Determination of structural and mechanical properties, diffractometry, and thermal analysis of chitosan and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC films plasticized with sorbitol

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Jefferson Rotta

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In this work, the structural, mechanical, diffractometric, and thermal parameters of chitosan-hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC films plasticized with sorbitol were studied. Solutions of HPMC (2% w/v in water and chitosan (2% w/v in 2% acetic acid solution were prepared. The concentration of sorbitol used was 10% (w/w to both polymers. This solutions were mixed at different proportions (100/0; 70/30; 50/50; 30/70, and 0/100 of chitosan and HPMC, respectively, and 20 mL was cast in Petri dishes for further analysis of dried films. The miscibility of polymers was assessed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA. The results obtained indicate that the films are not fully miscible at a dry state despite the weak hydrogen bonding between the polymer functional groups.

Putative metabolic pathway of mannitol and sorbitol and in sugarcane Provável via metabólica de manitol e sorbitol em cana-de-açúcar

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Celso Luís Marino

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Until the mid 1950s, boron was believed to play an important role in the transport of sugars in plants. However, boron actually depends on sugar alcohols to be taken up by the plant. In some cases, the main sugars involved in this process are sorbitol and mannitol which form stable complexes with boron. In this study, the sequences of the SugarCane EST Genome Project (SUCEST database were searched for enzymes involved in the metabolism of these sugars by comparing them with enzymes from other organisms. Eighteen contigs from sugarcane (Saccharum sp. presented high similarity with 11 enzymes involved in the putative biosynthetic pathway of sorbitol and mannitol from fructose in sugarcane. Seven of these contigs had high homology with sequences deposited in GenBank.Até meados da década de 50 acreditava-se que o boro tinha uma importante função no transporte de açúcares em plantas. Na verdade, o boro depende de açúcares álcoois para serem mobilizados dentro da planta. Em alguns organismos os principais açúcares envolvidos neste processo são o sorbitol e o manitol, que formam complexos estáveis com o micronutriente. O objetivo deste estudo foi procurar seqüências no banco de dados SugarCane EST Genome Project (SUCEST que codificam enzimas participantes na via metabólica destes açúcares através da comparação de enzimas de outros organismos. Dezoito "contigs" de cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum sp. apresentaram similaridade com onze seqüências de enzimas que compõem a provável via metabólica de sorbitol e manitol a partir de frutose. Destes "contigs", sete apresentaram uma alta similaridade entre as seqüências depositadas no GenBank.

Comparison of Intermolecular Forces in Anhydrous Sorbitol and Solvent Cocrystals.

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Dierks, Teresa M; Korter, Timothy M

2017-08-03

The hygroscopicity of solid sorbitol is important for its utilization as a sweetener in the pharmaceutical and food industries. The molecular foundations of sorbitol hydration characteristics are explored here using two solvated cocrystals, sorbitol-water and sorbitol-pyridine. In this work, solid-state density functional theory and terahertz time-domain spectroscopy were used to evaluate the relative stabilities of these cocrystals as compared to anhydrous sorbitol in terms of conformational and cohesive energies. The modification of the hydrogen-bonding network in crystalline sorbitol by solvent molecules gives new insight into the origins of the notable stability of sorbitol-water as compared to similar solids such as mannitol-water. In particular, the energy analysis reveals that the relative instability of the mannitol hydrate is based primarily in the lack of water-water interactions which provide considerable stabilization in the sorbitol-water crystal.

Effect of Sorbitol Plasticizer on the Structure and Properties of Melt Processed Polyvinyl Alcohol Films.

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Tian, Huafeng; Liu, Di; Yao, Yuanyuan; Ma, Songbai; Zhang, Xing; Xiang, Aimin

2017-12-01

Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) possesses wide applications as food packaging materials, but is difficult to melt process for its strong inter/intra hydrogen bonding. In this work, flexible PVA films with different content of sorbitol plasticizers were prepared by melt processing with the assistance of water. And the influence of sorbitol plasticizer content on the crystallinity, optical transparency, water-retaining capability, mechanical properties, thermal stability and oxygen and water permeability were investigated. The results indicated that sorbitol dramatically improved the melt processing ability of PVA. Sorbitol could interact with PVA to form strong hydrogen bonding interactions, which would decrease the original hydrogen bonding of the matrix, resulting in the decrease of crystallinity degrees. The glass transition, melting and crystallization peak temperatures decreased with the increase of sorbitol. All the films exhibited fine optical transparency. The water retaining capability were improved with the increase of sorbitol. Especially, an increase in elongation at break and decrease in Young's modulus and tensile strength were observed indicating good plasticizing effect of sorbitol on PVA films. In addition, the PVA films prepared in this work exhibited fine barrier properties against oxygen and water, suggesting wide application potential as packaging materials. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Electron impact ionization of the gas-phase sorbitol

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Chernyshova, Irina; Markush, Pavlo; Zavilopulo, Anatoly; Shpenik, Otto

2015-03-01

Ionization and dissociative ionization of the sorbitol molecule by electron impact have been studied using two different experimental methods. In the mass range of m/ z = 10-190, the mass spectra of sorbitol were recorded at the ionizing electron energies of 70 and 30 eV. The ion yield curves for the fragment ions have been analyzed and the appearance energies of these ions have been determined. The relative total ionization cross section of the sorbitol molecule was measured using monoenergetic electron beam. Possible fragmentation pathways for the sorbitol molecule were proposed.

Sorbitol dehydrogenase is a cytosolic protein required for sorbitol metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana.

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Aguayo, María Francisca; Ampuero, Diego; Mandujano, Patricio; Parada, Roberto; Muñoz, Rodrigo; Gallart, Marta; Altabella, Teresa; Cabrera, Ricardo; Stange, Claudia; Handford, Michael

2013-05-01

Sorbitol is converted to fructose in Rosaceae species by SORBITOL DEHYDROGENASE (SDH, EC 1.1.1.14), especially in sink organs. SDH has also been found in non-Rosaceae species and here we show that the protein encoded by At5g51970 in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. possesses the molecular characteristics of an SDH. Using a green fluorescent protein-tagged version and anti-SDH antisera, we determined that SDH is cytosolically localized, consistent with bioinformatic predictions. We also show that SDH is widely expressed, and that SDH protein accumulates in both source and sink organs. In the presence of NAD+, recombinant SDH exhibited greatest oxidative activity with sorbitol, ribitol and xylitol as substrates; other sugar alcohols were oxidized to a lesser extent. Under standard growth conditions, three independent sdh- mutants developed as wild-type. Nevertheless, all three exhibited reduced dry weight and primary root length compared to wild-type when grown in the presence of sorbitol. Additionally, under short-day conditions, the mutants were more resistant to dehydration stress, as shown by a reduced loss of leaf water content when watering was withheld, and a greater survival rate on re-watering. This evidence suggests that limitations in the metabolism of sugar alcohols alter the growth of Arabidopsis and its response to drought. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sorbitol dehydrogenase of Aspergillus niger, SdhA, is part of the oxido-reductive D-galactose pathway and essential for D-sorbitol catabolism.

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Koivistoinen, Outi M; Richard, Peter; Penttilä, Merja; Ruohonen, Laura; Mojzita, Dominik

2012-02-17

In filamentous fungi D-galactose can be catabolised through the oxido-reductive and/or the Leloir pathway. In the oxido-reductive pathway D-galactose is converted to d-fructose in a series of steps where the last step is the oxidation of d-sorbitol by an NAD-dependent dehydrogenase. We identified a sorbitol dehydrogenase gene, sdhA (JGI53356), in Aspergillus niger encoding a medium chain dehydrogenase which is involved in D-galactose and D-sorbitol catabolism. The gene is upregulated in the presence of D-galactose, galactitol and D-sorbitol. An sdhA deletion strain showed reduced growth on galactitol and growth on D-sorbitol was completely abolished. The purified enzyme converted D-sorbitol to D-fructose with K(m) of 50±5 mM and v(max) of 80±10 U/mg. Copyright © 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced Sorbitol Production under Submerged Fermentation using Lactobacillus plantarum

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Khan Nadiya Jan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background and Objective: Sorbitol is a non-toxic and slightly hygroscopic compound with different applications. Zymomonas mobiles produces sorbitol from sucrose or mixtures of glucose and fructose (formation is coupled with the dehydrogenation of glucose to glucono-δ- lactone. Recombinant Zymomonas mobilis may produce sorbitol and gluconic acid from glucose and fructose using different divalent metal ions with reduced the ethanol yield andsignificantly increased yield of sorbitol. Current study envisaged to alter the media components, physical process parameters and supplementation of amino acids for enhanced sorbitol production.Material and Methods: Several process variables were evaluated on sorbitol production including carbon sources (glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose, carbon concentrations (5, 10, 20 and 25 g l-1, nitrogen sources (peptone, tryptone, yeast extract, beef extract and organic nitrogen mix, temperatures (25, 29, 33, 37, 41°C, pH (6, 6.5, 7 , 7.5 ,8, agitation rate (50, 100, 150, 200 rpm and amino acids (cysteine, cystine, tryptophanin batch cultivation ofLactobacillus plantarum NCIM 2912. Shake flask cultivation performed under optimum conditions like temperature 37°C, pH 7.0 and agitation rate of 150 rpm, resulted in enhanced sorbitol production. Comparative study of sorbitol production in solid state fermentation and submerged fermentation was also evaluated.Results and Conclusion: Batch cultivation under submerged conditions further performed in 7.5-l lab scale bioreactor (working volume 3.0-l under optimized conditions resulted in maximum cell biomass of 8.95±0.03 g g-1 and a sorbitol content of 9.78±0.04 g l-1 after 42.0 h of fermentation. Scale up study on bioreactor resulted in maximum sorbitol yield (Yp/x and productivity of 1.11 g g-1 and 0.50 g l-1 h under submerged fermentation, respectively.Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Direct catalytic production of sorbitol from waste cellulosic materials.

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Ribeiro, Lucília Sousa; Órfão, José J de Melo; Pereira, Manuel Fernando Ribeiro

2017-05-01

Cotton wool, cotton textile, tissue paper and printing paper, all potential waste cellulosic materials, were directly converted to sorbitol using a Ru/CNT catalyst in the presence of H 2 and using only water as solvent, without any acids. Conversions up to 38% were attained for the raw substrates, with sorbitol yields below 10%. Ball-milling of the materials disrupted their crystallinity, allowing reaching 100% conversion of cotton wool, cotton textile and tissue paper after 4h, with sorbitol yields around 50%. Mix-milling these materials with the catalyst greatly enhanced their conversion rate, and the materials were efficiently converted to sorbitol with a yield around 50% in 2h. However, ball- and mix-milled printing paper presented a conversion of only 50% after 5h, with sorbitol yields of 7%. Amounts of sorbitol of 0.525, 0.511 and 0.559g could be obtained from 1g of cotton wool, cotton textile and tissue paper, respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sorbitol crystallization-induced aggregation in frozen mAb formulations.

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Piedmonte, Deirdre Murphy; Hair, Alison; Baker, Priti; Brych, Lejla; Nagapudi, Karthik; Lin, Hong; Cao, Wenjin; Hershenson, Susan; Ratnaswamy, Gayathri

2015-02-01

Sorbitol crystallization-induced aggregation of mAbs in the frozen state was evaluated. The effect of protein aggregation resulting from sorbitol crystallization was measured as a function of formulation variables such as protein concentration and pH. Long-term studies were performed on both IgG1 and IgG2 mAbs over the protein concentration range of 0.1-120 mg/mL. Protein aggregation was measured by size-exclusion HPLC (SE-HPLC) and further characterized by capillary-electrophoresis SDS. Sorbitol crystallization was monitored and characterized by subambient differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. Aggregation due to sorbitol crystallization is inversely proportional to both protein concentration and formulation pH. At high protein concentrations, sorbitol crystallization was suppressed, and minimal aggregation by SE-HPLC resulted, presumably because of self-stabilization of the mAbs. The glass transition temperature (Tg ') and fragility index measurements were made to assess the influence of molecular mobility on the crystallization of sorbitol. Tg ' increased with increasing protein concentration for both mAbs. The fragility index decreased with increasing protein concentration, suggesting that it is increasingly difficult for sorbitol to crystallize at high protein concentrations. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

An exploratory study; the therapeutic effects of premixed activated charcoal-sorbitol administration in patients poisoned with organophosphate pesticide.

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Moon, Jeongmi; Chun, Byeongjo; Song, Kyounghwan

2015-02-01

The effects of activated charcoal (AC) mixed with cathartics for gastric decontamination in the management of organophosphate (OP) poisoning remain unknown due to limited clinical evidence. This exploratory study assessed the effectiveness of premixed AC-sorbitol as a treatment for OP poisoning. This retrospective observational case study included patients who either did not receive AC-sorbitol or received a single dose of AC-sorbitol within 24 h after OP ingestion. The patients were divided into three groups: no AC-sorbitol treatment, patients who received AC-sorbitol within 1 h of OP ingestion, and patients who received AC-sorbitol more than 1 h after OP ingestion. Mortality, the development of respiratory failure, and the duration of mechanical ventilation were used as outcome measurements for effectiveness, whereas aspiration pneumonia and electrolyte imbalance were employed as safety measurements. Among 262 patients with OP poisoning, 198 were included. Of these, 133 patients did not receive AC-sorbitol, whereas 14 and 51 patients received AC-sorbitol within 1 h or more than 1 h after ingestion, respectively. The time from ingestion to hospital arrival and time from ingestion to administration of atropine and pralidoxime differed among the groups, whereas other characteristics, including age, amount ingested, and type of ingested OP, were similar among the groups. Univariate and multivariate analysis demonstrated that the administration of AC-sorbitol was not associated with outcome measures for effectiveness and did not significantly increase either aspiration pneumonia or electrolyte imbalances during hospitalization. The administration of AC-sorbitol exerted neither beneficial nor harmful effects on the outcomes of OP-poisoned patients regardless of the time from OP ingestion to administration, compared with those of patients who did not receive AC-sorbitol. However, this study enrolled a small number of patients who received AC-sorbitol; further qualified

Pra Desain Pabrik Sorbitol dari Tepung Tapioka dengan Hidrogenasi Katalitik

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Hellen Kartika Dewi

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Sorbitol yang dikenal juga sebagai glusitol, adalah suatu gula alkohol yang dimetabolisme lambat di dalam tubuh. Sorbitol banyak digunakan sebagai bahan baku untuk industri barang konsumsi dan makanan seperti pasta gigi, permen, kosmetika, farmasi, vitamin C, termasuk industri tekstil dan kulit. Pembuatan sorbitol dari bahan baku tepung tapioka. Pabrik sorbitol ini direncanakan akan didirikan di Propinsi Jawa Tengah tepatnya di Kabupaten Batang dengan kapasitas produksi 30.000 ton/tahun. Proses produksi Sorbitol menggunakan proses hidrogenasi katalitik. Pembuatan sorbitol dari bahan baku pati melalui dua tahap proses utama yaitu proses perubahan starch menjadi glukosa melalui hidrolisa double enzym. Enzim yang digunakan yaitu α-amylase dan glukoamylase. Proses hidrogenasi katalitik dilakukan dengan mereaksikan larutan dekstrose dan gas hidrogen bertekanan tinggi dengan menambahkan katalis nikel dalam reaktor (Reaktor Hidrogenasi. Gas hidrogen masuk dari bawah reaktor secara bubbling dan larutan dekstrose diumpankan dari atas reaktor sehingga kontak yang terjadi semakin baik. Sorbitol yang di hasilkan dalam pradesain pabrik sorbitol ini dengan konsentrasi 58,2%. Pendirian pabrik sorbitol memerlukan biaya investasi modal tetap (fixed capital sebesar Rp 168.801.192.952, modal kerja (working capital  Rp 29.788.445.815, investasi total Rp 198.589.638.767, Biaya produksi per tahun Rp 368.832.813.809 dan  hasil penjualan per tahun Rp 540.000.078.750. Dari analisa ekonomi didapatkan BEP sebesar 26,32%. ROI sesudah pajak 48,5 %, POT sesudah pajak 2,14 tahun. Dari segi teknis dan ekonomis, pabrik ini layak untuk didirikan.

Sorbitol-modified hyaluronic acid reduces oxidative stress, apoptosis and mediators of inflammation and catabolism in human osteoarthritic chondrocytes.

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Mongkhon, John-Max; Thach, Maryane; Shi, Qin; Fernandes, Julio C; Fahmi, Hassan; Benderdour, Mohamed

2014-08-01

Our study was designed to elucidate the precise molecular mechanisms by which sorbitol-modified hyaluronic acid (HA/sorbitol) exerts beneficial effects in osteoarthritis (OA). Human OA chondrocytes were treated with increasing doses of HA/sorbitol ± anti-CD44 antibody or with sorbitol alone and thereafter with or without interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Signal transduction pathways and parameters related to oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and catabolism were investigated. HA/sorbitol prevented IL-1β-induced oxidative stress, as measured by reactive oxygen species, p47-NADPH oxidase phosphorylation, 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) production and HNE-metabolizing glutathione-S-transferase A4-4 expression. Moreover, HA/sorbitol stifled IL-1β-induced metalloproteinase-13, nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 release as well as inducible NO synthase expression. Study of the apoptosis process revealed that this gel significantly attenuated cell death, caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation elicited by exposure to a cytotoxic H2O2 dose. Examination of signaling pathway components disclosed that HA/sorbitol prevented IL-1β-induced p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-kappa B activation, but not that of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2. Interestingly, the antioxidant as well as the anti-inflammatory and anti-catabolic effects of HA/sorbitol were attributed to sorbitol and HA, respectively. Altogether, our findings support a beneficial effect of HA/sorbitol in OA through the restoration of redox status and reduction of apoptosis, inflammation and catabolism involved in cartilage damage.

Peranan sorbitol dalam mempertahankan kestabilan pH saliva pada proses pencegahan karies (The role of sorbitol in maintaining saliva’s pH to prevent caries process

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Diana Soesilo

2006-03-01

Full Text Available People in Indonesia often consume food containing sucrose. If the sucrose consumed is in a large amount, it will decrease saliva’s pH and soon teeth destruction will happen. To avoid it, it is necessary to change sucrose consumption habit into another kind of sugar, namely sorbitol. Sorbitol is preferred to use, because it is cheaper and easier to get. Sorbitol is made from cassava, which is plentifully grown in Indonesia. Sorbitol is not good media for bacteria to grow. Because sorbitol has a diol, so it’s difficult to catalyst by glucosyltransferase enzyme, which is produced by bacteria Streptococcus mutans. The conclusion is that sorbitol is difficult to be fermented by Streptococcus mutans so it will not decrease saliva’s pH.

Advanced glycation end products and sorbitol in blood from differently compensated diabetic dogs.

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Comazzi, S; Bertazzolo, W; Bonfanti, U; Spagnolo, V; Sartorelli, P

2008-06-01

Canine diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common metabolic disorder with long term complications, most of which are caused by glycosylation of structural proteins, decreases in antioxidant concentrations, altered osmotic balance and hypoxia due to impaired oxygen transport. Previous studies have demonstrated that under hyperglycemic conditions canine erythrocytes undergo swelling, probably due to activation of the polyol pathway. The present work aimed to assess the plasma concentration of advanced glycation end (AGE) products, stable Amadori-products generated by non-enzymatic glycosylation of proteins and the intracellular concentration of sorbitol, produced by the activation of polyol pathway in 34 blood samples from diabetic dogs and in 14 controls. AGE products were significantly higher (pdogs compared with control animals. The sorbitol concentration in erythrocytes was also significantly higher in diabetic dogs and, in particular, in poorly compensated animals and in dogs with ketonuria. In five cases that were analysed before and after clinical improvement, sorbitol concentration was found to correlate with improvement. These results suggest that non-specific glycosylation is increased and that the polyol pathway is activated in diabetic dogs in a manner that is proportionate to the severity of disease. Moreover, the concentration of AGE products and sorbitol may be useful for monitoring the onset of diabetic complications and assessing the most appropriate therapeutic approaches for management of canine DM.

Sorbitol counteracts high hydrostatic pressure-induced denaturation of inulin fructotransferase.

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Li, Yungao; Miao, Ming; Liu, Miao; Jiang, Bo; Zhang, Tao; Chen, Xiangyin

2014-09-01

Inulin fructotransferase (IFTase), a novel hydrolase for inulin, was exposed to high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) at 400 and 600 MPa for 15 min in the presence or absence of sorbitol. Sorbitol protected the enzyme against HHP-induced activity loss. The relative residual activity increased nearly 3.1- and 3.8-fold in the presence of 3 mol/L sorbitol under 400 MPa and 600 MPa for 15 min, respectively. Circular dichroism results indicated that the original chaotic unfolding conformation of the enzyme under HHP shifted toward more ordered and impact with 3 mol/L sorbitol. Fluorescence and UV spectra results suggested that sorbitol prevented partially the unfolding of the enzyme and stabilized the conformation under high pressure. These results might be attributed to the binding of sorbitol on the surface of IFTase to rearrange and strengthen intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of dormancy progression and low-temperature response on changes in the sorbitol concentration in xylem sap of Japanese pear during winter season.

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Ito, Akiko; Sugiura, Toshihiko; Sakamoto, Daisuke; Moriguchi, Takaya

2013-04-01

In order to elucidate which physiological event(s) are involved in the seasonal changes of carbohydrate dynamics during winter, we examined the effects of different low temperatures on the carbohydrate concentrations of Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia (Burm.) Nakai). For four winter seasons, large increases in the sorbitol concentration of shoot xylem sap occurred during mid- to late December, possibly due to the endodormancy completion and low-temperature responses. When trees were kept at 15 °C from 3 November to 3 December in order to postpone the initiation and completion of chilling accumulation that would break endodormancy, sorbitol accumulation in xylem sap was always higher from trees with sufficient chilling accumulation than from trees that received insufficient chilling. However, an additional increase in xylem sap sorbitol occurred around late December in trees regardless of whether their chilling accumulation naturally progressed or was postponed. To examine different temperature effects more closely, we compared the carbohydrate concentrations of trees subjected to either 6 or 0 °C treatment. The sorbitol concentration in xylem sap tremendously increased at 0 °C treatment compared with 6 °C treatment. However, an additional increase in xylem sap sorbitol occurred at both the temperatures when sufficient chilling accumulated with a peak coinciding with the peak expression in shoots of the sorbitol transporter gene (PpSOT2). Interestingly, the total carbohydrate concentration of shoots tremendously increased with exposure to 0 °C compared with exposure to 6 °C, but was not affected by the amount of accumulated chilling. Instead, as chilling accumulated the ratio of sorbitol to total soluble sugars in shoots increased. We presumed that carbohydrates in the shoot tissues may be converted to sorbitol and loaded into the xylem sap so that the sorbitol accumulation patterns were synchronized with the progression of dormancy, whereas the total

Non-climacteric ripening and sorbitol homeostasis in plum fruits.

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Kim, Ho-Youn; Farcuh, Macarena; Cohen, Yuval; Crisosto, Carlos; Sadka, Avi; Blumwald, Eduardo

2015-02-01

During ripening fruits undergo several physiological and biochemical modifications that influence quality-related properties, such as texture, color, aroma and taste. We studied the differences in ethylene and sugar metabolism between two genetically related Japanese plum cultivars with contrasting ripening behaviors. 'Santa Rosa' (SR) behaved as a typical climacteric fruit, while the bud sport mutant 'Sweet Miriam' (SM) displayed a non-climacteric ripening pattern. SM fruit displayed a delayed ripening that lasted 120 days longer than that of the climacteric fruit. At the full-ripe stage, both cultivars reached similar final size and weight but the non-climacteric fruits were firmer than the climacteric fruits. Fully ripe non-climacteric plum fruits, showed an accumulation of sorbitol that was 2.5 times higher than that of climacteric fruits, and the increase in sorbitol were also paralleled to an increase in sucrose catabolism. These changes were highly correlated with decreased activity and expression of NAD(+)-dependent sorbitol dehydrogenase and sorbitol oxidase and increased sorbitol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, suggesting an enhanced sorbitol synthesis in non-climacteric fruits. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of urea, guanidinium chloride and sorbitol on porphyrin ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

This paper compares the inhibition effect of porphyrin aggregation in the presence of urea, guanidinium chloride (Gdn) and sorbitol by molecular dynamics simulation. It demonstrates that porphyrin aggregation increases in sorbitol, but decreases towards addition of urea and Gdn. It shows that urea, Gdn and sorbitol can ...

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

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

2013-04-01

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

Direct sorbitol proton exchange membrane fuel cell using moderate catalyst loadings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oyarce, Alejandro; Gonzalez, Carlos; Lima, Raquel Bohn; Lindström, Rakel Wreland; Lagergren, Carina; Lindbergh, Göran

2014-01-01

Highlights: •The performance of a direct sorbitol fuel cell was evaluated at different temperatures. •The performance was compared to the performance of a direct glucose fuel cell. •The mass specific peak power density of the direct sorbitol fuel cell was 3.6 mW mg −1 totalcatalystloading at 80 °C. •Both sorbitol and glucose fuel cell suffer from deactivation. -- Abstract: Recent progress in biomass hydrolysis has made it interesting to study the use of sorbitol for electricity generation. In this study, sorbitol and glucose are used as fuels in proton exchange membrane fuel cells having 0.9 mg cm −2 PtRu/C at the anode and 0.3 mg cm −2 Pt/C at the cathode. The sorbitol oxidation was found to have slower kinetics than glucose oxidation. However, at low temperatures the direct sorbitol fuel cell shows higher performance than the direct glucose fuel cell, attributed to a lower degree of catalyst poisoning. The performance of both fuel cells is considerably improved at higher temperatures. High temperatures lower the poisoning, allowing the direct glucose fuel cell to reach a higher performance than the direct sorbitol fuel cell. The mass specific peak power densities of the direct sorbitol and direct glucose fuel cells at 65 °C was 3.2 mW mg −1 catalyst and 3.5 mW mg −1 catalyst , respectively. Both of these values are one order of magnitude larger than mass specific peak power densities of earlier reported direct glucose fuel cells using proton exchange membranes. Furthermore, both the fuel cells showed a considerably decrease in performance with time, which is partially attributed to sorbitol and glucose crossover poisoning the Pt/C cathode

Effect of sorbitol on dough rheology and quality of sugar replaced cookies

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Mohammad Ali Shariati

2018-02-01

Full Text Available A high amount of sugar is used in bakery products, which may cause diabetes, high blood glucose levels and obesity. Due to these reasons, sugar is being replaced with substitutes. There is different carbohydrate-based sugar substitutes (polyols that can efficiently replace sugar. Among polyols, sorbitol is an efficient replacer that can mimic sugar with minimal effects on cookie quality. Effects of different sorbitol levels (0 to 12.5% were seen on the dough rheology. Mixographic studies showed that peak height and mixing time reduced with the addition of sorbitol. Farinographic studies showed that water absorption and the mixing tolerance index of dough reduced with the supplementation of sorbitol, whereas dough development time, arrival time, dough stability time and softening of dough increased. Extensographic studies revealed that sorbitol substitution produced hard, cohesive, adhesive and elastic dough. Sugar in cookies formulations was reduced from 100 to 50% by replacing with sorbitol 0 to 50%. Physical analysis of sorbitol containing cookies showed that the diameter and spread factor of cookies decreased with higher levels of sorbitol, whereas thickness, color, hardness and water activity of cookies increased. The calorific value of cookies decreased with the increasing levels of sorbitol. At upto 20% replacement of sugar, other parameters of cookies were not affected. Sensory evaluation of the cookies showed that hedonic points for sensory evaluation parameters reduced with the increasing levels of sorbitol, T2 (20% replacement showed maximum overall acceptability. Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE AR-SA

Effects of sorbitol on porcine oocyte maturation and embryo development in vitro.

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Lin, Tao; Zhang, Jin Yu; Diao, Yun Fei; Kang, Jung Won; Jin, Dong-Il

2015-04-01

In the present study, a porcine system was supplemented with sorbitol during in vitro maturation (IVM) or in vitro culture (IVC), and the effects of sorbitol on oocyte maturation and embryonic development following parthenogenetic activation were assessed. Porcine immature oocytes were treated with different concentrations of sorbitol during IVM, and the resultant metaphase II stage oocytes were activated and cultured in porcine zygote medium-3 (PZM-3) for 7 days. No significant difference was observed in cumulus expansion and the nuclear maturation between the control and sorbitol-treated groups, with the exception of the 100 mM group, which showed significantly decreased nuclear maturation and cumulus expansion. There was no significant difference in the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels between oocytes matured with 10 or 20 mM sorbitol and control groups, but 50 and 100 mM groups had significantly higher ROS levels than other groups. The 20 mM group showed significant increases in intracellular glutathione and subsequent blastocyst formation rates following parthenogenetic activation compared with the other groups. During IVC, supplementation with sorbitol significantly reduced blastocyst formation and increased the apoptotic index compared with the control. The apoptotic index of blastocysts from the sorbitol-treated group for entire culture period was significantly higher than those of the partially sorbitol-exposed groups. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the addition of a low concentration of sorbitol (20 mM) during IVM of porcine oocytes benefits subsequent blastocyst development and improves embryo quality, whereas sorbitol supplement during IVC has a negative effect on blastocyst formation.

Malabsorption of fructose-sorbitol mixtures. Interactions causing abdominal distress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rumessen, J J; Gudmand-Høyer, E

1987-01-01

Hydrogen breath tests were performed on 10 healthy adults after they had ingested a mixture of sorbitol and fructose, in which these substances were present in amounts corresponding to the individual absorption capacities. A significant malabsorption of this mixture was evident in 7 of 10 subjects....... The mixture caused mild to severe gastrointestinal distress in five subjects. When the carbohydrates were given separately, symptoms were absent. There was a significant correlation between the individual absorption capacities of fructose and of sorbitol. A mixture containing a similar amount of fructose......, but given as sucrose, and a similar amount of sorbitol was further given to four of the seven subjects showing malabsorption of the fructose-sorbitol mixture. Malabsorption now failed to appear, and symptoms were absent. These findings are of potential importance for the understanding of the physiologic...

Improved cryopreservability of stallion sperm using a sorbitol-based freezing extender.

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Pojprasath, T; Lohachit, C; Techakumphu, M; Stout, T; Tharasanit, T

2011-06-01

Cryopreservation of stallion semen is often associated with poor post-thaw sperm quality. Sugars are among the important components of a freezing extender and act as non-permeating cryoprotectants. This study aimed to compare the quality of stallion sperm frozen with glucose, fructose or sorbitol-containing freezing extenders. Semen was collected from six stallions of proven fertility and cryopreserved using a freezing extender containing different types of monosaccharide sugars (glucose, fructose or sorbitol). After thawing, the semen was examined for sperm motility, viability, acrosome integrity, plasma membrane functionality and sperm longevity. The fertility of semen frozen in the presence of sorbitol was also tested by artificial insemination. Sperm quality was significantly decreased following freezing and thawing (P sorbitol and glucose (P sorbitol-based extender when examined at 2 and 4 h post-thaw, all of these parameters plus plasma membrane functionality were improved for sperm frozen in the sorbitol extender than in the glucose extender when examined 10 min post-thaw. Two of four mares (50%) inseminated with semen frozen with a sorbitol-containing freezing extender became pregnant. It is concluded that different sugars have different abilities to protect against cryoinjury during freezing and thawing of stallion sperm. This study demonstrated that an extender containing sorbitol as primary sugar can be used to successfully cryopreserve equine sperm; moreover, the quality of frozen-thawed sperm appeared to be better than when glucose or fructose was the principle sugar in the freezing extender. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium bacteraemia as a complication of Kayexalate (sodium polystyrene sulfonate, SPS) in sorbitol-induced ischaemic colitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cerrud-Rodriguez, Roberto Christian; Alcaraz-Alvarez, Diego; Chiong, Brian Bobby; Ahmed, Abdurhman

2017-11-09

We present the case report of an 80-year-old woman with chronic kidney disease stage G5 admitted to the hospital with fluid overload and hyperkalaemia. Sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS, Kayexalate) in sorbitol suspension was given orally to treat her hyperkalaemia, which precipitated an episode of SPS in sorbitol-induced ischaemic colitis with the subsequent complication of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) bacteraemia. SPS (Kayexalate) in sorbitol suspension has been implicated in the development of intestinal necrosis. Sorbitol, which is added as a cathartic agent to decrease the chance of faecal impaction, may be primarily responsible through several proposed mechanisms. The gold standard of diagnosis is the presence of SPS crystals in the colon biopsy. On a MEDLINE search, no previous reports of a VRE bacteraemia as a complication of biopsy-confirmed SPS in sorbitol ischaemic colitis were found. To the best of our knowledge, ours would be the first such case ever reported. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Increased sorbitol levels in the hypertrophic ligamentum flavum of diabetic patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Jiaquan; Huang, Lu; Chen, Zhuo; Zeng, Zhaoxun; Miyamoto, Takeshi; Wu, Hao; Zhang, Zhongzu; Pan, Zhimin; Fujita, Nobuyuki; Hikata, Tomohiro; Iwanami, Akio; Tsuji, Takashi; Ishii, Ken; Nakamura, Masaya; Matsumoto, Morio; Watanabe, Kota; Cao, Kai

2017-05-01

The pathomechanism of the ligamentum flavum (LF) hypertrophy in diabetic patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS) remains unclear. A cross-sectional study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism of LF hypertrophy in these patients. Twenty-four diabetic and 20 normoglycemic patients with LSCS were enrolled in the study. The structure of the LF in the study subjects was evaluated using histological and immunohistochemical methods, and the levels of sorbitol, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and the fibrogenic factor, TGF-β1, in the LF were analyzed. In vitro experiments were performed using NIH3T3 fibroblasts to evaluate the effect of high-glucose conditions and an aldose reductase inhibitor on the cellular production of sorbitol, pro-inflammatory factors, and TGF-β1. We found that the LF of diabetic patients exhibited significantly higher levels of sorbitol and pro-inflammatory cytokines, TGF-β1 and of CD68-positive staining than that of the normoglycemic subjects. The diabetic LF was significantly thicker than that of the controls, and showed evidence of degeneration. The high glucose-cultured fibroblasts exhibited significantly higher levels of sorbitol, pro-inflammatory factors, and TGF-β1 compared to the low glucose-cultured cells, and these levels were dose-dependently reduced by treatment with the aldose reductase inhibitor. Taken together, our data suggests that increased sorbitol levels in the LF of diabetic patients results in increased production of pro-inflammatory and fibrogenic factor, which contribute to LF hypertrophy, and could increase the susceptibility of diabetic patients to LSCS. Furthermore, aldose reductase inhibition effectively reduced the levels of sorbitol and sorbitol-induced pro-inflammatory factor expression in high glucose-cultured fibroblasts. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:1058-1066, 2017. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

75 FR 51015 - Sorbitol From France: Notice of Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-18

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-427-001] Sorbitol From France: Notice... order on sorbitol from France. The review covers one producer/exporter of sorbitol, Syral S.A.S. (Syral... Products International (CP), domestic producers of sorbitol, we are now rescinding this administrative...

75 FR 42380 - Revocation of Antidumping Duty Order on Sorbitol From France

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-21

... Duty Order on Sorbitol From France AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration... sunset review of the antidumping duty order on sorbitol from France. See Initiation of Five-year... the existing antidumping duty order on sorbitol from France would not be likely to lead to...

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2014-01-13

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

D-sorbitol-induced phase control of TiO2 nanoparticles and its application for dye-sensitized solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Shaikh, Shoyebmohamad F.; Mane, Rajaram S.; Min, Byoung Koun; Hwang, Yun Jeong; Joo, Oh-Shim

2016-02-01

Using a simple hydrothermal synthesis, the crystal structure of TiO2 nanoparticles was controlled from rutile to anatase using a sugar alcohol, D-sorbitol. Adding small amounts of D-sorbitol to an aqueous TiCl4 solution resulted in changes in the crystal phase, particle size, and surface area by affecting the hydrolysis rate of TiCl4. These changes led to improvements of the solar-to-electrical power conversion efficiency (η) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) fabricated using these nanoparticles. A postulated reaction mechanism concerning the role of D-sorbitol in the formation of rutile and anatase was proposed. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, 13C NMR spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering analyses were used to better understand the interaction between the Ti precursor and D-sorbitol. The crystal phase and size of the synthesized TiO2 nanocrystallites as well as photovoltaic performance of the DSSC were examined using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and photocurrent density-applied voltage spectroscopy measurement techniques. The DSSC fabricated using the anatase TiO2 nanoparticles synthesized in the presence of D-sorbitol, exhibited an enhanced η (6%, 1.5-fold improvement) compared with the device fabricated using the rutile TiO2 synthesized without D-sorbitol.

Differential response of nucleus pulposus intervertebral disc cells to high salt, sorbitol, and urea.

Science.gov (United States)

Mavrogonatou, Eleni; Kletsas, Dimitris

2012-03-01

Nucleus pulposus intervertebral disc cells are routinely confronted with high osmolality in their microenvironment and respond to this stress in vitro by regulating cell cycle progression and by activating a DNA repair machinery in order to counteract its genotoxic effect. In the present study, we attempted to identify the origin of this osmo-regulatory response, by using an ionic NaCl/KCl solution, the compatible osmolyte sorbitol, and the readily permeant urea. High salt and sorbitol were found to activate similar molecular pathways, including the p38 MAPK and the p53-p21(WAF1)-pRb axis, that were not stimulated by high urea. On the other hand, only high urea led to the phosphorylation of ERKs and JNKs. Furthermore, salt- and sorbitol-treated cells were able to phosphorylate histone H2A.X on Ser139, in contrast to cells exposed to urea, indicating a common mechanism for DNA repair, which was achieved by a p53-dependent activation of the G1 checkpoint by both solutes. DNA repair, as directly measured by a host cell reactivation assay, occurred under conditions of hyperosmolar salt and sorbitol, although to a lesser extent in sorbitol-treated cells than in cells exposed to high salinity. Taken as a whole, our findings suggest that the hyperosmolality-provoked DNA damage and the responses of nucleus pulposus cells induced by this genotoxic stress most probably originate from cell volume alterations mediated by hypertonicity and not from increased intracellular ionic concentration. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Synthesis of sorbitol by Zymomonas mobilis under high osmotic pressure Síntese de sorbitol por Zymomonas mobilis sob elevada pressão osmótica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Márcio de Barros

2006-09-01

Full Text Available The bacterium Zymomonas mobilis presents potential for sorbitol production when grown in culture medium with high sugar concentration. Sorbitol is produced and accumulated in the periplasma of the bacterium to protect the cells from the harmful effects of high osmotic pressure that results from the action of invertase on sucrose. The conversion of sucrose into glucose and fructose increases the osmolarity of the medium. However, an excessive increase in the osmotic pressure may decrease the sorbitol production. In this work Saccharomyces cerevisiae invertase was added two media containing sucrose 200 and 300 g.L-1. Sorbitol production in sucrose at 200 g.L-1 was 42.35 and 38.42 g.L-1, with and without the invertase treatment, respectively. In the culture medium with 300 g.L-1 sucrose, production reached 60.4 g.L-1 and with invertase treatment was 19.14 g.L-1. These results indicated that the excessive rise in osmotic pressure led to a significant decrease in sorbitol production by the Zymomonas mobilis bacterium in the sucrose medium treated with invertase.A bactéria Zymomonas mobilis, apresenta potencial para produção de sorbitol quando crescida em meio com alta concentração de açúcar. O sorbitol produzido é acumulado no periplasma da bactéria para conter os efeitos prejudiciais da elevada pressão osmótica, que resulta pela ação da enzima invertase, que promove hidrólise da sacarose. A conversão da sacarose em glicose e frutose aumentando a osmolaridade do meio. Entretanto, um aumento excessivo na pressão osmótica pode inibir a produção de sorbitol pela bactéria. Este trabalho empregou invertase de Saccharomyces cerevisiae nos meios de fermentação com sacarose a 200 e 300 g.L-1. A produção de sorbitol no meio com sacarose a 200 g.L-1 foi de 42,35 g.L-1 e 38,42 g.L-1 com e sem tratamento com invertase respectivamente. No meio com 300 g.L-1 sem tratamento, a produção foi de 60,42 e com tratamento 19,14 g.L-1. Estes

Exposure to sorbitol during lactation causes metabolic alterations and genotoxic effects in rat offspring.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, Felipe S; Araujo-Lima, Carlos F; Aiub, Claudia A F; Felzenszwalb, Israel

2016-10-17

Sorbitol is a polyol used by the food industry as a sweetener. Women are consuming diet and light products containing sorbitol during pregnancy and in the postnatal period to prevent themselves from excessive weight gain and maintain a slim body. Although there is no evidence for the genotoxicity of sorbitol in the perinatal period, this study focused on evaluating the effects of the maternal intake of sorbitol on the biochemical and toxicological parameters of lactating Wistar rat offspring after 14days of mother-to-offspring exposure. A dose-dependent reduction of offspring length was observed. An increase in sorbitol levels determined in the milk was also observed. However, we detected an inverse relationship between the exposition dose in milk fructose and triacylglycerols concentrations. There was an increase in the plasmatic levels of ALT, AST and LDLc and a decrease in proteins, cholesterol and glucose levels in the offspring. Sorbitol exposure caused hepatocyte genotoxicity, including micronuclei induction. Maternal sorbitol intake induced myelotoxicity and myelosuppression in their offspring. The Comet assay of the blood cells detected a dose-dependent genotoxic response within the sorbitol-exposed offspring. According to our results, sorbitol is able to induce important metabolic alterations and genotoxic responses in the exposed offspring. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differentiation between Trichophyton mentagrophytes and T. rubrum by sorbitol assimilation.

OpenAIRE

Rezusta, A; Rubio, M C; Alejandre, M C

1991-01-01

Trichophyton rubrum was easily differentiated from T. mentagrophytes by its ability to assimilate sorbitol with an API 20C AUX strip. One hundred percent of 36 T. rubrum strains and none of 147 T. mentagrophytes strains assimilated sorbitol.

Influence of sorbitol on mechanical and physico-chemical properties of soy protein-based bioplastics processed by injection molding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Felix

Full Text Available Abstract Soy Protein Isolate (SPI has been evaluated as useful candidate for the development of protein-based bioplastic materials processed by injection molding. The influence of sorbitol (SB as plasticizer in mechanical properties and water uptake capacity was evaluated in SPI-based bioplastics. A mixing rheometer that allows monitoring torque and temperature during mixing and a small-scale-plunger-type injection molding machine were used to obtain SPI/Plasticizer blends and SPI-based bioplastics, respectively. Dynamic measurements were carried out to obtain mechanical spectra of different bioplastics. Moreover, the mechanical characterization was supplemented with uniaxial tensile tests. Additionally, the influence of SB in water uptake capacity was also evaluated. The introduction of SB leads to increase the rigidity of bioplastics as well as the water uptake capacity after 24h, however it involves a decrease in strain at break. Final bioplastics are plastic materials with both adequate properties for the substitution of conventional petroleum plastics and high biodegradability.

Increased risk of cataract development in WNIN-obese rats due to accumulation of intralenticular sorbitol.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Paduru Yadagiri; Giridharan, Nappan Veettil; Balakrishna, Nagalla; Validandi, Vakdevi; Pullakhandam, Raghu; Reddy, Geereddy Bhanuprakash

2013-05-01

Epidemiological studies have reported an association between obesity and increased incidence of ocular complications including cataract, yet the underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms remained unclear. Previously we had demonstrated accumulation of sorbitol in the lens of obese rats (WNIN/Ob) and more so in a related strain with impaired glucose tolerance (WNIN/GR-Ob). However, only a few (15-20%) WNIN/Ob and WNIN/GR-Ob rats develop cataracts spontaneously with age. To gain further insights, we investigated the susceptibility of eye lens proteins of these obese rat strains to heat- and UV-induced aggregation in vitro, lens opacification upon glucose-mediated sorbitol accumulation ex vivo, and onset and progression of cataract was followed by galactose feeding and streptozotocin (STZ) injection. The results indicated increased susceptibility toward heat- or UV-induced aggregation of lens proteins in obese animals compared to their littermate lean controls. Further, in organ culture studies glucose-induced sorbitol accumulation was found to be higher and thus the lens opacification was faster in obese animals compared to their lean littermates. Also, the onset and progression of galactose- or STZ-induced cataractogenesis was faster in obese animals compared to lean control. These results together with our previous observations suggest that obesity status could lead to hyperaccumulation of sorbitol in eye lens, predisposing them to cataract, primarily by increasing their susceptibility to environmental and/or physiological factors. Further, intralenticular sorbitol accumulation beyond a threshold level could lead to cataract in WNIN/Ob and WNIN/GR-Ob rats. Copyright © 2013 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Humectancies of d-tagatose and d-sorbitol.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Y

2001-06-01

Most toothpastes contain either d-sorbitol or glycerin, or both, as humectants. Both compounds are about half as sweet as sucrose. This level of sweetness is not as intense as desired by most people when brushing teeth. Therefore, many brands of toothpaste add saccharin, a high-intensity sweetener, to increase product sweetness to acceptable levels. While this combination provides the required bulk, humectancy and sweetness, the last characteristic suffers from the widely perceived metallic, or bitter, aftertaste of saccharin. d-tagatose, a full-bulk, low-calorie, sucrose-like sweetener with about twice the sweetness of d-sorbitol, and which does not promote tooth decay, holds promise as a sole sweetener for toothpastes. The only untested aspect of this use of d-tagatose was its humectancy, the characteristic that retains the required level of moisture in toothpaste. The current study was made to investigate this important property, to make a direct comparison of the humectancies of d-tagatose and d-sorbitol as pure substances, and to determine whether the humectancy of d-tagatose is sufficient to counter the crystallizing potentiation of the abrasives used in toothpastes. The humectancies of d-tagatose and d-sorbitol were tested through measuring their water activity (a(w)) vs. water content. By comparing their desorption curves, d-tagatose was seen to have a humectancy equal to that of d-sorbitol when a(w) in the d-tagatose solution was above 0.62. d-Tagatose was then tested in toothpastes containing typical abrasives to determine whether the abrasives would induce crystallization of the sweetener. The addition of 20-25% wt/wt of d-tagatose to the Tom of Maine's toothpastes imparted a satisfactory sweetness. It was found that, within that range of concentration, d-tagatose retained its humectancy, and did not crystallize in the popular brands of commercial toothpastes tested. Thus, d-tagatose could be used as a humectant sweetener in toothpastes, although further

Highly efficient red fluorescent organic light-emitting diodes by sorbitol-doped PEDOT:PSS

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Zheng, Yan-Qiong; Yu, Jun-Le; Wang, Chao; Yang, Fang; Wei, Bin; Zhang, Jian-Hua; Zeng, Cheng-Hui; Yang, Yang

2018-06-01

This work shows a promising approach to improve device performance by optimizing the electron transport and hole injection layers for tetraphenyldibenzoperiflanthene (DBP):rubrene-based red fluorescent organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). We compared the effect of two electron transport layers (ETLs), and found that the rubrene/bathophenanthroline (Bphen) ETL-based OLED showed a much higher external quantum efficiency (EQE) (4.67%) than the Alq3 ETL-based OLED (EQE of 3.08%). The doping ratio of DBP in rubrene was tuned from 1.0 wt% to 4.5 wt%, and the 1.5 wt%-DBP:rubrene-based OLED demonstrated the highest EQE of 5.24% and lowest turn-on voltage of 2.2 V. Atomic force microscopy images indicated that 1.5 wt% DBP-doped rubrene film exhibited a regular strip shape, and this regular surface was favorable to the hole and electron recombination in the emitting layer. Finally, the sorbitol-doped poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was used to further improve the EQE; doping with 6 wt% sorbitol achieved the highest current efficiency of 7.03 cd A‑1 and an EQE of 7.50%. The significantly enhanced performance implies that the hole injection is a limiting factor for DBP:rubrene-based red fluorescent OLEDs.

40 CFR 180.1262 - Sorbitol octanoate; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sorbitol octanoate; exemption from the... Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1262 Sorbitol octanoate; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. An exemption from the requirement of a tolerance is established for residues of sorbitol octanoate in or on all...

Activation of sorbitol pathway in metabolic syndrome and increased susceptibility to cataract in Wistar-Obese rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Paduru Yadagiri; Giridharan, Nappan Veettil; Reddy, Geereddy Bhanuprakash

2012-01-01

Obesity is a major public health problem worldwide, and of late, epidemiological studies indicate a preponderance of cataracts under obesity conditions. Although cataract is a multifactorial disorder and various biochemical mechanisms have been proposed, the influence of obesity on cataractogenesis has yet to be investigated. In such a scenario, a suitable animal model that develops cataract following the onset of obesity will be a welcome tool for biomedical research. Therefore, we investigated the molecular and biochemical basis for predisposition to cataract in the obese mutant rat models established in our institute because 15%-20% of these rats develop cataracts spontaneously as they reach 12-15 months of age. We analyzed the major biochemical pathways in the normal lenses of different age groups of our obese mutant rat strains, Wistar/Obese (WNIN/Ob) and WNIN/GR-Ob, the former with euglycemia and the latter with an additional impaired glucose tolerance trait. In addition, sorbitol levels were estimated in the cataractous lenses of the obese rats. Except for the polyol pathway, all the principal pathways of the lens remained unaltered. Therefore, sorbitol levels were found to be high in the normal eye lenses of obese rats (WNIN/Ob and WNIN/GR-Ob) compared to their lean controls from three months of age onwards. Between WNIN/Ob and WNIN/GR-Ob, the levels of sorbitol were higher in the latter, suggesting a synergistic effect of impaired glucose tolerance along with obesity in the activation of the sorbitol pathway. Either way, an elevated sorbitol pathway seemed to be the predisposing factor responsible for cataract formation in these mutant rats. Activation of the sorbitol pathway indeed enhances the risk of cataract development in conditions such as metabolic syndrome. These rat models thus may be valuable tools for investigating obesity-associated cataract and for developing intervention strategies, based on these findings.

Production of sorbitol and ethanol from Jerusalem artichokes by Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 36859

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duvnjak, Z.; Duan, Z.D. (Ottawa Univ., ON (Canada). Dept. of Chemical Engineering); Turcotte, G. (Acadia Univ., Wolfville, NS (Canada). Dept. of Food Science)

1991-09-01

This study shows the possible use of Jerusalem artichokes for the production of sorbitol and ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 36859. Ethanol was produced from the beginning of the process, while sorbitol production started after glucose had been entirely consumed from Jerusalem artichoke (J.a.) juice. The importance of yeast extract and inoculum concentrations on the production of sorbitol from the above raw material was demonstrated. With a low initial biomass concentration sorbitol was not produced in pure J.a. juice. When the juice was supplemented with 3% yeast extract, the concentration of sorbitol was 4.6%. The sorbitol, ethanol and biomass yields (gram of product produced per gram of sugars consumed) were 0.259, 0.160 and 0.071 at the end of the process respectively. Adding glucose to increase its concentration to about 9% in the J.a. juice with 3% yeast extract had a positive effect on the production of ethanol, while commencement of the production of sorbitol was delayed and its final concentration was less than 50% of its concentration in the medium without added glucose. The effect of glucose was much stronger when it was added during the process than when added at the beginning of the process. (orig.).

Trehalose and sorbitol alter the kinetic pattern of inactivation of glutamate dehydrogenase during drying in levitated microdroplets.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenzen, Elke; Lee, Geoffrey

2013-12-01

A single-droplet acoustic levitator was used to determine the drying rate and the kinetics of inactivation of glutamate dehydrogenase in the presence of added trehalose or sorbitol. The solution was also spray dried under the same process condition of drying gas temperature on a bench-top machine. Both trehalose and sorbitol delay the point of onset of enzyme inactivation which lies after the critical point of drying. Both carbohydrates also reduce the apparent rate constant of inactivation calculated during the subsequent inactivation phase. The carbohydrates stabilise, therefore, the enzyme during droplet drying and particle formation mainly during the falling rate drying period. There is no difference between the stabilising effects of the two carbohydrates when examined as levitated single droplets. This suggests the importance of water replacement as a stabilising mechanism in the levitated droplets/particles. On spray drying, the trehalose stabilises the enzyme better than does the sorbitol at a drying gas (outlet) temperature of 60°C. This suggests glass formation with the trehalose but not the sorbitol during the very rapid drying process of small-atomised droplets in the spray dryer. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Colon Necrosis Due to Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate with and without Sorbitol: An Experimental Study in Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayoub, Isabelle; Oh, Man S; Gupta, Raavi; McFarlane, Michael; Babinska, Anna; Salifu, Moro O

2015-01-01

Based on a single rat study by Lillemoe et al, the consensus has been formed to implicate sorbitol rather than sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS) as the culprit for colon necrosis in humans treated with SPS and sorbitol. We tested the hypothesis that colon necrosis by sorbitol in the experiment was due to the high osmolality and volume of sorbitol rather than its chemical nature. 26 rats underwent 5/6 nephrectomy. They were divided into 6 groups and given enema solutions under anesthesia (normal saline, 33% sorbitol, 33% mannitol, SPS in 33% sorbitol, SPS in normal saline, and SPS in distilled water). They were sacrificed after 48 hours of enema administration or earlier if they were very sick. The gross appearance of the colon was visually inspected, and then sliced colon tissues were examined under light microscopy. 1 rat from the sorbitol and 1 from the mannitol group had foci of ischemic colonic changes. The rats receiving SPS enema, in sorbitol, normal saline, distilled water, had crystal deposition with colonic necrosis and mucosal erosion. All the rats not given SPS survived until sacrificed at 48 h whereas 11 of 13 rats that received SPS in sorbitol, normal saline or distilled water died or were clearly dying and sacrificed sooner. There was no difference between sorbitol and mannitol when given without SPS. In a surgical uremic rat model, SPS enema given alone or with sorbitol or mannitol seemed to cause colon necrosis and high mortality rate, whereas 33% sorbitol without SPS did not.

Theoretical investigation of interaction of sorbitol molecules with alcohol dehydrogenase in aqueous solution using molecular dynamics simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahrami, Homayoon; Zahedi, Mansour; Moosavi-Movahedi, Ali Akbar; Azizian, Homa; Amanlou, Massoud

2011-03-01

The nature of protein-sorbitol-water interaction in solution at the molecular level, has been investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. In order to do this task, two molecular dynamics simulations of the protein ADH in solution at room temperature have been carried out, one in the presence (about 0.9 M) and another in the absence of sorbitol. The results show that the sorbitol molecules cluster and move toward the protein, and form hydrogen bonds with protein. Also, coating by sorbitol reduces the conformational fluctuations of the protein compared to the sorbitol-free system. Thus, it is concluded that at moderate concentration of sorbitol solution, sorbitol molecules interact with ADH via many H-bonds that prevent the protein folding. In fact, at more concentrated sorbitol solution, water and sorbitol molecules accumulate around the protein surface and form a continuous space-filling network to reduce the protein flexibility. Namely, in such solution, sorbitol molecules can stabilize a misfolded state of ADH, and prevent the protein from folding to its native structure.

Skeletal Muscle Sorbitol Levels in Diabetic Rats with and without Insulin Therapy and Endurance Exercise Training

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez, O. A.; Walseth, T. F.; Snow, L. M.; Serfass, R. C.; Thompson, L. V.

2009-01-01

Sorbitol accumulation is postulated to play a role in skeletal muscle dysfunction associated with diabetes. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of insulin and of endurance exercise on skeletal muscle sorbitol levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Rats were assigned to one experimental group (control sedentary, control exercise, diabetic sedentary, diabetic exercise, diabetic sedentary no-insulin). Diabetic rats received daily subcutaneous insulin. The exercise-trained rats ran on a treadmill (1 hour, 5X/wk, for 12 weeks). Skeletal muscle sorbitol levels were the highest in the diabetic sedentary no-insulin group. Diabetic sedentary rats receiving insulin had similar sorbitol levels to control sedentary rats. Endurance exercise did not significantly affect sorbitol levels. These results indicate that insulin treatment lowers sorbitol in skeletal muscle; therefore sorbitol accumulation is probably not related to muscle dysfunction in insulin-treated diabetic individuals. Endurance exercise did not influence intramuscular sorbitol values as strongly as insulin. PMID:20016800

Sorbitol-based osmotic diarrhea: possible causes and mechanism of prevention investigated in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Md Shahidul; Sakaguchi, Ei

2006-12-21

To study the possible causes of sorbitol (S)-based diarrhea and its mechanism of reduction by rice gruel (RG) in cecectomized rats. S was dissolved either in distilled water or in RG (50 g/L) and ingested as a single oral dose (1.2 g/kg body mass, containing 0.5 g/L phenol red as a recovery marker) by S (control) and S + RG groups (n = 7), respectively. This dose is over the laxative dose for humans. Animals were sacrificed exactly 1 h after dose ingestion, without any access to drinking water. The whole gastro-intestinal tract was divided into seven segments and sampled to analyze the S and marker remaining in its contents. Gastric-emptying and intestinal transit were comparatively slower in the S + RG group. Also, the S absorption index in the 3(rd) and last quarter of the small intestine (24.85 +/- 18.88% vs 0.0 +/- 0.0% and 39.09 +/- 32.75% vs 0.0 +/- 0.0%, respectively, P osmotic diarrhea. Where RG enhanced the absorption of S through passive diffusion, the degree of diarrhea was reduced in cecectomized rats.

Pronounced microheterogeneity in a sorbitol-water mixture observed through variable temperature neutron scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Shin G; Soper, Alan K; Khodadadi, Sheila; Curtis, Joseph E; Krueger, Susan; Cicerone, Marcus T; Fitch, Andrew N; Shalaev, Evgenyi Y

2012-04-19

In this study, the structure of concentrated d-sorbitol-water mixtures is studied by wide- and small-angle neutron scattering (WANS and SANS) as a function of temperature. The mixtures are prepared using both deuterated and regular sorbitol and water at a molar fraction of sorbitol of 0.19 (equivalent to 70% by weight of regular sorbitol in water). Retention of an amorphous structure (i.e., absence of crystallinity) is confirmed for this system over the entire temperature range, 100-298 K. The glass transition temperature, Tg, is found from differential scanning calorimetry to be approximately 200 K. WANS data are analyzed using empirical potential structure refinement, to obtain the site-site radial distribution functions (RDFs) and coordination numbers. This analysis reveals the presence of nanoscaled water clusters surrounded by (and interacting with) sorbitol molecules. The water clusters appear more structured compared to bulk water and, especially at the lowest temperatures, resemble the structure of low-density amorphous ice (LDA). Upon cooling to 100 K the peaks in the water RDFs become markedly sharper, with increased coordination number, indicating enhanced local (nanometer-scale) ordering, with changes taking place both above and well below the Tg. On the mesoscopic (submicrometer) scale, although there are no changes between 298 and 213 K, cooling the sample to 100 K results in a significant increase in the SANS signal, which is indicative of pronounced inhomogeneities. This increase in the scattering is partly reversed during heating, although some hysteresis is observed. Furthermore, a power law analysis of the SANS data indicates the existence of domains with well-defined interfaces on the submicrometer length scale, probably as a result of the appearance and growth of microscopic voids in the glassy matrix. Because of the unusual combination of small and wide scattering data used here, the present results provide new physical insight into the

Preparation and Characterization of HPMC/PVP Blend Films Plasticized with Sorbitol

OpenAIRE

Somashekarappa, H.; Prakash, Y.; Hemalatha, K.; Demappa, T.; Somashekar, R.

2013-01-01

The aim of this present work is to investigate the effect of plasticizers like Sorbitol on microstructural and mechanical properties of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) blend films. The pure blend and plasticized blend films were prepared by solution casting method and investigated using wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) method. WAXS analysis confirms that the plasticizers can enter into macromolecular blend structure and destroy the crystallinity of the f...

Polyol specificity of recombinant Arabidopsis thaliana sorbitol dehydrogenase studied by enzyme kinetics and in silico modeling

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María Francisca eAguayo

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Polyols are enzymatically-produced plant compounds which can act as compatible solutes during periods of abiotic stress. NAD+-dependent SORBITOL DEHYDROGENASE (SDH, E.C. 1.1.1.14 from Arabidopsis thaliana L. (AtSDH is capable of oxidizing several polyols including sorbitol, ribitol and xylitol. In the present study, enzymatic assays using recombinant AtSDH demonstrated a higher specificity constant for xylitol compared to sorbitol and ribitol, all of which are C2 (S and C4 (R polyols. Enzyme activity was reduced by preincubation with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA, indicating a requirement for zinc ions. In humans, it has been proposed that sorbitol becomes part of a pentahedric coordination sphere of the catalytic zinc during the reaction mechanism. In order to determine the validity of this pentahedric coordination model in a plant SDH, homology modeling and Molecular Dynamics simulations of AtSDH ternary complexes with the three polyols were performed using crystal structures of human and Bemisia argentifolii (Genn. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae SDHs as scaffolds. The results indicate that the differences in interaction with structural water molecules correlate very well with the observed enzymatic parameters, validate the proposed pentahedric coordination of the catalytic zinc ion in a plant SDH, and provide an explanation for why AtSDH shows a preference for polyols with a chirality of C2 (S and C4 (R.

Caloric utilization of sorbitol and isomalt in the rat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Figdor, S.K.; Allingham, R.P.; Kita, D.A.; Hobbs, D.C.

1987-01-01

Sorbitol and isomalt are modified saccharides used to substitute for the physical properties of sucrose in various prepared foods. The merits of the various methods for determining caloric availability were reviewed. Balance and growth curve methods are inaccurate and inappropriate for determination of the caloric availability of these substances when present in diets at low concentrations, whereas the radiolabel disposition method is a direct and precise measure of utilization. Accordingly, the authors administered uniformly 14 C-labeled material to rats and collected excreta and expired air. The appearance of about half of the label in CO 2 indicated that, by comparison with labeled glucose, about 80% of the orally administered sorbitol and isomalt was calorically available to the rat. The high caloric availabilities of these materials were confirmed by the appearance in feces of only 14 and 12% of the administered label from sorbitol and isomalt, respectively

Molecular evidence of sorbitol dehydrogenase in tomato, a non-Rosaceae plant.

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Ohta, Kazuhiro; Moriguchi, Ryo; Kanahama, Koki; Yamaki, Shohei; Kanayama, Yoshinori

2005-12-01

The enzyme NAD-dependent sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) is well characterized in the Rosaceae family of fruit trees, which synthesizes sorbitol as a translocatable photosynthate. Expressed sequence tags of SDH-like sequences have also been generated from various non-Rosaceae species that do not synthesize sorbitol as a primary photosynthetic product, but the physiological roles of the encoded proteins in non-Rosaceae plants are unknown. Therefore, we isolated an SDH-like cDNA (SDL) from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Genomic Southern blot analysis suggested that SDL exists in the tomato genome as a single-copy gene. Northern blot analysis showed that SDL is ubiquitously expressed in tomato plants. Recombinant SDL protein was produced and purified for enzymatic characterization. SDL catalyzed the interconversion of sorbitol and fructose with NAD (H). SDL showed highest activity for sorbitol among the several substrates tested. SDL showed no activity with NADP+. Thus, SDL was identified as a SDH, although the Km values and substrate specificity of SDL were significantly different from those of SDH purified from the Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia), a Rosaceae fruit tree. In addition, tomato was transformed with antisense SDL to evaluate the contribution of SDL to SDH activity in tomato. The transformation decreased SDH activity to approximately 50% on average. Taken together, these results provide molecular evidence of SDH in tomato, and SDL was renamed LeSDH.

