WorldWideScience

Sample records for plasma membrane ion

  1. Light-induced modification of plant plasma membrane ion transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marten, I; Deeken, R; Hedrich, R; Roelfsema, M R G

    2010-09-01

    Light is not only the driving force for electron and ion transport in the thylakoid membrane, but also regulates ion transport in various other membranes of plant cells. Light-dependent changes in ion transport at the plasma membrane and associated membrane potential changes have been studied intensively over the last century. These studies, with various species and cell types, revealed that apart from regulation by chloroplasts, plasma membrane transport can be controlled by phytochromes, phototropins or channel rhodopsins. In this review, we compare light-dependent plasma membrane responses of unicellular algae (Eremosphaera and Chlamydomonas), with those of a multicellular alga (Chara), liverworts (Conocephalum), mosses (Physcomitrella) and several angiosperm cell types. Light-dependent plasma membrane responses of Eremosphaera and Chara are characterised by the dominant role of K(+) channels during membrane potential changes. In most other species, the Ca(2+)-dependent activation of plasma membrane anion channels represents a general light-triggered event. Cell type-specific responses are likely to have evolved by modification of this general response or through the development of additional light-dependent signalling pathways. Future research to elucidate these light-activated signalling chains is likely to benefit from the recent identification of S-type anion channel genes and proteins capable of regulating these channels.

  2. Plasma-modified polyethylene membrane as a separator for lithium-ion polymer battery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jun Young; Lee, Yongbeom; Lim, Dae Young

    2009-01-01

    The surface of polyethylene (PE) membranes as a separator for lithium-ion polymer battery was modified with acrylonitrile (AN) using the plasma technology. The plasma-induced acrylonitrile coated PE (PiAN-PE) membrane was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and contact angle measurement. The electrochemical performance of the lithium-ion polymer cell fabricated with the PE and the PiAN-PE membranes were also analyzed. The surface characterization demonstrates that the enhanced adhesion of the PiAN-PE membrane resulted from the increased polar component of surface energy for the PiAN-PE membrane. The presence of the PiAN induced onto the surface of the membrane via the plasma modification plays a critical role in improving the wettability and electrolyte retention, the interfacial adhesion between the electrodes and the separator, the cycle performance of the resulting lithium-ion polymer cell assembly. The PiAN-PE membrane modified by the plasma treatment holds a great potential to be used as a high-performance and cost-effective separator for lithium-ion polymer battery.

  3. Plasma membrane ATPases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Palmgren, Michael Broberg; Bækgaard, Lone; Lopez Marques, Rosa Laura

    2011-01-01

    The plasma membrane separates the cellular contents from the surrounding environment. Nutrients must enter through the plasma membrane in order to reach the cell interior, and toxic metabolites and several ions leave the cell by traveling across the same barrier. Biological pumps in the plasma me...

  4. Plasma membrane surface potential: dual effects upon ion uptake and toxicity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Electrical properties of plasma membranes (PMs), partially controlled by the ionic composition of the bathing medium, play significant roles in the distribution of ions at the exterior surface of PMs and in the transport of ions across PMs. The effects of coexistent cations (commonly Al3+, Ca2+, Mg...

  5. Silver ions increase plasma membrane permeability through modulation of intracellular calcium levels in tobacco BY-2 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klíma, Petr; Laňková, Martina; Vandenbussche, Filip; Van Der Straeten, Dominique; Petrášek, Jan

    2018-05-01

    Silver ions increase plasma membrane permeability for water and small organic compounds through their stimulatory effect on plasma membrane calcium channels, with subsequent modulation of intracellular calcium levels and ion homeostasis. The action of silver ions at the plant plasma membrane is largely connected with the inhibition of ethylene signalling thanks to the ability of silver ion to replace the copper cofactor in the ethylene receptor. A link coupling the action of silver ions and cellular auxin efflux has been suggested earlier by their possible direct interaction with auxin efflux carriers or by influencing plasma membrane permeability. Using tobacco BY-2 cells, we demonstrate here that besides a dramatic increase of efflux of synthetic auxins 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), treatment with AgNO 3 resulted in enhanced efflux of the cytokinin trans-zeatin (tZ) as well as the auxin structural analogues tryptophan (Trp) and benzoic acid (BA). The application of AgNO 3 was accompanied by gradual water loss and plasmolysis. The observed effects were dependent on the availability of extracellular calcium ions (Ca 2+ ) as shown by comparison of transport assays in Ca 2+ -rich and Ca 2+ -free buffers and upon treatment with inhibitors of plasma membrane Ca 2+ -permeable channels Al 3+ and ruthenium red, both abolishing the effect of AgNO 3 . Confocal microscopy of Ca 2+ -sensitive fluorescence indicator Fluo-4FF, acetoxymethyl (AM) ester suggested that the extracellular Ca 2+ availability is necessary to trigger the response to silver ions and that the intracellular Ca 2+ pool alone is not sufficient for this effect. Altogether, our data suggest that in plant cells the effects of silver ions originate from the primal modification of the internal calcium levels, possibly by their interaction with Ca 2+ -permeable channels at the plasma membrane.

  6. A structural overview of the plasma membrane Na+,K+-ATPase and H+-ATPase ion pumps

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Morth, Jens Preben; Pedersen, Bjørn Panella; Buch-Pedersen, Morten Jeppe

    2011-01-01

    transport systems that are responsible for uptake and extrusion of metabolites and other ions. The ion gradients are also both directly and indirectly used to control pH homeostasis and to regulate cell volume. The plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase maintains a proton gradient in plants and fungi and the Na......Plasma membrane ATPases are primary active transporters of cations that maintain steep concentration gradients. The ion gradients and membrane potentials derived from them form the basis for a range of essential cellular processes, in particular Na(+)-dependent and proton-dependent secondary......(+),K(+)-ATPase maintains a Na(+) and K(+) gradient in animal cells. Structural information provides insight into the function of these two distinct but related P-type pumps....

  7. A structural overview of the plasma membrane Na+,K+-ATPase and H+-ATPase ion pumps

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Morth, Jens Preben; Pedersen, Bjørn Panella; Buch-Pedersen, Morten Jeppe

    2011-01-01

    transport systems that are responsible for uptake and extrusion of metabolites and other ions. The ion gradients are also both directly and indirectly used to control pH homeostasis and to regulate cell volume. The plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase maintains a proton gradient in plants and fungi and the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase...... maintains a Na(+) and K(+) gradient in animal cells. Structural information provides insight into the function of these two distinct but related P-type pumps.......Plasma membrane ATPases are primary active transporters of cations that maintain steep concentration gradients. The ion gradients and membrane potentials derived from them form the basis for a range of essential cellular processes, in particular Na(+)-dependent and proton-dependent secondary...

  8. Hydrogen superpermeable membrane operation under plasma conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bacal, M.; Bruneteau, A.M.; Livshits, A.I.; Alimov, V.N.; Notkin, M.E.

    2003-01-01

    The effect of ion bombardment on hydrogen plasma-driven permeation through a superpermeable niobium membrane was investigated. It was found that the increase of membrane temperature and the doping of membrane material with oxygen results in the decrease of ion bombardment effect and in permeability increase. It was demonstrated that membrane decarbonization leads to the formation of a membrane state resistant to sputtering. Possible applications of the membrane resistant to ion bombardment as plasma facing components are considered

  9. Proton-sensing transistor systems for detecting ion leakage from plasma membranes under chemical stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imaizumi, Yuki; Goda, Tatsuro; Schaffhauser, Daniel F; Okada, Jun-Ichi; Matsumoto, Akira; Miyahara, Yuji

    2017-03-01

    The membrane integrity of live cells is routinely evaluated for cytotoxicity induced by chemical or physical stimuli. Recent progress in bioengineering means that high-quality toxicity validation is required. Here, we report a pH-sensitive transistor system developed for the continuous monitoring of ion leakage from cell membranes upon challenge by toxic compounds. Temporal changes in pH were generated with high reproducibility via periodic flushing of HepG2 cells on a gate insulator of a proton-sensitive field-effect transistor with isotonic buffer solutions with/without NH 4 Cl. The pH transients at the point of NH 4 Cl addition/withdrawal originated from the free permeation of NH 3 across the semi-permeable plasma membranes, and the proton sponge effect produced by the ammonia equilibrium. Irreversible attenuation of the pH transient was observed when the cells were subjected to a membrane-toxic reagent. Experiments and simulations proved that the decrease in the pH transient was proportional to the area of the ion-permeable pores on the damaged plasma membranes. The pH signal was correlated with the degree of hemolysis produced by the model reagents. The pH assay was sensitive to the formation of molecularly sized pores that were otherwise not measurable via detection of the leakage of hemoglobin, because the hydrodynamic radius of hemoglobin was greater than 3.1nm in the hemolysis assay. The pH transient was not disturbed by inherent ion-transporter activity. The ISFET assay was applied to a wide variety of cell types. The system presented here is fast, sensitive, practical and scalable, and will be useful for validating cytotoxins and nanomaterials. The plasma membrane toxicity and hemolysis are widely and routinely evaluated in biomaterials science and biomedical engineering. Despite the recent development of a variety of methods/materials for efficient gene/drug delivery systems to the cytosol, the methodologies for safety validation remain unchanged in

  10. Surface-Modified Membrane as A Separator for Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Young Kim

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the fabrication of novel modified polyethylene (PE membranes using plasma technology to create high-performance and cost-effective separator membranes for practical applications in lithium-ion polymer batteries. The modified PE membrane via plasma modification process plays a critical role in improving wettability and electrolyte retention, interfacial adhesion between separators and electrodes, and cycle performance of lithium-ion polymer batteries. This paper suggests that the performance of lithium-ion polymer batteries can be greatly enhanced by the plasma modification of commercial separators with proper functional materials for targeted application.

  11. Plasma-polymerized alkaline anion-exchange membrane: Synthesis and structure characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Jue; Meng Yuedong; Zhang Chengxu; Fang Shidong

    2011-01-01

    After-glow discharge plasma polymerization was developed for alkaline anion-exchange membranes synthesis using vinylbenzyl chloride as monomer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the chemical structure properties of plasma-polymerized membranes. Ion-exchange capacities of quaternized poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) (QPVBC) membranes were measured to evaluate their capability of hydroxyl ion transport. A mechanism of plasma polymerization using VBC as monomer that accounts for the competitive effects of free radicals polymerization and plasma ablation in the plasma polymerization process was proposed. Our results indicate that plasma discharge power influences the contents of functional groups and the structure of the plasma polymer membranes, which attribute to the coactions of polymerization and ablation. The properties of uniform morphology, good adhesion to the substrate, high thermal stability and satisfying anion conduction level suggest the potential application of QPVBC membrane deposited at discharge power of 20 W in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells.

  12. Transport proteins of the plant plasma membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Assmann, S. M.; Haubrick, L. L.; Evans, M. L. (Principal Investigator)

    1996-01-01

    Recently developed molecular and genetic approaches have enabled the identification and functional characterization of novel genes encoding ion channels, ion carriers, and water channels of the plant plasma membrane.

  13. Imbalance of plasma membrane ion leak and pump relationship as a new aetiological basis of certain disease states.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ronquist, G; Waldenström, A

    2003-12-01

    The basis for life is the ability of the cell to maintain ion gradients across biological membranes. Such gradients are created by specific membrane-bound ion pumps [adenosine triphosphatases (ATPases)]. According to physicochemical rules passive forces equilibrate (dissipate) ion gradients. The cholesterol/phospholipid ratio of the membrane and the degree of saturation of phospholipid fatty acids are important factors for membrane molecular order and herewith a determinant of the degree of non-specific membrane leakiness. Other operative principles, i.e. specific ion channels can be opened and closed according to mechanisms that are specific to the cell. Certain compounds called ionophores can be integrated in the plasma membrane and permit specific inorganic ions to pass. Irrespective of which mechanism ions leak across the plasma membrane the homeostasis may be kept by increasing ion pumping (ATPase activity) in an attempt to restore the physiological ion gradient. The energy source for this work seems to be glycolytically derived ATP formation. Thus an increase in ion pumping is reflected by increased ATP hydrolysis and rate of glycolysis. This can be measured as an accumulation of breakdown products of ATP and end-products of anaerobic glycolysis (lactate). In certain disease entities, the balance between ATP formation and ion pumping may be disordered resulting in a decrease in inter alia (i.a.) cellular energy charge, and an increase in lactate formation and catabolites of adenylates. Cardiac syndrome X is proposed to be due to an excessive leakage of potassium ions, leading to electrocardiographic (ECG) changes, abnormal Tl-scintigraphy of the heart and anginal pain (induced by adenosine). Cocksackie B3 infections, a common agent in myocarditis might also induce an ionophore-like effect. Moreover, Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the formation of extracellular amyloid deposits in the brain of patients. Perturbation of cellular membranes by the

  14. Neutralized ion beam modification of cellulose membranes for study of ion charge effect on ion-beam-induced DNA transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prakrajang, K.; Sangwijit, K.; Anuntalabhochai, S.; Wanichapichart, P.; Yu, L. D.

    2012-02-01

    Low-energy ion beam biotechnology (IBBT) has recently been rapidly developed worldwide. Ion-beam-induced DNA transfer is one of the important applications of IBBT. However, mechanisms involved in this application are not yet well understood. In this study plasma-neutralized ion beam was applied to investigate ion charge effect on induction of DNA transfer. Argon ion beam at 7.5 keV was neutralized by RF-driven plasma in the beam path and then bombarded cellulose membranes which were used as the mimetic plant cell envelope. Electrical properties such as impedance and capacitance of the membranes were measured after the bombardment. An in vitro experiment on plasmid DNA transfer through the cellulose membrane was followed up. The results showed that the ion charge input played an important role in the impedance and capacitance changes which would affect DNA transfer. Generally speaking, neutral particle beam bombardment of biologic cells was more effective in inducing DNA transfer than charged ion beam bombardment.

  15. Isolation of plasma membrane-associated membranes from rat liver.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suski, Jan M; Lebiedzinska, Magdalena; Wojtala, Aleksandra; Duszynski, Jerzy; Giorgi, Carlotta; Pinton, Paolo; Wieckowski, Mariusz R

    2014-02-01

    Dynamic interplay between intracellular organelles requires a particular functional apposition of membrane structures. The organelles involved come into close contact, but do not fuse, thereby giving rise to notable microdomains; these microdomains allow rapid communication between the organelles. Plasma membrane-associated membranes (PAMs), which are microdomains of the plasma membrane (PM) interacting with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria, are dynamic structures that mediate transport of proteins, lipids, ions and metabolites. These structures have gained much interest lately owing to their roles in many crucial cellular processes. Here we provide an optimized protocol for the isolation of PAM, PM and ER fractions from rat liver that is based on a series of differential centrifugations, followed by the fractionation of crude PM on a discontinuous sucrose gradient. The procedure requires ∼8-10 h, and it can be easily modified and adapted to other tissues and cell types.

  16. Membrane oscillations in the channel of a stationary plasma motor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bugrova, A.I.; Lipatov, A.S.; Morozov, A.I.; Kharchevnikov, V.K.

    1999-01-01

    Results of measuring the ion flux density in the channel of the stationary plasma drive are presented. Two plane easters move both along and transverse to the plasma flux. During the experiment, the strong low-frequency oscillations (∼ 35 kHz) are observed in the channel of the stationary plasma drive. It is found that membrane oscillations are accompanied by oscillations of the electron temperature. These membrane oscillations affect the divergence of the output plasma jet and the erosion of the output part of the channel of the stationary plasma drive [ru

  17. An approach to the research on ion and water properties in the interphase between the plasma membrane and bulk extracellular solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hibino, Hiroshi; Takai, Madoka; Noguchi, Hidenori; Sawamura, Seishiro; Takahashi, Yasufumi; Sakai, Hideki; Shiku, Hitoshi

    2017-07-01

    In vivo, cells are immersed in an extracellular solution that contains a variety of bioactive substances including ions and water. Classical electrophysiological analyses of epithelial cells in the stomach and small intestine have revealed that within a distance of several hundred micrometers above their apical plasma membrane, lies an extracellular layer that shows ion concentration gradients undetectable in the bulk phase. This "unstirred layer", which contains stagnant solutes, may also exist between the bulk extracellular solution and membranes of other cells in an organism and may show different properties. On the other hand, an earlier study using a bacterial planar membrane indicated that H + released from a transporter migrates in the horizontal direction along the membrane surface much faster than it diffuses vertically toward the extracellular space. This result implies that between the membrane surface and unstirred layer, there is a "nanointerface" that has unique ionic dynamics. Advanced technologies have revealed that the nanointerface on artificial membranes possibly harbors a highly ordered assembly of water molecules. In general, hydrogen bonds are involved in formation of the ordered water structure and can mediate rapid transfer of H + between neighboring molecules. This description may match the phenomenon on the bacterial membrane. A recent study has suggested that water molecules in the nanointerface regulate the gating of K + channels. Here, the region comprising the unstirred layer and nanointerface is defined as the interphase between the plasma membrane and bulk extracellular solution (iMES). This article briefly describes the physicochemical properties of ions and water in the iMES and their physiological significance. We also describe the methodologies that are currently used or will be applicable to the interphase research.

  18. Specific ion effects on membrane potential and the permselectivity of ion exchange membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geise, Geoffrey M; Cassady, Harrison J; Paul, Donald R; Logan, Bruce E; Hickner, Michael A

    2014-10-21

    Membrane potential and permselectivity are critical parameters for a variety of electrochemically-driven separation and energy technologies. An electric potential is developed when a membrane separates electrolyte solutions of different concentrations, and a permselective membrane allows specific species to be transported while restricting the passage of other species. Ion exchange membranes are commonly used in applications that require advanced ionic electrolytes and span technologies such as alkaline batteries to ammonium bicarbonate reverse electrodialysis, but membranes are often only characterized in sodium chloride solutions. Our goal in this work was to better understand membrane behaviour in aqueous ammonium bicarbonate, which is of interest for closed-loop energy generation processes. Here we characterized the permselectivity of four commercial ion exchange membranes in aqueous solutions of sodium chloride, ammonium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and ammonium bicarbonate. This stepwise approach, using four different ions in aqueous solution, was used to better understand how these specific ions affect ion transport in ion exchange membranes. Characterization of cation and anion exchange membrane permselectivity, using these ions, is discussed from the perspective of the difference in the physical chemistry of the hydrated ions, along with an accompanying re-derivation and examination of the basic equations that describe membrane potential. In general, permselectivity was highest in sodium chloride and lowest in ammonium bicarbonate solutions, and the nature of both the counter- and co-ions appeared to influence measured permselectivity. The counter-ion type influences the binding affinity between counter-ions and polymer fixed charge groups, and higher binding affinity between fixed charge sites and counter-ions within the membrane decreases the effective membrane charge density. As a result permselectivity decreases. The charge density and polarizability

  19. A laser microsurgical method of cell wall removal allows detection of large-conductance ion channels in the guard cell plasma membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miedema, H.; Henriksen, G. H.; Assmann, S. M.; Evans, M. L. (Principal Investigator)

    1999-01-01

    Application of patch clamp techniques to higher-plant cells has been subject to the limitation that the requisite contact of the patch electrode with the cell membrane necessitates prior enzymatic removal of the plant cell wall. Because the wall is an integral component of plant cells, and because cell-wall-degrading enzymes can disrupt membrane properties, such enzymatic treatments may alter ion channel behavior. We compared ion channel activity in enzymatically isolated protoplasts of Vicia faba guard cells with that found in membranes exposed by a laser microsurgical technique in which only a tiny portion of the cell wall is removed while the rest of the cell remains intact within its tissue environment. "Laser-assisted" patch clamping reveals a new category of high-conductance (130 to 361 pS) ion channels not previously reported in patch clamp studies on plant plasma membranes. These data indicate that ion channels are present in plant membranes that are not detected by conventional patch clamp techniques involving the production of individual plant protoplasts isolated from their tissue environment by enzymatic digestion of the cell wall. Given the large conductances of the channels revealed by laser-assisted patch clamping, we hypothesize that these channels play a significant role in the regulation of ion content and electrical signalling in guard cells.

  20. Preparation of poly(2-chloroaniline) membrane and plasma surface modification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kir, E.; Oksuz, L.; Helhel, S.

    2006-01-01

    P2ClAn membranes were obtained from chemically synthesized poly(2-chloroaniline) (P2ClAn) by casting method. These membranes were cast from dimethyl formamide (DMF) and were in the undoped state. P2ClAn membranes were characterized by Fourier infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Measurements of water content capacity, membrane thickness and ion-exchange capacity of the cast membranes were carried out. P2ClAn membranes were treated by electron cylotron resonance (ECR) plasma for surface modification. Plasma treatment has been successfully utilized for improving the surface properties of P2ClAn membranes such as increasing pore diameters and number of pores for better anion or molecule transportation

  1. Specific ion effects on membrane potential and the permselectivity of ion exchange membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Geise, Geoffrey M.

    2014-08-26

    © the Partner Organisations 2014. Membrane potential and permselectivity are critical parameters for a variety of electrochemically-driven separation and energy technologies. An electric potential is developed when a membrane separates electrolyte solutions of different concentrations, and a permselective membrane allows specific species to be transported while restricting the passage of other species. Ion exchange membranes are commonly used in applications that require advanced ionic electrolytes and span technologies such as alkaline batteries to ammonium bicarbonate reverse electrodialysis, but membranes are often only characterized in sodium chloride solutions. Our goal in this work was to better understand membrane behaviour in aqueous ammonium bicarbonate, which is of interest for closed-loop energy generation processes. Here we characterized the permselectivity of four commercial ion exchange membranes in aqueous solutions of sodium chloride, ammonium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and ammonium bicarbonate. This stepwise approach, using four different ions in aqueous solution, was used to better understand how these specific ions affect ion transport in ion exchange membranes. Characterization of cation and anion exchange membrane permselectivity, using these ions, is discussed from the perspective of the difference in the physical chemistry of the hydrated ions, along with an accompanying re-derivation and examination of the basic equations that describe membrane potential. In general, permselectivity was highest in sodium chloride and lowest in ammonium bicarbonate solutions, and the nature of both the counter- and co-ions appeared to influence measured permselectivity. The counter-ion type influences the binding affinity between counter-ions and polymer fixed charge groups, and higher binding affinity between fixed charge sites and counter-ions within the membrane decreases the effective membrane charge density. As a result permselectivity decreases. The

  2. Plasma membrane and salinity tolerance of barley plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Rahmani, F. H.; Al-Mashhadani, M. S.; Al-Delemee, N. H.

    1997-01-01

    Barley cultivar, California Mario ut, was grown in a nutrient solution containing increasing Nacl concentrations up to 250 mm. The effect of Nacl on growth, mineral compost ion ant integrity of the plasma membrane was studied. Growth of the shoot'and root was stimulated or little affected by 10 and 20 ml Nacl. Further increase in Nacl concentrations depressed the growth. The depression was conspicuous between 100 and 250 mm Nacl. Increasing Nacl concentration decreased potassium content in the shoots and roots and led to steep increase in sodium accumulation. The integrity of the plasma membrane was measured in term of potassium leakage from the root tips. Rapid leakage of potassium was obtained at Nacl concentrations ranging from 100 to 250 mm. At the same concentrations of Nacl, adenosine triphosphatase activity in the root tips was increased. Results indicate that the plasma membrane of root cells was damaged by the increased levels of salinity. It was concluded that the plasma membrane of root cells is the primary site of salinity toxicity. (authors). 40 refs., 5 tabs. 3 figs

  3. Plasma membrane proteomics and its application in clinical cancer biomarker discovery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leth-Larsen, Rikke; Lund, Rikke; Ditzel, Henrik J

    2010-01-01

    Plasma membrane proteins that are exposed on the cell surface have important biological functions, such as signaling into and out of the cells, ion transport, and cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. The expression level of many of the plasma membrane proteins involved in these key functions...... targeted by protein drugs, such as human antibodies, that have enhanced survival of several groups of cancer patients. The combination of novel analytical approaches and subcellular fractionation procedures has made it possible to study the plasma membrane proteome in more detail, which will elucidate...... cancer biology, particularly metastasis, and guide future development of novel drug targets. The technical advances in plasma membrane proteomics and the consequent biological revelations will be discussed herein. Many of the advances have been made using cancer cell lines, but because the main goal...

  4. Isolation and characterization of plasma membranes from guinea pig ileum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1986-01-01

    A plasma membrane fraction from guinea pig ileum has been isolated by extraction of a crude microsomal fraction with a low ionic strength buffer containing ATP and Ca 2+ . The extracted microsomes were subjected to sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation in the presence of 0.6 M KCl. The plasma membranes were substantially free from contamination with contractile proteins, mitochondria and sarco-plasmic reticulum. The plasma membrane vesicles were enriched 30-to-40-fold in Na + -K + -ATPase and 5'-nucleotidase activities. The plasma membrane vesicles accumulated Ca 2+ in the presence of ATP. The addition of Ca 2+ ionophore A23187 to vesicles loaded with Ca 2+ in the presence of ATP removed Ca 2+ completely from the vesicles in one minute. The Km values for the Ca 2+ -dependent phosphorylated intermediates of Ca 2+ -Mg 2+ -ATPase and Ca 2+ uptake were approximately 0.8 μM indicating that the phosphorylated intermediates represent phosphorylation of Ca 2+ pump ATPase. The 3 H-nitrendipine binding to plasma membranes was characterized by high affinity with Kd of 185 pM and B/sub max/ 1280 fmol/mg protein. The plasma membrane vesicles prepared by these procedures can prove useful for the study of ion transport

  5. Atmospheric-pressure plasma activation and surface characterization on polyethylene membrane separator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tseng, Yu-Chien; Li, Hsiao-Ling; Huang, Chun

    2017-01-01

    The surface hydrophilic activation of a polyethylene membrane separator was achieved using an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet. The surface of the atmospheric-pressure-plasma-treated membrane separator was found to be highly hydrophilic realized by adjusting the plasma power input. The variations in membrane separator chemical structure were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Chemical analysis showed newly formed carbonyl-containing groups and high surface concentrations of oxygen-containing species on the atmospheric-pressure-plasma-treated polymeric separator surface. It also showed that surface hydrophilicity primarily increased from the polar component after atmospheric-pressure plasma treatment. The surface and pore structures of the polyethylene membrane separator were examined by scanning electron microscopy, revealing a slight alteration in the pore structure. As a result of the incorporation of polar functionalities by atmospheric-pressure plasma activation, the electrolyte uptake and electrochemical impedance of the atmospheric-pressure-plasma-treated membrane separator improved. The investigational results show that the separator surface can be controlled by atmospheric-pressure plasma surface treatment to tailor the hydrophilicity and enhance the electrochemical performance of lithium ion batteries.

  6. Cell Membrane Transport Mechanisms: Ion Channels and Electrical Properties of Cell Membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulbacka, Julita; Choromańska, Anna; Rossowska, Joanna; Weżgowiec, Joanna; Saczko, Jolanta; Rols, Marie-Pierre

    2017-01-01

    Cellular life strongly depends on the membrane ability to precisely control exchange of solutes between the internal and external (environmental) compartments. This barrier regulates which types of solutes can enter and leave the cell. Transmembrane transport involves complex mechanisms responsible for passive and active carriage of ions and small- and medium-size molecules. Transport mechanisms existing in the biological membranes highly determine proper cellular functions and contribute to drug transport. The present chapter deals with features and electrical properties of the cell membrane and addresses the questions how the cell membrane accomplishes transport functions and how transmembrane transport can be affected. Since dysfunctions of plasma membrane transporters very often are the cause of human diseases, we also report how specific transport mechanisms can be modulated or inhibited in order to enhance the therapeutic effect.

  7. Sphingolipid Organization in the Plasma Membrane and the Mechanisms That Influence It.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraft, Mary L

    2016-01-01

    Sphingolipids are structural components in the plasma membranes of eukaryotic cells. Their metabolism produces bioactive signaling molecules that modulate fundamental cellular processes. The segregation of sphingolipids into distinct membrane domains is likely essential for cellular function. This review presents the early studies of sphingolipid distribution in the plasma membranes of mammalian cells that shaped the most popular current model of plasma membrane organization. The results of traditional imaging studies of sphingolipid distribution in stimulated and resting cells are described. These data are compared with recent results obtained with advanced imaging techniques, including super-resolution fluorescence detection and high-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Emphasis is placed on the new insight into the sphingolipid organization within the plasma membrane that has resulted from the direct imaging of stable isotope-labeled lipids in actual cell membranes with high-resolution SIMS. Super-resolution fluorescence techniques have recently revealed the biophysical behaviors of sphingolipids and the unhindered diffusion of cholesterol analogs in the membranes of living cells are ultimately in contrast to the prevailing hypothetical model of plasma membrane organization. High-resolution SIMS studies also conflicted with the prevailing hypothesis, showing sphingolipids are concentrated in micrometer-scale membrane domains, but cholesterol is evenly distributed within the plasma membrane. Reductions in cellular cholesterol decreased the number of sphingolipid domains in the plasma membrane, whereas disruption of the cytoskeleton eliminated them. In addition, hemagglutinin, a transmembrane protein that is thought to be a putative raft marker, did not cluster within sphingolipid-enriched regions in the plasma membrane. Thus, sphingolipid distribution in the plasma membrane is dependent on the cytoskeleton, but not on favorable interactions with

  8. Liver plasma membranes: an effective method to analyze membrane proteome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Rui; Liang, Songping

    2012-01-01

    Plasma membrane proteins are critical for the maintenance of biological systems and represent important targets for the treatment of disease. The hydrophobicity and low abundance of plasma membrane proteins make them difficult to analyze. The protocols given here are the efficient isolation/digestion procedures for liver plasma membrane proteomic analysis. Both protocol for the isolation of plasma membranes and protocol for the in-gel digestion of gel-embedded plasma membrane proteins are presented. The later method allows the use of a high detergent concentration to achieve efficient solubilization of hydrophobic plasma membrane proteins while avoiding interference with the subsequent LC-MS/MS analysis.

  9. Ion-Ion Plasmas Produced by Electron Beams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernsler, R. F.; Leonhardt, D.; Walton, S. G.; Meger, R. A.

    2001-10-01

    The ability of plasmas to etch deep, small-scale features in materials is limited by localized charging of the features. The features charge because of the difference in electron and ion anisotropy, and thus one solution now being explored is to use ion-ion plasmas in place of electron-ion plasmas. Ion-ion plasmas are effectively electron-free and consist mainly of positive and negative ions. Since the two ion species behave similarly, localized charging is largely eliminated. However, the only way to produce ion-ion plasmas at low gas pressure is to convert electrons into negative ions through two-body attachment to neutrals. While the electron attachment rate is large at low electron temperatures (Te < 1 eV) in many of the halogen gases used for processing, these temperatures occur in most reactors only during the afterglow when the heating fields are turned off and the plasma is decaying. By contrast, Te is low nearly all the time in plasmas produced by electron beams, and therefore electron beams can potentially produce ion-ion plasmas continuously. The theory of ion-ion plasmas formed by pulsed electron beams is examined in this talk and compared with experimental results presented elsewhere [1]. Some general limitations of ion-ion plasmas, including relatively low flux levels, are discussed as well. [1] See the presentation by D. Leonhardt et al. at this conference.

  10. A cell-free assay to determine the stoichiometry of plasma membrane proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trigo, Cesar; Vivar, Juan P; Gonzalez, Carlos B; Brauchi, Sebastian

    2013-04-01

    Plasma membrane receptors, transporters, and ion channel molecules are often found as oligomeric structures that participate in signaling cascades essential for cell survival. Different states of protein oligomerization may play a role in functional control and allosteric regulation. Stochastic GFP-photobleaching (SGP) has emerged as an affordable and simple method to determine the stoichiometry of proteins at the plasma membrane. This non-invasive optical approach can be useful for total internal reflection of fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM), where signal-to-noise ratio is very high at the plasma membrane. Here, we report an alternative methodology implemented on a standard laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM). The simplicity of our method will allow for its implementation in any epifluorescence microscope of choice.

  11. Membrane order in the plasma membrane and endocytic recycling compartment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iaea, David B; Maxfield, Frederick R

    2017-01-01

    The cholesterol content of membranes plays an important role in organizing membranes for signal transduction and protein trafficking as well as in modulating the biophysical properties of membranes. While the properties of model or isolated membranes have been extensively studied, there has been little evaluation of internal membranes in living cells. Here, we use a Nile Red based probe, NR12S, and ratiometric live cell imaging, to analyze the membrane order of the plasma membrane and endocytic recycling compartment. We find that after a brief incubation to allow endocytosis, NR12S is distributed between the plasma membrane and the endocytic recycling compartment. The NR12S reports that the endocytic recycling compartment is more highly ordered than the plasma membrane. We also find that the plasma membrane and the endocytic recycling compartment are differentially affected by altering cellular cholesterol levels. The membrane order of the plasma membrane, but not the endocytic recycling compartment, is altered significantly when cellular cholesterol content is increased or decreased by 20%. These results demonstrate that changes in cellular cholesterol differentially alter membrane order within different organelles.

  12. Recent developments on ion-exchange membranes and electro-membrane processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagarale, R K; Gohil, G S; Shahi, Vinod K

    2006-02-28

    Rapid growth of chemical and biotechnology in diversified areas fuels the demand for the need of reliable green technologies for the down stream processes, which include separation, purification and isolation of the molecules. Ion-exchange membrane technologies are non-hazardous in nature and being widely used not only for separation and purification but their application also extended towards energy conversion devices, storage batteries and sensors etc. Now there is a quite demand for the ion-exchange membrane with better selectivities, less electrical resistance, high chemical, mechanical and thermal stability as well as good durability. A lot of work has been done for the development of these types of ion-exchange membranes during the past twenty-five years. Herein we have reviewed the preparation of various types of ion-exchange membranes, their characterization and applications for different electro-membrane processes. Primary attention has been given to the chemical route used for the membrane preparation. Several general reactions used for the preparation of ion-exchange membranes were described. Methodologies used for the characterization of these membranes and their applications were also reviewed for the benefit of readers, so that they can get all information about the ion-exchange membranes at one platform. Although there are large number of reports available regarding preparations and applications of ion-exchange membranes more emphasis were predicted for the usefulness of these membranes or processes for solving certain type of industrial or social problems. More efforts are needed to bring many products or processes to pilot scale and extent their applications.

  13. Biogenesis of plasma membrane cholesterol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lange, Y.

    1986-01-01

    A striking feature of the molecular organization of eukaryotic cells is the singular enrichment of their plasma membranes in sterols. The authors studies are directed at elucidating the mechanisms underlying this inhomogeneous disposition. Cholesterol oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of plasma membrane cholesterol in intact cells, leaving intracellular cholesterol pools untouched. With this technique, the plasma membrane was shown to contain 95% of the unesterified cholesterol of cultured human fibroblasts. Cholesterol synthesized from [ 3 H] acetate moved to the plasma membrane with a half-time of 1 h at 37 0 C. They used equilibrium gradient centrifugation of homogenates of biosynthetically labeled, cholesterol oxidase treated cells to examine the distribution of newly synthesized sterols among intracellular pools. Surprisingly, lanosterol, a major precursor of cholesterol, and intracellular cholesterol both peaked at much lower buoyant density than did 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase. This suggests that cholesterol biosynthesis is not taken to completion in the endoplasmic reticulum. The cholesterol in the buoyant fraction eventually moved to the plasma membrane. Digitonin treatment increased the density of the newly synthesized cholesterol fractions, indicating that nascent cholesterol in transit is associated with cholesterol-rich membranes. The authors are testing the hypothesis that the pathway of cholesterol biosynthesis is spatially organized in various intracellular membranes such that the sequence of biosynthetic steps both concentrates the sterol and conveys it to the plasma membrane

  14. The Role of Ion Exchange Membranes in Membrane Capacitive Deionisation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassanvand, Armineh; Wei, Kajia; Talebi, Sahar; Chen, George Q; Kentish, Sandra E

    2017-09-14

    Ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) are unique in combining the electrochemical properties of ion exchange resins and the permeability of a membrane. They are being used widely to treat industrial effluents, and in seawater and brackish water desalination. Membrane Capacitive Deionisation (MCDI) is an emerging, energy efficient technology for brackish water desalination in which these ion-exchange membranes act as selective gates allowing the transport of counter-ions toward carbon electrodes. This article provides a summary of recent developments in the preparation, characterization, and performance of ion exchange membranes in the MCDI field. In some parts of this review, the most relevant literature in the area of electrodialysis (ED) is also discussed to better elucidate the role of the ion exchange membranes. We conclude that more work is required to better define the desalination performance of the proposed novel materials and cell designs for MCDI in treating a wide range of feed waters. The extent of fouling, the development of cleaning strategies, and further techno-economic studies, will add value to this emerging technique.

  15. A Loss in the Plasma Membrane ATPase Activity and Its Recovery Coincides with Incipient Freeze-Thaw Injury and Postthaw Recovery in Onion Bulb Scale Tissue 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arora, Rajeev; Palta, Jiwan P.

    1991-01-01

    Plasma membrane ATPase has been proposed to be functionally altered during early stages of injury caused by a freeze-thaw stress. Complete recovery from freezing injury in onion cells during the postthaw period provided evidence in support of this proposal. During recovery, a simultaneous decrease in ion leakage and disappearance of water soaking (symptoms of freeze-thaw injury) has been noted. Since reabsorption of ions during recovery must be an active process, recovery of plasma membrane ATPase (active transport system) functions has been implicated. In the present study, onion (Allium cepa L. cv Downing Yellow Globe) bulbs were subjected to a freeze-thaw stress which resulted in a reversible (recoverable) injury. Plasma membrane ATPase activity in the microsomes (isolated from the bulb scales) and ion leakage rate (efflux/hour) from the same scale tissue were measured immediately following thawing and after complete recovery. In injured tissue (30-40% water soaking), plasma membrane ATPase activity was reduced by about 30% and this was paralleled by about 25% higher ion leakage rate. As water soaking disappeared during recovery, the plasma membrane ATPase activity and the ion leakage rate returned to about the same level as the respective controls. Treatment of freeze-thaw injured tissue with vanadate, a specific inhibitor of plasma membrane ATPase, during postthaw prevented the recovery process. These results indicate that recovery of freeze-injured tissue depends on the functional activity of plasma membrane ATPase. PMID:16668063

  16. Environment-sensitive ion-track membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshida, Masaru

    1996-01-01

    Development of an environment-sensitive porous membrane from ion-track membranes may realize by combining the techniques of ion beam radiation and those of molecular designing and synthesis for intelligent materials. Now, the development of such membrane is progressing with an aim at selecting some specific substances and accurately control its pore size in response to any small environmental stimulus such as temperature change. The authors have been studying the molecular design, synthesis and functional expression of intelligent materials, which are called here as environment-sensitive gels. In this report, the outlines of the apparatus for the production of such porous membrane was described. An organic polymer membrane was irradiated with an ion beam and followed by chemical etching to make ion track pores. Scanning electron microscopic observation for the cross section of the membrane showed that the pore shape varies greatly depending on the ion nuclide used. The characteristics of newly produced porous membranes consisting of CR-30/A-ProDMe and polyethylene-telephtharate were investigated in respect of pore size change responding to temperature. These studies of design, synthesis and functions of such gels would enable to substitute artificial materials for the functions of human sensors. (M.N.). 54 refs

  17. Proteomics and the dynamic plasma membrane

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sprenger, Richard R; Jensen, Ole Nørregaard

    2010-01-01

    plasma membrane is of particular interest, by not only serving as a barrier between the "cell interior" and the external environment, but moreover by organizing and clustering essential components to enable dynamic responses to internal and external stimuli. Defining and characterizing the dynamic plasma...... the challenges in functional proteomic studies of the plasma membrane. We review the recent progress in MS-based plasma membrane proteomics by presenting key examples from eukaryotic systems, including mammals, yeast and plants. We highlight the importance of enrichment and quantification technologies required...... for detailed functional and comparative analysis of the dynamic plasma membrane proteome....

  18. Correlation between Balmer α emission and hydrogen flux through a superpermeable niobium membrane in a low-pressure multicusp plasma source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruneteau, A.M.; Notkin, M.E.; Livshits, A.I.; Bacal, M.

    2002-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to correlate hydrogen or deuterium flux through super permeable membranes with incident hydrogen or deuterium atom flux from the plasma. To this aim a hydrogen or deuterium plasma is created in a hybrid multicusp plasma source. We investigate Balmer α emission from the multicusp plasma and the output pressure behind a superpermeable niobium membrane immersed in the plasma.The output pressure is proportional to the flux of atoms and ions arriving on the membrane. We find that both output pressure and excited atoms emission satisfy plasma parameters relations. It is thus verified that plasma-driven superpermeation of hydrogen is due essentially to neutral atoms from the plasma incident to the membrane

  19. Specific ion effects on membrane potential and the permselectivity of ion exchange membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Geise, Geoffrey M.; Cassady, Harrison J.; Paul, Donald R.; Logan, Bruce E.; Hickner, Michael A.

    2014-01-01

    -ions also appeared to influence permselectivity leading to ion-specific effects; co-ions that are charge dense and have low polarizability tended to result in high membrane permselectivity. This journal is

  20. Mechanism of blue-light-induced plasma-membrane depolarization in etiolated cucumber hypocotyls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spalding, E. P.; Cosgrove, D. J.

    1992-01-01

    A large, transient depolarization of the plasma membrane precedes the rapid blue-light (BL)-induced growth suppression in etiolated seedlings of Cucumis sativus L. The mechanism of this voltage transient was investigated by applying inhibitors of ion channels and the plasma-membrane H(+)-ATPase, by manipulating extracellular ion concentrations, and by measuring cell input resistance and ATP levels. The depolarizing phase was not affected by Ca(2+)-channel blockers (verapamil, La3+) or by reducing extracellular free Ca2+ by treatment with ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). However, these treatments did reduce the rate of repolarization, indicating an inward movement of Ca2+ is involved. No effects of the K(+)-channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA+) were detected. Vanadate and KCN, used to inhibit the H(+)-ATPase, reduced or completely inhibited the BL-induced depolarization. Levels of ATP increased by 11-26% after 1-2 min of BL. Input resistance of trichrome cells, measured with double-barreled microelectrodes, remained constant during the onset of the depolarization but decreased as the membrane voltage became more positive than -90 mV. The results indicate that the depolarization mechanism initially involves inactivation of the H(+)-ATPase with subsequent transient activation of one or more types of ion channels.

  1. Membranes in Lithium Ion Batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Min; Hou, Junbo

    2012-01-01

    Lithium ion batteries have proven themselves the main choice of power sources for portable electronics. Besides consumer electronics, lithium ion batteries are also growing in popularity for military, electric vehicle, and aerospace applications. The present review attempts to summarize the knowledge about some selected membranes in lithium ion batteries. Based on the type of electrolyte used, literature concerning ceramic-glass and polymer solid ion conductors, microporous filter type separators and polymer gel based membranes is reviewed. PMID:24958286

  2. Membranes in Lithium Ion Batteries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junbo Hou

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Lithium ion batteries have proven themselves the main choice of power sources for portable electronics. Besides consumer electronics, lithium ion batteries are also growing in popularity for military, electric vehicle, and aerospace applications. The present review attempts to summarize the knowledge about some selected membranes in lithium ion batteries. Based on the type of electrolyte used, literature concerning ceramic-glass and polymer solid ion conductors, microporous filter type separators and polymer gel based membranes is reviewed.

  3. Response of plasma membrane H+-ATPase in rice (Oryza sativa) seedlings to simulated acid rain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Chanjuan; Ge, Yuqing; Su, Lei; Bu, Jinjin

    2015-01-01

    Understanding the adaptation of plants to acid rain is important to find feasible approaches to alleviate such damage to plants. We studied effects of acid rain on plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase activity and transcription, intracellular H(+), membrane permeability, photosynthetic efficiency, and relative growth rate during stress and recovery periods. Simulated acid rain at pH 5.5 did not affect plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase activity, intracellular H(+), membrane permeability, photosynthetic efficiency, and relative growth rate. Plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase activity and transcription in leaves treated with acid rain at pH 3.5 was increased to maintain ion homeostasis by transporting excessive H(+) out of cells. Then intracellular H(+) was close to the control after a 5-day recovery, alleviating damage on membrane and sustaining photosynthetic efficiency and growth. Simulated acid rain at pH 2.5 inhibited plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase activity by decreasing the expression of H(+)-ATPase at transcription level, resulting in membrane damage and abnormal intracellular H(+), and reduction in photosynthetic efficiency and relative growth rate. After a 5-day recovery, all parameters in leaves treated with pH 2.5 acid rain show alleviated damage, implying that the increased plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase activity and its high expression were involved in repairing process in acid rain-stressed plants. Our study suggests that plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase can play a role in adaptation to acid rain for rice seedlings.

  4. Hydrophobization of track membrane surface by ion-plasma sputtering method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuklin, I. E.; Khlebnikov, N. A.; Barashev, N. R.; Serkov, K. V.; Polyakov, E. V.; Zdorovets, M. V.; Borgekov, D. B.; Zhidkov, I. S.; Cholakh, S. O.; Kozlovskiy, A. L.

    2017-09-01

    This article reviews the possibility of applying inorganic coatings of metal compounds on PTM by ion-plasma sputtering. The main aim of this research is to increase the contact angle of PTM surfaces and to impart the properties of a hydrophobic material to it. After the modification, the initial contact angle increased from 70° to 120°.

  5. RF plasma-driven hydrogen permeation through a biased iron membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banno, T.; Waelbroeck, F.; Winter, J.

    1984-01-01

    The steady-state RF plasma-driven hydrogen permeation through an electrically biased iron membrane has been investigated as a function of the bias potential Vsub(M) for membrane temperatures in the range of 150-400 0 C. Vsub(M) has been gradually increased positively from the floating potential of the membrane. The permeation flux decreases when Vsub(M) increases at low voltages: positive hydrogen ions are repelled. The membrane temperature does not influence this effect measurably. The permeation flux starts to increase when Vsub(M) is raised higher, i.e. when energetic electrons strike the surface. This phenomenon shows a pronounced temperature dependence - the enhancement is largest for the lowest temperatures. The effect is interpreted in terms of an electron-induced dissociation of hydrogen molecules on the membrane surface. (orig.)

  6. Ion transport Modeling in a Bipolar Membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jung Soo; Park, Kwang Heon; Kim, Kwang Wook

    2010-01-01

    The COL(Carbonate-based Oxidative Leaching) process is an environmentally-friendly technique for collecting only uranium from spent fuel with oxidation leaching/ precipitation of carbonate solution. The bipolar membrane used for the electrolyte circulation of the salt used in the COL process is a special form of ion exchange membrane which combines CEM(cation exchange membrane) and AEM(anion exchange membrane). After arranging positive ion exchange layer toward negative terminal and positive ion exchange layer toward positive terminal, then supply electricity, water molecules are decomposed into protons and hydroxyl ions by a strong electric field in the transition region inside bipolar membrane.1) In this study, a theoretical approach to increase the efficiency of Na + and NO3 - ion collecting device using bipolar membrane was taken and simulating using the COMSOL program was tried. The details of results are also discussed

  7. Lipid organization of the plasma membrane

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ingólfsson, Helgi I; Melo, Manuel N; van Eerden, Floris J; Arnarez, Clément; Lopez, Cesar A; Wassenaar, Tsjerk A; Periole, Xavier; de Vries, Alex H; Tieleman, D Peter; Marrink, Siewert J

    2014-01-01

    The detailed organization of cellular membranes remains rather elusive. Based on large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, we provide a high-resolution view of the lipid organization of a plasma membrane at an unprecedented level of complexity. Our plasma membrane model consists of 63 different

  8. Surface Electrical Potentials of Root Cell Plasma Membranes: Implications for Ion Interactions, Rhizotoxicity, and Uptake

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Min Wang

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Many crop plants are exposed to heavy metals and other metals that may intoxicate the crop plants themselves or consumers of the plants. The rhizotoxicity of heavy metals is influenced strongly by the root cell plasma membrane (PM surface’s electrical potential (ψ0. The usually negative ψ0 is created by negatively charged constituents of the PM. Cations in the rooting medium are attracted to the PM surface and anions are repelled. Addition of ameliorating cations (e.g., Ca2+ and Mg2+ to the rooting medium reduces the effectiveness of cationic toxicants (e.g., Cu2+ and Pb2+ and increases the effectiveness of anionic toxicants (e.g., SeO42− and H2AsO4−. Root growth responses to ions are better correlated with ion activities at PM surfaces ({IZ}0 than with activities in the bulk-phase medium ({IZ}b (IZ denotes an ion with charge Z. Therefore, electrostatic effects play a role in heavy metal toxicity that may exceed the role of site-specific competition between toxicants and ameliorants. Furthermore, ψ0 controls the transport of ions across the PM by influencing both {IZ}0 and the electrical potential difference across the PM from the outer surface to the inner surface (Em,surf. Em,surf is a component of the driving force for ion fluxes across the PM and controls ion-channel voltage gating. Incorporation of {IZ}0 and Em,surf into quantitative models for root metal toxicity and uptake improves risk assessments of toxic metals in the environment. These risk assessments will improve further with future research on the application of electrostatic theory to heavy metal phytotoxicity in natural soils and aquatic environments.

  9. The plasma membrane as radiosensitive target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koeteles, Gy.J.

    1986-01-01

    Components and conditions rendering the plasma membrane susceptible for ionizing radiation are discussed. The list of reviews and articles pointing to various aspects of radiation effects on membranes is analyzed. Radiation induced alterations of plasma membrane and energy deposition in cellular microstructures are overviewed. The possible role of membrane alterations in the fate of irradiated cell is also discussed. (author)

  10. Rupturing Giant Plasma Membrane Vesicles to Form Micron-sized Supported Cell Plasma Membranes with Native Transmembrane Proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiang, Po-Chieh; Tanady, Kevin; Huang, Ling-Ting; Chao, Ling

    2017-11-09

    Being able to directly obtain micron-sized cell blebs, giant plasma membrane vesicles (GPMVs), with native membrane proteins and deposit them on a planar support to form supported plasma membranes could allow the membrane proteins to be studied by various surface analytical tools in native-like bilayer environments. However, GPMVs do not easily rupture on conventional supports because of their high protein and cholesterol contents. Here, we demonstrate the possibility of using compression generated by the air-water interface to efficiently rupture GPMVs to form micron-sized supported membranes with native plasma membrane proteins. We demonstrated that not only lipid but also a native transmembrane protein in HeLa cells, Aquaporin 3 (AQP3), is mobile in the supported membrane platform. This convenient method for generating micron-sized supported membrane patches with mobile native transmembrane proteins could not only facilitate the study of membrane proteins by surface analytical tools, but could also enable us to use native membrane proteins for bio-sensing applications.

  11. Plasma immersion surface modification with metal ion plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, I.G.; Yu, K.M.; Godechot, X.

    1991-04-01

    We describe here a novel technique for surface modification in which metal plasma is employed and by which various blends of plasma deposition and ion implantation can be obtained. The new technique is a variation of the plasma immersion technique described by Conrad and co-workers. When a substrate is immersed in a metal plasma, the plasma that condenses on the substrate remains there as a film, and when the substrate is then implanted, qualitatively different processes can follow, including' conventional' high energy ion implantation, recoil implantation, ion beam mixing, ion beam assisted deposition, and metallic thin film and multilayer fabrication with or without species mixing. Multiple metal plasma guns can be used with different metal ion species, films can be bonded to the substrate through ion beam mixing at the interface, and multilayer structures can be tailored with graded or abrupt interfaces. We have fabricated several different kinds of modified surface layers in this way. 22 refs., 4 figs

  12. Experiments on Ion-Ion Plasmas From Discharges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leonhardt, Darrin; Walton, Scott; Blackwell, David; Murphy, Donald; Fernsler, Richard; Meger, Robert

    2001-10-01

    Use of both positive and negative ions in plasma processing of materials has been shown to be advantageous[1] in terms of better feature evolution and control. In this presentation, experimental results are given to complement recent theoretical work[2] at NRL on the formation and decay of pulsed ion-ion plasmas in electron beam generated discharges. Temporally resolved Langmuir probe and mass spectrometry are used to investigate electron beam generated discharges during the beam on (active) and off (afterglow) phases in a variety of gas mixtures. Because electron-beam generated discharges inherently[3] have low electron temperatures (<0.5eV in molecular gases), negative ion characteristics are seen in the active as well as afterglow phases since electron detachment increases with low electron temperatures. Analysis of temporally resolved plasma characteristics deduced from these measurements will be presented for pure O_2, N2 and Ar and their mixtures with SF_6. Oxygen discharges show no noticeable negative ion contribution during the active or afterglow phase, presumably due to the higher energy electron attachment threshold, which is well above any electron temperature. In contrast, SF6 discharges demonstrate ion-ion plasma characteristics in the active glow and are completely ion-ion in the afterglow. Comparison between these discharges with published cross sections and production mechanisms will also be presented. [1] T.H. Ahn, K. Nakamura & H. Sugai, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol., 5, 139 (1996); T. Shibyama, H. Shindo & Y. Horiike, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol., 5, 254 (1996). [2] See presentation by R. F. Fernsler, at this conference. [3] D. Leonhardt, et al., 53rd Annual GEC, Houston, TX.

  13. Shuttling of G protein subunits between the plasma membrane and intracellular membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chisari, Mariangela; Saini, Deepak Kumar; Kalyanaraman, Vani; Gautam, Narasimhan

    2007-08-17

    Heterotrimeric G proteins (alphabetagamma) mediate the majority of signaling pathways in mammalian cells. It is long held that G protein function is localized to the plasma membrane. Here we examined the spatiotemporal dynamics of G protein localization using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, fluorescence loss in photobleaching, and a photoswitchable fluorescent protein, Dronpa. Unexpectedly, G protein subunits shuttle rapidly (t1/2 plasma membrane and intracellular membranes. We show that consistent with such shuttling, G proteins constitutively reside in endomembranes. Furthermore, we show that shuttling is inhibited by 2-bromopalmitate. Thus, contrary to present thought, G proteins do not reside permanently on the plasma membrane but are constantly testing the cytoplasmic surfaces of the plasma membrane and endomembranes to maintain G protein pools in intracellular membranes to establish direct communication between receptors and endomembranes.

  14. The polarized distribution of poly(A+)-mRNA-induced functional ion channels in the Xenopus oocyte plasma membrane is prevented by anticytoskeletal drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peter, A B; Schittny, J C; Niggli, V; Reuter, H; Sigel, E

    1991-08-01

    Foreign mRNA was expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Newly expressed ion currents localized in defined plasma membrane areas were measured using the two-electrode voltage clamp technique in combination with a specially designed chamber, that exposed only part of the surface on the oocytes to channel agonists or inhibitors. Newly expressed currents were found to be unequally distributed in the surface membrane of the oocyte. This asymmetry was most pronounced during the early phase of expression, when channels could almost exclusively be detected in the animal hemisphere of the oocyte. 4 d after injection of the mRNA, or later, channels could be found at a threefold higher density at the animal than at the vegetal pole area. The pattern of distribution was observed to be similar with various ion channels expressed from crude tissue mRNA and from cRNAs coding for rat GABAA receptor channel subunits. Electron microscopical analysis revealed very similar microvilli patterns at both oocyte pole areas. Thus, the asymmetric current distribution is not due to asymmetric surface structure. Upon incubation during the expression period in either colchicine or cytochalasin D, the current density was found to be equal in both pole areas. The inactive control substance beta-lumicolchicine had no effect on the asymmetry of distribution. Colchicine was without effect on the amplitude of the expressed whole cell current. Our measurements reveal a pathway for plasma membrane protein expression endogenous to the Xenopus oocyte, that may contribute to the formation and maintenance of polarity of this highly organized cell.

  15. Plasma membrane isolation using immobilized concanavalin A magnetic beads.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yu-Chen; Srajer Gajdosik, Martina; Josic, Djuro; Lin, Sue-Hwa

    2012-01-01

    Isolation of highly purified plasma membranes is the key step in constructing the plasma membrane proteome. Traditional plasma membrane isolation method takes advantage of the differential density of organelles. While differential centrifugation methods are sufficient to enrich for plasma membranes, the procedure is lengthy and results in low recovery of the membrane fraction. Importantly, there is significant contamination of the plasma membranes with other organelles. The traditional agarose affinity matrix is suitable for isolating proteins but has limitation in separating organelles due to the density of agarose. Immobilization of affinity ligands to magnetic beads allows separation of affinity matrix from organelles through magnets and could be developed for the isolation of organelles. We have developed a simple method for isolating plasma membranes using lectin concanavalin A (ConA) magnetic beads. ConA is immobilized onto magnetic beads by binding biotinylated ConA to streptavidin magnetic beads. The ConA magnetic beads are used to bind glycosylated proteins present in the membranes. The bound membranes are solubilized from the magnetic beads with a detergent containing the competing sugar alpha methyl mannoside. In this study, we describe the procedure of isolating rat liver plasma membranes using sucrose density gradient centrifugation as described by Neville. We then further purify the membrane fraction by using ConA magnetic beads. After this purification step, main liver plasma membrane proteins, especially the highly glycosylated ones and proteins containing transmembrane domains could be identified by LC-ESI-MS/MS. While not described here, the magnetic bead method can also be used to isolate plasma membranes from cell lysates. This membrane purification method should expedite the cataloging of plasma membrane proteome.

  16. Ion transport through biological membranes an integrated theoretical approach

    CERN Document Server

    Mackey, Michael C

    1975-01-01

    This book illustrates some of the ways physics and mathematics have been, and are being, used to elucidate the underlying mechan­ isms of passive ion movement through biological membranes in general, and the membranes of excltable cells in particular. I have made no effort to be comprehensive in my introduction of biological material and the reader interested in a brief account of single cell electro­ physlology from a physically-oriented biologists viewpoint will find the chapters by Woodbury (1965) an excellent introduction. Part I is introductory in nature, exploring the basic electrical properties of inexcitable and excitable cell plasma membranes. Cable theory is utilized to illustrate the function of the non-decrementing action potential as a signaling mechanism for the long range trans­ mission of information in the nervous system, and to gain some in­ sight into the gross behaviour of neurons. The detailed analysis of Hodgkin and Huxley on the squid giant axon membrane ionic conductance properties...

  17. Ion acoustic waves in one- and two-negative ion species plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ichiki, Ryuta; Shindo, Masako; Yoshimura, Shinji; Watanabe, Tsuguhiro; Kawai, Yoshinobu

    2001-01-01

    Ion acoustic waves in multi-ion plasmas including two negative ion species are investigated both numerically and experimentally. Numerically, the kinetic dispersion relation in two-negative ion plasmas is investigated. There are three modes of the ion acoustic waves in two-negative ion plasmas. In an Ar + -F - -SF 6 - plasma, only one of the three modes is dominant, regardless of the values of the electron and the ion temperatures. In a Xe + -F - -SF 6 - plasma, on the other hand, two modes can be important for a certain range of the electron-ion temperature ratio. The results also imply the possibility of the coexistence of the fast mode and the slow mode in one-negative ion plasmas. Experimentally, ion acoustic waves are observed in an Ar + -F - -SF 6 - plasma and are found to show a mode transition that agrees with the theoretical prediction for one of the three ion acoustic modes

  18. Photosynthesis Activates Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase via Sugar Accumulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okumura, Masaki; Inoue, Shin-Ichiro; Kuwata, Keiko; Kinoshita, Toshinori

    2016-05-01

    Plant plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase acts as a primary transporter via proton pumping and regulates diverse physiological responses by controlling secondary solute transport, pH homeostasis, and membrane potential. Phosphorylation of the penultimate threonine and the subsequent binding of 14-3-3 proteins in the carboxyl terminus of the enzyme are required for H(+)-ATPase activation. We showed previously that photosynthesis induces phosphorylation of the penultimate threonine in the nonvascular bryophyte Marchantia polymorpha However, (1) whether this response is conserved in vascular plants and (2) the process by which photosynthesis regulates H(+)-ATPase phosphorylation at the plasma membrane remain unresolved issues. Here, we report that photosynthesis induced the phosphorylation and activation of H(+)-ATPase in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves via sugar accumulation. Light reversibly phosphorylated leaf H(+)-ATPase, and this process was inhibited by pharmacological and genetic suppression of photosynthesis. Immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses indicated that light-induced phosphorylation of H(+)-ATPase occurred autonomously in mesophyll cells. We also show that the phosphorylation status of H(+)-ATPase and photosynthetic sugar accumulation in leaves were positively correlated and that sugar treatment promoted phosphorylation. Furthermore, light-induced phosphorylation of H(+)-ATPase was strongly suppressed in a double mutant defective in ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and triose phosphate/phosphate translocator (adg1-1 tpt-2); these mutations strongly inhibited endogenous sugar accumulation. Overall, we show that photosynthesis activated H(+)-ATPase via sugar production in the mesophyll cells of vascular plants. Our work provides new insight into signaling from chloroplasts to the plasma membrane ion transport mechanism. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  19. 21 CFR 173.21 - Perfluorinated ion exchange membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Perfluorinated ion exchange membranes. 173.21... ion exchange membranes. Substances identified in paragraph (a) of this section may be safely used as ion exchange membranes intended for use in the treatment of bulk quantities of liquid food under the...

  20. Ion beam heating of thin silicon membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tissot, P.E.; Hart, R.R.

    1993-01-01

    For silicon membranes irradiated by an ion beam in a vacuum environment, such as the masks used for ion beam lithography and the membranes used for thin film self-annealing, the heat transfer modes are radiation and limited conduction through the thin membrane. The radiation component depends on the total hemispherical emissivity which varies with the thickness and temperature of the membrane. A semiempirical correlation for the absorption coefficient of high resistivity silicon was derived and the variation of the total emissivity with temperature was computed for membranes with thicknesses between 0.1 and 10 μm. Based on this result, the temperatures reached during exposure to ion beams of varying intensities were computed. A proper modeling of the emissivity is shown to be important for beam heating of thin silicon membranes. (orig.)

  1. Membrane potential and ion transport in lung epithelial type II cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gallo, R.L.

    1986-01-01

    The alveolar type II pneumocyte is critically important to the function and maintenance of pulmonary epithelium. To investigate the nature of the response of type II cells to membrane injury, and describe a possible mechanism by which these cells regulate surfactant secretion, the membrane potential of isolated rabbit type II cells was characterized. This evaluation was accomplished by measurements of the accumulation of the membrane potential probes: [ 3 H]triphenylmethylphosphonium ([ 3 H]TPMP + ), rubidium 86, and the fluorescent dye DiOC 5 . A compartmental analysis of probe uptake into mitochondrial, cytoplasmic, and non-membrane potential dependent stores was made through the use of selective membrane depolarizations with carbonycyanide M-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). These techniques and population analysis with flow cytometry, permitted the accurate evaluation of type II cell membrane potential under control conditions and under conditions which stimulated cell activity. Further analysis of ion transport by cells exposed to radiation or adrenergic stimulation revealed a common increase in Na + /K + ATPase activity, and an increase in sodium influx across the plasma membrane. This sodium influx was found to be a critical step in the initiation of surfactant secretion. It is concluded that radiation exposure as well as other pulmonary toxicants can directly affect the membrane potential and ionic regulation of type II cells. Ion transport, particularly of sodium, plays an important role in the regulation of type II cell function

  2. Membrane compartment of Can1 (MCC): specialized functional microdomain of the yeast plasma membrane

    OpenAIRE

    Doudová, Lenka

    2017-01-01

    Membrane compartment of Can1 (MCC): specialized functional microdomain of the yeast plasma membrane Yeast plasma membrane is divided into several different compartments. Membrane compartment of Can1 is specific for its protein and lipid composition, furthermore it creates furrow-like invaginations on the plasma membrane. These invaginations are made by multiprotein complexes called eisosomes, which are located in the cytosolic side of MCCs. It was established that this domain plays an importa...

  3. Modulation and interactions of charged biomimetic membranes with bivalent ions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazadi Badiambile, Adolphe

    The biological membrane of an eukaryotic cell is a two-dimensional structure of mostly phospholipids with embedded proteins. This two-dimensional structure plays many key roles in the life of a cell. Transmembrane proteins, for example, play the role of a gate for different ions (such as Ca2+). Also found are peripheral proteins that are used as enzymes for different purposes in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. Phospholipids, in particular play three key roles. Firstly, some members of this group are used to store energy. Secondly, the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties inherent to phospholipids enable them to be used as building blocks of the cell membrane by forming an asymmetric bilayer. This provides a shielding protection against the outer environment while at the same time keeping the organelles and cytosol from leaking out of the cell. Finally lipids are involved in regulating the aggregation of proteins in the membrane. In addition, some subspecies such as phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) are second messenger molecules in their own right, thus playing an important role in cellular signaling events. In my work presented in this thesis, I am focusing on the role of some phospholipids as signaling molecules and in particular the physicochemical underpinnings that could be used in their spatiotemporal organization in the cellular plasma membrane. I am specifically concerned with the important family of phosphatidylinositol lipids. PtdIns are very well known for their role as signaling molecules in numerous cell events. They are located in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane as well as part of the membrane of other organelles. Studies of these signaling molecules in their in vivo environment present many challenges: Firstly, the complexity of interactions due to the numerous entities present in eukaryotic cell membranes makes it difficult to establish clear cause and effect relationships. Secondly, due to their size, our inability to probe these

  4. Caveolae as plasma membrane sensors, protectors and organizers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parton, Robert G; del Pozo, Miguel A

    2013-02-01

    Caveolae are submicroscopic, plasma membrane pits that are abundant in many mammalian cell types. The past few years have seen a quantum leap in our understanding of the formation, dynamics and functions of these enigmatic structures. Caveolae have now emerged as vital plasma membrane sensors that can respond to plasma membrane stresses and remodel the extracellular environment. Caveolae at the plasma membrane can be removed by endocytosis to regulate their surface density or can be disassembled and their structural components degraded. Coat proteins, called cavins, work together with caveolins to regulate the formation of caveolae but also have the potential to dynamically transmit signals that originate in caveolae to various cellular destinations. The importance of caveolae as protective elements in the plasma membrane, and as membrane organizers and sensors, is highlighted by links between caveolae dysfunction and human diseases, including muscular dystrophies and cancer.

