT gel dosimetry. However, Δρ polymer and %P cannot be maximized simultaneously and maximizing %P, by choosing gels with intermediate %C and high %T, is found to have the greatest impact on increasing the

Multi-gel casting apparatus for vertical polyacrylamide gels with in-built solution flow system and liquid level detectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Maurye, Praveen; Basu, Arpita; Bandyopadhyay, Tapas Kumar; Biswas, Jayanta Kumar; Mohanty, Bimal Prasana

2017-08-01

PAGE is the most widely used technique for the separation and biochemical analysis of biomolecules. The ever growing field of proteomics and genomics necessitates the analysis of many proteins and nucleic acid samples to understand further about the structure and function of cells. Simultaneous analysis of multiple protein samples often requires casting of many PAGE gels. Several variants of multi-gel casting/electrophoresis apparatuses are frequently used in research laboratories. Requirement of supplementary gels to match the growing demand for analyzing additional protein samples sometimes become a cause of concern. Available apparatuses are not amenable to and therefore, not recommended for any modification to accommodate additional gel casting units other than what is prescribed by the manufacturer. A novel apparatus is described here for casting multiple PAGE gels comprising four detachable components that provide enhanced practicability and performance of the apparatus. This newly modified apparatus promises to be a reliable source for making multiple gels in less time without hassle. Synchronized functioning of unique components broaden the possibilities of developing inexpensive, safe, and time-saving multi-gel casting apparatus. This apparatus can be easily fabricated and modified to accommodate desired number of gel casting units. The estimated cost (∼$300) for fabrication of the main apparatus is very competitive and effortless assembly procedure can be completed within ∼30 min. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fluoride Rinses, Gels and Foams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Twetman, Svante; Keller, Mette K

2016-01-01

AIM: The aim of this conference paper was to systematically review the quality of evidence and summarize the findings of clinical trials published after 2002 using fluoride mouth rinses, fluoride gels or foams for the prevention of dental caries. METHODS: Relevant papers were selected after...... (6 on fluoride mouth rinse, 10 on fluoride gel and 3 on fluoride foam); 6 had a low risk of bias while 2 had a moderate risk. All fluoride measures appeared to be beneficial in preventing crown caries and reversing root caries, but the quality of evidence was graded as low for fluoride mouth rinse......, moderate for fluoride gel and very low for acidulated fluoride foam. No conclusions could be drawn on the cost-effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: This review, covering the recent decade, has further substantiated the evidence for a caries-preventive effect of fluoride mouth rinse, fluoride gel and foam...

Aging and nonlinear rheology of thermoreversible colloidal gels

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Norman; Gordon, Melissa; Kloxin, Christopher

Colloidal dispersions are found in a wide variety of consumer products such as paint, food and pharmaceuticals. We investigate gel formation and aging in a thermoreverible gel consisting of octadecyl-coated silica nanoparticles suspended in n-tetradecane. In this system, the octadecyl brush can undergo a phase change allowing the attractions between particles to be tuned by temperature (1,2). By probing the system with steady shear and large amplitude oscillatory shear, we have studied the effect of thermal history and shear history on gel formation and gel mechanical properties during aging. Gels were formed by approaching a common temperature from above and below to determine a reference state from which creep tests were conducted. Creep ringing was observed as expected for the viscoelastic gel. The rheological aging is interpreted in terms of the gel microstructure formed with differing thermal and shear histories to determine how processing affects structure. Recently proposed scaling laws for the rheology and structure under flow are explored within the context of gel aging (3). Through rheological and microstructural measurements, we will further the understanding of gel formation and aging in this model system which may be applied to processing conditions in an industrial setting.

Mucosal effects of tenofovir 1% gel.

Science.gov (United States)

Hladik, Florian; Burgener, Adam; Ballweber, Lamar; Gottardo, Raphael; Vojtech, Lucia; Fourati, Slim; Dai, James Y; Cameron, Mark J; Strobl, Johanna; Hughes, Sean M; Hoesley, Craig; Andrew, Philip; Johnson, Sherri; Piper, Jeanna; Friend, David R; Ball, T Blake; Cranston, Ross D; Mayer, Kenneth H; McElrath, M Juliana; McGowan, Ian

2015-02-03

Tenofovir gel is being evaluated for vaginal and rectal pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV transmission. Because this is a new prevention strategy, we broadly assessed its effects on the mucosa. In MTN-007, a phase-1, randomized, double-blinded rectal microbicide trial, we used systems genomics/proteomics to determine the effect of tenofovir 1% gel, nonoxynol-9 2% gel, placebo gel or no treatment on rectal biopsies (15 subjects/arm). We also treated primary vaginal epithelial cells from four healthy women with tenofovir in vitro. After seven days of administration, tenofovir 1% gel had broad-ranging effects on the rectal mucosa, which were more pronounced than, but different from, those of the detergent nonoxynol-9. Tenofovir suppressed anti-inflammatory mediators, increased T cell densities, caused mitochondrial dysfunction, altered regulatory pathways of cell differentiation and survival, and stimulated epithelial cell proliferation. The breadth of mucosal changes induced by tenofovir indicates that its safety over longer-term topical use should be carefully monitored.

On shear rheology of gel propellants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahimi, Shai; Peretz, Arie [RAFAEL, MANOR Propulsion and Explosive Systems Division, Haifa (Israel); Natan, Benveniste [Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (Israel)

2007-04-15

Selected fuel, oxidizer and simulant gels were prepared and rheologically characterized using a rotational rheometer. For fuel gelation both organic and inorganic gellants were utilized, whereas oxidizers and simulants were gelled with addition of silica and polysaccharides, respectively. The generalized Herschel-Bulkley constitutive model was found to most adequately represent the gels studied. Hydrazine-based fuels, gelled with polysaccharides, were characterized as shear-thinning pseudoplastic fluids with low shear yield stress, whereas inhibited red-fuming nitric acid (IRFNA) and hydrogen peroxide oxidizers, gelled with silica, were characterized as yield thixotropic fluids with significant shear yield stress. Creep tests were conducted on two rheological types of gels with different gellant content and the results were fitted by Burgers-Kelvin viscoelastic constitutive model. The effect of temperature on the rheological properties of gel propellant simulants was also investigated. A general rheological classification of gel propellants and simulants is proposed. (Abstract Copyright [2007], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Evaluation of hybrid sol-gel incorporated with nanoparticles as nano paint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jameel, Zainab N., E-mail: zeinb76-alrekbe@yahoo.com; Haider, Adawiya J., E-mail: adawiyahaider@yahoo.com [Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Research Center, The University of Technology, Baghdad (Iraq); Taha, Samar Y., E-mail: samarjam2002@yahoo.com [College of Science for Women, University of Baghdad, Baghdad (Iraq); Gangopadhyay, Shubhra, E-mail: gangopadhyays@missouri.edu; Bok, Sangho, E-mail: BokSa@missouri.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer, University of Missouri, Engineering, Building West, Columbia, Missouri 65211 (United States)

2016-07-25

A coating with self-cleaning characteristics has been developed using a TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} hybrid sol-gel, TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles and organosilicate nanoparticles (OSNP). A patented technology of the hybrid sol-gel and OSNP was combined with TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles to create the surface chemistry for self-cleaning. Two synthesis methods have been developed to prepare TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles (NPs), resulting in the enhancement of local paint by the addition of anatase and rutile TiO{sub 2} phases. The NPs size as determined by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) ranges within of (3-4) and (20-42) nm, which was also confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The nanoparticles showed surface charge (zeta-potential, ζ) of +35 and +25.62 mV for the methods, respectively, and ζ values of +41.31 and 34.02 mV for anatase and rutile phases, respectively. The NPs were mixed with the coating solution (i.e., hybrid sol-gel and OSNP) in different concentrations and thin films were prepared by spin coating. Self-cleaning tests were performed using Rhodamine B (RhB) as a pollution indicator. The effect of UV-irradiation on the films was also studied. Anatase and rutile incorporated as a mixture with different ratios in local paint and washability as well as a contrast ratio tests were performed. It was found that the addition of TiO{sub 2} NPs in combination with irradiation show a great enhancement of RhB degradation (1%) wt. with a decrease in contact angle and improved washability.

Thixotropic corrosive gels for nuclear decontamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bargues, St.

1998-01-01

The aim of this thesis was the development of corrosive gels for metallic surface decontamination. These gels formulation, based on a powerful oxidant (the cerium IV), the nitric acid, a mineral charge (silica) and a non ionic surface-active, has been developed according to the specific constraints of the nuclear industry. The objective was to prepare thixotropic gels becoming liquid after shacking to allow an easy pulverization and coming again solid to permit a perfect adhesion on the metallic surface. This rheological study of the gels has been completed by an evaluation of their corrosive properties. The last part of the work presents an industrial utilization during two years. (A.L.B.)

Structure of gels layers with cells

Science.gov (United States)

Pokusaev, B. G.; Karlov, S. P.; Vyazmin, A. V.; Nekrasov, D. A.; Zakharov, N. S.; Khramtsov, D. P.; Skladnev, D. A.; Tyupa, D. V.

2017-11-01

The structure of two-layer agarose gels containing yeast cells is investigated experimentally by spectrometry, to shed a light on the theoretical foundations for the development of bioreactors by the method of 3D bioprinting. Due to division, cells overcome the layer of the dispersion phase separating successively applied layers of the agarose gel. However a gel layer of 100 μm thick with a high concentration of silver nanoparticles completely excludes the infiltration of yeast cells through it. A special sort of agarose is suggested where the concentration of silver nanoparticles formed by cells from salt of silver can serve as an indicator of the state of the yeast cells in the volume of the gel.

Modelling of the inhomogeneous interior of polymer gels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shew, C-Y; Iwaki, Takafumi

2006-01-01

A simple model has been investigated to elucidate the mean squared displacement (MSD) of probe molecules in cross-linked polymer gels. In the model, we assume that numerous cavities distribute in the inhomogeneous interior of a gel, and probe molecules are confined within these cavities. The individual probe molecules trapped in a gel are treated as Brownian particles confined to a spherical harmonic potential. The harmonic potential is chosen to model the effective potential experienced by the probe particle in the cavity of a gel. Each field strength is corresponding to the characteristic of one type of effective cavity. Since the statistical distribution of different effective cavity sizes is unknown, several distribution functions are examined. Meanwhile, the calculated averaged MSDs are compared to the experimental data by Nisato et al (2000 Phys. Rev. E 61 2879). We find that the theoretical results of the MSD are sensitive to the shape of the distribution function. For low cross-linked gels, the best fit is obtained when the interior cavities of a gel follow a bimodal distribution. Such a result may be attributed to the presence of at least two distinct classes of cavity in gels. For high cross-linked gels, the cavities in the gel can be depicted by a single-modal uniform distribution function, suggesting that the range of cavity sizes becomes smaller. These results manifest the voids inside a gel, and the shape of distribution functions may provide the insight into the inhomogeneous interior of a gel

Synthesis of gels with basis of titanium tungstates as matrixes of radioactive generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galico C, L.

2005-01-01

The heteropolyanions, compounds formed by the union of molybdates or tungstates polyanions with atoms of metals like zirconium, titanium, cerium, thorium, tin, etc., have been used as generator matrixes of 99m Tc or 188 Re. Particularly they have been studied and produced successfully in our laboratory, generators of 99 Mo/ 99 m Tc at basis of gels zirconium molybdates and titanium molybdates. Considering that the molybdenum and tungsten, as well as the technetium and the rhenium, its belong to the same groups of transition metals, it is feasible that gels can be synthesized at basis of titanium tungstates, continuing a methodology similar to that of the gels titanium molybdates or zirconium molybdates, to produce generators 188 W/ 188 Re. The 188 Re possess nuclear characteristics that make it attractive for therapeutic applications, since, it emits β - particles of a great energy (2.12 MeV); joined to the possibility of being able to unite to different ligands (bifunctional agents) and biomolecules (antibodies or fragments of proteins), as it makes the 99m Tc, useful in radioimmunotherapy. Commercially the 188 Re generators use a chromatographic column loaded with alumina where the 188 Re, it is adsorbed and eluted the 188 ReO 4 - by means of a saline solution The alumina adsorbs around 0.2% of the 188 Re, situation that forces to use 188 Re of a high specific activity. The use of the gels technology, allows to work with medium or low specific activities of 188 Re, opening the possibility of their production in countries whose nuclear capacity is medium or low. In particular, the synthesized gels with basis of titanium offer the possibility of being synthesized with non active material, for later on to be irradiated and directly produce the generator, since, the titanium 51 Ti, unique radioisotope produced by the titanium, has a half life of 5.79 min. This synthesis method avoids the manipulation of radioactive material during the synthesis of the gels, process

Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of the human keratin 4-binding domain of serine-rich repeat protein 1 from Streptococcus agalactiae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sundaresan, Ramya; Samen, Ulrike; Ponnuraj, Karthe

2011-01-01

Expression, purification and crystallization of Srr-1-K4BD, a human keratin 4-binding domain of serine-rich repeat protein 1 from S. agalactiae, was carried out. Native crystals of Srr-1-K4BD diffracted to 3.8 Å resolution using synchrotron radiation. Serine-rich repeat protein 1 (Srr-1) is a surface protein from Streptococcus agalactiae. A 17 kDa region of this protein has been identified to bind to human keratin 4 (K4) and is termed the Srr-1 K4-binding domain (Srr-1-K4BD). Recombinant Srr-1-K4BD was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells. Native and selenomethionine-substituted proteins were prepared using Luria–Bertani (LB) and M9 minimal media, respectively. A two-step purification protocol was carried out to obtain a final homogenous sample of Srr-1-K4BD. Crystals of native Srr-1-K4BD were obtained using PEG 3350 as a precipitant. The crystals diffracted to 3.8 Å resolution using synchrotron radiation and belonged to space group P2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 47.56, b = 59.48, c = 94.71 Å, β = 93.95°

Actuator device utilizing a conductive polymer gel

Science.gov (United States)

Chinn, Douglas A.; Irvin, David J.

2004-02-03

A valve actuator based on a conductive polymer gel is disclosed. A nonconductive housing is provided having two separate chambers separated by a porous frit. The conductive polymer is held in one chamber and an electrolyte solution, used as a source of charged ions, is held in the second chamber. The ends of the housing a sealed with a flexible elastomer. The polymer gel is further provide with electrodes with which to apply an electrical potential across the gel in order to initiate an oxidation reaction which in turn drives anions across the porous frit and into the polymer gel, swelling the volume of the gel and simultaneously contracting the volume of the electrolyte solution. Because the two end chambers are sealed the flexible elastomer expands or contracts with the chamber volume change. By manipulating the potential across the gel the motion of the elastomer can be controlled to act as a "gate" to open or close a fluid channel and thereby control flow through that channel.

Modelling of erosion of bentonite gel by gel/sol flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreno, Luis; Neretnieks, Ivars; Longcheng Liu (Chemical Engineering and Technology, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden))

2010-11-15

Bentonite intrusion into a fracture intersecting the canister deposition hole is modelled. The model describes the expansion of the bentonite within the fracture. It accounts for the repulsive electrostatic double-layer forces, the attractive van der Waals forces and friction forces between the particles and the water. The model also takes into account the diffusion of the colloid particles in the smectite sol. Diffusion of a counterion, sodium, is accounted for as this strongly influences the double layer force and the viscosity of the gel/sol. The gel/sol is considered to be a fluid with a varying viscosity that is strongly dependent on the bentonite volume fraction in the gel and the sodium concentration in the water. Two different geometries were modelled; a rectangular and a cylindrical. The rectangular geometry was used to gain experience with the processes and mechanisms and how they interact since the cylindrical geometry was somewhat less stable numerically and more time consuming. In the rectangular geometry a fracture 1 metre long in the flow direction was modelled. In both geometries the fracture size was selected sufficiently large to ensure that the water velocity, near the distant border was nearly the same as the approaching water velocity and that the smectite concentration there was vanishingly small. It was found that the velocity of the fluid drops considerably where the bentonite volume fraction is larger than 1-2%. This is due to the strong increase in viscosity with increasing bentonite volume fraction. The loss of smectite by the slowly flowing fluid was found to be proportional to the square root of the seeping water velocity for the rectangular geometry. For the cylindrical geometry, the dependence is somewhat lower (exponent about 0.4) since the length of the gel/water interface decreases with increasing water flow rate. The penetration depth of the gel/water interface decreases with increasing water flow rate. For water velocity of the

Modelling of erosion of bentonite gel by gel/sol flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno, Luis; Neretnieks, Ivars; Longcheng Liu

2010-11-01

Bentonite intrusion into a fracture intersecting the canister deposition hole is modelled. The model describes the expansion of the bentonite within the fracture. It accounts for the repulsive electrostatic double-layer forces, the attractive van der Waals forces and friction forces between the particles and the water. The model also takes into account the diffusion of the colloid particles in the smectite sol. Diffusion of a counterion, sodium, is accounted for as this strongly influences the double layer force and the viscosity of the gel/sol. The gel/sol is considered to be a fluid with a varying viscosity that is strongly dependent on the bentonite volume fraction in the gel and the sodium concentration in the water. Two different geometries were modelled; a rectangular and a cylindrical. The rectangular geometry was used to gain experience with the processes and mechanisms and how they interact since the cylindrical geometry was somewhat less stable numerically and more time consuming. In the rectangular geometry a fracture 1 metre long in the flow direction was modelled. In both geometries the fracture size was selected sufficiently large to ensure that the water velocity, near the distant border was nearly the same as the approaching water velocity and that the smectite concentration there was vanishingly small. It was found that the velocity of the fluid drops considerably where the bentonite volume fraction is larger than 1-2%. This is due to the strong increase in viscosity with increasing bentonite volume fraction. The loss of smectite by the slowly flowing fluid was found to be proportional to the square root of the seeping water velocity for the rectangular geometry. For the cylindrical geometry, the dependence is somewhat lower (exponent about 0.4) since the length of the gel/water interface decreases with increasing water flow rate. The penetration depth of the gel/water interface decreases with increasing water flow rate. For water velocity of the

Integrative Approach to Facilitate Fracture Healing: Topical Chinese Herbal Paste with Oral Strontium Ranelate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wing-Sum Siu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Strontium ranelate (SrR is one of the pharmaceutical agents reported to be effective on the promotion of fracture healing. This study aimed to evaluate the integrative effect of the oral SrR with a topical Chinese herbal paste, namely, CDR, on facilitation of bone healing. The in vivo efficacy was evaluated using rats with tibial fracture. They were treated with either CDR topically, or SrR orally, or their combined treatments. The in vivo results illustrated a significant additive effect of CDR on SrR in increasing the yield load of the fractured tibia. The in vitro results showed that neither SrR nor CDR exhibited a cytotoxic effect on UMR106 and bone-marrow stem cell (BMSC, but both of them increased the proliferation of BMSC at low concentrations. The combination of CDR at 200 μg/mL with SrR at 200 or 400 μg/ml also showed an additive effect on increasing the ALP activity of BMSC. Both SrR and CDR alone reduced osteoclast formation, and the effective concentration of SrR to inhibit osteoclastogenesis was reduced in the presence of CDR. This integrative approach by combining oral SrR and topical CDR is effective in promoting fracture healing properly due to their additive effects on proosteogenic and antiosteoclastogenic properties.

Dosimetry Evolution in Teletherapy: Polimer Gel

Science.gov (United States)

Hamann, J. H.; Peixoto, J. G. P.

2018-03-01

Polymer gels evolution and chemical composition used in dosimetry. Type Composition First gels Folin’s Phenol or Gallic Acid Polymer Gel Agarose and N,N’-methylene-bis-acrylamide BANANA Bis, acrylamide, nitrous oxide and agarose BANG-1TM Bis, acrylamide, nitrogen and gelatin BANG-2TM Bis, acrylic acid, sodium hydroxide, nitrogen and gelatin BANG-3TM Bis, methacrylate acid, sodium hydroxide, nitrogen and gelatin MAGIC Methacrylate acid, ascorbic acid, gelatin and copper sulphate

Optimized Benzalkonium Chloride Gel: A Potential Vaginal Microbicides

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xun-cheng DING; Wei-hua LI; Jie-fei LI; Qiang-yi WANG

2007-01-01

Objective To develop an optimized BZK gel with good pharmaceutical effect and less toxicity to vaginal mucosa.Methods Four methods as below were used to research the spermicidal activity of BZK gel: 1)in vitro spermicidal test; 2) in vivo spermicidal test in rabbits; 3) anti-fertility test in rabbits; 4)contraceptive test in rabbits. Mucosal irritation test was used in rats to evaluate the safety of optimized BZK gel. Microbiological assessments were used to research anti-STI pathogens (including treponema pallidum, neisseria gonorrhoeae, trichomona vaginalis, candida albicans,ureaplama urealyticum, herpes simplex virus type-2, chlamydiae trachomatis) effect of optimized BZK gel.Results In vitro spermicidal test, EC50 of BZK gel was 0.029 mg/ml, a little higher than that of N-9 (0.019 mg/ml). The MIC of BZK gel was 0.25 mg/ml, similar to that of N-9 (0.20 mg/ml).The vaginal mucosal irritation test in rats showed that 0.429% BZK gel showed only minimal vaginal irritation, and did not damage the vaginal epithelium or cause local inflammation in rats. Microbiological assessments showed that optimized BZK gel could inhibit or inactivate common STI pathogens even after 3-fold or 5-fold dilution.Conclusion Optimized BZK gel was an effective microbicides.

Sol-gel derived sorbents

Science.gov (United States)

Sigman, Michael E.; Dindal, Amy B.

2003-11-11

Described is a method for producing copolymerized sol-gel derived sorbent particles for the production of copolymerized sol-gel derived sorbent material. The method for producing copolymerized sol-gel derived sorbent particles comprises adding a basic solution to an aqueous metal alkoxide mixture for a pH.ltoreq.8 to hydrolyze the metal alkoxides. Then, allowing the mixture to react at room temperature for a precalculated period of time for the mixture to undergo an increased in viscosity to obtain a desired pore size and surface area. The copolymerized mixture is then added to an immiscible, nonpolar solvent that has been heated to a sufficient temperature wherein the copolymerized mixture forms a solid upon the addition. The solid is recovered from the mixture, and is ready for use in an active sampling trap or activated for use in a passive sampling trap.

Estandarización de los métodos electroforéticos en geles de poliacrilamida en el Phast System y cromatográficos para la caracterización de nuevos antígenos vacunales y componentes de medios de cultivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ileana Martínez

2003-09-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo se realizó un análisis de diferentes parámetros que caracterizan la estandarización para la determinación del tamaño molecular de nuevos antígenos de interés vacunal, a través de electroforesis en “Phast System” y de distintas matrices cromatográficas. La evaluación electroforética de la linealidad en las curvas de patrones indicó valores de coeficientes de correlación y determinación superiores a 0,98, con una adecuada repetibilidad; no se manifestaron diferencias entre los resultados obtenidos por varios analistas, en días diferentes y el método resultó ser exacto y robusto en las condiciones recomendadas. Se evaluaron los parámetros que caracterizan la eficiencia en el empaquetamiento de cuatro matrices cromatográficas (Superosa 12, Sephacryl S-100, Sepharosa CL- 4B y Sephacryl S-1000. Los resultados obtenidos para ambos sistemas de determinación permitieron la evaluación satisfactoria de muestras de proteínas de membrana externa y lipopolisacárido, procedentes de Vibrio cholerae, Leptospira ssp, Pseudomona aeruginosa y Shigella ssp

Preparation of zirconium molybdate gel generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charoen, S.; Aungurarat, G.; Laohawilai, S.; Sukontpradit, W.; Jingjit, S.

1994-01-01

A procedure for preparation of 99mTc generator based on conversion to zirconium molybdate gel of 99Mo produced by neutron activation was reported. The gel was prepared from zirconium oxychloride solution pH 1.6, ammonium molybdate solution pH 3-5 and mole ratio of Zr:Mo 1:1 which had water content about 7-8%. Small generators containing 1-1.5 g of gel were eluted with average efficiencies of 77% and the activity peak in the first 3 ml of 10 ml of saline solution. The amount of Mo and Zr in eluates were below the acceptance limit. The gel generators of activity about 100 mCi were prepared and had the good performance in elutability and stability

Radiotherapy gel dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldock, C.

2002-01-01

shapes and sizes while sparing normal tissue. The situation is further complicated if the normal tissues are critical organs or are particularly sensitive to radiation. Radiotherapy techniques employed to obtain a closer conformation of the dose distribution to the tumour volume are referred to as conformal radiotherapy techniques. The clinical implementation of conformal therapy has been delayed by limitations in the verification of conformal dose distributions calculated by treatment planning systems prior to the irradiation of the patient and the verification of complex treatments during its delivery to the patient. There are several aspects of conformal therapy that complicate dose verification. To achieve the dose distributions conforming to complex 3D volumes, high dose gradients arise in the treatment volume. Further, overdose or underdose regions can exist when separate radiation fields are used to deliver additional radiation. These aspects require that practical dose measurement (dosimetry) techniques be able to integrate dose over time and easily measure dose distributions in 3D with high spatial resolution. Traditional dosimeters, such as ion chambers, thermoluminescent dosimeters and radiographic film do not fulfil these requirements. Novel gel dosimetry techniques are being developed in which dose distributions can potentially be determined in vitro in 3D using anthropomorphic phantoms to simulate a clinically irradiated situation. As long ago as the 1950's, radiation-induced colour change in dyes was used to investigate radiation doses in gels. It was subsequently shown that radiation induced changes in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation properties of gels infused with conventional Fricke dosimetry solutions could be measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In Fricke gels, Fe 2+ ions in ferrous sulphate solutions are usually dispersed throughout a gelatin, agarose or PVA matrix. Radiation-induced changes in the dosimeters are considered to

Potentiometric detection of silver (I) ion based on carbon paste electrode modified with diazo-thiophenol-functionalized nanoporous silica gel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Ting; Chai Yaqin, E-mail: yqchai@swu.edu.cn; Yuan Ruo; Guo Junxiang

2012-07-01

For the first time, triazene compound functionalized silica gel was incorporated into carbon paste electrode for the potentiometric detection of silver (I) ion. A novel diazo-thiophenol-functionalized silica gel (DTPSG) was synthesized, and the presence of DTPSG acted as not only a paste binder, but also a reactive material. The electrode with optimum composition, exhibited an excellent Nernstian response to Ag{sup +} ion ranging from 1.0 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -6} to 1.0 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -1} M with a detection limit of 9.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -7} M and a slope of 60.4 {+-} 0.2 mV dec{sup -1} over a wide pH range (4.0-9.0) with a fast response time (50 s) at 25 Degree-Sign C. The electrode also showed a long-time stability, high selectivity and reproducibility. The response mechanism of the proposed electrode was investigated by using AC impedance. Moreover, the electrode was successfully applied for the determination of silver ions in radiology films, and for potentiometric titration of the mixture solution of Cl{sup -} and Br{sup -} ions. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Functionalized silica gels have become promising materials. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This work is the first attempt to apply triazene functionalized silica gel. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The Functionalized silica gels were used to detect silver. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The response of the previously reported papers are compared with this work. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The result indicates the proposed electrode is better than reported Ag{sup +} electrodes.