Modulation of δ-Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase Activity by the Sorbitol-Induced Osmotic Stress in Maize Leaf Segments.

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, M; Tiwary, S; Gadre, R

2018-01-01

Osmotic stress induced with 1 M sorbitol inhibited δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) and aminolevulinic acid (ALA) synthesizing activities in etiolated maize leaf segments during greening; the ALAD activity was inhibited to a greater extent than the ALA synthesis. When the leaves were exposed to light, the ALAD activity increased for the first 8 h, followed by a decrease observed at 16 and 24 h in both sorbitol-treated and untreated leaf tissues. The maximum inhibition of the enzyme activity was observed in the leaf segments incubated with sorbitol for 4 to 8 h. Glutamate increased the ALAD activity in the in vitro enzymatic preparations obtained from the sorbitol-treated leaf segments; sorbitol inhibited the ALAD activity in the preparations from both sorbitol-treated and untreated leaves. It was suggested that sorbitol-induced osmotic stress inhibits the enzyme activity by affecting the ALAD induction during greening and regulating the ALAD steady-state level of ALAD in leaf cells. The protective effect of glutamate on ALAD in the preparations from the sorbitol-treated leaves might be due to its stimulatory effect on the enzyme.

Self-assembly mechanism of 1,3:2,4-di(3,4-dichlorobenzylidene)-D-sorbitol and control of the supramolecular chirality.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jingjing; Fan, Kaiqi; Guan, Xidong; Yu, Yingzhe; Song, Jian

2014-11-11

Dibenzylidene-D-sorbitol (DBS) and its derivatives are known to form gels in organic solvents; however, the mechanism of the gel formation has been a subject of much debate. The present work is undertaken to elucidate the organization mechanism of a DBS derivative, 1,3:2,4-di(3,4-dichlorobenzylidene)-D-sorbitol (DCDBS), by taking into account the solvent effects and comparing the experiment data with theoretical calculation. These molecules form smooth nonhelical fibers with a rest circular dichroism (CD) signal in polar solvents, in contrast to rope-liked left-helical fibers with a strong negative CD signal observed in nonpolar solvents. The molecular complexes thus formed were characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectra, ultraviolet-visible spectra, X-ray diffraction patterns, static contact angles, and theoretical calculations. It was proposed that the interactions between the gelator and the solvents could subtly change the stacking of the molecules and hence their self-assembled nanostructures. In nonpolar solvents, the gelator molecules appear as a distorted T-shaped structure with the 6-OH forming intermolecular hydrogen bonds with the acetal oxygens of adjacent gelator molecule. In addition, because of differential stacking interactions on both sides of the 10-member ring skeleton of the gelator, the oligomers may assemble in a helix fashion to minimize the energy, leading to helical fibers. In polar solvents, however, the gelator molecules show a rigid planelike structure and thus stack on top of each other because of strong parallel-displaced π interactions. The balanced driving force on both sides of the 10-member ring skeleton made it difficult for the dimers to bend, thus resulting in nonhelical nanostructure. As expected from the mechanisms proposed here, twisted ribbon fibers with a medium strength CD signal were obtained when solvents of different polarities were mixed. Thus, solvent effects revealed in this work represent an

A fiber-optic sorbitol biosensor based on NADH fluorescence detection toward rapid diagnosis of diabetic complications.

Science.gov (United States)

Gessei, Tomoko; Arakawa, Takahiro; Kudo, Hiroyuki; Mitsubayashi, Kohji

2015-09-21

Accumulation of sorbitol in the tissue is known to cause microvascular diabetic complications. In this paper, a fiber-optic biosensor for sorbitol which is used as a biomarker of diabetic complications was developed and tested. The biosensor used a sorbitol dehydrogenase from microorganisms of the genus Flavimonas with high substrate specificity and detected the fluorescence of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) by the enzymatic reaction. An ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED) was used as the excitation light source of NADH. The fluorescence of NADH was detected using a spectrometer or a photomultiplier tube (PMT). The UV-LED and the photodetector were coupled using a Y-shaped optical fiber. In the experiment, an optical fiber probe with a sorbitol dehydrogenase immobilized membrane was placed in a cuvette filled with a phosphate buffer containing the oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)). The changes in NADH fluorescence intensity were measured after adding a standard sorbitol solution. According to the experimental assessment, the calibration range of the sorbitol biosensor systems using a spectrometer and a PMT was 5.0-1000 μmol L(-1) and 1.0-1000 μmol L(-1), respectively. The sorbitol biosensor system using the sorbitol dehydrogenase from microorganisms of the genus Flavimonas has high selectivity and sensitivity compared with that from sheep liver. The sorbitol biosensor allows for point-of-care testing applications or daily health care tests for diabetes patients.

The effects of xylitol and sorbitol on lysozyme- and peroxidase-related enzymatic and candidacidal activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Bum-Soo; Chang, Ji-Youn; Kim, Yoon-Young; Kho, Hong-Seop

2015-07-01

To investigate whether xylitol and sorbitol affect enzymatic and candidacidal activities of lysozyme, the peroxidase system, and the glucose oxidase-mediated peroxidase system. Xylitol and sorbitol were added to hen egg-white lysozyme, bovine lactoperoxidase, glucose oxidase-mediated peroxidase, and whole saliva in solution and on hydroxyapatite surfaces. The enzymatic activities of lysozyme, peroxidase, and glucose oxidase-mediated peroxidase were determined by the turbidimetric method, the NbsSCN assay, and production of oxidized o-dianisidine, respectively. Candidacidal activities were determined by comparing colony forming units using Candida albicans ATCC strains 10231, 11006, and 18804. While xylitol and sorbitol did not affect the enzymatic activity of hen egg-white lysozyme both in solution and on hydroxyapatite surfaces, they did inhibit the enzymatic activity of salivary lysozyme significantly in solution, but not on the surfaces. Xylitol and sorbitol enhanced the enzymatic activities of both bovine lactoperoxidase and salivary peroxidase significantly in a dose-dependent manner in solution, but not on the surfaces. Sorbitol, but not xylitol, inhibited the enzymatic activity of glucose oxidase-mediated peroxidase significantly. Both xylitol and sorbitol did not affect candidacidal activities of hen egg-white lysozyme, the bovine lactoperoxidase system, or the glucose oxidase-mediated bovine lactoperoxidase system. Xylitol and sorbitol inhibited salivary lysozyme activity, but enhanced both bovine lactoperoxidase and salivary peroxidase activities significantly in solution. Xylitol and sorbitol did not augment lysozyme- and peroxidase-related candidacidal activities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sorbitol treatment extends lifespan and induces the osmotic stress response in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Devon eChandler-Brown

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The response to osmotic stress is a highly conserved process for adapting to changing environmental conditions. Prior studies have shown that hyperosmolarity by addition of sorbitol to the growth medium is sufficient to increase both chronological and replicative lifespan in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here we report a similar phenomenon in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Addition of sorbitol to the nematode growth medium induces an adaptive osmotic response and increases C. elegans lifespan by about 35%. Lifespan extension from 5% sorbitol behaves similarly to dietary restriction in a variety of genetic backgrounds, increasing lifespan additively with mutation of daf-2(e1370 and independently of daf-16(mu86, sir-2.1(ok434, aak-2(ok524, and hif-1(ia04. Dietary restriction by bacterial deprivation or mutation of eat-2(ad1113 fails to further extend lifespan in the presence of 5% sorbitol. Two mutants with constitutive activation of the osmotic response, osm-5(p813 and osm-7(n1515, were found to be long-lived, and lifespan extension from sorbitol required the glycerol biosynthetic enzymes GPDH-1 and GPDH-2. Taken together, these observations demonstrate that exposure to sorbitol at levels sufficient to induce an adaptive osmotic response extends lifespan in worms and define the osmotic stress response pathway as a longevity pathway conserved between yeast and nematodes.

75 FR 16839 - Sorbitol From France

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-02

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 731-TA-44 (Third Review)] Sorbitol From France AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION: Revised schedule for the subject review. DATES: Effective Date: Date of Commission approval. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dana Lofgren (202...

Biosynthesis of sorbitol and other compounds in Golden Delicious apple leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steenkamp, J.; Terblanche, J.H.; De Villiers, O.T.

1981-01-01

The distribution of radioactivity in the principal alcohol-soluble fractions of Golden Delicious apple leaves after exposure to 14 CO 2 for periods from 5 s to 60 min showed that the main products of photosynthesis were located in the phosphorylated and sugar fractions. Although the phosphorylated fraction consistently contained the highest radioactivity, no attempt was made to separate and identify the different compounds. As the percentage activity in the sugar (and sorbitol) and phosphorylated fractions increased with time, that in the organic acid and amino acid fractions decreased. Since the sugar and sorbitol fraction contained 45% of the total radioactivity after 60 min exposure to 14 CO 2 , and since sorbitol contained 82% of the radioactivity in this fraction, it appears that sorbitol is the principal non-phosphorylated end-product of photosynthesis in Golden Delicious apple leaves. Similar results were obtained with plum and apricot leaves. Since after only 60 s of photosynthesis sorbitol contained the highest radioactivity, it is apparent that the formation of this compound is very rapid, plays a role in the metabolism of Golden Delicious apple leaves, and that it is probably associated with the chloroplasts, as was found for plum leaves. The fact that amino acids and other organic acids also contained an appreciable amount of radioactivity (especially after short periods of photosynthesis) indicates a close relationship between these compounds and the primary products of photosynthesis

A biopolymer-based carbon nanotube interface integrated with a redox shuttle and a D-sorbitol dehydrogenase for robust monitoring of D-sorbitol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sefcovicova, J.; Filip, J.; Gemeiner, P.; Bucko, M.; Magdolen, P.; Tkac, J.; Tomcik, P.

2011-01-01

We describe the preparation and characterization of a glassy carbon electrode modified with a bionanocomposite consisting of a hyaluronic acid, dispersed carbon nanotubes, and electrostatically bound toluidine blue. The electrode was used to detect NADH in the batch and flow-injection mode of operation. The electrode was further modified by immobilizing sorbitol dehydrogenase to result in biosensor for D-sorbitol that displays good operational stability, a sensitivity of 10.6 μA mM -1 cm -2 , a response time of 16 s, and detection limit in the low micromolar range. The biosensor was successfully applied to off-line monitoring of D-sorbitol during its bioconversion into L-sorbose (a precursor in the synthesis of vitamin C) by Gluconobacter oxydans. The sample assay precision is 2.5% (an average RSD) and the throughput is 65 h -1 if operated in the flow-injection mode. The validation of this biosensor against a reference HPLC method resulted in a slope of correlation of 1.021 ± 0.001 (R 2 = 0.99997). (author)

Comparison of the effect of sorbitol and glucose on calcium absorption in postmenopausal women

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francis, R.M.; Peacock, M.; Barkworth, S.A.; Marshall, D.H.

1986-01-01

It has been suggested that the oral administration of sorbitol promotes calcium absorption, while glucose has no effect. We have therefore compared the effect of oral sorbitol and glucose on the absorption of radiocalcium from low and high carrier loads in healthy postmenopausal women. In a control group of 20 women given neither sorbitol nor glucose, the mean +/- SEM fractional radiocalcium absorption rate from a low carrier load was 0.65 +/- 0.05 (fraction of dose/h). In a second group of 10 women the fractional absorption rate from the low carrier load was lower (p less than 0.05) with 10 g sorbitol (0.48 +/- 0.05) than with 10 g glucose (0.65 +/- 0.08). Fractional absorption of radiocalcium from a high carrier load measured in a third group of seven women using two isotopes (oral 45Ca, IV 47Ca) was also lower (p less than 0.001) with 10 g sorbitol (0.22 +/- 0.01, fraction/3 h) than with 10 g glucose (0.29 +/- 0.02). The results suggest that calcium absorption from a low carrier load is unaltered by glucose but that absorption of calcium from both low and high carrier loads is lower with sorbitol than with glucose

Follow-up of coeliac disease with the novel one-hour 13C-sorbitol breath test versus the H2-sorbitol breath test.

Science.gov (United States)

Tveito, Kari; Hetta, Anne Kristine; Askedal, Mia; Brunborg, Cathrine; Sandvik, Leiv; Løberg, Else Marit; Skar, Viggo

2011-07-01

We recently developed a (13)C-sorbitol breath test ((13)C-SBT) as an alternative to the H(2)-sorbitol breath test (H(2)-SBT) for coeliac disease. In this study we compared the diagnostic properties of the H(2)-SBT and the (13)C-SBT in follow-up of coeliac disease. Twenty-seven coeliac patients on a gluten-free diet (GFD) performed the breath tests. All had been tested before treatment in the initial study of the (13)C-SBT, in which 39 untreated coeliac patients, 40 patient controls, and 26 healthy volunteers participated. Five gram sorbitol and 100 mg (13)C-sorbitol were dissolved in 250 ml tap water and given orally. H(2), CH(4) and (13)CO(2) were measured in end-expiratory breath samples every 30 min for 4 h. Increased H(2) concentration ≥20 ppm from basal values was used as cut-off for the H(2)-SBT. Sixty minutes values were used as diagnostic index in the (13)C-SBT. (13)CO(2) levels at 60 min increased in 20/26 treated coeliac patients (77%) after GFD, but were significantly lower than in control groups. Out of 20 patients who had a positive H(2)-SBT before GFD, 12 had a negative H(2)-SBT after GFD. Peak H(2) concentrations were not correlated with (13)C-SBT results. The study confirms the sensitivity of a one-hour (13)C-SBT for small intestinal malabsorption. The (13)C-SBT has superior diagnostic properties compared with the H(2)-SBT in follow-up of coeliac disease.

Ileocolic perforation secondary to sodium polystyrene sulfonate in sorbitol use: A case report

Science.gov (United States)

Trottier, Vincent; Drolet, Sébastien; Morcos, Mohib W

2009-01-01

Hyperkalemia is a common condition encountered in medical and surgical patients. It can lead to various complications including cardiac arrhythmias. Sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS) in sorbitol is an ion-exchange resin that can be used to treat hyperkalemia. It can be used in enema or in oral form. The present article describes the case of an intensive care unit patient who experienced severe, diffuse, intestinal perforation induced by the use of SPS-sorbitol, requiring multiple laparotomies, followed by a brief review of the relevant literature and recommendations regarding the use of SPS-sorbitol. PMID:19826644

The effect of glicerol and sorbitol plasticizers toward disintegration time of phyto-capsules

Science.gov (United States)

Pudjiastuti, Pratiwi; Hendradi, Esti; Wafiroh, Siti; Harsini, Muji; Darmokoesoemo, Handoko

2016-03-01

The aim of research is determining the effect of glycerol and sorbitol toward the disintegration time of phyto-capsules, originated capsules from plant polysaccharides. Phyto-capsules were made from polysaccharides and 0.5% (v/v) of glycerol and sorbitol of each. The seven capsules of each were determined the disintegration time using Erweka disintegrator. The mean of disintegration time of phyto-capsules without plasticizers, with glycerol and sorbitol were 25'30"; 45'15" and 35'30" respectively. The color and colorless gelatin capsules showed the mean of disintegration time 7'30" and 2'35" respectively.

Management of constipation in residents with dementia: sorbitol effectiveness and cost.

Science.gov (United States)

Volicer, Ladislav; Lane, Patricia; Panke, JoAnn; Lyman, Paul

2004-01-01

The objective of this report is to describe a cost-effective strategy for management of constipation in nursing home residents with dementia. We conducted a prospective observational quality improvement study of 41 residents with chronic constipation and receiving an osmotic laxative. Sorbitol was substituted for lactulose. The study was conducted at a dementia special care unit at a Veterans Administration hospital. We measured the number and amount of laxative use over a period of 4 weeks that were required to maintain regular bowel function. There was no difference in efficacy of lactulose and sorbitol. Use of additional laxatives was infrequent: Milk of Magnesia on approximately 10% of days/patient, bisacodyl suppository on 2% to 4% of days/patient, and Fleet enema only on 3 occasions. The cost of constipation management using routine administration of sorbitol and as-needed use of other laxatives was 27% to 55% lower than the cost of other constipation management strategies reported in the literature. Substitution of sorbitol for lactulose does not change efficacy of the treatment and decreases cost. Regular use of an osmotic laxative avoids the costs and discomforts of rectal laxatives.

Granule fraction inhomogeneity of calcium carbonate/sorbitol in roller compacted granules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bacher, Charlotte; Olsen, P.M.; Bertelsen, P.

2008-01-01

The granule fraction inhomogeneity of roller compacted granules was examined on mixtures of three different morphologic forms of calcium carbonate and three particle sizes of sorbitol. The granule fraction inhomogeneity was determined by the distribution of the calcium carbonate in each of the 10...... size fractions between 0 and 2000 µm and by calculating the demixing potential. Significant inhomogeneous occurrence of calcium carbonate in the size fractions was demonstrated, depending mostly on the particles sizes of sorbitol but also on the morphological forms of calcium carbonate......, the ability of the powder to agglomerate in the roller compactor was demonstrated to be related to the ability of the powder to be compacted into a tablet, thus the most compactable calcium carbonate and the smallest sized sorbitol improved the homogeneity by decreasing the demixing potential....

Utilization starch of jackfruit seed (Artocarpus heterophyllus) as raw material for bioplastics manufacturing using sorbitol as plasticizer and chitosan as filler

Science.gov (United States)

Lubis, M.; Harahap, M. B.; Manullang, A.; Alfarodo; Ginting, M. H. S.; Sartika, M.

2017-01-01

Starch is a natural polymer that can be used for the production of bioplastics because its source is abundant, renewable and easily degraded. Jackfruit seeds can be used as raw material for bioplastics because its contains starch. The aim of this study to determine the characteristics of jackfruit seeds and determine the effect of chitosan and sorbitol on the physicochemical properties of bioplastics from jackfruit seeds. Starch is extracted from jackfruit seeds were then characterized to determine its chemical composition. In the manufacture of bioplastics starch composition jackfruit seeds - chitosan used was 7: 3, 8: 2 and 9: 1 (g/g), while the concentration of sorbitol used was 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, and 40% by weight dry ingredients. From the analysis of jackfruit seed starch obtained water content of 6.04%, ash content of 1.08%, the starch content of 70.22%, 16.39% amylose content, amylopectin content of 53.83%, 4.68% protein content, fat content 0.54%. The best conditions of starch bioplastics jackfruit seeds obtained at a ratio of starch: chitosan (w/w) = 8: 2 and the concentration of plasticizer sorbitol 25% with tensile strength 13.524 MPa. From the results of FT-IR analysis indicated an increase for the OH group and the group NH on bioplastics due to the addition of chitosan and sorbitol. The results of mechanical tests is further supported by analysis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showing jackfruit seed starch has a small granule size with the size of 7.6 μm and in bioplastics with chitosan filler and plasticizer sorbitol their fracture surface is smooth and slightly hollow compared bioplastics without fillers chitosan and plasticizer sorbitol.

Caloric restriction counteracts age-related changes in the activities of sorbitol metabolizing enzymes from mouse liver

Science.gov (United States)

Hagopian, Kevork; Ramsey, Jon J.; Weindruch, Richard

2009-01-01

The influence of caloric restriction (CR) on hepatic sorbitol-metabolizing enzyme activities was investigated in young and old mice. Aldose reductase and sorbitol dehydrogenase activities were significantly lower in old CR mice than in old controls. Young CR mice showed decreased aldose reductase activity and a trend towards decreased sorbitol dehydrogenase when compared to controls. Metabolites of the pathway, namely sorbitol, glucose and fructose were decreased by CR in young and old mice. Pyruvate levels were decreased by CR in both young and old mice, while lactate decreased only in old CR. Malate levels increased in old CR but remained unchanged in young CR, when compared with controls. Accordingly, the lactae/pyruvate and malate/pyruvate ratios in young and old CR mice were increased, indicating increased NADH/NAD and NADPH/NADP redox couples, respectively. The results indicate that decreased glucose levels under CR conditions lead to decreased sorbitol pathway enzyme activities and metabolite levels, and could contribute to the beneficial effects of long-term CR through decreased sorbitol levels and NADPH sparing. PMID:18953666

Ileocolic Perforation Secondary to Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate in Sorbitol Use: A Case Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Trottier

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Hyperkalemia is a common condition encountered in medical and surgical patients. It can lead to various complications including cardiac arrhythmias. Sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS in sorbitol is an ion-exchange resin that can be used to treat hyperkalemia. It can be used in enema or in oral form. The present article describes the case of an intensive care unit patient who experienced severe, diffuse, intestinal perforation induced by the use of SPS-sorbitol, requiring multiple laparotomies, followed by a brief review of the relevant literature and recommendations regarding the use of SPS-sorbitol.

Molecular dynamics studies of the conformation of sorbitol

Science.gov (United States)

Lerbret, A.; Mason, P.E.; Venable, R.M.; Cesàro, A.; Saboungi, M.-L.; Pastor, R.W.; Brady, J.W.

2009-01-01

Molecular dynamics simulations of a 3 m aqueous solution of D-sorbitol (also called D-glucitol) have been performed at 300 K, as well as at two elevated temperatures to promote conformational transitions. In principle, sorbitol is more flexible than glucose since it does not contain a constraining ring. However, a conformational analysis revealed that the sorbitol chain remains extended in solution, in contrast to the bent conformation found experimentally in the crystalline form. While there are 243 staggered conformations of the backbone possible for this open-chain polyol, only a very limited number were found to be stable in the simulations. Although many conformers were briefly sampled, only eight were significantly populated in the simulation. The carbon backbones of all but two of these eight conformers were completely extended, unlike the bent crystal conformation. These extended conformers were stabilized by a quite persistent intramolecular hydrogen bond between the hydroxyl groups of carbon C-2 and C-4. The conformational populations were found to be in good agreement with the limited available NMR data except for the C-2–C-3 torsion (spanned by the O-2–O-4 hydrogen bond), where the NMR data supports a more bent structure. PMID:19744646

The metabolism of sorbitol and fructose in isolated chloroplasts of Santa Rosa plum leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Villiers, O.T.

1979-01-01

Aqueously as well as non-aqueously isolated chloroplasts from Santa Rosa plum leaves readily metabolised sorbitol- 14 C to fructose, glucose and sucrose. Likewise, fructose- 14 C was converted to sorbitol, glucose and sucrose [af

Colonic necrosis due to calcium polystyrene sulfonate (Kalimate not suspended in sorbitol

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María Dolores Castillo-Cejas

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Cation-exchange resins are used in the management of hyperkalemia, particularly in patients with end-stage renal disease. These resins were associated with gastrointestinal tract lesions, especially sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate mixed with sorbitol. We present a case of colonic necrosis after the administration of calcium polystyrene sulfonate (Kalimate not suspended in sorbitol.

Effect of Guar Gum with Sorbitol Coating on the Properties and Oil Absorption of French Fries.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Bo; Fan, Daming; Li, Jinwei; Duan, Zhenhua; Fan, Liuping

2017-12-13

This paper investigated the effects of guar gum with sorbitol coating on the oil absorption of French fries by combined dye oil methods, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that pretreatment of blanching with calcium ions and coating with guar gum and sorbitol could significantly reduce the structural oil (STO) and penetrated surface oil (PSO) of French fries and have no negative effects on its texture and also effectively control the final moisture content ( p French fries with guar gum and sorbitol reduced by 50.8%, 33.1% and 30.6%, respectively. CLSM photographs confirmed that STO significantly reduced after coating with guar gum and sorbitol, followed by PSO. In the process of frying, the coatings of guar gum or guar gum with sorbitol could effectively prevent oil from infiltrating the potato tissue, which can be seen in the SEM photographs. The barrier properties of French fries were enhanced by coating guar gum, and sorbitol was added to avoid pores and cracks. Blanching with calcium ion can significantly reduce the final moisture content of coating French fries.

Conductivity, work function, and environmental stability of PEDOT:PSS thin films treated with sorbitol

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nardes, A.M.; Kemerink, M.; Kok, de M.M.; Vinken, E.; Maturova, K.; Janssen, R.A.J.

2008-01-01

The electrical properties of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) thin films deposited from aqueous dispersion using different concentrations of sorbitol have been studied in detail. Although it is well known that sorbitol enhances the conductivity of PEDOT:PSS thin

Isohexide and Sorbitol-Derived, Enzymatically Synthesized Renewable Polyesters with Enhanced Tg.

Science.gov (United States)

Gustini, Liliana; Lavilla, Cristina; de Ilarduya, Antxon Martínez; Muñoz-Guerra, Sebastián; Koning, Cor E

2016-10-10

Sugar-based polyesters derived from sorbitol and isohexides were obtained via solvent-free enzymatic catalysis. Pendant hydroxyl groups, coming from the sorbitol units, were present along the polyester backbone, whereas the two isohexides, namely, isomannide and isoidide dimethyl ester monomers, were selected to introduce rigidity into the polyester chains. The feasibility of incorporating isomannide as a diol compared to the isoidide dimethyl ester as acyl-donor via lipase-catalyzed polycondensation was investigated. The presence of bicyclic units resulted in enhanced T g with respect to the parent sorbitol-containing polyester lacking isohexides. The different capability of the two isohexides to boost the thermal properties confirmed the more flexible character provided by the isoidide diester derivative. Solvent-borne coatings were prepared by cross-linking the sugar-based polyester polyols with polyisocyanates. The increased rigidity of the obtained sugar-based polyester polyols led to an enhancement in hardness of the resulting coatings.

The relationship between sucrose hydrolysis, sorbitol formation and mineral ion concentration during bioethanol formation using Zymomonas mobilis 2716

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doelle, M.B.; Doelle, H.W. (Queensland Univ., St. Lucia (Australia). Dept. of Microbiology); Greenfield, P.F. (Queensland Univ., St. Lucia (Australia). Dept. of Chemical Engineering)

1990-11-01

Investigations into the relationship between sucrose hydrolysis, sorbitol formation and mineral ion concentration during bioethanol formation by Zymomonas mobilis 2716 revealed two distinct phenomena responsible for carbon flow diversion, a 'sucrose effect' and a 'salt effect'. Neither of the two phenomena affects sucrose hydrolysis, but they divert carbon flow of the fructose monomer leading to its own accumulation, sorbitol or oligosaccharide formation. Sucrose concentrations in excess of 15% (w/v) led to sorbitol formation, the level of which may exceed 2% (w/v) depending upon glucose accumulation during sucrose hydrolysis. Increasing mineral ion concentrations led initially to carbon losses and finally to fructose accumulation instead of sorbitol formation. This carbon loss can be corrected by the addition of invertase, which in turn leads to an increase in sorbitol, fructose and ethanol. Potassium and chloride are the dominant ions responsible for suppression of sorbitol formation and fructose uptake, encouraging oligosaccharide formation. These fructooligosaccharides must be of a type which can be converted to fructose, sorbitol and ethanol through the action of invertase. The requirement of invertase addition to prevent fructooligosaccharide formation is indirect evidence that Z. mobilis 2716 does not produce invertase. (orig.).

EFFECT OF XYLITOL AND SORBITOL IN CHEWING-GUMS ON MUTANS STREPTOCOCCI, PLAQUE PH AND MINERAL LOSS OF ENAMEL

NARCIS (Netherlands)

WENNERHOLM, K; ARENDS, J; BIRKHED, D; RUBEN, J; EMILSON, CG; DIJKMAN, AG

1994-01-01

Seventeen subjects with more than 3 x 10(5) mutans streptococci per millilitre of saliva completed this randomised, cross-over study. Four different chewing-gums, containing: (1) 70% xylitol, (2) 35% xylitol + 35% sorbitol, (3) 17.5% xylitol + 52.5% sorbitol, and (4) 70% sorbitol, were tested. The

Effect of sorbitol and glycerol on the stability of trypsin and difference between their stabilization effects in the various solvents.

Science.gov (United States)

Pazhang, Mohammad; Mehrnejad, Faramarz; Pazhang, Yaghub; Falahati, Hanieh; Chaparzadeh, Nader

2016-01-01

The effect of glycerol and sorbitol on the stability of porcine pancreas trypsin was investigated in this work. Molecular dynamics simulation and thermostability results showed that trypsin has two flexible regions, and polyols (sorbitol and glycerol) stabilize the enzyme by decreasing the flexibility of these regions. Radial distribution function results exhibited that sorbitol and glycerol were excluded from the first water layer of the enzyme, therefore decrease the flexibility of the regions by preferential exclusion. Also, results showed that the stabilization effect of sorbitol is more than glycerol. This observation could be because of the larger decrease in the fluctuations of trypsin in the presence of sorbitol. We also examined the role of solvent's hydrophobicity in enzyme stabilization by sorbitol and glycerol. To do so, the thermostability of trypsin was evaluated in the presence of solvents with different hydrophobicity (methanol, ethanol, isopropanol and n-propanol) in addition to the polyols. Our results depicted that glycerol is a better stabilizer than sorbitol in the presence of hydrophobic solvents (n-propanol), whereas sorbitol is a better stabilizer than glycerol in the presence of hydrophilic solvents (methanol). © 2015 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Effect of sugar alcohol sorbitol on in vitro shoot development of Dianthus serotinus Waldst. et Kit.

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Marković Marija

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different concentrations of sorbitol on the development of the in vitro culture of D. serotinus in the multiplication phase. The obtained results showed that sorbitol generally had a positive effect, depending on its concentration and explant type. In addition, the presence of sorbitol affected the change of pH value of the media after autoclaving and after 25 days of in vitro culture, which could affect the availability of certain ions to plants. Therefore, the obtained results indicate that sorbitol can be used as an energy source for the in vitro culture of D. serotinus, but this should be further investigated. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 43007

Effect of seasonal and geographical differences on skin and effect of treatment with an osmoprotectant: Sorbitol.

Science.gov (United States)

Muizzuddin, Neelam; Ingrassia, Michael; Marenus, Kenneth D; Maes, Daniel H; Mammone, Thomas

2013-01-01

Human skin maintains an optimal permeability barrier function in a terrestrial environment that varies considerably in humidity. Cells cultured under hyperosmotic stress accumulate osmolytes including sorbitol. Epidermal keratinocytes experience similar high osmolality under dry environmental conditions because of increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and concomitant drying of the skin. This study was designed to determine if epidermal keratinocytes, in vitro, could be protected from high osmotic stress, with the exogenous addition of sorbitol. In addition, we evaluated the effect of a formulation containing topical sorbitol on skin barrier and moisturization of subjects living in arid and humid regions in summer as well as in winter. Results from in vitro experiments showed that 50 mM sorbitol protected epidermal keratinocytes from osmotic toxicity induced by sodium chloride. Clinical studies indicated that skin chronically exposed to hot, dry environment appeared to exhibit stronger skin barrier and a lower baseline TEWL. In addition, skin barrier was stronger in summer than in winter. Sorbitol exhibited significant improvement in both barrier repair and moisturization, especially in individuals subjected to arid environmental conditions.

Effect of nonabsorbed amounts of a fructose-sorbitol mixture on small intestinal transit in healthy volunteers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jan L; Linnet, Jan; Rumessen, Jüri J

2006-01-01

Although malabsorption of small amounts of fructose-sorbitol mixtures occurs frequently in healthy humans, insights into their effects on gastrointestinal motility are poor. The present study addresses the hypothesis that malabsorption of a fructose-sorbitol challenge changes the small intestinal...... transit rate. Eleven healthy volunteers participated in a double-blind crossover investigation. In random order, the subjects ingested 30 g glucose or a mixture of 25 g fructose and 5 g sorbitol as 10% solutions. As a radiolabeled marker, (99m)Tc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid was added to each test...... solution. Breath hydrogen and methane concentrations and gastrointestinal progress of the radiolabeled marker were followed for the next 6-hr period. Malabsorption of small amounts of the fructose-sorbitol mixture was evident in all subjects. The area under the gastric radioactivity-time curve after...

Effect of nonabsorbed amounts of a fructose-sorbitol mixture on small intestinal transit in healthy volunteers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jan L; Linnet, Jan; Rumessen, Jüri J

2006-01-01

transit rate. Eleven healthy volunteers participated in a double-blind crossover investigation. In random order, the subjects ingested 30 g glucose or a mixture of 25 g fructose and 5 g sorbitol as 10% solutions. As a radiolabeled marker, (99m)Tc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid was added to each test......Although malabsorption of small amounts of fructose-sorbitol mixtures occurs frequently in healthy humans, insights into their effects on gastrointestinal motility are poor. The present study addresses the hypothesis that malabsorption of a fructose-sorbitol challenge changes the small intestinal...... solution. Breath hydrogen and methane concentrations and gastrointestinal progress of the radiolabeled marker were followed for the next 6-hr period. Malabsorption of small amounts of the fructose-sorbitol mixture was evident in all subjects. The area under the gastric radioactivity-time curve after...

Sensitization of glycine (spectrophotometric read-out) dosimetric system using sorbitol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shinde, S.H.; Mukherjee, T.

2009-01-01

Glycine spectrophotometric read-out systems have a useful dose range of 15-4000 Gy. An attempt was made to sensitize it using sorbitol as a sensitizer. Optimum compositions of aqueous acidic solutions of ferrous ammonium sulphate-xylenol orange (XO), i.e. FX and sorbitol-ferrous ammonium sulphate-xylenol orange, i.e. SFX, for 400 mg of glycine, which gives maximum dosimetric response for any given dose, were established. Molar absorption coefficient values of ferric-XO-glycine complex, i.e. ε-values, were determined for glycine system in FX and SFX. These values were found to be 8410 and 15,000 m 2 mol -1 respectively, indicating that an enhancement or sensitivity factor of about 1.78 can be achieved by sorbitol for glycine in SFX. This factor was further confirmed by measuring the gamma dose response of glycine in FX and in SFX for four different doses, viz. 37.8, 75.5, 151 and 302 Gy. It was observed that dose response of glycine in SFX is about 77% more than that of glycine in FX. The maximum variation observed in response of glycine in FX or SFX was found to be within ±1.5%.

Comparison of 3% sorbitol vs psyllium fibre as oral contrast agents in MR enterography.

Science.gov (United States)

Saini, Sidharth; Colak, Errol; Anthwal, Shalini; Vlachou, Paraskevi A; Raikhlin, Antony; Kirpalani, Anish

2014-10-01

To compare the degree of small bowel distension achieved by 3% sorbitol, a high osmolarity solution, and a psyllium-based bulk fibre as oral contrast agents (OCAs) in MR enterography (MRE). This retrospective study was approved by our institutional review board. A total of 45 consecutive normal MRE examinations (sorbitol, n = 20; psyllium, n = 25) were reviewed. The patients received either 1.5 l of 3% sorbitol or 2 l of 1.6 g kg(-1) psyllium prior to imaging. Quantitative small bowel distension measurements were taken in five segments: proximal jejunum, distal jejunum, proximal ileum, distal ileum and terminal ileum by two independent radiologists. Distension in these five segments was also qualitatively graded from 0 (very poor) to 4 (excellent) by two additional independent radiologists. Statistical analysis comparing the groups and assessing agreement included intraclass coefficients, Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test. Small bowel distension was not significantly different in any of the five small bowel segments between the use of sorbitol and psyllium as OCAs in both the qualitative (p = 0.338-0.908) and quantitative assessments (p = 0.083-0.856). The mean bowel distension achieved was 20.1 ± 2.2 mm for sorbitol and 19.8 ± 2.5 mm for psyllium (p = 0.722). Visualization of the ileum was good or excellent in 65% of the examinations in both groups. Sorbitol and psyllium are not significantly different at distending the small bowel and both may be used as OCAs for MRE studies. This is the first study to directly compare the degree of distension in MRE between these two common, readily available and inexpensive OCAs.

Children's acceptance of milk with xylitol or sorbitol for dental caries prevention

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Castillo Ramon

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Xylitol, a polyol sugar, has been shown to reduce dental caries when mixed with food or chewing gum. This study examines the taste acceptability of xylitol in milk as a first step toward measuring the effectiveness of xylitol in milk for the reduction of dental caries in a public health program. Methods Three different types of milk (Ultra High Temperature (UHT, powder and evaporated were tested for acceptability by 75 Peruvian children (25 per milk group, ages 4 to 7 years. Each group evaluated xylitol and sorbitol in one type of milk. In the first phase, each child was presented with a tray of four plastic cups containing 50 ml of milk with 0.021 g/ml xylitol, 0.042 g/ml xylitol, 0.042 g/ml sorbitol or no sugar. Each child was asked to taste the samples in a self-selected order. After tasting each sample, the child placed the milk cup in front of one of three cartoon faces (smile, frown or neutral representing the child's response to the taste of each sample. In the second phase, the child was asked to rank order the milk samples within each category (smile, frown or neutral. Ranks within categories were then combined to obtain a rank ordering for all the test samples. Results The ranking from best to worst for the samples across categories (UHT, powder, evaporated was xylitol (0.0.042 g/ml, sorbitol (0.042 g/ml, xylitol (0.021 g/ml and milk alone (Friedman's ANOVA. Xylitol and sorbitol were preferred over milk alone, and xylitol (0.042 g/ml was preferred to sorbitol (0.042 g/ml(p Conclusion Milk sweetened with xylitol is well accepted by Peruvian children ages 4–7 years.

X-ray crystal structure and small-angle X-ray scattering of sheep liver sorbitol dehydrogenase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yennawar, Hemant; Møller, Magda; Gillilan, Richard

2011-01-01

The X-ray crystal structure of sheep liver sorbitol dehydrogenase (slSDH) has been determined using the crystal structure of human sorbitol dehydrogenase (hSDH) as a molecular-replacement model. slSDH crystallized in space group I222 with one monomer in the asymmetric unit. A conserved tetramer...

Efeito da sacarose e sorbitol na conservação in vitro de Passiflora giberti N. E. Brown Sucrose and sorbitol effect in the in vitro conservation of Passiflora giberti N. E. Brown

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Gláucia Amorim Faria

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o efeito da sacarose e do sorbitol na conservação in vitro de um acesso de Passiflora giberti N. E. Brown. Para isso, foi instalado um experimento no delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em que foi comparado o tratamento-testemunha (MS padrão com o meio MS suplementado com três concentrações de sacarose (0; 15 e 30 g L-1 em combinação com três concentrações de sorbitol (10; 20 e 40 g L-1. As avaliações foram realizadas aos 30; 60; 90 e 120 dias de incubação, observando-se o comprimento das brotações (cm, número de raízes, número e coloração das folhas. Os resultados mostram ser possível conservar sob crescimento lento, por quatro meses, microplantas de maracujazeiro em meio de cultura MS suplementado com 10 ou 20 g L-1 de sorbitol, na ausência de sacarose, e mantidas sob condições de fotoperíodo de 16 h (22 µE m-2s-1 e temperatura de 27 ± 1 ºC. A sacarose promoveu maior desenvolvimento de microplantas. A rizogênese é afetada pelo sorbitol na concentração de 40 g L-1 e pela ausência de sacarose no meio de cultura.This work objectified the study of sucrose and sorbitol effect in the in vitro conservation for Passiflora giberti N. E. Brown, access. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design to compare control treatment (standard MS to MS medium supplemented with three sucrose concentrations (0, 15 and 30 g L-1 combined with three sorbitol concentrations (10, 20 and 40 g L-1, in a total of 10 treatments with 20 replicas. The experiment evaluation was carried out at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days of incubation, whereas the height of shoots (cm, number of roots, number and color of leaves were observed. The results showed the possibility to maintain passion-fruit microplants for a four months period under slow growth in MS medium supplemented with 10 or 20 g L-1 of sorbitol, without sucrose, and kept under 16 hours photoperiod (22 µ E m-2 s-1 and

A highly efficient sorbitol dehydrogenase from Gluconobacter oxydans G624 and improvement of its stability through immobilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae-Su; Patel, Sanjay K S; Selvaraj, Chandrabose; Jung, Woo-Suk; Pan, Cheol-Ho; Kang, Yun Chan; Lee, Jung-Kul

2016-09-16

A sorbitol dehydrogenase (GoSLDH) from Gluconobacter oxydans G624 (G. oxydans G624) was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)-CodonPlus RIL. The complete 1455-bp codon-optimized gene was amplified, expressed, and thoroughly characterized for the first time. GoSLDH exhibited Km and kcat values of 38.9 mM and 3820 s(-1) toward L-sorbitol, respectively. The enzyme exhibited high preference for NADP(+) (vs. only 2.5% relative activity with NAD(+)). GoSLDH sequencing, structure analyses, and biochemical studies, suggested that it belongs to the NADP(+)-dependent polyol-specific long-chain sorbitol dehydrogenase family. GoSLDH is the first fully characterized SLDH to date, and it is distinguished from other L-sorbose-producing enzymes by its high activity and substrate specificity. Isothermal titration calorimetry showed that the protein binds more strongly to D-sorbitol than other L-sorbose-producing enzymes, and substrate docking analysis confirmed a higher turnover rate. The high oxidation potential of GoSLDH for D-sorbitol was confirmed by cyclovoltametric analysis. Further, stability of GoSLDH significantly improved (up to 13.6-fold) after cross-linking of immobilized enzyme on silica nanoparticles and retained 62.8% residual activity after 10 cycles of reuse. Therefore, immobilized GoSLDH may be useful for L-sorbose production from D-sorbitol.

Cellulase and Xylanase Production by Penicillium echinulatum in Submerged Media Containing Cellulose Amended with Sorbitol

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Carla Eliana Todero Ritter

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The present work investigated the use of sorbitol as a soluble carbon source, in association with cellulose, to produce cellulases and xylanases in submerged cultures of Penicillium echinulatum 9A02S1. Because cellulose is an insoluble carbon source, in cellulase production, there are some problems with rheology and oxygen transfer. The submerged fermentations containing media composed of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1% (w/v sorbitol and cellulose that were added at different times during the cultivation; 0.2% (w/v soy bran; 0.1% (w/v wheat bran; and a solution of salts. The highest filter paper activity (FPA ( IU·mL−1 was obtained on the seventh day in the medium containing 0.5% (w/v sorbitol and 0.5% (w/v cellulose added 24 h after the start of cultivation. However, the CMCases showed an activity peak on the sixth day ( IU·mL−1 in the medium containing 0.75% (w/v sorbitol and 0.75% (w/v cellulose added after 12 h of cultivation. The xylanases showed the highest activity in the medium with 0.75% (w/v sorbitol and 0.25% (w/v cellulose added 36 h after the start of cultivation. This strategy enables the reduction of the cellulose concentration, which in high concentrations can cause rheological and oxygen transfer problems.

Suppressing Sorbitol Synthesis Substantially Alters the Global Expression Profile of Stress Response Genes in Apple (Malus domestica) Leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ting; Wang, Yi; Zheng, Yi; Fei, Zhangjun; Dandekar, Abhaya M; Xu, Kenong; Han, Zhenhai; Cheng, Lailiang

2015-09-01

Sorbitol is a major product of photosynthesis in apple (Malus domestica) that is involved in carbohydrate metabolism and stress tolerance. However, little is known about how the global transcript levels in apple leaves respond to decreased sorbitol synthesis. In this study we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) profiling to characterize the transcriptome of leaves from transgenic lines of the apple cultivar 'Greensleeves' exhibiting suppressed expression of aldose-6-phosphate reductase (A6PR) to gain insights into sorbitol function and the consequences of decreased sorbitol synthesis on gene expression. We observed that, although the leaves of the low sorbitol transgenic lines accumulate higher levels of various primary metabolites, only very limited changes were found in the levels of transcripts associated with primary metabolism. We suggest that this is indicative of post-transcriptional and/or post-translational regulation of primary metabolite accumulation and central carbon metabolism. However, we identified significantly enriched gene ontology terms belonging to the 'stress related process' category in the antisense lines (P-value sorbitol plays a role in the responses of apple trees to abiotic and biotic stresses. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Dietary sorbitol and mannitol: food content and distinct absorption patterns between healthy individuals and patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, C K; Tan, H-L; van Langenberg, D R; Barrett, J S; Rose, R; Liels, K; Gibson, P R; Muir, J G

2014-04-01

Sorbitol and mannitol are naturally-occurring polyol isomers. Although poor absorption and induction of gastrointestinal symptoms by sorbitol are known, the properties of mannitol are poorly described. We aimed to expand data on food composition of these polyols, and to compare their absorptive capacities and symptom induction in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and healthy individuals. Food samples were analysed for sorbitol and mannitol content. The degree of absorption measured by breath hydrogen production and gastrointestinal symptoms (visual analogue scales) was evaluated in a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study in 21 healthy and 20 IBS subjects after challenges with 10 g of sorbitol, mannitol or glucose. Certain fruits and sugar-free gum contained sorbitol, whereas mannitol content was higher in certain vegetables. Similar proportions of patients with IBS (40%) and healthy subjects (33%) completely absorbed sorbitol, although more so with IBS absorbed mannitol (80% versus 43%; P = 0.02). Breath hydrogen production was similar in both groups after lactulose but was reduced in patients with IBS after both polyols. No difference in mean (SEM) hydrogen production was found in healthy controls after sorbitol [area-under-the-curve: 2766 (591) ppm 4 h(-1) ] or mannitol [2062 (468) ppm 4 h(-1) ] but, in patients with IBS, this was greater after sorbitol [1136 (204) ppm 4 h(-1) ] than mannitol [404 (154) ppm 4 h(-1) ; P = 0.002]. Overall gastrointestinal symptoms increased significantly after both polyols in patients with IBS only, although they were independent of malabsorption of either of the polyols. Increased and discordant absorption of mannitol and sorbitol occurs in patients with IBS compared to that in healthy controls. Polyols induced gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with IBS independently of their absorptive patterns, suggesting that the dietary restriction of polyols may be efficacious. © 2013 The

Fed-batch methanol feeding strategy for recombinant protein production by Pichia pastoris in the presence of co-substrate sorbitol.

Science.gov (United States)

Celik, Eda; Calik, Pinar; Oliver, Stephen G

2009-09-01

Batch-wise sorbitol addition as a co-substrate at the induction phase of methanol fed-batch fermentation by Pichia pastoris (Mut(+)) was proposed as a beneficial recombinant protein production strategy and the metabolic responses to methanol feeding rate in the presence of sorbitol was systematically investigated. Adding sorbitol batch-wise to the medium provided the following advantages over growth on methanol alone: (a) eliminating the long lag-phase for the cells and reaching 'high cell density production' at t = 24 h of the process (C(X) = 70 g CDW/l); (b) achieving 1.8-fold higher recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) (at t = 18 h); (c) reducing specific protease production 1.2-fold; (d) eliminating the lactic acid build-up period; (e) lowering the oxygen uptake rate two-fold; and (f) obtaining 1.4-fold higher overall yield coefficients. The maximum specific alcohol oxidase activity was not affected in the presence of sorbitol, and it was observed that sorbitol and methanol were utilized simultaneously. Thus, in the presence of sorbitol, 130 mg/l rHuEPO was produced at t = 24 h, compared to 80 mg/l rHuEPO (t = 24 h) on methanol alone. This work demonstrates not only the ease and efficiency of incorporating sorbitol to fermentations by Mut(+) strains of P. pastoris for the production of any bio-product, but also provides new insights into the metabolism of the methylotrophic yeast P. pastoris.

Ordered Mesoporous NiCeAl Containing Catalysts for Hydrogenolysis of Sorbitol to Glycols

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Zhiwei; Zhang, Jiaqi; Qin, Juan; Li, Dong; Wu, Wenliang

2018-03-01

Cellulose-derived sorbitol is emerging as a feasible and renewable feedstock for the production of value-added chemicals. Highly active and stable catalyst is essential for sorbitol hydrogenolysis. Ordered mesoporous M- xNi yCeAl catalysts with different loadings of nickel and cerium species were successfully synthesized via one-pot evaporation-induced self-assembly strategy (EISA) and their catalytic performance were tested in the hydrogenolysis of sorbitol. The physical chemical properties for the catalysts were characterized by XRD, N2 physisorption, H2-TPR, H2 impulse chemisorption, ICP and TEM techniques. The results showed that the ordered mesopores with uniform pore sizes can be obtained and the Ni nanoparticles around 6 nm in size were homogeneously dispersed in the mesopore channels. A little amount of cerium species introduced would be beneficial to their textural properties resulting in higher Ni dispersion, metal area and smaller size of Ni nanoparticles. The M-10Ni2CeAl catalyst with Ni and Ce loading of 10.9 and 6.3 wt % shows better catalytic performance than other catalysts, and the yield of 1,2-PG and EG can reach 56.9% at 493 K and 6 MPa pressure for 8 h after repeating reactions for 12 times without obvious deterioration of physical and chemical properties. Ordered mesoporous M-NiCeAl catalysts are active and stable in sorbitol hydrogenolysis.

Thin layer chromatography of glucose and sorbitol on Cu(II)-impregnated silica gel plates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hadzija, O. (Ruder Boskovic Inst., Zagreb (Croatia)); Spoljar, B. (Ruder Boskovic Inst., Zagreb (Croatia)); Sesartic, L. (Inst. of Immunology, Zagreb (Croatia))

1994-04-01

A thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) separation of glucose and sorbitol on CU(II)-impregnated silica gel plates with n-propanol: Water (4:1) v/v as developer and potassium permanganate as detecting reagent has been worked out. The new impregnant is completely insoluble in water and thus enables the use of an aqueous developer. The R[sub f]-values are 55 and 10 for glucose and sorbitol, respectively. (orig.)

Sorbitol increases muscle glucose uptake ex vivo and inhibits intestinal glucose absorption ex vivo and in normal and type 2 diabetic rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Chukwuma, Chika Ifeanyi; Islam, Md Shahidul

2017-04-01

Previous studies have suggested that sorbitol, a known polyol sweetener, possesses glycemic control potentials. However, the effect of sorbitol on intestinal glucose absorption and muscle glucose uptake still remains elusive. The present study investigated the effects of sorbitol on intestinal glucose absorption and muscle glucose uptake as possible anti-hyperglycemic or glycemic control potentials using ex vivo and in vivo experimental models. Sorbitol (2.5% to 20%) inhibited glucose absorption in isolated rat jejuna (IC 50 = 14.6% ± 4.6%) and increased glucose uptake in isolated rat psoas muscle with (GU 50 = 3.5% ± 1.6%) or without insulin (GU 50 = 7.0% ± 0.5%) in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, sorbitol significantly delayed gastric emptying, accelerated digesta transit, inhibited intestinal glucose absorption, and reduced blood glucose increase in both normoglycemic and type 2 diabetic rats after 1 h of coingestion with glucose. Data of this study suggest that sorbitol exhibited anti-hyperglycemic potentials, possibly via increasing muscle glucose uptake ex vivo and reducing intestinal glucose absorption in normal and type 2 diabetic rats. Hence, sorbitol may be further investigated as a possible anti-hyperglycemic sweetener.

Magnetic study of iron sorbitol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lazaro, F.J. E-mail: osoro@posta.unizar.es; Larrea, A.; Abadia, A.R.; Romero, M.S

2002-09-01

A magnetic study of iron sorbitol, an iron-containing drug to treat the iron deficiency anemia is presented. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the system contains nanometric particles with an average diameter of 3 nm whose composition is close to two-line ferrihydrite. The characterisation by magnetisation and AC susceptibility measurements indicates superparamagnetic behaviour with progressive magnetic blocking starting at 8 K. The quantitative analysis of the magnetic results indicates that the system consists of an assembly of very small magnetic moments, presumably originated by spin uncompensation of the antiferromagnetic nanoparticles, with Arrhenius type magnetic dynamics.

Simultaneous catalytic conversion of cellulose and corncob xylan under temperature programming for enhanced sorbitol and xylitol production.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Lucília Sousa; Órfão, José J de Melo; Pereira, Manuel Fernando Ribeiro

2017-11-01

Sorbitol and xylitol yields can be improved by converting cellulose and xylan simultaneously, due to a synergetic effect between both substrates. Furthermore, both yields can be greatly enhanced by simply adjusting the reaction conditions regarding the optimum for the production of each product, since xylitol (from xylan) and sorbitol (from cellulose) yields are maximized when the reaction is carried out at 170 and 205°C, respectively. Therefore, the combination of a simultaneous conversion of cellulose and xylan with a two-step temperature approach, which consists in the variation of the reaction temperature from 170 to 205°C after 2h, showed to be a good strategy for maximizing the production of sorbitol and xylitol directly from mixture of cellulose and xylan. Using this new and environmentally friendly approach, yields of sorbitol and xylitol of 75 and 77%, respectively, were obtained after 6h of reaction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

FORMULA OPTIMATION OF SENGGUGU ROOT BARK EXTRACT LOZENGES (Clerodendrum serratum (L. Moon. AS MUCOLYTIC AGENT WITH LACTOSE – SORBITOL FILLER COMBINATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wahyono Wahyono

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Senggugu root bark has mucolytic activity and has been used empirically, so it needs to be formulated as lozengeswhich can be used practically and comfortable for the patients. Senggugu root bark powder was extracted by maceration using aethanol 70%. Lozenges was optimized using lactose-sorbitol filler mix through three formulas, formula A ( 100% lactose, formula B (100% sorbitol, formula C (50% lactose-50% sorbitol. Lozenges was made by wet granulation method. The optimum formula was obtained from theresults of physical granul test and lozenges using SLD, and analyzed by its granul flow, hardness, dissolution time, and taste responsiveness, and also qualitative and quantitative analysis. The results show that lactose-sorbitol filler mix can increase hardness and taste responsiveness, decrease granul flow and dissolution time. The oprimum formula from this research is 100% sorbitol:0% lactose.

Development of a promoter shutoff system in Aspergillus oryzae using a sorbitol-sensitive promoter.

Science.gov (United States)

Oda, Ken; Terado, Shiho; Toyoura, Rieko; Fukuda, Hisashi; Kawauchi, Moriyuki; Iwashita, Kazuhiro

2016-09-01

Promoter shutoff is a general method for analyzing essential genes, but in the fungus Aspergillus oryzae, no tightly repressed promoters have been reported. To overcome the current limitations of conditional promoters, we examined sorbitol- and galactose-responsive genes using microarrays to identify regulatable genes with only minor physiological and genetic effects. We identified two sorbitol-induced genes (designated as sorA and sorB), cloned their promoters, and built a regulated egfp and brlA expression system. Growth medium-dependent enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) fluorescence and conidiation were confirmed for egfp and brlA under the control of their respective promoters. We also used this shutoff system to regulate the essential rhoA, which demonstrated the expected growth inhibition under repressed growth conditions. Our new sorbitol promoter shutoff system developed can serve as a valuable new tool for essential gene analyses of filamentous fungi.

Effect of xylitol versus sorbitol: a quantitative systematic review of clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Mickenautsch, Steffen; Yengopal, Veerasamy

2012-08-01

This study aimed to appraise, within the context of tooth caries, the current clinical evidence and its risk for bias regarding the effects of xylitol in comparison with sorbitol. Databases were searched for clinical trials to 19 March 2011. Inclusion criteria required studies to: test a caries-related primary outcome; compare the effects of xylitol with those of sorbitol; describe a clinical trial with two or more arms, and utilise a prospective study design. Articles were excluded if they did not report computable data or did not follow up test and control groups in the same way. Individual dichotomous and continuous datasets were extracted from accepted articles. Selection and performance/detection bias were assessed. Sensitivity analysis was used to investigate attrition bias. Egger's regression and funnel plotting were used to investigate risk for publication bias. Nine articles were identified. Of these, eight were accepted and one was excluded. Ten continuous and eight dichotomous datasets were extracted. Because of high clinical heterogeneity, no meta-analysis was performed. Most of the datasets favoured xylitol, but this was not consistent. The accepted trials may be limited by selection bias. Results of the sensitivity analysis indicate a high risk for attrition bias. The funnel plot and Egger's regression results suggest a low publication bias risk. External fluoride exposure and stimulated saliva flow may have confounded the measured anticariogenic effect of xylitol. The evidence identified in support of xylitol over sorbitol is contradictory, is at high risk for selection and attrition bias and may be limited by confounder effects. Future high-quality randomised controlled trials are needed to show whether xylitol has a greater anticariogenic effect than sorbitol. © 2012 FDI World Dental Federation.

Hyperglycemia Promotes Schwann Cell De-differentiation and De-myelination via Sorbitol Accumulation and Igf1 Protein Down-regulation*

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Wu; Tashiro, Syoichi; Hasegawa, Tomoka; Sato, Yuiko; Kobayashi, Tami; Tando, Toshimi; Katsuyama, Eri; Fujie, Atsuhiro; Watanabe, Ryuichi; Morita, Mayu; Miyamoto, Kana; Morioka, Hideo; Nakamura, Masaya; Matsumoto, Morio; Amizuka, Norio; Toyama, Yoshiaki; Miyamoto, Takeshi

2015-01-01

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is frequently accompanied by complications, such as peripheral nerve neuropathy. Schwann cells play a pivotal role in regulating peripheral nerve function and conduction velocity; however, changes in Schwann cell differentiation status in DM are not fully understood. Here, we report that Schwann cells de-differentiate into immature cells under hyperglycemic conditions as a result of sorbitol accumulation and decreased Igf1 expression in those cells. We found that de-differentiated Schwann cells could be re-differentiated in vitro into mature cells by treatment with an aldose reductase inhibitor, to reduce sorbitol levels, or with vitamin D3, to elevate Igf1 expression. In vivo DM models exhibited significantly reduced nerve function and conduction, Schwann cell de-differentiation, peripheral nerve de-myelination, and all conditions were significantly rescued by aldose reductase inhibitor or vitamin D3 administration. These findings reveal mechanisms underlying pathological changes in Schwann cells seen in DM and suggest ways to treat neurological conditions associated with this condition. PMID:25998127

Cryopreservation of boar semen by egg yolk-based extenders containing lactose or fructose is better than sorbitol.

Science.gov (United States)

Chanapiwat, Panida; Kaeoket, Kampon; Tummaruk, Padet

2012-03-01

The present study determined the effect of different types of sugars (lactose, fructose, glucose and sorbitol) used in egg yolk-based extender on the post-thawed boar semen quality. Twenty-two ejaculates from 6 fertility-proven Yorkshire boars were cryopreserved by liquid nitrogen vapor method. Sperm motility, viability, acrosome integrity and intact functional plasma membrane were determined at 0, 2 and 4 hr after thawing. It was found that the lactose-based extender resulted in a higher percentage of post-thawed sperm motility, viability, intact acrosome and functional plasma membrane than sorbitol-based extender (Pextender yielded a higher post-thawed sperm motility and viability than sorbitol-based extender (Pboar semen.

Subcellular localization and vacuolar targeting of sorbitol dehydrogenase in apple seed.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiu-Ling; Hu, Zi-Ying; You, Chun-Xiang; Kong, Xiu-Zhen; Shi, Xiao-Pu

2013-09-01

Sorbitol is the primary photosynthate and translocated carbohydrate in fruit trees of the Rosaceae family. NAD(+)-dependent sorbitol dehydrogenase (NAD-SDH, EC 1.1.1.14), which mainly catalyzes the oxidation of sorbitol to fructose, plays a key role in regulating sink strength in apple. In this study, we found that apple NAD-SDH was ubiquitously distributed in epidermis, parenchyma, and vascular bundle in developing cotyledon. NAD-SDH was localized in the cytosol, the membranes of endoplasmic reticulum and vesicles, and the vacuolar lumen in the cotyledon at the middle stage of seed development. In contrast, NAD-SDH was mainly distributed in the protein storage vacuoles in cotyledon at the late stage of seed development. Sequence analysis revealed there is a putative signal peptide (SP), also being predicated to be a transmembrane domain, in the middle of proteins of apple NAD-SDH isoforms. To investigate whether the putative internal SP functions in the vacuolar targeting of NAD-SDH, we analyzed the localization of the SP-deletion mutants of MdSDH5 and MdSDH6 (two NAD-SDH isoforms in apple) by the transient expression system in Arabidopsis protoplasts. MdSDH5 and MdSDH6 were not localized in the vacuoles after their SPs were deleted, suggesting the internal SP functions in the vacuolar targeting of apple NAD-SDH. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

JNK signaling pathway regulates sorbitol-induced Tau proteolysis and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells by targeting caspase-3.

Science.gov (United States)

Olivera Santa-Catalina, Marta; Caballero Bermejo, Montaña; Argent, Ricardo; Alonso, Juan C; Centeno, Francisco; Lorenzo, María J

2017-12-15

Growing evidence suggests that Diabetes Mellitus increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. It is well known that hyperglycemia, a key feature of Diabetes Mellitus, may induce plasma osmolarity disturbances. Both hyperglycemia and hyperosmolarity promote the altered post-translational regulation of microtubule-associated protein Tau. Interestingly, abnormal hyperphosphorylation and cleavage of Tau have been proven to lead to the genesis of filamentous structures referred to as neurofibrillary tangles, the main pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. We have previously described that hyperosmotic stress induced by sorbitol promotes Tau proteolysis and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells via caspase-3 activation. In order to gain insights into the regulatory mechanisms of such processes, in this work we explored the intracellular signaling pathways that regulate these events. We found that sorbitol treatment significantly enhanced the activation of conventional families of MAPK in SH-SY5Y cells. Tau proteolysis was completely prevented by JNK inhibition but not affected by either ERK1/2 or p38 MAPK blockade. Moreover, inhibition of JNK, but not ERK1/2 or p38 MAPK, efficiently prevented sorbitol-induced apoptosis and caspase-3 activation. In summary, we provide evidence that JNK signaling pathway is an upstream regulator of hyperosmotic stress-induced Tau cleavage and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y through the control of caspase-3 activation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Production of liquid alkanes by controlling reactivity of sorbitol hydrogenation with a Ni/HZSM-5 catalyst in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Qing; Wang, Tiejun; Xu, Ying; Zhang, Qi; Ma, Longlong

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: MCM-41-modified Ni/HZSM-5 catalyst was developed by impregnation method with high catalytic performance for sorbitol hydrogenation in water. Appropriate amount of MCM-41 addition can distinctly promote the improvement in the surface structure and modulation of acidic sites of the catalyst. The scission of C–O bond in the sorbitol molecule into liquid alkanes was easily carried out on the catalyst containing more Lewis acidic sites. - Highlights: • Ni/HZSM-5 promoted with MCM-41 is active for sorbitol hydrogenation to liquid alkanes. • Lewis acidic sites of Ni/HZSM-5 can be modulated by pure silica MCM-41. • MCM-41 added can distinctly decrease carbon deposition on the catalyst surface. - Abstract: Liquid fuels derived from renewable biomass are of great importance on the potential substitution for diminishing fossil fuels. The conversion of sorbitol (a product of biomass-derived glucose hydrogenation) into liquid alkanes such as pentane and hexane over the Ni/HZSM-5 catalysts with or without MCM-41 addition was investigated in the presence of hydrogen in water medium. The production distribution of sorbitol hydrogenation can be controlled by adjusting the acidity of the catalyst. The scission of C–C bond in the sorbitol molecule into light C 1 –C 4 alkanes was mainly carried out over Ni/HZSM-5 containing strong Brønsted acid sites, while C–O bond scission into heavier alkanes was dominated over the catalysts added by MCM-41 containing weak Lewis acid sites. The sorbitol conversion and total liquid alkanes selectivity were found to be 67.1% and 98.7% over 2%Ni/HZSM-5 modified by 40 wt% of MCM-41, whereas the corresponding value was 40% and 35.6% over 2%Ni/HZSM-5 in the absence of MCM-41. The effect of MCM-41 on the structure, acidity, and reducibility of Ni/HZSM-5 was investigated by using XRD, Py-IR, IR, and H 2 -TPR. Meanwhile, the resistance of carbon deposition over the catalyst modified by MCM-41 was studied by using TG�

Effect of sorbitol in callus induction and plant regeneration in wheat

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-12-01

Dec 1, 2009 ... Key words: Callus induction, plant regeneration, wheat, 2,4-D, sorbitol. INTRODUCTION ... regeneration is better on hormone-free medium or that .... AB (interaction). 15 ... element and creates osmotic stress as reported by.