  5. Ion source with plasma cathode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yabe, E.

    1987-01-01

    A long lifetime ion source with plasma cathode has been developed for use in ion implantation. In this ion source, a plasma of a nonreactive working gas serves as a cathode in place of a thermionic tungsten filament used in the Freeman ion source. In an applied magnetic field, the plasma is convergent, i.e., filamentlike; in zero magnetic field, it turns divergent and spraylike. In the latter case, the plasma exhibits a remarkable ability when the working gas has an ionization potential larger than the feed gas. By any combination of a working gas of either argon or neon and a feed gas of AsF 5 or PF 5 , the lifetime of this ion source was found to be more than 90 h with an extraction voltage of 40 kV and the corresponding ion current density 20 mA/cm 2 . Mass spectrometry results show that this ion source has an ability of generating a considerable amount of As + and P + ions from AsF 5 and PF 5 , and hence will be useful for realizing a fully cryopumped ion implanter system. This ion source is also eminently suitable for use in oxygen ion production

  6. Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation in Radio Frequency Plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bora, B.; Bhuyan, H.; Wyndham, E.

    2013-01-01

    Plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) has attracted wide interests since it emulates conventional ion-beam ion implantation (IBII) in niche applications. For instance, the technique has very high throughput, the implantation time is independent of the sample size, and samples with an irregular shape can be implanted without complex beam scanning or sample manipulation. For uniform ion implantation and deposition on to different substrates, like silicon, stainless steel etc., a capacitive coupled Radio frequency (RF), 13.6 MHz, plasma is used. During the PIII process, the physical parameters which are expected to play crucial rule in the deposition process like RF power, Negative pulse voltage and pulse duration, gas type and gas mixture, gas flow rates and the implantation dose are studied. The ion dose is calculated by dynamic sheath model and the plasma parameters are calculated from the V-I characteristic and power balance equation by homogeneous model of rf plasma discharge considering Ohmic as well as Stochastic heating. The correlations between the yield of the implantation process and the physical parameters as well as plasma parameters are discussed. (author)

  7. Autophagosomal membranes assemble at ER-plasma membrane contact sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nascimbeni, Anna Chiara; Codogno, Patrice; Morel, Etienne

    2017-01-01

    The biogenesis of autophagosome, the double membrane bound organelle related to macro-autophagy, is a complex event requiring numerous key-proteins and membrane remodeling events. Our recent findings identify the extended synaptotagmins, crucial tethers of Endoplasmic Reticulum-plasma membrane contact sites, as key-regulators of this molecular sequence.

  8. An Adaptable Spectrin/Ankyrin-Based Mechanism for Long-Range Organization of Plasma Membranes in Vertebrate Tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, Vann; Lorenzo, Damaris N

    2016-01-01

    Ankyrins are membrane-associated proteins that together with their spectrin partners are responsible for micron-scale organization of vertebrate plasma membranes, including those of erythrocytes, excitable membranes of neurons and heart, lateral membrane domains of columnar epithelial cells, and striated muscle. Ankyrins coordinate functionally related membrane transporters and cell adhesion proteins (15 protein families identified so far) within plasma membrane compartments through independently evolved interactions of intrinsically disordered sequences with a highly conserved peptide-binding groove formed by the ANK repeat solenoid. Ankyrins are coupled to spectrins, which are elongated organelle-sized proteins that form mechanically resilient arrays through cross-linking by specialized actin filaments. In addition to protein interactions, cellular targeting and assembly of spectrin/ankyrin domains also critically depend on palmitoylation of ankyrin-G by aspartate-histidine-histidine-cysteine 5/8 palmitoyltransferases, as well as interaction of beta-2 spectrin with phosphoinositide lipids. These lipid-dependent spectrin/ankyrin domains are not static but are locally dynamic and determine membrane identity through opposing endocytosis of bulk lipids as well as specific proteins. A partnership between spectrin, ankyrin, and cell adhesion molecules first emerged in bilaterians over 500 million years ago. Ankyrin and spectrin may have been recruited to plasma membranes from more ancient roles in organelle transport. The basic bilaterian spectrin-ankyrin toolkit markedly expanded in vertebrates through gene duplications combined with variation in unstructured intramolecular regulatory sequences as well as independent evolution of ankyrin-binding activity by ion transporters involved in action potentials and calcium homeostasis. In addition, giant vertebrate ankyrins with specialized roles in axons acquired new coding sequences by exon shuffling. We speculate that

  9. ER-to-plasma membrane tethering proteins regulate cell signaling and ER morphology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manford, Andrew G; Stefan, Christopher J; Yuan, Helen L; Macgurn, Jason A; Emr, Scott D

    2012-12-11

    Endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane (ER-PM) junctions are conserved structures defined as regions of the ER that tightly associate with the plasma membrane. However, little is known about the mechanisms that tether these organelles together and why such connections are maintained. Using a quantitative proteomic approach, we identified three families of ER-PM tethering proteins in yeast: Ist2 (related to mammalian TMEM16 ion channels), the tricalbins (Tcb1/2/3, orthologs of the extended synaptotagmins), and Scs2 and Scs22 (vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated proteins). Loss of all six tethering proteins results in the separation of the ER from the PM and the accumulation of cytoplasmic ER. Importantly, we find that phosphoinositide signaling is misregulated at the PM, and the unfolded protein response is constitutively activated in the ER in cells lacking ER-PM tether proteins. These results reveal critical roles for ER-PM contacts in cell signaling, organelle morphology, and ER function. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Drift wave in pair-ion plasma

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    ion plasma are discussed. It is shown that the temperature and/or mass difference of both species could produce drift wave in a pair-ion plasma. The results are discussed in the context of the fullerene pair-ion plasma experiment.

  11. Experimental study of membrane pump for plasma devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Hajime; Ohyabu, Nobuyoshi; Nakamura, Yukio; Sagara, Akio; Motojima, Osamu; Livshits, A.; Notkin, M.; Busnyuk, A.; Komatsu, Kazuyuki

    1998-01-01

    Recycling control is a key to improve fusion plasma performance. The membrane pump has potential advantages for hydrogen pumping in fusion devices. However, there are unsolved issues for using membrane pump in LHD (Large Helical Device). The first issue is characteristics of the membrane pump under high incident hydrogen atom flux. The second issue is relationship between the surface condition and the pumping efficiency. Impurities from plasma may change the surface condition of the membrane. In order to solve these issues, a membrane pump system was fabricated and installed in a linear plasma device at NIFS (National Institute for Fusion Science). The membrane pump was successfully operated. (author)

  12. Limited and selective transfer of plasma membrane glycoproteins to membrane of secondary lysosomes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haylett, T.; Thilo, L.

    1986-01-01

    Radioactive galactose, covalently bound to cell surface glycoconjugates on mouse macrophage cells, P388D 1 , was used as a membrane marker to study the composition, and the kinetics of exchange, of plasma membrane-derived constituents in the membrane of secondary lysosomes. Secondary lysosomes were separated from endosomes and plasma membrane by self-forming Percoll density gradients. Horseradish peroxidase, taken up by fluid-phase pinocytosis, served as a vesicle contents marker to monitor transfer of endosomal contents into secondary lysosomes. Concurrently, the fraction of plasma membrane-derived label of secondary lysosomes increased by first order kinetics from 4 PAGE, labeled molecules of M/sub r/ 160-190 kD were depleted and of the M/sub r/ 100-120 kD were enriched in lysosome membrane compared with the relative composition of label on the cell surface. No corresponding selectivity was observed for the degradation of label, with all M/sub r/ classes being affected to the same relative extent. The results indicate that endocytosis-derived transfer of plasma membrane constitutents to secondary lysosomes is a limited and selective process, and that only ∼1% of internalized membrane is recycled via a membrane pool of secondary lysosomes

  13. Plasma membrane disruption: repair, prevention, adaptation

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNeil, Paul L.; Steinhardt, Richard A.

    2003-01-01

    Many metazoan cells inhabit mechanically stressful environments and, consequently, their plasma membranes are frequently disrupted. Survival requires that the cell rapidly repair or reseal the disruption. Rapid resealing is an active and complex structural modification that employs endomembrane as its primary building block, and cytoskeletal and membrane fusion proteins as its catalysts. Endomembrane is delivered to the damaged plasma membrane through exocytosis, a ubiquitous Ca2+-triggered response to disruption. Tissue and cell level architecture prevent disruptions from occurring, either by shielding cells from damaging levels of force, or, when this is not possible, by promoting safe force transmission through the plasma membrane via protein-based cables and linkages. Prevention of disruption also can be a dynamic cell or tissue level adaptation triggered when a damaging level of mechanical stress is imposed. Disease results from failure of either the preventive or resealing mechanisms.

  14. Modeling the ion transfer and polarization of ion exchange membranes in bioelectrochemical systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harnisch, Falk; Warmbier, Robert; Schneider, Ralf; Schröder, Uwe

    2009-06-01

    An explicit numerical model for the charge balancing ion transfer across monopolar ion exchange membranes under conditions of bioelectrochemical systems is presented. Diffusion and migration equations have been solved according to the Nernst-Planck Equation and the resulting ion concentrations, pH values and the resistance values of the membrane for different conditions were computed. The modeling results underline the principle limitations of the application of ion exchange membranes in biological fuel cells and electrolyzers, caused by the inherent occurrence of a pH-gradient between anode and cathode compartment, and an increased ohmic membrane resistance at decreasing electrolyte concentrations. Finally, the physical and numerical limitations of the model are discussed.

  15. Plasma source ion implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Conrad, J.R.; Forest, C.

    1986-01-01

    The authors' technique allows the ion implantation to be performed directly within the ion source at higher currents without ion beam extraction and transport. The potential benefits include greatly increased production rates (factors of 10-1000) and the ability to implant non-planar targets without rastering or shadowing. The technique eliminates the ion extractor grid set, beam raster equipment, drift space and target manipulator equipment. The target to be implanted is placed directly within the plasma source and is biased to a large negative potential so that plasma ions gain energy as they accelerate through the potential drop across the sheath that forms at the plasma boundary. Because the sheath surrounds the target on all sides, all surfaces of the target are implanted without the necessity to raster the beam or to rotate the target. The authors have succeeded in implanting nitrogen ions in a silicon target to the depths and concentrations required for surface treatment of materials like stainless steel and titanium alloys. They have performed ESCA measurements of the penetration depth profile of a silicon target that was biased to 30 kV in a nitrogen discharge plasma. Nitrogen ions were implanted to a depth of 700A at a peak concentration of 30% atomic. The measured profile is quite similar to a previously obtained profile in titanium targets with conventional techniques

  16. Effect of saline stress on plasma membrane structure and function of barley roots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahmani, F. H.

    2000-01-01

    Barely (Hordeum vulgare L. c v. Black Local) plants were grown hydroponic ally under different saline stresses (50, 100, 150 And 200 mm NaCI. The adverse effect of each saline stress on the structure and function of root cells plasma membrane was studied in terms of root surface ATPase activation by NaCI in the reaction mixture. Was 0, 50, 100. 150 and 200mM. ATPase activity was found to be increased gradually at certain concentrations of NaCI. For control and 50mM stressed plants, the increase in root surface ATPase activity was started at 150mM NaCI. For 100mM stressed plants it was started at 100mM NaCI. For 150 and 200mM stressed plants it was stated at 50mM NaCI Results indicated that the adverse effect of the growth medium saline stresses on the integrity of the plasma membrane was started at 100mM saline stress. Accordingly the role of plasma membrane bound ATPase in active ion transport was disturbed at 100mM saline stress and may be impaired at 150 and 200mM saline stresses. It was suggested that the lipid environment of the plasma membrane surrounding ATPase was modified by the saline stresses 100-200mM. (author). 38 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs

  17. Introducing Membrane Charge and Membrane Potential to T Cell Signaling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanqing Ma

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available While membrane models now include the heterogeneous distribution of lipids, the impact of membrane charges on regulating the association of proteins with the plasma membrane is often overlooked. Charged lipids are asymmetrically distributed between the two leaflets of the plasma membrane, resulting in the inner leaflet being negatively charged and a surface potential that attracts and binds positively charged ions, proteins, and peptide motifs. These interactions not only create a transmembrane potential but they can also facilitate the formation of charged membrane domains. Here, we reference fields outside of immunology in which consequences of membrane charge are better characterized to highlight important mechanisms. We then focus on T cell receptor (TCR signaling, reviewing the evidence that membrane charges and membrane-associated calcium regulate phosphorylation of the TCR–CD3 complex and discuss how the immunological synapse exhibits distinct patterns of membrane charge distribution. We propose that charged lipids, ions in solution, and transient protein interactions form a dynamic equilibrium during T cell activation.

  18. Membrane fusion by VAMP3 and plasma membrane t-SNAREs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Chuan; Hardee, Deborah; Minnear, Fred

    2007-01-01

    Pairing of SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) proteins on vesicles (v-SNAREs) and SNARE proteins on target membranes (t-SNAREs) mediates intracellular membrane fusion. VAMP3/cellubrevin is a v-SNARE that resides in recycling endosomes and endosome-derived transport vesicles. VAMP3 has been implicated in recycling of transferrin receptors, secretion of α-granules in platelets, and membrane trafficking during cell migration. Using a cell fusion assay, we examined membrane fusion capacity of the ternary complexes formed by VAMP3 and plasma membrane t-SNAREs syntaxin1, syntaxin4, SNAP-23 and SNAP-25. VAMP3 forms fusogenic pairing with t-SNARE complexes syntaxin1/SNAP-25, syntaxin1/SNAP-23 and syntaxin4/SNAP-25, but not with syntaxin4/SNAP-23. Deletion of the N-terminal domain of syntaxin4 enhanced membrane fusion more than two fold, indicating that the N-terminal domain negatively regulates membrane fusion. Differential membrane fusion capacities of the ternary v-/t-SNARE complexes suggest that transport vesicles containing VAMP3 have distinct membrane fusion kinetics with domains of the plasma membrane that present different t-SNARE proteins

  19. The gridless plasma ion source (GIS) for plasma ion assisted optical coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    You Dawei; Li Xiaoqian; Wang Yu; Lin Yongchang

    2004-01-01

    High-quality optical coating is a key technology for modern optics. Ion-assisted deposition technology was used to improve the vaporized coating in 1980's. The GIS (gridless ion source), which is an advanced plasma source for producing a high-quality optical coating in large area, can produce a large area uniformity>1000 mm (diameter), a high ion current density ∼0.5 mA/cm 2 , 20 eV-200 eV energetic plasma ions and can activate reactive gas and film atoms. Now we have developed a GIS system. The GIS and the plasma ion-assisted deposition technology are investigated to achieve a high-quality optical coating. The GIS is a high power and high current source with a power of 1 kW-7.5 kW, a current of 10 A- 70 A and an ion density of 200 μA/cm 2 -500 μA/cm 2 . Because of the special magnetic structure, the plasma-ion extraction efficiency has been improved to obtain a maximum ion density of 500 μA/cm 2 in the medium power (∼4 kW) level. The GIS applied is of a special cathode structure, so that the GIS operation can be maintained under a rather low power and the lifetime of cathode will be extended. The GIS has been installed in the LPSX-1200 type box coating system. The coated TiO 2 , SiO 2 films such as antireflective films with the system have the same performance reported by Leybold Co, 1992, along with a controllable refractive index and film structure. (authors)

  20. Ion-acoustic plasma turbulence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bychenkov, V.Y.; Silin, V.P.

    1982-01-01

    A theory is developed of the nonlinear state that is established in a plasma as a result of development of ion-acoustic instability. Account is taken simultaneously of the linear induced scattering of the waves by the ions and of the quasilinear relaxation of the electrons by the ion-acoustic pulsations. The distribution of the ion-acoustic turbulence in frequency and in angle is obtained. An Ohm's law is established and expressions are obtained for the electronic heat flux and for the relaxation time of the electron temperature in a turbulent plasma. Anomalously large absorption and scattering of the electromagnetic waves by the ion-acoustic pulsations is predicted

  1. Electrodialytic separation of alkali-element ions with the aid of ion-exchange membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gurskii, V.S.; Moskvin, L.N.

    1988-01-01

    Electrodialytic separation of ions bearing charges of the same sign with the aid of ion-exchange membranes has been examined in the literature in relation to the so-called ideal membranes, which do not exhibit selectivity with respect to one ion type in ion exchange. It has been shown that separation on such membranes is effective only for counterions differing in size of charge. A matter of greater importance from the practical standpoint is the possibility of using electrodialysis for separating ions bearing like charges and having similar properties, including ionic forms of isotopes of the same element. In this paper they report a comparative study of ion separation, with reference to the Cs-Na pair, by electrodialysis through various types of cation-exchange membranes. Changes of the solution concentration in the cathode compartment were monitored by measurement of 22 Na and 137 Cs activities

  2. The plasma membrane proteome of germinating barley embryos

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hynek, Radovan; Svensson, Birte; Jensen, O.N.

    2009-01-01

    Cereal seed germination involves a complex coordination between different seed tissues. Plasma membranes must play crucial roles in coordination and execution of germination; however, very little is known about seed plasma membrane proteomes due to limited tissue amounts combined...... with amphiphilicity and low abundance of membrane proteins. A fraction enriched in plasma membranes was prepared from embryos dissected from 18 h germinated barley seeds using aqueous two-phase partitioning. Reversed-phase chromatography on C-4 resin performed in micro-spin columns with stepwise elution by 2-propanol...... was used to reduce soluble protein contamination and enrich for hydrophobic proteins. Sixty-one proteins in 14 SDS-PAGE bands were identified by LC-MS/MS and database searches. The identifications provide new insight into the plasma membrane functions in seed germination....

  3. Pma1 is an alkali/alkaline earth metal cation ATPase that preferentially transports Na(+) and K(+) across the Mycobacterium smegmatis plasma membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayala-Torres, Carlos; Novoa-Aponte, Lorena; Soto, Carlos Y

    2015-07-01

    Mycobacterium smegmatis Pma1 is the orthologue of M. tuberculosis P-type ATPase cation transporter CtpF, which is activated under stress conditions, such as hypoxia, starvation and response to antituberculous and toxic substances. The function of Pma1 in the mycobacterial processes across the plasma membrane has not been characterised. In this work, bioinformatic analyses revealed that Pma1 likely contains potential sites for, Na(+), K(+) and Ca(2+) binding and transport. Accordingly, RT-qPCR experiments showed that M. smegmatis pma1 transcription is stimulated by sub-lethal doses of Na(+), K(+) and Ca(2+); in addition, the ATPase activity of plasma membrane vesicles in recombinant Pma1-expressing M. smegmatis cells is stimulated by treatment with these cations. In contrast, M. smegmatis cells homologously expressing Pma1 displayed tolerance to high doses of Na(+) and K(+) but not to Ca(2+) ions. Consistently, the recombinant protein Km embedded in plasma membrane demonstrated that Ca(2+) has more affinity for Pma1 than Na(+) and K(+) ions; furthermore, the estimation of Vmax/Km suggests that Na(+) and K(+) ions are more efficiently translocated than Ca(2+). Thus, these results strongly suggest that Pma1 is a promiscuous alkali/alkaline earth cation ATPase that preferentially transports Na(+) and/or K(+) across the mycobacterial plasma membrane. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  4. Ion selectivity of the cation transport system of isolated intact cattle rod outer segments: evidence for a direct communication between the rod plasma membrane and the rod disk membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schnetkamp, P P

    1980-05-08

    The ion selectivity of cation transport through the plasma membrane of isolated intact cattle rod outer segments (rods) is investigated by means of 45Ca-exchange experiments and light-scattering experiments. These techniques appear to provide complementary information: the 45Ca experiments (45Ca fluxes in rods) describe electroneutral antiport, whereas the light-scattering experiments (shrinkage and swelling of rods upon hypertonic shocks with various electrolytes) reveal electrogenic uniport. Electroneutral symport of ions (salt transport) does not take place without addition of external ionophores and application of salts of weak acids. 1. Intact rods recover from a hypertonic shock in the presence of FCCP when lithium, sodium and potassium acetate are applied, but not when ammonium chloride, calcium and magnesium acetate are used. This indicates that the plasma membrane of isolated intact cattle rods is relatively permeable to net transport of Na+, Li+ and K+, and relatively impermeable to net transport of Cl-, Mg2+ and Ca2+ under conditions that do not give rise to diffusion potentials. 2. Rapid (t1/2 exchange diffusion of internal 45Ca with external Na+, Ca2+, Sr2+ and Ba2+, respectively. 3. All tested cations lower the rate of 45Ca uptake. The latter can be described by a single rate constant indicating a homogeneous rod preparation and a homogeneous endogenous Ca2+ pool. However, only those cations which stimulate 45Ca efflux from preloaded rods lower the final equilibrium of 45Ca uptake. Except for the effects of K+, Rb+ and Cs+ the reduction of the rate of 45Ca uptake by external cations appears to arise from competition for a common site on the plasms membrane. The observed affinities for this site do not correlate with actual transport (as indicated by the ability to stimulate 45Ca efflux). 4. K+ increases the affinity of the exchange diffusion system to Ca2+ from 1 microM to 0.15 microM and changes the relative affinities with respect to Ca2+ for the

  5. Differential distribution of proteins and lipids in detergent-resistant and detergent-soluble domains in rod outer segment plasma membranes and disks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, Michael H; Nash, Zack A; Takemori, Nobuaki; Fliesler, Steven J; McClellan, Mark E; Naash, Muna I

    2008-01-01

    Membrane heterogeneity plays a significant role in regulating signal transduction and other cellular activities. We examined the protein and lipid components associated with the detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) fractions from retinal rod outer segment (ROS) disk and plasma membrane-enriched preparations. Proteomics and correlative western blot analysis revealed the presence of alpha and beta subunits of the rod cGMP-gated ion channel and glucose transporter type 1, among other proteins. The glucose transporter was present exclusively in ROS plasma membrane (not disks) and was highly enriched in DRMs, as was the cGMP-gated channel beta-subunit. In contrast, the majority of rod opsin and ATP-binding cassette transporter A4 was localized to detergent-soluble domains in disks. As expected, the cholesterol : fatty acid mole ratio was higher in DRMs than in the corresponding parent membranes (disk and plasma membranes, respectively) and was also higher in disks compared to plasma membranes. Furthermore, the ratio of saturated : polyunsaturated fatty acids was also higher in DRMs compared to their respective parent membranes (disk and plasma membranes). These results confirm that DRMs prepared from both disks and plasma membranes are enriched in cholesterol and in saturated fatty acids compared to their parent membranes. The dominant fatty acids in DRMs were 16 : 0 and 18 : 0; 22 : 6n3 and 18 : 1 levels were threefold higher and twofold lower, respectively, in disk-derived DRMs compared to plasma membrane-derived DRMs. We estimate, based on fatty acid recovery that DRMs account for only approximately 8% of disks and approximately 12% of ROS plasma membrane.

  6. A review on ion–ion plasmas created in weakly magnetized electronegative plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aanesland, A; Bredin, J; Chabert, P

    2014-01-01

    Ion–Ion plasmas are electronegative plasmas where the electron density is several orders of magnitude lower than the negative ion density. These plasmas have been scarcely observed and investigated since the 1960s and are formed as a transient state of pulsed plasmas or in separate regions in magnetized plasmas. In this review we focus on the latter case of continuous formation of ion–ion plasmas created at the periphery of magnetized plasma columns or downstream localized magnetic barriers. We bring together and review experimental results already published elsewhere and complement them with new results to illustrate the physics important in ion–ion plasma formation and highlight in particular unanswered questions. We show that with a good design the density in the ion–ion region is dropping only by a factor of 2–3 from the initial plasma density. These plasmas can therefore be well suited for various ion source applications when both fluxes or beams of positive and negative ions are desired, and when electrons can cause harmful effects. (paper)

  7. Beam-plasma discharge in a Kyoto beam-plasma-ion source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishikawa, J.; Takagi, T.

    1983-01-01

    A beam-plasma type ion source employing an original operating principle has been developed by the present authors. The ion source consists of an ion extraction region with an electron gun, a thin long drift tube as the plasma production chamber, and a primary electron beam collector. An electron beam is effectively utilized for the dual purpose of high density plasma production as a result of beam-plasma discharge, and high current ion beam extraction with ion space-charge compensation. A high density plasma of the order of 10 11 --10 13 cm -3 was produced by virtue of the beam-plasma discharge which was caused by the interaction between a space-charge wave on the electron beam and a high frequency plasma wave. The plasma density then produced was 10 2 --10 3 times the density produced only by collisional ionization by the electron beam. In order to obtain a stable beam-plasma discharge, a secondary electron beam emitted from the electron collector should be utilized. The mechanism of the beam-plasma discharge was analyzed by use of a linear theory in the case of the small thermal energy of the electron beam, and by use of a quasilinear theory in the case of the large thermal energy. High current ion beams of more than 0.1 A were extracted even at a low extraction voltage of 1--5 kV

  8. Fatty acid profiles from the plasma membrane and detergent resistant membranes of two plant species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carmona-Salazar, Laura; El Hafidi, Mohammed; Gutiérrez-Nájera, Nora; Noyola-Martínez, Liliana; González-Solís, Ariadna; Gavilanes-Ruíz, Marina

    2015-01-01

    It is essential to establish the composition of the plant plasma membrane in order to understand its organization and behavior under continually changing environments. Knowledge of the lipid phase, in particular the fatty acid (FA) complex repertoire, is important since FAs determine many of the physical-chemical membrane properties. FAs are constituents of the membrane glycerolipid and sphingolipid backbones and can also be linked to some sterols. In addition, FAs are components of complex lipids that can constitute membrane micro-domains, and the use of detergent-resistant membranes is a common approach to study their composition. The diversity and cellular allocation of the membrane lipids containing FAs are very diverse and the approaches to analyze them provide only general information. In this work, a detailed FA analysis was performed using highly purified plasma membranes from bean leaves and germinating maize embryos and their respective detergent-resistant membrane preparations. The analyses showed the presence of a significant amount of very long chain FAs (containing 28C, 30C and 32C), in both plasma membrane preparations from bean and maize, that have not been previously reported. Herein is demonstrated that a significant enrichment of very long chain saturated FAs and saturated FAs can occur in detergent-resistant membrane preparations, as compared to the plasma membranes from both plant species. Considering that a thorough analysis of FAs is rarely performed in purified plasma membranes and detergent-resistant membranes, this work provides qualitative and quantitative evidence on the contributions of the length and saturation of FAs to the organization of the plant plasma membrane and detergent-resistant membranes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Lateral mobility of plasma membrane lipids in dividing Xenopus eggs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tetteroo, P A; Bluemink, J G; Dictus, W J; van Zoelen, E J; de Laat, S W

    1984-07-01

    The lateral mobility of plasma membrane lipids was analyzed during first cleavage of Xenopus laevis eggs by fluorescence photobleaching recovery (FPR) measurements, using the lipid analogs 5-(N-hexadecanoyl)aminofluorescein ("HEDAF") and 5-(N-tetradecanoyl)aminofluorescein ("TEDAF") as probes. The preexisting plasma membrane of the animal side showed an inhomogeneous, dotted fluorescence pattern after labeling and the lateral mobility of both probes used was below the detection limits of the FPR method (D much less than 10(-10) cm2/sec). In contrast, the preexisting plasma membrane of the vegetal side exhibited homogeneous fluorescence and the lateral diffusion coefficient of both probes used was relatively high (HEDAF, D = 2.8 X 10(-8) cm2/sec; TEDAF, D = 2.4 X 10(-8) cm2/sec). In the cleaving egg visible transfer of HEDAF or TEDAF from prelabeled plasma membrane to the new membrane in the furrow did not occur, even on the vegetal side. Upon labeling during cleavage, however, the new membrane was uniformly labeled and both probes were mobile, as in the vegetal preexisting plasma membrane. These data show that the membrane of the dividing Xenopus egg comprises three macrodomains: (i) the animal preexisting plasma membrane; (ii) the vegetal preexisting plasma membrane; (iii) the new furrow membrane.

  10. Atomic layer deposition of AlN for thin membranes using trimethylaluminum and H2/N2 plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goerke, Sebastian; Ziegler, Mario; Ihring, Andreas; Dellith, Jan; Undisz, Andreas; Diegel, Marco; Anders, Solveig; Huebner, Uwe; Rettenmayr, Markus; Meyer, Hans-Georg

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • AlN films grown at 150 °C by ALD using trimethylaluminum and H 2 /N 2 -plasma. • Nearly stoichiometric AlN films (ratio Al:N = 0.938), polycrystalline by XRD/TEM. • Refractive index of n = 1.908 and low thermal conductivity of κ = 1.66 W/(m K). • Free-standing AlN membranes mechanically stable and buckling free (tensile strain). • Membrane patterning by focused ion beam etching possible. - Abstract: Aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films with thicknesses from 20 to 100 nm were deposited on silicon, amorphous silica, silicon nitride, and vitreous carbon by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD). Trimethylaluminum (TMA) and a H 2 /N 2 plasma mixture were used as precursors. We investigated the influence of deposition temperature and plasma parameters on the growth characteristics and the film properties of AlN. Stable PE-ALD growth conditions were obtained from 150 °C to the highest tested temperature of 300 °C. The growth rate, refractive index, and thickness homogeneity on 4″ wafers were determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry. X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) were carried out to analyze crystallinity and composition of the films. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity and the film stress were determined. The stress was sufficiently low to fabricate mechanically stable free-standing AlN membranes with lateral dimensions of up to 2.2 × 2.2 mm 2 . The membranes were patterned with focused ion beam etching. Thus, these AlN membranes qualify as dielectric support material for a variety of potential applications

  11. Plasma Membrane H(+)-ATPase Regulation in the Center of Plant Physiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falhof, Janus; Pedersen, Jesper Torbøl; Fuglsang, Anja Thoe; Palmgren, Michael

    2016-03-07

    The plasma membrane (PM) H(+)-ATPase is an important ion pump in the plant cell membrane. By extruding protons from the cell and generating a membrane potential, this pump energizes the PM, which is a prerequisite for growth. Modification of the autoinhibitory terminal domains activates PM H(+)-ATPase activity, and on this basis it has been hypothesized that these regulatory termini are targets for physiological factors that activate or inhibit proton pumping. In this review, we focus on the posttranslational regulation of the PM H(+)-ATPase and place regulation of the pump in an evolutionary and physiological context. The emerging picture is that multiple signals regulating plant growth interfere with the posttranslational regulation of the PM H(+)-ATPase. Copyright © 2016 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Salt stress induced ion accumulation, ion homeostasis, membrane ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Salt stress induced ion accumulation, ion homeostasis, membrane injury and sugar contents in salt-sensitive rice ( Oryza sativa L. spp. indica ) roots under isoosmotic conditions. ... The accumulation of sugars in PT1 roots may be a primary salt-defense mechanism and may function as an osmotic control. Key words: ...

  13. A Characeae Cells Plasma Membrane as a Model for Selection of Bioactive Compounds and Drugs: Interaction of HAMLET-Like Complexes with Ion Channels of Chara corallina Cells Plasmalemma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kataev, Anatoly; Zherelova, Olga; Grishchenko, Valery

    2016-12-01

    Interaction of a HAMLET-like La-OA cytotoxic complex (human α-lactalbumin-oleic acid) and its constituents with the excitable plasmalemma of giant Chara corallina cells was investigated. The voltage-clamp technique was used to study Ca 2+ and Cl - transient currents in the plasmalemma of intact cells. The action of the complex and OA on the target cell membrane has a dose-dependent character. It was found that the La-OA complex has an inhibiting effect on Ca 2+ current across the plasmalemma, while α-lactalbumin alone does not affect the electrophysiological characteristics of the cellular membrane. However, oleic acid blocks Ca 2+ current across the plasmalemma. This is accompanied by the induction of a non-selective conductivity in the cellular membrane, a decrease in the resting potential and plasma membrane resistance of algal cells. We propose that the cytotoxicity of La-OA and other HAMLET-like complexes is determined by oleic acid acting as a blocker of potential-dependent Ca 2+ channels in the plasma membrane of target cells. The presented results show that the study model of green algae C. corallina cells plasmalemma is a convenient tool for the investigation of ion channels in many animal cells.

  14. Plant plasma membrane proteomics for improving cold tolerance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daisuke eTakahashi

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Plants are always exposed to various stresses. We have focused on freezing stress, which causes serious problems for agricultural management. When plants suffer freeze-induced damage, the plasma membrane is thought to be the primary site of injury because of its central role in regulation of various cellular processes. Cold tolerant species, however, adapt to such freezing conditions by modifying cellular components and functions (cold acclimation. One of the most important adaptation mechanisms to freezing is alteration of plasma membrane compositions and functions. Advanced proteomic technologies have succeeded in identification of many candidates that may play roles in adaptation of the plasma membrane to freezing stress. Proteomics results suggest that adaptations of plasma membrane functions to low temperature are associated with alterations of protein compositions during cold acclimation. Some of proteins identified by proteomic approaches have been verified their functional roles in freezing tolerance mechanisms further. Thus, accumulation of proteomic results in the plasma membrane is of importance for application to molecular breeding efforts to increase cold tolerance in crops.

  15. At the border: the plasma membrane-cell wall continuum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zengyu; Persson, Staffan; Sánchez-Rodríguez, Clara

    2015-03-01

    Plant cells rely on their cell walls for directed growth and environmental adaptation. Synthesis and remodelling of the cell walls are membrane-related processes. During cell growth and exposure to external stimuli, there is a constant exchange of lipids, proteins, and other cell wall components between the cytosol and the plasma membrane/apoplast. This exchange of material and the localization of cell wall proteins at certain spots in the plasma membrane seem to rely on a particular membrane composition. In addition, sensors at the plasma membrane detect changes in the cell wall architecture, and activate cytoplasmic signalling schemes and ultimately cell wall remodelling. The apoplastic polysaccharide matrix is, on the other hand, crucial for preventing proteins diffusing uncontrollably in the membrane. Therefore, the cell wall-plasma membrane link is essential for plant development and responses to external stimuli. This review focuses on the relationship between the cell wall and plasma membrane, and its importance for plant tissue organization. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Positive zeta potential of a negatively charged semi-permeable plasma membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Shayandev; Jing, Haoyuan; Das, Siddhartha

    2017-08-01

    The negative charge of the plasma membrane (PM) severely affects the nature of moieties that may enter or leave the cells and controls a large number of ion-interaction-mediated intracellular and extracellular events. In this letter, we report our discovery of a most fascinating scenario, where one interface (e.g., membrane-cytosol interface) of the negatively charged PM shows a positive surface (or ζ) potential, while the other interface (e.g., membrane-electrolyte interface) still shows a negative ζ potential. Therefore, we encounter a completely unexpected situation where an interface (e.g., membrane-cytosol interface) that has a negative surface charge density demonstrates a positive ζ potential. We establish that the attainment of such a property by the membrane can be ascribed to an interplay of the nature of the membrane semi-permeability and the electrostatics of the electric double layer established on either side of the charged membrane. We anticipate that such a membrane property can lead to such capabilities of the cell (in terms of accepting or releasing certain kinds of moieties as well regulating cellular signaling) that was hitherto inconceivable.

  17. Aluminum ions alter the function of non-specific phospholipase C through the changes in plasma membrane physical properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pejchar, Přemysl; Martinec, Jan

    2015-01-01

    The first indication of the aluminum (Al) toxicity in plants growing in acidic soils is the cessation of root growth, but the detailed mechanism of Al effect is unknown. Here we examined the impact of Al stress on the activity of non-specific phospholipase C (NPC) in the connection with the processes related to the plasma membrane using fluorescently labeled phosphatidylcholine. We observed a rapid and significant decrease of labeled diacylglycerol (DAG), product of NPC activity, in Arabidopsis seedlings treated with AlCl₃. Interestingly, an application of the membrane fluidizer, benzyl alcohol, restored the level of DAG during Al treatment. Our observations suggest that the activity of NPC is affected by Al-induced changes in plasma membrane physical properties.

  18. Large area ion and plasma beam sources

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Waldorf, J. [IPT Ionen- und Plasmatech. GmbH, Kaiserslautern (Germany)

    1996-06-01

    In the past a number of ion beam sources utilizing different methods for plasma excitation have been developed. Nevertheless, a widespread use in industrial applications has not happened, since the sources were often not able to fulfill specific demands like: broad homogeneous ion beams, compatibility with reactive gases, low ion energies at high ion current densities or electrical neutrality of the beam. Our contribution wants to demonstrate technical capabilities of rf ion and plasma beam sources, which can overcome the above mentioned disadvantages. The physical principles and features of respective sources are presented. We report on effective low pressure plasma excitation by electron cyclotron wave resonance (ECWR) for the generation of dense homogeneous plasmas and the rf plasma beam extraction method for the generation of broad low energy plasma beams. Some applications like direct plasma beam deposition of a-C:H and ion beam assisted deposition of Al and Cu with tailored thin film properties are discussed. (orig.).

  19. Large area ion and plasma beam sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waldorf, J.

    1996-01-01

    In the past a number of ion beam sources utilizing different methods for plasma excitation have been developed. Nevertheless, a widespread use in industrial applications has not happened, since the sources were often not able to fulfill specific demands like: broad homogeneous ion beams, compatibility with reactive gases, low ion energies at high ion current densities or electrical neutrality of the beam. Our contribution wants to demonstrate technical capabilities of rf ion and plasma beam sources, which can overcome the above mentioned disadvantages. The physical principles and features of respective sources are presented. We report on effective low pressure plasma excitation by electron cyclotron wave resonance (ECWR) for the generation of dense homogeneous plasmas and the rf plasma beam extraction method for the generation of broad low energy plasma beams. Some applications like direct plasma beam deposition of a-C:H and ion beam assisted deposition of Al and Cu with tailored thin film properties are discussed. (orig.)

  20. Motion of the plasma critical layer during relativistic-electron laser interaction with immobile and comoving ion plasma for ion acceleration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sahai, Aakash A.

    2014-01-01

    We analyze the motion of the plasma critical layer by two different processes in the relativistic-electron laser-plasma interaction regime (a 0 >1). The differences are highlighted when the critical layer ions are stationary in contrast to when they move with it. Controlling the speed of the plasma critical layer in this regime is essential for creating low-β traveling acceleration structures of sufficient laser-excited potential for laser ion accelerators. In Relativistically Induced Transparency Acceleration (RITA) scheme, the heavy plasma-ions are fixed and only trace-density light-ions are accelerated. The relativistic critical layer and the acceleration structure move longitudinally forward by laser inducing transparency through apparent relativistic increase in electron mass. In the Radiation Pressure Acceleration (RPA) scheme, the whole plasma is longitudinally pushed forward under the action of the laser radiation pressure, possible only when plasma ions co-propagate with the laser front. In RPA, the acceleration structure velocity critically depends upon plasma-ion mass in addition to the laser intensity and plasma density. In RITA, mass of the heavy immobile plasma-ions does not affect the speed of the critical layer. Inertia of the bared immobile ions in RITA excites the charge separation potential, whereas RPA is not possible when ions are stationary

  1. A study on ion microporous membrane and its application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Hongying; Huang Zhengde

    2002-01-01

    The author depicted the physical, chemical character and the applied fields of ion microporous membrane. The technological procedure of making ion microporous membrane, applications in microporous counter-feinting trademark by heavy ion imaging and medical filtrater in authors' institute were stated

  2. Consideration of beam plasma ion-source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sano, Fumimichi; Kusano, Norimasa; Ishida, Yoshihiro; Ishikawa, Junzo; Takagi, Toshinori

    1976-01-01

    Theoretical and experimental analyses and their comparison were made on the plasma generation and on the beam extraction for the beam plasma ion-source. The operational principle and the structure of the ion-source are explained in the first part. Considerations are given on the electron beam-plasma interaction and the resulting generation of high frequency or microwaves which in turn increases the plasma density. The flow of energy in this system is also explained in the second part. The relation between plasma density and the imaginary part of frequency is given by taking the magnetic flux density, the electron beam energy, and the electron beam current as parameters. The relations between the potential difference between collector and drift tube and the plasma density or the ion-current are also given. Considerations are also given to the change of the plasma density due to the change of the magnetic flux density at drift tube, the change of the electron beam energy, and the change of the electron beam current. The third part deals with the extraction characteristics of the ion beam. The structure of the multiple-aperture electrode and the relation between plasma density and the extracted ion current are explained. (Aoki, K.)

  3. Transition of ion-acoustic perturbations in multicomponent plasma with negative ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, Sumita Kumari; Devi, Kavita; Adhikary, Nirab Chandra; Bailung, Heremba

    2008-01-01

    Evolution of ion-acoustic compressive (positive) and rarefactive (negative) perturbations in a multicomponent plasma with negative ions has been investigated in a double plasma device. Transition of compressive solitons in electron-positive ion plasma, into a dispersing train of oscillations in a multicomponent plasma, when the negative ion concentration r exceeds a critical value r c , has been observed. On the other hand, an initial rarefactive perturbation initially evolves into a dispersing train of oscillations in electron-positive ion plasma and transforms into rarefactive solitons in a multicomponent plasma when the negative ion concentration is higher than the critical value. The Mach velocity and width of the compressive and rarefactive solitons are measured. The compressive solitons in the range 0 c and the rarefactive solitons in the range r>r c have different characteristics than the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) solitons at r=0 and modified KdV solitons at r=r c . A nonlinear differential equation having two terms to account for the lower and higher order nonlinearity has been used to explain the observed results

  4. Observations of strong ion-ion correlations in dense plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, T.; Fletcher, L.; Pak, A.; Chapman, D. A.; Falcone, R. W.; Fortmann, C.; Galtier, E.; Gericke, D. O.; Gregori, G.; Hastings, J.; Landen, O. L.; Le Pape, S.; Lee, H. J.; Nagler, B.; Neumayer, P.; Turnbull, D.; Vorberger, J.; White, T. G.; Wünsch, K.; Zastrau, U.; Glenzer, S. H.; Döppner, T.

    2014-05-01

    Using simultaneous spectrally, angularly, and temporally resolved x-ray scattering, we measure the pronounced ion-ion correlation peak in a strongly coupled plasma. Laser-driven shock-compressed aluminum at ~3× solid density is probed with high-energy photons at 17.9 keV created by molybdenum He-α emission in a laser-driven plasma source. The measured elastic scattering feature shows a well-pronounced correlation peak at a wave vector of k=4k=4Å-1. The magnitude of this correlation peak cannot be described by standard plasma theories employing a linear screened Coulomb potential. Advanced models, including a strong short-range repulsion due to the inner structure of the aluminum ions are however in good agreement with the scattering data. These studies have demonstrated a new highly accurate diagnostic technique to directly measure the state of compression and the ion-ion correlations. We have since applied this new method in single-shot wave-number resolved S(k) measurements to characterize the physical properties of dense plasmas.

  5. Ion channel activity of membrane vesicles released from sea urchin sperm during the acrosome reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schulz, Joseph R.; Vega-Beltran, Jose L. de la; Beltran, Carmen; Vacquier, Victor D.; Darszon, Alberto

    2004-01-01

    The sperm acrosome reaction (AR) involves ion channel activation. In sea urchin sperm, the AR requires Ca 2+ and Na + influx and K + and H + efflux. During the AR, the plasma membrane fuses with the acrosomal vesicle membrane forming hybrid membrane vesicles that are released from sperm into the medium. This paper reports the isolation and preliminary characterization of these acrosome reaction vesicles (ARVs), using synaptosome-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25) as a marker. Isolated ARVs have a unique protein composition. The exocytosis regulatory proteins vesicle-associated membrane protein and SNAP-25 are inside ARVs, as judged by protease protection experiments, and membrane associated based on Triton X-114 partitioning. ARVs fused with planar bilayers display three main types of single channel activity. The most frequently recorded channel is cationic, weakly voltage dependent and has a low open probability that increases with negative potentials. This channel is activated by cAMP, blocked by Ba 2+ , and has a PK + /PNa + selectivity of 4.5. ARVs represent a novel membrane preparation suitable to deepen our understanding of ion channel activity in the AR and during fertilization

  6. Adaptation of metal arc plasma source to plasma source ion implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shamim, M.M.; Fetherston, R.P.; Conrad, J.R.

    1995-01-01

    In Plasma Source Ion Implantation (PSII) a target is immersed in a plasma and a train of high negative voltage pulses is applied to accelerate ions into the target and to modify the properties in the near surface region. In PSII, until now the authors have been using gaseous species to generate plasmas. However metal ion plasma may be used to modify the surface properties of material for industrial applications. Conventionally the ion implantation of metal ions is performed using beam line accelerators which have complex engineering and high cost. The employment of a metal arc source to PSII has tremendous potential due to its ability to process the conformal surfaces, simple engineering and cost effectiveness. They have installed metal arc source for generation of titanium plasma. Currently, they are investigating the properties of titanium plasma and material behavior of titanium implanted aluminum and 52100 steel. The recent results of this investigation are presented

  7. Polyrhodanine modified anodic aluminum oxide membrane for heavy metal ions removal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Jooyoung; Oh, Hyuntaek; Kong, Hyeyoung; Jang, Jyongsik

    2011-03-15

    Polyrhodanine was immobilized onto the inner surface of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane via vapor deposition polymerization method. The polyrhodanine modified membrane was applied to remove heavy metal ions from aqueous solution because polyrhodanine could be coordinated with specific metal ions. Several parameters such as initial metal concentration, contact time and metal species were evaluated systematically for uptake efficiencies of the fabricated membrane under continuous flow condition. Adsorption isotherms of Hg(II) ion on the AAO-polyrhodanine membrane were analyzed with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The adsorption rate of Hg(II) ion on the membrane was obeyed by a pseudo-second order equation, indicating the chemical adsorption. The maximum removal capacity of Hg(II) ion onto the fabricated membrane was measured to be 4.2 mmol/g polymer. The AAO-polyrhodanine membrane had also remarkable uptake performance toward Ag(I) and Pb(II) ions. Furthermore, the polyrhodanine modified membrane could be recycled after recovery process. These results demonstrated that the polyrhodanine modified AAO membrane provided potential applications for removing the hazardous heavy metal ions from wastewater. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Bile acids modulate signaling by functional perturbation of plasma membrane domains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Yong; Maxwell, Kelsey N; Sezgin, Erdinc; Lu, Maryia; Liang, Hong; Hancock, John F; Dial, Elizabeth J; Lichtenberger, Lenard M; Levental, Ilya

    2013-12-13

    Eukaryotic cell membranes are organized into functional lipid and protein domains, the most widely studied being membrane rafts. Although rafts have been associated with numerous plasma membrane functions, the mechanisms by which these domains themselves are regulated remain undefined. Bile acids (BAs), whose primary function is the solubilization of dietary lipids for digestion and absorption, can affect cells by interacting directly with membranes. To investigate whether these interactions affected domain organization in biological membranes, we assayed the effects of BAs on biomimetic synthetic liposomes, isolated plasma membranes, and live cells. At cytotoxic concentrations, BAs dissolved synthetic and cell-derived membranes and disrupted live cell plasma membranes, implicating plasma membrane damage as the mechanism for BA cellular toxicity. At subtoxic concentrations, BAs dramatically stabilized domain separation in Giant Plasma Membrane Vesicles without affecting protein partitioning between coexisting domains. Domain stabilization was the result of BA binding to and disordering the nonraft domain, thus promoting separation by enhancing domain immiscibility. Consistent with the physical changes observed in synthetic and isolated biological membranes, BAs reorganized intact cell membranes, as evaluated by the spatial distribution of membrane-anchored Ras isoforms. Nanoclustering of K-Ras, related to nonraft membrane domains, was enhanced in intact plasma membranes, whereas the organization of H-Ras was unaffected. BA-induced changes in Ras lateral segregation potentiated EGF-induced signaling through MAPK, confirming the ability of BAs to influence cell signal transduction by altering the physical properties of the plasma membrane. These observations suggest general, membrane-mediated mechanisms by which biological amphiphiles can produce their cellular effects.

  9. Role of plasma membrane and of cytomatrix in maintenance of intracellular to extracellular ion gradients in chicken erythrocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cameron, I.L.; Hunter, K.E.; Smith, N.K.; Hazlewood, C.F.; Ludany, A.; Kellermayer, M.

    1988-01-01

    Ultrastructural observations in combination with electron probe X-ray microanalysis on detergent (Brij 58) permeabilized (disruption of the plasma membrane) nucleated chicken erythrocytes support the view that a large fraction of cytoplasmic and nuclear K+ is not freely diffusible and that adsorption of K+ on detergent released mobilizable proteins exists within the cell. The data also suggest that the detergent proteins are normally immobilized by a detergent-resistant cytoskeleton so that they are not immediately free to diffuse from the cell for several minutes after detergent disruption of the plasma membrane

  10. Study of single and binary ion plasma expansion into laboratory-generated plasma wakes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wright, K.H. Jr.

    1988-02-01

    Plasma expansion into the wake of a large rectangular plate immersed in a collisionless, supersonic plasma was investigated in laboratory experiments. The experimental conditions address both single ion and binary ion plasma flows for the case of a body whose size is large in comparison with the Debye length, when the potential difference between the body and the plasma is relatively small. A new plasma source was developed to generate equi-velocity, binary ion plasma flows, which allows access to new parameter space that have previously been unavailable for laboratory studies. Specifically, the new parameters are the ionic mass ratio and the ionic component density ratio. In a series of experiments, a krypton-neon plasma is employed where the ambient density ratio of neon to krypton is varied more than an order of magnitude. The expansion in both the single ion and binary ion plasma cases is limited to early times, i.e., a few ion plasma periods, by the combination of plasma density, plasma drift speed, and vacuum chamber size, which prevented detailed comparison with self-similar theory

  11. Nanoclustering as a dominant feature of plasma membrane organization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Garcia-Parajo, M.F.; Cambi, A.; Torreno-Pina, J.A.; Thompson, N.; Jacobson, K.

    2014-01-01

    Early studies have revealed that some mammalian plasma membrane proteins exist in small nanoclusters. The advent of super-resolution microscopy has corroborated and extended this picture, and led to the suggestion that many, if not most, membrane proteins are clustered at the plasma membrane at

  12. Dynamics of plasma ions motion in ultra-intense laser-excited plasma wakes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Suyun; Li Jing

    2013-01-01

    The effects of heavy ions and protons motion in an ultra-intense laser-driven plasma wake are compared by rebuilding a plasma wake model. It is shown that with the same laser and plasma background electron density n 0 , the heavy ions' motion suppresses wake-field resonant excitation less than the protons' motion in their own plasma wake. Though heavy ions obtain more kinetic energy from the plasma wake, its energy density is less than that of the protons due to the ion density being far less than the proton density. As a result, the total energy of heavy ions obtained from the wake-field is far less than that of protons. The dependence of the kinetic energy and the energy density of protons and heavy ions on n 0 is discussed. (paper)

  13. Role of the membrane skeleton in preventing the shedding of procoagulant-rich microvesicles from the platelet plasma membrane

    OpenAIRE

    1990-01-01

    The platelet plasma membrane is lined by a membrane skeleton that appears to contain short actin filaments cross-linked by actin-binding protein. Actin-binding protein is in turn associated with specific plasma membrane glycoproteins. The aim of this study was to determine whether the membrane skeleton regulates properties of the plasma membrane. Platelets were incubated with agents that disrupted the association of the membrane skeleton with membrane glycoproteins. The consequences of this c...

  14. Poisoning of liquid membrane carriers in extraction of metal ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Yuchun; Wang, Dexian

    1992-01-01

    As means of effective separation and preconcentration, emulsion liquid membranes (ELMs) have found application in many fields including biochemical separation, wastewater treatment, hydrometallurgy, and preconcentration in analytical chemistry. In the extraction of desired metal (scandium, mixed rare earths) ions using chelating extractants (TTA, HDEHP) as liquid membrane carriers, the carriers will become poisoned owing to the presence of even minute quantity of certain high ionic potential ions in the feed solution. The reason for the poisoning of carriers is that those ions have so much greater affinity than the desired ions for the membrane carrier that the ion-carrier coordination compound cannot be stripped at the interior interface of the membrane and gradually no more free carrier transports any metal ions across the membrane. The calculated results are in agreement with the experiments, and methods to avoid the poisoning are given in the paper

  15. Helicon plasma ion temperature measurements and observed ion cyclotron heating in proto-MPEX

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beers, C. J.; Goulding, R. H.; Isler, R. C.; Martin, E. H.; Biewer, T. M.; Caneses, J. F.; Caughman, J. B. O.; Kafle, N.; Rapp, J.

    2018-01-01

    The Prototype-Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX) linear plasma device is a test bed for exploring and developing plasma source concepts to be employed in the future steady-state linear device Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX) that will study plasma-material interactions for the nuclear fusion program. The concept foresees using a helicon plasma source supplemented with electron and ion heating systems to reach necessary plasma conditions. In this paper, we discuss ion temperature measurements obtained from Doppler broadening of spectral lines from argon ion test particles. Plasmas produced with helicon heating alone have average ion temperatures downstream of the Helicon antenna in the range of 3 ± 1 eV; ion temperature increases to 10 ± 3 eV are observed with the addition of ion cyclotron heating (ICH). The temperatures are higher at the edge than the center of the plasma either with or without ICH. This type of profile is observed with electrons as well. A one-dimensional RF antenna model is used to show where heating of the plasma is expected.

  16. Annexins are instrumental for efficient plasma membrane repair in cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauritzen, Stine Prehn; Boye, Theresa Louise; Nylandsted, Jesper

    2015-09-01

    Plasma membrane stress can cause damage to the plasma membrane, both when imposed by the extracellular environment and by enhanced oxidative stress. Cells cope with these injuries by rapidly activating their plasma membrane repair system, which is triggered by Ca(2+) influx at the wound site. The repair system is highly dynamic, depends on both lipid and protein components, and include cytoskeletal reorganization, membrane replacements, and membrane fusion events. Cancer cells experience enhanced membrane stress when navigating through dense extracellular matrix, which increases the frequency of membrane injuries. In addition, increased motility and oxidative stress further increase the risk of plasma membrane lesions. Cancer cells compensate by overexpressing Annexin proteins including Annexin A2 (ANXA2). Annexin family members can facilitate membrane fusion events and wound healing by binding to negatively charged phospholipids in the plasma membrane. Plasma membrane repair in cancer cells depends on ANXA2 protein, which is recruited to the wound site and forms a complex with the Ca(2+)-binding EF-hand protein S100A11. Here they regulate actin accumulation around the wound perimeter, which is required for wound closure. In this review, we will discuss the requirement for Annexins, S100 proteins and actin cytoskeleton in the plasma membrane repair response of cancer cells, which reveals a novel avenue for targeting metastatic cancers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Surface modification of nanoporous alumina membranes by plasma polymerization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Losic, Dusan; Cole, Martin A; Dollmann, Bjoern; Vasilev, Krasimir; Griesser, Hans J [Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, Adelaide, SA 5095 (Australia)], E-mail: dusan.losic@unisa.edu.au

    2008-06-18

    The deposition of plasma polymer coatings onto porous alumina (PA) membranes was investigated with the aim of adjusting the surface chemistry and the pore size of the membranes. PA membranes from commercial sources with a range of pore diameters (20, 100 and 200 nm) were used and modified by plasma polymerization using n-heptylamine (HA) monomer, which resulted in a chemically reactive polymer surface with amino groups. Heptylamine plasma polymer (HAPP) layers with a thickness less than the pore diameter do not span the pores but reduce their diameter. Accordingly, by adjusting the deposition time and thus the thickness of the plasma polymer coating, it is feasible to produce any desired pore diameter. The structural and chemical properties of modified membranes were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and x-ray electron spectroscopy (XPS). The resultant PA membranes with specific surface chemistry and controlled pore size are applicable for molecular separation, cell culture, bioreactors, biosensing, drug delivery, and engineering complex composite membranes.

  18. Surface modification of nanoporous alumina membranes by plasma polymerization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Losic, Dusan; Cole, Martin A; Dollmann, Bjoern; Vasilev, Krasimir; Griesser, Hans J

    2008-01-01

    The deposition of plasma polymer coatings onto porous alumina (PA) membranes was investigated with the aim of adjusting the surface chemistry and the pore size of the membranes. PA membranes from commercial sources with a range of pore diameters (20, 100 and 200 nm) were used and modified by plasma polymerization using n-heptylamine (HA) monomer, which resulted in a chemically reactive polymer surface with amino groups. Heptylamine plasma polymer (HAPP) layers with a thickness less than the pore diameter do not span the pores but reduce their diameter. Accordingly, by adjusting the deposition time and thus the thickness of the plasma polymer coating, it is feasible to produce any desired pore diameter. The structural and chemical properties of modified membranes were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and x-ray electron spectroscopy (XPS). The resultant PA membranes with specific surface chemistry and controlled pore size are applicable for molecular separation, cell culture, bioreactors, biosensing, drug delivery, and engineering complex composite membranes

  19. Microfluidic systems with ion-selective membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slouka, Zdenek; Senapati, Satyajyoti; Chang, Hsueh-Chia

    2014-01-01

    When integrated into microfluidic chips, ion-selective nanoporous polymer and solid-state membranes can be used for on-chip pumping, pH actuation, analyte concentration, molecular separation, reactive mixing, and molecular sensing. They offer numerous functionalities and are hence superior to paper-based devices for point-of-care biochips, with only slightly more investment in fabrication and material costs required. In this review, we first discuss the fundamentals of several nonequilibrium ion current phenomena associated with ion-selective membranes, many of them revealed by studies with fabricated single nanochannels/nanopores. We then focus on how the plethora of phenomena has been applied for transport, separation, concentration, and detection of biomolecules on biochips.

  20. Ion-beam Plasma Neutralization Interaction Images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Igor D. Kaganovich; Edward Startsev; S. Klasky; Ronald C. Davidson

    2002-04-09

    Neutralization of the ion beam charge and current is an important scientific issue for many practical applications. The process of ion beam charge and current neutralization is complex because the excitation of nonlinear plasma waves may occur. Computer simulation images of plasma neutralization of the ion beam pulse are presented.

  1. Ion-beam Plasma Neutralization Interaction Images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Igor D. Kaganovich; Edward Startsev; S. Klasky; Ronald C. Davidson

    2002-04-01

    Neutralization of the ion beam charge and current is an important scientific issue for many practical applications. The process of ion beam charge and current neutralization is complex because the excitation of nonlinear plasma waves may occur. Computer simulation images of plasma neutralization of the ion beam pulse are presented

  2. Giant plasma membrane vesicles: models for understanding membrane organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levental, Kandice R; Levental, Ilya

    2015-01-01

    The organization of eukaryotic membranes into functional domains continues to fascinate and puzzle cell biologists and biophysicists. The lipid raft hypothesis proposes that collective lipid interactions compartmentalize the membrane into coexisting liquid domains that are central to membrane physiology. This hypothesis has proven controversial because such structures cannot be directly visualized in live cells by light microscopy. The recent observations of liquid-liquid phase separation in biological membranes are an important validation of the raft hypothesis and enable application of the experimental toolbox of membrane physics to a biologically complex phase-separated membrane. This review addresses the role of giant plasma membrane vesicles (GPMVs) in refining the raft hypothesis and expands on the application of GPMVs as an experimental model to answer some of key outstanding problems in membrane biology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Characteristics of polyimide-based composite membranes fabricated by low-temperature plasma polymerization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dung Thi Tran; Mori, Shinsuke; Suzuki, Masaaki

    2008-01-01

    Composite membranes were prepared by the deposition of plasma-polymerized allylamine films onto a porous polyimide substrate. The relationship between the plasma conditions and the membrane characteristics was described in terms of monomer flow rate, plasma discharge power, plasma polymerization time, and so on. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images indicate that the thickness of the plasma polymer layer increased and the membrane skin pore size decreased gradually with the increasing of plasma polymerization time. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra demonstrate the appearance of amine groups in the plasma deposited polymer and the contact angle measurements indicate that the hydrophilicity of the membrane surfaces increased significantly after plasma polymerization. The composite membranes can reject salt from sodium chloride feed solution, and membrane separation performance depends strongly on the plasma conditions applied during the preparation of the plasma deposited polymer films

  4. Nonlinear Plasma Waves Excitation by Intense Ion Beams in Background Plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaganovich, Igor D.; Startsev, Edward A.; Davidson, Ronald C.

    2004-01-01

    Plasma neutralization of an intense ion pulse is of interest for many applications, including plasma lenses, heavy ion fusion, cosmic ray propagation, etc. An analytical electron fluid model has been developed to describe the plasma response to a propagating ion beam. The model predicts very good charge neutralization during quasi-steady-state propagation, provided the beam pulse duration τ b is much longer than the electron plasma period 2π/ω p , where ω p = (4πe 2 n p /m) 1/2 is the electron plasma frequency and n p is the background plasma density. In the opposite limit, the beam pulse excites large-amplitude plasma waves. If the beam density is larger than the background plasma density, the plasma waves break. Theoretical predictions are compared with the results of calculations utilizing a particle-in-cell (PIC) code. The cold electron fluid results agree well with the PIC simulations for ion beam propagation through a background plasma. The reduced fluid description derived in this paper can provide an important benchmark for numerical codes and yield scaling relations for different beam and plasma parameters. The visualization of numerical simulation data shows complex collective phenomena during beam entry and exit from the plasma

  5. Nonlinear plasma waves excitation by intense ion beams in background plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaganovich, Igor D.; Startsev, Edward A.; Davidson, Ronald C.

    2004-01-01

    Plasma neutralization of an intense ion pulse is of interest for many applications, including plasma lenses, heavy ion fusion, cosmic ray propagation, etc. An analytical electron fluid model has been developed to describe the plasma response to a propagating ion beam. The model predicts very good charge neutralization during quasi-steady-state propagation, provided the beam pulse duration τ b is much longer than the electron plasma period 2π/ω p , where ω p =(4πe 2 n p /m) 1/2 is the electron plasma frequency, and n p is the background plasma density. In the opposite limit, the beam pulse excites large-amplitude plasma waves. If the beam density is larger than the background plasma density, the plasma waves break. Theoretical predictions are compared with the results of calculations utilizing a particle-in-cell (PIC) code. The cold electron fluid results agree well with the PIC simulations for ion beam propagation through a background plasma. The reduced fluid description derived in this paper can provide an important benchmark for numerical codes and yield scaling relations for different beam and plasma parameters. The visualization of numerical simulation data shows complex collective phenomena during beam entry and exit from the plasma

  6. Study on surface adhesion of Plasma modified Polytetrafluoroethylene hollow fiber membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jiangrong; Zhang, Huifeng; Liu, Guochang; Guo, Chungang; Lv, Jinglie; Zhangb, Yushan

    2018-01-01

    Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is popular membrane material because of its excellent thermal stability, chemical stability and mechanical stability. However, the low surface energy and non-sticky property of PTFE present challenges for modification. In the present study, plasma treatment was performed to improve the surface adhesion of PTFE hollow fiber membrane. The effect of discharge voltage, treatment time on the adhesion of PTFE hollow fiber membrane was symmetrically evaluated. Results showed that the plasma treatment method contributed to improve the surface activity and roughness of PTFE hollow fiber membrane, and the adhesion strength depend significantly on discharge voltage, which was beneficial to seepage pressure of PTFE hollow fiber membrane module. The adhesion strength of PTFE membrane by plasma treated at 220V for 3min reached as high as 86.2 N, far surpassing the adhesion strength 12.7 N of pristine membrane. Furthermore, improvement of content of free radical and composition analysis changes of the plasma modified PTFE membrane were investigated. The seepage pressure of PTFE membrane by plasma treated at 220V for 3min was 0.375 MPa, which means that the plasma treatment is an effective technique to improve the adhesion strength of membrane.

  7. Plasma focus as an heavy ion source in the problem of heavy ion fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gribkov, V.A.; Dubrovskij, A.V.; Kalachev, N.V.; Krokhin, O.N.; Silin, P.V.; Nikulin, V.Ya.; Cheblukov, Yu.N.

    1984-01-01

    Results of experiments on the ion flux formation in a plasma focus (PF) to develop a multicharged ion source for thermonuclear facility driver are presented. In plasma focus accelerating section copper ions were injected. Advantages of the suggested method of ion beam formation are demonstrated. Beam emittance equalling < 0.1 cmxmrad is obtained. Plasma focus ion energy exceeds 1 MeV. Plasma focus in combination with a neodymium laser is thought to be a perspective ion source for heavy ion fusion

  8. Ion beam evaluation of silicon carbide membrane structures intended for particle detectors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pallon, J., E-mail: jan.pallon@nuclear.lu.se [Division of Nuclear Physics, Physics Department, Lund University, Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund (Sweden); Syväjärvi, M. [Linköping University, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, SE-58183 Linköping (Sweden); Graphensic AB, Teknikringen 1F, SE-58330 Linköping (Sweden); Wang, Q. [Sensor System, ACREO Swedish ICT AB, Box 1070, SE-164 25 Kista (Sweden); Yakimova, R.; Iakimov, T. [Linköping University, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, SE-58183 Linköping (Sweden); Graphensic AB, Teknikringen 1F, SE-58330 Linköping (Sweden); Elfman, M.; Kristiansson, P.; Nilsson, E.J.C.; Ros, L. [Division of Nuclear Physics, Physics Department, Lund University, Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund (Sweden)

    2016-03-15

    Thin ion transmission detectors can be used as a part of a telescope detector for mass and energy identification but also as a pre-cell detector in a microbeam system for studies of biological effects from single ion hits on individual living cells. We investigated a structure of graphene on silicon carbide (SiC) with the purpose to explore a thin transmission detector with a very low noise level and having mechanical strength to act as a vacuum window. In order to reach very deep cavities in the SiC wafers for the preparation of the membrane in the detector, we have studied the Inductive Coupled Plasma technique to etch deep circular cavities in 325 μm prototype samples. By a special high temperature process the outermost layers of the etched SiC wafers were converted into a highly conductive graphitic layer. The produced cavities were characterized by electron microscopy, optical microscopy and proton energy loss measurements. The average membrane thickness was found to be less than 40 μm, however, with a slightly curved profile. Small spots representing much thinner membrane were also observed and might have an origin in crystal defects or impurities. Proton energy loss measurement (also called Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy, STIM) is a well suited technique for this thickness range. This work presents the first steps of fabricating a membrane structure of SiC and graphene which may be an attractive approach as a detector due to the combined properties of SiC and graphene in a monolithic materials structure.