EXAFS and EPR study of La0.6Sr0.2Ca0.2MnO3 and La0.6Sr0.2Ba0.2MnO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, D.-K.Dong-Seok; Ulyanov, A.N.; Phan, Manh-Huong; Kim, Ikgyun; Ahn, Byong-Keun; Rhee, Jang Roh; Kim, Jung Sun; Nguyen, Chau; Yu, Seong-Cho

2003-01-01

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis and electron-paramagnetic resonance (EPR) have been used to examine the local structure and the internal dynamics of La 0.6 Sr 0.2 Ca 0.2 MnO 3 and La 0.6 Sr 0.2 Ba 0.2 MnO 3 lanthanum manganites. The Mn-O bond distance (∼1.94 Angst for both samples) and the Debye-Waller factors (0.36x10 -2 and 0.41x10 -2 Angst 2 for La 0.6 Sr 0.2 Ca 0.2 MnO 3 and for La 0.6 Sr 0.2 Ba 0.2 MnO 3 , respectively) were obtained from the EXAFS analysis. The dependence of the EPR line width on dopant kind (Ca or Ba) showed a decrease of the spin-lattice interaction with an increase of the Curie temperature. For both compositions, the EPR line intensity followed the exponential law I(T)=I 0 exp(E a /k B T), deduced on the basis of the adiabatic polaron hopping model

Antibacterial effect of triantibiotic mixture, chlorhexidine gel, and two natural materials Propolis and Aloe vera against Enterococcus faecalis: An ex vivo study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bazvand, Leila; Aminozarbian, Mohammad Ghasem; Farhad, Alireza; Noormohammadi, Hamid; Hasheminia, Seyed Mohsen; Mobasherizadeh, Sina

2014-07-01

The aim of this ex vivo study was to compare the antimicrobial effect of triantibiotic paste, 0.2% chlorhexidine gel, Propolis and Aloe vera on Enterococcus faecalis in deep dentin. Ninety fresh extracted single-rooted teeth were used in a dentin block model. Seventy-five teeth were infected with E. faecalis and divided into four experimental groups (n = 15). Experimental groups were treated with triantibiotic mixture with distilled water, 0.2% chlorhexidine gel, 70% ethanol + Propolis and Aloe vera. Fifteen teeth treated with distilled water as the positive control and 15 samples, free of bacterial contamination, were considered as the negative control. Gates-Glidden drill #4 was used for removal of surface dentin and Gates-Glidden drill #5 was used to collect samples of deep dentin. The samples were prepared and colony-forming units were counted. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests. Statistical significance was defined at P 0.05). Aloe vera had antibacterial effects on E. faecalis, but in comparison with other medicaments, it was less effective (P vera were relatively effective against E. faecalis. All the intracanal medicements had similar effects on E. faecalis in deep dentin except for Aloe vera.

Sol-gel preparation of uranium oxide spheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolezal, J.; Urbanek, V.

1978-01-01

Information is presented on problems of preparing nuclear fuel by the sol-gel method. Basic data on different process types are given. A more detailed description of the method of preparation of spherical particles of uranium oxide gel developed and used at the Nuclear Research Institute at Rez is given. Advantages and disadvantages of sol-gel materials are discussed in comparison with fuel materials prepared by classical precipitation methods. The feasibility of the sol-gel methods for preparing other materials is shortly mentioned and their application outlined. (author)

Functional coatings: the sol-gel approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belleville, Ph.

2010-01-01

CEA's sol-gel laboratory is specialized in the development of innovative sol-gel optical coatings and has extended its application field to membrane materials and coatings for energy conversion, to electric coatings for microelectronics devices and to thin films for gas sensing. This article describes, by way of examples, the laboratory's research on sol-gel functional coatings, including nano-material synthesis, organic-inorganic hybrid-based solution preparation as well as deposition process development and prototyping. (author)

Positron annihilation lifetime studies of sol-gel transition of carrageenan gels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wakabayashi, Y.; Ito, K.; Li, H.L.; Ujihara, Y.

1996-01-01

Positron annihilation lifetime measurement was applied to study the sol-gel transition of anionic polysaccharide aqueous solutions in terms of free-volume parameters the size, intensity, and size distribution of free volumes of the gelation of K-form κ-carrageenan solutions as a function of temperature. Slight variations of free volume size and intensity against temperature were observed near 295 K. The correlation of free-volume data with other physical properties vibrational spectra (IR and Raman), conductivity, SAXS, elastic measurement, differential scanning calorimetry were investigated to understand the mechanism of sol-gel transition of carrageenan. (author)

Sol-gel growth of vanadium dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Speck, K.R.

1990-01-01

This thesis examines the chemical reactivity of vanadium (IV) tetrakis(t-butoxide) as a precursor for the sol-gel synthesis of vanadium dioxide. Hydrolysis and condensation of the alkoxide was studied by FTIR spectroscopy. Chemical modification of the vanadium tetraalkoxide by alcohol interchange was studied using 51 V NMR and FTIR. Vanadium dioxide thin films and powders were made from vanadium tetrakis(t-butoxide) by standard sol-gel techniques. Post-deposition heating under nitrogen was necessary to transform amorphous gels into vanadium dioxide. Crystallization of films and powders was studied by FTIR, DSC, TGA, and XRD. Gel-derived vanadium dioxide films undergo a reversible semiconductor-to-metal phase transition near 68C, exhibiting characteristic resistive and spectral changes. The electrical resistance decreased by two to three orders of magnitude and the infrared transmission sharply dropped as the material was cycled through this thermally induced phase transition. The sol-gel method was also used to make doped vanadium dioxide films. Films were doped with tungsten and molybdenum ions to effectively lower the temperature at which the transition occurs

A Phase 1 Randomized, Open Label, Rectal Safety, Acceptability, Pharmacokinetic, and Pharmacodynamic Study of Three Formulations of Tenofovir 1% Gel (the CHARM-01 Study.

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Ian Mcgowan

Full Text Available The CHARM-01 study characterized the safety, acceptability, pharmacokinetics (PK, and pharmacodynamics (PD of three tenofovir (TFV gels for rectal application. The vaginal formulation (VF gel was previously used in the CAPRISA 004 and VOICE vaginal microbicide Phase 2B trials and the RMP-02/MTN-006 Phase 1 rectal safety study. The reduced glycerin VF (RGVF gel was used in the MTN-007 Phase 1 rectal microbicide trial and is currently being evaluated in the MTN-017 Phase 2 rectal microbicide trial. A third rectal specific formulation (RF gel was also evaluated in the CHARM-01 study.Participants received 4 mL of the three TFV gels in a blinded, crossover design: seven daily doses of RGVF, seven daily doses of RF, and six daily doses of placebo followed by one dose of VF, in a randomized sequence. Safety, acceptability, compartmental PK, and explant PD were monitored throughout the trial.All three gels were found to be safe and acceptable. RF and RGVF PK were not significantly different. Median mucosal mononuclear cell (MMC TFV-DP trended toward higher values for RF compared to RGVF (1136 and 320 fmol/106 cells respectively. Use of each gel in vivo was associated with significant inhibition of ex vivo colorectal tissue HIV infection. There was also a significant negative correlation between the tissue levels of TFV, tissue TFV-DP, MMC TFV-DP, rectal fluid TFV, and explant HIV-1 infection.All three formulations were found to be safe and acceptable. However, the safety profile of the VF gel was only based on exposure to one dose whereas participants received seven doses of the RGVF and RF gels. There was a trend towards higher tissue MMC levels of TFV-DP associated with use of the RF gel. Use of all gels was associated with significant inhibition of ex vivo tissue HIV infection.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01575405.

The performance of gel technetium-99m generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yishu

2004-01-01

Technetium-99m, as one of the important radionuclides in nuclear medical science, has been widely used for diseases diagnosis in both developed and developing countries for many years. Technetium-99m can be obtained from both fission-type and gel-type Tc-99m generator. Fission-type generator was prepared by Molybdenum-99 separated from fission products of uranium-235 and gel-type was prepared by irradiating nature MoO 3 in reactor, and a series of chemical and physical processes. This paper briefly describes the manufacturing technical process of gel-type Technetium-99 generator, including the preparation of target containing nature MoO 3 , the target irradiation in reactor, gel preparation, gel filtration and drying, dried gel cracking, generator loading and activity calibration of generator. The performances of gel-type Technetium-99m generator, such as elution efficiency, elution profile, the pH, Mo breakthrough, Zirconium content, radiochemical purity, radionuclidic purity, sterility and pyrogencity of eluate, are also expatiated in detail. Comparing with fission-type Technetium-99m generator, the defects of gel-type Technetium-99m generator are enumerated and their overcoming solutions are recommended in this paper. (author)

Pouring and running a protein gel by reusing commercial cassettes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Alexander C; Grey, Paris H; Cuddy, Katrina; Oppenheimer, David G

2012-02-12

The evaluation of proteins using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis is a common technique used by biochemistry and molecular biology researchers. For laboratories that perform daily analyses of proteins, the cost of commercially available polyacrylamide gels (~$10/gel) can be considerable over time. To mitigate this cost, some researchers prepare their own polyacrylamide gels. Traditional methods of pouring these gels typically utilize specialized equipment and glass gel plates that can be expensive and preclude pouring many gels and storing them for future use. Furthermore, handling of glass plates during cleaning or gel pouring can result in accidental breakage creating a safety hazard, which may preclude their use in undergraduate laboratory classes. Our protocol demonstrates how to pour multiple protein gels simultaneously by recycling Invitrogen Nupage Novex minigel cassettes, and inexpensive materials purchased at a home improvement store. This economical and streamlined method includes a way to store the gels at 4°C for a few weeks. By re-using the plastic gel cassettes from commercially available gels, labs that run frequent protein gels can save significant costs and help the environment. In addition, plastic gel cassettes are extremely resistant to breakage, which makes them ideal for undergraduate laboratory classrooms.

The effects of brushing on human enamel surface roughness after NaF gel and theobromine gel exposure

Science.gov (United States)

Mahardhika, A.; Noerdin, A.; Eriwati, Y. K.

2017-08-01

This study aimed to determine the effects of brushing on human enamel surface roughness after different exposure times of 200 mg/L theobromine gel (8, 16, and 32 minutes) and 2% NaF gel (16 minutes). Twenty-four human upper premolars were used and divided into four groups. Group 1 was exposed to 2% NaF gel for 16 minutes. In contrast, groups 2, 3, and 4 were exposed to 200 mg/L theobromine gel for 8 minutes, 16 minutes, and 32 minutes, and each group was then brushed for 9 minutes and 20 seconds. After the treatment, samples were tested using a surface roughness tester (Mitutoyo SJ 301, Japan). The Wilcoxon test showed significant changes (p enamel surface and then increase roughness after brushing.

Pecan drying with silica gel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghate, S.R.; Chhinnan, M.S.

1983-07-01

High moisture in-shell pecans were dried by keeping them in direct and indirect contact with silica gel to investigate their drying characteristics. In-shell pecans were also dried with ambient air from a controlled environment chamber and with air dehumidified by silica gel. Direct contact and dehumidified air drying seemed feasible approaches.

Preparation of soft-agglomerated nano-sized ceramic powders by sol-gel combustion process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Q.; Ma, X.H.; Yan, Q.Z.; Ge, C.C.

2009-01-01

The soft-agglomerated Gd 2 BaCuO 5 (Gd211) nano-powders were synthesized by sol-gel combustion process with binary ligand and the special pretreatment on gel. The mechanism of the formation of weakly agglomerated structure was studied in detail. The results showed that network structure in gelation process was found to be a decisive factor for preventing agglomeration of colloidal particles. The removal of free water, coordinated water, and most of hydroxyl groups during pretreatment further inhibited the formation of hydrogen bonds between adjacent particles. The soft-agglomeration of the particles was confirmed by isolated particles in calcined Gd211 powders and in green compact, a narrow monomodal pore size distribution of the green compact and the low agglomeration coefficient of the calcined Gd211 powder. Extension this process to synthesis of BaCeO 3 , BaTiO 3 and Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 1.9 powders, also led to weakly agglomerated nano-powders. It suggests that this method represents a powerful and facile method for the creation of doped and multi-component nano-sized ceramic powders.

Gel chromatography of sup(99m)Tc-labelled compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vilcek, S.; Machan, V.; Kalincak, M.

1976-01-01

The present state of gel chromatography of sup(99m)Tc-labelled compounds is reviewed. Examples are given of gel chromatography for preparing labelled compounds and for quality control analysis and the development of new types of sup(99m)Tc-labelled compounds. The factors which influence the gel chromatography of these compounds are discussed, i.e., the nature of the elution agent, the duration of the contact of the gel and the preparation the gel type, the nature of the labelled compound. The GCS method (gel chromatography scanning) is briefly described. The advantages of gel chromatography as compared with other chromatographic techniques for sup(99m)Tc-labelled compounds are summarized. (author)

Embryo quality of mice (“Mus musculus” fed royal jelly Qualidade embrionária de camundongos ("Mus musculus" suplementados com geléia real

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Edésio dos Santos Melo

2009-03-01

Full Text Available The study was carried out to verify the effect of feeding royal jelly associated to follicle growth induction on number and quality of mice (Mus musculus embryos. Sixty Swiss females ageing from eight to ten weeks were distributed into three treatments: the first one, composed by animals fed 0.2 mL of physiological solution intraperitoneal (control group, n=20; the second and third ones, composed by females fed 0.5 and 1.0 mg of royal jelly diluted in 0.2 mL of physiological solution (n=20, respectively. Royal jelly was administered during 15 days, followed by the follicular growth induction process. Embryos were collected 68 hours after mating, by uterine flushing. No treatment effects on the number of females that answered to superovulatory process, the number of total recovery structures, the number of viable and non viable structures and the morphological quality of viable embryos (P>0.05 were observed. Therefore, royal jelly doses used were not efficient to increase the number of embryos and to improve the quality recovery from superovulated mice.Objetivou-se verificar a influência da geléia real, associada ao tratamento de indução de crescimento folicular, no número e na qualidade de embriões de camundongos (Mus musculus. Foram utilizadas 60 fêmeas da linhagem Suíço albino com idade entre oito e dez semanas, distribuídas em três tratamentos: o primeiro, composto por animais que receberam 0,2 mL de solução fisiológica, via intraperitonial (grupo controle, n=20; o segundo e terceiro, compostos de fêmeas que receberam 0,5 e 1 mg de geléia real diluídos em 0,2 mL de solução fisiológica via intraperitonial (n=20, respectivamente. Foi administrada geléia real por um período de 15 dias, segundo o processo de indução do crescimento folicular. As coletas dos embriões ocorreram 68 horas após a cobertura, utilizando-se o método da lavagem uterina. Não houve diferença no número de fêmeas que responderam ao tratamento

Effect of a cooling gel on pain sensitivity and healing of hot-iron cattle brands.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, C B; Mintline, E M; Banuelos, J; Walker, K A; Hoar, B; Drake, D; Weary, D M

2014-12-01

Hot-iron branding is painful for cattle, but little is known about how long this pain lasts or effective alleviation methods. Previous work with pigs indicated that cooling burns with a gel (active ingredient: tea tree oil) improved healing compared to untreated wounds. Steers (210±21 kg) were hot-iron branded and allocated to 1 of 3 treatments: control (n=24), 1 gel application immediately after branding (1X; n=12), or 2 gel applications, 1 immediately after branding and one 1 d later (2X; n=12). Pain sensitivity was assessed by applying a known and increasing force with a von Frey anesthesiometer in 5 locations (in the center, at the top of, and 5 and 10 cm above the brand and on the equivalent location on the nonbranded side of the body) until animals showed a behavioral response. Healing was measured with a 6-point scale (1=fresh brand and 6=no scabbing and fully repigmented). Both measures, along with weight gain and surface temperature of the wound, were recorded before and 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 56, and 70 d after branding. The gel cooled the brand, with the most obvious differences on the day it was applied (3.7 to 4.2°C cooler than control; day×gel interaction, P=0.004). All wounds were at least partially repigmented by 70 d, but only 46% of brands were fully healed at this time. The healing process was slowed when a gel was applied twice (e.g., at 21 d, healing score of 2.5±0.1 and 2.7±0.1 vs. 2.0±0.2 for control and 1X vs. 2X, respectively; P=0.001). Brands tended to remain painful throughout the 70 d (in the center of the brand; before vs. d 1-35, P≤0.001; d 56, P=0.058; and d 70, P=0.092). Overall, gel had little effect on pain sensitivity. Weight gain was reduced on d 1 after branding compared to all other time points (Pbranding. In addition, by 70 d after the procedure, hot-iron brands still tended to be more painful than nonbranded tissue and 54% were not fully healed. These results raise additional animal welfare concerns about hot

21 CFR 866.4900 - Support gel.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES Immunology Laboratory Equipment and Reagents § 866.4900 Support gel. (a) Identification. A support gel for clinical use is a device that consists of an agar or agarose preparation that...

Caffeine-catalyzed gels.

Science.gov (United States)

DiCiccio, Angela M; Lee, Young-Ah Lucy; Glettig, Dean L; Walton, Elizabeth S E; de la Serna, Eva L; Montgomery, Veronica A; Grant, Tyler M; Langer, Robert; Traverso, Giovanni

2018-07-01

Covalently cross-linked gels are utilized in a broad range of biomedical applications though their synthesis often compromises easy implementation. Cross-linking reactions commonly utilize catalysts or conditions that can damage biologics and sensitive compounds, producing materials that require extensive post processing to achieve acceptable biocompatibility. As an alternative, we report a batch synthesis platform to produce covalently cross-linked materials appropriate for direct biomedical application enabled by green chemistry and commonly available food grade ingredients. Using caffeine, a mild base, to catalyze anhydrous carboxylate ring-opening of diglycidyl-ether functionalized monomers with citric acid as a tri-functional crosslinking agent we introduce a novel poly(ester-ether) gel synthesis platform. We demonstrate that biocompatible Caffeine Catalyzed Gels (CCGs) exhibit dynamic physical, chemical, and mechanical properties, which can be tailored in shape, surface texture, solvent response, cargo release, shear and tensile strength, among other potential attributes. The demonstrated versatility, low cost and facile synthesis of these CCGs renders them appropriate for a broad range of customized engineering applications including drug delivery constructs, tissue engineering scaffolds, and medical devices. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Gel electrolytes and electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Fleischmann, Sven; Bunte, Christine; Mikhaylik, Yuriy V.; Viner, Veronika G.

2017-09-05

Gel electrolytes, especially gel electrolytes for electrochemical cells, are generally described. In some embodiments, the gel electrolyte layers comprise components a) to c). Component a) may be at least one layer of at least one polymer comprising polymerized units of: a1) at least one monomer containing an ethylenically unsaturated unit and an amido group and a2) at least one crosslinker. Component b) may be at least one conducting salt and component c) may be at least one solvent. Electrodes may comprise the components a), d) and e), wherein component a) may be at least one layer of at least one polymer as described herein. Component d) may be at least one electroactive layer and component e) may be at least one ceramic layer. Furthermore, electrochemical cells comprising component a) which may be at least one layer of at least one polymer as described herein, are also provided.

Detection of Aspartic Proteinase Activities Using Gel Zymography.

Science.gov (United States)

Perera, Handunge Kumudu Irani

2017-01-01

Gel zymography is a two-stage process where the proteins from the test sample are first separated by electrophoresis followed by the detection of the activity of hydrolytic enzymes. Many zymography procedures use sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gels copolymerized with an appropriate substrate. The procedure described here uses native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) in the absence of both SDS and substrate. In order to visualize aspartic proteinase activity, the gel is impregnated in bovine hemoglobin at pH 3.0 for 15 min after the electrophoresis procedure. Subsequently, the gel is incubated in a humid container in the absence of hemoglobin for 1 h at 37 °C. At the end, the gel is stained with amido black and destained. Clear areas against a dark background corresponding to aspartic proteinase activities can be detected.

A Computing Method to Determine the Performance of an Ionic Liquid Gel Soft Actuator.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Bin; Zhang, Chenghong; Zhou, Yanmin; Wang, Zhipeng

2018-01-01

A new type of soft actuator material-an ionic liquid gel (ILG) that consists of BMIMBF 4 , HEMA, DEAP, and ZrO 2 -is polymerized into a gel state under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation. In this paper, we first propose that the ILG conforms to the assumptions of hyperelastic theory and that the Mooney-Rivlin model can be used to study the properties of the ILG. Under the five-parameter and nine-parameter Mooney-Rivlin models, the formulas for the calculation of the uniaxial tensile stress, plane uniform tensile stress, and 3D directional stress are deduced. The five-parameter and nine-parameter Mooney-Rivlin models of the ILG with a ZrO 2 content of 3 wt% were obtained by uniaxial tensile testing, and the parameters are denoted as c 10 , c 01 , c 20 , c 11 , and c 02 and c 10 , c 01 , c 20 , c 11 , c 02 , c 30 , c 21 , c 12 , and c 03 , respectively. Through the analysis and comparison of the uniaxial tensile stress between the calculated and experimental data, the error between the stress data calculated from the five-parameter Mooney-Rivlin model and the experimental data is less than 0.51%, and the error between the stress data calculated from the nine-parameter Mooney-Rivlin model and the experimental data is no more than 8.87%. Hence, our work presents a feasible and credible formula for the calculation of the stress of the ILG. This work opens a new path to assess the performance of a soft actuator composed of an ILG and will contribute to the optimized design of soft robots.

[Overdentures covering natural roots. The use of chlorhexidine gel].

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrikx, M J; Kramer, J E; de Baat, C

2000-03-01

To prevent caries and periodontal disease in overdenture abutment teeth, daily application of chlorhexidine gel is recommended. In order to get insight into the use of the gel, 29 overdenture wearing patients were interviewed. In addition the patients were requested to show the use of the gel. It was concluded that at any time the patients were instructed about the use of the gel. Nevertheless, a majority of the patients did not use the gel daily and in accordance with the instructions given. Application of the gel in the abutment depressions of the overdenture appeared to be a heavy task.

PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH OF THE DENTAL GEL WITH CARBON DIOXIDE HUMULUS LUPULUS EXTRACT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melnik AL

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction. In contemporary pharmaceutical practice among drugs used in dental gels are most effective, that are easily applied to the mucous and long held on the gums to form a protective film and prolonging therapeutic effect. Therefore it developed a new drug with a carbon dioxide Humulus Lupulus extract antimicrobial action in gel form for treatment of the oral cavity. The aim of our study was to investigate the acute and subacute toxicity the gel containing 0.5 % carbon dioxide Humulus lupulus extract. The toxicity of the gel studied at the intragastric route of administration, due to the scope of drug – dentistry. Materials and methods. The object of the research was gel containing 0.5% carbon dioxide Humulus lupulus extract. Studies of acute toxicity gel with carbon dioxide Humulus lupulus extract was performed on white inbred laboratory mice of both sexes, weighing 19–21 gram. Animals received gel single intragastric at maximum tolerated this route of administration dose – 2.0 g/kg [6]. The experiment used by 5 mice of both sexes. The criteria of judgment about the toxicity was the clinical picture of intoxication, animal survival, dynamics of body weight of mice (raw data, 3, 7, 14 days. Observation of animals were carried out within two weeks. Subacute toxicity studied on white inbred laboratory rats of both sexes, weighing 220 – 250 g. Animals were divided into 3 groups, each experimental group were 5 male and 5 female rats. Total experiment used 30 rats. Rats was injected gel with carbon dioxide Humulus lupulus extract once a day for 14 days at doses of 0.2 g/kg and 1.0 g/kg (1/10 and 1/2 of the maximum dose in acute experiment. Control animals were injected comparison drug Kamistad–H gel at a dose of 1.0 g/kg. Evaluation of the toxic effects of investigational gel and reference medicine on the body of the experimental animals were carried out on the following parameters: clinical observations, the survival of animals

Development of strippable gel for surface decontamination applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, D.; Sandhya, U.; Khot, S.A.; Srinivas, C.

2015-07-01

Strippable gels are an attractive option for decontamination of surfaces particularly when materials are to be reused after decontamination. The process in general results in good decontamination performance with minimal secondary waste generation. This paper reports on development of strippable gel formulation using polyvinyl alcohol as the gel former. Peeling behavior of the gel film improved when glycerol was used as plasticizer. Incorporation of decontaminating agents is essential for the gel to be effective, so a number of decontaminating agents were screened based on their miscibility with the gel, smooth peeling, and good decontamination performance. Based on this study, a strippable gel, ‘INDIGEL’ was formulated as a potential candidate for surface decontamination applications. Extensive trials on evaluation of decontamination performance of Indigel were done on simulated surfaces like stainless steel tray, stainless steel fume hood, PVC floor, granite and ceramic table tops. Results show that Indigel is highly effective for decontamination of surfaces contaminated with all types of radionuclides. Simplicity of its use coupled with good decontamination ability will find application in nuclear and other chemical industries. (author)

Method of making ionic liquid mediated sol-gel sorbents

Science.gov (United States)

Malik, Abdul; Shearrow, Anne M.

2017-01-31

Ionic liquid (IL)-mediated sol-gel hybrid organic-inorganic materials present enormous potential for effective use in analytical microextraction. One obstacle to materializing this prospect arises from high viscosity of ILs significantly slowing down sol-gel reactions. A method was developed which provides phosphonium-based, pyridinium-based, and imidazolium-based IL-mediated advanced sol-gel organic-inorganic hybrid materials for capillary microextraction. Scanning electron microscopy results demonstrate that ILs can serve as porogenic agents in sol-gel reactions. IL-mediated sol-gel coatings prepared with silanol-terminated polymers provided up to 28 times higher extractions compared to analogous sol-gel coatings prepared without any IL in the sol solution. This study shows that IL-generated porous morphology alone is not enough to provide effective extraction media: careful choice of the organic polymer and the precursor with close sol-gel reactivity must be made to ensure effective chemical bonding of the organic polymer to the created sol-gel material to be able to provide the desired sorbent characteristics.

Application of phase diagrams to obtain a new surfactant-based fracturing gel; Aplicacao de diagrama de fases para obtencao de um novo gel de fraturamento hidraulico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dantas, Tereza N. de Castro; Santana, Vanessa C.; Dantas Neto, Afonso A.; Franca Neta, Luzia S. de; Albuquerque, Heraldo S. [Rio Grande do Norte Univ., Natal, RN (Brazil)]. E-mail: tereza@eq.ufrn.br

2003-07-01

Through pseudo ternary phases diagram was defined a gel area with the objective of obtaining a new surfactant-based fracturing gel. The surfactant used was synthesized from regional vegetable oil. Fracturing gel properties, like: viscosity, leak off coefficient and proppant-settling rate were analyzed. The obtained results with the surfactant-based gel had its properties compared with a HPG-based gel (hydroxypropyl guar). Rheological tests was accomplished at 100 s{sup -1} being varied the temperature from 26 to 86 deg C, where the surfactant-based gel showed great results. The leak off coefficient was determined by static filtration and the new gel presented smaller coefficient in relation to the HPG gel. The proppant-setting rate was also determined in the gel and, the surfactant-based gel showed good static proppant support. One can conclude that obtained gel presents compatible characteristics when compared with the HPG gel, without the inconvenience of leaving insoluble residues in the well. (author)

Transport characteristic in current-in-plane (CIP) geometry of La0.8Sr0.2MnO3/Co heterostructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, K.X.; Zhao, S.G.; Chen, C.L.

2009-01-01

The thousand-fold change in the resistance with increase in temperature has been observed in the current-in-plane (CIP) geometry of the La 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3 /Co heterostructure prepared using a sol-gel method. The CIP geometry below 300 K exhibits the variable-range hopping (VRH) mechanism. The current-voltage characteristic is nonlinear and the fitting shows that the exponent n decreases with increasing the temperature, which is attributed to the lattice mismatch between the LSMO film and the Co substrate.

Energy-Efficient Bioalcohol Recovery by Gel Stripping

Science.gov (United States)

Godbole, Rutvik; Ma, Lan; Hedden, Ronald

2014-03-01

Design of energy-efficient processes for recovering butanol and ethanol from dilute fermentations is a key challenge facing the biofuels industry due to the high energy consumption of traditional multi-stage distillation processes. Gel stripping is an alternative purification process by which a dilute alcohol is stripped from the fermentation product by passing it through a packed bed containing particles of a selectively absorbent polymeric gel material. The gel must be selective for the alcohol, while swelling to a reasonable degree in dilute alcohol-water mixtures. To accelerate materials optimization, a combinatorial approach is taken to screen a matrix of copolymer gels having orthogonal gradients in crosslinker concentration and hydrophilicity. Using a combination of swelling in pure solvents, the selectivity and distribution coefficients of alcohols in the gels can be predicted based upon multi-component extensions of Flory-Rehner theory. Predictions can be validated by measuring swelling in water/alcohol mixtures and conducting h HPLC analysis of the external liquid. 95% + removal of butanol from dilute aqueous solutions has been demonstrated, and a mathematical model of the unsteady-state gel stripping process has been developed. NSF CMMI Award 1335082.