Control of glucokinase translocation in rat hepatocytes by sorbitol and the cytosolic redox state.

Science.gov (United States)

Agius, L

1994-02-15

In rat hepatocytes cultured in 5 mM glucose, glucokinase activity is present predominantly in a bound state, and during permeabilization of the cells with digitonin in the presence of Mg2+ less than 20% of glucokinase activity is released. However, incubation of hepatocytes with a higher [glucose] [concn. giving half-maximal activation (A50) 15 mM] or with fructose (A50 50 microM) causes translocation of glucokinase from its Mg(2+)-dependent binding site to an alternative site [Agius and Peak (1993) Biochem. J. 296, 785-796]. A comparison of various substrates showed that sorbitol (A50 8 microM) was 6-fold more potent than fructose at causing glucokinase translocation, whereas tagatose was as potent and mannitol was > 10-fold less potent (A50 550 microM). These substrates also stimulate glucose conversion into glycogen with a similar relative potency, suggesting that conversion of glucose into glycogen is dependent on the binding and/or location of glucokinase within the hepatocyte. Ethanol and glycerol inhibited the effects of fructose, sorbitol and glucose on glucokinase translocation, whereas dihydroxy-acetone had a small additive effect at sub-maximal substrate stimulation. The converse effects of glycerol and dihydroxy-acetone suggest a role for the cytosolic NADH/NAD+ redox state in controlling glucokinase translocation. Titrations with three competitive inhibitors of glucokinase did not provide evidence for involvement of glucokinase flux in glucose-induced glucokinase translocation: N-acetylglucosamine inhibited glucose conversion into glycogen, but not glucose-induced glucokinase translocation; glucosamine partially suppressed glucose-induced and fructose-induced glucokinase translocation, at concentrations that caused total inhibition of glucose conversion into glycogen; D-mannoheptulose increased glucokinase release and had an additive effect with glucose. 3,3'-Tetramethylene-glutaric acid (5 mM), an inhibitor of aldose reductase, inhibited glucokinase

Polar silica-based stationary phases. Part II- Neutral silica stationary phases with surface bound maltose and sorbitol for hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Rathnasekara, Renuka; El Rassi, Ziad

2017-07-28

Two neutral polyhydroxylated silica bonded stationary phases, namely maltose-silica (MALT-silica) and sorbitol-silica (SOR-silica), have been introduced and chromatographically characterized in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) for a wide range of polar compounds. The bonding of the maltose and sorbitol to the silica surface was brought about by first converting bare silica to an epoxy-activated silica surface via reaction with γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) followed by attaching maltose and sorbitol to the epoxy surface in the presence of the Lewis acid catalyst BF 3 .ethereate. Both silica based columns offered the expected retention characteristics usually encountered for neutral polar surface. The retention mechanism is majorly based on solute' differential partitioning between an organic rich hydro-organic mobile phase (e.g., ACN rich mobile phase) and an adsorbed water layer on the surface of the stationary phase although additional hydrogen bonding was also responsible in some cases for solute retention. The MALT-silica column proved to be more hydrophilic and offered higher retention, separation efficiency and resolution than the SOR-silica column among the tested polar solutes such as derivatized mono- and oligosaccharides, weak phenolic acids, cyclic nucleotide monophosphate and nucleotide-5'-monophosphates, and weak bases, e.g., nucleobases and nucleosides. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hybrid neural network model for simulating sorbitol synthesis by glucose-fructose oxidoreductase in Zymomonas mobilis CP4

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bravo S.

2004-01-01

Full Text Available A hybrid neural network model for simulating the process of enzymatic reduction of fructose to sorbitol process catalyzed by glucose-fructose oxidoreductase in Zymomonas mobilis CP4 is presented. Data used to derive and validate the model was obtained from experiments carried out under different conditions of pH, temperature and concentrations of both substrates (glucose and fructose involved in the reaction. Sonicated and lyophilized cells were used as source of the enzyme. The optimal pH for sorbitol synthesis at 30º C is 6.5. For a value of pH of 6, the optimal temperature is 35º C. The neural network in the model computes the value of the kinetic relationship. The hybrid neural network model is able to simulate changes in the substrates and product concentrations during sorbitol synthesis under pH and temperature conditions ranging between 5 and 7.5 and 25 and 40º C, respectively. Under these conditions the rate of sorbitol synthesis shows important differences. Values computed using the hybrid neural network model have an average error of 1.7·10-3 mole.

Functional assignment of gene AAC16202.1 from Rhodobacter capsulatus SB1003: new insights into the bacterial SDR sorbitol dehydrogenases family.

Science.gov (United States)

Sola-Carvajal, Agustín; García-García, María Inmaculada; Sánchez-Carrón, Guiomar; García-Carmona, Francisco; Sánchez-Ferrer, Alvaro

2012-11-01

Short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDR) constitute one of the largest enzyme superfamilies with over 60,000 non-redundant sequences in the database, many of which need a correct functional assignment. Among them, the gene AAC16202.1 (NCBI) from Rhodobacter capsulatus SB1003 has been assigned in Uniprot both as a sorbitol dehydrogenase (#D5AUY1) and, as an N-acetyl-d-mannosamine dehydrogenase (#O66112), both enzymes being of biotechnological interest. When the gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3)pLys, the purified enzyme was not active toward N-acetyl-d-mannosamine, whereas it was active toward d-sorbitol and d-fructose. However, the relative activities toward xylitol and l-iditol (0.45 and 6.9%, respectively) were low compared with that toward d-sorbitol. Thus, the enzyme could be considered sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) with very low activity toward xylitol, which could increase its biotechnological interest for determining sorbitol without the unspecific cross-determination of added xylitol in food and pharma compositions. The tetrameric enzyme (120 kDa) showed similar catalytic efficiency (2.2 × 10(3) M(-1) s(-1)) to other sorbitol dehydrogenases for d-sorbitol, with an optimum pH of 9.0 and an optimum temperature of 37 °C. The enzyme was also more thermostable than other reported SDH, ammonium sulfate being the best stabilizer in this respect, increasing the melting temperature (T(m)) up to 52.9 °C. The enzyme can also be considered as a new member of the Zn(2+) independent SDH family since no effect on activity was detected in the presence of divalent cations or chelating agents. Finally, its in silico analysis enabled the specific conserved sequence blocks that are the fingerprints of bacterial sorbitol dehydrogenases and mainly located at C-terminal of the protein, to be determined for the first time. This knowledge will facilitate future data curation of present databases and a better functional assignment of newly described

Hyperglycemia Promotes Schwann Cell De-differentiation and De-myelination via Sorbitol Accumulation and Igf1 Protein Down-regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Wu; Tashiro, Syoichi; Hasegawa, Tomoka; Sato, Yuiko; Kobayashi, Tami; Tando, Toshimi; Katsuyama, Eri; Fujie, Atsuhiro; Watanabe, Ryuichi; Morita, Mayu; Miyamoto, Kana; Morioka, Hideo; Nakamura, Masaya; Matsumoto, Morio; Amizuka, Norio; Toyama, Yoshiaki; Miyamoto, Takeshi

2015-07-10

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is frequently accompanied by complications, such as peripheral nerve neuropathy. Schwann cells play a pivotal role in regulating peripheral nerve function and conduction velocity; however, changes in Schwann cell differentiation status in DM are not fully understood. Here, we report that Schwann cells de-differentiate into immature cells under hyperglycemic conditions as a result of sorbitol accumulation and decreased Igf1 expression in those cells. We found that de-differentiated Schwann cells could be re-differentiated in vitro into mature cells by treatment with an aldose reductase inhibitor, to reduce sorbitol levels, or with vitamin D3, to elevate Igf1 expression. In vivo DM models exhibited significantly reduced nerve function and conduction, Schwann cell de-differentiation, peripheral nerve de-myelination, and all conditions were significantly rescued by aldose reductase inhibitor or vitamin D3 administration. These findings reveal mechanisms underlying pathological changes in Schwann cells seen in DM and suggest ways to treat neurological conditions associated with this condition. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

GenBank blastx search result: AK061856 [KOME

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AK061856 001-040-G03 AF018073.1 Rhodobacter sphaeroides operon regulator (smoC), periplasmic sorbitol...-binding protein (smoE), sorbitol/mannitol transport inner membrane protein (smoF), sorbitol.../mannitol transport inner membrane protein (smoG), sorbitol/mannitol transport ATP-binding transport protein (smoK), sorbitol

Consistent evidence to support the use of xylitol- and sorbitol-containing chewing gum to prevent dental caries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Twetman, Svante

2009-01-01

DATA SOURCES: Studies were identified using searches with Medline, the Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. STUDY SELECTION: Studies were screened independently and were included if they evaluated the effect of one or more chewing gums containing at least one polyol (xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol...... randomised controlled trials (RCT) of which four were cluster RCT, nine controlled clinical trials (CCT) and four cohort studies]. Two RCT had a Jadad score of three or higher. The mean preventive fraction for the four main gum types are shown in the table 1, results of all except the sorbitol -mannitol...... blend were statistically significant. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings. CONCLUSIONS: Although research gaps exist, particularly on optimal dosing and relative polyol efficacy, there is consistent evidence to support the use of xylitol- and sorbitol-containing chewing gum...

Fructose production by Zymomonas mobilis in fed-batch culture with minimal sorbitol formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Edye, L A; Johns, M R; Ewings, K N

1989-08-01

Fed-batch cultures of Zymomonas mobilis (UQM 2864), a mutant unable to metabolise fructose, grown on diluted sugar cane syrup (200 g/l sucrose) achieved yields of 90.5 g/l fructose and 48.3 g/l ethanol with minimal sorbitol formation and complete utilization of the substrate. The effect of inoculum size on sorbitol formation in the batch stage of fed-batch fermentation are reported. Fermentation of sucrose (350 g/l) supplemented with nutrients yielded 142 g/l fructose and 76.5 g/l ethanol. Some fructose product loss at high fructose concentrations was observed. The fed-batch fermentation process offers a method for obtaining high concentrations of fructose and ethanol from sucrose materials. (orig.).

Substrate inhibition: Oxidation of D-sorbitol and D-mannitol by potassium periodate in alkaline medium

Science.gov (United States)

Lakshman Kumar, Y.; Venkata Nadh, R.; Radhakrishnamurti, P. S.

2014-05-01

In the oxidation of D-sorbitol and D-mannitol by potassium periodate in alkaline media, substrate inhibition was observed with both substrates, i.e., a decrease in the rate of the reaction was observed with an increase in the concentration of substrate. The substrate inhibition was attributed to the formation of stable complex between the substrate and periodate. The reactions were found to be first order in case of periodate and a positive fractional order with hydroxide ions. Arrhenius parameters were calculated for the oxidation of sorbitol and mannitol by potassium periodate in alkali media.

Autodisplay of active sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) yields a whole cell biocatalyst for the synthesis of rare sugars.

Science.gov (United States)

Jose, Joachim; von Schwichow, Steffen

2004-04-02

Whole cell biocatalysts are attractive technological tools for the regio- and enantioselective synthesis of products, especially from substrates with several identical reactive groups. In the present study, a whole cell biocatalyst for the synthesis of rare sugars from polyalcohols was constructed. For this purpose, sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family, was expressed on the surface of Escherichia coli using Autodisplay. Autodisplay is an efficient surface display system for Gram-negative bacteria and is based on the autotransporter secretion pathway. Transport of SDH to the outer membrane was monitored by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting of different cell fractions. The surface exposure of the enzyme could be verified by immunofluorescence microscopy and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). The activity of whole cells displaying SDH at the surface was determined in an optical test. Specific activities were found to be 12 mU per 3.3 x 10(8) cells for the conversion of D-glucitol (sorbitol) to D-fructose, 7 mU for the conversion D-galactitol to D-tagatose, and 17 mU for the conversion of L-arabitol to L-ribulose. The whole cell biocatalyst obtained by surface display of SDH could also produce D-glucitol from D-fructose (29 mU per 3.3 x 10(8) cells).

Simultaneous saccharification of inulin and starch using commercial glucoamylase and the subsequent bioconversion to high titer sorbitol and gluconic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

An, Kehong; Hu, Fengxian; Bao, Jie

2013-12-01

A new bioprocess for production of sorbitol and gluconic acid from two low-cost feedstocks, inulin and cassava starch, using a commercially available enzyme was proposed in this study. The commercial glucoamylase GA-L NEW from Genencor was found to demonstrate a high inulinase activity for hydrolysis of inulin into fructose and glucose. The glucoamylase was used to replace the expensive and not commercially available inulinase enzyme for simultaneous saccharification of inulin and starch into high titer glucose and fructose hydrolysate. The glucose and fructose in the hydrolysate were converted into sorbitol and gluconic acid using immobilized whole cells of the recombinant Zymomonas mobilis strain. The high gluconic acid concentration of 193 g/L and sorbitol concentration of 180 g/L with the overall yield of 97.3 % were obtained in the batch operations. The present study provided a practical production method of sorbitol and gluconic acid from low cost feedstocks and enzymes.

Sorbitol dehydration into isosorbide in a molten salt hydrate medium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, J.; Spina, A.; Moulijn, J.A.; Makkee, M.

2013-01-01

The sorbitol conversion in a molten salt hydrate medium (ZnCl2; 70 wt% in water) was studied. Dehydration is the main reaction, initially 1,4- and 3,6-anhydrosorbitol are the main products that are subsequently converted into isosorbide; two other anhydrohexitols, (1,5- and 2,5-), formed are in less

The influence of sorbitol on the production of cellulases and xylanases in an airlift bioreactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritter, Carla Eliana Todero; Fontana, Roselei Claudete; Camassola, Marli; da Silveira, Maurício Moura; Dillon, Aldo José Pinheiro

2013-11-01

The production of cellulases and xylanases by Penicillium echinulatum in an airlift bioreactor was evaluated. In batch production, we tested media with isolated or associated cellulose and sorbitol. In fed-batch production, we tested cellulose addition at two different times, 30 h and 48 h. Higher liquid circulation velocities in the downcomer were observed in sorbitol 10 g L(-1) medium. In batch production, higher FPA (filter paper activity) and endoglucanase activities were obtained with cellulose (7.5 g L(-1)) and sorbitol (2.5 g L(-1)), 1.0 U mL(-1) (120 h) and 6.4 U m L(-1) (100 h), respectively. For xylanases, the best production condition was cellulose 10 g L(-1), which achieved 5.5 U mL(-1) in 64 h. The fed-batch process was favorable for obtaining xylanases, but not for FPA and endoglucanases, suggesting that in the case of cellulases, the inducer must be added early in the process. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solvent-Free Polymerization of L-Aspartic Acid in the Presence of D-Sorbitol to Obtain Water Soluble or Network Copolymers

Science.gov (United States)

L-aspartic acid was thermally polymerized in the presence of D-sorbitol with the goal of synthesizing new, higher molecular weight water soluble and absorbent copolymers. No reaction occurred when aspartic acid alone was heated at 170 or 200 degrees C. In contrast, heating sorbitol and aspartic ac...

Sorbitol as an efficient reducing agent for laser-induced copper deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Kochemirovsky, V. A.; Logunov, L. S.; Safonov, S. V.; Tumkin, I. I.; Tver'yanovich, Yu. S.; Menchikov, L. G.

2012-10-01

We have pioneered in revealing the fact that sorbitol may be used as an efficient reducing agent in the process of laser-induced copper deposition from solutions; in this case, it is possible to obtain copper lines much higher quality than by using conventional formalin.

Effects of olestra and sorbitol consumption on objective measures of diarrhea: impact of stool viscosity on common gastrointestinal symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

McRorie, J; Zorich, N; Riccardi, K; Bishop, L; Filloon, T; Wason, S; Giannella, R

2000-02-01

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of olestra and sorbitol consumption on three accepted objective measures of diarrhea (stool output >250 g/day, liquid/watery stools, bowel movement frequency >3/day), and how stool composition influences reports of common gastrointestinal symptoms. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study compared the effects of sorbitol (40 g/day in candy), a poorly absorbed sugar-alcohol with known osmotic effects, with those of olestra (20 or 40 g/day in potato chips), a nonabsorbed fat, on objective measures of stool composition and GI symptoms. Sixty-six subjects resided on a metabolic ward for 12 days: 2 days lead-in, 4 days baseline, 6 days treatment. Sorbitol 40 g/day resulted in loose/liquid stools within 1-3 h of consumption. In contrast, olestra resulted in a dose-responsive stool softening effect after 2-4 days of consumption. Subjects reported "diarrhea" when mean stool apparent viscosity (peak force (PF), g) decreased from a perceived "normal" (mean +/- SE, 1355 +/- 224 g PF; firm stool) to loose (260 +/- 68 g PF) stool. Mean apparent viscosity of stool during treatment: placebo, 1363 +/- 280 g (firm); olestra 20 g/day 743 +/- 65 g (soft); olestra 40 g/day, 563 +/- 105 g (soft); and sorbitol 40 g/day, 249 +/- 53 g (loose). Of the 1098 stool samples collected, 38% (419/1098) were rated by subjects as "diarrhea," yet only 2% of treatment days (all in the sorbitol treatment group) met commonly accepted criteria for a clinical diarrhea. Sorbitol, but not olestra, increased the severity of abdominal cramping, urgency and nausea compared to placebo. Olestra consumption, at levels far in excess of normal snacking conditions, resulted in a gradual stool softening effect after several days of consumption, did not meet any of the three objective measures of diarrhea, and did not increase GI symptoms. Sorbitol consumption, at only 80% of the dose requiring a "laxative effect" information label, resulted in rapid onset loose

Blending of soluble corn fiber with pullulan, sorbitol, or fructose attenuates glycemic and insulinemic responses in the dog and affects hydrolytic digestion in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

de Godoy, M R C; Knapp, B K; Bauer, L L; Swanson, K S; Fahey, G C

2013-08-01

The objective of these experiments was to measure in vitro hydrolytic digestion and glycemic and insulinemic responses of select carbohydrate blends, all containing the novel carbohydrate soluble corn fiber (SCF). Two SCF that varied in their method of production were used to formulate the carbohydrate blends. One set of blends contained a SCF that was spray dried (SCFsd) and then blended with different amounts of either pullulan, sorbitol, or fructose. The other set of blends contained a SCF produced using longer evaporation time (SCF) and then blended with different ratios of pullulan, sorbitol, and fructose. Free sugar concentrations found in the individual SCFsd and SCF substrates were low but varied. Spray-dried soluble corn fiber had a reduced free sugar concentration compared with SCF (2.8 vs. 14.2%). Glucose was the main free sugar found in both SCFsd and SCF but at different concentrations (2.7 vs. 12.7%, respectively). The majority of the SCFsd blends were completely hydrolyzed to their monosaccharide components. Glucose accounted for most of the hydrolyzed monosaccharides for SCFsd and all the SCFsd blends. Hydrolyzed monosaccharide concentrations for the SCF:pullulan:sorbitol:fructose blends followed similar trends to the SCFsd blends where greater percentages of fructose and sorbitol resulted in decreased (P sorbitol. Total released monosaccharides were high in SCFsd blends containing either 50% fructose or sorbitol, but the combination resulted in reduced concentrations of glucose released (P sorbitol:fructose blends also had intermediate to high released monosaccharides as a result of in vitro hydrolytic digestion. All SCF blends resulted in decreased glycemic and insulinemic responses compared with the maltodextrin control (P sorbitol in the blends had the greatest impact on glycemic and insulinemic responses, even at concentrations as low as 5% of the blends. Overall, SCF and their blends may prove beneficial as components of low glycemic

Selective electrocatalytic oxidation of sorbitol to fructose and sorbose.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Youngkook; de Jong, Ed; van der Waal, Jan Kees; Koper, Marc T M

2015-03-01

A new electrocatalytic method for the selective electrochemical oxidation of sorbitol to fructose and sorbose is demonstrated by using a platinum electrode promoted by p-block metal atoms. By the studying a range of C4, C5 and C6 polyols, it is found that the promoter interferes with the stereochemistry of the polyol and thereby modifies its reactivity. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Overexpression, purification and crystallization of the tetrameric form of SorC sorbitol operon regulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanctis, Daniele de; Rêgo, Ana T.; Marçal, David; McVey, Colin E.; Carrondo, Maria A.; Enguita, Francisco J.

2007-01-01

The sorbitol operon regulator from K. pneumoniae has been overexpressed in E. coli, purified and crystallized. Diffraction data were collected to 3.2 Å. The sorbitol operon regulator (SorC) regulates the metabolism of l-sorbose in Klebsiella pneumonia. SorC was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified, and crystals were obtained of a tetrameric form. A single crystal showed X-ray diffraction to 3.20 Å. The crystal belongs to space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 91.6, b = 113.3, c = 184.1 Å. Analysis of the molecular-replacement solution indicates the presence of four SorC molecules in the asymmetric unit

The effect of increasing chitosan on the characteristics of bioplastic from starch talas (Colocasia esculenta) using plasticizer sorbitol

Science.gov (United States)

Ginting, M. H. S.; Lubis, M.; Sidabutar, T.; Sirait, T. P.

2018-03-01

The aims of this research to determine the profile of starch gelatinization, bioplastic and the effect of increasing chitosan and sorbitol to the properties of tensile strength and elongation of break bioplastic. Preparation of bioplastics was used by casting method, that is 30% w/v solution of starch mixed with chitosan solution (0.5 w/v; 1 w/v; 1.5 w/v; 2 w/v; and 2.5 w/v) and plasticizer sorbitol (10 % w/w; 20 % w/w; 30 % w/w; 40 % w/w and 50 % w/w) were heated using a hotplate magnetic stirrer at 750C. The results of Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) obtained by starch and bioplastic gelatinization temperature of 72.94°C 77.72°C with peak viscosity 6632 cP and 3476 cP. Analysis of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) obtained the change a functional group of bioplastic OH at wave number 3765 cm-1 and uneven chitosan distribution, and there is still an empty fraction. The addition of chitosan and sorbitol had an effect on tensile strength and elongation at break, tensile strength and elongation at break the highest of 8.36 MPa and 22.06% in starch composition 30%, 2.5 w/v chitosan and sorbitol 30% w/w.

Effect of Xylitol on Growth of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the Presence of Fructose and Sorbitol

Science.gov (United States)

Tapiainen, Terhi; Kontiokari, Tero; Sammalkivi, Laura; Ikäheimo, Irma; Koskela, Markku; Uhari, Matti

2001-01-01

Xylitol is effective in preventing acute otitis media by inhibiting the growth of Streptococcus pneumoniae. To clarify this inhibition we used fructose, which is known to block similar growth inhibition observed in Streptococcus mutans. In addition, we evaluated the efficacy of sorbitol in inhibiting the growth of pneumococci, as sorbitol is widely used for indications similar to those for which xylitol is used. The addition of 5% xylitol to the growth medium resulted in marked growth inhibition, an effect which was totally eliminated in the presence of 1, 2.5, or 5% fructose but not in the presence of 1 or 5% glucose, 1% galactose, or 1% sucrose. This finding implies that xylitol-induced inhibition of pneumococcal growth is mediated via the fructose phosphotransferase system in a way similar to that in which mutans group streptococcal growth is inhibited. The addition of sorbitol at concentrations of 1, 2.5, or 5% to the growth medium did not affect the growth of pneumococci and neither inhibited nor enhanced the xylitol-induced growth impairment. Thus, it seems that xylitol is the only commercially used sugar substitute proven to have an antimicrobial effect on pneumococci. PMID:11120960

Sweet taste in apple: the role of sorbitol, individual sugars, organic acids and volatile compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Aprea, Eugenio; Charles, Mathilde; Endrizzi, Isabella; Laura Corollaro, Maria; Betta, Emanuela; Biasioli, Franco; Gasperi, Flavia

2017-03-01

Sweetness is one of the main drivers of consumer preference, and thus is given high priority in apple breeding programmes. Due to the complexity of sweetness evaluation, soluble solid content (SSC) is commonly used as an estimation of this trait. Nevertheless, it has been demonstrated that SSC and sweet taste are poorly correlated. Though individual sugar content may vary greatly between and within apple cultivars, no previous study has tried to investigate the relationship between the amount of individual sugars, or ratios of these, and apple sweetness. In this work, we quantified the major sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose, xylose) and sorbitol and explored their influence on perceived sweetness in apple; we also related this to malic acid content, SSC and volatile compounds. Our data confirmed that the correlation between sweetness and SSC is weak. We found that sorbitol content correlates (similarly to SSC) with perceived sweetness better than any other single sugar or total sugar content. The single sugars show no differentiable importance in determining apple sweetness. Our predictive model based on partial least squares regression shows that after sorbitol and SSC, the most important contribution to apple sweetness is provided by several volatile compounds, mainly esters and farnesene.

Photosystem I shows a higher tolerance to sorbitol-induced osmotic stress than photosystem II in the intertidal macro-algae Ulva prolifera (Chlorophyta).

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Shan; Zheng, Zhenbing; Gu, Wenhui; Xie, Xiujun; Huan, Li; Pan, Guanghua; Wang, Guangce

2014-10-01

The photosynthetic performance of the desiccation-tolerant, intertidal macro-algae Ulva prolifera was significantly affected by sorbitol-induced osmotic stress. Our results showed that photosynthetic activity decreased significantly with increases in sorbitol concentration. Although the partial activity of both photosystem I (PS I) and photosystem II (PS II) was able to recover after 30 min of rehydration, the activity of PS II decreased more rapidly than PS I. At 4 M sorbitol concentration, the activity of PS II was almost 0 while that of PS I was still at about one third of normal levels. Following prolonged treatment with 1 and 2 M sorbitol, the activity of PS I and PS II decreased slowly, suggesting that the effects of moderate concentrations of sorbitol on PS I and PS II were gradual. Interestingly, an increase in non-photochemical quenching occurred under these conditions in response to moderate osmotic stress, whereas it declined significantly under severe osmotic stress. These results suggest that photoprotection in U. prolifera could also be induced by moderate osmotic stress. In addition, the oxidation of PS I was significantly affected by osmotic stress. P700(+) in the thalli treated with high concentrations of sorbitol could still be reduced, as PS II was inhibited by 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU), but it could not be fully oxidized. This observation may be caused by the higher quantum yield of non-photochemical energy dissipation in PS I due to acceptor-side limitation (Y(NA)) during rehydration in seawater containing DCMU. © 2014 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Molecular motions in sucrose-PVP and sucrose-sorbitol dispersions-II. Implications of annealing on secondary relaxations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Sisir; Bhardwaj, Sunny P; Suryanarayanan, Raj

2014-10-01

To determine the effect of annealing on the two secondary relaxations in amorphous sucrose and in sucrose solid dispersions. Sucrose was co-lyophilized with either PVP or sorbitol, annealed for different time periods and analyzed by dielectric spectroscopy. In an earlier investigation, we had documented the effect of PVP and sorbitol on the primary and the two secondary relaxations in amorphous sucrose solid dispersions (1). Here we investigated the effect of annealing on local motions, both in amorphous sucrose and in the dispersions. The average relaxation time of the local motion (irrespective of origin) in sucrose, decreased upon annealing. However, the heterogeneity in relaxation time distribution as well as the dielectric strength decreased only for β1- (the slower relaxation) but not for β2-relaxations. The effect of annealing on β2-relaxation times was neutralized by sorbitol while PVP negated the effect of annealing on both β1- and β2-relaxations. An increase in local mobility of sucrose brought about by annealing could be negated with an additive.

A physicochemical study of sugar palm (Arenga Pinnata) starch films plasticized by glycerol and sorbitol

Science.gov (United States)

Poeloengasih, Crescentiana D.; Pranoto, Yudi; Hayati, Septi Nur; Hernawan, Rosyida, Vita T.; Prasetyo, Dwi J.; Jatmiko, Tri H.; Apriyana, Wuri; Suwanto, Andri

2016-02-01

The present work explores the physicochemical characteristics of sugar palm starch film for a potential hard capsule purpose. Sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) starch films were plasticized with glycerol or sorbitol in various concentrations (30% up to 50% w/w starch). Their effects on physicochemical properties of the films were investigated. The results showed that sugar palm starch was successfully developed as the main material of film using casting method. Incorporation of both glycerol or sorbitol affected the properties of films in different ways. It was found that thickness and solubility increased as plasticizer concentration increased, whereas retraction ratio, swelling degree and swelling thickness decreased with the increased plasticizer concentration.

Enhanced production of L-sorbose from D-sorbitol by improving the mRNA abundance of sorbitol dehydrogenase in Gluconobacter oxydans WSH-003.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Sha; Wang, Xiaobei; Du, Guocheng; Zhou, Jingwen; Chen, Jian

2014-10-18

Production of L-sorbose from D-sorbitol by Gluconobacter oxydans is the first step to produce L-ascorbic acid on industrial scale. The sldhAB gene, which encodes the sorbitol dehydrogenase (SLDH), was overexpressed in an industrial strain G. oxydans WSH-003 with a strong promoter, P tufB . To enhance the mRNA abundance, a series of artificial poly(A/T) tails were added to the 3'-terminal of sldhAB gene. Besides, their role in sldhAB overexpression and their subsequent effects on L-sorbose production were investigated. The mRNA abundance of the sldhAB gene could be enhanced in G. oxydans by suitable poly(A/T) tails. By self-overexpressing the sldhAB gene in G. oxydans WSH-003 with an optimal poly(A/T) tail under the constitutive promoter P tufB , the titer and the productivity of L-sorbose were enhanced by 36.3% and 25.0%, respectively, in a 1-L fermenter. Immobilization of G. oxydans-sldhAB6 cells further improved the L-sorbose titer by 33.7% after 20 days of semi-continuous fed-batch fermentation. The artificial poly(A/T) tails could significantly enhance the mRNA abundance of the sldhAB. Immobilized G. oxydans-sldhAB6 cells could further enlarge the positive effect caused by enhanced mRNA abundance of the sldhAB.

Variações do conteúdo de glucose, frutose e sorbitol em gemas e ramos de macieira durante a dormência Variations of glucose, frutose and sorbitol content in buds and stems of apple tree during the dormancy period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruy Inacio Neiva de Carvalho

2006-12-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar as variações do conteúdo de glucose, frutose e sorbitol em gemas e ramos de um ano de macieira durante o período de dormência. Os ramos da cultivar "Imperial Gala" foram coletados em Porto Amazonas-PR, em intervalos de 21 dias, de abril a agosto (19/04, 10/05, 31/05, 21/06, 12/07, 02/08 e 23/08, e receberam ou não tratamento com frio suplementar de 1.440 horas à temperatura de 4 a 7°C. As análises dos carboidratos foram realizadas em gemas e porções de ramos adjacentes às primeiras por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (HPLC. Ocorreu um acúmulo de glucose, frutose e sorbitol nas gemas de macieira durante a dormência. O acúmulo de glucose e frutose nos ramos aconteceu até o início de agosto quando, em seguida, houve redução, enquanto o sorbitol decresceu até junho e, em seguida, elevou-se até o final de agosto. O tratamento com frio ao longo da dormência modificou as variações dos conteúdos de carboidratos nas gemas e ramos de macieira.This research was aimed at evaluating the variations of glucose, frutose and sorbitol content in one year old buds and stems of apple trees during the dormancy period. The stems of cv. Imperial Gala were collected in Porto Amazonas, Parana State, Brazil, at intervals of 21 days from April to August (April 19th, May 10th, May 31st, June 21st, July 12th, August 2nd and August 23rd and were treated or not with 1,440 hours of chill (4 to 7°C. The carbohydrates were analysed in buds and stem tissues close to buds by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. There was an increase of glucose, frutose and sorbitol content in apple tree buds during the dormancy. An increase of glucose and frutose content in stems occured until August 2nd followed by a significative reduction, while the sorbitol content decreased until June 21st followed by an increase until August 31st. The chill treatment during the dormancy period modified the variations of

Plasma glucagon-like peptide 1 and peptide YY levels are not altered in symptomatic fructose-sorbitol malabsorption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Valeur, Jørgen; Øines, Eliann; Morken, Mette Helvik

2008-01-01

consecutive patients with functional abdominal complaints, referred to our clinic for investigation of self-reported food hypersensitivity, were included in the study and compared with 15 healthy volunteers. All subjects ingested a mixture of 25 g fructose and 5 g sorbitol. Pulmonary hydrogen and methane...... excretion and plasma glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) levels were measured during the next 3 h. Both habitual and post-test symptoms were assessed. RESULTS: Malabsorption of fructose and sorbitol was present in 61% of the patients and 73% of the controls. Nevertheless, the patients...

Production of Starch Based Bioplastic from Cassava Peel Reinforced with Microcrystalline Celllulose Avicel PH101 Using Sorbitol as Plasticizer

Science.gov (United States)

Maulida; Siagian, M.; Tarigan, P.

2016-04-01

The production of starch based bioplastics from cassava peel reeinforced with microcrystalline cellulose using sorbitol as plasticizer were investigated. Physical properties of bioplastics were determined by density, water uptake, tensile strength and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Bioplastics were prepared from cassava peel starch plasticized using sorbitol with variation of 20; 25; 30% (wt/v of sorbitol to starch) reinforced with microcrystalline celllulose (MCC) Avicel PH101 fillers with range of 0 to 6% (wt/wt of MCC to starch). The results showed improvement in tensile strength with higher MCC content up to 9, 12 mpa compared to non-reinforced bioplastics. This could be mainly attributed to the strong hydrogen bonds between MCC and starch. On the contrary, the addition of MCC decreased the elongation at break, density and water uptake. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy showed the functional groups of bioplastics, which the majority of O-H groups were found at the bioplastics with reinforcing filler MCC that represented substantial hydrogen bonds. The highest tensile strength value was obtained for bioplastic with MCC content 6% and sorbitol content 20%. With good adhesion between MCC and starch the production of bioplastics could be widely used as a substitute for conventional plastics with more benefits to the environment.

Production of Starch Based Bioplastic from Cassava Peel Reinforced with Microcrystalline Celllulose Avicel PH101 Using Sorbitol as Plasticizer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maulida; Siagian, M; Tarigan, P

2016-01-01

The production of starch based bioplastics from cassava peel reeinforced with microcrystalline cellulose using sorbitol as plasticizer were investigated. Physical properties of bioplastics were determined by density, water uptake, tensile strength and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Bioplastics were prepared from cassava peel starch plasticized using sorbitol with variation of 20; 25; 30% (wt/v of sorbitol to starch) reinforced with microcrystalline celllulose (MCC) Avicel PH101 fillers with range of 0 to 6% (wt/wt of MCC to starch). The results showed improvement in tensile strength with higher MCC content up to 9, 12 mpa compared to non-reinforced bioplastics. This could be mainly attributed to the strong hydrogen bonds between MCC and starch. On the contrary, the addition of MCC decreased the elongation at break, density and water uptake. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy showed the functional groups of bioplastics, which the majority of O-H groups were found at the bioplastics with reinforcing filler MCC that represented substantial hydrogen bonds. The highest tensile strength value was obtained for bioplastic with MCC content 6% and sorbitol content 20%. With good adhesion between MCC and starch the production of bioplastics could be widely used as a substitute for conventional plastics with more benefits to the environment. (paper)

A mannitol/sorbitol receptor stimulates dietary intake in Tribolium castaneum.

Science.gov (United States)

Takada, Tomoyuki; Sato, Ryoichi; Kikuta, Shingo

2017-01-01

In insects, perception of chemical stimuli is involved in the acceptance or rejection of food. Gustatory receptors (Grs) that regulate external signals in chemosensory organs have been found in many insects. Tribolium castaneum, a major pest of stored products, possesses over 200 Gr genes. An expanded repertoire of Gr genes appears to be required for diet recognition in species that are generalist feeders; however, it remains unclear whether T. castaneum recognizes a suite of chemicals common to many products or whether its feeding is activated by specific chemicals, and whether its Grs are involved in feeding behavior. It is difficult to determine the food preferences of T. castaneum based on dietary intake due to a lack of appropriate methodology. This study established a novel dietary intake estimation method using gypsum, designated the TribUTE (Tribolium Urges To Eat) assay. For this assay, T. castaneum adults were fed a gypsum block without added organic compounds. Sweet preference was determined by adding sweeteners and measuring the amount of gypsum in the excreta. Mannitol was the strongest activator of T. castaneum dietary intake. In a Xenopus oocyte expression, TcGr20 was found to be responsible for mannitol and sorbitol responses, but not for responses to other tested non-volatile compounds. The EC50 values of TcGr20 for mannitol and sorbitol were 72.6 mM and 90.6 mM, respectively, suggesting that TcGr20 is a feasible receptor for the recognition of mannitol at lower concentrations. We used RNAi and the TribUTE assay to examine whether TcGr20 expression was involved in mannitol recognition. The amounts of excreta in TcGr20 dsRNA-injected adults decreased significantly, despite the presence of mannitol, compared to control adults. Taken together, our results indicate that T. castaneum adults recognized mannitol/sorbitol using the TcGr20 receptor, thereby facilitating the dietary intake of these compounds.

A mannitol/sorbitol receptor stimulates dietary intake in Tribolium castaneum.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomoyuki Takada

Full Text Available In insects, perception of chemical stimuli is involved in the acceptance or rejection of food. Gustatory receptors (Grs that regulate external signals in chemosensory organs have been found in many insects. Tribolium castaneum, a major pest of stored products, possesses over 200 Gr genes. An expanded repertoire of Gr genes appears to be required for diet recognition in species that are generalist feeders; however, it remains unclear whether T. castaneum recognizes a suite of chemicals common to many products or whether its feeding is activated by specific chemicals, and whether its Grs are involved in feeding behavior. It is difficult to determine the food preferences of T. castaneum based on dietary intake due to a lack of appropriate methodology. This study established a novel dietary intake estimation method using gypsum, designated the TribUTE (Tribolium Urges To Eat assay. For this assay, T. castaneum adults were fed a gypsum block without added organic compounds. Sweet preference was determined by adding sweeteners and measuring the amount of gypsum in the excreta. Mannitol was the strongest activator of T. castaneum dietary intake. In a Xenopus oocyte expression, TcGr20 was found to be responsible for mannitol and sorbitol responses, but not for responses to other tested non-volatile compounds. The EC50 values of TcGr20 for mannitol and sorbitol were 72.6 mM and 90.6 mM, respectively, suggesting that TcGr20 is a feasible receptor for the recognition of mannitol at lower concentrations. We used RNAi and the TribUTE assay to examine whether TcGr20 expression was involved in mannitol recognition. The amounts of excreta in TcGr20 dsRNA-injected adults decreased significantly, despite the presence of mannitol, compared to control adults. Taken together, our results indicate that T. castaneum adults recognized mannitol/sorbitol using the TcGr20 receptor, thereby facilitating the dietary intake of these compounds.

Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli to enhance shikimic acid production from sorbitol.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xianglei; Lin, Jun; Hu, Haifeng; Zhou, Bin; Zhu, Baoquan

2014-09-01

Shikimic acid (SA) is the key synthetic material of Oseltamivir, which is an effective drug for the prevention and treatment of influenza. In this study, to block the downstream metabolic pathway of SA, the shikimate kinase isoenzyme genes aroK and aroL were deleted by Red recombination. Moreover, the key enzyme genes aroG, aroB, tktA and aroE of SA pathway were co-expressed by constructing the recombinant vector pETDuet-GBAE. As a result, SA production of E. coli BW25113 (∆aroL/aroK, DE3)/pETDuet-GBAE reached 1,077.6 mg/l when low amounts of sorbitol (5 g/l) were fed in shake flasks. The yield was 3.7 times that when glucose was used (P sorbitol was an optimized carbon source for the high efficient accumulation of SA for the first time, which was applicable to use in the industry for high yields and low consumption.

GenBank blastx search result: AK241729 [KOME

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AK241729 J065199L10 AF018073.1 AF018073 Rhodobacter sphaeroides operon regulator (smoC), periplasmic sorbito...l-binding protein (smoE), sorbitol/mannitol transport inner membrane protein (smoF), sorbitol.../mannitol transport inner membrane protein (smoG), sorbitol/mannitol transport ATP-binding transport protein (smoK), sorbit...ol dehydrogenase (smoS), mannitol dehydrogenase (mtlK),

GenBank blastx search result: AK240874 [KOME

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AK240874 J065025K09 AF018073.1 AF018073 Rhodobacter sphaeroides operon regulator (smoC), periplasmic sorbito...l-binding protein (smoE), sorbitol/mannitol transport inner membrane protein (smoF), sorbitol.../mannitol transport inner membrane protein (smoG), sorbitol/mannitol transport ATP-binding transport protein (smoK), sorbit...ol dehydrogenase (smoS), mannitol dehydrogenase (mtlK),

GenBank blastx search result: AK243680 [KOME

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available AK243680 J100090I20 AF018073.1 AF018073 Rhodobacter sphaeroides operon regulator (smoC), periplasmic sorbito...l-binding protein (smoE), sorbitol/mannitol transport inner membrane protein (smoF), sorbitol.../mannitol transport inner membrane protein (smoG), sorbitol/mannitol transport ATP-binding transport protein (smoK), sorbit...ol dehydrogenase (smoS), mannitol dehydrogenase (mtlK),

X-ray crystal structure and small-angle X-ray scattering of sheep liver sorbitol dehydrogenase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yennawar, Hemant [Pennsylvania State University, 8 Althouse Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Møller, Magda [Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Gillilan, Richard [Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Yennawar, Neela, E-mail: nhy1@psu.edu [Pennsylvania State University, 8 Althouse Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

2011-05-01

The X-ray crystal structure and a small-angle X-ray scattering solution structure of sheep liver sorbitol dehydrogenase have been determined. The details of the interactions that enable the tetramer scaffold to be the functional biological unit have been analyzed. The X-ray crystal structure of sheep liver sorbitol dehydrogenase (slSDH) has been determined using the crystal structure of human sorbitol dehydrogenase (hSDH) as a molecular-replacement model. slSDH crystallized in space group I222 with one monomer in the asymmetric unit. A conserved tetramer that superposes well with that seen in hSDH (despite belonging to a different space group) and obeying the 222 crystal symmetry is seen in slSDH. An acetate molecule is bound in the active site, coordinating to the active-site zinc through a water molecule. Glycerol, a substrate of slSDH, also occupies the substrate-binding pocket together with the acetate designed by nature to fit large polyol substrates. The substrate-binding pocket is seen to be in close proximity to the tetramer interface, which explains the need for the structural integrity of the tetramer for enzyme activity. Small-angle X-ray scattering was also used to identify the quaternary structure of the tetramer of slSDH in solution.

Lactase Non-Persistence Genotyping: Comparison of Two Real-Time PCR Assays and Assessment of Concomitant Fructose/Sorbitol Malabsorption Rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Enko, Dietmar; Pollheimer, Verena; Németh, Stefan; Pühringer, Helene; Stolba, Robert; Halwachs-Baumann, Gabriele; Kriegshäuser, Gernot

2016-01-01

Genetic testing is a standard technique for the diagnosis of primary adult-type hypolactasia, also referred to as lactase non-persistence. The aim of this study was to compare the lactase gene (LCT) C/T-13910 polymorphism genotyping results of two commercially available real-time (RT)-PCR assays in patients referred to our outpatient clinic for primary lactose malabsorption testing. Furthermore, concomitant conditions of fructose/sorbitol malabsorption were assessed. Samples obtained from 100 patients were tested in parallel using the LCT T-13910C ToolSet for Light Cycler (Roche, Rotkreuz, Switzerland) and the LCT-13910C>T RealFast Assay (ViennaLab Diagnostics GmbH, Vienna, Austria). Additionally, patients were also screened for the presence of fructose/sorbitol malabsorption by functional hydrogen (H2)/methane (CH4) breath testing (HMBT). Cohen's Kappa (κ) was used to calculate the agreement between the two genotyping methods. The exact Chi-Square test was performed to compare fructose/sorbitol HMBT with LCT genotyping results. Twenty-one (21.0%) patients had a LCT C/C-13910 genotype suggestive of lactase non-persistence, and 79 (79.0%) patients were identified with either a LCT T/C-13910 or T/T-13910 genotype (i.e., lactase persistence). In all genotype groups, concordance between the two RT-PCR assays was 100%. Cohen's κ demonstrated perfect observed agreement (p sorbitol malabsorption was observed in 13/100 (13.0%) and 25/100 (25.0%) individuals, respectively. Both RT-PCR assays are robust and reliable LCT genotyping tools in a routine clinical setting. Concomitant fructose and/or sorbitol malabsorption should be considered in individuals with suspected lactase-non-persistence. However, standardization of clinical interpretation of laboratory HMBT results is required.

Structural characterization of the thermostable Bradyrhizobium japonicumD-sorbitol dehydrogenase.

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Fredslund, Folmer; Otten, Harm; Gemperlein, Sabrina; Poulsen, Jens Christian N; Carius, Yvonne; Kohring, Gert Wieland; Lo Leggio, Leila

2016-11-01

Bradyrhizobium japonicum sorbitol dehydrogenase is NADH-dependent and is active at elevated temperatures. The best substrate is D-glucitol (a synonym for D-sorbitol), although L-glucitol is also accepted, giving it particular potential in industrial applications. Crystallization led to a hexagonal crystal form, with crystals diffracting to 2.9 Å resolution. In attempts to phase the data, a molecular-replacement solution based upon PDB entry 4nbu (33% identical in sequence to the target) was found. The solution contained one molecule in the asymmetric unit, but a tetramer similar to that found in other short-chain dehydrogenases, including the search model, could be reconstructed by applying crystallographic symmetry operations. The active site contains electron density consistent with D-glucitol and phosphate, but there was not clear evidence for the binding of NADH. In a search for the features that determine the thermostability of the enzyme, the T m for the orthologue from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, for which the structure was already known, was also determined, and this enzyme proved to be considerably less thermostable. A continuous β-sheet is formed between two monomers in the tetramer of the B. japonicum enzyme, a feature not generally shared by short-chain dehydrogenases, and which may contribute to thermostability, as may an increased Pro/Gly ratio.

Interfacial enhancement of polypropylene composites modified with sorbitol derivatives and siloxane-silsesquioxane resin

Science.gov (United States)

Dobrzyńska-Mizera, Monika; Dutkiewicz, Michał; Sterzyński, Tomasz; Di Lorenzo, Maria Laura

2015-12-01

Composites based on polypropylene (iPP) modified with a sorbitol derivative (NX8000) and siloxane-silsesquioxane resin (SiOPh) containing maleated polypropylene (MAPP) as compatibilizer were prepared by melt extrusion. Calorimetric investigations were carried out using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), whereas the morphological and mechanical properties were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and static tensile tests. DSC measurements revealed no influence of SiOPh and a slight effect of MAPP addition on the crystallization kinetics of polypropylene. Additionally, the introduction of MAPP into the iPP+NX8000+SiOPh composites increased plastic properties of the samples. All the above was attributed to the compatibilizing effect of MAPP which improved interfacial adhesion between iPP, NX8000 and SiOPh. This phenomenon was also confirmed by the SEM images illustrating more homogenous distribution of the filler in the compatibilized samples.

Fructose and/or Sorbitol Intolerance in a Subgroup of Lactose Intolerant Patients

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SR Mishkin

1994-01-01

Full Text Available The diagnosis and treatment of lactose intolerance often does not resolve all the symptoms of postcibal bloating and flatulence. Included in this study were 104 lactose intolerant patients (71 female, 33 male who complained of residual postcibal discomfort in spite of adherence to and benefit from appropriate measures for their documented lactose intolerance (at least 20 ppm H2 after 25 g lactose as well as appropriate symptomatic discomfort. Clinical characteristics common to this group included: symptomatic diarrhea (12.5%, history of foreign travel (5.8%, endoscopic and pathological evidence of gastritis and helicobacter infection (19.2 and 8.7%, respectively, nonspecific abnormalities of small bowel follow-through (15.4%, Crohn’s disease (8.7% and colonic cliverticulosis (14.4%. Intolerance co fructose (at least 10 ppm H2 after 25 g fructose plus appropriate symptoms or sorbitol (at least 10 ppm H2 after 5 g sorbitol plus appropriate symptoms was documented in 17.3 and 18.3%, respectively. Intolerance to both fructose and sorbicol (administered as separate challenges, more than twice as common as intolerance to either one alone, occurred in 41.4% and was independent of sex. In conclusion, additional carbohydrate intolerances contribute to postcibal discomfort in more than 75% of lactose intolerant patients who remain symptomatic in spite of adherence to appropriate measures for this condition. While 62% of all patients had benefited significantly (greater than 50% from appropriate dietary measures and enzyme replacement for lactose intolerance, only 40% of those who were also fructose intolerant and 47% who were sorbitol intolerant benefited (greater than 50% from appropriate dietary measures (no enzyme replacement yet available for intolerance to these sugars.

Erythritol Is More Effective Than Xylitol and Sorbitol in Managing Oral Health Endpoints

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Peter de Cock

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To provide a comprehensive overview of published evidence on the impact of erythritol, a noncaloric polyol bulk sweetener, on oral health. Methods. A literature review was conducted regarding the potential effects of erythritol on dental plaque (biofilm, dental caries, and periodontal therapy. The efficacy of erythritol on oral health was compared with xylitol and sorbitol. Results. Erythritol effectively decreased weight of dental plaque and adherence of common streptococcal oral bacteria to tooth surfaces, inhibited growth and activity of associated bacteria like S. mutans, decreased expression of bacterial genes involved in sucrose metabolism, reduced the overall number of dental caries, and served as a suitable matrix for subgingival air-polishing to replace traditional root scaling. Conclusions. Important differences were reported in the effect of individual polyols on oral health. The current review provides evidence demonstrating better efficacy of erythritol compared to sorbitol and xylitol to maintain and improve oral health.

Pt nanocatalysts supported on reduced graphene oxide for selective conversion of cellulose or cellobiose to sorbitol.

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Wang, Ding; Niu, Wenqi; Tan, Minghui; Wu, Mingbo; Zheng, Xuejun; Li, Yanpeng; Tsubaki, Noritatsu

2014-05-01

Pt nanocatalysts loaded on reduced graphene oxide (Pt/RGO) were prepared by means of a convenient microwave-assisted reduction approach with ethylene glycol as reductant. The conversion of cellulose or cellobiose into sorbitol was used as an application reaction to investigate their catalytic performance. Various metal nanocatalysts loaded on RGO were compared and RGO-supported Pt exhibited the highest catalytic activity with 91.5 % of sorbitol yield from cellobiose. The catalytic performances of Pt nanocatalysts supported on different carbon materials or on silica support were also compared. The results showed that RGO was the best catalyst support, and the yield of sorbitol was as high as 91.5 % from cellobiose and 58.9 % from cellulose, respectively. The improvement of catalytic activity was attributed to the appropriate Pt particle size and hydrogen spillover effect of Pt/RGO catalyst. Interestingly, the size and dispersion of supported Pt particles could be easily regulated by convenient adjustment of the microwave heating temperature. The catalytic performance was found to initially increase and then decrease with increasing particle size. The optimum Pt particle size was 3.6 nm. These findings may offer useful guidelines for designing novel catalysts with beneficial catalytic performance for biomass conversion. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

One-pot aqueous phase catalytic conversion of sorbitol to gasoline over nickel catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weng, Yujing; Qiu, Songbai; Xu, Ying; Ding, Mingyue; Chen, Lungang; Zhang, Qi; Ma, Longlong; Wang, Tiejun

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Directly production gasoline (C5–C12 alkanes) from biomass-derived sugar alcohol sorbitol. • Temperature of STG (553–593 K) was lower than that of traditional methanol to gasoline (MTG) (623–773 K). • Gasoline yield of 46.9% and C7–C12 hydrocarbons reached up to 45.5% in the gasoline products. - Abstract: The carbon chain extension and hydrodeoxygenation steps play critical roles in the high-energy-density hydrocarbons production. In this paper, a systematic study had been carried out to investigate one-pot aqueous phase catalytic conversion of sorbitol to gasoline (STG) over bifunctional Ni-based catalysts. Characterization technologies of N 2 physisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and NH 3 temperature-programmed desorption (NH 3 -TPD) were used to study the textural properties, phase compositions, acid behavior and morphologies of the catalysts. The catalytic performances were tested in a fixed bed reactor. It was found that the physically mixed Ni/HZSM-5 and Ni/silica-gel (mesoporous SG) catalyst realized the carbon chain extension and exhibited excellent performances on hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction (46.9% of gasoline (C5–C12) yield and 45.5% of C7–C12 hydrocarbons in the gasoline products). Especially, the temperature of STG (553–593 K) was lower obviously than that of the traditional methanol to gasoline (MTG) process (623–773 K). It provided a novel transformation of sorbitol to long-chain alkanes by one-pot process over the bifunctional catalyst (Ni@HZSM-5/SG), wherein hydrodeoxygenation, ketonization and aldol condensation steps were integrated

Foodborne transmission of sorbitol-fermenting Escherichia coli O157:[H7] via ground beef: an outbreak in northern France, 2011.

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King, L A; Loukiadis, E; Mariani-Kurkdjian, P; Haeghebaert, S; Weill, F-X; Baliere, C; Ganet, S; Gouali, M; Vaillant, V; Pihier, N; Callon, H; Novo, R; Gaillot, O; Thevenot-Sergentet, D; Bingen, E; Chaud, P; de Valk, H

2014-12-01

Sorbitol-fermenting Escherichia coli O157:[H7] is a particularly virulent clone of E. coli O157:H7 associated with a higher incidence of haemolytic uraemic syndrome and a higher case fatality rate. Many fundamental aspects of its epidemiology remain to be elucidated, including its reservoir and transmission routes and vehicles. We describe an outbreak of sorbitol-fermenting E. coli O157:[H7] that occurred in France in 2011. Eighteen cases of paediatric haemolytic uraemic syndrome with symptom onset between 6 June and 15 July 2011 were identified among children aged 6 months to 10 years residing in northern France. A strain of sorbitol-fermenting E. coli O157:[H7] stx2a eae was isolated from ten cases. Epidemiological, microbiological and trace-back investigations identified multiply-contaminated frozen ground beef products bought in a supermarket chain as the outbreak vehicle. Strains with three distinct pulsotypes that were isolated from patients, ground beef preparations recovered from patients' freezers and from stored production samples taken at the production plant were indistinguishable upon molecular comparison. This investigation documents microbiologically confirmed foodborne transmission of sorbitol-fermenting of E. coli O157 via beef and could additionally provide evidence of a reservoir in cattle for this pathogen. © 2014 The Authors Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2014 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Conversion of biomass-derived sorbitol to glycols over carbon-materials supported Ru-based catalysts

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Guo, Xingcui; Guan, Jing; Li, Bin; Wang, Xicheng; Mu, Xindong; Liu, Huizhou

2015-11-01

Ruthenium (Ru) supported on activated carbon (AC) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was carried out in the hydrogenolysis of sorbitol to ethylene glycol (EG) and 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PD) under the promotion of tungsten (WOx) species and different bases. Their catalytic activities and glycols selectivities strongly depended on the support properties and location of Ru on CNTs, owning to the altered metal-support interactions and electronic state of ruthenium. Ru located outside of the tubes showed excellent catalytic performance than those encapsulated inside the nanotubes. Additionally, the introduction of WOx into Ru/CNTs significantly improved the hydrogenolysis activities, and a complete conversion of sorbitol with up to 60.2% 1,2-PD and EG yields was obtained on RuWOx/CNTs catalyst upon addition of Ca(OH)2. Stability study showed that this catalyst was highly stable against leaching and poisoning and could be recycled several times.

Simultaneous hydrolysis and hydrogenation of cellobiose to sorbitol in molten salt hydrate media

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, J.; Soares, H.S.M.P.; Moulijn, J.A.; Makkee, M.

2013-01-01

The hydrolysis and hydrogenation of cellobiose (4-O-b-D-glucopyranosyl-D-glucose) in ZnCl2_4H2O solvent was studied to optimize the conditions for conversion of lignocellulose (the most abundant renewable resource) into sorbitol (D-glucitol). Water at neutral pH does not allow hydrolysis of

New trends in mechanics and transport

CERN Document Server

Uhl, Tadeusz

2007-01-01

Nowadays, one of the most rapidly growing sectors of industry is that of the infrastructure and vehicles of transportation systems. This discipline needs new, innovative and economically proven initiatives.The domain of transport is an interdisciplinary one which brings together many different scientific and engineering strands. The synergy between mechanics and transportation science offers the possibility of finding new and effective solutions to design, manufacturing and servicing problems. Due to globalization of the market-place, international cooperation in applied research is very fruitful and expedient.This collection of 13 refereed papers is the result of a unique opportunity offered to the scientific and technical communities for them to interact and to consolidate the application of current achievements in mechanical science as applied to transport. It covers topics which include theoretical, numerical and experimental studies of transport-related areas. All-in-all, it represents a succinct state-o...

Dose response of xylitol and sorbitol for epr retrospective dosimetry with applications to chewing gum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Israelsson, A.; Gustafsson, H.; Lund, E.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to study the radiation-induced electron paramagnetic resonance signal in sweeteners xylitol and sorbitol for use in retrospective dosimetry. For both sweeteners and chewing gum, the signal changed at an interval of 1-84 d after irradiation with minimal changes after 4-8 d. A dependence on storage conditions was noticed and the exposure of the samples to light and humidity was therefore minimised. Both the xylitol and sorbitol signals showed linearity with dose in the measured dose interval, 0-20 Gy. The dose-response measurements for the chewing gum resulted in a decision threshold of 0.38 Gy and a detection limit of 0.78 Gy. A blind test illustrated the possibility of using chewing gums as a retrospective dosemeter with an uncertainty in the dose determination of 0.17 Gy (1 SD). (authors)

Efecto del sorbitol sobre la relajación estructural en películas de gelatina en estado vítreo

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Paulo Díaz-Calderón

2015-12-01

Full Text Available El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el efecto del sorbitol sobre la cinética de relajación estructural de películas de gelatina almacenadas bajo la temperatura de transición vítrea (Tg. Películas de gelatina de bovino y sorbitol fueron preparadas mediante casting en frío. El sorbitol fue agregado en fracciones en peso (Qs de 0,0, 0,06 y 0,10. Las películas fueron acondicionadas en un ambiente de humedad relativa constante (44% utilizando una solución saturada de carbonato de potasio, obteniéndose fracciones de contenido de humedad en peso (Qw de 0,18, 0,16 y 0,18 respectivamente. La entalpía de relajación (∆H fue determinada mediante Calorimetría Diferencial de Barrido (DSC. Las muestras utilizadas en este estudio presentaron valores de Tg de 48ºC (Qs=0,0, 35ºC (Qs=0,06 y 30ºC (Qs=0,10. Luego de eliminar el historial térmico (30ºC sobre Tg, 15min, las muestras fueron almacenadas isotérmicamente a 10ºC bajo Tgonset entre 2 y 80 horas. La adición de sorbitol produjo una reducción signifi cativa (p<0,05 en la cinética de relajación estructural. La linealización del valor de entalpía de relajación (∆H en función del logaritmo del tiempo de almacenamiento mostró una reducción de la pendiente en las muestras plastifi cadas con sorbitol. La reducción en la cinética de relajación estaría relacionada con el efecto de empaquetamiento molecular asociado a la presencia de polioles en matrices en estado vítreo recientemente reportada mediante espectroscopía de positrones (PALS

Preparation and properties of 1-tetradecanol/1,3:2,4-di-(3,4-dimethyl) benzylidene sorbitol gelatinous form-stable phase change materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian, Tuo; Song, Jian; Niu, Libo; Feng, Rongxiu

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: The 1,3:2,4-di-(3,4-dimethyl) benzylidene sorbitol can self-assemble to form three-dimensional network and immobilized the 1-tetradecanol. As a result, the gel-to-sol transition temperature of the composite PCM increased and the 1-tetradecanol leakage decreased. Highlights: ► First used of 1,3:2,4-di-(3,4-dimethyl) benzylidene sorbitol in alcohol-based PCMs. ► A new method of doping with exfoliated graphite is presented. ► A possible mechanism for decreasing leakage has been proposed based on SEM results. ► The prepared composite PCMs showed a high-energy storage density. ► The addition of exfoliated graphite enhanced the thermal conductivity of the PCMs. - Abstract: A 1-tetradecanol (TD)/1,3:2,4-di-(3,4-dimethyl) benzylidene sorbitol (DMDBS) composite was prepared as a novel form-stable phase change material (PCM), and the properties of the composites such as the gel-to-sol transition temperature, the latent heat, the microstructure and the thermal storage performance were characterized. The composite was prepared by impregnating DMDBS into TD and the maximum feasible weight percentage of TD was determined to be 94.2 wt%. The gel-to-sol transition temperature of the composite PCM was 158.3–180.0 °C, which is well above the melting point of 1-tetradecanol. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was used to determine the melting and freezing enthalpies of 1-tetradecanol in the composite PCM and the values are 218.5 and 215.3 J g −1 , respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that 1-tetradecanol dispersed in the three-dimensional network formed by DMDBS. The relationship between the amount of DMDBS additive and the leakage was also discussed. The thermal conductivity of the composite PCM was improved by doping with exfoliated graphite

Simultaneous separation and determination of fructose, sorbitol, glucose and sucrose in fruits by HPLC-ELSD.