  9. Plasma membrane associated membranes (PAM) from Jurkat cells contain STIM1 protein is PAM involved in the capacitative calcium entry?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozieł, Katarzyna; Lebiedzinska, Magdalena; Szabadkai, Gyorgy; Onopiuk, Marta; Brutkowski, Wojciech; Wierzbicka, Katarzyna; Wilczyński, Grzegorz; Pinton, Paolo; Duszyński, Jerzy; Zabłocki, Krzysztof; Wieckowski, Mariusz R

    2009-12-01

    A proper cooperation between the plasma membrane, the endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria seems to be essential for numerous cellular processes involved in Ca(2+) signalling and maintenance of Ca(2+) homeostasis. A presence of microsomal and mitochondrial proteins together with those characteristic for the plasma membrane in the fraction of the plasma membrane associated membranes (PAM) indicates a formation of stabile interactions between these three structures. We isolated the plasma membrane associated membranes from Jurkat cells and found its significant enrichment in the plasma membrane markers including plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase, Na(+), K(+)-ATPase and CD3 as well as sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase as a marker of the endoplasmic reticulum membranes. In addition, two proteins involved in the store-operated Ca(2+) entry, Orai1 located in the plasma membrane and an endoplasmic reticulum protein STIM1 were found in this fraction. Furthermore, we observed a rearrangement of STIM1-containing protein complexes isolated from Jurkat cells undergoing stimulation by thapsigargin. We suggest that the inter-membrane compartment composed of the plasma membrane and the endoplasmic reticulum, and isolated as a stabile plasma membrane associated membranes fraction, might be involved in the store-operated Ca(2+) entry, and their formation and rebuilding have an important regulatory role in cellular Ca(2+) homeostasis.

  10. Effect of plasma membrane fluidity on serotonin transport by endothelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Block, E.R.; Edwards, D.

    1987-01-01

    To evaluate the effect of plasma membrane fluidity of lung endothelial cells on serotonin transport, porcine pulmonary artery endothelial cells were incubated for 3 h with either 0.1 mM cholesterol hemisuccinate, 0.1 mM cis-vaccenic acid, or vehicle (control), after which plasma membrane fluidity and serotinin transport were measured. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to measure fluidity in the plasma membrane. Serotonin uptake was calculated from the disappearance of [ 14 C]-serotonin from the culture medium. Cholesterol decreased fluidity in the subpolar head group and central and midacyl side-chain regions of the plasma membrane and decreased serotonin transport, whereas cis-vaccenic acid increased fluidity in the central and midacyl side-chain regions of the plasma membrane and also increased serotonin transport. Cis-vaccenic acid had no effect of fluidity in the subpolar head group region of the plasma membrane. These results provide evidence that the physical state of the central and midacyl chains within the pulmonary artery endothelial cell plasma membrane lipid bilayer modulates transmembrane transport of serotonin by these cells

  11. An adhesion-based method for plasma membrane isolation: evaluating cholesterol extraction from cells and their membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bezrukov, Ludmila; Blank, Paul S; Polozov, Ivan V; Zimmerberg, Joshua

    2009-11-15

    A method to isolate large quantities of directly accessible plasma membrane from attached cells is presented. The method is based on the adhesion of cells to an adsorbed layer of polylysine on glass plates, followed by hypotonic lysis with ice-cold distilled water and subsequent washing steps. Optimal conditions for coating glass plates and time for cell attachment were established. No additional chemical or mechanical treatments were used. Contamination of the isolated plasma membrane by cell organelles was less than 5%. The method uses inexpensive, commercially available polylysine and reusable glass plates. Plasma membrane preparations can be made in 15 min. Using this method, we determined that methyl-beta-cyclodextrin differentially extracts cholesterol from fibroblast cells and their plasma membranes and that these differences are temperature dependent. Determination of the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio from intact cells does not reflect methyl-beta-cyclodextrin plasma membrane extraction properties.

  12. Regulation of the actin cytoskeleton-plasma membrane interplay by phosphoinositides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saarikangas, Juha; Zhao, Hongxia; Lappalainen, Pekka

    2010-01-01

    The plasma membrane and the underlying cortical actin cytoskeleton undergo continuous dynamic interplay that is responsible for many essential aspects of cell physiology. Polymerization of actin filaments against cellular membranes provides the force for a number of cellular processes such as migration, morphogenesis, and endocytosis. Plasma membrane phosphoinositides (especially phosphatidylinositol bis- and trisphosphates) play a central role in regulating the organization and dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton by acting as platforms for protein recruitment, by triggering signaling cascades, and by directly regulating the activities of actin-binding proteins. Furthermore, a number of actin-associated proteins, such as BAR domain proteins, are capable of directly deforming phosphoinositide-rich membranes to induce plasma membrane protrusions or invaginations. Recent studies have also provided evidence that the actin cytoskeleton-plasma membrane interactions are misregulated in a number of pathological conditions such as cancer and during pathogen invasion. Here, we summarize the wealth of knowledge on how the cortical actin cytoskeleton is regulated by phosphoinositides during various cell biological processes. We also discuss the mechanisms by which interplay between actin dynamics and certain membrane deforming proteins regulate the morphology of the plasma membrane.

  13. A plasma membrane H + ATPase gene is germinationinduced in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A plasma membrane H + ATPase gene is germinationinduced in wheat embryos. ... African Journal of Biotechnology ... of a germination specific plasma membrane H+-ATPase was analyzed by RTPCR and in situ RNA hybridization methods.

  14. Composite plasma polymerized sulfonated polystyrene membrane for PEMFC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nath, Bhabesh Kumar; Khan, Aziz; Chutia, Joyanti, E-mail: jchutiaiasst@gmail.com

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: • Methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) is used as the sulfonating agent. • The proton conductivity of the membrane is found to be 0.141 S cm{sup −1}. • Power density of fuel cell with styrene/MMS membrane is 0.5 W cm{sup −2}. • The membrane exhibits thermal stability up to 140 °C. - Abstract: This work presents the introduction of an organic compound methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) for the first time in fabrication of polystyrene based proton exchange membrane (PEM) by plasma polymerization process. The membrane is fabricated by co-polymerizing styrene and MMS in capacitively coupled continuous RF plasma. The chemical composition of the plasma polymerized polymer membrane is investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy which reveals the formation of composite structure of styrene and MMS. The surface morphology studied using AFM and SEM depicts the effect of higher partial pressure of MMS on surface topography of the membrane. The proton transport property of the membrane studied using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy shows the achievement of maximum proton conductivity of 0.141 S cm{sup −1} which is comparable to Nafion 117 membrane. Fuel cell performance test of the synthesized membrane shows a maximum power density of 500 mW cm{sup −2} and current density of 0.62 A cm{sup −2} at 0.6 V.

  15. On plasma ion beam formation in the Advanced Plasma Source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harhausen, J; Foest, R; Hannemann, M; Ohl, A; Brinkmann, R P; Schröder, B

    2012-01-01

    The Advanced Plasma Source (APS) is employed for plasma ion-assisted deposition (PIAD) of optical coatings. The APS is a hot cathode dc glow discharge which emits a plasma ion beam to the deposition chamber at high vacuum (p ≲ 2 × 10 −4 mbar). It is established as an industrial tool but to date no detailed information is available on plasma parameters in the process chamber. As a consequence, the details of the generation of the plasma ion beam and the reasons for variations of the properties of the deposited films are barely understood. In this paper the results obtained from Langmuir probe and retarding field energy analyzer diagnostics operated in the plasma plume of the APS are presented, where the source was operated with argon. With increasing distance to the source exit the electron density (n e ) is found to drop by two orders of magnitude and the effective electron temperature (T e,eff ) drops by a factor of five. The parameters close to the source region read n e ≳ 10 11 cm −3 and T e,eff ≳ 10 eV. The electron distribution function exhibits a concave shape and can be described in the framework of the non-local approximation. It is revealed that an energetic ion population leaves the source region and a cold ion population in the plume is build up by charge exchange collisions with the background neutral gas. Based on the experimental data a scaling law for ion beam power is deduced, which links the control parameters of the source to the plasma parameters in the process chamber. (paper)

  16. Transport of Zn(OH)4(-2) ions across a polyolefin microporous membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krejci, Ivan; Vanysek, Peter; Trojanek, Antonin

    1993-04-01

    Transport of ZN(OH)4(2-) ions through modified microporous polypropylene membranes (Celgard 3401, 350140) was studied using polarography and conductometry. Soluble Nafion as an ion exchange modifying agent was applied to the membrane by several techniques. The influence of Nafion and a surfactant on transport of zinc ions through the membrane was studied. A relationship between membrane impedance and the rate of Zn(OH)4(2-) transport was found. The found correlation between conductivity, ion permeability and Nafion coverage suggests a suitable technique of membrane preparation to obtain desired zinc ion barrier properties.

  17. A study of single and binary ion plasma expansion into laboratory-generated plasma wakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Kenneth Herbert, Jr.

    1988-01-01

    Plasma expansion into the wake of a large rectangular plate immersed in a collisionless, supersonic plasma was investigated in laboratory experiments. The experimental conditions address both single ion and binary ion plasma flows for the case of a body whose size is large in comparison with the Debye length, when the potential difference between the body and the plasma is relatively small. A new plasma source was developed to generate equi-velocity, binary ion plasma flows, which allows access to new parameter space that have previously been unavailable for laboratory studies. Specifically, the new parameters are the ionic mass ratio and the ionic component density ratio. In a series of experiments, a krypton-neon plasma is employed where the ambient density ratio of neon to krypton is varied more than an order of magnitude. The expansion in both the single ion and binary ion plasma cases is limited to early times, i.e., a few ion plasma periods, by the combination of plasma density, plasma drift speed, and vacuum chamber size, which prevented detailed comparison with self-similar theory.

  18. Changes in plasma membrane structure upon irradiation on thymocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dreval', V.I.

    1993-01-01

    Thymocytes were irradiated with doses of 4 to 10 4 Gy. The binding of 1-anilinonaphtalene-8-sulphonate and Ca 2+ to plasma membranes; viscosity and lipid peroxidation; Stern-Folmer constant; and the number of Sh-groups of membrane proteins were determined. The structural changes in plasma membranes after irradiation of thymocytes were found to be cooperative

  19. Protein diffusion in plant cell plasma membranes: the cell-wall corral.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinière, Alexandre; Runions, John

    2013-01-01

    Studying protein diffusion informs us about how proteins interact with their environment. Work on protein diffusion over the last several decades has illustrated the complex nature of biological lipid bilayers. The plasma membrane contains an array of membrane-spanning proteins or proteins with peripheral membrane associations. Maintenance of plasma membrane microstructure can be via physical features that provide intrinsic ordering such as lipid microdomains, or from membrane-associated structures such as the cytoskeleton. Recent evidence indicates, that in the case of plant cells, the cell wall seems to be a major player in maintaining plasma membrane microstructure. This interconnection / interaction between cell-wall and plasma membrane proteins most likely plays an important role in signal transduction, cell growth, and cell physiological responses to the environment.

  20. Identification of frog photoreceptor plasma and disk membrane proteins by radioiodination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Witt, P.L.; Bownds, M.D.

    1987-01-01

    Several functions have been identified for the plasma membrane of the rod outer segment, including control of light-dependent changes in sodium conductance and a sodium-calcium exchange mechanism. However, little is known about its constituent proteins. Intact rod outer segments substantially free of contaminants were prepared in the dark and purified on a density gradient of Percoll. Surface proteins were then labeled by lactoperoxidase-catalyzed radioiodination, and intact rod outer segments were reisolated. Membrane proteins were identified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. The surface proteins labeled included rhodopsin, the major membrane protein, and 12 other proteins. To compare the protein composition of plasma membrane with that of the internal disk membrane, purified rod outer segments were lysed by hypotonic disruption or freeze-thawing, and plasma plus disk membranes were radioiodinated. In these membrane preparations, rhodopsin was the major iodinated constituent, with 12 other proteins also labeled. Autoradiographic evidence indicated some differences in protein composition between disk and plasma membranes. A quantitative comparison of the two samples showed that labeling of two proteins, 24 kilodaltons (kDa) and 13 kDa, was enriched in the plasma membrane, while labeling of a 220-kDa protein was enriched in the disk membrane. These plasma membrane proteins may be associated with important functions such as the light-sensitive conductance and the sodium-calcium exchanger

  1. Ion plasma electron gun

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wakalopulos, G.

    1976-01-01

    In the disclosed electron gun positive ions generated by a hollow cathode plasma discharge in a first chamber are accelerated through control and shield grids into a second chamber containing a high voltage cold cathode. These positive ions bombard a surface of the cathode causing the cathode to emit secondary electrons which form an electron beam having a distribution adjacent to the cathode emissive surface substantially the same as the distribution of the ion beam impinging upon the cathode. After passing through the grids and the plasma discharge chamber, the electron beam exits from the electron gun via a foil window. Control of the generated electron beam is achieved by applying a relatively low control voltage between the control grid and the electron gun housing (which resides at ground potential) to control the density of the positive ions bombarding the cathode

  2. Ion Transport across Biological Membranes by Carborane-Capped Gold Nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grzelczak, Marcin P; Danks, Stephen P; Klipp, Robert C; Belic, Domagoj; Zaulet, Adnana; Kunstmann-Olsen, Casper; Bradley, Dan F; Tsukuda, Tatsuya; Viñas, Clara; Teixidor, Francesc; Abramson, Jonathan J; Brust, Mathias

    2017-12-26

    Carborane-capped gold nanoparticles (Au/carborane NPs, 2-3 nm) can act as artificial ion transporters across biological membranes. The particles themselves are large hydrophobic anions that have the ability to disperse in aqueous media and to partition over both sides of a phospholipid bilayer membrane. Their presence therefore causes a membrane potential that is determined by the relative concentrations of particles on each side of the membrane according to the Nernst equation. The particles tend to adsorb to both sides of the membrane and can flip across if changes in membrane potential require their repartitioning. Such changes can be made either with a potentiostat in an electrochemical cell or by competition with another partitioning ion, for example, potassium in the presence of its specific transporter valinomycin. Carborane-capped gold nanoparticles have a ligand shell full of voids, which stem from the packing of near spherical ligands on a near spherical metal core. These voids are normally filled with sodium or potassium ions, and the charge is overcompensated by excess electrons in the metal core. The anionic particles are therefore able to take up and release a certain payload of cations and to adjust their net charge accordingly. It is demonstrated by potential-dependent fluorescence spectroscopy that polarized phospholipid membranes of vesicles can be depolarized by ion transport mediated by the particles. It is also shown that the particles act as alkali-ion-specific transporters across free-standing membranes under potentiostatic control. Magnesium ions are not transported.

  3. Protein diffusion in plant cell plasma membranes: The cell-wall corral

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre eMartinière

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Studying protein diffusion informs us about how proteins interact with their environment. Work on protein diffusion over the last several decades has illustrated the complex nature of biological lipid bilayers. The plasma membrane contains an array of membrane-spanning proteins or proteins with peripheral membrane associations. Maintenance of plasma membrane microstructure can be via physical features that provide intrinsic ordering such as lipid microdomains, or from membrane-associated structures such as the cytoskeleton. Recent evidence indicates, that in the case of plant cells, the cell wall seems to be a major player in maintaining plasma membrane microstructure. This interconnection / interaction between cell-wall and plasma membrane proteins most likely plays an important role in signal transduction, cell growth, and cell physiological responses to the environment.

  4. Quantitative changes in adipocyte plasma membrane in response to nutritional manipulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, D.S.; Masoro, E.J.; Yu, B.P.

    1981-01-01

    The effects of changes in adipocyte size and the effects of nutritional manipulations on the quantity of plasma membrane per adipocyte were investigated. A method for estimating the quantity of plasma membrane was developed based on the specific labeling of adipocyte plasma membrane protein with the nonpermeable labeling agent 125I-labeled diazotized diiodosulfanilic acid. By studying rats (ranging in age from 50 to 125 days) fed a standard laboratory chow or a low fat diet or a high fat diet, a wide range of mean fat cell sizes was obtained. It was found that as the volume of the fat cell increased, the amount of plasma membrane increased in a linear fashion and that this linear relationship had the same slope whether the size of the adipocyte increased slowly with age or rapidly in response to a high fat diet. In contrast, fasting for up to 3 days caused a marked decrease in the mean volume of the adipocytes, but either no change or much less change in the amount of plasma membrane per cell than would have been predicted from the linear relationship between adipocytes, but either no change or much less change in the amount of plasma membrane per cell than would have been predicted form the linear relationship between adipocyte volume and amount of plasma membrane per cell obtained with fed rats, i.e., adipocytes from fasted rats contain more plasma membrane per cell than do fat cells of the same size from fed rats. Neither feeding a high fat diet nor fasting caused detectable changes in the protein and lipid composition of the adipocyte plasma membrane

  5. Ion transport restriction in mechanically strained separator membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cannarella, John; Arnold, Craig B.

    2013-03-01

    We use AC impedance methods to investigate the effect of mechanical deformation on ion transport in commercial separator membranes and lithium-ion cells as a whole. A Bruggeman type power law relationship is found to provide an accurate correlation between porosity and tortuosity of deformed separators, which allows the impedance of a separator membrane to be predicted as a function of deformation. By using mechanical compression to vary the porosity of the separator membranes during impedance measurements it is possible to determine both the α and γ parameters from the modified Bruggeman relation for individual separator membranes. From impedance testing of compressed pouch cells it is found that separator deformation accounts for the majority of the transport restrictions arising from compressive stress in a lithium-ion cell. Finally, a charge state dependent increase in the impedance associated with charge transfer is observed with increasing cell compression.

  6. Protein-centric N-glycoproteomics analysis of membrane and plasma membrane proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Bingyun; Hood, Leroy

    2014-06-06

    The advent of proteomics technology has transformed our understanding of biological membranes. The challenges for studying membrane proteins have inspired the development of many analytical and bioanalytical tools, and the techniques of glycoproteomics have emerged as an effective means to enrich and characterize membrane and plasma-membrane proteomes. This Review summarizes the development of various glycoproteomics techniques to overcome the hurdles formed by the unique structures and behaviors of membrane proteins with a focus on N-glycoproteomics. Example contributions of N-glycoproteomics to the understanding of membrane biology are provided, and the areas that require future technical breakthroughs are discussed.

  7. Etched ion track polymer membranes for sustained drug delivery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rao, Vijayalakshmi; Amar, J.V.; Avasthi, D.K.; Narayana Charyulu, R.

    2003-01-01

    The method of track etching has been successfully used for the production of polymer membranes with capillary pores. In the present paper, micropore membranes have been prepared by swift heavy ion irradiation of polycarbonate (PC). PC films were irradiated with ions of gold, silicon and oxygen of varying energies and fluence. The ion tracks thus obtained were etched chemically for various time intervals to get pores and these etched films were used as membranes for the drug release. Ciprofloxacine hydrochloride was used as model drug for the release studies. The drug content was estimated spectrophotometrically. Pore size and thus the drug release is dependent on the etching conditions, ions used, their energy and fluence. Sustained drug release has been observed in these membranes. The films can be selected for practical utilization by optimizing the irradiation and etching conditions. These films can be used as transdermal patches after medical treatment

  8. Turbulent ion heating in TCV Tokamak plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlatter, Ch.

    2009-08-01

    The Tokamak à configuration variable (TCV) features the highest electron cyclotron wave power density available to resonantly heat (ECRH) the electrons and to drive noninductive currents in a fusion grade plasma (ECCD). In more than 15 years of exploitation, much effort has been expended on real and velocity space engineering of the plasma electron energy distribution function and thus making electron physics a major research contribution of TCV. When a plasma was first subjected to ECCD, a surprising energisation of the ions, perpendicular to the confining magnetic field, was observed on the charge exchange spectrum measured with the vertical neutral particle analyser (VNPA). It was soon concluded that the ion acceleration was not due to power equipartition between electrons and ions, which, due to the absence of direct ion heating on TCV, has thus far been considered as the only mechanism heating the ions. However, although observed for more than ten years, little attention was paid to this phenomenon, whose cause has remained unexplained to date. The key subject of this thesis is the experimental study of this anomalous ion acceleration, the characterisation in terms of relevant parameters and the presentation of a model simulation of the potential process responsible for the appearance of fast ions. The installation of a new compact neutral particle analyser (CNPA) with an extended high energy range (≥ 50 keV) greatly improved the fast ion properties diagnosis. The CNPA was commissioned and the information derived from its measurement (ion temperature and density, isotopic plasma composition) was validated against other ion diagnostics, namely the active carbon charge exchange recombination spectroscopy system (CXRS) and a neutron counter. In ohmic plasmas, where the ion heating agrees with classical theory, the radial ion temperature profile was successfully reconstructed by vertically displacing the plasma across the horizontal CNPA line of sight. Active

  9. Electric force on plasma ions and the momentum of the ion-neutrals flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makrinich, G.; Fruchtman, A.; Zoler, D.; Boxman, R. L.

    2018-05-01

    The electric force on ions in plasma and the momentum flux carried by the mixed ion-neutral flow were measured and found to be equal. The experiment was performed in a direct-current gas discharge of cylindrical geometry with applied radial electric field and axial magnetic field. The unmagnetized plasma ions, neutralized by magnetized electrons, were accelerated radially outward transferring part of the gained momentum to neutrals. Measurements were taken for various argon gas flow rates between 13 and 100 Standard Cubic Centimeter per Minute, for a discharge current of 1.9 A and a magnetic field intensity of 136 G. The plasma density, electron temperature, and plasma potential were measured at various locations along the flow. These measurements were used to determine the local electric force on the ions. The total electric force on the plasma ions was then determined by integrating radially the local electric force. In parallel, the momentum flux of the mixed ion-neutral flow was determined by measuring the force exerted by the flow on a balance force meter (BFM). The maximal plasma density was between 6 × 1010 cm-3 and 5 × 1011 cm-3, the maximal electron temperature was between 8 eV and 25 eV, and the deduced maximal electric field was between 2200 V/m and 5800 V/m. The force exerted by the mixed ion-neutral flow on the BFM agreed with the total electric force on the plasma ions. This agreement showed that it is the electric force on the plasma ions that is the source of the momentum acquired by the mixed ion-neutral flow.

  10. Beyond voltage-gated ion channels: Voltage-operated membrane proteins and cellular processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jianping; Chen, Xingjuan; Xue, Yucong; Gamper, Nikita; Zhang, Xuan

    2018-04-18

    Voltage-gated ion channels were believed to be the only voltage-sensitive proteins in excitable (and some non-excitable) cells for a long time. Emerging evidence indicates that the voltage-operated model is shared by some other transmembrane proteins expressed in both excitable and non-excitable cells. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about voltage-operated proteins, which are not classic voltage-gated ion channels as well as the voltage-dependent processes in cells for which single voltage-sensitive proteins have yet to be identified. Particularly, we will focus on the following. (1) Voltage-sensitive phosphoinositide phosphatases (VSP) with four transmembrane segments homologous to the voltage sensor domain (VSD) of voltage-gated ion channels; VSPs are the first family of proteins, other than the voltage-gated ion channels, for which there is sufficient evidence for the existence of the VSD domain; (2) Voltage-gated proton channels comprising of a single voltage-sensing domain and lacking an identified pore domain; (3) G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that mediate the depolarization-evoked potentiation of Ca 2+ mobilization; (4) Plasma membrane (PM) depolarization-induced but Ca 2+ -independent exocytosis in neurons. (5) Voltage-dependent metabolism of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns[4,5]P 2 , PIP 2 ) in the PM. These recent discoveries expand our understanding of voltage-operated processes within cellular membranes. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Membrane Contact Sites: Complex Zones for Membrane Association and Lipid Exchange

    OpenAIRE

    Evan Quon; Christopher T. Beh

    2016-01-01

    Lipid transport between membranes within cells involves vesicle and protein carriers, but as agents of nonvesicular lipid transfer, the role of membrane contact sites has received increasing attention. As zones for lipid metabolism and exchange, various membrane contact sites mediate direct associations between different organelles. In particular, membrane contact sites linking the plasma membrane (PM) and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) represent important regulators of lipid and ion transfer...

  12. Some properties of ion and cluster plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gudzenko, L.I.; Derzhiev, V.I.; Yakovlenko, S.I.

    1982-01-01

    The aggregate of problems connected with the physics of ion and cluster plasma is qualitatively considered. Such a plasma can exist when a dense gas is ionized by a hard ionizer. The conditions for the formation of an ion plasma and the difference between its characteristics and those of an ordinary electron plasma are discussed; a solvated-ion model and the distribution of the clusters with respect to the number of solvated molecules are considered. The recombination rate of the positively and negatively charged clusters is roughly estimated. The parameters of a ball-lightning plasma are estimated on the basis of the cluster model

  13. Isolation and characterization of the plasma membrane from the yeast Pichia pastoris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grillitsch, Karlheinz; Tarazona, Pablo; Klug, Lisa; Wriessnegger, Tamara; Zellnig, Günther; Leitner, Erich; Feussner, Ivo; Daum, Günther

    2014-07-01

    Despite similarities of cellular membranes in all eukaryotes, every compartment displays characteristic and often unique features which are important for the functions of the specific organelles. In the present study, we biochemically characterized the plasma membrane of the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris with emphasis on the lipids which form the matrix of this compartment. Prerequisite for this effort was the design of a standardized and reliable isolation protocol of the plasma membrane at high purity. Analysis of isolated plasma membrane samples from P. pastoris revealed an increase of phosphatidylserine and a decrease of phosphatidylcholine compared to bulk membranes. The amount of saturated fatty acids in the plasma membrane was higher than in total cell extracts. Ergosterol, the final product of the yeast sterol biosynthetic pathway, was found to be enriched in plasma membrane fractions, although markedly lower than in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A further characteristic feature of the plasma membrane from P. pastoris was the enrichment of inositol phosphorylceramides over neutral sphingolipids, which accumulated in internal membranes. The detailed analysis of the P. pastoris plasma membrane is discussed in the light of cell biological features of this microorganism especially as a microbial cell factory for heterologous protein production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Current control for magnetized plasma in direct-current plasma-immersion ion implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang Deli; Chu, Paul K.

    2003-01-01

    A method to control the ion current in direct-current plasma-immersion ion implantation (PIII) is reported for low-pressure magnetized inductively coupled plasma. The ion current can be conveniently adjusted by applying bias voltage to the conducting grid that separates plasma formation and implantation (ion acceleration) zones without the need to alter the rf input power, gas flux, or other operating conditions. The ion current that diminishes with an increase in grid bias in magnetized plasmas can be varied from 48 to 1 mA by increasing the grid voltage from 0 to 70 V at -50 kV sample bias and 0.5 mTorr hydrogen pressure. High implantation voltage and monoenergetic immersion implantation can now be achieved by controlling the ion current without varying the macroscopic plasma parameters. The experimental results and interpretation of the effects are presented in this letter. This technique is very attractive for PIII of planar samples that require on-the-fly adjustment of the implantation current at high implantation voltage but low substrate temperature. In some applications such as hydrogen PIII-ion cut, it may obviate the need for complicated sample cooling devices that must work at high voltage

  15. Suprathermal ion transport in turbulent magnetized plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bovet, A. D.

    2015-01-01

    Suprathermal ions, which have an energy greater than the quasi-Maxwellian background plasma temperature, are present in many laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. In fusion devices, they are generated by the fusion reactions and auxiliary heating. Controlling their transport is essential for the success of future fusion devices that could provide a clean, safe and abundant source of electric power to our society. In space, suprathermal ions include energetic solar particles and cosmic rays. The understanding of the acceleration and transport mechanisms of these particles is still incomplete. Basic plasma devices allow detailed measurements that are not accessible in astrophysical and fusion plasmas, due to the difficulty to access the former and the high temperatures of the latter. The basic toroidal device TORPEX offers an easy access for diagnostics, well characterized plasma scenarios and validated numerical simulations of its turbulence dynamics, making it the ideal platform for the investigation of suprathermal ion transport. This Thesis presents three-dimensional measurements of a suprathermal ion beam injected in turbulent TORPEX plasmas. The combination of uniquely resolved measurements and first principle numerical simulations reveals the general non-diffusive nature of the suprathermal ion transport. A precise characterization of their transport regime shows that, depending on their energies, suprathermal ions can experience either a super diffusive transport or a subdiffusive transport in the same background turbulence. The transport character is determined by the interaction of the suprathermal ion orbits with the turbulent plasma structures, which in turn depends on the ratio between the ion energy and the background plasma temperature. Time-resolved measurements reveal a clear difference in the intermittency of suprathermal ions time-traces depending on the transport regime they experience. Conditionally averaged measurements uncover the influence of

  16. Ion species stratification within strong shocks in two-ion plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keenan, Brett D.; Simakov, Andrei N.; Taitano, William T.; Chacón, Luis

    2018-03-01

    Strong collisional shocks in multi-ion plasmas are featured in many environments, with Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) experiments being one prominent example. Recent work [Keenan et al., Phys. Rev. E 96, 053203 (2017)] answered in detail a number of outstanding questions concerning the kinetic structure of steady-state, planar plasma shocks, e.g., the shock width scaling by the Mach number, M. However, it did not discuss shock-driven ion-species stratification (e.g., relative concentration modification and temperature separation). These are important effects since many recent ICF experiments have evaded explanation by standard, single-fluid, radiation-hydrodynamic (rad-hydro) numerical simulations, and shock-driven fuel stratification likely contributes to this discrepancy. Employing the state-of-the-art Vlasov-Fokker-Planck code, iFP, along with multi-ion hydro simulations and semi-analytics, we quantify the ion stratification by planar shocks with the arbitrary Mach number and the relative species concentration for two-ion plasmas in terms of ion mass and charge ratios. In particular, for strong shocks, we find that the structure of the ion temperature separation has a nearly universal character across ion mass and charge ratios. Additionally, we find that the shock fronts are enriched with the lighter ion species and the enrichment scales as M4 for M ≫ 1.

  17. Cholesterol asymmetry in synaptic plasma membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, W Gibson; Igbavboa, Urule; Müller, Walter E; Eckert, Gunter P

    2011-03-01

    Lipids are essential for the structural and functional integrity of membranes. Membrane lipids are not randomly distributed but are localized in different domains. A common characteristic of these membrane domains is their association with cholesterol. Lipid rafts and caveolae are examples of cholesterol enriched domains, which have attracted keen interest. However, two other important cholesterol domains are the exofacial and cytofacial leaflets of the plasma membrane. The two leaflets that make up the bilayer differ in their fluidity, electrical charge, lipid distribution, and active sites of certain proteins. The synaptic plasma membrane (SPM) cytofacial leaflet contains over 85% of the total SPM cholesterol as compared with the exofacial leaflet. This asymmetric distribution of cholesterol is not fixed or immobile but can be modified by different conditions in vivo: (i) chronic ethanol consumption; (ii) statins; (iii) aging; and (iv) apoE isoform. Several potential candidates have been proposed as mechanisms involved in regulation of SPM cholesterol asymmetry: apoE, low-density lipoprotein receptor, sterol carrier protein-2, fatty acid binding proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, P-glycoprotein and caveolin-1. This review examines cholesterol asymmetry in SPM, potential mechanisms of regulation and impact on membrane structure and function. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Neurochemistry © 2011 International Society for Neurochemistry.

  18. Ion mobility: its role in plasma chromatography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mason, E.A.

    1984-01-01

    This paper is a review of the basic physical theory underlying plasma chromatography. Essentially, plasma chromatography simply measures ion mobility. The new feature of plasma chromatography, as compared to aqueous electrophoresis, is the existence of a highly-developed and accurate body of theory that connects gaseous ion mobility and diffusion to the ion molecule interactions in the drift tube. Attention is restricted to phenomena occurring in the drift tube portion of the apparatus

  19. Ion-acoustic double layers in multi-species plasmas maintained by negative ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verheest, F.

    1989-01-01

    A study is made of ion-acoustic double layers in a plasma consisting of any number of cold positive and negative ion (and cold electron) species in addition to one isothermal electron population. The Sagdeev potential is obtained in general, together with limits on both compressive and rarefactive solutions for ion-acoustic double layers and/or solitons. Weak ion-acoustic double layers are described by a modified Korteweg-de Vries equation. Such double layers are not possible in plasmas with only positive ion species and one electron population. When one or more negative ion and/or cold electron species are included above a certain threshold density, rarefactive ion-acoustic double layers occur, but no compressive ones. The double-layer form of the potential is given, together with an application to a plasma with one positive and one negative ion component. It is shown that there is indeed such a threshold density for the negative ion density, depending on the charge-to-mass ratios of both types of ions. The threshold density is determined numerically for a range of such ratios and discussed in view of possible relevance to auroral and experimental plasmas. In the discussion, cold electrons can play the role of the negative ion species. (author)

  20. Negative ion surface plasma source development for plasma trap injectors in Novosibirsk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bel'chenko, Yu.I.; Dimov, G.I.; Dudnikov, V.G.; Kupriyanov, A.S.

    1989-01-01

    Work on high-current ion sources carried out at the Novosibirsk Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) is presented. The INP investigations on ''pure plasma'' planotron and ''pure surface'' secondary emission systems of H - generation, which preceded the surface-plasma concept developed in Novosibirsk, are described. The physical basis of the surface-plasma method of negative-ion production is considered. The versions and operating characteristics of different surface-plasma sources including the multi-ampere (approx-gt 10A) source are discussed. Research on efficient large-area (∼10 2 cm 2 ) negative ion surface-plasma emitters is described. The INP long-pulse multiaperture surface- plasma generators, with a current of about 1A, are described. 38 refs., 17 figs

  1. Tailored ion energy distributions on plasma electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Economou, Demetre J.

    2013-01-01

    As microelectronic device features continue to shrink approaching atomic dimensions, control of the ion energy distribution on the substrate during plasma etching and deposition becomes increasingly critical. The ion energy should be high enough to drive ion-assisted etching, but not too high to cause substrate damage or loss of selectivity. In many cases, a nearly monoenergetic ion energy distribution (IED) is desired to achieve highly selective etching. In this work, the author briefly reviews: (1) the fundamentals of development of the ion energy distribution in the sheath and (2) methods to control the IED on plasma electrodes. Such methods include the application of “tailored” voltage waveforms on an electrode in continuous wave plasmas, or the application of synchronous bias on a “boundary electrode” during a specified time window in the afterglow of pulsed plasmas

  2. Ion-beam plasma and propagation of intense compensated ion beams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gabovich, M D [AN Ukrainskoj SSR, Kiev. Inst. Fiziki

    1977-02-01

    Discussed are the results of investigation of plasma properties received by neutralization of intense ion beam space charge. Considered is the process of ion beam compensation by charges, formed as a result of gas ionization by this beam or by externally introduced ones. Emphasis is placed on collective phenomena in ion-beam plasma, in particular on non-linear effects limiting amplitude of oscillations. It is shown that not only dynamic decompensation but the Coulomb collisions of ions with electrons as well as other collective oscillations significantly affects the propagation of compensated ion beams. All the processes are to be taken into account in solving the problem of obtaining ''superdense'' compensated beams.

  3. Ion-beam plasma and propagation of intense compensated ion beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gabovich, M.D.

    1977-01-01

    Discussed are the results of investigation of plasma properties recieved by neutralization of intensive ion beam space charge. Considered is the process of ion beam compensation by charges, formed as a result of gas ionization by this beam or by externally introduced ones. Emphasis is placed on collective phenomena in ion-beam plasma, in particular on non-linear effects limiting amplitude of oscillations. It is shown, that not only dinamic decompensation but the Coulomb collisions of ions with electrons as well as other collective oscillations significantly affects the propagation of compensated ion beams. All the processes are to be taken into account at solving the problem of obtaining ''superdense'' compensated beams

  4. Mechanisms underlying anomalous diffusion in the plasma membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krapf, Diego

    2015-01-01

    The plasma membrane is a complex fluid where lipids and proteins undergo diffusive motion critical to biochemical reactions. Through quantitative imaging analyses such as single-particle tracking, it is observed that diffusion in the cell membrane is usually anomalous in the sense that the mean squared displacement is not linear with time. This chapter describes the different models that are employed to describe anomalous diffusion, paying special attention to the experimental evidence that supports these models in the plasma membrane. We review models based on anticorrelated displacements, such as fractional Brownian motion and obstructed diffusion, and nonstationary models such as continuous time random walks. We also emphasize evidence for the formation of distinct compartments that transiently form on the cell surface. Finally, we overview heterogeneous diffusion processes in the plasma membrane, which have recently attracted considerable interest. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  5. Ionic regulation of the plasma membrane potential of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) spermatozoa: Role in the initiation of sperm motility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gatti, J.L.; Billard, R.; Christen, R.

    1990-01-01

    The ionic dependence of the trout sperm plasma membrane potential was analysed by measuring the accumulation of the lipophilic ions 3 H-tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP) and 14 C-thiocyanate (SCN) following dilution in artificial media isotonic to the seminal fluid. Our data showed that the trout sperm plasma membrane has a mixed conductance: the plasma membrane potential is sensitive upon the transmembrane gradients of K+, Na+, and H+. This potential is negative (less than -40 mV) in a 125 mM choline chloride media (ChM) at pH 8.5. Replacement of choline by sodium has a small depolarizing effect. The membrane potential is about -15 mV in a 125 mM potassium chloride and falls near zero mV only if valinomycin is added. In ChM changing the external pH (pHe) greatly affects the membrane potential: its value rises from less than -40 mV at pHe 9.0 to -17 mV at pHe 5.0. This pH effect is observed also in presence of sodium or potassium. A decrease in the transmembrane proton gradient produced by increasing internal pH without changing pHe induces also a depolarisation of the plasma membrane. In the different media in which trout sperm remain immotile after dilution (media with [K+] greater than 20-40 mM or a pH less than 7.5) the plasma membrane is more depolarized than in media allowing motility, suggesting a relationship between the state of membrane polarization and the intracellular effectors of the axonemal movement

  6. Properties of Plasma Membrane from Pea Root Seedlings under Altered Gravity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klymchuk, D.; Baranenko, V.; Vorobyova, T. V.; Kurylenko, I.; Chyzhykova, O.; Dubovoy, V.

    In this study, the properties of pea (Pisum sativum L.) plasma membrane were examined to determine how the membrane structure and functions are regulated in response to clinorotation (2 rev/min) conditions. Membrane preparations enriched by plasma membrane vesicles were obtained by aqueous two-phase partitioning from 6-day seedling roots. The specific characteristics of H^+-ATPase, lípid composition and peroxidation intensity as well as fluidity of lipid bilayer were analysed. ATP hydrolytic activity was inhibited by ortovanadate and was insensitive to aside and nitrate in sealed plasma membrane vesicles isolated from both clinorotated and control seedlings. Plasma membrane vesicles from clinorotated seedlings in comparison to controls were characterised by increase in the total lipid/protein ratio, ATP hydrolytic activity and intensifying of lipid peroxidation. Sitosterol and campesterol were the predominant free sterol species. Clinorotated seedlings contained a slightly higher level of unsaturated fatty acid than controls. Plasma membrane vesicles were labelled with pyrene and fluorescence originating from monomeric (I_M) molecules and excimeric (I_E) aggregates were measured. The calculated I_E/I_M values were higher in clinorotated seedlings compared with controls reflecting the reduction in membrane microviscosity. The involvement of the changes in plasma membrane lipid content and composition, fluidity and H^+-ATPase activity in response of pea seedlings to altered gravity is discussed.

  7. Theory of Ion and Water Transport in Reverse-Osmosis Membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oren, Y. S.; Biesheuvel, P. M.

    2018-02-01

    We present a theory for ion and water transport through reverse-osmosis (RO) membranes based on a Maxwell-Stefan framework combined with hydrodynamic theory for the reduced motion of particles in thin pores. We take into account all driving forces and frictions both on the fluid (water) and on the ions including ion-fluid friction and ion-wall friction. By including the acid-base characteristic of the carbonic acid system, the boric acid system, H3O+/OH- , and the membrane charge, we locally determine p H , the effective charge of the membrane, and the dissociation degree of carbonic acid and boric acid. We present calculation results for an experiment with fixed feed concentration, where effluent composition is a self-consistent function of fluxes through the membrane. A comparison with experimental results from literature for fluid flow vs pressure, and for salt and boron rejection, shows that our theory agrees very well with the available data. Our model is based on realistic assumptions for the effective size of the ions and makes use of a typical pore size of a commercial RO membrane.

  8. Development of divertor pumping system with superpermeable membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamura, Y.; Ohyabu, N.; Suzuki, H.; Nakahara, Y.; Livshits, A.; Notkin, M.; Alimov, V.; Busnyuk, A.

    2000-01-01

    A new divertor pumping system with superpermeable membranes of group Va-metals (Nb, V) is now under research and development. Properties of membrane pumping were investigated with the use of a plasma device simulating divertor plasma conditions. The deposition of metal (Fe) and non-metal (C) impurities on the membrane upstream surface results in a degradation of plasma driven superpermeation at the membrane temperature T m m ≥800 deg. C. The same temperature effect on superpermeation is observed at sputtering of membrane surface by energetic plasma ions. In addition, the first application of the membrane pumping to fusion devices has been carried out and a deuterium pumping through the membrane was demonstrated under the conditions of divertor plasma in the JFT-2M tokamak

  9. Plasma deposited fluorinated films on porous membranes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gancarz, Irena [Department of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Wrocław University of Technology, 50-370 Wrocław (Poland); Bryjak, Marek, E-mail: marek.bryjak@pwr.edu.pl [Department of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Wrocław University of Technology, 50-370 Wrocław (Poland); Kujawski, Jan; Wolska, Joanna [Department of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Wrocław University of Technology, 50-370 Wrocław (Poland); Kujawa, Joanna; Kujawski, Wojciech [Nicolaus Copernicus University, Faculty of Chemistry, 7 Gagarina St., 87-100 Torun (Poland)

    2015-02-01

    75 KHz plasma was used to modify track etched poly(ethylene terephthalate) membranes and deposit on them flouropolymers. Two fluorine bearing monomers were used: perflourohexane and hexafluorobenzene. The modified surfaces were analyzed by means of attenuated total reflection infra-red spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and wettability. It was detected that hexaflourobenxene deposited to the larger extent than perflourohaxane did. The roughness of surfaces decreased when more fluoropolymer was deposited. The hydrophobic character of surface slightly disappeared during 20-days storage of hexaflourobenzene modified membrane. Perfluorohexane modified membrane did not change its character within 120 days after modification. It was expected that this phenomenon resulted from post-reactions of oxygen with radicals in polymer deposits. The obtained membranes could be used for membrane distillation of juices. - Highlights: • Plasma deposited hydrophobic layer of flouropolymers. • Deposition degree affects the surface properties. • Hydrohilization of surface due to reaction of oxygen with entrapped radicals. • Possibility to use modified porous membrane for water distillation and apple juice concentration.

  10. Dynamic plasma screening effects on electron capture process in hydrogenic ion fully stripped ion collisions in dense plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, Y.

    1997-01-01

    In dense plasmas, dynamic plasma screening effects are investigated on electron capture from hydrogenic ions by past fully stripped ions. The classical Bohr Lindhard model has been applied to obtain the electron capture probability. The interaction potential in dense plasmas is represented in terms of the longitudinal dielectric function. The classical straight-line trajectory approximation is applied to the motion of the projectile ion in order to visualize the electron capture probability as a function of the impact parameter, projectile energy, and plasma parameters. The electron capture probability including the dynamic plasma screening effect is always greater than that including the static plasma screening effect. When the projectile velocity is smaller than the electron thermal velocity, the dynamic polarization screening effect becomes the static plasma screening effect. When the projectile velocity is greater than the plasma electron thermal velocity, the interaction potential is almost unshielded. The difference between the dynamic and static plasma screening effects is more significant for low energy projectiles. It is found that the static screening formula obtained by the Debye Hueckel model overestimates the plasma screening effects on the electron capture processes in dense plasmas. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

  11. Plants and fungi in the era of heterogeneous plasma membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Opekarová, M; Malinsky, J; Tanner, W

    2010-09-01

    Examples from yeast and plant cells are described that show that their plasma membrane is laterally compartmented. Distinct lateral domains encompassing both specific lipids and integral proteins coexist within the plane of the plasma membrane. The compartments are either spatially stable and include distinct sets of proteins, or they are transiently formed to accomplish diverse functions. They are not related to lipid rafts or their clusters, as defined for mammalian cells. This review summarises only well-documented compartments of plasma membranes from plants and fungi, which have been recognised using microscopic approaches. In several cases, physiological functions of the membrane compartmentation are revealed.

  12. Neutrophil glycoprotein Mo1 is an integral membrane protein of plasma membranes and specific granules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stevenson, K.B.; Nauseef, W.M.; Clark, R.A.

    1987-01-01

    The glucoprotein Mo1 has previously been demonstrated to be on the cell surface and in the specific granule fraction of neutrophils and to be translocated to the cell surface during degranulation. It is not known, however, whether Mo1 is an integral membrane protein or a soluble, intragranular constituent loosely associated with the specific granule membrane. Purified neutrophils were disrupted by nitrogen cavitation and separated on Percoll density gradients into four fractions enriched for azurophilic granules, specific granules, plasma membrane, and cytosol, respectively. The glycoproteins in these fractions were labeled with 3 H-borohydride reduction, extracted with Triton X-114, and immunoprecipitated with 60.3, an anti-Mo1 monoclonal antibody. Mo1 was detected only in the specific granule and plasma membrane fractions and partitioned exclusively into the detergent-rich fraction consistent with Mo1 being an integral membrane protein. In addition, treatment of specific granule membranes with a high salt, high urea buffer to remove adsorbed or peripheral proteins failed to dissociate Mo1. These data support the hypothesis that Mo1 is an integral membrane protein of plasma and specific granule membranes in human neutrophils

  13. Plasma immersion ion implantation into insulating materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian Xiubo; Yang Shiqin

    2006-01-01

    Plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) is an effective surface modification tool. During PIII processes, the objects to be treated are immersed in plasmas and then biased to negative potential. Consequently the plasma sheath forms and ion implantation may be performed. The pre-requirement of plasma implantation is that the object is conductive. So it seems difficult to treat the insulating materials. The paper focuses on the possibilities of plasma implantation into insulting materials and presents some examples. (authors)

  14. Super-Resolution Microscopy: Shedding Light on the Cellular Plasma Membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stone, Matthew B; Shelby, Sarah A; Veatch, Sarah L

    2017-06-14

    Lipids and the membranes they form are fundamental building blocks of cellular life, and their geometry and chemical properties distinguish membranes from other cellular environments. Collective processes occurring within membranes strongly impact cellular behavior and biochemistry, and understanding these processes presents unique challenges due to the often complex and myriad interactions between membrane components. Super-resolution microscopy offers a significant gain in resolution over traditional optical microscopy, enabling the localization of individual molecules even in densely labeled samples and in cellular and tissue environments. These microscopy techniques have been used to examine the organization and dynamics of plasma membrane components, providing insight into the fundamental interactions that determine membrane functions. Here, we broadly introduce the structure and organization of the mammalian plasma membrane and review recent applications of super-resolution microscopy to the study of membranes. We then highlight some inherent challenges faced when using super-resolution microscopy to study membranes, and we discuss recent technical advancements that promise further improvements to super-resolution microscopy and its application to the plasma membrane.

  15. The dynamics of plant plasma membrane proteins: PINs and beyond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luschnig, Christian; Vert, Grégory

    2014-08-01

    Plants are permanently situated in a fixed location and thus are well adapted to sense and respond to environmental stimuli and developmental cues. At the cellular level, several of these responses require delicate adjustments that affect the activity and steady-state levels of plasma membrane proteins. These adjustments involve both vesicular transport to the plasma membrane and protein internalization via endocytic sorting. A substantial part of our current knowledge of plant plasma membrane protein sorting is based on studies of PIN-FORMED (PIN) auxin transport proteins, which are found at distinct plasma membrane domains and have been implicated in directional efflux of the plant hormone auxin. Here, we discuss the mechanisms involved in establishing such polar protein distributions, focusing on PINs and other key plant plasma membrane proteins, and we highlight the pathways that allow for dynamic adjustments in protein distribution and turnover, which together constitute a versatile framework that underlies the remarkable capabilities of plants to adjust growth and development in their ever-changing environment. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  16. Biological Membrane Ion Channels Dynamics, Structure, and Applications

    CERN Document Server

    Chung, Shin-Ho; Krishnamurthy, Vikram

    2007-01-01

    Ion channels are biological nanotubes that are formed by membrane proteins. Because ion channels regulate all electrical activities in living cells, understanding their mechanisms at a molecular level is a fundamental problem in biology. This book deals with recent breakthroughs in ion-channel research that have been brought about by the combined effort of experimental biophysicists and computational physicists, who together are beginning to unravel the story of these exquisitely designed biomolecules. With chapters by leading experts, the book is aimed at researchers in nanodevices and biosensors, as well as advanced undergraduate and graduate students in biology and the physical sciences. Key Features Presents the latest information on the molecular mechanisms of ion permeation through membrane ion channels Uses schematic diagrams to illustrate important concepts in biophysics Written by leading researchers in the area of ion channel investigations

  17. Monitoring Ion Activities In and Around Cells Using Ion-Selective Liquid-Membrane Microelectrodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark D. Parker

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Determining the effective concentration (i.e., activity of ions in and around living cells is important to our understanding of the contribution of those ions to cellular function. Moreover, monitoring changes in ion activities in and around cells is informative about the actions of the transporters and/or channels operating in the cell membrane. The activity of an ion can be measured using a glass microelectrode that includes in its tip a liquid-membrane doped with an ion-selective ionophore. Because these electrodes can be fabricated with tip diameters that are less than 1 μm, they can be used to impale single cells in order to monitor the activities of intracellular ions. This review summarizes the history, theory, and practice of ion-selective microelectrode use and brings together a number of classic and recent examples of their usefulness in the realm of physiological study.

  18. Quantitative analysis of self-association and mobility of annexin A4 at the plasma membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crosby, Kevin C; Postma, Marten; Hink, Mark A; Zeelenberg, Christiaan H C; Adjobo-Hermans, Merel J W; Gadella, Theodorus W J

    2013-05-07

    Annexins, found in most eukaryotic species, are cytosolic proteins that are able to bind negatively-charged phospholipids in a calcium-dependent manner. Annexin A4 (AnxA4) has been implicated in diverse cellular processes, including the regulation of exocytosis and ion-transport; however, its precise mechanistic role is not fully understood. AnxA4 has been shown to aggregate on lipid layers upon Ca(2+) binding in vitro, a characteristic that may be critical for its function. We have utilized advanced fluorescence microscopy to discern details on the mobility and self-assembly of AnxA4 after Ca(2+) influx at the plasma membrane in living cells. Total internal reflection microscopy in combination with Förster resonance energy transfer reveals that there is a delay between initial plasma membrane binding and the beginning of self-assembly and this process continues after the cytoplasmic pool has completely relocated. Number-and-brightness analysis suggests that the predominant membrane bound mobile form of the protein is trimeric. There also exists a pool of AnxA4 that forms highly immobile aggregates at the membrane. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching suggests that the relative proportion of these two forms varies and is correlated with membrane morphology. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Studies of electron cyclotron resonance ion source plasma physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarvainen, O.

    2005-01-01

    This thesis consists of an introduction to the plasma physics of electron cyclotron resonance ion sources (ECRIS) and a review of the results obtained by the author and co-workers including discussion of related work by others. The thesis begins with a theoretical discussion dealing with plasma physics relevant for the production of highly charged ions in ECR ion source plasmas. This is followed by an overview of different techniques, such as gas mixing and double frequency heating, that can be used to improve the performance of this type of ion source. The experimental part of the work consists of studies related to ECRIS plasma physics. The effect of the gas mixing technique on the production efficiency of different ion beams was studied with both gaseous and solid materials. It was observed that gas mixing improves the confinement of the heavier element while the confinement of the lighter element is reduced. When the effect of gas mixing on MIVOC-plasmas was studied with several mixing gases it was observed that applying this technique can reduce the inevitable carbon contamination by a significant factor. In order to understand the different plasma processes taking place in ECRIS plasmas, a series of plasma potential and emittance measurements was carried out. An instrument, which can be used to measure the plasma potential in a single measurement without disturbing the plasma, was developed for this work. Studying the plasma potential of ECR ion sources is important not only because it helps to understand different plasma processes, but also because the information can be used as an input parameter for beam transport simulations and ion source extraction design. The experiments performed have revealed clear dependencies of the plasma potential on certain source parameters such as the amount of carbon contamination accumulated on the walls of the plasma chamber during a MIVOC-run. It was also observed that gas mixing affects not only the production efficiency

  20. Non-Uniformity of Ion Implantation in Direct-Current Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng-Sen, Liu; Yu-Jia, Fan; Nan, Zhang; Li, Guan; Yuan, Yao; De-Zhen, Wang

    2010-01-01

    A particle-in-cell simulation is developed to study dc plasma immersion ion implantation. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the voltage applied to the target on the ion path, and the ion flux distribution on the target surface. It is found that the potential near the aperture within the plasma region is not the plasma potential, and is impacted by the voltage applied to the implanted target. A curved equipotential contour expands into the plasma region through the aperture and the extent of the expansion depends on the voltage. Ions accelerated by the electric field in the sheath form a beam shape and a flux distribution on the target surface, which are strongly dependent on the applied voltage. The results of the simulations demonstrate the formation mechanism of the grid-shadow effect, which is in agreement with the result observed experimentally. (physics of gases, plasmas, and electric discharges)

  1. Influence of ionizing radiation on the plasma membrane proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dreval', V.I.

    1992-01-01

    The effect of ionizing radiation on the meat cattle thymocytes plasma membranes was studied. Using fluorescence quenching technique the effect of irradiation of proteins conformation was investigated. The influence of ionizing radiation on the plasma membranes was shown to be followed by changes of the protein structure-dynamic organization

  2. Interaction between La(III) and proteins on the plasma membrane of horseradish

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Guang-Mei; Chu, Yun-Xia; Lv, Xiao-Fen; Zhou, Qing; Huang, Xiao-Hua

    2012-06-01

    Lanthanum (La) is an important rare earth element in the ecological environment of plant. The proteins on the plasma membrane control the transport of molecules into and out of cell. It is very important to investigate the effect of La(III) on the proteins on the plasma membrane in the plant cell. In the present work, the interaction between La(III) and proteins on the plasma membrane of horseradish was investigated using optimization of the fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. It is found that the fluorescence of the complex system of protoplasts and 1-aniline Kenai-8-sulfonic acid in horseradish treated with the low concentration of La(III) is increased compared with that of the control horseradish. The opposite effect is observed in horseradish treated with the high concentration of La(III). These results indicated that the low concentration of La(III) can interact with the proteins on the plasma membrane of horseradish, causing the improvement in the structure of proteins on the plasma membrane. The high concentration of La(III) can also interact with the proteins on the plasma membrane of horseradish, leading to the destruction of the structure of proteins on the plasma membrane. We demonstrate that the proteins on the plasma membrane are the targets of La(III) action on plant cell.

  3. Solubilization of rat kidney plasma membrane proteins associated with 3H-aldosterone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozegovic, B.; Dobrovic-Jenik, D.; Milkovic, S.

    1988-01-01

    The treatment of rat kidney plasma membranes with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) did not essentially affect the ability of the membranes for 3 H-aldosterone binding as compared with the intact plasma membranes (Ozegovic et al., 1977). A gel filtration of 3 H-aldosterone - kidney plasma membranes complex on Sepharose 6B yielded 2 protein and 2 3 H-aldosterone peaks. The proteins which were eluted in the first peak were associated with the first 3 H-aldosterone peak while the second 3 H-aldosterone peak was eluted with Ve corresponding to Ve of free 3 H-aldosterone. Spironolactone, a competitive antagonist of aldosterone, prevented the binding of 3 H-aldosterone to the membrane proteins. The results demonstrated a high affinity of the kidney plasma membranes solubilized with SDS and a specificity of aldosterone binding to the plasma membrane proteins of higher molecular mass. (author)

  4. Triple-membrane reduces need for ion exchange regeneration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valcour, H.

    1989-01-01

    Triple-membrane water treatment systems are comprised of ultrafiltration units for pretreatment, electrodialysis reversal primary demineralizers, reverse osmosis secondary demineralizers, portable ion exchange unit polishing demineralizers, and ultraviolet sterilizers. The triple-membrane process is designed to provide an unprecedented degree of pretreatment to maximize efficiency, durability and reliability of the reverse osmosis, whilst reducing the required regeneration frequency of the ion exchange demineralizer by one to two orders of magnitude. (author)

  5. RNAi-mediated downregulation of poplar plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) changes plasma membrane proteome composition and affects leaf physiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bi, Zhen; Merl-Pham, Juliane; Uehlein, Norbert; Zimmer, Ina; Mühlhans, Stefanie; Aichler, Michaela; Walch, Axel Karl; Kaldenhoff, Ralf; Palme, Klaus; Schnitzler, Jörg-Peter; Block, Katja

    2015-10-14

    Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) are one subfamily of aquaporins that mediate the transmembrane transport of water. To reveal their function in poplar, we generated transgenic poplar plants in which the translation of PIP genes was downregulated by RNA interference investigated these plants with a comprehensive leaf plasma membrane proteome and physiome analysis. First, inhibition of PIP synthesis strongly altered the leaf plasma membrane protein composition. Strikingly, several signaling components and transporters involved in the regulation of stomatal movement were differentially regulated in transgenic poplars. Furthermore, hormonal crosstalk related to abscisic acid, auxin and brassinosteroids was altered, in addition to cell wall biosynthesis/cutinization, the organization of cellular structures and membrane trafficking. A physiological analysis confirmed the proteomic results. The leaves had wider opened stomata and higher net CO2 assimilation and transpiration rates as well as greater mesophyll conductance for CO2 (gm) and leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf). Based on these results, we conclude that PIP proteins not only play essential roles in whole leaf water and CO2 flux but have important roles in the regulation of stomatal movement. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. Ion acceleration in the plasma source sheath

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Birdsall, C.K.

    1986-01-01

    This note is a calculation of the potential drop for a planar plasma source, across the source sheath, into a uniform plasma region defined by vector E = 0 and/or perhaps ∂ 2 PHI/∂ x 2 = 0. The calculation complements that of Bohm who obtained the potential drop at the other end of a plasma, at a planar collector sheath. The result is a relation between the source ion flux and the source sheath potential drop and the accompanying ion acceleration. This planar source sheath ion acceleration mechanism (or that from a distributed source) can provide the pre-collector-sheath ion acceleration as found necessary by Bohm. 3 refs

  7. The difference between the metal ion extracted from the R.F. ion source by applying plasma chemistry reaction and by non-plasma range chemistry reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bai Gui Bin

    1987-01-01

    The paper introduced the difference between using plasma chemistry reaction draw metal ion and non-plasma range chemistry reaction in the R.F. ion source. By using of the plasma chemistry reaction draw metal ion higher percentage than non-plasma range chemistry reaction in the R.F. ion source. The authors plasma chemistry reaction to R.F. ion source and implanter successfully. The effect is very well, it has its own characteristic

  8. Hepatic taurine transport: a Na+-dependent carrier on the basolateral plasma membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bucuvalas, J.C.; Goodrich, A.L.; Suchy, F.J.

    1987-01-01

    Highly purified rat basolateral liver plasma membrane vesicles were used examine the mechanism and the driving forces for hepatic uptake of the β-amino acid, taurine. An inwardly directed 100 mM NaCl gradient stimulated the initial rate of taurine uptake and energized a transient twofold accumulation of taurine above equilibrium (overshoot). In contrast, uptake was slower and no overshoot was detected in the presence of a KCl gradient. A negative intravesicular electrical potential generated by the presence of permeant anions or an outwardly directed K + gradient with valinomycin increased Na + -stimulated taurine uptake. External Cl - stimulated Na + -dependent taurine uptake independent of effects on the transmembrane electrical potential difference. Na + -dependent taurine uptake showed a sigmoidal dependence on extravesicular Na + concentration, suggesting multiple Na + ions are involved in the translocation of each taurine molecule. Na + -dependent taurine uptake demonstrated Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a maximum velocity of 0.537 nmol x mg protein -1 x min -1 and an apparent K/sub m/ of 174 μM. [ 3 H]taurine uptake was inhibited by the presence of excess unlabeled taurine, β-alanine, or hypotaurine but not by L-glutamine or L-alanine. In summary, using basolateral liver plasma membrane vesicles, the authors have shown that hepatic uptake of taurine occurs by a carrier-mediated, secondary active transport process specific for β-amino acids. Uptake is electrogenic, stimulated by external Cl - , and requires multiple Na + ions for the translocation of each taurine molecule

  9. Purification of plant plasma membranes by two-phase partitioning and measurement of H+ pumping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lund, Anette; Fuglsang, Anja Thoe

    2012-01-01

    Purification of plasma membranes by two-phase partitioning is based on the separation of microsomal membranes, dependent on their surface hydrophobicity. Here we explain the purification of plasma membranes from a relatively small amount of material (7-30 g). The fluorescent probe ACMA (9-amino-6-chloro-2-metoxyacridine) accumulates inside the vesicles upon protonation. Quenching of ACMA in the solution corresponds to the H(+) transport across the plasma membrane. Before running the assay, the plasma membranes are incubated with the detergent Brij-58 in order to create inside-out vesicles.Purification of plasma membranes by two-phase partitioning is based on the separation of microsomal membranes, dependent on their surface hydrophobicity. Here we explain the purification of plasma membranes from a relatively small amount of material (7-30 g). The fluorescent probe ACMA (9-amino-6-chloro-2-metoxyacridine) accumulates inside the vesicles upon protonation. Quenching of ACMA in the solution corresponds to the H(+) transport across the plasma membrane. Before running the assay, the plasma membranes are incubated with the detergent Brij-58 in order to create inside-out vesicles.

  10. Design of a helicon plasma source for ion–ion plasma production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sharma, N., E-mail: narayan.sharma@cppipr.res.in; Chakraborty, M.; Neog, N.K.; Bandyopadhyay, M.

    2017-04-15

    Highlights: • Development of a helicon plasma system to carry out ion–ion plasma studies in electronegative gases such as Hydrogen, Oxygen and Chlorine. • Determination of initial parameters of helicon plasma source for ion–ion plasma by using dispersion relation of bounded helicon waves. • Design and development of solenoid with magnetic field strength production capability of ∼ 600 G along the axis of the chamber. • Optimization of the chamber parameters using Helic codes and estimation of optimum attainable density. • Estimation of RF power requirements for various gases. - Abstract: A helicon plasma system is being designed and developed at CPP-IPR. The design parameters of the system are deduced from the dispersion relation of bounded helicon waves and the required magnetic fields are simulated by using Poisson Superfish code. The Helic code is used to simulate the power deposition profile for various conditions and to investigate the optimum values of chamber parameters for effective coupling of radio frequency (RF) power to plasma. The helicon source system is aimed at carrying out ion–ion plasma studies in electronegative gases such as Hydrogen, Oxygen and Chlorine. The system mainly consists of a source chamber in which helicon plasma will be produced by injecting RF power at a frequency of 13.56 MHz through a right helical antenna in presence of a DC magnetic field followed by an expansion chamber in which it is expected to produce negative ions along with the positive ions. Installation of the various parts of the system is in progress. The details of the design and development of the system is presented in this article.

  11. Layered plasma polymer composite membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babcock, Walter C.

    1994-01-01

    Layered plasma polymer composite fluid separation membranes are disclosed, which comprise alternating selective and permeable layers for a total of at least 2n layers, where n is .gtoreq.2 and is the number of selective layers.

  12. Noninvasive microelectrode ion flux estimation technique (MIFE) for the study of the regulation of root membrane transport by cyclic nucleotides

    KAUST Repository

    Ordoñ ez, Natalia Maria; Shabala, Lana; Gehring, Christoph A; Shabala, Sergey Nikolayevich

    2013-01-01

    Changes in ion permeability and subsequently intracellular ion concentrations play a crucial role in intracellular and intercellular communication and, as such, confer a broad array of developmental and adaptive responses in plants. These changes are mediated by the activity of plasma-membrane based transport proteins many of which are controlled by cyclic nucleotides and/or other signaling molecules. The MIFE technique for noninvasive microelectrode ion flux measuring allows concurrent quantification of net fluxes of several ions with high spatial (μm range) and temporal (ca. 5 s) resolution, making it a powerful tool to study various aspects of downstream signaling events in plant cells. This chapter details basic protocols enabling the application of the MIFE technique to study regulation of root membrane transport in general and cyclic nucleotide mediated transport in particular. © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013.

  13. Noninvasive microelectrode ion flux estimation technique (MIFE) for the study of the regulation of root membrane transport by cyclic nucleotides

    KAUST Repository

    Ordoñez, Natalia Maria

    2013-09-03

    Changes in ion permeability and subsequently intracellular ion concentrations play a crucial role in intracellular and intercellular communication and, as such, confer a broad array of developmental and adaptive responses in plants. These changes are mediated by the activity of plasma-membrane based transport proteins many of which are controlled by cyclic nucleotides and/or other signaling molecules. The MIFE technique for noninvasive microelectrode ion flux measuring allows concurrent quantification of net fluxes of several ions with high spatial (μm range) and temporal (ca. 5 s) resolution, making it a powerful tool to study various aspects of downstream signaling events in plant cells. This chapter details basic protocols enabling the application of the MIFE technique to study regulation of root membrane transport in general and cyclic nucleotide mediated transport in particular. © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013.