Chiromagnetic nanoparticles and gels

Science.gov (United States)

Yeom, Jihyeon; Santos, Uallisson S.; Chekini, Mahshid; Cha, Minjeong; de Moura, André F.; Kotov, Nicholas A.

2018-01-01

Chiral inorganic nanostructures have high circular dichroism, but real-time control of their optical activity has so far been achieved only by irreversible chemical changes. Field modulation is a far more desirable path to chiroptical devices. We hypothesized that magnetic field modulation can be attained for chiral nanostructures with large contributions of the magnetic transition dipole moments to polarization rotation. We found that dispersions and gels of paramagnetic Co3O4 nanoparticles with chiral distortions of the crystal lattices exhibited chiroptical activity in the visible range that was 10 times as strong as that of nonparamagnetic nanoparticles of comparable size. Transparency of the nanoparticle gels to circularly polarized light beams in the ultraviolet range was reversibly modulated by magnetic fields. These phenomena were also observed for other nanoscale metal oxides with lattice distortions from imprinted amino acids and other chiral ligands. The large family of chiral ceramic nanostructures and gels can be pivotal for new technologies and knowledge at the nexus of chirality and magnetism.

Acoustic evaluation of polymer gel dosimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mather, M.L.; De Deene, Y.; Baldock, C.; Whittaker, A.K.

2002-01-01

Advances in radiotherapy treatment techniques such as intensity modulated radiotherapy are placing increasing demands on radiation dosimetry for verification of dose distributions in 3D. In response, polymer gel dosimeters that are capable of recording dose distributions in 3D are currently being developed. Recently, a new technique for evaluation of absorbed dose distributions in these dosimeters using ultrasound was introduced. The current work aims to demonstrate the potential of ultrasound as an evaluation technique for polymer gel dosimeters and to investigate the ultrasound properties of two different dosimeter formulations, PAG and MAGIC gels

Polymer architecture of magnetic gels: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Weeber, Rudolf; Hermes, Melissa; Schmidt, Annette M.; Holm, Christian

2018-02-01

In this review article, we provide an introduction to ferrogels, i.e. polymeric gels with embedded magnetic particles. Due to the interplay between magnetic and elastic properties of these materials, they are promising candidates for engineering and biomedical applications such as actuation and controlled drug release. Particular emphasis will be put on the polymer architecture of magnetic gels since it controls the degrees of freedom of the magnetic particles in the gel, and it is important for the particle-polymer coupling determining the mechanisms available for the gel deformation in magnetic fields. We report on the different polymer architectures that have been realized so far, and provide an overview of synthesis strategies and experimental techniques for the characterization of these materials. We further focus on theoretical and simulational studies carried out on magnetic gels, and highlight their contributions towards understanding the influence of the gels’ polymer architecture.

Epidemic models for phase transitions: application to a physical gel

Science.gov (United States)

Bilge, A. H.; Pekcan, O.; Kara, S.; Ogrenci, A. S.

2017-09-01

Carrageenan gels are characterized by reversible sol-gel and gel-sol transitions under cooling and heating processes and these transitions are approximated by generalized logistic growth curves. We express the transitions of carrageenan-water system, as a representative of reversible physical gels, in terms of a modified Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible epidemic model, as opposed to the Susceptible-Infected-Removed model used to represent the (irreversible) chemical gel formation in the previous work. We locate the gel point Tc of sol-gel and gel-sol transitions and we find that, for the sol-gel transition (cooling), Tc > Tsg (transition temperature), i.e. Tc is earlier in time for all carrageenan contents and moves forward in time and gets closer to Tsg as the carrageenan content increases. For the gel-sol transition (heating), Tc is relatively closer to Tgs; it is greater than Tgs, i.e. later in time for low carrageenan contents and moves backward as carrageenan content increases.

Development and dosimetric evaluation of radiochromic PCDA vesicle gel dosimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, P.; Fu, Y.C.; Hu, J.; Hao, N.; Huang, W.; Jiang, B.

2016-01-01

The gel dosimeter has the unique capacity in recording radiation dose distribution in three dimensions (3D), which has the specific advantages in dosimetry measurements where steep dose gradients exist, such as in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), brachytherapy and so on. Some 3D dosimeters, such as Fricke gel dosimeters, polymer gel dosimeters, the PRESAGE plastic dosimeters and micelle gel dosimeters have appeared recently. However, there are several disadvantages of these 3D dosimeters limit their application in radiotherapy dose verification. In this study, a novel radiochromic gel dosimeter for 3D dose verification of radiotherapy was developed by dispersing nanovesicles self-assembled by 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA) into the tissue equivalence gel matrix. The characteristics of radiochromic PCDA vesicle gel dosimeters were evaluated. The results indicate that these radiochromic gel dosimeters have good linear dose response to X-ray irradiation in the dose range of 2–100 Gy. In addition, the radiochromic gel dosimeters breakthrough the limitations of the existing gel dosimeters such as diffusion effect, post-radiation effect, and poor forming ability. The response of the gel dosimeter does not show any dose rate dependence, energy dependence and temperature effect, and there was no obvious difference in the gel response between single and cumulative dose of fractional irradiation. Hence, the radiochromic PCDA vesicle gel dosimeters developed in this study could be generally applied to 3D dose verification in radiotherapy. - Highlights: • A novel radiochromic gel dosimeter was developed by dispersing PCDA nanovesicles into the tissue equivalence gel matrix. • This nanovesicle overcomes the dose image blurring caused by the diffusion of monomer molecules. • This nanovesicle limits the polymer chain growth, so as to reduce the post-radiation effect. • The gel matrixes possess excellent tissue equivalence and elastic strength, which

Strippable gel for decontamination of contaminated metallic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, D.; Sandhya, U.; Khot, S.A.; Srinivas, C.; Wattal, P.K.

2013-01-01

Periodic decontamination of radioactive laboratories including fume hoods, glove boxes and all surfaces used for handling, processing and transporting radioactive materials is mandatory in all nuclear installations as this reduces spread of contamination and decreases total man rem exposure. Conventionally, chemical decontaminating agents or surfactant solutions are used for this purpose. However, this approach leads to generation of large volume of secondary radioactive waste. The use of strippable gel is an attractive alternative with low secondary waste generation particularly where removal of loose or weakly fixed contamination is necessary and also when the decontaminated material are to be reused, for e.g. decontamination of fume hoods, glove boxes, transport casks, spent fuel storage racks, control rod drive transport containers etc. Literature on gel formulations is scarce and mostly in the patent form. The sustained effort on gel formulation development has resulted in a basic gel formulation. The gel is a highly viscous water-based organic polymer, particularly suitable for application on vertical surfaces including difficult to reach metallic surfaces of complex geometry and not just limited to horizontal surfaces. The gel can be easily applied on contaminated surfaces by brushing or spraying. Curing of the gel is complete within 16-24 hours under ambient conditions and can then be removed by peeling as a dry sheet. While curing, the contaminants are trapped in gel either physically or chemically depending upon the nature of the contaminant. Salient features of cured gel include that it is water soluble and can be disposed off after immobilization in cement. Decontamination performance of the gel was initially evaluated by applying it on SS planchettes contaminated with known amount of radionuclides such as Cs(I), Co(II) and Ce(III). The measured decontamination factor was found to be in the range of 50-500, lowest for Ce(III) and highest for Co

The mechanism and properties of acid-coagulated milk gels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chanokphat Phadungath

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Acid-coagulated milk products such as fresh acid-coagulated cheese varieties and yogurt areimportant dairy food products. However, little is known regarding the mechanisms involved in gel formation, physical properties of acid gels, and the effects of processing variables such as heat treatment and gelation temperature on the important physical properties of acid milk gels. This paper reviews the modern concepts of possible mechanisms involved in the formation of particle milk gel aggregation, along with recent developments including the use of techniques such as dynamic low amplitude oscillatory rheology to observe the gel formation process, and confocal laser scanning microscopy to monitor gel microstructure.

Explorative data analysis of two-dimensional electrophoresis gels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schultz, J.; Gottlieb, D.M.; Petersen, Marianne Kjerstine

2004-01-01

of gels is presented. First, an approach is demonstrated in which no prior knowledge of the separated proteins is used. Alignment of the gels followed by a simple transformation of data makes it possible to analyze the gels in an automated explorative manner by principal component analysis, to determine......Methods for classification of two-dimensional (2-DE) electrophoresis gels based on multivariate data analysis are demonstrated. Two-dimensional gels of ten wheat varieties are analyzed and it is demonstrated how to classify the wheat varieties in two qualities and a method for initial screening...... if the gels should be further analyzed. A more detailed approach is done by analyzing spot volume lists by principal components analysis and partial least square regression. The use of spot volume data offers a mean to investigate the spot pattern and link the classified protein patterns to distinct spots...

Further developments and applications of layer gel dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gambarini, G; Carrara, M; Colli, V; Gay, S; Tomatis, S

2004-01-01

The method used to perform dosimetry with Fricke-xylenol orange-infused gels in form of layers remains the most reliable method for in-phantom dose profiling and imaging in high fluxes of thermal and epithermal neutrons. Gel-dosimeters in form of layers really give the possibility not only of obtaining spatial dose distributions but also of achieving measurements of each dose contribution in neutron fields. These advantages arise from the layer-geometry thanks to which neutron transport is not sensibly altered, even if the elemental gel composition is changed adding particular isotopes (for example 10 B), as necessary to perform the separation of dose contributions. The gel matrix composition and the experimental procedures, adopted for both dosimeter preparation and analysis, have been already described in previous works. In the present work, the improvements of the method employed for gel analysis, dose imaging and gel applications are illustrated

Encapsulation of biological species in sol-gel matrices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finnie, K.S.; Bartlett, J.R.; Woolfrey, J.L.

2000-01-01

Two examples are given of the gelation of silica sols containing bio catalysts, resulting in their encapsulation in porous matrices. Urease was encapsulated in gels made from a mixture of TMOS and alkyltrimethoxysilane. Enzyme activities, monitored by measuring the rate of production of ammoniacal nitrogen as urea was decomposed, ranged up to 60% of that of the unencapsulated species. Anaerobic sulphate-reducing bacteria were encapsulated in a gel produced from colloidal silica, thus avoiding contact with alcohol. The detection of H 2 S produced in the doped gel indicated that the bacteria were able to continue normal metabolic function within the gel matrix. A gel initially doped with ∼ 5 x 10 5 cells cm -3 , exhibited an optimum sulphate reduction rate of 11 ug h -1 cm -3 ; this reduction rate was quickly re-established after storage of the gel for 14 weeks. Copyright (2000) The Australian Ceramic Society

Comparative studies of the dielectric properties of (1−x)BiFeO{sub 3}-xNi{sub 0.8}Zn{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (x=0.0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0) multiferroic nanocomposite with their single phase BiFeO{sub 3} and Ni{sub 0.8}Zn{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mani, Angom Devadatta, E-mail: angomdevadattamani@gmail.com; Soibam, Ibetombi

2017-02-15

BiFeO{sub 3} (BFO) and nickel zinc ferrite Ni{sub 0.8}Zn{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (NZFO) were prepared by sol gel and auto combustion route respectively. Stoichiometric proportions were mixed to obtain the multiferroic nanocomposites having the compositional formula (1−x)BiFeO{sub 3}-x Ni{sub 0.8}Zn{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (x=0.0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0). The phases were confirmed by XRD analyses. SEM micrographs showed the agglomerated nature of the particles with continuous grain growth in all directions. Elemental compositions were confirmed from EDAX studies. FTIR studies showed the stretching and bending vibrations of the various bonds present in the samples. The dielectric properties such as dielectric constant, ε′ and dielectric loss tangent, tanδ were studied for the spinel, perovskite and nanocomposite ferrites. Experimental result shows an increasing trend in the value of dielectric constant in going from spinel to perovskite phase. The frequency dependence of tanδ showed minimum loss for x=0.5 nanocomposite. Possible mechanisms explaining the above results were being discussed.

Ionic liquid gel materials: applications in green and sustainable chemistry

OpenAIRE

Marr, Patricia C.; Marr, Andrew C.

2016-01-01

Ionic liquid gel materials offer a way to further utilise ionic liquids in technological applications. Combining the controlled and directed assembly of gels, with the diverse applications of ionic liquids, enables the design of a heady combination of functional tailored materials, leading to the development of task specific / functional ionic liquid gels. This review introduces gels and gel classification, focusing on ionic liquid gels and their potential roles in a more sustainable future. ...

Equipment for production of hydrogel by sol-gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urbanek, V.

1975-01-01

The method of uranyl gel preparation is described by the sol-gel process of the internal gelation type. A laboratory-scale equipment with an output of 1.5 kg of gel per hour was built at the Nuclear Research Institute, Rez; the diameter of the microspheres produced may vary between 0.5 and 4.0 mm. The reliability of the equipment was verified by producing several tens of kilograms of uranyl gels and of gels based on other non-nuclear materials. (author)

Electrochemical behavior of ionically crosslinked polyampholytic gel electrolytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Wanyu; Tang Haitao; Ou Ziwei; Wang Hong; Yang Yajiang

2007-01-01

An ionic complex of anionic and cationic monomers was obtained by protonation of (N,N-diethylamino)ethylmethacrylate (DEA) with acrylic acid (AAc). Free radical copolymerization of the ionic complex and acrylamide (AAm), yielded the ionically crosslinked polyampholytic gel electrolytes [poly(AAc-DEA-AAm), designated as PADA] using two types of organic solvents containing a lithium salt. The PADA gel electrolyte exhibited good thermal stability shown by the DSC thermogram. The impedance analysis at temperatures ranging from -30 to 75 deg. C indicated that the ionic conductivities of the PADA gel electrolytes were rather close to those of liquid electrolytes. The temperature dependence of the ionic conductivities was found to be in accord with the Arrhenius equation. Moreover, the ionic conductivities of PADA gel electrolytes increased with an increase of the molar ratios of cationic/anionic monomers. The ionic conductivities of PADA gels prepared in solvent mixtures of propylene carbonate, ethyl methyl ether and dioxolane (3:1:1, v/v) were higher than those of PADA gels prepared in propylene carbonate only. Significantly, the ionic conductivities of two kinds of PADA gel electrolytes were in the range of 10 -3 and 10 -4 S cm -1 even at -30 deg. C. The electrochemical windows of PADA gel electrolytes measured by cyclic voltammetry were in the range from -1 V to 4.5 V

Preparation and dielectric properties of Dy, Er-doped BaZr0.2Ti0.8O3 ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Sue; Sun Liang; Huang Jinxiang

2008-01-01

Ba(Zr x Ti 1-x )O 3 nanopowders and ceramics with different Zr/Ti ratios of 1:9; 2:8; 2.5:7.5; 3.5:6.5 and 4:6 (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.25, 0.35, 0.4) have been prepared by sol-gel technology using inorganic zirconium as raw materials, and Zr/Ti ratio of 2:8 is determined as the best one according to the measurements of dielectric properties. So the modified Ba(Zr 0.2 ,Ti 0.8 )O 3 ceramics doped by Dy and Er (the additive content is 0.10%, 0.15%, 0.20%, 0.30% and 0.50% molar ratio, respectively) have been prepared, and the effects of rare earth on the microstructure and dielectric properties of Ba(Zr 0.2 ,Ti 0.8 )O 3 ceramics have been studied. The experimental results show that the effect of Er is better than that of Dy in improving the dielectric properties of BaZr 0.2 Ti 0.8 O 3 ceramics. When the content of Er is 0.15 mol%, the dielectric constant is the highest of 12767, while the dielectric loss is lowered to 0.011; the frequency stabilities and the temperature dependence are also better, which is suitable for application in condenser field

Design and Evaluation of Topical Diclofenac Sodium Gel Using Hot Melt Extrusion Technology as a Continuous Manufacturing Process with Kolliphor® P407.

Science.gov (United States)

Pawar, Jaywant; Narkhede, Rajkiran; Amin, Purnima; Tawde, Vaishali

2017-08-01

The aim of the present context was to develop and evaluate a Kolliphor® P407-based transdermal gel formulation of diclofenac sodium by hot melt extrusion (HME) technology; central composite design was used to optimize the formulation process. In this study, we have explored first time ever HME as an industrially feasible and continuous manufacturing technology for the manufacturing of gel formulation using Kolliphor® P407 and Kollisolv® PEG400 as a gel base. Diclofenac sodium was used as a model drug. The HME parameters such as feeding rate, screw speed, and barrel temperature were crucial for the semisolid product development, and were optimized after preliminary trials. For the processing of the gel formulation by HME, a modified screw design was used to obtain a uniform product. The obtained product was evaluated for physicochemical characterization such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), pH measurement, rheology, surface tension, and texture profile analysis. Moreover, it was analyzed for general appearance, spreadibility, surface morphology, and drug content. The optimized gel formulation showed homogeneity and transparent film when applied on a glass slide under microscope, pH was 7.02 and uniform drug content of 100.04 ± 2.74 (SD = 3). The DSC and XRD analysis of the HME gel formulation showed complete melting of crystalline API into an amorphous form. The Kolliphor® P407 and Kollisolv® PEG400 formed excellent gel formulation using HME with consistent viscoelastic properties of the product. An improved drug release was found for the HME gel, which showed a 100% drug release than that of a marketed product which showed only 88% of drug release at the end of 12 h. The Flux value of the HME gel was 106 than that of a marketed formulation, which showed only about 60 value, inferring a significant difference (P process for manufacturing of topical semisolid products.

Physical and morphological properties of alumina powders synthesized through sol-gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Julie Andrianny Murshidi; Choo Thye Foo; Che Seman Mahmood; Meor Yusof Meor Sulaiman

2006-01-01

Aluminum oxide powders were prepared by the hydrolysis of aluminum isopropoxide catalysed by hydrochloric acid and in the presence of Sodium Lauryl Sulphate C 1 2H 2 5NaO 4 S as a surface stabilizing agent. After ageing for 24 hours the gel-like products were filtered and calcined at 1200 degree C. The effect of initial concentration of the aluminum precursor, aluminum isopropoxide (0.2 M, 0.1 M, 0.05 M and 0.03 M) and ageing temperature of 28 degree C, 50 degree C, 70 degree C, 85 degree C and 95 degree C on particle size of the powder were studied using Particle Size Analyzer. Shape and morphology of the particles were characterized by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). (Author)

Electrophoretic Porosimetry of Sol-Gels

Science.gov (United States)

Snow, L. A.; Smith, D. D.; Sibille, L.; Hunt, A. J.; Ng, J.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

It has been hypothesized that gravity has an effect on the formation and resulting microstructure of sol-gels. In order to more clearly resolve the effect of gravity, pores may be non-destructively analyzed in the wet gel, circumventing the shrinkage and coarsening associated with the drying procedure. We discuss the development of an electrophoretic technique, analogous to affinity chromatography, for the determination of pore size distribution and its application to silica gels. Specifically a monodisperse charged dye is monitored by an optical densitometer as it moves through the wet gel under the influence of an electric field. The transmittance data (output) represents the convolution of the dye concentration profile at the beginning of the run (input) with the pore size distribution (transfer function), i.e. linear systems theory applies. Because of the practical difficulty in producing a delta function input dye profile we prefer instead to use a step function. Average pore size is then related to the velocity of this dye front, while the pore size distribution is related to the spreading of the front. Preliminary results of this electrophoretic porosimetry and its application to ground and space-grown samples will be discussed.

Viscoplastic fracture transition of a biopolymer gel.

Science.gov (United States)

Frieberg, Bradley R; Garatsa, Ray-Shimry; Jones, Ronald L; Bachert, John O; Crawshaw, Benjamin; Liu, X Michael; Chan, Edwin P

2018-06-13

Physical gels are swollen polymer networks consisting of transient crosslink junctions associated with hydrogen or ionic bonds. Unlike covalently crosslinked gels, these physical crosslinks are reversible thus enabling these materials to display highly tunable and dynamic mechanical properties. In this work, we study the polymer composition effects on the fracture behavior of a gelatin gel, which is a thermoreversible biopolymer gel consisting of denatured collagen chains bridging physical network junctions formed from triple helices. Below the critical volume fraction for chain entanglement, which we confirm via neutron scattering measurements, we find that the fracture behavior is consistent with a viscoplastic type process characterized by hydrodynamic friction of individual polymer chains through the polymer mesh to show that the enhancement in fracture scales inversely with the squared of the mesh size of the gelatin gel network. Above this critical volume fraction, the fracture process can be described by the Lake-Thomas theory that considers fracture as a chain scission process due to chain entanglements.

Silica scintillating materials prepared by sol-gel methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werst, D.W.; Sauer, M.C. Jr.; Cromack, K.R.; Lin, Y.; Tartakovsky, E.A.; Trifunac, A.D.

1993-01-01

Silica was investigated as a rad-hard alternative to organic polymer hosts for organic scintillators. Silica sol-gels were prepared by hydrolysis of tetramethoxysilane in alcohol solutions. organic dyes were incorporated into the gels by dissolving in methanol at the sol stage of gel formation. The silica sol-gel matrix is very rad-hard. The radiation stability of silica scintillators prepared by this method is dye-limited. Transient radioluminescence was measured following excitation with 30 ps pulses of 20 MeV electrons

A theory for fracture of polymeric gels

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Yunwei; Anand, Lallit

2018-06-01

A polymeric gel is a cross-linked polymer network swollen with a solvent. If the concentration of the solvent or the deformation is increased to substantial levels, especially in the presence of flaws, then the gel may rupture. Although various theoretical aspects of coupling of fluid permeation with large deformation of polymeric gels are reasonably well-understood and modeled in the literature, the understanding and modeling of the effects of fluid diffusion on the damage and fracture of polymeric gels is still in its infancy. In this paper we formulate a thermodynamically-consistent theory for fracture of polymeric gels - a theory which accounts for the coupled effects of fluid diffusion, large deformations, damage, and also the gradient effects of damage. The particular constitutive equations for fracture of a gel proposed in our paper, contain two essential new ingredients: (i) Our constitutive equation for the change in free energy of a polymer network accounts for not only changes in the entropy, but also changes in the internal energy due the stretching of the Kuhn segments of the polymer chains in the network. (ii) The damage and failure of the polymer network is taken to occur by chain-scission, a process which is driven by the changes in the internal energy of the stretched polymer chains in the network, and not directly by changes in the configurational entropy of the polymer chains. The theory developed in this paper is numerically implemented in an open-source finite element code MOOSE, by writing our own application. Using this simulation capability we report on our study of the fracture of a polymeric gel, and some interesting phenomena which show the importance of the diffusion of the fluid on fracture response of the gel are highlighted.

Gadolinium-loaded gel scintillators for neutron and antineutrino detection

Science.gov (United States)

Riddle, Catherine Lynn; Akers, Douglas William; Demmer, Ricky Lynn; Paviet, Patricia Denise; Drigert, Mark William

2016-11-29

A gadolinium (Gd) loaded scintillation gel (Gd-ScintGel) compound allows for neutron and gamma-ray detection. The unique gel scintillator encompasses some of the best features of both liquid and solid scintillators, yet without many of the disadvantages associated therewith. Preferably, the gel scintillator is a water soluble Gd-DTPA compound and water soluble fluorophores such as: CdSe/ZnS (or ZnS) quantum dot (Q-dot) nanoparticles, coumarin derivatives 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin, 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin-3-acetic acid, 7-hydroxycoumarin-3-carboxylic acid, and Alexa Fluor 350 as well as a carbostyril compound, carbostyril 124 in a stable water-based gel, such as methylcellulose or polyacrylamide polymers. The Gd-loaded ScintGel allows for a homogenious distribution of the Gd-DTPA and the fluorophores, and yields clean fluorescent emission peaks. A moderator, such as deuterium or a water-based clear polymer, can be incorporated in the Gd-ScintGel. The gel scintillators can be used in compact detectors, including neutron and antineutrino detectors.

Effect of fluoride-treated enamel on indirect cytotoxicity of a 16% carbamide peroxide bleaching gel to pulp cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, Diana Gabriela; Ribeiro, Ana Paula Dias; Lima, Adriano Fonseca; Sacono, Nancy Tomoko; Hebling, Josimeri; de Souza Costa, Carlos Alberto

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of fluoride solutions applied to enamel to protect pulp cells against the trans-enamel and transdentinal cytotoxicity of a 16% carbamide peroxide (CP) bleaching gel. The CP gel was applied to enamel/dentin discs adapted to aicial pulp chambers (8 h/day) during 1, 7 or 14 days, followed by fluoride (0.05% or 0.2%) application for 1 min. The extracts (culture medium in contact with dentin) were applied to MDPC-23 cells for 1 h, and cell metabolism (MTT assay), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and cell membrane damage (flow cytometry) were analyzed. Knoop microhardness of enamel was also evaluated. Data were analyzed statistically by ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests (α=0.05). For the MTT assay and ALP activity, significant reductions between the control and the bleached groups were observed (p0.05), regardless of fluoride application or treatment days. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated 30% of cell membrane damage in all bleached groups. After 14 days of treatment, the fluoride-treated enamel presented significantly higher microhardness values than the bleached-only group (pfluoride solutions, the treated enamel surface did not prevent the toxic effects caused by the 16% CP gel to odontoblast-like cells.

Multiple-phase behavior and memory effect of polymer gel

CERN Document Server

Annaka, M; Nakahira, T; Sugiyama, M; Hara, K; Matsuura, T

2002-01-01

A poly(4-acrylamidosalicylic acid) gel (PASA gel) exhibits multiple phases as characterized by distinct degrees of swelling; the gel can take one of four different swelling values, but none of the intermediate values. The gel has remarkable memory: the phase behavior of the gel depends on whether the gel has experienced the most swollen phase or the most collapsed phase in the immediate past. The information is stored and reversibly erased in the form of a macroscopic phase transition behavior. The structure factors corresponding to these four phases were obtained by SANS, which indicated the presence of characteristic structures depending on pH and temperature, particularly in the shrunken state. (orig.)

Investigating potential physicochemical errors in polymer gel dosimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sedaghat, Mahbod; Lepage, Martin; Bujold, Rachel

2011-01-01

Measurement errors in polymer gel dosimetry can originate either during irradiation or scanning. One concern related to the exothermic nature of polymerization reaction was that the heat released in polymer gel dosimeters during irradiation modifies their dose response. In this paper, the effect of heat released from the exothermal polymerization reaction on the dose response of a number of dosimeters was studied. In addition, we investigated whether heat-generated geometric distortion existed in newly proposed gel dosimeters that contain highly thermoresponsive polymers. Our results suggest that despite a significant internal temperature increase in some gel compositions, their dose responses are not affected when oxygen is well expelled mechanically from the gel mixture. We also report on significant pre-irradiation instability in some recently developed polymer gel dosimeters but that geometric distortions were not observed. Data obtained by a set of small calibration vials are compared to those obtained from larger phantoms, and potential physicochemical causes of deviations between them are identified.

Investigating potential physicochemical errors in polymer gel dosimeters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sedaghat, Mahbod; Lepage, Martin [Centre d' imagerie moleculaire de Sherbrooke, Departement de medecine nucleaire et radiobiologie, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC (Canada); Bujold, Rachel, E-mail: martin.lepage@usherbrooke.ca [Service de radio-oncologie, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC (Canada)

2011-09-21

Measurement errors in polymer gel dosimetry can originate either during irradiation or scanning. One concern related to the exothermic nature of polymerization reaction was that the heat released in polymer gel dosimeters during irradiation modifies their dose response. In this paper, the effect of heat released from the exothermal polymerization reaction on the dose response of a number of dosimeters was studied. In addition, we investigated whether heat-generated geometric distortion existed in newly proposed gel dosimeters that contain highly thermoresponsive polymers. Our results suggest that despite a significant internal temperature increase in some gel compositions, their dose responses are not affected when oxygen is well expelled mechanically from the gel mixture. We also report on significant pre-irradiation instability in some recently developed polymer gel dosimeters but that geometric distortions were not observed. Data obtained by a set of small calibration vials are compared to those obtained from larger phantoms, and potential physicochemical causes of deviations between them are identified.