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Ma, Chunmei; Sun, Zhen; Chen, Changbao; Zhang, Lili; Zhu, Shuhua

2014-02-15

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) was optimised for simultaneous determination of fructose, sorbitol, glucose and sucrose in fruits. The analysis was carried out on a Phenomenex Luna 5u NH₂ 100A column (250 mm × 4.60mm, 5 micron) with isocratic elution of acetonitrile:water (82.5:17.5, v/v). Drift tube temperature of the ELSD system was set to 82 °C and nitrogen flow rate was 2.0 L min⁻¹. The regression equation revealed good linear relationship (R = 0.9967-0.9989) within test ranges. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for four analytes (peach, apple, watermelon, and cherry fruits) were in the range of 0.07-0.27 and 0.22-0.91 mg L⁻¹, respectively. The proposed HPLC-ELSD method was validated for quantification of sugars in peach, apple, watermelon, and cherry fruits, and the results were satisfactory. The results showed that the contents of the four sugars varied among fruits. While fructose (5.79-104.01 mg g⁻¹) and glucose (9.25-99.62 mg g⁻¹) emerged as common sugars in the four fruits, sorbitol (8.70-19.13 mg g⁻¹) were only found in peach, apple and cherry fruits, and sucrose (15.82-106.39 mg g⁻¹) were in peach, apple and watermelon. There was not detectable sorbitol in watermelon and sucrose in cherry fruits, respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analise térmica e microscópica de laminados biodegradáveis obtidos a partir de farinha de mandioca, sorbitol e poli (butileno adipato co-tereftalato PBAT. Thermal and microscopic analysis of biodegradable laminates made from cassava flour, sorbitol and poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate PBAT - doi: 10.4025/actascitechnol.v35i4.13183

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Henrique Tirolli Rett

2013-10-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver blendas de materiais laminados biodegradáveis, utilizando farinha de mandioca como fonte de amido, fibras naturais, sorbitol como plastificante e PBAT. Primeiro obteve-se peletes de três formulações diferentes e a partir destes, utilizou-se a termoprensagem a alta temperatura como alternativa na formação dos laminados. A caracterização foi feita através de microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV e calorimetria diferencia de varredura (CDV. A quantidade se sorbitol que melhor se ajustou à extrusão foi a de 15% (peso/peso; a formulação do laminado mais homogêneo, observada pela microscopia, foi de 55:40:15 (farinha/sorbitol/PBAT. As fibras ficaram dispersas por toda a superfície nos três tratamentos estudados, porém, por dentre eles, observaram-se zonas dispersas das fibras. Conforme se aumentou o teor de farinha, houve aumento no ponto de fusão dos laminados em comparação ao PBAT puro.Blends of biodegradable laminated materials were developed using cassava flour as starch and natural fibers source, sorbitol as a plasticizer and PBAT as a biodegradable polyester. After obtaining pellets from three different formulations, high temperature thermopressure was used to form laminates. The characterization was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM and by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC. The amount of sorbitol for the best extrusion process was 15% (weight/weight and the formulation of the best homogeneity observed by microscopy was 55:40:15 (flour/sorbitol/PBAT. Although fibers were dispersed throughout the surface in the three treatments, scattered areas of fibers could be found among them. As rates of flour increased, an increase in the melting point of the laminates occurred when compared to pure PBAT.  

Modeling and analysis of film composition on mechanical properties of maize starch based edible films.

Science.gov (United States)

Prakash Maran, J; Sivakumar, V; Thirugnanasambandham, K; Kandasamy, S

2013-11-01

The present study investigates the influence of composition (content of maize starch (1-3 g), sorbitol (0.5-1.0 ml), agar (0.5-1.0 g) and tween-80 (0.1-0.5 ml)) on the mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation, Young's modulus, puncture force and puncture deformation) of the maize starch based edible films using four factors with three level Box-Behnken design. The edible films were obtained by casting method. The results showed that, tween-80 increases the permeation of sorbitol in to the polymer matrix. Increasing concentration of sorbitol (hydrophilic nature and plasticizing effect of sorbitol) decreases the tensile strength, Young's modulus and puncture force of the films. The results were analyzed by Pareto analysis of variance (ANOVA) and second order polynomial models were obtained for all responses with high R(2) values (R(2)>0.95). 3D response surface plots were constructed to study the relationship between process variables and the responses. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A comparative study on cellulose nanocrystals extracted from bleached cotton and flax and used for casting films with glycerol and sorbitol plasticisers.

Science.gov (United States)

Csiszár, Emilia; Nagy, Sebestyén

2017-10-15

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were released from bleached cotton and flax by a sulphuric acid hydrolysis with about 40 and 34% yield, respectively. The rod-like cotton-CNC particles were slightly longer and wider and had a less pronounced aggregation ability in aqueous suspension than the flax-CNC ones. Films were cast from the CNC suspensions with sorbitol and glycerol plasticisers. The concept behind this research was to explore how the plasticisers - with similar structure but different molecular weight - and their concentrations affect the perceptible and measured properties of CNC films. Results revealed that the type of plasticiser determined the morphology and the optical and tensile properties of films. The best quality CNC film with an averaged thickness of 50μm was obtained with 20% sorbitol from cotton-CNC. It was proved that behaviour of sorbitol and glycerol plasticisers in CNC films was very similar to that reported previously for starch films. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Membrane-traversing mechanism of thyroid hormone transport by monocarboxylate transporter 8.

Science.gov (United States)

Protze, Jonas; Braun, Doreen; Hinz, Katrin Manuela; Bayer-Kusch, Dorothea; Schweizer, Ulrich; Krause, Gerd

2017-06-01

Monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8) mediates thyroid hormone (TH) transport across the plasma membrane in many cell types. In order to better understand its mechanism, we have generated three new MCT8 homology models based on sugar transporters XylE in the intracellular opened (PDB ID: 4aj4) and the extracellular partly occluded (PDB ID: 4gby) conformations as well as FucP (PDB ID: 3o7q) and GLUT3 (PDB ID: 4zwc) in the fully extracellular opened conformation. T 3 -docking studies from both sides revealed interactions with His192, His415, Arg445 and Asp498 as previously identified. Selected mutations revealed further transport-sensitive positions mainly at the discontinuous transmembrane helices TMH7 and 10. Lys418 is potentially involved in neutralising the charge of the TH substrate because it can be replaced by charged, but not by uncharged, amino acids. The side chain of Thr503 was hypothesised to stabilise a helix break at TMH10 that undergoes a prominent local shift during the transport cycle. A T503V mutation accordingly affected transport. The aromatic Tyr419, the polar Ser313 and Ser314 as well as the charged Glu422 and Glu423 lining the transport channel have been studied. Based on related sugar transporters, we suggest an alternating access mechanism for MCT8 involving a series of amino acid positions previously and newly identified as critical for transport.

Barrier and mechanical properties of plasticized and cross-linked nanocellulose coatings for paper packaging applications

OpenAIRE

Herrera, M. A. (Martha A.); Mathew, A. P. (Aji P.); Oksman, K. (Kristiina)

2017-01-01

Abstract Barrier, mechanical and thermal properties of porous paper substrates dip-coated with nanocellulose (NC) were studied. Sorbitol plasticizer was used to improve the toughness, and citric acid cross-linker to improve the moisture stability of the coatings. In general, the addition of sorbitol increased the barrier properties, maximum strength and toughness as well as the thermal stability of the samples when compared to the non-modified NC coatings. The barrier properties significan...

A Novel Aqueous Micellar Two-Phase System Composed of Surfactant and Sorbitol for Purification of Pectinase Enzyme from Psidium guajava and Recycling Phase Components

Science.gov (United States)

Murshid, Fara Syazana; Manap, Mohd Yazid; Hussin, Muhaini

2015-01-01

A novel aqueous two-phase system composed of a surfactant and sorbitol was employed for the first time to purify pectinase from Psidium guajava. The influences of different parameters, including the type and concentration of the surfactant and the concentration and composition of the surfactant/sorbitol ratio, on the partitioning behavior and recovery of pectinase were investigated. Moreover, the effects of system pH and the crude load on purification fold and the yield of purified pectinase were studied. The experimental results indicated that the pectinase was partitioned into surfactant-rich top phase, and the impurities were partitioned into the sorbitol-rich bottom phase with the novel method involving an ATPS composed of 26% (w/w) Triton X-100 and 23% (w/w) sorbitol at 54.2% of the TLL crude load of 20% (w/w) at pH 6.0. The enzyme was successfully recovered by this method with a high purification factor of 15.2 and a yield of 98.3%, whereas the phase components were also recovered and recycled at rates above 96%. This study demonstrated that this novel ATPS method can be used as an efficient and economical alternative to the traditional ATPS for the purification and recovery of the valuable enzyme. PMID:25756051

A novel aqueous micellar two-phase system composed of surfactant and sorbitol for purification of pectinase enzyme from Psidium guajava and recycling phase components.

Science.gov (United States)

Amid, Mehrnoush; Murshid, Fara Syazana; Manap, Mohd Yazid; Hussin, Muhaini

2015-01-01

A novel aqueous two-phase system composed of a surfactant and sorbitol was employed for the first time to purify pectinase from Psidium guajava. The influences of different parameters, including the type and concentration of the surfactant and the concentration and composition of the surfactant/sorbitol ratio, on the partitioning behavior and recovery of pectinase were investigated. Moreover, the effects of system pH and the crude load on purification fold and the yield of purified pectinase were studied. The experimental results indicated that the pectinase was partitioned into surfactant-rich top phase, and the impurities were partitioned into the sorbitol-rich bottom phase with the novel method involving an ATPS composed of 26% (w/w) Triton X-100 and 23% (w/w) sorbitol at 54.2% of the TLL crude load of 20% (w/w) at pH 6.0. The enzyme was successfully recovered by this method with a high purification factor of 15.2 and a yield of 98.3%, whereas the phase components were also recovered and recycled at rates above 96%. This study demonstrated that this novel ATPS method can be used as an efficient and economical alternative to the traditional ATPS for the purification and recovery of the valuable enzyme.

Mechanism of realization economic strategy of transport organization

Science.gov (United States)

Palkina, E. S.

2017-10-01

In modern conditions of economic globalization, high dynamism of external environment, economic strategy of transport organization plays an important role in maintaining its competitive advantages, long-term development. For effective achievement of set strategic goals it is necessary to use an adequate mechanism based on completeness and interrelation of its constituent instruments. The main objective of the study presented in this paper is to develop methodological provisions on formation the mechanism of realization economic strategy for transport organizations. The principles of its construction have been proposed, the key components have been defined. Finally, an attempt to implementation this mechanism into the transport organization management system has been realized.

Rapid conversion of sorbitol to isosorbide in hydrophobic ionic liquids under microwave irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamimura, Akio; Murata, Kengo; Tanaka, Yoshiki; Okagawa, Tomoki; Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Kaiso, Kouji; Yoshimoto, Makoto

2014-12-01

Sorbitol was effectively converted to isosorbide by treatment with [TMPA][NTf2 ] in the presence of catalytic amounts of TsOH under microwave heating at 180 °C. The reaction completed within 10 min and isosorbide was isolated to about 60%. Ionic liquids were readily recovered by an extraction treatment and reused several times. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effect of Plasticizers on Physicochemical and Mechanical Properties of Chitosan-Gelatin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Manshor, N. Mohammed; Rezali, M. I.; Jai, J.; Yahya, A.

2018-05-01

Composite chitosan-gelatin films were produced to investigate the effect of plasticizer and composition of chitosan and gelatin on physicochemical and mechanical properties of the films. The films were prepared according to ratio of chitosan: gelatin of 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1. For each film, glycerol, sorbitol and sucrose were added as plasticizer. The film forming solution was poured on a glass plate and dried for 12 hours in an oven at 60°C. The highest tensile strength was 4.04 MPa for films of ratio 2:1 plasticized with glycerol compared to sorbitol and sucrose which were 3.94 MPa and 3.84 MPa, respectively. However, films plasticized with sorbitol at ratio of 1:2 had the highest percent elongation which was 68.20%, followed by glycerol and sucrose which were 26.51% and 24.08%, respectively.

Membrane transport mechanism 3D structure and beyond

CERN Document Server

Ziegler, Christine

2014-01-01

This book provides a molecular view of membrane transport by means of numerous biochemical and biophysical techniques. The rapidly growing number of atomic structures of transporters in different conformations and the constant progress in bioinformatics have recently added deeper insights.   The unifying mechanism of energized solute transport across membranes is assumed to consist of the conformational cycling of a carrier protein to provide access to substrate binding sites from either side of a cellular membrane. Due to the central role of active membrane transport there is considerable interest in deciphering the principles of one of the most fundamental processes in nature: the alternating access mechanism.   This book brings together particularly significant structure-function studies on a variety of carrier systems from different transporter families: Glutamate symporters, LeuT-like fold transporters, MFS transporters and SMR (RND) exporters, as well as ABC-type importers.   The selected examples im...

Intracellular trehalose and sorbitol synergistically promoting cell viability of a biocontrol yeast, Pichia anomala, for aflatoxin reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Sui Sheng T; Hernlem, Bradley J; Yokoyama, Wallace; Sarreal, Siov Bouy L

2015-05-01

Pichia anomala (Wickerhamomyces anomalus) WRL-076 was discovered by a visual screening bioassay for its antagonism against Aspergillus flavus. The yeast was shown to significantly inhibit aflatoxin production and the growth of A. flavus. P. anomala is a potential biocontrol agent for reduction of aflatoxin in the food chain. Maintaining the viability of biocontrol agents in formulated products is a great challenge for commercial applications. Four media, NYG, NYGS, NYGT and NYGST are described which support good growth of yeast cells and were tested as storage formulations. Post growth supplement of 5 % trehalose to NYGST resulted in 83 % viable yeast cells after 12 months in cold storage. Intracellular sorbitol and trehalose concentrations were determined by HPLC analysis at the beginning of the storage and at the end of 12 month. Correlation of cell viability to both trehalose and sorbitol suggested a synergistic effect. Bonferroni (Dunn) t Test, Tukey's Studentized Range (HSD) Test and Duncan's Multiple Range Test, all showed that yeast cell viability in samples with both intracellular trehalose and sorbitol were significantly higher than those with either or none, at a 95 % confidence level. DiBAC4(5) and CFDA-AM were used as the membrane integrity fluorescent stains to create a two-color vital staining scheme with red and green fluorescence, respectively. Yeast cells stored in formulations NYG and NYGS with no detectable trehalose, displayed mostly red fluorescence. Yeast cells in NYGST+5T showed mostly green fluorescence.

Freeze-dried snake antivenoms formulated with sorbitol, sucrose or mannitol: comparison of their stability in an accelerated test.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, María; Tattini, Virgilio; Pitombo, Ronaldo N M; Gutiérrez, José María; Borgognoni, Camila; Vega-Baudrit, José; Solera, Federico; Cerdas, Maykel; Segura, Alvaro; Villalta, Mauren; Vargas, Mariángela; León, Guillermo

2014-11-01

Freeze-drying is used to improve the long term stability of pharmaceutical proteins. Sugars and polyols have been successfully used in the stabilization of proteins. However, their use in the development of freeze-dried antivenoms has not been documented. In this work, whole IgG snake antivenom, purified from equine plasma, was formulated with different concentrations of sorbitol, sucrose or mannitol. The glass transition temperatures of frozen formulations, determined by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), ranged between -13.5 °C and -41 °C. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the different stabilizers, the freeze-dried samples were subjected to an accelerated stability test at 40 ± 2 °C and 75 ± 5% relative humidity. After six months of storage at 40 °C, all the formulations presented the same residual humidity, but significant differences were observed in turbidity, reconstitution time and electrophoretic pattern. Moreover, all formulations, except antivenoms freeze-dried with mannitol, exhibited the same potency for the neutralization of lethal effect of Bothrops asper venom. The 5% (w:v) sucrose formulation exhibited the best stability among the samples tested, while mannitol and sorbitol formulations turned brown. These results suggest that sucrose is a better stabilizer than mannitol and sorbitol in the formulation of freeze-dried antivenoms under the studied conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

IMPROVEMENT OF FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION PROCESS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT MECHANISM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. V. Martsenyuk

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose. For Ukraine as for a post-socialist state there is an objective need of reforming on railway transport. In order to meet the requirements of consumers both within the country and outside of it, it is necessary to solve transport problems in time and to introduce new technologies, without lagging behind the developed European states. The purpose of this article is identification of problems in the process of freight transportations and development of ways of their overcoming, formation of the principles of economic efficiency increase for the use of freight cars using the improvement of management mechanism of freight transportations in the conditions of reforming. Methodology. Methods of strategic planning, system approach for research on improvement of the management mechanism of freight transportations, as well as the organizational-administrative method for structure of management construction were used in this research. Findings. Authors have explored the problems arising in the process of transportation of goods and measures, which will increase the efficiency of goods transportation. Advanced mechanism of freight transportation management for its application in the conditions of the railway transport reforming was developed. It is based on management centralization. Originality. The major factors, which slow down process of cargo transportations, are investigated in the article. The principles of management mechanism improvement of freight transportations are stated. They are based on association of commercial and car-repair activity of depots. All this will allow reducing considerably a car turn by decrease in duration of idle times on railway transport, increasing the speed of freight delivery and cutting down a transport component in the price of delivered production. Practical value. The offered measures will improve the efficiency of rolling stock use and increase cargo volumes turnover, promote links of Ukraine with

Carbon-coated ceramic membrane reactor for production of hydrogen via aqueous phase reforming of sorbitol

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neira d'Angelo, M.F.; Ordomskiy, V.; Schouten, J.C.; Schaaf, van der J.; Nijhuis, T.A.

2014-01-01

Hydrogen was produced by aqueous-phase reforming (APR) of sorbitol in a carbon-on-alumina tubular membrane reactor (4 nm pore size, 7 cm long, 3 mm internal diameter) that allows the hydrogen gas to permeate to the shell side, whereas the liquid remains in the tube side. The hydrophobic nature of

Real-time monitoring of sucrose, sorbitol, d-glucose and d-fructose concentration by electromagnetic sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Harnsoongnoen, Supakorn; Wanthong, Anuwat

2017-10-01

Magnetic sensing at microwave frequencies for real-time monitoring of sucrose, sorbitol, d-glucose and d-fructose concentrations is reported. The sensing element was designed based on a coplanar waveguide (CPW) loaded with a split ring resonator (SRR), which was fabricated on a DiClad 880 substrate with a thickness of 1.6mm and relative permittivity (ε r ) of 2.2. The magnetic sensor was connected to a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) and the electromagnetic interaction between the samples and sensor was analyzed. The magnitude of the transmission coefficient (S 21 ) was used as an indicator to detect the solution sample concentrations ranging from 0.04 to 0.20g/ml. The experimental results confirmed that the developed system using microwaves for the real-time monitoring of sucrose, sorbitol, d-glucose and d-fructose concentrations gave unique results for each solution type and concentration. Moreover, the proposed sensor has a wide dynamic range, high linearity, fast operation and low-cost. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molar concentrations of sorbitol and polyethylene glycol inhibit the Plasmodium aquaglyceroporin but not that of E. coli: involvement of the channel vestibules.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jie; Almasalmeh, Abdulnasser; Krenc, Dawid; Beitz, Eric

2012-05-01

The aquaglyceroporins of Escherichia coli, EcGlpF, and of Plasmodium falciparum, PfAQP, are probably the best characterized members of the solute-conducting aquaporin (AQP) subfamily. Their crystal structures have been elucidated and numerous experimental and theoretical analyses have been conducted. However, opposing reports on their rates of water permeability require clarification. Hence, we expressed EcGlpF and PfAQP in yeast, prepared protoplasts, and compared water and glycerol permeability of both aquaglyceroporins in the presence of different osmolytes, i.e. sucrose, sorbitol, PEG300, and glycerol. We found that water permeability of PfAQP strongly depends on the external osmolyte, with full inhibition by sorbitol, and increasing water permeability when glycerol, PEG300, and sucrose were used. EcGlpF expression did not enhance water permeability over that of non-expressing control protoplasts regardless of the osmolyte. Glycerol permeability of PfAQP was also inhibited by sorbitol, but to a smaller extent, whereas EcGlpF conducted glycerol independently of the osmolyte. Mixtures of glycerol and urea passed PfAQP equally well under isosmotic conditions, whereas under hypertonic conditions in a countercurrent with water, glycerol was clearly preferred over urea. We conclude that PfAQP has high and EcGlpF low water permeability, and explain the inhibiting effect of sorbitol on PfAQP by its binding to the extracellular vestibule. The preference for glycerol under hypertonic conditions implies that in a physiological setting, PfAQP mainly acts as a water/glycerol channel rather than a urea facilitator. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fractal aspects of the flow and shear behaviour of free-flowable particle size fractions of pharmaceutical directly compressible excipient sorbitol.

Science.gov (United States)

Hurychová, Hana; Lebedová, Václava; Šklubalová, Zdenka; Dzámová, Pavlína; Svěrák, Tomáš; Stoniš, Jan

Flowability of powder excipients is directly influenced by their size and shape although the granulometric influence of the flow and shear behaviour of particulate matter is not studied frequently. In this work, the influence of particle size on the mass flow rate through the orifice of a conical hopper, and the cohesion and flow function was studied for four free-flowable size fractions of sorbitol for direct compression in the range of 0.080-0.400 mm. The particles were granulometricaly characterized using an optical microscopy; a boundary fractal dimension of 1.066 was estimated for regular sorbitol particles. In the particle size range studied, a non-linear relationship between the mean particle size and the mass flow rate Q10 (g/s) was detected having amaximum at the 0.245mm fraction. The best flow properties of this fraction were verified with aJenike shear tester due to the highest value of flow function and the lowest value of the cohesion. The results of this work show the importance of the right choice of the excipient particle size to achieve the best flow behaviour of particulate material.Key words: flowability size fraction sorbitol for direct compaction Jenike shear tester fractal dimension.

Issues in tokamak/stellarator transport and confinement enhancement mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkins, F.W.

1990-08-01

At present, the mechanism for anomalous energy transport in low-β toroidal plasmas -- tokamaks and stellarators -- remains unclear, although transport by turbulent E x B velocities associated with nonlinear, fine-scale microinstabilities is a leading candidate. This article discusses basic theoretical concepts of various transport and confinement enhancement mechanisms as well as experimental ramifications which would enable one to distinguish among them and hence identify a dominant transport mechanism. While many of the predictions of fine-scale turbulence are born out by experiment, notable contradictions exist. Projections of ignition margin rest both on the scaling properties of the confinement mechanism and on the criteria for entering enhanced confinement regimes. At present, the greatest uncertainties lie with the basis for scaling confinement enhancement criteria. A series of questions, to be answered by new experimental/theoretical work, is posed to resolve these outstanding contradictions (or refute the fine-scale turbulence model) and to establish confinement enhancement criteria. 73 refs., 4 figs., 5 tabs

Charge carrier transport mechanisms in nanocrystalline indium oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsh, E.A.; Marikutsa, A.V.; Martyshov, M.N.; Forsh, P.A.; Rumyantseva, M.N.; Gaskov, A.M.; Kashkarov, P.K.

2014-01-01

The charge transport properties of nanocrystalline indium oxide (In 2 O 3 ) are studied. A number of nanostructured In 2 O 3 samples with various nanocrystal sizes are prepared by sol–gel method and characterized using various techniques. The mean nanocrystals size varies from 7–8 nm to 18–20 nm depending on the conditions of their preparation. Structural characterizations of the In 2 O 3 samples are performed by means of transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The analysis of dc and ac conductivity in a wide temperature range (T = 50–300 K) shows that at high temperatures charge carrier transport takes place over conduction band and at low temperatures a variable range hopping transport mechanism can be observed. We find out that the temperature of transition from one mechanism to another depends on nanocrystal size: the transition temperature rises when nanocrystals are bigger in size. The average hopping distance between two sites and the activation energy are calculated basing on the analysis of dc conductivity at low temperature. Using random barrier model we show a uniform hopping mechanism taking place in our samples and conclude that nanocrystalline In 2 O 3 can be regarded as a disordered system. - Highlights: • In 2 O 3 samples with various nanocrystal sizes are prepared by sol–gel method. • The mean nanocrystal size varies from 7–8 nm to 18–20 nm. • At high temperatures charge carrier transport takes place over conduction band. • At low temperatures a variable range hopping transport mechanism can be observed. • We show a uniform hopping mechanism taking place in our samples

Structure and mechanism of ATP-dependent phospholipid transporters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lopez Marques, Rosa Laura; Poulsen, Lisbeth Rosager; Bailly, Aurélien

2015-01-01

Background ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and P4-ATPases are two large and seemingly unrelated families of primary active pumps involved in moving phospholipids from one leaflet of a biological membrane to the other. Scope of review This review aims to identify common mechanistic features...... in the way phospholipid flipping is carried out by two evolutionarily unrelated families of transporters. Major conclusions Both protein families hydrolyze ATP, although they employ different mechanisms to use it, and have a comparable size with twelve transmembrane segments in the functional unit. Further......, despite differences in overall architecture, both appear to operate by an alternating access mechanism and during transport they might allow access of phospholipids to the internal part of the transmembrane domain. The latter feature is obvious for ABC transporters, but phospholipids and other hydrophobic...

Polar transport in plants mediated by membrane transporters: focus on mechanisms of polar auxin transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Naramoto, Satoshi

2017-12-01

Directional cell-to-cell transport of functional molecules, called polar transport, enables plants to sense and respond to developmental and environmental signals. Transporters that localize to plasma membranes (PMs) in a polar manner are key components of these systems. PIN-FORMED (PIN) auxin efflux carriers, which are the most studied polar-localized PM proteins, are implicated in the polar transport of auxin that in turn regulates plant development and tropic growth. In this review, the regulatory mechanisms underlying polar localization of PINs, control of auxin efflux activity, and PIN abundance at PMs are considered. Up to date information on polar-localized nutrient transporters that regulate directional nutrient movement from soil into the root vasculature is also discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic response analysis as a tool for investigating transport mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dudok de Wit, Th.; Joye, B.; Lister, J.B.; Moret, J.M.

1990-01-01

Dynamic response analysis provides an attractive method for studying transport mechanisms in tokamak plasmas. The analysis of the radial response has already been widely used for heat and particle transport studies. The frequency dependence of the dynamic response, which is often omitted, reveals further properties of the dominant transport mechanisms. Extended measurements of the soft X-ray emission were carried out on the TCA tokamak in order to determine the underlying transport processes. (author) 5 refs., 2 figs

The alternating access mechanism of transport as observed in the sodium-hydantoin transporter Mhp1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weyand, Simone; Shimamura, Tatsuro; Beckstein, Oliver; Sansom, Mark S. P.; Iwata, So; Henderson, Peter J. F.; Cameron, Alexander D.

2011-01-01

Crystal structures of a membrane protein transporter in three different conformational states provide insights into the transport mechanism. Secondary active transporters move molecules across cell membranes by coupling this process to the energetically favourable downhill movement of ions or protons along an electrochemical gradient. They function by the alternating access model of transport in which, through conformational changes, the substrate binding site alternately faces either side of the membrane. Owing to the difficulties in obtaining the crystal structure of a single transporter in different conformational states, relatively little structural information is known to explain how this process occurs. Here, the structure of the sodium-benzylhydantoin transporter, Mhp1, from Microbacterium liquefaciens, has been determined in three conformational states; from this a mechanism is proposed for switching from the outward-facing open conformation through an occluded structure to the inward-facing open state

Effect of sorbitol, single, and multidose activated charcoal administration on carprofen absorption following experimental overdose in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Koenigshof, Amy M; Beal, Matthew W; Poppenga, Robert H; Jutkowitz, L Ari

2015-01-01

To compare the effectiveness of single dose activated charcoal, single dose activated charcoal with sorbitol, and multidose activated charcoal in reducing plasma carprofen concentrations following experimental overdose in dogs. Randomized, four period cross-over study. University research setting. Eight healthy Beagles. A 120 mg/kg of carprofen was administered orally to each dog followed by either (i) a single 2 g/kg activated charcoal administration 1 hour following carprofen ingestion (AC); (ii) 2 g/kg activated charcoal with 3.84 g/kg sorbitol 1 hour following carprofen ingestion (ACS); (iii) 2 g/kg activated charcoal 1 hour after carprofen ingestion and repeated every 6 hours for a total of 4 doses (MD); (iv) no treatment (control). Plasma carprofen concentrations were obtained over a 36-hour period following carprofen ingestion for each protocol. Pharmacokinetic modeling was performed and time versus concentration, area under the curve, maximum plasma concentration, time to maximum concentration, and elimination half-life were calculated and compared among the groups using ANOVA followed by Tukey's multiple comparisons test. Activated charcoal, activated charcoal with sorbitol (ACS), and multiple-dose activated charcoal (MD) significantly reduced the area under the curve compared to the control group. AC and MD significantly reduced the maximum concentration when compared to the control group. MD significantly reduced elimination half-life when compared to ACS and the control group. There were no other significant differences among the treatment groups. Activated charcoal and ACS are as effective as MD in reducing serum carprofen concentrations following experimental overdose in dogs. Prospective studies are warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of AC, ACS, and MD in the clinical setting. © Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2015.

Aging of the Johari-Goldstein relaxation in the glass-forming liquids sorbitol and xylitol

Science.gov (United States)

Yardimci, Hasan; Leheny, Robert L.

2006-06-01

Employing frequency-dependent dielectric susceptibility we characterize the aging in two supercooled liquids, sorbitol and xylitol, below their calorimetric glass transition temperatures. In addition to the alpha relaxation that tracks the structural dynamics, the susceptibility of both liquids possesses a secondary Johari-Goldstein relaxation at higher frequencies. Following a quench through the glass transition, the susceptibility slowly approaches the equilibrium behavior. For both liquids, the magnitude of the Johari-Goldstein relaxation displays a dependence on the time since the quench, or aging time, that is quantitatively very similar to the age dependence of the alpha peak frequency. The Johari-Goldstein relaxation time remains constant during aging for sorbitol while it decreases slightly with age for xylitol. Hence, one cannot sensibly assign a fictive temperature to the Johari-Goldstein relaxation. This behavior contrasts with that of liquids lacking distinct Johari-Goldstein peaks for which the excess wing of the alpha peak tracks the main part of the peak during aging, enabling the assignment of a single fictive temperature to the entire spectrum. The aging behavior of the Johari-Goldstein relaxation time further calls into question the possibility that the relaxation time possesses stronger temperature dependence in equilibrium than is observed in the out-of-equilibrium state below the glass transition.

INTERPLAY OF SORBITOL PATHWAY OF GLUCOSE METABOLISM, 12/15-LIPOXYGENASE, AND MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASES IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF DIABETIC PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY

Science.gov (United States)

Stavniichuk, Roman; Shevalye, Hanna; Hirooka, Hiroko; Nadler, Jerry L.; Obrosova, Irina G.

2012-01-01

The interactions among multiple pathogenetic mechanisms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy largely remain unexplored. Increased activity of aldose reductase, the first enzyme of the sorbitol pathway, leads to accumulation of cytosolic Ca++, essentially required for 12/15-lipoxygenase activation. The latter, in turn, causes oxidative-nitrosative stress, an important trigger of MAPK phosphorylation. This study therefore evaluated the interplay of aldose reductase, 12/15-lipoxygenase, and MAPKs in diabetic peripheral neuropathy. In experiment 1, male control and streptozotocin-diabetic mice were maintained with or without the aldose reductase inhibitor fidarestat, 16 mg kg−1 d−1, for 12 weeks. In experiment 2, male control and streptozotocin-diabetic wild-type (C57Bl6/J) and 12/15-lipoxygenase-deficient mice were used. Fidarestat treatment did not affect diabetes-induced increase in glucose concentrations, but normalized sorbitol and fructose concentrations (enzymatic spectrofluorometric assays) as well as 12(S) hydroxyeicosatetraenoic concentration (ELISA), a measure of 12/15-lipoxygenase activity, in the sciatic nerve and spinal cord. 12/15-lipoxygenase expression in these two tissues (Western blot analysis) as well as dorsal root ganglia (immunohistochemistry) was similarly elevated in untreated and fidarestat-treated diabetic mice. 12/15-lipoxygenase gene deficiency prevented diabetesassociated p38 MAPK and ERK, but not SAPK/JNK, activation in the sciatic nerve (Western blot analysis) and all three MAPK activation in the dorsal root ganglia (immunohistochemistry). In contrast, spinal cord p38 MAPK, ERK, and SAPK/JNK were similarly activated in diabetic wild-type and 12/15-lipoxygenase−/− mice. These findings identify the nature and tissue specificity of interactions among three major mechanisms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and suggest that combination treatments, rather than monotherapies, can sometimes be an optimal choice for its management. PMID

Contrasting dynamics of fragile and non-fragile polyalcohols through the glass, and dynamical, transitions: A comparison of neutron scattering and dielectric relaxation data for sorbitol and glycerol.

Science.gov (United States)

Migliardo, F; Angell, C A; Magazù, S

2017-01-01

Glycerol and sorbitol are glass-forming hydrogen-bonded systems characterized by intriguing properties which make these systems very interesting also from the applications point of view. The goal of this work is to relate the hydrogen-bonded features, relaxation dynamics, glass transition properties and fragility of these systems, in particular to seek insight into their very different liquid fragilities. The comparison between glycerol and sorbitol is carried out by collecting the elastic incoherent neutron scattering (EINS) intensity as a function of temperature and of the instrumental energy resolution. Intensity data vs temperature and resolution are analyzed in terms of thermal restraint and Resolution Elastic Neutron Scattering (RENS) approaches. The number of OH groups, which are related to the connecting sites, is a significant parameter both in the glass transition and in the dynamical transition. On the other hand, the disordered nature of sorbitol is confirmed by the existence of different relaxation processes. From the applications point of view, glycerol and sorbitol have remarkable bioprotectant properties which make these systems useful in different technological and industrial fields. Furthermore, polyols are rich in glassforming liquid phenomenology and highly deserving of study in their own right. The comparison of EINS and calorimetric data on glycerol and sorbitol helps provide a connection between structural relaxation, dynamical transition, glass transition, and fragility. The evaluation of the inflection point in the elastic intensity behavior as a function of temperature and instrumental energy resolution provides a confirmation of the validity of the RENS approach. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Science for Life" Guest Editor: Dr. Austen Angell, Dr. Salvatore Magazù and Dr. Federica Migliardo. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Transport mechanism and regulatory properties of the human amino acid transporter ASCT2 (SLC1A5).

Science.gov (United States)

Scalise, Mariafrancesca; Pochini, Lorena; Panni, Simona; Pingitore, Piero; Hedfalk, Kristina; Indiveri, Cesare

2014-11-01

The kinetic mechanism of the transport catalyzed by the human glutamine/neutral amino acid transporter hASCT2 over-expressed in P. pastoris was determined in proteoliposomes by pseudo-bi-substrate kinetic analysis of the Na(+)-glutamineex/glutaminein transport reaction. A random simultaneous mechanism resulted from the experimental analysis. Purified functional hASCT2 was chemically cross-linked to a stable dimeric form. The oligomeric structure correlated well with the kinetic mechanism of transport. Half-saturation constants (Km) of the transporter for the other substrates Ala, Ser, Asn and Thr were measured both on the external and internal side. External Km were much lower than the internal ones confirming the asymmetry of the transporter. The electric nature of the transport reaction was determined imposing a negative inside membrane potential generated by K(+) gradients in the presence of valinomycin. The transport reaction resulted to be electrogenic and the electrogenicity originated from external Na(+). Internal Na(+) exerted a stimulatory effect on the transport activity which could be explained by a regulatory, not a counter-transport, effect. Native and deglycosylated hASCT2 extracted from HeLa showed the same transport features demonstrating that the glycosyl moiety has no role in transport function. Both in vitro and in vivo interactions of hASCT2 with the scaffold protein PDZK1 were revealed.

Feline hepatic biotransformation and transport mechanisms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Beusekom, C.D. van

2015-01-01

Hepatic biotransformation and drug transport mechanisms vary significantly between species. While these processes that determine largely the kinetic behavior of drugs have been studied abundantly in dogs, corresponding investigations in cats are hardly available, despite the increasing role of cats

Transport mechanisms in Schottky diodes realized on GaN

Science.gov (United States)

Amor, Sarrah; Ahaitouf, Ali; Ahaitouf, Abdelaziz; Salvestrini, Jean Paul; Ougazzaden, Abdellah

2017-03-01

This work is focused on the conducted transport mechanisms involved on devices based in gallium nitride GaN and its alloys. With considering all conduction mechanisms of current, its possible to understanded these transport phenomena. Thanks to this methodology the current-voltage characteristics of structures with unusual behaviour are further understood and explain. Actually, the barrier height (SBH) is a complex problem since it depends on several parameters like the quality of the metal-semiconductor interface. This study is particularly interesting as solar cells are made on this material and their qualification is closely linked to their transport properties.

Alternate economical starchy substrates for the production of 70% sorbitol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Upadhyay, C.M. (Sarabhai Research Centre, Baroda (India). Industrial Enzymes Dept.); Nehete, P.N. (Sarabhai Research Centre, Baroda (India). Industrial Fermentation Div.); Shah, D.N. (GSFC Research and Development Centre, Fertilizernagar (India). Biotechnology Dept.); Shah, N.K. (Armour Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., Ankleshwar (India)); Shankar, V. (National Chemical Lab., Pune (India). Biochemistry Div.); Kothari, R.M. (Thapar Corporate Research and Development Centre, Patiala (India). Biotechnology Div.)

1991-03-01

In view of the soaring prices of corn and tapioca starch, use of their hydrolysate in the production of 70% sorbitol became less remunerative. Therefore, an economical alternative is explored by using hydrolysates of cereal flours, namely, rice (Oryzae sativa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), jowar (Sorghum vulgare) and bajra (Pennisetum typhoideum). A protocol is devised to (a) prepare their high DE hydrolysates, (b) purify it after saccharification, (c) monitor the chemical chracteristics of concentrated hydrolysate, as feedstock for Raney nickel catalyzed pressure hydrogenation and (d) finally prepare 70% sorbital. Merits and demerits of hydrolysates of these cereal flours are discussed in terms of operational limitations and percentage recovery, the governing factors for their industrial acceptability. Rice flour hydrolysate appears to be an alternative substrate, operationally and economically. (orig.).

Edible Film from Polyblend of Ginger Starch, Chitosan, and Sorbitol as Plasticizer

Science.gov (United States)

Sariningsih, N.; Putra, Y. P.; Pamungkas, W. P.; Kusumaningsih, T.

2018-03-01

Polyblend ginger starch/chitosan based edible film has been succesfully prepared and characterized. The purpose of this research was to produce edible film from polyblend of ginger starch, chitosan, and sorbitol as plasticizer. The resulted edible film were characterized by using FTIR, TGA and UTM. Edible film of ginger starch had OH vibration (3430 cm-1). Besides, edible film had elongation up to 15.63%. The thermal degradation of this material reached 208°C indicating high termal stability. The water uptake of the edible film was 42.85%. It concluded that edible film produce in this research has potential as a packaging.

Conversion of cellulose and cellobiose into sorbitol catalyzed by ruthenium supported on a polyoxometalate/metal-organic framework hybrid.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jinzhu; Wang, Shengpei; Huang, Jing; Chen, Limin; Ma, Longlong; Huang, Xing

2013-08-01

Cellulose and cellobiose were selectively converted into sorbitol over water-tolerant phosphotungstic acid (PTA)/metal- organic-framework-hybrid-supported ruthenium catalysts, Ru-PTA/MIL-100(Cr), under aqueous hydrogenation conditions. The goal was to investigate the relationship between the acid/metal balance of bifunctional catalysts Ru-PTA/MIL-100(Cr) and their performance in the catalytic conversion of cellulose and cellobiose into sugar alcohols. The control of the amount and strength of acid sites in the supported PTA/MIL-100(Cr) was achieved through the effective control of encapsulated-PTA loading in MIL-100(Cr). This design and preparation method led to an appropriately balanced Ru-PTA/MIL-100(Cr) in terms of Ru dispersion and hydrogenation capacity on the one hand, and acid site density of PTA/MIL-100(Cr) (responsible for acid-catalyzed hydrolysis) on the other hand. The ratio of acid site density to the number of Ru surface atoms (nA /nRu ) of Ru-PTA/MIL-100(Cr) was used to monitor the balance between hydrogenation and hydrolysis functions; the optimum balance between the two catalytic functions, that is, 8.84sorbitol of 57.9% at complete conversion of cellulose, and 97.1% yield in hexitols with a selectivity for sorbitol of 95.1% at complete conversion of cellobiose) were obtained using a Ru-PTA/MIL-100(Cr) catalyst with loadings of 3.2 wt % for Ru and 16.7 wt % for PTA. This research thus opens new perspectives for the rational design of acid/metal bifunctional catalysts for biomass conversion. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Acoustic excitations in glassy sorbitol and their relation with the fragility and the boson peak

Science.gov (United States)

Ruta, B.; Baldi, G.; Scarponi, F.; Fioretto, D.; Giordano, V. M.; Monaco, G.

2012-12-01

We report a detailed analysis of the dynamic structure factor of glassy sorbitol by using inelastic X-ray scattering and previously measured light scattering data [B. Ruta, G. Monaco, F. Scarponi, and D. Fioretto, Philos. Mag. 88, 3939 (2008), 10.1080/14786430802317586]. The thus obtained knowledge on the density-density fluctuations at both the mesoscopic and macroscopic length scale has been used to address two debated topics concerning the vibrational properties of glasses. The relation between the acoustic modes and the universal boson peak (BP) appearing in the vibrational density of states of glasses has been investigated, also in relation with some recent theoretical models. Moreover, the connection between the elastic properties of glasses and the slowing down of the structural relaxation process in supercooled liquids has been scrutinized. For what concerns the first issue, it is here shown that the wave vector dependence of the acoustic excitations can be used, in sorbitol, to quantitatively reproduce the shape of the boson peak, supporting the relation between BP and acoustic modes. For what concerns the second issue, a proper study of elasticity over a wide spatial range is shown to be fundamental in order to investigate the relation between elastic properties and the slowing down of the dynamics in the corresponding supercooled liquid phase.

A single amino acid change (Y318F) in the L-arabitol dehydrogenase (LadA) from Aspergillus niger results in a significant increase in affinity for D-sorbitol

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

Background L-arabitol dehydrogenase (LAD) and xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) are involved in the degradation of L-arabinose and D-xylose, which are among the most abundant monosaccharides on earth. Previous data demonstrated that LAD and XDH not only differ in the activity on their biological substrate, but also that only XDH has significant activity on D-sorbitol and may therefore be more closely related to D-sorbitol dehydrogenases (SDH). In this study we aimed to identify residues involved in the difference in substrate specificity. Results Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that LAD, XDH and SDH form 3 distinct groups of the family of dehydrogenases containing an Alcohol dehydrogenase GroES-like domain (pfam08240) and likely have evolved from a common ancestor. Modelling of LadA and XdhA of the saprobic fungus Aspergillus niger on human SDH identified two residues in LadA (M70 and Y318), that may explain the absence of activity on D-sorbitol. While introduction of the mutation M70F in LadA of A. niger resulted in a nearly complete enzyme inactivation, the Y318F resulted in increased activity for L-arabitol and xylitol. Moreover, the affinity for D-sorbitol was increased in this mutant. Conclusion These data demonstrates that Y318 of LadA contributes significantly to the substrate specificity difference between LAD and XDH/SDH. PMID:19674460

Mechanisms involved in the transport of mercuric ions in target tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Bridges, Christy C.; Zalups, Rudolfs K.

2016-01-01

Mercury exists in the environment in various forms, all of which pose a risk to human health. Despite guidelines regulating the industrial release of mercury into the environment, humans continue to be exposed regularly to various forms of this metal via inhalation or ingestion. Following exposure, mercuric ions are taken up by and accumulate in numerous organs, including brain, intestine, kidney, liver, and placenta. In order to understand the toxicological effects of exposure to mercury, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms that facilitate entry of mercuric ions into target cells must first be obtained. A number of mechanisms for the transport of mercuric ions into target cells and organs have been proposed in recent years. However, the ability of these mechanisms to transport mercuric ions and the regulatory features of these carriers have not been characterized completely. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current findings related to the mechanisms that may be involved in the transport of inorganic and organic forms of mercury in target tissues and organs. This review will describe mechanisms known to be involved in the transport of mercury and will also propose additional mechanisms that may potentially be involved in the transport of mercuric ions into target cells. PMID:27422290

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.

Low-field mobility and carrier transport mechanism transition in nanoscale MOSFETs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Hongwei; Wang Runsheng; Huang Ru; Zhang Xing

2010-01-01

This paper extends the flux scattering method to study the carrier transport property in nanoscale MOSFETs with special emphasis on the low-field mobility and the transport mechanism transition. A unified analytical expression for the low-field mobility is proposed, which covers the entire regime from drift-diffusion transport to quasi-ballistic transport in 1-D, 2-D and 3-D MOSFETs. Two key parameters, namely the long-channel low-field mobility (μ 0 ) and the low-field mean free path (λ 0 ), are obtained from the experimental data, and the transport mechanism transition in MOSFETs is further discussed both experimentally and theoretically. Our work shows that λ 0 is available to characterize the inherent transition of the carrier transport mechanism rather than the low-field mobility. The mobility reduces in the MOSFET with the shrinking of the channel length; however, λ 0 is nearly a constant, and λ 0 can be used as the 'entry criterion' to determine whether the device begins to operate under quasi-ballistic transport to some extent. (semiconductor devices)

A quantitative study of methanol/sorbitol co-feeding process of a Pichia pastoris Mut+/pAOX1-lacZ strain

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background One of the main challenges for heterologous protein production by the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris at large-scale is related to its high oxygen demand. A promising solution is a co-feeding strategy based on a methanol/sorbitol mixture during the induction phase. Nonetheless, a deep understanding of the cellular physiology and the regulation of the AOX1 promoter, used to govern heterologous protein production, during this co-feeding strategy is still scarce. Results Transient continuous cultures with a dilution rate of 0.023 h-1 at 25°C were performed to quantitatively assess the benefits of a methanol/sorbitol co-feeding process with a Mut+ strain in which the pAOX1-lacZ construct served as a reporter gene. Cell growth and metabolism, including O2 consumption together with CO2 and heat production were analyzed with regard to a linear change of methanol fraction in the mixed feeding media. In addition, the regulation of the promoter AOX1 was investigated by means of β-galactosidase measurements. Our results demonstrated that the cell-specific oxygen consumption (qO2) could be reduced by decreasing the methanol fraction in the feeding media. More interestingly, maximal β-galactosidase cell-specific activity (>7500 Miller unit) and thus, optimal pAOX1 induction, was achieved and maintained in the range of 0.45 ~ 0.75 C-mol/C-mol of methanol fraction. In addition, the qO2 was reduced by 30% at most in those conditions. Based on a simplified metabolic network, metabolic flux analysis (MFA) was performed to quantify intracellular metabolic flux distributions during the transient continuous cultures, which further shed light on the advantages of methanol/sorbitol co-feeding process. Finally, our observations were further validated in fed-batch cultures. Conclusion This study brings quantitative insight into the co-feeding process, which provides valuable data for the control of methanol/sorbitol co-feeding, aiming at enhancing biomass and

Molecular mechanisms of water transport in the eye

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hamann, Steffen

2002-01-01

The four major sites for ocular water transport, the corneal epithelium and endothelium, the ciliary epithelium, and the retinal pigment epithelium, are reviewed. The cornea has an inherent tendency to swell, which is counteracted by its two surface cell layers, the corneal epithelium...... and endothelium. The bilayered ciliary epithelium secretes the aqueous humor into the posterior chamber, and the retinal pigment epithelium transports water from the retinal to the choroidal site. For each epithelium, ion transport mechanisms are associated with fluid transport, but the exact molecular coupling...... sites between ion and water transport remain undefined. In the retinal pigment epithelium, a H+-lactate cotransporter transports water. This protein could be the site of coupling between salt and water in this epithelium. The distribution of aquaporins does not suggest a role for these proteins...

The Malus domestica sugar transporter gene family: identifications based on genome and expression profiling related to the accumulation of fruit sugars.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xiaoyu; Liu, Fengli; Chen, Cheng; Ma, Fengwang; Li, Mingjun

2014-01-01

In plants, sugar transporters are involved not only in long-distance transport, but also in sugar accumulations in sink cells. To identify members of sugar transporter gene families and to analyze their function in fruit sugar accumulation, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the Malus domestica genome. Expression profiling was performed with shoot tips, mature leaves, and developed fruit of "Gala" apple. Genes for sugar alcohol [including 17 sorbitol transporters (SOTs)], sucrose, and monosaccharide transporters, plus SWEET genes, were selected as candidates in 31, 9, 50, and 27 loci, respectively, of the genome. The monosaccharide transporter family appears to include five subfamilies (30 MdHTs, 8 MdEDR6s, 5 MdTMTs, 3 MdvGTs, and 4 MdpGLTs). Phylogenetic analysis of the protein sequences indicated that orthologs exist among Malus, Vitis, and Arabidopsis. Investigations of transcripts revealed that 68 candidate transporters are expressed in apple, albeit to different extents. Here, we discuss their possible roles based on the relationship between their levels of expression and sugar concentrations. The high accumulation of fructose in apple fruit is possibly linked to the coordination and cooperation between MdTMT1/2 and MdEDR6. By contrast, these fruits show low MdSWEET4.1 expression and a high flux of fructose produced from sorbitol. Our study provides an exhaustive survey of sugar transporter genes and demonstrates that sugar transporter gene families in M. domestica are comparable to those in other species. Expression profiling of these transporters will likely contribute to improving our understanding of their physiological functions in fruit formation and the development of sweetness properties.

The Malus domestica sugar transporter gene family: identifications based on genome and expression profiling related to the accumulation of fruit sugars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoyu eWei

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In plants, sugar transporters are involved not only in long-distance transport, but also in sugar accumulations in sink cells. To identify members of sugar transporter gene families and to analyze their function in fruit sugar accumulation, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the Malus domestica genome. Expression profiling was performed with shoot tips, mature leaves, and developed fruit of ‘Gala’ apple. Genes for sugar alcohol (including 17 sorbitol transporters, sucrose, and monosaccharide transporters, plus SWEET genes, were selected as candidates in 31, 9, 50, and 27 loci, respectively, of the genome. The monosaccharide transporter family appears to include five subfamilies (30 MdHTs, 8 MdEDR6s, 5 MdTMTs, 3 MdvGTs, and 4 MdpGLTs. Phylogenetic analysis of the protein sequences indicated that orthologs exist among Malus, Vitis, and Arabidopsis. Investigations of transcripts revealed that 68 candidate transporters are expressed in apple, albeit to different extents. Here, we discuss their possible roles based on the relationship between their levels of expression and sugar concentrations. The high accumulation of fructose in apple fruit is possibly linked to the coordination and cooperation between MdTMT1/2 and MdEDR6. By contrast, these fruits show low MdSWEET4.1 expression and a high flux of fructose produced from sorbitol. Our study provides an exhaustive survey of sugar transporter genes and demonstrates that sugar transporter gene families in M. domestica are comparable to those in other species. Expression profiling of these transporters will likely contribute to improving our understanding of their physiological functions in fruit formation and the development of sweetness properties.

Effects of sorbitol and glycerol on the structure, dynamics, and stability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pyrazinamidase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehrnoosh Khajehzadeh

2016-01-01

Conclusion: It can be concluded that the native conformation of the enzyme was stabilized in the sorbitol and glycerol and tend to exclude from the PZase surface, forcing the enzyme to keep it in the compactly folded conformation. The glycerol molecules stabilized PZase by decreasing the loops flexibility and then compacting the enzyme structure. It appears that more stability of PZase in glycerol solution correlates with its amphiphilic orientation, which decreases the unfavorable interactions of hydrophobic regions.

Structure, mechanism and cooperation of bacterial multidrug transporters.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Dijun; van Veen, Hendrik W; Murakami, Satoshi; Pos, Klaas M; Luisi, Ben F

2015-08-01

Cells from all domains of life encode energy-dependent trans-membrane transporters that can expel harmful substances including clinically applied therapeutic agents. As a collective body, these transporters perform as a super-system that confers tolerance to an enormous range of harmful compounds and consequently aid survival in hazardous environments. In the Gram-negative bacteria, some of these transporters serve as energy-transducing components of tripartite assemblies that actively efflux drugs and other harmful compounds, as well as deliver virulence agents across the entire cell envelope. We draw together recent structural and functional data to present the current models for the transport mechanisms for the main classes of multi-drug transporters and their higher-order assemblies. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Direct visualization of glutamate transporter elevator mechanism by high-speed AFM.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruan, Yi; Miyagi, Atsushi; Wang, Xiaoyu; Chami, Mohamed; Boudker, Olga; Scheuring, Simon

2017-02-14

Glutamate transporters are essential for recovery of the neurotransmitter glutamate from the synaptic cleft. Crystal structures in the outward- and inward-facing conformations of a glutamate transporter homolog from archaebacterium Pyrococcus horikoshii , sodium/aspartate symporter Glt Ph , suggested the molecular basis of the transporter cycle. However, dynamic studies of the transport mechanism have been sparse and indirect. Here we present high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) observations of membrane-reconstituted Glt Ph at work. HS-AFM movies provide unprecedented real-space and real-time visualization of the transport dynamics. Our results show transport mediated by large amplitude 1.85-nm "elevator" movements of the transport domains consistent with previous crystallographic and spectroscopic studies. Elevator dynamics occur in the absence and presence of sodium ions and aspartate, but stall in sodium alone, providing a direct visualization of the ion and substrate symport mechanism. We show unambiguously that individual protomers within the trimeric transporter function fully independently.

A quantitative study of methanol/sorbitol co-feeding process of a Pichia pastoris Mut⁺/pAOX1-lacZ strain.

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Hongxing; Jost, Laurent; Pirlot, Nathalie; Sassi, Hosni; Daukandt, Marc; Rodriguez, Christian; Fickers, Patrick

2013-04-08

One of the main challenges for heterologous protein production by the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris at large-scale is related to its high oxygen demand. A promising solution is a co-feeding strategy based on a methanol/sorbitol mixture during the induction phase. Nonetheless, a deep understanding of the cellular physiology and the regulation of the AOX1 promoter, used to govern heterologous protein production, during this co-feeding strategy is still scarce. Transient continuous cultures with a dilution rate of 0.023 h(-1) at 25°C were performed to quantitatively assess the benefits of a methanol/sorbitol co-feeding process with a Mut+ strain in which the pAOX1-lacZ construct served as a reporter gene. Cell growth and metabolism, including O2 consumption together with CO2 and heat production were analyzed with regard to a linear change of methanol fraction in the mixed feeding media. In addition, the regulation of the promoter AOX1 was investigated by means of β-galactosidase measurements. Our results demonstrated that the cell-specific oxygen consumption (qO2) could be reduced by decreasing the methanol fraction in the feeding media. More interestingly, maximal β-galactosidase cell-specific activity (>7500 Miller unit) and thus, optimal pAOX1 induction, was achieved and maintained in the range of 0.45 ~ 0.75 C-mol/C-mol of methanol fraction. In addition, the qO2 was reduced by 30% at most in those conditions. Based on a simplified metabolic network, metabolic flux analysis (MFA) was performed to quantify intracellular metabolic flux distributions during the transient continuous cultures, which further shed light on the advantages of methanol/sorbitol co-feeding process. Finally, our observations were further validated in fed-batch cultures. This study brings quantitative insight into the co-feeding process, which provides valuable data for the control of methanol/sorbitol co-feeding, aiming at enhancing biomass and heterologous protein productivities

Association of prescription of oral sodium polystyrene sulfonate with sorbitol in an inpatient setting with colonic necrosis: a retrospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Maura A; Baker, Thomas P; Nguyen, Annie; Sebastianelli, Mary E; Stewart, Heather L; Oliver, David K; Abbott, Kevin C; Yuan, Christina M

2012-09-01

Colonic necrosis has been reported after sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS)/sorbitol use, but the incidence and relative risk (RR) are not established. Retrospective cohort study. 123,391 adult inpatients at a tertiary medical center. Receipt of SPS prescriptions (exposed) or a prescription other than SPS (unexposed internal comparison group) between September 1, 2001, and October 31, 2010. The main outcome measure was tissue-confirmed diagnosis of colonic necrosis, considered SPS-associated if SPS was prescribed 30 or fewer days before tissue accession date. Demographics, serum chemistry test results, hospital location, and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnostic codes. SPS was prescribed to 2,194 inpatients. 82 inpatient colonic necrosis cases were identified. 3 received oral SPS (1 gram per 4 milliliters of 33% sorbitol) 30 or fewer days before the colonic necrosis accession date (3.7% of inpatient colonic necrosis cases). The data were linked with 123,391 individuals who received inpatient prescriptions between the same dates. Colonic necrosis incidence was 0.14% (95% CI, 0.03%-0.40%) in those prescribed SPS versus 0.07% (95% CI, 0.05-0.08%) in those not prescribed SPS (RR, 2.10; 95% CI, 0.68-6.48; P = 0.2). The number needed to harm was 1,395 (95% CI, 298-5,100). Subgroup analysis (age >65 years; estimated glomerular filtration rate, sorbitol prescription was not associated significantly with an increased RR of colonic necrosis in this retrospective cohort analysis. Multivariate analysis would require retrospective clinical cohorts from larger or more than one hospital system(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.

Silver (Ag) Transport Mechanisms in TRISO coated particles: A Critical Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

I J van Rooyen; J H Neethling; J A A Engelbrecht; P M van Rooyen; G Strydom

2012-10-01

Transport of 110mAg in the intact SiC layer of TRISO coated particles has been studied for approximately 30 years without arriving at a satisfactory explanation of the transport mechanism. In this paper the possible mechanisms postulated in previous experimental studies, both in-reactor and out-of reactor research environment studies are critically reviewed and of particular interest are relevance to very high temperature gas reactor operating and accident conditions. Among the factors thought to influence Ag transport are grain boundary stoichiometry, SiC grain size and shape, the presence of free silicon, nano-cracks, thermal decomposition, palladium attack, transmutation products, layer thinning and coated particle shape. Additionally new insight to nature and location of fission products has been gained via recent post irradiation electron microscopy examination of TRISO coated particles from the DOE’s fuel development program. The combined effect of critical review and new analyses indicates a direction for investigating possible the Ag transport mechanism including the confidence level with which these mechanisms may be experimentally verified.

Silver (Ag) transport mechanisms in TRISO coated particles: A critical review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rooyen, I.J. van, E-mail: isabella.vanrooyen@inl.gov [Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-6188 (United States); Dunzik-Gougar, M.L. [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Idaho State University, ID (United States); Rooyen, P.M. van [Philip M. van Rooyen Network Consultants, Midlands Estates (South Africa)

2014-05-01

Transport of {sup 110m}Ag in the intact SiC layer of TRISO coated particles has been studied for approximately 30 years without arriving at a satisfactory explanation of the transport mechanism. In this paper the possible mechanisms postulated in previous experimental studies, both in-reactor and out-of reactor research environment studies are critically reviewed and of particular interest are relevance to very high temperature gas reactor operating and accident conditions. Among the factors thought to influence Ag transport are grain boundary stoichiometry, SiC grain size and shape, the presence of free silicon, nano-cracks, thermal decomposition, palladium attack, transmutation products, layer thinning and coated particle shape. Additionally new insight to nature and location of fission products has been gained via recent post irradiation electron microscopy examination of TRISO coated particles from the DOE's fuel development program. The combined effect of critical review and new analyses indicates a direction for investigating possible the Ag transport mechanism including the confidence level with which these mechanisms may be experimentally verified.

The effect of the addition of sorbitol and glycerol towards the edible film characteristics of the belitung taro starch and the lime leaves as antimicrobial

Science.gov (United States)

Asria, Merry; Elizarni, Samah, dan Selfa Dewati

2015-12-01

Plastics have been generally used for food packaging, but plastics using causing environmental problem for as non biodegradable. Resolving the problem need another alternative packaging that environmental friendly such as the edible film as biodegradable packing material. This research intend to determination the effects of sorbitol and glycerol (concentration of 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) as addition to the edible film characteristics from the belitung taro starch (Xanthosoma sagitifolium). Lime leaves (Citrus aurantifolia) extract used as an antimicrobial film (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% respectively). From the research obtained that using sorbitol has given more rigid and hard film texture, while glycerol provides more elastic and flexible texture. Sorbitol give best performance at 2% where thickness 0.17 mm; tensile strength 41.60 MPa; yield strength 34.28 MPa; modulus of elasticity 7983.71 MPa; and maximum strain 29,8%. While, glycerol (2%) provides thickness 0.18 mm; tensile strength 35.72 MPa; yield strength 30.78 MPa; modulus of elasticity 9065.90 MPa; and maximum strain 14.4% for best performance. SEM and FTIR analysis applied to determine film surface morphology's characterization and determine the functional groups of the film materials. The addition of lime leaves extract as antimicrobial gives the growth inhibition activity against the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

Small substrate transport and mechanism of a molybdate ATP binding cassette transporter in a lipid environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, Austin J; Harrison, Alistair; Alvarez, Frances J D; Davidson, Amy L; Pinkett, Heather W

2014-05-23

Embedded in the plasma membrane of all bacteria, ATP binding cassette (ABC) importers facilitate the uptake of several vital nutrients and cofactors. The ABC transporter, MolBC-A, imports molybdate by passing substrate from the binding protein MolA to a membrane-spanning translocation pathway of MolB. To understand the mechanism of transport in the biological membrane as a whole, the effects of the lipid bilayer on transport needed to be addressed. Continuous wave-electron paramagnetic resonance and in vivo molybdate uptake studies were used to test the impact of the lipid environment on the mechanism and function of MolBC-A. Working with the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae, we found that MolBC-A functions as a low affinity molybdate transporter in its native environment. In periods of high extracellular molybdate concentration, H. influenzae makes use of parallel molybdate transport systems (MolBC-A and ModBC-A) to take up a greater amount of molybdate than a strain with ModBC-A alone. In addition, the movement of the translocation pathway in response to nucleotide binding and hydrolysis in a lipid environment is conserved when compared with in-detergent analysis. However, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy indicates that a lipid environment restricts the flexibility of the MolBC translocation pathway. By combining continuous wave-electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and substrate uptake studies, we reveal details of molybdate transport and the logistics of uptake systems that employ multiple transporters for the same substrate, offering insight into the mechanisms of nutrient uptake in bacteria. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Transport Physics Mechanisms in Thin-Film Oxides.

Science.gov (United States)

Tierney, Brian D.; Hjalmarson, Harold P.; Jacobs-Gedrim, Robin B.; James, Conrad D.; Marinella, Matthew M.