  14. Relativistic electromagnetic waves in an electron-ion plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chian, Abraham C.-L.; Kennel, Charles F.

    1987-01-01

    High power laser beams can drive plasma particles to relativistic energies. An accurate description of strong waves requires the inclusion of ion dynamics in the analysis. The equations governing the propagation of relativistic electromagnetic waves in a cold electron-ion plasma can be reduced to two equations expressing conservation of energy-momentum of the system. The two conservation constants are functions of the plasma stream velocity, the wave velocity, the wave amplitude, and the electron-ion mass ratio. The dynamic parameter, expressing electron-ion momentum conversation in the laboratory frame, can be regarded as an adjustable quantity, a suitable choice of which will yield self-consistent solutions when other plasma parameters were specified. Circularly polarized electromagnetic waves and electrostatic plasma waves are used as illustrations.

  15. Electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibrous membranes with varied fiber diameters and different membrane porosities as lithium-ion battery separators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, Xiaojing; Kolla, Praveen; Yang, Ruidong; Wang, Zhao; Zhao, Yong; Smirnova, Alevtina L.; Fong, Hao

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Nine types of electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibrous membranes were prepared. • These membranes had varied fiber diameters and different membrane porosities. • The membranes were explored as innovative Li-ion battery (LIB) separators. • The hot-pressed membrane with thin fibers had superior performance as LIB separator. - Abstract: In this study, nine types of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibrous membranes with varied fiber diameters and different membrane porosities are prepared by electrospinning followed by hot-pressing. Subsequently, these membranes are explored as Li-ion battery (LIB) separators. The impacts of fiber diameter and membrane porosity on electrolyte uptake, Li"+ ion transport through the membrane, electrochemical oxidation potential, and membrane performance as LIB separator (during charge/discharge cycling and rate capability tests of a cathodic half-cell) have been investigated. When compared to commercial Celgard PP separator, hot-pressed electrospun PAN nanofibrous membranes exhibit larger electrolyte uptake, higher thermal stability, wider electrochemical potential window, higher Li"+ ion permeability, and better electrochemical performance in LiMn_2O_4/separator/Li half-cell. The results also indicate that the PAN-based membrane/separator with small fiber diameters of 200–300 nm and hot-pressed under high pressure of 20 MPa surpasses all other membranes/separators and demonstrates the best performance, leading to the highest discharge capacity (89.5 mA h g"−"1 at C/2 rate) and cycle life (with capacity retention ratio being 97.7%) of the half-cell. In summary, this study has revealed that the hot-pressed electrospun PAN nanofibrous membranes (particularly those consisting of thin nanofibers) are promising as high-performance LIB separators.

  16. Long-Time Plasma Membrane Imaging Based on a Two-Step Synergistic Cell Surface Modification Strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Hao-Ran; Wang, Hong-Yin; Yu, Zhi-Wu; Chen, Zhan; Wu, Fu-Gen

    2016-03-16

    Long-time stable plasma membrane imaging is difficult due to the fast cellular internalization of fluorescent dyes and the quick detachment of the dyes from the membrane. In this study, we developed a two-step synergistic cell surface modification and labeling strategy to realize long-time plasma membrane imaging. Initially, a multisite plasma membrane anchoring reagent, glycol chitosan-10% PEG2000 cholesterol-10% biotin (abbreviated as "GC-Chol-Biotin"), was incubated with cells to modify the plasma membranes with biotin groups with the assistance of the membrane anchoring ability of cholesterol moieties. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated avidin was then introduced to achieve the fluorescence-labeled plasma membranes based on the supramolecular recognition between biotin and avidin. This strategy achieved stable plasma membrane imaging for up to 8 h without substantial internalization of the dyes, and avoided the quick fluorescence loss caused by the detachment of dyes from plasma membranes. We have also demonstrated that the imaging performance of our staining strategy far surpassed that of current commercial plasma membrane imaging reagents such as DiD and CellMask. Furthermore, the photodynamic damage of plasma membranes caused by a photosensitizer, Chlorin e6 (Ce6), was tracked in real time for 5 h during continuous laser irradiation. Plasma membrane behaviors including cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, and plasma membrane vesiculation could be dynamically recorded. Therefore, the imaging strategy developed in this work may provide a novel platform to investigate plasma membrane behaviors over a relatively long time period.

  17. Glucose rapidly decreases plasma membrane GLUT4 content in rat skeletal muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marette, A; Dimitrakoudis, D; Shi, Q; Rodgers, C D; Klip, A; Vranic, M

    1999-02-01

    We have previously demonstrated that chronic hyperglycemia per se decreases GLUT4 glucose transporter expression and plasma membrane content in mildly streptozotocin- (STZ) diabetic rats (Biochem. J. 284, 341-348, 1992). In the present study, we investigated the effect of an acute rise in glycemia on muscle GLUT4 and GLUT1 protein contents in the plasma membrane, in the absence of insulin elevation. Four experimental groups of rats were analyzed in the postabsorptive state: 1. Control rats. 2. Hyperglycemic STZ-diabetic rats with moderately reduced fasting insulin levels. 3. STZ-diabetic rats made normoglycemic with phlorizin treatment. 4. Phlorizin-treated (normoglycemic) STZ-diabetic rats infused with glucose for 40 min. The uniqueness of the latter model is that glycemia can be rapidly raised without any concomitant increase in plasma insulin levels. Plasma membranes were isolated from hindlimb muscle and GLUT1 and GLUT4 proteins amounts determined by Western blot analysis. As predicted, STZ-diabetes caused a significant decrease in the abundance of GLUT4 in the isolated plasma membranes. Normalization of glycemia for 3 d with phlorizin treatment restored plasma membrane GLUT4 content in muscle of STZ-diabetic rats. A sudden rise in glycemia over a period of 40 min caused the GLUT4 levels in the plasma membrane fraction to decrease to those of nontreated STZ-diabetic rats. In contrast to the GLUT4 transporter, plasma membrane GLUT1 abundance was not changed by the acute glucose challenge. It is concluded that glucose can have regulatory effect by acutely reducing plasma membrane GLUT4 protein contents in rat skeletal muscle. We hypothesize that this glucose-induced downregulation of plasma membrane GLUT4 could represent a protective mechanism against excessive glucose uptake under hyperglycemic conditions accompanied by insulin resistance.

  18. Insights into plant plasma membrane aquaporin trafficking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hachez, Charles; Besserer, Arnaud; Chevalier, Adrien S; Chaumont, François

    2013-06-01

    Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) are plant aquaporins that facilitate the diffusion of water and small uncharged solutes through the cell membrane. Deciphering the network of interacting proteins that modulate PIP trafficking to and activity in the plasma membrane is essential to improve our knowledge about PIP regulation and function. This review highlights the most recent advances related to PIP subcellular routing and dynamic redistribution, identifies some key molecular interacting proteins, and indicates exciting directions for future research in this field. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which plants optimize water movement might help in identifying new molecular players of agronomical relevance involved in the control of cellular water uptake and drought tolerance. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. DC plasma ion implantation in an inductively coupled RF plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silawatshananai, C.; Matan, N.; Pakpum, C.; Pussadee, N.; Srisantitam, P.; Davynov, S.; Vilaithong, T.

    2004-01-01

    Various modes of plasma ion implantation have been investigated in a small inductively coupled 13.6 MHz RF plasma source. Plasma ion implantation with HVDC(up to -10 kV bias) has been investigated in order to incorporate with the conventional implantation of diamond like carbon. In this preliminary work, nitrogen ions are implanted into the stainless steel sample with a dose of 5.5 x 10 -2 cm for a short implanting time of 7 minutes without target cooling. Surface properties such as microhardness, wear rate and the friction coefficient have been improved. X-ray and SEM analyses show distinct structural changes on the surface. A combination of sheath assisted implantation and thermal diffusion may be responsible for improvement in surface properties. (orig.)

  20. A 39-kD plasma membrane protein (IP39) is an anchor for the unusual membrane skeleton of Euglena gracilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosiere, T.K.; Marrs, J.A.; Bouck, G.B.

    1990-01-01

    The major integral plasma membrane protein (IP39) of Euglena gracilis was radiolabeled, peptide mapped, and dissected with proteases to identify cytoplasmic domains that bind and anchor proteins of the cell surface. When plasma membranes were radioiodinated and extracted with octyl glucoside, 98% of the extracted label was found in IP39 or the 68- and 110-kD oligomers of IP39. The octyl glucoside extracts were incubated with unlabeled cell surface proteins immobilized on nitrocellulose (overlays). Radiolabel from the membrane extract bound one (80 kD) of the two (80 and 86 kD) major membrane skeletal protein bands. Resolubilization of the bound label yielded a radiolabeled polypeptide identical in Mr to IP39. Intact plasma membranes were also digested with papain before or after radioiodination, thereby producing a cytoplasmically truncated IP39. The octyl glucoside extract of truncated IP39 no longer bound to the 80-kD membrane skeletal protein in the nitrocellulose overlays. EM of intact or trypsin digested plasma membranes incubated with membrane skeletal proteins under stringent conditions similar to those used in the nitrocellulose overlays revealed a partially reformed membrane skeletal layer. Little evidence of a membrane skeletal layer was found, however, when plasma membranes were predigested with papain before reassociation. A candidate 80-kD binding domain of IP39 has been tentatively identified as a peptide fragment that was present after trypsin digestion of plasma membranes, but was absent after papain digestion in two-dimensional peptide maps of IP39. Together, these data suggest that the unique peripheral membrane skeleton of Euglena binds to the plasma membrane through noncovalent interactions between the major 80-kD membrane skeletal protein and a small, papain sensitive cytoplasmic domain of IP39

  1. Ion irradiation as a tool for modifying the surface and optical properties of plasma polymerised thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grant, Daniel S. [College of Science, Technology and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811 (Australia); Bazaka, Kateryna [College of Science, Technology and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811 (Australia); School of Chemistry, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 (Australia); Siegele, Rainer [Institute for Environmental Research, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, New South Wales 2234 (Australia); Holt, Stephen A. [Bragg Institute, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, New South Wales 2234 (Australia); Jacob, Mohan V., E-mail: Mohan.Jacob@jcu.edu.au [College of Science, Technology and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811 (Australia)

    2015-10-01

    Radio frequency (R.F.) glow discharge polyterpenol thin films were prepared on silicon wafers and irradiated with I{sup 10+} ions to fluences of 1 × 10{sup 10} and 1 × 10{sup 12} ions/cm{sup 2}. Post-irradiation characterisation of these films indicated the development of well-defined nano-scale ion entry tracks, highlighting prospective applications for ion irradiated polyterpenol thin films in a variety of membrane and nanotube-fabrication functions. Optical characterisation showed the films to be optically transparent within the visible spectrum and revealed an ability to selectively control the thin film refractive index as a function of fluence. This indicates that ion irradiation processing may be employed to produce plasma-polymer waveguides to accommodate a variety of wavelengths. XRR probing of the substrate-thin film interface revealed interfacial roughness values comparable to those obtained for the uncoated substrate’s surface (i.e., both on the order of 5 Å), indicating minimal substrate etching during the plasma deposition process.

  2. Rapid Preparation of a Plasma Membrane Fraction: Western Blot Detection of Translocated Glucose Transporter 4 from Plasma Membrane of Muscle and Adipose Cells and Tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Norio; Yamashita, Yoko; Yoshioka, Yasukiyo; Nishiumi, Shin; Ashida, Hitoshi

    2016-08-01

    Membrane proteins account for 70% to 80% of all pharmaceutical targets, indicating their clinical relevance and underscoring the importance of identifying differentially expressed membrane proteins that reflect distinct disease properties. The translocation of proteins from the bulk of the cytosol to the plasma membrane is a critical step in the transfer of information from membrane-embedded receptors or transporters to the cell interior. To understand how membrane proteins work, it is important to separate the membrane fraction of cells. This unit provides a protocol for rapidly obtaining plasma membrane fractions for western blot analysis. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  3. Plasma-surface interaction in negative hydrogen ion sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wada, Motoi

    2018-05-01

    A negative hydrogen ion source delivers more beam current when Cs is introduced to the discharge, but a continuous operation of the source reduces the beam current until more Cs is added to the source. This behavior can be explained by adsorption and ion induced desorption of Cs atoms on the plasma grid surface of the ion source. The interaction between the ion source plasma and the plasma grid surface of a negative hydrogen ion source is discussed in correlation to the Cs consumption of the ion source. The results show that operation with deuterium instead of hydrogen should require more Cs consumption and the presence of medium mass impurities as well as ions of the source wall materials in the arc discharge enlarges the Cs removal rate during an ion source discharge.

  4. Antifouling enhancement of polysulfone/TiO2 nanocomposite separation membrane by plasma etching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Z.; Yin, C.; Wang, S.; Ito, K.; Fu, Q. M.; Deng, Q. R.; Fu, P.; Lin, Z. D.; Zhang, Y.

    2017-01-01

    A polysulfone/TiO2 nanocomposite membrane was prepared via casting method, followed by the plasma etching of the membrane surface. Doppler broadened energy spectra vs. positron incident energy were employed to elucidate depth profiles of the nanostructure for the as-prepared and treated membranes. The results confirmed that the near-surface of the membrane was modified by the plasma treatment. The antifouling characteristics for the membranes, evaluated using the degradation of Rhodamin B, indicated that the plasma treatment enhances the photo catalytic ability of the membrane, suggesting that more TiO2 nanoparticles are exposed at the membrane surface after the plasma treatment as supported by the positron result.

  5. Antifouling enhancement of polysulfone/TiO2 nanocomposite separation membrane by plasma etching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Z; Yin, C; Wang, S; Fu, Q M; Deng, Q R; Fu, P; Lin, Z D; Zhang, Y; Ito, K

    2017-01-01

    A polysulfone/TiO 2 nanocomposite membrane was prepared via casting method, followed by the plasma etching of the membrane surface. Doppler broadened energy spectra vs. positron incident energy were employed to elucidate depth profiles of the nanostructure for the as-prepared and treated membranes. The results confirmed that the near-surface of the membrane was modified by the plasma treatment. The antifouling characteristics for the membranes, evaluated using the degradation of Rhodamin B, indicated that the plasma treatment enhances the photo catalytic ability of the membrane, suggesting that more TiO 2 nanoparticles are exposed at the membrane surface after the plasma treatment as supported by the positron result. (paper)

  6. Plasma Membrane ATPase Activity following Reversible and Irreversible Freezing Injury 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iswari, S.; Palta, Jiwan P.

    1989-01-01

    Plasma membrane ATPase has been proposed as a site of functional alteration during early stages of freezing injury. To test this, plasma membrane was purified from Solanum leaflets by a single step partitioning of microsomes in a dextran-polyethylene glycol two phase system. Addition of lysolecithin in the ATPase assay produced up to 10-fold increase in ATPase activity. ATPase activity was specific for ATP with a Km around 0.4 millimolar. Presence of the ATPase enzyme was identified by immunoblotting with oat ATPase antibodies. Using the phase partitioning method, plasma membrane was isolated from Solanum commersonii leaflets which had four different degrees of freezing damage, namely, slight (reversible), partial (partially reversible), substantial and total (irreversible). With slight (reversible) damage the plasma membrane ATPase specific activity increased 1.5- to 2-fold and its Km was decreased by about 3-fold, whereas the specific activity of cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome c oxidase in the microsomes were not different from the control. However, with substantial (lethal, irreversible) damage, there was a loss of membrane protein, decrease in plasma membrane ATPase specific activity and decrease in Km, while cytochrome c oxidase and cytochrome c reductase were unaffected. These results support the hypothesis that plasma membrane ATPase is altered by slight freeze-thaw stress. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 PMID:16666856

  7. Wave Model Development in Multi-Ion Plasmas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sung-Hee Song

    1999-06-01

    Full Text Available Near-earth space is composed of plasmas which embed a number of plasma waves. Space plasmas consist of electrons and multi-ion that determine local wave propagation characteristics. In multi-ion plasmas, it is di cult to find out analytic solution from the dispersion relation in general. In this work, we have developed a model with an arbitrary magnetic field and density as well as multi-ion plasmas. This model allows us to investigate how plasma waves behave when they propagate along realistic magnetic field lines, which are assumed by IGRF(International Geomagnetic Reference Field. The results are found to be useful for the analysis of the in situ observational data in space. For instance, if waves are assumed to propagate into the polar region, from the equatorial region, our model quantitatively shows how polarization is altered along earth travel path.

  8. Research on Permeability of Poly(ethylene) Terephthalate Track Membranes Modified in Plasma

    CERN Document Server

    Dmitriev, S N; Sleptsov, V V; Elinson, V M; Potrjasaj, V V

    2001-01-01

    The properties of poly(ethylene) terephthalate track membranes subjected to the plasma RF-discharge treatment in air have been investigated. The effect of the treatment conditions in plasma on the structure and the properties of the membranes formed in the gas-discharge etching has been studied. It has been figured out that the influence of the air plasma on the membranes under study leads to a formation of asymmetric membranes with a higher flow rate, the structure and chemical composition of their superficial layer are changed. It is shown that the presence of the modified layer on the surface of the membranes causes changing their hydrodynamic characteristics - water permeability of the membranes treated in plasma in a greater degree depends upon {pH} of the filtered solution.

  9. Plasma properties of a modified beam-plasma type ion source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishikawa, Junzo; Sano, Fumimichi; Tsuji, Hiroshi; Ektessabi, A.M.; Takagi, Toshinori

    1978-01-01

    The properties of the plasma produced by beam-plasma discharge were experimentally investigated. The ion source used for this work consists of three parts, that is, the ion-extracting region with an electron gun, the drift space and the collector region. Primary and secondary electron beams are injected in to the drift tube. The interaction between plasma and these electron beams causes production of high density plasma by virtue of the beam-plasma discharge. The gas inlet is located in the middle of the drift tube, so that the gas conductance is high. The energy of the primary and secondary electron beams is transferred to that microwaves through beam-plasma interaction. The microwaves heat the plasma electrons by the cyclotron resonance or other mechanism. The amount of the energetic plasma electrons is much larger than that of the beam electrons, so that neutral gas is ionized. The density of the produced plasma is 10 2 or 10 3 times as large as the plasma produced by impact ionization. With a probe located in the middle of the drift tube, the plasma density and the electron temperature can be measured, and the power and spectra of the microwaves can be detected. The microwave oscillation, the primary electron beam characteristics, and the gas pressure characteristics were studied. Larger current of the high energy primary of secondary electron beam is required for the effective discharge. The ion source has to be operated at the minimum gas pressure. The length of beam-plasma interaction and the magnetic field intensity in the drift tube are also important parameters. (Kato, T.)

  10. Smart membranes for nitrate removal, water purification, and selective ion transportation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, William D [Pleasanton, CA; Schaldach, Charlene M [Pleasanton, CA; Bourcier, William L [Livermore, CA; Paul, Phillip H [Livermore, CA

    2009-12-15

    A computer designed nanoengineered membrane for separation of dissolved species. One embodiment provides an apparatus for treatment of a fluid that includes ions comprising a microengineered porous membrane, a system for producing an electrical charge across the membrane, and a series of nanopores extending through the membrane. The nanopores have a pore size such that when the fluid contacts the membrane, the nanopores will be in a condition of double layer overlap and allow passage only of ions opposite to the electrical charge across the membrane.

  11. Perspective on the Role of Negative Ions and Ion-Ion Plasmas in Heavy Ion Fusion Science, Magnetic Fusion Energy,and Related Fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grisham, L.R.; Kwan, J.W.

    2008-01-01

    Some years ago it was suggested that halogen negative ions could offer a feasible alternative path to positive ions as a heavy ion fusion driver beam which would not suffer degradation due to electron accumulation in the accelerator and beam transport system, and which could be converted to a neutral beam by photodetachment near the chamber entrance if desired. Since then, experiments have demonstrated that negative halogen beams can be extracted and accelerated away from the gas plume near the source with a surviving current density close to what could be achieved with a positive ion of similar mass, and with comparable optical quality. In demonstrating the feasibility of halogen negative ions as heavy ion driver beams, ion - ion plasmas, an interesting and somewhat novel state of matter, were produced. These plasmas, produced near the extractor plane of the sources, appear, based upon many lines of experimental evidence, to consist of almost equal densities of positive and negative chlorine ions, with only a small component of free electrons. Serendipitously, the need to extract beams from this plasma for driver development provides a unique diagnostic tool to investigate the plasma, since each component - positive ions, negative ions, and electrons - can be extracted and measured separately. We discuss the relevance of these observations to understanding negative ion beam extraction from electronegative plasmas such as halogens, or the more familiar hydrogen of magnetic fusion ion sources. We suggest a concept which might improve negative hydrogen extraction by the addition of a halogen. The possibility and challenges of producing ion - ion plasmas with thin targets of halogens or, perhaps, salt, is briefly addressed.

  12. Perspective on the Role of Negative Ions and Ion-Ion Plasmas in Heavy Ion Fusion Science, Magnetic Fusion Energy, and Related Fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grisham, L.R.; Kwan, J.W.

    2008-01-01

    Some years ago it was suggested that halogen negative ions (1)could offer a feasible alternative path to positive ions as a heavy ion fusion driver beam which would not suffer degradation due to electron accumulation in the accelerator and beam transport system, and which could be converted to a neutral beam by photodetachment near the chamber entrance if desired. Since then, experiments have demonstrated that negative halogen beams can be extracted and accelerated away from the gas plume near the source with a surviving current density close to what could be achieved with a positive ion of similar mass, and with comparable optical quality. In demonstrating the feasibility of halogen negative ions as heavy ion driver beams, ion-ion plasmas, an interesting and somewhat novel state of matter, were produced. These plasmas, produced near the extractor plane of the sources, appear, based upon many lines of experimental evidence, to consist of almost equal densities of positive and negative chlorine ions, with only a small component of free electrons. Serendipitously, the need to extract beams from this plasma for driver development provides a unique diagnostic tool to investigate the plasma, since each component--positive ions, negative ions, and electrons--can be extracted and measured separately. We discuss the relevance of these observations to understanding negative ion beam extraction from electronegative plasmas such as halogens, or the more familiar hydrogen of magnetic fusion ion sources. We suggest a concept which might improve negative hydrogen extraction by the addition of a halogen. The possibility and challenges of producing ion-ion plasmas with thin targets of halogens or, perhaps, salt, is briefly addressed

  13. Dynamics of HIV-1 RNA Near the Plasma Membrane during Virus Assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sardo, Luca; Hatch, Steven C; Chen, Jianbo; Nikolaitchik, Olga; Burdick, Ryan C; Chen, De; Westlake, Christopher J; Lockett, Stephen; Pathak, Vinay K; Hu, Wei-Shau

    2015-11-01

    To increase our understanding of the events that lead to HIV-1 genome packaging, we examined the dynamics of viral RNA and Gag-RNA interactions near the plasma membrane by using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. We labeled HIV-1 RNA with a photoconvertible Eos protein via an RNA-binding protein that recognizes stem-loop sequences engineered into the viral genome. Near-UV light exposure causes an irreversible structural change in Eos and alters its emitted fluorescence from green to red. We studied the dynamics of HIV-1 RNA by photoconverting Eos near the plasma membrane, and we monitored the population of photoconverted red-Eos-labeled RNA signals over time. We found that in the absence of Gag, most of the HIV-1 RNAs stayed near the plasma membrane transiently, for a few minutes. The presence of Gag significantly increased the time that RNAs stayed near the plasma membrane: most of the RNAs were still detected after 30 min. We then quantified the proportion of HIV-1 RNAs near the plasma membrane that were packaged into assembling viral complexes. By tagging Gag with blue fluorescent protein, we observed that only a portion, ∼13 to 34%, of the HIV-1 RNAs that reached the membrane were recruited into assembling particles in an hour, and the frequency of HIV-1 RNA packaging varied with the Gag expression level. Our studies reveal the HIV-1 RNA dynamics on the plasma membrane and the efficiency of RNA recruitment and provide insights into the events leading to the generation of infectious HIV-1 virions. Nascent HIV-1 particles assemble on plasma membranes. During the assembly process, HIV-1 RNA genomes must be encapsidated into viral complexes to generate infectious particles. To gain insights into the RNA packaging and virus assembly mechanisms, we labeled and monitored the HIV-1 RNA signals near the plasma membrane. Our results showed that most of the HIV-1 RNAs stayed near the plasma membrane for only a few minutes in the absence of Gag, whereas

  14. Regulation of the Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Falhof, Janus

    The plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase is responsible for generating the electrochemical gradientthat drives the secondary transport of nutrients across the cellular membrane. It belongs to a familyof cation and lipid transporters that are vital to many organisms. PM H+-ATPases are Type P3AATPases...

  15. Hunting for low abundant redox proteins in plant plasma membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lüthje, Sabine; Hopff, David; Schmitt, Anna; Meisrimler, Claudia-Nicole; Menckhoff, Ljiljana

    2009-04-13

    Nowadays electron transport (redox) systems in plasma membranes appear well established. Members of the flavocytochrome b family have been identified by their nucleotide acid sequences and characterized on the transcriptional level. For their gene products functions have been demonstrated in iron uptake and oxidative stress including biotic interactions, abiotic stress factors and plant development. In addition, NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductases and b-type cytochromes have been purified and characterized from plasma membranes. Several of these proteins seem to belong to the group of hypothetical or unknown proteins. Low abundance and the lack of amino acid sequence data for these proteins still hamper their functional analysis. Consequently, little is known about the physiological function and regulation of these enzymes. In recent years evidence has been presented for the existence of microdomains (so-called lipid rafts) in plasma membranes and their interaction with specific membrane proteins. The identification of redox systems in detergent insoluble membranes supports the idea that redox systems may have important functions in signal transduction, stress responses, cell wall metabolism, and transport processes. This review summarizes our present knowledge on plasma membrane redox proteins and discusses alternative strategies to investigate the function and regulation of these enzymes.

  16. Gravity Responsive NADH Oxidase of the Plasma Membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morre, D. James (Inventor)

    2002-01-01

    A method and apparatus for sensing gravity using an NADH oxidase of the plasma membrane which has been found to respond to unit gravity and low centrifugal g forces. The oxidation rate of NADH supplied to the NADH oxidase is measured and translated to represent the relative gravitational force exerted on the protein. The NADH oxidase of the plasma membrane may be obtained from plant or animal sources or may be produced recombinantly.

  17. Study of ion separation through solid-supported liquid membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Young Ho; Kim, Jung Do; Kim, Kyoung Ho

    1990-01-01

    The membranes used in this study consist of a microporous polymeric support with the solvent contraining alamine 336, Tri-N-Octyl phosphine oxide, Tri-N-butyl phosphate, Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid as a carrier within the pores by the capillary forces. When this liquid membrane is interposed between aqueous feed and product solutions, the carrier serving as a complexing agent, can pick up the uranium ions on the feed side of the membrane and carry them across the membrane by diffusion. In this study, the uranium flux through the solid-supported liquid membrane was analyzed as a function of carrier concentration and acidity of the feed solution for the carrier species. Also, the Gel-liquid extraction of uranium ions from aqueous solution was performed. The adsorbents were prepared by casting the polymer solution composed of polyvinyl chloride, TOPO, and additions. The extraction of uranyl nitrate ions has been investigated as a function of TOPO/PVC ratio, evaporation time, and the stability. The results show that is maybe possible to develop an alternative uranium purification process. (author)

  18. Ion extraction from positively biased laser-ablation plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isono, Fumika; Nakajima, Mitsuo; Hasegawa, Jun; Horioka, Kazuhiko

    2016-01-01

    Ions were extracted through a grounded grid from a positively biased laser-ablation plasma and the behaviors were investigated. Since the plasma was positively biased against the grounded wall, we could extract the ions without insulated gap. We confirmed formation of a virtual anode when we increased the distance between the grid and the ion collector. Results also indicated that when the ion flux from the ablation plasma exceeded a critical value, the current was strongly suppressed to the space charge limited level due to the formation of virtual anode.

  19. Insulin stimulation of phospholipid methylation in isolated rat adipocyte plasma membranes.

    OpenAIRE

    Kelly, K L; Kiechle, F L; Jarett, L

    1984-01-01

    Partially purified plasma membranes prepared from rat adipocytes contain N-methyltransferase(s) that utilize(s) S-adenosyl-L-methionine to synthesize phosphatidylcholine from phosphatidylethanolamine. The incorporation of [3H]methyl from S-adenosyl-L-[methyl-3H]methionine into plasma membrane phospholipids was linear with incubation time and plasma membrane protein concentration and was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by both S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine and 3-deazadenosine. The addition of...

  20. Separation of some metal ions using coupled transport supported liquid membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaudhary, M.A.

    1993-01-01

    Liquid membrane extraction processes has become very popular due to their superiority in many ways over other separation techniques. In coupled transport membranes the metal ions can be transported across the membrane against their concentration gradient under the influence of chemical potential difference. Liquid membranes consisting of a carrier-cum-diluent, supported in microporous polymeric hydrophobic films have been studied for transport of metal ions like U(VI), Cr(VI), Be(II), V(V), Ti(IV), Zn(II), Cd(II), Hf(IV), W(VI), and Co(II). The present paper presents basic data with respect to flux and permeabilities of these metal ions across membranes based on experimental results and theoretical equations, using different carriers and diluents and provides a brief reference to possibility of such membranes for large scale applications. (author)

  1. Observation of ion-acoustic rarefaction solitons in a multicomponent plasma with negative ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ludwig, G.O.; Ferreira, J.L.; Nakamura, Y.

    1984-01-01

    The propagation of ion-acoustic solitons in a plasma with negative ions has been observed. For sufficiently large concentration of negative ions, applied rarefactive (negative) voltage pulses break up into solitons, whereas compressive pulses evolve into wave trains, with exactly the opposite behavior as that for a plasma composed only of positive ions. There is a critical value of the negative-ion concentration for which a finite-amplitude pulse propagates without steepening

  2. Evolutionary plasticity of plasma membrane interaction in DREPP family proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vosolsobě, Stanislav; Petrášek, Jan; Schwarzerová, Kateřina

    2017-05-01

    The plant-specific DREPP protein family comprises proteins that were shown to regulate the actin and microtubular cytoskeleton in a calcium-dependent manner. Our phylogenetic analysis showed that DREPPs first appeared in ferns and that DREPPs have a rapid and plastic evolutionary history in plants. Arabidopsis DREPP paralogues called AtMDP25/PCaP1 and AtMAP18/PCaP2 are N-myristoylated, which has been reported as a key factor in plasma membrane localization. Here we show that N-myristoylation is neither conserved nor ancestral for the DREPP family. Instead, by using confocal microscopy and a new method for quantitative evaluation of protein membrane localization, we show that DREPPs rely on two mechanisms ensuring their plasma membrane localization. These include N-myristoylation and electrostatic interaction of a polybasic amino acid cluster. We propose that various plasma membrane association mechanisms resulting from the evolutionary plasticity of DREPPs are important for refining plasma membrane interaction of these signalling proteins under various conditions and in various cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Reactor aspects of counterstreaming-ion tokamak plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jassby, D.L.

    1975-06-01

    Toroidal DT plasmas in which the D and T ions make up two distinct, quasi-thermal velocity distributions, oppositely displaced in velocity along the magnetic axis, are discussed. Such counterstreaming distributions can be set up by introducing all ions by tangential injection of neutral beams, and by removing ions from the plasma shortly after they have decelerated to an energy approximate to or less than 2T/sub e/ by Coulomb drag on the plasma electrons. A simple physical model for counterstreaming-ion operation is postulated, which allows one to deduce the ion velocity distributions and required energy and particle confinement times that are in good agreement with the results of previous Fokker-Planck calculations. The variations of fusion reactivity, power gain, and power density with injection energy and electron temperature are presented. The practical problems of implementing counter-streaming operation in a tokamak, such as charge-exchange losses, the prompt removal of cold ions, and the effect of impurities are discussed. (U.S.)

  4. Research on permeability of poly(ethylene) terephthalate track membranes modified in plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dmitriev, S.N.; Kravets, L.I.; Sleptsov, V.V.; Elinson, V.M.; Potryasaj, V.V.

    2001-01-01

    The properties of poly(ethylene) terephthalate track membranes subjected to the plasma RF-discharge treatment in air have been investigated. The effect of the treatment conditions in plasma on the structure and the properties of the membranes formed in the gas-discharge etching has been studied. It has been figured out that the influence of the air plasma on the membranes under study leads to a formation of asymmetric membranes with a higher flow rate, the structure and chemical composition of their superficial layer are changed. It is shown that the presence of the modified layer on the surface of the membranes causes changing their hydrodynamic characteristics - water permeability of the membranes treated in plasma in a greater degree depends upon pH of the filtered solution. (author)

  5. Ion accelerator based on plasma vircator

    CERN Document Server

    Onishchenko, I N

    2001-01-01

    The conception of a collective ion accelerator is proposed to be developed in the frameworks of STCU project 1569 (NSC KIPT, Ukraine) in coordination with the ISTC project 1629 (VNIEF, Russia). The main processes of acceleration are supposed to be consisted of two stages.First one is the plasma assistance virtual cathode (VC) in which plasma ions are accelerated in a potential well of VC. Along with ion acceleration the relaxation oscillations, caused by diminishing the potential well due to ion compensation, arise that provides the low-frequency (inverse ion transit time) temporal modulation of an intense relativistic electron beam (IREB) current. At the second stage temporally modulated IREB is injected into the spatially periodic magnetic field. The further ion acceleration is realized by the slow space charge wave that arises in IREB due to its simultaneous temporal and spatial modulation.

  6. Geotail observations of plasma sheet ion composition over 16 years: On variations of average plasma ion mass and O+ triggering substorm model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nosé, M.; Ieda, A.; Christon, S. P.

    2009-07-01

    We examined long-term variations of ion composition in the plasma sheet, using energetic (9.4-212.1 keV/e) ion flux data obtained by the suprathermal ion composition spectrometer (STICS) sensor of the energetic particle and ion composition (EPIC) instrument on board the Geotail spacecraft. EPIC/STICS observations are available from 17 October 1992 for more than 16 years, covering the declining phase of solar cycle 22, all of solar cycle 23, and the early phase of solar cycle 24. This unprecedented long-term data set revealed that (1) the He+/H+ and O+/H+ flux ratios in the plasma sheet were dependent on the F10.7 index; (2) the F10.7 index dependence is stronger for O+/H+ than He+/H+; (3) the O+/H+ flux ratio is also weakly correlated with the ΣKp index; and (4) the He2+/H+ flux ratio in the plasma sheet appeared to show no long-term trend. From these results, we derived empirical equations related to plasma sheet ion composition and the F10.7 index and estimated that the average plasma ion mass changes from ˜1.1 amu during solar minimum to ˜2.8 amu during solar maximum. In such a case, the Alfvén velocity during solar maximum decreases to ˜60% of the solar minimum value. Thus, physical processes in the plasma sheet are considered to be much different between solar minimum and solar maximum. We also compared long-term variation of the plasma sheet ion composition with that of the substorm occurrence rate, which is evaluated by the number of Pi2 pulsations. No correlation or negative correlation was found between them. This result contradicts the O+ triggering substorm model, in which heavy ions in the plasma sheet increase the growth rate of the linear ion tearing mode and play an important role in localization and initiation of substorms. In contrast, O+ ions in the plasma sheet may prevent occurrence of substorms.

  7. Picomolar detection limits with current-polarized Pb2+ ion-selective membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pergel, E; Gyurcsányi, R E; Tóth, K; Lindner, E

    2001-09-01

    Minor ion fluxes across ion-selective membranes bias submicromolar activity measurements with conventional ion-selective electrodes. When ion fluxes are balanced, the lower limit of detection is expected to be dramatically improved. As proof of principle, the flux of lead ions across an ETH 5435 ionophore-based lead-selective membrane was gradually compensated by applying a few nanoamperes of galvanostatic current. When the opposite ion fluxes were matched, and the undesirable leaching of primary ions was eliminated, Nernstian response down to 3 x 10(-12) M was achieved.

  8. Comparative study of the active cadmium efflux systems operating at the plasma membrane and tonoplast of cucumber root cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Migocka, Magdalena; Papierniak, Anna; Kosatka, Ewelina; Klobus, Grazyna

    2011-10-01

    The strategies developed by plants to avoid the toxicity of cadmium (Cd) and other heavy metals involve active sequestration of metals into the apoplast and vacuoles. The protein systems excluding heavy metals from the cell cytosol localize to the plasma membrane and tonoplast and are energized either by ATP or by the electrochemical gradient generated by H(+)-ATPase or by V-ATPase and pyrophosphatase (PPase), respectively. In this work, a comparative study on the contribution of both the plasma membrane and tonoplast in the active detoxification of plant cells after treatment with Cd was performed. The studies using plants treated and untreated with Cd reveal that both, H(+)-coupled and MgATP-driven efflux of Cd across plasma membranes and tonoplast is markedly stimulated in the presence of Cd in the environment. Previous studies on plasma-membrane localized H(+)-coupled Cd efflux together with the present data demonstrating tonoplast H(+)/Cd(2+) antiport activity suggest that H(+)-coupled secondary transport of Cd displays a lower affinity for Cd when compared with Cd primary pumps driven by MgATP. In addition, it is shown that MgATP-energized Cd efflux across both membranes is significantly enhanced by cysteine, dithiothreitol, and glutathione. These results suggest that Cd is excluded from the cytosol through an energy-dependent system as a free ion as well as a complexed form. Although both membranes contribute in the active exclusion of ionized and complexed Cd from the cytosol, the overall calculation of Cd accumulation in the everted plasma membranes and vacuolar vesicles suggests that the tonoplast and vacuole have a major function in Cd efflux from the cytosol in the roots of cucumber subjected to Cd stress.

  9. Modification of electrical properties of polymer membranes by ion implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dworecki, K.; Hasegawa, T.; Sudlitz, K.; Wasik, S.

    2000-01-01

    This paper presents an experimental study of the electrical properties of polymer ion irradiated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) membranes. The polymer samples have been implanted with a variety of ions (O 5+ , N 4+ , Kr 9+ ) by the energy of 10 keV/q up to doses of 10 15 ions/cm 2 and then they were polarized in an electric field of 4.16x10 6 V/m at non-isothermal conditions. The electrical properties and the changes in the chemical structure of implanted membrane were measured by conductivity and discharge currents and FTIR spectra. Electrical conductivity of the membranes PET increases to 1-3 orders of magnitude after implantation and is determined by the charge transport caused by free space charge and by thermal detrapping of charge carriers. The spectra of thermally induced discharge current (TDC) shows that ion irradiated PET membranes are characterized by high ability to accumulate charge

  10. Exclusive photorelease of signalling lipids at the plasma membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadler, André; Yushchenko, Dmytro A; Müller, Rainer; Stein, Frank; Feng, Suihan; Mulle, Christophe; Carta, Mario; Schultz, Carsten

    2015-12-21

    Photoactivation of caged biomolecules has become a powerful approach to study cellular signalling events. Here we report a method for anchoring and uncaging biomolecules exclusively at the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane by employing a photocleavable, sulfonated coumarin derivative. The novel caging group allows quantifying the reaction progress and efficiency of uncaging reactions in a live-cell microscopy setup, thereby greatly improving the control of uncaging experiments. We synthesized arachidonic acid derivatives bearing the new negatively charged or a neutral, membrane-permeant coumarin caging group to locally induce signalling either at the plasma membrane or on internal membranes in β-cells and brain slices derived from C57B1/6 mice. Uncaging at the plasma membrane triggers a strong enhancement of calcium oscillations in β-cells and a pronounced potentiation of synaptic transmission while uncaging inside cells blocks calcium oscillations in β-cells and causes a more transient effect on neuronal transmission, respectively. The precise subcellular site of arachidonic acid release is therefore crucial for signalling outcome in two independent systems.

  11. Nonlinear interaction of an ion flux with plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanov, A.A.; Krasheninnikov, S.I.; Pistunovich, V.I.; Soboleva, T.K.; Yushamanov, P.N.

    The present report discusses the interaction of an ion beam, formed during the charge exchange of injected neutral atoms, with a plasma. Methods of analytical study by means of quasi-linear equations as well as two-dimensional numerical modelling are used. It is shown that at a beam velocity U 0 /C/sub s/ approximately less than 1 / 2 , the relaxation process may be described by using the theory of quasi-linear relaxation of electron beams, at U 0 /C/sub s/ approximately greater than 10; one can neglect the slowing down of the ion beam and consider only the angular spread. An analytical dependence of the spread angle on time was obtained. On the basis of the ion beam relaxation theory evolved, experiments on charge exchange of plasma fluxes on a gas target are analyzed. It is shown that the anomalous scattering of the plasma flux observed in a series of experiments may be explained by the interaction of ions of the flux with ion-acoustic oscillations of the target plasma. Consideration of damping of ion-acoustic noise by the plasma electrons and ions leads to a limitation of the relaxation of the angular distribution function. The relationships obtained are in good agreement with the experimental results

  12. Ion-acoustic Gardner solitons in a four-component nonextensive multi-ion plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jannat, N., E-mail: nilimajannat74@gmail.com; Ferdousi, M.; Mamun, A. A. [Jahangirnagar University, Department of Physics (Bangladesh)

    2016-07-15

    The nonlinear propagation of ion-acoustic (IA) solitary waves (SWs) in a four-component non-extensive multi-ion plasma system containing inertial positively charged light ions, negatively charged heavy ions, as well as noninertial nonextensive electrons and positrons has been theoretically investigated. The reductive perturbation method has been employed to derive the nonlinear equations, namely, Korteweg−deVries (KdV), modified KdV (mKdV), and Gardner equations. The basic features (viz. polarity, amplitude, width, etc.) of Gardner solitons are found to exist beyond the KdV limit and these IA Gardner solitons are qualitatively different from the KdV and mKdV solitons. It is observed that the basic features of IA SWs are modified by various plasma parameters (viz. electron and positron nonextensivity, electron number density to ion number density, and electron temperature to positron temperature, etc.) of the considered plasma system. The results obtained from this theoretical investigation may be useful in understanding the basic features of IA SWs propagating in both space and laboratory plasmas.

  13. Ion-acoustic Gardner solitons in a four-component nonextensive multi-ion plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jannat, N.; Ferdousi, M.; Mamun, A. A.

    2016-01-01

    The nonlinear propagation of ion-acoustic (IA) solitary waves (SWs) in a four-component non-extensive multi-ion plasma system containing inertial positively charged light ions, negatively charged heavy ions, as well as noninertial nonextensive electrons and positrons has been theoretically investigated. The reductive perturbation method has been employed to derive the nonlinear equations, namely, Korteweg−deVries (KdV), modified KdV (mKdV), and Gardner equations. The basic features (viz. polarity, amplitude, width, etc.) of Gardner solitons are found to exist beyond the KdV limit and these IA Gardner solitons are qualitatively different from the KdV and mKdV solitons. It is observed that the basic features of IA SWs are modified by various plasma parameters (viz. electron and positron nonextensivity, electron number density to ion number density, and electron temperature to positron temperature, etc.) of the considered plasma system. The results obtained from this theoretical investigation may be useful in understanding the basic features of IA SWs propagating in both space and laboratory plasmas.

  14. Novel determinants of H-Ras plasma membrane localization and transformation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Willumsen, B M; Cox, A D; Solski, P A

    1996-01-01

    cysteine did not abolish palmitoylation. However, despite continued lipid modification the mutant proteins failed to bind to plasma membranes and instead accumulated on internal membranes and, importantly, were not transforming. Addition of an N-terminal myristoylation signal to these defective mutants......, or to proteins entirely lacking the C-terminal 25 residues restored both plasma membrane association and transforming activity. Thus, H-Ras does not absolutely require prenylation or palmitoylation nor indeed its hypervariable domain in order to interact with effectors that ultimately cause transformation....... However, in this native state, the C-terminus appears to provide a combination of lipids and a previously unrecognized signal for specific plasma membrane targeting that are essential for the correct localization and biological function of H-Ras....

  15. Nonlinear electrostatic structures in homogeneous and inhomogeneous pair-ion plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahmood, S.; Ur-Rehman, H.; Shah, A.; Haque, Q.

    2012-01-01

    The nonlinear electrostatic structures such as solitons, shocks were studied in homogeneous, unmagnetized pair-ion plasma. The dissipation in the system was taken through kinematic viscosities of both pair-ion species. The one dimensional (Korteweg-de Vries-Burgers) KdVB equation was derived using reductive perturbation method. The analytical solution of KdVB equation was obtained using tanh method. It was found that solitons and monotonic shocks structures were formed in such type of plasmas depending on the value of dissipation in the system. Both compressive and refractive structures of solitons and monotonic shocks were obtained depending on the temperatures of negative and positive ions. The oscillatory shock structures in pair-ion plasmas were also obtained and its necessary conditions of formation were discussed. The acoustic solitons were also investigated in inhomogeneous unmagnetized pair-ion plasmas. The Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) like equation with an additional term due to density gradients was obtained by employing the reductive perturbation technique. It was found that amplitude of both compressive and refractive solitons was found to be enhanced as the density gradient parameter was increased. The Landau damping rates of electrostatic ion waves were studied for non-Maxwellian or Lorentzian pair-ion plasmas. The Val sov equation was solved analytically for weak damping effects in pair-ion plasma. It was found that Landau damping rate of ion plasma wave was increased in Lorentzian case in comparison with Maxwellian pair-ion plasmas. The numerical results were obtained by taking into account the parameters of pair-ion plasmas produced in laboratory experiments in Japan. (orig./A.B.)

  16. Single-ion polymer electrolyte membranes enable lithium-ion batteries with a broad operating temperature range.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Weiwei; Zhang, Yunfeng; Li, Jing; Sun, Yubao; Cheng, Hansong

    2014-04-01

    Conductive processes involving lithium ions are analyzed in detail from a mechanistic perspective, and demonstrate that single ion polymeric electrolyte (SIPE) membranes can be used in lithium-ion batteries with a wide operating temperature range (25-80 °C) through systematic optimization of electrodes and electrode/electrolyte interfaces, in sharp contrast to other batteries equipped with SIPE membranes that display appreciable operability only at elevated temperatures (>60 °C). The performance is comparable to that of batteries using liquid electrolyte of inorganic salt, and the batteries exhibit excellent cycle life and rate performance. This significant widening of battery operation temperatures coupled with the inherent flexibility and robustness of the SIPE membranes makes it possible to develop thin and flexible Li-ion batteries for a broad range of applications. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Na+/H+ exchange activity in the plasma membrane of Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Quan-Sheng; Barkla, Bronwyn J; Vera-Estrella, Rosario; Zhu, Jian-Kang; Schumaker, Karen S

    2003-06-01

    In plants, Na+/H+ exchangers in the plasma membrane are critical for growth in high levels of salt, removing toxic Na+ from the cytoplasm by transport out of the cell. The molecular identity of a plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger in Arabidopsis (SOS1) has recently been determined. In this study, immunological analysis provided evidence that SOS1 localizes to the plasma membrane of leaves and roots. To characterize the transport activity of this protein, purified plasma membrane vesicles were isolated from leaves of Arabidopsis. Na+/H+ exchange activity, monitored as the ability of Na to dissipate an established pH gradient, was absent in plants grown without salt. However, exchange activity was induced when plants were grown in 250 mm NaCl and increased with prolonged salt exposure up to 8 d. H+-coupled exchange was specific for Na, because chloride salts of other monovalent cations did not dissipate the pH gradient. Na+/H+ exchange activity was dependent on Na (substrate) concentration, and kinetic analysis indicated that the affinity (apparent Km) of the transporter for Na+ is 22.8 mm. Data from two experimental approaches supports electroneutral exchange (one Na+ exchanged for one proton): (a) no change in membrane potential was measured during the exchange reaction, and (b) Na+/H+ exchange was unaffected by the presence or absence of a membrane potential. Results from this research provide a framework for future studies into the regulation of the plant plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger and its relative contribution to the maintenance of cellular Na+ homeostasis during plant growth in salt.

  18. Magnetized relativistic electron-ion plasma expansion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benkhelifa, El-Amine; Djebli, Mourad

    2016-03-01

    The dynamics of relativistic laser-produced plasma expansion across a transverse magnetic field is investigated. Based on a one dimensional two-fluid model that includes pressure, enthalpy, and rest mass energy, the expansion is studied in the limit of λD (Debye length) ≤RL (Larmor radius) for magnetized electrons and ions. Numerical investigation conducted for a quasi-neutral plasma showed that the σ parameter describing the initial plasma magnetization, and the plasma β parameter, which is the ratio of kinetic to magnetic pressure are the key parameters governing the expansion dynamics. For σ ≪ 1, ion's front shows oscillations associated to the break-down of quasi-neutrality. This is due to the strong constraining effect and confinement of the magnetic field, which acts as a retarding medium slowing the plasma expansion.

  19. Isolation of Synaptosomes, Synaptic Plasma Membranes, and Synaptic Junctional Complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michaelis, Mary L; Jiang, Lei; Michaelis, Elias K

    2017-01-01

    Isolation of synaptic nerve terminals or synaptosomes provides an opportunity to study the process of neurotransmission at many levels and with a variety of approaches. For example, structural features of the synaptic terminals and the organelles within them, such as synaptic vesicles and mitochondria, have been elucidated with electron microscopy. The postsynaptic membranes are joined to the presynaptic "active zone" of transmitter release through cell adhesion molecules and remain attached throughout the isolation of synaptosomes. These "post synaptic densities" or "PSDs" contain the receptors for the transmitters released from the nerve terminals and can easily be seen with electron microscopy. Biochemical and cell biological studies with synaptosomes have revealed which proteins and lipids are most actively involved in synaptic release of neurotransmitters. The functional properties of the nerve terminals, such as responses to depolarization and the uptake or release of signaling molecules, have also been characterized through the use of fluorescent dyes, tagged transmitters, and transporter substrates. In addition, isolated synaptosomes can serve as the starting material for the isolation of relatively pure synaptic plasma membranes (SPMs) that are devoid of organelles from the internal environment of the nerve terminal, such as mitochondria and synaptic vesicles. The isolated SPMs can reseal and form vesicular structures in which transport of ions such as sodium and calcium, as well as solutes such as neurotransmitters can be studied. The PSDs also remain associated with the presynaptic membranes during isolation of SPM fractions, making it possible to isolate the synaptic junctional complexes (SJCs) devoid of the rest of the plasma membranes of the nerve terminals and postsynaptic membrane components. Isolated SJCs can be used to identify the proteins that constitute this highly specialized region of neurons. In this chapter, we describe the steps involved

  20. Interplay of Plasma Membrane and Vacuolar Ion Channels, Together with BAK1, Elicits Rapid Cytosolic Calcium Elevations in Arabidopsis during Aphid Feeding[OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincent, Thomas R.; Avramova, Marieta; Canham, James; Higgins, Peter; Bilkey, Natasha; Mugford, Sam T.; Pitino, Marco; Toyota, Masatsugu

    2017-01-01

    A transient rise in cytosolic calcium ion concentration is one of the main signals used by plants in perception of their environment. The role of calcium in the detection of abiotic stress is well documented; however, its role during biotic interactions remains unclear. Here, we use a fluorescent calcium biosensor (GCaMP3) in combination with the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) as a tool to study Arabidopsis thaliana calcium dynamics in vivo and in real time during a live biotic interaction. We demonstrate rapid and highly localized plant calcium elevations around the feeding sites of M. persicae, and by monitoring aphid feeding behavior electrophysiologically, we demonstrate that these elevations correlate with aphid probing of epidermal and mesophyll cells. Furthermore, we dissect the molecular mechanisms involved, showing that interplay between the plant defense coreceptor BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE-ASSOCIATED KINASE1 (BAK1), the plasma membrane ion channels GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR-LIKE 3.3 and 3.6 (GLR3.3 and GLR3.6), and the vacuolar ion channel TWO-PORE CHANNEL1 (TPC1) mediate these calcium elevations. Consequently, we identify a link between plant perception of biotic threats by BAK1, cellular calcium entry mediated by GLRs, and intracellular calcium release by TPC1 during a biologically relevant interaction. PMID:28559475

  1. Reverse-osmosis membranes by plasma polymerization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollahan, J. R.; Wydeven, T.

    1972-01-01

    Thin allyl amine polymer films were developed using plasma polymerization. Resulting dry composite membranes effectively reject sodium chloride during reverse osmosis. Films are 98% sodium chloride rejective, and 46% urea rejective.

  2. Modification of electrical properties of polymer membranes by ion implantation (II)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dworecki, K.; Hasegawa, T.; Sudlitz, K.; Slezak, A.; Wasik, S.

    2001-01-01

    In the present work we report on the results of an experimental study of the electrical properties of polymer ion irradiated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) membranes. The polymer samples have been implanted under vacuum at room temperature with a variety of ions (C 4+ , O 6+ , S 7+ ) at energy of 10 keV/q up to the dose of 10 15 ions/cm 2 and then they were polarized in an electric field of 4.16x10 6 V/m at non-isothermal conditions. The electrical properties and changes in chemical structure of ion implanted membranes were studied by the conductivity and discharge currents measurements, FTIR spectra and differential thermal analysis. The electrical conductivity of the PET membranes is determined by the charge transport caused by free space charge and by thermal releasing of charge carriers. The spectra of thermally induced discharge current (TDC) shows that ion irradiated PET membranes are characterized by high ability of charge accumulation

  3. Ninth International Workshop on Plant Membrane Biology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-12-31

    This report is a compilation of abstracts from papers which were discussed at a workshop on plant membrane biology. Topics include: plasma membrane ATP-ases; plant-environment interactions, membrane receptors; signal transduction; ion channel physiology; biophysics and molecular biology; vaculor H+ pumps; sugar carriers; membrane transport; and cellular structure and function.

  4. Study of Aging ion exchange membranes used in separation processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bellakhal, N.; Ghalloussi, R.; Dammak, L.

    2009-01-01

    Presently, the most important application of ion exchange membranes (IEM) is the electrodialysis. This technique consists of a membrane separation using a series of anion exchange membranes alternately and cations, often used for the desalination of brackish water. These membranes are confronted with problems of aging. Indeed, the more they are used more physical and chemical properties will change. A comparative study of the behavior of both EMI and new but the same treatment is carried out by measuring a magnitude transfer characteristic: ion permeability. Ionic permeability is a physical quantity can have an idea about the selectivity of the membrane towards the charged species and the p orosity o f the membrane. It is a transport of ions (cations + anions) through the membrane. Thus, determining the ion permeability is to determine the diffusion flux of a strong electrolyte through a membrane separating two compartments (one containing electrolytes and other water initially ultrapure who will gradually electrolyte through the membrane). The measurement technique used is that by conductimetric detection because of the ease of its implementation and its accuracy. Thus, the variation of the concentration of the electrolyte is continuously monitored by measuring the conductivity of the solution diluted with time. The curves s = f (t) MEA and MEC new and used varying concentration of the electrolyte membranes show that let in less waste of strong electrolyte (NaCl and HCl) than new ones. This can be explained by: - The functional sites are combined with polyvalent ions present even in trace amounts in the solution process and become inactive. The membrane loses its hydrophilic character and turns into a film almost hydrophobic. - The chemical attacks and electrodialysis operations have degraded and eliminated much of the fixed sites leading to the same effects on the hydrophilic membrane. - These two assumptions have been reinforced by the extent of exchange

  5. Effects of freezing and cold acclimation on the plasma membrane of isolated protoplasts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steponkus, P.L.

    1991-01-01

    This project focuses on lesions in the plasma membrane of protoplasts that occur during freezing to temperatures below {minus}5{degrees} which result in changes in the semipermeablity of the plasma membrane. This injury, referred to as loss of osmotic responsiveness, is associated with the formation of large, aparticulate domains in the plasma membrane, aparticulate lamellae subtending the plasma membrane, and lamellar-to-hexagonal{sub II} phase transitions in the plasma membrane and subtending lamellar. The goals of this project are to provide a mechanistic understanding of the mechanism by which freeze-induced dehydration effects the formation of aparticulate domains and lamellar-to-hexagonal{sub II} phase transitions and to determine the mechanisms by which cold acclimation and cryoprotectants preclude or diminish these ultrastructural changes. Our working hypothesis is the formation of aparticulate domains and lamellar-to-hexagon{sub II} phase transitions in the plasma membrane and subtending lamellae are manifestations of hydration-dependent bilayer-bilayer interactions.

  6. Quantitative Microscopic Analysis of Plasma Membrane Receptor Dynamics in Living Plant Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Yu; Russinova, Eugenia

    2017-01-01

    Plasma membrane-localized receptors are essential for cellular communication and signal transduction. In Arabidopsis thaliana, BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1 (BRI1) is one of the receptors that is activated by binding to its ligand, the brassinosteroid (BR) hormone, at the cell surface to regulate diverse plant developmental processes. The availability of BRI1 in the plasma membrane is related to its signaling output and is known to be controlled by the dynamic endomembrane trafficking. Advances in fluorescence labeling and confocal microscopy techniques enabled us to gain a better understanding of plasma membrane receptor dynamics in living cells. Here we describe different quantitative microscopy methods to monitor the relative steady-state levels of the BRI1 protein in the plasma membrane of root epidermal cells and its relative exocytosis and recycling rates. The methods can be applied also to analyze similar dynamics of other plasma membrane-localized receptors.

  7. Shunting arc plasma source for pure carbon ion beam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koguchi, H.; Sakakita, H.; Kiyama, S.; Shimada, T.; Sato, Y.; Hirano, Y. [Energy Technology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan)

    2012-02-15

    A plasma source is developed using a coaxial shunting arc plasma gun to extract a pure carbon ion beam. The pure carbon ion beam is a new type of deposition system for diamond and other carbon materials. Our plasma device generates pure carbon plasma from solid-state carbon material without using a hydrocarbon gas such as methane gas, and the plasma does not contain any hydrogen. The ion saturation current of the discharge measured by a double probe is about 0.2 mA/mm{sup 2} at the peak of the pulse.

  8. Shunting arc plasma source for pure carbon ion beam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koguchi, H; Sakakita, H; Kiyama, S; Shimada, T; Sato, Y; Hirano, Y

    2012-02-01

    A plasma source is developed using a coaxial shunting arc plasma gun to extract a pure carbon ion beam. The pure carbon ion beam is a new type of deposition system for diamond and other carbon materials. Our plasma device generates pure carbon plasma from solid-state carbon material without using a hydrocarbon gas such as methane gas, and the plasma does not contain any hydrogen. The ion saturation current of the discharge measured by a double probe is about 0.2 mA∕mm(2) at the peak of the pulse.

  9. Laser-plasma booster for ion post acceleration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satoh D.

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available A remarkable ion energy increase is demonstrated for post acceleration by a laser-plasma booster. An intense short-pulse laser generates a strong current by high-energy electrons accelerated, when this intense short-pulse laser illuminates a plasma target. The strong electric current creates a strong magnetic field along the high-energy electron current in plasma. During the increase phase in the magnetic field, a longitudinal inductive electric field is induced for the forward ion acceleration by the Faraday law. Our 2.5-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate a remarkable increase in ion energy by several tens of MeV.

  10. Plasma membrane aquaporins mediates vesicle stability in broccoli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Del Carmen Martínez-Ballesta

    Full Text Available The use of in vitro membrane vesicles is attractive because of possible applications in therapies. Here we aimed to compare the stability and functionality of plasma membrane vesicles extracted from control and salt-treated broccoli. The impact of the amount of aquaporins was related to plasma membrane osmotic water permeability and the stability of protein secondary structure. Here, we describe for first time an increase in plant aquaporins acetylation under high salinity. Higher osmotic water permeability in NaCl vesicles has been related to higher acetylation, upregulation of aquaporins, and a more stable environment to thermal denaturation. Based on our findings, we propose that aquaporins play an important role in vesicle stability.

  11. Double-layer ion acceleration triggered by ion magnetization in expanding radiofrequency plasma sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Kazunori; Charles, Christine; Boswell, Rod W.; Fujiwara, Tamiya

    2010-01-01

    Ion energy distribution functions downstream of the source exit in magnetically expanding low-pressure plasmas are experimentally investigated for four source tube diameters ranging from about 5 to 15 cm. The magnetic-field threshold corresponding to a transition from a simple expanding plasma to a double layer-containing plasma is observed to increase with a decrease in the source tube diameter. The results demonstrate that for the four geometries, the double layer and the accelerated ion beam form when the ion Larmour radius in the source becomes smaller than the source tube radius, i.e., when the ions become magnetized in the source tube.

  12. Nonlinear waves in plasma with negative ion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saito, Maki; Watanabe, Shinsuke; Tanaca, Hiroshi.

    1984-01-01

    The propagation of nonlinear ion wave is investigated theoretically in a plasma with electron, positive ion and negative ion. The ion wave of long wavelength is described by a modified K-dV equation instead of a K-dV equation when the nonlinear coefficient of the K-dV equation vanishes at the critical density of negative ion. In the vicinity of the critical density, the ion wave is described by a coupled K-dV and modified K-dV equation. The transition from a compressional soliton to a rarefactive soliton and vice versa are examined by the coupled equation as a function of the negative ion density. The ion wave of short wavelength is described by a nonlinear Schroedinger equation. In the plasma with a negative ion, the nonlinear coefficient of the nonlinear Schroedinger equation changes the sign and the ion wave becomes modulationally unstable. (author)

  13. The stoichiometry of the TMEM16A ion channel determined in intact plasma membranes of COS-7 cells using liquid-phase electron microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peckys, Diana B; Stoerger, Christof; Latta, Lorenz; Wissenbach, Ulrich; Flockerzi, Veit; de Jonge, Niels

    2017-08-01

    TMEM16A is a membrane protein forming a calcium-activated chloride channel. A homodimeric stoichiometry of the TMEM16 family of proteins has been reported but an important question is whether the protein resides always in a dimeric configuration in the plasma membrane or whether monomers of the protein are also present in its native state within in the intact plasma membrane. We have determined the stoichiometry of the human (h)TMEM16A within whole COS-7 cells in liquid. For the purpose of detecting TMEM16A subunits, single proteins were tagged by the streptavidin-binding peptide within extracellular loops accessible by streptavidin coated quantum dot (QD) nanoparticles. The labeled proteins were then imaged using correlative light microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) detection. The locations of 19,583 individual proteins were determined of which a statistical analysis using the pair correlation function revealed the presence of a dimeric conformation of the protein. The amounts of detected label pairs and single labels were compared between experiments in which the TMEM16A SBP-tag position was varied, and experiments in which tagged and non-tagged TMEM16A proteins were present. It followed that hTMEM16A resides in the plasma membrane as dimer only and is not present as monomer. This strategy may help to elucidate the stoichiometry of other membrane protein species within the context of the intact plasma membrane in future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Host Cell Plasma Membrane Phosphatidylserine Regulates the Assembly and Budding of Ebola Virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adu-Gyamfi, Emmanuel; Johnson, Kristen A; Fraser, Mark E; Scott, Jordan L; Soni, Smita P; Jones, Keaton R; Digman, Michelle A; Gratton, Enrico; Tessier, Charles R; Stahelin, Robert V

    2015-09-01

    Lipid-enveloped viruses replicate and bud from the host cell where they acquire their lipid coat. Ebola virus, which buds from the plasma membrane of the host cell, causes viral hemorrhagic fever and has a high fatality rate. To date, little has been known about how budding and egress of Ebola virus are mediated at the plasma membrane. We have found that the lipid phosphatidylserine (PS) regulates the assembly of Ebola virus matrix protein VP40. VP40 binds PS-containing membranes with nanomolar affinity, and binding of PS regulates VP40 localization and oligomerization on the plasma membrane inner leaflet. Further, alteration of PS levels in mammalian cells inhibits assembly and egress of VP40. Notably, interactions of VP40 with the plasma membrane induced exposure of PS on the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane at sites of egress, whereas PS is typically found only on the inner leaflet. Taking the data together, we present a model accounting for the role of plasma membrane PS in assembly of Ebola virus-like particles. The lipid-enveloped Ebola virus causes severe infection with a high mortality rate and currently lacks FDA-approved therapeutics or vaccines. Ebola virus harbors just seven genes in its genome, and there is a critical requirement for acquisition of its lipid envelope from the plasma membrane of the human cell that it infects during the replication process. There is, however, a dearth of information available on the required contents of this envelope for egress and subsequent attachment and entry. Here we demonstrate that plasma membrane phosphatidylserine is critical for Ebola virus budding from the host cell plasma membrane. This report, to our knowledge, is the first to highlight the role of lipids in human cell membranes in the Ebola virus replication cycle and draws a clear link between selective binding and transport of a lipid across the membrane of the human cell and use of that lipid for subsequent viral entry. Copyright © 2015, American

  15. Ion Motion in a Plasma Interacting with Strong Magnetic Fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weingarten, A.; Grabowski, C.; Chakrabarti, N.; Maron, Y.; Fruchtmant, A.