Natural gels in the Yucca Mountain Area, Nevada, USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levy, S.S.

1991-01-01

Relict gels at Yucca Mountain include pore- and fracture-fillings of silica and zeolite related to diagenetic and hydrothermal alternation of vitric tuffs. Water-rich free gels in fractures at Rainier Mesa consist of smectite with or without silica-rich gel fragments. Gels are being studied for their potential role in transport of radionuclides from a nuclear-waste repository

Antioxidant effect of green tea on polymer gel dosimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samuel, E J J; Sathiyaraj, P; Deena, T; Kumar, D S

2015-01-01

Extract from Green Tea (GTE) acts as an antioxidant in acrylamide based polymer gel dosimeter. In this work, PAGAT gel was used for investigation of antioxidant effect of GTE.PAGAT was called PAGTEG (Polyacrylamide green tea extract gel dosimeter) after adding GTE. Free radicals in water cause pre polymerization of polymer gel before irradiation. Polyphenols from GTE are highly effective to absorb the free radicals in water. THPC is used as an antioxidant in polymer gel dosimeter but here we were replaced it by GTE and investigated its effect by spectrophotometer. GTE added PAGAT samples response was lower compared to THPC added sample. To increase the sensitivity of the PAGTEG, sugar was added. This study confirmed that THPC was a good antioxidant for polymer gel dosimeter. However, GTE also can be used as an antioxidant in polymer gel if use less quantity (GTE) and add sugar as sensitivity enhancer

Sillica Gel-Amine from Geothermal Sludge

Science.gov (United States)

Muljani, S.; Pujiastuti, C.; Wicaksono, P.; Lutfianingrum, R.

2018-01-01

Silica Gel-Amine (SGA) has been made from geothermal sludge by grafting amine method. Sodium silicate solution is prepared by extracted geothermal sludge powder using sodium hidroxide solution then acidification in the range of pH 5 - 9 by using tartaric acid 1N. The grafting process uses 1 ml of ammonia solution and 10 ml of toluene at a rate of 0.1 ml min-1 accompanied by a reflux process. The amine grafting is done in two methods. The first method is grafting amine in silicate solution and the second method is grafting amine in washed gel. Product SGA was confirmed by FTIR, TGA-DTG and BET characterization. The results show that the pH affects the amount of amine that is grafted onto silica gel. Differences in grafting method affect the size of the pore and surface area. SGA product prepared by grafting washed gel at pH 8 have pore diameter of 12.06 nm, surface area of 173.44 m2g-1, and mass of decomposed amine compound 0.4 mg. In the presence of amine groups on the silica gel surface, these adsorbents may be able to selectively adsorb CO2 gas from natural gas.

Talker Differences in Clear and Conversational Speech: Perceived Sentence Clarity for Young Adults with Normal Hearing and Older Adults with Hearing Loss

Science.gov (United States)

Ferguson, Sarah Hargus; Morgan, Shae D.

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine talker differences for subjectively rated speech clarity in clear versus conversational speech, to determine whether ratings differ for young adults with normal hearing (YNH listeners) and older adults with hearing impairment (OHI listeners), and to explore effects of certain talker characteristics…

Some rheological properties of sodium caseinate-starch gels.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertolini, Andrea C; Creamer, Lawrence K; Eppink, Mieke; Boland, Mike

2005-03-23

The influence of sodium caseinate on the thermal and rheological properties of starch gels at different concentrations and from different botanical sources was evaluated. In sodium caseinate-starch gels, for all starches with the exception of potato starch, the sodium caseinate promoted an increase in the storage modulus and in the viscosity of the composite gel when compared with starch gels. The addition of sodium caseinate resulted in an increase in the onset temperature, the gelatinization temperature, and the end temperature, and there was a significant interaction between starch and sodium caseinate for the onset temperature, the peak temperature, and the end temperature. Microscopy results suggested that sodium caseinate promoted an increase in the homogeneity in the matrix of cereal starch gels.

A NOVEL GEL ELECTROLYTE FOR VALVE-REGULATED LEAD ACID BATTERY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Metin GENÇTEN

2017-03-01

Full Text Available A novel gel electrolyte system used in lead-acid batteries was investigated in this work. The gel systems were prepared by addition different amount of Al2O3, TiO2 and B2O3 into the gelled system consisting of 6 wt% fumed silica and 30 wt% sulfuric acid solution. The anodic peak currents and peak redox capacities of the gel electrolytes were characterized by cyclic voltammetric method. They decreased by the time B2O3 and Al2O3 were used as additives in fumed silica based gel electrolyte system. However, these values increased by the adding 3.0 wt% of TiO2. The solution and charge transfer resistances of the gel electrolytes were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. While the solution resistances were lower in gel systems having different amount additives than pure fumed silica based gel, the charge transfer resistance was the lowest in gel electrolytes consisting fumed silica and fumed silica-TiO2. The battery performances were studied by obtaining discharge curves of prepared gel electrolytes. The performance of gelled systems were higher than that of non-gelled electrolyte at room temperature. The mixture of fumed silica-TiO2 was suggested an alternative gel formulation for gel VRLA batteries.

Group B streptococcal serine-rich repeat proteins promote interaction with fibrinogen and vaginal colonization.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Nai-Yu; Patras, Kathryn A; Seo, Ho Seong; Cavaco, Courtney K; Rösler, Berenice; Neely, Melody N; Sullam, Paul M; Doran, Kelly S

2014-09-15

Group B streptococcus (GBS) can cause severe disease in susceptible hosts, including newborns, pregnant women, and the elderly. GBS serine-rich repeat (Srr) surface glycoproteins are important adhesins/invasins in multiple host tissues, including the vagina. However, exact molecular mechanisms contributing to their importance in colonization are unknown. We have recently determined that Srr proteins contain a fibrinogen-binding region (BR) and hypothesize that Srr-mediated fibrinogen binding may contribute to GBS cervicovaginal colonization. In this study, we observed that fibrinogen enhanced wild-type GBS attachment to cervical and vaginal epithelium, and that this was dependent on Srr1. Moreover, purified Srr1-BR peptide bound directly to host cells, and peptide administration in vivo reduced GBS recovery from the vaginal tract. Furthermore, a GBS mutant strain lacking only the Srr1 "latching" domain exhibited decreased adherence in vitro and decreased persistence in a mouse model of GBS vaginal colonization, suggesting the importance of Srr-fibrinogen interactions in the female reproductive tract. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Coordination Polymer Gels by Electron Beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Ji Ha; Cho, Young Je; Jung, Jong Hwa [Gyeongsang National Univ., Jinju (Korea, Republic of)

2011-07-01

Hydrogenation of a pyridine derivative possessing tetrazole moieties as end groups, without long alkyl chain groups, results in the formation of a Mg(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} coordination polymer gel. The polymer exhibits a strong fluorescence enhancement upon gel formation. 1 can also be gloated with a variety of magnesium anions such as SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, NO{sub 3}{sup -}, Cl{sup -}, Br{sup -} and I{sup -}, indicating that the coordination polymer gel formation of 1 does not strongly depends on anions. The Seam and ABM images of Mg{sup 2+} coordination polymer gel 1 display a flabbier network with several micrometers long, widths in the range 60-70 nm and thicknesses of about 3 nm. In addition, photophysical studies show that the hydrogel exhibits a typical {pi}-{pi} transition and gives rise to high fluorescence behavior. The coordination polymer hydrogel exhibits viscoelastic behavior as evidenced from the rheological studies.

PCR amplification on microarrays of gel immobilized oligonucleotides

Science.gov (United States)

Strizhkov, Boris; Tillib, Sergei; Mikhailovich, Vladimir; Mirzabekov, Andrei

2003-11-04

The invention relates two general methods for performing PCR amplification, combined with the detection and analysis of the PCR products on a microchip. In the first method, the amplification occurs both outside and within a plurality of gel pads on a microchip, with at least one oligonucleotide primer immobilized in a gel pad. In the second method, PCR amplification also takes place within gel pads on a microchip, but the pads are surrounded by a hydrophobic liquid such as that which separates the individual gel pads into environments which resemble micro-miniaturized test tubes.

Structures with negative index of refraction

Science.gov (United States)

Soukoulis, Costas M [Ames, IA; Zhou, Jiangfeng [Ames, IA; Koschny, Thomas [Ames, IA; Zhang, Lei [Ames, IA; Tuttle, Gary [Ames, IA

2011-11-08

The invention provides simplified negative index materials (NIMs) using wire-pair structures, 4-gap single ring split-ring resonator (SRR), fishnet structures and overleaf capacitor SRR. In the wire-pair arrangement, a pair of short parallel wires and continuous wires are used. In the 4-gap single-ring SRR, the SRRs are centered on the faces of a cubic unit cell combined with a continuous wire type resonator. Combining both elements creates a frequency band where the metamaterial is transparent with simultaneously negative .di-elect cons. and .mu.. In the fishnet structure, a metallic mesh on both sides of the dielectric spacer is used. The overleaf capacitor SRR changes the gap capacities to small plate capacitors by making the sections of the SRR ring overlap at the gaps separated by a thin dielectric film. This technique is applicable to conventional SRR gaps but it best deploys for the 4-gap single-ring structures.

Synthesis, structure and electromagnetic properties of Mn-Zn ferrite by sol-gel combustion technique

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wenjie; Zang, Chongguang; Jiao, Qingjie

2014-01-01

The electromagnetic absorbing behaviors of a thin coating fabricated by mixing Mn-Zn ferrite with epoxy resin (EP) were studied. The spinel ferrites Mn1-xZnxFe2O4 (x=0.2, 0.5 and 0.8) were synthesized with citrate acid as complex agent by sol-gel combustion method. The microstructure and surface morphology of Mn-Zn ferrite powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The complex permittivity and complex permeability of the fabricated ferrite/EP composites were investigated in terms of their contributions to the absorbing properties in the low frequency (10 MHz to 1 GHz). The microwave absorption of the prepared ferrite/EP composites could be tailored by matching the dielectric loss and magnetic loss and by controlling the doped metal ratio. The composites with the ferrite composition x=0.2 are found to show higher reflection loss compared with the composites with other compositions. It is proposed that the prepared composites can potentially be applied in electromagnetic microwave absorbing field.

Protein electrophoretic migration data from custom and commercial gradient gels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J. Miller

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents data related to the article “A method for easily customizable gradient gel electrophoresis” (A.J. Miller, B. Roman, E.M. Norstrom, 2016 [1]. Data is presented on the rate of electrophoretic migration of proteins in both hand-poured and commercially acquired acrylamide gradient gels. For each gel, migration of 9 polypeptides of various masses was measured upon completion of gel electrophoresis. Data are presented on the migration of proteins within separate lanes of the same gel as well as migration rates from multiple gels.

DNA unwinding induced by photoaddition of psoralen derivatives and determination of dark-binding equilibrium constants by gel electrophoresis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiesehahn, G.; Hearst, J.E.

1978-01-01

Derivatives of furo[3,2-g]coumarin (psoralen) can bind to the DNA double helix and, in the presence of long-wavelength uv light, the bound psoralen may react covalently with pyrimidine residues on one or both strands of the helix. By using agarose gel electrophoresis, we have determined the unwinding angle associated with each of four different psoralen derivatives to be 28 0 +- 4 0 . For 4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen (trioxsalen) the unwinding angle was found to be independent of the initial DNA superhelix density in the range that is accessible to agarose gel electrophoresis. Also by using agarose gel electrophoresis, we have determined the unwinding angle for ethidium intercalation. This was done by the total relaxation of supercoiled DNA in the presence of a series of ethidium concentrations. By using published values for the association constant for ethidium binding to DNA and evaluating the final superhelix density (after removal of ethidium) of the DNA on gels, we calculated an unwinding angle of 29 0 +- 3 0 . Assuming an unwinding angle of 28 0 for the noncovalent intercalation of psoralen derivatives, we used the same procedure to determine intercalation binding constants. The association constants for 4'-aminomethyltrioxsalen were 300 to 1400 M -1 in NaCl at 0.2 to 0.05 M and 300 to 2500 M -1 in Mg 2+ at 4 to 0.5 mM. The association constant for 4'-hydroxymethyltrioxsalen in 0.5 mM Mg 2+ was determined to be 70 M -1

Implementation of MRI gel dosimetry in radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baeck, S.Aa.J.

1998-12-01

Gel dosimetry was used together with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure three-dimensional absorbed dose distributions in radiation therapy. Two different dosimeters were studied: ferrous- and monomer gel, based on the principles of radiation-induced oxidation and polymerisation, respectively. Single clinical electron and photon beams were evaluated and gel dose distributions were mainly within 2% of conventional detector results. The ferrous-gel was also used for clinical proton beams. A decrease in signal per absorbed dose was found close to the end of the range of the protons (15-20%). This effect was explained as a linear energy transfer dependence, further supported with Monte Carlo simulations. A method for analysing and comparing data from treatment planning system (TPS) and gel measurements was developed. The method enables a new pixel by pixel evaluation, isodose comparison and dose volume histogram verification. Two standard clinical radiation therapy procedures were examined using the developed TPS verification method. The treatment regimes included several beams of different radiation qualities. The TPS calculated data were in very good agreement with the dose distribution measured by the ferrous-gel. However, in a beam abutment region, larger dose difference was found. Beam adjustment errors and a minor TPS underestimation of the lateral scatter contribution outside the primary electron beam may explain the discrepancy. The overall uncertainty in the ferrous-gel dose determination was considerably reduced using an optimised MRI acquisition protocol and a new MRI scanner. The relative dose uncertainty was found to be better than 3.3% for all dose levels (95% confidence level). Using the method developed for comparing measured gel data with calculated treatment plans, the gel dosimetry method was proven to be a useful tool for radiation treatment planning verification

Implementation of MRI gel dosimetry in radiation therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baeck, S.Aa.J

1998-12-01

Gel dosimetry was used together with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure three-dimensional absorbed dose distributions in radiation therapy. Two different dosimeters were studied: ferrous- and monomer gel, based on the principles of radiation-induced oxidation and polymerisation, respectively. Single clinical electron and photon beams were evaluated and gel dose distributions were mainly within 2% of conventional detector results. The ferrous-gel was also used for clinical proton beams. A decrease in signal per absorbed dose was found close to the end of the range of the protons (15-20%). This effect was explained as a linear energy transfer dependence, further supported with Monte Carlo simulations. A method for analysing and comparing data from treatment planning system (TPS) and gel measurements was developed. The method enables a new pixel by pixel evaluation, isodose comparison and dose volume histogram verification. Two standard clinical radiation therapy procedures were examined using the developed TPS verification method. The treatment regimes included several beams of different radiation qualities. The TPS calculated data were in very good agreement with the dose distribution measured by the ferrous-gel. However, in a beam abutment region, larger dose difference was found. Beam adjustment errors and a minor TPS underestimation of the lateral scatter contribution outside the primary electron beam may explain the discrepancy. The overall uncertainty in the ferrous-gel dose determination was considerably reduced using an optimised MRI acquisition protocol and a new MRI scanner. The relative dose uncertainty was found to be better than 3.3% for all dose levels (95% confidence level). Using the method developed for comparing measured gel data with calculated treatment plans, the gel dosimetry method was proven to be a useful tool for radiation treatment planning verification 103 refs, 20 figs, 6 tabs

Agarose gel electrophoresis for the separation of DNA fragments.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Pei Yun; Costumbrado, John; Hsu, Chih-Yuan; Kim, Yong Hoon

2012-04-20

Agarose gel electrophoresis is the most effective way of separating DNA fragments of varying sizes ranging from 100 bp to 25 kb(1). Agarose is isolated from the seaweed genera Gelidium and Gracilaria, and consists of repeated agarobiose (L- and D-galactose) subunits(2). During gelation, agarose polymers associate non-covalently and form a network of bundles whose pore sizes determine a gel's molecular sieving properties. The use of agarose gel electrophoresis revolutionized the separation of DNA. Prior to the adoption of agarose gels, DNA was primarily separated using sucrose density gradient centrifugation, which only provided an approximation of size. To separate DNA using agarose gel electrophoresis, the DNA is loaded into pre-cast wells in the gel and a current applied. The phosphate backbone of the DNA (and RNA) molecule is negatively charged, therefore when placed in an electric field, DNA fragments will migrate to the positively charged anode. Because DNA has a uniform mass/charge ratio, DNA molecules are separated by size within an agarose gel in a pattern such that the distance traveled is inversely proportional to the log of its molecular weight(3). The leading model for DNA movement through an agarose gel is "biased reptation", whereby the leading edge moves forward and pulls the rest of the molecule along(4). The rate of migration of a DNA molecule through a gel is determined by the following: 1) size of DNA molecule; 2) agarose concentration; 3) DNA conformation(5); 4) voltage applied, 5) presence of ethidium bromide, 6) type of agarose and 7) electrophoresis buffer. After separation, the DNA molecules can be visualized under uv light after staining with an appropriate dye. By following this protocol, students should be able to: Understand the mechanism by which DNA fragments are separated within a gel matrix Understand how conformation of the DNA molecule will determine its mobility through a gel matrix Identify an agarose solution of appropriate

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of bacterial chromosomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Mawer, Julia S P; Leach, David R F

2013-01-01

The separation of fragments of DNA by agarose gel electrophoresis is integral to laboratory life. Nevertheless, standard agarose gel electrophoresis cannot resolve fragments bigger than 50 kb. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis is a technique that has been developed to overcome the limitations of standard agarose gel electrophoresis. Entire linear eukaryotic chromosomes, or large fragments of a chromosome that have been generated by the action of rare-cutting restriction endonucleases, can be separated using this technique. As a result, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis has many applications, from karyotype analysis of microbial genomes, to the analysis of chromosomal strand breaks and their repair intermediates, to the study of DNA replication and the identification of origins of replication. This chapter presents a detailed protocol for the preparation of Escherichia coli chromosomal DNA that has been embedded in agarose plugs, digested with the rare-cutting endonuclease NotI, and separated by contour-clamped homogeneous field electrophoresis. The principles in this protocol can be applied to the separation of all fragments of DNA whose size range is between 40 kb and 1 Mb.

Star-shaped poly(oligoethylene glycol) copolymer-based gels: Thermo-responsive behaviour and bioapplicability for risedronate intranasal delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Soliman, Mahmoud E; Elmowafy, Enas; Casettari, Luca; Alexander, Cameron

2018-05-30

The aim of this work was to obtain an intranasal delivery system with improved mechanical and mucoadhesive properties that could provide prolonged retention time for the delivery of risedronate (RS). For this, novel in situ forming gels comprising thermo-responsive star-shaped polymers, utilizing either polyethylene glycol methyl ether (PEGMA-ME 188, Mn 188) or polyethylene glycol ethyl ether (PEGMA-EE 246, Mn 246), with polyethylene glycol methyl ether (PEGMA-ME 475, Mn 475), were synthesized and characterized. RS was trapped in the selected gel-forming solutions at a concentration of 0.2% w/v. The pH, rheological properties, in vitro drug release, ex vivo permeation as well as mucoadhesion were also examined. MTT assays were conducted to verify nasal tolerability of the developed formulations. Initial in vivo studies were carried out to evaluate anti-osteoporotic activity in a glucocorticoid induced osteoporosis model in rats. The results showed successful development of thermo-sensitive formulations with favorable mechanical properties at 37 °C, which formed non-irritant, mucoadhesive porous networks, facilitating nasal RS delivery. Moreover, sustained release of RS, augmented permeability and marked anti-osteoporotic efficacy as compared to intranasal (IN) and intravenous (IV) RS solutions were realized. The combined results show that the in situ gels should have promising application as nasal drug delivery systems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Synthesis of a Novel Cellulose Physical Gel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiufang Duan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Cellulose possessing β-cyclodextrin (β-CD was used as a host molecule and cellulose possessing ferrocene (Fc as a guest polymer. Infrared spectra, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV, and contact angle analysis were used to characterise the material structure and the inclusion behaviour. The results showed that the β-CD-cellulose and the Fc-cellulose can form inclusion complexes. Moreover, ferrocene oxidation, and reduction of state can be adjusted by sodium hypochlorite (NaClO as an oxidant and glutathione (GSH as a reductant. In this study, a physical gel based on β-CD-cellulose/Fc-cellulose was formed under mild conditions in which autonomous healing between cut surfaces occurred after 24 hours. The physical gel can be controlled in the sol-gel transition. The compressive strength of the Fc-cellulose/β-CD-cellulose gel increased with increased cellulose concentration. The host-guest interaction between the side chains of cellulose could strengthen the gel. The cellulose physical gel may eventually be used as a stimulus-responsive, healing material in biomedical applications.

Applications of sol gel ceramic coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrow, D.

1996-01-01

The sol gel method is a chemical technique in which polycrystalline ceramic films are fabricated from a solution of organometallic precursors. The technique is attractive for many industrial applications because it is a simple (films are processed in air), flexible (can be used to coat complex geometries) and cost effective (does not require expensive equipment) process. In addition, dense, high quality coatings can be achieved at much lower temperatures than is generally required for sintering bulk ceramics. In this paper the conventional sol gel method and the new datec process are reviewed and potential applications of sol gel coatings in automotive, aerospace, petrochemical, nuclear and electronic industries are discussed. (orig.)

The Gel Generator option

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyd, R.E.

1999-01-01

The development of a national policy for guaranteeing an ample supply of 99m Tc to nuclear medicine, involves issues which go beyond the means by which radioactivation is achieved. Indeed, in such an exercise the pragmatic dictates of business and the sensitivities of politics must also be taken into account. Furthermore where a preference towards the nuclear reactor or the potential of cyclotrons is being questioned, the debate is incomplete if the only options that are considered are the fission-based 99 Mo generator versus the direct cyclotron production of 99m Tc. There is a third option (also neutron γ-based), an alternative to the fission 99 Mo generator, which ought not be overlooked. The application of low specific activity (n,γ) 99 Mo to a new type of generator, the Gel Generator, has been the focus of much research, particularly in Australia and more recently in China. After the initial concept had been established in the laboratory, the Australian researchers then undertook a comprehensive program of tests on the Gel Generator to assess its potential, either in the clinical laboratory or the centralised radiopharmacy, for supplying 99m Tc suitable for nuclear medicine. The outcome of this program was a clear indication that the Gel Generator innovation had the capability to provide both technical and economic advantages to the nuclear medicine industry. These advantages are described. Since that time the Gel Generator has been selected for routine use in China where it now satisfies more than 30% of the 99m Tc demand. (author)

Meso-decorated self-healing gels: network structure and properties

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Jin; Sawamura, Kensuke; Igarashi, Susumu; Furukawa, Hidemitsu

2013-04-01

Gels are a new material having three-dimensional network structures of macromolecules. They possess excellent properties as swellability, high permeability and biocompatibility, and have been applied in various fields of daily life, food, medicine, architecture, and chemistry. In this study, we tried to prepare new multi-functional and high-strength gels by using Meso-Decoration (Meso-Deco), one new method of structure design at intermediate mesoscale. High-performance rigid-rod aromatic polymorphic crystals, and the functional groups of thermoreversible Diels-Alder reaction were introduced into soft gels as crosslinkable pendent chains. The functionalization and strengthening of gels can be realized by meso-decorating the gels' structure using high-performance polymorphic crystals and thermoreversible pendent chains. New gels with good mechanical properties, novel optical properties and thermal properties are expected to be developed.

Contaminant containment using polymer gel barriers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Darwish, M.I.M.; Rowe, R.K.; Maarel, van der J.R.C.; Pel, L.; Huinink, H.P.; Zitha, P.L.J.

2004-01-01

Polymer gels are well known in the oil industry, but their potential for use as barriers to contaminant transport has not previously received significant study. As a first step, this paper examines the potential for a polyelectrolyte gel to serve as a barrier to the migration of sodium chloride. Two

Proteic sol-gel synthesis of copper doped misfit Ca-cobaltites with potential SOFC application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lima, Chrystian G.M. [Materials Science and Engineering Postgraduate Program, UFPB, 58051-900, João Pessoa (Brazil); Silva, Rinaldo M. [Department of Chemical Engineering, UFPB, 58051-900, João Pessoa (Brazil); Aquino, Flávia de M. [Alternative and Renewable Energy Center, UFPB, 58051-900, João Pessoa (Brazil); Raveau, Bernard; Caignaert, Vincent [Laboratoire CRISMAT ENSICAEN UMR CNRS 6508, 6 Boulevard du Maréchal Juin, 14050, Caen Cedex 04 (France); Cesário, Moisés R., E-mail: moises.cesario@ensicaen.fr [Laboratoire CRISMAT ENSICAEN UMR CNRS 6508, 6 Boulevard du Maréchal Juin, 14050, Caen Cedex 04 (France); Macedo, Daniel A., E-mail: damaced@gmail.com [Materials Science and Engineering Postgraduate Program, UFPB, 58051-900, João Pessoa (Brazil)

2017-02-01

The present work reports the synthesis, structure and electrochemical assessment of Cu-doped calcium cobaltites as cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Powders of composition Ca{sub 3−x}Cu{sub x}Co{sub 4}O{sub 9−δ} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) were obtained by a proteic sol-gel method which uses gelatin as polymerizing agent. As-prepared materials were calcined at 900 °C for 1 h and characterized by X-ray diffraction, with Rietveld refinement of the diffraction data, and scanning electron microscopy. Screen-printed porous electrodes fired (at 950 °C for 2 h) on both faces of ceria based electrolytes were electrochemically characterized by impedance spectroscopy between 600 and 800 °C in air atmosphere. The results indicated the attainment of Ca{sub 3−x}Cu{sub x}Co{sub 4}O{sub 9−δ} solid solutions with monoclinic misfit layered structure and around 2 vol% Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} as a secondary phase. Micro-plates like powders had irregular shape and average diameter near 2 μm. The area specific resistance (ASR) is in line with literature data for cathodes of similar compositions prepared by other synthetic routes. ASR was optimized for the composition Ca{sub 2.99}Cu{sub 0.01}Co{sub 4}O{sub 9−δ}, achieving 0.84 Ω cm{sup 2} at 800 °C in air. - Highlights: • Proteic sol-gel synthesis of Ca{sub 3−x}Cu{sub x}Co{sub 4}O{sub 9−δ} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2). • Cu{sup 2+} doping enhances electrode densification. • Area specific resistance (ASR = 0.84 Ω cm{sup 2} at 800 °C) optimized for Ca{sub 2.99}Cu{sub 0.01}Co{sub 4}O{sub 9−δ}.

Sol-gel synthesis of hydroxyapatite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zupanski, M.D.; Lucena, M.P.P.; Bergmann, C.P.

2010-01-01

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) has been established as the calcium phosphate based compound with most applications in the biological field. Among the numerous techniques for synthesis of HAp, the sol-gel processing route affords great control over purity and formed phases using low processing temperatures. In addition, the sol-gel approach offers an option for homogeneous HAp coating on metal substrates, as well as the ability to generate nanocrystalline powders. In this work, the sol-gel synthesis of HAp was investigated employing triethyl phosphate and calcium nitrate tetrahydrate as phosphorous and calcium precursors, respectively. The aging effect on phase composition and powder morphology of the final product was studied in terms of temperature and aging time. The powders were studied by using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, particle size distribution by laser diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. (author)

Fundamentals of Polymer Gel Dosimeters

Science.gov (United States)

McAuley, Kim B.

2006-12-01

The recent literature on polymer gel dosimetry contains application papers and basic experimental studies involving polymethacrylic-acid-based and polyacrylamide-based gel dosimeters. The basic studies assess the relative merits of these two most commonly used dosimeters, and explore the effects of tetrakis hydroxymethyl phosphonium chloride (THPC) antioxidant on dosimeter performance. Polymer gel dosimeters that contain THPC or other oxygen scavengers are called normoxic dosimeters, because they can be prepared under normal atmospheric conditions, rather than in a glove box that excludes oxygen. In this review, an effort is made to explain some of the underlying chemical phenomena that affect dosimeter performance using THPC, and that lead to differences in behaviour between dosimeters made using the two types of monomer systems. Progress on the development of new more effective and less toxic dosimeters is also reported.