A physics-based model of electron transport mechanisms in metal-insulating oxide-metal (M-I-M) systems is presented focusing on transport through the metal-oxide interfaces and in the bulk of the oxide. Interface tunneling, such as electron tunneling between the metal and the conduction band, or to oxide defect states, is accounted for via a WKB model. The effects of thermionic emission are also included. In the bulk of the oxide, defect-site hopping is dominant. Corresponding continuum calculations are performed for Ta2O5 M-I-M systems utilizing two different metal electrodes, e.g., platinum and tantalum. Such an asymmetrical M-I-M structure, applicable to resistive memory applications or oxide-based capacitors, reveals that the current can be either bulk or interface limited depending on the bias polarity and concentration of oxygen vacancy defects. Also, the dominance of some transport mechanisms over others is shown to be due to a complex interdependence between the vacancy concentration and bias polarity. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Drug transport mechanism of the AcrB efflux pump.

Science.gov (United States)

Pos, Klaas M

2009-05-01

In Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, tripartite multidrug efflux systems extrude cytotoxic substances from the cell directly into the medium bypassing periplasm and the outer membrane. In E. coli, the tripartite efflux system AcrA/AcrB/TolC is the pump that extrudes multiple antibiotics, dyes, bile salts and detergents. The inner membrane component AcrB, a member of the Resistance Nodulation cell Division (RND) family, is the major site for substrate recognition and energy transduction of the entire tripartite system. The drug/proton antiport processes in this secondary transporter are suggested to be spatially separated, a feature frequently observed for primary transporters like membrane-bound ATPases. The recently elucidated asymmetric structure of the AcrB trimer reveals three different monomer conformations proposed to represent consecutive states in a directional transport cycle. Each monomer shows a distinct tunnel system with entrances located at the boundary of the outer leaflet of the inner membrane and the periplasm through the periplasmic porter (pore) domain towards the funnel of the trimer and TolC. In one monomer a hydrophobic pocket is present which has been shown to bind the AcrB substrates minocyclin and doxorubicin. The energy conversion from the proton motive force into drug efflux includes proton binding in (and release from) the transmembrane part. The conformational changes observed within a triad of essential, titratable residues (D407/D408/K940) residing in the hydrophobic transmembrane domain appear to be transduced by transmembrane helix 8 and associated with the conformational changes seen in the periplasmic domain. From the asymmetric structure a possible peristaltic pump transport mechanism based on a functional rotation of the AcrB trimer has been postulated. The novel drug transport model combines the alternate access pump mechanism with the rotating site catalysis of F(1)F(o) ATPase as

Radiolysis of carbohydrates as studied by ESR and spin-trapping—II. Glycerol- d8 xylitol, dulcitol, d-sorbitol and d-mannitol

Science.gov (United States)

Kuwabara, M.; Zhang, Z.-Y.; Inanami, O.; Yoshii, G.

Studies concerning the radicals produced in glycerol by reactions with OH radicals have been carried out by investigating deuterated glycerol (glycerol-d 8) by spin-trapping with 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane. Free radicals produced in linear carbohydrates such as xylitol, dulcitol, D-sorbitol and D-mannitol by reactions with OH radicals as well as by direct γ-radiolysis have been also investigated by spin-trapping. The ESR spectra of the spin-trapped radicals were analysed on the basis of the results from ESR and spin-trapping experiments on glycerol and deuterated glycerol, and the formation of three radical species, CHO-CH-, CH 2-CO- and HO-CH-, due to both OH reactions and direct γ-radiolysis was confirmed for all compounds. The presence of a radical, -CO-CH-, was detected for xylitol, D-sorbitol and D-mannitol. General reactions processes induced by OH reactions or γ-radiolysis in the solid state are discussed.

Best combination of promoter and micellar catalyst for the rapid conversion of sorbitol to glucose

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Kakali; Ghosh, Aniruddha; Saha, Rumpa; Sar, Pintu; Malik, Susanta; Saha, Bidyut

2014-03-01

Kinetic data for oxidation of D-sorbitol to glucose by hexavalent chromium in aqueous medium and aqueous surfactant medium (SDS, TX-100) have been reported. Effect of promoter such as PA, bipy and phenanthroline on the reaction has been investigated. The reaction is performed under pseudo first order condition with an excess of substrate over the oxidant. The reaction is first order with respect to substrate and oxidant. The micelles have a catalytic effect on the reaction. Combination of phen and TX-100 produces almost twelve times increase in rate of oxidation.

Integration of computational modeling with membrane transport studies reveals new insights into amino acid exchange transport mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Widdows, Kate L.; Panitchob, Nuttanont; Crocker, Ian P.; Please, Colin P.; Hanson, Mark A.; Sibley, Colin P.; Johnstone, Edward D.; Sengers, Bram G.; Lewis, Rohan M.; Glazier, Jocelyn D.

2015-01-01

Uptake of system L amino acid substrates into isolated placental plasma membrane vesicles in the absence of opposing side amino acid (zero-trans uptake) is incompatible with the concept of obligatory exchange, where influx of amino acid is coupled to efflux. We therefore hypothesized that system L amino acid exchange transporters are not fully obligatory and/or that amino acids are initially present inside the vesicles. To address this, we combined computational modeling with vesicle transport assays and transporter localization studies to investigate the mechanisms mediating [14C]l-serine (a system L substrate) transport into human placental microvillous plasma membrane (MVM) vesicles. The carrier model provided a quantitative framework to test the 2 hypotheses that l-serine transport occurs by either obligate exchange or nonobligate exchange coupled with facilitated transport (mixed transport model). The computational model could only account for experimental [14C]l-serine uptake data when the transporter was not exclusively in exchange mode, best described by the mixed transport model. MVM vesicle isolates contained endogenous amino acids allowing for potential contribution to zero-trans uptake. Both L-type amino acid transporter (LAT)1 and LAT2 subtypes of system L were distributed to MVM, with l-serine transport attributed to LAT2. These findings suggest that exchange transporters do not function exclusively as obligate exchangers.—Widdows, K. L., Panitchob, N., Crocker, I. P., Please, C. P., Hanson, M. A., Sibley, C. P., Johnstone, E. D., Sengers, B. G., Lewis, R. M., Glazier, J. D. Integration of computational modeling with membrane transport studies reveals new insights into amino acid exchange transport mechanisms. PMID:25761365

Structure and Mechanism of the S Component of a Bacterial ECF Transporter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

P Zhang; J Wang; Y Shi

2011-12-31

The energy-coupling factor (ECF) transporters, responsible for vitamin uptake in prokaryotes, are a unique family of membrane transporters. Each ECF transporter contains a membrane-embedded, substrate-binding protein (known as the S component), an energy-coupling module that comprises two ATP-binding proteins (known as the A and A' components) and a transmembrane protein (known as the T component). The structure and transport mechanism of the ECF family remain unknown. Here we report the crystal structure of RibU, the S component of the ECF-type riboflavin transporter from Staphylococcus aureus at 3.6-{angstrom} resolution. RibU contains six transmembrane segments, adopts a previously unreported transporter fold and contains a riboflavin molecule bound to the L1 loop and the periplasmic portion of transmembrane segments 4-6. Structural analysis reveals the essential ligand-binding residues, identifies the putative transport path and, with sequence alignment, uncovers conserved structural features and suggests potential mechanisms of action among the ECF transporters.

Carbon emission allowance allocation with a mixed mechanism in air passenger transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Rui; Xu, Jiuping; Zeng, Ziqiang

2017-09-15

Air passenger transport carbon emissions have become a great challenge for both governments and airlines because of rapid developments in the aviation industry in recent decades. In this paper, a mixed mechanism composed of a cap-and-trade mechanism and a carbon tax mechanism is developed to assist governments in allocating carbon emission allowances to airlines operating on the routes. Combined this mixed mechanism with an equilibrium strategy, a bi-level multi-objective model is proposed for an air passenger transport carbon emission allowance allocation problem, in which a government is considered as a leader and the airlines as the followers. An interactive solution approach integrating a genetic algorithm and an interactive evolutionary mechanism is designed to search for satisfactory solutions of the proposed model. A case study is then presented to show its practicality and efficiency in mitigating carbon emissions. Sensitivity analyses under different tradable and taxable levels are also conducted, which can give the government insights as to the tradeoffs between lowering carbon intensity and improving airlines' operations. The computational results demonstrate that the mixed mechanism can assist greatly in carbon emission mitigation for air passenger transport and therefore, it should be established as part of air passenger transport carbon emission policies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temperature-dependent charge transport mechanisms in carbon sphere/polyaniline composite

Science.gov (United States)

Nieves, Cesar A.; Martinez, Luis M.; Meléndez, Anamaris; Ortiz, Margarita; Ramos, Idalia; Pinto, Nicholas J.; Zimbovskaya, Natalya

2017-12-01

Charge transport in the temperature range 80 K electrons between polymeric chains in PANi-filled gaps between CS is the predominant transport mechanism through CS/PANi composites. The high conductivity of the CS/PANi composite makes the material attractive for the fabrication of devices and sensors.

Improving Performance and Operational Stability of Porcine Interferon-α Production by Pichia pastoris with Combinational Induction Strategy of Low Temperature and Methanol/Sorbitol Co-feeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Min-Jie; Zhan, Xiao-Bei; Gao, Peng; Zhang, Xu; Dong, Shi-Juan; Li, Zhen; Shi, Zhong-Ping; Lin, Chi-Chung

2015-05-01

Various induction strategies were investigated for effective porcine interferon-α (pIFN-α) production by Pichia pastoris in a 10 L fermenter. We found that pIFN-α concentration could be significantly improved with the strategies of low-temperature induction or methanol/sorbitol co-feeding. On this basis, a combinational strategy of induction at lower temperature (20 °C) with methanol/sorbitol co-feeding has been proposed for improvement of pIFN-α production. The results reveal that maximal pIFN-α concentration and antiviral activity reach the highest level of 2.7 g/L and 1.8 × 10(7) IU/mg with the proposed induction strategy, about 1.3-2.1 folds higher than those obtained with other sub-optimal induction strategies. Metabolic analysis and online multi-variable measurement results indicate that energy metabolic enrichment is responsible for the performance enhancement of pIFN-α production, as a large amount of ATP could be simultaneously produced from both formaldehyde oxidation pathway in methanol metabolism and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in sorbitol metabolism. In addition, the proposed combinational induction strategy enables P. pastoris to be resistant to high methanol concentration (42 g/L), which conceivably occur associating with the error-prone methanol over-feeding. As a result, the proposed combinational induction strategy simultaneously increased the targeted protein concentration and operational stability leading to significant improvement of pIFN-α production.

Chemical and mechanical control of corrosion product transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hede Larsen, O; Blum, R [I/S Fynsvaerket, Faelleskemikerne, Odense (Denmark); Daucik, K [I/S Skaerbaekvaerket, Faelleskemikerne, Fredericia (Denmark)

1996-12-01

The corrosion products formed in the condensate and feedwater system of once-through boilers are precipitated and deposited inside the evaporator tubes mainly in the burner zone at the highest heat flux. Depositions lead to increased oxidation rate and increased metal temperature of the evaporator tubes, hereby decreasing tube lifetime. This effect is more important in the new high efficiency USC boilers due to increased feedwater temperature and hence higher thermal load on the evaporator tubes. The only way to reduce the load on the evaporator tubes is to minimise corrosion product transport to the boiler. Two general methods for minimising corrosion product transport to the boiler have been evaluated through measurement campaigns for Fe in the water/steam cycle in supercritical boilers within the ELSAM area. One method is to reduce corrosion in the low temperature condensate system by changing conditioning mode from alkaline volatile treatment (AVT) to oxygenated treatment (OT). The other method is to filtrate part of the condensate with a mechanical filter at the deaerator. The results show, that both methods are effective at minimising Fe-transport to the boiler, but changing to OT has the highest effect and should always be used, whenever high purity condensate is maintained. Whether mechanical filtration also is required, depends on the boiler, specifically the load on the evaporator. A simplified calculation model for lifetime evaluation of evaporator tubes has been developed. This model has been used for evaluating the effect of corrosion product transport to the boiler on evaporator tube lifetime. Conventional supercritical boilers generally can achieve sufficient lifetime by AVT and even better by OT, whereas all measures to reduce Fe-content of feedwater, including OT and mechanical filtration, should be taken, to ensure sufficient lifetime for the new boilers with advanced steam data - 290 bar/580 deg. C and above. (au)

TRANSMISSION OF IMPACTS DURING MECHANICAL GRAPE HARVESTING AND TRANSPORTATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabio Pezzi

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of the research was to study vibrational stress on grapes during mechanical harvesting, transfer and delivery to the winery, in order to identify the most critical stages and the consequent effects on the winemaking. An instrumented sphere was used to evaluate and memorise the impacts in the grape harvester and means of transport. Three treatments, obtained by differing harvesting method (manual and mechanical and transport type (short and long distance, were compared. A correlation was sought between the transmitted stresses and characteristics of the harvested product. The effects on product quality were evaluated by chemical analyses of the musts and sensorial analysis of the end-product, vinified using the same procedure.

1,2,3,4-bis(p-methylbenzylidene sorbitol) accelerates crystallization and improves hole mobility of poly(3-hexylthiophene)

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Nana; Huo, Hong

2016-02-01

The addition of 1,2,3,4-bis(p-methylbenzylidene sorbitol) (MDBS) does not change the nucleation mechanism or the crystal form of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), but its presence increases the crystallization temperature (T c) of P3HT, decreases the crystallization half-time (t 1/2) and accelerates P3HT crystallization, which indicates that MDBS is an effective nucleating agent for P3HT. An acceleration of P3HT crystallization by the addition of MDBS decreases the crystalline size and crystallinity of P3HT, and enhances the connectivity between ordered regions of P3HT, leading to the hole mobility rising from 1.99 × 10-6 to 7.57 × 10-5 cm2 V-1s-1 in P3HT:PCBM blend based hole-only devices with sandwich configurations. Our results suggest that accelerating P3HT crystallization by adding a nucleating agent might be an important factor to improve the hole mobility and balance the electron and hole mobility in a photovoltaic blend.

Rupture mechanics of metallic alloys for hydrogen transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moro, I.; Briottet, L.; Lemoine, P.; Andrieu, E.; Blanc, C.

2007-01-01

With the aim to establish a cheap hydrogen distribution system, the transport by pipelines is a solution particularly interesting. Among the high limit of elasticity steels, the X80 has been chosen for hydrogen transport. Its chemical composition and microstructure are given. Important microstructural changes have been revealed in the sheet thickness: the microstructure is thinner and richer in perlite in surface than in bulk. In parallel to this microstructural evolution, a microhardness gradient has been observed: the material microhardness is stronger in surface than in bulk of the sheet. The use of this material for hydrogen transport requires to study its resistance to hydrogen embrittlement. The main aim of this work is to develop an easy rupture mechanics test allowing to qualify the studied material in a gaseous hydrogen environment, to determine the sensitivity of the studied material to the hydrogen embrittlement and to better understand the mechanisms of the hydrogen embrittlement for ferritic materials. Two experimental tests have been used for: the first one is a traction machine coupled to an autoclave; the second one allows to carry out disk rupture tests. The toughness of the material in a gaseous hydrogen environment has thus been determined. The resistance of the material to hydrogen embrittlement has been characterized and by simulation, it has been possible to identify the areas with a strong concentration in hydrogen. The second aim of this work is to study the influence of the steel microstructure on the hydrogen position in the material and on the resistance of the material to the hydrogen embrittlement. The preferential trapping sites on the material not mechanically loaded have at first been identified, as well as the hydrogen position on the different phases and at the ferrite/cementite interface. The interaction between the mechanical loads, the position and the trapping of the hydrogen have been studied then. At last, has been

Structure and elevator mechanism of the Na+-citrate transporter CitS.

Science.gov (United States)

Lolkema, Juke S; Slotboom, Dirk Jan

2017-08-01

The recently determined crystal structure of the bacterial Na + -citrate symporter CitS provides unexpected structural and mechanistic insights. The protein has a fold that has not been seen in other proteins, but the oligomeric state, domain organization and proposed transport mechanism strongly resemble those of the sodium-dicarboxylate symporter vcINDY, and the putative exporters YdaH and MtrF, thus hinting at convergence in structure and function. CitS and the related proteins are predicted to translocate their substrates by an elevator-like mechanism, in which a compact transport domain slides up and down through the membrane while the dimerization domain is stably anchored. Here we review the large body of available biochemical data on CitS in the light of the new crystal structure. We show that the biochemical data are fully consistent with the proposed elevator mechanism, but also demonstrate that the current structural data cannot explain how strict coupling of citrate and Na + transport is achieved. We propose a testable model for the coupling mechanism. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1,3:2,4-Dibenzylidene-D-sorbitol (DBS) and its derivatives--efficient, versatile and industrially-relevant low-molecular-weight gelators with over 100 years of history and a bright future.

Science.gov (United States)

Okesola, Babatunde O; Vieira, Vânia M P; Cornwell, Daniel J; Whitelaw, Nicole K; Smith, David K

2015-06-28

Dibenzylidene-D-sorbitol (DBS) has been a well-known low-molecular-weight gelator of organic solvents for over 100 years. As such, it constitutes a very early example of a supramolecular gel--a research field which has recently developed into one of intense interest. The ability of DBS to self-assemble into sample-spanning networks in numerous solvents is predicated upon its 'butterfly-like' structure, whereby the benzylidene groups constitute the 'wings' and the sorbitol backbone the 'body'--the two parts representing the molecular recognition motifs underpinning its gelation mechanism, with the nature of solvent playing a key role in controlling the precise assembly mode. This gelator has found widespread applications in areas as diverse as personal care products and polymer nucleation/clarification, and has considerable potential in applications such as dental composites, energy technology and liquid crystalline materials. Some derivatives of DBS have also been reported which offer the potential to expand the scope and range of applications of this family of gelators and endow the nansocale network with additional functionality. This review aims to explain current trends in DBS research, and provide insight into how by combining a long history of application, with modern methods of derivatisation and analysis, the future for this family of gelators is bright, with an increasing number of high-tech applications, from environmental remediation to tissue engineering, being within reach.

Prevalence of sorbitol non-fermenting Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in Black Bengal goats on smallholdings.

Science.gov (United States)

Das Gupta, M; Das, A; Islam, M Z; Biswas, P K

2016-09-01

A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Bangladesh with the sampling of 514 Black Bengal goats on smallholdings to determine the presence of sorbitol non-fermenting (SNF) Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Swab samples collected from the recto-anal junction were plated onto cefixime and potassium tellurite added sorbitol MacConkey (CT-SMAC) agar, a selective medium for STEC O157 serogroup, where this serogroup and other SNF STEC produce colourless colonies. The SNF E. coli (SNF EC) isolates obtained from the survey were investigated by PCR for the presence of Shiga toxin-producing genes, stx1 and stx2, and two other virulence genes, eae and hlyA that code for adherence factor (intimin protein) and pore-forming cytolysin, respectively. The SNF EC isolates were also assessed for the presence of the rfbO157 gene to verify their identity to O157 serogroup. The results revealed that the proportions of goats carrying SNF EC isolates and stx1 and stx2 genes were 6·2% (32/514) [95% confidence interval (CI) 4·4-8·7)], 1·2% (95% CI 0·5-2·6) and 1·2% (95% CI 0·5-2·6), respectively. All the SNF STEC tested negative for rfbO157, hlyA and eae genes. The risk for transmission of STEC from Black Bengal goats to humans is low.

PRODUKSI ANTIBIOTIKA OLEH Bacillus subtilis M10 DALAM MEDIA UREA-SORBITOL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Supartono Supartono

2012-04-01

Full Text Available PRODUCTION OF ANTIBIOTICS BY Bacillus subtilis M10 IN UREA-SORBITOL MEDIUM. Infection diseases still become the main health problems that suffered by people in Indonesia. Besides, there were many pathogen bacteria found to be resistant to the some antibiotics. Therefore, the efforts to get a new antibiotic require to be done continuously. A new local strain of Bacillus subtilis BAC4 has been known producing an antibiotic that inhibit Serratia marcescens ATCC 27117 growth. To make efficient the local strain, mutation on Bacillus subtilis BAC4 was done by using acridine orange and a mutant cell of Bacillus subtilis M10 that overproduction for producing antibiotic was obtained. Nevertheless, the production kinetics of antibiotic by this mutant has not been reported. The objective of this research was to study the production kinetics of antibiotic by Bacillus subtilis M10 mutant. The production of antibiotic was conducted using batch fermentation and antibiotic assay was performed with agar absorption method using Serratia marcescens ATCC 27117 as bacteria assay. Research result provided that Bacillus subtilis M10 mutant with overproduction of antibiotic produced an antibiotic since 8th hour’s fermentation and optimum of it production was at 14th hours after inoculation.  Penyakit infeksi masih menjadi masalah yang utama diderita oleh masyarakat Indonesia. Di samping itu, banyak bakteri patogen yang ditemukan resisten terhadap beberapa antibiotika. Oleh karena itu, upaya-upaya untuk mendapatkan antibiotika baru perlu dilakukan secara terus-menerus. Suatu galur lokal baru Bacillus subtilis BAC4 teridentifikasi memproduksi senyawa antibiotika yang menghambat pertumbuhan Serratia marcescens ATCC27117. Untuk memberdayakan galur tersebut, terhadap Bacillus subtilis BAC4 dilakukan mutasi dengan larutan akridin oranye dan diperoleh mutan Bacillus subtilis M10 yang memproduksi antibiotika berlebihan. Namun, kinetika produksi antibiotika oleh Bacillus

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.

The vapour pressure of water as a function of solute concentration above aqueous solutions of fructose, sucrose, raffinose, erythritol, xylitol, and sorbitol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cooke, S.A.; Jonsdottir, Svava Osk; Westh, Peter

2002-01-01

The vapour pressure of water above an aqueous solution of sucrose at T = 298.06 K has been measured for 9 sucrose mole fractions up to 0.12. Vapour pressure measurements have also been made on aqueous solutions of meso-erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, fructose, and raffinose at T = 317.99 K...

A comparative study of glycerol and sorbitol as co-substrates in methanol-induced cultures of Pichia pastoris: temperature effect and scale-up simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Berrios, Julio; Flores, María-Olga; Díaz-Barrera, Alvaro; Altamirano, Claudia; Martínez, Irene; Cabrera, Zaida

2017-03-01

The production of recombinant proteins by Pichia pastoris under AOX1 promoter is usually performed using methanol together with either glycerol or sorbitol as co-substrate. Although both co-substrates have been widely used, comparative studies are scarce. In addition, these comparisons have been performed at different specific growth rate (µ) that it is well known that has an important effect on productivity. Thus, the effect of using these co-substrates on the production of Rhyzopus oryzae lipase (ROL) by P. pastoris was compared in continuous cultures growing at the same µ at either 22 or 30 °C. Results show that using glycerol as co-substrate led to higher volumetric productivities, and lower specific and volumetric methanol consumption rates. Scale-up simulation with 10-10,000 L bioreactor sizes indicated that glycerol produced the highest volumetric productivity of ROL with lower aeration requirements. Therefore, glycerol rises as a better option than sorbitol in ROL production.

Structure elucidation and quantification of impurities formed between 6-aminocaproic acid and the excipients citric acid and sorbitol in an oral solution using high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schou-Pedersen, Anne Marie V; Cornett, Claus; Nyberg, Nils

2015-01-01

Concentrated solutions containing 6-aminocaproic acid and the excipients citric acid and sorbitol have been studied at temperatures of 50 °C, 60 °C, 70 °C and 80 °C as well as at 20 °C. It has previously been reported that the commonly employed citric acid is a reactive excipient, and it is there......Concentrated solutions containing 6-aminocaproic acid and the excipients citric acid and sorbitol have been studied at temperatures of 50 °C, 60 °C, 70 °C and 80 °C as well as at 20 °C. It has previously been reported that the commonly employed citric acid is a reactive excipient...... and cyclized 6-aminocaproic acid, i.e., caprolactam. No reaction products between d-sorbitol and 6-aminocaproic acid could be observed. 3-Hydroxy-3,4-dicarboxy-butanamide-N-hexanoic acid, dimer and caprolactam were also observed after storage at 20 °C for 3 months. The findings imply that an oral solution of 6...

Transport mechanisms acting in toroidal devices: a theoretician's view

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carreras, B.A.

1992-01-01

Understanding the basic mechanisms of transport in toroidal confinement devices remains one of the more challenging scientific issues in magnetic confinement. At the same time, it is a critical issue for the magnetic fusion program. Recent progress in understanding fluctuations and transport has been fostered by the development and use of new diagnostics, bringing new perspectives on these studies. This has stimulated new theoretical developments. A view of the most recent issues and progress in this area is given. The role of long wavelengths in core transport and the relation between shear flows and turbulence at the plasma edge are the primary topics considered. (Author)

Mechanical transport in two-dimensional networks of fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Endo, H.K.

1984-04-01

The objectives of this research are to evaluate directional mechanical transport parameters for anisotropic fracture systems, and to determine if fracture systems behave like equivalent porous media. The tracer experiments used to measure directional tortuosity, longitudinal geometric dispersivity, and hydraulic effective porosity are conducted with a uniform flow field and measurements are made from the fluid flowing within a test section where linear length of travel is constant. Since fluid flow and mechanical transport are coupled processes, the directional variations of specific discharge and hydraulic effective porosity are measured in regions with constant hydraulic gradients to evaluate porous medium equivalence for the two processes, respectively. If the fracture region behaves like an equivalent porous medium, the system has the following stable properties: (1) specific discharge is uniform in any direction and can be predicted from a permeability tensor; and (2) hydraulic effective porosity is directionally stable. Fracture systems with two parallel sets of continuous fractures satisfy criterion 1. However, in these systems hydraulic effective porosity is directionally dependent, and thus, criterion 2 is violated. Thus, for some fracture systems, fluid flow can be predicted using porous media assumptions, but it may not be possible to predict transport using porous media assumptions. Two discontinuous fracture systems were studied which satisfied both criteria. Hydraulic effective porosity for both systems has a value between rock effective porosity and total porosity. A length-density analysis (LDS) of Canadian fracture data shows that porous media equivalence for fluid flow and transport is likely when systems have narrow aperture distributions. 54 references, 90 figures, 7 tables

Early metabolic effects and mechanism of ammonium transport in yeast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pena, A.; Pardo, J.P.; Ramirez, J.

1987-01-01

Studies were performed to define the effects and mechanism of NH+4 transport in yeast. The following results were obtained. Glucose was a better facilitator than ethanol-H 2 O 2 for ammonium transport; low concentrations of uncouplers or respiratory inhibitors could inhibit the transport with ethanol as the substrate. With glucose, respiratory inhibitors showed only small inhibitory effects, and only high concentrations of azide or trifluoromethoxy carbonylcyanide phenylhydrazone could inhibit ammonium transport. Ammonium in the free state could be concentrated approximately 200-fold by the cells. Also, the addition of ammonium produced stimulation of both respiration and fermentation; an increased rate of H+ extrusion and an alkalinization of the interior of the cell; a decrease of the membrane potential, as monitored by fluorescent cyanine; an immediate decrease of the levels of ATP and an increase of ADP, which may account for the stimulation of both fermentation and respiration; and an increase of the levels of inorganic phosphate. Ammonium was found to inhibit 86Rb+ transport much less than K+. Also, while K+ produced a competitive type of inhibition, that produced by NH4+ was of the noncompetitive type. From the distribution ratio of ammonium and the pH gradient, an electrochemical potential gradient of around -180 mV was calculated. The results indicate that ammonium is transported in yeast by a mechanism similar to that of monovalent alkaline cations, driven by a membrane potential. The immediate metabolic effects of this cation seem to be due to an increased [H+]ATPase, to which its transport is coupled. However, the carriers seem to be different. The transport system studied in this work was that of low affinity

Quantum-mechanical transport equation for atomic systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Berman, P. R.

1972-01-01

A quantum-mechanical transport equation (QMTE) is derived which should be applicable to a wide range of problems involving the interaction of radiation with atoms or molecules which are also subject to collisions with perturber atoms. The equation follows the time evolution of the macroscopic atomic density matrix elements of atoms located at classical position R and moving with classical velocity v. It is quantum mechanical in the sense that all collision kernels or rates which appear have been obtained from a quantum-mechanical theory and, as such, properly take into account the energy-level variations and velocity changes of the active (emitting or absorbing) atom produced in collisions with perturber atoms. The present formulation is better suited to problems involving high-intensity external fields, such as those encountered in laser physics.

Charge transport model in nanodielectric composites based on quantum tunneling mechanism and dual-level traps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Guochang; Chen, George, E-mail: gc@ecs.soton.ac.uk, E-mail: sli@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); School of Electronic and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Li, Shengtao, E-mail: gc@ecs.soton.ac.uk, E-mail: sli@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

2016-08-08

Charge transport properties in nanodielectrics present different tendencies for different loading concentrations. The exact mechanisms that are responsible for charge transport in nanodielectrics are not detailed, especially for high loading concentration. A charge transport model in nanodielectrics has been proposed based on quantum tunneling mechanism and dual-level traps. In the model, the thermally assisted hopping (TAH) process for the shallow traps and the tunnelling process for the deep traps are considered. For different loading concentrations, the dominant charge transport mechanisms are different. The quantum tunneling mechanism plays a major role in determining the charge conduction in nanodielectrics with high loading concentrations. While for low loading concentrations, the thermal hopping mechanism will dominate the charge conduction process. The model can explain the observed conductivity property in nanodielectrics with different loading concentrations.

A Hybrid Dynamic Programming for Solving Fixed Cost Transportation with Discounted Mechanism

OpenAIRE

Farhad Ghassemi Tari

2016-01-01

The problem of allocating different types of vehicles for transporting a set of products from a manufacturer to its depots/cross docks, in an existing transportation network, to minimize the total transportation costs, is considered. The distribution network involves a heterogeneous fleet of vehicles, with a variable transportation cost and a fixed cost in which a discount mechanism is applied on the fixed part of the transportation costs. It is assumed that the number of available vehicles i...

Psychostimulants affect dopamine transmission through both dopamine transporter-dependent and independent mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

dela Peña, Ike; Gevorkiana, Ruzanna; Shi, Wei-Xing

2015-01-01

The precise mechanisms by which cocaine and amphetamine-like psychostimulants exert their reinforcing effects are not yet fully defined. It is widely believed, however, that these drugs produce their effects by enhancing dopamine neurotransmission in the brain, especially in limbic areas such as the nucleus accumbens, by inducing dopamine transporter-mediated reverse transport and/or blocking dopamine reuptake though the dopamine transporter. Here, we present the evidence that aside from dopamine transporter, non-dopamine transporter-mediated mechanisms also participate in psychostimulant-induced dopamine release and contribute to the behavioral effects of these drugs, such as locomotor activation and reward. Accordingly, psychostimulants could increase norepinephrine release in the prefrontal cortex, the latter then alters the firing pattern of dopamine neurons resulting in changes in action potential-dependent dopamine release. These alterations would further affect the temporal pattern of dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, thereby modifying information processing in that area. Hence, a synaptic input to a nucleus accumbens neuron may be enhanced or inhibited by dopamine depending on its temporal relationship to dopamine release. Specific temporal patterns of dopamine release may also be required for certain forms of synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens. Together, these effects induced by psychostimulants, mediated through a non-dopamine transporter-mediated mechanism involving norepinephrine and the prefrontal cortex, may also contribute importantly to the reinforcing properties of these drugs. PMID:26209364

Enhanced porcine circovirus Cap protein production by Pichia pastoris with a fuzzy logic DO control based methanol/sorbitol co-feeding induction strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Jian; Zhang, Chunling; Gao, Minjie; Hou, Guoli; Liang, Kexue; Li, Chunhua; Ni, Jianping; Li, Zhen; Shi, Zhongping

2014-05-10

Porcine circovirus Cap protein production by P. pastoris with strong AOX promoter suffered with the problems with traditional pure methanol induction: (1) inefficient methanol metabolism; (2) extensive oxygen supply load; (3) difficulty in stable DO control; (4) low protein titer. In this study, based on the difference of DO change patterns in response to methanol and sorbitol additions, a novel fuzzy control system was proposed to automatically regulate the co-feeding rates of methanol and sorbitol for efficient Cap protein induction. With aid of the proposed control system when setting DO control level at 10%, overall fermentation performance was significantly improved: (1) DO could be stably controlled under mild aeration condition; (2) methanol consumption rate could be restricted at moderate level and the major enzymes involved with methanol metabolism were largely activated; (3) Cap protein concentration reached a highest level of 198mg/L, which was about 64% increase over the best one using the pure methanol induction strategies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synergistic Inhibition of Protein Fibrillation by Proline and Sorbitol: Biophysical Investigations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sinjan Choudhary

Full Text Available We report here interesting synergistic effects of proline and sorbitol, two well-known chemical chaperones, in the inhibition of fibrillation of two proteins, insulin and lysozyme. A combination of many biophysical techniques has been used to understand the structural morphology and modes of interaction of the chaperones with the proteins during fibrillation. Both the chaperones establish stronger polar interactions in the elongation and saturation stages of fibrillation compared to that in the native stage. However, when presented as a mixture, we also see contribution of hydrophobic interactions. Thus, a co-operative adjustment of polar and hydrophobic interactions between the chaperones and the protein surface seems to drive the synergistic effects in the fibrillation process. In insulin, this synergy is quantitatively similar in all the stages of the fibrillation process. These observations would have significant implications for understanding protein folding concepts, in general, and for designing combination therapies against protein fibrillation, in particular.

Synergistic Inhibition of Protein Fibrillation by Proline and Sorbitol: Biophysical Investigations.

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhary, Sinjan; Save, Shreyada N; Kishore, Nand; Hosur, Ramakrishna V

2016-01-01

We report here interesting synergistic effects of proline and sorbitol, two well-known chemical chaperones, in the inhibition of fibrillation of two proteins, insulin and lysozyme. A combination of many biophysical techniques has been used to understand the structural morphology and modes of interaction of the chaperones with the proteins during fibrillation. Both the chaperones establish stronger polar interactions in the elongation and saturation stages of fibrillation compared to that in the native stage. However, when presented as a mixture, we also see contribution of hydrophobic interactions. Thus, a co-operative adjustment of polar and hydrophobic interactions between the chaperones and the protein surface seems to drive the synergistic effects in the fibrillation process. In insulin, this synergy is quantitatively similar in all the stages of the fibrillation process. These observations would have significant implications for understanding protein folding concepts, in general, and for designing combination therapies against protein fibrillation, in particular.

Effective Production of Sorbitol and Mannitol from Sugars Catalyzed by Ni Nanoparticles Supported on Aluminium Hydroxide

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Rodiansono Rodiansono

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Effective production of hexitols (sorbitol and mannitol was achieved from sugars by means of nickel nanoparticles supported on aluminium hydroxide (NiNPs/AlOH catalyst. NiNPs/AlOH catalyst was prepared by a simple and benign environmentally procedure using less amount of sodium hydroxide. ICP-AES and XRD analyses confirmed that the NiNPs/AlOH catalysts comprised a large amount of remained aluminium hydroxide (i.e. bayerite and gibbsite. The presence of aluminium hydroxide caused a high dispersion Ni metal species. The average Ni crystallite sizes that derived from the Scherrer`s equation for former R-Ni and NiNPs/AlOH were 8.6 nm and 4.1 nm, respectively. The catalyst exhibited high activity and selectivity both hydrogenolysis of disaccharides (sucrose and cellobiose and monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, and xylose at 403 K for 24 h. The NiNPs/AlOH catalyst was found to be reusable for at least five consecutive runs without any significant loss of activity and selectivity. © 2013 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reservedReceived: 21st December 2012; Revised: 7th February 2013; Accepted: 10th February 2013[How to Cite: Rodiansono, R., Shimazu, S. (2013. Effective Production of Sorbitol and Mannitol from Sug-ars Catalyzed by Ni Nanoparticles Supported on Aluminium Hydroxide. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 8 (1: 40-46. (doi:10.9767/bcrec.8.1.4290.40-46][Permalink/DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.8.1.4290.40-46] | View in  |

Antifungal activity and mechanism of action of monoterpenes against dermatophytes and yeasts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diogo Miron

Full Text Available Dermatomycosis causes highly frequent dermal lesions, and volatile oils have been proven to be promising as antifungal agents. The antifungal activity of geraniol, nerol, citral, neral and geranial (monoterpenes, and terbinafine and anidulafungin (control drugs against seven opportunistic pathogenic yeasts and four dermatophyte species was evaluated by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute microdilution tests. Monoterpenes were more active against dermatophytes than yeasts (geometric mean of minimal inhibitory concentration (GMIC of 34.5 and 100.4 µg.ml-1, respectively. Trichophyton rubrum was the fungal species most sensitive to monoterpenes (GMIC of 22.9 µg.ml-1. The trans isomers showed higher antifungal activity than the cis. The mechanism of action was investigated evaluating damage in the fungal cell wall (Sorbitol Protection Assay and in the cell membrane (Ergosterol Affinity Assay. No changes were observed in the MIC of monoterpenes in the sorbitol protection assay.The MIC of citral and geraniol was increased from 32 to 160 µg.ml-1 when the exogenous ergosterol concentrations was zero and 250 µg.ml-1, respectively. The monoterpenes showed an affinity for ergosterol relating their mechanism of action to cell membrane destabilization.

Mechanical transport and dissemination of soil-transmitted helminth ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In previous studies, helminth eggs were isolated from wild-caught Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae). This laboratory study investigated the potential of the fly for mechanical transport and transmission of soil-transmitted helminths. Naïve, 2-3 day old, laboratory-reared adult flies were exposed to a mixture of Ascaris ...

The bacterial dicarboxylate transporter VcINDY uses a two-domain elevator-type mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulligan, Christopher; Fenollar-Ferrer, Cristina; Fitzgerald, Gabriel A; Vergara-Jaque, Ariela; Kaufmann, Desirée; Li, Yan; Forrest, Lucy R; Mindell, Joseph A

2016-03-01

Secondary transporters use alternating-access mechanisms to couple uphill substrate movement to downhill ion flux. Most known transporters use a 'rocking bundle' motion, wherein the protein moves around an immobile substrate-binding site. However, the glutamate-transporter homolog GltPh translocates its substrate-binding site vertically across the membrane, through an 'elevator' mechanism. Here, we used the 'repeat swap' approach to computationally predict the outward-facing state of the Na(+)/succinate transporter VcINDY, from Vibrio cholerae. Our model predicts a substantial elevator-like movement of VcINDY's substrate-binding site, with a vertical translation of ~15 Å and a rotation of ~43°. Our observation that multiple disulfide cross-links completely inhibit transport provides experimental confirmation of the model and demonstrates that such movement is essential. In contrast, cross-links across the VcINDY dimer interface preserve transport, thus revealing an absence of large-scale coupling between protomers.

Two Differential Binding Mechanisms of FG-Nucleoporins and Nuclear Transport Receptors

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Piau Siong Tan

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Summary: Phenylalanine-glycine-rich nucleoporins (FG-Nups are intrinsically disordered proteins, constituting the selective barrier of the nuclear pore complex (NPC. Previous studies showed that nuclear transport receptors (NTRs were found to interact with FG-Nups by forming an “archetypal-fuzzy” complex through the rapid formation and breakage of interactions with many individual FG motifs. Here, we use single-molecule studies combined with atomistic simulations to show that, in sharp contrast, FG-Nup214 undergoes a coupled reconfiguration-binding mechanism when interacting with the export receptor CRM1. Association and dissociation rate constants are more than an order of magnitude lower than in the archetypal-fuzzy complex between FG-Nup153 and NTRs. Unexpectedly, this behavior appears not to be encoded selectively into CRM1 but rather into the FG-Nup214 sequence. The same distinct binding mechanisms are unperturbed in O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine-modified FG-Nups. Our results have implications for differential roles of distinctly spatially distributed FG-Nup⋅NTR interactions in the cell. : Archetypal-fuzzy complexes found in most FG-Nucleoporin⋅nuclear transport receptor complexes allow fast yet specific nuclear transport. Tan et al. show that FG-Nup214, located at the periphery of the nuclear pore complex, binds to CRM1⋅RanGTP via a coupled reconfiguration-binding mechanism, which can enable different functionalities e.g., cargo release. Keywords: intrinsically disordered protein, glycosylation, FG-Nup, nuclear transport receptors, binding mechanism, single-molecule FRET, molecular dynamics simulations

Private–public partnerships: A mechanism for freight transport infrastructure delivery?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans W. Ittmann

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Freight transport infrastructure is an indispensable requirement for economic growth, development and prosperity. Public–private partnerships (PPPs, as a mechanism to fund and construct freight transport infrastructure, have been suggested by many in private and public sectors. Objectives: The concept of PPPs is dealt with, and the relevance of this mechanism is expanded upon. It is clear that PPPs in the rail environment present huge challenges and complexities. The objective was to determine whether PPPs are a viable mechanism to fund freight transport infrastructure in South Africa. Method: Experiences with rail PPPs worldwide have shown that many failures occurred implementing these. The challenges and complexities of PPPs, in the freight rail environment, are highlighted together with the benefits, risks and best practices of PPPs. It is shown that suitable policies, legislation and regulations concerning PPPs are in place in South Africa. Results: A proper framework and methodology to proceed should be in place. PPPs take time and are complex. Government involvement remains essential. Firm contractual agreements between parties are essential. Risk handling, risk sharing and the magnitude of risks should be clarified with agreement on where the risks reside. Financial viability, with value for money (VfM and financial benefits for private sector role players are non-negotiable. Conclusion: Appropriate legislation for implementing PPPs must be in place while two further important elements are economic circumstances and proper project execution. Taking all these factors into consideration, the freight transport sector can only benefit from successfully negotiated and implemented PPPs.

Dissecting the molecular mechanisms of intraflagellar transport in Chlamydomonas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, L. B.; Geimer, S.; Rosenbaum, J. L.

2006-01-01

Background The assembly and maintenance of eukaryotic cilia and flagella are mediated by intraflagellar transport (IFT), a bidirectional microtubule (MT)-based transport system. The IFT system consists of anterograde (kinesin-2) and retrograde (cDynein1b) motor complexes and IFT particles...... comprising two complexes, A and B. In the current model for IFT, kinesin-2 carries cDynein1b, IFT particles, and axonemal precursors from the flagellar base to the tip, and cDynein1b transports kinesin-2, IFT particles, and axonemal turnover products from the tip back to the base. Most of the components...... of the IFT system have been identified and characterized, but the mechanisms by which these different components are coordinated and regulated at the flagellar base and tip are unclear. Results Using a variety of Chlamydomonas mutants, we confirm that cDynein1b requires kinesin-2 for transport toward the tip...

The direction of water transport on Mars: A possible pumping mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

James, P. B.

1987-01-01

It is suggested that an atmospheric pumping mechanism might be at work in which water is preferentially transported into the north by a mass outflow wind (due to sublimation from polar cap) that is stronger during southern spring than it is during northern spring. The mechanism is provided by the asymmetric seasonal temperature distribution produced by the eccentric martial orbit and by the associated seasonal asymmetry in the carbon dioxide cycle. The alternating condensation and sublimation of CO2 at the poles produces condensation winds which, in turn, contribute to the meridional transport of water vapor.

Thermodynamic secrets of multidrug resistance: A new take on transport mechanisms of secondary active antiporters.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xuejun C; Liu, Min; Lu, Guangyuan; Heng, Jie

2018-03-01

Multidrug resistance (MDR) presents a growing challenge to global public health. Drug extrusion transporters play a critical part in MDR; thus, their mechanisms of substrate recognition are being studied in great detail. In this work, we review common structural features of key transporters involved in MDR. Based on our membrane potential-driving hypothesis, we propose a general energy-coupling mechanism for secondary-active antiporters. This putative mechanism provides a common framework for understanding poly-specificity of most-if not all-MDR transporters. © 2017 The Protein Society.

Tuning transport properties of graphene three-terminal structures by mechanical deformation

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, V.; Faria, D.; Latgé, A.

2018-04-01

Straintronic devices made of carbon-based materials have been pushed up due to the graphene high mechanical flexibility and the possibility of interesting changes in transport properties. Properly designed strained systems have been proposed to allow optimized transport responses that can be explored in experimental realizations. In multiterminal systems, comparisons between schemes with different geometries are important to characterize the modifications introduced by mechanical deformations, especially if the deformations are localized at a central part of the system or extended in a large region. Then, in the present analysis, we study the strain effects on the transport properties of triangular and hexagonal graphene flakes, with zigzag and armchair edges, connected to three electronic terminals, formed by semi-infinite graphene nanoribbons. Using the Green's function formalism with circular renormalization schemes, and a single band tight-binding approximation, we find that resonant tunneling transport becomes relevant and is more affected by localized deformations in the hexagonal graphene flakes. Moreover, triangular systems with deformation extended to the leads, like longitudinal three-folded type, are shown as an interesting scenario for building nanoscale waveguides for electronic current.

Solution structure and elevator mechanism of the membrane electron transporter CcdA.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yunpeng; Bushweller, John H

2018-02-01

Membrane oxidoreductase CcdA plays a central role in supplying reducing equivalents from the bacterial cytoplasm to the envelope. It transports electrons across the membrane using a single pair of cysteines by a mechanism that has not yet been elucidated. Here we report an NMR structure of the Thermus thermophilus CcdA (TtCcdA) in an oxidized and outward-facing state. CcdA consists of two inverted structural repeats of three transmembrane helices (2 × 3-TM). We computationally modeled and experimentally validated an inward-facing state, which suggests that CcdA uses an elevator-type movement to shuttle the reactive cysteines across the membrane. CcdA belongs to the LysE superfamily, and thus its structure may be relevant to other LysE clan transporters. Structure comparisons of CcdA, semiSWEET, Pnu, and major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporters provide insights into membrane transporter architecture and mechanism.

Structure and equilibria of Ca 2+-complexes of glucose and sorbitol from multinuclear ( 1H, 13C and 43Ca) NMR measurements supplemented with molecular modelling calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Pallagi, A.; Dudás, Cs.; Csendes, Z.; Forgó, P.; Pálinkó, I.; Sipos, P.

2011-05-01

Ca 2+-complexation of D-glucose and D-sorbitol have been investigated with the aid of multinuclear ( 1H, 13C and 43Ca) NMR spectroscopy and ab initio quantum chemical calculations. Formation constants of the forming 1:1 complexes have been estimated from one-dimensional 13C NMR spectra obtained at constant ionic strength (1 M NaCl). Binding sites were identified from 2D 1H- 43Ca NMR spectra. 2D NMR measurements and ab initio calculations indicated that Ca 2+ ions were bound in a tridentate manner via the glycosidic OH, the ethereal oxygen in the ring and the OH on the terminal carbon for the α- and β-anomers of glucose and for sorbitol simultaneous binding of four hydroxide moieties (C1, C2, C4 and C6) was suggested.

Water transport mechanisms across inorganic membranes in rad waste treatment by electro dialysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andalaft, E.; Labayru, R.

1992-01-01

The work described in this paper deals with effects and mechanisms of water transport across an inorganic membrane, as related to some studied on the concentration of caesium, strontium, plutonium and other cations of interest to radioactive waste treatment. Several different water transport mechanisms are analysed and assessed as to their individual contribution towards the total transference of water during electro-dialysis using inorganic membranes. Water transfer assisted by proton jump mechanism, water of hydration transferred along with the ions, water related to thermo-osmotic effect, water transferred by concentration gradient and water transferred electrolytically under zeta potential surface charge drive are some of the different mechanism discussed. (author)

From statistic mechanic outside equilibrium to transport equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balian, R.

1995-01-01

This lecture notes give a synthetic view on the foundations of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. The purpose is to establish the transport equations satisfied by the relevant variables, starting from the microscopic dynamics. The Liouville representation is introduced, and a projection associates with any density operator , for given choice of relevant observables, a reduced density operator. An exact integral-differential equation for the relevant variables is thereby derived. A short-memory approximation then yields the transport equations. A relevant entropy which characterizes the coarseness of the description is associated with each level of description. As an illustration, the classical gas, with its three levels of description and with the Chapman-Enskog method, is discussed. (author). 3 figs., 5 refs

Copper-zinc electrodeposition in alkaline-sorbitol medium: Electrochemical studies and structural, morphological and chemical composition characterization

Science.gov (United States)

de Almeida, M. R. H.; Barbano, E. P.; de Carvalho, M. F.; Tulio, P. C.; Carlos, I. A.

2015-04-01

The galvanostatic technique was used to analyze the electrodeposition of Cu-Zn on to AISI 1010 steel electrode from an alkaline-sorbitol bath with various proportions of the metal ions in the bath: Cu70/Zn30, Cu50/Zn50 and Cu30/Zn70. Coloration of Cu-Zn films were whitish golden, light golden, golden/gray depending on the Cu2+/Zn2+ ratios in the electrodeposition bath, deposition current density (jdep) and charge density (qdep). The highest current efficiency was ∼54.0%, at jdep -1.0 mA cm-2 and qdep 0.40 C cm-2 in the Cu70/Zn30 bath. Energy dispersive spectroscopy indicated that electrodeposits produced from the bath Cu70/Zn30 showed higher Cu content at lower jdep. Also, for same jdep the Cu content increased with qdep. Scanning electron microscopy showed that Cu-Zn electrodeposits of high quality were obtained from the Cu70/Zn30 bath, since the films were fine-grained, except the obtained at jdep -20.0 mA cm-2 and qdep 10.0 C cm-2. Also, these electrodeposits did not present cracks. X-ray analysis of the Cu-Zn electrodeposits obtained at jdep -8.0, -20.0 and -40.0 mA cm-2, in each case, with qdep 2.0 and 10.0 C cm-2, in the Cu70/Zn30 bath, suggested the occurrence of a mixture of the following phases, CuZn, CuZn5 and Cu5Zn8. Galvanostatic electrodeposits of Cu-Zn obtained from sorbitol-alkaline baths exhibited whitish golden color, with good prospects for industrial applications, especially for decorative purposes.

Critical review: Radionuclide transport, sediment transport, and water quality mathematical modeling; and radionuclide adsorption/desorption mechanisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onishi, Y.; Serne, R.J.; Arnold, E.M.; Cowan, C.E.; Thompson, F.L. [Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

1981-01-01

This report describes the results of a detailed literature review of radionuclide transport models applicable to rivers, estuaries, coastal waters, the Great Lakes, and impoundments. Some representatives sediment transport and water quality models were also reviewed to evaluate if they can be readily adapted to radionuclide transport modeling. The review showed that most available transport models were developed for dissolved radionuclide in rivers. These models include the mechanisms of advection, dispersion, and radionuclide decay. Since the models do not include sediment and radionuclide interactions, they are best suited for simulating short-term radionuclide migration where: (1) radionuclides have small distribution coefficients; (2) sediment concentrations in receiving water bodies are very low. Only 5 of the reviewed models include full sediment and radionuclide interactions: CHMSED developed by Fields; FETRA SERATRA, and TODAM developed by Onishi et al, and a model developed by Shull and Gloyna. The 5 models are applicable to cases where: (1) the distribution coefficient is large; (2) sediment concentrations are high; or (3) long-term migration and accumulation are under consideration. The report also discusses radionuclide absorption/desorption distribution ratios and addresses adsorption/desorption mechanisms and their controlling processes for 25 elements under surface water conditions. These elements are: Am, Sb, C, Ce, Cm, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, I, Fe, Mn, Np, P, Pu, Pm, Ra, Ru, Sr, Tc, Th, {sup 3}H, U, Zn and Zr.

Protein crowding in solution, frozen and freeze-dried states: small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering study of lysozyme/sorbitol/water systems

Science.gov (United States)

Krueger, Susan; Khodadadi, Sheila; Clark, Nicholas; McAuley, Arnold; Cristiglio, Viviana; Theyencheri, Narayanan; Curtis, Joseph; Shalaev, Evgenyi

2015-03-01

For effective preservation, proteins are often stored as frozen solutions or in glassy states using a freeze-drying process. However, aggregation is often observed after freeze-thaw or reconstitution of freeze-dried powder and the stability of the protein is no longer assured. In this study, small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering (SANS and SAXS) have been used to investigate changes in protein-protein interaction distances of a model protein/cryoprotectant system of lysozyme/sorbitol/water, under representative pharmaceutical processing conditions. The results demonstrate the utility of SAXS and SANS methods to monitor protein crowding at different stages of freezing and drying. The SANS measurements of solution samples showed at least one protein interaction peak corresponding to an interaction distance of ~ 90 Å. In the frozen state, two protein interaction peaks were observed by SANS with corresponding interaction distances at 40 Å as well as 90 Å. On the other hand, both SAXS and SANS data for freeze-dried samples showed three peaks, suggesting interaction distances ranging from ~ 15 Å to 170 Å. Possible interpretations of these interaction peaks will be discussed, as well as the role of sorbitol as a cryoprotectant during the freezing and drying process.

Receptor-mediated mechanism for the transport of prolactin from blood to cerebrospinal fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walsh, R.J.; Slaby, F.J.; Posner, B.I.

1987-01-01

Prolactin (PRL) interacts with areas of the central nervous system which reside behind the blood-brain barrier. While vascular PRL does not cross this barrier, it is readily accessible to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from which it may gain access to the PRL-responsive areas of the brain. Studies were undertaken to characterize the mechanism responsible for the translocation of PRL from blood to CSF. Rats were given external jugular vein injections of [ 125 -I]iodo-PRL in the presence or absence of an excess of unlabeled ovine PRL (oPRL), human GH, bovine GH, or porcine insulin. CSF and choroid plexus were removed 60 min later. CSF samples were electrophoresed on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide slab gels and resultant autoradiographs were analyzed with quantitative microdensitometry. The data revealed that unlabeled lactogenic hormones, viz. oPRL and human GH, caused a statistically significant inhibition of [ 125 I]iodo-PRL transport from blood to CSF. In contrast, nonlactogenic hormones, viz bovine GH and insulin, had no effect on [ 125 I]iodo-PRL transport into the CSF. An identical pattern of competition was observed in the binding of hormone to the choroid plexus. Furthermore, vascular injections of [ 125 I]iodo-PRL administered with a range of concentrations of unlabeled oPRL revealed a dose-response inhibition in the transport of [ 125 I]iodo-PRL from blood to CSF. The study demonstrates that PRL enters the CSF by a specific, PRL receptor-mediated transport mechanism. The data is consistent with the hypothesis that the transport mechanism resides at the choroid plexus. The existence of this transport mechanism reflects the importance of the cerebroventricular system in PRL-brain interactions

Influence of methanol/sorbitol co-feeding rate on pAOX1 induction in a Pichia pastoris Mut+ strain in bioreactor with limited oxygen transfer rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Carly, F; Niu, H; Delvigne, F; Fickers, P

2016-04-01

High Pichia pastoris biomass density could be obtained using high co-feeding rate of methanol and sorbitol in a fed-batch or continuous culture, while further higher feeding rate finally leads to oxygen limitation in bioreactor. In the literature, there is lack of report about AOX1 promoter regulation with regard to dissolved oxygen level (DO). Therefore, in this work, chemostat cultures were performed to investigate the cell growth, metabolism and regulation of the AOX1 promoter (pAOX1) regarding co-feeding rate of optimized methanol/sorbitol mixture (methanol fraction 0.60 C-mol/C-mol) using a P. pastoris Mut+/pAOX1-lacZ strain. The oxygen transfer rates (OTR) in bioreactor were kept in the range of typical values of large bioreactor, i.e., 4-8 g/(L h) if DO equals 30 % saturation or 5-10 g/(L h) if DO nears zero. For DO >0, an increase of the carbon fed led to an increase of pAOX1 induction. By contrast, when dissolved oxygen was completely depleted, methanol accumulated, causing a 30 % decrease of pAOX1 induction. However, this decrease is more likely to be lined to methanol accumulation than to low level of dissolved oxygen (sorbitol co-feeding allowed cells to adapt to oxygen transient limitations that often occur at industrial scale with reduced effect on pAOX1 induction. The optimal feeding rate tested here was 6.6 mmol C (DCW h)(-1) at an OTR of 8.28 g O2(L h)(-1) with over fivefold pAOX1 induction (probably directly associated with target protein productivity) compared with previous work.

Spatial and temporal variations of the callus mechanical properties during bone transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mora-Macias, J.; Reina-Romo, E.; Pajares, A.; Miranda, P.; Dominguez, J.

2016-07-01

Nanoindentation allows obtaining the elastic modulus and the hardness of materials point by point. This technique has been used to assess the mechanical propeties of the callus during fracture healing. However, as fas as the authors know, the evaluation of mechanical properties by this technique of the distraction and the docking-site calluses generated during bone transport have not been reported yet. Therefore, the aim of this work is using nanoindentation to assess the spatial and temporal variation of the elastic modulus of the woven bone generated during bone transport. Nanoindentation measurements were carried out using 6 samples from sheep sacrificed at different stages of the bone transport experiments. The results obtained show an important heterogeneity of the elastic modulus of the woven bone without spatial trends. In the case of temporal variation, a clear increase of the mean elastic modulus with time after surgery was observed (from 7±2GPa 35 days after surgery to 14±2GPa 525 days after surgery in the distraction callus and a similar increase in the docking site callus). Comparison with the evolution of the elastic modulus in the woven bone generated during fracture healing shows that mechanical properties increase slower in the case of the woven bone generated during bone transport. (Author)

Unraveling fatty acid transport and activation mechanisms in Yarrowia lipolytica.

Science.gov (United States)

Dulermo, Rémi; Gamboa-Meléndez, Heber; Ledesma-Amaro, Rodrigo; Thévenieau, France; Nicaud, Jean-Marc

2015-09-01

Fatty acid (FA) transport and activation have been extensively studied in the model yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae but have rarely been examined in oleaginous yeasts, such as Yarrowia lipolytica. Because the latter begins to be used in biodiesel production, understanding its FA transport and activation mechanisms is essential. We found that Y. lipolytica has FA transport and activation proteins similar to those of S. cerevisiae (Faa1p, Pxa1p, Pxa2p, Ant1p) but mechanism of FA peroxisomal transport and activation differs greatly with that of S. cerevisiae. While the ScPxa1p/ScPxa2p heterodimer is essential for growth on long-chain FAs, ΔYlpxa1 ΔYlpxa2 is not impaired for growth on FAs. Meanwhile, ScAnt1p and YlAnt1p are both essential for yeast growth on medium-chain FAs, suggesting they function similarly. Interestingly, we found that the ΔYlpxa1 ΔYlpxa2 ΔYlant1 mutant was unable to grow on short-, medium-, or long-chain FAs, suggesting that YlPxa1p, YlPxa2p, and YlAnt1p belong to two different FA degradation pathways. We also found that YlFaa1p is involved in FA storage in lipid bodies and that FA remobilization largely depended on YlFat1p, YlPxa1p and YlPxa2p. This study is the first to comprehensively examine FA intracellular transport and activation in oleaginous yeast. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Transport mechanism of an initially spherical droplet on a combined hydrophilic/hydrophobic surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Myong, Hyon Kook; Kwon, Young Hoo [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Kookmin University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-11-15

Fluid transport is a key issue in the development of microfluidic systems. Recently, Myong (2014) has proposed a new concept for droplet transport without external power sources, and numerically validated the results for a hypothetical 2D shape, initially having a hemicylindrical droplet shape. Myong and Kwon (2015) have also examined the transport mechanism for an actual water droplet, initially having a 3D hemispherical shape, on a horizontal hydrophilic/hydrophobic surface, based on the numerical results of the time evolution of the droplet shape, as well as the total kinetic, gravitational, pressure and surface free energies inside the droplet. In this study, a 3D numerical analysis of an initially spherical droplet is carried out to establish a new concept for droplet transport. Further, the transport mechanism of an actual water droplet is examined in detail from the viewpoint of the capillarity force imbalance through the numerical results of droplet shape and various energies inside the droplet.

Active zone proteins are transported via distinct mechanisms regulated by Par-1 kinase.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kara R Barber

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Disruption of synapses underlies a plethora of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disease. Presynaptic specialization called the active zone plays a critical role in the communication with postsynaptic neuron. While the role of many proteins at the active zones in synaptic communication is relatively well studied, very little is known about how these proteins are transported to the synapses. For example, are there distinct mechanisms for the transport of active zone components or are they all transported in the same transport vesicle? Is active zone protein transport regulated? In this report we show that overexpression of Par-1/MARK kinase, a protein whose misregulation has been implicated in Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs and neurodegenerative disorders, lead to a specific block in the transport of an active zone protein component- Bruchpilot at Drosophila neuromuscular junctions. Consistent with a block in axonal transport, we find a decrease in number of active zones and reduced neurotransmission in flies overexpressing Par-1 kinase. Interestingly, we find that Par-1 acts independently of Tau-one of the most well studied substrates of Par-1, revealing a presynaptic function for Par-1 that is independent of Tau. Thus, our study strongly suggests that there are distinct mechanisms that transport components of active zones and that they are tightly regulated.

Mechanism of travelling-wave transport of particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawamoto, Hiroyuki; Seki, Kyogo; Kuromiya, Naoyuki

2006-01-01

Numerical and experimental investigations have been carried out on transport of particles in an electrostatic travelling field. A three-dimensional hard-sphere model of the distinct element method was developed to simulate the dynamics of particles. Forces applied to particles in the model were the Coulomb force, the dielectrophoresis force on polarized dipole particles in a non-uniform field, the image force, gravity and the air drag. Friction and repulsion between particle-particle and particle-conveyer were included in the model to replace initial conditions after mechanical contacts. Two kinds of experiments were performed to confirm the model. One was the measurement of charge of particles that is indispensable to determine the Coulomb force. Charge distribution was measured from the locus of free-fallen particles in a parallel electrostatic field. The averaged charge of the bulk particle was confirmed by measurement with a Faraday cage. The other experiment was measurements of the differential dynamics of particles on a conveyer consisting of parallel electrodes to which a four-phase travelling electrostatic wave was applied. Calculated results agreed with measurements, and the following characteristics were clarified. (1) The Coulomb force is the predominant force to drive particles compared with the other kinds of forces, (2) the direction of particle transport did not always coincide with that of the travelling wave but changed partially. It depended on the frequency of the travelling wave, the particle diameter and the electric field, (3) although some particles overtook the travelling wave at a very low frequency, the motion of particles was almost synchronized with the wave at the low frequency and (4) the transport of some particles was delayed to the wave at medium frequency; the majority of particles were transported backwards at high frequency and particles were not transported but only vibrated at very high frequency

Increased coordination in public transport – which mechanisms are available?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Claus Hedegaard; Longva, Frode

2011-01-01

After several years of New Public Management reforms within public transport, coordination seems to receive increased attention. With examples of actual as well as suggested changes taken from Denmark, Sweden and the UK the aim of the article is to analyse and classify the mechanisms utilized...... mechanism has its strengths and failures. The article also debates to what extent the mechanisms conflict with three core characteristics of New Public Management: Unbundling of the public sector into corporatized units; more contract-based competitive provision; and greater emphasis on output controls....