    1999-01-01

    The interaction of a plasma with strong magnetic fields takes place in many laboratory experiments and astrophysical plasmas. Applying a strong magnetic field to the plasma may result in plasma displacement, magnetization, or the formation of instabilities. Important phenomena in plasma, such as the energy transport and the momentum balance, take a different form in each case. We study this interaction in a plasma that carries a short-duration (80-ns) current pulse, generating a magnetic field of up to 17 kG. The evolution of the magnetic field, plasma density, ion velocities, and electric fields are determined before and during the current pulse. The dependence of the plasma limiting current on the plasma density and composition are studied and compared to theoretical models based on the different phenomena. When the plasma collisionality is low, three typical velocities should be taken into consideration: the proton and heavier-ion Alfven velocities (v A p and v A h , respectively) and the EMHD magnetic-field penetration velocity into the plasma (v EMHD ). If both Alfven velocities are larger than v EMHD the plasma is pushed ahead of the magnetic piston and the magnetic field energy is dissipated into ion kinetic energy. If v EMHD is the largest of three velocities, the plasma become magnetized and the ions acquire a small axial momentum only. Different ion species may drift in different directions along the current lines. In this case, the magnetic field energy is probably dissipated into electron thermal energy. When vs > V EMHD > vi, as in the case of one of our experiments, ion mass separation occurs. The protons are pushed ahead of the piston while the heavier-ions become magnetized. Since the plasma electrons are unmagnetized they cannot cross the piston, and the heavy ions are probably charge-neutralized by electrons originating from the cathode that are 'born' magnetized

  16. Plasma surface modification of polypropylene track-etched membrane to improve its performance properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kravets, L. I.; Elinson, V. M.; Ibragimov, R. G.; Mitu, B.; Dinescu, G.

    2018-02-01

    The surface and electrochemical properties of polypropylene track-etched membrane treated by plasma of nitrogen, air and oxygen are studied. The effect of the plasma-forming gas composition on the surface morphology is considered. It has been found that the micro-relief of the membrane surface formed under the gas-discharge etching, changes. Moreover, the effect of the non-polymerizing gas plasma leads to formation of oxygen-containing functional groups, mostly carbonyl and carboxyl. It is shown that due to the formation of polar groups on the surface and its higher roughness, the wettability of the plasma-modified membranes improves. In addition, the presence of polar groups on the membrane surface layer modifies its electrochemical properties so that conductivity of plasma-treated membranes increase.

  17. Effect of Plasma Membrane Semipermeability in Making the Membrane Electric Double Layer Capacitances Significant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinha, Shayandev; Sachar, Harnoor Singh; Das, Siddhartha

    2018-01-30

    Electric double layers (or EDLs) formed at the membrane-electrolyte interface (MEI) and membrane-cytosol interface (MCI) of a charged lipid bilayer plasma membrane develop finitely large capacitances. However, these EDL capacitances are often much larger than the intrinsic capacitance of the membrane, and all of these capacitances are in series. Consequently, the effect of these EDL capacitances in dictating the overall membrane-EDL effective capacitance C eff becomes negligible. In this paper, we challenge this conventional notion pertaining to the membrane-EDL capacitances. We demonstrate that, on the basis of the system parameters, the EDL capacitance for both the permeable and semipermeable membranes can be small enough to influence C eff . For the semipermeable membranes, however, this lowering of the EDL capacitance can be much larger, ensuring a reduction of C eff by more than 20-25%. Furthermore, for the semipermeable membranes, the reduction in C eff is witnessed over a much larger range of system parameters. We attribute such an occurrence to the highly nonintuitive electrostatic potential distribution associated with the recently discovered phenomena of charge-inversion-like electrostatics and the attainment of a positive zeta potential at the MCI for charged semipermeable membranes. We anticipate that our findings will impact the quantification and the identification of a large number of biophysical phenomena that are probed by measuring the plasma membrane capacitance.

  18. MAMP (microbe-associated molecular pattern)-induced changes in plasma membrane-associated proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uhlíková, Hana; Solanský, Martin; Hrdinová, Vendula; Šedo, Ondrej; Kašparovský, Tomáš; Hejátko, Jan; Lochman, Jan

    2017-03-01

    Plant plasma membrane associated proteins play significant roles in Microbe-Associated Molecular Pattern (MAMP) mediated defence responses including signal transduction, membrane transport or energetic metabolism. To elucidate the dynamics of proteins associated with plasma membrane in response to cryptogein, a well-known MAMP of defence reaction secreted by the oomycete Phytophthora cryptogea, 2D-Blue Native/SDS gel electrophoresis of plasma membrane fractions was employed. This approach revealed 21 up- or down-regulated protein spots of which 15 were successfully identified as proteins related to transport through plasma membrane, vesicle trafficking, and metabolic enzymes including cytosolic NADP-malic enzyme and glutamine synthetase. Observed changes in proteins were also confirmed on transcriptional level by qRT-PCR analysis. In addition, a significantly decreased accumulation of transcripts observed after employment of a mutant variant of cryptogein Leu41Phe, exhibiting a conspicuous defect in induction of resistance, sustains the contribution of identified proteins in cryptogein-triggered cellular responses. Our data provide further evidence for dynamic MAMP-induced changes in plasma membrane associated proteins. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  19. One-step isolation of plasma membrane proteins using magnetic beads with immobilized concanavalin A

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lee, Yu-Chen; Block, Gregory; Chen, Huiwen

    2008-01-01

    We have developed a simple method for isolating and purifying plasma membrane proteins from various cell types. This one-step affinity-chromatography method uses the property of the lectin concanavalin A (ConA) and the technique of magnetic bead separation to obtain highly purified plasma membrane...... proteins from crude membrane preparations or cell lines. ConA is immobilized onto magnetic beads by binding biotinylated ConA to streptavidin magnetic beads. When these ConA magnetic beads were used to enrich plasma membranes from a crude membrane preparation, this procedure resulted in 3.7-fold enrichment...... of plasma membrane marker 5'-nucleotidase activity with 70% recovery of the activity in the crude membrane fraction of rat liver. In agreement with the results of 5'-nucleotidase activity, immunoblotting with antibodies specific for a rat liver plasma membrane protein, CEACAM1, indicated that CEACAM1...

  20. Plasma treatment of polyethersulfone membrane for benzene removal from water by air gap membrane distillation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedram, Sara; Mortaheb, Hamid Reza; Arefi-Khonsari, Farzaneh

    2018-01-01

    In order to obtain a durable cost-effective membrane for membrane distillation (MD) process, flat sheet polyethersulfone (PES) membranes were modified by an atmospheric pressure nonequilibrium plasma generated using a dielectric barrier discharge in a mixture of argon and hexamethyldisiloxane as the organosilicon precursor. The surface properties of the plasma-modified membranes were characterized by water contact angle (CA), liquid entry pressure, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The water CA of the membrane was increased from 64° to 104° by depositing a Si(CH 3 )-rich thin layer. While the pristine PES membrane was not applicable in the MD process, the modified PES membrane could be applied for the first time in an air gap membrane distillation setup for the removal of benzene as a volatile organic compound from water. The experimental design using central composite design and response surface methodology was applied to study the effects of feed temperature, concentration, and flow rate as well as their binary interactions on the overall permeate flux and separation factor. The separation factor and permeation flux of the modified PES membrane at optimum conditions were comparable with those of commercial polytetrafluoroethylene membrane.

  1. Isolation of plasma membranes from cultured glioma cells and application to evaluation of membrane sphingomyelin turnover

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cook, H.W.; Palmer, F.B.; Byers, D.M.; Spence, M.W.

    1988-01-01

    A rapid and reliable method for the isolation of plasma membranes and microsomes of high purity and yield from cultured glioma cells is described. The procedure involves disruption by N2 cavitation, preliminary separation by centrifugation in Tricine buffer, and final separation on a gradient formed from 40% Percoll at pH 9.3. Enzyme and chemical markers indicated greater than 60% yield with six- to eightfold enrichment for plasma membranes and greater than 25% yield with three- to fourfold enrichment for a microsomal fraction consisting mainly of endoplasmic reticulum. The final fractions were obtained with high reproducibility in less than 1 h from the time of cell harvesting. Application of this procedure to human fibroblasts in culture is assessed. The isolation procedure was applied to investigations of synthesis and turnover of sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine in plasma membranes of glioma cells following incubation for 4-24 h with [methyl- 3 H]choline. These studies indicated that radioactivity from phosphatidylcholine synthesized in microsomes from exogenous choline may serve as a precursor of the head-group of sphingomyelin accumulating in the plasma membrane

  2. Collective ion acceleration by relativistic electron beams in plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galvez, M.; Gisler, G.

    1991-01-01

    A two-dimensional fully electromagnetic particle-in-cell code is used to simulate the interaction of a relativistic electron beam injected into a finite-size background neutral plasma. The simulations show that the background electrons are pushed away from the beam path, forming a neutralizing ion channel. Soon after the beam head leaves the plasma, a virtual cathode forms which travels away with the beam. However, at later times a second, quasi-stationary, virtual cathode forms. Its position and strength depends critically on the parameters of the system which critically determines the efficiency of the ion acceleration process. The background ions trapped in the electrostatic well of the virtual cathode are accelerated and at later times, the ions as well as the virtual cathode drift away from the plasma region. The surfing of the ions in the electrostatic well produces an ion population with energies several times the initial electron beam energy. It is found that optimum ion acceleration occurs when the beam-to-plasma density ratio is near unity. When the plasma is dense, the beam is a weak perturbation and accelerates few ions, while when the plasma is tenuous, the beam is not effectively neutralized, and a virtual cathode occurs right at the injection plane. The simulations also show that, at the virtual cathode position, the electron beam is pinched producing a self-focusing phenomena

  3. The structure of ions and zwitterionic lipids regulates the charge of dipolar membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szekely, Or; Steiner, Ariel; Szekely, Pablo; Amit, Einav; Asor, Roi; Tamburu, Carmen; Raviv, Uri

    2011-06-21

    In pure water, zwitterionic lipids form lamellar phases with an equilibrium water gap on the order of 2 to 3 nm as a result of the dominating van der Waals attraction between dipolar bilayers. Monovalent ions can swell those neutral lamellae by a small amount. Divalent ions can adsorb onto dipolar membranes and charge them. Using solution X-ray scattering, we studied how the structure of ions and zwitterionic lipids regulates the charge of dipolar membranes. We found that unlike monovalent ions that weakly interact with all of the examined dipolar membranes, divalent and trivalent ions adsorb onto membranes containing lipids with saturated tails, with an association constant on the order of ∼10 M(-1). One double bond in the lipid tail is sufficient to prevent divalent ion adsorption. We suggest that this behavior is due to the relatively loose packing of lipids with unsaturated tails that increases the area per lipid headgroup, enabling their free rotation. Divalent ion adsorption links two lipids and limits their free rotation. The ion-dipole interaction gained by the adsorption of the ions onto unsaturated membranes is insufficient to compensate for the loss of headgroup free-rotational entropy. The ion-dipole interaction is stronger for cations with a higher valence. Nevertheless, polyamines behave as monovalent ions near dipolar interfaces in the sense that they interact weakly with the membrane surface, whereas in the bulk their behavior is similar to that of multivalent cations. Advanced data analysis and comparison with theory provide insight into the structure and interactions between ion-induced regulated charged interfaces. This study models biologically relevant interactions between cell membranes and various ions and the manner in which the lipid structure governs those interactions. The ability to monitor these interactions creates a tool for probing systems that are more complex and forms the basis for controlling the interactions between dipolar

  4. Tunable sieving of ions using graphene oxide membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abraham, Jijo; Vasu, Kalangi S.; Williams, Christopher D.; Gopinadhan, Kalon; Su, Yang; Cherian, Christie T.; Dix, James; Prestat, Eric; Haigh, Sarah J.; Grigorieva, Irina V.; Carbone, Paola; Geim, Andre K.; Nair, Rahul R.

    2017-07-01

    Graphene oxide membranes show exceptional molecular permeation properties, with promise for many applications. However, their use in ion sieving and desalination technologies is limited by a permeation cutoff of ˜9 Å (ref. 4), which is larger than the diameters of hydrated ions of common salts. The cutoff is determined by the interlayer spacing (d) of ˜13.5 Å, typical for graphene oxide laminates that swell in water. Achieving smaller d for the laminates immersed in water has proved to be a challenge. Here, we describe how to control d by physical confinement and achieve accurate and tunable ion sieving. Membranes with d from ˜9.8 Å to 6.4 Å are demonstrated, providing a sieve size smaller than the diameters of hydrated ions. In this regime, ion permeation is found to be thermally activated with energy barriers of ˜10-100 kJ mol-1 depending on d. Importantly, permeation rates decrease exponentially with decreasing sieve size but water transport is weakly affected (by a factor of <2). The latter is attributed to a low barrier for the entry of water molecules and large slip lengths inside graphene capillaries. Building on these findings, we demonstrate a simple scalable method to obtain graphene-based membranes with limited swelling, which exhibit 97% rejection for NaCl.

  5. Plasma and ion beam processing at Los Alamos

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rej, D.J.; Davis, H.A.; Henins, I.

    1994-01-01

    Efforts are underway at Los Alamos National Laboratory to utilize plasma and intense ion beam science and technology of the processing of advanced materials. A major theme involves surface modification of materials, e.g., etching, deposition, alloying, and implantation. In this paper, we concentrate on two programs, plasma source ion implantation and high-intensity pulsed ion beam deposition

  6. Research on water permeability of poly(ethylene) terephthalate track membranes modified with plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kravets, L.I.; Dmitriev, S.N.; Sleptsov, V.V.; Elinson, V.M.; Potryasay, V.V.

    2001-01-01

    The properties of poly(ethylene) terephthalate track membranes subjected to effect of plasma of the RF-discharge in air have been investigated. The influence conditions of a plasma treatment on the surface properties and hydrodynamic characteristics of the membranes has been studied. It has been found that the effect of the air plasma on the researched membranes results in a formation of asymmetric track membranes with a higher flow rate, the structure and chemical composition of their superficial layer are changed. It was shown that the availability of the modified layer on the membrane surface caused changing in their hydrodynamic characteristics - the water permeability of the membranes, processed in plasma, in a greater degree depends upon pH of a filtered solution. (author)

  7. Fast ions and momentum transport in JET tokamak plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salmi, A.

    2012-01-01

    Fast ions are an inseparable part of fusion plasmas. They can be generated using electromagnetic waves or injected into plasmas as neutrals to heat the bulk plasma and to drive toroidal rotation and current. In future power plants fusion born fast ions deliver the main heating into the plasma. Understanding and controlling the fast ions is of crucial importance for the operation of a power plant. Furthermore, fast ions provide ways to probe the properties of the thermal plasma and get insight of its confinement properties. In this thesis, numerical code packages are used and developed to simulate JET experiments for a range of physics issues related to fast ions. Namely, the clamping fast ion distribution at high energies with RF heating, fast ion ripple torque generation and the toroidal momentum transport properties using NBI modulation technique are investigated. Through a comparison of numerical simulations and the JET experimental data it is shown that the finite Larmor radius effects in ion cyclotron resonance heating are important and that they can prevent fast ion tail formation beyond certain energy. The identified mechanism could be used for tailoring the fast ion distribution in future experiments. Secondly, ASCOT simulations of NBI ions in a ripple field showed that most of the reduction of the toroidal rotation that has been observed in the JET enhanced ripple experiments could be attributed to fast ion ripple torque. Finally, fast ion torque calculations together with momentum transport analysis have led to the conclusion that momentum transport in not purely diffusive but that a convective component, which increases monotonically in radius, exists in a wide range of JET plasmas. Using parameter scans, the convective transport has been shown to be insensitive to collisionality and q-profile but to increase strongly against density gradient. (orig.)

  8. Fast ions and momentum transport in JET tokamak plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salmi, A.

    2012-07-01

    Fast ions are an inseparable part of fusion plasmas. They can be generated using electromagnetic waves or injected into plasmas as neutrals to heat the bulk plasma and to drive toroidal rotation and current. In future power plants fusion born fast ions deliver the main heating into the plasma. Understanding and controlling the fast ions is of crucial importance for the operation of a power plant. Furthermore, fast ions provide ways to probe the properties of the thermal plasma and get insight of its confinement properties. In this thesis, numerical code packages are used and developed to simulate JET experiments for a range of physics issues related to fast ions. Namely, the clamping fast ion distribution at high energies with RF heating, fast ion ripple torque generation and the toroidal momentum transport properties using NBI modulation technique are investigated. Through a comparison of numerical simulations and the JET experimental data it is shown that the finite Larmor radius effects in ion cyclotron resonance heating are important and that they can prevent fast ion tail formation beyond certain energy. The identified mechanism could be used for tailoring the fast ion distribution in future experiments. Secondly, ASCOT simulations of NBI ions in a ripple field showed that most of the reduction of the toroidal rotation that has been observed in the JET enhanced ripple experiments could be attributed to fast ion ripple torque. Finally, fast ion torque calculations together with momentum transport analysis have led to the conclusion that momentum transport in not purely diffusive but that a convective component, which increases monotonically in radius, exists in a wide range of JET plasmas. Using parameter scans, the convective transport has been shown to be insensitive to collisionality and q-profile but to increase strongly against density gradient. (orig.)

  9. TEMPERATURE DEPENDENT PHASE BEHAVIOR AND PROTEIN PARTITIONING IN GIANT PLASMA MEMBRANE VESICLES

    OpenAIRE

    Johnson, SA; Stinson, BM; Go, M; Carmona, LM; Reminick, JI; Fang, X; Baumgart, T

    2010-01-01

    Liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (Ld) phase coexistence has been suggested to partition the plasma membrane of biological cells into lateral compartments, allowing for enrichment or depletion of functionally relevant molecules. This dynamic partitioning might be involved in fine-tuning cellular signaling fidelity through coupling to the plasma membrane protein and lipid composition. In earlier work, giant plasma membrane vesicles, obtained by chemically induced blebbing from cultured...

  10. G-protein activity in Percoll-purified plasma membranes, bulk plasma membranes, and low-density plasma membranes isolated from rat cerebral cortex

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bouřová, Lenka; Stöhr, Jiří; Lisý, Václav; Rudajev, Vladimír; Novotný, Jiří; Svoboda, Petr

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 15, č. 4 (2009), BR111-BR122 ISSN 1234-1010 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC554; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06063; GA ČR(CZ) GA309/06/0121; GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA500110606 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : rat cerebral cortex * plasma membrane * G-protein activity Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 1.543, year: 2009

  11. Towards Enhanced Performance Thin-film Composite Membranes via Surface Plasma Modification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reis, Rackel; Dumée, Ludovic F.; Tardy, Blaise L.; Dagastine, Raymond; Orbell, John D.; Schutz, Jürg A.; Duke, Mikel C.

    2016-01-01

    Advancing the design of thin-film composite membrane surfaces is one of the most promising pathways to deal with treating varying water qualities and increase their long-term stability and permeability. Although plasma technologies have been explored for surface modification of bulk micro and ultrafiltration membrane materials, the modification of thin film composite membranes is yet to be systematically investigated. Here, the performance of commercial thin-film composite desalination membranes has been significantly enhanced by rapid and facile, low pressure, argon plasma activation. Pressure driven water desalination tests showed that at low power density, flux was improved by 22% without compromising salt rejection. Various plasma durations and excitation powers have been systematically evaluated to assess the impact of plasma glow reactions on the physico-chemical properties of these materials associated with permeability. With increasing power density, plasma treatment enhanced the hydrophilicity of the surfaces, where water contact angles decreasing by 70% were strongly correlated with increased negative charge and smooth uniform surface morphology. These results highlight a versatile chemical modification technique for post-treatment of commercial membrane products that provides uniform morphology and chemically altered surface properties. PMID:27363670

  12. Phosphate barrier on pore-filled cation-exchange membrane for blocking complexing ions in presence of non-complexing ions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chavan, Vivek; Agarwal, Chhavi; Shinde, Rakesh N.

    2018-06-01

    In present work, an approach has been used to form a phosphate groups bearing surface barrier on a cation-exchange membrane (CEM). Using optimized conditions, the phosphate bearing monomer bis[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] phosphate has been grafted on the surface of the host poly(ethersulfone) membranes using UV light induced polymerization. The detailed characterizations have shown that less than a micron layer of phosphate barrier is formed without disturbing the original microporous structure of the host membrane. The pores of thus formed membrane have been blocked by cationic-gel formed by in situ UV-initiator induced polymerization of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulphonic acid along with crosslinker ethylene glycol dimethacrylate in the pores of the membrane. UV-initiator is required for pore-filling as UV light would not penetrate the interior matrix of the membrane. The phosphate functionalized barrier membrane has been examined for permselectivity using a mixture of representative complexing Am3+ ions and non-complexing Cs+ ions. This experiment has demonstrated that complex forming Am3+ ions are blocked by phosphate barrier layer while non-complexing Cs+ ions are allowed to pass through the channels formed by the crosslinked cationic gel.

  13. Ion-acoustic cnoidal wave and associated non-linear ion flux in dusty plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jain, S. L. [Poornima Group of Institution, Sitapura, Jaipur 302022 (India); Tiwari, R. S. [Regional College for Education, Research and Technology, Jaipur 302022 (India); Mishra, M. K. [Department of Physics, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur 302004 (India)

    2012-10-15

    Using reductive perturbation method with appropriate boundary conditions, coupled evolution equations for first and second order potentials are derived for ion-acoustic waves in a collisionless, un-magnetized plasma consisting of hot isothermal electrons, cold ions, and massive mobile charged dust grains. The boundary conditions give rise to renormalization term, which enable us to eliminate secular contribution in higher order terms. Determining the non secular solution of these coupled equations, expressions for wave phase velocity and averaged non-linear ion flux associated with ion-acoustic cnoidal wave are obtained. Variation of the wave phase velocity and averaged non-linear ion flux as a function of modulus (k{sup 2}) dependent wave amplitude are numerically examined for different values of dust concentration, charge on dust grains, and mass ratio of dust grains with plasma ions. It is found that for a given amplitude, the presence of positively (negatively) charged dust grains in plasma decreases (increases) the wave phase velocity. This behavior is more pronounced with increase in dust concentrations or increase in charge on dust grains or decrease in mass ratio of dust grains. The averaged non-linear ion flux associated with wave is positive (negative) for negatively (positively) charged dust grains in the plasma and increases (decreases) with modulus (k{sup 2}) dependent wave amplitude. For given amplitude, it increases (decreases) as dust concentration or charge of negatively (positively) charged dust grains increases in the plasma.

  14. Plasma Membranes Modified by Plasma Treatment or Deposition as Solid Electrolytes for Potential Application in Solid Alkaline Fuel Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reinholdt, Marc; Ilie, Alina; Roualdès, Stéphanie; Frugier, Jérémy; Schieda, Mauricio; Coutanceau, Christophe; Martemianov, Serguei; Flaud, Valérie; Beche, Eric; Durand, Jean

    2012-01-01

    In the highly competitive market of fuel cells, solid alkaline fuel cells using liquid fuel (such as cheap, non-toxic and non-valorized glycerol) and not requiring noble metal as catalyst seem quite promising. One of the main hurdles for emergence of such a technology is the development of a hydroxide-conducting membrane characterized by both high conductivity and low fuel permeability. Plasma treatments can enable to positively tune the main fuel cell membrane requirements. In this work, commercial ADP-Morgane® fluorinated polymer membranes and a new brand of cross-linked poly(aryl-ether) polymer membranes, named AMELI-32®, both containing quaternary ammonium functionalities, have been modified by argon plasma treatment or triallylamine-based plasma deposit. Under the concomitant etching/cross-linking/oxidation effects inherent to the plasma modification, transport properties (ionic exchange capacity, water uptake, ionic conductivity and fuel retention) of membranes have been improved. Consequently, using plasma modified ADP-Morgane® membrane as electrolyte in a solid alkaline fuel cell operating with glycerol as fuel has allowed increasing the maximum power density by a factor 3 when compared to the untreated membrane. PMID:24958295

  15. Plasma membranes modified by plasma treatment or deposition as solid electrolytes for potential application in solid alkaline fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reinholdt, Marc; Ilie, Alina; Roualdès, Stéphanie; Frugier, Jérémy; Schieda, Mauricio; Coutanceau, Christophe; Martemianov, Serguei; Flaud, Valérie; Beche, Eric; Durand, Jean

    2012-07-30

    In the highly competitive market of fuel cells, solid alkaline fuel cells using liquid fuel (such as cheap, non-toxic and non-valorized glycerol) and not requiring noble metal as catalyst seem quite promising. One of the main hurdles for emergence of such a technology is the development of a hydroxide-conducting membrane characterized by both high conductivity and low fuel permeability. Plasma treatments can enable to positively tune the main fuel cell membrane requirements. In this work, commercial ADP-Morgane® fluorinated polymer membranes and a new brand of cross-linked poly(aryl-ether) polymer membranes, named AMELI-32®, both containing quaternary ammonium functionalities, have been modified by argon plasma treatment or triallylamine-based plasma deposit. Under the concomitant etching/cross-linking/oxidation effects inherent to the plasma modification, transport properties (ionic exchange capacity, water uptake, ionic conductivity and fuel retention) of membranes have been improved. Consequently, using plasma modified ADP-Morgane® membrane as electrolyte in a solid alkaline fuel cell operating with glycerol as fuel has allowed increasing the maximum power density by a factor 3 when compared to the untreated membrane.

  16. Nonlinear dust-ion-acoustic waves in a multi-ion plasma with ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The basic features of such dust-ion-acoustic solitary and shock waves have been ... ion plasmas because of its vital role in understanding different types of ... cannot support the usual ion-acoustic waves, but can support the DIA waves of ...

  17. Nano and Mesoscale Ion and Water Transport in Perfluorosulfonic AcidMembranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    Nano- and Mesoscale Ion and Water Transport in Perfluorosulfonic-Acid Membranes A. R. Crothers a,b , C. J. Radke a,b , A. Z. Weber a a...Berkeley, CA 94720, USA Water and aqueous cations transport along multiple length scales in perfluorosulfonic-acid membranes. Molecular interactions...as a function of hydration. A resistor network upscales the nanoscale properties to predict effective membrane ion and water transport and their

  18. Spectroscopic measurements of anode plasma with cryogenic pulsed ion sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoneda, H.; Urata, T.; Ohbayashi, K.; Kim, Y.; Horioka, K.; Kasuya, K.

    1987-01-01

    In ion beam diodes, electromagnetic wave is coupled to ion beam. Ion is extracted from anode plasma, which is produced early in the power pulse. However, exact mechanism of anode plasma production, expansion and ion extraction process is unknown. In particularly, anode plasma expansion is seemed to be one of the reasons of rapid impedance collapse of the diode, which is serious problem in high power experiments. Some experimental results showed that anode plasma expansion velocity was about 5 times larger than that inferred from simple thermal velocity. Several explanations for these results were proposed; for example, electron collisionarity in anode plasma, fast neutral gas particle, diamagnetism. To solve this question, it is necessary to measure the characteristic of anode plasma with space and time resolution. The authors made spectroscopic measurements to investigate variety of electron temperature, electron density, expansion velocity of anode plasma with various ion sources

  19. Plasma membrane of a marine T cell lymphoma: surface labelling, membrane isolation, separation of membrane proteins and distribution of surface label amongst these proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crumpton, M.J.; Marchalonis, J.J.; Haustein, D.; Atwell, J.L.; Harris, A.W.

    1976-01-01

    Two established techniques for analysis of plasma membranes, namely, lactoperoxidase catalyzed surface radioiodination of intact cells and bulk membrane isolation following disruption of cells by shear forces, were applied in studies of membrane proteins of continuously cultured cells of the monoclonal T lymphoma line WEHI-22. It was found that macromolecular 125 I-iodide incorporated into plasma membrane proteins of intact cells was at least as good a marker for the plasma as was the commonly used enzyme 5'-nucleotidase, T lymphoma plasma membrane proteins were complex when analysed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecylsulphate-containing buffers and more than thirty distinct components were resolved. More than fifteen of the components observed on a mass basis were also labelled with 125 I-iodide. Certain bands, however, exhibited a degree of label disproportionate to their staining properties with Coomassie Blue. This was interpreted in terms of their accessibility to the solvent in the intact cells. (author)

  20. Radiative Recombination and Photoionization Data for Tungsten Ions. Electron Structure of Ions in Plasmas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malvina B. Trzhaskovskaya

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Theoretical studies of tungsten ions in plasmas are presented. New calculations of the radiative recombination and photoionization cross-sections, as well as radiative recombination and radiated power loss rate coefficients have been performed for 54 tungsten ions for the range W6+–W71+. The data are of importance for fusion investigations at the reactor ITER, as well as devices ASDEX Upgrade and EBIT. Calculations are fully relativistic. Electron wave functions are found by the Dirac–Fock method with proper consideration of the electron exchange. All significant multipoles of the radiative field are taken into account. The radiative recombination rates and the radiated power loss rates are determined provided the continuum electron velocity is described by the relativistic Maxwell–Jüttner distribution. The impact of the core electron polarization on the radiative recombination cross-section is estimated for the Ne-like iron ion and for highly-charged tungsten ions within an analytical approximation using the Dirac–Fock electron wave functions. The effect is shown to enhance the radiative recombination cross-sections by ≲20%. The enhancement depends on the photon energy, the principal quantum number of polarized shells and the ion charge. The influence of plasma temperature and density on the electron structure of ions in local thermodynamic equilibrium plasmas is investigated. Results for the iron and uranium ions in dense plasmas are in good agreement with previous calculations. New calculations were performed for the tungsten ion in dense plasmas on the basis of the average-atom model, as well as for the impurity tungsten ion in fusion plasmas using the non-linear self-consistent field screening model. The temperature and density dependence of the ion charge, level energies and populations are considered.

  1. There Is No Simple Model of the Plasma Membrane Organization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernardino de la Serna, Jorge; Schütz, Gerhard J.; Eggeling, Christian; Cebecauer, Marek

    2016-01-01

    Ever since technologies enabled the characterization of eukaryotic plasma membranes, heterogeneities in the distributions of its constituents were observed. Over the years this led to the proposal of various models describing the plasma membrane organization such as lipid shells, picket-and-fences, lipid rafts, or protein islands, as addressed in numerous publications and reviews. Instead of emphasizing on one model we in this review give a brief overview over current models and highlight how current experimental work in one or the other way do not support the existence of a single overarching model. Instead, we highlight the vast variety of membrane properties and components, their influences and impacts. We believe that highlighting such controversial discoveries will stimulate unbiased research on plasma membrane organization and functionality, leading to a better understanding of this essential cellular structure. PMID:27747212

  2. Shotgun proteomics of plant plasma membrane and microdomain proteins using nano-LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Daisuke; Li, Bin; Nakayama, Takato; Kawamura, Yukio; Uemura, Matsuo

    2014-01-01

    Shotgun proteomics allows the comprehensive analysis of proteins extracted from plant cells, subcellular organelles, and membranes. Previously, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis-based proteomics was used for mass spectrometric analysis of plasma membrane proteins. In order to get comprehensive proteome profiles of the plasma membrane including highly hydrophobic proteins with a number of transmembrane domains, a mass spectrometry-based shotgun proteomics method using nano-LC-MS/MS for proteins from the plasma membrane proteins and plasma membrane microdomain fraction is described. The results obtained are easily applicable to label-free protein semiquantification.

  3. Radiation deterioration of ion-exchange Nafion N117CS membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iwai, Yasunori; Hiroki, Akihiro; Tamada, Masao; Isobe, Kanetsugu; Yamanishi, Toshihiko

    2010-01-01

    The cation-exchange Nafion N117 membranes swelling in electrolyte solution were irradiated with γ-rays or electron beams at various doses up to 1500 kGy in the temperature range from room temperature to 343 K to obtain detailed information on the effect of ion-exchange on the radiation deterioration in mechanical properties and ion-exchange capacity. Considerable deterioration in mechanical properties was observed when the Nafion membranes swelling in electrolyte solution were irradiated. A reason is the promotion of degradation with oxygen molecules produced by the irradiation of electrolyte solution. The concentration of electrolyte solution influenced strongly the radiation deterioration in mechanical properties. Keeping the concentration of metal ions to be negligible is important when electrolyzed highly radioactive solution in the light of the durability of polyperfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membrane. A sort of cation in electrolyte solution negligibly influenced radiation deterioration in mechanical properties. A sort of anion in electrolyte solution had negligible effect on radiation deterioration in mechanical properties and ion-exchange capacity. The discrepancy in the radiation deterioration in mechanical properties of Nafion membranes swelling in NaCl solution was observed between the specimens irradiated with γ-rays and electron beams. This discrepancy can be explained from the low diffusivity of oxygen from bulk into the membrane.

  4. Specificity of Plasma Membrane Targeting by the Rous Sarcoma Virus Gag Protein

    OpenAIRE

    Scheifele, Lisa Z.; Rhoads, Jonathan D.; Parent, Leslie J.

    2003-01-01

    Budding of C-type retroviruses begins when the viral Gag polyprotein is directed to the plasma membrane by an N-terminal membrane-binding (M) domain. While dispersed basic amino acids within the M domain are critical for stable membrane association and consequent particle assembly, additional residues or motifs may be required for specific plasma membrane targeting and binding. We have identified an assembly-defective Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) Gag mutant that retains significant membrane affin...

  5. Lipid self-assembly and lectin-induced reorganization of the plasma membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sych, Taras; Mély, Yves; Römer, Winfried

    2018-05-26

    The plasma membrane represents an outstanding example of self-organization in biology. It plays a vital role in protecting the integrity of the cell interior and regulates meticulously the import and export of diverse substances. Its major building blocks are proteins and lipids, which self-assemble to a fluid lipid bilayer driven mainly by hydrophobic forces. Even if the plasma membrane appears-globally speaking-homogeneous at physiological temperatures, the existence of specialized nano- to micrometre-sized domains of raft-type character within cellular and synthetic membrane systems has been reported. It is hypothesized that these domains are the origin of a plethora of cellular processes, such as signalling or vesicular trafficking. This review intends to highlight the driving forces of lipid self-assembly into a bilayer membrane and the formation of small, transient domains within the plasma membrane. The mechanisms of self-assembly depend on several factors, such as the lipid composition of the membrane and the geometry of lipids. Moreover, the dynamics and organization of glycosphingolipids into nanometre-sized clusters will be discussed, also in the context of multivalent lectins, which cluster several glycosphingolipid receptor molecules and thus create an asymmetric stress between the two membrane leaflets, leading to tubular plasma membrane invaginations.This article is part of the theme issue 'Self-organization in cell biology'. © 2018 The Author(s).

  6. Investigations of electrostatic ion waves in a collisionless plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michelsen, P.

    1980-06-01

    The author reviews a series of publications concerning theoretical and experimental investigations of electrostatic ion waves in a collisionless plasma. The experimental work was performed in the Risoe Q-machine under various operational conditions. Besides a description of this machine and the diagnostic techniques used for the measurements, two kinds of electrostatic waves are treated, namely, ion-acoustic waves and ion-cyclotron waves. Due to the relative simplicity of the ion-acoustic waves, these were treated in detail in order to get a more general understanding of the behaviour of the propagation properties of electrostatic waves. The problem concerning the difficulties in describing waves excited at a certain position and propagating in space by a proper mathematical model was especially considered in depth. Furthermore, ion-acoustic waves were investigated which propagated in a plasma with a density gradient, and afterwards in a plasma with an ion beam. Finally, a study of the electrostatic ion-cyclotron waves was undertaken, and it was shown that these waves were unstable in a plasma traversed by an ion beam. (Auth.)

  7. Plasma membrane organization and dynamics is probe and cell line dependent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Shuangru; Lim, Shi Ying; Gupta, Anjali; Bag, Nirmalya; Wohland, Thorsten

    2017-09-01

    The action and interaction of membrane receptor proteins take place within the plasma membrane. The plasma membrane, however, is not a passive matrix. It rather takes an active role and regulates receptor distribution and function by its composition and the interaction of its lipid components with embedded and surrounding proteins. Furthermore, it is not a homogenous fluid but contains lipid and protein domains of various sizes and characteristic lifetimes which are important in regulating receptor function and signaling. The precise lateral organization of the plasma membrane, the differences between the inner and outer leaflet, and the influence of the cytoskeleton are still debated. Furthermore, there is a lack of comparisons of the organization and dynamics of the plasma membrane of different cell types. Therefore, we used four different specific membrane markers to test the lateral organization, the differences between the inner and outer membrane leaflet, and the influence of the cytoskeleton of up to five different cell lines, including Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1), Human cervical carcinoma (HeLa), neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y), fibroblast (WI-38) and rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells by Imaging Total Internal Reflection (ITIR)-Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS). We measure diffusion in the temperature range of 298-310K to measure the Arrhenius activation energy (E Arr ) of diffusion and apply the FCS diffusion law to obtain information on the spatial organization of the probe molecules on the various cell membranes. Our results show clear differences of the FCS diffusion law and E Arr for the different probes in dependence of their localization. These differences are similar in the outer and inner leaflet of the membrane. However, these values can differ significantly between different cell lines raising the question how molecular plasma membrane events measured in different cell lines can be compared. This article is part of a Special Issue

  8. Tissue Factor Coagulant Activity is Regulated by the Plasma Membrane Microenvironment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Yuanjie; Böing, Anita N; Hau, Chi M; Hajji, Najat; Ruf, Wolfram; Sturk, Auguste; Nieuwland, Rienk

    2018-06-01

     Tissue factor (TF) can be present in a non-coagulant and coagulant form. Whether the coagulant activity is affected by the plasma membrane microenvironment is unexplored.  This article studies the presence and coagulant activity of human TF in plasma membrane micro-domains.  Plasma membranes were isolated from human MIA PaCa2 cells, MDA-MB-231 cells and human vascular smooth muscle cells by Percoll gradient ultracentrifugation after cell disruption. Plasma membranes were fractionated by OptiPrep gradient ultracentrifugation, and the presence of TF, flotillin, caveolin, clathrin, protein disulphide isomerase (PDI), TF pathway inhibitor (TFPI) and phosphatidylserine (PS) were determined.  Plasma membranes contain two detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) compartments differing in density and biochemical composition. High-density DRMs (DRM-H) have a density ( ρ ) of 1.15 to 1.20 g/mL and contain clathrin, whereas low-density DRMs (DRM-L) have a density between 1.09 and 1.13 g/mL and do not contain clathrin. Both DRMs contain TF, flotillin and caveolin. PDI is detectable in DRM-H, TFPI is not detectable in either DMR-H or DRM-L and PS is detectable in DRM-L. The DRM-H-associated TF (> 95% of the TF antigen) lacks detectable coagulant activity, whereas the DRM-L-associated TF triggers coagulation. This coagulant activity is inhibited by lactadherin and thus PS-dependent, but seemed insensitive to 16F16, an inhibitor of PDI.  Non-coagulant and coagulant TF are present within different types of DRMs in the plasma membrane, and the composition of these DRMs may affect the TF coagulant activity. Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart.

  9. Oxygen activation at the plasma membrane: relation between superoxide and hydroxyl radical production by isolated membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heyno, Eiri; Mary, Véronique; Schopfer, Peter; Krieger-Liszkay, Anja

    2011-07-01

    Production of reactive oxygen species (hydroxyl radicals, superoxide radicals and hydrogen peroxide) was studied using EPR spin-trapping techniques and specific dyes in isolated plasma membranes from the growing and the non-growing zones of hypocotyls and roots of etiolated soybean seedlings as well as coleoptiles and roots of etiolated maize seedlings. NAD(P)H mediated the production of superoxide in all plasma membrane samples. Hydroxyl radicals were only produced by the membranes of the hypocotyl growing zone when a Fenton catalyst (FeEDTA) was present. By contrast, in membranes from other parts of the seedlings a low rate of spontaneous hydroxyl radical formation was observed due to the presence of small amounts of tightly bound peroxidase. It is concluded that apoplastic hydroxyl radical generation depends fully, or for the most part, on peroxidase localized in the cell wall. In soybean plasma membranes from the growing zone of the hypocotyl pharmacological tests showed that the superoxide production could potentially be attributed to the action of at least two enzymes, an NADPH oxidase and, in the presence of menadione, a quinone reductase.

  10. Photostable bipolar fluorescent probe for video tracking plasma membranes related cellular processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xinfu; Wang, Chao; Jin, Liji; Han, Zhuo; Xiao, Yi

    2014-08-13

    Plasma membranes can sense the stimulations and transmit the signals from extracellular environment and then make further responses through changes in locations, shapes or morphologies. Common fluorescent membrane markers are not well suited for long time tracking due to their shorter retention time inside plasma membranes and/or their lower photostability. To this end, we develop a new bipolar marker, Mem-SQAC, which can stably insert into plasma membranes of different cells and exhibits a long retention time over 30 min. Mem-SQAC also inherits excellent photostability from the BODIPY dye family. Large two-photon absorption cross sections and long wavelength fluorescence emissions further enhance the competitiveness of Mem-SQAC as a membrane marker. By using Mem-SQAC, significant morphological changes of plasma membranes have been monitored during heavy metal poisoning and drug induced apoptosis of MCF-7 cells; the change tendencies are so distinctly different from each other that they can be used as indicators to distinguish different cell injuries. Further on, the complete processes of endocytosis toward Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli by RAW 264.7 cells have been dynamically tracked. It is discovered that plasma membranes take quite different actions in response to the two bacteria, information unavailable in previous research reports.

  11. New developments in metal ion implantation by vacuum arc ion sources and metal plasma immersion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, I.G.; Anders, A.; Anders, S.

    1996-01-01

    Ion implantation by intense beams of metal ions can be accomplished using the dense metal plasma formed in a vacuum arc discharge embodied either in a vacuum arc ion source or in a metal plasma immersion configuration. In the former case high energy metal ion beams are formed and implantation is done in a more-or-less conventional way, and in the latter case the substrate is immersed in the plasma and repetitively pulse-biased so as to accelerate the ions at the high voltage plasma sheath formed at the substrate. A number of advances have been made in the last few years, both in plasma technology and in the surface modification procedures, that enhance the effectiveness and versatility of the methods, including for example: controlled increase of the in charge states produced; operation in a dual metal-gaseous ion species mode; very large area beam formation; macroparticle filtering; and the development of processing regimes for optimizing adhesion, morphology and structure. These complementary ion processing techniques provide the plasma tools for doing ion surface modification over a very wide parameter regime, from pure ion implantation at energies approaching the MeV level, through ion mixing at energies in the ∼1 to ∼100 keV range, to IBAD-like processing at energies from a few tens of eV to a few keV. Here the authors review the methods, describe a number of recent developments, and outline some of the surface modification applications to which the methods have been put. 54 refs., 9 figs

  12. ESCRT-dependent degradation of ubiquitylated plasma membrane proteins in plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isono, Erika; Kalinowska, Kamila

    2017-12-01

    To control the abundance of plasma membrane receptors and transporters is crucial for proper perception and response to extracellular signals from surrounding cells and the environment. Posttranslational modification of plasma membrane proteins, especially ubiquitin conjugation or ubiquitylation, is key for the determination of stability for many transmembrane proteins localized on the cell surface. The targeted degradation is ensured by a complex network of proteins among which the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) plays a central role. This review focuses on progresses made in recent years on the understanding of the function of the ESCRT machinery in the degradation of ubiquitylated plasma membrane proteins in plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Effects of gamma irradiation on the plasma membrane of suspension-cultured apple cells. Rapid irreversible inhibition of H+-ATPase activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong, C.-Z.; Montillet, J.-L.; Triantaphylides, C.

    1994-01-01

    The effects of ionizing radiation, used in post-harvest treatment of fruit and vegetables. were investigated on cultured apple cells (Pyrus malus L. cv. Royal Red) on a short-term period. Irradiation (2 kGy) induced an increase of passive ion effluxes from cells and a decrease of cell capacity to regulate external pH. These alterations are likely due to effects on plasma membrane structure and function and were further investigated by studying the effects of irradiation on plasma membrane H + -ATPase activity. Plasma membrane-enriched vesicles were prepared and the H + -ATPase activity was characterized. Irradiation of the vesicles induced a dose dependent inhibition of H + -ATPase activity. The loss of enzyme activity was immediate, even at low doses (0.5 kGy), and was not reversed by the addition of 2mM dithiothreitol. This inhibition may be the result of an irreversible oxidation of enzyme sulfhydryl moieties and/or the result of changes induced within the lipid bilayer affecting the membrane-enzyme interactions. Further analysis of the H + -ATPase activity was carried out on vesicles obtained from irradiated cells confirming the previous results. In vivo recovery of activity was not observed within 5 h following the treatment, thus explaining the decrease of cell capacity to regulate external pH. This rapid irreversible inhibition of the plasma membrane H + -ATPase must be considered as one of the most important primary biochemical events occurring in irradiated plant material. (author)

  14. Ion acoustic solitons/double layers in two-ion plasma revisited

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lakhina, G. S.; Singh, S. V.; Kakad, A. P.

    2014-01-01

    Ion acoustic solitons and double layers are studied in a collisionless plasma consisting of cold heavier ion species, a warm lighter ion species, and hot electrons having Boltzmann distributions by Sagdeev pseudo-potential technique. In contrast to the previous results, no double layers and super-solitons are found when both the heavy and lighter ion species are treated as cold. Only the positive potential solitons are found in this case. When the thermal effects of the lighter ion species are included, in addition to the usual ion-acoustic solitons occurring at M > 1 (where the Mach number, M, is defined as the ratio of the speed of the solitary wave and the ion-acoustic speed considering temperature of hot electrons and mass of the heavier ion species), slow ion-acoustic solitons/double layers are found to occur at low Mach number (M < 1). The slow ion-acoustic mode is actually a new ion-ion hybrid acoustic mode which disappears when the normalized number density of lighter ion species tends to 1 (i.e., no heavier species). An interesting property of the new slow ion-acoustic mode is that at low number density of the lighter ion species, only negative potential solitons/double layers are found whereas for increasing densities there is a transition first to positive solitons/double layers, and then only positive solitons. The model can be easily applicable to the dusty plasmas having positively charged dust grains by replacing the heavier ion species by the dust mass and doing a simple normalization to take account of the dust charge

  15. Ion beam extraction from a matrix ECR plasma source by discrete ion-focusing effect

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stamate, Eugen; Draghici, Mihai

    2010-01-01

    -ECR plasma source [3] with transversal magnetic filter for electron temperature control. 12 ECR plasma cells are placed 7.5 cm apart on the top of a cubic chamber 40x40x40 cm3. Each cell can be controlled independently by tuning the injected microwave power. The discharge is operated at pressures below 1 m......Positive or negative ion beams extracted from plasma are used in a large variety of surface functionalization techniques such as implantation, etching, surface activation, passivation or oxidation. Of particular importance is the surface treatment of materials sensitive to direct plasma exposure...... due to high heath fluxes, the controllability of the ion incidence angle, and charge accumulation when treating insulating materials. Despite of a large variety of plasma sources available for ion beam extraction, there is a clear need for new extraction mechanisms that can make available ion beams...

  16. Fluidity of pea root plasma membranes under altered gravity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klymchuk, D. O.; Baranenko, V. V.; Vorobyova, T. V.; Dubovoy, V. D.

    This investigation aims to determine whether clinorotation 2 rev min of pea Pisum sativum L seedlings induces the alterations in the physical-chemical properties of cellular membranes including the plasma membrane fluidity The last is an important regulator of functional activity of membrane enzymes The plasma membranes were isolated by aqueous two-phase partitioning from roots of 6-day old pea seedlings The membrane fluidity was examined by fluorescence spectroscopy using pyrene probe The plasma membrane vesicles with known protein concentration were added to the incubation buffer to a final concentration of 50 mu g of protein per ml A small amount by 1 mu l of pyrene solution in 2-propanol was added to the incubation mixture to a final probe concentration 5 mu M at constant mixing Fluorescence spectra were measured using a Perkin-Elmer LS-50 spectrofluorometer Perkin-Elmer England Pyrene was excited at 337 nm and fluorescence intensity of monomers I M and excimers I E were measured at 393 and 470 nm respectively The I E I M ratios were 0 081 pm 0 003 and 0 072 pm 0 004 in preparations obtained from clinorotated and the control seedlings respectively This fact indicates that rotation on the clinostat increases the membrane fluidity Compared with controls clinorotated seedlings have also showed a reduced growth and a higher level of total unsaturated fatty acids determined by gas chromatography The factors that influence on the fluidity of membrane lipids in bilayer appear to be the

  17. Ultrastructural analysis of nanoparticles and ions released in periprosthetic membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabbatini, Maurizio; Gatti, Giorgio; Renò, Filippo; Bosetti, Michela; Marchese, Leonardo; Cannas, Mario

    2014-12-30

    The distribution and relationship of hydroxyapatite debris, nanometric organic and metal wear particles and metal ions on periimplant interface membranes following aseptic and septic arthroplastic loosening were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray spectroscopic analysis were used to analyze debris and ion distribution. Hydroxyapatite debris appeared with different morphology in a particular distribution among several membranes. These differences may reflect the occurrence of different friction forces taking place between prosthesis and bone interface in the several types of prostheses studied. Metal wear particles were detected in greater numbers in membranes from noncemented prostheses compared with those from cemented ones. In contrast, more organic particles were present in membrane from cemented prosthesis. No differences were observed between aseptic and septic membranes. Our findings support the need to evaluate the occurrence of friction forces that periprosthetic bone debris production may induce to exacerbate cellular reactivity. Furthermore, cellular engulfment of debris and the high level of different ions released indicate the occurrence of a toxic environment that may induce failure of any reparative pathways.

  18. Role of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in regulating EHD2 plasma membrane localization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura C Simone

    Full Text Available The four mammalian C-terminal Eps15 homology domain-containing proteins (EHD1-EHD4 play pivotal roles in endocytic membrane trafficking. While EHD1, EHD3 and EHD4 associate with intracellular tubular/vesicular membranes, EHD2 localizes to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. Currently, little is known about the regulation of EHD2. Thus, we sought to define the factors responsible for EHD2's association with the plasma membrane. The subcellular localization of endogenous EHD2 was examined in HeLa cells using confocal microscopy. Although EHD partner proteins typically mediate EHD membrane recruitment, EHD2 was targeted to the plasma membrane independent of two well-characterized binding proteins, syndapin2 and EHBP1. Additionally, the EH domain of EHD2, which facilitates canonical EHD protein interactions, was not required to direct overexpressed EHD2 to the cell surface. On the other hand, several lines of evidence indicate that the plasma membrane phospholipid phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2 plays a crucial role in regulating EHD2 subcellular localization. Pharmacologic perturbation of PIP2 metabolism altered PIP2 plasma membrane distribution (as assessed by confocal microscopy, and caused EHD2 to redistribute away from the plasma membrane. Furthermore, overexpressed EHD2 localized to PIP2-enriched vacuoles generated by active Arf6. Finally, we show that although cytochalasin D caused actin microfilaments to collapse, EHD2 was nevertheless maintained at the plasma membrane. Intriguingly, cytochalasin D induced relocalization of both PIP2 and EHD2 to actin aggregates, supporting a role of PIP2 in controlling EHD2 subcellular localization. Altogether, these studies emphasize the significance of membrane lipid composition for EHD2 subcellular distribution and offer new insights into the regulation of this important endocytic protein.

  19. Surface modification of polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes using pulsed direct current nitrogen plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pal, Dipankar; Neogi, Sudarsan; De, Sirshendu, E-mail: sde@che.iitkgp.ernet.in

    2015-12-31

    Low temperature plasma treatment using pulsed direct current discharge of nitrogen gas was employed to enhance hydrophilicity of the polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes. The membranes were characterized in terms of morphology, structure, hydrophilicity, and membrane performance. Properties and functional groups on the surface of polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes were investigated by contact angle, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Effects of plasma conditions, namely, pulsed voltage, duty cycle and treatment time on increase in membrane hydrophilicity were studied. Permeability of treated membrane was increased by 47% and it was retained up to 70 days. Surface etching due to plasma treatment was confirmed by weight loss of the treated membranes. Due to surface etching, average pore size increased and rejection of 200 kDa polyethylene glycol decreased to about 70% for the treated membrane. Oxygen and nitrogen functional groups were responsible for surface hydrophilicity. - Highlights: • Surface modification of polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes by pulsed direct current nitrogen plasma • Hydrophilic functional groups incorporated on the membrane surface • Significant enhancement of the permeability and wettability of the membranes • Water contact angle increased with storage time and finally stabilized.

  20. Surface modification of polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes using pulsed direct current nitrogen plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pal, Dipankar; Neogi, Sudarsan; De, Sirshendu

    2015-01-01

    Low temperature plasma treatment using pulsed direct current discharge of nitrogen gas was employed to enhance hydrophilicity of the polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes. The membranes were characterized in terms of morphology, structure, hydrophilicity, and membrane performance. Properties and functional groups on the surface of polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes were investigated by contact angle, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Effects of plasma conditions, namely, pulsed voltage, duty cycle and treatment time on increase in membrane hydrophilicity were studied. Permeability of treated membrane was increased by 47% and it was retained up to 70 days. Surface etching due to plasma treatment was confirmed by weight loss of the treated membranes. Due to surface etching, average pore size increased and rejection of 200 kDa polyethylene glycol decreased to about 70% for the treated membrane. Oxygen and nitrogen functional groups were responsible for surface hydrophilicity. - Highlights: • Surface modification of polyacrylonitrile co-polymer membranes by pulsed direct current nitrogen plasma • Hydrophilic functional groups incorporated on the membrane surface • Significant enhancement of the permeability and wettability of the membranes • Water contact angle increased with storage time and finally stabilized.

  1. Ion motion in the wake driven by long particle bunches in plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vieira, J.; Silva, L. O.; Fonseca, R. A.; Mori, W. B.

    2014-01-01

    We explore the role of the background plasma ion motion in self-modulated plasma wakefield accelerators. We employ Dawson's plasma sheet model to derive expressions for the transverse plasma electric field and ponderomotive force in the narrow bunch limit. We use these results to determine the on-set of the ion dynamics and demonstrate that the ion motion could occur in self-modulated plasma wakefield accelerators. Simulations show the motion of the plasma ions can lead to the early suppression of the self-modulation instability and of the accelerating fields. The background plasma ion motion can nevertheless be fully mitigated by using plasmas with heavier plasmas

  2. The Plasma Membrane Calcium Pump

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasmussen, H.

    1983-01-01

    Three aspect of cellular calcium metabolism in animal cells was discussed including the importance of the plasma membrane in calcium homeostasis, experiments dealing with the actual mechanism of the calcium pump, and the function of the pump in relationship to the mitochondria and to the function of calmodulin in the intact cell.

  3. Increasing selectivity of a heterogeneous ion-exchange membrane

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Křivčík, J.; Neděla, D.; Hadrava, J.; Brožová, Libuše

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 56, č. 12 (2015), s. 3160-3166 ISSN 1944-3994. [International Conference on Membrane and Electromembrane Processes - MELPRO 2014. Prague, 18.05.2014-21.05.2014] Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : ion-exchange membrane * selectivity * permselectivity Subject RIV: JP - Industrial Processing Impact factor: 1.272, year: 2015

  4. Function of plasma membrane microdomain-associated proteins during legume nodulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Zhenzhen; Libault, Marc

    2017-10-03

    Plasma membrane microdomains are plasma membrane sub-compartments enriched in sphingolipids and sterols, and composed by a specific set of proteins. They are involved in recognizing signal molecules, transducing these signals, and controlling endocytosis and exocytosis processes. In a recent study, applying biochemical and microscopic methods, we characterized the soybean GmFWL1 protein, a major regulator of soybean nodulation, as a new membrane microdomain-associated protein. Interestingly, upon rhizobia inoculation of the soybean root system, GmFWL1 and one of its interacting partners, GmFLOT2/4, both translocate to the root hair cell tip, the primary site of interaction and infection between soybean and Rhizobium. The role of GmFWL1 as a plasma membrane microdomain-associated protein is also supported by immunoprecipitation assays performed on soybean nodules, which revealed 178 GmFWL1 protein partners including a large number of microdomain-associated proteins such as GmFLOT2/4. In this addendum, we provide additional information about the identity of the soybean proteins repetitively identified as GmFWL1 protein partners. Their function is discussed especially in regard to plant-microbe interactions and microbial symbiosis. This addendum will provide new insights in the role of plasma membrane microdomains in regulating legume nodulation.

  5. Electrochemical evidences and consequences of significant differences in ions diffusion rate in polyacrylate-based ion-selective membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woźnica, Emilia; Mieczkowski, Józef; Michalska, Agata

    2011-11-21

    The origin and effect of surface accumulation of primary ions within the ion-selective poly(n-butyl acrylate)-based membrane, obtained by thermal polymerization, is discussed. Using a new method, based on the relation between the shape of a potentiometric plot and preconditioning time, the diffusion of copper ions in the membrane was found to be slow (the diffusion coefficient estimated to be close to 10(-11) cm(2) s(-1)), especially when compared to ion-exchanger counter ions--sodium cations diffusion (a diffusion coefficient above 10(-9) cm(2) s(-1)). The higher mobility of sodium ions than those of the copper-ionophore complex results in exposed ion-exchanger role leading to undesirably exposed sensitivity to sodium or potassium ions.

  6. Confinement of laser plasma by solenoidal field for laser ion source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okamura, M.; Kanesue, T.; Kondo, K.; Dabrowski, R.

    2010-01-01

    A laser ion source can provide high current, highly charged ions with a simple structure. However, it was not easy to control the ion pulse width. To provide a longer ion beam pulse, the plasma drift length, which is the distance between laser target and extraction point, has to be extended and as a result the plasma is diluted severely. Previously, we applied a solenoid field to prevent reduction of ion density at the extraction point. Although a current enhancement by a solenoid field was observed, plasma behavior after a solenoid magnet was unclear because plasma behavior can be different from usual ion beam dynamics. We measured a transverse ion distribution along the beam axis to understand plasma motion in the presence of a solenoid field.

  7. Amphotericin B channels in phospholipid membrane-coated nanoporous silicon surfaces: implications for photovoltaic driving of ions across membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yilma, Solomon; Liu, Nangou; Samoylov, Alexander; Lo, Ting; Brinker, C Jeffrey; Vodyanoy, Vitaly

    2007-03-15

    The antimycotic agent amphotericin B (AmB) functions by forming complexes with sterols to form ion channels that cause membrane leakage. When AmB and cholesterol mixed at 2:1 ratio were incorporated into phospholipid bilayer membranes formed on the tip of patch pipettes, ion channel current fluctuations with characteristic open and closed states were observed. These channels were also functional in phospholipid membranes formed on nanoporous silicon surfaces. Electrophysiological studies of AmB-cholesterol mixtures that were incorporated into phospholipid membranes formed on the surface of nanoporous (6.5 nm pore diameter) silicon plates revealed large conductance ion channels ( approximately 300 pS) with distinct open and closed states. Currents through the AmB-cholesterol channels on nanoporous silicon surfaces can be driven by voltage applied via conventional electrical circuits or by photovoltaic electrical potential entirely generated when the nanoporous silicon surface is illuminated with a narrow laser beam. Electrical recordings made during laser illumination of AmB-cholesterol containing membrane-coated nanoporous silicon surfaces revealed very large conductance ion channels with distinct open and closed states. Our findings indicate that nanoporous silicon surfaces can serve as mediums for ion-channel-based biosensors. The photovoltaic properties of nanoporous silicon surfaces show great promise for making such biosensors addressable via optical technologies.

  8. A one-dimensional collisional model for plasma-immersion ion implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vahedi, V.; Lieberman, M.A.; Alves, M.V.; Verboncoeur, J.P.; Birdsall, C.K.

    1991-01-01

    Plasma-immersion ion implantation (also known as plasma-source ion implantation) is a process in which a target is immersed in a plasma and a series of large negative-voltage pulses are applied to it to extract ions from the plasma and implant them into the target. A general one-dimensional model is developed to study this process in different coordinate systems for the case in which the pressure of the neutral gas is large enough that the ion motion in the sheath can be assumed to be highly collisional

  9. Perforin rapidly induces plasma membrane phospholipid flip-flop.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunil S Metkar

    Full Text Available The cytotoxic cell granule secretory pathway is essential for host defense. This pathway is fundamentally a form of intracellular protein delivery where granule proteases (granzymes from cytotoxic lymphocytes are thought to diffuse through barrel stave pores generated in the plasma membrane of the target cell by the pore forming protein perforin (PFN and mediate apoptotic as well as additional biological effects. While recent electron microscopy and structural analyses indicate that recombinant PFN oligomerizes to form pores containing 20 monomers (20 nm when applied to liposomal membranes, these pores are not observed by propidium iodide uptake in target cells. Instead, concentrations of human PFN that encourage granzyme-mediated apoptosis are associated with pore structures that unexpectedly favor phosphatidylserine flip-flop measured by Annexin-V and Lactadherin. Efforts that reduce PFN mediated Ca influx in targets did not reduce Annexin-V reactivity. Antigen specific mouse CD8 cells initiate a similar rapid flip-flop in target cells. A lipid that augments plasma membrane curvature as well as cholesterol depletion in target cells enhance flip-flop. Annexin-V staining highly correlated with apoptosis after Granzyme B (GzmB treatment. We propose the structures that PFN oligomers form in the membrane bilayer may include arcs previously observed by electron microscopy and that these unusual structures represent an incomplete mixture of plasma membrane lipid and PFN oligomers that may act as a flexible gateway for GzmB to translocate across the bilayer to the cytosolic leaflet of target cells.

  10. Ion acoustic waves and double-layers in electronegative expanding plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plihon, Nicolas; Chabert, Pascal

    2011-01-01

    Ion acoustic waves and double-layers are observed in expanding plasmas in electronegative gases, i.e., plasmas containing an appreciable fraction of negative ions. The reported experiments are performed in argon gas with a variable amount of SF 6 . When varying the amount of SF 6 , the negative ion fraction increases and three main regimes were identified previously: (i) the plasma smoothly expands at low negative ion fraction, (ii) a static double-layer (associated with an abrupt potential drop and ion acceleration) forms at intermediate negative ion fraction, (iii) double-layers periodically form and propagate (in the plasma expansion direction) at high negative ion fraction. In this paper, we show that transition phases exist in between these regimes, where fluctuations are observed. These fluctuations are unstable slow ion acoustic waves, propagating in the direction opposite to the plasma expansion. These fluctuations are excited by the most unstable eigenmodes and display turbulent features. It is suggested that the static double layer forms when the ion acoustic fluctuations become non-linearly unstable: the double layer regime being a bifurcated state of the smoothly expanding regime. For the highest negative ion fraction, a coexistence of (upstream propagating) slow ion acoustic fluctuations and (downstream) propagating double layers was observed.

  11. Highly Supersonic Ion Pulses in a Collisionless Magnetized Plasma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Juul Rasmussen, Jens; Schrittwieser, R.

    1982-01-01

    The initial transient response of a collisionless plasma to a high positive voltage step is investigated. Four different pulses are observed. An electron plasma wave pulse is followed by an ion burst. The latter is overtaken and absorbed by a highly supersonic ion pulse. Thereafter, an ion...

  12. PLASMA-MEMBRANE LIPID ALTERATIONS INDUCED BY NACL IN WINTER-WHEAT ROOTS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    MANSOUR, MMF; VANHASSELT, PR; KUIPER, PJC

    A highly enriched plasma membrane fraction was isolated by two phase partitioning from wheat roots (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Vivant) grown with and without 100 mM NaCl. The lipids of the plasma membrane fraction were extracted and characterized. Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine were

  13. Rapid fabrication of microfluidic polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell in PDMS by surface patterning of perfluorinated ion-exchange resin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Song, Yong-Ak; Han, Jongyoon [Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Batista, Candy [Roxbury Community College, 1234 Columbus Ave., Roxbury Crossing, MA 02120 (United States); Sarpeshkar, Rahul [Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

    2008-09-01

    In this paper we demonstrate a simple and rapid fabrication method for a microfluidic polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which has become the de facto standard material in BioMEMS. Instead of integrating a Nafion sheet film between two layers of a PDMS device in a traditional ''sandwich format,'' we pattern a perfluorinated ion-exchange resin such as a Nafion resin on a glass substrate using a reversibly bonded PDMS microchannel to generate an ion-selective membrane between the fuel-cell electrodes. After this patterning step, the assembly of the microfluidic fuel cell is accomplished by simple oxygen plasma bonding between the PDMS chip and the glass substrate. In an example implementation, the planar PEM microfluidic fuel cell generates an open circuit voltage of 600-800 mV and delivers a maximum current output of nearly 4 {mu}A. To enhance the power output of the fuel cell we utilize self-assembled colloidal arrays as a support matrix for the Nafion resin. Such arrays allow us to increase the thickness of the ion-selective membrane to 20 {mu}m and increase the current output by 166%. Our novel fabrication method enables rapid prototyping of microfluidic fuel cells to study various ion-exchange resins for the polymer electrolyte membrane. Our work will facilitate the development of miniature, implantable, on-chip power sources for biomedical applications. (author)

  14. Electrostatic shock structures in dissipative multi-ion dusty plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elkamash, I. S.; Kourakis, I.

    2018-06-01

    A comprehensive analytical model is introduced for shock excitations in dusty bi-ion plasma mixtures, taking into account collisionality and kinematic (fluid) viscosity. A multicomponent plasma configuration is considered, consisting of positive ions, negative ions, electrons, and a massive charged component in the background (dust). The ionic dynamical scale is focused upon; thus, electrons are assumed to be thermalized, while the dust is stationary. A dissipative hybrid Korteweg-de Vries/Burgers equation is derived. An analytical solution is obtained, in the form of a shock structure (a step-shaped function for the electrostatic potential, or an electric field pulse) whose maximum amplitude in the far downstream region decays in time. The effect of relevant plasma configuration parameters, in addition to dissipation, is investigated. Our work extends earlier studies of ion-acoustic type shock waves in pure (two-component) bi-ion plasma mixtures.