Injectable biocompatible and biodegradable pH-responsive hollow particle gels containing poly(acrylic acid): the effect of copolymer composition on gel properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Halacheva, Silvia S; Adlam, Daman J; Hendow, Eseelle K; Freemont, Tony J; Hoyland, Judith; Saunders, Brian R

2014-05-12

The potential of various pH-responsive alkyl (meth)acrylate ester- and (meth)acrylic acid-based copolymers, including poly(methyl methacrylate-co-acrylic acid) (PMMA-AA) and poly(n-butyl acrylate-co-methacrylic acid) (PBA-MAA), to form pH-sensitive biocompatible and biodegradable hollow particle gel scaffolds for use in non-load-bearing soft tissue regeneration have been explored. The optimal copolymer design criteria for preparation of these materials have been established. Physical gels which are both pH- and redox-sensitive were formed only from PMMA-AA copolymers. MMA is the optimal hydrophobic monomer, whereas the use of various COOH-containing monomers, e.g., MAA and AA, will always induce a pH-triggered physical gelation. The PMMA-AA gels were prepared at physiological pH range from concentrated dispersions of swollen, hollow, polymer-based particles cross-linked with either cystamine (CYS) or 3,3'-dithiodipropionic acid dihydrazide (DTP). A linear relationship between particle swelling ratios, gel elasticity, and ductility was observed. The PMMA-AA gels with lower AA contents feature lower swelling ratios, mechanical strengths, and ductilities. Increasing the swelling ratio (e.g., through increasing AA content) decreased the intraparticle elasticity; however, intershell contact and gel elasticity were found to increase. The mechanical properties and performance of the gels were tuneable upon varying the copolymers' compositions and the structure of the cross-linker. Compared to PMMA-AA/CYS, the PMMA-AA/DTP gels were more elastic and ductile. The biodegradability and cytotoxicity of the new hollow particle gels were tested for the first time and related to their composition, mechanical properties, and morphology. The new PMMA-AA/CYS and PMMA-AA/DTP gels have shown good biocompatibility, biodegradability, strength, and interconnected porosity and therefore have good potential as a tissue repair agent.

White-light-emitting supramolecular gels.

Science.gov (United States)

Praveen, Vakayil K; Ranjith, Choorikkat; Armaroli, Nicola

2014-01-07

Let there be light, let it be white: Recent developments in the use of chromophore-based gels as scaffolds for the assembly of white-light-emitting soft materials have been significant. The main advantage of this approach lies in the facile accommodation of selected luminescent components within the gel. Excitation-energy-transfer processes between these components ultimately generate the desired light output. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Sol-gel-state of hydrated zirconium dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karakchiev, L.G.; Lyakhov, N.Z.

1995-01-01

The change in viscosity and density of a system in the course of sol-gel-xerogel has been traced. The size and molecular mass of particles in sol have been determined. Initial sol is practically a monodisperse system. Gel is a spatial net of similar particles. Reversible character of sol-gel transition with a change in water content in the system suggests instability of the bond between the particles in the structure of the solid state body formed. 11 refs.; 4 figs

Molecular Gels Materials with Self-Assembled Fibrillar Networks

CERN Document Server

Weiss, Richard G

2006-01-01

Molecular gels and fibrillar networks – a comprehensive guide to experiment and theory Molecular Gels: Materials with Self-Assembled Fibrillar Networks provides a comprehensive treatise on gelators, especially low molecular-mass gelators (LMOGs), and the properties of their gels. The structures and modes of formation of the self-assembled fibrillar networks (SAFINs) that immobilize the liquid components of the gels are discussed experimentally and theoretically. The spectroscopic, rheological, and structural features of the different classes of LMOGs are also presented. Many examples of the application of the principal analytical techniques for investigation of molecular gels (including SANS, SAXS, WAXS, UV-vis absorption, fluorescence and CD spectroscopies, scanning electron, transmission electron and optical microscopies, and molecular modeling) are presented didactically and in-depth, as are several of the theories of the stages of aggregation of individual LMOG molecules leading to SAFINs. Several actua...

DNA gel electrophoresis: the reptation model(s).

Science.gov (United States)

Slater, Gary W

2009-06-01

DNA gel electrophoresis has been the most important experimental tool to separate DNA fragments for several decades. The introduction of PFGE in the 1980s and capillary gel electrophoresis in the 1990s made it possible to study, map and sequence entire genomes. Explaining how very large DNA molecules move in a gel and why PFGE is needed to separate them has been an active field of research ever since the launch of the journal Electrophoresis. This article presents a personal and historical overview of the development of the theory of gel electrophoresis, focusing on the reptation model, the band broadening mechanisms, and finally the factors that limit the read length and the resolution of electrophoresis-based sequencing systems. I conclude with a short discussion of some of the questions that remain unanswered.

Performance of Magnetic Filter for Separation of Magnetic Gel Particles

OpenAIRE

栗延, 俊太郎; 尾崎, 博明; 渡辺, 恒雄; クリノブ, シュンタロウ; オザキ, ヒロアキ; ワタナベ, ツネオ; Shuntaro, KURINOBU; Hiroaki, OZAKI; Tuneo, WATANABE

2003-01-01

We have developed a new wastewater treatment process using magnetic gel particles containing immobilized microorganisms and magnetic particles. The performance of magnetic gel particles using a magnetic filter is very important to control the process. In this study, the performance of a magnetic filter was studied for magnetic gel, particles. Agar particles containing magnetite particles were used as gel particles. The recovery and the relative retention area of magnetic gel particles on the ...

Development of an injectable chitosan/marine collagen composite gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Wei; Itoh, Soichiro; Aizawa, Tomoyasu; Demura, Makoto; Okawa, Atsushi; Sakai, Katsuyoshi; Ohkuma, Tsuneo

2010-01-01

A chitosan/marine-originated collagen composite has been developed. This composite gel was characterized and its biocompatibility, as well as an inflammatory reaction, was observed. The chitosan gel including N-3-carboxypropanoil-6-O-(carboxymethyl) chitosan of 3 mol%, 6-O-(carboxymethyl) chitosan of 62 mol% and 6-O-(carboxymethyl) chitin of 35 mol% was prepared and compounded with the salmon atelocollagen (SA) gel at different mixture ratios. The composite gels were injected subcutaneously in to the back of rats. The specimens were harvested for a histological survey as well as a tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) assay by ELISA. The inflammatory cell infiltration and release of TNF-α were successively controlled low with the ratio of SA to chitosan at 10:90 or 20:80. The SA gel first, within 2 weeks, and then chitosan in the composite gel were slowly absorbed after implantation, followed by soft tissue formation. It is expected that this composite gel will be available as a carrier for tissue filler and drug delivery systems.

A novel fibrin gel derived from hyaluronic acid-grafted fibrinogen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Chiung L; Chen, Hui W; Wang, Tzu C; Wang, Yng J, E-mail: wang@ym.edu.tw [Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, No. 155, Sec. 2, Li-Nung St., Shih-Pai, Taipei, Taiwan 112 (China)

2011-04-15

Fibrinogen is a major plasma protein that forms a three-dimensional fibrin gel upon being activated by thrombin. In this study, we report the synthesis and potential applications of hybrid molecules composed of fibrinogen coupled to the reducing ends of short-chain hyaluronic acids (sHAs) by reductive amination. The grafting of sHAs to fibrinogen was verified by analyzing particle size, zeta potential and gel-electrophoretic mobility of the hybrid molecules. The sHA-fibrinogen hybrid molecules with graft ratios (sHA/fibrinogen) of up to 6.5 retained the ability to form gels in response to thrombin activation. The sHA-fibrin gels were transparent in appearance and exhibited high water content, which were characteristics distinct from those of gels formed by mixtures of sHAs and fibrinogen. The potential applications of the sHA-fibrin gels were evaluated. The sHA-fibrinogen gel with a graft ratio of 3.6 (S3.6F) was examined for its ability to encapsulate and support the differentiation of ATDC5 chondrocyte-like cells. Compared with the fibrinogen-formed gel, cells cultured in the S3.6F gel exhibited increased lacunae formation; moreover, the abundance of cartilaginous extracellular matrix molecules and the expression of chondrocyte marker genes, such as aggrecan, collagen II and Sox9, were also significantly increased. Our data suggest that the three-dimensional gel formed by the sHA-fibrinogen hybrid is a better support than the fibrin gel for chondrogenesis induction.

A novel fibrin gel derived from hyaluronic acid-grafted fibrinogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Chiung L; Chen, Hui W; Wang, Tzu C; Wang, Yng J

2011-01-01

Fibrinogen is a major plasma protein that forms a three-dimensional fibrin gel upon being activated by thrombin. In this study, we report the synthesis and potential applications of hybrid molecules composed of fibrinogen coupled to the reducing ends of short-chain hyaluronic acids (sHAs) by reductive amination. The grafting of sHAs to fibrinogen was verified by analyzing particle size, zeta potential and gel-electrophoretic mobility of the hybrid molecules. The sHA-fibrinogen hybrid molecules with graft ratios (sHA/fibrinogen) of up to 6.5 retained the ability to form gels in response to thrombin activation. The sHA-fibrin gels were transparent in appearance and exhibited high water content, which were characteristics distinct from those of gels formed by mixtures of sHAs and fibrinogen. The potential applications of the sHA-fibrin gels were evaluated. The sHA-fibrinogen gel with a graft ratio of 3.6 (S3.6F) was examined for its ability to encapsulate and support the differentiation of ATDC5 chondrocyte-like cells. Compared with the fibrinogen-formed gel, cells cultured in the S3.6F gel exhibited increased lacunae formation; moreover, the abundance of cartilaginous extracellular matrix molecules and the expression of chondrocyte marker genes, such as aggrecan, collagen II and Sox9, were also significantly increased. Our data suggest that the three-dimensional gel formed by the sHA-fibrinogen hybrid is a better support than the fibrin gel for chondrogenesis induction.

Role of gel dosimeters in boron neutron capture therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khajeali, Azim; Farajollahi, Ali Reza; Khodadadi, Roghayeh; Kasesaz, Yaser; Khalili, Assef

2015-01-01

Gel dosimeters have acquired a unique status in radiotherapy, especially with the advent of the new techniques in which there is a need for three-dimensional dose measurement with high spatial resolution. One of the techniques in which the use of gel dosimeters has drawn the attention of the researchers is the boron neutron capture therapy. Exploring the history of gel dosimeters, this paper sets out to study their role in the boron neutron capture therapy dosimetric process. - Highlights: • Gel dosimeters have been investigated. • Conventional dosimetric proses of BNCT has been investigated. • Role of gel dosimeters in BNCT has been investigated

Fluoride gels for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Marinho, Valeria C C; Worthington, Helen V; Walsh, Tanya; Chong, Lee Yee

2015-06-15

children up to 16 years. The frequency of application had to be at least once a year, and study duration at least one year. The main outcome was caries increment measured by the change in decayed, missing and filled tooth surfaces in both permanent and primary teeth (D(M)FS and d(e/m)fs). At least two review authors independently performed study selection, data extraction and 'Risk of bias' assessment. We contacted study authors for additional information where required. The primary measure of effect was the prevented fraction (PF), that is, the difference in mean caries increments between the treatment and control groups expressed as a percentage of the mean increment in the control group. We performed random-effects meta-analyses where we could pool data. We examined potential sources of heterogeneity in random-effects metaregression analyses. We collected adverse effects information from the included trials. We included 28 trials (3 of which are new trials since the original review), involving 9140 children and adolescents. Most of these trials recruited participants from schools. Most of the studies (20) were at high risk of bias, with 8 at unclear risk of bias.Twenty-five trials (8479 participants) contributed data for meta-analysis on permanent tooth surfaces: the D(M)FS pooled prevented fraction (PF) estimate was 28% (95% confidence intervals (CI) 19% to 36%; P fluoride gel varied according to the type of control group used, with D(M)FS PF on average being 17% (95% CI 3% to 31%; P = 0.018) higher in non-placebo-controlled trials (the reduction in caries was 38% (95% CI 24% to 52%; P toxicity signs and symptoms during the application of the gel (risk difference 0.01, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.02; P = 0.36; with no heterogeneity (P = 36; I(2) = 0%); 490 participants; very low quality evidence). None of the trials reported information on tooth staining, mucosal irritation or allergic reaction. The conclusions of this updated review remain the same as those when it was first

KARAKTERISTIK FUNGSIONAL POLISAKARIDA PEMBENTUK GEL DAUN CINCAU HIJAU (Premna Oblongifolia Merr.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samsu Udayana Nurdin

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The effect of citric acid concentration on functional characteristics of polysaccharide forming gel (PFG of green cincau leaves (Premna Oblongifolia Merr. were evaluated. PFG of green cincau leaves were extracted through the use of citric acid (0,0%, 0,1%, 0,2%, 0,3%, 0,4%, and 0,5% w/v solution, precipitated using ethanol, and  followed by drying of the extracts.  The results showed that increasing of citric acid levels reduced the viscosity, water holding capacity, and bulking capacity of the PFGs. Oil holding capacity and water solubility were not affected by citric acid addition. The addition of 0.0% citric acid produced the highest viscosity, water holding capacity, and bulking capacity suggesting possible uses of the extract as dietary fibre with good laxative effect.   Key Words:  Green cincau leaves, functional characteristic, dietary fibre.

Fast Processing of Sol-Gel TCO

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deelen, J. van; Rem, M.; Arfsten, N.; Buskens, P.P.

2016-01-01

TCOs are usually deposited using sputtering or chemical vapor deposition, which have a yield of typically 50-75%. The sol gel method does not need low pressure and can be done with a high precursor yield in the range of 90 – 100%. Sol gel enables also the TCO function as a planarization or

ANALISA DAYA SERAP SILIKA GEL BERBAHAN DASAR ABU SEKAM PADI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hendriwan Fahmi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Rice husk ash Silica Gel is aproduct which call be used in preventing the humidity by absorbing the water ion on the water andonthe air. This absorbing isbased onthe size, the composition and the total amount ofpolluter which contained on the Silica Gel. The purpose of making this silica gel is to seehow much thiskind of Silica Gel can absorb and compare it to the synthetic one,and also processing rise husk ashto be something useful, Ion water can be absorbed much more by using this natural silica gel if it is compared to the synthetic silica gel. This is because of its capable inabsorbing more –OHand O from water and air. Afterdoing a research with column method, silica gel was beingput in 50 ml water. Fromthis research, natural silica can absorb much more water (0.0010 gr/ml, 0.285 % water level ofweigh in comparing with synthetic one (0.008gr/ml with 0.248 %water level ofweight andsintering (0,007 gr/ml 0.253%water level and non-sintering silica gel contains 39.22 % weight of silica, 30.93 %weight of sintering silica gel, and 33.40 % of the synthetic. More silica and water level, means more total amount of absorbing. This silica gel application is considered with capability ofabsorbing andthe level of the water.

Characterization of a humic gel synthesized from an activated epoxy silica gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbot, C.; Pieri, J.; Durand, J.P.; Goudard, F.; Czerwinski, K.; Vial, M.; Buckau, G.; Kim, J.I.; Moulin, V.

2002-01-01

Purified humic acid has been covalently bound on activated epoxy silica gel particles. Determination of physical properties and chemical properties was conducted in order to characterize the material at different stages of the preparation. FTIR spectra and the PEC of the surface bound humic acid is very similar to that of humic acid starting material. This shows that the humic acid was not deteriorated during the surface binding process. This humic gel can be used as an analogue for sediment associated humic acid, with the advantage that covalently bound humic acid does not desorb, and thus allows for simple species separation between non-complexed and humic bound metal ions in batch and column experiments

Volume phase transitions of cholesteric liquid crystalline gels.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuyama, Akihiko

2015-05-07

We present a mean field theory to describe anisotropic deformations of a cholesteric elastomer without solvent molecules and a cholesteric liquid crystalline gel immersed in isotropic solvents at a thermal equilibrium state. Based on the neoclassical rubber theory of nematic elastomers, we derive an elastic energy and a twist distortion energy, which are important to determine the shape of a cholesteric elastomer (or gel). We demonstrate that when the elastic energy dominates in the free energy, the cholesteric elastomer causes a spontaneous compression in the pitch axis and elongates along the director on the plane perpendicular to the pitch axis. Our theory can qualitatively describe the experimental results of a cholesteric elastomer. We also predict the first-order volume phase transitions and anisotropic deformations of a gel at the cholesteric-isotropic phase transition temperature. Depending on a chirality of a gel, we find a prolate or oblate shape of cholesteric gels.

Volume phase transitions of cholesteric liquid crystalline gels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuyama, Akihiko, E-mail: matuyama@bio.kyutech.ac.jp [Department of Bioscience and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Kawazu 680-4, Iizuka, Fukuoka 820-8502 (Japan)

2015-05-07

We present a mean field theory to describe anisotropic deformations of a cholesteric elastomer without solvent molecules and a cholesteric liquid crystalline gel immersed in isotropic solvents at a thermal equilibrium state. Based on the neoclassical rubber theory of nematic elastomers, we derive an elastic energy and a twist distortion energy, which are important to determine the shape of a cholesteric elastomer (or gel). We demonstrate that when the elastic energy dominates in the free energy, the cholesteric elastomer causes a spontaneous compression in the pitch axis and elongates along the director on the plane perpendicular to the pitch axis. Our theory can qualitatively describe the experimental results of a cholesteric elastomer. We also predict the first-order volume phase transitions and anisotropic deformations of a gel at the cholesteric-isotropic phase transition temperature. Depending on a chirality of a gel, we find a prolate or oblate shape of cholesteric gels.

Laser CT evaluation on normoxic PAGAT gel dosimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, D S; Samuel, E J J; Watanabe, Y

2013-01-01

Optical computed tomography has been shown to be a potentially useful imaging tool for the radiation therapy physicists. In radiation therapy, researchers have used optical CT for the readout of 3D dosimeters. The purpose of this paper is to describe the initial evaluation of a newly fabricated laser CT scanner for 3D gel dosimetry which works using the first generation principle. A normoxic PAGAT (Polyacrylamide Gelatin and Tetrakis) gel is used as a dosimeter for this analysis. When a laser passes through the gel phantom, absorption and scattering of photon take place. The optical attenuation coefficient of the laser can be obtained by measuring its intensity after passing through the gel by a sensor. The scanner motion is controlled by a computer program written in Microsoft Visual C++. Reconstruction and data analysis on the irradiated gel phantom is performed by suitable algorithm using Matlab software.

Optical CT evaluation on normoxic polymer gel dosimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samuel, E. James Jebaseelan

2013-01-01

Optical computed tomography has been shown to be a potentially useful imaging tool for the radiation therapy physicists. In radiation therapy, researchers have used optical CT for the readout of 3D dosimeters. The purpose of this paper is to explicate the initial evaluation of a newly fabricated laser CT scanner for '3D gel dosimetry' which works in the first generation principle. The normoxic PAGAT (Polyacrylamide Gelatin and Tetrakis) gel is used as a dosimeter for this analysis. When laser passes through this gel phantom, absorption and scattering of photon take place. The optical attenuation coefficient of the laser can be obtained by measuring its intensity after passing through the gel by a sensor.The scanner motion is controlled by the program written in Microsoft Visual C++. Reconstruction and data analysis on the irradiated gel phantom is performed by suitable algorithm using Matlab software. (author)

Sol-gel materials for optofluidics - process and applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikkelsen, Morten Bo Lindholm

2011-01-01

This Ph.D. thesis is concerned with the use of sol-gel materials in optofluidic applications and the physics of DNA molecules in nanoconfinement. The bottom-up formation of solid material, which is provided by the sol-gel process, enables control of the chemical composition and porosity...... of the material. At early stages of gelation, thin gel coatings can be structured by nanoimprint lithography, and purely inorganic silica materials can be obtained by subsequent thermal annealing. The sol-gel process thus constitutes a unique method for nanofabrication of silica materials of special properties....... In this work, sol-gel silica is introduced as a new material class for the fabrication of lab-on-a-chip devices for DNA analysis. An imprint process with a rigid, non-permeable stamp was developed, which enabled fabrication of micro- and nanofluidic silica channels in a single process step without use of any...

Non-stationary heat transfer in gels applied to biotehnology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pokusaev Boris

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Unsteady heat transfer in agarose gels of various concentrations was studied in order to make a breakthrough in the technology of 3-D additive bioprinting. Data on the kinetics of the phase transformation was obtained using spectroscopy as a function of temperature during the formation of agarose hydrogel. The dynamics of aging was investigated for gels of different densities. The time dependence of the structural changes was obtained. Particular attention was paid to the changes in the structure of the gel due to the processes of evaporation of the liquid during the gel formation and during long-term storage. Experiments were performed to determine the dynamics of the temperature fields simultaneously with heat flux measurements during the formation of agarose gels from different initial concentrations. A technique based on experimental data for the computations of the thermophysical coefficients of agarose gels was developed.

A method for easily customizable gradient gel electrophoresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Andrew J; Roman, Brandon; Norstrom, Eric

2016-09-15

Gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is a powerful tool for the resolution of polypeptides by relative mobility. Here, we present a simplified method for generating polyacrylamide gradient gels for routine analysis without the need for specialized mixing equipment. The method allows for easily customizable gradients which can be optimized for specific polypeptide resolution requirements. Moreover, the method eliminates the possibility of buffer cross contamination in mixing equipment, and the time and resources saved with this method in place of traditional gradient mixing, or the purchase of pre-cast gels, are noteworthy given the frequency with which many labs use gradient gel SDS-PAGE. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison effect of azithromycin gel 2% with clindamycin gel 1% in patients with acne.

Science.gov (United States)

Mokhtari, Fatemeh; Faghihi, Gita; Basiri, Akram; Farhadi, Sadaf; Nilforoushzadeh, Mohammadali; Behfar, Shadi

2016-01-01

Acne vulgaris is the most common skin disease. Local and systemic antimicrobial drugs are used for its treatment. But increasing resistance of Propionibacterium acnes to antibiotics has been reported. In a double-blind clinical trial, 40 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris were recruited. one side of the face was treated with Clindamycin Gel 1% and the other side with Azithromycin Topical Gel 2% BID for 8 weeks and then they were assessed. Average age was 21. 8 ± 7 years. 82.5% of them were female. Average number of papules, pustules and comedones was similarly reduced in both groups and, no significant difference was observed between the two groups (P > 0.05, repeated measurs ANOVA). The mean indexes of ASI and TLC also significantly decreased during treatment in both groups, no significant difference was observed between the two groups. (P > 0.05, repeated measurs ANOVA). Also, impact of both drugs on papules and pustules was 2-3 times greater than the effect on comedones. Average satisfaction score was not significant between the two groups (P = 0.6, repeated measurs ANOVA). finally, frequency distribution of complications was not significant between the two groups (P > 0.05, Fisher Exact test). Azithromycin gel has medical impact at least similar to Clindamycin Gel in treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris, and it may be consider as suitable drug for resistant acne to conventional topical therapy.

Magneto-dependent stress relaxation of magnetorheological gels

KAUST Repository

Xu, Yangguang; Liu, Taixiang; Liao, G J; Lubineau, Gilles

2017-01-01

The stress relaxation behaviors of magnetorheological (MR) gels under stepwise shear loading are systematically investigated. The particle-enhanced effect, the magneto-induced effect, and the temperature-enhanced effect on the stress relaxation of MR gels are discussed. For further analysis of the magneto-induced stress relaxation mechanism in MR gels, a phenomenological model is established to describe the stress relaxation behavior of the matrix and the magnetic particle chains. All characteristic parameters introduced in the model, i.e. relaxation time, instantaneous modulus, and stable modulus, have well-defined physical meanings and are fitted based on the experimental results. The influence of each parameter on the macroscopic response is discussed and it is found that the relaxation stress induced by the magneto-mechanical coupling effect plays an important role in the stress relaxation process of MR gels.

Magneto-dependent stress relaxation of magnetorheological gels

KAUST Repository

Xu, Yangguang

2017-09-01

The stress relaxation behaviors of magnetorheological (MR) gels under stepwise shear loading are systematically investigated. The particle-enhanced effect, the magneto-induced effect, and the temperature-enhanced effect on the stress relaxation of MR gels are discussed. For further analysis of the magneto-induced stress relaxation mechanism in MR gels, a phenomenological model is established to describe the stress relaxation behavior of the matrix and the magnetic particle chains. All characteristic parameters introduced in the model, i.e. relaxation time, instantaneous modulus, and stable modulus, have well-defined physical meanings and are fitted based on the experimental results. The influence of each parameter on the macroscopic response is discussed and it is found that the relaxation stress induced by the magneto-mechanical coupling effect plays an important role in the stress relaxation process of MR gels.

Maize Arabinoxylan Gels as Protein Delivery Matrices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Luisa Martínez-López

2009-04-01

Full Text Available The laccase induced gelation of maize bran arabinoxylans at 2.5% (w/v in the presence of insulin or β-lactoglobulin at 0.1% (w/v was investigated. Insulin and β-lacto-globulin did not modify either the gel elasticity (9 Pa or the cross-links content (0.03 and 0.015 mg di- and triferulic acids/mg arabinoxylan, respectively. The protein release capability of the gel was also investigated. The rate of protein release from gels was dependent on the protein molecular weight. The apparent diffusion coefficient was 0.99 × 10-7 and 0.79 × 10-7 cm2/s for insulin (5 kDa and β-lactoglobulin (18 kDa, respectively. The results suggest that maize bran arabinoxylan gels can be potential candidates for the controlled release of proteins.

Pulsed field gel electrophoresis a practical guide

CERN Document Server

Birren, Bruce

1993-01-01

Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis: A Practical Guide is the first laboratory manual to describe the theory and practice of this technique. Based on the authors' experience developing pulsed field gel instruments and teaching procedures, this book provides everything a researcher or student needs to know in order to understand and carry out pulsed field gel experiments. Clear, well-tested protocols assume only that users have a basic familiarity with molecular biology. Thorough coverage of useful data, theory, and applications ensures that this book is also a lasting resource for more adv

Polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase expression in four pineapple varieties (Ananas comosus L.) after a chilling injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Raimbault, Astrid-Kim; Marie-Alphonsine, Paul-Alex; Horry, Jean-Pierre; Francois-Haugrin, Madlyn; Romuald, Karell; Soler, Alain

2011-01-12

Pineapple internal browning (IB) is a chilling injury that produces enzymatic browning associated with flesh translucency. Pineapple biodiversity allowed the investigation of how polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities with their different isoforms are involved in the IB mechanism. Fruits of four varieties that expressed IB symptoms differently, Smooth Cayenne (SCay) and the hybrids MD2, Flhoran 41 (Flh 41), and Flhoran 53 (Flh 53), were stressed by cold. The susceptible varieties showed classical brown spots but different patterns of IB, whereas MD2 and controls showed no IB. Enzymatic activities were measured on fruit protein extracts and PPO and POD isoforms separated on mini-gels (PhastSystem). Only PPO activity was significantly enhanced in the presence of IB. Up to six PPO isoforms were identified in the susceptible varieties. PPO was barely detectable in the nonsusceptible variety MD2 and in controls. The number of PPO isoforms and the total PPO activity after chilling are varietal characteristics.