Electrochemical-mechanical coupled modeling and parameterization of swelling and ionic transport in lithium-ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Sauerteig, Daniel; Hanselmann, Nina; Arzberger, Arno; Reinshagen, Holger; Ivanov, Svetlozar; Bund, Andreas

2018-02-01

The intercalation and aging induced volume changes of lithium-ion battery electrodes lead to significant mechanical pressure or volume changes on cell and module level. As the correlation between electrochemical and mechanical performance of lithium ion batteries at nano and macro scale requires a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach, physical modeling accounting for chemical and mechanical phenomena during operation is very useful for the battery design. Since the introduced fully-coupled physical model requires proper parameterization, this work also focuses on identifying appropriate mathematical representation of compressibility as well as the ionic transport in the porous electrodes and the separator. The ionic transport is characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using symmetric pouch cells comprising LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 (NMC) cathode, graphite anode and polyethylene separator. The EIS measurements are carried out at various mechanical loads. The observed decrease of the ionic conductivity reveals a significant transport limitation at high pressures. The experimentally obtained data are applied as input to the electrochemical-mechanical model of a prismatic 10 Ah cell. Our computational approach accounts intercalation induced electrode expansion, stress generation caused by mechanical boundaries, compression of the electrodes and the separator, outer expansion of the cell and finally the influence of the ionic transport within the electrolyte.

Tape transport mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groh, E.F.; McDowell, W.; Modjeski, N.S.; Keefe, D.J.; Groer, P.

1979-01-01

A device is provided for transporting, in a stepwise manner, tape between a feed reel and takeup reel. An indexer moves across the normal path of the tape displacing it while the tape on the takeup reel side of the indexer is braked. After displacement, the takeup reel takes up the displaced tape while the tape on the feed reel side of the indexer is braked, providing stepwise tape transport in precise intervals determined by the amount of displacement caused by the indexer

A Model to Couple Flow, Thermal and Reactive Chemical Transport, and Geo-mechanics in Variably Saturated Media

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, G. T.; Tsai, C. H.

2015-12-01

This paper presents the development of a THMC (thermal-hydrology-mechanics-chemistry) process model in variably saturated media. The governing equations for variably saturated flow and reactive chemical transport are obtained based on the mass conservation principle of species transport supplemented with Darcy's law, constraint of species concentration, equation of states, and constitutive law of K-S-P (Conductivity-Degree of Saturation-Capillary Pressure). The thermal transport equation is obtained based on the conservation of energy. The geo-mechanic displacement is obtained based on the assumption of equilibrium. Conventionally, these equations have been implicitly coupled via the calculations of secondary variables based on primary variables. The mechanisms of coupling have not been obvious. In this paper, governing equations are explicitly coupled for all primary variables. The coupling is accomplished via the storage coefficients, transporting velocities, and conduction-dispersion-diffusion coefficient tensor; one set each for every primary variable. With this new system of equations, the coupling mechanisms become clear. Physical interpretations of every term in the coupled equations will be discussed. Examples will be employed to demonstrate the intuition and superiority of these explicit coupling approaches. Keywords: Variably Saturated Flow, Thermal Transport, Geo-mechanics, Reactive Transport.

The molecular mechanism for overcoming the rate-limiting step in monoamine neurotransmitter transport

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sinning, Steffen; Said, Saida; Malinauskaite, Lina

The monoamine transporter family consists of dopamine (DAT), norepinephrine (NET) and serotonin transporters (SERT) that mediate the reuptake of the monoamine neurotransmitters after their release during neurotransmission. These transporters play prominent roles in psychiatric disorders and are t......The monoamine transporter family consists of dopamine (DAT), norepinephrine (NET) and serotonin transporters (SERT) that mediate the reuptake of the monoamine neurotransmitters after their release during neurotransmission. These transporters play prominent roles in psychiatric disorders...... membrane. The rate-limiting step in monoamine reuptake is the return of the empty transporter from an inward-facing to an outward-facing conformation without neurotransmitter and sodium bound. The molecular mechanism underlying this important conformational transition has not been described. Crystal...

Association study of sorbitol dehydrogenase -888G>C polymorphism with type 2 diabetic retinopathy in Caucasian-Brazilians.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Fábio Netto; Crispim, Daisy; Canani, Luís Henrique; Gross, Jorge Luiz; dos Santos, Kátia Gonçalves

2013-10-01

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common chronic complication of diabetes and remains the leading cause of blindness in working-aged people. Hyperglycemia increases glucose flux through the polyol pathway, in which aldose reductase converts glucose into intracellular sorbitol, which is subsequently converted to fructose by sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH). The accelerated polyol pathway triggers a cascade of events leading to retinal vascular endothelial dysfunction and the eventual development of DR. Polymorphisms in the gene encoding aldose reductase have been consistently associated with DR. However, only two studies have analyzed the relationship between polymorphisms in the gene encoding SDH (SORD) and DR. In this case-control study, we investigated whether the -888G > C polymorphism (rs3759890) in the SORD gene is associated with the presence or severity of DR in 446 Caucasian-Brazilians with type 2 diabetes (241 subjects with and 205 subjects without DR). The -888G > C polymorphism was also examined in 105 healthy Caucasian blood donors, and the genotyping of this polymorphism was carried out by real-time PCR. The genotype and allele frequencies of the -888G > C polymorphism in patients with type 2 diabetes were similar to those of blood donors (G allele frequency = 0.16 in both groups of subjects). Similarly, the genotype and allele frequencies in patients with DR or the proliferative form of DR were similar to those of patients without this complication (P > 0.05 for all comparisons). Thus, our findings suggest that the -888G > C polymorphism in the SORD gene is not involved in the pathogenesis of DR in type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Mulligan, Christopher; Mindell, Joseph A.

2013-01-01

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

How LeuT shapes our understanding of the mechanisms of sodium-coupled neurotransmitter transporters.

Science.gov (United States)

Penmatsa, Aravind; Gouaux, Eric

2014-03-01

Neurotransmitter transporters are ion-coupled symporters that drive the uptake of neurotransmitters from neural synapses. In the past decade, the structure of a bacterial amino acid transporter, leucine transporter (LeuT), has given valuable insights into the understanding of architecture and mechanism of mammalian neurotransmitter transporters. Different conformations of LeuT, including a substrate-free state, inward-open state, and competitive and non-competitive inhibitor-bound states, have revealed a mechanistic framework for the transport and transport inhibition of neurotransmitters. The current review integrates our understanding of the mechanistic and pharmacological properties of eukaryotic neurotransmitter transporters obtained through structural snapshots of LeuT.

Role of sugar uptake and metabolic intermediates on catabolite repression in Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, J M; Thoms, B

1977-01-01

Many phosphorylated intermediates exert catabolite repression on the enzyme acetoin dehydrogenase in Bacillus subtilis. This was shown with strains that are blocked at different positions in central metabolism when they receive sugars that cannot be metabolized past enzymatic block(s). In the case of sorbitol, transport events were not involved in catabolite repression, for this sugar cannot repress acetoin dehydrogenase in a strain lacking sorbitol dehydrogenase but otherwise able to take up sorbitol. The presence of glucose did not markedly influence the uptake of acetoin. PMID:401492

Improvement of water transport mechanisms during potato drying by applying ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozuna, César; Cárcel, Juan A; García-Pérez, José V; Mulet, Antonio

2011-11-01

The drying rate of vegetables is limited by internal moisture diffusion and convective transport mechanisms. The increase of drying air temperature leads to faster water mobility; however, it provokes quality loss in the product and presents a higher energy demand. Therefore, the search for new strategies to improve water mobility during convective drying constitutes a topic of relevant research. The aim of this work was to evaluate the use of power ultrasound to improve convective drying of potato and quantify the influence of the applied power in the water transport mechanisms. Drying kinetics of potato cubes were increased by the ultrasonic application. The influence of power ultrasound was dependent on the ultrasonic power (from 0 to 37 kW m(-3) ), the higher the applied power, the faster the drying kinetic. The diffusion model considering external resistance to mass transfer provided a good fit of drying kinetics. From modelling, it was observed a proportional and significant (P mass transfer coefficient. The ultrasonic application during drying represents an interesting alternative to traditional convective drying by shortening drying time, which may involve an energy saving concerning industrial applications. In addition, the ultrasonic effect in the water transport is based on mechanical phenomena with a low heating capacity, which is highly relevant for drying heat sensitive materials and also for obtaining high-quality dry products. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaporation as the transport mechanism of metals in arid regions

KAUST Repository

Lima, Ana T.

2014-09-01

Soils of arid regions are exposed to drought and drastic temperature oscillations throughout the year. Transport mechanisms in these soils are therefore very different from the ones in temperate regions, where rain dictates the fate of most elements in soils. Due to the low rainfall and high evaporation rates in arid regions, groundwater quality is not threatened and all soil contamination issues tend to be overlooked. But if soil contamination happens, where do contaminants go? This study tests the hypothesis of upward metal movement in soils when evaporation is the main transport mechanism. Laboratory evaporation tests were carried out with heavy metal spiked Saudi soil, using circulation of air as the driving force (Fig. 1). Main results show that loamy soil retains heavy metals quite well while evaporation drives heavy metals to the surface of a sandy soil. Evaporation transports heavy metals upward in sandy soils of arid regions, making them accumulate at the soil surface. Sand being the dominating type of soil in arid regions, soils can then be a potential source of contaminated aerosols and atmospheric pollution - a transboundary problem. Some other repercussions for this problem are foreseen, such as the public ingestion or inhalation of dust. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Double internal transport barrier triggering mechanism in tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Jiaqi; Mou, Zongze; Long, Yongxing; Mahajan, Swadesh M.

2004-01-01

Sheared flow layers created by energy released in magnetic reconnection processes are studied with the magneto hydrodynamics (MHD), aimed at internal transport barrier (ITB) dynamics. The double tearing mode induced by electron viscosity is investigated and proposed as a triggering mechanism for double internal transport barrier (DITB) observed in tokamak plasmas with non-monotonic safety factor profiles. The quasi-linear development of the mode is simulated and the emphasis is placed on the structure of sheared poloidal flow layers formed in the vicinity of the magnetic islands. For viscosity double tearing modes, it is shown that the sheared flows induced by the mode may reach the level required by the condition for ITB formation. Especially, the flow layers are found to form just outside the magnetic islands. The scaling of the generated velocity with plasma parameters is given. Possible explanation for the experimental observations that the preferential formation of transport barriers in the proximity of low order rational surface is discussed. (author)

Efficacy of vinegar, sorbitol and sodium benzoate in mitigation of Salmonella contamination in betel leaf

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Al Asmaul Husna

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The present study was undertaken to mitigate Salmonella from betel leaf in Mymensingh. A total of 35 betel leaf samples were collected from 2 baroujes and 5 local markets in Mymensingh. The samples were sub-divided into two groups: (i phosphate buffer solution (PBS washed, and (ii grinded sample. There was control and treated (with 1.5% vinegar, sorbitol, and sodium benzoate sub-groups in both groups. Mitigation of Salmonella was determined by comparing Total Viable Count (TVC and Total Salmonella Count (TSAC of control with treated groups. No bacterial growth was observed in the betel leaf samples collected directly from barouj level. At market level, when grinded, there was no growth of bacteria in Plate Count Agar (PCA and Salmonella- Shigella (SS or Xylose Lysine De-oxy-chocolate (XLD in both treated and untreated groups. But when the PBS washed samples were used, the TVC (mean log CFU±SD/mL of betel leaf ranged from 5.16±0.82 to 5.96±1.11, whereas the TSAC value ranged from 4.87±0.58 to 5.56±1.00 for untreated group. In vinegar, there was no growth, but when treated with sorbitol, the TVC (mean log CFU±SD/mL value reduced to 5.00±0.54 to 5.66±1.09, and TSAC (mean log CFU±SD/mL value reduced to 4.28±0.71 to 4.78±0.64. When treated with sodium benzoate, the TVC (mean log CFU±SD/mL value reduced to 5.06±0.53 to 5.75±1.02, and TSAC (mean log CFU±SD/mL value reduced to 4.34±0.79 to 4.92±0.64. Data of this study indicates that all the three chemicals were effective in terms of reducing bacterial load but vinegar (1.5% was found to be the most effective against Salmonella as well as some other bacteria when treated for 10 min.

Evaporation as the transport mechanism of metals in arid regions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lima, A.T.; Safar, Z.; Loch, J.P.G.

Soils of arid regions are exposed to drought and drastic temperature oscillations throughout the year. Transport mechanisms in these soils are therefore very different from the ones in temperate regions, where rain dictates the fate of most elements in soils. Due to the low rainfall and high

On the mechanism of charge transport in low density polyethylene

Science.gov (United States)

Upadhyay, Avnish K.; Reddy, C. C.

2017-08-01

Polyethylene based polymeric insulators, are being increasingly used in the power industry for their inherent advantages over conventional insulation materials. Specifically, modern power cables are almost made with these materials, replacing the mass-impregnated oil-paper cable technology. However, for ultra-high dc voltage applications, the use of these polymeric cables is hindered by ununderstood charge transport and accumulation. The conventional conduction mechanisms (Pool-Frenkel, Schottky, etc.) fail to track high-field charge transport in low density polyethylene, which is semi-crystalline in nature. Until now, attention was devoted mainly to the amorphous region of the material. In this paper, authors propose a novel mechanism for conduction in low density polyethylene, which could successfully track experimental results. As an implication, a novel, substantial relationship is established for electrical conductivity that could be effectively used for understanding conduction and breakdown in polyethylene, which is vital for successful development of ultra-high voltage dc cables.

Experimental Evaluation of the Transport Mechanisms of PoIFN-α in Caco-2 Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Liu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available For the development of an efficient intestinal delivery system for Porcine interferon-α (PoIFN-α, the understanding of transport mechanisms of which in the intestinal cell is essential. In this study, we investigated the absorption mechanisms of PoIFN-α in intestine cells. Caco-2 cells and fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled (FITC-PoIFN-α were used to explore the whole transport process, including endocytosis, intracellular trafficking, exocytosis, and transcytosis. Via various techniques, the transport pathways of PoIFN-α in Caco-2 cells and the mechanisms were clarified. Firstly, the endocytosis of PoIFN-α by Caco-2 cells was time, concentration and temperature dependence. And the lipid raft/caveolae endocytosis was the most likely endocytic pathway for PoIFN-α. Secondly, both Golgi apparatus and lysosome were involved in the intracellular trafficking of PoIFN-α. Thirdly, the treatment of indomethacin resulted in a significant decrease of exocytosis of PoIFN-α, indicating the participation of cyclooxygenase. Finally, to evaluate the efficiency of PoIFN-α transport, the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER value was measured to investigate the tight junctional integrity of the cell monolayers. The fluorescence microscope results revealed that the transport of PoIFN-α across the Caco-2 cell monolayers was restricted. In conclusion, this study depicts a probable picture of PoIFN-α transport in Caco-2 cells characterized by non-specificity, partial energy-dependency and low transcytosis.

Regulatory mechanisms for iron transport across the blood-brain barrier.

Science.gov (United States)

Duck, Kari A; Simpson, Ian A; Connor, James R

2017-12-09

Many critical metabolic functions in the brain require adequate and timely delivery of iron. However, most studies when considering brain iron uptake have ignored the iron requirements of the endothelial cells that form the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Moreover, current models of BBB iron transport do not address regional regulation of brain iron uptake or how neurons, when adapting to metabolic demands, can acquire more iron. In this study, we demonstrate that both iron-poor transferrin (apo-Tf) and the iron chelator, deferoxamine, stimulate release of iron from iron-loaded endothelial cells in an in vitro BBB model. The role of the endosomal divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) in BBB iron acquisition and transport has been questioned. Here, we show that inhibition of DMT1 alters the transport of iron and Tf across the endothelial cells. These data support an endosome-mediated model of Tf-bound iron uptake into the brain and identifies mechanisms for local regional regulation of brain iron uptake. Moreover, our data provide an explanation for the disparity in the ratio of Tf to iron transport into the brain that has confounded the field. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

As if Kyoto mattered: The clean development mechanism and transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christopher Zegras, P.

2007-01-01

Transportation is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the most rapidly growing anthropogenic source. In the future, the developing world will account for the largest share of transport GHG increases. Four basic components drive transportation energy consumption and GHG emissions: activities (A), mode share (S), fuel intensity (I) and fuel choice (F) (ASIF). Currently, the Kyoto Protocol's clean development mechanism (CDM) serves as the main international market-based tool designed to reduce GHG emissions from the developing world. Theoretically, the CDM has the dual purpose of helping developing countries achieve 'sustainable development' goals and industrialized countries meet their Kyoto emissions reduction commitments. This paper reviews overall CDM activities and transportation CDM activities to date and then presents findings from three case studies of transportation CDM possibilities examined with the ASIF framework in Santiago de Chile. The analysis suggests that bus technology switch (I) provides a fairly good project fit for the CDM, while options aimed at inducing mode share (S) to bicycle, or modifying travel demand via land use changes (ASI) face considerable challenges. The implications of the findings for the CDM and the 'post-Kyoto' world are discussed

Determination of mannitol sorbitol and myo-inositol in olive tree roots and rhizospheric soil by gas chromatography and effect of severe drought conditions on their profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Mechri, Beligh; Tekaya, Meriem; Cheheb, Hechmi; Hammami, Mohamed

2015-01-01

This study reports a method for the analysis of mannitol, sorbitol and myo-inositol in olive tree roots and rhizospheric soil with gas chromatography. The analytical method consists of extraction with a mixture of dichloromethane:methanol (2:1, v/v) for soil samples and a mixture of ethanol:water (80:20) for root samples, silylation using pyridine, hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) and trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS). The recovery of mannitol sorbitol and myo-inositol (for extraction and analysis in dichloromethane:methanol and ethanol:water) was acceptable and ranged from 100.3 to 114.7%. The time of analysis was <24 min. Among identified polyols extracted from rhizosphere and roots of olive plants, mannitol was the major compound. A marked increase in mannitol content occurred in rhizosphere and roots of water-stressed plants, suggesting a much broader role of mannitol in stress response based on its ability to act as a compatible solute. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth May Increase the Likelihood of Lactose and Sorbitol but not Fructose Intolerance False Positive Diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Perets, Tsachi Tsadok; Hamouda, Dalal; Layfer, Olga; Ashorov, Olga; Boltin, Doron; Levy, Sigal; Niv, Yaron; Dickman, Ram

2017-08-01

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is defined as a bacterial count of more than 10 5 colony-forming units per milliliter in duodenal aspirate. It shares many symptoms with carbohydrate intolerance, which makes the clinical distinction of the disorders difficult. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between a positive carbohydrate breath test and the presence of SIBO suggested by a positive lactulose hydrogen breath test. The electronic database of the gastroenterology laboratory of a tertiary medical center was searched for all patients clinically tested for SIBO in 2012-2013 for whom previous results for lactose, fructose, and/or sorbitol breath test were available. The correlation between positive findings for carbohydrate intolerance and for SIBO was statistically analyzed. The study group included 349 patients, 231 female and 118 male, of mean age 53±19 years. All had symptoms of abdominal bloating and gas. There was a statistically significant difference in rates of a positive breath test for lactose and sorbitol at ≤90 minutes between patients who were positive and negative for SIBO [χ 2 (1)=12.8, p <0.01 and χ 2 (1)=9.5, p <0.01 respectively]. Findings for fructose were not significant. There was no effect of age or gender. SIBO may represent an important reversible cause of carbohydrate intolerance. It may be especially prudent to exclude SIBO patients with an early peak (≤90 minutes) in H 2 excretion. © 2017 by the Association of Clinical Scientists, Inc.

Direct determination of sorbitol and sodium glutamate by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) in the thermostabilizer employed in the production of yellow-fever vaccine.

Science.gov (United States)

de Castro, Eduardo da S G; Cassella, Ricardo J

2016-05-15

Reference methods for quality control of vaccines usually require treatment of the samples before analysis. These procedures are expensive, time-consuming, unhealthy and require careful manipulation of the sample, making them a potential source of analytical errors. This work proposes a novel method for the quality control of thermostabilizer samples of the yellow fever vaccine employing attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (ATR-FTIR). The main advantage of the proposed method is the possibility of direct determination of the analytes (sodium glutamate and sorbitol) without any pretreatment of the samples. Operational parameters of the FTIR technique, such as the number of accumulated scans and nominal resolution, were evaluated. The best conditions for sodium glutamate were achieved when 64 scans were accumulated using a nominal resolution of 4 cm(-1). The measurements for sodium glutamate were performed at 1347 cm(-1) (baseline correction between 1322 and 1369 cm(-1)). In the case of sorbitol, the measurements were done at 890cm(-1) (baseline correction between 825 and 910 cm(-1)) using a nominal resolution of 2 cm(-1) with 32 accumulated scans. In both cases, the quantitative variable was the band height. Recovery tests were performed in order to evaluate the accuracy of the method and recovery percentages in the range 93-106% were obtained. Also, the methods were compared with reference methods and no statistical differences were observed. The limits of detection and quantification for sodium glutamate were 0.20 and 0.62% (m/v), respectively, whereas for sorbitol they were 1 and 3.3% (m/v), respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A continuum mechanics-based musculo-mechanical model for esophageal transport

Science.gov (United States)

Kou, Wenjun; Griffith, Boyce E.; Pandolfino, John E.; Kahrilas, Peter J.; Patankar, Neelesh A.

2017-11-01

In this work, we extend our previous esophageal transport model using an immersed boundary (IB) method with discrete fiber-based structural model, to one using a continuum mechanics-based model that is approximated based on finite elements (IB-FE). To deal with the leakage of flow when the Lagrangian mesh becomes coarser than the fluid mesh, we employ adaptive interaction quadrature points to deal with Lagrangian-Eulerian interaction equations based on a previous work (Griffith and Luo [1]). In particular, we introduce a new anisotropic adaptive interaction quadrature rule. The new rule permits us to vary the interaction quadrature points not only at each time-step and element but also at different orientations per element. This helps to avoid the leakage issue without sacrificing the computational efficiency and accuracy in dealing with the interaction equations. For the material model, we extend our previous fiber-based model to a continuum-based model. We present formulations for general fiber-reinforced material models in the IB-FE framework. The new material model can handle non-linear elasticity and fiber-matrix interactions, and thus permits us to consider more realistic material behavior of biological tissues. To validate our method, we first study a case in which a three-dimensional short tube is dilated. Results on the pressure-displacement relationship and the stress distribution matches very well with those obtained from the implicit FE method. We remark that in our IB-FE case, the three-dimensional tube undergoes a very large deformation and the Lagrangian mesh-size becomes about 6 times of Eulerian mesh-size in the circumferential orientation. To validate the performance of the method in handling fiber-matrix material models, we perform a second study on dilating a long fiber-reinforced tube. Errors are small when we compare numerical solutions with analytical solutions. The technique is then applied to the problem of esophageal transport. We use two

Genome Sequence of Bacillus endophyticus and Analysis of Its Companion Mechanism in the Ketogulonigenium vulgare-Bacillus Strain Consortium.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nan Jia

Full Text Available Bacillus strains have been widely used as the companion strain of Ketogulonigenium vulgare in the process of vitamin C fermentation. Different Bacillus strains generate different effects on the growth of K. vulgare and ultimately influence the productivity. First, we identified that Bacillus endophyticus Hbe603 was an appropriate strain to cooperate with K. vulgare and the product conversion rate exceeded 90% in industrial vitamin C fermentation. Here, we report the genome sequencing of the B. endophyticus Hbe603 industrial companion strain and speculate its possible advantage in the consortium. The circular chromosome of B. endophyticus Hbe603 has a size of 4.87 Mb with GC content of 36.64% and has the highest similarity with that of Bacillus megaterium among all the bacteria with complete genomes. By comparing the distribution of COGs with that of Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus cereus and B. megaterium, B. endophyticus has less genes related to cell envelope biogenesis and signal transduction mechanisms, and more genes related to carbohydrate transport and metabolism, energy production and conversion, as well as lipid transport and metabolism. Genome-based functional studies revealed the specific capability of B. endophyticus in sporulation, transcription regulation, environmental resistance, membrane transportation, extracellular proteins and nutrients synthesis, which would be beneficial for K. vulgare. In particular, B. endophyticus lacks the Rap-Phr signal cascade system and, in part, spore coat related proteins. In addition, it has specific pathways for vitamin B12 synthesis and sorbitol metabolism. The genome analysis of the industrial B. endophyticus will help us understand its cooperative mechanism in the K. vulgare-Bacillus strain consortium to improve the fermentation of vitamin C.

A low-frequency wave motion mechanism enables efficient energy transport in carbon nanotubes at high heat fluxes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoliang; Hu, Ming; Poulikakos, Dimos

2012-07-11

The great majority of investigations of thermal transport in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the open literature focus on low heat fluxes, that is, in the regime of validity of the Fourier heat conduction law. In this paper, by performing nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations we investigated thermal transport in a single-walled CNT bridging two Si slabs under constant high heat flux. An anomalous wave-like kinetic energy profile was observed, and a previously unexplored, wave-dominated energy transport mechanism is identified for high heat fluxes in CNTs, originated from excited low frequency transverse acoustic waves. The transported energy, in terms of a one-dimensional low frequency mechanical wave, is quantified as a function of the total heat flux applied and is compared to the energy transported by traditional Fourier heat conduction. The results show that the low frequency wave actually overtakes traditional Fourier heat conduction and efficiently transports the energy at high heat flux. Our findings reveal an important new mechanism for high heat flux energy transport in low-dimensional nanostructures, such as one-dimensional (1-D) nanotubes and nanowires, which could be very relevant to high heat flux dissipation such as in micro/nanoelectronics applications.

Structure and elevator mechanism of the Na(+)-citrate transporter CitS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lolkema, Juke S; Slotboom, Dirk Jan

2016-01-01

The recently determined crystal structure of the bacterial Na(+)-citrate symporter CitS provides unexpected structural and mechanistic insights. The protein has a fold that has not been seen in other proteins, but the oligomeric state, domain organization and proposed transport mechanism strongly

Modeling of Gas Production from Shale Reservoirs Considering Multiple Transport Mechanisms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chaohua Guo

Full Text Available Gas transport in unconventional shale strata is a multi-mechanism-coupling process that is different from the process observed in conventional reservoirs. In micro fractures which are inborn or induced by hydraulic stimulation, viscous flow dominates. And gas surface diffusion and gas desorption should be further considered in organic nano pores. Also, the Klinkenberg effect should be considered when dealing with the gas transport problem. In addition, following two factors can play significant roles under certain circumstances but have not received enough attention in previous models. During pressure depletion, gas viscosity will change with Knudsen number; and pore radius will increase when the adsorption gas desorbs from the pore wall. In this paper, a comprehensive mathematical model that incorporates all known mechanisms for simulating gas flow in shale strata is presented. The objective of this study was to provide a more accurate reservoir model for simulation based on the flow mechanisms in the pore scale and formation geometry. Complex mechanisms, including viscous flow, Knudsen diffusion, slip flow, and desorption, are optionally integrated into different continua in the model. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of different mechanisms on the gas production. The results showed that adsorption and gas viscosity change will have a great impact on gas production. Ignoring one of following scenarios, such as adsorption, gas permeability change, gas viscosity change, or pore radius change, will underestimate gas production.

Stepwise metabolic engineering of Gluconobacter oxydans WSH-003 for the direct production of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid from D-sorbitol.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Lili; Hu, Yudong; Liu, Jie; Du, Guocheng; Zhou, Jingwen; Chen, Jian

2014-07-01

2-Keto-L-gulonic acid (2-KLG), the direct precursor of vitamin C, is currently produced by a two-step fermentation route from D-sorbitol. However, this route involves three bacteria, making the mix-culture system complicated and redundant. Thus, replacement of the conventional two-step fermentation process with a one-step process could be revolutionary in vitamin C industry. In this study, different combinations of five L-sorbose dehydrogenases (SDH) and two L-sorbosone dehydrogenases (SNDH) from Ketogulonicigenium vulgare WSH-001 were introduced into Gluconobacter oxydans WSH-003, an industrial strain used for the conversion of d-sorbitol to L-sorbose. The optimum combination produced 4.9g/L of 2-KLG. In addition, 10 different linker peptides were used for the fusion expression of SDH and SNDH in G. oxydans. The best recombinant strain (G. oxydans/pGUC-k0203-GS-k0095) produced 32.4g/L of 2-KLG after 168h. Furthermore, biosynthesis of pyrroloquinoline quinine (PQQ), a cofactor of those dehydrogenases, was enhanced to improve 2-KLG production. With the stepwise metabolic engineering of G. oxydans, the final 2-KLG production was improved to 39.2g/L, which was 8.0-fold higher than that obtained using independent expression of the dehydrogenases. These results bring us closer to the final one-step industrial-scale production of vitamin C. Copyright © 2014 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Calcium transport mechanism in molting crayfish revealed by microanalysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizuhira, V.; Ueno, M.

1983-01-01

Crayfish provide a good model in which to study the transport mechanism of Ca ions. During the molting stage, decalcified Ca ions are transferred into the blood and accumulate in the gastrolith epithelium, after which a gastrolith is formed on the surface of the epithelium. The gastrolith is dissolved in the stomach after molting, and the Ca is reabsorbed and redistributed throughout the newly formed exoskeleton. We studied the mechanism of Ca transport by cytochemical precipitation of Ca ions and by electron microanalysis, including X-ray microanalysis (EDX) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), with a computer. In EDX analysis, the fine precipitates of K-antimonate in the gastrolith mitochondria clearly defined Ca with antimony; we also observed a large amount of Ca-oxalate in the mitochondria, and Ca-K X-ray pulses were clearly defined. Ca-K X-rays were also detected from fresh freeze-substituted mitochondria. Finally, we succeeded in taking a Ca-L EELS image from the mitochondria of fresh freeze-substituted thin sections. Only a very small amount of Ca was detected from the cell membrane and other organelles. Ca-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and Mg-ATPase activity was also very clearly demonstrated in the mitochondria. These enzymes may play an important role in Ca metabolism

Modeling of glycerol-3-phosphate transporter suggests a potential 'tilt' mechanism involved in its function.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsigelny, Igor F; Greenberg, Jerry; Kouznetsova, Valentina; Nigam, Sanjay K

2008-10-01

Many major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporters have similar 12-transmembrane alpha-helical topologies with two six-helix halves connected by a long loop. In humans, these transporters participate in key physiological processes and are also, as in the case of members of the organic anion transporter (OAT) family, of pharmaceutical interest. Recently, crystal structures of two bacterial representatives of the MFS family--the glycerol-3-phosphate transporter (GlpT) and lac-permease (LacY)--have been solved and, because of assumptions regarding the high structural conservation of this family, there is hope that the results can be applied to mammalian transporters as well. Based on crystallography, it has been suggested that a major conformational "switching" mechanism accounts for ligand transport by MFS proteins. This conformational switch would then allow periodic changes in the overall transporter configuration, resulting in its cyclic opening to the periplasm or cytoplasm. Following this lead, we have modeled a possible "switch" mechanism in GlpT, using the concept of rotation of protein domains as in the DynDom program17 and membranephilic constraints predicted by the MAPAS program.(23) We found that the minima of energies of intersubunit interactions support two alternate positions consistent with their transport properties. Thus, for GlpT, a "tilt" of 9 degrees -10 degrees rotation had the most favorable energetics of electrostatic interaction between the two halves of the transporter; moreover, this confirmation was sufficient to suggest transport of the ligand across the membrane. We conducted steered molecular dynamics simulations of the GlpT-ligand system to explore how glycerol-3-phosphate would be handled by the "tilted" structure, and obtained results generally consistent with experimental mutagenesis data. While biochemical data remain most consistent with a single-site alternating access model, our results raise the possibility that, while the

Alternating access mechanisms of LeuT-fold transporters: trailblazing towards the promised energy landscapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazmier, Kelli; Claxton, Derek P; Mchaourab, Hassane S

2017-08-01

Secondary active transporters couple the uphill translocation of substrates to electrochemical ion gradients. Transporter conformational motion, generically referred to as alternating access, enables a central ligand binding site to change its orientation relative to the membrane. Here we review themes of alternating access and the transduction of ion gradient energy to power this process in the LeuT-fold class of transporters where crystallographic, computational and spectroscopic approaches have converged to yield detailed models of transport cycles. Specifically, we compare findings for the Na + -coupled amino acid transporter LeuT and the Na + -coupled hydantoin transporter Mhp1. Although these studies have illuminated multiple aspects of transporter structures and dynamics, a number of questions remain unresolved that so far hinder understanding transport mechanisms in an energy landscape perspective. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanical Fatigue Testing of High Burnup Fuel for Transportation Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jy-An John [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Wang, Hong [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2015-05-01

This report describes testing designed to determine the ability of high burnup (HBU) (>45 GWd/MTU) spent fuel to maintain its integrity under normal conditions of transportation. An innovative system, Cyclic Integrated Reversible-bending Fatigue Tester (CIRFT), has been developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to test and evaluate the mechanical behavior of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) under conditions relevant to storage and transportation. The CIRFT system is composed of a U-frame equipped with load cells for imposing the pure bending loads on the SNF rod test specimen and measuring the in-situ curvature of the fuel rod during bending using a set up with three linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs).

Mechanical Fatigue Testing of High-Burnup Fuel for Transportation Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jy-An John [ORNL; Wang, Hong [ORNL

2015-05-01

This report describes testing designed to determine the ability of high burnup (HBU) (>45 GWd/MTU) spent fuel to maintain its integrity under normal conditions of transportation. An innovative system, Cyclic Integrated Reversible-bending Fatigue Tester (CIRFT), has been developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to test and evaluate the mechanical behavior of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) under conditions relevant to storage and transportation. The CIRFT system is composed of a U-frame equipped with load cells for imposing the pure bending loads on the SNF rod test specimen and measuring the in-situ curvature of the fuel rod during bending using a set up with three linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs).

A Hybrid Dynamic Programming for Solving Fixed Cost Transportation with Discounted Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farhad Ghassemi Tari

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The problem of allocating different types of vehicles for transporting a set of products from a manufacturer to its depots/cross docks, in an existing transportation network, to minimize the total transportation costs, is considered. The distribution network involves a heterogeneous fleet of vehicles, with a variable transportation cost and a fixed cost in which a discount mechanism is applied on the fixed part of the transportation costs. It is assumed that the number of available vehicles is limited for some types. A mathematical programming model in the form of the discrete nonlinear optimization model is proposed. A hybrid dynamic programming algorithm is developed for finding the optimal solution. To increase the computational efficiency of the solution algorithm, several concepts and routines, such as the imbedded state routine, surrogate constraint concept, and bounding schemes, are incorporated in the dynamic programming algorithm. A real world case problem is selected and solved by the proposed solution algorithm, and the optimal solution is obtained.

Flux-based transport enhancement as a plausible unifying mechanism for auxin transport in meristem development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szymon Stoma

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Plants continuously generate new organs through the activity of populations of stem cells called meristems. The shoot apical meristem initiates leaves, flowers, and lateral meristems in highly ordered, spiralled, or whorled patterns via a process called phyllotaxis. It is commonly accepted that the active transport of the plant hormone auxin plays a major role in this process. Current hypotheses propose that cellular hormone transporters of the PIN family would create local auxin maxima at precise positions, which in turn would lead to organ initiation. To explain how auxin transporters could create hormone fluxes to distinct regions within the plant, different concepts have been proposed. A major hypothesis, canalization, proposes that the auxin transporters act by amplifying and stabilizing existing fluxes, which could be initiated, for example, by local diffusion. This convincingly explains the organised auxin fluxes during vein formation, but for the shoot apical meristem a second hypothesis was proposed, where the hormone would be systematically transported towards the areas with the highest concentrations. This implies the coexistence of two radically different mechanisms for PIN allocation in the membrane, one based on flux sensing and the other on local concentration sensing. Because these patterning processes require the interaction of hundreds of cells, it is impossible to estimate on a purely intuitive basis if a particular scenario is plausible or not. Therefore, computational modelling provides a powerful means to test this type of complex hypothesis. Here, using a dedicated computer simulation tool, we show that a flux-based polarization hypothesis is able to explain auxin transport at the shoot meristem as well, thus providing a unifying concept for the control of auxin distribution in the plant. Further experiments are now required to distinguish between flux-based polarization and other hypotheses.

Fracture mechanics based design for radioactive material transport packagings -- Historical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, J.A.; Salzbrenner, D.; Sorenson, K.; McConnell, P.

1998-04-01

The use of a fracture mechanics based design for the radioactive material transport (RAM) packagings has been the subject of extensive research for more than a decade. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has played an important role in the research and development of the application of this technology. Ductile iron has been internationally accepted as an exemplary material for the demonstration of a fracture mechanics based method of RAM packaging design and therefore is the subject of a large portion of the research discussed in this report. SNL's extensive research and development program, funded primarily by the U. S. Department of Energy's Office of Transportation, Energy Management and Analytical Services (EM-76) and in an auxiliary capacity, the office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, is summarized in this document along with a summary of the research conducted at other institutions throughout the world. In addition to the research and development work, code and standards development and regulatory positions are also discussed

Charge Carrier Transport Mechanism Based on Stable Low Voltage Organic Bistable Memory Device.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramana, V V; Moodley, M K; Kumar, A B V Kiran; Kannan, V

2015-05-01

A solution processed two terminal organic bistable memory device was fabricated utilizing films of polymethyl methacrylate PMMA/ZnO/PMMA on top of ITO coated glass. Electrical characterization of the device structure showed that the two terminal device exhibited favorable switching characteristics with an ON/OFF ratio greater than 1 x 10(4) when the voltage was swept between - 2 V and +3 V. The device maintained its state after removal of the bias voltage. The device did not show degradation after a 1-h retention test at 120 degrees C. The memory functionality was consistent even after fifty cycles of operation. The charge transport switching mechanism is discussed on the basis of carrier transport mechanism and our analysis of the data shows that the charge carrier trans- port mechanism of the device during the writing process can be explained by thermionic emission (TE) and space-charge-limited-current (SCLC) mechanism models while erasing process could be explained by the FN tunneling mechanism. This demonstration provides a class of memory devices with the potential for low-cost, low-power consumption applications, such as a digital memory cell.

Selective inhibition of aggregation/fibrillation of bovine serum albumin by osmolytes: Mechanistic and energetics insights.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moumita Dasgupta

Full Text Available Bovine serum albumin (BSA is an important transport protein of the blood and its aggregation/fibrillation would adversely affect its transport ability leading to metabolic disorder. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of fibrillation/aggregation of BSA and design of suitable inhibitor molecules for stabilizing its native conformation, are of utmost importance. The qualitative and quantitative aspects of the effect of osmolytes (proline, hydroxyproline, glycine betaine, sarcosine and sorbitol on heat induced aggregation/fibrillation of BSA at physiological pH (pH 7.4 have been studied employing a combination of fluorescence spectroscopy, Rayleigh scattering, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC, dynamic light scattering (DLS and transmission electron microscopy (TEM. Formation of fibrils by BSA under the given conditions was confirmed from increase in fluorescence emission intensities of Thioflavin T over a time period of 600 minutes and TEM images. Absence of change in fluorescence emission intensities of 8-Anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid (ANS in presence of native and aggregated BSA signify the absence of any amorphous aggregates. ITC results have provided important insights on the energetics of interaction of these osmolytes with different stages of the fibrillar aggregates of BSA, thereby suggesting the possible modes/mechanism of inhibition of BSA fibrillation by these osmolytes. The heats of interaction of the osmolytes with different stages of fibrillation of BSA do not follow a trend, suggesting that the interactions of stages of BSA aggregates are osmolyte specific. Among the osmolytes used here, we found glycine betaine to be supporting and promoting the aggregation process while hydroxyproline to be maximally efficient in suppressing the fibrillation process of BSA, followed by sorbitol, sarcosine and proline in the following order of their decreasing potency: Hydroxyproline> Sorbitol> Sarcosine> Proline> Glycine betaine.

Investigating the effects of ABC transporter-based acquired drug resistance mechanisms at the cellular and tissue scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Cong; Krishnan, J; Xu, Xiao Yun

2013-03-01

In this paper we systematically investigate the effects of acquired drug resistance at the cellular and tissue scale, with a specific focus on ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter-based mechanisms and contrast this with other representative intracellular resistance mechanisms. This is done by developing in silico models wherein the drug resistance mechanism is overlaid on a coarse-grained description of apoptosis; these cellular models are coupled with interstitial drug transport, allowing for a transparent examination of the effect of acquired drug resistances at the tissue level. While ABC transporter-mediated resistance mechanisms counteract drug effect at the cellular level, its tissue-level effect is more complicated, revealing unexpected trends in tissue response as drug stimuli are systematically varied. Qualitatively different behaviour is observed in other drug resistance mechanisms. Overall the paper (i) provides insight into the tissue level functioning of a particular resistance mechanism, (ii) shows that this is very different from other resistance mechanisms of an apparently similar type, and (iii) demonstrates a concrete instance of how the functioning of a negative feedback based cellular adaptive mechanism can have unexpected higher scale effects.

Mechanism for Particle Transport and Size Sorting via Low-Frequency Vibrations

Science.gov (United States)

Sherrit, Stewart; Scott, James S.; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Badescu, Mircea; Bao, Xiaoqi

2010-01-01

There is a need for effective sample handling tools to deliver and sort particles for analytical instruments that are planned for use in future NASA missions. Specifically, a need exists for a compact mechanism that allows transporting and sieving particle sizes of powdered cuttings and soil grains that may be acquired by sampling tools such as a robotic scoop or drill. The required tool needs to be low mass and compact to operate from such platforms as a lander or rover. This technology also would be applicable to sample handling when transporting samples to analyzers and sorting particles by size.

Modified random hinge transport mechanics and multiple scattering step-size selection in EGS5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilderman, S.J.; Bielajew, A.F.

2005-01-01

The new transport mechanics in EGS5 allows for significantly longer electron transport step sizes and hence shorter computation times than required for identical problems in EGS4. But as with all Monte Carlo electron transport algorithms, certain classes of problems exhibit step-size dependencies even when operating within recommended ranges, sometimes making selection of step-sizes a daunting task for novice users. Further contributing to this problem, because of the decoupling of multiple scattering and continuous energy loss in the dual random hinge transport mechanics of EGS5, there are two independent step sizes in EGS5, one for multiple scattering and one for continuous energy loss, each of which influences speed and accuracy in a different manner. Further, whereas EGS4 used a single value of fractional energy loss (ESTEPE) to determine step sizes at all energies, to increase performance by decreasing the amount of effort expended simulating lower energy particles, EGS5 permits the fractional energy loss values which are used to determine both the multiple scattering and continuous energy loss step sizes to vary with energy. This results in requiring the user to specify four fractional energy loss values when optimizing computations for speed. Thus, in order to simplify step-size selection and to mitigate step-size dependencies, a method has been devised to automatically optimize step-size selection based on a single material dependent input related to the size of problem tally region. In this paper we discuss the new transport mechanics in EGS5 and describe the automatic step-size optimization algorithm. (author)

Fundamental transport mechanisms, fabrication and potential applications of nanoporous atomically thin membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Luda; Boutilier, Michael S H; Kidambi, Piran R; Jang, Doojoon; Hadjiconstantinou, Nicolas G; Karnik, Rohit

2017-06-06

Graphene and other two-dimensional materials offer a new approach to controlling mass transport at the nanoscale. These materials can sustain nanoscale pores in their rigid lattices and due to their minimum possible material thickness, high mechanical strength and chemical robustness, they could be used to address persistent challenges in membrane separations. Here we discuss theoretical and experimental developments in the emerging field of nanoporous atomically thin membranes, focusing on the fundamental mechanisms of gas- and liquid-phase transport, membrane fabrication techniques and advances towards practical application. We highlight potential functional characteristics of the membranes and discuss applications where they are expected to offer advantages. Finally, we outline the major scientific questions and technological challenges that need to be addressed to bridge the gap from theoretical simulations and proof-of-concept experiments to real-world applications.

Fundamental transport mechanisms, fabrication and potential applications of nanoporous atomically thin membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Luda; Boutilier, Michael S. H.; Kidambi, Piran R.; Jang, Doojoon; Hadjiconstantinou, Nicolas G.; Karnik, Rohit

2017-06-01

Graphene and other two-dimensional materials offer a new approach to controlling mass transport at the nanoscale. These materials can sustain nanoscale pores in their rigid lattices and due to their minimum possible material thickness, high mechanical strength and chemical robustness, they could be used to address persistent challenges in membrane separations. Here we discuss theoretical and experimental developments in the emerging field of nanoporous atomically thin membranes, focusing on the fundamental mechanisms of gas- and liquid-phase transport, membrane fabrication techniques and advances towards practical application. We highlight potential functional characteristics of the membranes and discuss applications where they are expected to offer advantages. Finally, we outline the major scientific questions and technological challenges that need to be addressed to bridge the gap from theoretical simulations and proof-of-concept experiments to real-world applications.

Administrative mechanics of research fuel transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harmon, Diane W.

1983-01-01

This presentation contains the discussion on the multitude of administrative mechanics that have to be meshed for the successful completion of a shipment of spent fuel, HEU or LEU in the research reactors fuel cycle. The costs associated with transportation may be the equivalent of 'a black hole', so an overview of cost factors is given. At the end one could find that this black hole factor in the budget is actually a bargain. The first step is the quotation phase. The cost variables in the quotation contain the cost of packaging i.e. containers; the complete routing of the packages and the materials. Factors that are of outmost importance are the routing restrictions and regulations, physical security regulations. All of this effort is just to provide a valid quotation not to accomplish the goal of completing a shipment. Public relations cannot be omitted either

Administrative mechanics of research fuel transportation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harmon, Diane W [Edlow International Company, Washington, DC (United States)

1983-09-01

This presentation contains the discussion on the multitude of administrative mechanics that have to be meshed for the successful completion of a shipment of spent fuel, HEU or LEU in the research reactors fuel cycle. The costs associated with transportation may be the equivalent of 'a black hole', so an overview of cost factors is given. At the end one could find that this black hole factor in the budget is actually a bargain. The first step is the quotation phase. The cost variables in the quotation contain the cost of packaging i.e. containers; the complete routing of the packages and the materials. Factors that are of outmost importance are the routing restrictions and regulations, physical security regulations. All of this effort is just to provide a valid quotation not to accomplish the goal of completing a shipment. Public relations cannot be omitted either.

Transport mechanisms of soil-bound mercury in the erosion process during rainfall-runoff events.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yi; Luo, Xiaolin; Zhang, Wei; Wu, Xin; Zhang, Juan; Han, Feng

2016-08-01

Soil contamination by mercury (Hg) is a global environmental issue. In watersheds with a significant soil Hg storage, soil erosion during rainfall-runoff events can result in nonpoint source (NPS) Hg pollution and therefore, can extend its environmental risk from soils to aquatic ecosystems. Nonetheless, transport mechanisms of soil-bound Hg in the erosion process have not been explored directly, and how different fractions of soil organic matter (SOM) impact transport is not fully understood. This study investigated transport mechanisms based on rainfall-runoff simulation experiments. The experiments simulated high-intensity and long-duration rainfall conditions, which can produce significant soil erosion and NPS pollution. The enrichment ratio (ER) of total mercury (THg) was the key variable in exploring the mechanisms. The main study findings include the following: First, the ER-sediment flux relationship for Hg depends on soil composition, and no uniform ER-sediment flux function exists for different soils. Second, depending on soil composition, significantly more Hg could be released from a less polluted soil in the early stage of large rainfall events. Third, the heavy fraction of SOM (i.e., the remnant organic matter coating on mineral particles) has a dominant influence on the enrichment behavior and transport mechanisms of Hg, while clay mineral content exhibits a significant, but indirect, influence. The study results imply that it is critical to quantify the SOM composition in addition to total organic carbon (TOC) for different soils in the watershed to adequately model the NPS pollution of Hg and spatially prioritize management actions in a heterogeneous watershed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ion transport mechanisms in lamellar phases of salt-doped PS–PEO block copolymer electrolytes

KAUST Repository

Sethuraman, Vaidyanathan; Mogurampelly, Santosh; Ganesan, Venkat

2017-01-01

We use a multiscale simulation strategy to elucidate, at an atomistic level, the mechanisms underlying ion transport in the lamellar phase of polystyrene–polyethylene oxide (PS–PEO) block copolymer (BCP) electrolytes doped with LiPF6 salts. Explicitly, we compare the results obtained for ion transport in the microphase separated block copolymer melts to those for salt-doped PEO homopolymer melts. In addition, we also present results for dynamics of the ions individually in the PEO and PS domains of the BCP melt, and locally as a function of the distance from the lamellar interfaces. When compared to the PEO homopolymer melt, ions were found to exhibit slower dynamics in both the block copolymer (overall) and in the PEO phase of the BCP melt. Such results are shown to arise from the effects of slower polymer segmental dynamics in the BCP melt and the coordination characteristics of the ions. Polymer backbone-ion residence times analyzed as a function of distance from the interface indicate that ions have a larger residence time near the interface compared to that near the bulk of lamella, and demonstrates the influence of the glassy PS blocks and microphase segregation on the ion transport properties. Ion transport mechanisms in BCP melts reveal that there exist five distinct mechanisms for ion transport along the backbone of the chain and exhibit qualitative differences from the behavior in homopolymer melts. We also present results as a function of salt concentration which show that the mean-squared displacements of the ions decrease with increasing salt concentration, and that the ion residence times near the polymer backbone increase with increasing salt concentration.

Ion transport mechanisms in lamellar phases of salt-doped PS–PEO block copolymer electrolytes

KAUST Repository

Sethuraman, Vaidyanathan

2017-10-23

We use a multiscale simulation strategy to elucidate, at an atomistic level, the mechanisms underlying ion transport in the lamellar phase of polystyrene–polyethylene oxide (PS–PEO) block copolymer (BCP) electrolytes doped with LiPF6 salts. Explicitly, we compare the results obtained for ion transport in the microphase separated block copolymer melts to those for salt-doped PEO homopolymer melts. In addition, we also present results for dynamics of the ions individually in the PEO and PS domains of the BCP melt, and locally as a function of the distance from the lamellar interfaces. When compared to the PEO homopolymer melt, ions were found to exhibit slower dynamics in both the block copolymer (overall) and in the PEO phase of the BCP melt. Such results are shown to arise from the effects of slower polymer segmental dynamics in the BCP melt and the coordination characteristics of the ions. Polymer backbone-ion residence times analyzed as a function of distance from the interface indicate that ions have a larger residence time near the interface compared to that near the bulk of lamella, and demonstrates the influence of the glassy PS blocks and microphase segregation on the ion transport properties. Ion transport mechanisms in BCP melts reveal that there exist five distinct mechanisms for ion transport along the backbone of the chain and exhibit qualitative differences from the behavior in homopolymer melts. We also present results as a function of salt concentration which show that the mean-squared displacements of the ions decrease with increasing salt concentration, and that the ion residence times near the polymer backbone increase with increasing salt concentration.

MATHEMATICAL MODELING, AUTOMATION AND CONTROL OF THE BIOCONVERSION OF SORBITOL TO SORBOSE IN THE VITAMIN C PRODUCTION PROCESS I. MATHEMATICAL MODELING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Bonomi

1997-12-01

Full Text Available In 1990, the Biotechnology and the Control Systems Groups of IPT started developing a system for the control and automation of fermentation processes, applied to the oxidation of sorbitol to sorbose by the bacteria Gluconobacter oxydans, the microbial step of the vitamin C production process, that was chosen as a case study. Initially, a thirteen-parameter model was fitted to represent the batch operation of the system utilizing a nonlinear regression analysis, the flexible polyhedron method. Based on these results, a model for the continuous process (with the same kinetic equations was constructed and its optimum operating point obtained

Modeling of Glycerol-3-Phosphate Transporter Suggests a Potential ‘Tilt’ Mechanism involved in its Function

Science.gov (United States)

Tsigelny, Igor F.; Greenberg, Jerry; Kouznetsova, Valentina; Nigam, Sanjay K.

2009-01-01

Many major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporters have similar 12-transmembrane α-helical topologies with two six-helix halves connected by a long loop. In humans, these transporters participate in key physiological processes and are also, as in the case of members of the organic anion transporter (OAT) family, of pharmaceutical interest. Recently, crystal structures of two bacterial representatives of the MFS family — the glycerol-3-phosphate transporter (GlpT) and lac-permease (LacY) — have been solved and, because of assumptions regarding the high structural conservation of this family, there is hope that the results can be applied to mammalian transporters as well. Based on crystallography, it has been suggested that a major conformational “switching” mechanism accounts for ligand transport by MFS proteins. This conformational switch would then allow periodic changes in the overall transporter configuration, resulting in its cyclic opening to the periplasm or cytoplasm. Following this lead, we have modeled a possible “switch” mechanism in GlpT, using the concept of rotation of protein domains as in the DynDom program17 and membranephilic constraints predicted by the MAPAS program.23 We found that the minima of energies of intersubunit interactions support two alternate positions consistent with their transport properties. Thus, for GlpT, a “tilt” of 9°–10° rotation had the most favorable energetics of electrostatic interaction between the two halves of the transporter; moreover, this confirmation was sufficient to suggest transport of the ligand across the membrane. We conducted steered molecular dynamics simulations of the GlpT-ligand system to explore how glycerol-3-phosphate would be handled by the “tilted” structure, and obtained results generally consistent with experimental mutagenesis data. While biochemical data remain most consistent with a single-site alternating access model, our results raise the possibility that, while

Turbulent particle transport in streams: can exponential settling be reconciled with fluid mechanics?

Science.gov (United States)

McNair, James N; Newbold, J Denis

2012-05-07

Most ecological studies of particle transport in streams that focus on fine particulate organic matter or benthic invertebrates use the Exponential Settling Model (ESM) to characterize the longitudinal pattern of particle settling on the bed. The ESM predicts that if particles are released into a stream, the proportion that have not yet settled will decline exponentially with transport time or distance and will be independent of the release elevation above the bed. To date, no credible basis in fluid mechanics has been established for this model, nor has it been rigorously tested against more-mechanistic alternative models. One alternative is the Local Exchange Model (LEM), which is a stochastic advection-diffusion model that includes both longitudinal and vertical spatial dimensions and is based on classical fluid mechanics. The LEM predicts that particle settling will be non-exponential in the near field but will become exponential in the far field, providing a new theoretical justification for far-field exponential settling that is based on plausible fluid mechanics. We review properties of the ESM and LEM and compare these with available empirical evidence. Most evidence supports the prediction of both models that settling will be exponential in the far field but contradicts the ESM's prediction that a single exponential distribution will hold for all transport times and distances. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Primary double contrast study of the colon with citrate-sorbitol-barium suspension in the diagnosis of chronic colitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidorov, V.S.

1991-01-01

X-ray investigation of the colon was conducted in 292 patients with clinically diagnosed chronic colitis: standard 3-phase irrigoscopy-in 189 patients and a primary double contrast study of the colon with citrate-sorbitol-barium suspenzion - in 103. Basing on X-ray and morphological findings, the diagnosis was confirmed in 128 patients of the 1st group (68.2 %) and in 89 patients of the 2nd group (86 %). The primary double contrast study of the colon was found more effective as it permitted the detection of elements of the mucosal microcontours: transversal strips, not coinciding with haustration, focal granularity, diffuse granularity, small barium suspension depots or niches, nodular granularity. It permitted the recommendation of the method for a wide clinical use

The PTFE-nanocomposites mechanical properties for transport systems dynamic sealing devices elements

Science.gov (United States)

Mashkov, Y. K.; Egorova, V. A.; Chemisenko, O. V.; Maliy, O. V.

2017-06-01

The mechanical properties study results of polymer nanocomposites based on polytetrafluoroethylene with modifiers in the form of micro- and nanoscale cryptocrystalline graphite and silicon dioxide powders are determined. The nanocomposites mechanical properties determined values provide high sealing degree of transport systems dynamic sealing devices elements. When the temperature changes from cryogenic to high positive then the elastic modulus, tensile strength decrease significantly and nonlinearly, the latter limits the composite usage in heavily loaded tribosystems operating at elevated temperatures.

Flexural resonance mechanism of thermal transport across graphene-SiO2 interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Ong, Zhun-Yong; Qiu, Bo; Xu, Shanglong; Ruan, Xiulin; Pop, Eric

2018-03-01

Understanding the microscopic mechanism of heat dissipation at the dimensionally mismatched interface between a two-dimensional (2D) crystal and its substrate is crucial for the thermal management of devices based on 2D materials. Here, we study the lattice contribution to thermal (Kapitza) transport at graphene-SiO2 interfaces using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and non-equilibrium Green's functions (NEGF). We find that 78 percent of the Kapitza conductance is due to sub-20 THz flexural acoustic modes, and that a resonance mechanism dominates the interfacial phonon transport. MD and NEGF estimate the classical Kapitza conductance to be hK ≈ 10 to 16 MW K-1 m-2 at 300 K, respectively, consistent with existing experimental observations. Taking into account quantum mechanical corrections, this value is approximately 28% lower at 300 K. Our calculations also suggest that hK scales as T2 at low temperatures (T < 100 K) due to the linear frequency dependence of phonon transmission across the graphene-SiO2 interface at low frequencies. Our study sheds light on the role of flexural acoustic phonons in heat dissipation from graphene to its substrate.

The mechanism of transport of pollution from industrial accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bagelova, A.; Takacova, A.

2015-01-01

During industrial accidents pollution may penetrate through the unsaturated zone to groundwater. Penetration depends on the characteristics of the contaminant, leaked pollution amount as well as rock composition. If the pollution reaches the groundwater level it is drifted by flowing water. The flowing water can carry it to greater distances, where may be water sources. During accidents it is necessary to take positions quickly and propose appropriate protective measures. It is necessary to know the management processes of pollution transport. Without knowledge of these processes the measures may not be effective. Aim of this paper is to review the mechanism of transport of pollution and the main processes influencing the change in pollutant concentrations. On concrete and fictitious examples there will be shown properties that influence the spread of contamination especially in his direction because its determination is crucial to the draft measures. Researching of other processes in natural conditions depends on its correct specification.

Transport equations, Level Set and Eulerian mechanics. Application to fluid-structure coupling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maitre, E.

2008-11-01

My works were devoted to numerical analysis of non-linear elliptic-parabolic equations, to neutron transport equation and to the simulation of fabrics draping. More recently I developed an Eulerian method based on a level set formulation of the immersed boundary method to deal with fluid-structure coupling problems arising in bio-mechanics. Some of the more efficient algorithms to solve the neutron transport equation make use of the splitting of the transport operator taking into account its characteristics. In the present work we introduced a new algorithm based on this splitting and an adaptation of minimal residual methods to infinite dimensional case. We present the case where the velocity space is of dimension 1 (slab geometry) and 2 (plane geometry) because the splitting is simpler in the former

Transport mechanism of lipid covered saquinavir pure drug nanoparticles in intestinal epithelium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xia, Dengning; He, Yuan; Li, Qiuxia

2018-01-01

are transported. To improve cellular uptake and transport of pure nanodrug in cells, here, a lipid covered saquinavir (SQV) pure drug NP (Lipo@nanodrug) was designed by modifying a pure SQV NP (nanodrug) with a phospholipid bilayer. We studied their endocytosis, intracellular trafficking mechanism using Caco-2...... their intracellular processing, helping to improve drug transport across intestinal epithelium. To our knowledge, this is the first presentation of the novel phospholipid bilayer covered SQV pure drug NP design, and a mechanistic study on intracellular trafficking in in vitro cell models has been described......Pure drug nanoparticles (NPs) represent a promising formulation for improved drug solubility and controlled dissolution velocity. However, limited absorption by the intestinal epithelium remains challenge to their clinical application, and little is known about how these NPs within the cells...

A fully resolved active musculo-mechanical model for esophageal transport

Science.gov (United States)

Kou, Wenjun; Bhalla, Amneet Pal Singh; Griffith, Boyce E.; Pandolfino, John E.; Kahrilas, Peter J.; Patankar, Neelesh A.

2015-10-01

Esophageal transport is a physiological process that mechanically transports an ingested food bolus from the pharynx to the stomach via the esophagus, a multi-layered muscular tube. This process involves interactions between the bolus, the esophagus, and the neurally coordinated activation of the esophageal muscles. In this work, we use an immersed boundary (IB) approach to simulate peristaltic transport in the esophagus. The bolus is treated as a viscous fluid that is actively transported by the muscular esophagus, and the esophagus is modeled as an actively contracting, fiber-reinforced tube. Before considering the full model of the esophagus, however, we first consider a standard benchmark problem of flow past a cylinder. Next a simplified version of our model is verified by comparison to an analytic solution to the tube dilation problem. Finally, three different complex models of the multi-layered esophagus, which differ in their activation patterns and the layouts of the mucosal layers, are extensively tested. To our knowledge, these simulations are the first of their kind to incorporate the bolus, the multi-layered esophagus tube, and muscle activation into an integrated model. Consistent with experimental observations, our simulations capture the pressure peak generated by the muscle activation pulse that travels along the bolus tail. These fully resolved simulations provide new insights into roles of the mucosal layers during bolus transport. In addition, the information on pressure and the kinematics of the esophageal wall resulting from the coordination of muscle activation is provided, which may help relate clinical data from manometry and ultrasound images to the underlying esophageal motor function.

Molecular mechanism of ligand recognition by membrane transport protein, Mhp1

Science.gov (United States)

Simmons, Katie J; Jackson, Scott M; Brueckner, Florian; Patching, Simon G; Beckstein, Oliver; Ivanova, Ekaterina; Geng, Tian; Weyand, Simone; Drew, David; Lanigan, Joseph; Sharples, David J; Sansom, Mark SP; Iwata, So; Fishwick, Colin WG; Johnson, A Peter; Cameron, Alexander D; Henderson, Peter JF

2014-01-01

The hydantoin transporter Mhp1 is a sodium-coupled secondary active transport protein of the nucleobase-cation-symport family and a member of the widespread 5-helix inverted repeat superfamily of transporters. The structure of Mhp1 was previously solved in three different conformations providing insight into the molecular basis of the alternating access mechanism. Here, we elucidate detailed events of substrate binding, through a combination of crystallography, molecular dynamics, site-directed mutagenesis, biochemical/biophysical assays, and the design and synthesis of novel ligands. We show precisely where 5-substituted hydantoin substrates bind in an extended configuration at the interface of the bundle and hash domains. They are recognised through hydrogen bonds to the hydantoin moiety and the complementarity of the 5-substituent for a hydrophobic pocket in the protein. Furthermore, we describe a novel structure of an intermediate state of the protein with the external thin gate locked open by an inhibitor, 5-(2-naphthylmethyl)-L-hydantoin, which becomes a substrate when leucine 363 is changed to an alanine. We deduce the molecular events that underlie acquisition and transport of a ligand by Mhp1. PMID:24952894

Modeling and Mechanisms of Intercontinental Transport of Biomass-Burning Plumes

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, J. S.; Westphal, D. L.; Christopher, S. A.; Prins, E. M.; Justice, C. O.; Richardson, K. A.; Reid, E. A.; Eck, T. F.