  15. Development of a plasma driven permeation experiment for TPE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Buchenauer, Dean, E-mail: dabuche@sandia.gov [Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA (United States); Kolasinski, Robert [Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA (United States); Shimada, Masa [Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Donovan, David [Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA (United States); Youchison, Dennis [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Merrill, Brad [Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2014-10-15

    Highlights: • We have designed and fabricated a novel tritium permeation membrane holder for use in the Tritium Plasma Experiment (TPE). • The membrane temperature is controlled by varying the cooling flow rate and proximity of a spiral cooling channel. • Sealing tests have demonstrated adequate helium leak rates up to temperatures of 1000 °C. • Flow modeling indicates a minimal helium pressure drop across the membrane holder (<700 Pa). • Thermal modeling shows good heat removal and minimal membrane temperature variation (±2%) even up to peak TPE ion fluxes. - Abstract: Experiments on retention of hydrogen isotopes (including tritium) at temperatures less than 800 °C have been carried out in the Tritium Plasma Experiment (TPE) at Idaho National Laboratory [1,2]. To provide a direct measurement of plasma driven permeation in plasma facing materials at temperatures reaching 1000 °C, a new TPE membrane holder has been built to hold test specimens (≤1 mm in thickness) at high temperature while measuring tritium permeating through the membrane from the plasma facing side. This measurement is accomplished by employing a carrier gas that transports the permeating tritium from the backside of the membrane to ion chambers giving a direct measurement of the plasma driven tritium permeation rate. Isolation of the membrane cooling and sweep gases from TPE's vacuum chamber has been demonstrated by sealing tests performed up to 1000 °C of a membrane holder design that provides easy change out of membrane specimens between tests. Simulations of the helium carrier gas which transports tritium to the ion chamber indicate a very small pressure drop (∼700 Pa) with good flow uniformity (at 1000 sccm). Thermal transport simulations indicate that temperatures up to 1000 °C are expected at the highest TPE fluxes.

  16. Development of a plasma driven permeation experiment for TPE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buchenauer, Dean; Kolasinski, Robert; Shimada, Masa; Donovan, David; Youchison, Dennis; Merrill, Brad

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We have designed and fabricated a novel tritium permeation membrane holder for use in the Tritium Plasma Experiment (TPE). • The membrane temperature is controlled by varying the cooling flow rate and proximity of a spiral cooling channel. • Sealing tests have demonstrated adequate helium leak rates up to temperatures of 1000 °C. • Flow modeling indicates a minimal helium pressure drop across the membrane holder (<700 Pa). • Thermal modeling shows good heat removal and minimal membrane temperature variation (±2%) even up to peak TPE ion fluxes. - Abstract: Experiments on retention of hydrogen isotopes (including tritium) at temperatures less than 800 °C have been carried out in the Tritium Plasma Experiment (TPE) at Idaho National Laboratory [1,2]. To provide a direct measurement of plasma driven permeation in plasma facing materials at temperatures reaching 1000 °C, a new TPE membrane holder has been built to hold test specimens (≤1 mm in thickness) at high temperature while measuring tritium permeating through the membrane from the plasma facing side. This measurement is accomplished by employing a carrier gas that transports the permeating tritium from the backside of the membrane to ion chambers giving a direct measurement of the plasma driven tritium permeation rate. Isolation of the membrane cooling and sweep gases from TPE's vacuum chamber has been demonstrated by sealing tests performed up to 1000 °C of a membrane holder design that provides easy change out of membrane specimens between tests. Simulations of the helium carrier gas which transports tritium to the ion chamber indicate a very small pressure drop (∼700 Pa) with good flow uniformity (at 1000 sccm). Thermal transport simulations indicate that temperatures up to 1000 °C are expected at the highest TPE fluxes

  17. Active calcium transport in plasma membrane vesicles from developing cotyledons of common bean

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Jianzhong; Chen Ziyuan

    1995-01-01

    Plasma membrane vesicles were prepared from the developing cotyledons of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L cv Diyundou) by aqueous two-phase partitioning and characterized as to their purity by assaying marker enzymes for other membranes. The putative plasma membrane fraction was minimally contaminated by membranes other than plasma membrane and hence was of high purity. It exhibited a Ca 2+ -dependent ATPase activity, which was inhibited by 1 μmol/L EB and promoted by calcium ionophore A23187. Such an activity was responsible for the observed ATP-dependent 45 Ca 2+ uptake into inside-out plasma membrane vesicles. This process was stimulated by 0.6 μmol/L CaM and 20 μmol/L IAA but inhibited by 2 μmol/L ABA and abolished by A23187. Possible role of cytoplasmic Ca 2+ in mediating phytohormones activity is discussed

  18. Zymosterol is located in the plasma membrane of cultured human fibroblasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Echevarria, F.; Norton, R.A.; Nes, W.D.; Lange, Y.

    1990-01-01

    Zymosterol (5 alpha-cholesta-8(9),24-dien-3 beta-ol) comprised a negligible fraction of the mass of sterol in cultured human fibroblasts but was well labeled biosynthetically with radioactive acetate. Treatment of cells with triparanol, a potent inhibitor of sterol delta 24-reductase, led to a marked increase in labeled zymosterol while its mass rose to 1 mol% of total sterol. All of this sterol could be chased into cholesterol. Furthermore, cell homogenates converted exogenous radiolabeled zymosterol to cholesterol. Three lines of evidence suggested that biosynthetically labeled zymosterol was associated with the plasma membrane. (1) About 80% of radiolabeled zymosterol was oxidized by the impermeant enzyme, cholesterol oxidase, in glutaraldehyde-fixed intact cells. (2) Sucrose density gradient analysis of homogenates showed that the equilibrium buoyant density profile of newly synthesized zymosterol was identical with that of the plasma membrane. (3) Newly synthesized zymosterol was transferred as readily from fixed intact fibroblasts to exogenous acceptors as was cholesterol. Given that cholesterol is synthesized within the cell, it is unclear why most of the zymosterol is in the plasma membrane. The pathway of cholesterol biosynthesis may compel zymosterol to flux through the plasma membrane. Alternatively, plasma membrane zymosterol may represent a separate pool, in equilibrium with the zymosterol in the intracellular biosynthetic pool

  19. Na+/H+ Exchange Activity in the Plasma Membrane of Arabidopsis1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Quan-Sheng; Barkla, Bronwyn J.; Vera-Estrella, Rosario; Zhu, Jian-Kang; Schumaker, Karen S.

    2003-01-01

    In plants, Na+/H+ exchangers in the plasma membrane are critical for growth in high levels of salt, removing toxic Na+ from the cytoplasm by transport out of the cell. The molecular identity of a plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger in Arabidopsis (SOS1) has recently been determined. In this study, immunological analysis provided evidence that SOS1 localizes to the plasma membrane of leaves and roots. To characterize the transport activity of this protein, purified plasma membrane vesicles were isolated from leaves of Arabidopsis. Na+/H+ exchange activity, monitored as the ability of Na to dissipate an established pH gradient, was absent in plants grown without salt. However, exchange activity was induced when plants were grown in 250 mm NaCl and increased with prolonged salt exposure up to 8 d. H+-coupled exchange was specific for Na, because chloride salts of other monovalent cations did not dissipate the pH gradient. Na+/H+ exchange activity was dependent on Na (substrate) concentration, and kinetic analysis indicated that the affinity (apparent Km) of the transporter for Na+ is 22.8 mm. Data from two experimental approaches supports electroneutral exchange (one Na+ exchanged for one proton): (a) no change in membrane potential was measured during the exchange reaction, and (b) Na+/H+ exchange was unaffected by the presence or absence of a membrane potential. Results from this research provide a framework for future studies into the regulation of the plant plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger and its relative contribution to the maintenance of cellular Na+ homeostasis during plant growth in salt. PMID:12805632

  20. Palmitoylation of POTE family proteins for plasma membrane targeting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, Sudipto; Ise, Tomoko; Nagata, Satoshi; Maeda, Hiroshi; Bera, Tapan K.; Pastan, Ira

    2007-01-01

    The POTE gene family is composed of 13 paralogs and likely evolved by duplications and remodeling of the human genome. One common property of POTE proteins is their localization on the inner aspect of the plasma membrane. To determine the structural elements required for membrane localization, we expressed mutants of different POTEs in 293T cells as EGFP fusion proteins. We also tested their palmitoylation by a biotin-switch assay. Our data indicate that the membrane localizations of different POTEs are mediated by similar 3-4 short cysteine rich repeats (CRRs) near the amino-terminuses and that palmitoylation on paired cysteine residues in each CRR motif is responsible for the localization. Multiple palmitoylation in the small CRRs can result in the strong association of whole POTEs with plasma membrane

  1. Confinement of multiply charged ions in an ECRH mirror plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petty, C.C.

    1989-06-01

    This thesis is an experimental study of multiply charged ions in the Constance B mirror experiment. By measuring the ion densities, end loss fluxes and ion temperatures, the parallel confinement times for the first five charge states of oxygen and neon plasmas are determined. The parallel ion confinement times increase with charge state and peak on axis, both indications of an ion-confining potential dip created by the hot electrons. The radial profile of ion end loss is usually hollow due to large ion radial transport (τ paralleli ∼ τ perpendiculari ), with the peak fluxes occurring at the edge of the electron cyclotron resonance zone. Several attempts are made to increase the end loss of selected ion species. Using minority ICRH, the end loss flux of resonant ions increases by 20% in cases when radial transport induced by ICRH is not too severe. A large antenna voltage can also extinguish the plasma. By adding helium to an oxygen plasma, the end loss of O 6+ increases by 80% due to decreased ion radial transport. An ion model is developed to predict the ion densities, end loss fluxes and confinement times in the plasma center using the ion particle balance equations, the quasineutrality condition and theoretical confinement time formulas. The model generally agrees with the experimental data for oxygen and neon plasmas to within experimental error. Under certain conditions spatial diffusion appears to determine the parallel ion confinement time of the highest charge states. For oxygen plasmas during ICRH, the measured parallel confinement time of the resonant ions is much shorter than their theoretical value, probably due to rf diffusion of the ions into the loss cone. 58 refs., 101 figs., 16 tabs

  2. Thymocyte plasma membrane of the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri: Associated immunoglobulin and heteroantigens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warr, G.W.; DeLuca, D.; Anderson, D.P.

    1983-01-01

    1. Thymic lymphocytes of the rainbow trout, S. gairdneri were disrupted and a plasma membrane containing fraction isolated by differential and buoyant density centrifugation.2. Radioiodine introduced into the membrane by the lactoperoxidase catalyzed reaction and immunoglobulin (identified by radioimmunoassay with monoclonal antibody) both copurified in the plasma membrane fraction.3. Rabbit antibody raised to the plasma membrane fraction showed a strong reaction with trout lymphocytes in immunofluorescence, was mitogenic for trout lymphocytes, and recognized lymphocyte membrane heteroantigens of molecular weight > 70,000 in the thymus and 45,000–95,000 in the head kidney.

  3. TiO2-Based Phosphoproteomic Analysis of the Plasma Membrane and the Effects of Phosphatase Inhibitor Treatment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thingholm, Tine; Larsen, Martin Røssel; Ingrell, Christian

    2008-01-01

    Phosphorylation of plasma membrane proteins frequently initiates signal transduction pathways or attenuate plasma membrane transport processes. Because of the low abundance and hydrophobic features of many plasma membrane proteins and the low stoichiometry of protein phosphorylation, studies...... of the plasma membrane phosphoproteome are challenging. We present an optimized analytical strategy for plasma membrane phosphoproteomics that combines efficient plasma membrane protein preparation with TiO 2-based phosphopeptide enrichment and high-performance mass spectrometry for phosphopeptide sequencing....... We used sucrose centrifugation in combination with sodium carbonate extraction to achieve efficient and reproducible purification of low microgram levels of plasma membrane proteins from human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs, 10 (7) cells), achieving more than 70% yield of membrane proteins...

  4. Improved planar radio frequency inductively coupled plasma configuration in plasma immersion ion implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, D.L.; Fu, R.K.Y.; Tian, X.B.; Chu, P.K.

    2003-01-01

    Plasmas with higher density and better uniformity are produced using an improved planar radio frequency (rf) inductively coupled plasma configuration in plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII). An axial magnetic field is produced by external electromagnetic coils outside the discharge chamber. The rf power can be effectively absorbed by the plasma in the vicinity of the electron gyrofrequency due to the enhanced resonant absorption of electromagnetic waves in the whistler wave range, which can propagate nearly along the magnetic field lines thus greatly increases the plasma density. The plasma is confined by a longitudinal multipolar cusp magnetic field made of permanent magnets outside the process chamber. It can improve the plasma uniformity without significantly affecting the ion density. The plasma density can be increased from 3x10 9 to 1x10 10 cm -3 employing an axial magnetic field of several Gauss at 1000 W rf power and 5x10 -4 Torr gas pressure. The nonuniformity of the plasma density is less than 10% and can be achieved in a process chamber with a diameter of 600 mm. Since the plasma generation and process chambers are separate, plasma extinction due to the plasma sheath touching the chamber wall in high-energy PIII can be avoided. Hence, low-pressure, high-energy, and high-uniformity ion implantation can be accomplished using this setup

  5. Ion trapping within the dust grain plasma sheath

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jovanovic, D.; Shukla, P.K.

    2002-01-01

    One of the most important and still unresolved problems in the physics of dusty plasmas is the determination of the dust charge. The grains are not directly accessible to measurements and it is necessary to have a reliable theoretical model of the electron and ion dynamics inside the Debye sphere for the interpretation of the relevant experimental data, which include also the effects of the surrounding electron and ion clouds. Recent computer simulations [6] and laboratory experiments [9] indicate that the plasma sheath is dominated by trapped ions, orbiting the grain on closed trajectories at distances smaller than the Debye radius, that cannot be accounted for by the classical theories. We present the first analytical, fully self-consistent, calculations of the electrostatic shielding of a charged dust grain in a collisional plasma. In the regime when the mean free path for the ion-dust collisions is larger than that for the ion-neutral collisions, we solve the kinetic equation for the ions, coupled with Boltzmann distributed electrons and Poisson's equation. The ion velocity distribution function, in the form of a spherically symmetric ion hole, is found to be anisotropic in the presence of charge-exchange collisions. The number of trapped ions and their spatial distribution are determined from the interplay between the collective plasma interaction and the collisional trapping/de-trapping. The stationary state results from the self-tuning of the trapped ion density by the feedback based on the nonlocality of the collisional integral, and on the ion mixing in the radial direction along elongated orbits. Our results confirm the existence of a strong Debye shielding of the dust charge, allowing also the over-population of the trapped ion distribution (ion hump)

  6. Solitons in a relativistic plasma with negative ions--

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, G.C.; Karmakar, B.; Ibohanbi Singh, KH.

    1990-01-01

    The interaction of the nonlinearity and the dispersiveness causing the solitary waves are studied in a relativistic plasma with negative ions through the derivation of a nonlinear partial differential equation known as the Korteweg-Devries (K-DV) equation. The negative ions play a salient feature on the existence and behavior of the solitons and could be of interest in laboratory plasmas. First, the observations are made in a nonisothermal plasma, and later the reduction to the nonisothermality of the plasma shows entirely different characteristics as compared to the solitons in the isothermal plasmas. A comparison with the various solutions has been emphasized

  7. Dispersion surfaces and ion wave instabilities in space plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andre, M

    1985-08-01

    In this thesis, the dispersion relation of linear waves in a non-relativistic, collisionless and homogeneous plasma in a uniform magnetic field, is solved numerically. Both electrostatic and elecromagnetic waves with frequencies from below the ion gyrofrequency to above the electron gyrofrequency are studied for all angles of propagation. Modes occurring in a cold plasma as well as waves dependent on thermal effects are included. Dispersion surfaces, that is plots of frequency versus wavevector components, are presented for some models of space plasmas. Waves with frequencies of the order of the ion gyrofrequency (ion waves), are well known to exist in space plasmas. In this thesis, the generation of ion waves by ion distributions with loss-cones or temperature anisotropies, or by beams of charged particles, is investigated by numerical methods. Effects of heavy ions are considered. Dispersion surfaces and analytical arguments are used to clarify the results. It is shown that particle beams and ion loss-cone distributions can generate electrostatic ion waves, even when a significant amount of the electrons are cool. These calculations are in agreement with simultaneous observatons of waves and particles obtained by a satellite on auroral field lines. (author)

  8. Fluorescence interference contrast based approach to study real time interaction of melittin with plasma membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Sharad; Gui, Dong; Zandi, Roya; Gill, Sarjeet; Mohideen, Umar

    2014-03-01

    Melittin is an anti-bacterial and hemolytic toxic peptide found in bee venom. Cell lysis behavior of peptides has been widely investigated, but the exact interaction mechanism of lytic peptides with lipid membranes and its constituents has not been understood completely. In this paper we study the melittin interaction with lipid plasma membranes in real time using non-invasive and non-contact fluorescence interference contrast microscopy (FLIC). Particularly the interaction of melittin with plasma membranes was studied in a controlled molecular environment, where these plasma membrane were composed of saturated lipid, 1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPhPC) and unsaturated lipid, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine(DOPC) with and without cholesterol. We found out that melittin starts to form nanometer size pores in the plasma membranes shortly after interacting with membranes. But the addition of cholesterol in plasma membrane slows down the pore formation process. Our results show that inclusion of cholesterol to the plasma membranes make them more resilient towards pore formation and lysis of membrane.

  9. Charging of dust grains in a plasma with negative ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Su-Hyun; Merlino, Robert L.

    2006-01-01

    The effect of negative ions on the charging of dust particles in a plasma is investigated experimentally. A plasma containing a very low percentage of electrons is formed in a single-ended Q machine when SF 6 is admitted into the vacuum system. The relatively cold Q machine electrons (T e ≅0.2 eV) readily attach to SF 6 molecules to form SF 6 - negative ions. Calculations of the dust charge indicate that for electrons, negative ions, and positive ions of comparable temperatures, the charge (or surface potential) of the dust can be positive if the positive ion mass is smaller than the negative ion mass and if ε, the ratio of the electron to positive ion density, is sufficiently small. The Q machine plasma is operated with K + positive ions (mass 39 amu) and SF 6 - negative ions (mass 146 amu), and also utilizes a rotating cylinder to dispense dust into the plasma column. Analysis of the current-voltage characteristics of a Langmuir probe in the dusty plasma shows evidence for the reduction in the (magnitude) of the negative dust charge and the transition to positively charged dust as the relative concentration of the residual electrons is reduced. Some remarks are offered concerning experiments that could become possible in a dusty plasma with positive grains

  10. Slowing-down of non-relativistic ions in a hot dense plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maynard, G.

    1982-01-01

    The parameter γ (action of the free-electrons of the plasma) was investigated: calculation of the mean value of γ for a great number of monokinetic incident ions and of the dispersion about this mean value, using the random phase approximation; and calculation of the dielectric function. The contribution of the plasma ions to the stopping power was studied and the description of the ion-plasma interaction improved. The slowing-down of an ion at large distance by the bound electrons of an atom was calculated. This study is applied to the ion-plasma interaction in the ion-beam inertial confinement [fr

  11. Transport of Carbonate Ions by Novel Cellulose Fiber Supported Solid Membrane

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. G. Gaikwad

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Transport of carbonate ions was explored through fiber supported solid membrane. A novel fiber supported solid membrane was prepared by chemical modification of cellulose fiber with citric acid, 2′2-bipyridine and magnesium carbonate. The factors affecting the permeability of carbonate ions such as immobilization of citric acid-magnesium metal ion -2′2-bipyridine complex (0 to 2.5 mmol/g range over cellulose fiber, carbon-ate ion concentration in source phase and NaOH concentration in receiving phase were investigated. Ki-netic of carbonate, sulfate, and nitrate ions was investigated through fiber supported solid membrane. Transport of carbonate ions with/without bubbling of CO2 (0 to 10 ml/min in source phase was explored from source to receiving phase. The novel idea is to explore the adsorptive transport of CO2 from source to receiving phase through cellulose fiber containing magnesium metal ion organic framework. Copyright © 2012 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reserved.Received: 25th November 2011; Revised: 17th December 2011; Accepted: 19th December 2011[How to Cite: A.G. Gaikwad. (2012. Transport of Carbonate Ions by Novel Cellulose Fiber Supported Solid Membrane. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 7 (1: 49– 57.  doi:10.9767/bcrec.7.1.1225.49-57][How to Link / DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.7.1.1225.49-57 ] | View in 

  12. Intense ion beam neutralization using underdense background plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berdanier, William [Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States); Roy, Prabir K. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Kaganovich, Igor [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)

    2015-01-15

    Producing an overdense background plasma for neutralization purposes with a density that is high compared to the beam density is not always experimentally possible. We show that even an underdense background plasma with a small relative density can achieve high neutralization of intense ion beam pulses. Using particle-in-cell simulations, we show that if the total plasma electron charge is not sufficient to neutralize the beam charge, electron emitters are necessary for effective neutralization but are not needed if the plasma volume is so large that the total available charge in the electrons exceeds that of the ion beam. Several regimes of possible underdense/tenuous neutralization plasma densities are investigated with and without electron emitters or dense plasma at periphery regions, including the case of electron emitters without plasma, which does not effectively neutralize the beam. Over 95% neutralization is achieved for even very underdense background plasma with plasma density 1/15th the beam density. We compare results of particle-in-cell simulations with an analytic model of neutralization and find close agreement with the particle-in-cell simulations. Further, we show experimental data from the National Drift Compression experiment-II group that verifies the result that underdense plasma can neutralize intense heavy ion beams effectively.

  13. Development of intense pulsed heavy ion beam diode using gas puff plasma gun as ion source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, H.; Higashiyama, M.; Takata, S.; Kitamura, I.; Masugata, K.

    2006-01-01

    A magnetically insulated ion diode with an active ion source of a gas puff plasma gun has been developed in order to generate a high-intensity pulsed heavy ion beam for the implantation process of semiconductors and the surface modification of materials. The nitrogen plasma produced by the plasma gun is injected into the acceleration gap of the diode with the external magnetic field system. The ion diode is operated at diode voltage approx. =200 kV, diode current approx. =2 kA and pulse duration approx. =150 ns. A new acceleration gap configuration for focusing ion beam has been designed in order to enhance the ion current density. The experimental results show that the ion current density is enhanced by a factor of 2 and the ion beam has the ion current density of 27 A/cm 2 . In addition, the coaxial type Marx generator with voltage 200 kV and current 15 kA has been developed and installed in the focus type ion diode. The ion beam of ion current density approx. =54 A/cm 2 is obtained. To produce metallic ion beams, an ion source by aluminum wire discharge has been developed and the aluminum plasma of ion current density ∼70 A/cm 2 is measured. (author)

  14. Light-induced ion-acoustic instability of rarefied plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krasnov, I.V.; Sizykh, D.V.

    1987-01-01

    A new method of ion-acoustic instability excitation under the effect of coherent light, resonance to ion quantum transitions on collisionless plasma, is suggested. The light-induced ion-acoustic instability (LIIAI) considered is based on the induced progressive nonequilibrium resonance particles in the field of travelling electromagnetic wave. Principal possibility to use LIIAI in high-resolution spectroscopy and in applied problems of plasma physics, related to its instability, is pointed out

  15. Electrically driven ion separations and nanofiltration through membranes coated with polyelectrolyte multilayers

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Nicholas

    Polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) films deposited using the layer-by-layer (LBL) method are attractive for their simple deposition, tailorable nature, scalability, and charge or size-based selectivity for solutes. This dissertation explores ion separations in electrodialysis (ED) and solute removal through nanofiltration with PEMs deposited on polymer membranes. ED membranes typically exhibit modest selectivities between monovalent and divalent ions. In contrast, this work shows that K+/Mg 2+ ED selectivities reach values >1000 when using Nafion 115 cation-exchange membranes coated with multilayer poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS)/protonated poly(allylamine) (PAH) films. For comparison, the corresponding K+ /Mg2+ selectivity of bare Nafion 115 is salt concentrations, the K+ transference number approaches unity and the K+/Mg2+ selectivity is >20,000, presumably because the applied current is below the limiting value for K+ and H+ transport is negligible at this high K+ concentration. The high selectivities of these membranes may enable electrodialysis applications such as purification of salts that contain divalent or trivalent ions. The high ED selectivities of (PAH/PSS)5PAH-coated Nafion membranes translate to separations with Li+/Co2+ and K +/La3+. Even with adsorption of only 3 polyelectrolyte layers, Nafion membranes exhibit a Li+/Co2+ selectivity >23. However, the resistance to monovalent-ion passage does not decrease significantly with fewer polyelectrolyte layers. At overlimiting currents, hydroxides from water splitting form insoluble metal hydroxides to foul the membrane. With 0.1 M source-phase salt concentrations, transference numbers for monovalent cations approach unity and selectivities are >5000 because the diffusion-limited K+ or Li+ currents exceed the applied current. However, ED selectivities gradually decline with time. Thus, future research should aim to increase membrane stability and limiting currents to fully exploit the remarkable selectivity

  16. Towards structural and functional analysis of the plant plasma membrane proton pump

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Justesen, Bo Højen

    The plasma membrane H+-ATPase is a proton pump essential for several physiological important processes in plants. Through the extrusion of protons from the cell, the PM H+-ATPase establishes and maintains a proton gradient used by proton coupled transporters and secondary active transport...... of nutrients and metabolites across the plasma membrane. Additional processes involving the PM H+-ATPase includes plant growth, development, and response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Extensive efforts have been made in attempts to elucidate the detailed physiological role and biochemical characteristics...... of plasma membrane H+-ATPases. Studies on the plasma membrane H+-ATPases have involved both in vivo and in vitro approaches, with the latter employing either solubilisation by detergent micelles, or reconstitution into lipid vesicles. Despite resulting in a large body of information on structure, function...

  17. [A probability wave theory on the ion movement across cell membrane].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hui; Xu, Jiadong; Niu, Zhongqi

    2007-04-01

    The ionic quantity across the channel of the cell membrane decides the cell in a certain life state. The theory analysis that existed on the bio-effects of the electro-magnetic field (EMF) does not unveil the relationship between the EMF exerted on the cell and the ionic quantity across the cell membrane. Based on the cell construction, the existed theory analysis and the experimental results, an ionic probability wave theory is proposed in this paper to explain the biological window-effects of the electromagnetic wave. The theory regards the membrane channel as the periodic potential barrier and gives the physical view of the ion movement across cell-membrane. The theory revises the relationship between ion's energy in cell channel and the frequency exerted EMF. After the application of the concept of the wave function, the ionic probability across the cell membrane is given by the method of the quantum mechanics. The numerical results analyze the physical factors that influences the ion's movement across the cell membrane. These results show that the theory can explain the phenomenon of the biological window-effects.

  18. Faraday cup for analyzing multi-ion plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujita, Takao

    1987-01-01

    A compact and convenient ion analyzer (a kind of a Faraday cup) is developed in order to analyze weakly ionized multi-ion plasmas. This Faraday cup consists of three mesh electrodes and a movable ion collector. With a negative gate pulse superimposed on the ion retarding bias, ions are analyzed by means of time-of-flight. The identification of ion species and measurements of ion density and ion temperature are studied. (author)

  19. Modulation instability of ion thermal waves in a pair-ion plasma containing charged dust impurities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabry, R.

    2008-01-01

    Modulation instability of ion thermal waves (ITWs) is investigated in a plasma composed of positive and negative ions as well as a fraction of stationary charged (positive or negative) dust impurities. For this purpose, a linear dispersion relation and a nonlinear Schroedinger equation are derived. The latter admits localized envelope solitary wave solutions of bright (pulses) and dark (holes, voids) type. The envelope soliton depends on the intrinsic plasma parameters. It is found that modulation instability of ITWs is significantly affected by the presence of positively/negatively charged dust grains. The findings of this investigation should be useful in understanding the stable electrostatic wave packet acceleration mechanisms in pair-ion plasma, and also enhances our knowledge on the occurrence of instability associated to the existence of charged dust impurities in pair-ion plasmas. Our results should be of relevance for laboratory plasmas.

  20. Influence of plasma density and plasma sheath dynamics on the ion implantation by plasma immersion technique

    OpenAIRE

    Ensinger, Wolfgang

    1996-01-01

    Influence of plasma density and plasma sheath dynamics on the ion implantation by plasma immersion technique / B. Rauschenbach ... - In: Nuclear instruments and methods in physics research. B. 113. 1996. S. 266-269

  1. Molecular model of a cell plasma membrane with an asymmetric multicomponent composition: Water permeation and ion effects

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Vácha, Robert; Berkowitz, M. L.; Jungwirth, Pavel

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 96, č. 11 (2009), s. 4493-4501 ISSN 0006-3495 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GD203/05/H001; GA ČR GA203/08/0114 Grant - others:NSF(US) MCB-0615469 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : membrane * ions * molecular dynamics Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 4.390, year: 2009

  2. Effect of multi-ions on electromagnetic ion-cyclotron waves with a hot plasma around the polar cusp

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, Soniya; Varma, P; Tiwari, M S

    2011-01-01

    Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) instabilities with an isotropic ion beam and general loss-cone distribution of hot core plasmas are discussed. The growth rate of the wave, perpendicular heating of ions, parallel resonant energy and marginal instability of the EMIC waves in homogeneous plasmas are obtained using the dispersion relation for hot plasmas consisting of H + , He + ,O + ions and electrons. The wave is assumed to propagate parallel to the static magnetic field. The whole plasma is considered to consist of resonant and non-resonant particles permeated by the isotropic ion beam. It is assumed that the resonant particles and the ion beam participate in energy exchange with the wave, whereas the non-resonant particles support the oscillatory motion of the wave. We determined the variation in energies and growth rate in hot plasmas by the energy conservation method with a general loss-cone distribution function. We also discuss the effect of positive and negative ion beam velocity on the growth rate of the wave. The thermal anisotropy of the ions of the core plasma acts as a source of free energy for EMIC waves and enhances the growth rate. Heating of ions perpendicular to the magnetic field is discussed along with EMIC wave emission in the polar cusp region.

  3. Comparison of solubilized and purified plasma membrane and nuclear insulin receptors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, K.Y.; Hawley, D.; Vigneri, R.; Goldfine, I.D.

    1988-01-01

    Prior studies have detected biochemical and immunological differences between insulin receptors in plasma membranes and isolated nuclei. To further investigate these receptors, they were solubilized in Triton X-100 partially purified by wheat germ agglutinin-agarose chromatography. In these preparations, the nuclear and plasma membrane receptors had very similar pH optima (pH 8.0) and reactivities to a group of polyclonal antireceptor antibodies. Further, both membrane preparations had identical binding activities when labeled insulin was competed for by unlabeled insulin (50% inhibition at 800 pM). Next, nuclear and plasma membranes were solubilized and purified to homogeneity by wheat germ agglutinin-agarose and insulin-agarose chromatography. In both receptors, labeled insulin was covalently cross-linked to a protein of 130 kilodaltons representing the insulin receptor α subunit. When preparations of both receptors were incubated with insulin and then adenosine 5'-[γ- 32 P]triphosphate, a protein of 95 kilodaltons representing the insulin receptor β subunit was phosphorylated in a dose-dependent manner. These studies indicate, therefore, that solubilized plasma membrane and nuclear insulin receptors have similar structures and biochemical properties, and they suggest that they are the same (or very similar) proteins

  4. Recent Advances in the Fabrication of Membranes Containing “Ion Pairs” for Nanofiltration Processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan-Li Ji

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In the face of serious environmental pollution and water scarcity problems, the membrane separation technique, especially high efficiency, low energy consumption, and environmental friendly nanofiltration, has been quickly developed. Separation membranes with high permeability, good selectivity, and strong antifouling properties are critical for water treatment and green chemical processing. In recent years, researchers have paid more and more attention to the development of high performance nanofiltration membranes containing “ion pairs”. In this review, the effects of “ion pairs” characteristics, such as the super-hydrophilicity, controllable charge character, and antifouling property, on nanofiltration performances are discussed. A systematic survey was carried out on the various approaches and multiple regulation factors in the fabrication of polyelectrolyte complex membranes, zwitterionic membranes, and charged mosaic membranes, respectively. The mass transport behavior and antifouling mechanism of the membranes with “ion pairs” are also discussed. Finally, we present a brief perspective on the future development of advanced nanofiltration membranes with “ion pairs”.

  5. Method of detecting defects in ion exchange membranes of electrochemical cells by chemochromic sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooker, Robert Paul; Mohajeri, Nahid

    2016-01-05

    A method of detecting defects in membranes such as ion exchange membranes of electrochemical cells. The electrochemical cell includes an assembly having an anode side and a cathode side with the ion exchange membrane in between. In a configuration step a chemochromic sensor is placed above the cathode and flow isolation hardware lateral to the ion exchange membrane which prevents a flow of hydrogen (H.sub.2) between the cathode and anode side. The anode side is exposed to a first reactant fluid including hydrogen. The chemochromic sensor is examined after the exposing for a color change. A color change evidences the ion exchange membrane has at least one defect that permits H.sub.2 transmission therethrough.

  6. High-frequency heating of plasma with two ion species

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klima, R.; Longinov, A.V.; Stepanov, K.N.

    1975-01-01

    The authors consider the penetration of electromagnetic waves with a frequency of the order of the ion cyclotron frequencies and with a fixed longitudinal wave number ksub(long), so that Nsub(long)=ksub(long)c/ω>>1 deep into an inhomogeneous plasma with two ion species. The propagation of two kinds of waves (fast and slow) with widely differing polarization and transverse refraction index is possible. For both types of waves there is an evanescence region at the plasma periphery. The evanescence region is narrow for slow waves and they easily penetrate the plasma. In a dense plasma they become electrostatic and can reach the ion-ion hybrid resonance region. However, the damping of these waves due to Cherenkov interaction with electrons in a high-temperature plasma is strong and therefore they are not suitable for heating plasma of large dimensions, as they are absorbed at the plasma periphery. The fast waves have a wider evanescence region and can be excited effectively only if N 2 is not too high. These waves can be completely absorbed in the plasma (due to Cherenkov interaction with electrons) if xi approximately (v 2 sub(Ti)/v 2 sub(A))Zsub(e)(ωsub(pi)a/c)exp(-Zsub(e) 2 ) > 1, where a is the plasma radius and Zsub(e) = ω/(√2 ksub(long)vsub(Te)). Fast waves can also reach the region where they are transformed into slow waves. In this region their damping increases considerably. It is shown that the transformation region in an inhomogeneous plasma with two ion species in a non-uniform magnetic field may be at the centre of the plasma. Fast waves can be used effectively for heating plasma of large dimensions. (author)

  7. Electrical Resistance and Transport Numbers of Ion-Exchange Membranes Used in Electrodialytic Soil Remediation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Henrik; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Villumsen, Arne

    1999-01-01

    Electrodialytic soil remediation is a recently developed method to decontaminate heavy metal polluted soil using ion-exchange membranes. In this method one side of the ion-exchange membrane is in direct contact with the polluted soil. It is of great importance to know if this contact with the soil...... different electrodialytic soil remediation experiments. The experiments showed that after the use in electrodialytic soil remediation, the ion-exchange membranes had transport numbers in the same magnitude as new membranes. The electrical resistance for six membranes did not differ from that of new...

  8. Charging of dust grains in a plasma with negative ions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Su-Hyun; Merlino, Robert L.

    2006-05-01

    The effect of negative ions on the charging of dust particles in a plasma is investigated experimentally. A plasma containing a very low percentage of electrons is formed in a single-ended SF6 is admitted into the vacuum system. The relatively cold (Te≈0.2eV ) readily attach to SF6 molecules to form SF6- negative ions. Calculations of the dust charge indicate that for electrons, negative ions, and positive ions of comparable temperatures, the charge (or surface potential) of the dust can be positive if the positive ion mass is smaller than the negative ion mass and if ɛ, the ratio of the electron to positive ion density, is sufficiently small. The K+ positive ions (mass 39amu) and SF6- negative ions (mass 146amu), and also utilizes a rotating cylinder to dispense dust into the plasma column. Analysis of the current-voltage characteristics of a Langmuir probe in the dusty plasma shows evidence for the reduction in the (magnitude) of the negative dust charge and the transition to positively charged dust as the relative concentration of the residual electrons is reduced. Some remarks are offered concerning experiments that could become possible in a dusty plasma with positive grains.

  9. Binding and Fusion of Extracellular Vesicles to the Plasma Membrane of Their Cell Targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prada, Ilaria; Meldolesi, Jacopo

    2016-08-09

    Exosomes and ectosomes, extracellular vesicles of two types generated by all cells at multivesicular bodies and the plasma membrane, respectively, play critical roles in physiology and pathology. A key mechanism of their function, analogous for both types of vesicles, is the fusion of their membrane to the plasma membrane of specific target cells, followed by discharge to the cytoplasm of their luminal cargo containing proteins, RNAs, and DNA. Here we summarize the present knowledge about the interactions, binding and fusions of vesicles with the cell plasma membrane. The sequence initiates with dynamic interactions, during which vesicles roll over the plasma membrane, followed by the binding of specific membrane proteins to their cell receptors. Membrane binding is then converted rapidly into fusion by mechanisms analogous to those of retroviruses. Specifically, proteins of the extracellular vesicle membranes are structurally rearranged, and their hydrophobic sequences insert into the target cell plasma membrane which undergoes lipid reorganization, protein restructuring and membrane dimpling. Single fusions are not the only process of vesicle/cell interactions. Upon intracellular reassembly of their luminal cargoes, vesicles can be regenerated, released and fused horizontally to other target cells. Fusions of extracellular vesicles are relevant also for specific therapy processes, now intensely investigated.

  10. Ion irradiated graphite exposed to fusion-relevant deuterium plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deslandes, Alec; Guenette, Mathew C.; Corr, Cormac S.; Karatchevtseva, Inna; Thomsen, Lars; Ionescu, Mihail; Lumpkin, Gregory R.; Riley, Daniel P.

    2014-01-01

    Graphite samples were irradiated with 5 MeV carbon ions to simulate the damage caused by collision cascades from neutron irradiation in a fusion environment. The ion irradiated graphite samples were then exposed to a deuterium plasma in the linear plasma device, MAGPIE, for a total ion fluence of ∼1 × 10 24 ions m −2 . Raman and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy were used to characterize modifications to the graphitic structure. Ion irradiation was observed to decrease the graphitic content and induce disorder in the graphite. Subsequent plasma exposure decreased the graphitic content further. Structural and surface chemistry changes were observed to be greatest for the sample irradiated with the greatest fluence of MeV ions. D retention was measured using elastic recoil detection analysis and showed that ion irradiation increased the amount of retained deuterium in graphite by a factor of four

  11. Mass and Heat Transfer in Ion-Exchange Membranes Applicable to Solid Polymer Fuel Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Otteroey, M

    1996-04-01

    In this doctoral thesis, an improved emf method for determination of transference numbers of two counter ions in ion-exchange membranes is presented. Transference numbers were obtained as a continuous function of the composition. The method avoids problems with diffusion by using a stack of membranes. Water transference coefficients in ion-exchange membranes is discussed and reversible and irreversible water transfer is studied by emf methods. Efforts were made to get data relevant to the solid polymer fuel cell. The results support the findings of other researchers that the reversible water transfer is lower than earlier predicted. A chapter on the conductivity of ion-exchange membranes establishes a method to separate the very thin liquid layers surrounding the membranes in a stack. Using the method it was found that the conductivity is obtained with high accuracy and that the liquid layer in a membrane stack can contribute significantly to the total measured resistance. A four point impedance method was tested to measure the conductivity of membranes under fuel cell conditions. Finally, there is a discussion of reversible heat effects and heat transfer in ion-exchange membranes. 155 refs., 45 figs., 13 tabs.

  12. The ionization length in plasmas with finite temperature ion sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jelić, N.; Kos, L.; Tskhakaya, D. D.; Duhovnik, J.

    2009-12-01

    The ionization length is an important quantity which up to now has been precisely determined only in plasmas which assume that the ions are born at rest, i.e., in discharges known as "cold ion-source" plasmas. Presented here are the results of our calculations of the ionization lengths in plasmas with an arbitrary ion source temperature. Harrison and Thompson (H&T) [Proc. Phys. Soc. 74, 145 (1959)] found the values of this quantity for the cases of several ion strength potential profiles in the well-known Tonks-Langmuir [Phys. Rev. 34, 876 (1929)] discharge, which is characterized by "cold" ion temperature. This scenario is also known as the "singular" ion-source discharge. The H&T analytic result covers cases of ion sources proportional to exp(βΦ) with Φ the normalized plasma potential and β =0,1,2 values, which correspond to particular physical scenarios. Many years following H&T's work, Bissell and Johnson (B&J) [Phys. Fluids 30, 779 (1987)] developed a model with the so-called "warm" ion-source temperature, i.e., "regular" ion source, under B&J's particular assumption that the ionization strength is proportional to the local electron density. However, it appears that B&J were not interested in determining the ionization length at all. The importance of this quantity to theoretical modeling was recognized by Riemann, who recently answered all the questions of the most advanced up-to-date plasma-sheath boundary theory with cold ions [K.-U. Riemann, Phys. Plasmas 13, 063508 (2006)] but still without the stiff warm ion-source case solution, which is highly resistant to solution via any available analytic method. The present article is an extension of H&T's results obtained for a single point only with ion source temperature Tn=0 to arbitrary finite ion source temperatures. The approach applied in this work is based on the method recently developed by Kos et al. [Phys. Plasmas 16, 093503 (2009)].

  13. The effect of organic ion-exchange resin on properties of heterogeneous ion-exchange membranes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Křivčík, J.; Vladařová, J.; Hadrava, J.; Černín, A.; Brožová, Libuše

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 14, - (2010), s. 179-184 ISSN 1944-3994. [Membrane Science and Technology Conference of Visegrad Countries /4./ PERMEA 2009, 07.07.2009-11.07.2009] R&D Projects: GA MPO FT-TA4/116 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : heterogeneous ion-exchange membrane * membrane modification * particle size of distribution Subject RIV: CG - Electrochemistry Impact factor: 0.752, year: 2010

  14. The plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ekberg, Kira

    of plants and fungi to generate electrochemical proton gradients. A recently published crystal structure of a plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase contributes to our knowledge about the mechanism of these essential enzymes. Together with biochemical and structural data presented in this thesis we are now able...

  15. Fibrinogen Reduction During Selective Plasma Exchange due to Membrane Fouling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohkubo, Atsushi; Okado, Tomokazu; Miyamoto, Satoko; Hashimoto, Yurie; Komori, Shigeto; Yamamoto, Motoki; Maeda, Takuma; Itagaki, Ayako; Yamamoto, Hiroko; Seshima, Hiroshi; Kurashima, Naoki; Iimori, Soichiro; Naito, Shotaro; Sohara, Eisei; Uchida, Shinichi; Rai, Tatemitsu

    2017-06-01

    Fibrinogen is substantially reduced by most plasmapheresis modalities but retained in selective plasma exchange using Evacure EC-4A10 (EC-4A). Although EC-4A's fibrinogen sieving coefficient is 0, a session of selective plasma exchange reduced fibrinogen by approximately 19%. Here, we investigated sieving coefficient in five patients. When the mean processed plasma volume was 1.15 × plasma volume, the mean reduction of fibrinogen during selective plasma exchange was approximately 15%. Fibrinogen sieving coefficient was 0 when the processed plasma volume was 1.0 L, increasing to 0.07 when the processed plasma volume was 3.0 L, with a mean of 0.03 during selective plasma exchange. When fibrinogen sieving coefficient was 0, selective plasma exchange reduced fibrinogen by approximately 10%. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed internal fouling of EC-4A's hollow fiber membrane by substances such as fibrinogen fibrils. Thus, fibrinogen reduction by selective plasma exchange may be predominantly caused by membrane fouling rather than filtration. © 2017 International Society for Apheresis, Japanese Society for Apheresis, and Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy.

  16. Electrostatic solitons in unmagnetized hot electron-positron-ion plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahmood, S.; Ur-Rehman, H.

    2009-01-01

    Linear and nonlinear electrostatic waves in unmagnetized electron-positron-ion (e-p-i) plasmas are studied. The electrons and positrons are assumed to be isothermal and dynamic while ions are considered to be stationary to neutralize the plasma background only. It is found that both upper (fast) and lower (slow) Langmuir waves can propagates in such a type of pair (e-p) plasma in the presence of ions. The small amplitude electrostatic Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) solitons are also obtained using reductive perturbation method. The electrostatic potential hump structures are found to exist when the temperature of the electrons is larger than the positrons, while the electrostatic potential dips are obtained in the reverse temperature conditions for electrons and positrons in e-p-i plasmas. The numerical results are also shown for illustration. The effects of different ion concentration and temperature ratios of electrons and positrons, on the formation of nonlinear electrostatic potential structures in e-p-i plasmas are also discussed.

  17. Immobilization of Na,K-ATPase isolated from rat brain synaptic plasma membranes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ANICA HROVAT

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available Rat brain Na,K-ATPase partially purified by SDS from synaptic plasma membranes (SPM was immobilized by adsorption on nitrocellulose (NC, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF and glass fiber (GF membranes. Partial SDS solubilization increased the enzyme activity by 40 %. With regard to the preservation of the enzyme activity, nitrocellulose was shown to be the optimal support for the immobilization. The enzyme showed the highest percentage activity (14 % after 30 min of SPM adsorption, at 20°C under the vaccum, with 25 mg of proteins per NC disc filter. In addition, adsorption on NC stabilizes the Na,K-ATPase, since the activity was substantial 72 h after adsorption at 20°C. After adsorption, the sensitivity of the enzyme to HgCl2and CdCll2 inhibition was higher. The results show that immobilized Na,K-ATPase SPM can be used as a practical model for the detection of metal ions in different samples.

  18. Direct measurement of the plasma response to electrostatic ion waves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarfaty, M.; DeSouza-Machado, S.; Skiff, F.

    1995-01-01

    Plasma wave-wave and wave-particle interactions are studied in a linear magnetized plasma. The relatively quiet plasma is produced by an argon gas-discharge. The plasma density is n e ≅ 10 9 cm -3 and the electron/ion temperatures are T e ≅ 5eV and T i = 0.05eV. A grid and a four ring antenna, both mounted on a scanning carriage, are used to launch electrostatic ion waves in the plasma. Laser Induced Fluorescence measurements of both the linear and the nonlinear plasma response to the wave fields are presented. The Vlasov-Poisson equations are used to explain the measured zero, first and second order terms of the ion distribution function in the presence of wave fields. In addition to the broadening (heating) of the ion distribution as the authors increase the wave amplitudes, induced plasma flows are observed both along and across the magnetic field

  19. Ultrathin and Ion-Selective Janus Membranes for High-Performance Osmotic Energy Conversion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhen; Sui, Xin; Li, Pei; Xie, Ganhua; Kong, Xiang-Yu; Xiao, Kai; Gao, Longcheng; Wen, Liping; Jiang, Lei

    2017-07-05

    The osmotic energy existing in fluids is recognized as a promising "blue" energy source that can help solve the global issues of energy shortage and environmental pollution. Recently, nanofluidic channels have shown great potential for capturing this worldwide energy because of their novel transport properties contributed by nanoconfinement. However, with respect to membrane-scale porous systems, high resistance and undesirable ion selectivity remain bottlenecks, impeding their applications. The development of thinner, low-resistance membranes, meanwhile promoting their ion selectivity, is a necessity. Here, we engineered ultrathin and ion-selective Janus membranes prepared via the phase separation of two block copolymers, which enable osmotic energy conversion with power densities of approximately 2.04 W/m 2 by mixing natural seawater and river water. Both experiments and continuum simulation help us to understand the mechanism for how membrane thickness and channel structure dominate the ion transport process and overall device performance, which can serve as a general guiding principle for the future design of nanochannel membranes for high-energy concentration cells.

  20. Behavior of lithium ions in the turbulent near-wall tokamak plasma under heating of ions and electrons of the main plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shurygin, R. V.; Morozov, D. Kh.

    2014-01-01

    Turbulent dynamics of the near-wall tokamak plasma is simulated by numerically solving the nonlinear reduced Braginskii magnetohydrodynamic equations with allowance for a lithium ion admixture. The effects of turbulence and radiation of the admixture are analyzed in the framework of a self-consistent approach. The radial distributions of the radiative loss power and the density of Li 0 atoms and Li +1 ions are obtained as functions of the electron and ion temperatures of the main plasma in the near-wall layer. The results of numerical simulations show that supply of lithium ions into the low-temperature near-wall plasma substantially depends on whether the additional power is deposited into the electron or ion component of the main plasma. If the electron temperature in the layer increases (ECR heating), then the ion density drops. At the same time, an increase in the temperature of the main ions (ICR heating) leads to an increase in the density of Li +1 ions. The results of numerical simulations are explained by the different influence of the electron and ion temperatures on the atomic processes governing the accumulation and loss of particles in the balance equations for neutral Li 0 atoms and Li +1 ions in the admixture. The radial profile of the electron temperature and the corresponding distribution of the radiative loss power for different densities of neutral Li 0 atoms on the wall are obtained. The calculations show that the presence of Li +1 ions affects turbulent transport of the main ions. In this case, the electron heat flux increases by 20–30% with increasing Li +1 density, whereas the flux of the main ions drops by nearly the same amount. The radial profile of the turbulent flux of lithium ions is obtained. It is demonstrated that the appearance of the pinch effect is related to the positive density gradient of lithium ions across the calculation layer. For the parameters of the T-10 tokamak, the effect of radiative cooling of the near-wall plasma

  1. Ion acoustic waves in pair-ion plasma: Linear and nonlinear analyses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saeed, R.; Mushtaq, A.

    2009-01-01

    Linear and nonlinear properties of low frequency ion acoustic wave (IAW) in pair-ion plasma in the presence of electrons are investigated. The dispersion relation and Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation for linear/nonlinear IAW are derived from sets of hydrodynamic equations where the ion pairs are inertial while electrons are Boltzmannian. The dispersion curves for various concentrations of electrons are discussed and compared with experimental results. The predicted linear IAW propagates at the same frequencies as those of the experimentally observed IAW if n e0 ∼10 4 cm -3 . It is found that nonlinear profile of the ion acoustic solitary waves is significantly affected by the percentage ratio of electron number density and temperature. It is also determined that rarefactive solitary waves can propagate in this system. It is hoped that the results presented in this study would be helpful in understanding the salient features of the finite amplitude localized ion acoustic solitary pulses in a laboratory fullerene plasma.

  2. Morphology-properties relationship of gas plasma treated hydrophobic meso-porous membranes and their improved performance for desalination by membrane distillation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dumée, Ludovic F.; Alglave, Hortense; Chaffraix, Thomas; Lin, Bao; Magniez, Kevin; Schütz, Jürg

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Systematic surface modifications by gas plasma treatment of hydrophobic polymers. • Correlation between plasma parameters and materials surface energy and morphology. • Spectral analysis of the formation of functional groups across the membranes surface. • Relationship between wettability, roughness and performance. - Abstract: The impact on performance of the surface energy and roughness of membrane materials used for direct contact membrane distillation are critical but yet poorly investigated parameters. The capacity to alter the wettability of highly hydrophobic materials such as poly(tetra-fluoro-ethylene) (PTFE) by gas plasma treatments is reported in this paper. An equally important contribution from this investigation arises from illustrating how vaporized material from the treated sample participates after a short while in the composition of the plasma and fundamentally changes the result of surface chemistry processes. The water contact angle across the hydrophobic membranes is generally controlled by varying the plasma gas conditions, such as the plasma power, chamber pressure and irradiation duration. Changes to surface porosity and roughness of the bulk material as well as the surface chemistry, through specific and partial de-fluorination of the surface were detected and systematically studied by Fourier transform infra-red analysis and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the rupture of fibrils, formed during membrane processing by thermal-stretching, led to the formation of a denser surface composed of nodules similar to these naturally acting as bridging points across the membrane material between fibrils. This structural change has a profound and impart a permanent effect on the permeation across the modified membranes, which was found to be enhanced by up to 10% for long plasma exposures while the selectivity of the membranes was found to remain unaffected by the treatment at a level higher

  3. Morphology-properties relationship of gas plasma treated hydrophobic meso-porous membranes and their improved performance for desalination by membrane distillation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dumée, Ludovic F., E-mail: ludovic.dumee@deakin.edu.au [Deakin University, Geelong Victoria–Australia - Institute for Frontier Materials (Australia); Alglave, Hortense; Chaffraix, Thomas; Lin, Bao; Magniez, Kevin [Deakin University, Geelong Victoria–Australia - Institute for Frontier Materials (Australia); Schütz, Jürg [CSIRO, Manufacturing Flagship, 75 Pigdons Road, 3216 Waurn Ponds, Victoria (Australia)

    2016-02-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Systematic surface modifications by gas plasma treatment of hydrophobic polymers. • Correlation between plasma parameters and materials surface energy and morphology. • Spectral analysis of the formation of functional groups across the membranes surface. • Relationship between wettability, roughness and performance. - Abstract: The impact on performance of the surface energy and roughness of membrane materials used for direct contact membrane distillation are critical but yet poorly investigated parameters. The capacity to alter the wettability of highly hydrophobic materials such as poly(tetra-fluoro-ethylene) (PTFE) by gas plasma treatments is reported in this paper. An equally important contribution from this investigation arises from illustrating how vaporized material from the treated sample participates after a short while in the composition of the plasma and fundamentally changes the result of surface chemistry processes. The water contact angle across the hydrophobic membranes is generally controlled by varying the plasma gas conditions, such as the plasma power, chamber pressure and irradiation duration. Changes to surface porosity and roughness of the bulk material as well as the surface chemistry, through specific and partial de-fluorination of the surface were detected and systematically studied by Fourier transform infra-red analysis and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the rupture of fibrils, formed during membrane processing by thermal-stretching, led to the formation of a denser surface composed of nodules similar to these naturally acting as bridging points across the membrane material between fibrils. This structural change has a profound and impart a permanent effect on the permeation across the modified membranes, which was found to be enhanced by up to 10% for long plasma exposures while the selectivity of the membranes was found to remain unaffected by the treatment at a level higher

  4. Ion deceleration in interpenetrating plasma jets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Renner, O.; Krousky, E.; Larroche, O.; Liska, R.

    2010-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows. Inertial and magnetic confinement fusion schemes involve collisions of high-temperature plasma jets and their interaction with solid surfaces (the so-called plasma-wall interaction, PWI). A fundamental understanding of the PWI effects requires a detailed characterization of the transient collisional phenomena occurring in the interaction region. In this paper we discuss a PWI experiment with double-foil Al/Mg targets fielded at the PALS laser system. An energetic plasma jet was created at the rear (non-irradiated) side of the 0.8-μm-thick Al foil exploded by the main laser beam (50-200 J, 0.44/1.315 μm, 0.25-0.3 ns, 16 W/cm 2 ). This plasma jet streamed towards the 2-μm-thick Mg foil, where the secondary plasma was created either by an auxiliary 5 J laser beam or by the main laser radiation transmitted through the Al foil, together with radiation and particles emitted from the Al foil. The environmental conditions in the plasma were diagnosed by means of high-resolution x-ray spectroscopy and temporally-resolved x-ray imaging. For the first time, the deceleration of the incident Al ions in the near-wall region was directly observed and quantitatively characterized from the Doppler shift of the J-satellite from the Al Lyα spectral group. The interaction scenario was numerically modeled by two concerted codes, namely, i) the Prague Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian 2-D code PALE, which solves the Lagrangian mesh distortions by smoothing and conservative remapping of conserved quantities, and ii) the multispecies 1.5-D code MULTIF which models the hydrodynamics of an arbitrary number of interpenetrating ion species in a single space dimension while assuming self-similar plasma expansion in the other directions, and taking into account detailed Coulombian collisional processes. PALE was used to model two counter-streaming Al/Mg plasma plumes until the beginning of their interaction, and the resulting plasma state was then used as

  5. Study of the negative ion extraction mechanism from a double-ion plasma in negative ion sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goto, I.; Nishioka, S.; Hatayama, A.; Miyamoto, K.

    2015-01-01

    We have developed a 2D3V-PIC model of the extraction region, aiming to clarify the basic extraction mechanism of H − ions from the double-ion plasma in H − negative ion sources. The result shows the same tendency of the H − ion density n H − as that observed in the experiments, i.e.,n H − in the upstream region away from the plasma meniscus (H − emitting surface) has been reduced by applying the extraction voltage. At the same time, relatively slow temporal oscillation of the electric potential compared with the electron plasma frequency has been observed in the extraction region. Results of the systematic study using a 1D3V-PIC model with the uniform magnetic field confirm the result that the electrostatic oscillation is identified to be lower hybrid wave. The effect of this oscillation on the H − transport will be studied in the future

  6. Study of the negative ion extraction mechanism from a double-ion plasma in negative ion sources

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goto, I.; Nishioka, S.; Hatayama, A. [Graduate school of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522 (Japan); Miyamoto, K. [Naruto University of Education, 748 Nakashima, Takashima, Naruto-cho, Naruto-shi, Tokushima 772-8502 (Japan)

    2015-04-08

    We have developed a 2D3V-PIC model of the extraction region, aiming to clarify the basic extraction mechanism of H{sup −} ions from the double-ion plasma in H{sup −} negative ion sources. The result shows the same tendency of the H{sup −} ion density n{sub H{sup −}} as that observed in the experiments, i.e.,n{sub H{sup −}} in the upstream region away from the plasma meniscus (H{sup −} emitting surface) has been reduced by applying the extraction voltage. At the same time, relatively slow temporal oscillation of the electric potential compared with the electron plasma frequency has been observed in the extraction region. Results of the systematic study using a 1D3V-PIC model with the uniform magnetic field confirm the result that the electrostatic oscillation is identified to be lower hybrid wave. The effect of this oscillation on the H{sup −} transport will be studied in the future.

  7. Reorganization of plasma membrane lipid domains during conidial germination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Filipa C; Fernandes, Andreia S; Antunes, Catarina A C; Moreira, Filipe P; Videira, Arnaldo; Marinho, H Susana; de Almeida, Rodrigo F M

    2017-02-01

    Neurospora crassa, a filamentous fungus, in the unicellular conidial stage has ideal features to study sphingolipid (SL)-enriched domains, which are implicated in fundamental cellular processes ranging from antifungal resistance to apoptosis. Several changes in lipid metabolism and in the membrane composition of N. crassa occur during spore germination. However, the biophysical impact of those changes is unknown. Thus, a biophysical study of N. crassa plasma membrane, particularly SL-enriched domains, and their dynamics along conidial germination is prompted. Two N. crassa strains, wild-type (WT) and slime, which is devoid of cell wall, were studied. Conidial growth of N. crassa WT from a dormancy state to an exponential phase was accompanied by membrane reorganization, namely an increase of membrane fluidity, occurring faster in a supplemented medium than in Vogel's minimal medium. Gel-like domains, likely enriched in SLs, were found in both N. crassa strains, but were particularly compact, rigid and abundant in the case of slime cells, even more than in budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In N. crassa, our results suggest that the melting of SL-enriched domains occurs near growth temperature (30°C) for WT, but at higher temperatures for slime. Regarding biophysical properties strongly affected by ergosterol, the plasma membrane of slime conidia lays in between those of N. crassa WT and S. cerevisiae cells. The differences in biophysical properties found in this work, and the relationships established between membrane lipid composition and dynamics, give new insights about the plasma membrane organization and structure of N. crassa strains during conidial growth. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Microwave plasma source having improved switching operation from plasma ignition phase to normal ion extraction phase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakudo, N.; Abe, K.; Koike, H.; Okada, O.; Tokiguchi, K.

    1985-01-01

    In a microwave plasma source, a discharge space supplied with a microwave electric field is supplied with a DC magnetic field. A material to be ionized is introduced into the discharge space to produce plasma, whereby ions are extracted through an ion extracting system. A switch is provided for effecting through switching operation the change-over of the magnetic field applied to the discharge space from the intensity for the ignition of plasma to the intensity for ion extraction in succession to completion of the plasma ignition

  9. Method for plasma surface treating and preparation of membrane layers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    1992-01-01

    The invention relates to an apparatus suitable for plasma surface treating (e.g. forming a membrane layer on a substrate) which comprises a plasma generation section (2) which is in communication via at least one plasma inlet means (4) (e.g. a nozzle) with an enclosed plasma treating section (3)

  10. Ion Streaming Instabilities in Pair Ion Plasma and Localized Structure with Non-Thermal Electrons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasir Khattak, M.; Mushtaq, A.; Qamar, A.

    2015-12-01

    Pair ion plasma with a fraction of non-thermal electrons is considered. We investigate the effects of the streaming motion of ions on linear and nonlinear properties of unmagnetized, collisionless plasma by using the fluid model. A dispersion relation is derived, and the growth rate of streaming instabilities with effect of streaming motion of ions and non-thermal electrons is calculated. A qausi-potential approach is adopted to study the characteristics of ion acoustic solitons. An energy integral equation involving Sagdeev potential is derived during this process. The presence of the streaming term in the energy integral equation affects the structure of the solitary waves significantly along with non-thermal electrons. Possible application of the work to the space and laboratory plasmas are highlighted.

  11. Ion streaming instabilities in pair ion plasma and localized structure with non-thermal electrons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khattak, M. Nasir; Qamar, A., E-mail: mnnasirphysics@gmail.com [Department of Physics, University of Peshawar (Pakistan); Mushtaq, A. [Department of Physics, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, National Center for Physics, Mardan (Pakistan)

    2015-12-15

    Pair ion plasma with a fraction of non-thermal electrons is considered. We investigate the effects of the streaming motion of ions on linear and nonlinear properties of unmagnetized, collisionless plasma by using the fluid model. A dispersion relation is derived, and the growth rate of streaming instabilities with effect of streaming motion of ions and non-thermal electrons is calculated. A quasi-potential approach is adopted to study the characteristics of ion acoustic solitons. An energy integral equation involving Sagdeev potential is derived during this process. The presence of the streaming term in the energy integral equation affects the structure of the solitary waves significantly along with non-thermal electrons. Possible application of the work to the space and laboratory plasmas are highlighted. (author)

  12. Computational simulation of lithium ion transport through polymer nanocomposite membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moon, P.; Sandi, G.; Kizilel, R.; Stevens, D.

    2003-01-01

    We think of membranes as simple devices to facilitate filtration. In fact, membranes play a role in chemical, biological, and engineering processes such as catalysis, separation, and sensing by control of molecular transport and recognition. Critical factors that influence membrane discrimination properties include composition, pore size (as well as homogeneity), chemical functionalization, and electrical transport properties. There is increasing interest in using nanomaterials for the production of novel membranes due to the unique selectivity that can be achieved. Clay-polymer nanocomposites show particular promise due to their ease of manufacture (large sheets), their rigidity (self supporting), and their excellent mechanical properties. However, the process of lithium ion transport through the clay-polymer nanocomposite and mechanisms of pore size selection are poorly understood at the ionic and molecular level. In addition, manufacturing of clay-polymer nanocomposite membranes with desirable properties has proved challenging. We have built a general membrane-modeling tool (simulation system) to assist in developing improved membranes for selection, electromigration, and other electrochemical applications. Of particular interest are the recently formulated clay-polymer membranes. The transport mechanisms of the lithium ions membranes are not well understood and, therefore, they make an interesting test case for the model. In order to validate the model, we synthesized polymer nanocomposites membranes.

  13. Ion Distribution Measurement In Plasma Focus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suryadi; Sunardi; Usada, Widdi; Purwadi, Agus; Zaenuri, Akhmad

    1996-01-01

    Measurement of the Argon ion distribution in plasma focus by using Faraday cup has been done. The intensity of ion beam followed the I Rn rule, n=1,02. In the operation condition of 0,8 mbar and 12,5 kV the current sheath spen 2.2 to 2.4 μsecond in the rundown phase. Cu ion was also been observed in the Faraday cup

  14. Low-energy ion beam bombardment effect on the plant-cell-envelope mimetic membrane for DNA transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prakrajang, K.; Sangwijit, K.; Anuntalabhochai, S.; Wanichapichart, P.; Yu, L.D.

    2012-01-01

    This study is a systematic analysis of the mechanisms involved in ion-beam induced DNA transfer, an important application of ion beam biotechnology. Cellulose membranes were used to mimic the plant cell envelope. Ion beams of argon (Ar) or nitrogen (N) at an energy of 25 keV bombarded the cellulose membranes at fluences ranging from 10 15 to 10 16 ions/cm 2 . The damage to the ion-beam-bombarded membranes was characterized using infrared spectroscopy, a micro tensile test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Chain scission was the dominant radiation damage type in the membrane. DNA diffusion across the membrane was significantly increased after ion beam bombardment. The increase in DNA transfer is therefore attributed to chain scission, which increases the permeability by increasing the number of pores in the membrane.

  15. Preliminary scaling laws for plasma current, ion kinetic temperature, and plasma number density in the NASA Lewis bumpy torus plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roth, J. R.

    1976-01-01

    Parametric variation of independent variables which may affect the characteristics of bumpy torus plasma have identified those which have a significant effect on the plasma current, ion kinetic temperature, and plasma number density, and those which do not. Empirical power law correlations of the plasma current, and the ion kinetic temperature and number density were obtained as functions of potential applied to the midplane electrode rings, the background neutral gas pressure, and the magnetic field strength. Additional parameters studied included the type of gas, the polarity of the midplane electrode rings, the mode of plasma operation, and the method of measuring the plasma number density. No significant departures from the scaling laws appear to occur at the highest ion kinetic temperatures or number densities obtained to date.