SPI Conformance Gel Applications in Geothermal Zonal Isolation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burns, Lyle [Clean Tech Innovations, Bartlesville, OK (United States)

2017-08-08

Zonal isolation in geothermal injection and producing wells is important while drilling the wells when highly fractured geothermal zones are encountered and there is a need to keep the fluids from interfering with the drilling operation. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) objectives are to advance technologies to make it more cost effective to develop, produce, and monitor geothermal reservoirs and produce geothermal energy. Thus, zonal isolation is critical to well cost, reservoir evaluation and operations. Traditional cementing off of the lost circulation or thief zones during drilling is often done to stem the drilling mud losses. This is an expensive and generally unsuccessful technique losing the potential of the remaining fracture system. Selective placement of strong SPI gels into only the offending fractures can maintain and even improve operational efficiency and resource life. The SPI gel system is a unique silicate based gel system that offers a promising solution to thief zones and conformance problems with water and CO2 floods and potentially geothermal operations. This gel system remains a low viscosity fluid until an initiator (either internal such as an additive or external such as CO2) triggers gelation. This is a clear improvement over current mechanical methods of using packers, plugs, liners and cementing technologies that often severely damage the highly fractured area that is isolated. In the SPI gels, the initiator sets up the fluid into a water-like (not a precipitate) gel and when the isolated zone needs to be reopened, the SPI gel may be removed with an alkaline solution without formation damage occurring. In addition, the SPI gel in commercial quantities is expected to be less expensive than competing mechanical systems and has unique deep placement possibilities. This project seeks to improve upon the SPI gel integrity by modifying the various components to impart temperature stability for use in

Charge-regularized swelling kinetics of polyelectrolyte gels: Elasticity and diffusion

Science.gov (United States)

Sen, Swati; Kundagrami, Arindam

2017-11-01

We apply a recently developed method [S. Sen and A. Kundagrami, J. Chem. Phys. 143, 224904 (2015)], using a phenomenological expression of osmotic stress, as a function of polymer and charge densities, hydrophobicity, and network elasticity for the swelling of spherical polyelectrolyte (PE) gels with fixed and variable charges in a salt-free solvent. This expression of stress is used in the equation of motion of swelling kinetics of spherical PE gels to numerically calculate the spatial profiles for the polymer and free ion densities at different time steps and the time evolution of the size of the gel. We compare the profiles of the same variables obtained from the classical linear theory of elasticity and quantitatively estimate the bulk modulus of the PE gel. Further, we obtain an analytical expression of the elastic modulus from the linearized expression of stress (in the small deformation limit). We find that the estimated bulk modulus of the PE gel decreases with the increase of its effective charge for a fixed degree of deformation during swelling. Finally, we match the gel-front locations with the experimental data, taken from the measurements of charged reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer gels to show an increase in gel-size with charge and also match the same for PNIPAM (uncharged) and imidazolium-based (charged) minigels, which specifically confirms the decrease of the gel modulus value with the increase of the charge. The agreement between experimental and theoretical results confirms general diffusive behaviour for swelling of PE gels with a decreasing bulk modulus with increasing degree of ionization (charge). The new formalism captures large deformations as well with a significant variation of charge content of the gel. It is found that PE gels with large deformation but same initial size swell faster with a higher charge.

Cost Analysis of Treating Neonatal Hypoglycemia with Dextrose Gel.

Science.gov (United States)

Glasgow, Matthew J; Harding, Jane E; Edlin, Richard

2018-04-03

To evaluate the costs of using dextrose gel as a primary treatment for neonatal hypoglycemia in the first 48 hours after birth compared with standard care. We used a decision tree to model overall costs, including those specific to hypoglycemia monitoring and treatment and those related to the infant's length of stay in the postnatal ward or neonatal intensive care unit, comparing the use of dextrose gel for treatment of neonatal hypoglycemia with placebo, using data from the Sugar Babies randomized trial. Sensitivity analyses assessed the impact of dextrose gel cost, neonatal intensive care cost, cesarean delivery rate, and costs of glucose monitoring. In the primary analysis, treating neonatal hypoglycemia using dextrose gel had an overall cost of NZ$6863.81 and standard care (placebo) cost NZ$8178.25; a saving of NZ$1314.44 per infant treated. Sensitivity analyses showed that dextrose gel remained cost saving with wide variations in dextrose gel costs, neonatal intensive care unit costs, cesarean delivery rates, and costs of monitoring. Use of buccal dextrose gel reduces hospital costs for management of neonatal hypoglycemia. Because it is also noninvasive, well tolerated, safe, and associated with improved breastfeeding, buccal dextrose gel should be routinely used for initial treatment of neonatal hypoglycemia. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12608000623392. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electroblotting from Polyacrylamide Gels.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, Aaron; Ursitti, Jeanine A; Mozdzanowski, Jacek; Speicher, David W

2015-11-02

Transferring proteins from polyacrylamide gels onto retentive membranes is now primarily used for immunoblotting. A second application that was quite common up to about a decade ago was electroblotting of proteins for N-terminal and internal sequencing using Edman chemistry. This unit contains procedures for electroblotting proteins from polyacrylamide gels onto a variety of membranes, including polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) and nitrocellulose. In addition to the commonly used tank or wet transfer system, protocols are provided for electroblotting using semidry and dry systems. This unit also describes procedures for eluting proteins from membranes using detergents or acidic extraction with organic solvents for specialized applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Preparation and Properties of Polyester-Based Nanocomposite Gel Coat System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Jawahar

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Nanocomposite gel coat system is prepared using unsaturated polyester resin with aerosil powder, CaCO3, and organoclay. The influence of organoclay addition on mechanical and water barrier properties of gel coat system is studied for different amount (1, 2, and 3 wt % of organoclay. The nanolevel incorporation of organoclay improves the mechanical and water barrier properties of nanocomposite gel coat system. The nanocomposite gel coat system exhibits 55% improvement in tensile modulus and 25% improvement in flexural modulus. There is a 30% improvement in impact property of nanocomposite gel coat system. The dynamic mechanical analysis shows a slight increase in glass transition temperature for nanocomposite gel coat system.

Radiation effect on polystyrene deposited and grafted on silica gel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusama, Y.; Udagawa, A.; Takehisa, M.

1978-01-01

The effect of radiation on polystyrene was studied in the presence and absence of silica gel by molecular weight measurement with gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Polystyrene crosslinked under vacuum in the absence of silica gel, but it either crosslinked or degraded by radiation, depending on the molecular weight of the polymer in the presence of silica gel. part of the deposited polymer bonded to silica gel by radiation; the G value for graft-chain formation is in the range of 0.01 to 0.1. Irradiation of polystyrene grafted on silica gel resulted in degradation of the graft chain because of the transfer of energy from silica gel. The G value for main chain scission was about 2 when graft polymer was irradiated in the absence of homopolymer. The degradation of graft polymer was suppressed when the polymer was irradiated in the presence of homopolymer, and the amount of unextractable polymer from silica gel increased with increasing irradiation. This adds evidence to the estimation that an increase in grafting percent coupled with a slight decrease in molecular weight at a later stage of radiation-induced polymerization of styrene adsorbed on slica gel is due to a secondary effect of radiation on the polymer

Auditory measures of selective and divided attention in young and older adults using single-talker competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Humes, Larry E; Lee, Jae Hee; Coughlin, Maureen P

2006-11-01

In this study, two experiments were conducted on auditory selective and divided attention in which the listening task involved the identification of words in sentences spoken by one talker while a second talker produced a very similar competing sentence. Ten young normal-hearing (YNH) and 13 elderly hearing-impaired (EHI) listeners participated in each experiment. The type of attention cue used was the main difference between experiments. Across both experiments, several consistent trends were observed. First, in eight of the nine divided-attention tasks across both experiments, the EHI subjects performed significantly worse than the YNH subjects. By comparison, significant differences in performance between age groups were only observed on three of the nine selective-attention tasks. Finally, there were consistent individual differences in performance across both experiments. Correlational analyses performed on the data from the 13 older adults suggested that the individual differences in performance were associated with individual differences in memory (digit span). Among the elderly, differences in age or differences in hearing loss did not contribute to the individual differences observed in either experiment.

A zwitterionic gel electrolyte for efficient solid-state supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Xu; Liu, Huili; Yin, Qin; Wu, Junchi; Chen, Pengzuo; Zhang, Guangzhao; Liu, Guangming; Wu, Changzheng; Xie, Yi

2016-01-01

Gel electrolytes have attracted increasing attention for solid-state supercapacitors. An ideal gel electrolyte usually requires a combination of advantages of high ion migration rate, reasonable mechanical strength and robust water retention ability at the solid state for ensuring excellent work durability. Here we report a zwitterionic gel electrolyte that successfully brings the synergic advantages of robust water retention ability and ion migration channels, manifesting in superior electrochemical performance. When applying the zwitterionic gel electrolyte, our graphene-based solid-state supercapacitor reaches a volume capacitance of 300.8 F cm−3 at 0.8 A cm−3 with a rate capacity of only 14.9% capacitance loss as the current density increases from 0.8 to 20 A cm−3, representing the best value among the previously reported graphene-based solid-state supercapacitors, to the best of our knowledge. We anticipate that zwitterionic gel electrolyte may be developed as a gel electrolyte in solid-state supercapacitors. PMID:27225484

One plunge or two?--hand disinfection with alcohol gel.

Science.gov (United States)

Macdonald, Duncan J M; Mckillop, Elisabeth C A; Trotter, Sylvia; Gray, Alastair J R

2006-04-01

To compare health care workers' hand surface coverage using two different volumes of alcohol gel for hand disinfection. and methods. A total of 84 members of staff in our hospital were studied. Subjects were asked to disinfect their hands with alcohol gel containing a clear fluorescent substance. Performance was assessed by using UV light to identify areas which had been missed, and the total surface area missed was calculated. A total of 42 subjects received 3.5 ml of alcohol gel, and 42 age-, sex-, and job-matched subjects received 1.75 ml of alcohol gel. Significantly less area was missed when hand disinfecting with double the volume of alcohol gel; 1.23 versus 6.35% surface area was missed (P disinfection significantly improves the efficiency of coverage of the hands with alcohol gel. This may result in lower bacterial count on the hands and may reduce the spread of nosocomial infections including that of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF COMPOUND ARNEBIAE RADIX MICROEMULSION GEL.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jing; He, Yanping; Gao, Ting; Zhang, Licheng; Zhao, Yuna

2017-01-01

Compound Arnebiae radix oil has been clinically applied to treat burns and scalds for a long time. However, it is unstable and inconvenient to use. The aim of this study was to prepare a compound Arnebiae radix microemulsion gel for transdermal delivery system and evaluate its characteristics. Based on the solubility of Shikonin, the active component of Arnebiae radix and the results of phase studies, adequate ratio of each component in microemulsion was determined. The optimized microemulsion gel was prepared using Carbomer 940. The gels were characterized in terms of appearance, preliminary stability test and the content of Shikonin in the compound Arnebiae radix microemulsion gel with HPLC analysis. The optimized conditions for preparing microemulsion were Tween-80, glycerin, isopropyl myristate (IPM) with the ratio of 6:3:2. The optimal microemulsion gel was obtained with Carbomer 940 (1.0%). The prepared compound Arnebiae radix microemulsion gel showed good stability over time. It is more convenience in application than the previous used formulations.

The Influence of Microgravity on Silica Sol-Gel Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Sibille, L.; Smith, D. D.; Cronise, R.; Hunt, A. J.; Wolfe, D. B.; Snow, L. A.; Oldenberg, S.; Halas, N.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

We discuss space-flight experiments involving the growth of silica particles and gels. The effect of microgravity on the growth of silica particles via the sol-gel route is profound. In four different recipes spanning a large range of the parameter space that typically produces silica nanoparticles in unit-gravity, low-density gel structures were instead formed in microgravity. The particles that did form were generally smaller and more polydisperse than those grown on the ground. These observations suggest that microgravity reduces the particle growth rate, allowing unincorporated species to form aggregates and ultimately gel. Hence microgravity favors the formation of more rarefied structures, providing a bias towards diffusion-limited cluster-cluster aggregation. These results further suggest that in unit gravity, fluid flows and sedimentation can significantly perturb sol-gel substructures prior to gelation and these deleterious perturbations may be "frozen" into the resulting microstructure. Hence, sol-gel pores may be expected to be smaller, more uniform, and less rough when formed in microgravity.

Bioactive materials for biomedical applications using sol-gel technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Radha; Kumar, Ashok

2008-01-01

This review paper focuses on the sol-gel technology that has been applied in many of the potential research areas and highlights the importance of sol-gel technology for preparing bioactive materials for biomedical applications. The versatility of sol-gel chemistry enables us to manipulate the characteristics of material required for particular applications. Sol-gel derived materials have proved to be good biomaterials for coating films and for the construction of super-paramagnetic nanoparticles, bioactive glasses and fiberoptic applicators for various biomedical applications. The introduction of the sol-gel route in a conventional method of preparing implants improves the mechanical strength, biocompatibility and bioactivity of scaffolds and prevents corrosion of metallic implants. The use of organically modified silanes (ORMOSILS) yields flexible and bioactive materials for soft and hard tissue replacement. A novel approach of nitric-oxide-releasing sol-gels as antibacterial coatings for reducing the infection around orthopedic implants has also been discussed

Sol-gel Technology and Advanced Electrochemical Energy Storage Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Chung-tse; Zheng, Haixing

1996-01-01

Advanced materials play an important role in the development of electrochemical energy devices such as batteries, fuel cells, and electrochemical capacitors. The sol-gel process is a versatile solution for use in the fabrication of ceramic materials with tailored stoichiometry, microstructure, and properties. This processing technique is particularly useful in producing porous materials with high surface area and low density, two of the most desirable characteristics for electrode materials. In addition,the porous surface of gels can be modified chemically to create tailored surface properties, and inorganic/organic micro-composites can be prepared for improved material performance device fabrication. Applications of several sol-gel derived electrode materials in different energy storage devices are illustrated in this paper. V2O5 gels are shown to be a promising cathode material for solid state lithium batteries. Carbon aerogels, amorphous RuO2 gels and sol-gel derived hafnium compounds have been studied as electrode materials for high energy density and high power density electrochemical capacitors.

Current and future possibilities of sol-gel process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakka, Sumio

2004-01-01

The sol-gel method is characterized by the low temperature processing. Since this method starts from solutions, the product is essentially nanomaterials. So far, various kinds of microstructures, including dense, porous, hybrid, amorphous and crystalline microstructures have been realized. Accordingly, sol-gel materials cover a wide range of functions, such as optical, electronic, mechanical, chemical and bio-functions. Future perspectives of the sol-gel method are described in the article. (author)

Gel network shampoo formulation and hair health benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, J M; Brown, M A; Felts, T J; Hutton, H D; Vatter, M L; Whitaker, S; Wireko, F C; Styczynski, P B; Li, C; Henry, I D

2017-10-01

The objective of this work was to create a shampoo formula that contains a stable ordered gel network structure that delivers fatty alcohols inside hair. X-ray diffraction (SAXS and WAXS), SEM and DSC have been used to confirm formation of the ordered Lβ gel network with fatty alcohol (cetyl and stearyl alcohols) and an anionic surfactant (SLE1S). Micro-autoradiography and extraction methods using GC-MS were used to confirm penetration of fatty alcohols into hair, and cyclic fatigue testing was used to measure hair strength. In this work, evidence of a stable Lβ ordered gel network structure created from cetyl and stearyl alcohols and anionic surfactant (SLE1S) is presented, and this is confirmed via scanning electron microscopy images showing lamella layers and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showing new melting peaks vs the starting fatty alcohols. Hair washed for 16 repeat cycles with this shampoo showed penetration of fatty alcohols from the gel network into hair as confirmed by a differential extraction method with GC-MS and by radiolabelling of stearyl alcohol and showing its presence inside hair cross-sections. The gel network role in delivering fatty alcohol inside hair is demonstrated by comparing with a shampoo with added fatty alcohol not in an ordered gel network structure. The hair containing fatty alcohol was measured via the Dia-stron cyclic fatigue instrument and showed a significantly higher number of cycles to break vs control. The formation of a stable gel network was confirmed in the formulated shampoo, and it was demonstrated that this gel network is important to deliver cetyl and stearyl alcohols into hair. The presence of fatty alcohol inside hair was shown to deliver a hair strength benefit via cyclic fatigue testing. © 2017 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

Preparation of 99Mo/99mTc generators based on 99Mo zirconium molybdates in the Gel Synthesis Device for Generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez M, I. Z.; Monroy G, F.; Rivero G, T.; Rojas N, P.

2008-01-01

The 99m Tc is used for diagnosis and therapy. It is produced commercially from 99 Mo obtained from the fission of 235 U, which is retained in chromatographic columns filled with alumina whose maximum capacity is 0.2%. Given these constraints new methods of preparation 99 Mo/ 99m Tc generators have been developed using zirconium molybdates gels containing up to 30% of Mo, which is part of the generator matrix, and retaining quality and purity similar characteristics to those commercial generators. The present study aims to determine the flow of agitation, temperature and drying time optimal to prepare 99 Mo/ 99m Tc generators based on 99 Mo zirconium molybdates in the Gel Synthesis Device 99 Mo/ 99m Tc Generators designed and built by groups of the Radioactive Materials Research Laboratory and Automation and Instrumentation Department of the National Institute of Nuclear Research. (Author)

Kinetics of swelling of polyelectrolyte gels: Fixed degree of ionization

Science.gov (United States)

Sen, Swati; Kundagrami, Arindam

2015-12-01

The swelling kinetics of uncharged and charged polymer (polyelectrolyte) gels in salt-free conditions is studied in one dimension by solving the constitutive equation of motion (Newton's law for the elementary gel volume) of the displacement variable by two theoretical methods: one in which the classical definition of stress is used with the bulk modulus taken as a parameter, and the other in which a phenomenological expression of the osmotic stress as a function of polymer density and degree of ionization is taken as an input to the dynamics. The time-evolution profiles for spatially varying polymer density and stress, along with the location of the gel-solvent interface, are obtained from the two methods. We show that both the polymer density (volume fraction) and stress inside the gel follow expected behaviours of being maximum for the uniformly shrunken gel, and relaxing slowly to the lowest values as the gel approaches equilibrium. We further show that, by comparing the temporal profiles of the gel-solvent interface and other variables between the two methods, one may attempt to assign an effective bulk modulus to the polyelectrolyte gel as a function of the degree of ionization and other parameters of the gel such as hydrophobicity, cross-link density, and the temperature. The major result we get is that the effective bulk modulus of a polyelectrolyte gel increases monotonically with its degree of ionization. In the process of identifying the parameters for a monotonic swelling, we calculated using a well-known expression of the free energy the equilibrium results of two-phase co-existence and the critical point of a polyelectrolyte gel with a fixed degree of ionization.

Sol-gel process for the manufacture of high power switches

Science.gov (United States)

Landingham, Richard L.; Satcher, Jr, Joe; Reibold, Robert

2016-09-27

According to one embodiment, a photoconductive semiconductor switch includes a structure of nanopowder of a high band gap material, where the nanopowder is optically transparent, and where the nanopowder has a physical characteristic of formation from a sol-gel process. According to another embodiment, a method includes mixing a sol-gel precursor compound, a hydroxy benzene and an aldehyde in a solvent thereby creating a mixture, causing the mixture to gel thereby forming a wet gel, drying the wet gel to form a nanopowder, and applying a thermal treatment to form a SiC nanopowder.

Buckling of paramagnetic chains in soft gels

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shilin; Pessot, Giorgio; Cremer, Peet; Weeber, Rudolf; Holm, Christian; Nowak, Johannes; Odenbach, Stefan; Menzel, Andreas M.; Auernhammer, Günter K.

We study the magneto-elastic coupling behavior of paramagnetic chains in soft polymer gels exposed to external magnetic fields. To this end, a laser scanning confocal microscope is used to observe the morphology of the paramagnetic chains together with the deformation field of the surrounding gel network. The paramagnetic chains in soft polymer gels show rich morphological shape changes under oblique magnetic fields, in particular a pronounced buckling deformation. The details of the resulting morphological shapes depend on the length of the chain, the strength of the external magnetic field, and the modulus of the gel. Based on the observation that the magnetic chains are strongly coupled to the surrounding polymer network, a simplified model is developed to describe their buckling behavior. A coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation model featuring an increased matrix stiffness on the surfaces of the particles leads to morphologies in agreement with the experimentally observed buckling effects.

Structure of chitosan thermosensitive gels containing graphene oxide

Science.gov (United States)

Tylman, Michał; Pieklarz, Katarzyna; Owczarz, Piotr; Maniukiewicz, Waldemar; Modrzejewska, Zofia

2018-06-01

The supramolecular hydrogels of chitosan and graphene oxide (GO) have been prepared at temperature of the human body, by controlling the concentration of GO and ratio of chitosan to GO. During the preparation of gels the sodium β-glycerophosphate (Na-β-GP) was used as a neutralizing agent. The structure of obtained gels was determined on the basis of FTIR spectra and XRD diffraction patterns. The results of structural studies have been referenced to gels without graphene oxide. It was found that the gels crystalline structure after the addition of GO does not change. The XRD diffraction patterns are characterized by a number of peaks associated with precipitated NaCl during drying and presence of sodium β-glycerophosphate.

Effect of temperature on internal structure of uranyl gels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landspersky, H.; Urbanek, V.

1983-01-01

Tempering freshly prepared uranyl gel serves the homogenization of the volume of the individual spheres and the whole volume of the processed material. Tempering is carried out at a temperature of 90 degC in a special countercurrent through-flow column. The tempered gel particles were analyzed for specific surface and porosity using different methods, subjected to phase analysis, and the crystallite mean size was determined. It was found that the quality of the final gel depends on the residence time in the tempering column. Gel recrystallization probably takes place during tempering leading to stress and cracks which in the final stage lead to the disintegration of the xerogel. Maximum permissible gel residence time in the tempering column is 15 mins. (M.D.)

Effect of DCCA on synthesis of inorganic mesoporous gels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemancha, A.R.

2004-01-01

Full text.The porous texture of the monolith inorganic gels plays an important role in the utilization of porous material by control of several properties such as gas diffusion, thermal stability, mechanical strength. the sol gel process provides many possibilities to manufacture porous material with extremely low concentration of impurities at low sinter temperature. The serious problem in the production of the monolith gels is fracture and crack formation which may occur in the conversion of the wet gels to dry gels. This phenomenon is probably due to the capillary forces which appear during the drying steps. in order to reduce the effect of capillary forces a number of methods were applied (hyper critic drying, organic DCCAs). The purpose of the present work, is to understand the chemical changes that result from adding formamide as drying control chemical additives DCCA to the colloidal silica sols in the presence of acid catalyst. Fourier Transformed Infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the influence of formamide on gel formation. The Nitrogen adsorption-desorption technique is used to investigate the effect of formamide on gel texture. The results show that the gels with formamide are monolith and obtained during a short time of gelling reaction, the silica particles link formation depend strongly on the formamide concentration. the BET and BJH results show that the presence of formamide promotes the creation of meso porous texture depending on formamide/silica molar ratio in the starting sol. The maximum average diameter of the obtained gel reaches a value close to 25 nm with a bulk density equal to 1.1 g/cm 3

Effect of defect on the nonlinear and dielectric property of Ca(1–x)SrxCu3Ti4O12 ceramics synthesized by sol–gel process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Tao; Liu, Dewei; Dai, Haiyang; Xiang, Huiwen; Chen, Zhenping; He, Huifang; Chen, Zhiquan

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Ca (1−x) Sr x Cu 3 Ti 4 O 12 ceramics are synthesized by sol–gel process. • Positron annihilation lifetime spectra is used to investigate the defects of samples. • Nonlinear and dielectric properties are controlled by density and defects of samples. - Abstract: Ca (1−x) Sr x Cu 3 Ti 4 O 12 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4) ceramics are synthesized by sol–gel process. The XRD patterns show that weak peaks of Sr 4 Ti 3 O 10 , TiO 2 and Ca 1.7 Sr 0.3 CuO 3 begin to appear at x ⩾ 0.2. Sr-doping is conductive to increase the density and reduce the defect concentration Ca (1−x) Sr x Cu 3 Ti 4 O 12 ceramics as x ⩽ 0.15. With increasing x (0.2 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.4), Sr-doping reduces the density and enhances the concentration of defects for the ceramics. The nonlinear coefficient value increases and reaches a maximum 13.5 at x = 0.15, and then decreases gradually with increasing x. The dielectric properties demonstrate that, as x ⩽ 0.15, Sr-doping not only increases the dielectric permittivity value and decreases the dielectric loss but also reduces the dependence on frequency at low frequencies. With increasing x (0.2 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.4), Sr-doping begins to lead to an inverse result in dielectric behaviors. The nonlinear and dielectric properties of Ca (1−x) Sr x Cu 3 Ti 4 O 12 ceramics are directly controlled by the density and defects

Sol-gel-based biosensing applied to medicinal science.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Felismina T C; Moreira-Tavares, Ana P; Sales, M Goreti F

2015-01-01

Biosensors have opened new horizons in biomedical analysis, by ensuring increased assay speed and flexibility, and allowing point-of-care applications, multi-target analyses, automation and reduced costs of testing. This has been a result of many studies merging nanotechnology with biochemistry over the years, thereby enabling the creation of more suitable environments to biological receptors and their substitution by synthetic analogue materials. Sol-gel chemistry, among other materials, is deeply involved in this process. Sol-gel processing allows the immobilization of organic molecules, biomacromolecules and cells maintaining their properties and activities, permitting their integration into different transduction devices, of electrochemical or optical nature, for single or multiple analyses. Sol-gel also allows to the production of synthetic materials mimicking the activity of natural receptors, while bringing advantages, mostly in terms of cost and stability. Moreover, the biocompatibility of sol-gel materials structures of biological nature allowed the use of these materials in emerging in vivo applications. In this chapter, biosensors for biomedical applications based on sol-gel derived composites are presented, compared and described, along with current emerging applications in vivo, concerning drug delivery or biomaterials. Sol-gel materials are shown as a promising tool for current, emerging and future medical applications.

Growth and characterization of calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate crystals from single diffusion gel technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rajendran, K.; Dale Keefe, C. [Department of Chemistry, Cape Breton University, Sydney, Nova Scotia (Canada)

2010-09-15

Calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate (CaHPO{sub 4}.2H{sub 2}O, CHPD) a dissolved mineral in urine is known to cause renal or bladder stones in both human and animals. Growth of CHPD or brushite using sodium metasilicate gel techniques followed by light and polarizing microscopic studies revealed its structural and morphological details. Crystal identity by powder x-ray diffraction confirmed the FT-IR and FT-Raman spectroscopic techniques as alternate methods for fast analysis of brushite crystals which could form as one type of renal stones. P-O-P asymmetric stretchings in both FT-IR (987.2, 874.1 and 792 cm{sup -1}) and FT-Raman (986.3 cm{sup -1}, 1057.6 cm{sup -1} and 875.2 cm{sup -1}) were found as characteristics of brushite crystals. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis revealed brushite crystallization purity using gel method by studying their endothermic peaks. This study incorporated a multidisciplinary approach in characterizing CHPD crystals grown in vitro to help formulate prevention or dissolution strategy in controlling urinary stone growth. Initial studies with 0.2 M citric acid ions as controlling agent in the nucleation of brushite crystals further support the presented approach. (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Photopatterned free-standing polyacrylamide gels for microfluidic protein electrophoresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Duncombe, Todd A; Herr, Amy E

2013-06-07

Designed for compatibility with slab-gel polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) reagents and instruments, we detail development of free-standing polyacrylamide gel (fsPAG) microstructures supporting electrophoretic performance rivalling that of microfluidic platforms. For the protein electrophoresis study described here, fsPAGE lanes are comprised of a sample reservoir and contiguous separation gel. No enclosed microfluidic channels are employed. The fsPAG devices (120 μm tall) are directly photopatterned atop of and covalently attached to planar polymer or glass surfaces. Leveraging the fast prototype-test cycle - significantly faster than mold based fabrication techniques - we optimize the fsPAG architecture to minimize injection dispersion for rapid (prototyping of the fsPAGE provides researchers a powerful tool for developing custom analytical assays. We highlight the utility of assay customization by fabricating a polyacrylamide gel with a spatial pore-size distribution and demonstrate the resulting enhancement in separation performance over a uniform gel. Further, we up-scale from a unit separation to an array of 96 concurrent fsPAGE assays in 10 min run time driven by one electrode pair. The fsPAG array layout matches that of a 96-well plate to facilitate integration of the planar free standing gel array with multi-channel pipettes while remaining compatible with conventional slab-gel PAGE reagents, such as staining for label-free protein detection. Notably, the entire fsPAGE workflow from fabrication, to operation, and readout uses readily available materials and instruments - making this technique highly accessible.