2003-12-01

With the aid of fire products from GOES and MODIS, the NRL Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS) successfully monitors and predicts the formation and transport of massive smoke plumes between the continents in near real time. The goal of this system, formed under the joint Navy, NASA, and NOAA sponsored Fire Locating and Modeling of Burning Emissions (FLAMBE) project, is to provide 5 day forecasts of large biomass burning plumes and evaluate impacts on air quality, visibility, and regional radiative balance. In this paper we discuss and compare the mechanisms of intercontinental transport from the three most important sources in the world prone to long range advection: Africa, South/Central America, and Siberia. We demonstrate how these regions impact neighboring continents. As the meteorology of these three regions are distinct, differences in transport phenomenon subsequently result, particularly with respect to vertical distribution. Specific examples will be given on prediction and the impact of Siberian and Central American smoke plumes on the United States as well as transport phenomena from Africa to Australia. We present rules of thumb for radiation and air quality impacts. We also model clear sky bias (both positive and negative) with respect to MODIS data, and show the frequency to which frontal advection of smoke plumes masks remote sensing retrievals of smoke optical depth.

Colitis induced by sodium polystyrene sulfonate in sorbitol: A report of six cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, Sheba S K; Parameswaran, Ashok; Parameswaran, Sarojini Ashok; Dhus, Ubal

2016-03-01

Drug-related injury has been noted in virtually all organ systems, and recognition of the patterns of injury associated with medication enables modification of treatment and reduces the morbidity associated with the side effects of drugs. With the large number of new drugs being developed, documentation of the morphology of the changes seen as an adverse effect becomes important to characterize the pattern of injury. The pathologist is often the first to identify these abnormalities and correlate them with a particular drug. Kayexalate or sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS), a linear polymer derived from polystyrene containing sulfonic acid and sulfonate functional groups is used to treat hyperkalemia. It is usually administered with an osmotic laxative sorbitol orally or as retention enema. This combination has been implicated in causing damage to different parts of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract especially the colon and causes an established pattern of injury, recognizable by the presence of characteristic crystals, is presented to create a greater awareness of the Kayexalate colitis. This entity should be included in the differential diagnosis of lower GI mucosal injury in a setting of uremia and hyperkalemia.

Cellular interactions of a lipid-based nanocarrier model with human keratinocytes: Unravelling transport mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Elisabete; Barreiros, Luísa; Segundo, Marcela A; Costa Lima, Sofia A; Reis, Salette

2017-04-15

Knowledge of delivery system transport through epidermal cell monolayer is vital to improve skin permeation and bioavailability. Recently, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have gained great attention for transdermal delivery due to their biocompatibility, high drug payload, occlusive properties and skin hydration effect. However, the nanocarriers transport related mechanisms in epidermal epithelial cells are not yet understood. In this research, the internalization and transport pathways of the NLCs across the epidermal epithelial cell monolayer (HaCaT cells) were investigated. The 250nm sized witepsol/miglyol NLCs, prepared by hot homogenization had reduced cytotoxicity and no effect on the integrity of cell membrane in human HaCaT keratinocytes. The internalization was time-, concentration- and energy-dependent, and the uptake of NLCs was a vesicle-mediated process by macropinocytosis and clathrin-mediated pathways. 3% of NLCs were found at the apical membrane side of the HaCaT monolayer through exocytosis mechanism. Additionally, the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and microtubules played crucial roles in the transport of NLCs out of HaCaT cells. NLCs were transported intact across the human keratinocytes monolayer, without disturbing the tight junction's structure. From the transcytosis data only approximately 12% of the internalized NLCs were passed from the apical to the basolateral side. The transcytosis of NLCs throughout the HaCaT cell monolayer towards the basolateral membrane side requires the involvement of the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and microtubules. Our findings may contribute to a systematic understanding of NLCs transport across epidermal epithelial cell monolayers and their optimization for clinical transdermal application. Transdermal drug delivery is a challenging and growing area of clinical application. Lipid nanoparticles such as nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have gained wide interest for transdermal drug

Analog performance of vertical nanowire TFETs as a function of temperature and transport mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Martino, Marcio Dalla Valle; Neves, Felipe; Ghedini Der Agopian, Paula; Martino, João Antonio; Vandooren, Anne; Rooyackers, Rita; Simoen, Eddy; Thean, Aaron; Claeys, Cor

2015-10-01

The goal of this work is to study the analog performance of tunnel field effect transistors (TFETs) and its susceptibility to temperature variation and to different dominant transport mechanisms. The experimental input characteristic of nanowire TFETs with different source compositions (100% Si and Si1-xGex) has been presented, leading to the extraction of the Activation Energy for each bias condition. These first results have been connected to the prevailing transport mechanism for each configuration, namely band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) or trap assisted tunneling (TAT). Afterward, this work analyzes the analog behavior, with the intrinsic voltage gain calculated in terms of Early voltage, transistor efficiency, transconductance and output conductance. Comparing the results for devices with different source compositions, it is interesting to note how the analog trends vary depending on the source characteristics and the prevailing transport mechanisms. This behavior results in a different suitability analysis depending on the working temperature. In other words, devices with full-Silicon source and non-abrupt junction profile present the worst intrinsic voltage gain at room temperature, but the best results for high temperatures. This was possible since, among the 4 studied devices, this configuration was the only one with a positive intrinsic voltage gain dependence on the temperature variation.

Equivalent mechanical parameters of oscillating rotary motors used in transport equipment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Andziulis

2006-12-01

Full Text Available In various appliances and equipment of sundry transport means there is a lot of diverse mechanisms of periodical movement. So, the various piston or membrane pumps of fuel feeding and lubrication systems, circulation pumps, air and refrigerating coolant compressors, etc. are the typical examples of innovative and well promising application of the oscillating motors. In these cases the moving part of a motor can be directly connected to the working body of driven mechanism without the additional gears. Consequently, the drive can be simplified in design and improved in efficiency and reliability. Application of the oscillating rotary motors, if used in the aforesaid devices, strictly depends on specific properties of mechanical system of a motor aggregated with the driven mechanism and considered as the one-piece unit on the whole. So, this study analyses how the properties of mechanical system, comprised of two moving parts interconnected eccentrically or centrically, can be evaluated by the equivalent rotational inertia, equivalent mass and by equivalent mechanical power factor which, in turn, determine the operating characteristics and basic possibilities of the motor.

Transport mechanisms through PE-CVD coatings: influence of temperature, coating properties and defects on permeation of water vapour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirchheim, Dennis; Jaritz, Montgomery; Hopmann, Christian; Dahlmann, Rainer; Mitschker, Felix; Awakowicz, Peter; Gebhard, Maximilian; Devi, Anjana; Brochhagen, Markus; Böke, Marc

2017-01-01

Gas transport mechanisms through plastics are usually described by the temperature-dependent Arrhenius-model and compositions of several plastic layers are represented by the CLT. When it comes to thin films such as plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PE-CVD) or plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) coatings on substrates of polymeric material, a universal model is lacking. While existing models describe diffusion through defects, these models presume that permeation does not occur by other means of transport mechanisms. This paper correlates the existing transport models with data from water vapour transmission experiments. (paper)

Bioturbation as a mechanism for radionuclide transport in soil: relevance of earthworms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller-Lemans, H.; Dorp, F. van

1996-01-01

In the context of safety analyses performed for radioactive waste repositories, one important group of scenarios assumes that radionuclides escaping from a repository will reach the biosphere via groundwater. Consequently, when calculating radionuclide migration in the biosphere, most of the models used to date concentrate on transport in the liquid phase. In the soil, however, transport in the solid phase can also be important, particularly when burrowing animals displace the soil together with sorbed and low-solubility radionuclides. Given the conditions prevailing in agricultural areas of central Europe, it is mainly earthworms which play a significant role in material displacement and these will be the subject of this report. A numerical example is used to present the equations which, for given distribution coefficients, can be applied to calculate the portions of the transfer coefficient which can be attributed to transport in the liquid and solid phases. The results demonstrate that material transport by soil fauna, and particularly by earthworms, is a relevant mechanism in many cases, especially for the upward transport of strongly sorbing radionuclides. It should therefore be considered in biosphere models. (Author)

The molecular mechanism of ion-dependent gating in secondary transporters.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunfeng Zhao

2013-10-01

Full Text Available LeuT-like fold Na-dependent secondary active transporters form a large family of integral membrane proteins that transport various substrates against their concentration gradient across lipid membranes, using the free energy stored in the downhill concentration gradient of sodium ions. These transporters play an active role in synaptic transmission, the delivery of key nutrients, and the maintenance of osmotic pressure inside the cell. It is generally believed that binding of an ion and/or a substrate drives the conformational dynamics of the transporter. However, the exact mechanism for converting ion binding into useful work has yet to be established. Using a multi-dimensional path sampling (string-method followed by all-atom free energy simulations, we established the principal thermodynamic and kinetic components governing the ion-dependent conformational dynamics of a LeuT-like fold transporter, the sodium/benzyl-hydantoin symporter Mhp1, for an entire conformational cycle. We found that inward-facing and outward-facing states of Mhp1 display nearly the same free energies with an ion absent from the Na2 site conserved across the LeuT-like fold transporters. The barrier separating an apo-state from inward-facing or outward-facing states of the transporter is very low, suggesting stochastic gating in the absence of ion/substrate bound. In contrast, the binding of a Na2 ion shifts the free energy stabilizing the outward-facing state and promoting substrate binding. Our results indicate that ion binding to the Na2 site may also play a key role in the intracellular thin gate dynamics modulation by altering its interactions with the transmembrane helix 5 (TM5. The Potential of Mean Force (PMF computations for a substrate entrance displays two energy minima that correspond to the locations of the main binding site S1 and proposed allosteric S2 binding site. However, it was found that substrate's binds to the site S1 ∼5 kcal/mol more favorable

Photosynthetic electron transport in thylakoid preparations from two marine red algae (Rhodophyta).

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, A C; Larkum, A W

1983-01-01

Thylakoid membrane preparations active in photosynthetic electron transport have been obtained from two marine red algae, Griffithsia monilis and Anotrichium tenue. High concentrations (0.5-1.0 M) of salts such as phosphate, citrate, succinate and tartrate stabilized functional binding of phycobilisomes to the membrane and also stabilized Photosystem II-catalysed electron-transport activity. High concentrations (1.0 M) of chloride and nitrate, or 30 mM-Tricine/NaOH buffer (pH 7.2) in the absence of salts, detached phycobilisomes and inhibited electron transport through Photosystem II. The O2-evolving system was identified as the electron-transport chain component that was inhibited under these conditions. Washing membranes with buffers containing 1.0-1.5 M-sorbitol and 5-50 mM concentrations of various salts removed the outer part of the phycobilisome but retained 30-70% of the allophycocyanin 'core' of the phycobilisome. These preparations were 30-70% active in O2 evolution compared with unwashed membranes. In the sensitivity of their O2-evolving apparatus to the composition of the medium in vitro, the red algae resembled blue-green algae and differed from other eukaryotic algae and higher plants. It is suggested that an environment of structured water may be essential for the functional integrity of Photosystem II in biliprotein-containing algae. PMID:6860312

Competitiveness of the railway transportation in the conditions of functioning of the infrastructure new organizational-economic mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.I. Mishchenko

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The transport infrastructure of railways of the countries of EU-27 in the conditions of functioning new organizational-economic mechanism, and also dynamics of level of competitiveness of a railway transportation as result of reforming of railways of the countries of EU-27, in the conditions of realisation of the European transport legislation is investigated.

Molecular Simulation and Biochemical Studies Support an Elevator-type Transport Mechanism in EIIC.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jumin; Ren, Zhenning; Zhou, Ming; Im, Wonpil

2017-06-06

Enzyme IIC (EIIC) is a membrane-embedded sugar transport protein that is part of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferases. Crystal structures of two members of the glucose EIIC superfamily, bcChbC in the inward-facing conformation and bcMalT in the outward-facing conformation, were previously solved. Comparing the two structures led us to the hypothesis that sugar translocation could be achieved by an elevator-type transport mechanism in which a transport domain binds to the substrate and, through rigid body motions, transports it across the membrane. To test this hypothesis and to obtain more accurate descriptions of alternate conformations of the two proteins, we first performed collective variable-based steered molecular dynamics (CVSMD) simulations starting with the two crystal structures embedded in model lipid bilayers, and steered their transport domain toward their own alternative conformation. Our simulations show that large rigid-body motions of the transport domain (55° in rotation and 8 Å in translation) lead to access of the substrate binding site to the alternate side of the membrane. H-bonding interactions between the sugar and the protein are intact, although the side chains of the binding-site residues were not restrained in the simulation. Pairs of residues in bcMalT that are far apart in the crystal structure become close to each other in the simulated model. Some of these pairs can be cross-linked by a mercury ion when mutated to cysteines, providing further support for the CVSMD-generated model. In addition, bcMalT binds to maltose with similar affinities before and after the cross-linking, suggesting that the binding site is preserved after the conformational change. In combination, these results support an elevator-type transport mechanism in EIIC. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transport mechanisms in low-resistance ohmic contacts to p-InP formed by rapid thermal annealing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, Thomas; Leistiko, Otto

1993-01-01

process is related to interdiffusion and compound formation between the metal elements and the InP. The onset of low specific contact resistance is characterized by a change in the dominant transport mechanism; from predominantly a combination of thermionic emission and field emission to purely thermionic......Thermionic emission across a very small effective Schottky barrier (0-0.2 eV) are reported as being the dominant transport process mechanism in very low-resistance ohmic contacts for conventional AuZn(Ni) metallization systems top-InP formed by rapid thermal annealing. The barrier modulation...

Vitamin A Transport Mechanism of the Multitransmembrane Cell-Surface Receptor STRA6

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riki Kawaguchi

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Vitamin A has biological functions as diverse as sensing light for vision, regulating stem cell differentiation, maintaining epithelial integrity, promoting immune competency, regulating learning and memory, and acting as a key developmental morphogen. Vitamin A derivatives have also been used in treating human diseases. If vitamin A is considered a drug that everyone needs to take to survive, evolution has come up with a natural drug delivery system that combines sustained release with precise and controlled delivery to the cells or tissues that depend on it. This “drug delivery system” is mediated by plasma retinol binding protein (RBP, the principle and specific vitamin A carrier protein in the blood, and STRA6, the cell-surface receptor for RBP that mediates cellular vitamin A uptake. The mechanism by which the RBP receptor absorbs vitamin A from the blood is distinct from other known cellular uptake mechanisms. This review summarizes recent progress in elucidating the fundamental molecular mechanism mediated by the RBP receptor and multiple newly discovered catalytic activities of this receptor, and compares this transport system with retinoid transport independent of RBP/STRA6. How to target this new type of transmembrane receptor using small molecules in treating diseases is also discussed.

Charge trapping and carrier transport mechanism in silicon-rich silicon oxynitride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Zhenrui; Aceves, Mariano; Carrillo, Jesus; Lopez-Estopier, Rosa

2006-01-01

The charge-trapping and carrier transport properties of silicon-rich silicon oxynitride (SRO:N) were studied. The SRO:N films were deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition. Infrared (IR) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) measurements were performed to characterize their structural properties. Capacitance versus voltage and current versus voltage measurements (I-V) were used to study the charge-trapping and carrier transport mechanism. IR and TEM measurements revealed the existence of Si nanodots in SRO:N films. I-V measurements revealed that there are two conduction regimes divided by a threshold voltage V T . When the applied voltage is smaller than V T , the current is dominated by the charge transfer between the SRO:N and substrate; and in this regime only dynamic charging/discharging of the SRO:N layer is observed. When the voltage is larger than V T , the current increases rapidly and is dominated by the Poole-Frenkel mechanism; and in this regime, large permanent trapped charge density is obtained. Nitrogen incorporation significantly reduced the silicon nanodots or defects near the SRO:N/Si interface. However, a significant increase of the density of silicon nanodot in the bulk of the SRO:N layer is obtained

Structure of Bor1 supports an elevator transport mechanism for SLC4 anion exchangers.

Science.gov (United States)

Thurtle-Schmidt, Bryan H; Stroud, Robert M

2016-09-20

Boron is essential for plant growth because of its incorporation into plant cell walls; however, in excess it is toxic to plants. Boron transport and homeostasis in plants is regulated in part by the borate efflux transporter Bor1, a member of the solute carrier (SLC) 4 transporter family with homology to the human bicarbonate transporter Band 3. Here, we present the 4.1-Å resolution crystal structure of Arabidopsis thaliana Bor1. The structure displays a dimeric architecture in which dimerization is mediated by centralized Gate domains. Comparisons with a structure of Band 3 in an outward-open state reveal that the Core domains of Bor1 have rotated inwards to achieve an occluded state. Further structural comparisons with UapA, a xanthine transporter from the nucleobase-ascorbate transporter family, show that the downward pivoting of the Core domains relative to the Gate domains may access an inward-open state. These results suggest that the SLC4, SLC26, and nucleobase-ascorbate transporter families all share an elevator transport mechanism in which alternating access is provided by Core domains that carry substrates across a membrane.

Mechanisms of calcium transport in small intestine. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeLuca, H.F.

1982-01-01

The vitamin D hormone, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , was demonstrated to be the prime hormonal agent regulating intestinal absorption of divalent cations. Production of the vitamin D hormone is, in turn, regulated by parathyroid hormone, low dietary calcium, low plasma phosphorus, and is suppressed by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 , by high plasma phosphorus, high plasma calcium, and the absence of parathyroid hormone. A variety of analogs of the vitamin D hormone were prepared. In addition, the preparation of radiolabeled vitamin D hormone was accomplished using chemical synthesis, and this highly radioactive substance was found to localize in the nuclei of the intestinal villus cells that promote intestinal absorption of calcium. A receptor for the vitamin D hormone was also located, and the general mechanism of response to the vitamin D hormone included the binding to a receptor molecule, transfer to the nucleus, transcription of specific genes followed by translation to transport proteins. Methods were developed for the discovery of the appropriate gene products that play a role in calcium transport

Mechanical environmental transport of actinides and ¹³⁷Cs from an arid radioactive waste disposal site.

Science.gov (United States)

Snow, Mathew S; Clark, Sue B; Morrison, Samuel S; Watrous, Matthew G; Olson, John E; Snyder, Darin C

2015-10-01

Aeolian and pluvial processes represent important mechanisms for the movement of actinides and fission products at the Earth's surface. Soil samples taken in the early 1970's near a Department of Energy radioactive waste disposal site (the Subsurface Disposal Area, SDA, located in southeastern Idaho) provide a case study for studying the mechanisms and characteristics of environmental actinide and (137)Cs transport in an arid environment. Multi-component mixing models suggest actinide contamination within 2.5 km of the SDA can be described by mixing between 2 distinct SDA end members and regional nuclear weapons fallout. The absence of chemical fractionation between (241)Am and (239+240)Pu with depth for samples beyond the northeastern corner and lack of (241)Am in-growth over time (due to (241)Pu decay) suggest mechanical transport and mixing of discrete contaminated particles under arid conditions. Occasional samples northeast of the SDA (the direction of the prevailing winds) contain anomalously high concentrations of Pu with (240)Pu/(239)Pu isotopic ratios statistically identical to those in the northeastern corner. Taken together, these data suggest flooding resulted in mechanical transport of contaminated particles into the area between the SDA and a flood containment dike in the northeastern corner, following which subsequent contamination spreading in the northeastern direction resulted from wind transport of discrete particles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lead transport in intra-oceanic subduction zones: 2D geochemical-thermo-mechanical modeling of isotopic signatures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baitsch-Ghirardello, B.; Stracke, A.; Connolly, J.A.D.; Nikolaeva, K.M.; Gerya, T.V.

2014-01-01

Understanding the physical-chemical mechanisms and pathways of geochemical transport in subduction zones remains a long-standing goal of subduction-related research. In this study, we perform fully coupled geochemical-thermo-mechanical (GcTM) numerical simulations to investigate Pb isotopic

Charge transport mechanisms of graphene/semiconductor Schottky barriers: A theoretical and experimental study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong, Haijian; Liu, Zhenghui; Xu, Gengzhao; Shi, Lin; Fan, Yingmin; Yang, Hui; Xu, Ke; Wang, Jianfeng; Ren, Guoqiang

2014-01-01

Graphene has been proposed as a material for semiconductor electronic and optoelectronic devices. Understanding the charge transport mechanisms of graphene/semiconductor Schottky barriers will be crucial for future applications. Here, we report a theoretical model to describe the transport mechanisms at the interface of graphene and semiconductors based on conventional semiconductor Schottky theory and a floating Fermi level of graphene. The contact barrier heights can be estimated through this model and be close to the values obtained from the experiments, which are lower than those of the metal/semiconductor contacts. A detailed analysis reveals that the barrier heights are as the function of the interface separations and dielectric constants, and are influenced by the interfacial states of semiconductors. Our calculations show how this behavior of lowering barrier heights arises from the Fermi level shift of graphene induced by the charge transfer owing to the unique linear electronic structure

Reform of refined oil product pricing mechanism and energy rebound effect for passenger transportation in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Boqiang; Liu, Xia

2013-01-01

Improving energy efficiency is the primary method adopted by the Chinese government in an effort to achieve energy conservation target in the transport sector. However, the offsetting effect of energy rebound would greatly reduce its real energy-saving potentials. We set up a Linear Approximation of the Almost Ideal Demand System Model (LA-AIDS model) to estimate the rebound effect for passenger transportation in China. Real energy conservation effect of improving energy efficiency can also be obtained in the process. The result shows that the rebound effect is approximately 107.2%. This figure signifies the existence of ‘backfire effect’, indicating that efficiency improvement in practice does not always lead to energy-saving. We conclude that one important factor leading to the rebound effect, is the refined oil pricing mechanism. China's refined oil pricing mechanism has been subjected to criticism in recent years. The results of simulation analysis show that the rebound could be reduced to approximately 90.7% if the refined oil pricing mechanism is reformed. In this regard, we suggest further reforms in the current refined oil pricing mechanism. - Highlights: ► We set up the LA-AIDS model to estimate traffic service demand for urban residents. ► The size of the rebound effect for passenger transportation in China is evaluated. ► The rebound effect for passenger transportation in China is 107.2%. ► Reform of oil pricing could reduced the rebound to 90.7%. ► Reform of oil pricing might be an effective method for mitigating rebound effect

Leakage current transport mechanisms of La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

limited current mechanism under forward bias while thermionic emission model under reverse bias. Analysis indicates that a modulating Schottky barrier exists at the LSMO/BTO interface, which dominates the leakage current transport properties ...

Mechanism of ochratoxin A transport in kidney

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sokol, P.P.; Ripich, G.; Holohan, P.D.; Ross, C.R.

1988-01-01

The effect of the fungal metabolite (mycotoxin) Ochratoxin A (OTA) on the transport of p-amino[ 3 H]hippurate (PAH), a prototypic organic anion, was examined in renal brush border (BBMV) and basolateral membrane vesicles (BLMV). OTA was as effective an inhibitor of PAH uptake in both membranes as probenecid. The dose response curves for OTA in BBMV and BLMV gave IC50 values of 20 +/- 6 and 32 +/- 7 microM, respectively. The effect was specific since the transport of the organic cation N1-methylnicotinamide was not affected. The phenomenon of counterflow was studied to establish that OTA is translocated. OTA produced trans stimulation of PAH transport in both BBMV and BLMV, demonstrating that OTA is transported across both these membranes. The data suggest that OTA interacts with the PAH transport system in both BBMV and BLMV. We conclude that OTA transport in the kidney is mediated via the renal organic anion transport system

UFD Storage and Transportation - Transportation Working Group Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maheras, Steven J.; Ross, Steven B.

2011-01-01

The Used Fuel Disposition (UFD) Transportation Task commenced in October 2010. As its first task, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) compiled a list of structures, systems, and components (SSCs) of transportation systems and their possible degradation mechanisms during extended storage. The list of SSCs and the associated degradation mechanisms (known as features, events, and processes (FEPs)) were based on the list of used nuclear fuel (UNF) storage system SSCs and degradation mechanisms developed by the UFD Storage Task (Hanson et al. 2011). Other sources of information surveyed to develop the list of SSCs and their degradation mechanisms included references such as Evaluation of the Technical Basis for Extended Dry Storage and Transportation of Used Nuclear Fuel (NWTRB 2010), Transportation, Aging and Disposal Canister System Performance Specification, Revision 1 (OCRWM 2008), Data Needs for Long-Term Storage of LWR Fuel (EPRI 1998), Technical Bases for Extended Dry Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel (EPRI 2002), Used Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste Extended Storage Collaboration Program (EPRI 2010a), Industry Spent Fuel Storage Handbook (EPRI 2010b), and Transportation of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel, Issues Resolution (EPRI 2010c). SSCs include items such as the fuel, cladding, fuel baskets, neutron poisons, metal canisters, etc. Potential degradation mechanisms (FEPs) included mechanical, thermal, radiation and chemical stressors, such as fuel fragmentation, embrittlement of cladding by hydrogen, oxidation of cladding, metal fatigue, corrosion, etc. These degradation mechanisms are discussed in Section 2 of this report. The degradation mechanisms have been evaluated to determine if they would be influenced by extended storage or high burnup, the need for additional data, and their importance to transportation. These categories were used to identify the most significant transportation degradation mechanisms. As expected, for the most part, the

Transport mechanisms in capillary condensation of water at a single-asperity nanoscopic contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirghi, Lucel

2012-02-07

Transport mechanisms involved in capillary condensation of water menisci in nanoscopic gaps between hydrophilic surfaces are investigated theoretically and experimentally by atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements of capillary force. The measurements showed an instantaneous formation of a water meniscus by coalescence of the water layers adsorbed on the AFM tip and sample surfaces, followed by a time evolution of meniscus toward a stationary state corresponding to thermodynamic equilibrium. This dynamics of the water meniscus is indicated by time evolution of the meniscus force, which increases with the contact time toward its equilibrium value. Two water transport mechanisms competing in this meniscus dynamics are considered: (1) Knudsen diffusion and condensation of water molecules in the nanoscopic gap and (2) adsorption of water molecules on the surface region around the contact and flow of the surface water toward the meniscus. For the case of very hydrophilic surfaces, the dominant role of surface water transportation on the meniscus dynamics is supported by the results of the AFM measurements of capillary force of water menisci formed at sliding tip-sample contacts. These measurements revealed that fast movement of the contact impedes on the formation of menisci at thermodynamic equilibrium because the flow of the surface water is too slow to reach the moving meniscus.

Jet-Fuel Range Hydrocarbons from Biomass-Derived Sorbitol over Ni-HZSM-5/SBA-15 Catalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yujing Weng

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Aromatics and cyclic-hydrocarbons are the significant components of jet fuel with high energy-density. However, conventional technologies for bio-fuel production cannot produce these products without further aromatization and isomerization. In this work, renewable liquid fuel with high content of aromatics and cyclic-hydrocarbons was obtained through aqueous catalytic conversion of biomass sorbitol over Ni-HZSM-5/SBA-15 catalyst. Texture characteristics of the catalyst were determined by physisorption of N2, which indicated its bimodal pore structures were microporous (HZSM-5, pore width: 0.56 nm and mesoporous (SBA-15, pore width: 8 nm. The surface acidity included weak and strong acid sites, predominantly Lewis type, and was further confirmed by the NH3-TPD and Py-IR analysis. The catalytic performances were tested in a fixed-bed reactor under the conditions of 593 K, WHSV of 0.75 h−1, GHSV of 2500 h−1 and 4.0 MPa of hydrogen pressure, whereby oil yield of 40.4 wt. % with aromatics and cyclic-hydrocarbons content of 80.0% was obtained.

Influence of surface wettability on transport mechanisms governing water droplet evaporation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Zhenhai; Weibel, Justin A; Garimella, Suresh V

2014-08-19

Prediction and manipulation of the evaporation of small droplets is a fundamental problem with importance in a variety of microfluidic, microfabrication, and biomedical applications. A vapor-diffusion-based model has been widely employed to predict the interfacial evaporation rate; however, its scope of applicability is limited due to incorporation of a number of simplifying assumptions of the physical behavior. Two key transport mechanisms besides vapor diffusion-evaporative cooling and natural convection in the surrounding gas-are investigated here as a function of the substrate wettability using an augmented droplet evaporation model. Three regimes are distinguished by the instantaneous contact angle (CA). In Regime I (CA ≲ 60°), the flat droplet shape results in a small thermal resistance between the liquid-vapor interface and substrate, which mitigates the effect of evaporative cooling; upward gas-phase natural convection enhances evaporation. In Regime II (60 ≲ CA ≲ 90°), evaporative cooling at the interface suppresses evaporation with increasing contact angle and counterbalances the gas-phase convection enhancement. Because effects of the evaporative cooling and gas-phase convection mechanisms largely neutralize each other, the vapor-diffusion-based model can predict the overall evaporation rates in this regime. In Regime III (CA ≳ 90°), evaporative cooling suppresses the evaporation rate significantly and reverses entirely the direction of natural convection induced by vapor concentration gradients in the gas phase. Delineation of these counteracting mechanisms reconciles previous debate (founded on single-surface experiments or models that consider only a subset of the governing transport mechanisms) regarding the applicability of the classic vapor-diffusion model. The vapor diffusion-based model cannot predict the local evaporation flux along the interface for high contact angle (CA ≥ 90°) when evaporative cooling is strong and the

Mass transport mechanism in the collision of sulphur on medium-weight nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lejeune, A.; Richert, J.

1980-01-01

The reactions of 32 S on 59 Co, 65 Cu, 74 Ge, 79 Br, 85 Rb, 89 Y are studied. An explanation for the specific shape of the double differential cross sections as a function of the scattering angle and the mass asymmetry is given in the framework of a transport model. Conclusions about the reaction mechanism are drawn

Multi-Drug Resistance Transporters and a Mechanism-Based Strategy for Assessing Risks of Pesticide Combinations to Honey Bees.

Science.gov (United States)

Guseman, Alex J; Miller, Kaliah; Kunkle, Grace; Dively, Galen P; Pettis, Jeffrey S; Evans, Jay D; vanEngelsdorp, Dennis; Hawthorne, David J

2016-01-01

Annual losses of honey bee colonies remain high and pesticide exposure is one possible cause. Dangerous combinations of pesticides, plant-produced compounds and antibiotics added to hives may cause or contribute to losses, but it is very difficult to test the many combinations of those compounds that bees encounter. We propose a mechanism-based strategy for simplifying the assessment of combinations of compounds, focusing here on compounds that interact with xenobiotic handling ABC transporters. We evaluate the use of ivermectin as a model substrate for these transporters. Compounds that increase sensitivity of bees to ivermectin may be inhibiting key transporters. We show that several compounds commonly encountered by honey bees (fumagillin, Pristine, quercetin) significantly increased honey bee mortality due to ivermectin and significantly reduced the LC50 of ivermectin suggesting that they may interfere with transporter function. These inhibitors also significantly increased honey bees sensitivity to the neonicotinoid insecticide acetamiprid. This mechanism-based strategy may dramatically reduce the number of tests needed to assess the possibility of adverse combinations among pesticides. We also demonstrate an in vivo transporter assay that provides physical evidence of transporter inhibition by tracking the dynamics of a fluorescent substrate of these transporters (Rhodamine B) in bee tissues. Significantly more Rhodamine B remains in the head and hemolymph of bees pretreated with higher concentrations of the transporter inhibitor verapamil. Mechanism-based strategies for simplifying the assessment of adverse chemical interactions such as described here could improve our ability to identify those combinations that pose significantly greater risk to bees and perhaps improve the risk assessment protocols for honey bees and similar sensitive species.

Contraction-stimulated glucose transport in muscle is controlled by AMPK and mechanical stress but not sarcoplasmatic reticulum Ca2+ release

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Thomas Elbenhardt; Sylow, Lykke; Rose, Adam John

2014-01-01

signals through proteins such as AMPK. Here, we demonstrate in incubated mouse muscle that Ca(2+) release is neither sufficient nor strictly necessary to increase glucose transport. Rather, the glucose transport response is associated with metabolic feedback signals through AMPK, and mechanical stress......-activated signals. Furthermore, artificial stimulation of AMPK combined with passive stretch of muscle is additive and sufficient to elicit the full contraction glucose transport response. These results suggest that ATP-turnover and mechanical stress feedback are sufficient to fully increase glucose transport...

Water transport mechanisms across inorganic membranes in rad waste treatment by electro dialysis. Mecanismos de transporte de agua atraves de membranas inorganicas en tratamiento de desechos radiactivos por electrodialisis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andalaft, E; Labayru, R [Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear, Santiago (Chile)

1992-12-01

The work described in this paper deals with effects and mechanisms of water transport across an inorganic membrane, as related to some studied on the concentration of caesium, strontium, plutonium and other cations of interest to radioactive waste treatment. Several different water transport mechanisms are analysed and assessed as to their individual contribution towards the total transference of water during electro-dialysis using inorganic membranes. Water transfer assisted by proton jump mechanism, water of hydration transferred along with the ions, water related to thermo-osmotic effect, water transferred by concentration gradient and water transferred electrolytically under zeta potential surface charge drive are some of the different mechanism discussed. (author).

Analysis of Mechanical Energy Transport on Free-Falling Wedge during Water-Entry Phase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Hua Wang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available For better discussing and understanding the physical phenomena and body-fluid interaction of water-entry problem, here mechanical-energy transport (wedge, fluid, and each other of water-entry model for free falling wedge is studied by numerical method based on free surface capturing method and Cartesian cut cell mesh. In this method, incompressible Euler equations for a variable density fluid are numerically calculated by the finite volume method. Then artificial compressibility method, dual-time stepping technique, and Roe's approximate Riemann solver are applied in the numerical scheme. Furthermore, the projection method of momentum equations and exact Riemann solution are used to calculate the fluid pressure on solid boundary. On this basis, during water-entry phase of the free-falling wedge, macroscopic energy conversion of overall body-fluid system and microscopic energy transformation in fluid field are analyzed and discussed. Finally, based on test cases, many useful conclusions about mechanical energy transport for water entry problem are made and presented.

Characteristic of bioplastic’s physical and mechanical (Study on Tapioca Concentration and Composition Mixture of Plasticizer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bambang Admadi Harsojuwono

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This study aims to (1 the effect of the concentration of starch and  ratio mixture of plasticizer to the physical and mechanical characteristics of bioplastics (2 determine the concentration of starch and plasticizer RATIO mixture  that results in physical and mechanical characteristics of bio plastics best. The experiment was conducted using a factorial randomized block design. The first factor is the concentration of tapioca consisting of 3 levels 4%, 5% and 6% (w / w. The second factor is the   mixture plasticizer ratio  of glycerol and sorbitol   consisting of 5 levels ie (100: 0%, (95: 5%, (90:10%, (85:15%, (80:20% b / b. Each combination of treatments classified into 2 time  processing bio plastics, so there are 30 experimental units. Variables observed water content, elongation at break, tensile strength and Young's modulus . The data obtained were analyzed of variant and  test of Duncan's. The results showed that the concentration of tapioca and  mixture plasticizer had no effect on water content but significant effect on the elongation at break, tensile strength and Young's modulus. The concentration of starch 6% with a ratio of mixture of plasticizers glycerol: sorbitol ( 100: 0 produces the best characteristics of bioplastics with water content of 3.98%, elongation at break of 18.75%, the tensile strength of 930 MPa and a Young's modulus of 50 MPa.

Transport, mechanical and global migration data of multilayer copolyamide nanocomposite films with different layouts.

Science.gov (United States)

Scarfato, P; Garofalo, E; Di Maio, L; Incarnato, L

2017-06-01

Transport, mechanical and global migration data concern multilayer food packaging films with different layouts, all incorporating a layered silicate/polyamide nanocomposite as oxygen barrier layer, and a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as moisture resistant layer in direct contact with food. The data are related to "Tuning of co-extrusion processing conditions and film layout to optimize the performances of PA/PE multilayer nanocomposite films for food packaging" by Garofalo et al. (2017) [1]. Nanocomposite multilayer films, with different relative layer thicknesses and clay types, were produced using a laboratory scale co-extrusion blown-film equipment and were analyzed in terms of transport to oxygen and water vapor, mechanical properties and overall migration. The results have shown that all the multilayer hybrid films, based on the copolyamide layer filled with Cloisite 30B, displayed the most significant oxygen barrier improvements and the best mechanical properties compared to the unfilled films. No significant alteration of the overall migration values was observed, as expectable [2], [3], [4]. The performance improvement was more relevant in the case of the film with the thinner nanocomposite layer.

Organizational and financial mechanism of development of services of railway transport through public-private partnership

OpenAIRE

Fedorko, I.

2014-01-01

The paper developed organizational and financial mechanism development of railway transport services, which, unlike the existing ones, includes participants of investment and transportation process, the state target program, a list of potential private and public sources of financing of investment projects, the system of state financial control, which allows to provide the necessary storage the volume of investment funds, effective funding for the achievement of strategic, technical and techn...

CLUB FORMATION MECHANISM FOR TRANSPORT-COMMUNITY CREDIT CARDS

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Yue; Kobayashi, Kiyoshi; Nishida, Junji; Yoshida, Mamoru

In this paper, the roles of transport-community cards jointly issued by a public transport firm and retails are investigated as a means to vitalize an obsolescence shopping center located in a middle of a city. When both the price of goods supplied by the retails and the transport fares affect the consumers' behavior, there exist pecuniary externality between the behaviors of the retails and transport firms. The introduction of a transport-community cards system enables to integrate a basket of goods and transport service into a single commodity; thus, the pecuniary externality can be internalized by price coordination. In addition, the paper clarifies theoretically that the transport firm initiatively decides the price of the transportation service and the retails transfer their incomes to the transport firm so that they are induced to jointly issue the transport-community cards.

Contraction-stimulated glucose transport in muscle is controlled by AMPK and mechanical stress but not sarcoplasmatic reticulum Ca2+ release

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas E. Jensen

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Understanding how muscle contraction orchestrates insulin-independent muscle glucose transport may enable development of hyperglycemia-treating drugs. The prevailing concept implicates Ca2+ as a key feed forward regulator of glucose transport with secondary fine-tuning by metabolic feedback signals through proteins such as AMPK. Here, we demonstrate in incubated mouse muscle that Ca2+ release is neither sufficient nor strictly necessary to increase glucose transport. Rather, the glucose transport response is associated with metabolic feedback signals through AMPK, and mechanical stress-activated signals. Furthermore, artificial stimulation of AMPK combined with passive stretch of muscle is additive and sufficient to elicit the full contraction glucose transport response. These results suggest that ATP-turnover and mechanical stress feedback are sufficient to fully increase glucose transport during muscle contraction, and call for a major reconsideration of the established Ca2+ centric paradigm.

Amino Acid Metabolism and Transport Mechanisms as Potential Antifungal Targets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew W. McCarthy

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Discovering new drugs for treatment of invasive fungal infections is an enduring challenge. There are only three major classes of antifungal agents, and no new class has been introduced into clinical practice in more than a decade. However, recent advances in our understanding of the fungal life cycle, functional genomics, proteomics, and gene mapping have enabled the identification of new drug targets to treat these potentially deadly infections. In this paper, we examine amino acid transport mechanisms and metabolism as potential drug targets to treat invasive fungal infections, including pathogenic yeasts, such as species of Candida and Cryptococcus, as well as molds, such as Aspergillus fumigatus. We also explore the mechanisms by which amino acids may be exploited to identify novel drug targets and review potential hurdles to bringing this approach into clinical practice.

The molecular mechanism of Zinc acquisition by the neisserial outer-membrane transporter ZnuD

Science.gov (United States)

Calmettes, Charles; Ing, Christopher; Buckwalter, Carolyn M.; El Bakkouri, Majida; Chieh-Lin Lai, Christine; Pogoutse, Anastassia; Gray-Owen, Scott D.; Pomès, Régis; Moraes, Trevor F.

2015-01-01

Invading bacteria from the Neisseriaceae, Acinetobacteriaceae, Bordetellaceae and Moraxellaceae families express the conserved outer-membrane zinc transporter zinc-uptake component D (ZnuD) to overcome nutritional restriction imposed by the host organism during infection. Here we demonstrate that ZnuD is required for efficient systemic infections by the causative agent of bacterial meningitis, Neisseria meningitidis, in a mouse model. We also combine X-ray crystallography and molecular dynamics simulations to gain insight into the mechanism of zinc recognition and transport across the bacterial outer-membrane by ZnuD. Because ZnuD is also considered a promising vaccine candidate against N. meningitidis, we use several ZnuD structural intermediates to map potential antigenic epitopes, and propose a mechanism by which ZnuD can maintain high sequence conservation yet avoid immune recognition by altering the conformation of surface-exposed loops. PMID:26282243

A novel bacterial transport mechanism of Acinetobacter baumannii via activated human neutrophils through interleukin-8.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamoshida, Go; Tansho-Nagakawa, Shigeru; Kikuchi-Ueda, Takane; Nakano, Ryuichi; Hikosaka, Kenji; Nishida, Satoshi; Ubagai, Tsuneyuki; Higashi, Shouichi; Ono, Yasuo

2016-12-01

Hospital-acquired infections as a result of Acinetobacter baumannii have become problematic because of high rates of drug resistance. Although neutrophils play a critical role in early protection against bacterial infection, their interactions with A. baumannii remain largely unknown. To elucidate the interactions between A. baumannii and human neutrophils, we cocultured these cells and analyzed them by microscopy and flow cytometry. We found that A. baumannii adhered to neutrophils. We next examined neutrophil and A. baumannii infiltration into Matrigel basement membranes by an in vitro transmigration assay. Neutrophils were activated by A. baumannii, and invasion was enhanced. More interestingly, A. baumannii was transported together by infiltrating neutrophils. Furthermore, we observed by live cell imaging that A. baumannii and neutrophils moved together. In addition, A. baumannii-activated neutrophils showed increased IL-8 production. The transport of A. baumannii was suppressed by inhibiting neutrophil infiltration by blocking the effect of IL-8. A. baumannii appears to use neutrophils for transport by activating these cells via IL-8. In this study, we revealed a novel bacterial transport mechanism that A. baumannii exploits human neutrophils by adhering to and inducing IL-8 release for bacterial portage. This mechanism might be a new treatment target. © Society for Leukocyte Biology.

Current transport mechanism in graphene/AlGaN/GaN heterostructures with various Al mole fractions

Science.gov (United States)

Pandit, Bhishma; Seo, Tae Hoon; Ryu, Beo Deul; Cho, Jaehee

2016-06-01

The current transport mechanism of graphene formed on AlxGa1-xN/GaN heterostructures with various Al mole fractions (x = 0.15, 0.20, 0.30, and 0.40) is investigated. The current-voltage measurement from graphene to AlGaN/GaN shows an excellent rectifying property. The extracted Schottky barrier height of the graphene/AlGaN/GaN contacts increases with the Al mole fraction in AlGaN. However, the current transport mechanism deviates from the Schottky-Mott theory owing to the deterioration of AlGaN crystal quality at high Al mole fractions confirmed by reverse leakage current measurement.

Current transport mechanism in graphene/AlGaN/GaN heterostructures with various Al mole fractions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhishma Pandit

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The current transport mechanism of graphene formed on AlxGa1−xN/GaN heterostructures with various Al mole fractions (x = 0.15, 0.20, 0.30, and 0.40 is investigated. The current–voltage measurement from graphene to AlGaN/GaN shows an excellent rectifying property. The extracted Schottky barrier height of the graphene/AlGaN/GaN contacts increases with the Al mole fraction in AlGaN. However, the current transport mechanism deviates from the Schottky-Mott theory owing to the deterioration of AlGaN crystal quality at high Al mole fractions confirmed by reverse leakage current measurement.

Rupture mechanics of metallic alloys for hydrogen transport; Mecanique de la rupture des alliages metalliques pour le transport de l'hydrogene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moro, I.; Briottet, L.; Lemoine, P. [CEA Grenoble (DRT/LITEN/DTH/LEV), 38 (France); Andrieu, E.; Blanc, C. [Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche et d' Ingenierie des Materiaux (ENSIACET/CIRIMAT), 31 - Toulouse (France)

2007-07-01

With the aim to establish a cheap hydrogen distribution system, the transport by pipelines is a solution particularly interesting. Among the high limit of elasticity steels, the X80 has been chosen for hydrogen transport. Its chemical composition and microstructure are given. Important microstructural changes have been revealed in the sheet thickness: the microstructure is thinner and richer in perlite in surface than in bulk. In parallel to this microstructural evolution, a microhardness gradient has been observed: the material microhardness is stronger in surface than in bulk of the sheet. The use of this material for hydrogen transport requires to study its resistance to hydrogen embrittlement. The main aim of this work is to develop an easy rupture mechanics test allowing to qualify the studied material in a gaseous hydrogen environment, to determine the sensitivity of the studied material to the hydrogen embrittlement and to better understand the mechanisms of the hydrogen embrittlement for ferritic materials. Two experimental tests have been used for: the first one is a traction machine coupled to an autoclave; the second one allows to carry out disk rupture tests. The toughness of the material in a gaseous hydrogen environment has thus been determined. The resistance of the material to hydrogen embrittlement has been characterized and by simulation, it has been possible to identify the areas with a strong concentration in hydrogen. The second aim of this work is to study the influence of the steel microstructure on the hydrogen position in the material and on the resistance of the material to the hydrogen embrittlement. The preferential trapping sites on the material not mechanically loaded have at first been identified, as well as the hydrogen position on the different phases and at the ferrite/cementite interface. The interaction between the mechanical loads, the position and the trapping of the hydrogen have been studied then. At last, has been

Sorbitol-Fermenting Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H- Isolates from Czech Patients with Novel Plasmid Composition Not Previously Seen in German Isolates.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauwens, Andreas; Marejková, Monika; Middendorf-Bauchart, Barbara; Prager, Rita; Kossow, Annelene; Zhang, Wenlan; Karch, Helge; Mellmann, Alexander; Bielaszewska, Martina

2017-12-01

Sorbitol-fermenting (SF) enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H - strains, first identified in Germany, have emerged as important pathogens throughout Europe. Besides chromosomally encoded Shiga toxin 2a (the major virulence factor), several putative virulence loci, including the hly , etp , and sfp operons, encoding EHEC hemolysin, type II secretion system proteins, and Sfp fimbriae, respectively, are located on the 121-kb plasmid pSFO157 in German strains. Here we report novel SF EHEC O157:H - strains isolated from patients in the Czech Republic. These strains share the core genomes and chromosomal virulence loci encoding toxins ( stx 2a and the cdtV -ABC operon) and adhesins ( eae -γ, efa1 , lpfA O157OI-141 , and lpfA O157OI-154 ) with German strains but differ essentially in their plasmids. In contrast to all previously detected SF EHEC O157:H - strains, the Czech strains carry two plasmids, of 79 kb and 86 kb. The 79-kb plasmid harbors the sfp operon, but neither of the plasmids contains the hly and etp operons. Sequence analyses demonstrated that the 79-kb plasmid (pSFO157 258/98-1) evolved from pSFO157 of German strains by deletion of a 41,534-bp region via homologous recombination, resulting in loss of the hly and etp operons. The 86-kb plasmid (pSFO157 258/98-2) displays 98% sequence similarity to a 92.7-kb plasmid of an extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli bloodstream isolate. Our finding of this novel plasmid composition in SF EHEC O157:H - strains extends the evolutionary history of EHEC O157 plasmids. Moreover, the unique molecular plasmid characteristics permit the identification of such strains, thereby facilitating further investigations of their geographic distribution, clinical significance, and epidemiology. IMPORTANCE Since their first identification in Germany in 1989, sorbitol-fermenting enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H - (nonmotile) strains have emerged as important causes of the life-threatening disease hemolytic

Sorbitol-Fermenting Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H− Isolates from Czech Patients with Novel Plasmid Composition Not Previously Seen in German Isolates

Science.gov (United States)

Bauwens, Andreas; Marejková, Monika; Middendorf-Bauchart, Barbara; Prager, Rita; Kossow, Annelene; Zhang, Wenlan; Karch, Helge

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Sorbitol-fermenting (SF) enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H− strains, first identified in Germany, have emerged as important pathogens throughout Europe. Besides chromosomally encoded Shiga toxin 2a (the major virulence factor), several putative virulence loci, including the hly, etp, and sfp operons, encoding EHEC hemolysin, type II secretion system proteins, and Sfp fimbriae, respectively, are located on the 121-kb plasmid pSFO157 in German strains. Here we report novel SF EHEC O157:H− strains isolated from patients in the Czech Republic. These strains share the core genomes and chromosomal virulence loci encoding toxins (stx2a and the cdtV-ABC operon) and adhesins (eae-γ, efa1, lpfAO157OI-141, and lpfAO157OI-154) with German strains but differ essentially in their plasmids. In contrast to all previously detected SF EHEC O157:H− strains, the Czech strains carry two plasmids, of 79 kb and 86 kb. The 79-kb plasmid harbors the sfp operon, but neither of the plasmids contains the hly and etp operons. Sequence analyses demonstrated that the 79-kb plasmid (pSFO157 258/98-1) evolved from pSFO157 of German strains by deletion of a 41,534-bp region via homologous recombination, resulting in loss of the hly and etp operons. The 86-kb plasmid (pSFO157 258/98-2) displays 98% sequence similarity to a 92.7-kb plasmid of an extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli bloodstream isolate. Our finding of this novel plasmid composition in SF EHEC O157:H− strains extends the evolutionary history of EHEC O157 plasmids. Moreover, the unique molecular plasmid characteristics permit the identification of such strains, thereby facilitating further investigations of their geographic distribution, clinical significance, and epidemiology. IMPORTANCE Since their first identification in Germany in 1989, sorbitol-fermenting enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H− (nonmotile) strains have emerged as important causes of the life-threatening disease hemolytic

Monte Carlo study of the mechanisms of transport of fast neutrons in various media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ku, L.

1976-01-01

The technique of analyzing Monte Carlo histories was used to study the details of neutron transport and slowing down mechanisms. The statistical properties of life histories of ''exceptional'' neutrons, i.e., those staying closer to the source or penetrating to larger distances from the source, were compared to those of the general population. The macroscopic behavior of ''exceptional'' neutrons was also related to the interaction mechanics and to the microscopic properties of the medium

A comprehensive detailed kinetic mechanism for the simulation of transportation fuels

KAUST Repository

Mehl, Marco; Zhang, Kuiwen; Wagnon, Scott; Kukkadapu, Goutham; Westbrook, Charles K.; Pitz, William J.; Zhang, Yinjia; Curran, Henry J.; Al Rachidi, Mariam; Atef, Nour; Sarathy, Mani; Ahmed, Ahfaz

2017-01-01

This work presents a recently compiled comprehensive model for transportations fuels resulting from the collaboration of three research groups: LLNL, NUI Galway and KAUST. In the past 5 years new fundamental calculations led to significant improvements in the fidelity of detailed kinetic models of important surrogate components (e.g. n-heptane, iso-octane, toluene…) improving predictions of the combustion behavior of pure components and mixtures. By extending the newly adopted reaction rate rules, mechanisms for components that were not included in the previous LLNL gasoline and diesel surrogate mechanisms were developed (e.g. polyalkylated aromatics, cycloalkanes, components from bio-logical sources…). The major features of this updated and extended model are presented together with validation comparisons, examples of applications and future directions.

A comprehensive detailed kinetic mechanism for the simulation of transportation fuels

KAUST Repository

Mehl, Marco

2017-02-27

This work presents a recently compiled comprehensive model for transportations fuels resulting from the collaboration of three research groups: LLNL, NUI Galway and KAUST. In the past 5 years new fundamental calculations led to significant improvements in the fidelity of detailed kinetic models of important surrogate components (e.g. n-heptane, iso-octane, toluene…) improving predictions of the combustion behavior of pure components and mixtures. By extending the newly adopted reaction rate rules, mechanisms for components that were not included in the previous LLNL gasoline and diesel surrogate mechanisms were developed (e.g. polyalkylated aromatics, cycloalkanes, components from bio-logical sources…). The major features of this updated and extended model are presented together with validation comparisons, examples of applications and future directions.

Severe Outbreak of Sorbitol-Fermenting Escherichia coli O157 via Unpasteurized Milk and Farm Visits, Finland 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaakkonen, A; Salmenlinna, S; Rimhanen-Finne, R; Lundström, H; Heinikainen, S; Hakkinen, M; Hallanvuo, S

2017-09-01

Shiga toxin-producing, sorbitol-fermenting Escherichia coli O157 (SF O157) has emerged as a cause of severe human illness. Despite frequent human findings, its transmission routes and reservoirs remain largely unknown. Foodborne transmission and reservoir in cattle have been suspected, but with limited supporting evidence. This study describes the outbreak of SF O157 that occurred in Finland in 2012. The outbreak originated from a recreational farm selling unpasteurized milk, as revealed by epidemiologic and microbiological investigations, and involved six hospitalized children and two asymptomatic adults with culture-confirmed infection. An identical strain of SF O157 was isolated from patients, cattle and the farm environment, and epidemiologic analysis suggested unpasteurized milk as the vehicle of transmission. This study reports the first milkborne outbreak of SF O157, provides supporting evidence of cattle as a reservoir and highlights the health risks related to the consumption of unpasteurized milk. © 2017 The Authors. Zoonoses and Public Health Published by Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Comparative study of efficacy, tolerability and compliance of oral iron preparations (iron edetate, iron polymatose complex) and intramuscular iron sorbitol in iron deficiency anaemia in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afzal, M.; Qureshi, S.M.; Lutafullah, M.

2009-01-01

To compare the efficacy, tolerability and compliance of oral iron preparations(iron edetate and Iron polymaltose complex) with each other and with intramuscular iron sorbitol in iron deficiency anaemia in children. A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was carried out at the Paediatric Department of Combined Military Hospital (CMH) from January 2006 to December 2007. In total 146 children, up to 12 years age having haemoglobin (Hb%) less than 8 gm% were included. They were randomly distributed into three groups. Group A(64 cases) received oral sodium iron edetate (SIE), Group B (40 cases) received oral iron polymaltose complex (IPC) and group C (42 cases) received intramuscular iron sorbitol (IS) in recommended dosages. Rise in Hb%>10 gm% was kept as desired target. Maximum duration of treatment planned was 2 weeks for parenteral iron (group C) and 12 weeks for oral iron (groups A and B). Haematological parameters- Hb%, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were measured at induction followed at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks after start of treatment. Compliance and drop out rates were determined on each visit. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 10. ANOVA was used to analyze difference in rise in Hb% at various intervals. Statistically significant increase in mean Hb%, MCV, MCHC after 02 weeks was observed in group C (IS). Rise in these parameters became significant in group A (SIE) and B (IPC) after 04 weeks. Persistent rise was observed in oral groups at 08 and 12 weeks. Rise in Hb% was much faster in group C (IS). It took 2 weeks to achieve mean Hb% > 10 gm% and compliance rate was 40.5%, while to achieve same target, duration required was 8 weeks in group A (SIE) and 12 weeks in group B (IPC) and compliance rate was 39% and 30% respectively. Adverse effects were much more common with group A (SIE) as compared to other two groups. Intramuscular iron sorbitol is a reliable and

Dual and Direction-Selective Mechanisms of Phosphate Transport by the Vesicular Glutamate Transporter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Preobraschenski

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Summary: Vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs fill synaptic vesicles with glutamate and are thus essential for glutamatergic neurotransmission. However, VGLUTs were originally discovered as members of a transporter subfamily specific for inorganic phosphate (Pi. It is still unclear how VGLUTs accommodate glutamate transport coupled to an electrochemical proton gradient ΔμH+ with inversely directed Pi transport coupled to the Na+ gradient and the membrane potential. Using both functional reconstitution and heterologous expression, we show that VGLUT transports glutamate and Pi using a single substrate binding site but different coupling to cation gradients. When facing the cytoplasm, both ions are transported into synaptic vesicles in a ΔμH+-dependent fashion, with glutamate preferred over Pi. When facing the extracellular space, Pi is transported in a Na+-coupled manner, with glutamate competing for binding but at lower affinity. We conclude that VGLUTs have dual functions in both vesicle transmitter loading and Pi homeostasis within glutamatergic neurons. : Preobraschenski et al. show that the vesicular glutamate transporter functions as a bi-directional phosphate transporter that is coupled with different cations in each direction and hence may play a key role in neuronal phosphate homeostasis. Keywords: VGLUT, SLC17 family, type I Na+-dependent inorganic phosphate transporter, ATPase, proteoliposomes, hybrid vesicles, anti-VGLUT1 nanobody

Transport coefficients and mechanical response in hard-disk colloidal suspensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Bo-Kai; Ma Yu-Qiang; Li Jian; Chen Kang; Tian Wen-De

2016-01-01

We investigate the transport properties and mechanical response of glassy hard disks using nonlinear Langevin equation theory. We derive expressions for the elastic shear modulus and viscosity in two dimensions on the basis of thermal-activated barrier-hopping dynamics and mechanically accelerated motion. Dense hard disks exhibit phenomena such as softening elasticity, shear-thinning of viscosity, and yielding upon deformation, which are qualitatively similar to dense hard-sphere colloidal suspensions in three dimensions. These phenomena can be ascribed to stress-induced “landscape tilting”. Quantitative comparisons of these phenomena between hard disks and hard spheres are presented. Interestingly, we find that the density dependence of yield stress in hard disks is much more significant than in hard spheres. Our work provides a foundation for further generalizing the nonlinear Langevin equation theory to address slow dynamics and rheological behavior in binary or polydisperse mixtures of hard or soft disks. (rapid communication)

Synthesis, characterization and charge transport mechanism of CdZnO nanorods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmoud, Waleed E.; Al-Ghamdi, A.A.; El-Tantawy, F.; Al-Heniti, S.

2009-01-01

ZnO and Cd-doped ZnO nanostructures were prepared by new facile method at 80 deg. C. XRD measurement indicated that both samples had typical hexagonal wurtzite structures. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurement shows that rod-like crystals have been formed. EDX measurement confirms the incorporation of the cadmium ion into the crystalline lattice of ZnO and indicated that cadmium ions uniformly distributed on the surface of the rods. The doping with cadmium ions has a great influence on the optical properties of the ZnO. The electrical measurements of Cd-doped ZnO nanorod were measured. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curve revealed that the charge transport above 4 V is mainly non-linear due to grain boundary contribution. The complex impedance spectroscopy was confirmed that the grain boundary effect controls the charge transport mechanism through CdZnO ceramic material.

Carbon-coated ceramic membrane reactor for the production of hydrogen by aqueous-phase reforming of sorbitol.

Science.gov (United States)

Neira D'Angelo, M F; Ordomsky, V; Schouten, J C; van der Schaaf, J; Nijhuis, T A

2014-07-01

Hydrogen was produced by aqueous-phase reforming (APR) of sorbitol in a carbon-on-alumina tubular membrane reactor (4 nm pore size, 7 cm long, 3 mm internal diameter) that allows the hydrogen gas to permeate to the shell side, whereas the liquid remains in the tube side. The hydrophobic nature of the membrane serves to avoid water loss and to minimize the interaction between the ceramic support and water, thus reducing the risks of membrane degradation upon operation. The permeation of hydrogen is dominated by the diffusivity of the hydrogen in water. Thus, higher operation temperatures result in an increase of the flux of hydrogen. The differential pressure has a negative effect on the flux of hydrogen due to the presence of liquid in the larger pores. The membrane was suitable for use in APR, and yielded 2.5 times more hydrogen than a reference reactor (with no membrane). Removal of hydrogen through the membrane assists in the reaction by preventing its consumption in undesired reactions. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Cellular Transport Mechanisms of Cytotoxic Metallodrugs: An Overview beyond Cisplatin

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Sarah Spreckelmeyer

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The field of medicinal inorganic chemistry has grown consistently during the past 50 years; however, metal-containing coordination compounds represent only a minor proportion of drugs currently on the market, indicating that research in this area has not yet been thoroughly realized. Although platinum-based drugs as cancer chemotherapeutic agents have been widely studied, exact knowledge of the mechanisms governing their accumulation in cells is still lacking. However, evidence suggests active uptake and efflux mechanisms are involved; this may be involved also in other experimental metal coordination and organometallic compounds with promising antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo, such as ruthenium and gold compounds. Such knowledge would be necessary to elucidate the balance between activity and toxicity profiles of metal compounds. In this review, we present an overview of the information available on the cellular accumulation of Pt compounds from in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies, as well as a summary of reports on the possible accumulation mechanisms for different families of experimental anticancer metal complexes (e.g., Ru Au and Ir. Finally, we discuss the need for rationalization of the investigational approaches available to study metallodrug cellular transport.

Evaluation of potential sources and transport mechanisms of fecal indicator bacteria to beach water, Murphy Park Beach, Door County, Wisconsin

Science.gov (United States)

Juckem, Paul F.; Corsi, Steven R.; McDermott, Colleen; Kleinheinz, Gregory; Fogarty, Lisa R.; Haack, Sheridan K.; Johnson, Heather E.

2013-01-01

Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB) concentrations in beach water have been used for many years as a criterion for closing beaches due to potential health concerns. Yet, current understanding of sources and transport mechanisms that drive FIB occurrence remains insufficient for accurate prediction of closures at many beaches. Murphy Park Beach, a relatively pristine beach on Green Bay in Door County, Wis., was selected for a study to evaluate FIB sources and transport mechanisms. Although the relatively pristine nature of the beach yielded no detection of pathogenic bacterial genes and relatively low FIB concentrations during the study period compared with other Great Lakes Beaches, its selection limited the number of confounding FIB sources and associated transport mechanisms. The primary sources of FIB appear to be internal to the beach rather than external sources such as rivers, storm sewer outfalls, and industrial discharges. Three potential FIB sources were identified: sand, swash-zone groundwater, and Cladophora mats. Modest correlations between FIB concentrations in these potential source reservoirs and FIB concentrations at the beach from the same day illustrate the importance of understanding transport mechanisms between FIB sources and the water column. One likely mechanism for transport and dispersion of FIB from sand and Cladophora sources appears to be agitation of Cladophora mats and erosion of beach sand due to storm activity, as inferred from storm indicators including turbidity, wave height, current speed, wind speed, sky visibility, 24-hour precipitation, and suspended particulate concentration. FIB concentrations in beach water had a statistically significant relation (p-value ‹0.05) with the magnitude of these storm indicators. In addition, transport of FIB in swash-zone groundwater into beach water appears to be driven by groundwater recharge associated with multiday precipitation and corresponding increased swash-zone groundwater discharge at

New mechanism for the control of sodium transport in wheat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James, R.A.; Munns, R.; Huang, C.X.