  16. Metal ion separations using reactive membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Way, J.D.

    1993-01-01

    A membrane is a barrier between two phases. If one component of a mixture moves through the membrane faster than another mixture component, a separation can be accomplished. Membranes are used commercially for many applications including gas separations, water purification, particle filtration, and macromolecule separations (Abelson). There are two points to note concerning this definition. First, a membrane is defined based on its function, not the material used to make the membrane. Secondly, a membrane separation is a rate process. The separation is accomplished by a driving force, not by equilibrium between phases. Liquids that are immiscible with the feed and product streams can also be used as membrane materials. Different solutes will have different solubilities and diffusion coefficients in a liquid. The product of the diffusivity and the solubility is known as the permeability coefficient, which is proportional to the solute flux. Differences in permeability coefficient will produce a separation between solutes at constant driving force. Because the diffusion coefficients in liquids are typically orders of magnitude higher than in polymers, a larger flux can be obtained. Further enhancements can be accomplished by adding a nonvolatile complexation agent to the liquid membrane. One can then have either coupled or facilitated transport of metal ions through a liquid membrane. The author describes two implementations of this concept, one involving a liquid membrane supported on a microporous membrane, and the other an emulsion liquid membrane, where separation occurs to internal receiving phases. Applications and costing studies for this technology are reviewed, and a brief summary of some of the problems with liquid membranes is presented

  17. Plasma deposition of silver nanoparticles on ultrafiltration membranes: antibacterial and anti-biofouling properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz, Mercedes Cecilia; Ruano, Gustavo; Wolf, Marcus; Hecker, Dominic; Vidaurre, Elza Castro; Schmittgens, Ralph; Rajal, Verónica Beatriz

    2015-02-01

    A novel and versatile plasma reactor was used to modify Polyethersulphone commercial membranes. The equipment was applied to: i) functionalize the membranes with low-temperature plasmas, ii) deposit a film of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) and, iii) deposit silver nanoparticles (SNP) by Gas Flow Sputtering. Each modification process was performed in the same reactor consecutively, without exposure of the membranes to atmospheric air. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the particles and modified membranes. SNP are evenly distributed on the membrane surface. Particle fixation and transport inside membranes were assessed before- and after-washing assays by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling analysis. PMMA addition improved SNP fixation. Plasma-treated membranes showed higher hydrophilicity. Anti-biofouling activity was successfully achieved against Gram-positive ( Enterococcus faecalis ) and -negative ( Salmonella Typhimurium) bacteria. Therefore, disinfection by ultrafiltration showed substantial resistance to biofouling. The post-synthesis functionalization process developed provides a more efficient fabrication route for anti-biofouling and anti-bacterial membranes used in the water treatment field. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a gas phase condensation process combined with a PECVD procedure in order to deposit SNP on commercial membranes to inhibit biofouling formation.

  18. Ion sampling and transport in Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farnsworth, Paul B.; Spencer, Ross L.

    2017-08-01

    Quantitative accuracy and high sensitivity in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) depend on consistent and efficient extraction and transport of analyte ions from an inductively coupled plasma to a mass analyzer, where they are sorted and detected. In this review we examine the fundamental physical processes that control ion sampling and transport in ICP-MS and compare the results of theory and computerized models with experimental efforts to characterize the flow of ions through plasma mass spectrometers' vacuum interfaces. We trace the flow of ions from their generation in the plasma, into the sampling cone, through the supersonic expansion in the first vacuum stage, through the skimmer, and into the ion optics that deliver the ions to the mass analyzer. At each stage we consider idealized behavior and departures from ideal behavior that affect the performance of ICP-MS as an analytical tool.

  19. Monitoring changes in membrane polarity, membrane integrity, and intracellular ion concentrations in Streptococcus pneumoniae using fluorescent dyes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clementi, Emily A; Marks, Laura R; Roche-Håkansson, Hazeline; Håkansson, Anders P

    2014-02-17

    Membrane depolarization and ion fluxes are events that have been studied extensively in biological systems due to their ability to profoundly impact cellular functions, including energetics and signal transductions. While both fluorescent and electrophysiological methods, including electrode usage and patch-clamping, have been well developed for measuring these events in eukaryotic cells, methodology for measuring similar events in microorganisms have proven more challenging to develop given their small size in combination with the more complex outer surface of bacteria shielding the membrane. During our studies of death-initiation in Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), we wanted to elucidate the role of membrane events, including changes in polarity, integrity, and intracellular ion concentrations. Searching the literature, we found that very few studies exist. Other investigators had monitored radioisotope uptake or equilibrium to measure ion fluxes and membrane potential and a limited number of studies, mostly in Gram-negative organisms, had seen some success using carbocyanine or oxonol fluorescent dyes to measure membrane potential, or loading bacteria with cell-permeant acetoxymethyl (AM) ester versions of ion-sensitive fluorescent indicator dyes. We therefore established and optimized protocols for measuring membrane potential, rupture, and ion-transport in the Gram-positive organism S. pneumoniae. We developed protocols using the bis-oxonol dye DiBAC4(3) and the cell-impermeant dye propidium iodide to measure membrane depolarization and rupture, respectively, as well as methods to optimally load the pneumococci with the AM esters of the ratiometric dyes Fura-2, PBFI, and BCECF to detect changes in intracellular concentrations of Ca(2+), K(+), and H(+), respectively, using a fluorescence-detection plate reader. These protocols are the first of their kind for the pneumococcus and the majority of these dyes have not been used in any other bacterial

  20. Polyphosphoinositides are present in plasma membranes isolated from fusogenic carrot cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wheeler, J.J.; Boss, W.F.

    1987-01-01

    Fusogenic carrot cells grown in suspension culture were labeled 12 hours with myo-[2- 3 H]inositol. Plasma membranes were isolated from the prelabeled fusogenic carrot cells by both aqueous polymer two-phase partitioning and Renografin density gradients. With both methods, the plasma membrane-enriched fractions, as identified by marker enzymes, were enriched in [ 3 H]inositol-labeled phosphatidylinositol monophosphate (PIP) and phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP 2 ). An additional [ 3 H]inositol-labeled lipid, lysophosphatidylinositol monophosphate, which migrated between PIP and PIP 2 on thin layer plates, was found primarily in the plasma membrane-rich fraction of the fusogenic cells. This was in contrast to lysophosphatidylinositol which is found primarily in the lower phase, microsomal/mitchrondrial-rich fraction

  1. Ultrafiltration Membrane Fouling and the Effect of Ion Exchange Resins

    KAUST Repository

    Jamaly, Sanaa

    2011-12-01

    Membrane fouling is a challenging process for the ultrafiltration membrane during wastewater treatment. This research paper determines the organic character of foulants of different kinds of wastewater before and after adding some ion exchange resins. Two advanced organic characterization methods are compared in terms of concentration of dissolved organic carbons: The liquid chromatography with organic carbon (LC-OCD) and Shimadzu total organic carbon (TOC). In this study, two secondary wastewater effluents were treated using ultrafiltration membrane. To reduce fouling, pretreatment using some adsorbents were used in the study. Six ion exchange resins out of twenty were chosen to compare the effect of adsorbents on fouling membrane. Based on the percent of dissolved organic carbon’s removal, three adsorbents were determined to be the most efficient (DOWEX Marathon 11 anion exchange resin, DOWEX Optipore SD2 polymeric adsorbent, and DOWEX PSR2 anion exchange), and three other ones were determined to the least efficient (DOWEX Marathon A2 anion exchange resin, DOWEX SAR anion exchange resin, and DOWEX Optipore L493 polymeric adsorbent). Organic characterization for feed, permeate, and backwash samples were tested using LC-OCD and TOC to better understand the characteristics of foulants to prevent ultrafiltration membrane fouling. The results suggested that the polymeric ion exchange resin, DOWEX SD2, reduced fouling potential for both treated wastewaters. All the six ion exchange resins removed more humic fraction than other organic fractions in different percent, so this fraction is not the main for cause for UF membrane fouling. The fouling of colloids was tested before and after adding calcium. There is a severe fouling after adding Ca2+ to effluent colloids.

  2. Polymethylmethacrylate/Polyacrylonitrile Membranes via Centrifugal Spinning as Separator in Li-Ion Batteries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meltem Yanilmaz

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Electrospun nanofiber membranes have been extensively studied as separators in Li-ion batteries due to their large porosity, unique pore structure, and high electrolyte uptake. However, the electrospinning process has some serious drawbacks, such as low spinning rate and high production cost. The centrifugal spinning technique can be used as a fast, cost-effective and safe technique to fabricate high-performance fiber-based separators. In this work, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA/polyacrylonitrile (PAN membranes with different blend ratios were produced via centrifugal spinning and characterized by using different electrochemical techniques for use as separators in Li-ion batteries. Compared with commercial microporous polyolefin membrane, centrifugally-spun PMMA/PAN membranes had larger ionic conductivity, higher electrochemical oxidation limit, and lower interfacial resistance with lithium. Centrifugally-spun PMMA/PAN membrane separators were assembled into Li/LiFePO4 cells and these cells delivered high capacities and exhibited good cycling performance at room temperature. In addition, cells using centrifugally-spun PMMA/PAN membrane separators showed superior C-rate performance compared to those using microporous polypropylene (PP membranes. It is, therefore, demonstrated that centrifugally-spun PMMA/PAN membranes are promising separator candidate for high-performance Li-ion batteries.

  3. Multispecies Weibel Instability for Intense Ion Beam Propagation Through Background Plasma

    CERN Document Server

    Davidson, Ronald C; Kaganovich, Igor D; Qin, Hong; Startsev, Edward

    2005-01-01

    In application of heavy ion beams to high energy density physics and fusion, background plasma is utilized to neutralize the beam space charge during drift compression and/or final focus of the ion beam. It is important to minimize the deleterious effects of collective instabilities on beam quality associated with beam-plasma interactions. Plasma electrons tend to neutralize both the space charge and current of the beam ions. It is shown that the presence of the return current greatly modifies the electromagnetic Weibel instability (also called the filamentation instability), i.e., the growth rate of the filamentation instability greatly increases if the background ions are much lighter than the beam ions and the plasma density is comparable to the ion beam density. This may preclude using underdense plasma of light gases in heavy ion beam applications. It is also shown that the return current may be subject to the fast electrostatic two-stream instability.

  4. Electrolytic process to produce sodium hypochlorite using sodium ion conductive ceramic membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balagopal, Shekar; Malhotra, Vinod; Pendleton, Justin; Reid, Kathy Jo

    2012-09-18

    An electrochemical process for the production of sodium hypochlorite is disclosed. The process may potentially be used to produce sodium hypochlorite from seawater or low purity un-softened or NaCl-based salt solutions. The process utilizes a sodium ion conductive ceramic membrane, such as membranes based on NASICON-type materials, in an electrolytic cell. In the process, water is reduced at a cathode to form hydroxyl ions and hydrogen gas. Chloride ions from a sodium chloride solution are oxidized in the anolyte compartment to produce chlorine gas which reacts with water to produce hypochlorous and hydrochloric acid. Sodium ions are transported from the anolyte compartment to the catholyte compartment across the sodium ion conductive ceramic membrane. Sodium hydroxide is transported from the catholyte compartment to the anolyte compartment to produce sodium hypochlorite within the anolyte compartment.

  5. Development of long lifetime-high current plasma cathode ion source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yabe, Eiji; Takayama, Kazuo; Fukui, Ryota.

    1987-01-01

    A long lifetime ion source with plasma cathode has been developed for use in ion implantation. In this ion source, a plasma of a nonreactive working gas serves as a cathode in place of a thermionic tungsten filament used in the Freeman ion source. In an applied magnetic field, the plasma cathode is convergent, i.e. filament-like; in zero magnetic field, it turns divergent and spray-like. In the latter case, the plasma exhibits a remarkable ability when the working gas has an ionization potential larger than the feed gas. By any combination of a working gas of either argon or neon and a feed gas of AsF 5 or PF 5 , the lifetime of this ion source was found to be more than 90 hours with an extraction voltage of 40 kV and the corresponding ion current density 20 mA/cm 2 . Mass spectrometry results show that this ion source has an ability of generating a considerable amount of As + and P + ions from AsF 5 and PF 5 , and hence will be useful for realizing a fully cryopumped ion implanter system. This ion source is eminently suitable for use in oxygen ion production. (author)

  6. Calcium permeability of the T lymphocyte plasma membrane: counteraction of phorbol ester and A23187

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Csermely, P.; Szamel, M.; Somogyi, J.

    1986-01-01

    The intracellular calcium concentration (Ca/sub i/) of T lymphocytes was measured using the fluorescent indicator quin2. Different ionophores effectively enhanced the Ca permeability of the plasma membrane. The effective concentration of the ionophores required for permeabilization increased in the order of ionomycin, A23187 and X537-A (lasalocid-A). 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in submicromolar concentrations did not change Ca/sub i/. The addition of TPA immediately before the A23187-permeabilization did not alter the Ca ionophoretic effect of A23187. However, prolonged incubation with TPA decreased the efficiency of A23187 permeabilizing the plasma membrane for calcium ions. This effect was concentration and time dependent, being maximal at TPA concentrations higher than 10 nM with a preincubation time of 1.5 hours. TPA induced relative A23187 insensitivity is most probably not due to a direct effect of TPA on the ionophore as it is concentration and time dependent. Moreover the fluorescence and fluorescence polarization of A23187 as well as the energy transfer between the tryptophan groups of the membrane proteins and A23187 showed no significant change during incubation with TPA. These results indicate that membrane fluidity changes or A23187 immobilization also do not play a prominent role in the explanation of the phenomenon. However the supposed intracellular heavy metal content of T lymphocyte might be a possible source of the TPA induced relative insensitization towards A23187.

  7. Functional implications of plasma membrane condensation for T cell activation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carles Rentero

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available The T lymphocyte plasma membrane condenses at the site of activation but the functional significance of this receptor-mediated membrane reorganization is not yet known. Here we demonstrate that membrane condensation at the T cell activation sites can be inhibited by incorporation of the oxysterol 7-ketocholesterol (7KC, which is known to prevent the formation of raft-like liquid-ordered domains in model membranes. We enriched T cells with 7KC, or cholesterol as control, to assess the importance of membrane condensation for T cell activation. Upon 7KC treatment, T cell antigen receptor (TCR triggered calcium fluxes and early tyrosine phosphorylation events appear unaltered. However, signaling complexes form less efficiently on the cell surface, fewer phosphorylated signaling proteins are retained in the plasma membrane and actin restructuring at activation sites is impaired in 7KC-enriched cells resulting in compromised downstream activation responses. Our data emphasizes lipids as an important medium for the organization at T cell activation sites and strongly indicates that membrane condensation is an important element of the T cell activation process.

  8. Energetic ion emission in a positive polarity nanosecond plasma opening switch

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sarfaty, M [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Krasik, Ya E; Weingarten, A; Fruchtman, A; Maron, Y [Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot (Israel). Department of Physics

    1997-12-31

    The emission was studied of energetic ions from the plasma in a coaxial Plasma Opening Switch (POS) powered by a 300 kV, 15 kA, 90 ns positive polarity pulse. Fluxes lasting 2 - 3 ns of ions flowing radially onto the cathode were observed at all axial locations of the switch plasma within 5 ns of the beginning of the upstream POS current. It is suggested that the termination of this ion flux is due to the formation of a cathode plasma, which is consistent with our spectroscopic measurements. Later in the pulse, longer duration (100 ns) ion fluxes were observed radially, first appearing in the generator side of the switch plasma. Fluxes 30 - 40 ns long of ions flowing axially towards the POS load at velocities (2{+-}1) x 10{sup 8} cm/s were also observed. The dependences of the start time of the axial ion flow, of the ion velocities, and of the ion flux on the POS operation parameters were studied. (author). 6 figs., 5 refs.

  9. Energetic ion emission in a positive polarity nanosecond plasma opening switch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarfaty, M.; Krasik, Ya.E.; Weingarten, A.; Fruchtman, A.; Maron, Y.

    1996-01-01

    The emission was studied of energetic ions from the plasma in a coaxial Plasma Opening Switch (POS) powered by a 300 kV, 15 kA, 90 ns positive polarity pulse. Fluxes lasting 2 - 3 ns of ions flowing radially onto the cathode were observed at all axial locations of the switch plasma within 5 ns of the beginning of the upstream POS current. It is suggested that the termination of this ion flux is due to the formation of a cathode plasma, which is consistent with our spectroscopic measurements. Later in the pulse, longer duration (100 ns) ion fluxes were observed radially, first appearing in the generator side of the switch plasma. Fluxes 30 - 40 ns long of ions flowing axially towards the POS load at velocities (2±1) x 10 8 cm/s were also observed. The dependences of the start time of the axial ion flow, of the ion velocities, and of the ion flux on the POS operation parameters were studied. (author). 6 figs., 5 refs

  10. Lateral mobility of plasma membrane lipids in dividing Xenopus eggs

    OpenAIRE

    Laat, S.W. de; Tetteroo, P.A.T.; Bluemink, J.G.; Dictus, W.J.A.G.; Zoelen, E.J.J. van

    1984-01-01

    The lateral mobility of plasma membrane lipids was analyzed during first cleavage of Xaopus Levis eggs by fluorescence photobleaching recovery (FPR) measurements, using the lipid analogs 5-(N-hexadecanoyl)aminofluorescein (“HEDAF”) and 5-(N-tetradecanoyl)aminofluorescein (“TEDAF”) as probes. The preexisting plasma membrane of the animal side showed an inhomogeneous, dotted fluorescence pattern after labeling and the lateral mobility of both probes used was below the detection limits of the FP...

  11. The Role of the Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase in Plant Responses to Aluminum Toxicity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiarong Zhang

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Aluminum (Al toxicity is a key factor limiting plant growth and crop production on acid soils. Increasing the plant Al-detoxification capacity and/or breeding Al-resistant cultivars are a cost-effective strategy to support crop growth on acidic soils. The plasma membrane H+-ATPase plays a central role in all plant physiological processes. Changes in the activity of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase through regulating the expression and phosphorylation of this enzyme are also involved in many plant responses to Al toxicity. The plasma membrane H+-ATPase mediated H+ influx may be associated with the maintenance of cytosolic pH and the plasma membrane gradients as well as Al-induced citrate efflux mediated by a H+-ATPase-coupled MATE co-transport system. In particular, modulating the activity of plasma membrane H+-ATPase through application of its activators (e.g., magnesium or IAA or using transgenics has effectively enhanced plant resistance to Al stress in several species. In this review, we critically assess the available knowledge on the role of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase in plant responses to Al stress, incorporating physiological and molecular aspects.

  12. Profiling of kidney vascular endothelial cell plasma membrane proteins by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zan; Xu, Bo; Nameta, Masaaki; Zhang, Ying; Magdeldin, Sameh; Yoshida, Yutaka; Yamamoto, Keiko; Fujinaka, Hidehiko; Yaoita, Eishin; Tasaki, Masayuki; Nakagawa, Yuki; Saito, Kazuhide; Takahashi, Kota; Yamamoto, Tadashi

    2013-06-01

    Vascular endothelial cells (VECs) play crucial roles in physiological and pathologic conditions in tissues and organs. Most of these roles are related to VEC plasma membrane proteins. In the kidney, VECs are closely associated with structures and functions; however, plasma membrane proteins in kidney VECs remain to be fully elucidated. Rat kidneys were perfused with cationic colloidal silica nanoparticles (CCSN) to label the VEC plasma membrane. The CCSN-labeled plasma membrane fraction was collected by gradient ultracentrifugation. The VEC plasma membrane or whole-kidney lysate proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and digested with trypsin in gels for liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Enrichment analysis was then performed. The VEC plasma membrane proteins were purified by the CCSN method with high yield (approximately 20 μg from 1 g of rat kidney). By Mascot search, 582 proteins were identified in the VEC plasma membrane fraction, and 1,205 proteins were identified in the kidney lysate. In addition to 16 VEC marker proteins such as integrin beta-1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-2 (ICAM-2), 8 novel proteins such as Deltex 3-like protein and phosphatidylinositol binding clathrin assembly protein (PICALM) were identified. As expected, many key functions of plasma membranes in general and of endothelial cells in particular (i.e., leukocyte adhesion) were significantly overrepresented in the proteome of CCSN-labeled kidney VEC fraction. The CCSN method is a reliable technique for isolation of VEC plasma membrane from the kidney, and proteomic analysis followed by bioinformatics revealed the characteristics of in vivo VECs in the kidney.

  13. Low-energy ion beam bombardment effect on the plant-cell-envelope mimetic membrane for DNA transfer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prakrajang, K., E-mail: k.prakrajang@gmail.com [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Sangwijit, K.; Anuntalabhochai, S. [Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Wanichapichart, P. [Membrane Science and Technology Research Center, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkla 90112 (Thailand); Yu, L.D., E-mail: yuld@fnrf.science.cmu.ac.th [Plasma and Beam Physics Research Facility, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Commission on Higher Education, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand)

    2012-09-01

    This study is a systematic analysis of the mechanisms involved in ion-beam induced DNA transfer, an important application of ion beam biotechnology. Cellulose membranes were used to mimic the plant cell envelope. Ion beams of argon (Ar) or nitrogen (N) at an energy of 25 keV bombarded the cellulose membranes at fluences ranging from 10{sup 15} to 10{sup 16} ions/cm{sup 2}. The damage to the ion-beam-bombarded membranes was characterized using infrared spectroscopy, a micro tensile test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Chain scission was the dominant radiation damage type in the membrane. DNA diffusion across the membrane was significantly increased after ion beam bombardment. The increase in DNA transfer is therefore attributed to chain scission, which increases the permeability by increasing the number of pores in the membrane.

  14. Simulations of simple linoleic acid-containing lipid membranes and models for the soybean plasma membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuang, Xiaohong; Ou, Anna; Klauda, Jeffery B

    2017-06-07

    The all-atom CHARMM36 lipid force field (C36FF) has been tested with saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated lipids; however, it has not been validated against the 18:2 linoleoyl lipids with an unsaturated sn-1 chain. The linoleoyl lipids are common in plants and the main component of the soybean membrane. The lipid composition of soybean plasma membranes has been thoroughly characterized with experimental studies. However, there is comparatively less work done with computational modeling. Our molecular dynamics (MD) simulation results show that the pure linoleoyl lipids, 1-stearoyl-2-linoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (18:0/18:2) and 1,2-dilinoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (di-18:2), agree very well with the experiments, which demonstrates the accuracy of the C36FF for the computational study of soybean membranes. Based on the experimental composition, the soybean hypocotyl and root plasma membrane models are developed with each containing seven or eight types of linoleoyl phospholipids and two types of sterols (sitosterol and stigmasterol). MD simulations are performed to characterize soybean membranes, and the hydrogen bonds and clustering results demonstrate that the lipids prefer to interact with the lipids of the same/similar tail unsaturation. All the results suggest that these two soybean membrane models can be used as a basis for further research in soybean and higher plant membranes involving membrane-associated proteins.

  15. Direct Capture of Functional Proteins from Mammalian Plasma Membranes into Nanodiscs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Jahnabi; Pondenis, Holly; Fan, Timothy M; Das, Aditi

    2015-10-20

    Mammalian plasma membrane proteins make up the largest class of drug targets yet are difficult to study in a cell free system because of their intransigent nature. Herein, we perform direct encapsulation of plasma membrane proteins derived from mammalian cells into a functional nanodisc library. Peptide fingerprinting was used to analyze the proteome of the incorporated proteins in nanodiscs and to further demonstrate that the lipid composition of the nanodiscs directly affects the class of protein that is incorporated. Furthermore, the functionality of the incorporated membrane proteome was evaluated by measuring the activity of membrane proteins: Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase and receptor tyrosine kinases. This work is the first report of the successful establishment and characterization of a cell free functional library of mammalian membrane proteins into nanodiscs.

  16. PVDF-HFP-based porous polymer electrolyte membranes for lithium-ion batteries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Miao, Ruiying; Liu, Bowen; Zhu, Zhongzheng

    2008-01-01

    As a potential electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries, a porous polymer electrolyte membrane based on poly(vinylidenefluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) was prepared by a phase inversion method. The casting solution, effects of the solvent and non-solvent and addition of micron scale TiO2...... particles were investigated. The membranes were characterized by SEM, XRD, AC impedance, and charge/discharge tests. By using acetone as the solvent and water as the non-solvent, the prepared membranes showed good ability to absorb and retain the lithium ion containing electrolyte. Addition of micron TiO2...

  17. Interleaflet Coupling, Pinning, and Leaflet Asymmetry—Major Players in Plasma Membrane Nanodomain Formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujimoto, Toyoshi; Parmryd, Ingela

    2017-01-01

    The plasma membrane has a highly asymmetric distribution of lipids and contains dynamic nanodomains many of which are liquid entities surrounded by a second, slightly different, liquid environment. Contributing to the dynamics is a continuous repartitioning of components between the two types of liquids and transient links between lipids and proteins, both to extracellular matrix and cytoplasmic components, that temporarily pin membrane constituents. This make plasma membrane nanodomains exceptionally challenging to study and much of what is known about membrane domains has been deduced from studies on model membranes at equilibrium. However, living cells are by definition not at equilibrium and lipids are distributed asymmetrically with inositol phospholipids, phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylserines confined mostly to the inner leaflet and glyco- and sphingolipids to the outer leaflet. Moreover, each phospholipid group encompasses a wealth of species with different acyl chain combinations whose lateral distribution is heterogeneous. It is becoming increasingly clear that asymmetry and pinning play important roles in plasma membrane nanodomain formation and coupling between the two lipid monolayers. How asymmetry, pinning, and interdigitation contribute to the plasma membrane organization is only beginning to be unraveled and here we discuss their roles and interdependence. PMID:28119914

  18. Numerical simulation of plasma processes driven by transverse ion heating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Nagendra; Chan, C. B.

    1993-01-01

    The plasma processes driven by transverse ion heating in a diverging flux tube are investigated with numerical simulation. The heating is found to drive a host of plasma processes, in addition to the well-known phenomenon of ion conics. The downward electric field near the reverse shock generates a doublestreaming situation consisting of two upflowing ion populations with different average flow velocities. The electric field in the reverse shock region is modulated by the ion-ion instability driven by the multistreaming ions. The oscillating fields in this region have the possibility of heating electrons. These results from the simulations are compared with results from a previous study based on a hydrodynamical model. Effects of spatial resolutions provided by simulations on the evolution of the plasma are discussed.

  19. Grafting of molecularly imprinted polymer to porous polyethylene filtration membranes by plasma polymerization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowieson, D; Piletska, E; Moczko, E; Piletsky, S

    2013-08-01

    An application of plasma-induced grafting of polyethylene membranes with a thin layer of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was presented. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) membranes, "Vyon," were used as a substrate for plasma grafting modification. The herbicide atrazine, one of the most popular targets of the molecular imprinting, was chosen as a template. The parameters of the plasma treatment were optimized in order to achieve a good balance between polymerization and ablation processes. Modified HDPE membranes were characterized, and the presence of the grafted polymeric layer was confirmed based on the observed weight gain, pore size measurements, and infrared spectrometry. Since there was no significant change in the porosity of the modified membranes, it was assumed that only a thin layer of the polymer was introduced on the surface. The experiments on the re-binding of the template atrazine to the membranes modified with MIP and blank polymers were performed. HDPE membranes which were grafted with polymer using continuous plasma polymerization demonstrated the best result which was expressed in an imprinted factor equal to 3, suggesting that molecular imprinting was successfully achieved.

  20. Integrated heat transport simulation of high ion temperature plasma of LHD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murakami, S.; Yamaguchi, H.; Sakai, A.

    2014-10-01

    A first dynamical simulation of high ion temperature plasma with carbon pellet injection of LHD is performed by the integrated simulation GNET-TD + TASK3D. NBI heating deposition of time evolving plasma is evaluated by the 5D drift kinetic equation solver, GNET-TD and the heat transport of multi-ion species plasma (e, H, He, C) is studied by the integrated transport simulation code, TASK3D. Achievement of high ion temperature plasma is attributed to the 1) increase of heating power per ion due to the temporal increase of effective charge, 2) reduction of effective neoclassical transport with impurities, 3) reduction of turbulence transport. The reduction of turbulence transport is most significant contribution to achieve the high ion temperature and the reduction of the turbulent transport from the L-mode plasma (normal hydrogen plasma) is evaluated to be a factor about five by using integrated heat transport simulation code. Applying the Z effective dependent turbulent reduction model we obtain a similar time behavior of ion temperature after the C pellet injection with the experimental results. (author)

  1. Interactions of Ras proteins with the plasma membrane and their roles in signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eisenberg, Sharon; Henis, Yoav I

    2008-01-01

    The complex dynamic structure of the plasma membrane plays critical roles in cellular signaling; interactions with the membrane lipid milieu, spatial segregation within and between cellular membranes and/or targeting to specific membrane-associated scaffolds are intimately involved in many signal transduction pathways. In this review, we focus on the membrane interactions of Ras proteins. These small GTPases play central roles in the regulation of cell growth and proliferation, and their excessive activation is commonly encountered in human tumors. Ras proteins associate with the membrane continuously via C-terminal lipidation and additional interactions in both their inactive and active forms; this association, as well as the targeting of specific Ras isoforms to plasma membrane microdomains and to intracellular organelles, have recently been implicated in Ras signaling and oncogenic potential. We discuss biochemical and biophysical evidence for the roles of specific domains of Ras proteins in mediating their association with the plasma membrane, and consider the potential effects of lateral segregation and interactions with membrane-associated protein assemblies on the signaling outcomes.

  2. Drift wave in pair-ion plasma

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    of charged particles in electromagnetic fields. The linear and nonlinear collective modes in electron-positron plasma have been investigated theoretically [3–6]. Recently, Oohara and Hatakeyama [7] have developed a novel method for generating a pair plasma con- sisting of only negative and positive ions with equal mass ...

  3. A practical guide for the identification of membrane and plasma membrane proteins in human embryonic stem cells and human embryonal carcinoma cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dormeyer, Wilma; van Hoof, Dennis; Mummery, Christine L; Krijgsveld, Jeroen; Heck, Albert J R

    2008-10-01

    The identification of (plasma) membrane proteins in cells can provide valuable insights into the regulation of their biological processes. Pluripotent cells such as human embryonic stem cells and embryonal carcinoma cells are capable of unlimited self-renewal and share many of the biological mechanisms that regulate proliferation and differentiation. The comparison of their membrane proteomes will help unravel the biological principles of pluripotency, and the identification of biomarker proteins in their plasma membranes is considered a crucial step to fully exploit pluripotent cells for therapeutic purposes. For these tasks, membrane proteomics is the method of choice, but as indicated by the scarce identification of membrane and plasma membrane proteins in global proteomic surveys it is not an easy task. In this minireview, we first describe the general challenges of membrane proteomics. We then review current sample preparation steps and discuss protocols that we found particularly beneficial for the identification of large numbers of (plasma) membrane proteins in human tumour- and embryo-derived stem cells. Our optimized assembled protocol led to the identification of a large number of membrane proteins. However, as the composition of cells and membranes is highly variable we still recommend adapting the sample preparation protocol for each individual system.

  4. Plasma membrane organization promotes virulence of the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Douglas, Lois M; Konopka, James B

    2016-03-01

    Candida albicans is a human fungal pathogen capable of causing lethal systemic infections. The plasma membrane plays key roles in virulence because it not only functions as a protective barrier, it also mediates dynamic functions including secretion of virulence factors, cell wall synthesis, invasive hyphal morphogenesis, endocytosis, and nutrient uptake. Consistent with this functional complexity, the plasma membrane is composed of a wide array of lipids and proteins. These components are organized into distinct domains that will be the topic of this review. Some of the plasma membrane domains that will be described are known to act as scaffolds or barriers to diffusion, such as MCC/eisosomes, septins, and sites of contact with the endoplasmic reticulum. Other zones mediate dynamic processes, including secretion, endocytosis, and a special region at hyphal tips that facilitates rapid growth. The highly organized architecture of the plasma membrane facilitates the coordination of diverse functions and promotes the pathogenesis of C. albicans.

  5. Plasma membrane organization promotes virulence of the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Douglas, Lois M.; Konopka, James. B.

    2017-01-01

    Candida albicans is a human fungal pathogen capable of causing lethal systemic infections. The plasma membrane plays key roles in virulence because it not only functions as a protective barrier, it also mediates dynamic functions including secretion of virulence factors, cell wall synthesis, invasive hyphal morphogenesis, endocytosis, and nutrient uptake. Consistent with this functional complexity, the plasma membrane is composed of a wide array of lipids and proteins. These components are organized into distinct domains that will be the topic of this review. Some of the plasma membrane domains that will be described are known to act as scaffolds or barriers to diffusion, such as MCC/eisosomes, septins, and sites of contact with the endoplasmic reticulum. Other zones mediate dynamic processes, including secretion, endocytosis, and a special region at hyphal tips that facilitates rapid growth. The highly organized architecture of the plasma membrane facilitates the coordination of diverse functions and promotes the pathogenesis of C. albicans. PMID:26920878

  6. Modes of spheroidal ion plasmas at the Brillouin limit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tinkle, M.D.; Greaves, R.G.; Surko, C.M.

    1996-01-01

    The confinement properties and collective modes of single-component plasmas are investigated in a quadrupole Penning trap. Brillouin-density pure ion plasmas are generated by electron-beam ionization of a low-pressure gas. Large, spheroidal, steady-state plasmas are produced, extending out to contact one or more of the trap electrodes. With the density fixed at the Brillouin limit by the high ion production rate, the electrode potentials determine the plasma shape. The frequencies of azimuthally propagating cyclotron and diocotron modes are found to vary significantly with the plasma aspect ratio. For oblate plasmas, the frequencies are in good agreement with a simple fluid model. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

  7. Detection of cholesterol-rich microdomains in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, Masami; Shimada, Yukiko; Inomata, Mitsushi; Ohno-Iwashita, Yoshiko

    2006-01-01

    The C-terminal domain (D4) of perfringolysin O binds selectively to cholesterol in cholesterol-rich microdomains. To address the issue of whether cholesterol-rich microdomains exist in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane, we expressed D4 as a fusion protein with EGFP in MEF cells. More than half of the EGFP-D4 expressed in stable cell clones was bound to membranes in raft fractions. Depletion of membrane cholesterol with β-cyclodextrin reduced the amount of EGFP-D4 localized in raft fractions, confirming EGFP-D4 binding to cholesterol-rich microdomains. Subfractionation of the raft fractions showed most of the EGFP-D4 bound to the plasma membrane rather than to intracellular membranes. Taken together, these results strongly suggest the existence of cholesterol-rich microdomains in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane

  8. Acoustic nonlinear periodic waves in pair-ion plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahmood, Shahzad; Kaladze, Tamaz; Ur-Rehman, Hafeez

    2013-09-01

    Electrostatic acoustic nonlinear periodic (cnoidal) waves and solitons are investigated in unmagnetized pair-ion plasmas consisting of same mass and oppositely charged ion species with different temperatures. Using reductive perturbation method and appropriate boundary conditions, the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation is derived. The analytical solutions of both cnoidal wave and soliton solutions are discussed in detail. The phase plane plots of cnoidal and soliton structures are shown. It is found that both compressive and rarefactive cnoidal wave and soliton structures are formed depending on the temperature ratio of positive and negative ions in pair-ion plasmas. In the special case, it is revealed that the amplitude of soliton may become larger than it is allowed by the nonlinear stationary wave theory which is equal to the quantum tunneling by particle through a potential barrier effect. The serious flaws in the earlier published results by Yadav et al., [PRE 52, 3045 (1995)] and Chawla and Misra [Phys. Plasmas 17, 102315 (2010)] of studying ion acoustic nonlinear periodic waves are also pointed out.

  9. Membrane-based assay for iodide ions based on anti-leaching of gold nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Yu-Wei; Hsu, Pang-Hung; Unnikrishnan, Binesh; Li, Yu-Jia; Huang, Chih-Ching

    2014-02-26

    We report a label-free colorimetric strategy for the highly selective and sensitive detection of iodide (I(-)) ions in human urine sample, seawater and edible salt. A poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)-stabilized Au nanoparticle (34.2-nm) was prepared to detect I(-) ions using silver (Ag(+)) and cyanide (CN(-)) ions as leaching agents in a glycine-NaOH (pH 9.0) solution. For the visual detection of the I(-) ions by naked eye, and for long time stability of the probe, Au nanoparticles (NPs) decorated mixed cellulose ester membrane (MCEM) was prepared (Au NPs/MCEM). The Au NPs-based probe (CN(-)/Ag(+)-Au NPs/MCEM) operates on the principle that Ag(+) ions form a monolyar silver atoms/ions by aurophilic/argentophilic interactions on the Au NPs and it accelerates the leaching rate of Au atoms in presence of CN(-) ions. However, when I(-) is introduced into this system, it inhibits the leaching of Au atoms because of the strong interactions between Ag/Au ions and I(-) ions. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to characterize the surface properties of the Au NPs in the presence of Ag(+) and I(-). Under optimal solution conditions, the CN(-)/Ag(+)-Au NPs/MCEM probe enabled the detection of I(-) by the naked eye at nanomolar concentrations with high selectivity (at least 1000-fold over other anions). In addition, this cost-effective probe allowed the determination of I(-) ions in complex samples, such as urine, seawater, and edible salt samples.

  10. Transition from the constant ion mobility regime to the ion-atom charge-exchange regime for bounded collisional plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poggie, Jonathan; Sternberg, Natalia

    2005-01-01

    A numerical and analytical study of a planar, collisional, direct-current, plasma-wall problem is presented. The fluid model for the problem is first validated by comparing numerical solutions with experimental data for low-pressure (∼0.1 Pa) electrode sheaths with wall potentials on the order of -100 V. For electric potential, ion number density, and ion velocity, good agreement was found between theory and experiment from within the sheath out to the bulk plasma. The frictional drag resulting from ion-neutral collisions is described by a model incorporating both linear and quadratic velocity terms. In order to study the transition from the constant ion mobility regime (linear friction) to the ion-atom charge-exchange collision regime (quadratic friction), the theoretical model was examined numerically for a range of ion temperatures and ion-neutral collision rates. It was found that the solution profiles in the quasineutral plasma depend on the ion temperature. For low ion temperatures they are governed mainly by the ion-atom charge-exchange regime, whereas for high temperatures they are governed by the constant ion mobility regime. Quasineutral plasma models corresponding to these two limiting cases were solved analytically. In particular, an analytical plasma solution is given for the ion-atom charge exchange regime that includes the effects of ion inertia. In contrast to the quasineutral plasma, the sheath is always governed for low to moderate collision rates by the ion-atom charge-exchange regime, independent of the ion temperature. Varying the collision rate, it was shown that when the wall potential is sufficiently high, the sheath cannot be considered collisionless, even if the collision rate is quite small

  11. Plasma membrane lipids and their role in fungal virulence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rella, Antonella; Farnoud, Amir M; Del Poeta, Maurizio

    2016-01-01

    There has been considerable evidence in recent years suggesting that plasma membrane lipids are important regulators of fungal pathogenicity. Various glycolipids have been shown to impart virulent properties in several fungal species, while others have been shown to play a role in host defense. In addition to their role as virulence factors, lipids also contribute to other virulence mechanisms such as drug resistance, biofilm formation, and release of extracellular vesicles. In addition, lipids also affect the mechanical properties of the plasma membrane through the formation of packed microdomains composed mainly of sphingolipids and sterols. Changes in the composition of lipid microdomains have been shown to disrupt the localization of virulence factors and affect fungal pathogenicity. This review gathers evidence on the various roles of plasma membrane lipids in fungal virulence and how lipids might contribute to the different processes that occur during infection and treatment. Insight into the role of lipids in fungal virulence can lead to an improved understanding of the process of fungal pathogenesis and the development of new lipid-mediated therapeutic strategies. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Flux studies on ion microporous membrane for the use of medical filtration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Hongying; Huang Zhengde

    2002-01-01

    The influences of the irradiating condition (divergent and perpendicular irradiation) and hole shapes (cylinder and cone holes) on the flux are studied for ion microporous membrane. The results show that divergent irradiation and cone hole both can improve the flux of ion microporous membrane for the use of medical filtration

  13. Ion sieving in graphene oxide membranes via cationic control of interlayer spacing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Liang; Shi, Guosheng; Shen, Jie; Peng, Bingquan; Zhang, Bowu; Wang, Yuzhu; Bian, Fenggang; Wang, Jiajun; Li, Deyuan; Qian, Zhe; Xu, Gang; Liu, Gongping; Zeng, Jianrong; Zhang, Lijuan; Yang, Yizhou; Zhou, Guoquan; Wu, Minghong; Jin, Wanqin; Li, Jingye; Fang, Haiping

    2017-10-01

    Graphene oxide membranes—partially oxidized, stacked sheets of graphene—can provide ultrathin, high-flux and energy-efficient membranes for precise ionic and molecular sieving in aqueous solution. These materials have shown potential in a variety of applications, including water desalination and purification, gas and ion separation, biosensors, proton conductors, lithium-based batteries and super-capacitors. Unlike the pores of carbon nanotube membranes, which have fixed sizes, the pores of graphene oxide membranes—that is, the interlayer spacing between graphene oxide sheets (a sheet is a single flake inside the membrane)—are of variable size. Furthermore, it is difficult to reduce the interlayer spacing sufficiently to exclude small ions and to maintain this spacing against the tendency of graphene oxide membranes to swell when immersed in aqueous solution. These challenges hinder the potential ion filtration applications of graphene oxide membranes. Here we demonstrate cationic control of the interlayer spacing of graphene oxide membranes with ångström precision using K+, Na+, Ca2+, Li+ or Mg2+ ions. Moreover, membrane spacings controlled by one type of cation can efficiently and selectively exclude other cations that have larger hydrated volumes. First-principles calculations and ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy reveal that the location of the most stable cation adsorption is where oxide groups and aromatic rings coexist. Previous density functional theory computations show that other cations (Fe2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, Cr2+ and Pb2+) should have a much stronger cation-π interaction with the graphene sheet than Na+ has, suggesting that other ions could be used to produce a wider range of interlayer spacings.

  14. Supported Ionic Liquid Membranes and Ion-Jelly® Membranes with [BMIM][DCA]: Comparison of Its Performance for CO2 Separation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Couto

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In this work, a supported ionic liquid membrane (SILM was prepared by impregnating a PVDF membrane with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([BMIM][DCA] ionic liquid. This membrane was tested for its permeability to pure gases (CO2, N2 and O2 and ideal selectivities were calculated. The SILM performance was also compared to that of Ion-Jelly® membranes, a new type of gelled membranes developed recently. It was found that the PVDF membrane presents permeabilities for pure gases similar or lower to those presented by the Ion-Jelly® membranes, but with increased ideal selectivities. This membrane presents also the highest ideal selectivity (73 for the separation of CO2 from N2 when compared with SILMs using the same PVDF support but with different ionic liquids.

  15. Ion accumulation in an electron plasma confined on magnetic surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berkery, John W.; Marksteiner, Quinn R.; Pedersen, Thomas Sunn; Kremer, Jason P.

    2007-01-01

    Accumulation of ions can alter and may destabilize the equilibrium of an electron plasma confined on magnetic surfaces. An analysis of ion sources and ion content in the Columbia Non-neutral Torus (CNT) [T.S. Pedersen, J.P. Kremer, R.G. Lefrancois, Q. Marksteiner, N. Pomphrey, W. Reiersen, F. Dahlgreen, and X. Sarasola, Fusion Sci. Technol. 50, 372 (2006)] is presented. In CNT ions are created preferentially at locations of high electron temperature, near the outer magnetic surfaces. A volumetric integral of n e ν iz gives an ion creation rate of 2.8x10 11 ions/s. This rate of accumulation would cause neutralization of a plasma with 10 11 electrons in about half a second. This is not observed experimentally, however, because currently in CNT ions are lost through recombination on insulated rods. From a steady-state balance between the calculated ion creation and loss rates, the equilibrium ion density in a 2x10 -8 Torr neutral pressure, 7.5x10 11 m -3 electron density plasma in CNT is calculated to be n i =6.2x10 9 m -3 , or 0.8%. The ion density is experimentally measured through the measurement of the ion saturation current on a large area probe to be about 6.0x10 9 m -3 for these plasmas, which is in good agreement with the predicted value

  16. Regulation of glycolytic oscillations by mitochondrial and plasma membrane H+-ATPases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Lars Folke; Andersen, Ann Zahle; Lunding, Anita

    2009-01-01

    ,3'-diethyloxacarbocyanine iodide. The responses of glycolytic and membrane potential oscillations to a number of inhibitors of glycolysis, mitochondrial electron flow, and mitochondrial and plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase were investigated. Furthermore, the glycolytic flux was determined as the rate of production of ethanol....../ATP antiporter and the mitochondrial F(0)F(1)-ATPase. The results further suggest that ATP hydrolysis, through the action of the mitochondrial F(0)F(1)-ATPase and plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase, are important in regulating these oscillations. We conclude that it is glycolysis that drives the oscillations...

  17. Modes of spheroidal ion plasmas at the Brillouin limit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tinkle, M. D.; Greaves, R. G.; Surko, C. M.

    1995-01-01

    Brillouin-density pure ion plasmas have been generated in a quadrupole Penning tray by electron-beam ionization of a low-pressure gas. Large, spheroidal, steady-state plasmas are produced that extend to one of the trap electrodes. With the density fixed at the Brillouin limit by the high ion production rate, the electrode potentials determine the plasma shape. The frequencies of azimuthally propagating cyclotron and diocotron modes are found to vary significantly with the plasma aspect ratio. For oblate plasmas, we are able to test theoretical predictions of a simple fluid model, and the frequencies are in good agreement

  18. Ferroelectric Plasma Source for Heavy Ion Beam Charge Neutralization

    CERN Document Server

    Efthimion, Philip; Gilson, Erik P; Grisham, Larry; Logan, B G; Waldron, William; Yu, Simon

    2005-01-01

    Plasmas are employed as a medium for charge neutralizing heavy ion beams to allow them to focus to a small spot size. Calculations suggest that plasma at a density of 1-100 times the ion beam density and at a length ~ 0.1-1 m would be suitable. To produce 1 meter plasma, large-volume plasma sources based upon ferroelectric ceramics are being considered. These sources have the advantage of being able to increase the length of the plasma and operate at low neutral pressures. The source will utilize the ferroelectric ceramic BaTiO3 to form metal plasma. The drift tube inner surface of the Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment (NDCX) will be covered with ceramic. High voltage (~ 1-5 kV) is applied between the drift tube and the front surface of the ceramic by placing a wire grid on the front surface. A prototype ferroelectric source 20 cm long produced plasma densities ~ 5x1011 cm-3. The source was integrated into the experiment and successfully charge neutralized the K ion beam. Presently, the 1 meter source ...

  19. A collisional model for plasma immersion ion implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vahedi, V.; Lieberman, M.A.; Alves, M.V.; Verboncoeur, J.P.; Birdsall, C.K.

    1990-01-01

    In plasma immersion ion implantation, a target is immersed in a plasma and a series of negative short pulses are applied to it to implant the ions. A new analytical model is being developed for the high pressure regimes in which the motion of the ions is highly collisional. The model provides values for ion flux, average ion velocity at the target, and sheath edge motion as a function of time. These values are being compared with those obtained from simulation and show good agreement. A review is also given (for comparison) of the earlier work done at low pressures, where the motion of ions in the sheath is collisionless, also showing good agreement between analysis and simulation. The simulation code is PDP1 which utilizes particle-in-cell techniques plus Monte-Carlo simulation of electron-neutral (elastic, excitation and ionization) and ion-neutral (scattering and charge-exchange) collisions

  20. Crystal structure of the plasma membrane proton pump

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Bjørn P.; Buch-Pedersen, Morten Jeppe; Morth, J. Preben

    2007-01-01

    A prerequisite for life is the ability to maintain electrochemical imbalances across biomembranes. In all eukaryotes the plasma membrane potential and secondary transport systems are energized by the activity of P-type ATPase membrane proteins: H1-ATPase (the proton pump) in plants and fungi1......-3, and Na1,K1-ATPase (the sodium-potassium pump) in animals4. The name P-type derives from the fact that these proteins exploit a phosphorylated reaction cycle intermediate of ATP hydrolysis5.The plasma membrane proton pumps belong to the type III P-type ATPase subfamily, whereas Na1,K1-ATPase and Ca21......- ATPase are type II6. Electron microscopy has revealed the overall shape of proton pumps7, however, an atomic structure has been lacking. Here we present the first structure of a P-type proton pump determined by X-ray crystallography. Ten transmembrane helices and three cytoplasmic domains define...

  1. Vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 mediates trafficking of α5β1 integrin to the plasma membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasan, Nazarul; Hu, Chuan

    2010-01-01

    Integrins are major receptors for cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM). As transmembrane proteins, the levels of integrins at the plasma membrane or the cell surface are ultimately determined by the balance between two vesicle trafficking events: endocytosis of integrins at the plasma membrane and exocytosis of the vesicles that transport integrins. Here, we report that vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP2), a SNARE protein that mediates vesicle fusion with the plasma membrane, is involved in the trafficking of α5β1 integrin. VAMP2 was present on vesicles containing endocytosed β1 integrin. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) silencing of VAMP2 markedly reduced cell surface α5β1 and inhibited cell adhesion and chemotactic migration to fibronectin, the ECM ligand of α5β1, without altering cell surface expression of α2β1 integrin or α3β1 integrin. By contrast, silencing of VAMP8, another SNARE protein, had no effect on cell surface expression of the integrins or cell adhesion to fibronectin. In addition, VAMP2-mediated trafficking is involved in cell adhesion to collagen but not to laminin. Consistent with disruption of integrin functions in cell proliferation and survival, VAMP2 silencing diminished proliferation and triggered apoptosis. Collectively, these data indicate that VAMP2 mediates the trafficking of α5β1 integrin to the plasma membrane and VAMP2-dependent integrin trafficking is critical in cell adhesion, migration and survival.

  2. Transport of Ions Across the Inner Envelope Membrane of Chloroplasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCarty, R. E.

    2004-01-01

    The technical report outlines the results of nine years of research on how ions cross the inner envelope membrane of chloroplasts. The ions include protons, nitrite, calcium and ferrous iron. Bicarbonate transport was also studied

  3. Plasma membrane events associated with the meiotic divisions in the amphibian oocyte: insights into the evolution of insulin transduction systems and cell signaling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morrill Gene A

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Insulin and its plasma membrane receptor constitute an ancient response system critical to cell growth and differentiation. Studies using intact Rana pipiens oocytes have shown that insulin can act at receptors on the oocyte surface to initiate resumption of the first meiotic division. We have reexamined the insulin-induced cascade of electrical and ion transport-related plasma membrane events using both oocytes and intact plasma membranes in order to characterize the insulin receptor-steroid response system associated with the meiotic divisions. Results [125I]Insulin binding (Kd = 54 ± 6 nM at the oocyte plasma membrane activates membrane serine protease(s, followed by the loss of low affinity ouabain binding sites, with a concomitant 3–4 fold increase in high affinity ouabain binding sites. The changes in protease activity and ouabain binding are associated with increased Na+/Ca2+ exchange, increased endocytosis, decreased Na+ conductance resulting in membrane hyperpolarization, increased 2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake and a sustained elevation of intracellular pH (pHi. Hyperpolarization is largely due to Na+-channel inactivation and is the main driving force for glucose uptake by the oocyte via Na+/glucose cotransport. The Na+ sym- and antiporter systems are driven by the Na+ free energy gradient generated by Na+/K+-ATPase. Shifts in α and/or β Na+-pump subunits to caveolar (lipid raft membrane regions may activate Na/K-ATPase and contribute to the Na+ free energy gradient and the increase in both Na+/glucose co-transport and pHi. Conclusions Under physiological conditions, resumption of meiosis results from the concerted action of insulin and progesterone at the cell membrane. Insulin inactivates Na+ channels and mobilizes fully functional Na+-pumps, generating a Na+ free energy gradient which serves as the energy source for several membrane anti- and symporter systems.

  4. Pulsed, Inductively Generated, Streaming Plasma Ion Source for Heavy Ion Fusion Linacs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steven C. Glidden; Howard D Sanders; John B. Greenly; Daniel L. Dongwoo

    2006-01-01

    This report describes a compact, high current density, pulsed ion source, based on electrodeless, inductively driven gas breakdown, developed to meet the requirements on normalized emittance, current density, uniformity and pulse duration for an ion injector in a heavy-ion fusion driver. The plasma source produces >10 (micro)s pulse of Argon plasma with ion current densities >100 mA/cm2 at 30 cm from the source and with strongly axially directed ion energy of about 80 eV, and sub-eV transverse temperature. The source has good reproducibility and spatial uniformity. Control of the current density during the pulse has been demonstrated with a novel modulator coil method which allows attenuation of the ion current density without significantly affecting the beam quality. This project was carried out in two phases. Phase 1 used source configurations adapted from light ion sources to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept. In Phase 2 the performance of the source was enhanced and quantified in greater detail, a modulator for controlling the pulse shape was developed, and experiments were conducted with the ions accelerated to >40 kV

  5. Correlated ion stopping in plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zwicknagel, G.; Deutsch, C.

    1997-01-01

    The basic features of correlated ion stopping in plasmas are demonstrated by employing two opposite extremes of cluster structures, a statistical model with a spatial ion distribution of Gaussian shape and the highly regular configuration of N-ion chains and cubic boxes. In the case of the ion chains the resonant character of correlated stopping due to the interference of the excited wake fields is discussed in detail. The general behavior of correlation effects is summarized and its dependence on the ratio of cluster size and interion spacing to the screening length in the plasma, as well as the ratio of the cluster velocity to the mean electron velocity in the target, is stressed out. The validity and applicability of the dielectric response formalism used for describing correlated stopping is critically reviewed. A scheme is presented to extend the linear formalism to weak nonlinear situations that occur, in particular, for small highly charged clusters at moderate or low velocities. For the Gaussian cluster a fit formula is given, which allows a fast and accurate calculation of the enhancement of stopping due to correlation effects and applies for all degrees of degeneracy of the electrons and arbitrary cluster velocities. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

  6. Multi-protein assemblies underlie the mesoscale organization of the plasma membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saka, Sinem K.; Honigmann, Alf; Eggeling, Christian; Hell, Stefan W.; Lang, Thorsten; Rizzoli, Silvio O.

    2014-01-01

    Most proteins have uneven distributions in the plasma membrane. Broadly speaking, this may be caused by mechanisms specific to each protein, or may be a consequence of a general pattern that affects the distribution of all membrane proteins. The latter hypothesis has been difficult to test in the past. Here, we introduce several approaches based on click chemistry, through which we study the distribution of membrane proteins in living cells, as well as in membrane sheets. We found that the plasma membrane proteins form multi-protein assemblies that are long lived (minutes), and in which protein diffusion is restricted. The formation of the assemblies is dependent on cholesterol. They are separated and anchored by the actin cytoskeleton. Specific proteins are preferentially located in different regions of the assemblies, from their cores to their edges. We conclude that the assemblies constitute a basic mesoscale feature of the membrane, which affects the patterning of most membrane proteins, and possibly also their activity. PMID:25060237

  7. Apparatus for plasma surface treating and preparation of membrane layers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    1990-01-01

    An apparatus suitable for plasma surface treating (e.g., forming a membrane layer on a substrate surface) comprises a plasma generation section which is operable at least at substantially atmospheric pressure and is in communication via at least one plasma inlet (e.g., a nozzle) with an enclosed

  8. Influence of Active Layer on Separation Potentials of Nanofiltration Membranes for Inorganic Ions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wadekar, Shardul S; Vidic, Radisav D

    2017-05-16

    Active layers of two fully aromatic and two semi-aromatic nanofiltration membranes were studied along with surface charge at different electrolyte composition and effective pore size to elucidate their influence on separation mechanisms for inorganic ions by steric, charge, and dielectric exclusion. The membrane potential method used for pore size measurement is underlined as the most appropriate measurement technique for this application owing to its dependence on the diffusional potentials of inorganic ions. Crossflow rejection experiments with dilute feed composition indicate that both fully aromatic membranes achieved similar rejection despite the differences in surface charge, which suggests that rejection by these membranes is exclusively dependent on size exclusion and the contribution of charge exclusion is weak. Rejection experiments with higher ionic strength and different composition of the feed solution confirmed this hypothesis. On the other hand, increase in the ionic strength of feed solution when the charge exclusion effects are negligible due to charge screening strongly influenced ion rejection by semi-aromatic membranes. The experimental results confirmed that charge exclusion contributes significantly to the performance of semi-aromatic membranes in addition to size exclusion. The contribution of dielectric exclusion to overall ion rejection would be more significant for fully aromatic membranes.

  9. Plasma-deposited hybrid silica membranes with a controlled retention of organic bridges

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ngamou, P.H.T.; Creatore, M. [Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands); Overbeek, J.P.; Kreiter, R.; Van Veen, H.M.; Vente, J.F. [ECN, Energy research Centre of the Netherlands, Petten (Netherlands); Wienk, I.M.; Cuperus, P.F. [SolSep BV, Apeldoorn (Netherlands)

    2013-03-05

    Hybrid organically bridged silica membranes are suitable for energy-efficient molecular separations under harsh industrial conditions. Such membranes can be useful in organic solvent nanofiltration if they can be deposited on flexible, porous and large area supports. Here, we report the proof of concept for applying an expanding thermal plasma to the synthesis of perm-selective hybrid silica films from an organically bridged monomer, 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane. This membrane is the first in its class to be produced by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. By tuning the plasma and process parameters, the organic bridging groups could be retained in the separating layer. This way, a defect free film could be made with pervaporation performances of an n-butanol-water mixture comparable with those of conventional ceramic supported membranes made by sol-gel technology (i.e. a water flux of [similar]1.8 kg m'-{sup 2} h{sup -1}, a water concentration in the permeate higher than 98% and a separation factor of >1100). The obtained results show the suitability of expanding thermal plasma as a technology for the deposition of hybrid silica membranes for molecular separations.

  10. Atomic collisions in fusion plasmas involving multiply charged ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salzborn, E.

    1980-01-01

    A short survey is given on atomic collisions involving multiply charged ions. The basic features of charge transfer processes in ion-ion and ion-atom collisions relevant to fusion plasmas are discussed. (author)

  11. Plasma kinetics around a dust grain in an ion flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maiorov, S.A.; Vladimirov, S.V.; Cramer, N.F.

    2000-01-01

    Full text: In a typical laboratory discharge, dust particles are negatively charged and usually levitate in the sheath or pre-sheath region under the balance of gravitational, electrostatic (due to the sheath electric field) and plasma (such as the ion drag) forces. The ion flow provides not only a direct (dragging) influence, but is also responsible for the generation of associated collective plasma processes which can strongly affect the vertical arrangement of the dust grains. The complete problem of the plasma dynamics around a macroscopic body in the presence of plasma flows is highly nonlinear and therefore its numerical analysis is of major importance. Among various numerical methods, direct integration of the equations of motion of the plasma particles represents a numerical experiment whose significance approaches experiments in the laboratory. Here, we present for the first time the results of a self-consistent molecular dynamics (MD) three-dimensional (3D) simulation of the kinetics of plasma particles (electrons and ions) around a dust grain, taking into account the dust charging. The core of the method includes consideration of the time evolution of the system consisting of positively ('ions') and negatively ('electrons') charged particles confined in a simulation box together with a macroscopic absorbing grain ('dust particle') with infinite mass and an initial (negative) charge. The ions are introduced in the system as a uniform flow defined by its Mach number and the ion temperature. The paths of the ions and electrons are determined through numerical integration of the equations of motion. We demonstrate that the plasma kinetics around a dust grain in the presence of an ion flow involves a strong ion focusing behind the grain. We have also confirmed that the most important of the processes involved is the ion time-scale; the kinetics of the electrons follows a Boltzmann distribution with good agreement. We note that the time constraints involved

  12. Interaction of energetic ions with high-density plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gericke, D.O.; Edie, D.; Grinenko, A.; Vorberger, J.

    2010-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows. The talk will review the importance of energetic ions in different inertial confinement fusion scenarios: i) heavy ion beams are very efficient drivers that can deliver the energy for compression in indirect as well as direct drive approaches; ii) the interaction of α-particles, that are created in a burning plasma, with the surrounding cold plasma is essential for creating a burn wave; iii) laser-produced ion beams are also a strong candidate to create the hot spot needed for fast ignition. In all applications the ions interact with dense matter that is characterized by strongly coupled ions and (possibly) partially degenerate electrons. Moreover, the coupling between beam ions and target electrons can be strong as well. Under these conditions, standard approaches for the beam-plasma interactions process are known to fail. The presentation will demonstrate how advanced models for the energy loss of ions in dense plasmas can resolve the issues mentioned above. These models are largely built on quantum kinetic theory that is able to describe degeneracy and strong coupling in a systematic way. In particular, strong interactions require a quantum description for electron-ion collisions in dense plasma environments, which is done by direct solutions of the Schroedinger equation. Degeneracy and collective excitations can be included via the Lenard-Balescu description where strong interactions may be included via a pseudo-potential approach. Finally, results are shown for all three fusion applications described above. The effects related to strong coupling and degeneracy mainly concern the end of the stopping range where the beam ion dose not have enough energy to excite all possible degrees of freedom and, thus, certain processes are frozen out. However, we also find a significant reduction of the range for swift heavy ions in the GeV-range when stopping in dense matter is considered. The stopping range of α-particles in the

  13. 14C leucine chloromethylketone interaction with sarcoma 37 cell plasma membrane components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matthews, R.H.; Milo, G.E.; McMichael, T.L.; Lewis, N.J.

    1982-01-01

    Leucine chloromethylketone labelling of viable S37 cells was preferential for the plasma membrane fraction. The pattern of radiolabelling of the plasma membrane proteins was time-dependent. After 5 min the radiolabel was localized with glutamyl transpeptidase, and subsequently, with other physiologically active proteins as a function of time after incubation. Labelling of proteins was temperature-dependent and incubation of viable S37 cells with the radiolabelled substrate at 0 0 C yielded little or no radioactivity localized in the plasma membrane. The molecular weight of one radiolabelled substratemembrane protein complex was estimated on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to be between 100,000-200,000. (author)

  14. [Biocompatibility of poly-L-lactic acid/Bioglass-guided bone regeneration membranes processed with oxygen plasma].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Wei; Zeng, Shu-Guang; Gao, Wen-Feng

    2015-04-01

    To prepare and characterize a nano-scale fibrous hydrophilic poly-L-lactic acid/ Bioglass (PLLA/BG) composite membrane and evaluate its biocompatibility as a composite membrane for guiding bone regeneration (GBR). PLLA/BG-guided bone regeneration membrane was treated by oxygen plasma to improved its hydrophilicity. The growth of MG-63 osteoblasts on the membrane was observed using Hoechst fluorescence staining, and the biocompatibility of the membrane was evaluated by calculating the cells adhesion rate and proliferation rate. Osteogenesis of MG-63 cells was assessed by detecting alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and the formation of calcified nodules and cell morphology changes were observed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The cell adhesion rates of PLLA/BG-guided bone regeneration membrane treated with oxygen plasma were (30.570±0.96)%, (47.27±0.78)%, and (66.78±0.69)% at 1, 3, and 6 h, respectively, significantly higher than those on PLLA membrane and untreated PLLA/BG membrane (Pmembranes increased with time, but highest on oxygen plasma-treated PLLA/BG membrane (Pplasma treatment of the PLLA/BG membrane promoted cell adhesion. The membranes with Bioglass promoted the matrix secretion of the osteoblasts. Under SEM, the formation of calcified nodules and spindle-shaped cell morphology were observed on oxygen plasma-treated PLLA/BG membrane. Oxygen plasma-treated PLLA/BG composite membrane has good biocompatibility and can promote adhesion, proliferation and osteogenesis of the osteoblasts.

  15. Planar and nonplanar ion acoustic shock waves in relativistic degenerate astrophysical electron-positron-ion plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ata-ur-Rahman,; Qamar, A. [Institute of Physics and Electronics, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25000 (Pakistan); National Centre for Physics, QAU Campus, Shahdrah Valley Road, Islamabad 44000 (Pakistan); Ali, S. [National Centre for Physics, QAU Campus, Shahdrah Valley Road, Islamabad 44000 (Pakistan); Mirza, Arshad M. [Theoretical Plasma Physics Group, Physics Department, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320 (Pakistan)

    2013-04-15

    We have studied the propagation of ion acoustic shock waves involving planar and non-planar geometries in an unmagnetized plasma, whose constituents are non-degenerate ultra-cold ions, relativistically degenerate electrons, and positrons. By using the reductive perturbation technique, Korteweg-deVries Burger and modified Korteweg-deVries Burger equations are derived. It is shown that only compressive shock waves can propagate in such a plasma system. The effects of geometry, the ion kinematic viscosity, and the positron concentration are examined on the ion acoustic shock potential and electric field profiles. It is found that the properties of ion acoustic shock waves in a non-planar geometry significantly differ from those in planar geometry. The present study has relevance to the dense plasmas, produced in laboratory (e.g., super-intense laser-dense matter experiments) and in dense astrophysical objects.

  16. Wastewater treatment with ion-exchange chitin membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paulenova, A.; Fjeld, R. A.; Visacky, V.

    2001-01-01

    Chitin, poly(N-acetyl-D glucosamine) and chitosan, its deacetylated derivates have recently obtained attention as bio-sorbents, because they shown a great ability to accumulate heavy metals and other pollutants. It was found that recovery of metals is strongly affected by pH. At low acidic pH range 4-5 chitin membrane exhibits better selectivity for lead than for cadmium or zinc. Sorption preference for metals decreases in the order: Pb > Cd > Zn. For uranium, as well for strontium was observed significant increase of recovery at decrease of pH to slightly acidic, close to neutral value. It was shown that chemical behavior of chitin membrane is excellent; ion-exchange nature of chitin was not changed during chitin membrane manufacturing process. Using of chitin membrane instead of chitin flake column brings significant increasing of driving force of the separation process, limited in the case of column experimental design by diffusion coefficient, while in the case of membrane process only by mass transfer coefficient. (authors)

  17. Surface characterization of the chitosan membrane after oxygen plasma treatment and its aging effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yingjun; Yin Shiheng; Ren Li; Zhao Lianna

    2009-01-01

    Chitosan has received considerable attention for biomedical applications in recent years because of its biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this paper, angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) was carried out to investigate the chemical groups' spatial orientation on the chitosan membrane surface. Oxygen plasma treatment was also employed to improve the surface hydrophilicity of the chitosan membrane. The results of ARXPS revealed the distribution of surface polar groups, such as-OH and O=CNH 2 toward the membrane bulk, which was the origin of the chitosan membrane surface hydrophobicity. The contact angle measurements and XPS results indicated that oxygen plasma treatment can markedly improve the surface hydrophilicity and surface energy of the chitosan membrane by incorporating oxygen-containing polar groups. With the existence of the aging process, the influence of plasma treatment was not permanent, it faded with storage time. The ARXPS result discovered that the reorientation of polar functional groups generated by plasma treatment toward the membrane bulk was primarily responsible for the aging effect.