Serum release boosts sweetness intensity in gels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sala, G.; Stieger, M.A.; Velde, van de F.

2010-01-01

This paper describes the effect of serum release on sweetness intensity in mixed whey protein isolate/gellan gum gels. The impact of gellan gum and sugar concentration on microstructure, permeability, serum release and large deformation properties of the gels was determined. With increasing gellan

Dosimetric evaluation of a novel polymer gel dosimeter for proton therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeidan, O. A.; Sriprisan, S. I.; Lopatiuk-Tirpak, O.; Kupelian, P. A.; Meeks, S. L.; Hsi, W. C.; Li, Z.; Palta, J. R.; Maryanski, M. J. [M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando, Orlando, Florida 32806 (United States); University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute, Jacksonville, Florida 32206 (United States); MGS Research, Inc., Madison, Connecticut 06443 (United States)

2010-05-15

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the dosimetric performance of a newly developed proton-sensitive polymer gel formulation for proton therapy dosimetry. Methods: Using passive scattered modulated and nonmodulated proton beams, the dose response of the gel was assessed. A next-generation optical CT scanner is used as the readout mechanism of the radiation-induced absorbance in the gel medium. Comparison of relative dose profiles in the gel to ion chamber profiles in water is performed. A simple and easily reproducible calibration protocol is established for routine gel batch calibrations. Relative stopping power ratio measurement of the gel medium was performed to ensure accurate water-equivalent depth dose scaling. Measured dose distributions in the gel were compared to treatment planning system for benchmark irradiations and quality of agreement is assessed using clinically relevant gamma index criteria. Results: The dosimetric response of the gel was mapped up to 600 cGy using an electron-based calibration technique. Excellent dosimetric agreement is observed between ion chamber data and gel. The most notable result of this work is the fact that this gel has no observed dose quenching in the Bragg peak region. Quantitative dose distribution comparisons to treatment planning system calculations show that most (>97%) of the gel dose maps pass the 3%/3 mm gamma criterion. Conclusions: This study shows that the new proton-sensitive gel dosimeter is capable of reproducing ion chamber dose data for modulated and nonmodulated Bragg peak beams with different clinical beam energies. The findings suggest that the gel dosimeter can be used as QA tool for millimeter range verification of proton beam deliveries in the dosimeter medium.

Dosimetric evaluation of a novel polymer gel dosimeter for proton therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeidan, O. A.; Sriprisan, S. I.; Lopatiuk-Tirpak, O.; Kupelian, P. A.; Meeks, S. L.; Hsi, W. C.; Li, Z.; Palta, J. R.; Maryanski, M. J.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the dosimetric performance of a newly developed proton-sensitive polymer gel formulation for proton therapy dosimetry. Methods: Using passive scattered modulated and nonmodulated proton beams, the dose response of the gel was assessed. A next-generation optical CT scanner is used as the readout mechanism of the radiation-induced absorbance in the gel medium. Comparison of relative dose profiles in the gel to ion chamber profiles in water is performed. A simple and easily reproducible calibration protocol is established for routine gel batch calibrations. Relative stopping power ratio measurement of the gel medium was performed to ensure accurate water-equivalent depth dose scaling. Measured dose distributions in the gel were compared to treatment planning system for benchmark irradiations and quality of agreement is assessed using clinically relevant gamma index criteria. Results: The dosimetric response of the gel was mapped up to 600 cGy using an electron-based calibration technique. Excellent dosimetric agreement is observed between ion chamber data and gel. The most notable result of this work is the fact that this gel has no observed dose quenching in the Bragg peak region. Quantitative dose distribution comparisons to treatment planning system calculations show that most (>97%) of the gel dose maps pass the 3%/3 mm gamma criterion. Conclusions: This study shows that the new proton-sensitive gel dosimeter is capable of reproducing ion chamber dose data for modulated and nonmodulated Bragg peak beams with different clinical beam energies. The findings suggest that the gel dosimeter can be used as QA tool for millimeter range verification of proton beam deliveries in the dosimeter medium.

The Effect of a Combination of Diclofenac and Methadone Applied as Gel in a Human Experimental Pain Model- A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Isabelle M; Drewes, Asbjørn M; Olesen, Anne E

2018-01-01

should be low. We hypothesized that anti-allodynic and anti-hyperalgesic effects of Diclometh could be demonstrated in a human experimental pain model, and that Diclometh would be safe to administer. Thus, the aims were: 1) To compare two doses of Diclometh versus placebo; 2) To assess the safety profile...... of Diclometh. The study was a cross-over, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled comparison of two doses of Diclometh gel (0.1% and 0.2%) administered topically in healthy participants. Nerve growth factor (NGF) and capsaicin intradermal injections were used as human pain models. Pressure stimulation...... of anti-allodynic effect of Diclometh 0.2% was found. Additionally, it was demonstrated that Diclometh was safe to use. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved....

DNA DAMAGE QUANTITATION BY ALKALINE GEL ELECTROPHORESIS.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

SUTHERLAND,B.M.; BENNETT,P.V.; SUTHERLAND, J.C.

2004-03-24

Physical and chemical agents in the environment, those used in clinical applications, or encountered during recreational exposures to sunlight, induce damages in DNA. Understanding the biological impact of these agents requires quantitation of the levels of such damages in laboratory test systems as well as in field or clinical samples. Alkaline gel electrophoresis provides a sensitive (down to {approx} a few lesions/5Mb), rapid method of direct quantitation of a wide variety of DNA damages in nanogram quantities of non-radioactive DNAs from laboratory, field, or clinical specimens, including higher plants and animals. This method stems from velocity sedimentation studies of DNA populations, and from the simple methods of agarose gel electrophoresis. Our laboratories have developed quantitative agarose gel methods, analytical descriptions of DNA migration during electrophoresis on agarose gels (1-6), and electronic imaging for accurate determinations of DNA mass (7-9). Although all these components improve sensitivity and throughput of large numbers of samples (7,8,10), a simple version using only standard molecular biology equipment allows routine analysis of DNA damages at moderate frequencies. We present here a description of the methods, as well as a brief description of the underlying principles, required for a simplified approach to quantitation of DNA damages by alkaline gel electrophoresis.

PORFLOW Simulations Supporting Saltstone Disposal Unit Design Optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flach, G. P. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Hang, T. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Taylor, G. A. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2015-12-10

SRNL was requested by SRR to perform PORFLOW simulations to support potential cost-saving design modifications to future Saltstone Disposal Units in Z-Area (SRR-CWDA-2015-00120). The design sensitivity cases are defined in a modeling input specification document SRR-CWDA-2015-00133 Rev. 1. A high-level description of PORFLOW modeling and interpretation of results are provided in SRR-CWDA-2015-00169. The present report focuses on underlying technical issues and details of PORFLOW modeling not addressed by the input specification and results interpretation documents. Design checking of PORFLOW modeling is documented in SRNL-L3200-2015-00146.

Comparative study of 99Mo/99mTc generators at base of synthesized gels starting from 99Mo of activation and of fission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez M, I.Z.; Monroy G, F.; Rivero G, T.; Rojas N, P.

2007-01-01

At the present time the more used and diffused radionuclide in nuclear medicine it is the Technetium 99 metastable ( 99 mTc) it is used for diagnostic and therapy. It is produced starting from molybdenum 99 ( 99 Mo), which is absorbed in chromatographic columns, loaded with alumina that absorb only 0.2% of 99 Mo situation that forces to use high specific activities of 99 Mo that it is obtained starting from the fission of the 235 U. Given these conditions and limitations, new preparation procedures of 99 Mo/ 99m Tc generators, of low or medium specific activity, its have been developed, using gels of zirconium molybdates that incorporates until 30% in weight of 99 Mo in the gel, and also conserve similar characteristics of quality and purity that those obtained by the traditional generator; reducing by this way the cost of production of the 99m Tc, when using 99 Mo of low specific activity, in the preparation of 99 Mo/ 99m Tc generators. The radiochemical characteristics of the elution of 99m Tc, depends strongly on the gel preparation conditions. In particular, the present work has for object to determine the influence of the used type of 99 Mo, fission or activation product, during the gels synthesis, as well as the used air flow for the agitation in the gels preparation and its influence in the quality of the 99 Mo/ 99m Tc generators. When diminishing the agitation air flow the efficiency it increases and in the radionuclide purity of the eluates and when using 99 Mo of fission for the gels production it increases in an important way the elution efficiency, the radiochemical purity and radionuclide of the eluates of 99m Tc. (Author)

Gellan gum fluid gels for topical administration of diclofenac.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahdi, Mohammed H; Conway, Barbara R; Mills, Thomas; Smith, Alan M

2016-12-30

Diclofenac topical formulations are often preferred for drug administration to patients who experience serious GIT problems. Absorption of the drug through the skin, however, can be challenging due to the natural protective feature of the stratum corneum (SC). In this article, fluid gels prepared from gellan gum were explored as a topical drug delivery vehicle. Rheological analysis of the formulations showed that it was possible to produce a topical gel with a viscosity and the mechanical strength similar to that of the commercially available Voltaren ® gel using 1% w/w of a 50:50 low acyl/high acyl (LA/HA) gellan blend. Soft-tribology was used to assess the lubrication properties of gellan fluid gels. The lubrication of the gellan gum fluid gel formulations at high rubbing speeds was similar to the lubrication of the Voltaren ® gel. The use of gellan gum dramatically increased skin permeation of diclofenac when compared with the commercially available formulation and could be controlled by changing the gellan gum concentration and/or sodium ion concentration in the formulation. This study highlights the potential use of fluid gels that can be easily tuned to have physical properties suitable for topical formulations with the added advantage of increasing drug permeation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Western Blot of Stained Proteins from Dried Polyacrylamide Gels

Science.gov (United States)

Gruber, Claudia; Stan-Lotter, Helga

1996-01-01

Western blotting of proteins is customarily performed following their separation on polyacrylamide gels, either prior to staining (1) or, as recently reported, following staining (2). We describe here Western blotting with stained gels, which had been dried and some of which had been stored for years. This procedure permits immunological analysis of proteins, to which antisera may have become available only later, or where the application of newly developed sensitive detection methods is desired. Once rehydration of the gels is achieved, proteins can be-transferred to blotting membranes by any appropriate protocol. Proteins stained with Coomassie Blue have to be detected with a non-chromogenic method, such as the film-based enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL)2) procedure (3). Silver stained proteins, which transfer in the colorless form, may be visualized by any detection method, although, because of the usually very low amounts of proteins, detection by ECL is preferable. Blotting of stained proteins from rehydrated gels is as rapid and as quantitative as from freshly prepared gels, in contrast to blotting from wet stained gels, which requires extensive washing and results in low transfer efficiency (2). Together with a photographic record of the gel pattern, unambiguous identification of immunoreactive proteins from complex mixtures is possible. Some further applications of this work are discussed.

Antimicrobial activity and the mechanism of silver nanoparticle thermosensitive gel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen M

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Meiwan Chen1,2,‡, Zhiwen Yang1,‡, Hongmei Wu1, Xin Pan1, Xiaobao Xie3, Chuanbin Wu11Research and Development Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; 2State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China; 3Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, Guangzhou, China ‡These authors contributed equally to this workPurpose: The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the antimicrobial activity and mechanism of silver nanoparticles incorporated into thermosensitive gel (S-T-Gel on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Patients and methods: This study investigated the growth, permeability, and morphology of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells in order to observe the action of S-T-Gel on the membrane structure of these three bacteria. The cell morphology of normal and treated bacteria cells was assessed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM, and the effects of S-T-Gel on genome DNA of bacterial cells were evaluated by agarose gel electrophoresis.Results: S-T-Gel showed promising activity against Staphylococcus aureus and moderate activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The observation with TEM suggested that S-T-Gel may destroy the structure of bacterial cell membranes in order to enter the bacterial cell. S-T-Gel then condensed DNA and combined and coagulated with the cytoplasm of the damaged bacteria, resulting in the leakage of the cytoplasmic component and the eventual death of these three bacteria. In addition, the analysis of agarose gel electrophoresis demonstrated that S-T-Gel could increase the decomposability of genome DNA.Conclusion: These results about promising antimicrobial activity and mechanism of S-T-Gel may be useful for further research

Organization versus frustration: low temperature transitions in a gelatine-based gel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Philipp, M; Mueller, U; Sanctuary, R; Baller, J; Krueger, J K [Laboratoire de Physique des Materiaux, Universite du Luxembourg, 162A, avenue de la Faiencerie, L-1511 (Luxembourg)], E-mail: martine.philipp@uni.lu

2008-09-15

A commercial physical gel composed of gelatine, water and glycerol shows a sol-gel transition which has been resolved by optical rotation measurements by step-wise heating the gel. This transition is not observable in the longitudinal acoustic mode measured at hypersonic frequencies with Brillouin spectroscopy. Depending on the thermal treatment of the investigated material during the sol-gel transition and within the gel state, Brillouin spectroscopy reflects tremendously different hypersonic dynamics. These distinct dynamics are responsible for the formation of different glassy states at low temperatures including that of a glass-ceramic. The large variety of super-cooled and glassy states is attributed to distinct distributions of the gel's constituents within the samples. Surprisingly, the same gel state can be produced either by annealing the gel over months or by the non-equilibrium effect of thermo-diffusion (Soret effect) in the course of some minutes.

Self-Healing Corrosion Protective Sol-Gel Coatings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abdolah Zadeh, M.

2016-01-01

Inspired by the state of the art and the recent advances in the field of self-healing corrosion protective coatings, the thesis entitled “Self-healing corrosion protective sol-gel coatings” addresses novel routes to self-healing corrosion protective sol-gel coatings via extrinsic and intrinsic

Sol-gel optical coatings for lasers: Part 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Floch, H.G.; Belleville, P.F.; Priotton, J.J.

1995-01-01

Many manufacturers and users claim that optical coatings are best prepared by physical vapor deposition technology. Others believe that sol-gel technology is an effective and competitive alternative. This article, the first of three, emphasizes sol-gel thin-film history and relates it to high-power laser technology, chemistry of the sol-gel process, production of optical coatings and deposition techniques. The second and third articles describe the preparation and performance of antireflective and highly reflective sol-gel optical coatings, respectively, that have been developed for the 1.8-MJ/500-TW (351-nm) pulsed neodymium-glass laser. This powerful laser is to be used in France's Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) program. It will demonstrate, at the laboratory scale, ignition of deuterium-tritium fusion fuel

The role of quench rate in colloidal gels.

Science.gov (United States)

Royall, C Patrick; Malins, Alex

2012-01-01

Interactions between colloidal particles have hitherto usually been fixed by the suspension composition. Recent experimental developments now enable the control of interactions in situ. Here we use Brownian dynamics simulations to investigate the effect of controlling interactions upon gelation, by "quenching" the system from an equilibrium fluid to a gel. We find that, contrary to the normal case of an instantaneous quench, where the local structure of the gel is highly disordered, controlled quenching results in a gel with a much higher degree of local order. Under sufficiently slow quenching, local crystallisation is found, which is strongly enhanced when a monodisperse system is used. The higher the degree of local order, the smaller the mean squared displacement, indicating an enhancement of gel stability.

Ageing of uranyl gel spherical particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benadik, A.; Urbanek, V.; Vosecek, V.; Skvor, V.

1978-01-01

The structure and chemical composition of U(VI) gel are described and the course of crystal growth in ageing process at 22+-2 degC was found. Store conditions of probes had no influence on crystal growth rate. However, the way of probe storage influenced the quality and appearance of the xerogel obtained by drying via azeotropic distillation. The gel particles stored under trichloroethylene had a good appearance also after storing for 44 hours long. Particles stored in air saturated with H 2 O and NH 3 showed a worse appearance already after 20 hours. After 70 hours particles of spiny form were found. The worst particles were those stored under a trichloroethylene-ethylalcohol mixture. For storing purposes trichloroethylene was recommended as the most appropriate medium of gel protection. (author)

40 CFR 62.02 - Introduction.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Introduction. 62.02 Section 62.02 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS General Provisions § 62.02 Introduction...

Topical Colchicine Gel versus Diclofenac Sodium Gel for the Treatment of Actinic Keratoses: A Randomized, Double-Blind Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Faghihi, Gita; Elahipoor, Azam; Iraji, Fariba; Behfar, Shadi; Abtahi-Naeini, Bahareh

2016-01-01

Introduction. Actinic keratoses (AKs), a premalignant skin lesion, are a common lesion in fair skin. Although destructive treatment remains the gold standard for AKs, medical therapies may be preferable due to the comfort and reliability .This study aims to compare the effects of topical 1% colchicine gel and 3% diclofenac sodium gel in AKs. Materials and Methods. In this randomized double-blind study, 70 lesions were selected. Patients were randomized before receiving either 1% colchicine gel or 3% diclofenac sodium cream twice a day for 6 weeks. Patients were evaluated in terms of their lesion size, treatment complications, and recurrence at 7, 30, 60, and 120 days after treatment. Results. The mean of changes in the size was significant in both groups both before and after treatment ( 0.05). No case of erythema was seen in the colchicine group, while erythema was seen in 22.9% (eight cases) of patients in the diclofenac sodium group (p = 0.005). Conclusions. 1% colchicine gel was a safe and effective medication with fewer side effects and lack of recurrence of the lesion.

Topical Colchicine Gel versus Diclofenac Sodium Gel for the Treatment of Actinic Keratoses: A Randomized, Double-Blind Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gita Faghihi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Actinic keratoses (AKs, a premalignant skin lesion, are a common lesion in fair skin. Although destructive treatment remains the gold standard for AKs, medical therapies may be preferable due to the comfort and reliability .This study aims to compare the effects of topical 1% colchicine gel and 3% diclofenac sodium gel in AKs. Materials and Methods. In this randomized double-blind study, 70 lesions were selected. Patients were randomized before receiving either 1% colchicine gel or 3% diclofenac sodium cream twice a day for 6 weeks. Patients were evaluated in terms of their lesion size, treatment complications, and recurrence at 7, 30, 60, and 120 days after treatment. Results. The mean of changes in the size was significant in both groups both before and after treatment ( 0.05. No case of erythema was seen in the colchicine group, while erythema was seen in 22.9% (eight cases of patients in the diclofenac sodium group (p = 0.005. Conclusions. 1% colchicine gel was a safe and effective medication with fewer side effects and lack of recurrence of the lesion.

Screen-printable sol-gel enzyme-containing carbon inks.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, J; Pamidi, P V; Park, D S

1996-08-01

Enzymes usually cannot withstand the high-temperature curing associated with the thick-film fabrication process and require a separate immobilization step in connection with the production of single-use biosensors. We report on the development of sol-gel-derived enzyme-containing carbon inks that display compatibility with the screen-printing process. Such coupling of sol-gel and thick-film technologies offers a one-step fabrication of disposable enzyme electrodes, as it obviates the need for thermal curing. The enzyme-containing sol-gel carbon ink, prepared by dispersing the biocatalyst, along with the graphite powder and a binder, within the sol-gel precursors, is cured very rapidly (10 min) at low temperature (4 °C). The influence of the ink preparation conditions is explored, and the sensor performance is evaluated in connection with the incorporation of glucose oxidase or horseradish peroxidase. The resulting strips are stable for at least 3 months. Such sol-gel-derived carbon inks should serve as hosts for other heat-sensitive biomaterials in connection with the microfabrication of various thick-film biosensors.

Light scattering from a binary-liquid entanglement gel

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, K.-Q.; Maher, J. V.

1987-09-01

Light-scattering experiments have been carried out on an entanglement gel with a binary-liquid mixture as solvent. The onset temperature for critical opalescence has a composition dependence which is similar to the coexistence curve of the free-liquid mixture. This system resembles previously reported work on the cross-linked gel polyacrylamide in two ways: (1) As temperature is lowered toward the critical temperature of the free-liquid mixture, the binary-fluid gel exhibits a strong and increasing light scattering over a broad temperature region of several kelvins, and (2) no appreciable temporal fluctuations are observed throughout this temperature region. Two added features are observed in the present, entanglement-gel measurements: (a) Gel samples with solvent composition both near and off the critical composition of the free-liquid mixture exhibit similar light-scattering behavior, and (b) a Lorentzian-squared fit to the light-scattering angular distributions yields a characteristic wave number which does not change with temperature and an amplitude which shows a very strong dependence on the temperature.

Cellulose gels produced in room temperature ionic liquids by ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Atsushi; Nagasawa, Naotsugu; Taguchi, Mitsumasa

2014-01-01

Cellulose-based gels were produced in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) by ionizing radiation. Cellulose was dissolved at the initial concentration of 20 wt% in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium (EMI)-acetate or N,N-diethyl-N-methyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl)ammonium (DEMA)-formate with a water content of 18 wt%, and irradiated with γ-rays under aerated condition to produce new cellulose gels. The gel fractions of the cellulose gels obtained in EMI-acetate and DEMA-formate at a dose of 10 kGy were 13% and 19%, respectively. The formation of gel fractions was found to depend on the initial concentration of cellulose, water content, and irradiation temperature. The obtained gel readily absorbed water, methanol, ethanol, dichloromethane, N,N-dimethylacetamide, and RTILs. - Highlights: • Cellulose gels were produced in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs). • Water plays a crucial role in the cross-linking reaction. • Cellulose gels swollen with RTILs show good electronic conductivity (3.0 mS cm −1 )

Spongy Gels by a Top-Down Approach from Polymer Fibrous Sponges.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Shaohua; Duan, Gaigai; Kuhn, Ute; Mörl, Michaela; Altstädt, Volker; Yarin, Alexander L; Greiner, Andreas

2017-03-13

Ultralight cellular sponges offer a unique set of properties. We show here that solvent uptake by these sponges results in new gel-like materials, which we term spongy gels. The appearance of the spongy gels is very similar to classic organogels. Usually, organogels are formed by a bottom-up process. In contrast, the spongy gels are formed by a top-down approach that offers numerous advantages for the design of their properties, reproducibility, and stability. The sponges themselves represent the scaffold of a gel that could be filled with a solvent, and thereby form a mechanically stable gel-like material. The spongy gels are independent of a time-consuming or otherwise demanding in situ scaffold formation. As solvent evaporation from gels is a concern for various applications, we also studied solvent evaporation of wetting and non-wetting liquids dispersed in the sponge. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

А new factor effecting gel strength of pectin polysaccharides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. E. Kholov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Pectin polysaccharides obtained from various raw materials have a different component composition and form gels with water, sugar and acid or calcium. In this study, an experimental approach the gelation properties of different pectin samples, varied from different sources, using new methods of hydrolysis and purification. Samples were obtained by hydrolysis of accelerated extraction of pectin and purified by diaultrfiltration, have a high gel strength. The highest gel strength have been found in series of high methoxyl (HM- pectin samples of apple, peach, orange and low methoxyl (LM- pectin samples of commercial citrus pectin and apple pectin obtained by new method. It is shown that in addition to the basic parameters (the content of galacturonic acid, degree of esterification, molecular weight and hidrodinamic radius macromolecule to affect gel strength pectins aggregation of macromolecules, which is determined by the z-average molecular weight. There were observed a clear pattern of the influence of the molecular weight on hydrodynamic parameters for both HM- and LM- pectin samples on the gel strength. It were shown that a high values of molecular weight, intrinsic viscosity, and radius of gyration of pectin samples can significantly increase gel strength, while the value of Mz oppositely influenced the gel strength. As a result, a systematic analysis of this parameter and its relationship to the average molecular weight found that indeed the ratio Mz/Mw for pectin’s is an crucial to assess the quality of pectin at the study of gel strength for pectin polysaccharides.

40 CFR 52.02 - Introduction.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Introduction. 52.02 Section 52.02 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS General Provisions § 52.02 Introduction. (a) This part sets forth the...

gel template method

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

TiO2 nanotubes have been synthesized by sol–gel template method using alumina membrane. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, UV absorption spectrum and X-ray diffraction techniques have been used to investigate the structure, morphology and optical ...

Improved gel electrophoresis matrix for hydrophobic protein separation and identification.

Science.gov (United States)

Tokarski, Caroline; Fillet, Marianne; Rolando, Christian

2011-03-01

We propose an improved acrylamide gel for the separation of hydrophobic proteins. The separation strategy is based on the incorporation of N-alkylated and N,N'-dialkylated acrylamide monomers in the gel composition in order to increase hydrophobic interactions between the gel matrix and the membrane proteins. Focusing on the most efficient monomer, N,N'-dimethylacrylamide, the potentiality of the new matrix was evaluated on membrane proteins of the human colon HCT-116 cell line. Protein analysis was performed using an adapted analytical strategy based on FT-ICR tandem mass spectrometry. As a result of this comparative study, including advanced reproducibility experiments, more hydrophobic proteins were identified in the new gel (average GRAVY: -0.085) than in the classical gel (average GRAVY: -0.411). Highly hydrophobic peptides were identified reaching a GRAVY value up to 1.450, therefore indicating their probable locations in the membrane. Focusing on predicted transmembrane domains, it can be pointed out that 27 proteins were identified in the hydrophobic gel containing up to 11 transmembrane domains; in the classical gel, only 5 proteins containing 1 transmembrane domain were successfully identified. For example, multiple ionic channels and receptors were characterized in the hydrophobic gel such as the sodium/potassium channel and the glutamate or the transferrin receptors whereas they are traditionally detected using specific enrichment techniques such as immunoprecipitation. In total, membrane proteins identified in the classical gel are well documented in the literature, while most of the membrane proteins only identified on the hydrophobic gel have rarely or never been described using a proteomic-based approach. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

User`s guide and documentation manual for ``PC-Gel`` simulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Ming-Ming; Gao, Hong W.

1993-10-01

PC-GEL is a three-dimensional, three-phase (oil, water, and gas) permeability modification simulator developed by incorporating an in-situ gelation model into a black oil simulator (BOAST) for personal computer application. The features included in the simulator are: transport of each chemical species of the polymer/crosslinker system in porous media, gelation reaction kinetics of the polymer with crosslinking agents, rheology of the polymer and gel, inaccessible pore volume to macromolecules, adsorption of chemical species on rock surfaces, retention of gel on the rock matrix, and permeability reduction caused by the adsorption of polymer and gel. The in-situ gelation model and simulator were validated against data reported in the literature. The simulator PC-GEL is useful for simulating and optimizing any combination of primary production, waterflooding, polymer flooding, and permeability modification treatments. A general background of permeability modification using crosslinked polymer gels is given in Section I and the governing equations, mechanisms, and numerical solutions of PC-GEL are given in Section II. Steps for preparing an input data file with reservoir and gel-chemical transport data, and recurrent data are described in Sections III and IV, respectively. Example data inputs are enclosed after explanations of each input line to help the user prepare data files. Major items of the output files are reviewed in Section V. Finally, three sample problems for running PC-GEL are described in Section VI, and input files and part of the output files of these problems are listed in the appendices. For the user`s reference a copy of the source code of PC-GEL computer program is attached in Appendix A.

Behavior of water gel permissibles in coal mines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ribovich, J.; Watson, R.W.

1979-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the successful use of water gel permissibles, since their introduction in 1970, with an emphasis on some problems of behavior in their field application. One is the metal clip or ties used to seal the water gel package. Miners are occasionally hit by the 2.4 mm metal wire expelled from boreholes in normal shooting operations. Manufacturers have consequently reduced the mass of the metal ties by 25-50%, providing a partial solution. Another problem concerned two reported instances of misfired water gel burning after coal shooting operations. Extensive tests have offered no satisfactory solution as yet, except to point up a principal shortcoming of water gels: that of pressure desensitization. Two other factors affecting sensitivity, and possibly resulting in misfires, are low temperature and aging. There is a decline in air-gap sensitivity with prolonged storage but all approved water gels seem capable of meeting requirements for long periods under normal storage conditions. Low temperature tests indicate the majority of water gels become insensitive to a No. 6 EBC at temperatures easily attained in cold weather storage. An attempt was made to determine the minimum temperature at which a nitroglycerin-sensitized permisslbe could be initiated with a No. 8 cap; a particularly granular one was initiated as low as minus 196 C. (5 refs.) (In English)

Sol-gel synthesis of magnesium oxide-silicon dioxide glass compositions

Science.gov (United States)

Bansal, Narottam P.