2002-01-01

Full text: Durum and other tetraploid wheats are typically very salt-sensitive compared to hexaploid bread wheats. This is primarily due to high rates of Na + accumulation in the leaves in tetraploid wheat. Recently, we have discovered a durum landrace with low Na + accumulation and enhanced K + /Na + discrimination, much lower than current durum cultivars and similar to bread wheat. We have identified 3 different mechanisms for the control of Na + transport to the leaves in this landrace, 1) control of Na + uptake at the epidermis of the root, 2) control of Na + loading into the xylem and 3) partitioning of Na + into the leaf sheath. The low Na + durum landrace had 3-4 fold lower Na + uptake rates than durum cultivars. Using X ray microanalysis on snap-frozen root sections, we found Na + to be high in the epidermis, a decreasing gradient through the cortex, low in the endodermis and again high in the stele (pencycle and xylem parenchyma), indicative of control points at the epidermis and in the stele. Partitioning of Na + between shoot and root was at least 5 times lower in the durum landrace, suggestive of greater control of Na + transport at the site of xylem loading. A third and novel control mechanism was found in the leaf sheath. Short and long term salinity treatments showed that Na + was partitioned preferentially into the sheaths of the low Na + durum landrace, keeping leaf blade Na + levels very low and similar to that of bread wheat Na + partitioned in the leaf sheath was stored primarily in the parenchyma cells and Cl - in the epidermal cells. Collectively, these data show that we have identified germplasm that has the potential to increase the salt tolerance of durum wheat. Additionally, as bread wheat does not contain the mechanism for partitioning Na + into the sheath, this trait may be useful for further increasing the salt tolerance of this species

Starch behaviors and mechanical properties of starch blend films with different plasticizers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen Vu, Hoang Phuong; Lumdubwong, Namfone

2016-12-10

The main objective of the study was to gain insight into structural and mechanical starch behaviors of the plasticized starch blend films. Mechanical properties and starch behaviors of cassava (CS)/and mungbean (MB) (50/50, w/w) starch blend films containing glycerol (Gly) or sorbitol (Sor) at 33% weight content were investigated. It was found that tensile strength TS and %E of the Gly-CSMB films were similar to those of MB films; but%E of all Sor-films was identical. TS of plasticized films increased when AM content and crystallinity increased. When Sor was substituted for Gly, crystallinity of starch films and their TS increased. The CSMB and MB films had somewhat a similar molecular profile and comparable mechanical properties. Therefore, it was proposed the starch molecular profile containing amylopectin with high M¯w, low M¯w of amylose, and the small size of intermediates may impart the high TS and%E of starch films. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of transport mechanical engineering as the condition of maintenance of social and economic security of region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vsevolod Petrovich Babushkin

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In the article, the transport role in the decision of problems of innovative and scientifically-technological development of territory is defined. Dependence of quality, completeness and timeliness of granting of transport services on replenishment and updating of park of locomotives, cars, i.e. from a level of development of domestic transport mechanical engineering is shown. The basic problems of development given branches –low competitiveness of made production are revealed. The basic accent in the course of such analysis is made on research of competitive possibilities of the enterprises of railway mechanical engineering of Sverdlovsk area. Such enterprises play the increasing role, become points of development of region’s economy and maintenance of its social and economic safety. The cooperation communications, which have developed in an industrial complex of Sverdlovsk area on the basis of development of modern manufacture on building of electric locomotives, have allowed to generate in region cluster railway mechanical engineering. The structure cluster is shown, development prospects, the estimation of its influence on the economy of Sverdlovsk area and maintenance of its social and economic security is given

Influence of thickness on properties of plasticized oat starch films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melicia Cintia Galdeano

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of thickness (between 80 and 120 µm on apparent opacity, water vapor permeability and mechanical properties (tensile and puncture of oat starch films plasticized with glycerol, sorbitol, glycerol:sorbitol mixture, urea and sucrose. Films were stored under 11, 57, 76 and 90% relative humidity (RH to study the mechanical properties. It was observed that the higher the thickness, the higher was the opacity values. Films without the plasticizer were more opaque in comparison with the plasticized ones. Glycerol:sorbitol films presented increased elongation with increasing thickness at all RH. Puncture force showed a strong dependence on the film thickness, except for the films plasticized with sucrose. In general, thickness did not affect the water permeability.

Investigation of particle reduction and its transport mechanism in UHF-ECR dielectric etching system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Hiroyuki; Yokogawa, Ken'etsu; Maeda, Kenji; Izawa, Masaru

2008-01-01

Control of particle transport was investigated by using a UHF-ECR etching apparatus with a laser particle monitor. The particles, which float at a plasma-sheath boundary, fall on a wafer when the plasma is turned off. These floating particles can be removed from the region above the wafer by changing the plasma distribution. We measured the distribution of the rotational temperature of nitrogen molecules across the wafer to investigate the effect of the thermophoretic force. We found that mechanisms of particle transport in directions parallel to the wafer surface can be explained by the balance between thermophoretic and gas viscous forces

Mechanisms of vitamin K transport and metabolism in Swiss 3T3 mouse fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canfield, L.M.; Townsend, A.F.; Hibbs, D.B.

1986-01-01

Transport of vitamin K into isolated fibroblasts was followed using 3 H vitamin K 1 . The initial rate is saturable by 5 min. at 25μM vitamin K with a Km(app) of 10μM and V/sub max/ of 50 pmols/min/10 6 cells. Kinetics of uptake are biphasic with a second slower rate ensuing after 10 minutes. Insensitivity of the initial rate of uptake to FCCP or ouabain indicates an ATP-independent transport mechanism. Specificity of transport is shown by competition of uptake of 3 H vitamin K by unlabelled vitamin and strong (>90%) inhibition of the initial rate by equimolar concentrations of the vitamin K analog, Chloro-K. In addition, following uptake, both vitamins K 1 and K 2 are metabolized to their respective epoxides. Vitamin K 1 epoxide is also transported into fibroblasts and metabolized to the parent quinone in a Warfarin-sensitive reaction. Following alkaline hydrolysis of isolated intracellular protein, the vitamin K-dependent amino acid, gamma carboxyglutamic acid (gla) was detected. It is concluded that vitamin K is specifically transported into fibroblasts and metabolized via the classical pathway described in liver with the concomitant production of vitamin K-dependent proteins

Comparison of mechanical and manual ventilation during transport of patients to the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atilla Canbulat

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Objectives: We compared effects of mechanical andmanual ventilation during transport to the intensive careunit(ICU in cardiac surgeries.Materials and methods: After ethical approval, 66 patients(ASAgrade II and III, 20-80years were assignedrandomly. Ventilation during transport to ICU was performedmanual (Group EV; n=36 or mechanical ventilation(Group MV; n=30. Measurements were recorded:operation room (A, during transport (T and in ICU (YB.Systolic, diastolic pressures (SAP, DAP, pulmonary arterialpressure (PAP, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure(PCWP, central venous pressure (CVP, heart rate (HR,cardiac output (CO, blood gases (pH, PCO2, PO2, BEand peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2 were recorded.Stroke volume index (SVI, systemic and pulmonary vascularresistance indices (SVRI, PVRI and mean arterialpressures(MAP were calculated.Results: Patients were similar. Duration of transportwas shorter in Group MV (p< 0.01. The alterations inHR, MAP, DAP, CVP, PAP, PCWP, PVRI, SVRI, SVI, CO,SpO2 were similar, the increase in SAP during T periodwas higher in Group MV (p<0.05. Pulmonary arterial pHin Group MV was lower (p< 0.05. Arterial and pulmonaryarterial pO2, pCO2 decreased in Group MV, there was increasein Group EV during ICU (p< 0.001, p< 0.01, p<0.01, p< 0.05. During T period hypotension and tachycardiain Group EV, and hypertension in Group MV wereobserved.Conclusions: Mechanical ventilation had short transporttime, less alterations in hemodynamic and respiration valuesand less complication rates. We concluded that theuse of mechanical ventilation is a safer method for theintrahospital transport of critical patients. J Clin Exp Invest2012; 3(4: 521-528Key words: Cardiac surgery, patient transport, mechanicalventilator, manual ventilator, hemodynamia

Mechanisms of molecular transport through the urea channel of Helicobacter pylori

Science.gov (United States)

McNulty, Reginald; Ulmschneider, Jakob P.; Luecke, Hartmut; Ulmschneider, Martin B.

2013-12-01

Helicobacter pylori survival in acidic environments relies on cytoplasmic hydrolysis of gastric urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide, which buffer the pathogen’s periplasm. Urea uptake is greatly enhanced and regulated by HpUreI, a proton-gated inner membrane channel protein essential for gastric survival of H. pylori. The crystal structure of HpUreI describes a static snapshot of the channel with two constriction sites near the center of the bilayer that are too narrow to allow passage of urea or even water. Here we describe the urea transport mechanism at atomic resolution, revealed by unrestrained microsecond equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of the hexameric channel assembly. Two consecutive constrictions open to allow conduction of urea, which is guided through the channel by interplay between conserved residues that determine proton rejection and solute selectivity. Remarkably, HpUreI conducts water at rates equivalent to aquaporins, which might be essential for efficient transport of urea at small concentration gradients.

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Polyalthia longifolia Leaf Extract along with D-Sorbitol: Study of Antibacterial Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Kaviya

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs using Polyalthia longifolia leaf extract as reducing and capping agent along with D-sorbitol used to increase the stability of the nanoparticles has been reported. The reaction is carried out at two different concentrations (10−3 M and 10−4 M of silver nitrate, and the effect of temperature on the synthesis of AgNPs is investigated by stirring at room temperature (25°C and at 60°C. The UV-visible spectra of NPs showed a blue shift with increasing temperature at both concentrations. FT-IR analysis shows that the biomoites played an important role in the reduction of Ag+ ions and the growth of AgNPs. TEM results were utilized for the determination of the size and morphology of nanoparticles. The synthesized silver nanoparticles are found to be highly toxic against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria.

Efeito de soluções fluoretadas contendo xilitol e sorbitol no número de estreptococos do grupo mutans na saliva de seres humanos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gonçalves Nilza Cristina Lopes Afonso de Valor

2001-01-01

Full Text Available O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar o efeito de soluções de fluoreto de sódio a 0,05% contendo 2,5% ou 12,5% de xilitol no número de estreptococos do grupo mutans presentes na saliva. Participaram do estudo duplo cego, do tipo cruzado, 50 meninos entre 8 e 16 anos, distribuídos aleatoriamente em quatro grupos. Destes, 33 finalizaram o estudo. As soluções utilizadas foram: solução placebo; solução de fluoreto de sódio a 0,05%; solução de fluoreto de sódio a 0,05% + 2,5% xilitol + 2% sorbitol; solução de fluoreto de sódio a 0,05% + 12,5% xilitol + 2% sorbitol. Os indivíduos utilizaram 20 mL de uma das soluções, duas vezes ao dia. Cada solução foi utilizada por um período experimental de 28 dias. Os períodos experimentais foram intercalados por períodos de descanso de 10 dias. As soluções contendo xilitol a 2,5% e 12,5% não apresentaram diferença significativa (P = 0,32 em termos do logaritmo do número de estreptococos do grupo mutans. No entanto, a diferença foi significativa quando essas soluções foram comparadas às soluções de fluoreto de sódio e placebo (P < 0,001. Os resultados sugerem que a solução de fluoreto de sódio a 0,05% com adição de xilitol a 2,5% ou 12,5% reduziu significativamente o número de estreptococos do grupo mutans.

Development of selective and differential medium for Shigella sonnei using three carbohydrates (lactose, sorbitol, and xylose) and X-Gal.

Science.gov (United States)

Na, G N; Kim, S A; Kwon, O C; Rhee, M S

2015-08-01

The aim of this study was to develop a new selective and differential medium for isolating Shigella sonnei (designated 3SD medium). The new medium was based on three carbohydrates (lactose, sorbitol, and xylose) and a chromogenic substrate (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-galactopyranoside, X-Gal). S. sonnei cannot ferment lactose, sorbitol, or xylose, but can ferment X-Gal, which generates turquoise-blue colonies with rough edges. Other bacteria (54 strains of foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria) produced visually distinct colonies on 3SD medium (colorless or pink-violet colonies), or their growth was inhibited on 3SD medium. The optimum concentration of 50 mg/L X-Gal was selected because it yielded the highest level of morphological discrimination between S. sonnei and other bacteria, and this concentration was cost-effective. Bile salt concentration optimization was performed using healthy, heat-injured, and acid-injured S. sonnei. The recovery rate differed significantly depending on the bile salt concentration; media containing >1.0 g/L bile salt showed significantly lower recovery of stress-injured cells than medium containing 0.5 g/L bile salt (P<0.05). Growth of all Gram-positive bacteria was inhibited on medium containing 0.5 g/L bile salt; therefore, this concentration was used as the optimal concentration. Previous media used to isolate Shigella spp. (MacConkey, xylose lysine desoxycholate, and Salmonella-Shigella agar) showed poor performance when used to support the growth of injured S. sonnei cells, whereas 3SD medium supported a high growth rate of injured and healthy cells (equivalent to that obtained with nutrient-rich tryptic soy agar). To validate the performance of 3SD medium with real specimens, S. sonnei and other bacteria were spiked into samples such as untreated water, carrot, salad, and oyster. 3SD medium showed superior specificity (100%) and sensitivity (100%) for S. sonnei, and yielded no false-positive or false-negative results

Evaluación de los efectos en las propiedades fisicoquímicas, sensoriales y texturales de polidextrosa, fructosa y sorbitol como sustitutos de azúcar en la elaboración de arequipe

OpenAIRE

Valencia García, Francia Elena; Millán Cardona, Leonidas de Jesús; Ramírez Herrera, Nathalia

2008-01-01

Introduction. The concern on the excessive consumption of sugar in the diet has provoked a modification of traditional products to reduce their sucrose content and, at the same time, keep their sensorial and physical-chemical characteristics similar to those of other products made with normal sucrose content. Objective. To evaluate the effects of sugar substitutes such as polydextrose, fructose and sorbitol in the physical, chemical, sensorial and textural propertie...

Mechanisms Regulating Acid-Base Transporter Expression in Breast- and Pancreatic Cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gorbatenko, Andrej

, characteristics of which are a shift towards glycolytic metabolism and increased acid production. HER2 receptor overexpression in breast cancer leads to further increased glycolysis, invasion and metastasis, drug resistance and poor prognosis. Increased tumor glycolysis requires acquisition of mechanisms...... for dealing with excess acid production. In this light, evidence accumulates on the importance of pH regulatory proteins to cancer cell survival and motility. Our group previously demonstrated upregulation of the Na+/HCO3 - co-transporter NBCn1 (SLC4A7) by a constitutively active form of HER2 receptor (p95HER...

Constraints on Transport and Emplacement Mechanisms of Labile Fractions in Lunar Cold Traps

Science.gov (United States)

Rickman, D.; Gertsch, L.

2014-01-01

Sustaining the scientific exploration of the Solar System will require a significant proportion of the necessary fuels and propellants, as well as other bulk commodities, to be produced from local raw materials [1]. The viability of mineral production depends on the ability to locate and characterize mineable deposits of the necessary feedstocks. This requires, among other things, a workable understanding of the mechanisms by which such deposits form, which is the subject of Economic Geology. Multiple deposition scenarios are possible for labile materials on the Moon. This paper suggests labile fractions moved diffusely through space; deposits may grow richer with depth until low porosity rock; lateral transport is likely to have occurred with the regolith, at least for short distances; crystalline ice may not exist; the constituent phases could be extremely complex. At present we can constrain the sources only mildly; once on the Moon, the transport mechanisms inherently mix and therefore obscure the origins. However, the importance of expanding our understanding of ore-forming processes on the Moon behooves us to make the attempt. Thus begins a time of new inquiry for Economic Geology.

Fructose and related food carbohydrates. Sources, intake, absorption, and clinical implications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rumessen, J J

1992-01-01

It is possible to point out subjects consuming considerable quantities of fructose and sorbitol, and the intake seems to be increasing both from added and natural sources. Studies of the absorption of fructose in animals are inconsistent, and the mechanisms of fructose uptake seem to vary...... in accordance with the species. In most species fructose absorption takes place by a specific carrier (facilitated transport), but it may be active in the rat. In vitro studies of human intestine are very scarce; there is no evidence of active intestinal fructose transport in the human intestine. By means...... interest. Fructans are not absorbed in the small intestine but are strongly fermented in the large bowel. Fructans may be of potential benefit for large-bowel function and blood glucose regulation....

Computerized simulation of the mechanical behavior of wood-filled shock absorbers of radioactive materials transport casks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neumann, Martin; Wille, Frank

2011-01-01

In Germany the mechanical component inspection of transport containers for radioactive materials is performed by BAM (Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung) under consideration of national and international standards and guidelines. Experimental and calculative (analytical and numerical) techniques combined with material and/or component testing are the basis of assessment concepts according the state of the art. The authors describe the experiences of BAM concerning assessment and description of the mechanical behavior of shock absorbing components, including modeling strategies, material models, drop tests and experiment-calculation comparison. Energy absorbing components are used to reduce the impact forces at the container in case of a transport accident. In Germany wood filled thin-walled constructions are used. The deformation behavior of the wood is a main part of the calculative simulation procedures in comparison with experimental tests.

Apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities of aqueous adonitol, dulcitol, glycerol, meso-erythritol, myo-inositol, D-sorbitol, and xylitol at temperatures from (278.15 to 368.15) K and at the pressure 0.35 MPa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blodgett, M.B. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602-5700 (United States); Ziemer, S.P. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602-5700 (United States); Brown, B.R. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602-5700 (United States); Niederhauser, T.L. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602-5700 (United States); Woolley, E.M. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602-5700 (United States)]. E-mail: earl_woolley@byu.edu

2007-04-15

Apparent molar volumes V {sub {phi}} were determined for aqueous adonitol, dulcitol, glycerol, meso-erythritol, myo-inositol, D-sorbitol, and xylitol at temperatures from (278.15 to 368.15) K and at the pressure 0.35 MPa, and apparent molar heat capacities C {sub p,{phi}} of the same solutions were determined at temperatures from (278.15 to 363.15) K at the same pressure. Molalities m/(mol . kg{sup -1}) of the solutions were in the range (0.02 {<=} m {<=} 3.2) for adonitol, (0.02 {<=} m {<=} 0.15) for dulcitol, (0.02 {<=} m {<=} 5.0) for glycerol, (0.02 {<=} m {<=} 3.0) for meso-erythritol, (0.02 {<=} m {<=} 0.5) for myo-inositol, (0.02 {<=} m {<=} 2.0) for D-sorbitol, and (0.02 {<=} m {<=} 2.7) for xylitol. A vibrating tube densimeter was used to obtain solution densities and a fixed-cell temperature scanning calorimeter was used to obtain heat capacities. Values of V {sub {phi}} and C {sub p,{phi}} for these sugar alcohols are discussed relative to one another and compared to values from the literature, where available.

Preparation of Modified Films with Protein from Grouper Fish

Science.gov (United States)

Tecante, A.; Granados-Navarrete, S.; Martínez-García, C.

2016-01-01

A protein concentrate (PC) was obtained from Grouper fish skin and it was used to prepare films with different amounts of sorbitol and glycerol as plasticizers. The best performing films regarding resistance were then modified with various concentrations of CaCl2, CaSO4 (calcium salts), and glucono-δ-lactone (GDL) with the purpose of improving their mechanical and barrier properties. These films were characterized by determining their mechanical properties and permeability to water vapor and oxygen. Formulations with 5% (w/v) protein and 75% sorbitol and 4% (w/v) protein with a mixture of 15% glycerol and 15% sorbitol produced adequate films. Calcium salts and GDL increased the tensile fracture stress but reduced the fracture strain and decreased water vapor permeability compared with control films. The films prepared represent an attractive alternative for being used as food packaging materials. PMID:27597950

Modelling the role of intrinsic electric fields in microtubules as an additional control mechanism of bi-directional intracellular transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Sataric, M V; Budinski-Petkovic, L; Loncarevic, I; Tuszynski, J A

2008-01-01

Active transport is essential for cellular function, while impaired transport has been linked to diseases such as neuronal degeneration. Much long distance transport in cells uses opposite polarity molecular motors of the kinesin and dynein families to move cargos along microtubules. It is clear that many types of cargo are moved by both sets of motors, and frequently in a reverse direction. The general question of how the direction of transport is regulated is still open. The mechanism of the cell's differential control of diverse cargos within the same cytoplasmic background is still unclear as is the answer to the question how endosomes and mitochondria move to different locations within the same cell. To answer these questions we postulate the existence of a local signaling mechanism used by the cell to specifically control different cargos. In particular, we propose an additional physical mechanism that works through the use of constant and alternating intrinsic (endogenous) electric fields as a means of controlling the speed and direction of microtubule-based transport. A specific model is proposed and analyzed in this paper. The model involves the rotational degrees of freedom of the C-termini of tubulin, their interactions and the coupling between elastic and dielectric degrees of freedom. Viscosity of the solution is also included and the resultant equation of motion is found as a nonlinear elliptic equation with dissipation. A particular analytical solution of this equation is obtained in the form of a kink whose properties are analyzed. It is concluded that this solution can be modulated by the presence of electric fields and hence may correspond to the observed behavior of motor protein transport along microtubules.

Mechanisms of the 40-70 Day Variability in the Yucatan Channel Volume Transport

Science.gov (United States)

van Westen, René M.; Dijkstra, Henk A.; Klees, Roland; Riva, Riccardo E. M.; Slobbe, D. Cornelis; van der Boog, Carine G.; Katsman, Caroline A.; Candy, Adam S.; Pietrzak, Julie D.; Zijlema, Marcel; James, Rebecca K.; Bouma, Tjeerd J.

2018-02-01

The Yucatan Channel connects the Caribbean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico and is the main outflow region of the Caribbean Sea. Moorings in the Yucatan Channel show high-frequent variability in kinetic energy (50-100 days) and transport (20-40 days), but the physical mechanisms controlling this variability are poorly understood. In this study, we show that the short-term variability in the Yucatan Channel transport has an upstream origin and arises from processes in the North Brazil Current. To establish this connection, we use data from altimetry and model output from several high resolution global models. A significant 40-70 day variability is found in the sea surface height in the North Brazil Current retroflection region with a propagation toward the Lesser Antilles. The frequency of variability is generated by intrinsic processes associated with the shedding of eddies, rather than by atmospheric forcing. This sea surface height variability is able to pass the Lesser Antilles, it propagates westward with the background ocean flow in the Caribbean Sea and finally affects the variability in the Yucatan Channel volume transport.

Transport coefficients and mechanical response in hard-disk colloidal suspensions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bo-Kai; Li, Jian; Chen, Kang; Tian, Wen-De; Ma, Yu-Qiang

2016-11-01

We investigate the transport properties and mechanical response of glassy hard disks using nonlinear Langevin equation theory. We derive expressions for the elastic shear modulus and viscosity in two dimensions on the basis of thermal-activated barrier-hopping dynamics and mechanically accelerated motion. Dense hard disks exhibit phenomena such as softening elasticity, shear-thinning of viscosity, and yielding upon deformation, which are qualitatively similar to dense hard-sphere colloidal suspensions in three dimensions. These phenomena can be ascribed to stress-induced “landscape tilting”. Quantitative comparisons of these phenomena between hard disks and hard spheres are presented. Interestingly, we find that the density dependence of yield stress in hard disks is much more significant than in hard spheres. Our work provides a foundation for further generalizing the nonlinear Langevin equation theory to address slow dynamics and rheological behavior in binary or polydisperse mixtures of hard or soft disks. Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2012CB821500) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 21374073 and, 21574096).

Mechanical coupling of microtubule-dependent motor teams during peroxisome transport in Drosophila S2 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

De Rossi, María Cecilia; Wetzler, Diana E; Benseñor, Lorena; De Rossi, María Emilia; Sued, Mariela; Rodríguez, Daniela; Gelfand, Vladimir; Bruno, Luciana; Levi, Valeria

2017-12-01

Intracellular transport requires molecular motors that step along cytoskeletal filaments actively dragging cargoes through the crowded cytoplasm. Here, we explore the interplay of the opposed polarity motors kinesin-1 and cytoplasmic dynein during peroxisome transport along microtubules in Drosophila S2 cells. We used single particle tracking with nanometer accuracy and millisecond time resolution to extract quantitative information on the bidirectional motion of organelles. The transport performance was studied in cells expressing a slow chimeric plus-end directed motor or the kinesin heavy chain. We also analyzed the influence of peroxisomes membrane fluidity in methyl-β-ciclodextrin treated cells. The experimental data was also confronted with numerical simulations of two well-established tug of war scenarios. The velocity distributions of retrograde and anterograde peroxisomes showed a multimodal pattern suggesting that multiple motor teams drive transport in either direction. The chimeric motors interfered with the performance of anterograde transport and also reduced the speed of the slowest retrograde team. In addition, increasing the fluidity of peroxisomes membrane decreased the speed of the slowest anterograde and retrograde teams. Our results support the existence of a crosstalk between opposed-polarity motor teams. Moreover, the slowest teams seem to mechanically communicate with each other through the membrane to trigger transport. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Charge transport mechanism in p-type copper ion containing triazine thiolate metallopolymer thin film devices

Science.gov (United States)

K, Deepak; Roy, Amit; Anjaneyulu, P.; Kandaiah, Sakthivel; Pinjare, Sampatrao L.

2017-10-01

The charge transport mechanism in copper ions containing 1,3,5-Triazine-2,4,6-trithiolate (CuTCA) based polymer device in sandwich (Ag/CuTCA/Cu) geometry is studied. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the metallopolymer CuTCA device have shown a transition in the charge transport mechanism from Ohmic to Space-charge limited conduction when temperature and voltage are varied. The carriers in CuTCA devices exhibit hopping transport, in which carriers hop from one site to the other. The hole mobility in this polymer device is found to be dependent on electric field E ( μpα√{E } ) and temperature, which suggests that the polymer has inherent disorder. The electric-field coefficient γ and zero-field mobility μ0 are temperature dependent. The values of mobility and activation energies are estimated from temperature (90-140 K) dependent charge transport studies and found to be in the range of 1 × 10-11-8 × 10-12 m2/(V s) and 16.5 meV, respectively. Temperature dependent electric-field coefficient γ is in the order of 17.8 × 10-4 (m/V)1/2, and the value of zero-field mobility μ0 is in the order of 1.2 × 10-11 m2/(V s) at 140 K. A constant phase element (Q) is used to model the device parameters, which are extracted using the Impedance spectroscopy technique. The bandgap of the polymer is estimated to be 2.6 eV from UV-Vis reflectance spectra.

The application of fracture mechanics to the safety assessment of transport casks for radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zencker, U.; Mueller, K.; Droste, B.; Roedel, R.; Voelzke, H.

2004-01-01

BAM is the German responsible authority for the mechanical and thermal design safety assessment of packages for the transport of radioactive materials. The assessment has to cover the brittle fracture safety proof of package components made of potentially brittle materials. This paper gives a survey of the regulatory and technical requirements for such an assessment according to BAM's new ''Guidelines for the Application of Ductile Cast Iron for Transport and Storage Casks for Radioactive Materials''. Based on these guidelines higher stresses than before can become permissible, but it is necessary to put more effort into the safety assessment procedure. The fundamentals of such a proof with the help of the methods of fracture mechanics are presented. The recommended procedure takes into account the guidelines of the IAEA Advisory Material which are based on the prevention of crack initiation. Examples of BAM's research and safety assessment practices are given. Recommendations for further developments towards package designs with higher acceptable stress levels will be concluded

The application of fracture mechanics to the safety assessment of transport casks for radioactive material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zencker, U.; Mueller, K.; Droste, B.; Roedel, R.; Voelzke, H.

2004-01-01

BAM is the responsible authority in Germany for the assessment of the mechanical and thermal design safety of packages for the transport of radioactive materials. The assessment has to cover the brittle fracture safety 'proof of package' for components made of potentially brittle materials. This paper gives a survey of the regulatory and technical requirements for such an assessment according to BAM's new 'Guidelines for the application of ductile cast iron for transport and storage casks for radioactive materials'. Based on these guidelines, higher stresses than before will be permissible, but it is necessary to put more effort into the safety assessment procedure. The fundamentals of such a proof using the methods of fracture mechanics are presented. The recommended procedure takes into account the guidelines of the IAEA's advisory material which are based on the prevention of crack initiation. Examples of BAM's research and safety assessment practices are given. Recommendations for further developments towards package designs with higher acceptable stress levels will conclude the paper. (author)

Smart Collision Avoidance and Hazard Routing Mechanism for Intelligent Transport Network

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Gurpreet; Gupta, Pooja; Wahab, Mohd Helmy Abd

2017-08-01

The smart vehicular ad-hoc network is the network that consists of vehicles for smooth movement and better management of the vehicular connectivity across the given network. This research paper aims to propose a set of solution for the VANETs consisting of the automatic driven vehicles, also called as the autonomous car. Such vehicular networks are always prone to collision due to the natural or un-natural reasons which must be solved before the large-scale deployment of the autonomous transport systems. The newly designed intelligent transport movement control mechanism is based upon the intelligent data propagation along with the vehicle collision and traffic jam prevention schema [8], which may help the future designs of smart cities to become more robust and less error-prone. In the proposed model, the focus is on designing a new dynamic and robust hazard routing protocol for intelligent vehicular networks for improvement of the overall performance in various aspects. It is expected to improve the overall transmission delay as well as the number of collisions or adversaries across the vehicular network zone.

Effect of three-year consumption of erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol candies on various plaque and salivary caries-related variables.

Science.gov (United States)

Runnel, Riina; Mäkinen, Kauko K; Honkala, Sisko; Olak, Jana; Mäkinen, Pirkko-Liisa; Nõmmela, Rita; Vahlberg, Tero; Honkala, Eino; Saag, Mare

2013-12-01

The objective of the present paper is to report results from oral biologic studies carried out in connection with a caries study. Samples of whole-mouth saliva and dental plaque were collected from initially 7- to 8-year-old subjects who participated in a 3-year school-based programme investigating the effect of the consumption of polyol-containing candies on caries rates. The subjects were randomized in three cohorts, consumed erythritol, xylitol, or sorbitol candies. The daily polyol consumption from the candies was approximately 7.5 g. A significant reduction in dental plaque weight from baseline (psorbitol groups. Usage of polyol candies had no significant or consistent effect on the levels of plaque protein, glucose, glycerol, or calcium, determined yearly in connection with caries examinations. After three years, the plaque of erythritol-receiving subjects contained significantly (psorbitol. Lactic acid levels partly followed the same pattern. The consumption of erythritol was generally associated with significantly (psorbitol candies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative study of chemo-electro-mechanical transport models for an electrically stimulated hydrogel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elshaer, S E; Moussa, W A

2014-01-01

The main objective of this work is to introduce a new expression for the hydrogel’s hydration for use within the Poisson Nernst–Planck chemo electro mechanical (PNP CEM) transport models. This new contribution to the models support large deformation by considering the higher order terms in the Green–Lagrangian strain tensor. A detailed discussion of the CEM transport models using Poisson Nernst–Planck (PNP) and Poisson logarithmic Nernst–Planck (PLNP) equations for chemically and electrically stimulated hydrogels will be presented. The assumptions made to simplify both CEM transport models for electric field application in the order of 0.833 kV m −1 and a highly diluted electrolyte solution (97% is water) will be explained. This PNP CEM model has been verified accurately against experimental and numerical results. In addition, different definitions for normalizing the parameters are used to derive the dimensionless forms of both the PNP and PLNP CEM. Four models, PNP CEM, PLNP CEM, dimensionless PNP CEM and dimensionless PNLP CEM transport models were employed on an axially symmetric cylindrical hydrogel problem with an aspect ratio (diameter to thickness) of 175:3. The displacement and osmotic pressure obtained for the four models are compared against the variation of the number of elements for finite element analysis, simulation duration and solution rate when using the direct numerical solver. (papers)

Fluid transportation mechanisms by a coupled system of elastic membranes and magnetic fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ido, Y.; Tanaka, K.; Sugiura, Y.

2002-01-01

The basic properties of the fluid transportation mechanism that is produced by the coupled waves propagating along a thin elastic membrane covering a magnetic fluid layer in a shallow and long rectangular vessel are investigated. It is shown that the progressive magnetic field induced by the rectangular pulses generates sinusoidal vibration of the displacement of elastic membrane and makes the system work more efficiently than the magnetic field induced by the pulse-width-modulation method

Preparation of Modified Films with Protein from Grouper Fish

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. A. Valdivia-López

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A protein concentrate (PC was obtained from Grouper fish skin and it was used to prepare films with different amounts of sorbitol and glycerol as plasticizers. The best performing films regarding resistance were then modified with various concentrations of CaCl2, CaSO4 (calcium salts, and glucono-δ-lactone (GDL with the purpose of improving their mechanical and barrier properties. These films were characterized by determining their mechanical properties and permeability to water vapor and oxygen. Formulations with 5% (w/v protein and 75% sorbitol and 4% (w/v protein with a mixture of 15% glycerol and 15% sorbitol produced adequate films. Calcium salts and GDL increased the tensile fracture stress but reduced the fracture strain and decreased water vapor permeability compared with control films. The films prepared represent an attractive alternative for being used as food packaging materials.

The transport mechanism DC arcs in advanced spectroanalysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moeller, H.; Mazurkiewicz, M.; Nickel, H.

1977-08-01

This report presents some basic investigations concerning the emission spectroanalysis of powder specimens with application of a new type of advanced DC arcs which operate in horizontally arranged graphite cylinders. The extremely low detection limits found by experiment for various elements (Be, Cd, In, Pb, Sn) suggest a beneficial and reflector like effect of the graphite cylinder on the transport process in the arc plasma. Experiments in detail and by using radioactive tracers (Ag-110, Cd-115, Co-56, Fe-59, Zn-65) lead to an element specific modified model of the effective mechanism of the new arc arrangement. Elements of favourable thermochemical properties produce about three times as much of the average particle density in the arc plasma with the effect of the graphite cylinder. Besides these effects the element specific properties of the graphite cylinder are remarkably invariable towards magnetic fields (1,24 . 10 -2 T bzw. 2,6 . 10 -4 T) and various additives (Ga 2 O 3 , Li 2 Co 3 , NaCl) to the test specimens. (orig.) [de

Mechanisms of electron transport and recombination in ZnO nanostructures for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Vega-Poot, Alberto G; Macías-Montero, Manuel; Idígoras, Jesus; Borrás, Ana; Barranco, Angel; Gonzalez-Elipe, Agustín R; Lizama-Tzec, Francisco I; Oskam, Gerko; Anta, Juan A

2014-04-14

ZnO is an attractive material for applications in dye-sensitized solar cells and related devices. This material has excellent electron-transport properties in the bulk but its electron diffusion coefficient is much smaller in mesoporous films. In this work the electron-transport properties of two different kinds of dye-sensitized ZnO nanostructures are investigated by small-perturbation electrochemical techniques. For nanoparticulate ZnO photoanodes prepared via a wet-chemistry technique, the diffusion coefficient is found to reproduce the typical behavior predicted by the multiple-trapping and the hopping models, with an exponential increase with respect to the applied bias. In contrast, in ZnO nanostructured thin films of controlled texture and crystallinity prepared via a plasma chemical vapor deposition method, the diffusion coefficient is found to be independent of the electrochemical bias. This observation suggests a different transport mechanism not controlled by trapping and electron accumulation. In spite of the quite different transport features, the recombination kinetics, the electron-collection efficiency and the photoconversion efficiency are very similar for both kinds of photoanodes, an observation that indicates that surface properties rather than electron transport is the main efficiency-determining factor in solar cells based on ZnO nanostructured photoanodes. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Molecular Mechanisms of Urea Transport in Health and Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Janet D.; Blount, Mitsi A.; Sands, Jeff M.

2012-01-01

In the late 1980s, urea permeability measurements produced values that could not be explained by paracellular transport or lipid phase diffusion. The existence of urea transport proteins were thus proposed and less than a decade later, the first urea transporter was cloned. The SLC14A family of urea transporters has two major subgroups, designated SLC14A1 (or UT-B) and Slc14A2 (or UT-A). UT-B and UT-A gene products are glycoproteins located in various extra-renal tissues however, a majority of the resulting isoforms are found in the kidney. The UT-B (Slc14A1) urea transporter was originally isolated from erythrocytes and two isoforms have been reported. In kidney, UT-B is located primarily in the descending vasa recta. The UT-A (Slc14A2) urea transporter yields 6 distinct isoforms, of which 3 are found chiefly in the kidney medulla. UT-A1 and UT-A3 are found in the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD), while UT-A2 is located in the thin descending limb. These transporters are crucial to the kidney’s ability to concentrate urine. The regulation of urea transporter activity in the IMCD involves acute modification through phosphorylation and subsequent movement to the plasma membrane. UT-A1 and UT-A3 accumulate in the plasma membrane in response to stimulation by vasopressin or hypertonicity. Long term regulation of the urea transporters in the IMCD involves altering protein abundance in response to changes in hydration status, low protein diets, or adrenal steroids. Urea transporters have been studied using animal models of disease including diabetes mellitus, lithium intoxication, hypertension, and nephrotoxic drug responses. Exciting new genetically engineered mouse models are being developed to study these transporters. PMID:23007461

Apparent molar volumes and apparent molar heat capacities of aqueous adonitol, dulcitol, glycerol, meso-erythritol, myo-inositol, D-sorbitol, and xylitol at temperatures from (278.15 to 368.15) K and at the pressure 0.35 MPa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blodgett, M.B.; Ziemer, S.P.; Brown, B.R.; Niederhauser, T.L.; Woolley, E.M.

2007-01-01

Apparent molar volumes V φ were determined for aqueous adonitol, dulcitol, glycerol, meso-erythritol, myo-inositol, D-sorbitol, and xylitol at temperatures from (278.15 to 368.15) K and at the pressure 0.35 MPa, and apparent molar heat capacities C p,φ of the same solutions were determined at temperatures from (278.15 to 363.15) K at the same pressure. Molalities m/(mol . kg -1 ) of the solutions were in the range (0.02 ≤ m ≤ 3.2) for adonitol, (0.02 ≤ m ≤ 0.15) for dulcitol, (0.02 ≤ m ≤ 5.0) for glycerol, (0.02 ≤ m ≤ 3.0) for meso-erythritol, (0.02 ≤ m ≤ 0.5) for myo-inositol, (0.02 ≤ m ≤ 2.0) for D-sorbitol, and (0.02 ≤ m ≤ 2.7) for xylitol. A vibrating tube densimeter was used to obtain solution densities and a fixed-cell temperature scanning calorimeter was used to obtain heat capacities. Values of V φ and C p,φ for these sugar alcohols are discussed relative to one another and compared to values from the literature, where available

Metaiodobenzylguanidine [131I] scintigraphy detects impaired myocardial sympathetic neuronal transport function of canine mechanical-overload heart failure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabinovitch, M.A.; Rose, C.P.; Rouleau, J.L.

1987-01-01

In heart failure secondary to chronic mechanical overload, cardiac sympathetic neurons demonstrate depressed catecholamine synthetic and transport function. To assess the potential of sympathetic neuronal imaging for detection of depressed transport function, serial scintigrams were acquired after the intravenous administration of metaiodobenzylguanidine [ 131 I] to 13 normal dogs, 3 autotransplanted (denervated) dogs, 5 dogs with left ventricular failure, and 5 dogs with compensated left ventricular hypertrophy due to a surgical arteriovenous shunt. Nine dogs were killed at 14 hours postinjection for determination of metaiodobenzylguanidine [ 131 I] and endogenous norepinephrine content in left atrium, left ventricle, liver, and spleen. By 4 hours postinjection, autotransplanted dogs had a 39% reduction in mean left ventricular tracer accumulation, reflecting an absent intraneuronal tracer pool. Failure dogs demonstrated an accelerated early mean left ventricular tracer efflux rate (26.0%/hour versus 13.7%/hour in normals), reflecting a disproportionately increased extraneuronal tracer pool. They also showed reduced late left ventricular and left atrial concentrations of tracer, consistent with a reduced intraneuronal tracer pool. By contrast, compensated hypertrophy dogs demonstrated a normal early mean left ventricular tracer efflux rate (16.4%/hour) and essentially normal late left ventricular and left atrial concentrations of tracer. Metaiodobenzylguanidine [ 131 I] scintigraphic findings reflect the integrity of the cardiac sympathetic neuronal transport system in canine mechanical-overload heart failure. Metaiodobenzylguanidine [ 123 I] scintigraphy should be explored as a means of early detection of mechanical-overload heart failure in patients

Effect of organic additives on positive electrolyte for vanadium redox battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Sha; Huang Kelong; Liu Suqin; Fang Dong; Wu Xiongwei; Lu Dan; Wu Tao

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Four organics as electrolyte additives of vanadium redox battery. → Changes are examined in the electrochemical properties of vanadium redox battery. → D-sorbitol is a suitable additive to the electrolyte for the vanadium redox battery. → The mechanism of improvement is discussed in detail. - Abstract: Fructose, mannitol, glucose, D-sorbitol are explored as additives in electrolyte for vanadium redox battery (VRB), respectively. The effects of additives on electrolyte are studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), charge-discharge technique, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Raman spectroscopy. The results indicate that the vanadium redox cell using the electrolyte with the additive of D-sorbitol exhibits the best electrochemical performance (the energy efficiency 81.8%). The EIS results indicate that the electrochemical activity of the electrolyte is improved by adding D-sorbitol, which can be interpreted as the increase of available (-OH) groups providing active sites for electron transfer. The Raman spectra show that VO 2+ ions take part in forming a complex with the D-sorbitol, which not only improve solubility of V(V) electrolyte, but also provide more activity sites for the V(IV)/V(V) redox reaction.

Effect of organic additives on positive electrolyte for vanadium redox battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Sha [Department of Functional Materials and Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Huang Kelong, E-mail: lisha_csu@163.com [Department of Functional Materials and Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Liu Suqin; Fang Dong; Wu Xiongwei; Lu Dan; Wu Tao [Department of Functional Materials and Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China)

2011-06-30

Highlights: > Four organics as electrolyte additives of vanadium redox battery. > Changes are examined in the electrochemical properties of vanadium redox battery. > D-sorbitol is a suitable additive to the electrolyte for the vanadium redox battery. > The mechanism of improvement is discussed in detail. - Abstract: Fructose, mannitol, glucose, D-sorbitol are explored as additives in electrolyte for vanadium redox battery (VRB), respectively. The effects of additives on electrolyte are studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), charge-discharge technique, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Raman spectroscopy. The results indicate that the vanadium redox cell using the electrolyte with the additive of D-sorbitol exhibits the best electrochemical performance (the energy efficiency 81.8%). The EIS results indicate that the electrochemical activity of the electrolyte is improved by adding D-sorbitol, which can be interpreted as the increase of available (-OH) groups providing active sites for electron transfer. The Raman spectra show that VO{sup 2+} ions take part in forming a complex with the D-sorbitol, which not only improve solubility of V(V) electrolyte, but also provide more activity sites for the V(IV)/V(V) redox reaction.

Hyporheic flow and transport processes: mechanisms, models, and biogeochemical implications

Science.gov (United States)

Boano, Fulvio; Harvey, Judson W.; Marion, Andrea; Packman, Aaron I.; Revelli, Roberto; Ridolfi, Luca; Anders, Wörman

2014-01-01

Fifty years of hyporheic zone research have shown the important role played by the hyporheic zone as an interface between groundwater and surface waters. However, it is only in the last two decades that what began as an empirical science has become a mechanistic science devoted to modeling studies of the complex fluid dynamical and biogeochemical mechanisms occurring in the hyporheic zone. These efforts have led to the picture of surface-subsurface water interactions as regulators of the form and function of fluvial ecosystems. Rather than being isolated systems, surface water bodies continuously interact with the subsurface. Exploration of hyporheic zone processes has led to a new appreciation of their wide reaching consequences for water quality and stream ecology. Modern research aims toward a unified approach, in which processes occurring in the hyporheic zone are key elements for the appreciation, management, and restoration of the whole river environment. In this unifying context, this review summarizes results from modeling studies and field observations about flow and transport processes in the hyporheic zone and describes the theories proposed in hydrology and fluid dynamics developed to quantitatively model and predict the hyporheic transport of water, heat, and dissolved and suspended compounds from sediment grain scale up to the watershed scale. The implications of these processes for stream biogeochemistry and ecology are also discussed."

Magnetic type transportation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobama, Masao.

1981-01-01

Purpose: To enable automatic transportation of nuclear substances with optional setting for the transportation distance, even for a long distance, facilitating the automation of the transportation and decreasing the space for the installation of a direction converging section of the transporting path. Constitution: A transporting vehicle having a pair of permanent magnets or ferromagnetic bodies mounted with a predetermined gap to each other along the transporting direction is provided in the transporting path including a bent direction change section for transporting specimens such as nuclear materials, and a plurality of driving vehicles having permanent magnets or ferromagnetic bodies for magnetically attracting the transporting vehicle from outside of the transporting path are arranged to the outside of the transporting path. At least one of the driving vehicles is made to run along the transporting direction of the transporting path by a driving mechanism incorporating running section such as an endless chain to drive the transportation vehicle, and the transporting vehicle is successively driven by each of the driving mechanisms. (Kawakami, Y.)

Studi Pembuatan dan Karakteristik Sifat Mekanik dan Hidrofobisitas Bioplastik dari Pati Sorgum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuli Darni

2009-12-01

Full Text Available This research investigated the utilization of sorghum starch and chitosan as basic material for preparation of biodegradble plastic. The optimum conditions for the formation of biodegradble plastic and the effect of starch-chitosan formulation on mechanical properties of the biodegradable plastic were studied. The experiments were conducted by varying concentration sorbitol as plasticizer (i.e. 20%, 25%, 30%, and 40% dry weight, ratio starch to chitosan (i.e. 6:4, 7:3, 8:2, 9:1, 10:0 g/g and at ranging gelatinuous temperature of 65-95oC. The results showed that the optimum conditions were obtained at starch:chitosan mass comparison of 7:3 and sorbitol concentration of 20%. The mechanical properties of the biodegradable plastic produced at gelatinuous temperature of 95oC were: tensile strength of 6,9711 Mpa, elongation percentage of 16,48, modulus young of 42,48 Mpa, and water resistance of 36,825%. Keywords: bioplastic, chitosan, plasticizer, sorgum, sorbitol

Spatial model of convective solute transport in brain extracellular space does not support a "glymphatic" mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Byung-Ju; Smith, Alex J; Verkman, Alan S

2016-12-01

A "glymphatic system," which involves convective fluid transport from para-arterial to paravenous cerebrospinal fluid through brain extracellular space (ECS), has been proposed to account for solute clearance in brain, and aquaporin-4 water channels in astrocyte endfeet may have a role in this process. Here, we investigate the major predictions of the glymphatic mechanism by modeling diffusive and convective transport in brain ECS and by solving the Navier-Stokes and convection-diffusion equations, using realistic ECS geometry for short-range transport between para-arterial and paravenous spaces. Major model parameters include para-arterial and paravenous pressures, ECS volume fraction, solute diffusion coefficient, and astrocyte foot-process water permeability. The model predicts solute accumulation and clearance from the ECS after a step change in solute concentration in para-arterial fluid. The principal and robust conclusions of the model are as follows: (a) significant convective transport requires a sustained pressure difference of several mmHg between the para-arterial and paravenous fluid and is not affected by pulsatile pressure fluctuations; (b) astrocyte endfoot water permeability does not substantially alter the rate of convective transport in ECS as the resistance to flow across endfeet is far greater than in the gaps surrounding them; and (c) diffusion (without convection) in the ECS is adequate to account for experimental transport studies in brain parenchyma. Therefore, our modeling results do not support a physiologically important role for local parenchymal convective flow in solute transport through brain ECS. © 2016 Jin et al.

Transport phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirczenow, G.; Marro, J.

1974-01-01

Some simple remarks on the basis of transport theory. - Entropy, dynamics and scattering theory. - Response, relaxation and fluctuation. - Fluctuating hydrodynamics and renormalization of susceptibilities and transport coefficients. - Irreversibility of the transport equations. - Ergodic theory and statistical mechanics. - Correlation functions in Heisenberg magnets. - On the Enskog hard-sphere kinetic eqquation and the transport phenomena of dense simple gases. - What can one learn from Lorentz models. - Conductivity in a magnetic field. - Transport properties in gases in presence of external fields. - Transport properties of dilute gases with internal structure. (orig.) [de

Orientation-Dependent Electronic Structures and Charge Transport Mechanisms in Ultrathin Polymeric n-Channel Field-Effect Transistors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fabiano, Simone; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Chen, Zhihua; Facchetti, Antonio; Loi, Maria Antonietta

2013-01-01

We investigated the role of metal/organic semiconductor interface morphology on the charge transport mechanisms and energy level alignment of the n-channel semiconductor poly{[N,N'-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide)-2,6-diyl]-alt-5,5'-(2,2'-bithiophene)} (P-(NDI2ODT2)).

Molecular mechanism of pH-dependent substrate transport by an arginine-agmatine antiporter.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Sheng; Yan, Renhong; Zhang, Xi; Chu, Qi; Shi, Yigong

2014-09-02

Enteropathogenic bacteria, exemplified by Escherichia coli, rely on acid-resistance systems (ARs) to survive the acidic environment of the stomach. AR3 consumes intracellular protons through decarboxylation of arginine (Arg) in the cytoplasm and exchange of the reaction product agmatine (Agm) with extracellular Arg. The latter process is mediated by the Arg:Agm antiporter AdiC, which is activated in response to acidic pH and remains fully active at pH 6.0 and below. Despite our knowledge of structural information, the molecular mechanism by which AdiC senses acidic pH remains completely unknown. Relying on alanine-scanning mutagenesis and an in vitro proteoliposome-based transport assay, we have identified Tyr74 as a critical pH sensor in AdiC. The AdiC variant Y74A exhibited robust transport activity at all pH values examined while maintaining stringent substrate specificity for Arg:Agm. Replacement of Tyr74 by Phe, but not by any other amino acid, led to the maintenance of pH-dependent substrate transport. These observations, in conjunction with structural information, identify a working model for pH-induced activation of AdiC in which a closed conformation is disrupted by cation-π interactions between proton and the aromatic side chain of Tyr74.

Enrichment behavior and transport mechanism of soil-bound PAHs during rainfall-runoff events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Yi; Luo Xiaolin; Zhang Wei; Wu Bin; Han Feng; Lin Zhongrong; Wang Xuejun

2012-01-01

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) transported by surface runoff result in nonpoint source pollution and jeopardize aquatic ecosystems. The transport mechanism of PAHs during rainfall-runoff events has been rarely studied regarding pervious areas. An experimental system was setup to simulate the runoff pollution process on PAHs-contaminated soil. The enrichment behavior of soil-bound PAHs was investigated. The results show that soil organic matters (SOM), rather than clay particles, seem to be the main carrier of PAHs. The enrichment is highly conditioned on runoff and erosion processes, and its magnitude varies among PAH compounds. It is not feasible to build a simple and universal relationship between enrichment ratio and sediment discharge following the traditional enrichment theory. To estimate the flux of PAHs from pervious areas, soil erosion process has to be clearly understood, and both organic carbon content and composition of SOM should be factored into the calculation. - Highlights: ► Significant enrichment of particle-bound PAHs during rainfall-runoff events. ► Organic matters as the direct carrier of PAHs in runoff from contaminated soil. ► The traditional enrichment theory is not fully valid for PAHs. - The traditional enrichment theory is not fully valid for PAHs, and soil organic matters have a significant impact on the transport of PAHs during rainfall-runoff events.

Enrichment behavior and transport mechanism of soil-bound PAHs during rainfall-runoff events.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yi; Luo, Xiaolin; Zhang, Wei; Wu, Bin; Han, Feng; Lin, Zhongrong; Wang, Xuejun

2012-12-01

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) transported by surface runoff result in nonpoint source pollution and jeopardize aquatic ecosystems. The transport mechanism of PAHs during rainfall-runoff events has been rarely studied regarding pervious areas. An experimental system was setup to simulate the runoff pollution process on PAHs-contaminated soil. The enrichment behavior of soil-bound PAHs was investigated. The results show that soil organic matters (SOM), rather than clay particles, seem to be the main carrier of PAHs. The enrichment is highly conditioned on runoff and erosion processes, and its magnitude varies among PAH compounds. It is not feasible to build a simple and universal relationship between enrichment ratio and sediment discharge following the traditional enrichment theory. To estimate the flux of PAHs from pervious areas, soil erosion process has to be clearly understood, and both organic carbon content and composition of SOM should be factored into the calculation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of a fracture mechanics approach to nuclear transportation cask design through a drop test program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorenson, K.B.

1986-01-01

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), under contract to the Department of Energy, is conducting a research program to develop and validate a fracture mechanics approach to cask design. A series of drop tests of a transportation cask is planned for the summer of 1986 as the method for benchmarking and, thereby, validating the fracture mechanics approach. This paper presents the drop test plan and background leading to the development of the test plan including structural analyses, material characterization, and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques necessary for defining the test plan properly

Current transport mechanisms in lattice-matched Pt/Au-InAlN/GaN Schottky diodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ren, Jian; Yan, Dawei, E-mail: daweiyan@jiangnan.edu.cn; Yang, Guofeng; Wang, Fuxue; Xiao, Shaoqing; Gu, Xiaofeng [Key Laboratory of Advanced Process Control for Light Industry (Ministry of Education), Department of Electronic Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China)

2015-04-21

Lattice-matched Pt/Au-In{sub 0.17}Al{sub 0.83}N/GaN hetreojunction Schottky diodes with circular planar structure have been fabricated and investigated by temperature dependent electrical measurements. The forward and reverse current transport mechanisms are analyzed by fitting the experimental current-voltage characteristics of the devices with various models. The results show that (1) the forward-low-bias current is mainly due to the multiple trap-assisted tunneling, while the forward-high-bias current is governed by the thermionic emission mechanism with a significant series resistance effect; (2) the reverse leakage current under low electric fields (<6 MV/cm) is mainly carried by the Frenkel-Poole emission electrons, while at higher fields the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling mechanism dominates due to the formation of a triangular barrier.

Energetics of the molecular interactions of L-alanine and L-serine with xylitol, D-sorbitol, and D-mannitol in aqueous solutions at 298.15 K

Science.gov (United States)

Mezhevoi, I. N.; Badelin, V. G.

2013-04-01

Integral enthalpies of dissolution Δsol H m of L-alanine and L-serine are measured via the calorimetry of dissolution in aqueous solutions of xylitol, D-sorbitol, and D-mannitol. Standard enthalpies of dissolution (Δsol H ○) and the transfer (Δtr H ○) of amino acids from water to binary solvent are calculated from the experimental data. Using the McMillan-Mayer theory, enthalpy coefficients of pairwise interactions h xy of amino acids with molecules of polyols are calculated that are negative. The obtained results are discussed within the theory of the prevalence of different types of interactions in mixed solutions and the effect of the structural features of interacting biomolecules on the thermochemical parameters of dissolution of amino acids.

Transport Pathways and Enhancement Mechanisms within Localized and Non-Localized Transport Regions in Skin Treated with Low-Frequency Sonophoresis and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

OpenAIRE

Polat, Baris E.; Figueroa, Pedro L.; Blankschtein, Daniel; Langer, Robert

2010-01-01

Recent advances in transdermal drug delivery utilizing low-frequency sonophoresis (LFS) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) have revealed that skin permeability enhancement is not homogenous across the skin surface. Instead, highly perturbed skin regions, known as localized transport regions (LTRs), exist. Despite these findings, little research has been conducted to identify intrinsic properties and formation mechanisms of LTRs and the surrounding less-perturbed non-LTRs. By independently analyz...

Species transport mechanisms governing capacity loss in vanadium flow batteries: Comparing Nafion® and sulfonated Radel membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agar, Ertan; Knehr, K.W.; Chen, D.; Hickner, M.A.; Kumbur, E.C.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Species transport mechanisms are investigated in Nafion ® and s-Radel for VRFBs. • Unlike diffusion in Nafion ® , crossover in s-Radel is dominated by convection. • In particular, electro-osmotic convection is the dominant mode in s-Radel. • Change in direction of convection causes a lower crossover in s-Radel. • Hydraulic and electrokinetic permeability are as important as vanadium permeability. -- Abstract: In this study, a 2-D, transient vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) model was used to investigate and compare the ion transport mechanisms responsible for vanadium crossover in Nafion ® 117 and sulfonated Radel (s-Radel) membranes. Specifically, the model was used to distinguish the relative contribution of diffusion, migration, osmotic and electro-osmotic convection to the net vanadium crossover in Nafion ® and s-Radel. Model simulations indicate that diffusion is the dominant mode of vanadium transport in Nafion ® , whereas convection dominates the vanadium transport through s-Radel due to the lower vanadium permeability, and thus diffusivity of s-Radel. Among the convective transport modes, electro-osmotic convection (i.e., electro-osmotic drag) is found to govern the species crossover in s-Radel due to its higher fixed acid concentration and corresponding free ions in the membrane. Simulations also show that vanadium crossover in s-Radel changes direction during charge and discharge due to the change in the direction of electro-osmotic convection. This reversal in the direction of crossover during charge and discharge is found to result in significantly lower “net” crossover for s-Radel when compared to Nafion ® . Comparison of these two membranes also provides guidance for minimizing crossover in VRFB systems and underscores the importance of measuring the hydraulic and the electro-kinetic permeability of a membrane in addition to vanadium diffusion characteristics, when evaluating new membranes for VRFB applications

Glucuronidation as a mechanism of intrinsic drug resistance in colon cancer cells: contribution of drug transport proteins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cummings, Jeffrey; Zelcer, Noam; Allen, John D.; Yao, Denggao; Boyd, Gary; Maliepaard, Mark; Friedberg, Thomas H.; Smyth, John F.; Jodrell, Duncan I.

2004-01-01

We have recently shown that drug conjugation catalysed by UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) functions as an intrinsic mechanism of resistance to the topoisomerase I inhibitors 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin and NU/ICRF 505 in human colon cancer cells and now report on the role of drug transport in

Elevated glucose concentrations promote receptor-independent activation of adherent human neutrophils: an experimental and computational approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kummer, Ursula; Zobeley, Jürgen; Brasen, Jens Christian

2007-01-01

of NO and superoxide formation were observed. However, these changes were not observed for sorbitol, a nonmetabolizable carbohydrate. Glucose transport appears to be important in this process as phloretin interferes with the glucose-specific receptor-independent activation of neutrophils. However, LY83583...

Identification of a transport mechanism for NH₄⁺ in the symbiosome membrane of pea root nodules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mouritzen, P.; Rosendahl, L.

1997-01-01

Symbiosome membrane vesicles, facing bacteroid-side-out, were purified from pea (Pisum sativum L.) root nodules and used to study NH4+ transport across the membrane by recording vesicle uptake of the NH4+ analog [C-14]methylamine (MA). Membrane potentials (Delta psi) were imposed on the vesicles...... of the pH gradient indicated that uptake of MA was not related to the presence of a pH gradient. The MA-uptake mechanism appeared to have a large capacity for transport, and saturation was not observed at MA concentrations in the range of 25 mu M to 150 mM. MA uptake could be inhibited by NH4+, which...... indicates that NH4+ and MA compete for the same uptake mechanism. The observed fluxes suggest that voltage-driven channels are operating in the wsymbiosome membrane and that these are capable of transporting NH4+ at high rates from the bacteroid side of the membrane to the plant cytosol. The p...

Thermal Transport and Entropy Production Mechanisms in a Turbulent Round Jet at Supercritical Thermodynamic Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florian Ries

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In the present paper, thermal transport and entropy production mechanisms in a turbulent round jet of compressed nitrogen at supercritical thermodynamic conditions are investigated using a direct numerical simulation. First, thermal transport and its contribution to the mixture formation along with the anisotropy of heat fluxes and temperature scales are examined. Secondly, the entropy production rates during thermofluid processes evolving in the supercritical flow are investigated in order to identify the causes of irreversibilities and to display advantageous locations of handling along with the process regimes favorable to mixing. Thereby, it turned out that (1 the jet disintegration process consists of four main stages under supercritical conditions (potential core, separation, pseudo-boiling, turbulent mixing, (2 causes of irreversibilities are primarily due to heat transport and thermodynamic effects rather than turbulence dynamics and (3 heat fluxes and temperature scales appear anisotropic even at the smallest scales, which implies that anisotropic thermal diffusivity models might be appropriate in the context of both Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS and large eddy simulation (LES approaches while numerically modeling supercritical fluid flows.

A multi-scale approach of mechanical and transport properties of cementitious materials under rises of temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caratini, G.

2012-01-01

The modern industrial activities (storage of nuclear waste, geothermal wells, nuclear power plants,...) can submit cementitious materials to some extreme conditions, for example at temperatures above 200 C. This level of temperature will induce phenomena of dehydration in the cement paste, particularly impacting the CSH hydrates which led to the mechanical cohesion. The effects of these temperatures on the mechanical and transport properties have been the subject of this thesis.To understand these effects, we need to take into account the heterogeneous, porous, multi-scale aspects of these materials. To do this, micro-mechanics and homogenization tools based on the Eshelby problem's solution were used. Moreover, to support this multi-scale modeling, mechanical testing based on the theory of porous media were conducted. The measurements of modulus compressibility, permeability and porosity under confining pressure were used to investigate the mechanisms of degradation of these materials during thermal loads up to 400 C. (author)

Student Assessment System. Domain Referenced Tests. Transportation/Automotive Mechanics. Volume II: Theory. Georgia Vocational Education Program Articulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, James F., Comp.

These written domain referenced tests (DRTs) for the area of transportation/automotive mechanics test cognitive abilities or knowledge of theory. Introductory materials describe domain referenced testing and test development. Each multiple choice test includes a domain statement, describing the behavior and content of the domain, and a test item…

Grain transport mechanics in shallow flow

Science.gov (United States)

A physical model based on continuum multiphase flow is described to represent saltating transport of grains in shallow overland flows. The two-phase continuum flow of water and sediment considers coupled St.Venant type equations. The interactive cumulative effect of grains is incorporated by a dispe...

Intracellular loop 5 is important for the transport mechanism and molecular pharmacology of the human serotonin transporter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Said, Saida; Neubauer, Henrik Amtoft; Müller, Heidi Kaastrup

2015-01-01

The serotonin transporter (SERT) belongs to a family of transport proteins called the neurotransmitter:sodium symporters. The specialized members of this family transport different neurotransmitters across the cell membrane, thereby regulating signaling between neurons. Most of these transporters...

Ligand-Receptor Interaction-Mediated Transmembrane Transport of Dendrimer-like Soft Nanoparticles: Mechanisms and Complicated Diffusive Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Junshi; Chen, Pengyu; Dong, Bojun; Huang, Zihan; Zhao, Kongyin; Yan, Li-Tang

2016-05-09