  18. Electrochemical acidification of Kraft black liquor by electrodialysis with bipolar membrane: Ion exchange membrane fouling identification and mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haddad, Maryam; Mikhaylin, Sergey; Bazinet, Laurent; Savadogo, Oumarou; Paris, Jean

    2017-02-15

    Integrated forest biorefinery offers promising pathways to sustainably diversify the revenue of pulp and paper industry. In this context, lignin can be extracted from a residual stream of Kraft pulping process, called black liquor, and subsequently converted into a wide spectrum of bio-based products. Electrochemical acidification of Kraft black liquor by electrodialysis with bipolar membrane results in lignin extraction and caustic soda production. Even though the implementation of this method requires less chemicals than the chemical acidification process, fouling of the ion exchange membranes and especially bipolar membrane impairs its productivity. Membrane thickness and ash content measurements along with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental analysis (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) analysis were performed to identify the nature and mechanisms of the membrane fouling. The results revealed that the fouling layer mostly consisted of organic components and particularly lignin. Based on our proposed fouling mechanisms, throughout the electrodialysis process the pH of the black liquor gradually decreased and as a result more proton ions were available to trigger protonation reaction of lignin phenolic groups and decrease the lignin solubility. Due to the abundance of the proton ions on the surface of the cation exchange layers of the bipolar membrane, destabilized lignin macro-molecules started to self-aggregate and formed lignin clusters on its surface. Over the time, these lignin clusters covered the entire surface of the bipolar membrane and the spaces between the membranes and, eventually, attached to the surface of the cation exchange membrane. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Dynamical chaos of plasma ions in electrostatic waves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fasoli, A.; Kleiber, R.; Tran, M.Q.; Paris, P.J.; Skiff, F.

    1992-09-01

    Chaos generated by the interaction between charged particles and electrostatic plasma waves has been observed in a linear magnetized plasma. The macroscopic wave properties, the kinetic ion dielectric response and the microscopic heating mechanisms have been investigated via optical diagnostic techniques based on laser induced fluorescence. Observations of test-particle dynamical evolution indicate an exponential separation of initially close ion trajectories. (author) 5 figs., 20 refs

  20. Morphological changes of plasma membrane and protein assembly during clathrin-mediated endocytosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshida, Aiko; Sakai, Nobuaki; Uekusa, Yoshitsugu; Imaoka, Yuka; Itagaki, Yoshitsuna; Suzuki, Yuki

    2018-01-01

    Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) proceeds through a series of morphological changes of the plasma membrane induced by a number of protein components. Although the spatiotemporal assembly of these proteins has been elucidated by fluorescence-based techniques, the protein-induced morphological changes of the plasma membrane have not been fully clarified in living cells. Here, we visualize membrane morphology together with protein localizations during CME by utilizing high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) combined with a confocal laser scanning unit. The plasma membrane starts to invaginate approximately 30 s after clathrin starts to assemble, and the aperture diameter increases as clathrin accumulates. Actin rapidly accumulates around the pit and induces a small membrane swelling, which, within 30 s, rapidly covers the pit irreversibly. Inhibition of actin turnover abolishes the swelling and induces a reversible open–close motion of the pit, indicating that actin dynamics are necessary for efficient and irreversible pit closure at the end of CME. PMID:29723197

  1. Measurements of ion temperature and flow of pulsed plasmas produced by a magnetized coaxial plasma gun device using an ion Doppler spectrometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitagawa, Y.; Sakuma, I.; Iwamoto, D.; Kikuchi, Y.; Fukumoto, N.; Nagata, M.

    2012-10-01

    It is important to know surface damage characteristics of plasma-facing component materials during transient heat and particle loads such as type I ELMs. A magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG) device has been used as transient heat and particle source in ELM simulation experiments. Characteristics of pulsed plasmas produced by the MCPG device play an important role for the plasma material interaction. In this study, ion temperature and flow velocity of pulsed He plasmas were measured by an ion Doppler spectrometer (IDS). The IDS system consists of a light collection system including optical fibers, 1m-spectrometer and a 16 channel photomultiplier tube (PMT) detector. The IDS system measures the width and Doppler shift of HeII (468.58 nm) emission line with the time resolution of 1 μs. The Doppler broadened and shifted spectra were measured with 45 and 135 degree angles with respect to the plasmoid traveling direction. The observed emission line profile was represented by sum of two Gaussian components to determine the temperature and flow velocity. The minor component at around the wavelength of zero-velocity was produced by the stationary plasma. As the results, the ion velocity and temperature were 68 km/s and 19 eV, respectively. Thus, the He ion flow energy is 97 eV. The observed flow velocity agrees with that measured by a time of flight technique.

  2. Distribution of IGF receptors in the plasma membrane of proximal tubular cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hammerman, M.R.; Rogers, S.

    1987-01-01

    To characterize the distribution of receptors for insulin-like growth factors I and II (IGF I and II) in the plasma membrane of the renal proximal tubular cell, the authors measured binding of 125 I-labeled IGF I and 125 I-labeled IGF II to proximal tubular basolateral and brush-border membranes and characterized IGF I-stimulated phosphorylation of detergent-solubilized membranes. 125 I-IGF bound primarily to a 135,000 relative molecular weight (M r ) protein and IGF II to a 260,000 M r protein in isolated membranes. Binding of 125 I-IGF I was severalfold greater in basolateral than in brush-border membranes. IGF I-stimulated phosphorylation of the 92,000 M r β-subunit of its receptors could be demonstrated only in basolateral membranes. These findings are consistent with an asymmetrical distribution of receptors for IGF I in the plasma membrane of the renal proximal tubular cell, localization being primary on the basolateral side. In contrast, binding of 125 I-IGF II to isolated basolateral and brush-border membranes was equivalent, suggesting that receptors for this peptide are distributed more symmetrically in the plasma membrane. The findings suggest that the action of IGF I in proximal tubule are mediated via interaction of circulating peptide with specific receptors in the basolateral membrane. However, the findings established the potential for actions of IGF II to be exerted in proximal tubule via interaction with both basolateral and/or brush-border membrane receptors

  3. Beam-plasma instability in charged plasma in the absence of ions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dubinov, Alexander E. [National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI,” Kashirskoe Highway, 31, Moscow 115409, Russia and Sarov State Institute of Physics and Technology (SarFTI) of National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI,” Dukhova Str., 6, Sarov, Nizhni Novgorod Region 607186 (Russian Federation); Petrik, Alexey G. [Saratov State Technical University, Politechnicheskaja 77, Saratov 410028 (Russian Federation); Kurkin, Semen A.; Frolov, Nikita S.; Koronovskii, Alexey A.; Hramov, Alexander E., E-mail: hramovae@gmail.com [Saratov State Technical University, Politechnicheskaja 77, Saratov 410028 (Russian Federation); Saratov State University, Astrakhanskaja 83, Saratov 410012 (Russian Federation)

    2016-04-15

    We report on the possibility of the beam-plasma instability development in the system with electron beam interacting with the single-component hot electron plasma without ions. As considered system, we analyse the interaction of the low-current relativistic electron beam (REB) with squeezed state in the high-current REB formed in the relativistic magnetically insulated two-section vircator drift space. The numerical analysis is provided by means of 3D electromagnetic simulation in CST Particle Studio. We have conducted an extensive study of characteristic regimes of REB dynamics determined by the beam-plasma instability development in the absence of ions. As a result, the dependencies of instability increment and wavelength on the REB current value have been obtained. The considered process brings the new mechanism of controlled microwave amplification and generation to the device with a virtual cathode. This mechanism is similar to the action of the beam-plasma amplifiers and oscillators.

  4. Plasma and Ion Assistance in Physical Vapor Deposition: A Historical Perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anders, Andre

    2007-01-01

    Deposition of films using plasma or plasma-assist can be traced back surprisingly far, namely to the 18th century for arcs and to the 19th century for sputtering. However, only since the 1960s the coatings community considered other processes than evaporation for large scale commercial use. Ion Plating was perhaps the first important process, introducing vapor ionization and substrate bias to generate a beam of ions arriving on the surface of the growing film. Rather independently, cathodic arc deposition was established as an energetic condensation process, first in the former Soviet Union in the 1970s, and in the 1980s in the Western Hemisphere. About a dozen various ion-based coating technologies evolved in the last decades, all characterized by specific plasma or ion generation processes. Gridded and gridless ion sources were taken from space propulsion and applied to thin film deposition. Modeling and simulation have helped to make plasma and ions effects to be reasonably well understood. Yet--due to the complex, often non-linear and non-equilibrium nature of plasma and surface interactions--there is still a place for the experience plasma 'sourcerer'

  5. Effects of the instability enhanced friction on relative ion densities in a two-ion species low-temperature plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vukovic, Mirko

    2011-10-01

    The instability enhanced friction theory of Baalrud & Hegna (Phys. Plasmas 18, 023505 (2011)) predicts that for comparable ion densities the ions nearly reach a common velocity near the sheath edge in a low temperature plasma. The theory was experimentally confirmed by Yip, Hershkowitz, & Severn (Phys. Rev. Letters 104, 225003 (2010)). We will explore the effects of the theory on relative ion densities in a numerical simulation of an Ar/Xe plasma. Results for a 0D plasma model (Lieberman, Lichtenberg, Principles of Plasma Discharges and Materials Processing, 2005) will be presented.

  6. Plasma and Ion Assistance in Physical Vapor Deposition: AHistorical Perspective

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anders, Andre

    2007-02-28

    Deposition of films using plasma or plasma-assist can betraced back surprisingly far, namely to the 18th century for arcs and tothe 19th century for sputtering. However, only since the 1960s thecoatings community considered other processes than evaporation for largescale commercial use. Ion Plating was perhaps the first importantprocess, introducing vapor ionization and substrate bias to generate abeam of ions arriving on the surface of the growing film. Ratherindependently, cathodic arc deposition was established as an energeticcondensation process, first in the former Soviet Union in the 1970s, andin the 1980s in the Western Hemisphere. About a dozen various ion-basedcoating technologies evolved in the last decades, all characterized byspecific plasma or ion generation processes. Gridded and gridless ionsources were taken from space propulsion and applied to thin filmdeposition. Modeling and simulation have helped to make plasma and ionseffects to be reasonably well understood. Yet--due to the complex, oftennon-linear and non-equilibrium nature of plasma and surfaceinteractions--there is still a place for the experience plasma"sourcerer."

  7. Carbonate and Bicarbonate Ion Transport in Alkaline Anion Exchange Membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-25

    comparable assumptions, a similar equation can be derived starting with the Nernst -Planck equation . σ = ∑ σi = ∑ F2z2i RT (ε− ε0)q D0i 1 + δi Ci [1] Using Eq...an appropriate ion-membrane diffusion coefficient. Finally, an equation derived from the dusty fluid model can be used to calculate the ionic...Finally, an equation derived from the dusty fluid model can be used to calculate the ionic conductivity of the membrane in different counter ion forms

  8. (poly)Phosphoinositide phosphorylation is a marker for plasma membrane in Friend erythroleukaemic cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rawyler, A.J.; Roelofsen, B.; Wirtz, K.W.A.; Kamp, J.A.F. op den

    1982-01-01

    Upon subcellular fractionation of (murine) Friend erythroleukaemic cells (FELCs), purified plasma membranes were identified by their high enrichment in specific marker enzymes and typical plasma membrane lipids. When FELCs were incubated for short periods with 32Pi before cell fractionation, the

  9. Detecting subtle plasma membrane perturbation in living cells using second harmonic generation imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moen, Erick K; Ibey, Bennett L; Beier, Hope T

    2014-05-20

    The requirement of center asymmetry for the creation of second harmonic generation (SHG) signals makes it an attractive technique for visualizing changes in interfacial layers such as the plasma membrane of biological cells. In this article, we explore the use of lipophilic SHG probes to detect minute perturbations in the plasma membrane. Three candidate probes, Di-4-ANEPPDHQ (Di-4), FM4-64, and all-trans-retinol, were evaluated for SHG effectiveness in Jurkat cells. Di-4 proved superior with both strong SHG signal and limited bleaching artifacts. To test whether rapid changes in membrane symmetry could be detected using SHG, we exposed cells to nanosecond-pulsed electric fields, which are believed to cause formation of nanopores in the plasma membrane. Upon nanosecond-pulsed electric fields exposure, we observed an instantaneous drop of ~50% in SHG signal from the anodic pole of the cell. When compared to the simultaneously acquired fluorescence signals, it appears that the signal change was not due to the probe diffusing out of the membrane or changes in membrane potential or fluidity. We hypothesize that this loss in SHG signal is due to disruption in the interfacial nature of the membrane. The results show that SHG imaging has great potential as a tool for measuring rapid and subtle plasma membrane disturbance in living cells. Copyright © 2014 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Computer-controlled system for plasma ion energy auto-analyzer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Xianqiu; Chen Junfang; Jiang Zhenmei; Zhong Qinghua; Xiong Yuying; Wu Kaihua

    2003-01-01

    A computer-controlled system for plasma ion energy auto-analyzer was technically studied for rapid and online measurement of plasma ion energy distribution. The system intelligently controls all the equipments via a RS-232 port, a printer port and a home-built circuit. The software designed by LabVIEW G language automatically fulfils all of the tasks such as system initializing, adjustment of scanning-voltage, measurement of weak-current, data processing, graphic export, etc. By using the system, a few minutes are taken to acquire the whole ion energy distribution, which rapidly provide important parameters of plasma process techniques based on semiconductor devices and microelectronics

  11. Ion enhanced deposition by dual titanium and acetylene plasma immersion ion implantation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Z. M.; Tian, X. B.; Chu, P. K.

    2003-01-01

    Plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIII-D) offers a non-line-of-sight fabrication method for various types of thin films on steels to improve the surface properties. In this work, titanium films were first deposited on 9Cr18 (AISI440) stainless bearing steel by metal plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (MePIII-D) using a titanium vacuum arc plasma source. Afterwards, carbon implantation and carbon film deposition were performed by acetylene (C2H2) plasma immersion ion implantation. Multiple-layered structures with superior properties were produced by conducting Ti MePIII-D + C2H2 PIII successively. The composition and structure of the films were investigated employing Auger electron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. It is shown that the mixing for Ti and C atoms is much better when the target bias is higher during Ti MePIII-D. A top diamond-like carbon layer and a titanium oxycarbide layer are formed on the 9Cr18 steel surface. The wear test results indicate that this dual PIII-D method can significantly enhance the wear properties and decrease the surface friction coefficient of 9Cr18 steel.

  12. Ion enhanced deposition by dual titanium and acetylene plasma immersion ion implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeng, Z.M.; Tian, X.B.; Chu, P.K.

    2003-01-01

    Plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIII-D) offers a non-line-of-sight fabrication method for various types of thin films on steels to improve the surface properties. In this work, titanium films were first deposited on 9Cr18 (AISI440) stainless bearing steel by metal plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (MePIII-D) using a titanium vacuum arc plasma source. Afterwards, carbon implantation and carbon film deposition were performed by acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) plasma immersion ion implantation. Multiple-layered structures with superior properties were produced by conducting Ti MePIII-D + C 2 H 2 PIII successively. The composition and structure of the films were investigated employing Auger electron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. It is shown that the mixing for Ti and C atoms is much better when the target bias is higher during Ti MePIII-D. A top diamond-like carbon layer and a titanium oxycarbide layer are formed on the 9Cr18 steel surface. The wear test results indicate that this dual PIII-D method can significantly enhance the wear properties and decrease the surface friction coefficient of 9Cr18 steel

  13. Electric Field Mediated Ion Transport Through Charged Mesoporous Membranes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schmuhl, R.; de Lint, W.B.S.; Keizer, Klaas; van den Berg, Albert; ten Elshof, Johan E.; Burganos, Vasilis N.; Noble, Richard D.; Asaeda, Masashi; Ayral, Andre; LeRoux, Johann D.

    2003-01-01

    The transport of ions from aqueous solutions through a stacked Au/alpha-alumina/gamma-alumina/Au membrane under the influence of a dc potential difference is reported. The membrane shows high cation permselectivity at ionic strengths of ~1 mM at pH 4.3-6.5, which is associated with a combination of

  14. There Is No Simple Model of the Plasma Membrane Organization

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    de la serna, J. B.; Schütz, G.; Eggeling, Ch.; Cebecauer, Marek

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 4, SEP 2016 (2016), 106 ISSN 2296-634X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-06989S Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : plasma membrane * membrane organization models * heterogeneous distribution Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry

  15. The C-terminal domain of TRPV4 is essential for plasma membrane localization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Daniel; Müller, Margarethe; Leuner, Kristina; Jendrach, Marina

    2008-02-01

    Many members of the TRP superfamily oligomerize in the ER before trafficking to the plasma membrane. For membrane localization of the non-selective cation channel TRPV4 specific domains in the N-terminus are required, but the role of the C-terminus in the oligomerization and trafficking process has been not determined until now. Therefore, the localization of recombinant TRPV4 in two cell models was analyzed: HaCaT keratinocytes that express TRPV4 endogenously were compared to CHO cells that are devoid of endogenous TRPV4. When deletions were introduced in the C-terminal domain three states of TRPV4 localization were defined: a truncated TRPV4 protein of 855 amino acids was exported to the plasma membrane like the full-length channel (871 aa) and was also functional. Mutants with a length of 828 to 844 amino acids remained in the ER of CHO cells, but in HaCaT cells plasma membrane localization was partially rescued by oligomerization with endogenous TRPV4. This was confirmed by coexpression of recombinant full-length TRPV4 together with these deletion mutants, which resulted in an almost complete plasma membrane localization of both proteins and significant FRET in the plasma membrane and the ER. All deletions upstream of amino acid 828 resulted in total ER retention that could not rescued by coexpression with the full-length protein. However, these deletion mutants did not impair export of full-length TRPV4, implying that no oligomerization took place. These data indicate that the C-terminus of TRPV4 is required for oligomerization, which takes place in the ER and precedes plasma membrane trafficking.

  16. Drift mode in a bounded plasma having two-ion species

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, Ali; Sajid, M.; Saleem, H.

    2008-01-01

    The drift wave is investigated in a two-ion species plasma in several different cases. The global drift mode is studied in a plasma bounded in a cylinder having Gaussian density profile corresponding to different poloidal wavenumbers. The frequency of the mode becomes a little larger when it is investigated without including the ion cyclotron wave dynamics. The effect of magnetic shear on the wave propagation along the density gradient is studied in a Cartesian geometry assuming absorbing boundary. It is found that the wave amplitude is reduced when two-ion species are present (with the same concentration) compared to pure electron-ion plasma

  17. Investigation of metal ions in fusion plasmas using emission spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tale, I.

    2005-01-01

    Full text: The Latvian and Portugal Associations are performing development of advanced plasma - facing system using the liquid metal limiter. The objectives of this project require study of the influence of the liquid metal limiter on the main plasma parameters, including concentration of evaporated metal atoms in plasma. The fusion plasmas are related to the dense hot plasmas. The required average ion temperature according to the ITER project (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is 8,0 keV (9,3 x 10 7 0 K), the average electron temperature - 8,9 keV (1,04 x 10 8 0 K). Plasma temperature operated in the research tokamak ISSTOK, involved in testing of liquid metal limiter concept is considerably less, being of order of 10 50 K. The ionization degree of metal atoms considerably depends on the plasma ion temperature. Density of metal vapours in plasma can be estimated using the following two spectroscopic methods: The fluorescence of the multiple ionised metal ions in steady state concentration; The charge exchange emission during ionisation of evaporated metal ions. In the first step of development of testing system of metal vapours the equipment and instrumentation for charge exchange spectroscopy of Ga and In has been elaborated taking into account the following features of plasma emission. The Ga emission lines occur on the background high temperature plasma black body emission and stray light. Radial distribution of Ga in plasma in the facing plane of Ga flux is desirable

  18. Endoplasmic Reticulum-Plasma Membrane Contact Sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saheki, Yasunori; De Camilli, Pietro

    2017-06-20

    The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has a broad localization throughout the cell and forms direct physical contacts with all other classes of membranous organelles, including the plasma membrane (PM). A number of protein tethers that mediate these contacts have been identified, and study of these protein tethers has revealed a multiplicity of roles in cell physiology, including regulation of intracellular Ca 2+ dynamics and signaling as well as control of lipid traffic and homeostasis. In this review, we discuss the cross talk between the ER and the PM mediated by direct contacts. We review factors that tether the two membranes, their properties, and their dynamics in response to the functional state of the cell. We focus in particular on the role of ER-PM contacts in nonvesicular lipid transport between the two bilayers mediated by lipid transfer proteins.

  19. Monovalent-ion-selective membranes for reserve electrodialysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Güler, E.; van Baak, Willem; Saakes, Michel; Nijmeijer, Dorothea C.

    2014-01-01

    Reverse electrodialysis (RED) is a process that can be used to generate energy from salinity gradients. Since its application in practice requires the use of natural seawater and river water, the presence of multivalent ions is inevitable, but this currently limits RED performance. Membranes with

  20. Drift waves and counter rotating vortices in pair-ion plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haque, Q., E-mail: qamar_haque@hotmail.co [Theoretical Plasma Physics Division, PINSTECH P.O. Nilore, Islamabad (Pakistan)

    2010-07-19

    Linear dispersion relation has been found for drift and acoustic waves in pair-ion-electron plasmas. The stationary solution in the form of counter rotating vortices has been obtained in the presence of equilibrium potential profile. It is noticed that the speed of nonlinear structures is reduced with the increase of electrons concentration in pair-ion plasmas. Linear instability condition has also been found in the presence of shear flow. It is pointed out that the present results can be useful for future pair-ion plasma experiments.

  1. Two-dimensional hydrodynamics of uniform ion plasma in electrostatic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahdieh, M. H.; Gavili, A.

    2005-01-01

    Two-dimensional hydrodynamics of ion extraction from uniform quasi-neutral plasma, in electrostatic field has been simulated numerically. Experimentally, tunable pulsed lasers produce non-uniform plasma through stepwise photo-excitation and photo-ionization or multi-photo-ionization processes. Poisson's equation was solved simultaneously with the equations of mass, and momentum, assuming the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution for electrons. In the calculation, the initial density profile at the boundaries has been assumed to be very steep for the ion plasma. In these calculations dynamics of electric potential and the ions density were assessed. The ion extraction time was also estimated from the calculation. The knowledge of spatial distribution of the ions across the cathode is very important for the practical purposes. In this simulation, the spatial distribution of the ion current density across the cathode as well as its temporal distribution was calculated

  2. Plasma synthesis of hard materials with energetic ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monteiro, Othon R.

    1999-01-01

    Recent developments in plasma synthesis of hard materials using metal plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition are described. We have produced and characterized a variety of films including doped and undoped DLC (diamond-like carbon) and metal carbides. By using multiple plasma sources operated either synchronously or asynchronously, different metal plasma species can be either blended or linked so as to form mixed-composition films or multilayer structures, and by control of the depositing ion energy, interfaces can be made sharp or graded and the film morphology and microstructure can be widely tailored. Plasma compositional uniformity is important to produce homogeneous films, and therefore effective mixing of plasma streams produced by the filtered cathodic vacuum arcs is very important. Specific systems described here include amorphic diamond, and TiC. We outline the deposition technique employed in this investigation, and summarize the results of the characterization of the films

  3. Ion collection by probing objects in flowing magnetized plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kyu-Sun, Chung.

    1989-04-01

    A new one-dimensional collisionless kinetic model is developed for the flow of ions to probing structures in drifting plasmas. The cross-field flow into the presheath is modelled by accounting consistently for particle exchange between the collection flux tube and the outer plasma. Numerical solutions of the self-consistent plasma/sheath equations are obtained with arbitrary external ion temperature and parallel plasma flow velocity. Results are presented of the spatial dependence of the ion distribution function as well as its moments (density, particle flux, temperature, and power flux). The ion current to the probe is obtained and the ratio of the upstream to downstream currents is found to be well represented by the form R = exp[Ku d ], where K = 1.66 for T i = T e and u d is the drift velocity in units of (T e /m i ) 1/2 . The results agree well with comparable recent fluid calculations but show substantial deviations from other models which ignore particle exchange out of the presheath. No evidence is found of the formation of shocks in the downstream wake, contrary to the implications of some fluid theories. We have also extended the previous kinetic model by generalizing cross-field transport and adding ionization to the source of the Boltzmann equation along the presheath. Ion sheath current density and ratio(R) of upstream to downstream current are obtained as a function of plasma drift velocity, equivalent viscosity, ion temperature, and ionization rate. Constants(K) in the form R = exp[Ku d ] are obtained in terms of viscosity, ion temperature, and ionization rate. The effect of an electrical bias applied to the object on the presheath characteristics is discussed

  4. Basolateral cholesterol depletion alters Aquaporin-2 post-translational modifications and disrupts apical plasma membrane targeting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moeller, Hanne B; Fuglsang, Cecilia Hvitfeldt; Pedersen, Cecilie Nøhr; Fenton, Robert A

    2018-01-01

    Apical plasma membrane accumulation of the water channel Aquaporin-2 (AQP2) in kidney collecting duct principal cells is critical for body water homeostasis. Posttranslational modification (PTM) of AQP2 is important for regulating AQP2 trafficking. The aim of this study was to determine the role of cholesterol in regulation of AQP2 PTM and in apical plasma membrane targeting of AQP2. Cholesterol depletion from the basolateral plasma membrane of a collecting duct cell line (mpkCCD14) using methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MBCD) increased AQP2 ubiquitylation. Forskolin, cAMP or dDAVP-mediated AQP2 phosphorylation at Ser269 (pS269-AQP2) was prevented by cholesterol depletion from the basolateral membrane. None of these effects on pS269-AQP2 were observed when cholesterol was depleted from the apical side of cells, or when MBCD was applied subsequent to dDAVP stimulation. Basolateral, but not apical, MBCD application prevented cAMP-induced apical plasma membrane accumulation of AQP2. These studies indicate that manipulation of the cholesterol content of the basolateral plasma membrane interferes with AQP2 PTM and subsequently regulated apical plasma membrane targeting of AQP2. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Ion acceleration in non-equilibrium plasmas driven by fast drifting electron

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Castro, G. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Università degli Studi di Catania, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, V. S.Sofia 64, 95123 Catania (Italy); Di Bartolo, F., E-mail: fdibartolo@unime.it [Università di Messina, V.le F. Stagno D’Alcontres 31, 98166, Messina (Italy); Gambino, N. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Università degli Studi di Catania, Dipartimento di Metodologie Fisiche e Chimiche per L’ingegneria, Viale A.Doria 6, 95125 Catania (Italy); Mascali, D. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); CSFNSM, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania (Italy); Romano, F.P. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); CNR-IBAM Via Biblioteca 4, 95124 Catania (Italy); Anzalone, A.; Celona, L.; Gammino, S. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Di Giugno, R. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Università degli Studi di Catania, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, V. S.Sofia 64, 95123 Catania (Italy); Lanaia, D. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Miracoli, R. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Università degli Studi di Catania, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, V. S.Sofia 64, 95123 Catania (Italy); Serafino, T. [CSFNSM, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania (Italy); Tudisco, S. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); CSFNSM, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania (Italy)

    2013-05-01

    We hereby present results on ion acceleration mechanisms in non equilibrium plasmas generated by microwaves or high intensity laser pulses. Experiments point out that in magnetized plasmas X–B conversion takes place for under resonance values of the magnetic field, i.e. an electromagnetic mode is converted into an electrostatic wave. The strong self-generated electric field, of the order of 10{sup 7} V/m, causes a E × B drift which accelerates both ions and electrons, as it is evident by localized sputtering in the plasma chamber. These fields are similar (in magnitude) to the ones obtainable in laser generated plasmas at intensity of 10{sup 12} W/cm{sup 2}. In this latter case, we observe that the acceleration mechanism is driven by electrons drifting much faster than plasma bulk, thus generating an extremely strong electric field ∼10{sup 7} V/m. The two experiments confirm that ions acceleration at low energy is possible with table-top devices and following complementary techniques: i.e. by using microwave-driven (producing CW beams) plasmas, or non-equilibrium laser-driven plasmas (producing pulsed beams). Possible applications involve ion implantation, materials surface modifications, ion beam assisted lithography, etc.

  6. Linear and nonlinear ion beam instabilities in a double plasma device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, S.G.; Diebold, D.; Hershkowitz, N.

    1994-01-01

    Ion beam instabilities in the double plasma device DOLI-1 were found to be quite sensitive to the difference between the source and target chamber plasma potentials when those potentials were within an electron temperature T e /e or so of each other. When the target chamber plasma potential of DOLI-1 was ≤ T e /e more positive than the source chamber plasma potential, a global ion beam-ion beam instability was observed. On the other hand, when the maximum target potential was between approximately 0.5 T e /e and 2.0 T e /e below the source potential, an ion-ion beam instability and a soliton associated with it were observed. This soliton is unique in that it is not launched but rather is self generated by the plasma and beam. When the target potential was less than source potential by more than two or so T e /e, the plasma was quite quiescent, which allowed small amplitude wave packet launched by Langmuir probe to be detected

  7. Biogenesis of the demarcation membrane system (DMS) in megakaryocytes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eckly, A.; Heijnen, H.F.G.; Pertuy, F.; Geerts, W.J.C.; Proamer, F.; Rinckel, J.Y.; Leon, C.; Lanza, F; Gachet, C.

    2014-01-01

    The demarcation membrane system (DMS) in megakaryocytes forms the plasma membrane (PM) of future platelets. Using confocal microscopy, electron tomography, and large volume focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM), we determined the sequential steps of DMS formation. We identified a

  8. Mechanics of Lipid Bilayer Membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powers, Thomas R.

    All cells have membranes. The plasma membrane encapsulates the cell's interior, acting as a barrier against the outside world. In cells with nuclei (eukaryotic cells), membranes also form internal compartments (organelles) which carry out specialized tasks, such as protein modification and sorting in the case of the Golgi apparatus, and ATP production in the case of mitochondria. The main components of membranes are lipids and proteins. The proteins can be channels, carriers, receptors, catalysts, signaling molecules, or structural elements, and typically contribute a substantial fraction of the total membrane dry weight. The equilibrium properties of pure lipid membranes are relatively well-understood, and will be the main focus of this article. The framework of elasticity theory and statistical mechanics that we will develop will serve as the foundation for understanding biological phenomena such as the nonequilibrium behavior of membranes laden with ion pumps, the role of membrane elasticity in ion channel gating, and the dynamics of vesicle fission and fusion. Understanding the mechanics of lipid membranes is also important for drug encapsulation and delivery.

  9. Nonlinear modulation of ion acoustic waves in a magnetized plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bharuthram, R.; Shukla, P.K.

    1987-01-01

    The quasistatic plasma slow response to coherent ion acoustic waves in a magnetized plasma is considered. A multidimensional cubic nonlinear Schroedinger equation is derived. It is found that the ion acoustic waves remain modulationally stable against oblique perturbations

  10. The cell-based L-glutathione protection assays to study endocytosis and recycling of plasma membrane proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cihil, Kristine M; Swiatecka-Urban, Agnieszka

    2013-12-13

    Membrane trafficking involves transport of proteins from the plasma membrane to the cell interior (i.e. endocytosis) followed by trafficking to lysosomes for degradation or to the plasma membrane for recycling. The cell based L-glutathione protection assays can be used to study endocytosis and recycling of protein receptors, channels, transporters, and adhesion molecules localized at the cell surface. The endocytic assay requires labeling of cell surface proteins with a cell membrane impermeable biotin containing a disulfide bond and the N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester at 4 ºC - a temperature at which membrane trafficking does not occur. Endocytosis of biotinylated plasma membrane proteins is induced by incubation at 37 ºC. Next, the temperature is decreased again to 4 ºC to stop endocytic trafficking and the disulfide bond in biotin covalently attached to proteins that have remained at the plasma membrane is reduced with L-glutathione. At this point, only proteins that were endocytosed remain protected from L-glutathione and thus remain biotinylated. After cell lysis, biotinylated proteins are isolated with streptavidin agarose, eluted from agarose, and the biotinylated protein of interest is detected by western blotting. During the recycling assay, after biotinylation cells are incubated at 37 °C to load endocytic vesicles with biotinylated proteins and the disulfide bond in biotin covalently attached to proteins remaining at the plasma membrane is reduced with L-glutathione at 4 ºC as in the endocytic assay. Next, cells are incubated again at 37 °C to allow biotinylated proteins from endocytic vesicles to recycle to the plasma membrane. Cells are then incubated at 4 ºC, and the disulfide bond in biotin attached to proteins that recycled to the plasma membranes is reduced with L-glutathione. The biotinylated proteins protected from L-glutathione are those that did not recycle to the plasma membrane.

  11. Feed gas contaminant control in ion transport membrane systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carolan, Michael Francis [Allentown, PA; Minford, Eric [Laurys Station, PA; Waldron, William Emil [Whitehall, PA

    2009-07-07

    Ion transport membrane oxidation system comprising an enclosure having an interior and an interior surface, inlet piping having an internal surface and adapted to introduce a heated feed gas into the interior of the enclosure, and outlet piping adapted to withdraw a product gas from the interior of the enclosure; one or more planar ion transport membrane modules disposed in the interior of the enclosure, each membrane module comprising mixed metal oxide material; and a preheater adapted to heat a feed gas to provide the heated feed gas to the inlet piping, wherein the preheater comprises an interior surface. Any of the interior surfaces of the enclosure, the inlet piping, and the preheater may be lined with a copper-containing metal lining. Alternatively, any of the interior surfaces of the inlet piping and the preheater may be lined with a copper-containing metal lining and the enclosure may comprise copper.

  12. Crude venom from nematocysts of Pelagia noctiluca (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa) elicits a sodium conductance in the plasma membrane of mammalian cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morabito, Rossana; Costa, Roberta; Rizzo, Valentina; Remigante, Alessia; Nofziger, Charity; La Spada, Giuseppa; Marino, Angela; Paulmichl, Markus; Dossena, Silvia

    2017-01-01

    Cnidarians may negatively impact human activities and public health but concomitantly their venom represents a rich source of bioactive substances. Pelagia noctiluca is the most venomous and abundant jellyfish of the Mediterranean Sea and possesses a venom with hemolytic and cytolytic activity for which the mechanism is largely unknown. Here we show that exposure of mammalian cells to crude venom from the nematocysts of P. noctiluca profoundly alters the ion conductance of the plasma membrane, therefore affecting homeostatic functions such as the regulation and maintenance of cellular volume. Venom-treated cells exhibited a large, inwardly rectifying current mainly due to permeation of Na+ and Cl-, sensitive to amiloride and completely abrogated following harsh thermal treatment of crude venom extract. Curiously, the plasma membrane conductance of Ca2+ and K+ was not affected. Current-inducing activity was also observed following delivery of venom to the cytosolic side of the plasma membrane, consistent with a pore-forming mechanism. Venom-induced NaCl influx followed by water and consequent cell swelling most likely underlie the hemolytic and cytolytic activity of P. noctiluca venom. The present study underscores unique properties of P. noctiluca venom and provides essential information for a possible use of its active compounds and treatment of envenomation.

  13. Identification of membrane proteins by tandem mass spectrometry of protein ions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, Joe; Altman, Matthew C.; Fearnley, Ian M.; Walker, John E.

    2007-01-01

    The most common way of identifying proteins in proteomic analyses is to use short segments of sequence (“tags”) determined by mass spectrometric analysis of proteolytic fragments. The approach is effective with globular proteins and with membrane proteins with significant polar segments between membrane-spanning α-helices, but it is ineffective with other hydrophobic proteins where protease cleavage sites are either infrequent or absent. By developing methods to purify hydrophobic proteins in organic solvents and by fragmenting ions of these proteins by collision induced dissociation with argon, we have shown that partial sequences of many membrane proteins can be deduced easily by manual inspection. The spectra from small proteolipids (1–4 transmembrane α-helices) are dominated usually by fragment ions arising from internal amide cleavages, from which internal sequences can be obtained, whereas the spectra from larger membrane proteins (5–18 transmembrane α-helices) often contain fragment ions from N- and/or C-terminal parts yielding sequences in those regions. With these techniques, we have, for example, identified an abundant protein of unknown function from inner membranes of mitochondria that to our knowledge has escaped detection in proteomic studies, and we have produced sequences from 10 of 13 proteins encoded in mitochondrial DNA. They include the ND6 subunit of complex I, the last of its 45 subunits to be analyzed. The procedures have the potential to be developed further, for example by using newly introduced methods for protein ion dissociation to induce fragmentation of internal regions of large membrane proteins, which may remain partially folded in the gas phase. PMID:17720804

  14. Laser-induced fluorescence measurements of argon and xenon ion velocities near the sheath boundary in 3 ion species plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yip, Chi-Shung; Hershkowitz, Noah [Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States); Severn, Greg [Department of Physics, University of San Diego, San Diego, California 92110 (United States); Baalrud, Scott D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242 (United States)

    2016-05-15

    The Bohm sheath criterion is studied with laser-induced fluorescence in three ion species plasmas using two tunable diode lasers. Krypton is added to a low pressure unmagnetized DC hot filament discharge in a mixture of argon and xenon gas confined by surface multi-dipole magnetic fields. The argon and xenon ion velocity distribution functions are measured at the sheath-presheath boundary near a negatively biased boundary plate. The potential structures of the plasma sheath and presheath are measured by an emissive probe. Results are compared with previous experiments with Ar–Xe plasmas, where the two ion species were observed to reach the sheath edge at nearly the same speed. This speed was the ion sound speed of the system, which is consistent with the generalized Bohm criterion. In such two ion species plasmas, instability enhanced collisional friction was demonstrated [Hershkowitz et al., Phys. Plasmas 18(5), 057102 (2011).] to exist which accounted for the observed results. When three ion species are present, it is demonstrated under most circumstances the ions do not fall out of the plasma at their individual Bohm velocities. It is also shown that under most circumstances the ions do not fall out of the plasma at the system sound speed. These observations are also consistent with the presence of the instabilities.

  15. Ion-Exchanged SAPO-34 Membranes for Krypton-Xenon Separation: Control of Permeation Properties and Fabrication of Hollow Fiber Membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Yeon Hye; Min, Byunghyun; Yang, Shaowei; Koh, Dong-Yeun; Bhave, Ramesh R; Nair, Sankar

    2018-02-21

    Separation of radioisotope 85 Kr from 136 Xe is of importance in used nuclear fuel reprocessing. Membrane separation based on zeolite molecular sieves such as chabazite SAPO-34 is an attractive alternative to energy-intensive cryogenic distillation. We report the synthesis of SAPO-34 membranes with considerably enhanced performance via thickness reduction based upon control of a steam-assisted vapor-solid conversion technique followed by ion exchange with alkali metal cations. The reduction of membrane thickness leads to a large increase in Kr permeance from 7.5 to 26.3 gas permeation units (GPU) with ideal Kr/Xe selectivities >20 at 298 K. Cation-exchanged membranes show large (>50%) increases in selectivity at ambient or slight subambient conditions. The adsorption, diffusion, and permeation characteristics of ion-exchanged SAPO-34 materials and membranes are investigated in detail, with potassium-exchanged SAPO-34 membranes showing particularly attractive performance. We then demonstrate the fabrication of selective SAPO-34 membranes on α-alumina hollow fibers.

  16. Efficient adhesion-based plasma membrane isolation for cell surface N-glycan analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mun, Ji-Young; Lee, Kyung Jin; Seo, Hoon; Sung, Min-Sun; Cho, Yee Sook; Lee, Seung-Goo; Kwon, Ohsuk; Oh, Doo-Byoung

    2013-08-06

    Glycans, which decorate cell surfaces, play crucial roles in various physiological events involving cell surface recognition. Despite the importance of surface glycans, most analyses have been performed using total cells or whole membranes rather than plasma membranes due to difficulties related to isolation. In the present study, we employed an adhesion-based method for plasma membrane isolation to analyze N-glycans on cell surfaces. Cells were attached to polylysine-coated glass plates and then ruptured by hypotonic pressure. After washing to remove intracellular organelles, only a plasma membrane fraction remained attached to the plates, as confirmed by fluorescence imaging using organelle-specific probes. The plate was directly treated with trypsin to digest and detach the glycoproteins from the plasma membrane. From the resulting glycopeptides, N-glycans were released and analyzed using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and HPLC. When N-glycan profiles obtained by this method were compared to those by other methods, the amount of high-mannose type glycans mainly contaminated from the endoplasmic reticulum was dramatically reduced, which enabled the efficient detection of complex type glycans present on the cell surface. Moreover, this method was successfully used to analyze the increase of high-mannose glycans on the surface as induced by a mannosidase inhibitor treatment.

  17. Plasma Membrane Protein Profiling in Beta-Amyloid-Treated Microglia Cell Line.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correani, Virginia; Di Francesco, Laura; Mignogna, Giuseppina; Fabrizi, Cinzia; Leone, Stefano; Giorgi, Alessandra; Passeri, Alessia; Casata, Roberto; Fumagalli, Lorenzo; Maras, Bruno; Schininà, M Eugenia

    2017-09-01

    In the responsiveness of microglia to toxic stimuli, plasma membrane proteins play a key role. In this study we treated with a synthetic beta amyloid peptide murine microglial cells metabolically differently labelled with stable isotope amino acids (SILAC). The plasma membrane was selectively enriched by a multi-stage aqueous two-phase partition system. We were able to identify by 1D-LC-MS/MS analyses 1577 proteins, most of them are plasma membrane proteins according to the Gene Ontology annotation. An unchanged level of amyloid receptors in this data set suggests that microglia preserve their responsiveness capability to the environment even after 24-h challenge with amyloid peptides. On the other hand, 14 proteins were observed to change their plasma membrane abundance to a statistically significant extent. Among these, we proposed as reliable biomarkers of the inflammatory microglia phenotype in AD damaged tissues MAP/microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 3 (MARK3), Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3), Annexins A5 and A7 (ANXA5, ANXA7) and Neuropilin-1 (NRP1), all proteins known to be involved in the inflammation processes and in microtubule network assembly rate. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Electric sheath and presheath in a collisionless, finite ion temperature plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Emmert, G.A.; Wieland, R.M.; Mense, A.T.; Davidson, J.N.

    1980-01-01

    The plasma-sheath equation for a collisionless plasma with arbitrary ion temperature in plane geometry is formulated. Outside the sheath, this equation is approximated by the plasma equation, for which an analytic solution for the electrostatic potential is obtained. In addition, the ion distribution function, the wall potential, and the ion energy and particle flux into the sheath are explicitly calculated. The plasma-sheath equation is also solved numerically with no approximation of the Debye length. The numerical results compare well with the analytical results when the Debye length is small

  19. Chemotherapy drugs form ion pores in membranes due to physical interactions with lipids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashrafuzzaman, Mohammad; Tseng, Chih-Yuan; Duszyk, Marek; Tuszynski, Jack A

    2012-12-01

    We demonstrate the effects on membrane of the tubulin-binding chemotherapy drugs: thiocolchicoside and taxol. Electrophysiology recordings across lipid membranes in aqueous phases containing drugs were used to investigate the drug effects on membrane conductance. Molecular dynamics simulation of the chemotherapy drug-lipid complexes was used to elucidate the mechanism at an atomistic level. Both drugs are observed to induce stable ion-flowing pores across membranes. Discrete pore current-time plots exhibit triangular conductance events in contrast to rectangular ones found for ion channels. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that drugs and lipids experience electrostatic and van der Waals interactions for short periods of time when found within each other's proximity. The energies from these two interactions are found to be similar to the energies derived theoretically using the screened Coulomb and the van der Waals interactions between peptides and lipids due to mainly their charge properties while forming peptide-induced ion channels in lipid bilayers. Experimental and in silico studies together suggest that the chemotherapy drugs induce ion pores inside lipid membranes due to drug-lipid physical interactions. The findings reveal cytotoxic effects of drugs on the cell membrane, which may aid in novel drug development for treatment of cancer and other diseases. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  20. A fluorogenic probe for SNAP-tagged plasma membrane proteins based on the solvatochromic molecule Nile Red.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prifti, Efthymia; Reymond, Luc; Umebayashi, Miwa; Hovius, Ruud; Riezman, Howard; Johnsson, Kai

    2014-03-21

    A fluorogenic probe for plasma membrane proteins based on the dye Nile Red and SNAP-tag is introduced. It takes advantage of Nile Red, a solvatochromic molecule highly fluorescent in an apolar environment, such as cellular membranes, but almost dark in a polar aqueous environment. The probe possesses a tuned affinity for membranes allowing its Nile Red moiety to insert into the lipid bilayer of the plasma membrane, becoming fluorescent, only after its conjugation to a SNAP-tagged plasma membrane protein. The fluorogenic character of the probe was demonstrated for different SNAP-tag fusion proteins, including the human insulin receptor. This work introduces a new approach for generating a powerful turn-on probe for "no-wash" labeling of plasma membrane proteins with numerous applications in bioimaging.

  1. Ion acceleration by laser hole-boring into plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pogorelsky, I. V.; Dover, N. P.; Babzien, M.; Bell, A. R.; Dangor, A. E.; Horbury, T.; Palmer, C. A. J.; Polyanskiy, M.; Schreiber, J.; Schwartz, S.; Shkolnikov, P.; Yakimenko, V.; Najmudin, Z.

    2012-01-01

    By experiment and simulations, we study the interaction of an intense CO 2 laser pulse with slightly overcritical plasmas of fully ionized helium gas. Transverse optical probing is used to show a recession of the front plasma surface with an initial velocity >10 6 m/s driven by hole-boring by the laser pulse and the resulting radiation pressure driven electrostatic shocks. The collisionless shock propagates through the plasma, dissipates into an ion-acoustic solitary wave, and eventually becomes collisional as it slows further. These observations are supported by PIC simulations which prove the conclusion that monoenergetic protons observed in our earlier reported experiment with a hydrogen jet result from ion trapping and reflection from a shock wave driven through the plasma.

  2. Energy loss of heavy ion beams in plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Okada, T; Hotta, T [Tokyo Univ. of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei (Japan). Faculty of Technology

    1997-12-31

    The energy loss of heavy-ion beams (HIB) is studied by means of Vlasov theory and Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations in a plasma. The interaction of HIB with a plasma is of central importance for inertial confinement fusion (ICF). A number of studies on the HIB interaction with target plasma have been published. It is important for heavy-ion stopping that the effects of the non-linear interaction of HIB within the Vlasov theory are included. Reported are results of a numerical study of nonlinear effects to the stopping power for HIB in plasma. It is shown that the PIC simulations of collective effects of the stopping power are in a good agreement with the Vlasov theory. (author). 2 tabs., 1 fig., 5 refs.

  3. Ion acceleration in multi-species cathodic plasma jet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krasov, V. I.; Paperny, V. L.

    2016-05-01

    A general expression for ion-ion coupling in a multi-species plasma jet was obtained. The expression is valid for any value of the inter-species velocity. This expression has enabled us to review a hydrodynamic problem of expanding the cathodic plasma microjet with two ion species within the respective charge states Z1 = +1 and Z2 = +2 into a vacuum. We were able to illustrate that in scenario when the initial (i.e., acquired during a process of emission from cathode's surface) difference for ion's species velocity exceeds a threshold value, the difference remains noticeable (roughly about 10% of the average jet's velocity) at a distance of a few centimeters from the emission center. At this point, it can be measured experimentally.

  4. Properties of plasma sheath with ion temperature in magnetic fusion devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Jinyuan; Wang Feng; Sun Jizhong

    2011-01-01

    The plasma sheath properties in a strong magnetic field are investigated in this work using a steady state two-fluid model. The motion of ions is affected heavily by the strong magnetic field in fusion devices; meanwhile, the effect of ion temperature cannot be neglected for the plasma in such devices. A criterion for the plasma sheath in a strong magnetic field, which differs from the well-known Bohm criterion for low temperature plasma sheath, is established theoretically with a fluid model. The fluid model is then solved numerically to obtain detailed sheath information under different ion temperatures, plasma densities, and magnetic field strengths.

  5. Ion Acoustic Waves in the Presence of Electron Plasma Waves

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Michelsen, Poul; Pécseli, Hans; Juul Rasmussen, Jens

    1977-01-01

    Long-wavelength ion acoustic waves in the presence of propagating short-wavelength electron plasma waves are examined. The influence of the high frequency oscillations is to decrease the phase velocity and the damping distance of the ion wave.......Long-wavelength ion acoustic waves in the presence of propagating short-wavelength electron plasma waves are examined. The influence of the high frequency oscillations is to decrease the phase velocity and the damping distance of the ion wave....

  6. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering reveals adsorption of mitoxantrone on plasma membrane of living cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Breuzard, G.; Angiboust, J.-F.; Jeannesson, P.; Manfait, M.; Millot, J.-M.

    2004-01-01

    Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy was applied to analyze mitoxantrone (MTX) adsorption on the plasma membrane microenvironment of sensitive (HCT-116 S) or BCRP/MXR-type resistant (HCT-116 R) cells. The addition of silver colloid to MTX-treated cells revealed an enhanced Raman scattering of MTX. Addition of extracellular DNA induced a total extinction of MTX Raman intensity for both cell lines, which revealed an adsorption of MTX on plasma membrane. A threefold higher MTX Raman intensity was observed for HCT-116 R, suggesting a tight MTX adsorption in the plasma membrane microenvironment. Fluorescence confocal microscopy confirmed a relative MTX emission around plasma membrane for HCT-116 R. After 30 min at 4 deg. C, a threefold decrease of the MTX Raman scattering was observed for HCT-116 R, contrary to HCT-116 S. Permeation with benzyl alcohol revealed a threefold decrease of membrane MTX adsorption on HCT-116 R, exclusively. This additional MTX adsorption should correspond to the drug bound to an unstable site on the HCT-116 R membrane. This study showed that SERS spectroscopy could be a direct method to reveal drug adsorption to the membrane environment of living cells

  7. ATP-dependent calcium transport across basal plasma membranes of human placental trophoblast

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fisher, G.J.; Kelley, L.K.; Smith, C.H.

    1987-01-01

    As a first step in understanding the cellular basis of maternal-fetal calcium transfer, the authors examined the characteristics of calcium uptake by a highly purified preparation of the syncytiotrophoblast basal (fetal facing) plasma membrane. In the presence of nanomolar concentrations of free calcium, basal membranes demonstrated substantial ATP-dependent calcium uptake. This uptake required magnesium, was not significantly affected by Na + or K + (50 mM), or sodium azide (10 mM). Intravesicular calcium was rapidly and completely released by the calcium ionophore rapidly and completely released by the calcium ionophore A23187. Calcium transport was significantly stimulated by the calcium-dependent regulatory protein calmodulin. Placental membrane fractions enriched in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria also demonstrated ATP-dependent calcium uptake. In contrast to basal membrane, mitochondrial calcium uptake was completely inhibited by azide. The rate of calcium uptake was completely inhibited by azide. The rate of calcium uptake by the ER was only 20% of that of basal membranes. They conclude that the placental basal plasma membrane possesses a high-affinity calcium transport system similar to that found in plasma membranes of a variety of cell types. This transporter is situated to permit it to function in vivo in maternal-fetal calcium transfer

  8. Specific photoaffinity labeling of two plasma membrane polypeptides with an azido auxin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hicks, G.R.; Rayle, D.L.; Jones, A.M.; Lomax, T.L.

    1989-01-01

    Plasma membrane vesicles were isolated from zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) hypocotyl tissue by aqueous phase partitioning and assessed for homogeneity by the use of membrane-specific enzyme assays. The highly pure plasma membrane vesicles maintained a pH differential across the membrane and accumulated a tritiated azido analogue of 3-indoleacetic acid (IAA), 5-azido-[7- 3 H]IAA([ 3 H]N 3 IAA), in a manner similar to the accumulation of [ 3 H]IAA. The association of the [ 3 H]N 3 IAA with membrane vesicles was saturable and subject to competition by IAA and auxin analogues. Auxin-binding proteins were photoaffinity labeled by addition of [ 3 H]N 3 IAA to plasma membrane vesicles prior to exposure to UV light and detected by subsequent NaDodSO 4 /PAGE and fluorography. When the reaction temperature was lowered to -196 degree C, high-specific-activity labeling of a 40-kDa and a 42-kDa polypeptide was observed. Collectively, these results suggest that the radiolabeled polypeptides are auxin receptors. The covalent nature of the label should facilitate purification and further characterization of the receptors

  9. Single-cell analysis of pyroptosis dynamics reveals conserved GSDMD-mediated subcellular events that precede plasma membrane rupture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Vasconcelos, Nathalia M; Van Opdenbosch, Nina; Van Gorp, Hanne; Parthoens, Eef; Lamkanfi, Mohamed

    2018-04-17

    Pyroptosis is rapidly emerging as a mechanism of anti-microbial host defense, and of extracellular release of the inflammasome-dependent cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18, which contributes to autoinflammatory pathology. Caspases 1, 4, 5 and 11 trigger this regulated form of necrosis by cleaving the pyroptosis effector gasdermin D (GSDMD), causing its pore-forming amino-terminal domain to oligomerize and perforate the plasma membrane. However, the subcellular events that precede pyroptotic cell lysis are ill defined. In this study, we triggered primary macrophages to undergo pyroptosis from three inflammasome types and recorded their dynamics and morphology using high-resolution live-cell spinning disk confocal laser microscopy. Based on quantitative analysis of single-cell subcellular events, we propose a model of pyroptotic cell disintegration that is initiated by opening of GSDMD-dependent ion channels or pores that are more restrictive than recently proposed GSDMD pores, followed by osmotic cell swelling, commitment of mitochondria and other membrane-bound organelles prior to sudden rupture of the plasma membrane and full permeability to intracellular proteins. This study provides a dynamic framework for understanding cellular changes that occur during pyroptosis, and charts a chronological sequence of GSDMD-mediated subcellular events that define pyroptotic cell death at the single-cell level.

  10. Molecular cloning and characterization of the plasma membrane ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    2011-05-09

    May 9, 2011 ... Southern blot analysis indicated that OvPIP gene was present in O. ... Key words: Orychophragmus violaceus, plasma membrane, tonoplast aquaporins .... fractionated by 0.8% agarose gel electrophoresis and transferred to.

  11. Lateral Organization of Influenza Virus Proteins in the Budozone Region of the Plasma Membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leser, George P; Lamb, Robert A

    2017-05-01

    Influenza virus assembles and buds at the plasma membrane of virus-infected cells. The viral proteins assemble at the same site on the plasma membrane for budding to occur. This involves a complex web of interactions among viral proteins. Some proteins, like hemagglutinin (HA), NA, and M2, are integral membrane proteins. M1 is peripherally membrane associated, whereas NP associates with viral RNA to form an RNP complex that associates with the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane. Furthermore, HA and NP have been shown to be concentrated in cholesterol-rich membrane raft domains, whereas M2, although containing a cholesterol binding motif, is not raft associated. Here we identify viral proteins in planar sheets of plasma membrane using immunogold staining. The distribution of these proteins was examined individually and pairwise by using the Ripley K function, a type of nearest-neighbor analysis. Individually, HA, NA, M1, M2, and NP were shown to self-associate in or on the plasma membrane. HA and M2 are strongly coclustered in the plasma membrane; however, in the case of NA and M2, clustering depends upon the expression system used. Despite both proteins being raft resident, HA and NA occupy distinct but adjacent membrane domains. M2 and M1 strongly cocluster, but the association of M1 with HA or NA is dependent upon the means of expression. The presence of HA and NP at the site of budding depends upon the coexpression of other viral proteins. Similarly, M2 and NP occupy separate compartments, but an association can be bridged by the coexpression of M1. IMPORTANCE The complement of influenza virus proteins necessary for the budding of progeny virions needs to accumulate at budozones. This is complicated by HA and NA residing in lipid raft-like domains, whereas M2, although an integral membrane protein, is not raft associated. Other necessary protein components such as M1 and NP are peripherally associated with the membrane. Our data define spatial relationships

  12. Novel adsorptive ultrafiltration membranes derived from polyvinyltetrazole-co-polyacrylonitrile for Cu(II) ions removal

    KAUST Repository

    Kumar, Mahendra; Shevate, Rahul; Hilke, Roland; Peinemann, Klaus-Viktor

    2016-01-01

    Novel adsorptive ultrafiltration membranes were manufactured from synthesized polyvinyltetrazole−co−polyacrylonitrile (PVT−co−PAN) by nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS). PVT−co−PAN with various degree of functionalization (DF) was synthesized via a [3+2] cycloaddition reaction at 60°C using a commercial PAN. PVT−co−PAN with varied DF was then explored to prepare adsorptive membranes. The membranes were characterized by surface zeta potential and static water contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy as well as atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. It was shown that PVT segments contributed to alter the pore size, charge and hydrophilic behavior of the membranes. The membranes became more negatively charged and hydrophilic after addition of PVT segments. The PVT segments in the membranes served as the major binding sites for adsorption of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution. The maximum adsorption of Cu(II) ions by the membranes in static condition and in a continuous ultrafiltration of 10 ppm solution was attained at pH = 5. The adsorption data suggest that the Freundlich isotherm model describes well Cu(II) ions adsorption on the membranes from aqueous solution. The adsorption capacity obtained from the Freundlich isotherm model was 44.3 mg g−1; this value is higher than other membrane adsorption data reported in the literature. Overall, the membranes fabricated from PVT−co−PAN are attractive for efficient removal of heavy metal ions under the optimized conditions.

  13. Novel adsorptive ultrafiltration membranes derived from polyvinyltetrazole-co-polyacrylonitrile for Cu(II) ions removal

    KAUST Repository

    Kumar, Mahendra

    2016-05-04

    Novel adsorptive ultrafiltration membranes were manufactured from synthesized polyvinyltetrazole−co−polyacrylonitrile (PVT−co−PAN) by nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS). PVT−co−PAN with various degree of functionalization (DF) was synthesized via a [3+2] cycloaddition reaction at 60°C using a commercial PAN. PVT−co−PAN with varied DF was then explored to prepare adsorptive membranes. The membranes were characterized by surface zeta potential and static water contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy as well as atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. It was shown that PVT segments contributed to alter the pore size, charge and hydrophilic behavior of the membranes. The membranes became more negatively charged and hydrophilic after addition of PVT segments. The PVT segments in the membranes served as the major binding sites for adsorption of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution. The maximum adsorption of Cu(II) ions by the membranes in static condition and in a continuous ultrafiltration of 10 ppm solution was attained at pH = 5. The adsorption data suggest that the Freundlich isotherm model describes well Cu(II) ions adsorption on the membranes from aqueous solution. The adsorption capacity obtained from the Freundlich isotherm model was 44.3 mg g−1; this value is higher than other membrane adsorption data reported in the literature. Overall, the membranes fabricated from PVT−co−PAN are attractive for efficient removal of heavy metal ions under the optimized conditions.

  14. [Does a lateral gradient of membrane potential on the plasma membrane of growing pollen tube of germinating pollen grain exist?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andreev, I M

    2011-01-01

    The data presented in the article by Breigina et al. (2009) "Changes in the membrane potential during pollen grain germination and pollen tube growth" (Tsitologiya. 51 (10): 815-823) and concerning the measurement of electric membrane potential (Delta Psi) on the plasma membrane of growing pollen tube of germinating pollen grain with the use of fluorescent potential-sensitive dye, di-4-ANEPPS, were critically analyzed in order to clarify whether a lateral gradient of Delta Psi on this membrane indeed exists. This analysis showed that the main conclusion of the authors of the above article on the existence of polar distribution of Delta Psi along the pollen tube plasma membrane is not in accordance with a number of known peculiarities of di-4-ANEPPS behavior in biological membranes and requires a significant revision. The findings in question reported by the authors, in my opinion, might be interpreted as evidence for the presence on the plasma membrane of growing pollen tube not only the membrane potential Delta Psi but also lateral gradient of so called intra-membrane dipole potential. Based on the comments made, another interpretation of the experimental results described by Breigina et al. has been offered. In addition, some drawbacks in the methodology used by the authors for measurement of Delta Psi with other fluorescent potential-sensitive dye, DiBAC3(3), are also shortly considered.

  15. Study on laser plasma as an ion source for the controlled fasion with heavy ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barabash, L.Z.; Bykovskij, Yu.A.; Golubev, A.A.; Kozyrev, Yu.P.; Krechet, K.I.; Lapitskij, Yu.Ya.; Sharkov, B.Yu.

    1981-01-01

    The results of experimental investigations of Pb 208 multiply- charged lead ions, obtained in the course of CO 2 laser radiation effect on a solid target are presented. The experimental installation, the basic units of which are CO 2 - laser with transverse discharge, ion source chamber, time- of-flight space, 9-channel electrostatic mirror type mass-analyser with a detection unit, is described. Physical characteristics of a freely spreading laser plasma, ion distribution over energies, velocities and Z charges from Z=+1 to Z=+10 are investigated. Absolute values of ion number of each charge property as well as absolute values of currents are obtained, the laser plasma temperature is estimated. The analysis of time distribution of ion quantity permits to point out the following regularities: with Z increase the ion current duration decreases according to the Δt approximately Z -1 law, with Z increase, the moment of the ion pulse beginning approaches to the moment of target irradiation which testifies that multiply-charged ions have high velocities and energies. The velocity distribution analysis permits to obtain ion velocity dependence in the field of maximum distribution on charge properties. The results presented are obtained at the temperature of hot unspreaded plasma about 60 eV. The data obtained are a basis for development of a real laser forinjector for the problems of the controlled fusion with heavy ions [ru

  16. Possible evidence that dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHA-S) stimulates cervical ripening by a membrane-mediated process: Specific binding-sites in plasma membrane from human uterine cervix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohno, T.; Imai, A.; Tamaya, T.

    1991-01-01

    Fetal adrenal steroid, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHA-S) is well known to promote cervical ripening in late pregnancy. The presence of sites specifically binding the DHA-S in plasma membrane was studied in human cervical fibroblasts prepared from pregnant uterus. The fibroblasts were incubated with 3 H DHA-S and then fractionated into plasma membranes, cytosol, nuclei, and other organella debris. The specific activity of 3H-count in the plasma membrane fraction was enriched ∼ 7-fold compared with the whole homogenate. When the isolated plasma membrane preparations from the fibroblasts were exposed to 3 H DHA-S, the binding showed saturation kinetics; an apparent equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) of 12 nM, and the binding capacity (Bmax) of 1.25 pmol/mg protein. The present results suggest that DHA is bound to and recognized by components in plasma membrane, and may exert its action on cervical ripening through the membrane-mediated processes

  17. Images of Complex Interactions of an Intense Ion Beam with Plasma Electrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaganovich, Igor D.; Startsev, Edward; Davidson, Ronald C.

    2004-01-01

    Ion beam propagation in a background plasma is an important scientific issue for many practical applications. The process of ion beam charge and current neutralization is complex because plasma electrons move in strong electric and magnetic fields of the beam. Computer simulation images of plasma interaction with an intense ion beam pulse are presented

  18. Receptor kinase-mediated control of primary active proton pumping at the plasma membrane

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fuglsang, Anja Thoe; Kristensen, Astrid; Cuin, Tracey A.

    2014-01-01

    Acidification of the cell wall space outside the plasma membrane is required for plant growth and is the result of proton extrusion by the plasma membrane-localized H+-ATPases. Here we show that the major plasma membrane proton pumps in Arabidopsis, AHA1 and AHA2, interact directly in vitro...... and in planta with PSY1R, a receptor kinase of the plasma membrane that serves as a receptor for the peptide growth hormone PSY1. The intracellular protein kinase domain of PSY1R phosphorylates AHA2/AHA1 at Thr-881, situated in the autoinhibitory region I of the C-terminal domain. When expressed in a yeast...... heterologous expression system, the introduction of a negative charge at this position caused pump activation. Application of PSY1 to plant seedlings induced rapid in planta phosphorylation at Thr-881, concomitant with an instantaneous increase in proton efflux from roots. The direct interaction between AHA2...

  19. Nonlinear propagation of ion-acoustic solitary waves in relativistic ion-beam plasma with negative ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Kh.I.; Das, G.C.

    1993-01-01

    Soliton propagations are studied in a relativistic multicomponent ion-beam plasma through the derivation of Korteweg-deVries (K-dV) and modified K-dV (mK-dV) equations. A generalization of the mK-dV equation involving higher order nonlinearities gives a transitive link between the K-dV and mK-dV equations for isothermal plasma, and the validity of this generalized equation throughout the whole range of negative ion concentrations is investigated through the derivation of Sagdeev potential. Parallel discussion of various K-dV solitons enlightening the experimental implications is also made. (author). 22 refs

  20. Cluster ion formation during sputtering processes: a complementary investigation by ToF-SIMS and plasma ion mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Welzel, T; Ellmer, K; Mändl, S

    2014-01-01

    Plasma ion mass spectrometry using a plasma process monitor (PPM) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) have been complementarily employed to investigate the sputtering and ion formation processes of Al-doped zinc oxide. By comparing the mass spectra, insights on ion formation and relative cross-sections have been obtained: positive ions as measured during magnetron sputtering by PPM are originating from the plasma while those in SIMS start at the surface leading to large differences in the mass spectra. In contrast, negative ions originating at the surface will be accelerated through the plasma sheath. They arrive at the PPM after traversing the plasma nearly collisionless as seen from the rather similar spectra. Hence, it is possible to combine the high mass resolution of ToF-SIMS to obtain insight for separating cluster ions, e.g. Zn x and ZnO y , and the energy resolution of PPM to find fragmentation patterns for negative ions. While the ion formation processes during both experiments can be assumed to be similar, differences may arise due to the lower volume probed by SIMS. In the latter case, there is a chance of small target inhomogeneities being able to be enhanced and lower surface temperatures leading to less outgassing and, thus, retention of volatile compounds. (paper)