1988-01-01

MgO-SiO2 glasses containing up to 15 mol pct MgO, which could not have been prepared by the conventional glass melting method due to the presence of stable liquid-liquid immiscibility, were synthesized by the sol-gel technique. Clear and transparent gels were obtained from the hydrolysis and polycondensation of silicon tetraethoxide (TEOS) and magnesium nitrate hexahydrate when the water/TEOS mole ratio was four or more. The gelling time decreased with increase in magnesium content, water/TEOS ratio, and reaction temperature. Magnesium nitrate hexahydrate crystallized out of the gels containing 15 and 20 mol pct MgO on slow drying. This problem was partially alleviated by drying the gels quickly at higher temperatures. Monolithic gel samples were prepared using glycerol as the drying control additive. The gels were subjected to various thermal treatments and characterized by several methods. No organic groups could be detected in the glasses after heat treatments to approx. 800 C, but trace amounts of hydroxyl groups were still present. No crystalline phase was found from X-ray diffraction in the gel samples to approx. 890 C. At higher temperatures, alpha quartz precipitated out as the crystalline phase in gels containing up to 10 mol pct MgO. The overall activation energy for gel formation in 10MgO-90SiO2 (mol pct) system for water/TEOS mole ratio of 7.5 was calculated to be 58.7 kJ/mol.

Conducting Polymer Electrodes for Gel Electrophoresis

OpenAIRE

Bengtsson, Katarina; Nilsson, Sara; Robinson, Nathaniel D

2014-01-01

In nearly all cases, electrophoresis in gels is driven via the electrolysis of water at the electrodes, where the process consumes water and produces electrochemical by-products. We have previously demonstrated that p-conjugated polymers such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) can be placed between traditional metal electrodes and an electrolyte to mitigate electrolysis in liquid (capillary electroosmosis/electrophoresis) systems. In this report, we extend our previous result to gel ...

Mass spectrometry compatible surfactant for optimized in-gel protein digestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Saveliev, Sergei V; Woodroofe, Carolyn C; Sabat, Grzegorz; Adams, Christopher M; Klaubert, Dieter; Wood, Keith; Urh, Marjeta

2013-01-15

Identification of proteins resolved by SDS-PAGE depends on robust in-gel protein digestion and efficient peptide extraction, requirements that are often difficult to achieve. A lengthy and laborious procedure is an additional challenge of protein identification in gel. We show here that with the use of the mass spectrometry compatible surfactant sodium 3-((1-(furan-2-yl)undecyloxy)carbonylamino)propane-1-sulfonate, the challenges of in-gel protein digestion are effectively addressed. Peptide quantitation based on stable isotope labeling showed that the surfactant induced 1.5-2 fold increase in peptide recovery. Consequently, protein sequence coverage was increased by 20-30%, on average, and the number of identified proteins saw a substantial boost. The surfactant also accelerated the digestion process. Maximal in-gel digestion was achieved in as little as one hour, depending on incubation temperature, and peptides were readily recovered from gel eliminating the need for postdigestion extraction. This study shows that the surfactant provides an efficient means of improving protein identification in gel and streamlining the in-gel digestion procedure requiring no extra handling steps or special equipment.

A pneumatic device for rapid loading of DNA sequencing gels.

Science.gov (United States)

Panussis, D A; Cook, M W; Rifkin, L L; Snider, J E; Strong, J T; McGrane, R M; Wilson, R K; Mardis, E R

1998-05-01

This work describes the design and construction of a device that facilitates the loading of DNA samples onto polyacrylamide gels for detection in the Perkin Elmer/Applied Biosystems (PE/ABI) 373 and 377 DNA sequencing instruments. The device is mounted onto the existing gel cassettes and makes the process of loading high-density gels less cumbersome while the associated time and errors are reduced. The principle of operation includes the simultaneous transfer of the entire batch of samples, in which a spring-loaded air cylinder generates positive pressure and flexible silica capillaries transfer the samples. A retractable capillary array carrier allows the delivery ends of the capillaries to be held up clear of the gel during loader attachment on the gel plates, while enabling their insertion in the gel wells once the device is securely mounted. Gel-loading devices capable of simultaneously transferring 72 samples onto the PE/ABI 373 and 377 are currently being used in our production sequencing groups while a 96-sample transfer prototype undergoes testing.

A simple gel electrophoresis method for separating polyhedral gold nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Suhee; Lee, Hye Jin

2015-07-01

In this paper, a simple approach to separate differently shaped and sized polyhedral gold nanoparticles (NPs) within colloidal solutions via gel electrophoresis is described. Gel running parameters for separating efficiently gold NPs including gel composition, added surfactant types and applied voltage were investigated. The plasmonic properties and physical structure of the separated NPs extracted from the gel matrix were then investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-vis spectrophotometry respectively. Data analysis revealed that gel electrophoresis conditions of a 1.5 % agarose gel with 0.1 % sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant under an applied voltage of 100 V resulted in the selective isolation of ~ 50 nm polyhedral shaped gold nanoparticles. Further efforts are underway to apply the method to purify biomolecule-conjugated polyhedral Au NPs that can be readily used for NP-enhanced biosensing platforms.

40 CFR 191.02 - Definitions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... TRANSURANIC RADIOACTIVE WASTES Environmental Standards for Management and Storage § 191.02 Definitions. Unless... process associated with the management and storage of spent nuclear fuel or radioactive waste is conducted... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Definitions. 191.02 Section 191.02...

Interaktion mellem warfarin og oral miconazol-gel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ogard, C G; Vestergaard, Henrik

2000-01-01

We report a case of a 76 year-old woman who had been taking warfarin for seven years because of relapsing deep venous thrombosis. Her daily maintenance dose was 5 mg. Monthly measurements of international normalised ratio (INR) were stable between 2-3. She developed oral candidiasis and miconazole...... gel was prescribed. One week later she developed bleeding gums. Eight days later she was admitted to the hospital with haematuria. INR was > 10. Warfarin and the miconazole gel were withdrawn. She was treated with phytonadione. INR normalised after four days and she continued warfarin treatment....... Caution should be exercised whenever the combination of warfarin and miconazole gel are prescribed....

Synthesis, characterization and humidity sensing properties of sol-gel derived novel nanomaterials of LaFe1-xSrxO3-δ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mary Teresita, V.; Avila Josephine, B.; Jeseentharani, V.; Jeyaraj, B.; Arul Antony, S.

2011-01-01

LaFe 1-x Sr x O 3-δ (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1) were prepared by sol-gel method. The compounds were sintered at 700 deg C for 5 h. Then the compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and BET analysis. The dc electrical resistance in different relative humidity (RH%) for the samples in the form of pellets was determined by two-probe method. The change in surface conductivity as a function of applied field was measured using picoammeter (Keithley-6485). The sensitivity factor S f was calculated by the ratio of resistances, R 5% /R 98% , where R 5% and R 98% are the dc resistances 5 and 98% RH, respectively. Response and recovery times were measured. Among various composites, the LaSrO 3δ (x = 1) composite possessed the highest humidity response with S f = 3290, while the LaFe 0.8 Sr 0.2 O 3δ (x = 0.2) possessed low sensitivity factors of 0.1. (author)

Silica gel matrix immobilized Chlorophyta hydrodictyon africanum ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Chlorophyta hydrodictyon africanum was immobilized on a silica gel matrix to improve its mechanical properties. The algae-silica gel adsorbent was used for batch sorption studies of a cationic dye, methylene blue (MB). Optimum adsorption was obtained with a dosage of 0.8 g bio sorbent. Results from sorption studies ...

Gel Electrophoresis--The Easy Way for Students

Science.gov (United States)

VanRooy, Wilhelmina; Sultana, Khalida

2010-01-01

This article describes a simple, inexpensive, easy to conduct gel-electrophoresis activity using food dyes. It is an alternative to the more expensive counterparts which require agarose gel, DNA samples, purchased chamber and Tris-borate-EDTA buffer. We suggest some learning activities for senior biology students along with comments on several…

Etodolac Containing Topical Niosomal Gel: Formulation Development and Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gyati Shilakari Asthana

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed to investigate the delivery potential of Etodolac (ETD containing topical niosomal gel. Niosomal formulations were prepared by thin film hydration method at various ratios of cholesterol and Span 60 and were evaluated with respect to particle size, shape, entrapment efficiency, and in vitro characteristics. Dicetyl phosphate (DCP was also added in the niosomal formulation. Mean particle size of niosomal formulation was found to be in the range of 2 μm to 4 μm. Niosomal formulation N2 (1 : 1 ratio of cholesterol and surfactant displayed good entrapment efficiency (96.72%. TEM analyses showed that niosomal formulation was spherical in shape. Niosomal formulation (N2 displayed high percentage of drug release after 24 h (94.91 at (1 : 1 ratio of cholesterol : surfactant. Further selected niosomal formulation was used to formulate topical gel and was characterized with respect to its various parameters such as pH, viscosity, spreadability, ex vivo study, and in vivo potential permeation. Ex vivo study showed that niosomal gel possessed better skin permeation study than the plain topical gel. Further in vivo study revealed good inhibition of inflammation in case of topical niosomal gel than plain gel and niosomal formulation. The present study suggested that topical niosomal gel formulations provide sustained and prolonged delivery of drug.

Fibril formation from pea protein and subsequent gel formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Munialo, Claire Darizu; Martin, Anneke H; van der Linden, Erik; de Jongh, Harmen H J

2014-03-19

The objective of this study was to characterize fibrillar aggregates made using pea proteins, to assemble formed fibrils into protein-based gels, and to study the rheological behavior of these gels. Micrometer-long fibrillar aggregates were observed after pea protein solutions had been heated for 20 h at pH 2.0. Following heating of pea proteins, it was observed that all of the proteins were hydrolyzed into peptides and that 50% of these peptides were assembled into fibrils. Changes on a structural level in pea proteins were studied using circular dichroism, transmission electron microscopy, and particle size analysis. During the fibril assembly process, an increase in aggregate size was observed, which coincided with an increase in thioflavin T binding, indicating the presence of β-sheet aggregates. Fibrils made using pea proteins were more branched and curly. Gel formation of preformed fibrils was induced by slow acidification from pH 7.0 to a final pH of around pH 5.0. The ability of pea protein-based fibrillar gels to fracture during an amplitude sweep was comparable to those of soy protein and whey protein-based fibrillar gels, although gels prepared from fibrils made using pea protein and soy protein were weaker than those of whey protein. The findings show that fibrils can be prepared from pea protein, which can be incorporated into protein-based fibrillar gels.

Tooth sensitivity with a desensitizing-containing at-home bleaching gel-a randomized triple-blind clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Maran, Bianca Medeiros; Vochikovski, Laína; de Andrade Hortkoff, Diego Rafael; Stanislawczuk, Rodrigo; Loguercio, Alessandro D; Reis, Alessandra

2018-05-01

Desensitizing agents are usually included in the composition of bleaching agents to reduce bleaching-induced tooth sensitivity (TS). This randomized clinical trial (RCT) evaluated the risk and intensity of TS and color change after at-home bleaching with a desensitizing-containing (3% potassium nitrate and 0.2% sodium fluoride) and desensitizing-free 10% carbamide peroxide (CP) gel (Whiteness Perfect, FGM). A triple-blind, within-person RCT was conducted on 60 caries-free adult patients. Each participant used the gel in a bleaching tray for 3 h daily for 21 days in both the upper and lower dental arches. The absolute risk and intensity of TS were assessed daily through the 0-10 VAS and NRS scale for 21 days. Color change was recorded using shade guides (Vita Classical and Vita Bleachedguide) and the Easyshade spectrophotometer at baseline, weekly and 30 days after the end of the bleaching. The risk and intensity of TS were evaluated by the McNemar and Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests, respectively. Color change (ΔSGU and ΔE) were evaluated by the Mann-Whitney test and a paired t-test, respectively (α = 0.05). No difference in the TS and color change was observed (p > 0.05). The incorporation of potassium nitrate and sodium fluoride in 10% carbamide peroxide at-home bleaching gel tested in this study did not reduce the TS and did not affect color change (RBR-4M6YR2). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Screening of mucoadhesive vaginal gel formulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Ochoa Andrade

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Rational design of vaginal drug delivery formulations requires special attention to vehicle properties that optimize vaginal coating and retention. The aim of the present work was to perform a screening of mucoadhesive vaginal gels formulated with carbomer or carrageenan in binary combination with a second polymer (carbomer, guar or xanthan gum. The gels were characterised using in vitroadhesion, spreadability and leakage potential studies, as well as rheological measurements (stress and frequency sweep tests and the effect of dilution with simulated vaginal fluid (SVF on spreadability. Results were analysed using analysis of variance and multiple factor analysis. The combination of polymers enhanced adhesion of both primary gelling agents, carbomer and carrageenan. From the rheological point of view all formulations presented a similar behaviour, prevalently elastic and characterised by loss tangent values well below 1. No correlation between rheological and adhesion behaviour was found. Carbomer and carrageenan gels containing the highest percentage of xanthan gum displayed good in vitro mucoadhesion and spreadability, minimal leakage potential and high resistance to dilution. The positive results obtained with carrageenan-xanthan gum-based gels can encourage the use of natural biocompatible adjuvants in the composition of vaginal products, a formulation field that is currently under the synthetic domain.

Interhemispheric Transfer in Down’s Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. M. J. Braun

1992-01-01

Full Text Available Callosal agenesics and callosotomized epileptics manifest markedly increasing simple visual reaction time (SVRT from conditions of ipsilateral to contralateral stimulus-response relation (SRR. In the contralateral SRR, a response is presumed possible because of presence of other commissures (anterior, intercollicular. The SRR effect is prolonged presumably because the remaining commissures are less efficient than the corpus callosum in relaying necessary visual or motor information. Consequently, the SRR effect is believed to correspond to callosal relay time (CRT in the normal subject. However, both callosal agenesics and callosotomy patients manifest general slowing of SVRT in addition to a prolonged SRR effect. These patients have massive extra-callosal damage which could plausibly cause both the SVRT and the CUD prolongation. If such were the case, the CRT inference would be in jeopardy. A test of the CRT inference is therefore required where patients with massive diffuse extra-callosal brain damage and normal callosi would show marked general SVRT prolongation and a normal SRR effect. Four trisomy-21 (T21 males were compared to age and sex-matched normal controls. General SVRT was highly significantly prolonged in T21, but the CUD was nearly identical in both groups.

Large strain deformation behavior of polymeric gels in shear- and cavitation rheology

Science.gov (United States)

Hashemnejad, Seyed Meysam; Kundu, Santanu

Polymeric gels are used in many applications including in biomedical and in food industries. Investigation of mechanical responses of swollen polymer gels and linking that to the polymer chain dynamics are of significant interest. Here, large strain deformation behavior of two different gel systems and with different network architecture will be presented. We consider biologically relevant polysaccharide hydrogels, formed through ionic and covalent crosslinking, and physically associating triblock copolymer gels in a midblock selective solvent. Gels with similar low-strain shear modulus display distinctly different non-linear rheological behavior in large strain shear deformation. Both these gels display strain-stiffening behavior in shear-deformation prior to macroscopic fracture of the network, however, only the alginate gels display negative normal stress. The cavitation rheology data show that the critical pressure for cavitation is higher for alginate gels than that observed for triblock gels. These distinctly different large-strain deformation behavior has been related to the gel network structure, as alginate chains are much stiffer than the triblock polymer chains.

Numerical modelling and experimental study of liquid evaporation during gel formation

Science.gov (United States)

Pokusaev, B. G.; Khramtsov, D. P.

2017-11-01

Gels are promising materials in biotechnology and medicine as a medium for storing cells for bioprinting applications. Gel is a two-phase system consisting of solid medium and liquid phase. Understanding of a gel structure evolution and gel aging during liquid evaporation is a crucial step in developing new additive bioprinting technologies. A numerical and experimental study of liquid evaporation was performed. In experimental study an evaporation process of an agarose gel layer located on Petri dish was observed and mass difference was detected using electronic scales. Numerical model was based on a smoothed particle hydrodynamics method. Gel in a model was represented as a solid-liquid system and liquid evaporation was modelled due to capillary forces and heat transfer. Comparison of experimental data and numerical results demonstrated that model can adequately represent evaporation process in agarose gel.

Biocatalysis with Sol-Gel Encapsulated Acid Phosphatase

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkarni, Suhasini; Tran, Vu; Ho, Maggie K.-M.; Phan, Chieu; Chin, Elizabeth; Wemmer, Zeke; Sommerhalter, Monika

2010-01-01

This experiment was performed in an upper-level undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course. Students learned how to immobilize an enzyme in a sol-gel matrix and how to perform and evaluate enzyme-activity measurements. The enzyme acid phosphatase (APase) from wheat germ was encapsulated in sol-gel beads that were prepared from the precursor…

Synthesis of uranium and thorium dioxides by Complex Sol-Gel Processes (CSGP). Synthesis of uranium oxides by Complex Sol-Gel Processes (CSGP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deptula, A.; Brykala, M.; Lada, W.; Olczak, T.; Wawszczak, D.; Chmielewski, A.G.; Modolo, G.; Daniels, H.

2010-01-01

In the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (INCT), a new method of synthesis of uranium and thorium dioxides by original variant of sol-gel method - Complex Sol-Gel Process (CSGP), has been elaborated. The main modification step is the formation of nitrate-ascorbate sols from components alkalized by aqueous ammonia. Those sols were gelled into: - irregularly agglomerates by evaporation of water; - medium sized microspheres (diameter <150) by IChTJ variant of sol-gel processes by water extraction from drops of emulsion sols in 2-ethylhexanol-1 by this solvent. Uranium dioxide was obtained by a reduction of gels with hydrogen at temperatures >700 deg. C, while thorium dioxide by a simple calcination in the air atmosphere. (authors)

Effects of the blended fibroin/aloe gel film on wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inpanya, Paichit; Viyoch, Jarupa; Faikrua, Atchariya; Ounaroon, Anan; Sittichokechaiwut, Anuphan

2012-01-01

Delayed healing remains a major clinical problem and here we have sought to develop an improved dressing film comprising 1.95% w/v fibroin and 0.05% w/v aloe gel extract. The tensile strength of dry film was 21.1 ± 0.5 MPa and broke at 1.1 ± 0.2% elongation; corresponding values for wet film were 18.3 ± 1.3 MPa and 1.9 ± 0.1%. The film maintained its shape upon water immersion and the swelling ratio of the dry film was 0.8 ± 0.1 while the water uptake was 43.7 ± 2.6%. After 28 days of incubation in phosphate buffered saline (1 M, pH 7.4, 37 °C), the weight of film was reduced by 6.7 ± 1.1% and the tensile strength and elongation at breaking point (dry state) were 15.4 ± 0.6 MPa and 1.5 ± 0.2%, respectively. Compared to aloe-free fibroin film (2.0% fibroin extract only), the blended film enhanced the attachment and proliferation of skin fibroblasts. The bFGF immunofluorescence of fibroblasts cultured on the blended film appeared greater than those cultured on tissue culture plate or on aloe-free fibroin film while α-smooth muscle actin was maintained. In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, the wounds dressed with the blended film were smaller (p <0.05) by day 7 after wounding, compared to untreated diabetic wounds. Histology of repaired diabetic wounds showed the fibroblast distribution and collagen fiber organization to be similar to wounds in normal rats, and this was matched by enhanced hydroxyproline content. Thus, such accelerated wound healing by the blended fibroin/aloe gel films may find application in treatment of diabetic non-healing skin ulcers. (paper)

Development of lidocaine gels for enhanced local anesthetic action.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Sang-Chul; Cho, Cheong-Weon; Yang, Kyu-Ho

2004-12-09

In relieving local pains, lidocaine, one of ester type local anesthetics, has been used. To develop the lidocaine gels of enhanced local anesthetic effects, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) based bioadhesive polymer gel containing an enhancer was formulated. As the drug concentration in the gels increased up to 3%, the permeation rate of drug linearly increased, thereafter reaching a plateau. As the temperature of surrounding solutions increased, the permeation of drug increased. The activation energy of drug permeation was 3.29 kcal/mol for lidocaine. The permeation rate of drug through skin was studied using various enhancers, such as glycols, non-ionic surfactants, and bile salts. Among the enhancers studied, diethylene glycol showed the greatest enhancing effects on drug permeation through skin. The analgesic activity was examined using a tail-flick analgesimeter. In the area under the efficacy curve (AUEC) of the rat-tail flick tests, lidocaine gel containing diethylene glycol showed about 3.89-fold increase in analgesic activity compared with the control. The addition of vasoconstrictor in the gels prolonged the analgesic effects. The result of this study supports that the bioadhesive gel with efficient anesthetic effect could be developed using HPMC with combination of enhancer and vasoconstrictor.

Radiation hardening in sol-gel derived Er3+-doped silica glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hari Babu, B.; León Pichel, Mónica; Ollier, Nadège; El Hamzaoui, Hicham; Bigot, Laurent; Savelii, Inna; Bouazaoui, Mohamed; Poumellec, Bertrand; Lancry, Matthieu; Ibarra, Angel

2015-01-01

The aim of the present paper is to report the effect of radiation on the Er 3+ -doped sol-gel silica glasses. A possible application of these sol-gel glasses could be their use in harsh radiation environments. The sol-gel glasses are fabricated by densification of erbium salt-soaked nanoporous silica xerogels through polymeric sol-gel technique. The radiation-induced attenuation of Er 3+ -doped sol-gel silica is found to increase with erbium content. Electron paramagnetic resonance studies reveal the presence of E′ δ point defects. This happens in the sol-gel aluminum-silica glass after an exposure to γ-rays (kGy) and in sol-gel silica glass after an exposure to electrons (MGy). The concentration levels of these point defects are much lower in γ-ray irradiated sol-gel silica glasses. When the samples are co-doped with Al, the exposure to γ-ray radiation causes a possible reduction of the erbium valence from Er 3+ to Er 2+ ions. This process occurs in association with the formation of aluminum oxygen hole centers and different intrinsic point defects

Hybrid sol-gel optical materials

Science.gov (United States)

Zeigler, John M.

1992-01-01

Hybrid sol-gel materials comprise silicate sols cross-linked with linear polysilane, polygermane, or poly(silane-germane). The sol-gel materials are useful as optical identifiers in tagging and verification applications and, in a different aspect, as stable, visible light transparent non-linear optical materials. Methyl or phenyl silicones, polyaryl sulfides, polyaryl ethers, and rubbery polysilanes may be used in addition to the linear polysilane. The linear polymers cross-link with the sol to form a matrix having high optical transparency, resistance to thermooxidative aging, adherence to a variety of substrates, brittleness, and a resistance to cracking during thermal cycling.

Pelepasan Ibuprofen Dari Gel Karbomer 940 Kokristal Ibuprofen-Nikotinamida

OpenAIRE

Agustin, Rini; Sari, Novica; Zaini, Erizal

2014-01-01

Salah satu metode untuk meningkatkan kelarutan adalah co-kristalisasi. Ibuprofen dapat digunakan dalam aplikasi topikal untuk rheumatoid arthrisi, sehingga telah dilakukan sebuah studi tentang formulasi dan pelepasan kokristal ibuprofen-nikotinamida dari gel karbomer 940. Kokristal diperoleh dari metode penguapan pelarut dengan komposisi equimol (1:1). Gel terdiri dari dua formula dengan jumlah ibuprofen yang sama (5%). Formula pertama adalah gel kokristal ibuprofen-nicotinamida dan Formula d...

Investigation on safety of gel decontamination technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Zhihui; Song Fengli; Wang Yongxian; Zhang Taoge

2014-01-01

Gel decontamination technology is an advanced decontamination process of metal contaminated by radionuclide. It has the advantages such as simple operation process, high decontaminating factor, etc. But the disadvantages are that it has high spraying pressure and is strongly corrosive, which has safety risk to the operator and equipment. The effect of such factors as spraying pressure on operators was analyzed based on process feature, and it is proposed that it be worthwhile to make further study on the corrosion of gels to spraying equipment, taking into account corrosion feature of gels to stainless steel. Meanwhile, the safety issue was demonstrated on collecting and handling wastes from gel decontamination process. And then, protective measures, study methods, and solutions are put forward. The results show that protection should be strengthened during spraying to reduce the effect of splashing and fogging on workers; the equipment should be cleaned in time to reduce the effect of corrosion, and reducers should be added into waste liquid to eliminate the effect of residual detergent. (authors)

Gel stabilization in chelate sol-gel preparation of Bi-2223 superconductors

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Rubešová, K.; Jakeš, V.; Hlásek, T.; Vašek, Petr; Matějka, P.

2012-01-01

Roč. 73, č. 3 (2012), s. 448-453 ISSN 0022-3697 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : superconductors * sol-gel growth * infrared spectroscopy * thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) * X-ray diffraction Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.527, year: 2012

O-acetylation of the serine-rich repeat glycoprotein GspB is coordinated with accessory Sec transport.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ravin Seepersaud

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The serine-rich repeat (SRR glycoproteins are a family of adhesins found in many Gram-positive bacteria. Expression of the SRR adhesins has been linked to virulence for a variety of infections, including streptococcal endocarditis. The SRR preproteins undergo intracellular glycosylation, followed by export via the accessory Sec (aSec system. This specialized transporter is comprised of SecA2, SecY2 and three to five accessory Sec proteins (Asps that are required for export. Although the post-translational modification and transport of the SRR adhesins have been viewed as distinct processes, we found that Asp2 of Streptococcus gordonii also has an important role in modifying the SRR adhesin GspB. Biochemical analysis and mass spectrometry indicate that Asp2 is an acetyltransferase that modifies N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc moieties on the SRR domains of GspB. Targeted mutations of the predicted Asp2 catalytic domain had no effect on transport, but abolished acetylation. Acetylated forms of GspB were only detected when the protein was exported via the aSec system, but not when transport was abolished by secA2 deletion. In addition, GspB variants rerouted to export via the canonical Sec pathway also lacked O-acetylation, demonstrating that this modification is specific to export via the aSec system. Streptococci expressing GspB lacking O-acetylated GlcNAc were significantly reduced in their ability bind to human platelets in vitro, an interaction that has been strongly linked to virulence in the setting of endocarditis. These results demonstrate that Asp2 is a bifunctional protein involved in both the post-translational modification and transport of SRR glycoproteins. In addition, these findings indicate that these processes are coordinated during the biogenesis of SRR glycoproteins, such that the adhesin is optimally modified for binding. This requirement for the coupling of modification and export may explain the co-evolution of the SRR

Comparative study of nano copper aluminate spinel prepared by sol–gel and modified sol–gel techniques: Structural, electrical, optical and catalytic studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, R. Thinesh; Suresh, P.; Selvam, N. Clament Sagaya; Kennedy, L. John; Vijaya, J. Judith

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A modified sol–gel method for the preparation of nano CuAl 2 O 4 spinel using ethylenediamine was studied. ► Role of ethylenediamine in enhancing the structural, electrical, optical and catalytic properties of copper aluminate is highlighted. ► Effect of preparation method on the activity and selectivity of the samples on the oxidation of benzyl alcohol by CuAl 2 O 4 is studied. - Abstract: The effect of ethylenediamine addition in the sol–gel method for the preparation of nano CuAl 2 O 4 spinel for the enhancement in their structural, electrical, optical and catalytic properties was investigated. The samples were prepared by two different methods: sol–gel and modified sol–gel technique using ethylenediamine. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, temperature dependent conductance measurements, thermoelectric power (TEP) measurements and UV–visible diffuse reflectance (UV–vis-DRS) spectra were used to characterize the samples prepared. CuAl 2 O 4 prepared by modified sol–gel technique was found to possess a higher surface area, lower crystallite size, lower activation energy and high porosity than the one prepared by sol–gel method which in turn lead to the improved performance of it towards the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde. Effect of solvent on the catalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol by the nano CuAl 2 O 4 prepared by modified sol–gel technique was also investigated.